Cellucom's online community for cellular phone users 'UClub' celebrates its first anniversary Company kicks off celebrations with a 'Snow and Dance' party hosted by MTV Asia VJ Cyrus Broacha in partnership with Sony Ericsson June 30, 2004 UClub, the leading online community for mobile phone users in the Middle East, is celebrating its first anniversary with a spectacular 'Snow and Dance' party hosted by MTV Asia VJ Cyrus Broacha, in collaboration with Sony Ericsson. The event, to be held at the Al Nasir Ice Rink, Dubai on July 1, 2004, is open to all, with free entry to UClub members holding a membership card. UClub (www.uclubme.com) is an initiative by Cellucom, one of the premier distributors of mobile communication devices and accessories in the region. In keeping with UClub's youthful, trendy image, the event promises to be an evening of 'chilled- out' grooving and entertainment in the snow, great music by DJ Benson and superb prizes, courtesy Sony Ericsson and other leading 'youth' brands. Speaking about the event, Arun Nagar, Managing Director, Cellucom stated, "UClub was launched to cater to the need for a fun, interactive content-based community for mobile phone users in the Middle East. Our research indicated that consumers in the region were keen on buying the latest mobile phones, but could only utilize a fraction of their capabilities, due to lack of availability of content. A natural extension of our core business of cell phone distribution, the UClub portal, (www.uclubme.com), offers designer polyphonic and monotonic ring-tones in several languages, Java games, wallpapers and animated screensavers to enthusiasts who want to get more from their mobile. The response to UClub has been overwhelming; and we are keen to show appreciation to our faithful members by inviting them to celebrate the club's first anniversary to join us in an evening of fun and revelry." Added UClub's Content and Marketing Head, Mira Vara, "UClub's creative content and easy-to-access functionality have helped it gain a significant membership base. The event, is thus, designed to celebrate the success of this initiative by offering its members an opportunity to let their hair down and join in the festivities; another in our series of successful UClub events in partnership with Sony Ericsson. The evening's host, popular MTV Asia VJ and TV personality Cyrus Broacha who is well-known for his wacky sense of humour, will ensure that revelers have a blast all through the evening." The event is being jointly hosted by UClub's business partner, Sony Ericsson, the company's long-standing and exclusive partner for all UClub events. UClub currently offers Sony Ericsson users a host of exciting content customized to their mobile phones, including polyphonic and MP3 ring-tones. The content has been customised to the entire range of Sony Ericsson mobiles, and is in line with the latest international trend of offering new and upgraded mobile phone content. UClub will be adding to its customized content portfolio in the near future, with special applications exclusively tailor-made for Sony Ericsson mobiles. Husni El Assi, General Manager of Sony Ericsson, Middle East stated, "We are delighted to join hands with UClub to celebrate their anniversary. By providing value-added content specifically designed for Sony Ericsson mobile phone users, UClub has enriched our customers' experience of their phones." Since its launch, UClub has hosted several innovative promotions and 'Uclubbing' events for its members, on the portal as well as on ground with the active support of Sony Ericsson. Recent events include tickets and chance to meet singer Asha Bhosle at her concert, 'Chix at the Mix', a night of funky house and R&B, free meal vouchers, and an evening with DJ Akhtar. "We are constantly looking for ways in which our members can enjoy and interact with us, and gain maximum value from this vibrant online community," added Nagar. UClub has announced plans to launch further value-added services for its young members, such as discounts while shopping and eating out. UClub's current portfolio of offers includes premium SMS services, where a mobile phone owner can send an SMS to a specific port number to request content such as jokes, romantic quotations and proverbs. Cellucom, the company behind UClub, has also launched UClub prepaid cards to enable mobile phone users to buy content from the UClub site or through their phones with 50 percent extra value per card. Gulf Air to launch flights from Ras Al Khaimah to over 50 international destinations Initiative will position RAK as a transit and re-distribution point for regional and international business travellers 30 June, 2004 Gulf Air, the national airline of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman and Emirate of Abu Dhabi has announced that it is launching flights from Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) International Airport to over 50 international destinations, starting June 24, 2004. The announcement was made at an event held recently at the VIP Lounge of RAK International Airport, attended by RAK aviation authorities and senior officials from Gulf Air. H. E. Engr. Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairman, Department of Civil Aviation, Ras Al Khaimah said that the new flights will establish connectivity between Ras Al Khaimah and the international business and leisure destinations. "This is a step towards securing RAK International Airport's position as an ideal transit and re-distribution point for regional and international business travellers, as well as to capture an ever larger share of the international tourism and business traffic. RAK International Airport has recorded a growth of over 20 per cent between 1999 and 2003; we are confident that our direct flights to these international destinations will help us gain an even bigger market-share," he stated. The new flights will contribute to increasing inbound international business and leisure traffic to Ras al Khaimah. The Emirate has recently introduced several new sporting and recreational projects to capture a larger share of the growing tourism market in the UAE. RAK airport currently caters to a large number of international tourists, especially from the 33 visa-free countries and the CIS (Common Wealth of Independent States). "We are currently implementing an aggressive plan to position Ras Al Khaimah on the international tourism and business map. Having a state-of the art airport with regular connections to major international airports flights is a part of this strategy. We are committed to offering visitors to Ras Al Khaimah the best possible environment and facilities, be it for business or for a holiday," he stated. James Hogan, President and Chief Executive of Gulf Air stated: "Gulf Air has been at the forefront in establishing strong networks between hitherto untapped destinations and the rest of the world. Ras al Khaimah, with its strategic growth plans, is poised to take up a significant share of the region's business and tourist market, and we are glad to partner with them in this journey." Ras Al Khaimah is stepping up efforts to emerge as an important destination in the Middle East for travellers from all over the world. The airport has recorded a growth of over 20 per cent between 1999 and 2003. An ambitious Dhs. 60 million expansion plan was launched last year, that involves extension of the runway, installation of state of the art equipment, setting up new facilities such as Automated Cargo Warehouses, Parking Lots, Offices and Restaurants and other projects in the near future such as the new Airport Hotel, Arrival and Departure Lounge and a Free Trade Zone. The airport recently received ISO 9001-2000 certification, the second GCC airport to earn such recognition. The RAK government has also introduced a convenient visit-visa system for the family members of all UAE residents.Gulf Air's network stretches from Europe to Asia and covers more than 45 cities in 32 countries, besides an extensive regional network. The airline's fleet is one of the most modern in the Middle East and comprises 34 aircraft. SPICY RESEARCH TO EARN FOREIGN EXCHANGE M. Smithy* 19:8 IST Vanilla farmers in the southern States have earned millions of rupees during the last few seasons. Now they are waiting for the outcome of Indian Cardamom Research Institute’s (ICRI) studies on vanilla. The farmers are aware of the positive impact on their life with the possible success of this study. The Indian Cardamom Research Institute is situated at Myladumpara in Kerala. It pioneers research in profitable cultivation of spices in the southern States. Now the spice farming community is hopefully waiting for the results of its efforts to develop tissue culture vanilla which can pollinate naturally. Vanilla is a labour-intensive crop. Artificial pollination is a must for it. But the spice farming community believes that the ICRI scientists could develop methods to bypass artificial pollination. The scientists of ICRI are trying to develop self-pollination in vanilla with the help of tissue culture technology. Farmers are presently cultivating vanilla planifolia. But its cultivation can be possible and commercially viable only when it is artificially pollinated. The scientists hope that if they could impart the ability of natural pollination of wild variety and aroma of vanilla plantifolia into one plant, it will revolutionise in this costly cash crop’s cultivation. The contributions of ICRI are not limited to vanilla alone. As the name indicates, its primary mandate was to conduct research on cardamom. The institute constituted under the erstwhile Cardamom Board in 1978 came under the Spices Board of the Commerce Ministry in 1986. The institute has released four high yielding cardamom selections and a couple of hybrid varieties with improved productivity ready for release to the farmers. The plant pathology division of the institute has developed detection techniques and control measures for 26 different types of plant diseases. The entomology division has listed 52 types of pests in cardamom and developed control measures for most of them. It has succeeded in the biocontrol of pests and diseases. The other achievements of ICRI have been in the fields of post-harvesting technologies for cardamom, black pepper, vanilla, ginger and turmeric. Studies in this institute are not limited in the laboratory or research papers. The results of the studies are often transferred to the farming community. In addition to the usual procedures for transfer of technology, ICRI also trains the planters and conducts meetings and demonstrations. The regional research stations of ICRI situated at Gangtok (Sikkim), Sakelpur (Karnataka) and Thadiyankudissi (Tamil Nadu) also assist the farming community in commercial cultivation of spices. They conduct studies to increase productivity as well. The ICRI has conducted successful trials in organic herb farming in the Nilgiri area of Tamil Nadu. It is making efforts to develop spice varieties which need no input management. This would help Indian spice exporters increase their share in the global spice market. *Information Assistant, Press Bureau Cochin THE HILLS ARE ALIVE… Zermatt echoes with classical music all summer long The Matterhorn, Switzerland - A dramatic backdrop for classical music concerts throughout the summer in Zermatt. Dubai, 30 June, 2004: Middle East travellers visiting Seiler Hotels or Riffelalp Resort 2222m in Zermatt, Switzerland this summer will be treated to a series of classical concerts which will fill the mountain air with music on a weekly basis until the end of August. A collection of musicians from all over Europe will descend upon the peaceful mountain village of Zermatt to play everything from Beethoven to Wranitzky for the delight of visitors. The first concert will be held on 8 July when popular Swiss orchestra Silberfl?ten puts a modern spin on some well loved classical pieces. Other concerts during the summer include performances by the globally acclaimed Concilium Musicum Wien and the Quartetto di Venezia. The Seiler Hotels and the Riffelalp resort 2222m will make reservations for guests who want to attend the concerts at the time of booking their accommodation. Classical music fans can choose to stay at the historical Seiler Hotel Monte Rosa, the family friendly Seiler Hotel Nicoletta or the Gastronomical haven of the Seiler Hotel Schweizerhof within the village itself. For those who want to be higher still can choose the peaceful and romantic Riffelalp Resort 2222m, Europe's highest altitude five star hotel.For further information on Seiler Hotels and Riffelalp Resort 2222m visit www.seilerhotels.com and for more information on the concerts visit www.zermatt.ch

June 30 2004 Kerala Monitor News