Led by strong growth in the number of small and mid-sized (SMB) customers that IBM Rational added during the first half of 2008, the IBM Rational software business has grown significantly in India. Analyst firm, Gartner, Inc., has ranked IBM as the worldwide market share leader in the application development marketplace based on total software revenue for 2007. According to Gartner, this marks the seventh consecutive year that IBM maintained its leadership in the application development software market.

A recent report by Evans Data Corporation on Indian Software Developers’ Market indicates a very healthy and growing software development industry in India. According to the report, the number of software developers in India is forecast to grow at about 23% per year over the next few years growing from 1.8M in 2008 to 2.7M in 2010. This growth in number of developers along with increased awareness and traction around quality assurance, testing, and configuration management are the biggest factors which are driving the growth of application development and the quality lifecycle tools market in the country.

“IBM has created a true development powerhouse, and India is an important market for us. The customer base in India has been expanding rapidly and we see a lot of adoption of IBM Rational software in India. The System Integrators and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) have been choosing IBM’s software development offerings to help companies become more nimble, as they are using an increasingly geographically-dispersed and virtual workforce to remain competitive”, said, Pradeep Nair, Director, Software Group, IBM India/ South Asia.

For many organizations, delivery of software is a critical element of their business, whether this is in support of their internal systems or the creation of software or system products that represent their core business. Organizations are growing and seeking to gain better performance from this critical element and they are looking to IBM Rational software to drive business value. Some of the customers that Rational added in the first half of 2008 include Max New York Life Insurance, Nucleus Software, Samsung Electronics, Robert Bosch, Apollo Hospitals, Persistent Systems, IFlex to name a few.

“With its new Rational Software, Persistent Systems can now design and build robust software architectures. These tools increase the efficiency of the product lifecycle, and offer advanced functionality, performance and reliability for the client’s software development environment. This enhances customer satisfaction and helps attract new customers,” said, Sudhir Alekar, Vice President - Business Development, Persistent Systems Ltd.

As a part of its continued efforts to improve accessibility and build a pipeline of new skills in the global marketplace, IBM recently announced certification testing on 22 Rational software products available to university students at minimal cost, expanding opportunities for both employers and IT Professional worldwide. India and China are the first two markets to take the advantage of discounted online certification testing for IBM Rational software tools. The new program has been launched in India and China at more than 2,100 institutions.

As a leader in the applications development market, IBM will be hosting India’s largest technology event - Rational Software Development Conference in Bangalore along with seven other cities between August 28 and August 29. The conference is expected to attract over three times the number of software professionals across the industries when compared to the previous years. The main focus of the conference this year will be team productivity, enduring quality and organizational effectiveness. The conference will witness key note sessions by industry leaders and IBM experts along with user experiences being shared by customers to enhance knowledge about the current and future software development tools in the future.

In an offer to reduce cost of electricity from restorable sources Google Inc stated that it is going to invest more than $10 million in a promising geothermal energy technology on Tuesday. Enhanced geothermal system provides a technology that passes water from hot rocks in the ground, generating vapor to force a turbine according to Google.org that is Google’s generous arm. On the other hand conservative geothermal technology depends on the occurring of required steam and hot water under the ground on its own.

Head of climate and energy initiatives for Google.org Dan Reicher stated that this new innovation will help in meeting the energy need of US by thousands of time and it could be the revolutionary software of the energy world. He added that as the power output of the solar and wind farms is irregular this new exiting new technology could be a supplement.

Investment of $4 million is also planed by the google in Potter Drilling Inc. a company which is upbringing deep hard rock drilling technology to apply with EGS.

In a view to update geothermal mapping of North America the company also planed to contribute $489,521 for Southern Methodist University’s Geothermal Lab.

According to recent survey where Asian and European competitors of US auto part makers are improving there business, US buyers liking and satisfaction from domestic brands is fading.

According to the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index Toyota and Honda persuaded Lexus and BMW who hold and fixed to first position in the market while satisfaction from US brand in consumer fell.

At this time US companies are trying to overtake there competitors and to resist and hold there share in market as they did in past but at the same time General Motors Corp.’s Buick and Cadillac brands, and Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln and Mercury lines, knock down from their second position.

Head of the annual survey considered it as a disturbing indicator for the US automakers. Every year US automaker enhance there customer satisfaction rating far above than their competitors but n this year overseas companies improved better while there is fall in domestic brand rating. This data indicates tougher situation that automakers having ahead in future. Despite of this auto maker industry preserved a good standing on the whole.

To convey wholly managed communication solutions to customers constantly with functions across the world, CapRock Communications announced yesterday that it has named Ron Wagnon for the post of vice president and general manager of North America and for country manager of Angola it has selected Doug Black. This step would further help CapRock to establish its business globally and effectively. CapRock is a major contributor of global satellite communication services to far-flung locations.

CapRock had tactically posted at regional support centers to offer finest local field service and technical support over the few years to counter the increasing universal costumer base inside several perpendicular markets.

In new role Wagnon will hold the responsibility to maintain North American market revenue enlargement. Reliable service delivery, project management and customer care through out every office enabling customers to receive continually same reliable communication in spite of whether their operations may be are some other responsibility that he has to perform.

Doug Black will handle CapRock’s usual business operations for Angola as country manager. Customers increased demand for communication services in West Africa in the drilling and mining markets will be countered by Black’s positioning. Black will take charge of the supervision of project completion and will administer field service and customer support for overseas customers and land-based necessities.

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US domestic airlines are gearing up for a 5.7 percent fall in passenger traffic on the upcoming Labor Day holiday. Economic uncertainty and soaring airfares are forcing many people to cut back on elaborate travel plans and venture out closer home.

A report brought out by the Air Transport Association of America predicted that around 16 million people would be flying within the country over the Labor Day holiday instead of the 17 million passengers who had taken domestic flights during the same holiday period, a year back.

The ATA holds exorbitant jet fuel prices responsible for the expected decline in air passenger traffic. While last year, jet fuel was priced at $89.92 a barrel, this year it has shot up by 79 percent to $160.47 a barrel. Airlines have been passing on the major part of the price burden onto the passengers with the result that higher air fares have led to a fall in air travel by the average passengers.

The expected decline of 5.7 percent in passenger traffic in the coming holiday season also includes a projected fall of 6.5 percent in domestic travel as well as one percent cut back in international travel. The industry trade association not only blames rising jet fuel costs for the fall in air passenger traffic but also points out that rising household expenses and stagnant wages have led to many families to put off their vacation plans.

The US Federal Communications Commission has approved the use of Dream, the first smart phone in the United States which will run the Android operating system from Google.

On Monday, the FCC posted certification documentation on its website clearing the use of the smart phone titled Dream in the United States. The certification has also paved the way for T-Mobile to begin selling the device as early as next month. T-Mobile is the fourth largest wireless carrier in the United States.

The new smart phone will be powered by the much-hyped operating system Android, from Google. With this significant step, Google will be able to expand its reach beyond the realm of personal computers and announce its definitive presence into the mobile network. The launch of the smart phone carrying Google’s mobile Web application has been touted by company executives as being crucial to the promotion of its products to a global market besides holding the key to the company’s growth plans.

For some time now HTC, one of the largest mobile phone makers in the world, had been developing the first smart phone which would use Google’s mobile web software. This would enable users to access the Internet on their mobiles and carry out complex functions hitherto performed by the personal computer.

Federal inspectors in the US issued warnings that the diabetes type II drug Byetta may cause hemorrhagic pancreatitis after two patients died from related complications. The drug is manufactured by Amylin Pharmaceuticals and jointly marketed with Eli Lilly.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration website warned physicians and patients to be cautious while taking Byetta for the treatment of type II diabetes. The website said that since the last review of the drug’s post-marketing material, as many as six patients undergoing treatment with the drug have been hospitalized due to necrotizing or hemorrhagic pancreatitis with two of them succumbing to severe complications.

FDA authorities said that they will advise Amylin to come up with stronger warnings on the labels of the drug and also asked patients taking Byetta to discontinue the medicine if experiencing any symptoms of pancreatitis.

News of the potentially fatal side effects of Byetta led to a fall in the share prices of Amylin which dropped by 14.5 percent or $4.94 to $29.29. Byetta is a popular treatment for type II diabetes in the US and is also known as exenatide. In 2007 the drug recorded domestic sales of $636 million and $14.2 million outside the country.

Brinker International Inc is set to sell a majority stake in the Romano’s Macaroni Grill chain of restaurants to a unit of the private equity firm, Golden Gate Capital. The deal comes in the wake of several restaurant chains in the US incurring losses due to declining business.

Brinker International Inc, the parent company of a chain of restaurants like Chili’s Grill & Bar as well as Romano’s Macaroni Grill announced on Monday that it will sell a majority stake in the latter chain to Mac Acquisition LLC for $131.5 million in cash. However Brinker will also have to pay Mac Acquisition $6 million for being able to retain 19.9 percent stake in the brand.

Mac Acquisition LLC is unit of the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital which is based in San Francisco. The deal had been on the cards for some time even though many analysts were surprised that Brinker did not go through its initial plan of selling the entire chain of 220 plus outlets.

Several restaurant chains have posted increasing losses in recent times. Industry experts blame the weak economic conditions for the fall in business as customers cut back on discretionary spending to spare more funds for essentials like gasoline and groceries.

The tropical storm Fay passed by the oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico before hitting Key West in Florida. Crude oil prices remained steady at a little over $113 a barrel as rigs and platforms in the Gulf were spared by the storm which is expected to develop into a low-intensity hurricane.

The oil infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico accounts for around one fifth if the domestic oil production in the US. Most of the output comes from the coasts off Texas and Louisiana. Crude oil prices for September delivery rose by 46 cents to settle at $113.33 a barrel on Tuesday at 8:32 am Sydney time on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

As the Tropical storm Fay gained wind speed of up to 60 miles an hour and looked ready to develop into a hurricane, companies like Transocean Inc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc undertook evacuations of some of its non-essential workers. While production at Shell remained unaffected, Transocean stopped drilling at one of its rigs in the Gulf as a precautionary measure.

The tropical storm hit Key West in Florida after wreaking havoc on its path through the Caribbeans where at least a dozen people were killed.