Conrad Jupiters on Queensland Hotels

Dine on a whim or indulge in five star fare with an exquisite selection of world class wines, haute cuisine and gourmet on the go. Party casino style and revel in the game for the ultimate players’ night out or excite the senses and spice up your night with the most stunning live entertainment on the Glitter Strip.Whether you’re chasing the action or the ultimate escape, Conrad Jupiters on Queensland’s stunning Gold Coast will elevate your expectations combining the luxury of a five star hotel with the buzz and excitement of seven award winning restaurants, eight funky bars and 24 hours of non-stop casino action.Set among six hectares of landscaped garden, the hotel has 594 superbly appointed guest rooms with sweeping views across the Pacific Ocean and the rugged Gold Coast hinterland, 29 luxury hotel suites and two spectacular penthouses. You’re also minutes away from the finest shopping on the Gold Coast and some of the most pristine beaches in the world.Conrad Jupiters has celebrated over 2 decades at the top with a $53 million casino refurbishment including the expansion of the gaming floor featuring stunning balconies with views of the Gold Coast skyline, a new casual dining restaurant ‘Bite’ and two lively new bars, ‘J bar’ and ‘Quid.’An additional $16 million dollars has been spent on a hotel and convention upgrade including a sophisticated new Reception Area, Cutting Edge Business Centre and Champagne Lobby Lounge and a contemporary, new look and feel for over 442 superior hotel rooms. Technological updates include high speed broadband connection for laptops, plus a high definition 32”LCD screen with an ipod compatible, slim line data panel.

Learn to cook

Learn to cook on one of our authentic Italian cooking courses at beautiful, an old recently restored large Tuscan villa set in a stunning and tranquil location in the hills of the Casentino valley some 50km south of Florence. A locally born chef who ran her own successful restuarant in nearby Bibbiena for 10 years.Paola will help you learn to cook splendid Italian 4 course dinners, and will teach you all the basic Italian cooking techniques, from pasta to pastries and everything in between. The cooking lessons are given in the "Cantina" of Casa Ombuto. All of the ingredients you will use are bought each morning from local markets and so you will learn to cook with fresh fruit and vegetables in season.Throughout your time at culinary school you will learn about the ingredients and the traditions around the dishes as well as food presentation and wine choice. We also make it possible to learn to cook light and healthy cuisine with our new course that focuses on preparing tasty low calorie meals.Our learn to cook courses are from Saturday to Saturday and include 4 elaborate hands-on cooking sessions with enough time to relax and enjoy the surroundings. A one-day excursion will be organized to visit a vineyard for wine tasting, as well as to a local producer of olive oil and time for shopping. It is also possible to bring along a non-participating partner who can spend the days sightseeing or playing golf while you learn to cook, and then rejoin the party for the evening meals.If you would like to learn to cook authentic Italian cuisine in a beautiful and tranquil seting then our cookery courses are an ideal choice for you. ITALIAN COOKERY COURSE.

Pyramid Hotels Group

Pyramid Hotel Group LLC (Pyramid), a Boston-based hotel development, management and ownership firm, today announced that Mr. Davis Sezna has joined the firm as president of La Quinta Resort & Club(R) and PGA WEST (R). In his new role, Sezna is responsible for asset management and community relations for both Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund assets.consulting firm focused on restaurant, golf course, private club, hotel design, master planning and development. He has spent 35 years developing, owning and operating hotels, golf courses and restaurants. "Mr. Sezna's vast and wide-ranging set of experiences make him uniquely qualified for this critical role." states Richard M. Kelleher, chairman and chief executive officer of Pyramid. "He will be representing Morgan Stanley's and Pyramid's interests in the further development and enhancement of these two remarkable, one-of-a-kind assets. We're proud to have someone of his professional distinction on our team." "I am struck by the sense of place, history and community evident in both La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA West. It will be an honor to be associated with these magnificent resorts. I have never before seen facilities with more ingredients, texture and just pure sensory energy. The chance to be associated with Pyramid and Morgan Stanley was also a significant factor in my decision to take on this responsibility," stated Sezna. La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA West are owned by Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund (MSREF) in partnership with Pyramid, as part of a portfolio of luxury resorts, recently acquired from CNL Hotels and Resorts, Inc. Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund is comprised of three major global businesses: Investing, banking and lending. Since 1991, the company has acquired $135.9 billion of real estate assets world-wide and currently manages $68.0 billion in real estate assets on behalf of its clients. A complete range of market-leading investment banking services for real estate clients, include advice on strategy, mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, as well as underwriting public debt, private debt and equity financings. As a global leader in real estate lending, Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund has offered approximately $156.0 billion of CMBS through capital markets since 1997, including $35.5 billion in 2006. For more information about Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund, please visit www.morganstanley.com/realestate. Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firms employees serve clients worldwide. Pyramid Hotel Group LLC, founded in 1999, is a full-service hotel company that owns, manages and asset manages hotels and hotel construction and renovation projects. For more information about the company and its affiliates, visit the companyPyramid Hotel GroupJohn GreenSenior Vice President, Operations EastMr. Green brings over 30 years of hospitality experience to the Pyramid Hotel Group team. His ten year tenure with Wyndham International included five years as Area Director of Operations Northeast supervising as many as 19 hotels in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and other domestic and international markets including Montreal, Toronto and Bermuda. General Manager assignments included opening the 4-diamond Wyndham Chicago and the Wyndham Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Golf Resort. Prior to Wyndham, Mr. Green was Vice President Operations for Signature Hospitality Resources and a Regional Vice President Operations for John Q. Hammons Hotels. During the 1980’s Mr. Green served with Doubletree Hotels as General Manager in Scottsdale, AZ, Overland Park, KS and Walnut Creek, CA. Larry VitaglianoSenior Vice President, Operations WestMr. Vitagliano spent 20 years with Doubletree, Hilton, and Promus Hotel companies as a general manager for hotels throughout the country. Property experience includes general manager positions at Doubletree Hotels in Seattle, Tysons Corner, Dallas, and Kansas City. He led the Antlers Doubletree Hotel in Colorado Springs from 1989 to 1995, and has now returned to the property under Pyramid's management. In addition to his general manager position at the Antlers Hilton Colorado Springs, Mr. Vitagliano oversees Pyramid's San Antonio, Texas hotel, the Crowne Plaza San Antonio Riverwalk.Alan BednowitzVice President, Sales & MarketingAlan Bednowitz is an accomplished sales and marketing executive with a track record of success at both the property- and corporate-level of hospitality organizations. For more than a decade he was affiliated with Promus Hotel Corporation (and its predecessor companies Doubletree and Guest Quarters), where he rose to the position of senior director, national sales. Prior to joining Pyramid Hotel Group, Mr. Bednowitz was vice president, sales and relationship management for StarCite, Inc., a meeting industry technology company.Edgar NugentVice President, Hotel AccountingMr. Nugent is a senior hospitality executive with more than 25 years of financial management experience. His 20-year tenure with Marriott Corporation took him from Texas to Panama to Saudi Arabia and Germany. Prior to joining Pyramid Hotel Group he was a partner in his own hospitality consulting firm, where he counseled hotel owners and investors seeking development support.Robert DiDucaVice President, Managing DirectorMr. DiDuca has 24 years experience in independent and franchised hotel operations including Marriott, Hilton, Doubletree, and Sheraton. He has also successfully transitioned more than 30 properties to new ownership and management including brand conversions. Renovation responsibilities consisting of over $40 million in project improvement have been executed. Mr. DiDuca, based in Boston, oversees hotels in the Northeast and Michigan and continues with Hotel Transitions.Harry GreenblattVice President, Managing DirectorMr. Greenblatt's nearly 30-year career began as a management trainee with Hyatt Hotel Corporation. Following a decade of food and beverage management experience, he switched to operations and began a lengthy association with Doubletree Hotels. During his 17 years with Doubletree Mr. Greenblatt was GM of the Doubletree Hotel Allen Center and Hotel Post Oak, both in Houston. Today he is general manager of the Houston Marriott Westchase with regional operations responsibility for Pyramid's additional Texas properties.Robert (Tico) Bevier, CHAVice President, Managing Director Mr. Bevier has 25 years of experience in the hospitality field, encompassing food and beverage, rooms, operations, and consulting. His affiliation with Pyramid began in 2003 when he consulted with the company on hotel acquisitions and transitions. His extensive hospitality career started with Hyatt Hotels; moving on to La Mansion Hotels; and then he spent 15 years with Hilton Hotels Corporation, mostly at the Doubletree Hotel New Orleans as General Manager. Immediately prior to joining Pyramid he was President of Expotel Hospitality Services for three years. Mr. Bevier remains in New Orleans with Pyramid, where he is responsible for the Maison Dupuy and the New Orleans Lakeside hotels.George McGannVice President, Managing DirectorGeorge McGann has over 25 years experience in the hotel industry, with over 10 years of this experience as a General Manager. He started his career in the food and beverage discipline, as a trainee for the Hyatt Corporation. Presently, George is General Manager of the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel with regional responsibility for the Pleasanton Crowne Plaza (soon to be Marriott) and the Sonoma County Hilton. He joined Pyramid as the General Manger of the Crowne Plaza San Antonio Riverwalk Hotel. Prior to joining Pyramid Hotels, George was the General Manager/Complex General Manager for Starwood Hotels for over 7 years.Bruce CarltonArea Managing DirectorBruce has over 25 years of hotel experience holding various positions. After receiving his BSBA Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Denver, he completed the Corporate Management Trainee program with Hyatt. Most recently, Bruce was the GM at the Doubletree Hotel San Francisco Airport.Mark FallonArea Managing DirectorMark has over 25 years experience with both upscale independent and branded hotels. He managed the La Mansion Del Rio hotel in San Antonio, TX and then joined the team at Guest Quarters in Boston, MA Following his 11 year association with Guest Quarters, Doubletree, and then Promus, Mark was the opening General Manager at the Mystic Marriott Hotel in Mystic, CT and the Marriott Hartford Downtown at Adriaen's Landing in Hartford, CT. Prior to joining Pyramid, he was VP of Operations for Magna Hospitality Group.

Huntron Scanners

Add Scanning Capabilites to Your Huntron Tracker Model 30 SystemAdding a Huntron® Scanner to your Tracker Model 30 system lets you access components using standard DIP clips and cables, custom cables to PCB connectors or interface to a bed-of-nails.You can compare one component with another in real-time (64 pins max.) or use your PC to automate testing and scan up to 128 pins.Huntron Scanners can be used with a Huntron Access Prober to provide Common line connections while the Prober is probing a PCB. This method gives you up to 128 selectable Commons to use. For example, you can connect the Scanner to a connector on a PCB mounted in the Prober using a common ribbon style cable. While the Prober is probing, any one of the lines on the connected ribbon cable can be selected as the Common reference. This would provide you true point-to-point testing capabilities.Note: The ProTrack Scanner will be replaced by the Scanner II and/or the Scanner 31S effective 1/1/2008. This applies to commercial sales only.Scanner II and Scaner 31S users may want to consider these Optional Accessories to enhance their test capabilities.Highlights:* The Scanner II and Scanner 31S accessories add scanning capability to the Tracker Model 30* All Scanners have a minimum 64 pin capability* The Scanner II can scan up to 128 pins when the A and B channels are combined* The Scanner 31S use standard IDC style connectors* The Scanner II uses the common SCSI-2 (68 pin) style connectors* Up to 8 Scanner IIs can be “daisy-chained” to increase the available number of test pins Selecting Accessories for your Scanner IIThe Scanner II accessories for interfacing to your printed circuit board come "ala carte". This means that you select the accessories you want included with your Scanner. Choose from SMT or through-hole style DIP clip and cable kits (Scanner Adapter required with Scanner II) or a mutli-pin breakout cable. Details on these accessories are provided on this page.

Recover, Repair, Recycle

Huntron ScannersHuntron ScannersAdd Scanning Capabilites to Your Huntron Tracker Model 30 SystemTracker Model 30 shown with Scanner II underneathAdding a Huntron® Scanner to your Tracker Model 30 system lets you access components using standard DIP clips and cables, custom cables to PCB connectors or interface to a bed-of-nails.You can compare one component with another in real-time (64 pins max.) or use your PC to automate testing and scan up to 128 pins.Huntron Scanners can be used with a Huntron Access Prober to provide Common line connections while the Prober is probing a PCB. This method gives you up to 128 selectable Commons to use. For example, you can connect the Scanner to a connector on a PCB mounted in the Prober using a common ribbon style cable. While the Prober is probing, any one of the lines on the connected ribbon cable can be selected as the Common reference. This would provide you true point-to-point testing capabilities.Note: The ProTrack Scanner will be replaced by the Scanner II and/or the Scanner 31S effective 1/1/2008. This applies to commercial sales only.Scanner II and Scaner 31S users may want to consider these Optional Accessories to enhance their test capabilities.Highlights:The Scanner II and Scanner 31S accessories add scanning capability to the Tracker Model 30All Scanners have a minimum 64 pin capabilityThe Scanner II can scan up to 128 pins when the A and B channels are combinedThe Scanner 31S use standard IDC style connectorsThe Scanner II uses the common SCSI-2 (68 pin) style connectorsUp to 8 Scanner IIs can be “daisy-chained” to increase the available number of test pinsSelecting Accessories for your Scanner IIThe Scanner II accessories for interfacing to your printed circuit board come "ala carte". This means that you select the accessories you want included with your Scanner. Choose from SMT or through-hole style DIP clip and cable kits (Scanner Adapter required with Scanner II) or a mutli-pin breakout cable. Details on these accessories are provided on this page.SpecificationsMax. Number of Test pinsScanner IIScanner 31SProTrack Scanner128 (per Scanner)64128 (both channels combined)Number of ChannelsScanner IIScanner 31SProTrack Scanner212Number of Pins per ChannelScanner IIScanner 31SProTrack Scanner646464Front Panel ConnectorsScanner IIScanner 31SProTrack ScannerSCSI-2 (68 pins)IDCIDCPart NumberScanner IIScanner 31SProTrack Scanner99-039399-039999-0098Dimensions (Scanner II and 31S)11.1in W x 1.8in H x 8.6in D(28.2cm W x 4.6cm H x 21.8cm D)CertificationsCE and ETL listedWarranty1 year limitedSupplied Accessories with ScannersHuntron P/NQtyDescriptionAvailable Online?All Scanners06-52171Manuals CDScanner II98-04801Interface Cable-Scanner 31S98-01031Cable Assembly, 20 pin clip98-01021Cable Assembly, 40 pin clip07-12341Clip, 20 pin-07-12301Clip, 40 pin-98-04801Interface Cable

CDM Electronics

CDM Electronics is a certified small business, CCR# 42827, founded in 1993, CDM Electronics' mission is to provide our customers with exceptional interconnect products and value added services that meet or exceed our customers' expectations. We welcome the chance to design a creative solution to the most challenging issues.Our ProductsCDM Electronics is a NEDA Authorized Supplier for electronic connectors, coaxial cables and other interconnect products. This assures you that you are receiving factory new and approved products. With today's ever changing business climate, particularly in light of RoHS initiatives which transpired in July 2006, it is imperative that your applications perform to specification and in compliance with environmental and other government regulations. For those applications not requiring RoHS compliance, there are still several performance and reliability factors that are compromised when superior products are not deployed. Choose CDM for all of your interconnect sourcing requirements and you are guaranteed excellent products with on time deliveries.Our ServicesIn 1999, CDM management recognized that customers wanted access to thousands of parts in stock ready for same day shipment. But this only represented half of our customers' needs. Sowe embarked upon a program to expand our offering into the arena of cable assembly and value added programs. Since that time, CDM has experienced explosive growth and now provides a host of value added services, from "womb to tomb". We provide quick turn engineering and cable assembly services for prime contractors, as well as 2nd and 3rd tier providers. Our satisfied customer list includes Northrop Grumman, BAE, General Dynamics, and all branches of the United States military: Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.CDM credits our great staff, especially our brilliant engineering team, with our enormous success in this area.Proactive Cost Reduction Program™Process improvement and cost-saving solutions are as important to us as they are to you. Our "Proactive Cost Reduction Program" is a trademarked initiative created by CDM Electronics to constantly create cost-saving solutions for our customers.Our PeopleFrom Reception to Shipping, CDM Electronics is proud to have the most loyal & dedicated employees. But it takes more than just our own employees to make our company great. We rely heavily on the expertise of several of our providers, especially our web designers:

GRAND HOTEL PLAZA

Location. The Grand Hotel Plaza in Rome, Italy is 500 meters from the Spanish Steps and the Via Condotti. Trevi Fountain, the Galleria Borghese and the Vatican are less than two kilometers away. Rome Fiumicino Airport is 26 kilometers from the hotel. Hotel Features. Formerly a convent, the Grand Hotel Plaza opened as a hotel in 1860. A mahogany door opens into lobby's high, painted ceilings and marble floors. The hotel provides safe deposit boxes and complimentary newspapers. Complimentary Continental breakfasts are served in the Mascagni Room. The Bar Bistro Mascagni serves the hotel's trademark cocktail, La Dolce Vita, drinks and snacks from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Open in the summer months, The Lemon Terrace offers panoramic views over the Via Condotti and Rome's rooftops. The Salone delle Feste ballroom can be used for banquets or conferences. The business center has a computer terminal that offers Internet access. Guestrooms. Each of the 200 rooms in the Grand Hotel Plaza offers a unique ambience. More than 25% have a private balcony complete with chairs and plants. All rooms feature complimentary bottled water, windows that open and minibars. The rooms are decorated with period furniture, historic lithographs and oriental rugs. The beds are dressed with Italian linen. The ensuite marble bathrooms have black, white and gray floors and walls. All of the bathrooms feature Sorelle Fontana toiletries and two-person tubs or power shower stalls. The rooms overlook San Carlo church, the hotel's courtyard or the Via Condotti. Internet access is available for a fee. Expert Tip. Considered the Rodeo Drive of Rome, Via Condotti is the place to find authentic 'Made in Italy' designer clothing such as Gucci, Ferragamo, Versace, Prada, Valentino and Armani.Location. The Grand Hotel Plaza in Rome, Italy is 500 meters from the Spanish Steps and the Via Condotti. Trevi Fountain, the Galleria Borghese and the Vatican are less than two kilometers away. Rome Fiumicino Airport is 26 kilometers from the hotel. Hotel Features. Formerly a convent, the Grand Hotel Plaza opened as a hotel in 1860. A mahogany door opens into lobby's high, painted ceilings and marble floors. The hotel provides safe deposit boxes and complimentary newspapers. Complimentary Continental breakfasts are served in the Mascagni Room. The Bar Bistro Mascagni serves the hotel's trademark cocktail, La Dolce Vita, drinks and snacks from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Open in the summer months, The Lemon Terrace offers panoramic views over the Via Condotti and Rome's rooftops. The Salone delle Feste ballroom can be used for banquets or conferences. The business center has a computer terminal that offers Internet access. Guestrooms. Each of the 200 rooms in the Grand Hotel Plaza offers a unique ambience. More than 25% have a private balcony complete with chairs and plants. All rooms feature complimentary bottled water, windows that open and minibars. The rooms are decorated with period furniture, historic lithographs and oriental rugs. The beds are dressed with Italian linen. The ensuite marble bathrooms have black, white and gray floors and walls. All of the bathrooms feature Sorelle Fontana toiletries and two-person tubs or power shower stalls. The rooms overlook San Carlo church, the hotel's courtyard or the Via Condotti. Internet access is available for a fee. Expert Tip. Considered the Rodeo Drive of Rome, Via Condotti is the place to find authentic 'Made in Italy' designer clothing such as Gucci, Ferragamo, Versace, Prada, Valentino and Armani. Location. The Grand Hotel Plaza in Rome, Italy is 500 meters from the Spanish Steps and the Via Condotti. Trevi Fountain, the Galleria Borghese and the Vatican are less than two kilometers away. Rome Fiumicino Airport is 26 kilometers from the hotel. Hotel Features. Formerly a convent, the Grand Hotel Plaza opened as a hotel in 1860. A mahogany door opens into lobby's high, painted ceilings and marble floors. The hotel provides safe deposit boxes and complimentary newspapers. Complimentary Continental breakfasts are served in the Mascagni Room. The Bar Bistro Mascagni serves the hotel's trademark cocktail, La Dolce Vita, drinks and snacks from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Open in the summer months, The Lemon Terrace offers panoramic views over the Via Condotti and Rome's rooftops. The Salone delle Feste ballroom can be used for banquets or conferences. The business center has a computer terminal that offers Internet access. Guestrooms. Each of the 200 rooms in the Grand Hotel Plaza offers a unique ambience. More than 25% have a private balcony complete with chairs and plants. All rooms feature complimentary bottled water, windows that open and minibars. The rooms are decorated with period furniture, historic lithographs and oriental rugs. The beds are dressed with Italian linen. The ensuite marble bathrooms have black, white and gray floors and walls. All of the bathrooms feature Sorelle Fontana toiletries and two-person tubs or power shower stalls. The rooms overlook San Carlo church, the hotel's courtyard or the Via Condotti. Internet access is available for a fee. Expert Tip. Considered the Rodeo Drive of Rome, Via Condotti is the place to find authentic 'Made in Italy' designer clothing such as Gucci, Ferragamo, Versace, Prada, Valentino and Armani.

The Inn onn Negley

Some of our favorite views of the Inn... please browse.The Inn on Negley offers a unique lodging experience, located in the heart of Shadyside in the historic East End of Pittsburgh. The Inn was built in the late 1800's as a private residence and has been renovated and restored with care to retain much of it's Victorian Charm. Guests will discover much of the homes original intricately designed decorative plasterwork on the ceilings and skirting as well as period moldings, windows and shutters.This distinguished Inn offers outstanding luxury with the highest level of personalized service and attention to the needs of our guests. Each of the eight spacious guest rooms are equipped with private baths and are appointed with the finest quality furnishings, linens and bedding. Additionally, you will find that the rooms are complete with wireless high speed internet, cable television and private phone lines.Professionally trained chefs create delightful gourmet breakfasts and excel at creating house made breads, pastries, jams and sweets. Each morning a full breakfast as well as an expanded gourmet continental buffet is served. The chefs are also pleased to be able to cater intimate and special events at the Inn.Whether traveling for business or pleasure, guests will find that the highly trained staff will anticipate needs, assist in coordinating visits and help to create the perfect stay. The Inn on Negley is the perfect destination for anyone traveling to the Pittsburgh area.

KYC compliance

Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance regulation has proved to be one of the biggest operational challenges banks, accountants, lawyers and similar financial service providers worldwide have had to overcome.World-Check, the industry standard KYC compliance solution, provides an overview of KYC compliance and its origins, and outlines the compliance mandate as applicable to banks, accounting firms, lawyers and other regulated financial service providers – not just in the UK, Europe and the USA, but all around the world. Relied upon by more than 3,000 institutions worldwide, this KYC database solution provides effective legal and reputational risk reduction.Why “Know Your Customer?”The 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre revealed that there were sinister forces at work around the world, and that terrorists activities were being funded with laundered money, the proceeds of illicit activities such as narcotics and human trafficking, fraud and organised crime. Overnight, the combating of terrorist financing became a priority on the international agenda.For the financial services provider of the 21st century, “knowing your customers” was no longer a suggested course of action. Based on the requirements of legislative landmarks such as the USA PATRIOT Act 2002, modern Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance mandates were created to simultaneously combat money laundering and the funding of terrorist activities.What is Know Your Customer (KYC)?Know Your Customer, or KYC, refers to the regulatory compliance mandate imposed on financial service providers to implement a Customer Identification Programme and perform due diligence checks before doing business with a person or entity.KYC fulfils a risk mitigation function, and one its key requirements is checking that a prospective customer is not listed on any government lists for wanted money launders, known fraudsters or terrorists.If preliminary KYC checks reveal that the person is a Politically Exposed Person (PEP), for example, Advanced Due Diligence must be done in order to ensure that the person’s source of wealth is transparent, and that he or she does not pose a reputational or financial risk in terms of their finances, public positions or associations. Beyond customer identification checks, the ongoing monitoring of transfers and financial transactions against a range of risk variables forms an integral part of the KYC compliance mandate.But to understand the importance of KYC compliance for financial service providers better, its origins need to be examined.Origins of Know Your Customer (KYC) complianceThe arrival of the new millennium was marred by a spate of terrorist attacks and corporate scandals that unmasked the darker features of globalisation. These events highlighted the role of money laundering in cross-border crime and terrorism, and underlined the need to clamp down on the exploitation of financial systems worldwide.Know Your Customer (KYC) legislation was principally not absent prior to 9/11. Regulated financial service providers for a long time have been required to conduct due diligence and customer identification checks in order to mitigate their own operation risks, and to ensure a consistent and acceptable level of service.In essence, the USA PATRIOT Act was not so much a radical departure from prior legislation as it was a firmer and more extensive articulation of existing laws. The Act would lead to the more rigorous regulation of a greater range of financial services providers, and expanded the authority of American law enforcement agencies in the fighting of terrorism, both in the USA and abroad.In October 2001, President George W. Bush signed off the USA PATRIOT Act, effectively providing federal regulators with a new range of tools and powers for fighting terror financing and money laundering. During July 2002, the US Treasury proceeded to introduce Section 326 of the PATRIOT Act, a clause that removed some key burdens for regulators and added significant enforcement muscle to the Act.What 9/11 changed, in essence, was the extent to which existing legislation was being implemented. Using the provisions of the earlier anti-terrorism USA Act as a foundation, it included the Financial Anti-Terrorism Act, which allowed for federal jurisdiction over foreign money launders and money laundered through foreign banks. Significantly, it is this anti-terror law that would make the creation of an Anti Money Laundering (AML) programme compulsory for all financial institutions and service providers.Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act dealt specifically with the identification of new customers (“CIP regulation”), and made extensive provisions in terms of KYC and the methods employed to verify client identities.In accordance with this piece of updated KYC legislation, federal regulators would hold financial institutions accountable for the effectiveness of their initial customer identification and ongoing KYC screening. Institutions are required to keep detailed records of the steps that were taken to verify prospective clients’ identities.Although current KYC legislation does not yet demand the exclusion of specific types of foreign-issued identification, it recommends the usage of machine-verifiable identity documents. The ability to notify financial institutions if concerns regarding specific types of identification were to arise, combined with a risk-based approach to KYC, proved to provide a robust mechanism for addressing security concerns.Effectively, the risk-based approach to customer due diligence grants regulated institutions a certain degree of flexibility to determine the forms of identification they will accept, and under which conditions.KYC compliance: Implications for banks, lawyers and accounting firmsThe KYC compliance mandate, for all its positive outcomes, has burdened companies and organisations with a substantial administrative obligation. Additionally, KYC compliance increasingly entails the creation of auditable proof of due diligence activities, in addition to the need for customer identification.

TRACERCO

Do you want an installed method of regularly assessing the operation of your distillation tower, reducing operating costs and reducing shutdown time?To meet the changing needs of our customers the Tracerco research and development team has designed an alternative technique to conventional tower scanning. The TRACERCO Diagnostics™ RapidScan technology combines sophisticated wireless detector capability with an easy to install permanent scanning guide wire system.The TRACERCO Diagnostics™ Tower Scan method has been used for over 20 years by many major chemical and refining companies around the world. The combined data acquisition software from these techniques coupled with TRACERCO Diagnostics™ RapidScan hardware increases efficiency and reliability of scan data by providing fast, consistent data acquisition from fixed orientations. The service allows repeatable tower scanning that can quickly evaluate mechanical or process related problems offering plant personnel a cost effective process diagnostics solution to optimize or troubleshoot tower performance. Even columns with limited or zero ladder access do not pose an obstacle following installation of a TRACERCO Diagnostics™ RapidScan system.* Improved Accuracy - the scans will use a fixed orientation so repeat scans are guaranteed to utilise identical geometries* Better Data Reliability – data will not be affected by weather conditions (wind)* Increased Safety – all scanning operations will be from ground level with no need to climb the tower, eliminating workingfrom heights* Greater Cost Savings – after initial setup, the high costs of scaffolding or cranes for columns that have inadequate or no access is eliminated* Enhanced Efficiency – reduces time needed to conduct a scan lessening the burden on operations to hold column at set conditions The capabilities of conventional tower scanning are not lost. In fact, the TRACERCO Diagnostics™ RapidScan system potentially improves our ability to diagnose more subtle process changes by stringently controlling and eliminating variability in scan line orientations and paths.Features Identified* Tray damage* Liquid maldistribution/blockages in packed beds* Tray liquid loading* Jet and liquid stack flooding* Packing damage* Distributor performance* Presence and density of foam All of the stainless steel pulleys and bracket work will be attached to the existing structure using insulation bands utilising the ‘band-it’ system. No welding or direct attachment to the column walls is required; hence the vessel pressure envelope will not be affected.