Following our last Coffee & Technology meeting about freeware options for desktops I decided to start a small pilot in PTL-Group. We will work on proving the assumption that Linux, Open Office and other accessories can efficiently take over Microsoft applications. Hopefully our friends from John Bryce Training will support us in planning the change process and useful tips. Is there any other company interested to check this in parallel?   

Dear Members and friends,

Having founded THE ISRAELI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN SHANGHAI a little over two years ago, I think I am expected in this message, which I have been asked to write for our new website, to talk about the difficulties facing us in those days, and how tough it was. But I have never been much good at doing the expected. And though it was not very easy at the time, the difficulties were not anywhere near the order of drying up swamps and conquering Malaria. Thus I'd rather talk a little about the future challenges facing us instead.

A deepening recession need not be all doom and gloom. Studies of previous recessions have shown that there will be winners as well as losers. Companies that effectively manage the downturn have a higher likelihood to emerge more quickly and successfully post recession.

We are living in extraordinary times. The events that have roiled the global economy in recent months will have a real and lasting impact on every business in every industry. The economic crisis gives organizations an opportunity to examine every aspect of their business model and lay the foundation for sustainable growth and improved competitive advantage. Obsessing over threats obscures a surprising but crucial truth about downturns: the worst of times for the economy as a whole can be the best of times for individual firms to create value for the long term.