The current Internet model could break as announced Telefónica

Date: August 30, 2010

Source: Europa Press

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The CEO of Telefonica, Julio Linares, has warned of the risk posed by the "unstoppable" growth of data traffic and the "decoupling" between network costs and revenues of the operators that continue as at present, can "break the current model" prevailing in the telecommunications industry.

"The opportunities come with challenges that must be addressed, and this requires a collective response to the imbalance prevailing in the sector," said Linares for their participation in the XXIV meeting of telecommunications at the University Menéndez Pelayo of Santander (UIMP).

The manager said that as a result of data growth, costs of the operators are increasing and "stress" investments made by companies, and indicated that there is an "imbalance" in the current Internet model and a "decoupling" between the data growth and income.

For this reason, the CEO of Telefónica said that to continue and could lead to a breakdown of current model, so it stressed the need to act "urgently" and "collectively" to avoid this danger.

In this sense, Linares said that last year there were already 1,000 million homes, 4,600 million and 1,400 million connected machines and estimated that by 2020 those numbers to rise to 1,200 million homes, 6,000 million and 40,000 million of connectivity, which is 50,000 million devices, 90% via mobile communications.

"The first wave of growth was the household, which seems to have reached saturation, the second came from the hand of individuals and mobile phones becoming a third wave, the devices and machines, with a dimension much greater than the former. "

More details of the story here .

Women entrepreneurs take 80% of social credits Microbank

Date: August 10, 2010

Source: Sources

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Women with secondary or higher education, which launches the world's first self-employment. This could define the profile of most of the beneficiaries (beneficiaries) of the Social Credit Microbank, the social bank La Caixa: and is that 78% of cases respond to this pattern.

But there are other interesting trends. For example, 53% of beneficiaries are people who are not born in Spain from Latin America in 40% of cases. Moreover, 60% are released in the venture with the intended activity to which microcredit, so no prior experience in business management.

Nevertheless, and although it is clear that whoever is going to do better with a business's who already have experience in the field, Microbank recorded figures of new business survival rather high: 77% get more than two years from its creation, the most critical and difficult stage.

Microcredit lines MicroBank are mainly two: a social microcredit, personal loans of up to 25,000 euros for persoas that, economic conditions, have trouble accessing financing through normal channels, and other financial microcredit, also up 25,000 euros for freelancers or small businesses that need financing to start or expand businesses.

Access to finance for SMEs is essential for their survival, and in the context of financial crisis in which we move, so a loan as this entity is never wrong. If you think you need one, you know: search, compare, and keep the best.

Development seeks to reduce by 22% the cost of building roads and railways

Date: May 23, 2010

Source: Sergio Jesus

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The Development Ministry has launched an Efficiency Plan which aims to ultimately reduce by an average of 22% the cost of construction of highways and railroads.

The plan includes a set of measures to prepare draft solutions "more functional and economical," while always complying with all environmental requirements, quality and safety, according to data collected by Development Europa Press .

Do you think the Ministry of Development will achieve the goal set?

The Chile earthquake of Haiti exceeded 50 times, but suffered further devastation Haiti

Date: March 7, 2010

Source: Sergio Jesus

Votes: 1 Rating: 5.00 / 5)

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The right image shows an example of the devastation in Haiti against Chile. It can be seen that although the earthquake in Chile on Saturday was much more powerful, an estimated 50 times more than that rocked Haiti in January, so far the damage in the Caribbean country are unmatched with what happened in Chile .

Specifically Chile suffered a shock of 8.8 magnitude on the Richter scale at 7 degrees frent suffered in Haiti, but the weak infrastructure of Haiti has become more evident devastation.

• The earthquake in Chile was not densely populated. It affected a lot of infrastructure but fortunately large areas population received only shock, not landslides.
• Chile, compared with Haiti, is a rich country, much better organized and infinitely better prepared to respond. Its construction is earthquake because it has an experience with earthquakes of Haiti lacking.
• Regarding the scale, the quake in Chile is approximately fifty times stronger than the Haitian earthquake on a pure energy in any way close to a thousand, as some sources cite only observing log scale. The type of tremor is also essential and the "shape" of earthquake damage on the surface determines (and relative depth).
• The Haitian quake had an oblique movement (from side to side) which caused many landslides strong, like pulling a napkin on which rests a small house made of cards with letters. Although we do not know much about the telluric features Chilean quake still shake is a typical Andean vertical, its motion is upward and in the form of bounds.
• Chile showed a large organization when its president was able to give updates of the disaster several times to the people, the day of the disaster. In contrast, in Haiti, most Haitians do not know whether their president Rene Preval was alive or dead, even the day after the earthquake, as the National Palace and his residence had collapsed, along with most of the buildings.
• The luck or chance was present in Chile. The epicenter of Saturday's quake was far from the coast and nearly 34 kilometers below the surface in a relatively uncontaminated, while the disaster was more superficial tectonic Haiti about 12 miles deep, on the outskirts of Port au Prince.
• Chilean architects have built thousands of homes for low income and whose structures resist earthquakes. In Haiti, there are no building codes. The architect Patrick Midy said that in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere were only three buildings earthquake-proof, which he knew.
• Practice makes perfect: The geologist Calais said that seismic activity is so prevalent in Chile, where in 1960 there was the most powerful earthquake in recorded history, that "It is very likely that anyone here has experienced a major earthquake in life, "añadió.En change in Haiti," The Last in Port au Prince was 250 years ago. Who remembers? "

* Chile earthquake image taken from the New York Times

"When you look at the architecture in Chile you see buildings that are damaged, but not complete breakdown you see in Haiti," said Cameron Sinclair, executive director of Architecture for Humanity, a nonprofit company that has helped in the reconstruction from 36 countries after disasters. Sinclair said he has colleagues in Chile who have built thousands of low-income structures to be earthquake resistant. In Haiti, however, there is no technical construction code.

In Haiti very few knew what happened last Saturday in Chile, how to know if millions of people still live in the streets, lacking food, water and electricity?

Seven differences between Greece and Spain, published in Expansion

Date: February 11, 2010

Source: Sources

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Yesterday was published in Expansion this article that we found important enough to echo, and in Spain the thing looks ugly, but not Greece ::

In recent weeks there have been many comparisons between the situation of the Spanish economy and the Greek. Economic gurus Nouriel Roubini and Paul Krugman , Joaquin Almunia stated recently as Commissioner of Economic Affairs and the Financial Times , among others, have put both countries in the same bag. But the main economic magnitudes can draw a conclusion: they are not comparable.

True, both states have a large deficit (in the case of Greece 12.7% of GDP in 2009 and in Spain by 11.7% over the same period). This ingredient makes these two economies are now dependent on international funding, but that does not mean their problems and challenges are the same. Now that the European Commission is about to approve the rescue of Greece, is the time to explain the differences between our economy and helena.

1. DEFICIT
The public deficit problem in Greece is not new. According to Jose Luis Martinez Campuzano, a strategist at Citi in Spain, "it is a structural burden the Greek economy has been dragging in the last decade. Since 2000 has maintained an average above 5%. However, in Spain is more cyclical and therefore more manageable. " Remember that Spain met the requirements of the Stability Plan and has even recorded surpluses in the last ten years.

2. DEBT
First, Greek debt doubles the Spanish (113% of GDP from l to 55.2%, respectively). But is that also "the volume of debt in Greece has exceeded the average in the last ten years, 100% of GDP," says Martinez Campuzano. And this is reflected in the markets. The Spanish bond differential with Germany ten years (the reference in Europe) exceeded last week, at its worst, the 100 basis points, while the Greek reached 296 points. Last critical moment, this week both spreads have fallen to 80 and 271 basis points, respectively. Furthermore, the different perception of the markets between a debt and other is also evident in the credit default swaps (CDS) or insurance against the risk of default. According to Citi, the Greek CDS triple the Spanish (the cost of insuring Greek debt stands at 417 basis points to 130 points in Spain). Moody's today said that "Spain's triple A is the strongest of the three" (in reference to Greece, Spain and Portugal). In addition to Juan Ignacio Crespo, director of Thomson Reuters, "the great Greek debt problem is that between April and May due almost half of its outstanding debt. Not planned financial calendar and that is a fundamental error" .

3. ACCESS TO FINANCE
For Martinez Campuzano, "Greece can have a problem accessing finance because markets do not want to buy its debt, but in Spain only a matter of price."

4. UNEMPLOYMENT
It is true that at this point the Spanish economy goes wrong stop on the Helena. Here the unemployment rate exceed 18% in 2009, while in Greece it is only 9%. However, experts do not consider that this represents a major problem for financial markets. "They care less or a more indirect way. They are affected in that it can be a pressure on public spending, institutional instability and a possible breach of the austerity plan. But it is an indirect component, in the end the concern is solvency, "said Jose Antonio Alonso director of the Instituto Complutense de Estudios Internacionales. Although there is no unanimity here. The Financial Times editorializes today about Spain and says the government should worry less about the deficit and unemployment .

5. SIZE
This section is worth recalling the words of the chairman of Santander, Emilio Botin , last week, "comparing Spain and Greece is like comparing Real Madrid to Alcoyano." In fact, Spanish GDP is four times the Greek. This has a double face. "As a larger economy problems can also have consequences far more expensive. This explains why the markets look so intently what happens in Spain," says Alonso. However, at the same time, "this dimension makes it a much stronger economy and a more stable political situation," he adds.

6. CREDIBILITY OF STATISTICS
"No one questions the Spanish statistics, while Europe does not believe the Greek," says Martinez Campuzano. In fact, Brussels has opened a new infringement procedure against the government in Athens on the grounds that "has not fulfilled its obligations to collect and send to the European Commission statistics are accurate." Remember that after coming to power, the Socialists reviewed last October's forecast deficit for 2009 from 3.7% of GDP was estimated at 12,5% spring (finally seems to be 12 , 7%). This triggered the fear of bankruptcy in the markets.

7. Austerity Plan
Furthermore, "the Spanish adjustment plan gives more confidence because it is much more detailed than the Greek," said Alonso. In addition, the credit rating agency Moody's has described as "credible" austerity plan set by the Government . At the same time, said that the rating of Greece can be cut from the current A3 to Baa1. In this sense, today pronounced the Financial Times in an editorial, in which he called the Spanish austerity plan as "serious" .

Lowering the dismissal in 33 days younger and older than 45 years ...

Date: February 7, 2010

Source: Sources

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The Cabinet has approved its proposed labor reform, which will be explained this afternoon at the social by the Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who shall thereafter inform the precise details. On January 30, Zapatero said the reform would help working mostly young and little cualifcados . And, according to him, these groups are the "hardest hit by the scourge of unemployment."

In the press conference after the Council of Ministers, the Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, explained that the proposal is built around five objectives and serve to move beyond the crisis and economic production model that is "not feasible "for the future.

Promote employment, reduce the duality in the recruitment and temporary, increase the chances of finding a job, increase the internal flexibility of companies and promote employment of young people with less training, are the five axes, said de la Vega.

The Government convened this afternoon at 17.00, the top leaders of CCOO, UGT, CEOE and Cepyme, Ignacio Fernández Toxo, Candido Mendez, Gerardo Diaz Ferran and Jesus Barcenas, in the Moncloa Palace to give its proposals for reforming the labor market, union officials said.

33 days for younger and older than 45

Business sources, meanwhile, said the government likely would contain proposals for labor reform. One might be to 'destopar' the contract to promote stable employment, which compensation for unfair dismissal is 33 days per year worked, so that its use should be open to all groups.

Currently, the employer can make this contract with unemployed young people between 16 and 30, unemployed persons over 45, disabled, unemployed have been registered at employment offices for at least six consecutive months, and unemployed women when hiring for service in professions or occupations with lower rates of female employment.

Also, the contract to promote stable employment created in the 1997 reform can be done with those workers who, in the timing of the new contract, were used in the same company under a temporary contract entered into prior to December 31 , 2007.

The 'universality' of the contract to promote stable employment is only one of the ideas that the Government is considering include in their proposals, that is still not definite that this will be one of the measures 'star'. Deck also expensive temporary contracts and the fixed priority through the contribution to unemployment.

10 points on the table

Sources consulted by Europa Press reported that the Government's proposal could be around 10 points. First, an employment program for young people between 16 and 24, which is the priority group for the Executive. This program would be aimed specifically at meeting the needs of young people without professional qualifications.

It could include revising the bonus system with a view to simplifying and improving the public employment services and job placement. Another point could be the review of the structure of collective bargaining and the need to introduce greater flexibility in this area internally.

Procurement, the Government's proposal would see the reduction in working hours with payment of a benefit ('German model'), correction of the excessive labor market duality, with special attention to the timing and extent of hiring part-time stable.

The last three points would be aimed at training for employment, equality between men and women in the workplace and the control of temporary disability, the sources said.

Do I study or approval?

In any case, not about initiatives closed, so it could "fall" of the final text submitted by the Government to the social and be replaced with new ones.

The truth is that it is not clear that the Council of Ministers to be approved today the government document with their proposed labor reform. The fact that the Labour Minister Celestino Corbacho, has not left the press conference after the Council of Ministers and that unions and employers have been called this afternoon at Moncloa, suggests that the Council simply be limited " the study "of the proposals, but not approval.

It should also be borne in mind that CC.OO. and UGT had asked the Government to delay expresmente again the submission of proposals generated by the climate around its proposals on pensions and not to interfere in the ongoing dialogue with employers to close a collective bargaining agreement.

¿Welfare state or Pyramid Scam?

Date: January 24, 2010

Source: Economic @ 21

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So many could qualify the welfare state , which requires a balance between active and retired population entitled to payment of pensions as the dependency ratio should not exceed 34%, that is, that for every 100 people work, no more than 34 retirees. To accomplish this, Spain needs 7 million immigrants by 2030 , which is that the situation is not alagueña. If these data we add what is causing the global crisis, we find that one in five Spanish is at risk of poverty , as published by the European agency Eurostat statistics, the EU being overcome only by Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria, so it does not leave much room for the coming years.

, que califican de "mala" o "muy mala" la situación económica de España , no obstante, estos mismos analistas consideran que aún puede arreglarse. This is verified also for 97% of analysts, who qualify as "poor" or "very bad" economic situation in Spain , however, these same analysts believe that even can be arranged. 51% expected the business situation of crisis begins to improve in the next six months. This optimism is that six out of ten analysts predict an increase in exports in the next six months because almost everyone thinks the U.S. economy will improve this year and Europe will be better in the next six months.

And experts believe that the solution to the crisis will depend on the international situation and "internal factors".