Archive – Banking & Fintech

Biometrics startup secures its survival

This content was published on Jan 13, 2005 Its special badges allow companies to keep track of workers as they move in and out of hazardous construction sites. When mining engineers and construction workers enter the massive Alptransit construction site at Sedrun, ready to drill yet another tunnel through the Swiss Alps, every one of them is logged into a central a computer…

Bankers say regulations are stifling them

This content was published on Jan 13, 2005 They say attempts by the authorities to weave an increasingly dense web of rules cannot be ignored. The private bankers’ position is contrary to that of the Federal Banking Commission, which says banking remains less heavily regulated than many other industries. Niklaus Baumann, president of the Swiss Private Bankers Association, said on Thursday that the…

Government outlines foreign-trade policy goals

This content was published on Jan 12, 2005 The paper forms the core of the government’s annual Foreign Trade Report, which was approved at Wednesday’s weekly cabinet meeting. It gives concrete form to one of the main priorities set by Economics Minister Joseph Deiss in his 2004 “growth package”, namely improving Swiss integration into the world economy. Publication comes ahead of crucial nationwide…

Record number of bankruptcies in 2004

This content was published on Jan 12, 2005 The French- and Italian-speaking parts of the country were hardest hit. There were more than 10,000 bankruptcies in 2004, including private individuals who declared themselves bankrupt. The Swiss business information agency, Creditreform, said on Wednesday that this was eight per cent more than in 2003. “The figure reinforces the image of a struggling economy,” Creditreform…

Eco-retreat asks skiers to pay more for less

This content was published on Jan 12, 2005 Guests of the “Whitepod” lodge above the resort of Villars are doing just that, giving up on modern comforts for the chance to be far from the madding après ski crowds. Nestled in a forest clearing at 1,700m, the retreat consists of a tastefully renovated chalet and five futuristic “pods” or geodesic domes. Each pod…

Railways weather major timetable shake-up

This content was published on Jan 12, 2005 Since the introduction of the new timetable in December, there have been 12 per cent more trains in service, but drivers have complained about the workload. The improved and extended service introduced on December 12 was the largest restructuring undertaken by the Federal Railways in decades. It has seen the introduction of connections every half…

Holcim eyes billion-franc Aggregate deal

This content was published on Jan 12, 2005 Any planned offer would value the British company at £1.78 billion (SFr3.94 billion). Holcim, the world’s second-largest cement maker, said the two companies were discussing an offer of 138 pence per share and a two pence interim dividend, subject to due diligence checks. Holcim and Aggregate said the outcome of their talks was still uncertain,…

Swiss slowly takes wing

This content was published on Jan 11, 2005 The improvement was largely due to a 3.3 percentage point rise to 81.3 per cent on its intercontinental flights. The airline’s European network saw a smaller improvement last year, with an increase of 1.2 percentage points to bring the seat-load factor to 60.8%. During the year Swiss carried 9.2 million passengers – 1.5 million fewer…

Swiss economy shows robust health

This content was published on Jan 10, 2005 Businesses are confident about the prospects for this year, according to a survey by Switzerland’s biggest bank, UBS. The pharmaceuticals industry was the clear sector leader in 2004 and would remain so this year, it added. UBS said the optimism expressed a year ago for 2004 was “more than just wishful thinking”. According to the…

Business software market ripe for consolidation

This content was published on Jan 7, 2005 Sage’s acquisition activity in the Swiss market began in 1999 with the purchase of Softinc, better known as Sesam, for about SFr28 million. Other acquisitions include: HRManagement of Rothenburg in 2004; St Gallen-based Winware in 2003; Lausanne-based Softplus in 2001; Pyramid Software of Langenthal in 2000. They all target the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)…

Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Archive – Banking & Fintech

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Biometrics startup secures its survival

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Bankers say regulations are stifling them

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Government outlines foreign-trade policy goals

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Record number of bankruptcies in 2004

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Eco-retreat asks skiers to pay more for less

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Railways weather major timetable shake-up

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Holcim eyes billion-franc Aggregate deal

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Swiss slowly takes wing

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Swiss economy shows robust health

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Business software market ripe for consolidation

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