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The PRIME contract is revolutionising the property industry. It has enabled the UK Government’s Department of Social Security to outsource not just its facilities management and property management but also its entire property portfolio and the risks associated with it. PRIME will provide the Department with 22 per cent cost savings over the life of the contract, give it the flexibility to downsize its portfolio to 60 per cent of its original size and replace hundreds of separate service provision contracts with one service provider, Trillium. Trillium is one of the new types of property service providers who are taking advantage of the historical failure of traditional property owners to give occupiers what they want in terms of service and flexibility. The implications for corporate real estate are enormous ‐ who better to deal with occupier problems like surplus space, flexibility, property market risk and service quality than the supply side of the industry. The potential benefits for those property providers on the supply side who are positioned to take advantage are substantial ‐ instead of just rental income from one property for one occupier, there is the opportunity to capture all occupancy cost revenue for an entire portfolio. The occupier can potentially save costs, increase flexibility, reduce risk and more closely align its corporate real estate with its business strategy.

This case examines the importance of liquidity to financial markets, using the dramatic volatility of mutual fund flows in 2008 as an example. While the case is targeted to MBA students in an investments or portfolio management course, it is also appropriate for an advanced undergraduate course. It is written from the perspective of a fund manager who has experienced significant redemptions in 2008 and is considering whether or not to use ReFlow Management LLC's “liquidity provision” service. The case requires students to examine the nature and magnitude of mutual fund trading costs; how fund flows may induce additional trading, and how ReFlow's innovative service attempts to resolve these issues. Through this analysis, students will better understand what is meant by the term “liquidity” and how liquidity, or a lack thereof, can negatively impact portfolio performance.

The purpose of this paper is to review the range of options available to corporates to raise capital from their real estate.

The paper provides a brief description of alternative capital raising capital options and their costs and benefits.

There are many options available to corporates to raise capital other than a sale and leaseback with different potential proceeds and costs of capital depending on the objectives of the corporate and the lease term they are prepared to sign.

This paper provides an introduction to alternative methods to raise capital from property including fixed and strip income investment models, raising debt against corporate property, the opco/propco model as well as the traditional sale and leaseback.

Charts an increase in the total stock of high technology firms over the 1987 to 1991 period in the UK, as well as the employment contribution of firms over the same period. Finds that total employment in high technology firms declined over this period. However, the employment contribution of small high technology firms, particularly those engaged in technology‐based services activities increased. The employment contribution of this group was unable to offset the major employment losses made by large high technology firms (those with 100 or more employees) and firms engaged in more “conventional” activities in the wider economy, Claims that policy makers should continue to encourage the formation, survival and development of a growing and diverse stock of new and small high technology firms in the UK.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the most popular techniques used to rank a web page highly in Google.

The paper presents the results of a study into 50 highly optimized web pages that were created as part of a Search Engine Optimization competition. The study focuses on the most popular techniques that were used to rank highest in this competition, and includes an analysis on the use of PageRank, number of pages, number of in‐links, domain age and the use of third party sites such as directories and social bookmarking sites. A separate study was made into 50 non‐optimized web pages for comparison.

The paper provides insight into the techniques that successful Search Engine Optimizers use to ensure a page ranks highly in Google. Recognizes the importance of PageRank and links as well as directories and social bookmarking sites.

Only the top 50 web sites for a specific query were analyzed. Analysing more web sites and comparing with similar studies in different competition would provide more concrete results.

The paper offers a revealing insight into the techniques used by industry experts to rank highly in Google, and the success or otherwise of those techniques.

This paper fulfils an identified need for web sites and e‐commerce sites keen to attract a wider web audience.

The lengthy review of the Food Standards Committee of this, agreed by all public analysts and enforcement officers, as the most complicated and difficult of food groups subject to detailed legislative control, is at last complete and the Committee's findings set out in their Report. When in 1975 they were requested to investigate the workings of the legislation, the problems of control were already apparent and getting worse. The triology of Regulations of 1967 seemed comprehensive at the time, perhaps as we ventured to suggest a little too comprehensive for a rational system of control for arguments on meat contents of different products, descriptions and interpretation generally quickly appeared. The system, for all its detail, provided too many loopholes through which manufacturers drove the proverbial “carriage and pair”. As meat products have increased in range and the constantly rising price of meat, the “major ingredient”, the number of samples taken for analysis has risen and now usually constitutes about one‐quarter of the total for the year, with sausages, prepared meats (pies, pasties), and most recently, minced meat predominating. Just as serial sampling and analysis of sausages before the 1967 Regulations were pleaded in courts to establish usage in the matter of meat content, so with minced meat the same methods are being used to establish a maximum fat content usage. What concerns food law enforcement agencies is that despite the years that the standards imposed by the 1967 Regulations have been in force, the number of infringements show no sign of reduction. This should not really surprise us; there are even longer periods of failures to comply; eg., in the use of preservatives which have been controlled since 1925! What a number of public analysts have christened the “beefburger saga” took its rise post‐1967 and shows every indication of continuing into the distant future. Manufacturers appear to be trying numerous ploys to reduce the content below the Regulation 80% mainly by giving their products new names. Each year, public analysts report a flux of new names and ingenious defences; eg, “caterburgers” and similar concocted nomenclature, and the defence that because the name does not incorporate a meat, it is outside the statutory standard.

Discusses the role of property within corporate organisations and, in particular, discusses the impact of real estate on the balance sheet of UK‐based corporate businesses. Also explains how new and proposed provisions from the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) may affect the way in which property is held and managed in the future. Considers the proposed changes from the viewpoint of the property professional and from an accountancy perspective. Concludes that, in the future, management will be required to apply a greater focus on their property portfolio in order to meet the relevant accounting standards.

To add to the information about how Western companies are marketing their products in China, and to provide some insight into the changing character of the Chinese customer‐base.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Clay Chandler comments on how luxury brand companies such as Gucci are staking out retail space in China as the country's booming economy is creating millionaires. Yougang Chen and Jacques Penhirin explain the challenges facing multinational companies who want to move on from supplying just the rich consumers in China, but broaden their business range to the middle and lower income segments – without harming their luxury‐end sales. David Drickhamer reports on how domestic appliance manufacturer Whirlpool is working to build up its brand in the minds of Chinese consumers. As part of its strategy, it is introducing customer segmentation and going up‐market. Tom Lowry features Yao Ming, a US‐based basketball star. who could be the next Michael Jordon in terms of endorsements. Large US companies are clamoring to sign him up in marketing deals with the aim of selling more of their products to the huge Chinese market.

Experiences and expertise related in these articles can help companies wishing to do business with China to understand more about the complexities of targeting this vast and varied market.