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Friday December 21, 2007

Shorts

Fla. firm on board with Israeli pharma

A Florida-based firm is launching an initiative to help Israeli pharmaceutical firms enter the U.S. market.

“There is no place on earth with as much talent and as much innovation,” said John Perry, CEO and president of Medical-Enterprise Development Group. “Our goal is to be instrumental in easing the transition for the Israeli scientist from the laboratory in Israel to U.S. commercial success.”

The Jacksonville-based group specializes in helping inventors and entrepreneurs market their pharmaceutical products in the U.S. The initiative will assist Israeli companies in research and development, funding, marketing and sales. — jta

Real world education for college students

Tel Aviv University launched a new program for financial education sponsored by TAU and the Citi Foundation.

The project, a joint initiative of TAU’s Ruth and Allen Ziegler Student Services Division and Citi Israel, provides education in personal finance and budgeting for individuals in economic distress.

As part of their real-world experience, students will be integrated into local social welfare frameworks and other special programs run by nongovernmental organizations in the Tel Aviv area. The program was conceived and developed in collaboration with the social service departments of the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality and the ORT Singalovsky College.

Charge for Israel charity

Two young entrepreneurs have launched the first U.S. affinity credit card that donates money to Israel charities while offering a competitive rewards program.

Zev Dobuler and Menachem Landau, both 28, started the company, Heritage Affinity Services (HAS) in 2003, which offers the HAS Advantage Visa Platinum card, in partnership with U.S. Bank and Visa.

“We wanted to create a program so Americans could get involved and stay connected to Israel every day,” Landau explained.

HAS donates a percentage of each purchase to any five Israeli charities of the cardholder’s choice from within the HAS network, including 24 organizations such as hospitals, humanitarian causes and community development programs.

HAS Advantage cardmembers also earn one point for every net dollar spent. Points are redeemable for domestic travel on any airline, as well as brand-name merchandise, Judaica, gift certificates, cash back and more.

Co-CEO Zev Dobuler likes to joke that HAS Advantage is the only credit card that lets you “earn rewards points on the card, and in heaven, too.”

Israelis on computer-buying binge

Computer sales in Israel rose 21 percent over the first three quarters of 2007, according to International Data Corp. If sales hold steady, one computer will be sold for every 10 Israeli citizens in 2007.

According to IDC, Nuvu, Dell and HP, the three largest computer distributors in Israel, command 50 percent of the market of sales of desktop and laptop computers. Dell was on top, selling 15 percent of all PCs in the country, followed by HP at 14 percent and Nuvu 11 percent.

Since the beginning of 2007, 536,000 computers were sold in Israel, and total 2007 sales are expected to break the 750,000 mark. The report also noted that 75 percent of all computers sold so far this year have been of PCs. Only 25 percent of sales have been of mobile computers, far lower than the 50 percent average in European Union countries and the 40 percent national average in the United States. — jps

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