From:	Wong, Kim [kim.siong.wong@RosettaNet.org]
Sent:	Wednesday, 26 August 2009 9:09 AM
To:	Santiago(RN Phillipines); Manoj Saxena ( HP); Feng Wei; jkkwak@gokea.org; RN Korea Sangmi Choi; edt@seipi.org.ph; gxy@cltc.com.cn; Chayakrit (RN Thai); spereira@gs1au.org; yoshihiko.miura@rosettanet.gr.jp; Teo Casey-R22875; Lim, Chiew Boey; George Cheng; Woody Wang
Cc:	Erhardt, III, Clement
Subject:	Notification of Penang Engineering Center Closing to Affiliates

Dear Affiliate staff members,

I regret to inform you that the RosettaNet Engineering Center in Penang,

Malaysia will be closed as of August 28, 2009. The staff and management of

the Center contributed to the success of RosettaNet over the 5 years it has

been in place. The Center enabled the build out of the RosettaNet Portfolio

of XML standards that stand as the core of the communities pride.

Over the last 4 - 5 years many efforts have been made to improve the

finances of RosettaNet. The goal has always been to operate the whole of

RosettaNet as a cost recovery entity. That however has proven to be

challenging. RosettaNet has struggled to cover its operating costs, with

GS1 US, its parent organization, seeing its way to assist in funding these

differences.

There are however circumstances that have impacted the finances of all

global organizations; just as many of you and your member organizations

have been recently effected. Diminishing membership, diminishing revenues

and increased costs along with steep drops in the development and

maintenance of RosettaNet standards by the membership, have been the

reality.

These realities forced a detailed review of the RosettaNet cost center that

includes the Engineering Center and its staff. The trending of membership,

programs and funding made it clear that the RosettaNet organization needed

to change.

RosettaNet staff will now be focused on Membership Support, Education and

Standards Maintenance. The recent staff reductions align the organization

with the program trending over the last 3 years and positions RosettaNet to

focus its efforts on implementation support, education and membership

growth.

We look forward to your support as we go forward with renewed enthusiasm to

build a better RosettaNet for the future.

On behalf of RosettaNet President, Clem Erhardt,III.

Regards.

Kim-Siong WONG

Vice-President,

RosettaNet Asia

Tel: +65-97898651

e-mail: kim.siong.wong@rosettanet.org