BOSTON, June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire USNewswire/ The following is being released by the law firm of Phillips & Paolicelli, LLP.

A class action lawsuit has been brought against Philip Morris. The lawsuit seeks to have Philip Morris pay for medical monitoring in the form of a low dose computed tomography (CT) scan. Medical monitoring is a potentially life saving screening technique, which can often detect lung cancer at an early stage, greatly increasing the chances of survival.

The Court ordered this notice and decided that this case should be a class action. There are no benefits available now and no guarantee that there will be.

About the Case The lawsuit claims that Philip Morris designed, marketed, and sold Marlboro cigarettes that delivered excessive and dangerous level of carcinogens, cancer causing substances, in violation of Massachusetts state law. This lawsuit does not include current or future personal injury claims involving smoking related diseases. Philip Morris denies these claims and denies it did anything wrong. The lawyers for the Class will have to prove their claims in Court.

Who is Included Class Members include residents of Massachusetts as of February 26, 2013 who

• Are 50 years of age or older
• Have a smoking history equal to at least a pack a day of Marlboro cigarettes for 20 years (e.g., one pack a day for 20 years two packs a day for 10 years a half pack a day for 40 years)
• Currently smoke Marlboro cigarettes, or quit smoking Marlboro cigarettes on or after December 14, 2005
• Have not been diagnosed with lung cancer and a doctor does not suspect that you have lung cancer as of the date of any judgment entered, or relief obtained, in this lawsuit and
• Have smoked Marlboro cigarettes within Massachusetts.

Law Firm Representing the Class The Court has appointed Phillips & Paolicelli, LLP, as well as Thornton & Naumes, LLP Arrowood Peters, LLP and Todd & Weld, LLP, to represent the Class as “Class Counsel.” You do not have to pay anyone to participate. Instead, the attorneys will seek an award of fees and costs from the Court, to be paid by Philip Morris, or out of a fund created for the Class, if one becomes available. You may hire your own lawyer to appear in Court for you, but if you do, you have to pay that lawyer.

Class Member Options

Stay in the Class Class Members do not need to do anything to stay in the Class. Class Members will be notified about how to ask for medical monitoring if benefits are obtained. Remaining in the Class will not prevent Class Members from bringing a lawsuit against Philip Morris for damages in the event that they contract cancer or another condition as a result of smoking.

Get out of the Class Class Members who want to keep your rights to sue Philip Morris on their own over the claims in this case need to exclude themselves by mailing a letter to the address below stating that they do not want to be included in this lawsuit. However, Class Members who exclude themselves will not get medical monitoring from this lawsuit if it is awarded. The deadline to ask for exclusion is August 19, 2013.

Get More Information More information can be found at , by calling toll free 1 877 625 9419, or by writing to Massachusetts Tobacco Litigation, PO Box 2437, Faribault, MN 55021 9137. Class Members can also register to receive future updates about the case on the website.

SOURCE Phillips & Paolicelli, LLP

Comptia blog – it industry insights & perspectives > three channel implications of the new microsoft

Liquid nicotine in e-cigarettes rising cause of poisonings: cdc – webmd

On Thursday, Microsoft announced a huge reorganization and shift in mission. This article covering the announcement is a long read, but well worth it to gain some insight into what Microsoft thinks is important in a technology landscape that has been transformed since the PC centric era that Microsoft helped usher in and maintain over the past 20 years. There are several interesting aspects of the re alignment, especially for channel partners who base a great deal of business on Microsoft systems.

The primary theme for the new direction is “devices and services.” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer introduced this vision a year ago and now Microsoft is organized to execute on that vision. At first glance, it may seem strange to leave software out of that theme, but it s actually a savvy move. Fantastic software can exist without the devices and services being fantastic, but it doesn t work the other way around. Microsoft won t lose focus on software, so by directing effort to areas that have not been traditional strengths, there s a better chance of building out a robust ecosystem.

These are the guiding principles Microsoft says it will use as it moves forward

• A business model based on partner and first party devices with both consumer and enterprise services It s important to note that Microsoft does not plan on separating strategies into consumer and enterprise arenas.
• Optimization for activities people value most Microsoft plans to capitalize on its knowledge of day to day digital activities, but it will need to prove that it can translate that knowledge from a PC world to cloud and mobile.
• A family of devices powered by a service enabled shell Windows 8 had a promising vision, even if the execution fell short. A consistent and familiar experience from device to device is a good goal, but there s more work to do in matching experience to form factor.
• Design for enterprise extensibility and needs This is Microsoft s best card as they play ecosystem poker with Apple and Google. Neither of the other companies comes close to matching Microsoft s enterprise install base or the know how it has built up.

There s a lot more that could be said on Microsoft s strategy and how it is positioned in various areas to move forward, but I ll wrap up by focusing on the implications for the channel. Microsoft s channel partner program is another one of its strengths, since neither Google nor Apple has a program of such magnitude. Some may question Microsoft s channel behavior based on recent moves, but it would be shortsighted to assume that Microsoft isn t planning to use the channel heavily going forward.

There are three main takeaways for channel firms as they digest the changes coming out of Redmond

1. Familiarity with Microsoft s entire portfolio is critical. Microsoft plans on building services that are all connected and providing a seamless experience for end users. Customers who are looking at one Microsoft offering may be enticed to choose an additional one based on increased ease of use. Channel firms will need to know how everything works together and when they have an opportunity to suggest a whole package where the customer may be thinking of a point product.
2. Familiarity with the other ecosystems is just as important. Microsoft, Apple, and Google all have a vision of end users who go all in on a single environment. The reality is that most people will split time between two or all three. Each company is making sure that it can cross pollinate in the other systems. For example, Microsoft recently released an iOS app for Office 365 customers. As BYOD and other factors create diverse work environments, solution providers must be able to build optimal solutions across platforms.
3. Cloud and mobile have changed everything. One of the largest technology companies in the world is undertaking a serious transformation because they see the technology world has shifted. Though the changes are drastic, they are still rooted in the company s assets. Channel firms that haven t already integrated emerging technologies should probably move quickly. (Tip CompTIA education can be a big help with this).

If you ll be at ChannelCon, I d love to hear your thoughts on the new Microsoft. Look me up in the member center or reach out on Twitter to set up a time.

Seth Robinson is director, technology analysis, market research at CompTIA. He can be reached at srobinson