Business Documentary

BYU microcredit documentary premieres at United Nations -- The Brigham Young University Marriott School of Management's Center for Economic Self-Reliance has partnered with two filmmakers to create a documentary that explores the issues of poverty and microcredit.

The BYU production, called "Small Treasures: Microcredit and the Future of Poverty," will be screened at the United Nations today as part of the launch of the International Year of Microcredit 2005. The program will air in early 2005 on cable channel KBYU and PBS stations nationwide.

Produced by Sterling Van Wagenen and Matt Whitaker, the documentary features interviews with numerous recipients of small loans in places ranging from India to the Philippines to New York City. It also features interviews with bankers, economists, scholars from BYU and other experts on microcredit programs.

Award

Provo PR firm honored -- Connect Public Relations of Provo received two Golden Spike awards for its work in crisis communications for Symantec Corp. of Orem in the aftermath of a series of cybersecurity attacks from the Blaster worm, which crippled more than a million computers.

The awards are sponsored by the Utah chapters of the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators.

Technology

Microsoft invests in Lindon tech company -- Microsoft will become a minority investor in Vintela, a Lindon-based identity management solutions provider for Unix and Microsoft Windows, for an undisclosed sum.

Vintela also signed several commercial product support and product licensing agreements with Microsoft.

"Customers who have a substantial investment in Microsoft-based management tools normally want to integrate their non-Windows systems to avoid duplication," said Dave Wilson, president of Vintela.

Earnings

Provo whole foods maker reports net loss for third quarter -- Whole Living Inc., a Provo maker of whole foods, snacks, household cleaners, and personal care products, reported a net loss of $411,094 for the third quarter that ended Sept. 30, from net earnings of $9,491 a year ago. The company's third-quarter revenues fell to $1.54 million from $3.46 million a year ago due to lower sales.

Appointment

Sento hires two independent directors -- Sento Corp., an American Fork call center support services provider, appointed Donald Livingstone and Richard Dyer to its board of directors.

Livingstone, director of the Brigham Young University Center for Entrepreneurship and a teaching professor at the Marriott School of Business, will become chairman of the audit committee.

Dyer, vice president of Americas Sales for SanDisk Corp., a supplier of flash memory data storage card products, will join Sento's board of directors.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C6.