Welcome to the first edition of the new Analytica Newsletter — with news on the Analytica User Forum, a new release, and an intriguing application — not to mention Dilbert's teachings on impenetrable spreadsheets.

Online User Forum
The new Analytica User Forum is the place to read and post questions and answers about Analytica, to share tips, and debate with fellow users. We are indebted to Mike Wardell, of the City of Roseville, California, who has created the Forum for the benefit of the entire community of Analytica users. Mike uses Analytica as a risk analyst and power trader for Roseville Electric.

Anyone can read the posts. Register to post your own questions or answers. Check out the Analytica User Forum at http://revelarium.com/phpBB/index.php.

PatchRelease 3.1.1
Analytica patch 3.1.1, released on 28 Nov, 2005, improves reliability and fixes some pesky bugs, including problems with copying modules and distributions with uncertain parameters. (Details) Lumina recommends that all users install this release.

If you have Release 3.1, you can install it free. Just visit support. If you are still running 3.0, you can also upgrade to 3.1.1 free if you have current maintenance and technical support (MTS). If your MTS has expired, you should first renew it, after which you can upgrade at no additional cost.

Case study: Do the Inuit hunters threaten Arctic whale populations?
Whale hunting is an ancient tradition among the Inuit, the indigenous people of the Canadian Arctic. Does hunting pose a risk to the recovery of populations of beluga, depleted by commercial whaling before it was banned in the 1970s? Pierre Richard, a Research Scientist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, used Analytica to create a model of whale population dynamics. It uses uncertain estimates of whale population, and their fertility and mortality rates. Comanagement boards, including Inuit groups and the government, consider his results in making policy recommendations for ecosystem management. For more

Live Webinar demos
Do you have colleagues who could benefit from using Analytica? You might want to let them know about Lumina's weekly webinars. Seeing a live demo is the easiest way to understand what Analytica is about. The webinars include a Q&A session with an Analytica expert.

To participate, all they need is a telephone and broadband connection. The next webinar is on Wednesday Dec 14, 2005 at 11.00am PST. For details, they can visit Webinar, or just email sales@lumina.com to sign up. If you have a small group, we can schedule a webinar at your convenience.