HITACHI KOKI ANNOUNCES BRAND NAME CHANGE TO "HIKOKI"

TOKYO, Nov 1 (Bernama-AsiaNet) --
 

-Rebranding Reflects Company's Commitment to Further Expansion as Global Brand- Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. (http://www.hitachi-koki.com/), a leading manufacturer of power tools and life-science equipment, announced on November 1 that the company will change its corporate name to Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., effective June 1, 2018, and will rebrand its full line of power tools known as HITACHI and/or Hitachi Koki under the new HiKOKI (*) (pronounced "hai-koh-key") name, effective October 1, 2018. The name changes are in line with the company's ambitious international growth strategy, aimed at ensuring sustainable growth while expanding business in the nearly 100 countries in Hitachi Koki's global network. Hitachi Koki's world-class advanced technologies have produced reliable and innovative products throughout its celebrated 70-year history, which serve as the basis for its new partnership with KKR, one of the world's preeminent private equity groups. Through the new partnership, Koki Holdings is streamlining operations and accelerating investment in organic development and acquisitions to enhance its global businesses as a worldwide leading manufacturer. Simultaneous to the rebranding efforts, the company is establishing a subsidiary as its European headquarters called Koki Holdings Europe GmbH in the suburbs of Dusseldorf, Germany, to reflect the strategic importance of the European market. The subsidiary will commence operations in November 2017, and will serve to carry out the parent company's activities in Europe, aiming to be closer to its customers to facilitate faster decision-making in managing their needs. "We have delivered award-winning innovation in manufacturing with solid business performance for over 70 years, and now is the time for us to focus on expansion as a truly global company while remaining rooted to our Japanese tradition," said Osami Maehara, President, Hitachi Koki. "We have fully committed to accelerate growth alongside a dynamic new partner in KKR as we pursue our goal to become a global leader in power tools and life-science instruments. We have set an aggressive sales target of US$2.7 billion in fiscal year 2020. We are confident we can take our business to the next level with the support of all our employees and partners worldwide, and the revamping of the brand name is the first step to making this possible. We look forward to continuing to build a brand that exceeds the expectations of discerning customers around the world." The HiKOKI brand was created to embody the three core competencies of the company, including its innovative technologies that give rise to products with superior performance, the reliability of its products and services backed by a 70-year company history, and the potential for new business growth represented through the new partnership with KKR. For ease of pronunciation, the new brand name uses a lowercase "i" in its first syllable, and includes the implicit numeral "1" to express the company's commitment to providing customers with the "No. 1" products on the market, and its aim to achieve "No. 1" global status. The new corporate name, Koki Holdings Co., Ltd., is designed to maintain continuity with its current name, while also reflecting the multiple brands it encompasses around the world, and accelerate investment in acquisitions to expand its global business. (*) No changes will be made to the following brands in their respective markets: metabo, SANKYO, Tanaka, CARAT, HIT-MIN, himac. Click the below link to view an at-a-glance chart of the name and logo changes. https://hkstrategies.egnyte.com/dl/7NLEe6UEfU SOURCE: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. --BERNAMA

GLOBAL SD-WAN PROVIDED TO ENTERPRISES IN AUSTRALIA AND SINGAPORE AS NEXION NETWORKS PARTNERS WITH ARYAKA

New partnership delivers superior global connectivity and application acceleration benefits to businesses in the Asia-Pacific region

SAN MATEO, Calif., Nov 1 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aryaka®, the leading global SD-WAN provider, today announced that NEXION Networks will employ Aryaka’s global SD-WAN solution to enhance global connectivity and application performance for enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region.

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JTB GROUP LAUNCHES SALES OF NEW HOKKAIDO TOUR FEATURING ACCOMMODATION AT RENOWNED NOBORIBETSU HOT SPRINGS, NINJA SHOW, AND VISIT TO A SWORDSMITH FORGE

- Enjoy the majestic nature and rich Japanese culture of central Hokkaido
- A new experience-based tour plan that delivers an engaging trip to Japan, even for returning visitors

TOKYO, Nov 1 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- JTB Group, Japan's largest travel agency, through JTB Sunrise Tours, its tour brand dedicated to bringing foreign tourists to Japan, has launched sales of a brand-new bus tour plan that invites foreign visitors to experience the majestic nature and rich Japanese culture of central Hokkaido, a favorite destination of tourists to Japan.

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A NEW HUMANITARIAN ENVOY TO SUPPORT REFUGEES WORLDWIDE

TBHF has provided over 647,000 beneficiaries in 10 nations with health, education and emergency aid

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, Oct 31 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- In a significant step to bolster their ongoing life-saving relief operations, The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), one of the world’s leading humanitarian organisations based out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has appointed Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Council, as its Humanitarian Envoy.

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HOYA REPORTS SECOND QUARTER RESULTS; RECORD HALF YEAR RESULTS

TOKYO, Oct 30 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hoya Corporation (TOKYO: 7741) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended September 30, 2017.

During the quarter, revenue of the HOYA Group increased 18.2% year on year, reaching 135,772 million yen. Pre-tax profit amounted to 32,868 million yen with 26,767 million yen in profit, representing increases of 3.9% and 7.9%, respectively.

In the Life Care segment, sales of eyeglass lenses rose, mainly overseas and in response to business acquisitions. Medical endoscopes experienced improved sales, pushed mainly by performance in Europe and Asia. New products drove sales of intraocular lenses as well. As a result, the Life Care segment as a whole reported higher sales year on year.

The Information Technology segment also reported higher revenues year on year, driven by stronger demands in semiconductor devices and glass substrates for hard disk drives. Imaging-related product sales increased as well due to an expansion of new applications.

For the six months ended September 30, 2017, HOYA posted record revenues of 262,930 million yen and record profit for the term of 51,960 million yen, representing increases of 14.3% and 21.4%, respectively. 

“The Life Care segment delivered sales increase of 9.4% without exchange gain this quarter,” said Hiroshi Suzuki, president and chief executive officer of HOYA. “We expect the segment profitability to improve in the second half as post-merger integration completes.”

HOYA also announced the interim dividends of 30 yen per share of common stock.

The full reports are available at: www.hoya.com

About HOYA
Founded in 1941 in Tokyo, Japan, Hoya is a global med-tech company and the leading supplier of innovative high-tech and medical products. Hoya is active in the fields of healthcare and information technology providing eyeglasses, medical endoscopes, intraocular lenses, optical lenses as well as key components for semiconductor devices, LCD panels and HDDs. With over 150 offices and subsidiaries worldwide, Hoya currently employs a multinational workforce of 36,000 people. For more information, please visit http://www.hoya.com.

TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION LAUNCHES NEW SURFACE-MOUNT BRUSHED MOTOR DRIVER IC

Supporting high-voltage and large-current drive for home-use robot vacuum cleaners and printers.

TOKYO, Oct 30 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has broadened its line-up of small surface-mount brushed motor drivers with the addition of “TB67H420FTG,” which supports high-voltage, large-current drive for home-use robot vacuum cleaners, printers and other office equipment. Mass production starts today.

A high power drive is a basic requirement for the motors used in printers and other office equipment, banking terminals, cash dispensers, and home appliances that need high torque drive. As the scope of application increases, so too does the demand for downsizing and space-saving devices.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30436

NTT COM TO CONSTRUCT OPTICAL SUBMARINE CABLE CONNECTING JAPAN, U.S. AND PHILIPPINES WITH LARGE CAPACITY AND LOW LATENCY

To be compatible with 400Gbps optical wavelength division multiplex transmission system as the fastest submarine cable between Japan and U.S.

TOKYO, Oct 30 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group (TOKYO:9432), announced today that as part of a consortium comprising SoftBank, Facebook, Amazon, PLDT and PCCW Global, it signed an agreement on 27 October to participate in the construction and maintenance of the JUPITER large-capacity low-latency optical submarine cable between Asia and the United States.

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OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY LEADERS INVEST IN SOLIDIA TECHNOLOGIES' SUSTAINABLE CEMENT AND CONCRETE INNOVATIONS

Investment will aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by bringing technology to market

PISCATAWAY, N.J., Oct 30 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE)-- Solidia Technologies® announced today that OGCI Climate Investments has made in an investment in the company to support the adoption of Solidia’s patented cement and concrete technology using CO2.

The Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) is a CEO-led initiative of ten oil and gas companies that collaborate on action to lead the industry response to climate change. OGCI Climate Investments, its billion dollar investment arm, supports the development, deployment and scale up of new technologies that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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TWO DATA CENTER INDUSTRY LUMINARIES APPOINTED TO LEAD THE JUDGING PANEL FOR DATACLOUD ASIA 2018

Datacloud Asia 2018 Award Categories to Showcase Data Center Services, Energy, Innovation and The Above And Beyond

LONDON & SINGAPORE, Oct 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Two revered data center executives have been appointed to lead the judging panel for the Datacloud Asia 2018 awards. Joshua Au, Head, Data Center A*Star joins as Chairman and Billy Lee Kok Chi, Advisor and formerly Founding Chairman of the Malaysian Data Center Association as Vice Chairman.

With an extended panel of Judges, the Datacloud Asia Awards for 2018 aims to be globally relevant and give recognition to the most innovative companies and people in the sector. The Awards ceremony, which includes a gala dinner, will be held on the evening of 22^nd March at the prestigious Capella Hotel in Singapore.

“I am honored to accept the position of chairman, and look forward to working with the panel of distinguished judges to honor excellence and innovation demonstrated in the data centre industry,” commented Joshua Au, Chairman Datacloud Asia Awards 2018.

Billy Lee, Vice Chairman echoed the sentiments, “I am thrilled to be involved in one of the most prestigious awards in the Asian IT awards calendar, considered the Oscar’s equivalent in the data centre and cloud space. There will be an opportunity to learn from industry leaders in Asia who are shaping the digital economy.”

Award nominations close February 10^th 2018.

Sustaining the refreshed format, the Judges will award the Data Center and Cloud Leadership Awards, selected from nominations made by companies in any of the other categories.

All categories are open to enterprise-owned or third-party facilities, cloud service provide, energy specialists and individuals engaged in the data center and cloud sector.

The awards will also highlight data center Location a highly competitive area of the market today. Many agencies across Asia compete not only with each other, but also internationally and the award will denote industry distinction. 

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GOOD THINGS COME IN PAIRS TO EOS INC. IN SINGAPORE

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Oct 30 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The international marketing teams of EOS Inc. gathered and celebrated the inspiring growth of the business again, in Singapore’s flagship store on August 28^th. The visiting teams had came a long way, from Foshan China and the franchisee of Singapore’s second flagship store, both participated and signed their contracts to join the EOS family at the ceremony in Singapore. This is a grand expansion of EOS Inc. sales channels in Asia, just like good things come in pairs.
 
Mr. Ben Yang, President of EOS Inc., warmly welcomed these new partners at the ceremony. The team that came from Foshan China with over 20 sales agents was led by Miss Lan, Jin-li, the general manager of a successful dealer of health care food in Canton, China. Her team studied deeply, understanding the products and the corporate philosophy of EOS on their trip, confirming their determination to participate in the business of the global EOS family.
 
At the same time, the representative of another sales team in Singapore, Miss Zhou, Guan-fang, who is well experienced in health care and beauty care products marketing, signed the cooperation contract to join. It indicates that another new flagship store and a sales team will soon be launched in Singapore.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30434

GCP APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES PRICE INCREASE

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct 27 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GCP Applied Technologies (NYSE:GCP) has announced that effective January 1, 2018 it is implementing price increases of up to 5% across many of its product lines, or as contract terms allow.

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AGF INTRODUCES REBRAND TO REFLECT FIRM'S EVOLUTION

Brings consistency and discipline to its brand house

TORONTO, Oct 27 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AGF Management Limited (AGF) (TSX:AGF.B) today unveiled a new brand that reflects the firm's growth strategy, while bringing alignment across its suite of brands.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4d24c5b8-5fce-42db-9b65-88b1ed300dc1

"Our rebrand signals the evolution of our story and reflects the disciplined approach we apply to everything we do at AGF -- from how we manage money to serving our clients to driving efficiencies in how we run our business," said Blake Goldring, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, AGF. "I'm pleased that we could launch this rebrand as we celebrate our 60th anniversary. It reflects how we are moving forward and looking ahead to the next 60 years."

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30413

RDC RECOGNIZED IN CHARTIS RISKTECH 100 REPORT

Ranked in most comprehensive, independent study of the world’s best risk and compliance technology companies

NEW YORK & LONDON, Oct 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- RDC, the Smarter ScreeningTM company, today announced it is being recognized as a global leader in compliance screening by Chartis, an authority on risk and compliance technology.

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ABIOMED ANNOUNCES Q2 FY 2018 REVENUE OF $132.8 MILLION, UP 29% AND RECORD U.S. PATIENT UTILIZATION, UP 33%

DANVERS, Mass., Oct 27 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abiomed, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABMD), a leading provider of breakthrough heart support technologies, today reported second quarter fiscal 2018 revenue of $132.8 million, an increase of 29% compared to revenue of $103.0 million for the same period of fiscal 2017. Second quarter fiscal 2018 GAAP net income was $24.5 million or $0.54 per diluted share, compared to GAAP net income of $8.9 million or $0.20 per diluted share for the prior year period.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30418

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL BOLSTERS LEADERSHIP TEAM

LOS ANGELES, Oct 27 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading global commercial real estate services firm Colliers International Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CIGI) and (TSX:CIGI) today announced that Gil Borok has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer | USA. Borok, a seasoned commercial real estate services executive, will be responsible for managing the operations and finances of Colliers’ rapidly growing U.S. business.
 
“Colliers has grown significantly in both size and scale over the past few years while maintaining a relentless focus on serving clients and professionals at the highest levels,” said Marty Pupil, President | U.S. Brokerage. “Attracting a high caliber operations and finance executive like Gil is further evidence of our commitment to growth and operational effectiveness as we continue to strengthen our operations in the most important market in the world.”
 
Borok has unsurpassed experience in financial and operations management, having spent the last 15 years in leadership positions within the commercial real estate industry, most recently at CBRE as Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer. He is a certified public accountant in California and earned a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

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EIB Declares Income Distribution Of 0.027 Sen Per Unit For Fund

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- Eastspring Investments Bhd (EIB) has announced a gross income distribution of 0.027 sen per unit for Eastspring Investments Global Target Income Fund for the financial year ended May 31, 2017.

In a statement today, it said, unit holders who had maintained their unit holdings in the fund as at Oct 20, 2017 would be entitled to the income distribution.

EIB is one of the leading asset management companies in Malaysia in both institutional and retail sectors, with over RM40 billion in assets under management in the country as of June 30, 2017.

It manages unit trust funds, wholesale funds and private mandates.

-- BERNAMA

INDUSTRY LEGEND CRISTBÓAL CONDE JOINS DUCO AS ADVISOR

LONDON, Oct 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Duco, the global provider of self-service data normalization and reconciliation services, today announced that Cristóbal Conde has joined as an advisor to the CEO and board of directors.

Christian Nentwich, CEO of Duco, said: “I am very pleased that Cris has chosen to work with us. We have invested a lot of time in finding the right person to complement our board and senior management. Cris’s experience in helping technology firms scale, and his drive for innovation in the world of data, machine learning, analytics and risk, make him a great fit for Duco as we continue with our expansion strategy. His insight, inspiration and ability to execute are all critical as we build the next generation of data platforms.”

Conde had a 24-year career at SunGard, culminating in him running the firm as CEO, building it into a Fortune 500 company and making it the largest privately-held software and services company in the world. He is currently an advisor and non-executive director at several technology firms challenging the status quo, including OpenGamma, Digital Asset, Callsign and Digital Reasoning.

“I have been involved in reconciliation for much of my career and Duco is the first credible self-service solution I have ever seen,” said Conde, commenting on his appointment. “I believe this approach will be extremely disruptive in a field that has not seen much innovation. Data and analytics are cornerstone-enabling functions where new, agile technology is rapidly changing businesses. Duco offers a unique combination of passionate clients, leading products, talented people and a commitment to innovation. The company has already distinguished itself in challenging environments in some of the world’s largest financial institutions. It now has the potential to grow into a world-renowned enterprise SaaS business.” 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30406

FUSIONEX WINS GIANT 2017 CONTRACT WITH LEADING ASIAN BANK

SINGAPORE, Oct 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Fusionex, a multi award-winning, leading software solutions provider specializing in Big Data Analytics (BDA), the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, and Deep Learning, has won a multi-year contract with a leading Asian bank to deploy GIANT 2017, providing crucial business intelligence and insights for key decision makers to make informed judgements and decisions.
 
The significant contract will see GIANT 2017 being rolled out to help grow and bolster the client’s vision of becoming a one-stop financing and business development centre, helping the client’s customers meet their financing needs and supporting their growth via business advisory services.
 
Being able to connect to a wide variety and huge volume of data formats and sources, GIANT 2017 will consolidate the client’s disparate information with speed. This also gives decision makers a bird’s eye view of each bank branch’s performance, strengths, and weaknesses, all of which will better assist them with planning and strategizing.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30405

GMO INTERNET'S BITCOIN MINING BUSINESS LAUNCHES TOKEN SALE (ICO) FOR THE SALES OF NEXT-GENERATION MINING BOARDS

TOKYO, Oct 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GMO Internet's (https://ir.gmo.jp/en/) Bitcoin mining business will launch a token sale (ICO) in 2018, the purpose of which is to sell next-generation mining boards. We will issue tokens as a method to buy next-generation mining boards.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30395

MYTOYS DELIVERS ORACLE E-BUSINESS SUITE PROJECTS FASTER USING DELPHIX DYNAMIC DATA PLATFORM

Top European family shopping retailer selects Delphix to reduce time-to-market, improve software quality, offer faster disaster recovery, accelerate financial close and reduce costs

FRANKFURT, Germany and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Delphix, the company that has changed the dynamics of managing and consuming data, today announced top online retailer myToys has selected the Delphix Dynamic Data Platform to support their Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) projects and drive continuous innovation.

myToys uses Oracle EBS to run everything from purchasing, finance and accounting to order/ inventory management, customer service and logistics. By adopting the Delphix Dynamic Data Platform, myToys expects to use secure, up-to-date data to improve application development and testing processes, reduce time-to-market and improve quality.

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SKYBOX SECURITY RAISES $150 MILLION LED BY CVC CAPITAL PARTNERS' GROWTH FUND WITH PARTICIPATION FROM PANTHEON

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skybox™ Security, a global leader in cybersecurity management, announced today the company signed a definitive agreement to receive a $150 million growth equity investment led by CVC Capital Partners’ Growth Fund (CVC Growth) for $100 million, with participation from Pantheon for $50 million. CVC Capital Partners is a leading private equity and investment advisory firm, and Pantheon is a prominent global investor in private equity, infrastructure and real assets.

Based in Silicon Valley, Skybox has a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46 percent and positive cash flow (2014 ­– 2016). This round of funding will enable an accelerated investment in sales and marketing, customer care and R&D. It will also be used for potential M&A activity, to capitalize on the approximately $10 billion market opportunity in cybersecurity management.

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GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS III ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE 100% OF EQUIS ENERGY ALONGSIDE PSP INVESTMENTS AND CIC CAPITAL

NEW YORK, Oct 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Infrastructure Partners ("GIP"), a leading independent global infrastructure investor, announced today that its fund, Global Infrastructure Partners III -- in conjunction with the Public Sector Pension Investment Board ("PSP Investments"), one of Canada's largest pension investment managers, CIC Capital Corporation ("CIC Capital") and a group of its other Limited Partner Co-Investors -- has agreed to acquire 100 percent of the equity interests in the wind and solar renewable energy portfolio of Equis Funds Group ("Equis Energy") for USD3.7 billion.

Equis Energy is one of the largest renewable energy independent power producers in the Asia-Pacific region ("APAC"). Equis Energy is headquartered in Singapore and operates in several of the largest and fastest-growing renewable markets in APAC, including Japan, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Thailand. Equis Energy invests in countries with favourable regulatory regimes and supportive power market dynamics. As of today, Equis Energy has developed a portfolio of 1.9 GW of operational, construction and shovel-ready solar PV and onshore wind assets. In addition, Equis Energy owns a promising long-term development pipeline comprised of over 115 projects representing 9.1 GW.

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UNISYS WINS PAYLOAD ASIA CUSTOMER CHOICE AWARD FOR IT SERVICE PROVIDER OF THE YEAR FOR EXCELLENCE IN AIR CARGO

SINGAPORE, Oct 26 (Bernama-AsiaNet) --

Innovative cargo solution Digistics receives customer choice title after winning popular online vote for ability to support digital transformation across supply chain


Unisys Corporation (http://www.unisys.com/) (NYSE: UIS) today announced that it has won the Customer Choice Award for IT Service Provider of the Year at the Payload Asia Awards (http://awards.payloadasia.com/) , honouring innovation and excellence in the air cargo supply chain. Unisys was recognised for Digistics(TM) (http://www.unisys.com/digistics), a holistic and integrated digital logistics solution that enables air cargo carriers to streamline their freight management and improve operational efficiencies.

The awards, hosted by leading industry publisher Payload Asia (http://www.payloadasia.com/), were presented in Singapore on 12 October 2017. Determined by popular online voting, the awards spotlight air cargo supply chain companies that have excelled despite a challenging global air freight market - demonstrating agility, innovation and superior strategic planning - and having a beneficial impact on market trends.

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CORPORATE R&D SPENDING HITS RECORD HIGHS FOR THE TOP 1000, DESPITE CONCERNS OF ECONOMIC PROTECTIONISM

- Annual worldwide R&D spending breaks through $700bn for the top 1000 corporate R&D spenders for first time

- 25% of executives surveyed reported having already experienced some pressure to change how or where they conduct innovation
- Amazon is the world’s largest corporate spender on R&D at over $16bn
- Alphabet surpasses Apple, according to a global survey of R&D executives, as the Most Innovative Company and for the first time a Chinese company, Alibaba joins the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies list

NEW YORK, Oct 24 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Annual worldwide corporate R&D spending broke through $700bn in annual investment, according to an annual analysis of R&D spending across 1000 global public companies by PwC’s Strategy&.

It shows corporate R&D spending increased a steady 3% in the past year, bouncing back from less than 1% increase previously.

However, in a global survey with 562 executive participants, R&D leaders expressed concerns about the growing heat of rhetoric about economic nationalism – and its potential impact on where companies invest in R&D how they conduct innovation.

Overall, 52% of respondents say that a general move toward economic nationalism will have a moderate or significant impact on their companies’ R&D efforts.

Major companies have been conducting some R&D outside their headquarters countries for decades. In 2015 it was determined that 94% of major corporations conduct their R&D in multiple countries.  But increasing attention on regulations and policies for visas, labor movement, and the regulations governing the sharing of knowledge and technology are causing some companies to question how sustainable their integrated global innovation networks are. 

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TATA STARBUCKS REAFFIRMS GROWTH IN INDIA WITH ENTRY INTO KOLKATA IN 2018 AND COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL IMPACT PROGRAMS

MUMBAI, India, Oct 25 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Tata Starbucks Private Limited, the 50/50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX) and Tata Global Beverages Limited, today celebrated the opening of its 100th store located in Mumbai and its five-year anniversary in India with a series of strategic initiatives that reaffirm its long-term commitment to the market.

"As we continue on our journey with Tata, a company that shares the same values and vision for growth, we remain committed to earning the trust and respect of our Indian customers through the unparalleled Starbucks Experience," said John Culver, group president, Starbucks International and Channel Development. "At the core of this experience are our Indian partners, who proudly represent the more than 330,000 Starbucks partners around the world, and through their dedication and passion have created a strong foundation for Starbucks as we expand to new cities across India in the years to come."

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MYNETFONE & SYMBIO NETWORKS TO DEPLOY CLOUD UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES (UCAAS) WITH BROADSOFT BUSINESS

MyNetFone Service to Target Enterprise and Government Clients with Next Generation Cloud Unified Communications and PBX Services in Australia and New Zealand 

MELBOURNE, Australia and GAITHERSBURG, Md., Oct 24 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BroadSoft, Inc. (NASDAQ:BSFT), a global market share leader in cloud business software for unified communication as a service (UCaaS), and a leading provider of collaboration and contact center as a service (CCaaS), today announced an agreement with Symbio Networks to provision BroadSoft Business UCaaS services in Australia and New Zealand. Symbio Networks’ retail sister company, MyNetFone, will market a full suite of voice and team collaboration services based on the BroadSoft Business UC-One application to enterprise and government customers commencing in the first calendar quarter of 2018. 

Symbio Networks operates Australia’s smart voice network with a focus on delivering future-proof communication solutions. The company has a record of innovation in voice communications with a number of industry awards, including ACOMMs, iAwards and Edisons. Retail arm MyNetFone is an industry disruptor facilitating the migration of voice services to the cloud for enterprises, SMEs and consumers.

Jonathan Reid, Managing Director, Asia Pacific and Emerging Markets, BroadSoft, said, “There is a clear global trend where large enterprises and government agencies are shifting from premise systems to cloud Unified Communications services.  We look forward to working closely with the Symbio and MyNetFone team and believe they will help accelerate this trend with customers in Australia and New Zealand." 

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FOLLOWING FOUR YEARS OF FMCG SLOWDOWN AND EXPLOSIVE DIGITAL GROWTH IN CHINA, SHOPPER ATTITUDE AND LOYALTY TOWARDS BRANDS IS MOSTLY UNCHANGED

Bain & Company and Kantar Worldpanel’s 14th China Shopper Report also finds that the ‘two-speed’ trend continues in first half of 2017

BEIJING, Oct 24 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following four years of significant growth in China, e-commerce continues to steadily gain acceptance among consumers, bringing about some clear and noticeable changes to shopping and consumption habits.  However, according to volume two of Bain & Company and Kantar Worldpanel’s 2017 China shopper report, Keeping up with China’s Shoppers at Two Speeds, the rising digital activity has had little impact on certain key elements of consumer behavior, such as brand loyalty.

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B CAPITAL GROUP MAKES KEY ADDITIONS TO CORE EXECUTIVE TEAM

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., Oct 24 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- B Capital Group, a global venture capital firm that invests in pioneering healthcare, fintech, industrial logistics, and consumer enablement companies that are scaling worldwide, today announced key appointments to its core executive team, including Howard Morgan as Chairman and Joe Davis as Vice Chairman.

These appointments by B Capital Group will enable the firm to enhance its global-first mentality, blaze a new trail to identify transformative companies, and build enduring businesses that will bridge the gap between startups and corporations, further accelerating their path to scale and success.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30369

NETS, SINGAPORE'S LEADING PAYMENTS SOLUTIONS PROVIDER, SELECTS INTERTRUST WHITECRYPTION FOR MOBILE PAYMENT APP SHIELDING

whiteCryption will Showcase its Application Shielding Technologies at Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, October 22-25 (Booth #554)
 

LAS VEGAS, Oct 24 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Money 20/20 - Intertrust Technologies Corporation announced today that NETS, a leading payment solutions provider based in Singapore, has selected Intertrust’s award-winning whiteCryption® Application Shielding technology to protect its mobile payment applications.
 
NETS is a leading payments company in Singapore and operates Singapore’s national PIN debit scheme as well as the largest acceptance infrastructure in the country located at major retailers, food courts, hawker centres, convenience stores, and supermarkets.
 
NETS’ nationwide acceptance infrastructure of 100,000 acceptance points accepts both card and digital payments from customers of participating banks DBS Bank, Maybank, HSBC Bank, OCBC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, and UOB. The network also accepts UnionPay and BCA cards, and includes 35,000 Unified Point-of-Sale (Unified POS) terminals and 30,000 QR acceptance points.
 
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BROADSOFT ANNOUNCES NEW INTEGRATED AND INTELLIGENT CLOUD COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION EXPERIENCES

Upgrades deliver on the BroadSoft Business cloud unified communication vision to deliver intuitive, consistent client experiences across the entire suite and reinvent workflow efficiencies

PHOENIX, Oct 23 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BroadSoft, Inc. (NASDAQ:BSFT) a global market share leader in cloud business software for unified communication as a service (UCaaS), and provider of collaboration and contact center as a service (CCaaS), today unveiled several enhancements to its BroadSoft Business portfolio at its annual user conference, BroadSoft Connections. Now leveraging a microservices architecture, BroadSoft Business offers updated app experiences and next-generation capabilities across the BroadSoft Business applications, UC-One, Team-One and CC-One.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30362

TERIDION'S INTERNET FAST LANES FURTHER ACCELERATE SPEED FOR MERRILL CORPORATION'S DATASITE PLATFORM

- Supports Merrill’s M&A Transactions Business in China -

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 23 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Mergers and acquisitions due diligence in China can be managed much faster, and reinforced, with ironclad security for Merrill Corporation’s DataSite platform using Teridion’s KumoXSM, an innovative service that creates fast lanes over the Internet to improve the user experience. Teridion, a cloud-based networking company, is now supporting and enhancing Merrill’s industry-leading virtual deal room for its M&A transactions business in China.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30354

POWERED BY BROADSOFT CHANNEL PROGRAM INTRODUCES NEW DIGITAL CUSTOMER LIFECYCLE PLATFORM AND SERVICES TO ENHANCE REVENUE GROWTH

PHOENIX, Oct 23 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BroadSoft, Inc. (NASDAQ:BSFT) a global market share leader in cloud business software for unified communication as a service (UCaaS), and provider of collaboration and contact center as a service (CCaaS) today announced the addition of new digital customer lifecycle management tools including the BroadCloud^® Channel Support System (CSS) and three new services: BroadSoft go-to-market services, BroadSoft onboarding services and BroadSoft adoption services.
 
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b86c0264-fb6d-44fd-a7ae-38bba426e281
 
Powered by BroadSoft, which launched at BroadSoft Connections last year, currently supports 116 channel partners across the globe, validating industry demand for a complete end-to-end digital journey, including best-practice support to maximize selling, onboarding and adoption activities.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30363

​NASDAQ WELCOMES RISE EDUCATION CAYMAN LTD. (NASDAQ: REDU) TO THE NASDAQ STOCK MARKET

NEW YORK, Oct 23 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RISE Education Cayman Ltd. (Nasdaq:REDU), a leader in China’s junior English Language Training (ELT) market, rang the opening bell at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square today in celebration of its initial public offering (IPO) on The Nasdaq Stock Market.
 
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f59490cf-9a81-4114-92a1-05edcb3f5694

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5692f99d-9ed0-4be2-928d-9c94f4b152e8
 
RISE pioneered the “subject-based learning” teaching philosophy in China, whereby various subject matters, such as language arts, math, natural science and social science are used to teach English. RISE’s course offerings use interactive courseware to create an immersive English learning environment that helps students learn to speak and think like a native speaker. In addition, their curricula are designed to foster leadership and critical thinking skills in students while developing their self-confidence and sense of independence.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30353

QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTES TO MYANMAR'S SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH

YANGON, Myanmar and TOKYO, Oct. 23, 2017 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ --

High-quality infrastructure will play an essential role in realizing economic growth and unlocking Myanmar's true potential. The important role of quality infrastructure development and Japan's indispensable role in Myanmar's sustainable development were the main theme of discussion at the "Dialogue for Quality Infrastructure -- Building Asia's Future," hosted by the Government of Japan.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30355

PAYVISION'S ANNUAL REPORT REVEALS CROSS-BORDER ECOMMERCE TRENDS IN 2017

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Oct 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --Payvision, global acquirer and data-driven omnichannel solutions provider, has published the findings of its fifth annual cross-border ecommerce research report, in collaboration with Juniper Research. The paper includes the results of a global survey of various industry players regarding the game-changers, the biggest challenges, the best practices for going cross-border, and much more. When compared to last year’s findings, the report reveals a new and exciting context for global cross-border trade. The compound annual growth rate predicted for the next three years for cross-border ecommerce is now 17%, whereas it stands at just 12% for ecommerce overall. Also, over the past 12 months, merchants’ attitudes towards cross-border ecommerce have become more positive, with 50% of respondents agreeing and 31% strongly agreeing that cross-border ecommerce is profitable.
 
If last year mobile commerce was considered to be the biggest cross-border ecommerce growth factor, this year the main driver merchants pointed out was the accelerated development of online marketplaces. 39% of the world’s entire ecommerce market will be controlled by marketplaces by 2020. However, the research also discusses a few regulatory items introduced by the European Union that pose major challenges, specifically for international marketplaces. More precisely, the new Payment Services Directive (PSD2) to be introduced from January 2018, requires all merchants operating under a marketplace business model to acquire a payment institution license. The costs and efforts attributed to getting such license will have a massive impact on the business activity of merchants, and the most preferred solution is to partner with a compliant solution provider.
 
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SMARTSTREAM AND CREDIT SUISSE EXPAND THEIR AGREEMENT FROM THE PROCESSING OF INVOICES AND RECONCILIATIONS TO NOW INCLUDE LISTED DERIVATIVES BROKERAGE FEES

NEW YORK, Oct 19 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- SmartStream Technologies, the financial Transaction Lifecycle Management (TLM^®) solutions provider, today announced that its original agreement with Credit Suisse was recently expanded to include the processing of Listed Derivatives Brokerage fees which began in February of this year. This expansion in SmartStream’s partnership with Credit Suisse complements its existing managed service solution for the processing of invoices and reconciliations within Credit Suisse’s OTC Fixed Income Derivatives, US Listed Equity Options and Cash Equities businesses across brokerage, clearing and exchange fees operations, which began in June of 2016. The managed service enables the bank to advance the operational efficiencies created through the use of the utility-based solutions offered by SmartStream, utilizing their proprietary execution fees and expense management software.
 
By centralizing the entire cost management ecosystem across all service providers from receipt of invoice to automatic fee calculation, accruals, reconciliation and payment, the bank can better realize enhanced controls and transparency and achieve greater cost optimization.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30339

TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION ADDS SECOND-GENERATION 650V SIC SCHOTTKY BARRIER DIODES IN DPAK SURFACE-MOUNT TYPE PACKAGE

Second-generation devices provide improved surge peak forward current and figure of merit, now in a surface-mount type package TOKYO, Oct 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (TDSC) has enhanced its diode portfolio with the addition of six Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) fabricated with silicon carbide (SiC) and housed in surface-mount packages. Volume shipments start today. Until now, TDSC has focused on SiC SBDs in through-hole packages. The addition of TDSC’s first SiC SBDs in surface-mount packages (nicknamed DPAK) meets customer needs to reduce system size and thickness. The new SiC SBDs incorporate Toshiba’s latest second-generation chip, which delivers improvements in surge peak forward current (IFSM) and figure of merit (VF•Qc*1). The devices offer enhanced ruggedness and low loss, which helps to improve system efficiency and simplify thermal design. TDSC will continue to expand its product portfolio in order to help improve the efficiency and reduce the size of communications equipment, servers, inverters and other products.   http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30321

EXECUTIVES RECOGNIZE GLOBAL TALENT MOBILITY AS STRATEGIC PRIORITY ON PATH TO GROWTH, EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION

BURR RIDGE, Ill., Oct 19 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- BGRS, a leading provider of talent mobility solutions, today released its 22^nd Talent Mobility Trends Survey, which explores how employee mobility is transforming to better support overall corporate growth strategies. Notably, the survey found senior human resources leaders are approaching talent mobility with a new sense of purpose and support from the top. Sixty-three percent (63%) of survey respondents indicate that employee mobility is high on their organizations’ leadership agenda.
 
Eighty-five percent (85%) of respondents either recently made, are making, or are planning to make strategic changes to the way employee mobility is managed in their organizations, largely to align their primary remit with overall business strategy, develop innovative talent strategies and help business leaders achieve their objectives.
 
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30337

NASDAQ AND SGX ESTABLISH COLLABORATIVE LISTINGS AGREEMENT

NEW YORK and SINGAPORE, Oct 19 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nasdaq Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) today announced the signing of a collaborative agreement in a move to leverage their strengths as two of the leading listings venues in the U.S. and Asia respectively. The new agreement seeks to enhance the channels available for companies to access capital market funding and enhance their corporate profile in both markets.
 
As part of this agreement, Nasdaq and SGX -- who also share a successful, long-term market technology relationship -- are currently exploring the demand among corporates for a concurrent or sequential listing on both exchanges. Nasdaq and SGX are committed to supporting companies that are interested in pursuing this route.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30333

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL EXPANDS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

TORONTO and WASHINGTON, Oct 19 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading global commercial real estate services firm Colliers International Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CIGI)(TSX:CIGI) announced today the acquisition of leading tenant representation advisory firm Serten Advisors. With its office in Tysons Corner, the firm serves global, national, and regional clients with a highly skilled and experienced team of professionals that have more than 100 years of combined experience.
 
“This strategic acquisition positions Colliers to gain additional market share and win new business in the vibrant and competitive Suburban DC markets,” said Marty Pupil, Colliers International President | U.S. Brokerage. “Adding Steve and Paul and the rest of their talented leadership team to our existing group of professionals in the region will further position Colliers as the commercial real estate services firm of choice for the region’s most successful companies.”

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30332

BENTLEY SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2017 BE INSPIRED AWARDS

SINGAPORE, Oct 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference – Bentley Systems, Incorporated, a leading global provider of comprehensive software solutions for advancing infrastructure, has announced the winners of the 2017 Be Inspired Awards. The annual awards program honors the extraordinary work of Bentley users advancing the world’s infrastructure. At a ceremony and gala at their Year in Infrastructure 2017 Conference, Bentley acknowledged 17 Be Inspired Awards winners and six Special Recognition Awards winners.

The Year in Infrastructure Conference is Bentley’s annual global gathering of leading professionals in the world of infrastructure design, construction, and operations. In addition to thought-provoking keynotes, technology demonstrations, industry forums, and panel discussions, the agenda included presentations by finalists in the Be Inspired Awards program, culminating in the selection of the winning projects.

This year, 10 independent panels of jurors, comprising distinguished industry experts, selected the Be Inspired Awards winners from 51 project finalists. These finalists were chosen from more than 400 submissions by organizations in over 50 countries.

Projects receiving Bentley’s Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards are uniquely innovative and demonstrate visionary achievements that transcend the narrower focus of the standing Be Inspired Awards categories. These projects were reviewed by a panel of Bentley executives, who evaluated them based on the criteria established for each award.

The Be Inspired Special Recognition Awards winners for 2017 are as follows:

Asset Information Management Advancement

Oregon Department of Transportation – TransInfo —A Connected Data Environment for Transportation – Salem, Oregon, United States 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30316

WORLD CONFERENCE ON LUNG CANCER MONDAY PRESS CONFERENCE: DANGERS OF SMOKING AND LUNG CANCER INTERVENTION RESEARCH

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Oct 16 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At today’s press conference at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 18^th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), the world’s preeminent lung cancer researchers provided new insights on CT screening, smoking cessation and mesothelioma. The discussion focused in particular on the conference’s host country of Japan, which maintains a relatively high rate of smoking. 

Major Advances in CT Screening: A Radiologist’s Perspective
CT screening was first introduced when helical CT scanners became available in the early 1990s. Since then, there have been remarkable advances in CT scanner technology with concurrent increases in the number of CT examinations per year by approximately 10% annually, as shared by Dr. Claudia Henschke of Mount Sinai in the United States. Thanks to more powerful hardware and image reconstruction algorithms in today’s multidetector CT (MDCT), it has become possible to conduct faster scanning at lower radiation doses.

In regards to lung cancer screening, thinner collimation has led to the detection of many more small pulmonary nodules. Additionally, there have been evolutions in diagnostic techniques such as percutaneous biopsies, navigational bronchoscopy and PET scans, and these advances have been integrated into the regimen of screening with a resulting decrease in the frequency of surgical resection of benign nodules.

“Advancements in CT screening over the past few decades have proven to be a critical step forward in our efforts to conquer lung cancer,” said Dr. Henschke. “Among the many advantages of newer CT screening technology, we can now better assess nodule size and growth connected to the probability of malignancy and lung cancer aggressiveness. For the first time, imaging as a biomarker for aggressiveness has been used to monitor whether a cancer is progressing. We are encouraged by the progress we’ve made as a result of CT screening improvements, and we look forward to this technology saving even more lives.”

Integration of smoking cessation program within CT lung cancer screening program shows life-saving and cost-effective results
A study presented by Dr. William Evans of McMaster University in Canada found that integrating robust smoking cessation programs into an organized low-dose CT (LDCT) lung cancer screening program has the potential to decrease mortality rates while being relatively cost-effective. “To achieve the maximal benefits of a LDCT screening program, it is essential to incorporate a robust smoking cessation intervention,” said Dr. Evans. “In my long career as an oncologist, I have not been able to save any patients from advanced non-small cell lung cancer. I believe that an organized lung screening program can be used to provide teachable moments for heavy smokers and, ultimately, save lives.” The full press release can be found here.  

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30310

​DEALOGIC NOW IN SINGAPORE!

HONG KONG, Oct 16 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Financial platform company Dealogic has opened its doors in Singapore as a sign of the company’s dedication and confidence in business opportunities in Southeast Asia. “We’ve worked with clients in Singapore for years via our Hong Kong office,” noted Romaine Jackson, Southeast Asia Head of Client Coverage at Dealogic. “We realized we could provide so much more value and deepen the relationships with a local presence.”
 
Singapore is a major financial hub, and Dealogic has provided content and software solutions to top global banks for more than 30 years. Now with Dealogic Connect, its new buyside offering, the company is working closely with investment managers too.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30307

FUSIONEX CEO RECEIVES TECHNOPRENEUR OF EXCELLENCE TITLE

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct 16 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Fusionex Managing Director and CEO Dato’ Seri Ivan Teh was awarded the Technopreneur of Excellence 2017 Award at the PIKOM ICT Awards ceremony over the weekend. The coveted award was presented to Teh, in recognition of Fusionex’s achievements and contributions towards growing and supporting the ICT sector in the region.
 
The star-studded event was marked by an attendance of approximately a thousand attendees, consisting of industry leaders, talents, and budding stars in the ICT arena. The Technopreneur of Excellence award is reserved for individuals demonstrating ICT best practices; as well as to commend their diligence, commitment, and continuous innovation.
 
This award marks the continuous excellence exhibited by Fusionex, helmed by Teh, and follows Fusionex’s earlier win of the Company Excellence Award in 2016.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30305

WORLD CONFERENCE ON LUNG CANCER SUNDAY PRESS CONFERENCE: INTRODUCING NEW AWARDS AND GLOBAL GUIDELINES

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Oct 16 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The first press briefing at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 18th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) highlighted new awards and innovations that encourage and support the treatment of lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies; these include the recognition of outstanding care teams, introduction of new guidelines for nurses and fostering the next generation of researchers.

The press conference began with a welcome message from Conference Co-Presidents Dr. Hisao Asamura and Dr. Keunchil Park, who have worked tirelessly to make this year’s conference in Yokohama a major success.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30304

MALAYSIAN AND SINGAPOREAN BRANDS CELEBRATE AT THE 2017 WORLD BRANDING AWARDS IN KENSINGTON PALACE

LONDON, Oct 13 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The fourth edition of the prestigious World Branding Awards saw 245 brands from 32 countries named "Brand of the Year" in a glittering ceremony held in the main entrance and Orangery at Kensington Palace yesterday.

Global tier winners included Apple, Beijing Tong Ren Tang, BMW, Cartier, Club Med, Coca-Cola, Facebook, Google, Lego, L'Oréal, Louis Vuitton, McDonald's, Nescafé, Nike, Oral-B, Pampers, Rolex, Samsung, Schwarzkopf, Starbucks, Umbro, VISA and Yakult. Regional winners included the likes of Ajinomoto, Giordano, Indomie, Isetan, Kikkoman, MTN, RAK Ceramics, Sa Sa, Shangri-La, Uniqlo and Zara.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30290

MEDIBIO COMPLETES HEAVILY OVERSUBSCRIBED INSTITUTIONAL PLACEMENT FOR $13.9 MILLION TO ACCELERATE COMMERCIALISATION

Highlights:
- Placement completed, with oversubscriptions accepted up to $13.9 Million
- Fidelity Investments follows on to maintain 10.6% ownership of the Company
- IFM Investors and Regal FM to become substantial shareholders post-transaction
- Medibio now fully funded to pursue aggressive commercialisation and IP strategy

SYDNEY, Australia and MINNEAPOLIS, Oct 13 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medibio Limited (ASX:MEB)(OTCQB:MDBIF) is pleased to announce that it has received firm commitments to raise $13.9 million via the placement of 38,736,640 ordinary shares at a price of $0.36 per share.  The placement will be conducted in a single tranche using the Company’s existing placement capacity under ASX Listing Rule 7.1 and 7.1A.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30295

HYBRIDBLOCK INTRODUCES HYBRIDTRADE - AN ADVANCED TRADING PLATFORM SET TO DISRUPT GLOBAL CRYPTO-TRADING INDUSTRY

Closed Beta Opens to Select Users Q4 2017; Launch Complemented with App-Driven “HybridCentral” Education & Training Program

SINGAPORE, Oct 13 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- HybridBlock, a leading developer of advanced blockchain solutions, today introduced HybridTrade, the world’s most advanced trading platform that interfaces across multiple crypto-exchanges. Open for a Closed Beta experience later this year (full launch in early 2018), HybridTrade is built to ensure users receive optimal pricing, lowest latency and most reliable order execution. As part of the launch, HybridBlock is also introducing HybridCentral this November, a unique app-driven education hub that offers users access to easy-to-follow education modules and much more. HybridTrade, which is set to disrupt a crypto-trading ecosystem that is rife with liquidity concerns and complexity, is poised to be the de facto standard for traders of varying levels of expertise worldwide.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30288

GPCI 2017: TOKYO, SINGAPORE, SEOUL, HONG KONG, SYDNEY ALL RANK IN GLOBAL TOP 10

TOKYO, Oct 12 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Five major cities in the Asia-Pacific region—Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong and Sydney—were ranked in the top 10 of the 2017 Global Power City Index (GPCI) report published today by The Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies, a research institute established by Mori Building, a leading urban developer in Tokyo. First published in 2008, the annual GPCI report evaluates and ranks 44 major cities according to their “magnetism,” or their overall power to attract creative individuals and enterprises from around the world. Cities are rated on the basis of six categories: Economy, R&D, Cultural Interaction, Livability, Environment, and Accessibility.
 
Tokyo, which overtook Paris and claimed the No. 3 slot for the first time last year, further improved its scores in the fields of “Cultural Interaction” and “Accessibility”, closing the gap on second-placed New York. Singapore was rated as a city with one of the best overall balance of qualities in Asia, being ranked within the top 10 in all categories except “Livability”. Most notably, the city was ranked #3 in the “Environment” field due largely to its abundance of nature and superior air quality. Seoul ranked 6^th overall for the sixth year running, with a strong performance in the “R&D” field due to the high number of patents filed there and its large pool of researchers. While Hong Kong fell from 7^th to 9^th in the overall rankings, the city continued to score highly in the category of “Accessibility”, and Sydney achieved a top 10 overall ranking for the first time in seven years with a strong boost in its “Livability” ratings.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=30281