Madison Realty Capital closes new debt investment vehicle up to US$1 billion

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 -- Madison Realty Capital, a New York City-based real estate private equity firm focused on debt and equity investment strategies, recently closed on a new debt investment vehicle with up to US$1 billion in investing capability. (US$1 = RM4.11)

Madison, with US$5.6 billion of gross assets under management, will deploy this new debt strategy to target lighter value-add and core-plus real estate transactions with a greater focus on income generation with rates of four per cent to 7.5 per cent.

The new strategy adds another solution to Madison Realty Capital’s comprehensive lending and investment platform and allows the firm to provide an even greater variety of options to its deep relationships of real estate owners, operators and lenders.

Accordingly, the firm will originate and acquire senior loans and mezzanine loans as well as make preferred equity investments backed by a diversified pool of transitional real estate assets.

The new vehicle also enables Madison Realty Capital to provide other alternative real estate lenders with financing solutions on both a single asset and overall portfolio basis. 

“Expanding our product offering is consistent with Madison’s approach of developing financing solutions to meet the evolving needs of our borrowers and to capture more income-oriented opportunities we might have otherwise had to forego,” Madison Realty Capital Managing Principal and Co-Founder, Josh Zegen said in a statement.

-- BERNAMA

Menlo Security secures US$100 million in latest financing

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 -- Menlo Security, a leader in cloud security, has raised US$100 million in Series E funding, valuing the company at US$800 million. (US$1 = RM4.133)

The round was led by Vista Equity Partners, a leading global investment firm focused on enterprise software, data and technology-enabled businesses, with additional participation from Neuberger Berman funds, General Catalyst, JP Morgan, and other existing investors.

This new capital will further fuel market expansion and empower the company to scale go-to-market capabilities, as well as provide increased investment in engineering to accelerate product delivery and category expansion.

As businesses of all sizes embrace remote working and migrate to software as a service (SaaS), security is being completely re-architected to combat modern-day threats such as phishing and ransomware. 

Traditional ‘detect and respond’ approaches fail to provide the safety that users and businesses need, thus the Menlo Security Cloud SWG is an extensible security platform – built on a unique isolation core – that delivers on the promise of cloud security.

It provides the most effective zero trust approach to preventing malicious attacks, offers seamless experience for end-users that allows for safe, uninterrupted work while accessing the Internet, SaaS or private applications; and removes significant operational burden for security operations teams.

Despite market uncertainty in the wake of COVID-19, Menlo Security has maintained impressive momentum, with 155 per cent ARR growth and over 100 per cent increase in average deal size year to date compared to the same period last year.

More details at www.menlosecurity.com.

-- BERNAMA

PACIFIC PRIME AND ALLIANZ LAUNCH NEW SME PLAN

SINGAPORE, Nov 10 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- In partnership with Allianz*, Pacific Prime Insurance Brokers Singapore (“Pacific Prime”) announces the launch of a new SME Solutions plan, offering small and mid-sized enterprises with comprehensive benefits at a competitive price in the market.

From now until 1^st January 2021, a limited number of clients of the SME Solutions plan will be able to receive preferential rates and bonus coverage.

Olivier Zeller, Singapore CEO at Pacific Prime, says that: “In light of global economic uncertainties, small and mid-sized enterprises often consider switching to policies based on price which can lead to administrative and claim issues down the line. The SME Solutions plan is designed to address this concern, making affordability a central tenet, whilst ensuring a robust and sustainable plan.”

The SME Solutions plan is flexible and provides easy access via an online portal. It enables SME employers to select the plan modules that best suit their employees’ needs. Moreover, the plan onboards eligible employees without delays.

Employees will be able to benefit from:
 

·     Freedom to choose medical provider(s)
·     Cover for Telehealth consultations
·     Direct billing for eligible inpatient costs
·     Speedy claims process tackled via a mobile app
·     Wellbeing support services like the HealthSteps wellness app
·     Dedicated 24/7 helpline
·     COVID-19 related support services and medical evacuation if suitable treatment is not available locally (subject to permissions from relevant governments)

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38648

Philippine insurers remain under pressure to amend minimum capital rule - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 -- AM Best believes local companies in the Philippine insurance industry will still face significant pressure on underwriting growth and profitability amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with the recent rejection of a proposal to relax minimum capital requirements.

The new Best’s Commentary titled, ‘Philippine Insurance: Dropped Proposal to Amend Minimum Capital Rule May Have Mixed Impact,’ notes that the government has stood firm on the capitalisation requirement, which is to be met by 2022.

According to the commentary, the requirement not only prompted capital injections in the market to strengthen the insurers’ capitalisation, but also led to increased merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the Philippines’ highly fragmented insurance market.

However, in view of the economic fallout from COVID-19, AM Best notes there is a possibility that M&A momentum and the impetus to shore up capital positions may falter over the near term.

Many small and medium-sized companies will need to bolster their capital bases to comply with the increasing minimum net worth requirements.

Given the remaining time period, the global credit rating agency, AM Best expects that this will likely be achieved through capital raised with new/existing shareholders, rather than through internal capital generation.

More details at www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

Stable Japan’s non-life insurance market segment outlook - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 -- AM Best, a global credit rating agency is maintaining its stable market segment outlook on Japan’s non-life insurance segment.

According to a statement, the agency is citing sustained profitable underwriting performance and carriers’ ability to weather market volatility and maintain solid risk-adjusted capital levels.

Despite large-scale catastrophe losses last year, profitable performance in most other classes of business, particularly voluntary automobile insurance, non-life insurance companies in the country still generated an overall underwriting profit. 

This is according to a new Best’s Market Segment Report, ‘Market Segment Outlook: Japan Non-Life Insurance’.

AM Best said COVID-19 was unlikely to have a significant impact on the underwriting performance of Japan’s non-life companies over the short to medium term. 

Claims directly related to COVID-19 are expected to be manageable, given that domestic non-life insurers generally have limited net exposure to event cancellation and business interruption risks in Japan.

Based on the report, any direct negative effect on underwriting profit likely will be mitigated by the decline in claims frequency for voluntary automobile insurance, especially during the period that Japan declared a state of emergency.

In addition, most non-life companies have actively taken pre-emptive steps to offset potential effects of the pandemic, primarily through accelerating the pace of digital transformations and business reforms to raise productivity and efficiency.

AM Best notes that most major market participants have sought to develop a better perception of exposure to climate risk, as well as raise premiums on fire, flood and wind damage covers; exercise prudence and control catastrophe risk retentions; and secure sufficient capital to maintain financial soundness.

-- BERNAMA

Pacific Prime Singapore newest Worldwide Broker Network Asia Pacific member

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 -- The Lion City's leading insurance broker, Pacific Prime Singapore was recently announced as the newest Asia Pacific member of the Worldwide Broker Network™ (WBN).

WBN is a global network of commercial insurance brokers and employee benefit consultants, according to a statement.

Pacific Prime Singapore is delighted to be the latest addition to the WBN, which enables WBN's global partners to access insurance solutions in Singapore.

“The new partnership offers many benefits for Pacific Prime Singapore and their clients, both regionally and globally,” said Pacific Prime Singapore chief executive officer, Olivier Zeller.

“The Worldwide Broker Network allows us to place policies on behalf of our clients through our broker partners in virtually every country. This allows us to offer one point of contact for all policies for our multi-jurisdictional clients, irrespective of whether we have offices in this country or not.”

Zeller will be the primary point of contact for all employee benefits, corporate insurance and individual solutions in Singapore.

Pacific Prime's significant investment in both technology and people - with over 20 languages spoken and a large claims team - positions the brokerage well in delivering robust solutions to the WBN's clients, and to produce additional business for the network.

 Pacific Prime was founded in 1999, with the mission of simplifying insurance for international customers looking for health coverage. More details at https://pacificprime.com/corporate.

-- BERNAMA

Toshiba enhanced HDD models for business-critical applications

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (Toshiba) has launched the Toshiba MG08-D Series HDDs, designed for a wide variety of business-critical applications.

According to Toshiba in a statement, the new series features 4TB, 6TB and 8TB models, in both SATA and SAS interfaces and expected to be available in 1CQ 2021.

The new 4TB models are available in 512e, 4Kn and 512n sector models, and the 6TB and 8TB models are available in 512e and 4Kn sector models, assuring plug-and-play interoperability for applications using prior 4TB models. 

Toshiba’s seventh generation air mechanical design provides better power efficiency and a lower component count to deliver better total cost of ownership than its earlier generation models.

The MG08-D Series provides many industry-standard features, including 7200rpm performance, a 3.5-inch form factor, choice of SATA 6Gbit/s or 12Gbit/s SAS Interface, and a 550TB a year workload rating.

The series can be applied for email and Customer Resource Management, data analysis for business intelligence, small-medium business servers, and data-retention and compliance archiving.

-- BERNAMA

Seaborn, Infinera to launch submarine network services connecting US, Brazil

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 -- Seaborn Networks (Seaborn), a leading developer-owner-operator of submarine fibre optic cable systems, and Infinera have announced the launch of new submarine network services on Seaborn’s AMX-1 submarine network segment connecting the United States (US) and Brazil.

Powered by Infinera’s XT Series submarine network platforms, featuring Infinera’s Infinite Capacity Engine technology, Seaborn’s new network boasts modernised architecture and industry-leading spectral efficiency.

This enables the company to optically bypass cable landing stations and reduce network costs, according to a statement.

Seaborn Engineering & Operations Vice-President, Paul Cannon said: “Our longstanding relationship with Infinera and this collaboration have enabled us to cost-efficiently address our customers’ growing capacity demands with reliable, low-latency solutions purpose-built for subsea transport.”

To address global bandwidth needs across the Americas, Seaborn operates two leading cable systems, Seabras-1 and AMX-1, both powered by Infinera solutions.

Seaborn’s AMX-1 cable system provides transport, Ethernet private line, and IP services on a geographically diverse path from its Seabras-1 cable, connecting Rio de Janeiro and Jacksonville, Florida, to offer its customers high-capacity, low-latency connectivity services.

More details at www.seabornnetworks.com.

-- BERNAMA

ENJOY LIVE STREAMING AT HOME WITH LIGHTING SYNCED WITH LIVE PERFORMANCE BY USING "HOME SYNC LIGHT" DEVICE JOINTLY DEVELOPED BY RHIZOMATIKS AND EVIXAR

 

TOKYO, Oct 22 (Bernama) --  Rhizomatiks Co., Ltd. and Evixar Inc., both based in Tokyo, have jointly developed the "Home Sync Light" device for enjoying live streaming at home with lights synchronized with live performance. The two companies tested the device during the special performance at "P.O.P (Perfume Online Present) Festival" held on Monday, September 21 (a public holiday).   Logo1: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100832/202010165833/_prw_PI1fl_Sy0w64fj.jpg Logo2: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100832/202010165833/_prw_PI2fl_6UD7ckXR.jpg Images: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/202010165833?p=images - Home Sync Light The Home Sync Light device emits light to enhance the pleasure of live streaming experience at home by synchronizing with streamed sounds at high precision. The light from the LED in sync with live video productions, lighting, lasers, etc. spreads throughout the room, making the viewing experience of live streaming more immersive. Conventionally, wireless-based wearable LED devices have been used in live entertainment production. Although more people are currently watching live performances with streaming at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic that restricts live events with a large crowd, having those LED devices synced up with live performance for home use puts a considerable burden on users and restricts a viewing environment. It usually needs device configuration and app installment on smartphones for syncing, or a specific web page to watch the streaming. Home Sync Light makes use of acoustic communication "Another Track (R)" developed by Evixar to sync through sound on the device alone. Users just need to turn on their device and put it where they can hear the streaming sound for the LED to automatically start flashing in sync with the music. In addition, synchronization takes only about one second even if the user starts watching the streaming from halfway through. Furthermore, the streaming platform is not restricted since no dedicated smartphone apps or special web pages are required for device communication. Acoustic communication allows users to enjoy exactly the same light as at the venue even on live streaming when the actual live performance is carried out simultaneously with online streaming after the pandemic, providing an enhanced sense of unity. Although this device was designed with LED strips wrapping around a cylindrical body, it can be enjoyed in many different ways at home by, for example, standing the device as it is as a light stand or stretching it out and arranging it around the monitor. It can also be created with an original body in a completely new design without having to change the internal circuit configuration.  http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38477

Jumio launches video verification solution for financial institutions, regulated businesses

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 -- Jumio, the leading provider of AI-powered end-to-end identity verification and eKYC solutions, has launched a new video-based verification solution for financial institutions and other regulated businesses.

This solution is designed for banks, fintechs, cryptocurrency exchanges, digital wallets and other regulated businesses looking to pivot from branch-based onboarding to an omnichannel strategy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With Jumio Video Verification, financial institutions can safely and securely onboard remote customers online with two-way video-based verification while ensuring KYC/AML compliance through an audit trail and qualified preservation of all recorded interviews.

Jumio chief revenue officer, Dean Hickman-Smith said: “With video-based KYC, businesses can reduce their cost of operations by as much as 90 per cent by eliminating field agent travel, reducing paper costs and streamlining the recording, transmitting and archiving processes.”

According to a statement, Jumio offers three modes of Video Verification, namely Assisted, Unassisted and Platform Only.

For Assisted mode, customers are identified through video assistance technology with dedicated or shared agents that interact in real-time via browser or mobile, while Unassisted mode allows customers to independently capture a video of their identity documents, take a selfie and perform a liveness test without an online agent.

In addition, with Platform Only mode, customers are identified and verified through video assistance technology staffed by their own agents.

More details at www.jumio.com.

-- BERNAMA

Petrolimex Insurance Corporation outlooks revised to positive - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 -- AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bbb-’ of Petrolimex Insurance Corporation (PJICO) Vietnam.

These Credit Ratings reflect PJICO’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

According to a statement, the revised outlooks reflect improvement in the company’s balance sheet strength fundamentals over recent years.

Prospectively, AM Best expects the company’s risk-adjusted capitalisation to remain at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.

In addition, capital adequacy is expected to exhibit reduced volatility over the medium term as a result of growth in the absolute size of the company’s capital base, underpinned by robust retained earnings.

PJICO’s balance sheet strength assessment also factors in the company’s generally conservative investment strategy with approximately 75 per cent of investments held in cash and term deposits.

AM Best assesses the company’s operating performance as adequate. PJICO reported a five-year average combined ratio of 98.6 per cent and return-on-equity ratio of 11.1 per cent (2015-2019).

 The global credit rating agency views PJICO’s business profile as neutral. In 2019, the company ranked as the fifth largest non-life insurer in Vietnam with a market share of approximately six per cent, based on gross premiums written.

-- BERNAMA

Jumio creates history, recording largest sales quarter

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 -- Jumio, the leading provider of AI-powered end-to-end identity verification and eKYC solutions, has announced the largest sales quarter in the company’s history, ending Sept 30.

Jumio Chief Executive Officer, Robert Prigge said the company’s monumental growth was testament to its mission to make the Internet a safer place by protecting the ecosystems of businesses via cutting-edge online identity verification, KYC and AML monitoring services.

According to a statement, Jumio also set an all-time record for verification transactions processed due to accelerated digital transformation efforts by key customers in the banking, financial services, healthcare and education sectors.

In addition to record sales and record volumes, the company also acquired the AML platform from Beam Solutions, a San Francisco-based startup focused on transaction monitoring, case management and AML screening.

Beam’s suite of AML solutions will further strengthen Jumio’s position in the anti-financial crime marketplace and provide organisations in regulated industries a complete end-to-end compliance platform.

Other notable achievements in the third quarter include the launch of KYX Platform, addition of a significant number of key channel partners; recognition in the latest Gartner ‘Market Guide for Identity Proofing and Attribution’; and signing a number of marquee accounts.

More details at www.jumio.com.

-- BERNAMA

South Korea’s Construction Guarantee Cooperative has stable ratings outlook - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘aa-’ of Construction Guarantee Cooperative (CG) South Korea. 

In a statement, the global credit rating agency which specialises in insurance industry said the outlook of these ratings was stable.

These ratings reflect CG’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best described as strongest, as well as its strong operating performance, favourable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

CG’s risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, is at the strongest level, underpinned by the company’s large absolute capital base and extremely low net underwriting leverage.

The company’s highly conservative investment strategy, which prioritises liquidity to secure funds for surety claims and also provide loans to its members, helps maintain stability on its robust risk-adjusted capital position.

CG’s surety segment performance has not been impacted significantly by COVID-19-related losses during the 2020-first half, due to stable and increasing levels of new construction in the public sector and a continuously favourable private housing market in South Korea.

AM Best notes that over 70 per cent of the projects underwritten are from the public sector and involve central and local governments.

More details on the ratings at www.ambest.com

-- BERNAMA

Nippon Express Mexico completes Guanajuato-Apaseo Logistics Center construction

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 -- Nippon Express de Mexico S.A. de C.V. (NE Mexico), a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co Ltd based in Tokyo, has completed the Guanajuato-Apaseo Logistics Center construction.

The centre is located within the Colinas de Apaseo Industrial Park in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, and begins operations on Oct 5.

According to a statement, the centre was designed in-house from the drawing board based on NE Mexico's accumulated know-how in automotive-related logistics and then constructed to accommodate such logistics, enabling it to provide high value-added services coupled to customers' production plans.

Consolidating the existing locations at Queretaro and Salamanca, the centre should also bring about greater operational efficiency.

NE Mexico has established the centre to enhance its nationwide logistics services and especially the services provided to the automotive industry, positioned as a priority industry in the Nippon Express Group's Medium-term Management Plan.

More details at http://www.nipponexpress.com/ 

-- BERNAMA

AFFINITY CAPITAL EXCHANGE ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC AGREEMENT WITH J.P. MORGAN TO ENHANCE VALUE OF LOYALTY PROGRAMS

NEW YORK, Oct 2 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Affinity Capital Exchange (ACE), a fintech innovator in the loyalty finance space pioneering a new class of loyalty points, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with J.P. Morgan (NYSE: JPM). The two firms will work together to provide issuers of loyalty programs the ability to augment secured debt financing by deploying a new class of loyalty points.

Leveraging ACE’s proprietary technology, J.P. Morgan will offer clients a new way of securing and enhancing loyalty financing by using standardized loyalty points, known as Reserve Points. ACE has developed the structure behind these points, which allow loyalty programs to issue points that can be exchanged for any type of point within its program. Over time, these standardized loyalty points will also benefit the operating partners in addition to the issuer.

“We are always looking for innovative ways to help our clients think strategically about their businesses and create value,” said Jim Casey, Global Co-Head of Investment Banking, J.P. Morgan. “With ACE, we have the potential to provide our clients and their operating partners a unique opportunity to generate value together, while also enabling access to a wider investor base.”

Airlines, hotels, and other loyalty operators will now be able to strategically utilize the value of loyalty programs to raise capital from lenders, institutional investors, and operating partners. In January 2020, industry analysts¹ pegged the combined value of the top 100 airline loyalty programs at approximately $200bn.

“We are thrilled to work with J.P. Morgan to provide compelling solutions that match the liquidity needs of loyalty program owners with the interests of their operating partners and demand from lenders and investors,” said Atanas Christov, Founder and CEO of ACE. “Combining ACE’s technology with J.P. Morgan’s global scale creates an unmatched value proposition for clients, providing flexible new products that fit the needs of lenders, investors and operating partners for security in return for fresh liquidity to critical businesses."

About Affinity Capital Exchange

Based in New York City, Affinity Capital Exchange (ACE) is a fintech innovator in the loyalty finance space. ACE is building the world’s first technology solution and venue for the issuance and trading of a new class of loyalty points, enabling the creation of financial instruments backed by loyalty point portfolios. Through financial innovation that is supported by tried-and-tested market infrastructure and technology, ACE aims to revolutionize the loyalty economy by bringing the benefits of financial markets to loyalty in a way that respects the unique needs of the industry. Its technology and market platform will provide new solutions to members, initially focusing on generating collateral and attracting liquidity. For more on ACE, please visit afcx.co 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38306

Cloudflare Radar shares Internet trends globally

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 -- Cloudflare Inc, the security, performance, and reliability company helping to build a better Internet, has launched Cloudflare Radar, a free public tool that lets anyone view global traffic and security trends across the Internet as they happen.

Leveraging Cloudflare’s network, which touches more than 25 million Internet properties and spans more than 200 cities in over 100 countries, Cloudflare Radar allows people to view changes in traffic to popular websites over time, and monitor emerging security threats.

“Cloudflare has built one of the world’s largest networks, offering one of the most representative views of Internet traffic and activity worldwide,” said Cloudflare co-founder and chief executive officer, Matthew Prince in a statement.

“Cloudflare Radar is like a newspaper for the Internet, showing the latest headlines so everyone can understand what’s happening at any given time online. Giving any digital citizen the chance to see what’s happening online is part of our pursuit to help build a better, more informed, Internet.”

Currently, anyone can access Cloudflare Radar to Internet News & Trends; Trending Domains: Access; Traffic Volume; Attack Activity; Domain Insights; and, IP Insights.

More details at www.cloudflare.com 

-- BERNAMA

CLOUDFLARE ANNOUNCES WEB ANALYTICS, A PRIVACY-FIRST, FREE ALTERNATIVE FOR ALL WEBSITE OWNERS

New solution gives anyone a more accurate way to track website performance without compromising visitors’ privacy

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 30 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET), the security, performance, and reliability company helping to build a better Internet, today launched Cloudflare Web Analytics to provide accurate, clear, and free analytics for anyone who cares about how their site is performing and doesn’t want to sacrifice their visitors’ privacy. Cloudflare Web Analytics is built on top of Cloudflare’s existing network, giving site owners insight into key traffic metrics at the edge. Now site owners have control over their own site data, eliminating the need for third-party scripts that can track their users and help retarget them with advertising. Cloudflare Web Analytics will be available, for free, to any website owner, whether they are an existing Cloudflare customer or not.

For website owners and businesses, analytics are the backbone of their online strategy. This data helps them understand how people find a website, what types of devices they are using, and what they do once they get to a website–critical information for creating a better experience for their online visitors. Before today, getting access to that data came at a price when using popular analytics tools created by ad-tech companies. Advertising-driven business models help ad-supported sites sell more ads and are gleaning lots of visitor and site data in return for site analytics. As a result, website owners have to trade user privacy for data on how their own sites were performing. What’s worse, the tradeoff doesn’t ensure that site owners get accurate data because visitors with ad blockers often aren’t counted. With Cloudflare Web Analytics, any web creator—not just Cloudflare customers—can get the information they need in a simple, clean, and accurate way that does not sacrifice their visitors' privacy.

“Website owners deserve access to analytics that are transparent and accurate, and that don’t force them to pay with their users’ privacy,” said Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare. “With Cloudflare Web Analytics, website owners can help protect their visitors' privacy, and focus on what really matters–clean, simple metrics to understand how their site is performing. We believe this is an important step in helping to build a better, and more private Internet for everyone, not just Cloudflare customers."

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38291

Jumio Representative Vendor in Gartner Market Guide for Identity Proofing and Attribution

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 -- For the third year running, Jumio, the leading provider of AI-powered end-to-end identity verification and eKYC solutions, has been named Representative Vendor in the latest Gartner ‘Market Guide for Identity Proofing and Attribution’,” published recently.

Citing the Report’s Criteria on Representative Vendor Selection, Jumio was named as a Representative Vendor among several other identity proofing and corroboration providers, according to a statement.

“The listed vendors represent what’s core in the market, what extends it and what will transform it,” stated the Market Guide.

Vendors were selected on the basis of one or more of the following criteria, namely vendors offering capabilities supporting unique, innovative identity proofing or demonstrate forward-looking product strategies; frequent inquiries by Gartner clients about a particular vendor for identity-proofing; vendors that represent particular market segments or geographic regions; and, fair representation from year to year.

“At Jumio, we’ve witnessed many of these same trends noted in the Market Guide, including a growing interest in document-centric identity proofing, greater concern about how our AI models address demographic bias and an increased desire for orchestration,” said Jumio Chief Executive Officer, Robert Prigge.

“This is precisely why we recently launched the Jumio KYX Platform, a unified platform designed to assist fraud and risk teams in streamlining the onboarding and KYC processes.”

For details, visit www.jumio.com.

-- BERNAMA

YILI AND MORE THAN 200 BUSINESS LEADERS PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR RENEWED GLOBAL COOPERATION AS THE UNITED NATIONS TURNS 75

 

BEIJING, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- Companies from over 100 countries demonstrated their support for the Statement from Business Leaders for Renewed Global Cooperation presented to UN Secretary - General Antonio Guterres by Sanda Ojiambo, the CEO & Executive Director of the UN Global Compact on September 21, 2020 to mark the UN's 75th anniversary.

As the invited representative of food industry entrepreneurs, chairman and president of global healthy food producer Yili Group Pan Gang signed the statement together with over 200 CEOs of major global companies, including Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, and Punit Renjen, Global CEO of Deloitte Global, to express his support for the United Nations' call to jointly lead the world onto a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable path of development and to "unite in the business for a better world".

Pan believes that cooperation for mutual benefit makes all party stronger winners. And this is what Yili has been promoting all along. The company takes the initiative to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promote in-depth cooperation with its global partners to jointly build a "global health ecosystem", and endorses sustainable development with specific programs.

-In 2016, at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cancun, Mexico, Yili signed the Business and Biodiversity Pledge, becoming the first Chinese company to sign the pledge.

-In 2017, Yili becomes the first Chinese food company to join the United Nations Global Compact.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38256

For 2nd year running, Vonage voted Asia-Pacific CPaaS Provider of the Year by Frost & Sullivan

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 -- Vonage has been recognised Asia-Pacific Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) Provider of the Year by Frost & Sullivan for the second consecutive year.

Based on a statement, Vonage Communications Platform allows integration of fully programmable application programming interfaces (APIs) into existing products, workflows and systems and from which the company’s unified communications and contact centre solutions are built.

The platform provides global businesses with power and flexibility to integrate multiple communications channels − video, voice, chat, messaging, email and verification − into their applications, products and workflows to create new paradigms in their industries.

Vonage’s API Platform Group President, Omar Javaid said: “This award highlights our continued commitment to providing flexible business communications solutions that empower companies to build the unique experiences and disruptive solutions they need to stay connected to employees and customers from anywhere, through whichever channel they choose.”

Frost & Sullivan Industry Principal ICT Practice, Sherrel Roche said: “Staying true to its roots as a technology disruptor, Vonage offers scalable platforms for developers and businesses seeking unified communications, collaboration and contact centre solutions through programmable communications application programming interfaces in the same stack and framework.”

Vonage was selected as Provider of the Year using Frost & Sullivan's proprietary, measurement-based methodology derived from extensive primary and secondary research including in-depth interviews, analysis and industry benchmarking.

More details at www.vonage.com 

-- BERNAMA

LeddarTech Acquires Phantom Intelligence Assets

QUEBEC CITY, Sept. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LeddarTech®, a leader in level 1-5 ADAS and AD sensing technology, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the assets of Phantom Intelligence, including all of its intellectual property and technology.

Founded in 2011, Phantom Intelligence is recognized for their expertise in signal processing and LiDAR technology that protects vulnerable road users (VRUs) and improves the safety and fluidity of travel by offering solutions that enable reliable advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

The Phantom Intelligence transaction on September 14, 2020 represents the second acquisition by LeddarTech in the last three months. In July of 2020, LeddarTech acquired VayaVision, an Israel-based sensor-fusion and perception technology company. The acquisition of Phantom Intelligence provides LeddarTech access to specific LiDAR designs, software, and associated customer and partner projects. The company and its intellectual property will transition under the LeddarTech brand.

“The Phantom Intelligence acquisition further advances our strategy to aggregate and consolidate automotive sensing technologies, enabling LeddarTech to offer comprehensive solutions to our customers at lower costs,” stated Mr. Frantz Saintellemy, President and COO of LeddarTech. “At LeddarTech we have, despite the COVID 19 pandemic, accelerated our drive towards serving multiple transportation and vehicle markets with end-to-end sensing solutions that provide our ADAS and AD customers a faster path to market at lower costs,” continued Mr. Saintellemy. “The acquisitions of VayaVision and Phantom Intelligence, combined with our decade-long expertise in groundbreaking L1-5 ADAS and AD sensing technologies, demonstrate our commitment to continuous innovation and service to our Tier 1-2, OEM, and autonomous mobility customers,” concluded Mr. Saintellemy.

About LeddarTech

LeddarTech is a leader in environmental sensing solutions for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems. Founded in 2007, LeddarTech has evolved to become a comprehensive end-to-end environmental sensing company by enabling customers to solve critical sensing and perception challenges across the entire value chain of the automotive and mobility market segments with its LeddarVision™ sensor-fusion and perception platform. LeddarTech delivers a cost-effective, scalable, and versatile LiDAR development solution to Tier 1-2 automotive system integrators that enables them to develop automotive-grade solid-state LiDARs based on the foundation of the LeddarEngine™. LeddarTech has 14 generations of solid-state LiDARs based on the LeddarEngine platform operating 24/7 in harsh environments. This platform is actively deployed in autonomous shuttles, trucks, buses, delivery vehicles, smart cities/factories, and robotaxi applications. The company is responsible for several innovations in cutting-edge automotive and mobility remote-sensing applications, with over 95 patented technologies (granted or pending) enhancing ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities.

Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Contact:
Daniel Aitken, Vice-President, Global Corporate Marketing and Communications, LeddarTech Inc.
Tel.: + 1-418-653-9000 ext. 232
daniel.aitken@leddartech.com

Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarEngine, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, LeddarCore, VAYADrive, VayaVision, and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names, and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

CSOP DEBUTS THE WORLD'S LARGEST CHINESE PURE GOVERNMENT BOND ETF IN SINGAPORE

 

·  ICBC CSOP FTSE Chinese Government Bond Index ETF will list (ticker: USD counter:CYB/ SGD counter:CYC) on Singapore Exchange (“SGX”) on September 21 2020
·  CYB/CYC to directly invest into China onshore government bonds, aiming to help capture opportunities brought by China’s bond inclusions into global indices
·  China onshore bonds market to present attractive opportunities to local investors 
 

SINGAPORE, Sept 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- CSOP Asset Management Pte. Ltd. debuts its first ETF - ICBC CSOP FTSE Chinese Government Bond Index ETF (ticker: USD counter: CYB/ SGD counter: CYC) in Singapore in partnership with ICBC Asset Management.¹ Operating since April 2019, CSOP Asset Management is bringing its leading expertise and experience in ETF management to investors in Singapore. The CYB/CYC offers the opportunities for investors to access the fast growing China onshore bond market. CYB/CYC will adopt a representative sampling strategy to replicate as closely as possible the performance of the FTSE Chinese Government Bond Index to achieve its investment objective. Denominated in RMB, CYB/CYC can be created and redeemed in both USD and RMB in primary market. Post listing, the CYB/CYC trades in both USD and SGD at board lot size of 10 shares. As the first SGX-listed ETF investing directly in China onshore bond market, CYB/CYC has attracted a number of institutional investors and USD675, 571,000 investment, marking it one of the ETFs with a significantly large initial size on SGX,and also the world’s largest Chinese pure government bond ETF.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200917005377/en/ 
 

China onshore market has become too important to ignore. The size of China bond market has already reached USD15 trillion, the second largest bond market in the world, trailing behind US². With China’s onshore bond market further opening up, it presents attractive opportunities to global investors. Historical data suggested that the China onshore bonds offer a higher yield³ with a relatively lower exchange rate volatility compared to other major economies.⁴ In addition, the low correlation between China onshore bonds and global bonds would potentially provide greater portfolio diversification for investors.⁵ Worth mentioning, in the past few years, foreign investment continued to flow into China onshore market. Even though foreign institutions held more than CNY2.8 trillion (over USD400 billion) of onshore Chinese bonds as of August 2020, which was four times more than the amount held in 2015, the foreign holding of China onshore bonds was still below 3% severely under invested by global institutions.⁶ If the Chinese onshore bonds are included in the three major global indices, it is expected to attract about USD320 billion of inflows into China onshore bond market in aggregate.⁷ The market discussion on the upcoming announcement by FTSE Russell on the potential inclusion of China onshore bonds reflects optimism and its readiness to be included in foreign investors’ asset allocation. In anticipation of the upcoming announcement from FTSE Russell on highly possible inclusion of China onshore bonds, it is deemed a good timing for investors to tap into the China onshore bonds market. 
 

Loh Boon Chye, Chief Executive Officer of SGX, said, “We are honoured that CSOP Asset Management, a well-known ETF leader in Asia, has picked SGX to be the listing venue of choice for their landmark ETF. SGX provides a multi-asset platform that supports the internationalisation of China and investor access to Asia’s largest economy. Global fixed income investors have been turning to Chinese sovereign bonds for added diversification and yields, and this product is a strong addition to our platform. SGX will continue to work with issuers and business partners to develop a multi-asset ETF product shelf that meets the demands of the investment community.” 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38175

ONLY 35 PER CENT OF APAC BUSINESSES HAVE MADE OPERATIONAL ADJUSTMENTS TO MEET NEW CONSUMER DEMANDS FOR DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT SINCE COVID-19

Experian’s research shows increase in organisations adapting artificial intelligence and machine learning to deal with economic uncertainties 

SINGAPORE, Sept 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The pandemic has accelerated a digital transformation for many companies, but just over a third (35 per cent) of APAC organisations have made operational adjustments to meet new consumer demands for digital engagement. With more than half of 1,200 consumers surveyed in APAC expecting to increase online spending both in the short-term and within the next 12 months, 43 per cent of consumers have higher expectations of their online experience, according to Experian’s Global Insights Report, one of the first large-scale surveys assessing the impact of COVID-19 on businesses and consumers.

Experian – a leading global information services company – surveyed 3,000 consumers and 900 executives working in retail banks, e-commerce, consumer technology and telecommunications. Respondents spanned Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The survey was conducted in June and July and covered consumer and business economic outlooks, financial well-being, online behaviour and more.

The survey found that since the start of the pandemic, top priorities for businesses include the health and safety of their employees and customers, as well as adjusting their operations to ensure business continuity. The pandemic could potentially add US$440 billion to credit costs in Asia Pacific and organisations are utilising digital solutions to manage customer credit risk, with 22 per cent planning to use on-demand cloud-based decisioning applications.

Globally, twice as many consumers are having problems paying their bills since COVID-19. This is a trend prevalent across all regions, with more than a fifth (21 per cent) of the 1,200 consumers surveyed online in Australia, India, Japan and Singapore finding it challenging to pay their credit card and utility bills since the start of COVID-19. The report highlighted a three per cent increase among consumers who are increasing their use of credit, and a two per cent increase in consumers applying for personal or short-term loans.

Ben Elliott, CEO Asia Pacific, at Experian, says: “The pandemic has exacerbated broader global economic uncertainties, and consumers are feeling the impact of the coronavirus. This is a defining period for how banks and financial institutions treat their customers, as how they treat their customers during these challenging times will impact customer loyalty in the long run. Our data shows that 41 per cent of customers in Singapore, India and Australia would give an organisation more business if they felt they were treated fairly – courteously, honestly and without bias – during the pandemic, higher than the global figure of 38 per cent.”

72 per cent of APAC organisations are using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to cope with uncertainties in today’s marketplace; higher than the global figure of 69 per cent. Decision management (13 per cent), artificial intelligence, credit reports and scores, and decision optimisation (each at 12 per cent) have been some of the top solutions most commonly used by organisations in the region to assess and manage customer credit risk.

Mr Elliott adds: “The acceleration of digitisation of the economy means that banks are under increasing pressure to move to digital channels to acquire and serve customers, given current social distancing mandates. We're supporting our clients – such as banks and financial services providers, telcos and technology companies – by providing the flexibility of on-premise and cloud-based solutions. Experian’s latest cloud based PowerCurve suite of decision management solutions enable companies to automate decisions across an increasingly complex customer journey. We provide the option of pre-configured solutions for organisations that prefer standard, ‘out of the box’ applications, as well as solutions that can be tailored to their infrastructure and requirements for rapid deployment, so clients are up and running in days.”

An example of a bank successfully digitising their processes on the cloud is AU Small Finance Bank, a retail bank in India. AU Small Finance Bank digitised its previously manual lending process with Experian’s PowerCurve Customer Acquisition. The end-to-end solution involved digitising and automating the application and approval process for a new credit card offering, enabling automated decisioning, and provided the ability to host and configure scorecards.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38154

Integrity Applications Provides Commercial Update

WILMINGTON, Del. and ASHDOD, Israel, Sept. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Integrity Applications, Inc. (www.integrity-app.com) (OTCQB: IGAP), innovator of GlucoTrack^®, a non-invasive device for measuring glucose levels in people with Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, today provided an update as to its commercialization activities.

Earlier this year, the Company announced that it had received CE Mark approval to simplify the use of GlucoTrack by allowing a user to perform the calibration process by themselves without the need for an on-site trainer for guidance. With this major enhancement, the Company believes it has a pathway to commercialize GlucoTrack on a mass scale through its distribution partners, and in certain markets, directly to the consumer.

Since receiving this approval, the Company has been conducting testing and internal trials of upgraded software and has been developing a redesigned personal ear clip to enhance usability and comfort of the device, all of which have been completed.

The Company has now begun the implementation of its commercial launch with the completion of its initial shipment of redesigned GlucoTrack personal ear clip units and software upgrade to MediReva, its exclusive distribution partner in the Netherlands.

Prior to going into full production, MediReva will conduct field testing on the new units with the self-calibration feature embedded, with the expectation for GlucoTrack to be available to the public early next year. The Company is currently working with several insurance companies on steps towards reimbursement approval.

As part of its planned rollout, in addition to the Netherlands, the Company is in the process of identifying and negotiating with additional distributors in other key geographic regions.

“Low compliance to glucose self-monitoring among patients with Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes is still highly prevalent,” said Erez Ben-Zvi, Integrity’s Vice President of Product. “Launching our first non-invasive GlucoTrack units with the self-calibration software is key for increased monitoring compliance and a major milestone for the Company. We look forward to a successful launch in the Netherlands and continued execution on our commercial strategy.”

“The market desperately needs the solution that GlucoTrack provides. We continue to make progress in our efforts to receive insurance reimbursement for GlucoTrack in the Dutch market, and we are excited to be the first to offer such an innovative product for those suffering with Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes,” said Paul Ummels, CEO of MediReva.

About GlucoTrack^®

GlucoTrack^® is a truly non-invasive monitoring device that rapidly measures and displays an individual’s glucose level in about a minute without finger pricking or any pain. GlucoTrack^® features an ear clip with sensors that clips to the earlobe and measures the user’s glucose level using innovative and patented sensor technologies. The measured signals are analyzed using a proprietary algorithm and then a calculated glucose level is displayed on a small handheld device the size of a small mobile phone. The glucose results are stored in the device and used to estimate HbA1c level using a proprietary algorithm. The device can also display glucose values graphically, enabling the user to monitor glucose levels over time. GlucoTrack^® has received approvals for CE Mark in Europe and from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in South Korea for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes and is currently available in selected markets in Europe and Asia.

About Integrity Applications, Inc.

Integrity Applications, Inc. (OTCQB: IGAP) was founded in 2001 and is focused on the design, development, and commercialization of non-invasive glucose monitoring technologies for people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The Company has developed GlucoTrack^®, a proprietary non-invasive glucose monitoring device designed to obtain glucose level measurements in about a minute without the pain, incremental cost, difficulty, or discomfort of conventional invasive finger stick devices. Integrity Applications Inc. is a Delaware corporation, with headquarters in the United States and an R&D site in Ashdod, Israel. For more information, please visit http://www.integrity-app.com/ and http://www.glucotrack.com.

Investor Contact:  investors@integrity-app.com
Media Contact: media@integrity-app.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as “expect”, “plan” and “will” are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that certain important factors may affect Integrity Applications’ actual results and could cause such results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements that may be made in this news release. Factors that may affect Integrity Applications’ results include, but are not limited to, the ability of Integrity Applications to raise additional capital to finance its operations (whether through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, strategic collaborations or otherwise); risks relating to the receipt (and timing) of regulatory approvals (including FDA approval); risks relating to enrollment of patients in, and the conduct of, clinical trials; risks relating to its current and future distribution agreements; risks relating to its ability to hire and retain qualified personnel, including sales and distribution personnel; and the additional risk factors described in Integrity Applications’ filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 as filed with the SEC on April 14, 2020. 

SmartStream derivatives for MiFID SI Regime to meet Sept 15 deadline

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 -- SmartStream Technologies, the financial Reference Data Utility (RDU) solutions provider, has announced derivatives supported in its Systematic Internaliser (SI) Registry service, to help clients meet the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) deadline on Sept 15.

This allows trading counterparties to identify whoever is responsible for reporting trades in general, but also the most complex part of the SI Regime which now includes derivatives.

According to a statement, financial institutions are highly reliant on good quality reference data to ensure they can successfully trade electronically, automate their operations and report accurately to the regulators.

The MiFID II SI Regime for derivatives will be the most challenging component needing to handle a very complex classification scheme.

The service further strengthens SmartStream’s partnership with the Approved Publication Arrangements community as the RDU continues being the sole distributor of the SI Registry, which provides SI status across equity, fixed income and derivative instruments.

SmartStream RDU Executive Vice-President, Linda Coffman said: “The derivatives component represents the last phase of the MiFID II SI Regime to be rolled out by the SmartStream RDU development team.”

To meet the September deadline, firms will have to handle a complex ESMA classification scheme in order to be compliant.

-- BERNAMA

ADM completes secondary block trade of about US$550 million Wilmar ordinary shares

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 -- ADM has completed its previously announced secondary block trade of approximately US$550 million in Wilmar ordinary shares. (US$1 = RM4.18)

Wilmar – Asia’s leading agribusiness and packaged food oils company – is a strategic partner and one of ADM’s largest customers. 

ADM expects to use the net proceeds from the transaction for general corporate purposes, which may include, without limitation, meeting working capital requirements; funding capital expenditures and possible acquisitions of, or investments in, business and assets; and acquiring outstanding shares of ADM common stock.

Based on a statement, ADM will retain at least a 20 per cent equity investment in Wilmar.

According to ADM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Juan Luciano, this transaction provides additional capital while retaining the strong relationship with Wilmar. 

“We have no plans to sell additional Wilmar shares, and look forward to continuing our partnership for years to come.”

The Wilmar ordinary shares sold pursuant in the transaction have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, US persons (as defined in Regulation S) absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

-- BERNAMA

ForDoz Pharma, Lupin partner to market 2 complex injectable products in US

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 -- ForDoz Pharma Corporation has entered into an agreement with Lupin, to market and distribute two complex injectable products in an advanced development stage at ForDoz, in the United States (US) and its territories. 

According to a statement, the products are in the Oncology and Anti-infective therapeutic areas which upon approval, will provide affordable alternatives to patients and healthcare professionals.

These two licensed products are flagship technology assets among ForDoz complex injectable product pipeline portfolio including liposome, microsphere, emulsion, nanocrystal, control release nanosuspension and micelle.

The products will be manufactured in ForDoz Pharma’s US-based manufacturing site while the India-based Lupin shall be responsible for the commercialisation. The deal terms are confidential.

“ForDoz Pharma is excited to partner our flagship products with Lupin. Lupin’s leadership presence in the US will complement ForDoz’s scientific capability to bring affordable medicines to patients in an efficient manner,” said ForDoz founder and chief executive officer, James He.

ForDoz Pharma Corporation is a privately-owned specialty pharmaceutical company, focusing on development, manufacturing and commercialisation of value-added sterile and complex injectable products.

-- BERNAMA

THE NEW NORMAL BRINGS IN A NEW ERA BUT WE CAN NAVIGATE THROUGH THE PATH: A STRONG MESSAGE GIVEN AT THE ASEAN 53RD ANNIVERSARY ONLINE SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZED BY AJC

 

TOKYO, Aug 21 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- On 20 August 2020, the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) together with the ASEAN Committee in Tokyo (ACT), which consists of the ASEAN Ambassadors to Japan, organized the ASEAN 53^rd Anniversary Symposium online under the theme of “Beyond Covid-19: Moving into the New Normal” where participants joined from both Japan and ASEAN Member States.
 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200821005186/en/ 

The Symposium was opened by H.E. Mr. Myint Thu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Japan and ACT Chair. Ambassador Myint Thu called for ASEAN and Japan to effectively address emerging challenges together and to implement countermeasures against the impact of global pandemic.

After the opening remarks, H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN, delivered his keynote address. Dato Lim reassured that ASEAN’s determination to fight the pandemic remained strong through decisive, targeted, and measured actions. Quoted examples include, the establishment of “COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund” and the “ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies”; and the adoption of the “Hanoi Plan of Action on Strengthening ASEAN Economic Cooperation and Supply Chain Connectivity in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic”.

Dato Lim also acknowledged that the post-pandemic world would present fundamental changes in the way ASEAN economic activities were structured. There are five possibilities to deal with this: First, the realization of the greater importance of cross-cutting issues; second, accelerated emerging trends such as digitalization; third, focus on intra-ASEAN trade and investment; fourth, focus on its competitiveness as an investment destination and a trade and production hub; and finally, strengthening the utilization of ASEAN FTAs.

During the panel discussion in the latter part of the symposium with international production networks (IPN) being the main theme, Dr. Fukunari Kimura, Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio University and Chief Economist, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), shared his view that Asia Pacific economies were currently experiencing both supply and demand shocks, which will be followed by another huge demand shock with forcedly reshuffled production networks. Professor Kimura also presented a tentative policy framework for ASEAN Member States towards moving into the new normal classified into (i) emergency responses (ii) exit policies and (iii) policies for the new normal. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=37977

YOOZOO Games, 5 S'pore polytechnics cooperate to develop gaming industry talents

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 -- The Singapore subsidiary of YOOZOO Games (YOOZOO Singapore) has signed a memorandum of cooperation with five polytechnics in Singapore to jointly carry out scientific research, teaching and practical projects.

According to a statement, the polytechnics are Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Temasek Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic.

Through this cooperation, YOOZOO Singapore will provide polytechnic students studying game design and software engineering with opportunities to get hands-on industry experience, including internship opportunities, workshops and case studies.

The cooperation is set to create job opportunities for polytechnic graduates, with YOOZOO Singapore also providing lecturers with industry-relevant experience.

YOOZOO Singapore Managing Director, Qin Liu said the company was looking forward to cooperating with Singapore's top polytechnics, describing the cooperation as a win-win opportunity for all parties.

“It not only provides industry practice opportunities for the teachers and students, but also strengthens YOOZOO's scientific and technical research capabilities.”

In April, during the implementation of the ‘circuit breaker’ isolation measures, YOOZOO donated three million yen worth of laptops to students from five polytechnics in Singapore to help them transition to online classes during the epidemic. (100 yen = RM3.92)

YOOZOO Games - headquartered in Shanghai with offices across Asia, Europe, and the US - has forged a strong global distribution network, having launched over 40 highly successful titles including Game of Thrones Winter is Coming, the League of Angels series and Saint Seiya Awakening: Knights of the Zodiac.

-- BERNAMA

SNOMED International secures agreement to manage global nursing practice classification

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 -- SNOMED International and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) are in an agreement to pave the way for the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) to be managed, produced, released and distributed by SNOMED International.

According to a statement, this agreement - the culmination of years of collaboration between the two organisations - will see ICN retain ownership of ICNP and continue to define its content to meet the global nursing profession’s needs.

The agreement aligns with increasing global health digitisation, widespread use of SNOMED CT-enabled electronic health records (EHR), and the documentation of ICNP-specific content by nurses worldwide.

A significant benefit of this agreement removes the need for countries that currently use both ICNP and SNOMED CT to engage in mapping activities between the two systems.

With this five-year agreement, the use of added ICNP terminology will be pursued by SNOMED International Member countries, including but not limited to Canada, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.

SNOMED International and ICN are engaged in planning the update of content to ICNP 2019, and preparing the first release of the ICNP reference set on behalf of ICN by September 2021, initially with an agreed two-year release cycle.

SNOMED CT is the world’s largest clinical terminology and its primary purpose is to support all healthcare professionals in their recording and sharing of detailed patient information within EHRs and across healthcare communities globally.

-- BERNAMA

Juniper Networks to power Macquarie Telecom nationwide network refresh

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 -- Juniper Networks has been selected by Macquarie Telecom for the refresh of its nationwide network from the core to the edge, and to power continued growth through its ‘customer-first’ attitude across telecom, data centre and cloud services.

The open frameworks, APIs and tool kits available across Juniper’s networking and security solutions are leveraged by Macquarie Telecom to facilitate increased network reliability while simplifying automation.

Junos® OS as a common operating system delivers the reliability, security, flexibility, and consistency required by Macquarie Telecom to manage its voice, data, data centre and cloud services.

According to a statement, the nationwide network upgrade by Juniper Networks is slated to be completed by 2020-end.

“Juniper is delighted to be able to help grow Macquarie Telecom’s business further through this network refresh which includes a next-generation segment routing deployment driven by our automation and AI-driven capabilities,” said Juniper Networks Vice-President & General Manager, ANZ, Bruce Bennie.

Macquarie Telecom continues to explore ways to leverage the Juniper platform to deliver innovative and exceptional customer-centric services for its in-demand services, including through an ongoing focus on increasing automation across its network operations.

More details at www.juniper.net.

-- BERNAMA

Johnson Matthey technology selected for world's largest single train methanol plant

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 -- Johnson Matthey (JM) has been selected by China’s Ningxia Baofeng Energy Group as licensor for the third methanol synthesis plant at its coal to olefins complex near Yinchuan in Ningxia Province PRC. 

With a planned capacity of 7,200 mtpd, the methanol plant will be the world’s largest single train methanol plant upon completion, according to a statement.

Under the agreement, JM will be the licensor and supplier of associated engineering, technical review, commissioning assistance, catalyst and equipment supply. The JM methanol plant will take synthesis gas as a feed and utilise JM radial steam raising converters in a patented Series Loop.

Together with JM catalysts, to produce stabilised methanol as a product that is used to produce olefins downstream, the plant will provide enhanced energy efficiency along with low OPEX, CAPEX and emissions.

Upon startup, this will represent JM’s eighth operating licence in China with a plant capacity greater than 5,500 mtpd.

The licence award demonstrates Baofeng’s recognition of JM’s technical leadership and is testament to the latter’s commitment and dedication to large-scale methanol production delivery.

“We are very proud of our ongoing collaboration with Ningxia Baofeng Energy. It is testament to their confidence in JM’s engineering expertise and ability to successfully design and help deliver their large-scale methanol plants”, said JM Managing Director, John Gordon.

“In just over six years, it has been exciting to see our strong partnership result in the commissioning of two large scale plants with increasing volumes and a third world-scale plant on the way.”

JM is a global leader in science that enables a cleaner and healthier world. For more information, visit www.matthey.com

-- BERNAMA

Hyland reports significant increase in cloud services among organisations

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 -- Hyland, a content services provider for global organisations, has reported a significant increase in the number of organisations moving content services to the cloud.

Having recently launched Foundation versions of many of its key products including OnBase, which offer more flexibility and frequent updates, Hyland has seen growth in the number of organisations deploying content services in the cloud, especially in the commercial enterprise and banking sectors.

Rather than rolling out software upgrades on an annual basis, and relying on customers to update their platform every year or two, Hyland’s Foundation versions provide regular updates on a more frequent basis in the form of enhancement packs.

According to a statement, all Hyland Cloud solutions are fully managed by the company, and therefore subject to stringent security and quality measures.

“We take full responsibility for the software, including application delivery, so it is critical for us to provide a fast, smooth, safe service with an exceptionally high uptime,” said Hyland APAC director, Eugene Chng.

Moving content services solutions to the cloud also provides flexibility for companies during times of change, making it easy to scale up or down as needed. 

Hyland offerings such as Brainware intelligent capture, Content Composer for customer communications management and ShareBase for cloud-based sharing and collaborating can be added or removed quickly and efficiently, as circumstances dictate.

More details at https://www.hyland.com/en-SG

-- BERNAMA

BOSSA-Flywire partnership expands China's cross-border tuition payment services

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 -- BOSSA, China’s international education industry association, and Flywire have announced a strategic partnership to expand availability of Flywire’s cross-border payment services to Chinese students travelling abroad.

The US-based high-growth vertical payments company, in a statement said, the initiative also provided a secure and trusted international tuition payment channel for education recruitment agents, schools and students.

In a separate announcement, Flywire also launched new enhancements to its digital payment platform to better serve education recruitment agents and institutions worldwide.

BOSSA (the Beijing Overseas Study Service Association) is a non-profit, government-supported organisation that supports member agents across China that recruit students for study abroad.

Flywire’s solution enables institutions to offer students a highly-tailored, convenient and secure online payment experience – customised by school, country, and currency – while also accelerating fund flow, easing reconciliation and streamlining operational expenses.

The company has a long history of working with education recruitment agents in China, which is the leading source of international students for universities worldwide.

BOSSA plays a critical role in student recruitment and service for those students and BOSSA’s 300 member agents are responsible for recruiting and advising approximately two-thirds of all Chinese students studying abroad each year.

-- BERNAMA

Nippon Express (Australia) relocates, expands Melbourne facility

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 -- Nippon Express (Australia) Pty Ltd (NE Australia), a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co Ltd has relocated and expanded one of its facilities in Melbourne, Victoria, relaunching operations at the new location recently.

Situated in southeastern Australia, the State of Victoria has a robust manufacturing and IT/software industrial base, and it drives Australian industry in life science sectors such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

Major Japanese automobile manufacturers have opted to set up operations in the state capital of Melbourne, which has consequently attracted numerous associated suppliers, according to a statement.

The Melbourne Logistics Centre consolidates two pre-existing warehouse locations into one, giving the new facility about 1.5 times more total warehouse/office space.

In addition to being close to the city of Melbourne, the Centre is about 20 minutes from Melbourne International Airport and 15 minutes from Melbourne Port, making it an excellent location for handling air and ocean cargo transport.

NE Australia's primary targets in opening this Centre are after-sales automotive parts and electrical device companies, and it is committed to strengthening its logistics functions, and provide customers with optimal transport services.

More details at http://www.nipponexpress.com/

-- BERNAMA

COVID-19: Flywire unveils payment plan options to improve tuition affordability

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 -- Flywire, a high-growth vertical payments company has announced new enhancements to its market-leading digital education platform that improve tuition affordability.

Flywire’s new international payment plan options empower institutions worldwide to provide students more flexible funding options to help them better manage their education expenses during a period of unique financial constraint.

As part of Flywire’s comprehensive receivables solution, this functionality builds on Flywire’s existing offerings and is customised to meet the needs of institutions worldwide with a high ratio of foreign students.

Due to the ongoing rise in education costs, many foreign students cannot afford to pay their tuition and fees in full upfront prior to starting or returning to school, according to a statement.

COVID-19 is exacerbating this affordability crisis, placing unprecedented financial strain on students, many of whom remain on campus due to the high cost of returning home at the outset of the pandemic.

Flywire’s international payment plan options address the needs of students and families to make education costs more manageable with capabilities that include preferred payment options, flexibility of choice and personalised installment options.

More details at www.flywire.com.

-- BERNAMA

ANOMALI PARTNERS WITH ONEWORLD INFOTECH TO BRING OPTIMIZED CYBER THREAT INTELLIGENCE TO BANGLADESH

DHAKA, Bangladesh, June 22 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anomali, a provider of intelligence-driven cybersecurity solutions, and OneWorld InfoTech, the leading technology provider and IT security solutions distributor in Bangladesh, today announced that the companies have entered into a partnership, giving OneWorld InfoTech the ability to deploy and support Anomali threat intelligence management solutions across the country.

“Organizations recognize that without a high level of visibility over cyberthreats, there is no way to detect and respond to the constant attacks hitting their organizations,” said Geoff Noble, VP, Asia Pacific, Anomali. “We are excited to partner with the top cybersecurity provider in Bangladesh, OneWorld InfoTech, to help customers there gain access to integrated cyber threat intelligence (CTI) solutions that will help them to improve security and reduce risk.”

“Anomali brings a unique approach to connect external data with internal knowledge to operationalize a unified intelligence picture for organizations to reduce risk across their environments. By expanding our IT security portfolio offering with Anomali, we expect to assist organizations in Bangladesh private and public sectors in building effective cyber threat intelligence program and threat sharing communities to bolster defenses exponentially,” said Maruf Ahmed, Global Director of Technology and Services, OneWorld InfoTech.

Anomali and OneWorld InfoTech joint customers receive the most advanced, comprehensive, and easy-to-use CTI solutions available in the market today. The Anomali delivers:

Anomali Lens - This first-of-its-kind technology allows anyone to automatically and immediately know if their organizations are being attacked, who adversaries are, and if the attacks have been successful. With one click, Anomali Lens scans web-based content, detects and highlights all threats identified within, provides easy-to-understand details about the threats and tells users if any threats are already present in their networks. Structured and unstructured web content Anomali Lens scans include news, blogs, research, bulletins, SIEM logs, other security logs, IR reports, Twitter and other social networks.

Anomali Match - Anomali Match integrates CTI, MISP data, OSINT, SIEM logs, vulnerability assessment tools, and other big data sources to match billions of indicators of compromise (IOCs) and threats against any that are present in customers’ networks. By providing automated, retrospective analysis for extended periods, users detect threats and compromises that have been present for short and long durations.

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PayID to simplify process of sending, receiving money globally

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 -- Leading technology, finance and nonprofit companies have joined forces to launch PayID, a universal payment ID to simplify the process of sending and receiving money globally, across any payment network and currency.

According to a statement, GoPay, Ripple, Blockchain.com, BitPay, Brave, Flutterwave, Mercy Corps and others have collaborated on the development of PayID through the Open Payments Coalition, a multinational alliance of industry leaders.

PayID brings together companies across all industries with an open solution for payments, marrying traditional finance, and the new world of fintech under one standard.

Over 40 global companies and nonprofits reaching more than 100 million consumers worldwide have joined the Open Payments Coalition to break down the proprietary silos and standards that exist in payments, accelerate the adoption of digital payments, and change the way money is sent worldwide.

With support from companies across industries, PayID is the first global solution to address the biggest pain point in payments, uniting the many, closed payment networks that exist today.

Whether a bank, payment provider or processor, digital wallet, or remittance provider, PayID is designed for any business that sends or receives money. Implementing PayID is simple, and makes it possible for companies to access more networks, consumers and currencies to expand businesses globally.

In addition, PayID provides an end-to-end Travel Rule compliance solution for satisfying both FinCEN requirements and FATF recommendations.

More details at www.payid.org.

-- BERNAMA

Wittkieffer Singapore office as executive search hub for Asia-Pacific market

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 -- Global executive search firm, WittKieffer has expanded into the Asia-Pacific market with the opening of an office in Singapore, headed by Managing Director, Anissa Low.

The Singapore office will allow WittKieffer to operate seamlessly on a global scale, to source talent across continents and serve clients in healthcare, education and life sciences wherever they are located.

According to a statement, WittKieffer selected Singapore as the regional hub for its Asia-Pacific services as part of its commitment to support multinational clients with comprehensive access to the global talent pool.

“Under the leadership of Anissa Low, WittKieffer’s clients will receive the focused attention and exceptional service they expect of our firm, along with localised insights needed to remain competitive in a tight executive talent market,” said WittKieffer President and Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Chastain.

Low will oversee all Southeast Asia operations. Her depth of expertise in the Asian marketplace - nearly 15 years of executive search experience in healthcare and life sciences  - will benefit clients seeking comprehensive, strategic approaches to securing executive talent.

Prior to WittKieffer, Low served as Director of Healthcare & Life Sciences, Consumer & Industrial for a leading global executive recruiting firm.

More details at wittkieffer.com

-- BERNAMA

COVID-19: Pulse Secure extends Pulse Cares programme to assist global WFH initiatives

KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 -- Pulse Secure is extending its offer to help customers support ongoing work-from-home (WFH) initiatives and bolster new online business services via the Pulse Cares programme.

The programme will be offered through Sept 30, providing flexible licensing and enabling expedited deployment and capacity enhancement to support business continuity in the wake of the COVID-19 global health crisis.

According to a statement, the programme is designed to expedite sales and service response to ensure customer business resiliency.

The Pulse Cares programme will now offer organisations Pulse vADC temporary licences for up to a 90-day duration, enabling enterprises to increase application performance for WFH productivity and the launch of new online applications and online services.

Since its introduction earlier this year, Pulse Secure has provided temporary licences to over 1,500 enterprise accounts that needed immediate support to eliminate deployment delay during their procurement of permanent licences.

According to an upcoming Enterprise Management Associates ‘Application Delivery Infrastructure for Cloud-Forward Enterprises’ report, 40 per cent of organisations needed to increase their application infrastructure to support increased WFH workloads.

Sign up at https://www.pulsesecure.net/pulse-cares/

-- BERNAMA

Biotalys strengthens North America presence with executive team expansion, new US headquarters

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 -- Biotalys NV, a transformative food and crop protection company has announced expansion of its executive team and establishment of its new United States (US) headquarters for Biotalys Inc, to be located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Appointing Diego Angelo to the newly created role of Chief Business Officer and Head of the US subsidiary, Biotalys Inc, Biotalys is preparing for the commercial launch of its lead biofungicide BioFun-1, the first from its breakthrough platform of biocontrol solutions for safe and sustainable crop protection and food waste reduction.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, Patrice Sellès, and working with the executive team, Angelo will focus on putting a strong team in place while leading global business development, go-to-market activities, competitive intelligence and alliance management for the company’s protein-based biocontrol solutions.

In the US, Angelo will manage operations for Biotalys Inc as well as the corporate development strategy and execution.

As part of its global expansion, Biotalys will continue recruiting efforts to strengthen its presence beyond North Carolina in multiple states with strong fruit and vegetable businesses, according to a statement.

In addition, earlier this year, Carlos Reyes joined Biotalys to lead the field development programme of BioFun-1. Reyes is based in Sacramento, California.

Following the recent closing of the Series C round, Biotalys is finalising its next field trial programme and preparing to submit the regulatory dossier for its lead biofungicide, aiming to deliver a broad lineup of products that safely and reliably address key crop pests and diseases across the ag and food value chain.

More details at www.biotalys.com.

-- BERNAMA