[INVNT GROUP]™ BETS BIG ON LIVE; ENHANCES LIVE BRAND STORYTELLING CAPABILITIES WITH NEWLY FORMED ITP LIVE, IN THE STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS OF INSYNC PRODUCTION SERVICES, THUNDER AUDIO AND MORPHEUS LIGHTS.

Introducing ITP LIVE: An Integrated Production Services Division of INVNT®

New York, Dec 30 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- [INVNT GROUP] THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT™ announces the strategic acquisitions of four historied live event production companies: ITP LIVE, InSync Production Services, Thunder Audio, and Morpheus Lights. 

Led by President and CEO, Scott Cullather, [INVNT GROUP] represents a growing portfolio of complementary disciplines designed to help forward thinking brands everywhere, impact the audiences that matter anywhere. 

“This deal is a key pillar of our integrated vertical growth strategy as [INVNT GROUP] THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT. The dedicated search for these four companies has been in development for over 18 months. We sought leaders in the technical and production aspects of the live events industry, who were delivering premier production services to legacy brands and many of the world’s biggest peforming artists. These acquisitions will expand our innovation capabilities, allowing INVNT, our live events business, to offer our customers the ultimate in live events and experiential activations.”

Scott Cullather, President and CEO,  [INVNT GROUP]

[INVNT GROUP] consists of modern brand strategy firm, Folk Hero; creative-led culture consultancy, Meaning; branded content studio and content marketing agency HEVĒ; collegiate events and experiences, INVNT Higher Education, the original global live brand storytelling agency, INVNT and now ITP LIVE consisting of: InSync Production Services, Thunder Audio and Morpheus Lights.

For more than twenty-five years, these production companies have supported the design and execution of experiential and live entertainment programs for many of the largest corporations, trade associations, sports franchises, governmental agencies (including the White House), and some of the most successful artists in the world: Bruce Springsteen, Snoop Dog, Lady Gaga, Lionel Richie, Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Metallica, Post Malone, Tyler Perry and more.

The companies will continue to operate under their current names and will service their existing roster of clients, seek new clients, and providing services to synergistic INVNT opportunities and projects.

“Historically, producing live events has often required a great deal of outsourcing on virtually every project. Through these strategic acquisitions we will have end-to-end control over every aspect of our live events - especially quality and cost, continuing to deliver world-class service and at the very best value. The merging of resources and networks also gives us geographical spread across North America. Our anticipation is to continue growing these resources in other territories around the world. This is only the beginning.”  
                                                      
Kristina McCoobery, COO [INVNT GROUP] and CEO INVNT

Rooted in experiential marketing, [INVNT GROUP]’s expansion comes as part of a strategic, yet natural evolution. This business partnership creates a unique offering in the market, and enhances the group’s abilities to fulfill creative, technological, and strategic designs in dynamic new ways.

“When [INVNT GROUP] approached us about the idea of coming together and amplifying our resources, I was instantly drawn to the group’s commitment to impactful storytelling. Their award-winning work aligns with our vision of the newly formed ITP LIVE, that includes Insync Production Services, Thunder Audio and Morpheus Lights,. We’re excited by the incredible synergies created through our partnership and welcome a new chapter in designing the best events on the planet.” 

Pat Hand, CEO, ITP LIVE
 
This transaction was structured by Wolf Karbe, CFO of [INVNT GROUP] and represented by Evergreen Advisors Capital and Center Rock Advisors. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 

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Nippon Express (Nederland) Obtains GDP Compliance Certification For Company Warehouse

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 -- Nippon Express (Nederland) B.V. (NEN), a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co Ltd, obtained Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification, effective Sep 6, for its company-owned warehouse in Schiphol Trade Park near Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, evidencing its compliance with GDP standards for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals.

The Netherlands has become home to one of Europe's largest clusters of cutting-edge biotechnology companies.

According to a statement, the country's geographical and tax advantages have encouraged numerous pharmaceutical manufacturers to set up logistics bases there.

NEN's warehouse near Schiphol Airport, an import/export gateway for Europe, is fully equipped with dedicated pharmaceutical storage areas boasting temperature-control functions for three temperature ranges -- 15 C to 25 C (constant-temperature storage), 2 C to 8 C (refrigerated storage) and -15 C to -25 C (frozen storage) -- as well as dedicated truck docks, enabling NEN to enhance its pharmaceutical transport services to meet anticipated increases in demand.

Nippon Express remains committed to improving its services to meet the increasingly sophisticated and diversified pharmaceutical transport needs of its customers.

The Company will continue to strengthen its efforts on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry, identified as a priority industry in its Medium-term Business Plan.

For more information, visit http://www.nipponexpress.com/

-- BERNAMA

Unify Platform AG Starts New Feature On Company's Online Platform UNIPLAT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30  -- Unify Platform AG of Switzerland, with its Japan Hub in Shin-Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, has announced the launch of a new feature on the company's online platform service, UNIPLAT.

According to a statement, the new feature is Credit Rating: an automatic performance rating of each researcher and entrepreneur on UNIPLAT, evaluated from various perspectives using AI.

The evaluation result is displayed as credit scores. If the scores are high, the relevant researcher's capability and credibility are also considered high. This Credit Rating will be available on the platform, beginning Dec 23.

The credit scores of a researcher or entrepreneur can be viewed on their ‘My Lab’ page (a one-stop page that contains their profile, result of research, and other information. My Lab will be launched at the same time as Credit Rating).

The scores are set to be visible to the public. So, general users -- individuals, companies, or research institutions -- can check the researcher or entrepreneur's capability and credibility to ascertain their choice of support or research collaboration. Talking from the researcher and entrepreneur's side, this feature could open the door to many benefits such as offers and grants from companies and institutions.

Currently, the aspects scored by Credit Rating's AI are, number of likes of each content (live streaming, videos, and documents); number of each content's views; and, number of connections (primary nodes).

The scoring aspects and formulas are subject to refinement in a once-a-year credit rating evaluation committee meeting, following changes in global academic circumstances.

UNIPLAT is an open platform specifically designed to help entrepreneurial researchers who promote all academic fields and projects related to the SDGs advocated by the United Nations worldwide to obtain more exposure and connect with supporters who want to contribute to the improvement of global research.

-- BERNAMA

Mary Kay renews commitment to prevent, eliminate gender-based violence

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 -- Mary Kay Inc and the Mary Kay Ash Foundation have announced a renewed, joint commitment to the prevention and elimination of gender-based violence by joining the Generation Equality Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence.

This is in recognition of the upcoming International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women kicking off the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, according to a statement.

The commitment—which the organisations made public during UN Women’s recent Generation Equality Forum in Paris—is just the latest step the storied beauty brand and its charitable arm have made in the interest of improving the lives of women everywhere.

The Action Coalition on Gender-Based Violence, co-led by UN Women and by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund), among other leaders, is a powerful global movement mobilising governments, international organisations, philanthropies, and the private sector to deliver transformational progress towards the elimination of gender-based violence through four concrete actions.

This includes creating enabling policy, legal and resource environments; scaling up evidence driven prevention programming; scaling up comprehensive, accessible, and quality services for survivors; and, enabling and empowering autonomous girl-led and women’s rights organisations to exercise their expertise.

A goal of the Generation Equality Gender-Based Violence Action Coalition is to have 550 million more women and girls live in countries with laws and policies prohibiting all forms of gender-based violence against women and girls by 2026, among others.

During the Forum, UN Women committed to amplifying support and funding to women’s rights organisations by working with partners to secure a minimum of US$100 million in grants to be allocated through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) over the next five years. (US$1 = RM4.213)

Last year, Mary Kay Inc and the Mary Kay Ash Foundation joined forces with the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) and CARE, two champions of women’s rights, to further their mission to achieve a world free from violence against women.

-- BERNAMA

First Net Insurance Company Credit Ratings affirmed - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bbb+’ (Good) of First Net Insurance Company (First Net) Guam. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect First Net’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

First Net’s risk-adjusted capitalisation is assessed at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), and supported by its relatively low net underwriting leverage, and conservative and liquid investment portfolio, both of which partially offset its small absolute capital base.

Based on a statement, the company has a relatively high reliance on reinsurance for its business growth and catastrophe protection, albeit credit risk is limited due to a stable and high-quality reinsurer panel.

FirstNet’s adequate operating performance is underpinned by positive underwriting results and stable investment returns from its fixed-income portfolio. Its combined ratios mostly outperformed its composite’s average over the past 10 years, but the company’s small net premium base left its underwriting performance more susceptible to potential volatility arising from claims and expenses.

First Net reported favourable underwriting performance in 2020 and the first half of 2021 primarily due to reduced auto claims amid the COVID-19 pandemic. AM Best expects auto claims to rebound as traffic levels gradually return to normal over the coming years.

First Net is a domestic property and casualty insurer in the small and competitive Guam market, with a market share of approximately four per cent based on 2019 direct written premium (excluding group accident and health).

Given its location and geographic concentration, AM Best views the company’s business expansion opportunities as limited and highly dependent on local economic development. Nonetheless, the company has a stable business stream sourced through Moylan's Insurance Underwriters Inc, its affiliated company and a major multi-line insurance agency with a strong distribution network in Guam and nearby jurisdictions.

For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

ALSP Orchid Acquisition Corporation I declares US$150 million IPO

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 -- ALSP Orchid Acquisition Corporation I (the Company or ALSP Orchid) has announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 15,000,000 units at a price of US$10.00 per unit. (US$1 = RM4.179)

The units will be listed on The Nasdaq Global Market (Nasdaq) and trade under the ticker symbol ALORU beginning Nov 19. Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant, with each whole warrant exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of US$11.50 per share.

After the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and warrants are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols ‘ALOR’ and ‘ALORW’, respectively. The offering is expected to close on Nov 23, subject to customary closing conditions.

According to a statement, ALSP Orchid is a newly organised blank check company formed by Accelerator Life Science Partners, for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganisation or similar business combination with one or more businesses.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company Incorporated and Nomura Securities International Inc are serving as joint book-running managers of the offering.

The Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,250,000 units at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus.

A registration statement relating to these securities was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (‘SEC’) on Nov 18.

-- BERNAMA

Ensign-Bickford Industries closes acquisition of Cawood Scientific Limited

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 -- Ensign-Bickford Industries Inc (EBI) has announced successfully closing on its acquisition of Cawood Scientific Limited (Cawood), headquartered in Bracknell, UK.

Headquartered in Denver, CO, EBI is a 185-year-old privately-held corporation with diversified businesses in aerospace and defence, molecular diagnostics, and pet food palatability markets.

Cawood Scientific is the UK’s leading independent scientific group, with laboratories throughout the UK, EU, and the US serving the agriculture, food, and environmental sectors.

Cawood will become a member of EBI’s Agriculture and Environmental Diagnostics Group.

Commenting on the acquisition, EBI President and CEO Tom Perlitz said in a statement: “Cawood has more than just exceptional growth potential, it comes to us as a thriving business with a solid market position and great talent – built on a set of strong principles that very closely mirror the core values of EBI.

“This partnership will support both goals to expand our diagnostic offerings and extend our reach in global markets, and we could not be more pleased to welcome Cawood into the EBI family,” he said, noting that Cawood would represent a unique partnership with EBI’s EnviroLogix business that will strengthen and grow EBI’s foothold in the agricultural supply chain. 

“Over the last 18 months, Cawood has doubled in size, following significant investment in acquisitions, equipment, and technology, and EBI is committed to supporting and guiding that strategic growth long-term,” said Cawood’s Simon Parrington, who will continue as the Cawood Group CEO.

For more information, visit http://www.ensign-bickfordind.com/

-- BERNAMA

34th Tokyo International Film Festival winners named

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 -- The 34th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) concluded with the announcement of winners at the Closing Ceremony recently.

The Tokyo Grand Prix was awarded to ‘Vera Dreams of the Sea’, directed by Kaltrina Krasniqi, the first TIFF selection from Kosovo; while ‘World, Northern Hemisphere’ by Hossein Tehrani won the Asian Future Best Film Award.

Other winning films included ‘La Civil’, ‘Poet’, ‘The Other Tom’, ‘The Four Walls’, ‘Crane Lantern’ and ‘Just Remembering’, as well as Amazon Prime Video Take One Awardees ‘Sunday and Calm Sea’ and ‘Under the Bridge’.

The 34th TIFF showcased 126 films selected from 1,533 submissions from 113 countries and regions between Oct 30 and Nov 8, according to a statement.

The Japan Foundation Asia Center (JF) and TIFF have co-presented Conversation Series at Asia Lounge.

With an advisory panel headed by Palme d'Or winner Kore-eda Hirokazu, the series brought together acclaimed filmmakers and actors from Asia and beyond to engage in friendly dialogue for eight days.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, the Asia Lounge featured both in-person and online guests, with audiences able to participate in person and to livestream Q and As for each of the talks, as well as it could also set up the physical lounge where filmmakers would enjoy free-form conversation and exchange.

International guests included TIFF Jury President Isabelle Huppert, Chang Chen, Kamila Andini, Bahman Ghobadi, Brillante Ma Mendoza, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Bong Joon Ho.

The JF and TIFF also jointly showcased the rich and diverse cultures of Asian cinema in the Competition, Asian Future, Gala Selection, World Focus and newly launched TIFF Series sections.

More details at https://2021.tiff-jp.net/en/

-- BERNAMA

Polyplastics introduces new RENATUS (R) PET grades for auto exterior components

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 -- Polyplastics Group has announced the introduction of two new RENATUS (R) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) grades which deliver superior mechanical properties, appearance, and weather resistance for automotive exterior components.

This reaffirms Polyplastics' strong commitment to PET as a key pillar of its extensive resin business portfolio, according to a statement.

The two new glass-reinforced grades, RH030 (30 per cent glass-filled) and RH045 (45 per cent glass-filled), maintain their jet blackness and reduce whitening on the surface of molded articles in outdoor environments, making them ideally suited for applications such as automotive side mirrors and rear wiper arms/blades.

Since PET parts are not painted, weathering degradation can occur over time. The glass filler can start to float and the jet blackness can decrease.

Accelerated weather-resistance testing demonstrates that Polyplastics' new PET materials maintain lower index values than their competing products, thus indicating whitening is being reduced.

RENATUS (R) RH030 and RH045 PET are glass fibre-reinforced grades, but they can still produce molded articles with good surface appearance because of their superior mold transferability during molding.

Recent company testing shows that when compared to standard grade PBT-GF30, RH045 (PET-GF45) exhibits higher surface gloss even though it has a large amount of glass fibre added to the formulation.

Meanwhile, in terms of mechanical performance, PET typically has superior properties compared to PBT. At similar glass loadings, RH030 and RH045 PET grades have higher mechanical properties including greater tensile strength, flexural modulus, and deflection temperature under load compared to PBT grades.

Polyplastics Co Ltd is a global leader in the development and production of engineering thermoplastics, with product portfolio including POM, PBT, PPS, LCP, GF-PET, and COC.

-- BERNAMA

8th New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival ends

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 -- The New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival recently held at New Chitose Airport and online for four days, ended Nov 8.

The competition screening, which is the main event of the festival, showed 92 films selected from over 2,200 submissions.

An award ceremony was held on Nov 8 at the Portom Hall located in the international terminal building of New Chitose Airport, according to a statement.

Among the awards recognised include Grand Prix for Short Films: ‘Easter Eggs’ Nicolas Keppens, Belgium; Japan Grand Prix: ‘Replacements’ Jonathan Hagard, Japan; and, New Talent Award: ‘The Fourth Wall’ Mahboobeh Kalaee, Iran.

Also listed Grand Prix for Feature Films: ‘The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily’ Lorenzo Mattotti, France & Italy; Best Student Film: ‘Butterfly Jam’ Shih-Yen Huang, France & Taiwan; and, Best Music Animation: ‘Czarodzielnica’ Klaudia Ptasinska, Poland.

There was a new event called NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT PITCH 2021. There, nine Japanese animation filmmakers made short presentations on their upcoming projects, with the festival office and one of the commentators commending two projects.

The projects are NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT PITCH AWARD: ‘CHERRY AND VIRGIN’ Project by Masanao Kawajiri; and, Emmanuel-Alain Raynal Award: ‘The Story of My First Love and the Rainbow Ferry That Was Sold’ Project by Honami Yano.

All winning works can be found on the official festival website at https://airport-anifes.jp/en.

-- BERNAMA

VORTEXA UNVEILS FREIGHT PRICING ANALYTICS FOLLOWING THE BALTIC EXCHANGE PARTNERSHIP

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 (Bernama) -- Vortexa has announced the launch of its new Freight Pricing Analytics screen available within Vortexa Freight Analytics following the recent data partnership with The Baltic Exchange, the world's leading independent source of maritime market information.

Vortexa Chief Executive Officer, Fabio Kuhn said: “For the first time in the freight markets, one screen is able to combine pricing with a real-time view of fundamentals at this scale and depth, unlocking an immense competitive edge in speed and foresight to market participants.’’

The new screen provides access to The Baltic Exchange freight pricing benchmarks alongside Vortexa’s real-time supply and demand analytics such as forward vessel availability and fleet utilisation for a chosen route - all in one view.

According to a statement, Vortexa’s Freight Pricing will further accelerate the time-to-market of trading, chartering and optimisation opportunities.

Vortexa’s forward view of tonnage supply up to 35 days ahead and real-time utilisation data at the highest frequency and granularity available in the freight markets today, help market participants to make well-informed, high-stake chartering and positioning decisions quickly and confidently.

Vortexa provides market-leading real-time data and advanced analytics for energy and shipping markets.

-- BERNAMA

HYTERA ROLLED OUT NEW POC RADIO PNC360S FOR SIMPLIFIED BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS AT CCW2021

 

Hytera Rolled Out New PoC Radio PNC360S for Simplified Business Communications at CCW2021 (Graphic: Business Wire)

SHENZHEN, China, Nov 5 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hytera, the global leading provider of professional and private communications technologies and solutions, has launched its latest Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) radio at CCW2021- the PNC360S, a simple yet powerful radio designed to help business users communicate effortlessly and efficiently.
 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211103005609/en/ 

Business organisations such as retail outlets or hotels are often looking for an economic solution to enable wide-area communications with a low start-up cost. This is exactly what PoC radios provide. PoC delivers PTT services over existing public mobile networks. This allows users to access a nationwide radio network without the need to purchase, operate or maintain any infrastructure.

However, compared with two-way radios, traditional PoC radios suffer from a number of challenges, including unclear audio in very noisy environments, intermittent voice call issues in areas with a weak signal, a short battery life, and unstable performance in humid and dusty conditions. The Hytera PNC360S has been optimised to meet these challenges, making it the ideal solution for delivering easy and reliable PTT communications.

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Voyager Labs paves way into Japan with key strategic win

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 -- Voyager Labs, a world leader in advanced AI-based investigation solutions, has sealed a major deal with a Japanese government agency, empowering the organisation to gain deep investigative insights about entities, individuals, groups, and topics.

The engagement provides the government agency with an AI (Artificial Intelligence) based investigation platform that easily analyses massive amounts of intelligence unstructured information from any source including open and deep data, understand content and human interactions and uncover hidden or unknown connections and relationships.

“I am glad that we are collaborating in the fight against terror and crime. This is a strategic win for Voyager Labs and our partner Terilogy Worx Corporation in Japan,” said Managing Director APAC at Voyager Labs, Divya Khangarot, in a statement.

“We bring additional layers of deep investigative insights using a combination of AI, Machine Learning and OSINT to uncover hidden trails, infringed information, and bad actors.”

Meanwhile, Terilogy Worx Chief Executive Officer Nobuo Miyamura said: “In partnership with Voyager Labs, we are extremely honoured to be able to support this government agency’s work of accelerating criminal investigations and disinformation campaign analysis here in Japan.”

Voyager Labs’ proprietary AI technology enables investigators to easily analyse massive amounts of intelligence information as well as open, deep, and dark web data, and understand content, hidden or unknown connections, relationships, human interactions, and connections. More details at www.voyagerlabs.co.

-- BERNAMA

FLUENCE ANNOUNCES CLOSING OF INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING AND FULL EXERCISE OF UNDERWRITERS' OPTION TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL SHARES; RAISES GROSS PROCEEDS OF $998,200,000

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov 3 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Fluence Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FLNC), a leading global provider of energy storage products and services and digital applications for renewables and storage, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 35,650,000 shares of its Class A common stock, including the exercise in full of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of its Class A common stock, at an initial public offering price of $28.00 per share. Proceeds from the initial public offering were $998.2 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses. The shares began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on September 28, 2021 under the ticker symbol "FLNC."

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Morgan Stanley, Barclays Capital Inc., and BofA Securities are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the offering. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, UBS Securities, LLC, Evercore Group L.L.C., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., and RBC Capital Markets, LLC are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. Nomura Securities International, Inc., Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Seaport Global Securities LLC, Penserra Securities LLC, and Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC are acting as co-managers for the offering.

The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus related to the offering may be obtained from: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at 866-803-9204 or by email at prospectus-eq_fi@jpmorganchase.com; Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014; Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717 or by email at barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com or by telephone at (888) 603-5847; BofA Securities, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte NC 28255-0001, Attn: Prospectus Department or by email at dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com. 

A registration statement relating to this offering was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 27, 2021. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.  

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Japan Ministry of Environment holds exhibitions, seminars at Japan Pavilion, COP 26

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 -- The Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ), has set up the Japan Pavilion at the venue of COP 26 (the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), underway in Glasgow, the United Kingdom, from Oct 31 to Nov 12.

The Pavilion provides the opportunity for Japanese stakeholders including companies to organise exhibitions and seminars, according to a statement.

MOEJ is also organising the Virtual Japan Pavilion to showcase technologies and actions online.

During COP 26, MOEJ is operating the Japan Pavilion to hold exhibitions and seminars, as well as the Virtual Japan Pavilion, which showcases technologies and actions, in order to introduce Japan's initiatives and environmental technologies to achieve global and domestic decarbonisation.

On July 20, MOEJ issued a call for applications to exhibit advanced decarbonisation technologies at the Japan Pavilion, and selected 12 on-site exhibits as well as 33 virtual exhibits.

More details at http://copjapan.env.go.jp/cop/cop26/en/index.html.

-- BERNAMA

FINTECH UNICORN NIUM JOINS HKSTP'S FINTECH COMMUNITY TO ACCELERATE HONG KONG'S BOOMING FINTECH ECOSYSTEM

HKSTP connects SE Asian Fintech unicorn with key partners to tap the enormous GBA market

HONG KONG, Nov 1 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today announced the addition of a global Fintech unicorn, Nium, as a partner company to HKSTP’s thriving Fintech ecosystem. Nium is opening its new office at InnoCentre to leverage Hong Kong’s growing Fintech opportunities as well as the huge GBA market potential for seamless application programming interface (API)-based payments services. The high-growth Fintech startup connects consumers, corporations and financial institutions to the world’s payment infrastructure through a single API for fast, low-cost international transfers.

Nium has been present in Hong Kong since 2016 and the growing team will join other fast-rising Fintech ventures at Science Park’s flagship Fintech hub at InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong. The Temasek-backed Fintech startup closed its Series D funding round in July of this year, propelling its valuation beyond US$1 billion. The round enables Nium to accelerate its regional growth, with HKSTP chosen as the ideal partner for this next stage of the journey. The new funds will support rapid global expansion, with Hong Kong and the GBA as major growth opportunities. It currently holds several regulatory licenses and offices around the world, including in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia, India, the US, and the UK.

HKSTP has already connected Nium with a number of Fintech API players in Hong Kong to accelerate service development and business growth. Through collaboration with industry leaders and tech startups at InnoCentre, Nium can instantly plug into the Hong Kong’s thriving Fintech ecosystem and ride the wave of API-based financial services sweeping across Hong Kong and the GBA. 

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SeeUnity's Echo product enhancement supports events-driven synchronisation via webhooks

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 -- SeeUnity - An Anaqua Company, the leading provider of Application Programming Interface (API)-based content integration and migration solutions for on-premise and cloud-based Enterprise Content Management applications, has announced the release of a significant Echo Content Synchronization (Echo) product enhancement supporting events-driven synchronisation via webhooks.

This capability is less resource intensive and expedites the notification of content and metadata changes from cloud-based systems to another application, delivering real-time data updates to users.

Echo, a robust content synchronisation engine enabling organisations to securely connect and sync data between a document management system and other external applications via API, can sync content and content changes in one direction or bi-directionally on an ongoing and scheduled basis, allowing users to collaborate and access up-to-date content anywhere.

Using webhooks provides an alternative method for syncing data between applications. Webhooks deliver data over the web as changes (events) happen, versus relying on numerous API call requests for changes.

API rate limits are often found with cloud-based systems, causing delays and bottlenecks. For customers that require frequent, numerous, and timely data updates, this means they’ll receive the information much faster and more efficiently utilising webhooks.

“A full Echo API scan is still run periodically to catch events that may have been missed for normally occurring situations, such as internet glitches, downed systems, or database errors,” said SeeUnity CTO, Dan Hunsinger.

“The combination of webhooks, with the full scan safety net, creates a solid, efficient, and reliable integration,” he said in a statement.

For more information, visit https://seeunity.com.

-- BERNAMA

Xinhua-SPG Port Commodity Index released in Qingdao

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 -- At the 2021 Land-sea Linkage Qingdao Summit held recently, Xinhua-SPG Port Commodity Index (XH-SPG PCI) was officially released in Qingdao.

XH-SPG PCI was developed and established by Shandong Port Group Co Ltd in collaboration with China Economic Information Service based on the advantageous varieties of Shandong Port.

At present, the officially released XH-SPG PCI covers crude oil price index, iron ore inventory and entry and exit index, coke inventory and entry and exit index, steel billet price index and hot-rolled coil price index.

It has been established to truly reflect the fluctuation trend of bulk commodity market of the Port and provide value benchmark and effective reference for port trade activities, according to a statement.

Specifically, the estimated CIF price of crude oil can be used by enterprises to predict the premiums and discounts of crude oil trade in two months, and the spot crude oil price index can reflect the crude oil CIF price at the current time node.

The operation results of the index show that since the base period (Feb 3, 2020), the overall index has seen a ‘V’ trend, with a fall followed by a rise.

At the beginning, the global crude oil consumption demand was greatly reduced due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

After that, with the resumption of work and production in China and the easing of release of OPEC + crude oil production capacity, the global crude oil supply and demand remained in a tight balance, and the index showed a volatile rising trend.

In addition, for the iron ore inventory index, entry and exit index of iron ore, coke inventory index and entry and exit index of coke, Jan 1, 2021 is taken as the base period.

The compliant actual inventory data and entry and exit volume data of iron ore and coke in Shandong Port were collected respectively to reflect the overall change trend of iron ore and coke inventory in Shandong Port and the circulation activity of the Port.

According to the plan, the varieties involved in the index will be gradually enriched in the future, and the index will also be extended to cover other coastal ports, so as to continue to build an index information platform of ‘seeing Shandong for port bulk commodities’.

-- BERNAMA

SCALING UP AMID SOUTHEAST ASIA'S ECOMMERCE BOOM

SINGAPORE, Oct 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Few industries have grown as rapidly as eCommerce has worldwide during the pandemic, and Southeast Asia is no exception, SmartOSC shared.

The eCommerce boom comes alongside online price inflation and a tech talent shortage, with 68% of tech managers surveyed in the e-Conomy SEA report saying it averaged three months to fill an open position.

These factors combined with high logistics costs of up to 20% of the final cost of goods in some countries make it tough to compete on price.

Despite these headwinds, full-service eCommerce agency SmartOSC sees challenges and opportunities for businesses.

Scaling up

“Projects that previously would take nine months to implement now need to be launched in weeks,” says SmartOSC Founder and CEO Thai Son Nguyen, adding that a minimum viable product approach allows businesses to get a market foothold quickly, gain proof of concept, and then swiftly scale upwards and outwards.

Brands need speed and agility to scale up amid the eCommerce boom, Nguyen says.

“More people are shopping online and for a more diverse range of products than before, so brands need to offer consumers what they want, when they want it.

Online inflation means consumers also have higher expectations for a personalized shopping experience, Nguyen says.

“We’ve reached tipping points for both consumers and brands in eCommerce adoption.”

Looking to 2022

SmartOSC helped ASUS Singapore scale up rapidly with a focus on personalization and de-siloing B2B and B2C customers, growing eCommerce revenue by 56%.

As companies look to scale rapidly in a talent-short environment, a tech partner with the know-how and resources to solve complex problems is invaluable, says Nguyen, whose company was recognized in Forrester’s Now Tech: APAC Digital Experience Services Q4, 2021 for offering competitive specialties other large providers in APAC don’t.

“At SmartOSC we’re doubling down on our greatest asset: our people. We’re hiring tech talents every day and are fostering an environment where our people can grow, so they’re ready to take on the challenges our partners face,” he says.

SmartOSC

With 15 years in operation, SmartOSC is an award-winning digital commerce agency of 850+ experts, across 7 countries. With experience across most enterprise platforms and technology stacks, our customers choose us because we solve complex implementations at scale, backed by 1000+ successful projects launched. Website: smartosc.com.
 

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06c0c672-5b96-4660-882a-fa59ea11406c

 
Media Contact : linhnh2@smartosc.com

Source: SMARTOSC CORPORATION

--BERNAMA

SAIC MOTOR SELECTS HERE LOCATION SERVICES TO POWER CONNECTED VEHICLE SERVICES GLOBALLY

Beijing and Singapore, Oct 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SAIC Motor, China’s largest automaker, today announced HERE Technologies, the leading location data and technology platform, will power the connected In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems of MG cars in South-East Asia, Oceania, Western Europe, Latin America, Middle East and India.

The connected IVI system includes HERE Traffic which provides real-time information on traffic flow and conditions, helping drivers reach their destinations safely and more efficiently. The SAIC Motor system includes the latest connected vehicle services including HERE Parking, HERE EV Charge Points and HERE Fuel Prices, which deliver drivers dynamic and highly relevant information on their route ahead.

The MG mobile application i-SMART, includes a set of IoT solutions that combines the value of the connected on-board IVI system and the MG mobile application. I-SMART will utilize HERE’s mobile Software Developer Kit (SDK) which provides MG software developers a rich set of location features such as mapping, routing, geocoding and search, traffic, transit and navigation.

HERE Technologies is supporting SAIC Group’s expansion outside China by providing access to global map coverage and country-specific, local market knowledge. Both MG’s conventional and electric vehicles will benefit from HERE services and they are planned to be available immediately in South-East Asia, Oceania and Western Europe, and planned to be introduced in the coming months in Latin America, Middle East and India.

“HERE Technologies provides MG with the core location data, services and mobile SDK that enable the development of high-quality, industry leading products in a short period of time” said Tang ShengHao, Product Manager at SAIC responsible for SAIC’s overseas’ product architecture for navigation, online services and mobile apps. “We look forward to a continued cooperation with HERE in various fields to provide further industry-leading features and functions for our MG i-Smart system for an enhanced intelligent user experience. SAIC’s goal is to sell 550,000 vehicles overseas in 2021. We hope that the MG i-Smart system, including navigation and location-based services can also contribute.” 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=41368

JUNIPER RESEARCH: ROAMING REVENUE LOSSES TO SURPASS $2 BILLION GLOBALLY BY 2026; NECESSITATING NEW CLEARING PROCESSES FOR OPERATORS

BASINGSTOKE, England, Oct 25 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A new Juniper Research study has found operators will lose around $484 million in roaming revenue from the misidentification of roaming data traffic this year. These losses are expected to rise to $2.1 billion by 2026; representing absolute growth of 331%. The report found the inability to distinguish between 4G and 5G data traffic using current standards will result in greater losses as the travel industry returns to pre-pandemic levels and 5G adoption increases.

In response, the new research, Data & Financial Clearing: Emerging Trends, Key Opportunities & Market Forecasts 2021-2026, cited the support by operators for the BCE (Billing & Charging Evolution) protocol as being a key strategy to minimise the extent of revenue leakage. BCE is an end-to-end industry-wide standard defined by the GSMA that introduces new capabilities that identify roaming data traffic over different network technologies.

For more insights, download our free whitepaper: Mobile Roaming & the $2 Billion Revenue Leakage Problem

5G Roaming to Drive Roaming Market Evolution

This issue of misidentifying roaming data will only be exacerbated by the rising number of 5G subscribers roaming internationally. The report forecasts there will be over 200 million 5G roaming connections by 2026; rising from 5 million in 2021. This growth is driven by increasing 5G adoption and a return to pre-pandemic levels of international travel. In response, it urges operators to identify emerging areas of potential revenue leakage by leveraging machine learning in roaming analytics tools to efficiently assess roaming behaviour and data usage.

In addition, the report found to effectively mitigate the growing complexity of clearing processes arising from increased demand for data when roaming, operators must move away from established roaming clearing practices in favour of BCE.

Research author Scarlett Woodford remarked: “By combining BCE with AI-enabled roaming analytics suites, operators will be ideally positioned to deal with the rise in roaming data. Separating roaming traffic by network connectivity is essential to allow operators to charge roaming partners based on latency and download speed, and maximise overall 5G roaming revenue.”

Data & Financial Clearing market research: 
https://www.juniperresearch.com/researchstore/operators-providers/data-financial-clearing-research-report

Download the whitepaper: 
https://www.juniperresearch.com/whitepapers/mobile-roaming-the-$2-bn-revenue-leakage

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211024005010/en/

Contact

Sam Smith, Press Relations
T: +44(0)1256 830002
E: sam.smith@juniperresearch.com  

Source : Juniper Research

--BERNAMA

Vonage acquires Jumper.ai, adds conversational commerce solution to product portfolio

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 -- Vonage, a global leader in cloud communications helping businesses accelerate their digital transformation, has announced acquiring Jumper.ai, a Singapore-based leader in omnichannel conversational commerce solutions.

According to a statement, Jumper.ai’s team will join Vonage’s Product and Engineering group.

With this acquisition, Vonage gains significant technology and developer-focused talent, as well as expertise in conversational commerce, complementing the programmable, flexible and intelligent capabilities of its singular Vonage Communications Platform and robust portfolio of APIs.

“The addition of Jumper.ai’s conversational commerce and omnichannel capabilities fits perfectly into Vonage’s strategy and is a natural extension of Vonage’s offerings. It transforms customer interactions from notifications and simple communications to conversations across the spectrum of customer engagement points,” said Vonage Chief Executive Officer, Rory Read. 

The Jumper.ai platform creates omnichannel, messaging-first customer engagement and shopping journeys across social, messaging, and web (WhatsApp, Messenger, Apple Business Chat, Instagram, Twitter, SMS, LINE, Google Ads, Brand websites, and more). 

As social messaging becomes more important to consumers globally as a quick and direct way of connecting with their favorite brands, Vonage will incorporate Jumper.ai technology to expand its total addressable market and complement its robust portfolio of APIs with a packaged AI-enabled conversational commerce offering.

Jumper.ai is an all-in-one solution that meets the needs of major brands to connect with consumers through web and social channels, while also turning these conversations into richer AI-enabled customer experiences with rapid service and sales follow-through.

-- BERNAMA

CLOUDFLARE COLLABORATES WITH MICROSOFT AND MAJOR SEARCH ENGINES TO HELP IMPROVE WEBSITES' SEARCH RESULTS

Initiative introduces a new way for website owners to instantly drive higher quality search engine results, and helps improve efficiency of the web

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 20 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET), the security, performance, and reliability company helping to build a better Internet, announced it will work with Microsoft, Yandex, and other leading search engines to help businesses get the most timely and relevant search results to their customers. By participating in the IndexNow.org initiative, Cloudflare will allow websites to automatically notify search engines whenever content is created, updated, or deleted so they can be more efficiently crawled. Now, all Cloudflare customers can ensure users see the most up-to-date version of their content, all with a single click.

Search engines use a complex network of bots to crawl the ever-changing content on the Internet so people can find relevant, timely content. Today, approximately 45% of Internet traffic comes from web crawlers and bots. To help improve the efficiency of crawlers on the web, Cloudflare launched Crawler Hints–an easy way to signal to bot developers when content has been changed or added to a site, so they can make more efficient choices about what to crawl. What’s more, website owners will be able to improve site performance by reducing unnecessary bot traffic and to provide timely content, which ultimately helps improve search rankings. Now, Cloudflare is using the IndexNow standard to bring Crawler Hints to major search engines.

“A fast, reliable website and timely search results are at the heart of any growing business, whether it’s a startup or Fortune 500 company. Since the beginning, we’ve worked to help our customers to give them the speed, reliability, and security they need to do business,” said Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare. “Today, we're taking that one step further by working with Microsoft and other major search engines to help any website owner reduce inefficiencies while also delivering their users reliable, relevant and timely online experiences.” 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=41315

J.P. Morgan Securities plc announces post-stabilisation period

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 -- Further to the pre-stabilisation period announcement dated Oct 11, J.P. Morgan Securities plc hereby gives notice that no stabilisation (within the meaning of Article 3.2(d) of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU/596/2014) or the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority) was undertaken by the Stabilisation Manager(s) named below in relation to the offer of the following securities.

The Issuer is The Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM), while the Stabilisation Manager(s) include BNP Paribas; Credit Agricole CIB; HSBC; ING; Shinhan Investment; and KEXIM Bank (UK) Limited, according to a statement.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. 

-- BERNAMA

Nippon Express (Shanghai) unveils ‘Kansai Special Rapid Service’ using high-speed ferries

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 -- Nippon Express (Shanghai) Co Ltd (NE Shanghai), a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co Ltd, has launched an in-house consolidated service -- ‘Kansai Special Rapid Service’ -- using extremely reliable high-speed ferries from Shanghai to Osaka/Kobe, with the first departure being Sept 18.

The increasingly strict biosecurity measures imposed at Shanghai Pudong Airport have resulted in a continual string of flight cancellations by airlines, making it difficult to rely on air transport, while congestion at Shanghai Port has put container vessels considerably behind schedule. 

These circumstances have given rise to greater need for LCL (small-lot consolidation) services offering speed and punctuality, according to a statement.

Nippon Express developed the ‘Kansai Special Rapid Service’ in-house consolidated service as a BCP-compatible solution that uses high-speed ferries to transport cargo from the Shanghai CFS to the Osaka CFS/Kobe CFS in five days.

Service overview, frequency: departures twice weekly (using the ferries Xinjianzhen and Suzhouhao), while service type: consolidated cargo transport (LCL service with in-house consolidation).

Meanwhile, service features include speed: transport from Shanghai CFS to Osaka CFS/Kobe CFS in as short as five days; and, punctuality: service operates on reliable schedule using high-speed ferries.

The ferries Xinjianzhen and Suzhouhao alternate between Osaka and Kobe every other week, with service provided to the Osaka CFS for Osaka arrivals and the Kobe CFS for Kobe arrivals.

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

-- BERNAMA

FinLync-Standard Chartered partnership to hasten bank's API offerings adoption

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 -- FinLync, a global fintech company founded in Singapore that is transforming corporate finance and treasury offices through its world-class products, and leading international banking group Standard Chartered have announced partnership to enable corporate treasury and finance teams to rapidly and easily connect to Standard Chartered’s application programming interface (API) offerings, via FinLync.

This will allow corporates to make decisions faster, more frequently and based on more-precise information, all of which provide an edge over their competition without the substantial time and financial investments typically required in such integration projects.

Based on a statement, this partnership reflects FinLync’s role as the market leader in bank API connectivity, and Standard Chartered’s commitment to developing API offerings that provide corporate treasurers with 24/7 access to critical information for improved control and visibility.

By partnering with FinLync, the Bank is able to support its clients in making the shift to real-time treasury and significantly increasing working capital efficiency, as well as differentiate itself from banks limited to legacy connectivity, all while offloading IT burdens.

FinLync co-founder and CEO, Phillip Klein said: “In order to get value from bank APIs, companies must connect them to their end solution, usually an ERP. Building these connections from scratch is a lengthy and costly process that can take months or years for just a single API.

“FinLync turns this previously complex connectivity challenge into a simple plug-and-play process. You get rid of bank files and middleware but get all the connections you need, plus real-time data and expanded data points, without having to manage the connectivity.

“We are excited to partner with Standard Chartered to make their bank API offerings immediately accessible for corporates.”

Standard Chartered Global Head of Cash Management, Philip Panaino said: “Beyond the building of APIs, we recognise the need to take the next step in ensuring that corporates can access these solutions in a fast, secure and easy-to-use manner, to fully deliver the benefits of this seamless connection.”

For more information, visit https://www.finlync.com

-- BERNAMA

Maiden Global Business Forum ASEAN beginning Dec 8 eyes Southeast Asian economic potential

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 -- The huge economic potential of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the wealth of opportunities that the region offers businesses and investors in the UAE will be in the spotlight at the first ever Global Business Forum (GBF) ASEAN from Dec 8-9 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai.

Organised by Dubai Chamber in partnership with Expo 2020 Dubai under the theme ‘The New Frontiers’, GBF ASEAN 2021 is the first event in the GBF series to focus on the ASEAN region.

Based on a statement, the high-level forum brings together government and business leaders from ASEAN markets and the UAE to explore new avenues of economic cooperation and emerging investment opportunities.

The forum will examine the changing dynamics of ASEAN region in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as new opportunities being created by digital transformation and trade partnerships.

Other topics on the agenda include plans among ASEAN members and their counterparts to create the world’s largest free trade area, based on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement that will add an estimated US$186 billion to global GDP by 2030. (US$1 = RM4.180)

Public and private sector stakeholders attending the forum will also discuss new ways that ASEAN countries can develop a low-carbon economy to build a more resilient and sustainable future, with Southeast Asia one of the world’s regions most at risk from climate change.

GBF ASEAN forms part of Dubai Chamber’s Global Business Forum series that was launched in 2012 as a platform to drive trade and explore opportunities between the UAE and some of the world’s fastest growing markets.

Established in 1965, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a non-profit public entity, whose mission is to represent, support and protect the interests of the business community in Dubai by creating a favourable business environment, supporting the development of business, and by promoting Dubai as an international business hub.

For more information, visit www.dubaichamber.com.

-- BERNAMA

Walking the talk: Talkwalker hastens brands to actionable consumer intelligence

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 -- Talkwalker, the #1 consumer intelligence company has announced the launch of two products.

These will strengthen its Consumer Intelligence Acceleration Platform(TM) alongside the growth of its social listening capabilities and deliver brands actionable consumer intelligence to drive business impact.

“Our new products and platform expand our deep listening capabilities into new areas, arming brands with insights that they can benefit from immediately,” said Talkwalker Chief Executive Officer, Tod Nielsen in a statement.

Talkwalker's platform, powered by Blue Silk(TM) technology, now includes three industry-leading products namely Market Intelligence; Customer Intelligence; and, Social Intelligence.

Market Intelligence provides consumer trends analysis and real-time industry datasets, with an app per category, to fast-track innovation. Covering a variety of industries including consumer goods, entertainment, health & wellness.

Meanwhile, Customer Intelligence creates a unique single customer view by combining customer and consumer data, social, ratings, and reviews, while Social Intelligence is an expansion of its deep social listening capabilities at scale, to help companies protect, measure, and promote their brands.

Talkwalker also introduced its professional services Talkwalker Activate team, offering a broad range of customer services, including training, onboarding and insights, to help clients accelerate their time to value with Talkwalker technologies, from investment to real-world results.

Talkwalker was also announced as a Twitter Official Partner, recognised as a vetted, best-in-class solution to help brands innovate and scale their business.

The new offerings were announced live at Talkwalker's Dare to accelerate, a customer event in Paris that brought together industry leaders to inspire the next generation of consumer intelligence.

At the event, Talkwalker demonstrated how the platform can be used across all aspects of the business for social listening, market research, customer intelligence, and product development.

More details at www.talkwalker.com.

-- BERNAMA

WE Communications study reveals consumers want brands to rectify fractured world

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 -- WE Communications has released results from its latest Brands in Motion report, ‘The Bravery Mandate’, with the data exposed escalating tension between expectations for brands to drive stability in a fast-changing, fractured world and heightened skepticism about purpose-washing.

“We’ve reached an inflection point where people are craving businesses to fill the leadership void. To be the driving force of positive societal impact, brands should ask themselves, ‘If not us, who?’ and take bold, brave action,” said WE Communications Global Chief Executive Officer, Melissa Waggener Zorkin.

According to a statement, the number of global study respondents saying they expect brands to create stability in uncertain times rose 30 per cent since 2019 — with brands now viewed as important a pillar of society as educators and friend-and-family networks.

Despite those rising expectations, brands’ perceived impact for societal good remains flat, with 52 per cent saying that attempts to impact societal issues are anchored in trying to sell more products or services. 

Consumers and B2B decision-makers are voting with their wallets to measure brand support. Two out of three respondents say they are more likely to purchase or recommend products or services from brands that address societal issues that matter to them.

Although two-thirds of survey respondents are open to brands speaking and acting on societal issues, one third are not. Navigating this divide requires active engagement with key stakeholders, including employees, shareholders, customers and community members, to illuminate long-term goals and values.

In addition, the Brands in Motion report dug into expectations when it comes to defining and demonstrating brand purpose. It’s clear that expectations are high and at times nuanced — taking a stance on social issues requires agility and long-term commitment.

Over the past five years, Brands in Motion global studies have surveyed more than 90,000 consumers and B2B decision-makers worldwide to understand the impact of how perceptions shift over time.

-- BERNAMA

GTJAI bags 9 awards from Hong Kong Investor Relations Association

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 -- Guotai Junan International Holdings Limited (Guotai Junan International, the Company or Group) has won nine awards, including the ‘Best IR Company’ at the 7th Investor Relations Awards organised by the Hong Kong Investor Relations Association (HKIRA), a renown industry organisation.

This follows the awards granted by Institutional Investor in June 2021, demonstrating Guotai Junan International's leading capabilities in investor relations management, corporate governance and information disclosure in Hong Kong and international capital markets.

Awards include Best IR by Chairman / CEO – Dr Yim Fung; Best IR by CFO – Mr Li Guangjie; Best IR Team – Ms Feng Zhengyao, Mr Yan Yili, Ms Wu Weiyi; Best ESG (E); Best ESG (S); Best ESG (G); Best Investor Presentation Material; and, Best Annual Report.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Guotai Junan International, Dr Yim Fung said: “I would like to thank the HKIRA for recognising GTJAI and myself for our efforts in Company’s investor relations activities.”

“As a listed company, we have always insisted on maintaining good communications with investors, carefully listening to every investor and shareholder's suggestions and opinions, prioritising the overall interests of shareholders and maximising shareholders' interests through prudent and stable operation.

“In the future, we will continue to maintain high quality communications and interaction with the capital market and reward our shareholders for their trust and support with growing results,” he added.

The HKIRA Investor Relations Awards are prestigious investor relations awards granted to recognise the outstanding performance of Hong Kong listed companies and their professional management members in investor relations practices.

According to a statement, companies must be nominated by the public and then voted on by fund managers and sell-side analysts in mainland China, Hong Kong and worldwide.

Based in Hong Kong, GTJAI provides diversified integrated financial services. More details at http://www.gtjai.com.

-- BERNAMA

ITT ISSUES 2021 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT SUPPLEMENT; CONTINUES PROGRESS ON ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE PRIORITIES

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Sept 10 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- September 9, 2021-- ITT Inc. (NYSE: ITT) has released Sustainability ITT – 2021 Supplement, its second supplement to Sustainability ITT 2019, the Company’s comprehensive report on its progress toward environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments. This supplement details ITT’s 2020 advances toward integrating environmental stewardship and positive social impact across all operations, teams, and communities. Priorities include health and safety, diversity, equality and inclusiveness of its workforce, and environmental footprint, among others. Key highlights from 2020 include:

• 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
• 23 percent less waste sent to landfills
• 25 percent fewer workplace incidents
• Divestiture of all pending and future legacy asbestos liabilities

“We continue to integrate ESG practices into our day-to-day operations, while maintaining our focus on the health of our people, our business and our financials,” said Luca Savi, Chief Executive Officer and President. “In what was an extraordinarily challenging year for everyone, our team demonstrated its commitment to having ITT make the world a better place for all stakeholders. While I am pleased with our progress thus far, it is clear we have much more to do on our journey to becoming a more sustainable ITT.”

The report, Sustainability ITT – 2021 Supplement, covers initiatives and other information over three years with a focus on 2020 results. It incorporates 2020 metrics for all global ITT locations. Several guidelines and measurement frameworks, including those provided by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), informed the scope of this report. To learn more about ITT’s commitments to creating a more sustainable and equitable environment, please see Sustainability ITT 2019.

About ITT

ITT is a diversified leading manufacturer of highly engineered critical components and customized technology solutions for the energy, transportation, and industrial markets. Building on its heritage of innovation, ITT partners with its customers to deliver enduring solutions to the key industries that underpin our modern way of life. ITT is headquartered in White Plains, NY, with employees in more than 35 countries and sales in approximately 125 countries. The company generated 2020 revenues of $2.5 billion. For more information, visit www.itt.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

In this report, “ITT,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to ITT Inc., an Indiana corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries, except as otherwise indicated or as the context otherwise requires. In addition, this report contains “forward-looking statements,” intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather represent only a belief regarding future events based on current expectations, estimates, assumptions, and projections about our business, future financial results, and the industry in which we operate, and other legal, regulatory, and economic developments. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, references to guidance, future strategic plans, and other statements that describe the company’s business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals, and any discussion of future operating or financial performance.

We use words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “target,” “future,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “potential,” “continue,” “guidance,” and other similar expressions to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are uncertain and to some extent unpredictable and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in, or reasonably inferred from, such forward-looking statements.

Where in any forward-looking statement we express an expectation or belief as to future results or events, such expectation or belief is based on current plans and expectations of our management, expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. However, there can be no assurance that the expectation or belief will occur or that anticipated results will be achieved or accomplished. More information on factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated is included in the Risk Factors section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The forward-looking statements included in this report speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation (and expressly disclaim any obligation) to update any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210909005090/en/

Contact

Mark Macaluso
+1 914-641-2064
mark.macaluso@itt.com

Source : ITT Inc.

--BERNAMA