Visitors experiencing a cycling game
FANGCHENGGANG, China, Dec. 23, 2020 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
The China-ASEAN Sports Tourism Carnival High-quality Development Conference was held on December 19, 2020 in Fangchenggang of Guangxi, under the theme of "encouraging the quality growth of the sports industry and fostering a new development pattern". Following activities such as "Winter Tour in Guangxi" and "Green Ecological Sports in Guangxi", more than 40 major sports events above the city level will be held in the region. These events are mainly oriented to the general public, including marathon, basketball, table tennis, and football, to meet the diverse fitness needs of the public. It is estimated that the Carnival will garner more than 250,000 participants (person-time), according to Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Sports Bureau.
At the conference, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Sports Bureau signed strategic cooperation agreements with Fangchenggang Municipal Government, Beijing Liandong Investment (Group) Co., Ltd., and KAILAS Group to work closely to construct a healthy sports industry park, integrate sports and education, and enhance sports events operation, while striving to build a "new high land" for the development of the sports industry.
"Driving new sports consumption models with digital technologies and promoting the digitalization and intelligentization of the sports industry is an essential part of the high-quality development of the industry," said Li Changzhu, vice president of Huawei's Consumer BG, at the conference.
"Technology changes our lives" is a well-known slogan. Science and technology are also crucial to sports. "As people are better aware of the importance of health, there is a growing demand for scientific sports and health management," Li added, and this has provided conditions conducive to the digital transformation of the sports industry.
At the opening ceremony, smart health equipment such as badminton robots, AR bicycles, and AR indoor rowers garnered great fanfare in the exhibition hall. Among them, AR bicycles features real-time online management of user's riding data, and users can team up for training or online competitions via the built-in cycling game, which is an entertaining training exercise.
Bao Mingxiao, a professor at Beijing Sport University, holds the view that "technology and sports" can quantify exercise, and the accurate and diverse exercise data generated in real time by smart devices can be analyzed to develop a scientific way of doing exercise.
"After the epidemic, a growing number of people have realized that exercise is not only a 'good medicine', but also an innate fundamental 'vaccine' with great safe and long-lasting effectiveness," Bao said.
Source: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Sports Bureau
Image Attachments Links:
Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=380979
Caption: Visitors experiencing a cycling game
Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=380991
Caption: Visitors playing badminton with robots
Wednesday, 23 December 2020
"SPORTS AND TECHNOLOGY" EMPOWER THE HIGH-QUALITY DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPORTS INDUSTRY IN GUANGXI
Tuesday, 22 December 2020
HONG KONG CYBERPORT CULTIVATES LOCAL MOBILE, ARCADE AND CONSOLE GAME DEVELOPERS
Eric Chan, Cyberport’s Chief Public Mission Officer, said, “Industry research institute Newzoo has raised its 2020 global game market size estimate by 10 percent, to US$175 billion. This shows that there are enormous business opportunities in the gaming industry even amid the pandemic. Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industry has been well received by local and overseas audiences. Our excellent media production and international business acumen have also laid a solid foundation for the growth of game development. We have seen more game development start-ups leveraging the Cyberport Incubation Programme for business development support. Designated quotas are allocated for digital entertainment start-ups, including game developers. We look forward to seeing the digital entertainment industry provide a career path along which our young people can demonstrate their creativity.”
Diversified mobile game ideas
Mobile gaming is a rapidly growing market thanks to continuous smartphone feature enhancements and the launch of the 5G network. Newzoo has even raised its annual revenue forecast for the mobile games market from US$77.2 billion to US$86.3 billion. The Cyberport Incubation Programme has cultivated a number of mobile game developers, who have produced games catering to diverse user preferences ranging from mysteries to car racing, exploration and business simulation.
Genuine Studio Ltd. specialises in mystery games with Hong Kong characteristics. The company’s “Dangerous Man”, based on well-known crime cases in the city, has recorded 500,000 downloads since its release last year. Its latest game, “Rainy Butcher”, was officially released this month. The game features the Hong Kong cityscape, and the player plays as a reporter investigating a killer. The game is dubbed in Cantonese for local players and the company plans to roll out an English version early next year. The two games have been recognised in the first two editions of the Hong Kong Game Enhancement and Promotion Scheme, organised by the Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association respectively.
A game must be extraordinary to stand out amongst the wide variety of car racing games already on the market. Cyberport incubatee Twitchy Finger made a name for itself with its release of “Mini Legend” five years ago. The game’s greatest appeal is that it features over 100 different vehicle models, enabling players to customise their ideal racing car with several hundred vehicle components. The game’s features are continually updated in order to extend its lifespan and attract new players. So far, more than 6.4 million downloads have been recorded worldwide. Late last year the company released a sequel, “APEX RACER”. With an expanded list of game rules and racing tracks, this game has recorded more than 600,000 downloads.
Like competitive games, casual games have won over fans, and they make up one of the largest gaming genres on the market. Earlier this year, Trefle & Co. released “Dashero: Sword & Magic”. This action role-playing game allows players to navigate through mazes, using their sword and magic and fighting evil monsters along the way. The game features stunning animation and can be played with one hand – qualities that target commuters who simply want to kill some time. This game was featured in the second edition of the Hong Kong Game Enhancement and Promotion Scheme.
Unique experiences with home consoles and arcade games
Besides mobile games, some local teams have also developed games for home consoles. One such company is Cyberport incubatee Anti Gravity. The company was founded in 2017, and by early 2019 it had released “Hell Warders”, an action tower defense role-playing game which already has PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox versions. So far, more than 10,000 physical games and 40,000 digital games have been sold worldwide. Another Cyberport incubatee, Archon Forge, will roll out the PC version of its “Demon Knights” game as soon as March 2021. The company also plans to release other home video game versions of the action role-playing game. Both titles are multi-player games in which users can form their own teams to join in the fun.
While mobile and console games continue to grab the market’s attention, arcade games occupy a niche market. They currently flourish across the Chinese mainland, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States, where they are commonly seen in local department stores and family amusement centres. Cyberport incubatee 3MindWave developed the “ATV Slam” racing game, which provides multiple tracks for players to experience the thrill of these routes. More than 400 “ATV Slam” games have been sold globally, with further promotions planned for Southeast Asia and Europe.
VR games excite the senses
Cyberport incubatee VAR LIVE tackles the virtual reality gaming sector. It has developed multiple VR games, from horror zombie games to family-friendly cartoon adventures. To offer users the best gaming experience, the company has invested in developing its own hardware. In order to promote VR games, it operates studios where players can enjoy the VR experience. In the long term, the company expects players to purchase VR games online so they can enjoy the fun in the comfort of their own homes.
Nurturing digital entertainment and e-sports start-ups
There are now close to 150 digital entertainment and esports companies in the Cyberport community, of which over 60 are engaged in gaming development. As a promoter of Hong Kong’s digital entertainment and esports industry, Cyberport provides one-stop entrepreneurial support. Through initiatives including the Cyberport Incubation Programme and the Cyberport Creative Micro Fund, start-ups can receive up to HK$1.1 million in financial aid, plus other forms of assistance.
Attachment
BNZ Life Credit Ratings under review with negative implications - AM Best
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has placed under review with negative implications the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘a’ of BNZ Life Insurance Limited (BNZ Life) New Zealand.
These Credit Rating (rating) actions follow the announcement on Dec 16, that National Australia Bank Limited, BNZ Life’s ultimate parent, has entered into an agreement to sell its New Zealand life insurance business, including BNZ Life, to Partners Life Limited (Partners Life).
According to a statement, the transaction also includes the establishment of an exclusive 10-year agreement for the referral of Bank of New Zealand customers with life insurance needs to Partners Life.
The total transaction consideration is NZD 290 million (US$208 million). The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and other approvals, is expected to be completed in the second half of 2021. (US$1 = RM4.043)
The ratings have been placed under review with negative implications, as AM Best needs to assess the impact of the planned acquisition on BNZ Life’s credit fundamentals, including any potential rating drag that could arise from its change in ownership.
In addition, AM Best will need to consider the planned integration of BNZ Life within the Partners Life group, any expected changes in strategy and any implicit or explicit support to be provided by the new parent.
The ratings will remain under review pending completion of the transaction, and until AM Best can fully assess the post-acquisition credit rating fundamentals of BNZ Life.
For details, visit www.ambest.com.
-- BERNAMA
Anantara Vacation Club unveils new mobile app for Club Points Owners
The app is the culmination of over seven months of research and development, and was accelerated by Anantara Vacation Club’s continued partnership with Kognitiv, a technology company focused on collaborative commerce.
According to a statement, the new mobile app offers full web-functionality, seamlessly incorporated into an enhanced user-friendly interface.
Once downloaded, Club Points Owners can access and edit their profile, browse destinations, view real-time rates and availability, complete points conversions, and live chat with Club Services, among others.
“Having already revamped our website and implemented new technology into our internal systems, the next logical step was to continue to enhance our tech development with the launch of a mobile application that can better streamline our services to Club Points Owners on the go,” said Anantara Vacation Club Chief Operating Officer, Maurizio Bisicky.
“Right now, we are in the process of future-proofing the business. From better booking processes to flexible points usage and unique branded experiences, we’re focused on putting the needs of our Club Points Owners first.”
Officially launched on Dec 18, the Anantara Vacation Club mobile application is available for download on iOS and Android.
-- BERNAMA
Monday, 21 December 2020
GERMITEC'S HYPERNOVA CHRONOS WINS PRESTIGIOUS PRIX GALIEN AWARD FOR FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND UV-C ULTRASOUND PROBE HIGH LEVEL DISINFECTION SYSTEM
Hypernova Chronos (Photo: Business Wire)
PARIS, Dec 21 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Prix Galien Award, considered an equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research and medical technology research, has honoured Germitec’s Hypernova Chronos as the Best Medical Device for 2020.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201218005019/en/
Hypernova Chronos breakthrough technology has positively changed clinical workflow practices in decontamination of ultrasound probes between patients in Womens Health (IVF), Radiology and Imaging, Urology, Outpatient/Day Surgery, Intensive Care, and Accident and Emergency. The technology is reducing the risk of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs), which are estimated at 5-10% of hospitalised patients every year, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. It has been rigorously tested to kill high-risk cancer strains 16 and 18 of Human Papillomavirus that causes 70% of cervical cancer and other anogenital cancers, providing extra safety to patients. Several studies have scientifically shown in pelvic ultrasound examinations, emphasising the potential cross-infection risk when HLD is not the standard of practice.
“We are honoured by this prestigious recognition. Winning the award not only highlights the breakthrough technology behind Hypernova Chronos in High Level Disinfection but the unrivalled team that worked to develop and bring it to market. An innovation with the potential to make a significant impact in minimising the cross-infection risk of pathogens from the repeated use of probes that move from patient to patient,” said Clement Deshays, CEO of Germitec. “The innovative technology has positively changed clinical workflow practices in decontamination of ultrasound probes between patients. Especially for Womens Health (IVF), Radiology/imaging, and in the context of ultrasound-guided procedures and pulmonary ultrasound examinations in Emergency, Intensive Care, or Resuscitation.”
About Hypernova Chronos
Backed by more than 15 years of designing and developing hospital hygiene systems that have radically simplified the lives of healthcare professionals in terms of safety, time, and responsibility, the Hypernova Chronos is replacing impregnated chemical wipes, soak stations, and hydrogen-peroxide mist with a faster, simpler, and cleaner workflow for seamless high level disinfection processes (HLD). Hypernova Chronos’s ultrafast 90-second HLD cycle time, digital traceability, and chemical-free system is changing clinical practice, enabling UV-C HLD to become the standard of care in all hospital departments and clinics.
Hypernova Chronos is approved in more than 35 countries worldwide, and now further, spanning into regions in Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.
About Germitec
Germitec® is committed to DESIGN the BEST innovations for Hospital Hygiene. Who are well known for inventing Ultraviolet Light High Level Disinfection (UV-C HLD) for reprocessing non-lumen medical devices: Hypernova Chronos and Antigermix E1. The UV-C products are designed for SPEED. SIMPLICITY. EFFICIENCY. ECO RESPONSIBILITY. PEACE OF MIND. And YOU.
They are enabling medical staff to change clinical practice to be the BEST in reducing cross-infection risk, thus improving the quality of patient care.
Further Information: https://germitec.com/germitec-chronos-wins-prix-galien-award-best-medical-device-2020/
View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201218005019/en/
Contact
Coralie Dumas
c.dumas@germitec.com
Tel : + 33 (0)1 49 87 18 00
Source : Germitec
Saturday, 19 December 2020
Evidation Health, American College Of Cardiology Announce Achievement For Heart Health, A Program To Help Individuals Monitor And Improve Cardiovascular Health
First-of-its-kind health engagement experience will deliver evidence-based content, resources, and tools to thousands of individuals experiencing heart failure
SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Evidation Health and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) announced today they are joining forces to co-develop and launch Achievement for Heart Health–a health engagement experience built on Evidation’s Achievement platform–that will make it easier than ever before for individuals to better understand and engage with their cardiovascular health outside clinic-based settings.
Achievement for Heart Health is an individualized, curated health program, co-developed by a team of experts from ACC, that empowers individuals to better manage their heart health from anywhere. Through the program, which will initially focus on heart failure, individuals will be able to continuously monitor and learn from data relevant to their cardiovascular health from the comfort of their home. Individuals can share activity, sleep, blood pressure, and symptom information, including permissioned app and wearable data. Participants will also receive personalized, evidence-based educational content on topics like heart medications, nutrition, and stress management from CardioSmart, ACC’s patient engagement program, which includes a library of cardiovascular health resources, as well as patient navigation tools to guide provider visits.
“The Achievement for Heart Health program will help ACC and our research partners better understand the complex, individualized patient journey of those with heart failure, with a goal of improving how patients live with and manage one of the most common cardiovascular conditions affecting Americans today,” said ACC Chief Innovation and Science and Quality Officer John S. Rumsfeld, M.D., Ph.D., FACC. “The combination of Evidation’s platform and ACC’s clinical and scientific expertise will enable groundbreaking opportunities to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health and outcomes.”
“We are proud to collaborate with ACC, which is already leading the digital transformation of cardiovascular care delivery, to broadly expand individuals’ access to their world class expertise, research, and educational resources,” said Deborah Kilpatrick, Ph.D., Co-CEO of Evidation. “Together with ACC, we look forward to collaborating with researchers and sponsors who are committed to developing products and services that are directly informed by patients in their everyday life.”
The Achievement for Heart Health program will be open to collaborators following Evidation’s consent-per-use model, where participants provide consent for each program in which they participate and receive compensation for their contribution to research. Achievement, Evidation’s app and network of nearly 4 million individuals, is the largest and most demographically and geographically diverse connected cohort in the United States, representing 50 states and 9 out of every 10 ZIP codes nationwide.
ACC and Evidation invite collaborators who share an interest in developing new ways to empower individuals to better manage their heart health to reach out at partner@evidation.com.
Friday, 18 December 2020
Nippon Express (Vietnam) Amata Logistics Center secures GDP certification
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — Nippon Express (Vietnam) Co Ltd (NE Vietnam), a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co Ltd based in Tokyo, recently obtained Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification, for the air/ocean cargo forwarding, road haulage and warehousing services of its Amata Logistics Center.
This evidences the facility’s compliance with standards for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals, according to a statement.
Having acquired this GDP certification, NE Vietnam will be working to handle the anticipated increase in pharmaceutical imports from Europe as well as business expansion by Japanese pharmaceutical manufacturers.
It will also extend its services globally in cooperation with other Nippon Express Group companies that have already obtained GDP certification.
Nippon Express will strive to further enhance its services and step up its efforts on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry to meet growing customer needs inside and outside Japan.
More details at http://www.nipponexpress.com.
— BERNAMA
Wednesday, 16 December 2020
Chiba Prefectural Government tempts Singaporean palate with ‘Beniharuka’ sweet potato
According to a statement, the new product, a tart with elegant sweetness and smooth texture, is available at ‘Tarte by Cheryl Koh’, where famous patissier Cheryl Koh is working as a chef. The tart sale is running until Dec 31.
In line with the sale of the new product, a giveaway campaign for the tart has also been underway until Dec 31. The giveaway campaign is carried out on the Facebook page of Chiba Prefecture's official mascot character CHI-BA+KUN.
Winners will receive a box of two tarts using ‘Beniharuka’ of Chiba Prefecture.
Applications are now being accepted for the campaign whereby applicants must meet two conditions by following CHI-BA+KUN on Facebook and comment on the campaign article and follow Cheryl Koh's Instagram.
Chiba Prefecture Agricultural Product Fair/CHIBA SWEET POTATO FAIR 2020 will also be held, beginning Dec 18 until month-end. It is located at the basement food floor of Isetan Scotts (Singapore).
Publicity and sales for the sweet potato (‘Beniharuka’ variety) will also be held at the done agricultural product corner.
-- BERNAMA
FPT Software Recognized In Gartner's 2020 Market Guide For Public Cloud Managed And Professional Services Providers, Asia/Pacific
HANOI, Vietnam, Dec 14 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Vietnam’s leading ICT firm, FPT Software, has recently been listed in Gartner’s 2020 Market Guide for Public Cloud Managed and Professional Services Providers (MSPs) Asia/Pacific. FPT Software is the only Vietnamese-based company among the 16 representative vendors.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201214005294/en/
“Truly Globally Competent” Cloud MSP
Published in October by the world’s leading research and advisory company, Gartner, “this research helps sourcing, procurement and vendor management leaders identify providers best suited to their needs”. According to Gartner, “the cloud MSPs in this Market Guide were selected to represent the service provider marketplace, based on their presence in select important APAC markets, cloud IT skills, choice of use cases supported, implementation experience, operating scale and consistently strong growth.”
“FPT Software is delighted to be listed in this year’s Gartner Market Guide for Public Cloud Managed and Professional Services Providers, Asia/Pacific. With this acknowledgement, we believe that FPT Software is now a ‘truly globally competent’ Cloud MSP. We see the recognition from such renowned research company as a testament to our world-class offerings.”, said Tran Dang Hoa, FPT Software’s Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
“In recent years, more and more enterprises have turned to Cloud for business agility, especially those in the APAC region, but many still lack sufficient expertise to realize this goal. Hence, we aim to assist businesses of all industries with their Cloud adoption journey, helping them stay fast, agile, and competitive with our solutions and services”, he added.
Towards Global Recognition
Beyond this report, FPT Software’s Cloud professional services have been recognized in Gartner’s Peer Insights, an online platform of ratings and reviews of IT software and services that are written and read by IT professionals and technology decision makers. Apart from this, FPT Software’s comprehensive robot process automation (RPA), akaBot, and enterprise blockchain platform, akaChain, have also been added to the Gartner Peer Insights’ list of over 6,200 products across 350 markets.
After two decades of leading Southeast Asia in IT outsourcing, FPT Software decided to pivot its strategic focus onto digital transformation in 2019 and has since then helped several enterprises with consulting services and digital technologies, including Cloud, RPA, blockchain, etc. to global and regional customers. In the APAC region, FPT Software has established presence across 16 countries. In Japan alone, the company has dedicated nearly 10,000 employees, working both onsite and offshore, to serve local clients. As for other markets like Singapore, Australia, Korea, and so on, FPT Software has also established its position as a trusted partner of customers in several domains.
New Du Val PropTech Platform Provides Independent Real Estate Investors With Bulk Pricing And Developers With Reduced Costs, Further Driving Investor Value And Transactional Volumes
Du Val PropTech Brings Long-Awaited Public Access to Multinational Opportunities Historically Available Only to Large Institutions, Property Agencies
Platform to Debut During Dec. 15 Global PropTech Virtual Conference Featuring Noted Industry Leaders
LONDON & HONG KONG & AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Dec 14 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Du Val PropTech today announced the launch of a new proptech business model designed to remove market friction and streamline transactions, creating significant advantages for both investors and developers alike. The platform, which launches Dec. 15, disintermediates traditional real estate investing by bringing public access to unprecedented market information and multinational deals, enabling individual investors to source unique opportunities and combine their buyer power to negotiate volume discounts previously only available to elite investors and large institutions. The platform provides developers with reduced marketing costs and much-needed capital for planned development.
A team of real estate executives in the multinational property agency, development, finance and technology sectors have joined forces to launch the new platform. The leadership team includes Ashley Osborne, a former Colliers International executive, and Kenyon Clarke, New Zealand’s largest apartment developer, top portfolio management office and eighth-largest homebuilder. With offices in London, Hong Kong, Singapore and Auckland, the team will provide members worldwide with opportunities to invest in real estate developments in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, with more markets to be announced in 2021.
The Dec. 15 launch is part of the first Du Val PropTech Global PropTech Virtual Conference co-hosted by Osborne and Clarke. The virtual event taking place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. UTC will feature panel discussions on the current state of the international real estate investment landscape and new technologies that are disintermediating the industry to improve customer experiences. The event, which may be accessed at www.duvalproptech.com, will feature presentations by industry heavyweights from Barratt Homes, City & Docklands, Mount Anvil, Regal London and Taylor Wimpey.
The new technology platform is designed to create a win-win synergy between independent investors and developers, democratising the sector and addressing long-standing inefficiencies within the housing market by offering the following:
- Enabling a broad population of smaller investors to combine their resources to jointly invest in lucrative projects in which they otherwise would never be able to invest. By pooling their investments, smaller investors enjoy larger bulk-volume discounts and greater negotiating power
- Increasing access to much-needed capital to build quality projects, a traditional hurdle for many developers.
- Minimizing a major cost center in property development – high-priced marketing campaigns and expositions to secure investment – thereby making project development more affordable for developers and more accessible to a broader population of investors
“Real estate marketers have historically had to over-invest to attract large numbers of people, knowing that not everyone who looks at a property will invest,” said Osborne, PropTech’s CEO. “Ultimately, it’s the investor who pays for all this waste. PropTech is changing that model and bringing a long-awaited level of transparency, accessibility and profitability to international property development and investment.”
Added Clarke, PropTech’s Chairman: “Our mission is to provide smaller, astute investors with institutional-grade property information, analysis and access to property investment opportunities previously not available to them. We created a powerful platform that provides information and analysis tools within easy reach so any smart investor can analyze opportunities like a pro, which means they can invest better, and prosper faster.”
Here’s how it works:
- The platform uses a proprietary algorithm for its dynamic, real-time pricing system which enables investors to use their combined buying power to lower the costs of investing. Knowing how much they would otherwise spend to market their properties to investors, property developers can offer significant discounts and pass along savings to PropTech’s members.
- The PropTech team conducts ongoing research of markets and opportunities focused on long-term wealth creation and shares them with members. The platform aggregates and shares real estate market and investment data on property value trends, rental market demand and yield trends across local and global markets, as well as analysis and comparison tools that enable investors to understand all the trends and see all the costs and taxes associated with their investments.
- For a small annual membership fee, subscribers can access the PropTech platform to conduct transparent analysis, evaluation and investment in real estate development opportunities which are hand-selected by the PropTech team.
Added Clarke: “As successful and experienced property investors ourselves, we share our knowledge and strategies with our members – including how to use our scenario analysis tools to confirm that they’re getting the right yield from their property investments, which is invaluable. We also leverage our trusted relationships with many of the best property developers in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand to offer exclusive access to property development projects at the same time as institutional investors. Known as the ‘first-look,’ this is how the professional investors maximize their yields and how long-term wealth is created.”
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38925
Nippon Express (Singapore) secures GDP certification for Changi Airport facility
According to a statement, this is for its facility within the Singapore Changi Airport Free Trade Zone, evidencing its compliance with standards for proper distribution of pharmaceuticals applicable to air import/export services.
With this GDP certification, NE Singapore will have in place, a system to provide safe and high-quality air import/export services for pharmaceuticals that leverage the benefits of being the only Japanese logistics company with a facility within the airport's bonded area.
By improving its infrastructure and obtaining certification at major business locations in Singapore and elsewhere, Nippon Express will create pharmaceutical logistics services using its global network.
This is to provide high value-added air transport services that meet the sophisticated and diversified needs of customers in the pharmaceutical industry.
More details at http://www.nipponexpress.com/
-- BERNAMA
Tuesday, 15 December 2020
Interactive Brokers Group founds Central European office
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Thomas Peterffy, Founder, Chairman and Founder, Interactive Brokers (Photo: Business Wire) |
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 -- Interactive Brokers Group, a global brokerage firm, has announced the creation of Interactive Brokers Central Europe Zrt and the opening of an office in Budapest.
With the addition of Hungary, the global brokerage firm now has 10 entities worldwide in the US, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Luxembourg, Singapore, and the UK, serving over one million client accounts in more than 220 countries and territories.
“Establishing an office in Hungary is part of our continuing trend of opening entities around the world to support our growing global presence,” said Interactive Brokers chairman, Thomas Peterffy.
“We plan to make Budapest the centre of our operations for Central Europe to keep pace with account growth, which has been rapid in both Western and Eastern Europe and around the world.”
Over a quarter of Interactive Brokers accounts now come from Europe and Africa, and growth has been robust, according to a statement.
As of Nov 30, client accounts worldwide had grown 52 per cent from the prior year, with over 80 per cent of the expansion coming from outside of the United States.
Interactive Brokers offers clients worldwide the ability to invest in stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds on 135 markets in 33 countries from a single Integrated Investment Account.
Clients can also benefit from the company’s superior pricing, industry-low margin rates, tight forex conversion pricing, and advanced technology.
-- BERNAMA
SmartStream's new brand identity reflects mission to spearhead technological innovation
The rebranding reflects the company’s constantly expanding use of innovation to advance its technological capabilities, as well as to meet evolving customer and industry requirements, according to a statement.
SmartStream’s new logo includes the infinity symbol, selected to demonstrate the continual evolution of the business, in line with the rapid pace of industry change. It also underscores the company’s agility, and the flexibility of its solutions.
SmartStream Chief Executive Officer, Haytham Kaddoura said: “With over four decades of experience behind us, we are a trusted partner to the financial industry, transforming middle and back-office operations globally.”
“We saw the importance of aligning the brand with the energy of the business, the innovations we are developing in partnership with our customers, and the new markets we are currently entering. The refreshed branding marks the beginning of an exciting future.”
SmartStream is spearheading advances through its dedicated Innovation Lab and global development centres, whereby the Innovation Lab is dedicated wholly to researching ways in which technologies such as AI and machine learning can be deployed by the company’s solutions.
This focus ensures that SmartStream’s technology continues to lead the way in efficiency, reliability and relevance.
More details at www.smartstream-stp.com.
-- BERNAMA
Monday, 14 December 2020
AM Best revises Pacific's outlooks to negative
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11-- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bbb’ of Pacific International Insurance Pty Limited (Pacific) Australia.
The Credit Ratings (ratings) reflect Pacific’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as adequate, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
These ratings also factor in a neutral holding company impact from Pacific’s ultimate ownership by Badger International (Pty) Ltd (Badger), an insurance group domiciled in the Republic of South Africa.
According to a statement, the negative outlooks reflect the heightened sensitivity of Pacific’s balance sheet strength and operating performance assessments to execution of the company’s growth plan.
AM Best considers the company’s latest business plan to present high levels of execution risk, and failure to successfully achieve it could weaken Pacific’s operating performance and risk-adjusted capitalisation materially.
However, AM Best expects Pacific’s prospective risk-adjusted capitalisation to deteriorate notably in the coming years as a result of the further substantial premium growth targeted by the company.
AM Best also anticipates capital adequacy to remain highly sensitive to the successful execution of the company’s business plan, and to the achievement of performance targets and projected capital generation over the medium term.
More details at www.ambest.com.
-- BERNAMA
Saturday, 12 December 2020
NIPPON EXPRESS (CHINA) PARTICIPATES IN WORLD INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT FORWARDERS ANNUAL CONVENTION
Nippon Express (China) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "NE China"), a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co., Ltd., participated in the 9th World International Freight Forwarders Annual Convention, the 4th Cargo Freight Fair and the 1st Global Freight Cloud Expo organized by ShippingChina.com and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, and held concurrently in the Chinese city of Dalian (Liaoning Province) from Sunday, November 1, to Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202012088274-O1-ll6XNQ3V
Photo1: Senior Managing Executive Officer Sugiyama giving keynote address
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202012088274/_prw_PI2fl_YipW8T0C.jpg
Photo2: Senior Managing Executive Officer Sugiyama giving keynote address
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M103866/202012088274/_prw_PI3fl_22v1fRn5.jpg
The World International Freight Forwarders Annual Convention brings leaders of industries connected with international freight forwarding together once a year to promote technological innovation in logistics and facilitate personal exchanges. This year's Convention took place in parallel with a fair and an expo, and NE China was the only Japanese logistics company among the 600 or so Chinese and foreign companies representing the shipping, airline, railway, port, financial and other industries that took part.
Online participation was also permitted, and the proceedings were streamed worldwide. Senior Managing Executive Officer Tatsuo Sugiyama, Regional General Manager for Nippon Express' East Asia Region, presented a keynote address on behalf of corporate participants during which he discussed Nippon Express's China-Europe cross-border rail transport services and other logistics services, its efforts during the coronavirus pandemic, and its plans for the future.
Nippon Express will continue contributing to society through logistics as a global logistics company.
Nippon Express website: http://www.nipponexpress.com/
Official LinkedIn Account: NIPPON EXPRESS GROUP
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group/
Source: Nippon Express Co., Ltd.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38918
Friday, 11 December 2020
Crow Holdings announces CHC Investor Coverage team expansion
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 -- Crow Holdings has announced that its real estate investment management company, Crow Holdings Capital (CHC), expanded its investor coverage team with the addition of David Lee as a Director of Investor Coverage, whose primary focus will be on Asia.
He will be based in Dallas, according to a statement.
Prior to joining CHC, Lee was Director of Investments with Civitas Capital Group and a member of the firm’s investment committee, and Director at CIT Bank, North America.
The expansion of the team is part of a broader firm-wide strategy to better address the needs of both domestic and international investors seeking exposure to US real estate opportunities.
Last year, CHC added Investor Coverage team members in New York and on the West Coast to expand its operations.
Crow Holdings also recently launched a new investment management platform focused on build-to-core programme, part of the firm’s broader strategy to expand opportunities for global investors.
In partnership with Crow Holdings’ development companies in the US multifamily and industrial property sectors, the new platform offers access that is generally unavailable to scaled institutional investors.
Through hands-on, local development expertise, the platform will seek long-term income and capital appreciation for investors.
-- BERNAMA
China, India will lead global economic recovery
ixFintech Group's new product DAEM landing at Cyberport, Hong Kong
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| The Digital Asset Exchange Machine (DAEM), is now landing at Cyberport, Hong Kong, making available for the Cyberport community to do its first-round trial. The machine enables the Cyberport community and visitors to learn and experience and purchasing and selling digital assets using cash and digital wallet, view the ixCrypto Index performance, as well as other KYC-related functions. Different from other crypto ATMs, DAEM is the world’s first truly decentralized exchange machine equipped with post-quantum computing security technology. (Photo: Business Wire) |
The machine enables the Cyberport community and visitors to learn and experience, as well as purchasing and selling digital assets using cash and digital wallet, view the ixCrypto Index performance, as well as other KYC-related functions.
Different from other crypto ATMs, DAEM is the world’s first truly decentralised exchange machine equipped with post-quantum computing security technology, according to a statement.
DAEM enables the exchange between cash and digital assets (cryptocurrencies, real asset backed tokens, and security tokens) with KYC and three levels of security.
ixFintech aims to build the best next generation digital asset financial framework, working together with its decentralised IX Wallet, targeted to facilitate exchange between traditional assets and digital assets via an ixPoint system.
ixFintech Group recently expanded its footprint in Singapore by incorporating a new subsidiary IXFINTECH SG PTE LTD, focusing on digital asset relating business.
More details at http://daemtech.com/
-- BERNAMA
AM Best affirms China Taiping Insurance (HK) Company Limited Credit Ratings
The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable, according to a statement.
The ratings reflect CTPI(HK)’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
It also incorporates the rating enhancement that CTPI(HK) receives from its parent, China Taiping Insurance Holdings Company Limited.
CTPI(HK)’s risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, remained at the strongest level, which is supported by organic profit accumulation after regular dividend payouts to its parent group.
The company has demonstrated a track record of positive underwriting results over the past five years, despite thin profit margins.
CTPI(HK) ranked third in Hong Kong’s non-life insurance market based on gross premium written in 2019, and remained a top player in key business lines including motor, property, general liability and marine insurance.
Over the intermediate term, the global credit rating agency believes CTPI(HK) remains strategically important to the group in executing its internationalisation strategy.
More details at www.ambest.com
-- BERNAMA
AM Best assigns Fubon Vietnam's Credit Ratings
The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable, according to a statement.
The ratings reflect Fubon Vietnam’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
Fubon Vietnam’s balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalisation that is expected to remain at the strongest level over the medium term, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.
Favourable balance sheet considerations include the company’s low net underwriting leverage, full profit retention to support its business growth over recent years and a conservative investment portfolio, comprising solely cash and term deposits.
AM Best views the company’s operating performance as adequate, as demonstrated by a five-year average return-on-equity ratio of 5.2 per cent (2015-2019).
Underwriting performance improved to a level of modest profitability in 2019, supported by portfolio remediation measures and an increasing business scale, which has helped lower the company’s expense ratio.
Although the company is considered a small size player within Vietnam, it has a good market position in its core business segment of property insurance.
For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
-- BERNAMA
Thursday, 10 December 2020
Yili introduces K-12 Campus Safety Evaluation Indicator System
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 -- Yili, one of the top five global dairy producers recently held a ceremony commemorating the eighth anniversary of its CSR project ‘Yili's Ark’.
At the press conference, the K-12 Campus Safety Evaluation Indicator System (Yili's Campus Safety Dashboard or the Dashboard) was officially released.
Dedicated to strengthening campus safety at primary and junior high schools in China, the system can effectively guide schools and teachers in detecting campus hazards through scientific approaches.
Yili's Campus Safety Dashboard is a present from ‘Yili's Ark’ to China's schools, children, and wider society to help ensure the safe growth and development of children, according to a statement.
The evaluation is based on 10 key indicators, including the environment around the campus; the physical and mental health of teachers and students; public health and food security on campus; and emergency responses.
The evaluation results are displayed in the form of ‘radar charts’ to help schools easily evaluate the overall situation of campus safety.
In the context of the pandemic, the Dashboard has added special measures to respond to major outbreaks; provide online lessons about safety; and, support the psychological wellbeing of teachers and students after an extended campus closure, among others.
To date, the ‘Yili's Ark’ project has been introduced in over 500 schools in 40 districts, counties, and cities from 25 provinces across China and has trained over 300 primary school teachers and campus safety managers, benefiting more than 300,000 children in total.
-- BERNAMA
Uniphore-Tech Mahindra partnership optimises contact centre operations, improves business outcomes
As part of the agreement, Tech Mahindra and Uniphore will offer joint customers access to Uniphore’s cutting-edge CSA platform and Tech Mahindra’s data and analytics expertise across multiple industries and verticals.
This will bring the next generation of Customer Experience to enterprise businesses and consumers worldwide, according to a statement.
“By joining forces with one of the world’s largest BPOs, we’re able (to) not only expand our reach, but also leverage the innovations Tech Mahindra’s team have developed as a result of their unique expertise,” said Uniphore chief executive officer and co-founder, Umesh Sachdev.
The partnership will have far reaching benefits for customers that will impact not only how they do business now as they continue to adjust to the current global situation, but also in the long term.
These significant benefits include reduced costs, improved customer satisfaction and better security for work from home agents.
Uniphore is an early leader in Conversational Service Automation (CSA), while Tech Mahindra is a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting, and business re-engineering services and solutions.
More details at www.uniphore.com.
-- BERNAMA
Wednesday, 9 December 2020
CSOP Asset Management Limited to list products on HKEX
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Capitalize on short term fluctuations while technology thrives (Photo: Business Wire) |
The products are namely, CSOP Hang Seng TECH Index daily (2X) leveraged product (ticker: 7226.hk) and CSOP Hang Seng Tech Index daily (-2x) inverse product (ticker:7552.hk), according to a statement.
With listing price at around HKD 7.75 per unit of 7226.hk and 7552.hk, trading lot of 100 and management fee of 1.60 per cent, CSOP Hang Seng TECH Index leveraged and inverse products will start to trade on Dec 10.
Upon list, 7226.hk and 7552.hk received US$14 million, HKD110 million equivalent initial investment, respectively. (US$1 = RM4.068)
In light of more and more Chinese technology giants choosing Hong Kong as the secondary listing place, the Hang Seng TECH Index was launched on July 27 this year to track the 30 largest technology companies listed in Hong Kong.
Designed as one of the flagship indices of Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited, the index consists of Hong Kong-listed companies that have high business exposure to selected technology themes, including internet, FinTech, cloud, e-commerce and digital activities.
As a leading ETF manager in Hong Kong, CSOP has already dedicated to providing ETFs/ETPs to global investors for eight years with half of the top traded ETFs/ETPs in Hong Kong from CSOP.
-- BERNAMA
WorldRemit unveils holiday season promotion helping Filipino beneficiaries build dream business
Running until Dec 31, customers can enter the promotion by sending money to the Philippines using their valid WorldRemit account, and stand a chance to win one of 10 Grainsmart franchise business packages worth 200,000 Philippine peso for a recipient of their choice back home. (100 Philippine peso = RM8.74)
“On top of ensuring that remittances are safely received through our services, we want to help these families rebuild and become more financially independent by creating opportunities to generate sustainable income,” said WorldRemit Country Director for the Philippines, Earl Melivo.
“With this promotion, we are not only supporting the recipients but also the Filipino farmers who similarly need support.”
Each Grainsmart franchise business package includes 60 sacks (25 kg each) of rice, a digital weighing scale, a tablet that is fully set up for a bills payment centre account, business signage, marketing collateral, and other business paraphernalia.
This also includes an online training and mentorship programme to provide guidance for setting up the business for success, according to a statement.
Winners will be announced on WorldRemit Facebook page, while registration can be made at www.worldremit.com/pangkabuhayan.
-- BERNAMA
Tuesday, 8 December 2020
57 PERCENT OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN VIEWERS ARE NOW STREAMING MORE OTT VIDEO CONTENT BECAUSE OF COVID-19, ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH FROM THE TRADE DESK
89 percent of Southeast Asian viewers will watch ads in exchange for free programming
SINGAPORE, Dec 8 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Today, The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) announced new, first-of-its-kind research in the Southeast Asia market, showing that 180 million consumers stream eight billion hours of over-the-top (OTT) content per month across Southeast Asia – making OTT one of the fastest growing media channels in the region. OTT services enable viewers to stream professionally-produced video content over the internet on demand, from any device including smart TVs, personal computers or mobile devices.
The study, which surveyed usage and viewing habits on OTT platforms in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, showed that COVID-19 has accelerated OTT adoption. More than half (57 percent) of OTT users say they’re streaming more OTT content during the pandemic. These habits are likely to continue even after COVID-19 with 73 percent planning to maintain or increase OTT consumption after the pandemic ends.
“The pandemic has ushered in an accelerated shift to OTT, and there’s no turning back. This is not surprising, given that many consumers have been spending more time at home, and OTT content is more convenient and more accessible than ever,” said Mitch Waters, SVP of Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, The Trade Desk. “Our research shows, however, that this shift is only going in one direction. Advertisers understand this. They want to move their campaigns to reach consumers where they are, and so they can apply data to video campaigns in ways that are simply not possible via traditional channels, such as linear TV.”
Underscoring this point, the study also showed that OTT has the potential to seriously disrupt traditional primetime TV. The majority of OTT viewers (70 percent) prefer to tune in between the hours of 8PM-12AM, bringing streaming into direct competition with traditional TV for valuable primetime audiences. Moreover, nearly one in five OTT viewers hadn’t watched any traditional TV at all in the three months prior to the survey. Southeast Asian viewers are also looking to OTT for their favorite content, with 58 percent tuning in to OTT to watch their favorite programming versus just 48 percent on traditional broadcast.
As part of this shift, Southeast Asian viewers are willing to embrace ads for free content. Regionally, more than 100 million people use ad-supported OTT platforms, with the vast majority of viewers (89 percent) willing to watch ads in exchange for free programming.
“As streaming services continue to provide more and richer streaming content to fulfill growing demand for OTT content, brands can create engaging advertising experiences that Southeast Asian viewers are willing to consume,” said Waters. “And with OTT, advertisers have the opportunity to invest in data-driven advertising approaches and platforms that will help them succeed in this new future of TV.”
Key findings from the research include:
- 180 million Southeast Asians use OTT streaming services.
- Viewers stream eight billion hours of OTT per month across Southeast Asia, with three billion hours in Indonesia alone. Other top markets include the Philippines (2.2 billion hours streamed/month), Thailand (1.41 billion hours/month) and Vietnam (1 billion hours/month).
- 57 percent of OTT viewers have increased streaming during COVID and 73 percent plan to maintain or increase OTT consumption even after the pandemic. Streaming uptake during COVID has been fastest in Indonesia, with 66 percent streaming more, 59 percent in Vietnam and 58 percent in Malaysia.
- Regionally, 17 percent of OTT viewers haven’t watched any traditional TV in the three months prior to responding to the survey. That number is higher in the Philippines (22 percent) and Malaysia (23 percent).
- 89 percent of Southeast Asian viewers will watch ads in exchange for free streaming content. Indonesia and Philippines are especially ad tolerant, with the number of viewers willing to watch four or more ads per hour of free content at 38 percent and 42 percent respectively.
- Advertisers can reach more than 100 million consumers in Southeast Asia on ad-supported platforms. Ad-supported streaming is especially popular in Thailand, where advertisers can reach 7 out of 10 Thai OTT viewers.
Methodology
This report was commissioned by The Trade Desk and carried out by the world’s leading marketing data, insight, and consultancy, Kantar. Kantar conducted a survey among 4,500 consumers, ages 16+ in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia in September 2020.
About The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk™ is a technology company that empowers buyers of advertising. Through its self-service, cloud-based platform, ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and devices. Integrations with major data, inventory, and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and decisioning capabilities, and enterprise APIs enable custom development on top of the platform. Headquartered in Ventura, CA, The Trade Desk has offices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201207006003/en/
Contact
Jennie Johnson
The Trade Desk
jennie.johnson@thetradedesk.com
Source : The Trade Desk