RAHI ANNOUNCES GLOBAL PLATFORM AS A SERVICE MODEL FOR ENTERPRISE AND CAMPUS

ESS by Rahi will deliver Flexibility, Platform As A Service and Global Deployment.

FREMONT, Calif., Aug 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Rahi announced today the launch of its new end-to-end global Platform as a Service (PaaS) called Elevate Subscription Services (ESS) by Rahi. The service will deliver elastic subscription-based technology frameworks that cover Networking, Security, A/V Collaborations, and Managed Services.

ESS by Rahi is currently the only PaaS model available on the market that brings products, solutions, installation, and managed services together in a single offering. Typically, vendors offer the ability to purchase products in a subscription-based model, but the customer requires a three-year commitment. With its single year elastic scale up or down model, ESS by Rahi is a true subscription model. Rahi estimates that the adoption of PaaS models will improve IT efficiencies by 25% and save, on average, 30% each fiscal year. 

The Global pandemic has allowed Rahi to understand what will be demanded by organizations in the future and how the critical infrastructure of organizations will need to be supported.  

Tarun Raisoni, CEO of Rahi, says, “Consuming IT Infrastructure in a Subscription Services Model is the new normal. Enterprise Campus has been left behind in the Cloud era. Our ESS by Rahi model will bring key technologies such as Collaboration, Zero Trust, Wifi 6, Intent-based Networks in a true subscription-based scale up or scale down model. Enabling Enterprise and Campus Infrastructure through a Subscription Model provides businesses with the needed agility to transition quickly into scaling their enterprise environment.” 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38016

CSOP brings CSOP Hang Seng Tech Index ETF on HK Stock Exchange

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 -- CSOP Asset Management Limited (CSOP) has announced the listing of the CSOP Hang Seng TECH Index ETF on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The CSOP Hang Seng TECH Index ETF will give global investors investment opportunities brought by the fast growing technology sector and increasing number of technology companies listed in Hong Kong. 

With listing price at around HKD 7.5 per unit, trading lot of 200 and management fee of 0.99 per cent, the CSOP Hang Seng TECH Index ETF will start to trade Friday.

According to a statement, upon inception, 3033.HK has received US$24 million initial investment. (US$1 = RM4.171)

As numerous Chinese technology giants chose Hong Kong as the secondary listing place, Hang Seng TECH Index was launched to track the 30 largest technology companies listed in Hong Kong.

Designed as one of the flagship indices of Hang Seng Index 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.

Eligible stocks will be further filtered by criteria of whether they operate via a technology-enabled platform, their research and development expenses to revenue ratio, and revenue growth. 

The qualified largest 30 stocks in terms of market capitalisation will be selected as index constituents with quarterly review. 

-- BERNAMA

ADM Completes Previously Announced $850 Million Dual Tranche Capital Raise

 • Strategic capital re-allocation to provide balance sheet flexibility for potential bolt-on acquisitions and opportunistic repurchases of ADM shares

• Company has no plans for additional sales of Wilmar shares and will retain at least 20 percent strategic ownership stake

CHICAGO, Aug 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- ADM (NYSE: ADM) today announced that it has completed the second of its two previously announced capital raising transactions: the issuance of $300 million aggregate principal amount of zero-coupon bonds, due in 2023 and exchangeable into Wilmar shares. When combined with ADM’s secondary block trade of Wilmar shares, which settled on August 24, ADM has raised approximately $850 million of capital.

ADM expects to use the net proceeds from the transactions for general corporate purposes, including potential bolt-on acquisitions; the opportunistic repurchase of ADM shares, which has already begun; and the retirement of higher coupon long-term debt commensurate to the exchangeable bond to ensure the bond transaction is leverage-neutral.

“We’re committed to continuing to expand our leadership and innovation across the value chain, for the benefit of our customers, partners and shareholders,” said ADM Chairman and CEO Juan Luciano. “By reallocating capital while retaining a strong strategic ownership stake in Wilmar, we are enhancing our ability to create shareholder value through potential share buybacks and further bolt-on acquisitions in our Nutrition business, even as our Ag Services and Oilseeds business continues to partner with and support the growth of Wilmar in Asia and emerging markets. We’ve got great momentum, and we’re excited about our future as we continue to unlock the power of nature to enrich the quality of life.”

ADM has retained a 20+ percent equity investment in Wilmar, and has stated that it has no plans to sell additional Wilmar shares.

“These transactions provide ADM with significant balance sheet flexibility, offering the opportunity for further actions to create value while also providing us with the ability to retire some higher coupon long term debt,” said ADM CFO Ray Young. “Since 2007, Wilmar has been ADM’s largest equity investment, and today our partnership remains a core pillar of our Asia Pacific strategy.”

ADM expects a book gain of approximately $0.12 per share on the block trade in the third quarter; the gain will be treated as a special item for adjusted EPS purposes. The company does not anticipate any material book or cash tax impacts. ADM’s investment in Wilmar after the transaction represents a market value of approximately $4.4 billion; the company will continue to account for it on an equity basis.

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

Nothing in this announcement constitutes an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation would be unlawful.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=38015

LEDDARTECH IS A PROUD SPONSOR AND PRESENTER AT MOBILITY RE-IMAGINED MOVE 2020 AMERICA FROM SEPTEMBER 1-3, 2020

 

QUEBEC CITY, Aug 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LeddarTech®, an industry leader in environmental sensing solutions for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems, is proud to be a sponsor of Mobility Re-imagined MOVE 2020 America from September 1-3, 2020, as the conference goes all virtual for the first time. “LeddarTech is excited to be involved in this tremendous event that brings together industry leaders in mobility and automotive innovations,” stated Daniel Aitken, Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications. “The transition from a physical to a virtual event has enabled MOVE 2020 to reach a greater audience, and the level of participation and interaction promises to make this event one not to miss in September. MOVE 2020 is especially timely for LeddarTech due to the recent acquisition of the sensor-fusion and perception software company VayaVision in July,” concluded Mr. Aitken. LeddarTech will lead two key sessions at MOVE 2020 ·         September 1 (3:40 PM EST), LeddarTech will host a virtual roundtable exploring how an optimal sensor-fusion stack can accelerate ADAS features and AD capabilities to accelerate the adoption of Level 3 to 5 technology. Joining Pierre Olivier, CTO of LeddarTech for this session will be Pierre Lefevre, CTO of COAST Autonomous and others. ·         September 1 (4:50 PM EST), LeddarTech will host an interactive panel discussion along with key industry experts entitled “Multiple sensing modalities case study: The key to Level 3 to 5 autonomy.” This session will examine the challenges facing mass adoption of vehicle automation technology and show how sensor fusion can help overcome these technical obstacles by fully exploiting the strength of each sensing modality – camera, radar, and LiDAR.   The industry consensus is that Level 3 to 5 autonomous driving applications require multiple sensors and sensor combinations. Sensor-fusion and perception development significantly accelerates the customers’ time-to-market while decreasing cost and reducing risk. By adding this technology to LeddarTech’s portfolio that also includes the LeddarEngine™ for Tier 1 LiDAR development and LiDAR sensors for the mobility industry, the company is well-positioned to serve their customers at all levels of development from level 2-5.    See MOVE 2020 for details and to register  http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=37996c

Come 2022, Hotel Nikko Chengdu Yixin Lake opens in China

_{Rendition of Hotel Nikko Chengdu Yixin Lake (Graphic: Business Wire)}

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 -- Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Hotel Okura Co Ltd will open Hotel Nikko Chengdu Yixin Lake in October 2022.

“We are very pleased to be opening our first hotel in Sichuan Province, China. The new hotel is aimed at strengthening the company’s network of properties in China,” said Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co Ltd President, Toshihiro Ogita.

The company has contracted with Aerotropolis City Development Group Co Ltd to manage the new property through its joint venture BTG Nikko International Hotel Management Co Ltd.

Known as ‘the country of heaven and land of abundance’ since ancient times, Chengdu is famous for its mild climate and abundant food cultivation, making it a comfortable place to live.

The hotel will be located in the Tianfu Yixin Lake development area in the Shuangliu district, about 20km from the centre of Chengdu, according to a statement.

Part of an urban development project, the 8.4 square kilometre plot of land will be divided into four areas with residential, educational, medical, commercial, sports and office facilities surrounded by greenery and lakes.

The hotel will be located in the business zone, a central feature of the development project. In the future, five subway lines are planned that will cross the development area, improving access to the city and the airport.

More details at www.okura-nikko.com.

-- BERNAMA

Align transforms smiles, lives, hitting millionth patient milestone in Asia Pacific

 KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Align Technology Inc has reached its millionth patient in the Asia Pacific region in treatment with the world’s most advanced clear aligner system, Invisalign system.

Align’s Invisalign system is the only clear aligner with one million patients in the Asia Pacific region and over eight million patients worldwide.

According to a statement, the achievement reflects Align’s commitment to the Asia Pacific region and adoption of Invisalign treatment for transforming smiles and changing lives.

“We are committed to continue working closely with our doctors in Japan and the entire region to support them in transforming smiles and changing lives,” said Align Technology Asia Pacific, senior vice-president and managing director, Julie Tay.

The one millionth Invisalign patient from the Asia Pacific region is Ayumu Saito, a 23-year-old aspiring Olympic athlete from Japan who is a modern pentathlon champion (2019), fencer and fashion model.

“I chose Invisalign clear aligners because they are discreet (and nearly invisible), soft and comfortable to wear and I am already seeing changes in my teeth. The Invisalign brand is also trusted and was recommended by my doctor for its superior technology that will help me achieve a healthy, beautiful smile,” she shared.

She will be featured in an Invisalign brand campaign that follows her treatment journey with Dr Koji Yokoya, head director at Aoyama Gaien Orthodontics Dental Offices in Tokyo, highlighting the key reasons she chose Invisalign clear aligners.

As part of the campaign and to mark this significant milestone, Align invites the Invisalign community in Asia Pacific to share their treatment journey on social media with hashtag #onemillionsmiles. 
​
— BERNAMA

ALTERNATIVE WAY OF LEARNING FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMME AFTER PANDEMIC ENSUES

 KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 (Bernama) -- Due to the ongoing pandemic, Malaysian Financial Planning Council (“MFPC” or the “Council”) has virtually organized its sixteenth Annual General Meeting (“16th AGM”) and this allow our National Council members, MFPC members, Chartered Promoter Organisation (ChPO), Financial Services Organisation (FSO), Chartered Financial Services Institution (ChFSI) and proxies alike to participate remotely, ask questions and approved all the agendas proposed during the meeting.

The AGM brought up one of the important note on how MFPC found its way to provide their programmes through a Learning Management System (LMS). During this unprecedented time of Covid-19, MFPC have fast-tracked and launched the LMS to ensure members can attend a series of free programmes; and paid professional courses and CPD programmes at the reasonable and affordable rate. The Digital Membership Card (eID) was also implemented effective 1 July for professional membership verification; and at the same time to reduce the usage of plastic and papers. In addition, the Council has also commenced My Money & Me workshops, a series of online learning programme that made available in different zones to ensure youths and public alike could follow our financial planning talk sessions at https://www.gokelas.com/course/mymoney/.

During the meeting, the Council has announced the conferment of Associate Membership for individuals who have passed a modular examination of the Registered Financial Planner (RFP) or Shariah RFP programme; and for individuals who have supported the Council and/or registered for the professional programme but yet to obtain an examination grade shall be categorised as Affiliate Member. The Council feels it is only appropriate and conceded in professional field by implementing this professional affiliation.

The Council hopes to motivate financial practitioners to pursue professional education; and continuously better their professional practise and offering advisory services to their clients and consumer at large. This is important because we want them to be professional while maintaining relevancy and competence level set in MFPC’s Code of Ethics. This ensure that our financial practitioners who adhere to the code act with integrity, competence, diligence, respect and in an ethical manner while engaging with their clients.

MFPC President Vincent Kwo in his speech said, “at MFPC, we make sure that our members continuously acquire, maintain and use the standards of knowledge and due care relevant to their role as a financial planning professional and to meet guidelines and rules set by the authorities and relevant self-regulatory organizations.”

The Council led by Vincent Kwo will continue its service from 2019 – 2021. The AGM was broadcasted live from MFPC office in Mont Kiara and only critical individuals involved in conducting the AGM were physically present at the broadcast venue, while obeying to the standard health and safety operating procedures (SOP) for businesses during the recovery movement control order (RMCO).

Interested individuals may refer https://mfpc.org.my/ for programmes offered at MFPC and register at https://1st.mfpc.org.my/ 

SOURCE : Malaysian Financial Planning Council

BONA ANNOUNCES PONTUS CORNELIUS TO SUCCEED KERSTIN LINDELL AS CEO AND PRESIDENT IN JANUARY 2021

Lindell to serve as Chairman of the Board

MALMÖ, Sweden, Aug 24 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bona, a global, sustainably-driven company that supplies products for installing, renovating, maintaining, and restoring premium floors, announced today that it has appointed Pontus Cornelius as president and CEO of the company effective January 11, 2021. Kerstin Lindell, the current president and CEO, will shift her role to Chairman of the Board at Bona.

“Pontus is an exceptionally talented leader and will bring strong strategic insight to the company. The board and I welcome him to the team,” said Lindell. “It has been an honor to serve as president and CEO at Bona for the past 14 years. From celebrating Bona’s 100-year anniversary to entering new categories to riding the waves of varying market conditions, it has been a pleasure working with the smart and dedicated Bona team. I look forward to staying connected in my future role as Chairman of the Board.”

On January 11, 2021 Cornelius will step into the role of president and CEO working closely with Lindell to ensure a smooth transition. At this time, Lindell will become Chairman of the Board at Bona.

“As a member of Bona’s advisory board since 2017, I’ve had an inside view of the company’s strong growth over the years and its long history of commitment to innovation and sustainability,” said Cornelius. “I look forward to working closely with the talented team at Bona and continuing the positive momentum of leading and innovating in the industry for a sustainable future.”

Most recently, Cornelius served as president and CEO of Ernströmgruppen AB, a Swedish, privately owned industrial conglomerate focusing on developing B2B companies in various niche industries. Under Cornelius’ leadership, Ernströmgruppen expanded into a group of over 30 companies (with a turnover of approximately €250M/1,000 employees) with the common goal of creating sustainable and digital businesses for future generations. Prior to his tenure with Ernströmgruppen, Cornelius worked in leading positions with small and large companies affording him a broad understanding of best practice for business growth. Cornelius, who has worked and lived abroad in Europe, Asia, and the United States, lives in Gothenburg, Sweden with plans to reside in Malmö by early January.

Cornelius continued, “The future is green from both a moral and business perspective. With Bona’s long history of innovating sustainable solutions, I look forward to the next decade and beyond as a time to innovate new solutions and future-proof the company.”

About Bona

Bona is a family-owned, sustainably driven company that supplies products for installing, renovating, maintaining and restoring premium floors. Founded in 1919, Bona was the first in the industry to offer a full system of waterborne hardwood floor finishing and floor care products. Today, Bona offers products for most premium floor surfaces including wood, tile, vinyl, resilient, rubber and laminate. Bona’s turnover is 2.8bn SEK (EUR 257 million) 2019. The head office is in Malmö, Sweden, and the company is represented globally by its 17 subsidiaries, 70 distributors, 600 employees and 5 factories. For more visit www.bona.com.

Contact: Heather Lindemann | Bona
+1 (800) 872-5515
heather.lindemann@bona.com

Åsa Väärälä | Aspekta AB for Bona
+46 (0)791 06 56 12
asa.vaarala@aspekta.se

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/800c7456-11b6-400f-a4f9-cbf226204353

Source: Bona

--BERNAMA

SweeGen, CCFT Group forge joint venture to distribute stevia sweeteners in China

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 -- SweeGen has announced its joint venture with the China Commercial Foreign Trade Group (CCFT) as the strategic partner to distribute Bestevia® next generation non-GMO zero-calorie stevia sweeteners via its extensive distribution channels in China.

According to a statement, CCFT’s affiliate company China Commerce Sugar Industry Co is one of the largest sugar distributors and trading partners internationally.

The joint venture will transform the sugar market by providing food and beverage manufacturers in China with the highly sought-after sugar reduction solutions from SweeGen.

The strategic partnership comes at a time when SweeGen is expanding its regional applications capabilities worldwide to support and collaborate closely with its customers to enable unique local solutions.

Stevia distributorship in China is in line with SweeGen’s mission to help reduce sugar and artificial sweeteners in the global diet.

SweeGen’s Bestevia® Taste Solutions proprietary taste and sweetener platform offers solutions for food and beverage applications across the spectrum, including beverages, dairy, confectionery, bakery and sauces.

Bestevia Taste Solutions deliver the industry’s most cost-effective and best tasting complete sugar reduction options.

China consumes approximately 15 million tonnes of sugar annually. Growing health problems linked to obesity and diabetes are a concern to government health officials.

-- BERNAMA

Nippon Express (Nederland) builds new warehouse in Schiphol Trade Park

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 -- Nippon Express (Nederland) BV (NE Nederland), a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co Ltd based in Tokyo recently began construction of a new warehouse in Schiphol Trade Park.

Offering more than double the company's existing facility space, the new warehouse is being erected in Schiphol Trade Park, about seven kilometres southwest of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, one of Europe's key hub airports, to cope with steadily rising air cargo volume.

Good Distribution Practice certification, a standard for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals, will be sought for the new warehouse to enhance NE Nederland's distribution network for the pharmaceutical sector.

​In anticipation of dealing with semiconductor-related equipment and other heavy or long-length cargo, a ULD handling system will be introduced to enable the facility to process 20-foot pallets. 

According to a statement, the roof will be outfitted with a 60 metre x 55 metre solar panel array to make the facility more eco-friendly.

Nippon Express will continue meeting the increasingly sophisticated and diverse needs of its customers as it steps up its efforts in the forwarding business and in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries.

The new warehouse is expected to start operations by July 2021, handling air and ocean cargo import/export CFS operations, removal operations as well as cross-dock operations.

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

-- BERNAMA

ADM Announces Pricing Of Its Secondary Block Trade Of Ordinary Shares Of Wilmar International Limited ("Wilmar") And Concurrent Offering Of US$300,000,000 Zero Coupon Exchangeable Bonds Due 2023, Exchangeable For Wilmar Ordinary Shares

 CHICAGO, Aug 21 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- ADM (NYSE: ADM) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiaries ADM Ag Holding Limited (“ADM Ag”) and Archer Daniels Midland Asia-Pacific Limited (“ADM APac” and together with ADM Ag, the “Sellers”) have entered into a secondary block trade agreement with a syndicate of managers (the “Block Trade Agreement”) pursuant to which the Sellers have sold 170.5 million ordinary shares of Wilmar (the “Wilmar Shares”, and such sale, the “Block Trade”) at a price of SGD4.40 per Wilmar Share (US$3.23 per Wilmar Share based on an exchange rate of SGD1.3636 per US$1.00 derived from Bloomberg page BFIX at 5:00 p.m. (Singapore time) on August 19, 2020). The Wilmar Shares sold pursuant to the Block Trade Agreement are being offered and sold in offshore transactions in reliance on Regulation S (“Regulation S”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and inside the United States, to qualified institutional buyers (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) in private transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. ADM expects settlement of the Block Trade to occur on August 24, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

ADM expects to use the net proceeds from the Block Trade for general corporate purposes, which may include, without limitation, meeting its working capital requirements, funding its capital expenditures and possible acquisitions of, or investments in, businesses and assets and acquiring outstanding shares of ADM common stock as part of its publicly announced stock repurchase program.

ADM also announced today that ADM Ag has priced its previously announced offering (the “Offering”) of US$300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Zero Coupon Exchangeable Bonds due 2023 (the “Bonds”). The Bonds will be issued at 104.0 per cent of their principal amount (the “Issue Price”), will not bear any interest, and will mature on August 26, 2023 (the “Maturity Date”). The Bonds are being offered outside of the United States to non-U.S. persons in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act. ADM expects settlement of the Offering to occur on August 26, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

ADM expects to use the net proceeds from the Offering for general corporate purposes, which may include, without limitation, meeting its working capital requirements, funding its capital expenditures and possible acquisitions of, or investments in, business and assets and repaying indebtedness originally incurred for general corporate purposes.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=37968

Dataiku secures US$100 million in investment round to extend leadership in enterprise AI market

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 -- Dataiku, a leading global Enterprise AI and machine learning platform, has announced a US$100 million Series D investment round led by Stripes, with major investment by Tiger Global Management. (US$1 = RM4.18)

This includes participation from existing investors – Battery Ventures, CapitalG, Dawn Capital, FirstMark Capital and ICONIQ.

According to a statement, the funding comes as Dataiku continues to drive AI within the enterprise, serving over 300 customers who understand that a collaborative and end-to-end AI strategy is critical to their success.

“In a global business market rocked by the changes 2020 has brought, AI has proven to be a critical element of organisational success driving business growth in every major vertical market,” said Dataiku's co-founder and chief executive officer, Florian Douetteau.

“Our leadership in enterprise AI continues to attract world-class investors who understand that Dataiku’s solution and customer base are truly global and that we’re uniquely positioned to help businesses realise the untapped potential for AI to transform the enterprise.”

Founded in 2013, Dataiku aimed to take machine learning and AI projects out of experimental labs and put them into everyday operations that are truly woven into the fabric of a company.

Dataiku serves hundreds of customers worldwide, including Schlumberger, GE Aviation, Sephora, Unilever, BNP Paribas, Premera Blue Cross, Kuka and Santander. Its team has grown to over 450 people including in New York, Paris, London and Singapore.

-- BERNAMA

CleverTap appoints Abhishek Gupta as Chief Customer Success Officer

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 -- Leading AI-powered customer lifecycle and user retention platform, CleverTap has announced the appointment of Abhishek Gupta as Chief Customer Success Officer.

Gupta brings over 18 years of SaaS and customer success experience which he will apply toward accelerating CleverTap’s momentum as a leading provider of customer engagement and retention solutions in the competitive mobile marketing technology landscape.

“As a customer-first organisation, investing in growth of our customer success team is of paramount importance.

“Abhishek has extensive experience in customer success and a proven track record of building teams and processes that allow companies to get the most value from their SaaS investment,” said CleverTap co-founder and CEO, Sunil Thomas.

His appointment is part of CleverTap’s continued growth strategy capitalising on the completion of a US$35 million Series C funding round led by Tiger Global Management and Sequoia. (US$1=RM4.175)

According to a statement, Gupta holds an MBA from IIM Bangalore and a degree in B.Tech in Computer Sc and Engg from IIT (BHU).

Over 8,000 mobile apps from companies including Gojek, Disney+ Hotstar and Discovery Kids are currently optimised using CleverTap, driving over US$2 billion in incremental revenue. The platform reaches more than one billion mobile devices.

CleverTap is headquartered in Mountain View, California with offices in Amsterdam, Singapore, Dubai, and Mumbai. For more information, visit clevertap.com

-- BERNAMA

Galvanize named a Leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for IT Risk Management

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 -- Galvanize, the global leader in SaaS governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) software, has been positioned by Gartner as a Leader in the 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for IT Risk Management.

“Galvanize is proud to be recognised by Gartner as a Leader in IT Risk Management for the second year running, which we believe validates the value we continue to deliver for customers,” said Dan Zitting, chief product and strategy officer, Galvanize.

“Our HighBond platform is flexible and nimble enough to anticipate risk and respond in real time, while comprehensive enough to serve both growing organisations and larger enterprises.”

Galvanize’s HighBond platform offers end-to-end GRC solutions across IT security, risk management, compliance, and assurance. It streamlines collaboration across organisations, automates repetitive tasks and delivers best practices.

It provides leadership with visibility into the organisation’s risk posture while reducing the cost and effort required to demonstrate compliance.

HighBond combines easy deployment, fast adoption, unique robotic process automation and advanced data analytics capabilities for a scalable baseline solution, according to a statement.

The Gartner Magic Quadrant for IT Risk Management is an annual evaluation of the competitive landscape for the IT risk management technology market.

-- BERNAMA

DSG AND BESTAT PARTNER IN BUILDING COVID-19 CLINICAL TRIALS IN SINGAPORE

 MALVERN, Pa., Aug 19 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- DSG, Inc., a global leader of eClinical software solutions and services for the life sciences industry along with their CRO partner, Bestat Pharmaservices Corp. (Bestat) are building studies to support COVID-19 treatments and vaccines in Asia. This includes a study now progressing to Phase III that evaluates a novel monoclonal antibody as a treatment to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 by binding to specific proteins found on the surface of the virus.

With the medical community facing extraordinary challenges, as it desperately searches for a vaccine to slow the progression and accelerate recovery of SARS-CoV-2, it is critical to have the ability to build effective clinical trial solutions at a rapid pace and also be adaptive to the ever changing landscape and challenges brought on by the pandemic. DSG, with its proven and intuitive eCaseLink platform provides the right tools for Bestat to achieve these goals.

DSG’s platform enabled Bestat to rapidly build solutions for data collection, management and analysis, helping the clinical trials progress all the way from Phase I to Phase III in a very efficient and accelerated manner by ensuring clean data with real time data export and tools for analysis. Bestat primarily leveraged the eCaseLink Designer module to build the studies in-house in just a few days, while maintaining the integrity for these demanding trials and timelines. The eCaseLink Designer and EDC module helped create and manage the development of electronic clinical trial research questionnaires for the sponsors to effectively collect data from participating patients. Due to the success of these trials, Bestat has contracted with DSG to utilize the Interactive Response Technology (IRT) to manage Randomization and Drug Supply Management (RTSM) for the upcoming Phase III studies.

“We believe that with strong partners, DSG can provide the most effective solutions in the race to find a cure for this pandemic,” said Tony Varano, CEO at DSG. “We applaud Bestat and their team for efficiently using our eCaseLink platform and with their expertise, conducting effective trials and moving them closer to the finish line.”

About DSG

DSG, Inc. is a leading global eClinical provider with a unified suite of innovative technology solutions for the global clinical research community. DSG's eClinical software platform provides competitive advantage that is cost-effective and quickest to build. DSG’s award-winning eCaseLink solutions are used in thousands of clinical trials around the globe.

About Bestat

Bestat is a contract research organization (CRO) dedicated to offering solutions to our customers with the highest quality and professional attitude through time-efficient clinical trial management and data processing. The value professionalism Bestat delivers is expertise leveraged over a broad range of services, and a passionate and talented team of experts to help you make the best decision in conducting clinical trial or research. Having directly served a number of internationally recognized pharmaceutical, biomedical companies and institutes, we have confidences to be trusted as your best partner in clinical trial areas. (https://www.bestat.com.tw/)

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200818005063/en/

Contact

Ricky Lee Brohmer
DSG, Inc.
+1 262-219-2168
rbrohmer@dsg-us.com

Source : DSG, Inc.

THE HEALTH BANK TO PARTNER WITH NANOTRONICS HEALTH, LLC, TO DISTRIBUTE LOW-COST, US-MANUFACTURED NON-INVASIVE VENTILATOR FOR RESPIRATORY SUPPORT DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Aug 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Salman Arif, the CEO of The Health Bank (THB) Global, announced today that the company is partnering with Nanotronics Health, LLC, to distribute nHale™, a non-invasive ventilator. It will be distributed in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region. To support non-invasive respiratory therapy in the region, The Health Bank will also train medical professionals to operate the device.

THE HEALTH BANK TO PARTNER WITH NANOTRONICS HEALTH, LLC, TO DISTRIBUTE LOW-COST, US-MANUFACTURED NON-INVASIVE VENTILATOR FOR RESPIRATORY SUPPORT DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Hotel Okura To Partner With Tokyo Management College

 Will establish an education & training program in Japan for overseas local staff

TOKYO, Aug 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hotel Okura Co., Ltd. (“Hotel Okura”) today announced it is entering into a partnership with Tokyo Management College, a leading practical vocational education institution in Chiba, Japan. Under the terms of the partnership, Tokyo Management College and Hotel Okura will establish a “Tourism and Hospitality Course” curriculum offering tourism and hospitality training at the college from April 2021.

Hotel Okura is additionally establishing an education and training program in Japan for its overseas local staff in cooperation with Tokyo Management College and Tokyo Masuda Culinary School, a professional chef training institute located in Edogawa-ku, Tokyo. This program aims to strengthen and enhance the group’s global human resources and will allow its hotel staff to study under the new Tourism and Hospitality Course curriculum. It will also allow chefs preparing Japanese cuisine at Okura group hotels around the world to take classes at Tokyo Masuda Culinary School.

Commented Toshihiro Ogita, president of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., “We believe that this education and training program in Japan for our overseas local staff will help to significantly strengthen our provision of Japanese-style hospitality and authentic Japanese cuisine to customers in our group hotels around the world.”

Hotel Okura operates a total of 91 properties—53 in Japan and 38 overseas—including hotels scheduled to open in the near future. It aims to expand its portfolio to 110 hotels by increasing the number of overseas hotels to 50 by 2022.

The company’s core strategy governing its overseas expansion is to concentrate on developing businesses in specific countries and regions. It is currently promoting its so-called “5 x 5 Plan”, which is targeting to open five new hotels in five countries and regions. In order to support this expansion, it is essential for the company’s overseas staff to be trained to provide Japanese-style omotenashi hospitality and to offer the authentic Japanese restaurant experience that is a defining feature of our hotels.

Hotel Okura plans to invest a total of approximately 200 million yen (US$1.9m) over the next 10 years in the partnerships with Tokyo Management College and Tokyo Masuda Culinary School. The resulting study programs will help to promote cultural exchange between Japan and other countries.

Partnership with Tokyo Management College

From April 2021, a new two-year Okura-branded "Tourism and Hospitality Course" accommodating 40 students will be offered, complementing the college’s existing Department of Business and Child Education curricula. Hotel Okura will provide course content and instructors, and its group hotels will actively recruit students.

Hotel Okura will cover most of the tuition fees and related expenses of the Hospitality Service Program for 3 selected employees of its overseas hotels every year and those being hired by new hotels as they open. Subject to visa requirements and other regulations, we plan to provide opportunities to work at our flagship hotel, The Okura Tokyo, and other hotels in our group in Japan, with the aim of providing students with more practical knowledge and skills.

Partnership with Tokyo Masuda Culinary School

Tokyo Masuda Culinary School will provide cooking tuition in small group classes. Hotel Okura will cover most of the tuition fees and related expenses of the Japanese Cuisine Program for 3-5 selected young chefs in our overseas group hotels every year, allowing them to acquire advanced Japanese cooking skills. This program will prepare them to play a key role supporting Japanese head chefs in Okura Hotels’ famed “Yamazato” restaurants as well as in Hotel Nikko’s “Benkay” restaurants overseas.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=37930

AllRightsReserved, renowned American artist present ≺KAWS:HOLIDAY SPACE≻

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 -- AllRightsReserved (ARR), a Hong Kong-based creative studio, has presented ≺KAWS:HOLIDAY SPACE≻ , in collaboration with world-renowned American contemporary artist, KAWS.

For ≺KAWS:HOLIDAY SPACE≻, COMPANION dons an astronaut suit and takes a sounding balloon 41.5 kilometres (136,296 feet) up into the Stratosphere.

After reaching super-high speeds, COMPANION's adventure culminates in a two-hour, zero-gravity walk in uninhabited space before returning to Earth.

The entire exploration process took about eight hours from preparation for lift-off, departure to landing.

It was recorded with a 360-degree panoramic video camera, capturing COMPANION's historical moment and marking his 20th year in existence.

“Because this year marks 20 years since I created COMPANION, I tried to find a way around all the restrictions and do something special. I felt so confined the past few months that creating a project like this has really given me a chance to escape,” said KAWS in a statement.

ARR began its long-term partnership with KAWS since KAWS:PASSING THROUGH in 2010, and continued to KAWS:HOLIDAY-the giant inflatable sculpture COMPANION, exhibited in various relaxed poses in different locations including Korea, Taipei and Hong Kong.

-- BERNAMA

AMINVESTMENT BANK CLINCHES FOUR AWARDS AT THE 17TH ANNUAL RAM LEAGUE AWARDS 2020

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- AmInvestment Bank Berhad (“AmInvestment Bank”) has clinched four awards at the 17^th Annual RAM League Awards 2020 held on 16 July 2020 at RAM’s office, Kuala Lumpur recently. The RAM League Awards recognises outstanding accomplishments and leadership in the Malaysian bond market.
 
AmInvestment Bank placed joint second in the number of issues category and placed third in the programme value category for the Lead Manager Awards 2019 (Bonds and Sukuk). AmInvestment Bank also placed joint second in the number of issues and placed third in the programme value category and category for the Lead Manager Awards 2019 (Sukuk) respectively.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=37908

CROCUS TECHNOLOGY UNVEILS INDUSTRY-FIRST TMR CONTACTLESS, CORELESS, ZERO-LOSS, MINIATURE SIZE CURRENT SENSOR

The XtremeSense™ TMR-based CT220 contactless current sensor enables high isolation, high-resolution and high accuracy measurements for power monitoring applications without the need for magnetic concentrators or shield

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug 13 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crocus Technology Inc., the leading supplier of disruptive XtremeSense™ Tunnel Magneto-Resistance (TMR) sensors, today announces the CT220, a contactless current sensor, with high linearity, high-resolution, a wide dynamic range in a small form-factor targeted for multitude of current sensing applications. The CT220 is the newest member of Crocus’ current sensing product family joining the CT110 and CT100.

The CT220 is powered by Crocus’s patented XtremeSense TMR 1D technology which enables it to detect the slightest change in AC or DC current while maintaining a best-in-class 0.5% typical total output error. The CT220 is able to detect currents as low as 5 mA to over a thousand Amperes within a 1.5 mT to 15 mT operating magnetic field range. The CT220 consumes about 1.2 mA and has a sampling frequency of 200 kHz. It also has a ratio-metric analog output capable of supporting a supply voltage range of 2.7 V to 5.5 V.


http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=37916

BONDEVALUE AND NORTHERN TRUST COLLABORATE TO COMPLETE WORLD'S FIRST BLOCKCHAIN-BASED BOND TRADE

SINGAPORE, Aug 12 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) and BondEvalue today announced the completion of the first trade of a fractionalized blockchain-based bond.

The trade of a blockchain-based bond, known as BondbloX, was executed on BondEvalue’s platform with Northern Trust as the exclusive asset servicing provider. This comes after the two parties established a strategic partnership in November 2019 to deliver integrated asset servicing and digital solutions for fractional ownership of fixed income bonds operating from the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Sandbox Express.

BONDEVALUE AND NORTHERN TRUST COLLABORATE TO COMPLETE WORLD'S FIRST BLOCKCHAIN-BASED BOND TRADE

Hibiki Path Advisors Response To Updated Divestment Proposed For Accordia Golf Trust

 SINGAPORE, Aug 11 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — We, Hibiki Path Advisors, are pleased to find in the latest announcement dated 7th August 2020 from the Accordia Golf Trust Management Pte. Ltd. (“AGTM”) that the Accordia Golf (“AG”), the bidding company has agreed to increase the bidding offer from around S$ 0.732 per unit to S$ 0.772 per unit.

We will be voting “FOR” the divestment proposal based on the conditions set out in the announcement from AGTM on 7th August 2020.

Further to that, we will also be withdrawing from the request to convene the EGM on 18th Aug 2020 as we deemed that we have achieve what we had initially set out for. At this point, we do not see the need to convene the mentioned EGM since the costs of doing so will in fact be absorbed indirectly by all unitholders through the Trust. This is based on our own judgment after spending considerable amount of our own time and cost going through this.

Lastly, we will like to thank all the unitholders for writing in to demonstrate their support for us. We are glad that we have at least achieved something together. We will continue our fight to defend the discipline of capital markets in other situations. We do hope you all the best.

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200811005357/en/

Contact

Yuya Shimizu
Chief Investment Officer
Hibiki Path Advisors Pte. Ltd.
www.hibiki-path-advisors.com
info@hibiki-path-advisors.com

Source : Hibiki Path Advisors Pte. Ltd.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=37899

INGREDION INCORPORATED REPORTS SECOND QUARTER 2020 RESULTS

· Second quarter 2020 reported and adjusted EPS* were $0.98 and $1.12, respectively, compared with $1.56 and $1.66 in the second quarter 2019, respectively
· Year-to-date 2020 reported and adjusted EPS were $2.08 and $2.72, respectively, compared with $3.04 and $3.19 in the year-ago period, respectively
· Completion of PureCircle acquisition on July 1 expands the Company’s on-trend and sustainable solutions in sugar reduction with stevia sweeteners and natural flavors
· Continued strong progress on Cost Smart program enables Company to increase run-rate savings target by $20 million to $170 million by 2021

WESTCHESTER, Ill., Aug 5 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to the food manufacturing industry, today reported results for the second quarter 2020. The results, reported in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for 2020 and 2019, include items that are excluded from the non-GAAP financial measures that the Company presents.

“As an essential business in the food supply chain, we quickly adapted to meet the changing needs of our customers due to fluctuations in consumer demand resulting from COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions around the globe,” stated Jim Zallie, Ingredion’s president and chief executive officer. “During the quarter, we experienced the significant decline in away-from-home consumption that impacted global demand for ingredients, primarily in April and May. Since then, we have seen sequential improvement in June and July as the restrictions ease and consumer mobility increases.”

“We remain focused on optimizing for the new reality, working virtually with customers to co-create, and taking advantage of opportunities to drive simplification and efficiencies in our business. As a result, we raised our Cost Smart savings target from $150 million to $170 million by 2021. We also strengthened our balance sheet and lowered our future financing costs through a $1 billion senior notes offering,” continued Zallie.

“With the completion of our acquisition of PureCircle, a global leader in the stevia natural sweetener space, we continued to advance our long-term strategies for driving specialties growth. In addition, we commenced an $85 million expansion investment in China, one of the largest and fastest growing starch markets, to further grow our starch-based texturizer platform. We will continue to pursue M&A opportunities while remaining disciplined in our capital allocation approach.”

“Despite the uncertainty that lies ahead, I am confident that with our talented and dedicated employees, the actions we are taking are the right ones to innovate for customers, deliver quality ingredients and solutions, and emerge from this pandemic better positioned for success,” concluded Zallie.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=37857

JAPANESE NOH PLAY "AOI NO UE" (TALE OF GENJI) AT ODAWARA CASTLE GOING ONLINE ON SEPT. 13

ODAWARA, Japan, Aug. 5, 2020 /Kyodo JBN, AsiaNet/ --

Odawara Tourism Co., Ltd. in Odawara city, Kanagawa Prefecture, will hold the first online event at a Japanese Castle. The "Noh" performance, titled "Japanese Noh Theater at Odawara Castle 'Aoi no Ue'--The Tale of Genji," will be streamed on Sunday, September 13, 2020. The performance will feature Kanze-style Shite-kata (the main role) played by Kanze Yoshimasa, a famous Noh actor who appears in many Noh performances worldwide. His stunning video performance filmed at Odawara Castle will be streamed simultaneously worldwide.

Date and Time:
Sunday, September 13, 2020, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (JST)

Photo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106180
/202007312670/_prw_PI1fl_z69zT1ra.jpg

Before and after the Noh program, a Japanese taiko (drum) show, "Hojo Daiko," will be performed by a local group alongside the ninja show "FUMA NINJA Legend of ODAWARA," which was well received in Vietnam last year, to make the event even more exciting.

-Program Highlights
Click here for details:
Image: "Aoi no Ue" https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release
/M106180/202007312670/_prw_PA1fl_C8h348gb.pdf

Performance contents (about 1 hour):
Japanese Drum Performance--Hojo Daiko
Japanese Noh Theater at Odawara Castle "Aoi no Ue"--The Tale of Genji
FUMA NINJA Legend of ODAWARA

Please click here to see the preview:
PV1: https://youtu.be/d4MZ3NviM0g (45 sec)
PV2: https://youtu.be/l8M84KQu228 (15 sec)
PV3: https://youtu.be/pKc20-cY4os

-Special Features
To be streamed is a pre-recorded video performance filmed at Odawara Castle.
Those who have purchased tickets will be provided with manuals in multiple languages which can be downloaded in advance. Therefore, viewers can enjoy the sensational world and deepness of Noh from their home anywhere in the world without any language barriers. Viewing archives will be available for three days.

"Japanese Noh Theater at Odawara Castle "Aoi no Ue"--The Tale of Genji"
-Date and Time of Streaming
Sunday, September 13, 2020 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (JST)
-Date and Time of Viewing Archives
Until Tuesday, September 15, 2020 11:59 p.m.
-Ticket Sales Period
From August 5, 2020, 10:00 a.m. to September 16, 2020, 8:00 p.m.
-Ticket Price
JPY1,000 (tax included)
URL: https://amazingodawara-noh.zaiko.io/_item/328862

Please note that a ticket should be purchased through the ZAIKO site (https://zaiko.io) prior to the stream viewing.

SOURCE: Odawara Tourism Co., Ltd.

--BERNAMA