HANESBRANDS IS ONE OF 2021 WORLD'S MOST ETHICAL COMPANIES

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- HanesBrands, a socially responsible, leading global marketer of branded everyday basic apparel, has been recognised as one of the 2021 World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

HanesBrands is one of only two apparel manufacturers being recognised among 135 companies spanning 22 countries and representing 47 industries.

“We have a strong commitment to acting responsibly, and we’re very proud to be recognised by Ethisphere,” said Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Steve Bratspies in a statement.

“This honour is the result of 61,000 employees around the world committed to operating our business in the right way. Consumers can be proud that when they choose our apparel they are choosing a company deeply committed to sustainability.”

“The World’s Most Ethical Companies honorees continue to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the highest values and positively impacting the communities they serve. Congratulations to everyone at HanesBrands for earning the World’s Most Ethical Companies designation,” said Ethisphere CEO, Timothy Erblich.

Ethisphere’s assessment process includes more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity and initiatives to support a strong value chain. 

This year, Ethisphere also gauged how applicants adapted and responded to the global health pandemic, safety, equity and inclusion and social justice.

-- BERNAMA

CISCO APPDYNAMICS LAUNCHES NEW RESEARCH, REVEALING UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND FOR FULL-STACK OBSERVABILITY WITH BUSINESS CONTEXT

 News Summary:

• AppDynamics releases Agents of Transformation 2021:The Rise of Full-Stack Observability, the latest edition of its global research study.
• 75 percent of global technologists report that the pandemic has created more IT complexity than ever before.
• 96 percent of technologists recognize that the ability to monitor all technical areas across their IT stack and directly link that performance to business outcomes is now essential.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 24 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AppDynamics, a part of Cisco, today released Agents of Transformation 2021:The Rise of Full-Stack Observability, the latest edition of its global research study, exploring the impact of the rapid acceleration of digital transformation created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the repercussions for global technologists. The findings reveal a dramatic increase in IT complexity caused by the need for urgent innovation - and the resulting technology sprawl. The research also validates a pressing need for full-stack observability with added business context to help technologists manage the IT estate, cut through the data 'noise' and observe what matters most to their business.

The shift to digital-first business models to weather the storm and minimize the commercial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has placed technologists at the forefront of their organizations’ response. According to this research, this forced a 3X acceleration¹ of digital transformation projects. Unsurprisingly, technologists found themselves under considerable strain, with 89 percent² reportedly feeling under immense pressure at work and 84 percent³ admitting to having difficulty switching off. Furthermore, many technologists expressed feeling frustrated about work (81 percent)⁴ and experiencing increased levels of conflict with colleagues (63 percent).⁵

The new research goes on to highlight that rapid digital transformation has added staggering technical complexity throughout IT departments, with technologists listing the following factors as key contributors:

• A new set of priorities and challenges (80 percent).⁶
• Technology sprawl and a patchwork of legacy and cloud technologies (78 percent).⁷
• Acceleration to cloud computing (77 percent).⁸
• Multiple, disconnected monitoring solutions (74 percent). ⁹

This rise in IT complexity has significantly increased the amount of data created across the technology stack, from the application, through the infrastructure to the network and security. With this added complexity, 85 percent of technologists state that quickly cutting through noise caused by the ever-increasing volumes of data to identify root causes of performance issues will represent a significant challenge in the year ahead.¹⁰ With 75 percent of those polled stating they are already struggling to manage overwhelming ‘data noise’¹¹, technologists are desperate for a unified solution to enable real-time visibility across the entire IT estate.

• 95 percent of technologists say having visibility across the whole IT estate is important.¹²
• 96 percent point to negative consequences of not having visibility and insights across the whole tech stack.¹³

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=39396

Upflex To Offer Workplace Flexibility For Schneider Electric Employees

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- Upflex Inc, the largest global network of workspaces has been selected by Schneider Electric to offer thousands of employees in the United States (US) with a more flexible working experience.

According to a statement, the partnership was sourced by Colliers, which will work with both companies to provide Upflex access for Schneider Electric’s employees.

Schneider Electric will be transitioning to a more flexible workspace option with Desk Memberships and Upflex’s convenient Hub and Spoke model.

This solution will enable Schneider Electric to maintain a centralised, dedicated office space in its key markets and also grant an initial portion of its 10,000-plus US employees access to Upflex’s network of 2,139 US co-working spaces.

Upflex and Schneider Electric are also exploring a collaboration that will allow Upflex clients the opportunity to utilise Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure solutions that create smart offices.

The offices are optimising space use, reducing facility costs and improving the comfort and employee experience.

Co-working locations in Upflex’s vast network that are certified as ‘safe’ agree to comply with CDC (US spaces) or World Health Organization guidelines (international spaces). More details at https://upflex.com/

-- BERNAMA

VidMob Secures US$50 Million Series C To Speed Up Broad Adoption

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- VidMob, the leading platform for Intelligent Creative, has closed its Series C financing, raising US$50 million in expansion capital from a group of funds, strategic investors, and influential companies in the creative technology space. (US$1 = RM4.039)

The new round will support VidMob’s global expansion, new e-commerce initiatives, ongoing investments into advanced technology, and data science to help marketers maximise the value of advertising creative.

The new round includes participation from Adobe, Shutterstock, Drive by DraftKings, the Spruce House Partnership, Prefix Capital, BuildGroup, Interlock Partners, Macanta, and key industry and tech leaders like Michael Kassan, Nick Brien, and Thomas Tull, among others.

César Melo, former president at Mondelez and PepsiCo, Chief Executive Officer at Foster Grant and VP at Colgate-Palmolive is also investing and joining the board as adviser.

According to a statement, when combined with previous rounds, the company has now raised nearly US$100 million to expand on its groundbreaking platform for Intelligent Creative.

VidMob has pioneered AI to measure creative performance so marketers can optimise ad design for more efficient and impactful campaigns.

VidMob’s Intelligent Creative platform unifies creative and data and connects brands to a global network of elite content creators trained on continuously updated best practices for every digital media channel and next-gen ad format.

Originally focused on partnerships with major social platforms, VidMob has expanded its distribution to include leaders in the programmatic web and CTV / OTT.

-- BERNAMA

Vantiq inks value-added distributorship with Tech Data Singapore

 KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 -- Vantiq has announced a partnership agreement with Tech Data Singapore to help Singapore companies build and deploy real-timeapplications to support their digital transformation efforts. According to a statement, Tech Data Singapore will focus on partner recruitment, enablement and value-added services to help differentiate and create competitive advantage for channel partners working with Vantiq technologies. Vantiq’s platform powers a broad array of complex applications for smart cities, smart buildings, oil and gas, telecom, healthcare, retail and other industries. The platform helps customers build real-time applications that take full advantage of artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing. “Asia is a key market for us, and our collaboration with Tech Data will be of immeasurable help as we bring the benefits of real-time enterprise applications to more organisations looking to reap the benefits of digitisation,” said Vantiq co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Marty Sprinzen. Meanwhile, Tech Data Vice President, Singapore, Mark Tan said: “As we continue to deliver higher value to our channel partners across the region, we look forward to adding Vantiq to our portfolio.” Vantiq now has over 100 partners in its global partner network, including system integrators, independent software vendors, global strategic partners and value added resellers/solution providers. Other prominent global partners include SoftBank, Infosys, T-Systems, DXC Technology, and EISOT. -- BERNAMA

Pacific Prime Report Unveils Health Insurance Premium Decrease In Some Countries

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 (Bernama) -- Pacific Prime’s latest report examines international private medical insurance (IPMI) premiums in 100 locations, finding that a number of locations’ IPMI premiums have decreased for both individuals and families.

According to a statement from the global health insurance brokerage, this is due to a number of key factors, chief among them being the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

Pacific Prime’s Cost of International Health Insurance Report 2020-2021 begins by ranking countries based on their average IPMI premiums.

The US takes the number one spot, with average premiums of US$7,703 for individuals and US$21,817 for families. At the bottom end of the spectrum, Thailand had the cheapest average premiums of US$1,934 for individuals and US$7,257 for families. (US$1 = RM4.040)

From the 100 locations studied, up to 36 countries showed a decrease in IPMI premiums, compared with the previous year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused people to avoid/delay seeking healthcare treatment, and countries to impose lockdown measures.

In addition to the overarching trend in IPMI premiums, the report also sheds light on region-specific trends including 12 out of 20 locations, with the costliest health insurance premiums located in the Americas.

Hong Kong has reclaimed its position as the second most expensive location in the world for health insurance. Similarly, Singapore is the second most expensive location in Asia.

Meanwhile, China’s health insurance premiums are going through a correction phase after years of increase, as a result of sluggish demand amidst a global economic downturn. The country’s insurance landscape is also witnessing digitalisation, as insurtech takes centrestage.

More details at https://www.pacificprime.com/

-- BERNAMA

TIGERGRAPH SECURES US$105 MILLION TO SPEED UP GRAPH ANALYTICS ON THE CLOUD

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- TigerGraph, provider of the leading graph analytics platform, has announced raising US$105 million in Series C funding, the largest funding round to date within the graph database and analytics market. (US$1 = RM4.036)

The round was led by Tiger Global and brings TigerGraph’s total funding raised to over US$170 million. Already, TigerGraph has a presence in China and is opening offices in Singapore and Indonesia.

“The Asia Pacific digital economy continues to grow, and we are seeing increased regional demand. To tap this potential and to better serve our customers in the region, we will be opening offices in Singapore and in Indonesia.

“TigerGraph’s initiatives in Asia will be led by Joseph (Joe) Lee, an enterprise software sales and business veteran, as Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan. We are expanding at the speed of business and are actively hiring for key positions in Asia,” said TigerGraph COO, Todd Blaschka in a statement.

“Our mission is to help governments, businesses and people to unlock the power of their data and drive actionable, real-time insights-driven decision-making.”

According to TigerGraph founder and CEO, Dr Yu Xu, TigerGraph’s mission is to power an enterprise brain with graph and AI that discovers new insights within the enterprise data stored in the cloud and on-prem.

“TigerGraph is leading the paradigm shift in connecting and analysing data via scalable and native graph technology with pre-connected entities versus the traditional way of joining large tables with rows and columns. This funding will allow us to expand our offering and bring it to many more markets, enabling more customers to realise the benefits of graph analytics and AI.”

TigerGraph, headquartered in Redwood City, California, USA is a platform for advanced analytics and machine learning on connected data.

-- BERNAMA

Scott Morris is Druva Vice-President of APJ Sales organisation

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 -- Druva Inc, the leader in Cloud Data Protection and Management, has appointed Scott Morris as Vice-President of Sales for Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ).

As the company’s regional leader, Morris will be responsible for developing and executing strategic go-to-market plans, creating revenue opportunities and delivering customer satisfaction.

Based in Singapore, Morris joins Druva with more than 25 years of experience, leading sales and channel programmes at companies including HPE, SimpliVity, NetApp and Dell.

Most recently, Morris served as the vice-president and GM for Asia-Pacific at HPE, where he was responsible for all indirect routes to market.

During his three years there, Morris led a team that regularly exceeded revenue targets, while he streamlined routes-to-market and enhanced a rewards programme that better recognised high-performing partners.

“Cloud is quickly becoming the platform of choice for businesses in APJ as IT leaders seek out solutions capable of meeting their business, performance and budgetary needs at scale,” said Chris White, Chief Revenue Officer, Druva in a statement.

“With his extensive domain experience, proven and diverse sales background, Scott is the right person to lead our team and help our customers meet this moment.”

-- BERNAMA

PubMatic-MediaMath partner to roll out SOURCE initiative across Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 18 -- MediaMath recently announced a new partnership with PubMatic to further the SOURCE vision of alignment across the programmatic ecosystem.

MediaMath continues to expand SOURCE’s accountable and addressable supply chain, by partnering with PubMatic – making PubMatic’s premium Asia supply available to MediaMath buyers.

Working with industry-leading partners to align the interests of brands, agencies, publishers and technology providers, MediaMath has created a transparent digital media ecosystem built to navigate the advertising industry's most demanding challenges.

Based on a statement, PubMatic’s participation in SOURCE brings added display, mobile and CTV inventory from a roster of premium publishers that includes KLY, Detik.com, LINE, ABS-CBN, Sanook and Kompas Gramedia.

“This partnership makes PubMatic’s high-quality ad supply available to MediaMath’s buyers and moves us a step closer to achieving our goal in APAC, and we’re delighted to be working together,” said MediaMath General Manager (EMEA & APAC), Viktor Zawadzki.

“Together with MediaMath, PubMatic is aimed at driving results for buyers and increasing revenue and opportunities for publishers,” said Sudipto Das, Vice President of Advertiser Solutions, APAC at PubMatic.

According to Das, at a time when focus is honed in on making ad spend and content investment work smarter and harder, this partnership intends to help grow the addressable pool of marketer spend in the programmatic channel.

-- BERNAMA

Target：champion! 6 Major PCL teams will start their war at Wanyoo PGI.S eSports center.

Shanghai, Feb 11 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PUBG Global Invitational.S kicks off on February 5. Teams from Mainland China, Taipei, and Japan is going to join the game online. Apart from that, other 22 teams, which come from Europe, North America, Southeast Asia and South Korea, would participate in the tournament in Korean’s Main Venue. On February 4, before Rank Decision, the 6 PCL teams had their last trained in Wanyoo X PGI.S theme eSports center, and it is also the first time that the head coaches from these 6 teams to be interviewed together. After winning all the Intercontinental Championships in 2020, the PCL is full of confidence and has said that the goal is to win the championship!

Unlike in the past, teams participated matches in their club bases, this time, PUBG has reached an official partnership with Wanyoo to build a Wanyoo X PGI.S Joint eSports Center for PCL teams, including 4AM, IFTY, TSG, MCG, Tianba, PeRo, to join the tournament from 5th February to 28th March. Since the early February, the PCL teams had been training in the theme center.

Each team gets a dedicated game room and a lounge. The posters of their highlight moment are hanging in the team room. The lounges are equipped with large display screens and training boards for the teams to resume after games. The battle flags hang high and team sighs stand out, which makes the fighting atmosphere strong.

Unlike previous closed venues, the first floor area of PGI.S arena will be open to fans. PUBG peripheral products and PUBG elements, like level 3 helmets, pans, telephone booths, can be seen everywhere, and the whole venue is decorated into PGI.S style, to provide an immersive theme center experience.   

Meanwhile, the center has been strictly comply with local COVID restriction, and staffs would get COVID test weekly. It is reported that the theme eSports center may be open for free later, for fans to watch games, as well as surprise activities such as on-site visits of mysterious celebrities. Many PUBG fans have already got itchy feet to visit and said they want to check in at the center. 

Before the Rank Decision start, the head coaches of these teams also assembled for media interviews for the first time. Lei Huang, coach of Tianba, said PGI.S is the first time Tianba stand on the stage of world championship. With the support of fans, the goal of is to win the championship. If GEN.G scramble landing points with us, we will make them come to nothing. The head coach of PeRo, who has been assigned into the ‘death group’, said, as a old Chinese saying tells us: a bold fool could beat the master, we will play in the matches without burden. As for the coach Xiaoyao, who is from 4AM, a team that has been on global stage from times with good performance, said, the team is currently in a stable state of mind, and there is not much ups and downs. The goal of 4AM is to win a championship in the final week!

Wanyoo eSports center across China will also cheer for PCL teams by holding online events. Every time the PCL teams win a game, the PGI.S Mainland China internet live streaming room will have Wanyoo’s gift cards distributed. There are also chances to win rewards such as Huawei tablets while watching PGI.S. The more they win, the more rewards audiences can get.

PGI.S, following the FACEIT Global Summit 2019, is once again a deep cooperation between Wanyoo eSports and PUBG. They connect online tournaments with offline scene, competition Venues superpose on players’ experience. Through creating an ‘eSports complex’, which holds events like professional tournaments, group playing, watching lives, checking in events, sale peripheral products,  Wanyoo and PUBG make more eSports players to be ‘eSports experiencers’, enhance dialogue with mass players, and explore the new development of PUBG eSports ecology.

Wanyoo has also developing its eSports center business out side of China. By now, Wanyoo has operating eSports centers in USA, Canada, England, Australia, Singapore. For franchise information, please contact email: gaoyilan@wywk.cn, or Facebook: @OfficialWanyoo.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=39316

Yamaha unveils demonstration project for Japan online sight tours

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 -- Yamaha Corporation has developed the online ‘Video Tour’ and ‘Remote Tour’ programmes, both of which make it possible for people to enjoy seeing spots in Japan remotely and safely from their homes.

‘Video Tour’ makes it possible to enjoy visiting various locations on video with multi-language subtitles and several interactive functions, while ‘Remote Tour’ allows people to enjoy travelling in Japan through real-time video.

Participants can send applause and cheers to the venues visited and/or send tips to them just by tapping the buttons on their smartphones while enjoying the ‘Remote Tour’. 

This function is powered by Yamaha's original technology ‘Remote Cheerer’. One can take part in both types of tours through the ‘OMOTENASHI GUIDE’ application.

According to a statement, the company is holding a demonstration project for the online tours in February.

Demonstrations of the new ‘Audio Guide/Explanatory Guide’ application, which can be used safely to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection in museum and elsewhere, will also be conducted in preparation for the resumption of inbound travel to Japan.

The demonstration project is being carried out as part of the project to strengthen the profitability of arts and culture on consignment from the Cultural Affairs Agency, in connection with the agency's Strategic Project to Create Culture and the Arts for fiscal 2020.

-- BERNAMA

Zynga’s fourth quarter, full year 2020 financial results released

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 -- Zynga Inc has released financial results for its fourth quarter and full year ended Dec 31, 2020 by posting management’s Q4 2020 Quarterly Earnings Letter to its Investor Relations website.

“In an unprecedented year, our talented and resilient teams finished Q4 strong, delivering our highest quarterly revenue and bookings in Zynga’s history,” said Zynga Chief Executive Officer, Frank Gibeau, in a statement.

“Our execution throughout 2020 added meaningful scale to our live services platform and strengthened our position as one of the leading mobile game publishers in the world.

“Our live services portfolio is off to a tremendous start in 2021 led by our Forever Franchises, momentum in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells and two new top downloaded hyper-casual games from Rollic.

“Zynga’s multi-year strategy of growing our live services, launching new games and investing in exciting growth opportunities has us well positioned for growth in 2021 and beyond.”

Zynga is a global leader in interactive entertainment with a mission to connect the world through games. More details at www.zynga.com.

-- BERNAMA

US FDA approves Triastek application for Med™ 3D printed pharmaceutical product

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 -- The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Triastek Inc (Triastek) Investigational New Drug (IND) 505(b)(2) application for its first 3D printed drug product – T19.

According to a statement from the pharmaceutical company specialising in 3D printing of drug products, it is indicated for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Developed in-house, Triastek has global intellectual property rights to the T19 3D printed formulation.

The novel design made possible by 3D printing allows T19 to function as a chronotherapeutic drug delivery system, targeting the circadian nature of RA symptoms.

T19 utilises Melt Extrusion Deposition (MED™) 3D printing technology to achieve three-dimensional tablet structures, allowing precise control of drug release to achieve the desired target PK in the human body.

Following T19, Triastek has developed 505(b)(2) product portfolio to meet specific clinical needs and improve outcomes of drug therapy using MED™ 3D printing technology.

Triastek plans to apply for IND approval in China later this year, followed by applications in Japan and Europe. The New Drug Application of T19 is expected to be filed to the US FDA in 2023.

-- BERNAMA

Nippon Express makes Fortune magazine's 'World’s Most Admired Companies’ list

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 -- Nippon Express Co Ltd has been ranked fifth in the Delivery Industry category of the 2021 list of the ‘World's Most Admired Companies’.

According to a statement, the list, which was published by the American business magazine Fortune, makes the company the only Japanese company selected in that category.

The magazine has published the rankings annually since 1997, selecting companies by surveying corporate executives, securities analysts and others, evaluating companies in nine areas.

The areas are management quality, products/services quality, innovativeness, long-term investment value, financial soundness, human resource management, social responsibility, corporate assets utilisation and international competitiveness.

This year's assessments covered 670 companies in 30 countries that satisfied certain criteria, and 15 Japanese companies were selected in 11 categories.

Fortune is an internationally respected business magazine that publishes rankings such as ‘Fortune 500’ and ‘Fortune Global 500’ that garner worldwide attention, and its global readership includes numerous corporate executives and other business professionals.

-- BERNAMA

CSOP STAR 50 Index ETF on HKEX, begins trading Feb 10

CSOP STAR 50 Index ETF (stock ticker: 3109.HK) (Graphic: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 -- CSOP Asset Management Limited (CSOP) recently announced the listing of CSOP STAR 50 Index ETF (stock ticker: 3109.HK) on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

CSOP STAR 50 Index ETF will enable global investors to catch investment opportunities brought by the fast growing high-tech companies and strategic emerging companies listed in Shanghai Stock Exchange Star Market (the Star market).

With listing price at around HKD15.6 per unit, trading lot of 100 and management fee of 0.99 per cent, CSOP STAR 50 Index ETF will start to trade on Feb 10. (HKD100 = RM52.358)

According to a statement, upon inception, 3109.HK has received RMB92.3 million initial investment.

Against the backdrop of the rising enterprises of science and technology innovation in China, STAR 50 Index tracks the 50 securities with largest market capitalisation and good liquidity listed on the Star market.

Designed to serve China’s national strategy of science and technology innovation, the index consists of sectors which can define the future development including information technology, healthcare and telecommunication services.

According to historical data, the STAR 50 Index has achieved returns of 4.69 per cent since the beginning of 2021 to Jan 27, comparable with CSI 500 Index of three per cent return.

Managing Director, Head of Business Development and Product Strategy & Solutions, Melody He said: “STAR 50 Index is widely deemed as an index representing performance of the rising stars in the science and technology sectors in China and we are very glad to bring 3109.HK tracking this index to the market.”

-- BERNAMA

Genetec locks 3-year security upgrade project with Changi Airport Group

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 -- Genetec Inc (Genetec) has been chosen by one of the world’s most innovative and technologically advanced airports, Singapore’s Changi Airport Group to enhance and upgrade its security system.

The three-year project, which is expected to be completed by 2023-end, will see Genetec’s platform underpinning the airport’s security operations, with specific focus on the video surveillance system across its terminals.

According to a statement, Genetec™ Security Center is a unified security platform blending IP security systems within a single intuitive interface.

Genetec Commercial Lead Transportation (APAC), Giovanni Taccori said: “Increasingly, our airport customers are understanding the deep business insights Security Center is capable of delivering, its ability to inform and create value for multiple areas of an airport business operation, and improve the overall passenger and employee experience.

More details on Genetec solutions for airports at https://www.genetec.com/solutions/industries/airports

-- BERNAMA

THE SUCCESSOR OF THE 600-YEAR-OLD "ORIENTAL CHOCOLATE" SEEKS INHERITANCE PATH IN HAIKOU

 

^{The worker pours the boiled brown sugar syrup into a mold and waits for it to be air-dried into sugar cubes.}


HAIKOU, China, Feb. 8, 2021 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/ --

The Spring Festival, the most significant festival in Chinese culture, was just around the corner. Wu Qizhen, the 66-year-old successor of a traditional sugar-making technique included in the intangible cultural heritage list, was busy instructing workers to manufacture the brown sugar for the last "sweet" order before the festival on February 3.
 
Mr. Wu's brown sugar workshop was established in Zuntan Town, the south of Haikou, Hainan province. According to historical records, the traditional sugar-making industry has existed in Zuntan Town for over 600 years. The local sugarcane provides the raw material for the Zuntan brown sugar, which is manufactured through such procedures as juicing, boiling and solidifying. It is known as the "Oriental Chocolate" with high nutritional and medicinal value.
 
Mr. Wu told us that his brown sugar is made with an ancestral technique, including juice extraction, filtration, boiling and crystallization. The process of turning raw sugarcane juice into syrup takes about 8 to 12 hours. After the boiling, the syrup is poured into molds to get cubes after solidification and air-drying. Those sugar cube has the attractive shape and color of chocolate, but the taste is refreshingly sweet after it rapidly melts in the mouth.
 
According to Mr. Wu, the locals have regarded the traditional sugar-making technique as a sweet but hard-working skill with a low yield. Now, there are only five traditional sugar technique successors in Zuntan Town, all of whom are over 50 years old.
 
Mr. Wu's traditional brown sugar workshop has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage project in Haikou (at the provincial level). In addition to the traditional product portfolio of the ginger brown sugar, the rose brown sugar and jujube brown sugar, Mr. Wu planned to invent a new variety with Hainan characteristics, the coconut brown sugar. He also upgraded the production equipment in 2020, and began to train his son to be the sixth generation of traditional sugar technique successor. "Perhaps, there will be more people willing to learn the traditional art of sugar-making when the sugar workshop gains more growth," said Mr. Wu.
 
Source: Wu Qizhen's brown sugar workshop
 
Image Attachments Links:
 
   Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=383875
 
   Caption: The worker pours the boiled brown sugar syrup into a mold and waits for it to be air-dried into sugar cubes.

Toshiba 100V high-current photorelay for industrial equipment launched

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (Toshiba) has launched ‘TLP241B’, a high-current photorelay in a DIP4 package for industrial equipment such as programmable logic controllers and I/O interfaces. 

According to a statement, samples and production quantities are available now.

TLP241B has integrated MOSFET based on Toshiba’s latest generation of U-MOS process. With TLP241B, the OFF-state output terminal voltage is extended to 100V, a 150 per cent improvement from the 40V of the current TLP241A.

It is housed in a versatile DIP4 package, and is the industry’s first DIP4 packaged product to deliver 100V OFF-state output terminal voltage, 2A ON-state current and 5kV isolation voltage.

TLP241B can replace a 1-Form-A contact mechanical relay. Unlike mechanical relays, TLP241B has no moving contacts to degrade.

Its low current drive feature also improves product life. Other benefits are fast response time and PCB space saving due to smaller package size.

More details at https://toshiba.semicon-storage.com/ap-en/top.html.

-- BERNAMA

Development Starts on PROSTYLE Sapporo Miyanomori, Luxury Residential Complex Built with Lavish Amount of Natural Solid Wood amid Rich Nature in Sapporo, Northern Japan

 TOKYO, Feb. 4, 2021 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ --

- Designed and Supervised by World-famous Architect Kengo Kuma -

PROSTYLE INC. has announced the start of development of PROSTYLE Sapporo Miyanomori, a luxury residential complex set on high ground in the Miyanomori area of Chuo-ku, Sapporo. World-famous architect Kengo Kuma, who designed the complex, will supervise its development. PROSTYLE INC. is a group company of PROPOLIFE GROUP INC., which operates a range of real estate companies. It is headquartered in Tokyo's Minato district, and led by President Satoshi Oyamatsu.

Image1: Model of exterior
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106454/202101220083/_prw_PI1fl_VR4FNvSk.jpg

- Architect Kengo Kuma's Wood-based Design Set to Make Residents Feel Truly at Home While Living Life of Luxury

PROSTYLE Sapporo Miyanomori owes its design to world-famous architect Kengo Kuma, known for his style that incorporates wooden architecture into modernistic designs, such as the Japan National Stadium and the JR East Takanawa Gateway Station. Meanwhile, PROSTYLE has specialized in the use of natural solid wood since its establishment. Together, Kuma and PROSTYLE aim to create a residence where residents can lead lives of luxury surrounded by wood.

Inspired by the nature-rich location of Miyanomori, the residential building will be constructed along the slope of a hill that provides a sweeping view of the Sapporo cityscape. With 11 stories, PROSTYLE Sapporo Miyanomori is designed as one large house made up of smaller individual residences. The warmth of the natural solid wood and the design of the architecture itself will make residents feel truly at home, unlike typical housing complexes.

Residents will experience the pleasure of being surrounded by wood with all five senses. The outer wall will be made with lavish amounts of thinned (*) Japanese cedar from Hokkaido, a type of wood known as Donan Sugi. The frames for the concrete will also use thinned wood. The complex has been designed with conservation of the local environment in mind, actively incorporating challenging techniques that would not be possible with a typical urban condominium building.

(*) Thinned wood is collected when thinning out trees that have clustered too close together during the growth process of a forest. Thinning helps prevent landslides and global warming.

Image2: The tasteful design of the entrance sets the mood.

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106454/202101220083/_prw_PI2fl_dz6ps44H.jpg

Image3: The warmth of wood permeates the living room, not only from the flooring but also the facade seen from the window.
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Image4: The rooftop balcony is ideal for BBQs in the spring and summer, or stargazing next to a heater in the autumn and winter.
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- Miyanomori Drawing Attention in Hokkaido for Its Seasonal Beauty and Everyday Conveniences

Among the 10 wards of Sapporo, the urban functionality of Chuo-ku stands apart due to systematic urban development since the area was pioneered. Miyanomori is a particularly charming area that is also home to peaceful, nationally protected old-growth forests and wild animals. It takes 6 minutes on foot to reach Maruyama Park, one of the most famous spots in Sapporo for viewing cherry blossoms. Residents can enjoy the beauty of each season not only from their homes, but also in the surrounding area.

Transportation in the area is very convenient. It is about 10 minutes by car to central Sapporo. On the subway, it is only 6 minutes from the nearest station (Maruyama-Koen Station) to Odori Station, or 44 minutes to New Chitose Airport Station.

There are also a number of cultural facilities within driving distance where winter sports can be enjoyed, including a ski resort with a jump stadium that was used for the 1972 Sapporo Olympics.

Image5:
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A website for members launched on February 4 (available in English and Chinese).
https://www.prostyle-residence.com/sapporo/miyanomori/en/

- Architect's profile: Kengo Kuma

Architect, Distinguished Professor and Emeritus Professor at the University of Tokyo. In childhood, Kenzo Tange's work on the Yoyogi Gymnasium for the Tokyo Olympics left a heavy impression on him, and he resolved to become an architect. After serving as a visiting researcher at Columbia University, he founded Kengo Kuma and Associates in 1990. He has designed architecture in more than 20 countries and has received numerous national and international awards. Kuma aims to create architecture that merges with its cultural and environmental surroundings, using gentle and human-scale designs. He is also exploring new materials that can replace concrete and iron for architecture in a post-industrial society.

Photo:

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For more details, please visit:

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106454/202101220083/_prw_PA1fl_70KNVjAV.pdf


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APIB PARTNERING WITH CHINA GOVERNMENT LINKED ENTREPRISE, DONGHAI INTERNATIONAL TO BE A DIVERSIFIED AND STRATEGIC ONE STOP FINANCIAL CENTER

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- Asia Pacific Investment Bank (“APIB”) has officially signed a cooperation framework agreement with Donghai International Financial Holding Company (“DongHai International”), a China government linked enterprise from Jiangsu Province. Under the said cooperation, both parties will collaborate across various sectors such as financial bonds, wealth management, fund investment, cross border transaction, Islamic financing and etc.

APIB’s CEO, Mr Chris Wang stated that the One Belt One Road (“OBOR”) Initiatives open up historical opportunities for Chinese enterprises and at the same time promoting the spirit of win-win situation of the traditional Chinese culture. Through the cooperation with DongHai International, APIB is demonstrating that Chinese enterprises are actively venturing their businesses outside of China. He added that the cooperation will not only promote integrated development across Greater Bay Area, ASEAN as well as Asia Pacific Region; but also to enhance the efficiency, stability and accuracy of capital flows.

“The signing of this cooperation framework agreement will not only strengthen the fundamental of cooperation with investment bank but at the same time, open up more possibilities for various business cooperation between parties ranging from investment, asset management, cross border and any other sectors. Thus, the cooperation will contribute to national agenda of OBOR initiative in financial development.” Says Mr Chris Wang.

APIB PARTNERING WITH CHINA GOVERNMENT LINKED ENTREPRISE, DONGHAI INTERNATIONAL TO BE A DIVERSIFIED AND STRATEGIC ONE STOP FINANCIAL CENTER

Tricor Group 2021 Asia Pacific Trade Report focuses Singapore's RCEP impact, COVID-19 recovery

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 -- Compared to other transnational free trade agreements, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) -- signed by Singapore and 14 other countries last November and expected to be implemented this year -- is unrivalled in its complexity.

RCEP remarkably lays the framework for a pan-Asian basic standard for trade that surpasses the terms provided by the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to Tricor Group’s 2021 Asia Pacific Trade Report.

The report, released recently to media outlets and prominent business leaders, applies industry data from a multitude of research and media sources to offer perspectives, insights, observations and projections compiled by senior Tricor executives on how global trade trends will impact APAC trade and investment activity in the year ahead.

In particular, the report focuses on how the landmark implementation of the RCEP in 2021 is likely to enhance market openness and create new opportunities for global enterprises in Singapore and APAC against the challenging backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic recovery.

In a statement, Tricor Singapore Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Ho Lon Gee, said: "The RCEP is expected to greatly enhance regional cross-border trade, which is at the very heart of Singapore's open and export-oriented economy.

“Once RCEP is implemented and in force, companies in Singapore will enjoy greater flexibility in their sourcing strategies, gaining access to a larger pool of suppliers throughout the RCEP zone.”

Tricor Group is the leading business expansion specialist in Asia, with global knowledge and local expertise in business, corporate, investor, human resources & payroll, and corporate trust & debt services.

-- BERNAMA

IVANTI TO ACQUIRE CHERWELL TO ENABLE END-TO-END SERVICE AND ASSET MANAGEMENT

 The combination cements Ivanti’s position as the only Enterprise Service Management vendor to offer end-to-end service and asset management from IT to lines of business and from every endpoint to the IoT edge

SALT LAKE CITY & COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Feb 2 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Ivanti, Inc., the automation platform that makes every IT connection smarter and more secure, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cherwell Software, a global leader in enterprise service management solutions. The terms of the Cherwell transaction were not disclosed.

Ivanti is acquiring Cherwell to expand the reach of its Neurons platform, providing end-to-end service and asset management from IT to lines of business and from every endpoint to the IoT edge. Ivanti will continue to maintain and invest in both Cherwell and Ivanti service management platforms while working to converge the best aspects of each. Neurons, Ivanti’s hyper-automation platform, accelerates this vision by connecting the Unified Endpoint Management, Security, and Enterprise Service Management solutions and provides a single pane of glass for enterprises to proactively, predictably and autonomously self-heal and self-secure devices, and self-service end users. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company will continue to be led by Ivanti chairman and CEO Jim Schaper.

“The combination of Cherwell and Ivanti accelerates our innovation at the intersection of unified endpoint management, security, and enterprise service management,” said Schaper. “The blend of our two companies, with strong and complementary product capabilities, will further unlock the potential of our hyper-automation platform to service all IT assets and endpoints in the everywhere enterprise. Together, we will build a deeper and more vertically oriented enterprise service management solution. And Neurons, our AI-powered engine that will ultimately be the center of this transformation, moves us from a point-level solution to a truly integrated platform for our users.”

“We are excited to join Ivanti and help our customers achieve better business outcomes, innovate faster, and digitally transform their businesses with a unified IT management solution,” said Sam Gilliland, chief executive officer, Cherwell. “As it relates to the future of work, Ivanti shares our belief that secure, automated workflows can dramatically change and improve the daily lives of employees while also driving trusted business outcomes. We look forward to continuing to innovate to address the growing market demand for the future of work, giving our customers the critical tools they need to tackle IT challenges associated with the new normal.”

About Ivanti

Ivanti’s automation platform makes every IT connection smarter and more secure across devices, infrastructure and people. From PCs and mobile devices to virtual desktop infrastructure and the data center, Ivanti discovers, manages, secures and services IT assets from cloud to edge in the everywhere enterprise -- while delivering personalized employee experiences. In the everywhere enterprise, corporate data flows freely across devices and servers, empowering workers to be productive wherever and however they work. Ivanti is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah and has offices all over the world. For more information, visit www.ivanti.com and follow @GoIvanti. 

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Vitruvian Partners to acquire Expereo majority shareholding

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 -- Vitruvian Partners, the international growth capital and buyout firm, has reached an agreement with Apax Partners sas, the European private equity firm based in Paris, to acquire a majority shareholding in Expereo.

Apax Partners will remain a minority shareholder alongside Vitruvian Partners and the company's management team, who will continue to lead the business. 

The completion of the transaction is subject to obtaining customary merger control clearances, according to a statement.

“Vitruvian Partners will further bolster our ambitious growth trajectory, enabling us to capitalise even faster on the fundamental changes and opportunities digital transformation brings in the global network and cloud connectivity space,” said Expereo Chief Executive Officer, Irwin Fouwels.

Meanwhile, Vitruvian Partners Senior Partner, David Nahama said: “Together with Apax, we believe we have significant capital and operational capabilities to support Expereo's growth and acquisition aspirations.”

The world's leading provider of Managed Internet, Cloud access and SD-WAN solutions, Expereo has a strong track record of growth, financial performance and value-enhancing acquisitions.

This solidifies its position as a market leader in providing managed Global Internet and network connectivity solutions to its communication service provider partners and an impressive array of multinational corporate customers spanning the globe.

More details at www.expereo.com.

-- BERNAMA

Nippon Express (Thailand) gets GDP certification for domestic transport services

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 -- Nippon Express (Thailand) Co Ltd (NE Thailand), a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co Ltd based in Tokyo, has obtained Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification, effective Dec 22, evidencing its compliance with standards for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals applicable to domestic transport services in Thailand linked to air cargo forwarding.

With Thailand in recent years having seen its birthrate decline, its society ages and an increasing number of people become afflicted with lifestyle-related illnesses as their lifestyles become more westernised, the Thai public has taken a growing interest in medical care and medicine.

Accordingly, Thailand's pharmaceutical market has achieved annual growth rates of about five per cent over the past few years and imported pharmaceuticals account for around 57 per cent of the pharmaceutical market as a whole.

Having acquired GDP certification for its domestic transport services, NE Thailand will first be intensifying sales of import forwarding and distribution services to Japanese pharmaceutical sales companies and collaborating with Nippon Express Group companies that have already obtained GDP certification to step up sales to non-Japanese companies, as well.

According to a statement, Nippon Express will continue striving to provide high-quality transport services linked up to a global network that gives it an edge over competitors.

For details, visit http://www.nipponexpress.com/

-- BERNAMA

Jumio appoints 3 new members to further accelerate growth, platform sales

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 -- Jumio, the leading provider of AI-powered end-to-end identity verification and eKYC solutions, has announced three appointments to its leadership team, following a landmark year whereby, it reached record sales revenues, sign a number of marquee customers, make a key acquisition and realise strong returns on its 2020 channel focus.

According to a statement, the appointments involve Mark Reeves, Micah Willbrand and Mike Ruiz.

Reeves, appointed as Jumio’s new vice-president of EMEA revenue, will be based in London and focus on the continued expansion of the company’s new business, working closely to grow its current customer base and align support services to delight customers.

He has more than 30 years of experience in scaling operations, building high-growth teams and disrupting industry practices across the theater.

Meanwhile, Willbrand, appointed as VP of product for AML services, also brings extensive experience to Jumio as a strategic and operational leader for some of the industry's marquee brands in anti-money laundering, risk management, identity and authentication solutions.

Willbrand will oversee the integration and expansion of the Beam Solutions AML platform acquisition as it is adopted by Jumio customers and channel partners.

Ruiz, who joins Jumio as director of Western US sales, brings more than 15 years of leadership experience from GridGain where he ran enterprise sales and Informatica, running Western US sales through hypergrowth from US$180 million to over US$1.1 billion. (US$1 = RM4.045)

Jumio’s Chief Revenue Officer, Dean Hickman-Smith said: “Together, they will help us continue to build upon our tremendously successful 2020, further expanding across EMEA and North America and layering in incremental platform-based AML services.”

-- BERNAMA