Bank Of China Group Insurance Company Limited's Credit Ratings affirmed -- AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Hong Kong's Bank of China Group Insurance Company Limited (BOCG Insurance).

According to a statement, the outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

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

The risk-adjusted capitalisation level of BOCG Insurance remained at the strongest level as of year-end 2021, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.

The company’s capital and surplus continued to grow organically in 2021, supported by profit retention and favourable capital gains.

Over the 2017-2021 period, BOCG Insurance remained profitable with solid return-on-equity.

The company’s net profit in 2021 was underpinned by solid investment returns, supported by its share of profits from investments in associated insurance companies, coupled with a stable stream of interest and dividend income from its fixed income-oriented investment portfolio.

In 2021, BOCG Insurance ranked 11th in terms of Hong Kong onshore non-life gross written premium, with a market share of 2.7 per cent. The company’s underwriting portfolio remains diversified with four major product lines – namely property damage; accident and health; motor; and, general liability.

Going forward, the company is expected to focus on direct business, while maintaining the premium scale of its inward reinsurance portfolio.

AM Best expects the company to continue leveraging the broad branch network of its banking parent to tap the vast customer base and obtain profitable business.

-- BERNAMA

International applications to business schools soared as domestic demand softened - GMAC survey

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- Total applications to graduate business schools dipped from the pandemic-level spikes, slipping 3.4 per cent year-on-year among a matched sample of programmes, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) survey report. 

The GMAC 2022 Application Trends Survey revealed that this comes after application volumes increased 2.4 per cent year-on-year in 2020 amid the start of the pandemic and sustained that level of demand in 2021 when schools reported a 0.4 per cent year-on-year increase. 

As the pandemic’s effects on mobility lessened this admissions cycle, however, international applications saw a remarkable rebound, particularly for those applying to programmes in the United States (US). 

Most US programmes reported international application increases, especially full-time two-year MBA programmes (80 per cent of programmes) and STEM-designated programmes (61 per cent). 

“Similarly in Europe, most MBA programmes either saw stability or more applications from abroad this year,” GMAC said in a statement.

The survey also revealed that applications to business master’s programmes ticked up, riding the wave of international interest. Global applications to business master’s programmes — including master in management, master of finance, and master of data analytics — grew year-on-year by 3.2 per cent.

In addition, Asia has retained more talent in-region while Canada experienced a reverse in application trends. 

Business schools in the Asia region were able to attract otherwise mobile candidates during the pandemic, while Canadian programmes saw significant drops in both domestic and international applications.

The survey was conducted between July and September with application figures submitted by 950 programmes of 264 business schools in 33 countries worldwide, aiming to examine the rapidly shifting landscape of demand for graduate management education programmes.

An annual survey in its 24th year, the 2022 study reflected perhaps the end of the pandemic-disrupted years and offers insight into how the post-pandemic market may take shape.

-- BERNAMA

Chongming's good air quality a boon to farms, crops

 

Caption: Good air quality in Chongming

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- Chongming farmers have unanimously recognised the positive impact of good air on agricultural products.

Toxic gases in the air, such as sulphur dioxide, ozone and nitrogen oxides, can enter the leaves or crops through the open stomata on their surface, thus affecting photosynthesis efficiency and damaging leaf tissue, leading to yellowing, whitening and withering of the leaves.

The Shanghai Chongming District People’s Government Information Office said the excellence of air quality in Chongming Island increased from 80.5 per cent in 2017 to 92.8 per cent in 2021.

“The concentration of fine particulate matter PM2.5 decreased by 31.6 per cent during the same period,” it said in a statement.

It said the concentration of nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitric oxide continued to decrease, reaching the national first-class standard. Chongming’s overall air quality is one of the best among Shanghai’s 16 districts.

Farmers who plant crispy taros in Luhu Village are proud of their better quality products compared to neighbouring provinces. 

“We don’t use pesticides to enhance rice growth because the soil is good, the water is good, and the air is good,” said Huang Guochao, who planted rice in Miaozhen Town and initiated the “rice-fish symbiosis” project.

In addition, the 10 hectares of honey pear planted in Xinhe Town also require a high-growth environment, and only in Chongming can they grow well, local farmers added.

-- BERNAMA

Lisa Cole Joins Cellebrite as Chief Marketing Officer

PETAH TIKVA, Israel and TYSONS CORNER, Va., Oct 25 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cellebrite DI Ltd. (Nasdaq: CLBT), a global leader in Digital Intelligence (DI) solutions for the public and private sectors, today announced Lisa Cole as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

As CMO for the leading global Digital Intelligence provider, Lisa will be responsible for the company’s overall marketing strategy and execution, which includes brand, public relations, product marketing, demand generation, and marketing operations.

“With the recent surge in crime and digital sophistication of criminals at a time of strained budgets and staff, protecting and serving citizens is harder than ever before,” said Lisa Cole, Chief Marketing Officer at Cellebrite. “Cellebrite empowers the world’s leading agencies and enterprises to modernize their investigative workflows and culture to close the widening public safety gap. I am honored to be part of Cellebrite’s next phase of growth and look forward to driving greater adoption of Digital Intelligence solutions to make the world a safer place.”

Prior to joining Cellebrite, Lisa was the Vice President of Corporate Marketing at FARO. Before FARO, she was the Chief Marketing Officer at Huron. Her transformative work for both companies improved performance and resulted in three prestigious honors: the 2022 Forrester Return on Integration (ROI) Award, SiriusDecisions’ 2018 ROI Award, and Demand Gen Report’s 2018 B2B Innovator Award. Lisa holds a BS in Marketing Management from Western Governors University.

“As Cellebrite continues to grow and evolve, it is critical that the company adjusts and pivots as needed to drive growth and success,” said Yossi Carmil, Chief Executive Officer of Cellebrite. “Lisa will help strategically elevate our marketing efforts to drive sales and further develop the company’s leadership position in the Digital Intelligence marketplace.”

About Cellebrite

Cellebrite’s (Nasdaq: CLBT) mission is to enable its customers to protect and save lives, accelerate justice, and preserve privacy in communities around the world. We are a global leader in Digital Intelligence solutions for the public and private sectors, empowering organizations in mastering the complexities of legally sanctioned digital investigations by streamlining intelligence processes. Trusted by thousands of leading agencies and companies worldwide, Cellebrite’s Digital Intelligence platform and solutions transform how customers collect, review, analyze and manage data in legally sanctioned investigations. To learn more visit us at www.cellebrite.com, https://investors.cellebrite.com, or follow us on Twitter at @Cellebrite_UFED.

 

 

Cellebrite Media
Victor Cooper
Public Relations and Corporate Communications Director
Victor.Cooper@cellebrite.com
+1 404.804.5910

Investors
Investor Relations
investors@cellebrite.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/362ab0ad-4b03-4e9c-a6fd-ee18abbd8cb5 

 

Source: Cellebrite Inc.

 

WESTROCK COFFEE SHOWCASES BEVERAGES AT SINGAPORE FOOD SERVICES AND HOSPITALITY EXPO

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- Westrock Coffee Company will be exhibiting its leading beverages at the FHA-HoReCa Food Services and Hospitality World Expo in Singapore between Oct 25 and 28.

According to a company statement, the event features the most extensive line-up of leading food services and hospitality suppliers from around the world.

“As we continue to expand beyond North America, Westrock Coffee is proud to take part in FHA-HoReCa's World Expo.

“As an industry leader with a global presence in the food services and hospitality market, we look forward to exhibiting a variety of innovative and consumer-focused products that actively blend and address both consumer trends and dynamic market capabilities,” said its executive vice president for global innovation & insights Kyle Newkirk.

At the event, Westrock Coffee will showcase a range of its beverages including Black Tea Refreshers, coffee energy drinks, coffee leaf tea and ready-to-drink beverages.

Westrock Coffee also said that it has recently completed a 90,000 square foot facility in Johor Bharu, Malaysia to enhance its roasting, packaging, and warehousing capacity for coffee and extract solutions across Asia Pacific and the Middle East and North Africa regions.

Westrock Coffee is a leading integrated coffee, tea, flavours, extracts, and ingredients provider in the US, providing coffee sourcing, supply chain management, product development, roasting, packaging and distribution services

-- BERNAMA

CHONGMING FORMULATES STRINGENT STANDARDS TO ENSURE SAFETY, SUSTAINABLE USE OF FARMLAND

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- Chongming has formulated stringent access standards for the inputs in agriculture to ensure the safety and sustainable use of farmland by establishing a green food chain mechanism and eliminating the circulation of unqualified agricultural material from the source.

It has also carried out agricultural pollution control, increased the adjustment of agricultural industrial structure, accelerated the resource utilisation of agricultural production waste, and implemented soil remediation in an orderly manner.

Chongming's soil contains much less cadmium, mercury, arsenic, lead, chromium, copper, nickel and zinc which is in line with the standard of the Ministry of Agriculture, with over 70 per cent of Chongming's farmland using high-quality or above average soil.

With less alkaline and sandy soil and rich in nutrients, the soil on Chongming Island provides fertile ground for the growth of rhizome plants such as yams, sweet potatoes and taros, according to a statement.

Chongming crispy taro has been cultivated for over 400 years and has already become a national well-known product.

Besides crispy taro, white lentil, golden melon and rice are all Chongming's characteristic agricultural products.

In recent years, Chongming has accelerated the development of seed sources, thus promoting the commercialisation, scale and industrialisation of these agricultural products.

For the highest quality produce, from restaurants to kitchen tables, green, organic, and fresh are the standard.

The “green” concept guarantees a certain quality of agricultural product, while flavour adds to the market value. In this regard, Chongming produce has a clear advantage as high-quality soil leads to high-quality crops.

-- BERNAMA

Milliken & Co commits to real net-zero greenhouse gas emissions

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- United States’ (US) industrial manufacturer Milliken & Company announced that the United Nations (UN) backed Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has approved its science-based net-zero carbon targets.

In a statement today, Milliken said it commits to real net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the first 50 companies globally to achieve approved science-based net-zero targets and joins a group of more than 1,300 companies who have made net-zero commitments using the 2021 SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard. 

“Additionally, Milliken is the first company to be approved in South Carolina, where Milliken’s global headquarters is located,” it said.

General counsel and head of sustainability at Milliken, Kasel Knight, pointed out that not all net-zero is the same.

“This is why Milliken commits to reaching real net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2018 base year.

“By working with SBTi, our net-zero commitment, along with our approved near-term and long-term targets, has been fully vetted by the best available science on a global scale,” he said.

SBTi is a coalition of international organisations dedicated to helping companies set emission reduction targets consistent with climate science and the Paris Agreement.

“At Milliken, sustainability is a core value. Climate change is placing pressure on communities, companies and our planet. The time to take meaningful action is now,” said Milliken president and chief executive officer Halsey Cook.

SBTi calculates that companies committed to cutting emissions in line with climate science now represent a third or US$38 trillion of the global economy.

-- BERNAMA

JUNIPER RESEARCH NOW ACCEPTS FUTURE DIGITAL AWARDS FOR TELCO INNOVATION 2022 ENTRIES

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- Juniper Research announced that entries are now open for the Future Digital Awards for Telco Innovation 2022.

According to a statement, entries close on Dec 2, 2022, before being assessed by Juniper Research’s expert panel of analysts. The awards will be announced on Jan 24, 2023.

This year’s Telco Innovation Future Digital Awards cover the categories of Enterprise Telco; Operator & Network Innovation; Security & Fraud; and, Judges' Choice.

In Enterprise Telco category, among the awards are CPaaS Provider of the Year (Platinum & Gold); Best Carrier Billing Solution (Platinum & Gold); Best Mobile Video Solution (Platinum); and, Best Customer Data Platform Solution (Platinum & Gold).

Meanwhile, for Operator & Network Innovation, awards include Best Digital Transformation Project in Telco (Platinum); Best 5G Roaming Service Provider (Platinum & Gold); and, Network Virtualisation Innovation of the Year (Platinum & Gold).

The Security & Fraud category includes awards for Most Innovative Anti-SMS Fraud Solution (Platinum & Gold); Best Financial Clearing Solution (Platinum & Gold); and, Best Mobile Authentication Solution (Platinum & Gold).

While the rest of the awards focus on products and solutions, the Judges’ Choice awards highlight individuals and organisations at the forefront of driving true innovation in the telco market.

Since 2008, the Future Digital Awards have been presented to telecommunications service providers at the forefront of their respective fields.

This includes companies delivering products or services which are innovative, have the potential to disrupt their ecosystems, and provide significant benefits to the market.

-- BERNAMA

METRICSTREAM’S LATEST PRODUCT DELIVERS FASTER, EASIER, PERSONALISED GRC EXPERIENCE

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- MetricStream, the global market leader in integrated risk management (IRM) and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC), announced its latest product release, focused on accelerating GRC programme performance.

According to a statement, this includes a faster, safer, easier, and more personalised Connected GRC experience.

The modernised, purpose-built low-code/no-code platform empowers customers to easily personalise and configure products to their unique needs.

GRC professionals are demanding flexible and scalable software systems that meet the unique needs of their rapidly evolving risk profiles.

The modern low code/no code platform allows individual customers to adapt the MetricStream platform, functions, and features to their unique business requirements.

New platform product release includes the technology advancements such as faster, safer, easier configurations; seamless integration with third-party systems; and, deliver GRC insights in minutes.

Administrators can access simple GRC domain-specific language which allows them to personalise and configure applications, create and change fields, reports, and templates, and meet rapidly changing business needs without complex programming.

MetricStream is headquartered in San Jose, California, with an operations and R&D centre in Bangalore, India, and sales and operations support around the globe.

-- BERNAMA

KIOXIA UNVEILS XD7P SERIES DRIVES FOR HYPERSCALE DATA CENTRES

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- Kioxia Corporation is furthering its mission to address the specific requirements of enterprise and data centre applications by introducing the KIOXIA XD7P Series Data Centre NVMe solid-state drives (SSDs).

It is designed for hyperscale and general server applications in the new Enterprise and Data Centre Standard Form Factor E1.S form factor.

KIOXIA XD7P Series Drives are the second generation of Kioxia’s E1.S SSDs with Open Compute Project Data Centre NVMe SSD support, following its KIOXIA XD6 Series.

According to a statement, KIOXIA XD7P Series Drives are now sampling to select customers.

The KIOXIA XD7P Series utilises a proprietary Kioxia controller, which can be customised to customer needs.

Kioxia is committed to uplifting the world with “memory” by offering products, services and systems that create choice for customers and memory-based value for society.

-- BERNAMA

Security information and event management spending to exceed US$6.4 bln by 2027 -- Juniper Research

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Total business spending on security information and event management (SIEM) is expected to exceed US$6.4 billion globally by 2027, up from just over US$4.4 billion in 2022, according to a new Juniper Research study. (US$1=RM4.71)

It predicted that the 45 per cent growth will be driven by the transition from term licence, where businesses can use SIEM for specific licence lengths, to more flexible Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) models, where SIEM solutions are purchased via monthly subscription.

A SIEM system is a combination of security information management (SIM) and security event management (SEM), resulting in real-time automated analysis of security alerts generated by applications and network hardware, leading to improved corporate cybersecurity.

The research identified the world’s leading SIEM providers by evaluating their offerings and key factors leading to their respective success such as the breadth and depth of their platforms.

The top three vendors are IBM, Rapid7, and Splunk, according to a statement.

In addition, the research found that SaaS business models within SIEM are gaining traction, accounting for almost 73 per cent of global business spending on SIEM in 2027, from only 37 per cent in 2022. 

This significant increase represents an opportunity for newer vendors to break into the market with appealing SaaS-based models. Nonetheless, SIEM vendors must be careful not to ignore larger enterprises, which still prefer term licences.

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

-- BERNAMA

Abaxx submits carbon futures contract notification to monetary authority of Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- Financial software company, Abaxx Technologies Inc (Abaxx) has submitted an initial notification of the Impending Listing of Futures Contracts to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) through its subsidiary, Abaxx Exchange Pte Ltd.

In a statement, the company said the futures contract is designed to address the price discovery and risk management needs of emission market participants active in the emerging Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), and the notice was required for all new products to be listed at launch.

It said Abaxx Exchange would file similar submissions for other products it intends to list at launch, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) futures contracts in the coming weeks.

Abaxx added that the additional contract submissions would not delay the process of satisfying the final conditions related to the registered market operator and approved clearing house licences.

The company, which operates the Abaxx Commodity Exchange (ACX), said the launch of the Registered Market Operator and Approved Clearing House as well as the futures contracts intended to be listed by the ACX remained subject to final regulatory approvals.

“Beyond the current market challenges in LNG, Abaxx is best positioned to deliver to our stakeholders by focusing on market infrastructure challenges before they present themselves.

“We’re looking forward to revealing our carbon-neutral commodity market structure in early 2023, and we are pleased to submit our first VCM futures contract to the MAS this week,” said Abaxx chief executive officer Josh Crumb.

The company intends to provide further regulatory milestone updates subsequent to filing its third quarter 2022 management discussion and analysis.

Abaxx is also the majority shareholder of Abaxx Singapore Pte Ltd and the producer of SmarterMarkets Media.

-- BERNAMA

eCloudvalley among best companies to work for in Asia 2022

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- eCloudvalley Digital Technology was recently named one of the best companies to work for in Asia by the leading human resources magazine HR Asia.

The magazine has distributed a series of questionnaires to multiple organisations for employees to answer anonymously.

According to the study, eCloudvalley is far ahead of the market average in terms of “encouraging innovation, building a shared and flexible environment, and creating a friendly working atmosphere”.

The culture of eCloudvalley is deeply rooted in their Day 1 innovative spirit which has resulted in their impeccable working conditions.

“The cloud industry is rapidly changing, and only those with a growth mindset can face the unknown challenges. Everyone in eCloudvalley is a market game changer.

“As eCloudvalley continues to grow and our talent pool expands, we remain committed to the spirit of Day 1 and embrace innovation,” said chief executive officer MP Tsai in a statement.

The born-in-the-cloud company has established a strategic recruiting process to target potential cloud talents through its own recruiting process called “STAR Principle”, an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

It requires recruiters to ask situational questions and assess whether candidates can provide innovative and flexible solutions in a limited amount of time.

eCloudvalley has grown to over 600 employees with 10 locations in the Asia Pacific region.

-- BERNAMA

​GRADIANT SECURES OVER US$30 MLN WORTH OF CONTRACTS IN SEPTEMBER

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- Global water solutions provider, Gradiant, has secured a slate of contract awards worth more than US$30 million (US$1=RM4.71).

The contracts were awarded by multi-national corporations in Singapore, Australia, Belgium, the United States, Malaysia and India, spanning across various industries such as semiconductors, industrial protective equipment and infrastructure, food and beverage, as well as pharmaceuticals. 

“These project awards demonstrate the compelling value proposition of Gradiant’s full-technology stack.

“We continue to grow by delivering complete solutions for an increasingly diverse, high-quality mix of industrial applications,” said Gradiant chief operating officer, Prakash Govindan in a statement today.

The company will deploy a range of advanced water and wastewater solutions to enable its industrial clients to meet their sustainability goals, reduce operational costs and ensure business continuity.

According to the statement, Gradiant will design and build an ultrapure water and wastewater treatment facility for a new semiconductor fabrication plant in Singapore, to be delivered on an accelerated schedule in order to allow chip manufacturing to commence in early 2023. 

The company will also deliver an effluent treatment and zero liquid discharge waste minimisation system for a leading manufacturer of industrial protective equipment, located in a greenfield site in India.

The contracts also include two wastewater treatment projects for large infrastructure projects by New South Wales (Australia) government agencies.

Gradiant operates from its global headquarters in Boston, regional headquarters and global technology labs in Singapore, and offices across 12 countries.

-- BERNAMA

SS&C Europe to use Napier's financial crime risk management platform

SS&C Europe upgrades financial services offering with Napier partnership (Graphic: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- Napier has announced that SS&C Europe will be upgrading its offerings with its AI-enhanced financial crime risk management platform - Napier Continuum.

Napier is a compliance technology specialist that helps financial institutions fight financial crimes while SS&C Europe is a financial services firm.

Napier Continuum enables large-scale customer screenings and rescreening capabilities. It also has transaction monitoring tools.

The system is designed to scale alongside increasing compliance obligations as the business grows, making it the natural choice for SS&C.

“We’re incredibly excited to be working with SS&C to provide them with a robust, agile anti-money laundering compliance system.

“Our solutions are engineered to empower compliance teams to make fully informed and data-driven decisions, minimising false positives and false negatives,” said Napier chief executive officer Greg Watson in a statement.

SS&C Europe will now benefit from increased visibility over transactions moving through its systems, gaining access to detailed intelligence data to manage workflows more efficiently.

Napier’s flexible and scalable platform will allow SS&C to adapt easily to any future business requirements.

For more details, please go to www.napier.ai.

-- BERNAMA

Aurora IP embarks on forward-looking initiatives as global production shifts from China to Vietnam

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Aurora IP, a textile industrial park developed by Vietnam’s leading real estate developer Cat Tuong Group, is embarking on forward-looking initiatives as multinational companies shift their production from China to Vietnam.

“For the past few years, Vietnam has emerged as a very important supply chain node for the textile and garment industry.

“With the wave of operations shifting out of China, Aurora IP is considered one of the most ideal destinations for investors in the textile industry,” said Tran Quoc Viet, the chairman and chief executive officer of Cat Tuong Group in a statement.

Converging many outstanding advantages, many investors consider Aurora IP as the most preferable and potential destination in Nam Dinh province.

The development of a specialised textile industrial park like Aurora IP is one of the important factors contributing to the take-off of the industrial real estate market not only for Nam Dinh province but also for Vietnam.

With a total phase 1 area of about 520 hectares, Aurora IP aims to build a textile-dyeing specialised industrial park with a strategy of green – clean - sustainable development orientation, ensuring to improve the quality of life for the local community as well as a favourable working environment for experts and workers.

In addition to land leasing, Aurora IP also provides built-to-suit factory solutions which certainly boost flexibility for the investment plan of secondary investors.

Apple Inc in June this year was reported to be moving some iPad production out of China and shifting it to Vietnam, together with other tech giants such as Google, and Microsoft.

This made the country a hotter-than-ever destination in the wave of a global shift away from Chinese production.

Besides technology, textiles and garments also witnessed a strong shift away from China to Vietnam as the country continues to be an important link in the global supply chain.

-- BERNAMA

HONG KONG TO ATTRACT VISITORS WITH ARTS & CULTURE SHOWCASE

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Hong Kong is set to showcase a new series of arts and culture experiences this autumn to attract visitors to the city.

From Nov 17 to mid-December, 2022, the First Initiative Foundation will hold a large-scale public art exhibition, “TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK”, next to the iconic Tsim Sha Tsui clock tower. 

The exhibition will feature renowned American artist WhIsBe's largest art piece to date, a giant red sculpture standing over eight metres high. A smaller teal sculpture, standing 2.5 metres high, will also be featured nearby beside the iconic Hong Kong harbour front.

The city will also play host to an immersive media art exhibition, ARTE Museum at K11 Atelier King’s Road, a 15-month special temporary edition of ARTE Museum’s first-ever overseas location.

Bringing together six media artworks under the theme “Eternal Nature”, the exhibition will move permanently to 11 SKIES in late-2023 to early-2024, with more works added to the collection.

Meanwhile, M+ will hold the “Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now” exhibition from Nov 12, 2022 – May 14, 2023.

The exhibition will be Kusama’s largest retrospective in Asia outside Japan, featuring over 200 works from major collections from museums and private collections from Asia, Europe and the United States, the M+ Collection and the artist’s own collection.

Additionally, from Oct 27, 2022, to Jan 15, 2023, the Cultural Plaza at the West Kowloon Cultural District will hold the 360-degree sound and light show, “En Voyage with Claude Monet”, the first-ever immersive experience of the French artist in Hong Kong.

Curated by the Belgian creative studio Dirty Monitor and local art tech organiser ChillHoYeah, visitors will have the chance to view approximately 200 of Monet’s masterpieces.

-- BERNAMA

WINGS CAPITAL PARTNERS ANNOUNCES NEW FINANCING ACTIVITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Aircraft leasing platform Wings Capital Partners LLC (Wings) has announced the closing of an unsecured corporate revolving credit facility provided by Los Angeles-headquartered City National Bank.

Wings said it also recently completed the refinancing of four aircraft in a US$76 million (US$1=RM4.69) secured loan facility.

The term facility was due to mature early next year, and Wings proactively refinanced the vehicles using its existing warehouse loan facility, according to its statement.

“We are very pleased with the closing of both transactions,” said senior vice-president – treasurer and head of capital markets, Jakob Gallagher.

He said its first unsecured revolving credit facility provides operational flexibility to efficiently finance its day-to-day business.

“In addition, the refinancing shows our ability to continue to execute in these challenging markets and improves our balance sheet by eliminating our only near-term debt maturity.

“Wings appreciates the continued support from our financing partners, which allows us to efficiently execute our business plan and navigate the evolving markets,” added Gallagher.

Wings is a private, full-service aircraft leasing platform primarily investing in single-aisle, in-production commercial jet aircraft on lease to airlines around the world.

-- BERNAMA

ADAGENE ANNOUNCES POSTER PRESENTATIONS AT UPCOMING SITC ANNUAL MEETING

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Adagene Inc (Adagene) announced that it will present clinical data from phase 1b/2 studies of its anti-CTLA-4 antibody candidate, ADG116, at the upcoming Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) Annual Meeting on Nov 8-12 in Boston.

The posters will summarise the comprehensive safety data for ADG116 with repeat dosing as monotherapy, as well as new data supporting its optimal dose selection in combination with two different anti-PD-1 therapies.

Additionally, data will show anti-tumour activity in warm and cold tumours, including details of a partial response with monotherapy and a complete response in combination therapy, which were both observed in tumour types where no anti-CTLA-4 therapy is approved.

According to a statement, both posters will be published on the company’s website in accordance with the SITC embargo policy on Nov 10, 2022.

Adagene Inc is a platform-driven, clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to transforming the discovery and development of novel antibody-based cancer immunotherapies.

-- BERNAMA

Switch Automation launches freemium energy benchmarking solution

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Switch Automation, a global technology company for digitising and decarbonising buildings, has announced the launch of a freemium energy benchmarking solution for global building portfolios.

This move in the industry aims to democratise access to building performance data and accelerate decarbonisation of the built environment during a time when building owners and operators are under increased regulatory and shareholder pressure to meet ESG and net-zero goals within tight time frames.

Switch Automation’s Portfolio Benchmarking Basics is an interactive portfolio management tool that lets users view energy data to identify underperforming buildings to target energy efficiency improvements.

According to a statement, users can bring in up to 20 utility bills to build a reserve of historical energy data and quickly identify opportunities and threats to target energy reductions and meet ESG and corporate net-zero goals.

Included in the Portfolio Benchmarking Basic are comprehensive data analysis; benchmarking and sustainability dashboards; infinite utility uploads and calculations; and “Next step” visualisations.

Since launching the world’s first cloud-hosted operation platform in 2012, Switch's technology has been deployed across asset portfolios in the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

It helps buildings optimise energy efficiency and services and improving occupant comfort and brand equity while reducing operating expenses.

Switch Automation is launching freemium Portfolio Benchmarking Basics platform at CREtech New York 2022, which brings together the world’s leading community of professionals devoted to technological innovation in the real estate sector.

More details at www.switchautomation.com.

-- BERNAMA

Juniper Research: Future Digital Award Winners Announced for Fintech & Payments 2022

BASINGSTOKE, England, Oct 13 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- It is with great pleasure that Juniper Research announces the 2022 winners of the Future Digital Awards for Fintech & Payments.

This awards programme recognises the most impactful financial products and services operating across numerous areas, including: Banking, Fraud & Security, and Retail & Payments. Juniper Research has identified the following organisations and platforms that are driving innovation and growth.

The winners in each category, following our extensive application and judging process, are as follows:

Judges’ Choice

• Juniper Research Award for Fintech Excellence
• Marqeta

• Fintech Mover & Shaker of the Year
• Eugene Danilkis, Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder, Mambu

Banking Innovation

• Banking-as-a-Service Innovation
• The Synapse BaaS Platform – Platinum Award Winner
• Peach Finance – Gold Award Winner

• Banking Innovation of the Year
• Apiture Digital Banking Platform – Platinum Award Winner

• Banking Platform Innovation
• Mambu – Platinum Award Winner
• Pollinate – Gold Award Winner

• Digital Bank of the Year
• Maya Bank – Platinum Award Winner

• Open Banking Innovation
• Token – Platinum Award Winner
• Vyne – Gold Award Winner

Fintech Innovation

• AI Platform
• credoSDK by credolab – Platinum Award Winner
• Provenir AI-Powered Decisioning Platform – Gold Award Winner

• Financing Platform
• Weavr – Platinum Award Winner
• Now – Gold Award Winner

• Regtech Platform
• Konsentus – Platinum Award Winner
• Proxymity Shareholder ID – Gold Award Winner

Fraud & Security Innovation

• AI in Fraud Prevention Innovation
• Fraud.net – Platinum Award Winner
• EnFact® Advanced Scoring from Fiserv – Gold Award Winner
• Best Biometrics Use in Payments
• Thales Biometric Payment Card – Platinum Award Winner
• authID Inc – Gold Award Winner

• Fraud Detection and Prevention Platform
• Vesta Fraud Solutions – Platinum Award Winner
• Nethone Mobile – Gold Award Winner

• Payment Tokenisation Solution
• eCom Tokenizer by G+D & Netcetera – Platinum Award Winner
• IDEMIA Token Platform – Gold Award Winner

• Fraud & Security Innovation of the Year
• Riskified – Platinum Award Winner

Payment Innovation

• Best B2B Payment Platform
• Billie Boost – Platinum Award Winner
• Weavr – Gold Award Winner
• Best Cross-border Payments Service
• Goldman Sachs Transaction Banking Global Payments – Platinum Award Winner
• Monneo – Gold Award Winner

• Best Digital Card Issuance Platform
• Marqeta – Platinum Award Winner
• Thales D1 Platform – Gold Award Winner

• Best Digital Wallet
• ToPay Mobile Wallet – Platinum Award Winner
• Gcash – Gold Award Winner

• Best Mobile Money Offering
• Airtel Money Pay – Platinum Award Winner
• Maya Business – Gold Award Winner
• Best QR Code Payment Offering
• PayNearMe – Platinum Award Winner
• Pebl – Gold Award Winner

• Payments for Good
• GREENPAY by IDEMIA – Platinum Award Winner

• Payment Innovation of the Year
• PayQuicker – Platinum Award Winner

• Recurring Payment Platform Innovation
• Nuapay – Platinum Award Winner
• 2Checkout Monetization Platform by Verifone – Gold Award Winner

Retail Innovation

• Best Checkout Experience Solution
• Shop Pay by Shopify – Platinum Award Winner
• Netcetera Click to Pay – Gold Award Winner
• Retail Innovation of the Year
• ACI Smart Engage – Platinum Award Winner

authID Inc Receives Gold for Biometrics Use in Payments

“Today, cybercriminals continue to prey on passwords, legacy MFA, and human error to wreak business havoc. At authID, we deliver the highest level of security and identity assurance with HFA (Human Factor Authentication), which combines FIDO2 passwordless authentication with cloud biometrics to ensure our customers always know the human behind a device,” said Tom Thimot, CEO of authID. “We are honoured to be recognised by Juniper Research for our use of biometrics to secure financial services and payments organisations, so that they can concentrate on revenue growth without compromising fraud prevention or regulatory compliance.”

Learn more about authID

IDEMIA Wins Platinum in Payments for Good & Gold in Payment Tokenisation

"At IDEMIA, we are continuously innovating to provide our clients and their customers with the best of both worlds; products and services that meet both their needs and expectations, and match their core values. We truly believe that the award for the IDEMIA Greenpay and Token Platform solutions by the Fintech & Payments Awards are a reward for the colossal effort by our teams and provides an incentive to further challenge and deliver innovative solutions on the payment experience." Stuart Yaxley – SVP Global and Fintech Accounts, IDEMIA

Learn more about GREENPAY by IDEMIA and IDEMIA Token Platform

Netcetera Awarded Platinum for Digital Wallet & Gold for Checkout Experience Solution

“Netcetera dedicates its payment experience and knowledge developing the most forward-thinking, convenient and proven payment products, always with the customer as the focus. Our products guarantee security and a seamless flow so that our customers can upgrade and grow their businesses. We are very happy and proud that we have been awarded a Platinum and Gold Juniper Research award for our highly modular, white-label ToPay Mobile Wallet and Click to Pay solution for one-click checkout, as the latest trend in payments. We have created these products with the visionary outlook of our partners and the needs of end users in mind – to continuously improve digital payments for all players in the ecosystem.” – Tobias Ott, Management Member, Secure Digital Payments at Netcetera

Learn more about ToPay Mobile Wallet and Click to Pay

PayNearMe Wins Platinum in QR Code Payment Offering

“We’re thrilled to be named a platinum winner for the Best QR Code Payment Offering award. Making the bill pay process easier – especially for those who still receive paper bills – is a top priority for PayNearMe, and we believe that Smart Link QR codes are a simple, elegant solution that anyone can use. By enabling consumers to scan and pay without keying in an account number, username or password, we make electronic bill payments even more accessible and streamlined.” – John Minor, SVP, Product, PayNearMe

Learn more about PayNearMe

Thales Recognised with Platinum Award in Biometrics in Payments and Gold Award in Digital Card Issuance

“Having a biometric sensor on a payment card was a very ambitious project and is now a reality, bringing more convenience and security to cardholders around the world. This Juniper Award recognises the impact of the solution for the future of payments, and Thales is committed to accompanying banks to innovate and build a safer world,” declared Bertrand Knopf, Vice President for Banking & Payment Services Business Line at Thales Digital & Identity Security.

Learn more about the Thales Biometric Payment Card

“The Juniper Research Future Digital Gold Award for the Best Digital Card Issuance Platform recognises Thales’ modern card issuance solutions, helping card issuers succeed with their digital transformation,” stated Bertrand Knopf, Vice President for Banking & Payment Services Business Line at Thales Digital & Identity Security. Thales D1 Card Issuing Platform empowers card issuers to deliver a mobile-first, innovative set of services to order, manage and use their payment cards.

Learn more about the Thales D1 Platform

Token Receives Platinum Award for Open Banking Innovation

Todd Clyde, CEO of Token, comments: “Open Banking payments are fast becoming a mainstream payment method, so PSPs (Payment Service Providers) and gateways must act now to ready themselves for future demand. Token is an Open Banking enabler working specifically with PSPs and gateways. We offer the broadest out-of-the-box Open Banking connectivity in the UK and Europe, together with the industry’s best success rates. We also allow PSPs to create more revenue at a better margin by launching and scaling their own white-label A2A (Account-to-Account) payments solutions. The Platinum award for Open Banking innovation is a testament to our peoples’ expertise, the uniqueness of the Token platform and our commitment to helping PSPs and their customers use Open Banking payments to lower costs, drive revenue and reinvent financial experiences.”

Learn more about Token

Vesta Triumphs with Platinum Award in Fraud Detection and Prevention

"Being recognised by a firm as prestigious as Juniper Research is a testament to Vesta's innovation and positive revenue impact in fighting eCommerce fraud,” said Vesta CEO, Ron Hynes adding, “We are proud to protect digital merchants and provide peace of mind that fraudulent actions by bad actors will never jeopardise their ability to grow their business.”

Learn more about Vesta

For further details on the Future Digital Awards please visit the Future Digital Awards website, follow us on Twitter @FutureDigiAward.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221010005608/en/

Contact

info@juniperresearch.com.

Source : Juniper Research