Grand Seiko clocks in with maiden boutique in Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- Seiko Watch Corporation announced that the first boutique of its Grand Seiko brand in Singapore opened in the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands on Feb 22 and is managed by its subsidiary, Grand Seiko Asia-Pacific.

The opening is in response to growing demand and as part of its ongoing expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a statement.

“Singapore is home to some of the most knowledgeable and passionate luxury watch enthusiasts in the world, and we are delighted that we can now provide them with direct access to the Grand Seiko world.

“We are very fortunate to have been able to obtain a prime location for the store, and we look forward to welcoming our clients at the Marina Bay Sands,” said Seiko Watch Corporation President, Akio Naito.

In the presence of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Singapore, Hiroshi Ishikawa, Grand Seiko officially opened the 134-square-metre boutique's doors in a grand ceremony.

In addition to the traditional ribbon cutting, the occasion was marked by a performance by a celebrated Japanese "taiko" drum troupe, "Kodo", whose name is phonetically shared with the award-winning Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon.

Born in 1960, Grand Seiko is deeply rooted in its Japanese heritage and its brand philosophy, "The Nature of Time”, celebrating the Japanese spirituality of time that is deeply inspired by nature and brought to life by "takumi" (craftsmen).

-- BERNAMA

Active digital identity apps surpass 4.1 bln globally by 2027 - Juniper Research

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- A new study by Juniper Research revealed that the number of digital identity apps in use will exceed 4.1 billion globally by 2027; up from 2.3 billion in 2023, representing a growth of 82 per cent over the next four years.

This increase will be driven by the use of government-backed digital identities to replace physical identity documents as a source of verification for third-party apps, such as banking and financial services.

According to Juniper Research in a statement, this will be critical, as businesses aim to reduce identity theft and meet increasingly stringent Know Your Customer regulations.

The research also identified a move away from reliance on passwords for identity verification, with these replaced by biometric verification and Multi-factor Authentication under a zero-trust model, where identities are authenticated continuously.

This approach is more resistant to traditional hacking methods such as phishing, therefore reducing the risk of data breaches.

Zero trust will be delivered via Single Sign On (SSO), which allows the user to access multiple accounts via a central, secured system. Critical to SSO is the use of mobile subscriber identity, with the number of mobile devices using their mobile number for SSO predicted to reach two billion in 2027; up from 922 million in 2023.

Its research author, Michael Greenwood said: “Consumers are highly motivated by convenience; making a streamlining of user experience significant for attracting and retaining them. SSO can achieve this, whilst also appealing to security-conscious users.”

The research also stated that the primary competition for dedicated digital identity apps will come from digital wallets, which offer payment functionality alongside a digital identity capability.

-- BERNAMA

Zeroboard raises US$18.4 mln in Series A Financing

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- Zeroboard Inc (the Company), has completed raising funds through a third-party allotment of new shares as part of the SeriesA round, bringing the total amount from the first and second closings to 2.44 billion yen or US$18.4 million. (US$1=RM4.45)

In the first closing, in addition to Keyrock Capital Management which was lead investor in the Series A round, existing investors including DNX Ventures and inclusion Japan Inc, with some new investors have joined, closing with the total of six undertakers resulting in funding totalling 1.98 billion yen.

During the second closing, a total of 12 partners/CVCs have signed a 460 million yen investment agreement including NAGASE & CO LTD; Kansai Electric Power CoInc; MUFG Bank Ltd; Iwatani Corporation; Toyota Tsusho Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation, to name a few.

According to a statement, the Company announced the launch of zeroboard, Japan's first cloud-based service for calculation and visualisation of greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions, in March 2021, whose beta version and product version were released in July 2021 and January 2022, respectively.

In July the same year, the Company took the lead in the industry to release the calculation function of carbon footprint (emissions by product and service).

Meanwhile, in August, it decided to start the support for decarbonisation management in Asia with five partners who have various business transactions with overseas manufacturing sites and supply chains and those who aim to decarbonise their operations.

The number of companies that had adopted zeroboard reached 2,000 by October. In order to further promote the calculation of supply chain emissions, including international emissions, the Company has also added multi-language (Japanese, English, Thai, Chinese, and Spanish) versions of the platform.

The funds raised will be used to accelerate the development of "zeroboard" product functions, to hire more professional resources such as customer success specialists to support clients and to expand internationally with the aim of becoming a global platform.

Based in Tokyo, Japan, the Company is also actively involved in formulating rules and regulations in areas related to decarbonisation and the environment, which are changing rapidly on a global scale, while constantly monitoring market trends.

-- BERNAMA

St Kitts and Nevis offers CBI Programme to sustainable investors

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme creates access to the global markets enabling qualified applicants to join the global community, along with each dependant included in their application.

As the oldest and most trusted programme internationally, the St Kitts and Nevis CBI programme is also open to business opportunities that allow portfolio diversification.

“There are three options for innovators, at home and in the diaspora, to benefit and raise capital through CBI. Firstly, any person can apply to the CBI Board of Governors to be designated as an Approved Public Benefactor.

“Under this option, once the applicant can prove that his or her business idea can bring substantial benefit to the people of St Kitts and Nevis; maximise local employment; and transfer technology and local capacity building, then that business idea will be considered,” said CBI Unit Head, Michael Martin in a statement.

There is a plethora of benefits that each investor will have that include minimal business restrictions and tax incentives that do not include capital gains, income, inheritance, gift or wealth taxes.

Martin said: “The CBI Programme is not just for international investors; it is for all of us to benefit. If locals and nationals in the diaspora do not take advantage of the three options, they can also become Authorised Agents/Service Providers or International Marketing Agents.

“Our people are the ultimate beneficiaries of our treasured CBI Programme and should also participate in this international industry.”

The St Kitts and Nevis CBI Programme has undergone necessary amendments through the CBI Unit and Government that has implemented a new layer of integrity to enhance the country’s economic diversification, and more importantly, empower the local community.

The CBI Programme has recreated its foundation on sustainable, good governance and pragmatism principles, and included a Board of Governors and a Technical Committee, to ensure that qualifying applicants undergo a stringent vetting process.

-- BERNAMA

AM Best affirms Credit Ratings of Vietnam’s PVI Re

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “bbb” (Good) of Vietnam’s PVI Reinsurance Joint-Stock Corporation (PVI Re).

In a statement, AM Best said the outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) was stable.

The ratings reflect PVI Re’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assessed as strong, as well as its strong operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management, in addition to the rating enhancement from HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie V.a.G.

PVI Re’s strong balance sheet strength is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation at the very strong level as of year-end 2021, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio(BCAR).

Capital adequacy is expected to have declined during 2022, driven by high dividend payouts and increasing capital requirements arising from business growth and rising equity investment risk.

However, the company's BCAR is projected to recover to the strongest level following a planned capital injection in the first quarter of 2023.

PVI Re has demonstrated a track record of strong operating performance, as evidenced by a five-year average return on equity ratio of 16 per cent (2017-2021), and the company is expected to maintain its strong profitability in 2022.

The company has generated consistently robust underwriting profits, supported by affiliated domestic business, particularly in the commercial and industrial lines.

PVI Re is one of the two domestic reinsurers in Vietnam, with a significant volume of business ceded by its affiliated company, PVI Insurance Corporation, and has a moderate business concentration in catastrophe-exposed property and engineering lines.

-- BERNAMA

Shanghai Electric Insurance Credit Ratings affirmed - AM best

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- United States-headquartered AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” (Good) of Shanghai Electric Insurance Limited (SEIL), Hong Kong.

AM Best in a statement said the Credit Ratings (ratings), which have a stable outlook, reflected SEIL’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assessed as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The global credit rating agency assessed SEIL’s balance sheet strength at the very strong level, supported by risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR).

According to unaudited financials as of 2022-end, although the company’s capital and surplus decreased during the year due to a net loss and decline in investment revaluation reserves, its BCAR remained at a robust level.

AM Best expects the captive to maintain a sufficient buffer in its risk-adjusted capitalisation, supported by a low net underwriting leverage, appropriate reinsurance arrangements and prudent risk selection.

The company experienced continued headwinds on investments in 2022. Its investment loss was attributable primarily to realised losses from shares investment and was offset partially by interest and dividend income.

SEIL took the initiative to de-risk its equity investments and reallocate to fixed income securities and cash only by the end of 2022. The captive expects its investment return to stabilise and bottom line to revert in 2023.

AM Best viewed that the company has been prudent on asset allocation strategy and maintained a sufficient capital buffer to withstand potential investment loss.

In view of its low-frequency, high-severity risk profile, the captive has arranged a reinsurance programme to protect its capital and AM Best expects the captive to maintain a sufficient buffer in its risk-adjusted capitalisation to support its risk profile over the next three years.

-- BERNAMA

NTHU RESEARCHERS DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY FOR PHOTOGRAPHING ELECTRONS

 

Members of the NTHU research team (right to left): Ming-Chang Chen, Po-Wei Lai, Ming-Shian Tsai, An-Yuan Liang, and Ming-Wei Lin. (Photo: National Tsing Hua University) 

HSINCHU, Taiwan, Feb 22 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A research team at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Taiwan has captured an instant moment in the nanoworld by producing attosecond extreme ultraviolet pulses. This light source can work as a nano camera to capture images of 5-nanometer-scale objects that move at an extremely high speed, such as an electron. This technology is expected to advance the design of next-generation transistors and memory chips with significantly increased speed for computers and communications.
 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230221005168/en/ 

Led by Associate Professor Ming-Chang Chen of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Associate Professor Ming-Wei Lin of the Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Science, the team, for the first time in the world, developed a high-efficiency pulse compression technology for compressing a ytterbium-doped laser to 3,000 attoseconds. When this light source was further focused into an inert gas, it produced extreme ultraviolet pulses with a duration of only 290 attoseconds. Patents for this innovative technology have been applied for in the United States, Europe, and Taiwan, and the team's research has been published by the top journal Science Advances.

Electrons are very small and move fast, so photographing them is a grand challenge. Chen explained that it is similar to using a fast shutter speed for photographing a hummingbird in flight and clearly resolving the vibrating wings. Therefore, because electrons move so rapidly, photographing them requires a camera with a high time resolution for capturing extremely fast motion and a high spatial resolution for capturing these small objects.

Chen also pointed out the importance of developing light sources of short wavelengths to improve the spatial resolution in a measurement. For visible light, the 400-nanometer wave simply provides a spatial resolution of ≈ 400 nanometers. In contrast, a much better spatial resolution down to 10 nanometers can be obtained by using the 10-nanometer extreme ultraviolet light generated in this work. Meanwhile, with a duration of 290 attoseconds, our pulses enable an ultrafast shutter speed for conducting measurements.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45466

FPT Software acquires Intertec IT Services, strengthens North American presence

FPT Software’s Board of Management paid a visit to Intertec International on February 19, 2023 (Photo: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 (Bernama) -- Vietnam’s leading technology firm, FPT Software, has acquired Intertec International’s (Intertec) IT Services division, to further strengthen its North American nearshore delivery capabilities.

Following the success of an initial investment in Intertec in 2021, this majority investment enables FPT Software and Intertec to provide customers with a seamless experience by leveraging both organisations' strengths.

Intertec Engineering, the company’s Technical Services division focused on aerospace and government, will remain an independent entity, according to FPT Software in a statement.

This investment enables FPT Software to further address increasing demands for Agile software engineering and bridge the time zone difference, as well as continue to leverage and build upon Intertec’s delivery centres and operational experience in Costa Rica, Colombia and Mexico.

“Seeing the synergies and success of our relationship with Intertec made this deal a natural next step.

“We are committed to providing exceptional services to our customers and have listened to their needs for a mix of offshore, nearshore and onsite delivery models to help them realise their speed-to-market goals and provide 24/7 support,” said FPT Americas Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dang Tran Phuong.

Meanwhile, Intertec CEO, Rickard Hedeby said: “By combining forces, we can provide greater value to our customers and expand career opportunities for our employees.”

As FPT Software company, Intertec customers will find a trusted partner providing greater scale and global delivery options through the Vietnamese IT firm’s extensive network of 27,000 employees in 29 countries.

The move is a part of FPT Software's global growth strategy and will boost its presence in the Americas. It has gained nearly 300 employees and four offices with this investment, and sets its sight on growing its headcount in the Latin American region to 1,000 in the next two years.

-- BERNAMA

 

DataMesh secures A$30 mln funding round for large-scale domestic opportunities

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- DataMesh Group, a full-suite developer of interoperable, proprietary payments-processing, has secured A$30 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round to execute on large-scale domestic opportunities as well as expanding its footprint in the high growth payments processing industry. (A$1 = RM3.02)

“This investment is an overwhelming endorsement of the strength of our business model and unique payments solution.

“We have raised this capital despite global economic headwinds which is testament to the quality, confidence and strength of our business proposition,” said DataMesh Chief Executive Officer, Mark Nagy in a statement.

The round was led by return investor NAB Ventures and featured significant first time capital from Deutsche Bank's corporate headquarters in Frankfurt along with 1835i Ventures, ANZ's external innovation and venture capital (VC) arm. 

Other investors included institutional VC funds, Family Offices and significant High Net Worth (HNW) individuals as well as a range of major existing investors, with the transaction managed by Allunga Advisory.

The funds will be used to execute on multiple payment infrastructure deals which will see DataMesh deploy its world leading solutions internationally via Deutsche Bank and in Australia with NAB, which is already piloting the technology with a select group of merchant customers.

The group is revolutionising the payments sector through its Unify system which has been specifically designed to meet the evolving needs of banks, processors, payment networks and merchants.

Since its inception in 2018, DataMesh has matured into an established payment solutions provider, doubling its headcount over the last six months and expanding its portfolio of acquiring banks and merchants.

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

-- BERNAMA

Nippon Express (Singapore) Receives IATA CEIV Pharma certification

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- Nippon Express (Singapore) Pte Ltd (NX Singapore) has received IATA CEIV Pharma certification for its facility in the Free Trade Zone at Singapore Changi International Airport, effective Jan 17, 2023.

A group company of Nippon Express Holdings Inc, NX Singapore acquired Good Distribution Practice certification in October 2020, evidencing its compliance with internationally recognised standards for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals.

“With the acquisition of CEIV Pharma certification, NX Singapore will now be able to provide safer and higher-quality pharmaceutical transportation and warehousing services using Singapore, an important hub for the pharmaceutical industry, as a nodal point,” it said in a statement.

The pharmaceutical/medical sector is one of Singapore's priority industries, which has seen remarkable growth, and many of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies have created an industrial cluster in Singapore by establishing research, development and manufacturing bases.

The Nippon Express Group has positioned the pharmaceutical industry as a key industry in its "Nippon Express Group Business Plan 2023 -- Dynamic Growth”, and is promoting the global development of a safe and secure pharmaceutical logistics platform to meet the ever more sophisticated and diverse needs of pharmaceutical logistics.

The group is committed to contributing to the health of people worldwide by supporting its customers in the global pharmaceutical industry through the establishment of a reliable and safe global pharmaceutical logistics platform.

-- BERNAMA

IMF latest report reveals St Kitts and Nevis' 2023 growth

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) latest report released in January indicated a projected growth of 4.5 per cent for the nation of St Kitts and Nevis this year, driven by a steady recovery from the tourism sector and various service sectors.

The report also found that the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme played a role in supporting the Twin Federation’s growth.

The current St Kitts-Nevis Labour Administration Party under the leadership of Prime Minister, Dr Terrance Drew, has made very well-considered changes to the country’s investment migration programme in attempts to transform the economy into a Sustainable Island State, as highlighted in the 2023 Budget Address.

The prime minister highlighted that the CBI Programme was also designed to generate significant revenue to create a diverse economy that would promote entrepreneurship, profitable job creation and increase homeownership.

In a statement, St Kitts and Nevis government is looking to develop a Sovereign Wealth Fund which will be used as a long-term investment vehicle in international markets and industries, and will be managed by high-level authorities and a thorough policy to ensure the funds are directed intentionally towards disaster management.

Investors will have the opportunity to improve the country’s healthcare system, and social services, develop public infrastructure including energy and water security for all the Kittitian and Nevisian population, as well as digital transformation.

St Kitts and Nevis is a two-island small yet rich economy with tourism being the island’s largest contributor to their gross domestic product (GDP), followed by the CBI Programme, agriculture, construction and manufacturing sectors.

-- BERNAMA

Bold and beautiful: TINT by Banuba upgrades AI makeup recommendations engine

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- TINT, one of the most advanced virtual try-on solutions for the beauty industry by Banuba, has upgraded its artificial intelligence (AI) makeup recommendations engine.

According to Banuba in a statement, the new algorithms are more precise and have a more profound effect on the business metrics of the companies using TINT.

The demonstrated results showed a better conversion rate of over 200 per cent; a lower return rate up to 60 per cent; and a higher average order value up to 30 per cent.

AI recommendation engine is a feature that suggests the best cosmetics for each individual user which is done by analysing their facial features and colour profile and then selecting the goods that match the results.

The combination of personalised approach and accurate suggestions result in improved business metrics.

The distinguishing features of virtual makeup try-on TINT include proprietary face tracking technology with 3,308 vertices; better performance and precision; AI-based seasonal colour analysis; and AI makeup recommendations system to help every user look their best.

TINT is made up of a lifelike makeup try-on, a cutting-edge AI recommendation system, and an intuitive User Interface (UI). It is web-based, which means that a user can access it on almost any connected device without downloading anything.

Banuba is an augmented reality company with over seven years on the market, pioneering the face tracking and virtual background technologies with its products which include a virtual try-on SDK for jewellery and glasses.

-- BERNAMA

ST KITTS AND NEVIS: LIMITED TIME OFFER FOR CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT PROGRAMME

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- St Kitts and Nevis has announced a limited time offer for investors to gain coveted second citizenship in the nation via its citizenship by investment (CBI) programme.

The country has been on a drive to attract discerning investors and recently announced substantial and industry-leading changes to its CBI programme, whereby the changes will see high levels of integrity being injected into the programme.

The CBI programme has also been structured to allow for greater transparency and accountability, and investment options have been tailored to align with market realities while preserving the platinum brand.

According to a statement, the St Kitts and Nevis’s CBI programme has four investment options which comprise The Sustainable Growth Fund; Real Estate; Private Homes; and, Public Benefit Option.

Situated between Anguilla and Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis features pristine beaches, wondrous volcanoes, and beguiling rainforests. It has a population of over 52,000, with an economy reliant on tourism, export-oriented manufacturing and offshore banking.

The island has attracted global-minded professionals with its award-winning and internationally acclaimed education institutions like veterinary and medical universities.

Remaining in high demand as a renowned port for its exceptional tourism, complemented by an unmatched experience, St Kitts and Nevis achieved the honourary marquee tourist destination status and welcomed one million cruise passengers for two consecutive years prior to the pandemic.

-- BERNAMA

AM BEST PLACES FUBON VIETNAM’S CREDIT RATINGS UNDER REVIEW WITH NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- AM Best has placed under review with negative implications the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb+” (Good) of Fubon Insurance Vietnam Co Ltd (Fubon Vietnam).

According to AM Best in a statement, the Credit Ratings (ratings) action follows AM Best’s downgrade of the Long-Term ICR of Fubon Vietnam’s parent company, Fubon Insurance Co Ltd (Fubon Insurance), Taiwan on Feb 3.

The ratings agency downgraded Fubon Insurance’s Long-Term ICR to “a” (Excellent) from “a+” (Excellent) while affirming its FSR of A (Excellent), and also placed the ratings under review with negative implications.

That recent development was the result of weakened financial strength and ongoing uncertainty around the credit profile of Fubon Insurance.

Fubon Vietnam’s ratings incorporate rating enhancement from its ownership and integration with Fubon Insurance.

As a result, AM Best needed to assess the impact of further near-term developments on the credit profile of Fubon Insurance to determine its continued ability to provide explicit support to Fubon Vietnam.

The under review with negative implications status on Fubon Vietnam’s ratings reflects the need for AM Best to fully assess the company’s eligibility to continue receiving rating enhancement prospectively.

The ratings will remain under review pending completion of AM Best’s assessment of the credit rating fundamentals of Fubon Insurance.

-- BERNAMA

TDCX report reveals Know-Your-Customer as fintechs’ key challenge

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 (Bernama) -- Almost one in two (49 per cent) financial technologies (fintechs) have identified Know-Your-Customer (KYC) checks as their top challenge, according to the Rethinking Fintech Customer Experiences report launched by TDCX, a digital customer experience (CX) solutions provider for technology and blue-chip companies.

The KYC challenge affects even the most established fintechs, with nearly four in 10 (37 per cent) mature fintechs echoing the sentiment, that could be due to the lack of a uniform global KYC standard and increased financial crime compliance requirements in global sanctions, according to TDCX in a statement.

For example, TDCX observed that the KYC process is hampered when documents such as identity cards are not shared in a consistent manner (photo vs scanned, coloured vs greyscale), resulting in back-and-forth correspondence which sets a poor tone for building good customer relationships.

Other key challenges for fintech leaders that were mentioned in the report were the need to maintain sufficient operating hours, a worldwide client base and the availability of quality, responsive services.

TDCX Chief Client Solutions Officer, Ricart Valvekens said KYC was not only essential for regulatory compliance, it was an unavoidable part of the customer onboarding process which will either lead to a seamless customer experience or a highly frustrating one.

“With the amount of required information for due diligence increasing exponentially over the past few years, fintechs are looking for ways to balance the need to provide their customers with speed and convenience while remaining compliant,” he said.

Fintechs with a business-to-consumer focus found it more challenging to manage KYC (55 per cent) and this was consistent with findings from a separate survey that more consumers abandoned financial service applications due to lengthy forms and excessive personal data requests.

The report also found that only 21 per cent of fintechs use data analytics to support their KYC processes and 35 per cent of them outsource their KYC processes as fintechs were most focused on using data analytics for personalised marketing (55 per cent) and helping customers make financial decisions (40 per cent).

The TDCX Rethinking Fintech Customer Experiences report which surveyed 200 senior fintech executives globally from September to October 2022, aims to understand the latest fintech strategies and challenges regarding customer experience.

-- BERNAMA

Mary Kay appoints Sheryl Adkins-Green as Chief Experience Officer

 

“Mary Kay Ash always said, ‘Picture every person with an invisible sign around their neck that says Make Me Feel Important,’” said Adkins-Green. “This will be my mantra as I take on this exciting new role.” (Credit: Mary Kay Inc.) 

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 (Bernama) -- Iconic beauty and entrepreneurship company, Mary Kay Inc has appointed Sheryl Adkins-Green as Chief Experience Officer, who has been with the company since 2009 and previously held the position as Chief Marketing Officer.

According to Mary Kay in a statement, Adkins-Green will support the success of millions of Independent Beauty Consultants’ businesses via a 360-degree integrated customer experience, in her new role.

She will continue to lead the Global Brand Experience Division and the company’s in-house creative agency that create marketing campaigns, multi-media design assets, social media content and integrated digital communications, enabling Independent Sales Force to provide personalised beauty experiences and customised service to their customers.

By combining research, data analytics and trend forecasts, Adkins-Green and her team will anticipate the needs and expectations of Independent Beauty Consultants and their customers in over 35 countries.

“Sheryl’s experience as a customer-first marketer with an emphasis on unparalleled service makes her a natural fit as our Chief Experience Officer.

“She’s beyond passionate about the Mary Kay opportunity, and we are thrilled to see how her global strategy will continue to make a difference in the lives of women across the globe,” said Mary Kay President of Global Sales & Marketing, Nathan Moore.

Adkins-Green brings significant experience in strategic planning, business development and corporate partnerships to her role, in which prior to joining Mary Kay, she held executive positions with Alberto-Culver, Cadbury-Schweppes, Citigroup and Kraft Foods.

Closely aligning with Mary Kay’s mission of enriching the lives of women and their families, she is actively involved in the community via the Mary Kay Ash Foundation.

-- BERNAMA

WOLTERS KLUWER'S 2 COMPREHENSIVE REPORTS HIGHLIGHT KEY PROVISIONS

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 (Bernama) -- Wolters Kluwer, a global leader in professional information, software solutions and services, has provided tax and HR professionals with access to two comprehensive reports.

According to a statement, the reports analyse and highlight the key economic tax and employment reforms announced by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Lawrence Wong on Feb 14 in the 2023 Singapore Budget.

The 2023 Singapore Budget focuses on the country’s efforts to build a resilient nation post-COVID, while emphasising the importance of “Moving Forward in a New Era”.

The Wolters Kluwer Singapore Budget 2023 – Tax Report shares expert insights and a high-level summary of the budget’s new business tax, personal tax and tax incentives.

Meanwhile, the Wolters Kluwer Singapore Budget 2023 – HR (Employment Law) Report shares expert insights on the budget’s short and long-term measures intended to invest in the economy and workers, including job growth incentives, and jobs.

“The market-first issuance of these two 2023 Singapore Budget reports underscores Wolters Kluwer’s commitment to providing our tax and accounting firm clients with real-time, rapid access to trusted, high-quality, accurate information and analysis that empowers them to make informed decisions on behalf of their businesses and clients,” said Managing Director of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting, Asia Pacific, Izzy Silva.

Within 10 hours of the official release of the 2023 Singapore Budget, these comprehensive expert analyses were automatically made available to Wolters Kluwer clients who utilise the company’s CCH IntelliConnect knowledge platform.

This platform enables users to instantly access the latest high-quality research content with the latest commentary, legislation and rulings.

-- BERNAMA

fifty-five records over 30 pct revenue growth in 2022, expands suite of offerings

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 (Bernama) -- Global marketing technology (MarTech) consultancy, fifty-five has unveiled record setting growth for 2022 and an expanded suite of offerings to help companies drive data-driven privacy-centric solutions.

According to a statement, this evolution comes with a new visual identity and a website.

In 2022, the company reported revenue growth of more than 20 per cent in Asia-Pacific (APAC) and over 30 per cent worldwide. The firm has recruited 50 new hires globally since the beginning of 2023, and is expected to meet aggressive growth targets this year driven by client demand for data expertise.

Since its founding in 2010, the company has grown rapidly to become a leader in marketing and technology consulting, advising over 400 active clients amid constantly evolving privacy regulations and compliance issues within the industry.

“With a unique, fit-for-purpose approach to data-driven solutions and a relentless commitment to excellence, fifty-five has built a solid reputation in APAC.

“Our new visual identity embodies very well this drive to aim higher, helping our clients navigate through increasingly complex, fast-changing environments,” said its APAC Managing Director, Cedric Delzenne.

fifty-five’s expanded product offering will continue to help brands analyse their data holistically and revolves around the consultancy’s core business namely, data and artificial intelligence (AI).

Divided into four blocks of services, fifty-five's expertise is built around strategy consulting, cloud services, media consulting and customer experience.

In addition to its commitment to continued innovation in its core business offering, fifty-five is also continuing to produce new quantifiable data on the green-impact of marketing campaigns to drive change within the industry.

Headquartered in Paris with offices in London, Hong Kong, New York, Shanghai, Geneva, Shenzhen, Taipei, Singapore and Milan, fifty-five was named by Forbes as one of the world’s best management consulting firms in 2022.

-- BERNAMA

AIMING BIG, LITTLE WALLET PARTNERS VISA TO ENHANCE KIDS & TEENS' FINANCIAL LITERACY

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 (Bernama) -- Singapore-based financial technology (Fintech), Little Wallet aiming to enhance financial literacy amongst kids and teens in Southeast Asia has signed a partnership with Visa, under the Visa Fintech Fast Track Program.

Under the programme, Little Wallet will leverage and access Visa’s network and capabilities to grow card issuance in the region, as the programme provides fintech start-ups a dedicated expertise and support, faster onboarding and access to a growing partner network.

“We are incredibly excited to be part of the prestigious group of startups selected for the Visa Fintech Fast Track Program.

“Being accepted into this programme is a testament to Visa's endorsement of Little Wallet, further enhancing our customers' confidence in our offerings,” said Little Wallet founder, Rahul Sharma in a statement.

Meanwhile, Visa Country Manager of Vietnam and Laos, Dung Dang said: “Our partnership with Little Wallet to launch in Southeast Asia is timely, given the high interest observed from youngsters to build up their wealth, but seeing the gaps in not knowing where they can go to for reliable financial advice.”

Rahul, an ex-banker himself, with over 25 years of fintech experience, working for DBS, Deutsche Bank, was joined by Phoebe Tran, a tech executive with over 15 years of experience working for Facebook and Google in which the two met at the INSEAD Global Executive MBA programme.

Little Wallet offers a family banking app with a digital wallet whereby the smart ecosystem has features that promote healthy money habits to all generations, thus fostering financial wellbeing for the entire family.

The app guides parents through the basics of money fundamentals and also is one of the firsts to introduce the concept of “Save Now, Buy Later” to teach kids the importance of saving.

Little Wallet, unlike the unintuitive banking apps of today, gamifies and visualises all aspects of banking to make it fun and engaging, whilst enabling full parenting oversight and controls in place.

-- BERNAMA 

AM Best affirms credit ratings of Japan’s The Dai-ichi Life Insurance

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “aa-” (Superior) of Japan’s The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Limited (DL), the wholly owned operating subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc (DLH).

In a statement, AM Best said the outlook of these credit ratings (ratings) was stable and viewed DL as being integral to the group, given its financial, operational and strategic importance to the overall organisation.

Accordingly, DL’s ratings are based upon the balance sheet fundamentals and operating performance of the DLH organisation, which are then extended specifically to DL. DLH is the ultimate parent for the entire Dai-ichi organisation.

The ratings reflect DLH’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assessed as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, favourable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

DLH’s balance sheet strength assessment mainly reflects its risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), which is also supported by the group’s low financial leverage, although this is higher than that of some life insurers in Japan.

In addition, the group continues to manage the durations of its assets and liabilities actively to control any potential asset-liability mismatch risk.

DLH’s operating performance remained strong and stable amid the COVID-19 pandemic during fiscal year 2021. Over the past five fiscal years, the group’s return on equity based on comprehensive income also remained strong with a five-year average of 10 per cent.

The stable outlooks reflected AM Best’s expectation that DLH will maintain its overall balance sheet strength, supported by its risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by BCAR.

DLH remains one of the largest life insurance groups in Japan where in its domestic market, the group has diversified its distribution channels by developing various brands namely, Dai-ichi Life, The Dai-ichi Frontier Life Insurance Co Ltd and The Neo First Life Insurance Company Limited to meet different customer needs.

-- BERNAMA

"HELLO HONG KONG" CAMPAIGN OFFERS 500,000 FREE AIR TICKETS, CITY-WIDE DEALS

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- Hong Kong is ready to open its doors and welcome travellers worldwide once more with the launch of the global promotional campaign "Hello Hong Kong" recently in an effort to entice tourists to experience Hong Kong’s diverse appeals.

According to Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) in a statement, this includes offering 500,000 free air tickets as well as city-wide deals covering "Hong Kong Goodies" visitor consumption vouchers.

“We are extending a biggest welcome to the world through the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign, inviting friends from everywhere as they return to one of the world’s greatest tourism destinations.

“I am confident that Hong Kong’s vibrant east-meets-west culture, together with our iconic and brand-new attractions and immersive experiences will attract travellers back for an epic, unforgettable journey,” said HKTB Chairman, Dr Pang Yiu-kai

HKTB Executive Director, Dane Cheng has presented the Board’s key strategies and initiatives in reviving tourism, including saying hello from Hong Kong to the world; welcoming global travellers with an unprecedented giveaway; and showcasing Hong Kong’s new experiences and events.

The “Hello Hong Kong” promotional campaign was being rolled out worldwide to send the positive message that Hong Kong is back with signature and new exciting experiences awaiting visitors, including a series of vibrant promotional contents, which will be broadcast on 3,000 platforms worldwide.

Starting from March, the 500,000 free air tickets will be given away by the Airport Authority Hong Kong to different markets in phases, via three home-based carriers namely Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Express and Hong Kong Airlines.

An array of enticing welcoming offers from over 16,000 outlets across the city have been put together by the HKTB and the tourism and hospitality sectors among which, one million “Hong Kong Goodies” visitor consumption vouchers will be given out or a cash voucher to be redeemed.

The whole city cheers on to greet visitors with new and upgraded attractions introduced in the past few years and its all-time-iconic experiences which include M+ and Hong Kong Palace Museum at the West Kowloon Cultural District, the new sixth-generation Peak Tram, Water World Ocean Park, and the new night-time show “Momentous” at Hong Kong Disneyland.

In addition, Hong Kong will also host a year-round calendar of more than 250 events and festivals across 2023 such as the Hong Kong Marathon, the Clockenflap music festival, Art Basel, the Museum Summit 2023, and Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.

-- BERNAMA

Nippon Express Secures GDP certification for 2 pharmaceutical centres

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- Nippon Express Co Ltd (Nippon Express) has acquired Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification for its West Japan Pharmaceutical Center and Kyushu Pharmaceutical Center to demonstrate its compliance with World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals.

In a statement, Nippon Express, a group company of Nippon Express Holdings Inc said former certification is effective Nov 20, 2022, and the latter Dec 21, 2022.

The West Japan Pharmaceutical Center located in Neyagawa City, Osaka Prefecture and the Kyushu Pharmaceutical Center in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture are dedicated logistics bases for pharmaceuticals.

Both centres obtained GDP certification of their conformity to WHO standards for the storage and transport of pharmaceutical products in two temperature ranges (room temperature “15 C - 25 C” and refrigerated “2 C - 8 C”).

It is the same certification that the East Japan Pharmaceutical Center in Kuki City, Saitama Prefecture acquired in July last year.

The Nippon Express Group has positioned the pharmaceutical industry as a key industry in its “Nippon Express Group Business Plan 2023 -- Dynamic Growth”, and has been developing a safe and secure pharmaceutical logistics platform to meet sophisticated and diverse pharmaceutical logistics needs globally.

Currently, the Nippon Express Group has 34 business locations in 24 countries/regions worldwide with GDP, CEIV Pharma or other certifications for pharmaceutical logistics, helping the group better provide safe and high-quality pharmaceutical logistics services on an end-to-end basis globally.

-- BERNAMA

AM Best downgrades Fubon Insurance, places Credit Ratings under review

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- AM Best has downgraded the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a” (Excellent) from “a+” (Excellent) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) of Fubon Insurance Co Ltd. (Fubon Insurance) (Taiwan), concurrently, placing these Credit Ratings (ratings) under review with negative implications.

The ratings reflect Fubon Insurance’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assessed as adequate, as well as its adequate operating performance, favourable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The ratings also reflect the support that the company receives from its ultimate parent, Fubon Financial Holding Co Ltd. (Fubon Financial Holding).

The Long-Term ICR downgrade reflects the material deterioration in Fubon Insurance’s risk-adjusted capitalisation to the very weak level as of year-end 2022 from the strongest level in 2021, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio. The risk-adjusted capitalisation is expected to improve over the short term, as per the company’s capital plan.

The company’s investment portfolio shrank as it sold some investments to pay out the sizeable insurance claims.

According to a statement, global credit rating agency AM Best noted that the company is equipped with adequate liquidity to fulfil any short-term surge in claims. The company has arranged short-term collateralised financing with financial institutions.

Going forward, AM Best expects Fubon Insurance’s capital and surplus to resume growth through the retention of net profits derived from non-pandemic insurance underwriting and investment results, although it is unlikely to recover to its pre-COVID-19 level over the short to intermediate term.

Notwithstanding, United States-headquartered AM Best considered the pandemic insurance loss as a one-off event, and that the company should be able to return to profitability going forward via the traditionally profitable non-pandemic insurance underwriting and investment results, given its historical track record of adequate operating performance.

Fubon Financial Holding is the second-largest listed financial holding company in Taiwan in terms of total assets, playing a strategic role in the parent group’s financial platform and receives long-term operating and capital commitments provided by Fubon Financial Holding, as evidenced by the aforementioned capital injection.

-- BERNAMA

Notice Concerning Board of Directors' Position for Submission in EGM - Fujitec

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- Fujitec Co Ltd disclosed in the “Notice Concerning a Shareholder’s Request for the Convocation of Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the Shareholders” dated Dec 6, 2022, that it received a request from Oasis Japan Strategic Fund Ltd (the Proposing Shareholder) to convene an EGM of the shareholders (the Request).

“We hereby notify you that the following resolutions, which will be included as agenda items at the upcoming special meeting of the shareholders with a record date of Dec 31, 2022 to exercise their voting rights (the EGM of the Shareholders), were adopted at the board of directors meeting on Jan 20, 2023.

“The board has resolved that the Company’s proposal (Agenda Item 1) shall be submitted, and that, after careful consideration, all of the Proposing Shareholder’s proposals (Agenda Item 2 through Item 7), shall be opposed (the Opposing Opinion) during the EGM of the Shareholders,” said Fujitec in a statement.

Details and further information regarding Company’s Position and the Opposing Opinion are disclosed on Fujitec’s website at https://www.fujitec.com/announcement/3082.

-- BERNAMA

FPT features on Bloomberg TV's Beyond Innovation series

 

Host Anthony Lacavera (right) interviewed FPT Chairman Truong Gia Binh and Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam CEO Michele Wee on Beyond Innovation. (Photo: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- FPT, a technology group in Vietnam has taken part in “Beyond Innovation” Season 3, the leading technology series airing on Bloomberg Television (Bloomberg TV).

FPT in a statement said, the third season of "Beyond Innovation" was broadcasted worldwide on Bloomberg TV and would be available online in March.

The series, which is hosted by venture capitalist Anthony Lacavera and experienced tech journalist Michael Bancroft, discovers new technologies and entrepreneurs transforming our lives for the better.

In four half-hour episodes, Lacavera interviewed the guests to learn more about Vietnam’s digital landscape and its potential to become one of the world’s top digital nations.

The topics include Vietnam - From late internet adopter to aspiring digital nation; The future of digital health in Vietnam; Vietnam – Southeast Asia’s emerging information technology (IT) hub; and, The future of IT workforce development in Vietnam.

“Through these interviews, we want to promote Vietnam as a growing IT hub in the region, with an open economy, multiple solutions, digital innovation initiatives and a growing workforce.

“This is a great opportunity to amplify FPT as a global IT services provider and a pioneering company in digital transformation, offering advanced solutions and services to customers worldwide,” said FPT Software Chairwoman, Chu Thi Thanh Ha.

Season three of "Beyond Innovation" travels to top and developing tech destinations such as Singapore, Hanoi (Vietnam), London and Halifax (United Kingdom), New York (United States) and Lisbon (Portugal).

"Beyond Innovation” is independently produced by Globalive Media and reached more than 437 million households across more than 70 countries on Bloomberg TV.

-- BERNAMA

AM Best affirms, withdraws credit ratings of Bangkok Insurance

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- AM Best has affirmed Thailand-based Bangkok Insurance Public Company Limited (BKI) Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” (Good).

AM Best said in a statement the outlook of these credit ratings (ratings) is stable.

Concurrently, AM Best has withdrawn these ratings as the company requested to no longer participate in AM Best’s interactive rating process.

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

BKI’s balance sheet strength assessment of very strong is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation, which was at the strongest level in 2021 and is expected to remain at least at the very strong level prospectively, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.

AM Best viewed BKI’s operating performance as adequate, as evidenced by a five-year average return-on-equity ratio of 6.7 per cent and a combined ratio of 91.5 per cent (2017 to2021).

Notwithstanding this, the company reported underwriting losses in 2021 and for the first nine months of 2022 on account of a high frequency of COVID-19 claims pertaining to its lump-sum payment health product.

Although technical and operating performance for the first nine months of 2022 has been unfavourable, AM Best expected results to improve prospectively, particularly following the coverage expiry of the company’s lump-sum COVID-19 health policies in mid-2022.

The business profile assessment of neutral reflects the company’s position as Thailand’s third largest non-life general insurer with an approximate 8.6 per cent market share based on direct premium written in 2021.

-- BERNAMA

Uniphore Acquires Red Box To Provide Easy Access To AI-ready Voice And Screen Data

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- Uniphore, a leader in conversational artificial intelligence (AI) and automation has acquired Red Box, to offer customers full access and control over their voice and screen data to maximise the value of every conversation.

In a statement, Uniphore said with the acquisition of Red Box, the company will now deliver seamless access to AI-ready voice and screen recording data from 100 per cent of conversations to drive automation and analytics at scale in the contact centre via its industry leading conversational AI and automation.

As a result, there will be a shorter time to value and a better customer experience at a lower cost.

Uniphore Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Umesh Sachdev said during these dynamic economic times, enterprises were realising the importance of working with integrated platforms that could scale to offer stellar customer experience and proven return of investment (ROI), versus point solutions and data silos.

“I am excited to welcome the Red Box team to bring even more value to our combined global customer base through innovative technology and a talented team that will help maximise the value of conversations,” he said.

The acquisition of Red Box, the open enterprise platform for capturing voice, screen and metadata from conversations, adds to Uniphore’s innovation portfolio, including emotion AI, no code low code development and knowledge AI.

With this acquisition, Uniphore has further strengthened its footprint in Europe, and positioned itself to deliver truly integrated and seamless customer and employee experience for all global organisations.

The integration of Red Box into Uniphore’s offering provide unique and industry-leading benefits to customers, which include the ability to freely access aggregated voice data; and to extract rich insights as well as deliver automation from real-time, AI-ready voice and screen data at scale.

The Red Box team, its intellectual property, and products are now part of Uniphore, enabling Uniphore to continue to deliver industry-leading products and services for their global joint customer base.

-- BERNAMA

NTT COM LAUNCHES RENEWED SKYWAY SDK FOR MORE VERSATILE DEVELOPMENT OF ONLINE COMMUNICATION SERVICES

TOKYO,  Feb 2 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the NTT group, announced today the immediate launch of the renewed SkyWay software development kit (SDK). The new SkyWay SDK makes it easier than ever to implement real-time voice, video and data communication for applications and websites.

People interested planning or developing online communication services may apply to attend a free webinar in person (50 people) or online (100 people) to learn about the renewed SkyWay SDK at NTT Communications' Tokyo headquarters from 3:00pm (JST) on February 23.

Simple to use and supported with extensive documentation, SkyWay does not require special technical skills or knowledge of voice/video communication or constructing servers, and can be used for a wide range of applications, such as online lessons, IoT and robots. To date, SkyWay has been deployed for the development of more than 20,000 services.

SkyWay is suitable for diverse call formats including voice and video, one-to-one and group calls, and video communication while sharing screens. It also is a multiplatform SDK for developing communication services suited to specific industries and business categories. SkyWay assures high-quality real-time communication, as evidenced by its service uptime rate of 99.96% in fiscal 2021. It also achieves high-quality overseas calls by setting up servers to relay communications to/from Asia, North America and Europe.^¹ What's more, SkyWay may be used at no charge for service verification and development until the users service is actually launched. Furthermore, fees are adjusted to the scale of service and billing is implemented on a pay-as-you-go billing basis. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45337

THREATLOCKER UNLEASHES OPS TO DETECT THREATS

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- ThreatLocker, a pioneer in endpoint protection technologies, has launched ThreatLocker Ops, a community-driven threat detection tool at the Zero Trust World being held for three days, ending Feb 3.

In a statement, ThreatLocker said the new product assists administrators to detect attempted breaches or weaknesses in their systems.

ThreatLocker Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Danny Jenkins said Zero Trust was the required foundation of security for all organisations.

“By combining controls with Ops, organisations are not only able to benefit from knowledge ThreatLocker has received of attempted attacks but from similar businesses defending their system from these attacks.

“The future of Zero Trust is simple; more controls, more automation, more alerts and the help and support of the community,” he said.

Ops is a policy-driven system that uses data received from the ThreatLocker agent to determine good or bad behaviour, and this data can be used to alert information technology (IT) administrators of attempted attacks or to trigger actions to further harden an environment using other components of the platform.

The Ops platform is also integrated with ThreatLocker’s new community, which allows like-kind businesses to public policies that are relevant to their business, which allows for information sharing and a more extensive set of alerts.

Ops limits reliance on other IT resources with more security controls, less agent fatigue, and no overhead on personal computers.

ThreatLocker also announces the integration of Third Wall plug-in in its zero trust platform following the acquisition of Third Wall last November.

The new additions to ThreatLocker comply with many government regulations on implementing Zero Trust strategies to prevent modern-day attacks.

-- BERNAMA

Cradlepoint extends 5G portfolio via innovative "Router-on-the-Roof" for vehicles

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 (Bernama) -- Cradlepoint, the global leader in cloud-delivered long-term evolution (LTE) and 5G wireless network solutions, has announced the R2100 Series 5G Ruggedised Router, a new addition to its growing 5G Wireless wide area network (WAN) portfolio.

“The R2100 Series underscores how Cradlepoint is expanding the capabilities of today’s police, fire, EMS, and transit organisations, helping these agencies and first responders alike take advantage of 5G connectedness in a streamlined, more efficient way,” said its senior vice president of marketing, Donna Johnson.

Built for vehicle and Internet of Things (IOT) networks, the sleek exterior-mounted solution provides mass transit, public safety and other organisations that require a high-bandwidth IoT or mobile router with the latest cellular performance in a uniquely flexible and simplified form factor.

Designed to be mounted on the rooftop of a vehicle or attached to IoT cabinet enclosures, the R2100 integrates the modem, antennas and router into a single aerodynamic, IP67-rated casing that guards against weather, vibration and shock.

Cradlepoint in a statement said the R2100 is sold with or without Wi-Fi 6 and can be deployed as a self-contained router or to supplement an existing router as a 5Gadapter.

Key benefits include simplified router installation; seamless 5G extension; streamlined Wi-Fi addition; straightforward third party 5G add-on; and easy edge computing with integrated containers.

Customers can add 5G to a current installation by deploying the R2100 in Captive Modem mode as an adapter that is controlled by an attached Cradlepoint router.

The R2100 Series 5G Ruggedised Router is powered by Cradlepoint NetCloud, providing an enterprise-class, unified edge security solution for in-vehicle and IoT networks.

-- BERNAMA

Secret Bay unveils new facilities

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- Secret Bay Resort & Residences based in Dominica introduced an array of new amenities which include a hillside funicular, garden-to-fork chef’s table experience, elevated deck and an art gallery, as part of the award-winning resort’s multi-year master plan.

“We are delighted to expand our private villas to this Clifftop region of Secret Bay and for the first time, introduce a multi-villa estate offering for our guests.

“In addition to the new villas, we are also thrilled to bring even more new amenities and experiences to Secret Bay, and to continue to raise the bar for excellent hospitality and transformational experiences,” said Secret Bay general manager, Dinesh Kissoon in a statement.

The exclusive six-star, all-villa, Relais & Châteaux rainforest resort and residences are situated on top of a 200-foot cliff with expansive views of the Caribbean Sea and access to three swimmable and secluded beaches.

The clifftop multi-villa estates are architectural masterpieces thoughtfully tucked in among the trees and natural landscape, reaffirming Secret Bay’s commitment to environmental preservation.

Each clifftop estate features two villas, thoughtfully sited so that each has expansive views and ultimate privacy and seclusion. The addition of these villas increases the resort’s inventory to 16 and four more clifftop villa estates are expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Secret Bay is now accepting guest reservations for its new clifftop multi-villa estates for stays beginning June 2023.

Each villa within the villa estates is appointed with a gourmet kitchen, an in-nature private plunge pool, stylish bathrooms with rain showers and soaking tubs, and hand-crafted indoor furnishings.

The resort's upcoming funicular, one of the many amenities that will be launching in 2023, is directly accessible from each multi-villa estate, which is set upon half to two-third-acres.

Additional amenities which will be unveiled over the next 12 months include Gwiyavye’ Heights; Botanica Organic Garden & Chef’s Table; Botanica Nature Walk; Bwa Denn: Food Art and Retail; and, Bwa Denn: Fitness & Play.

-- BERNAMA

Trulioo launches identity verification platform worldwide

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 (Bernama) -- Trulioo has launched an industry-defining global identity platform for person and business verification, showcasing its expertise and innovation in helping businesses worldwide build trusted user experiences while achieving regulatory compliance and optimising growth.

According to a statement, with one contract, Trulioo customers can access personally identifiable information matching, Identity Document Verification, Utility Data for proof of address, as well as Business Verification for in-depth person-of-significant-control and ultimate-beneficial-owner verification, among others.

“Trulioo is the identity platform businesses turn to, in order to solve the inherent complexity in onboarding customers globally.

“We enable businesses to offer their goods and services in nearly every country in the world and remain compliant and provide our customers with industry-leading capabilities backed by best-in-class customer success so they can focus on their business and customers,” said Trulioo Chief Executive Officer, Steve Munford.

With one platform and one contract, companies can deliver streamlined onboarding and create intuitive user experiences that build trust and inclusivity.

In addition to global person and business verification services, Trulioo delivers among others, the Trulioo Portal, providing single sign-on access to all verification services, no-code and low-code integration methods, auditable reporting and performance analytics.

The company also delivers Workflow Studio, a no-code workflow builder allowing users to rapidly build, configure and deploy logic-driven identity workflows, and connection to third-party applications and first-party, external data sources.

The Trulioo platform launch marks an important milestone for the company. In less than two years, the Vancouver-based company has nearly doubled its staffing to 430 employees, assembled an impressive executive leadership team of industry experts, expanded into new vertical markets and broadened its corporate footprint.

-- BERNAMA

MELISSA HO JOINS QED INVESTORS FOCUSING ON SOUTHEAST ASIA FINTECH INVESTMENTS

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- QED Investors, a leading global venture capital firm focused on investing in disruptive financial services companies, has announced the hire of Melissa Ho.

She joins QED as a principal focusing on fintech investments across multiple stages in Southeast Asia, with an emphasis on early stage companies.

“Mel is passionate about working closely with the companies she invests in and has a sense of humility and realism which takes her a long way there.

“She is a driven and energetic investor and a determined and intentional partner. Her diverse breadth of experiences and depth with the Singapore and Southeast Asia ecosystem will be brilliant additions to QED as we advance to help founders at the earliest stage of their journeys and build our on-ground presence in Asia,” said QED Investors Partner and Head of Asia, Sandeep Patil in a statement.

Previously, Ho led the investment team at Wavemaker Partners, one of Southeast Asia's leading seed venture capital (VC) funds investing in enterprise, deep tech and sustainability companies, and was responsible for the Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh markets, plus the primary verticals of Software as a Service (SaaS), business-to-business (B2B) marketplaces, proptech, edtech, commerce and consumer internet.

She started her career at Singapore Airlines where she gained operational experience across product innovation and management, corporate strategy, as well as fuel procurement and hedging.

Before transitioning to VC, she founded and led the regional marketing, partnerships team at Shopee, Southeast Asia's largest e-commerce firm.

Ho graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in international relations and economics from New York University.

Founded in 2007, QED Investors based in the United States, has invested in more than 200 companies, including 28 unicorns, and has US$4.3 billion under management. (US$1 = RM4.258)

-- BERNAMA

JPMD, FIMO JSC upgrade information platform, offer paid membership service

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- JP Media Direct Co Ltd (JPMD) and the First Innovation and Management Organization Joint Stock Company (FIMO JSC), have upgraded their jointly developed Hanoi PIVASIA beta version, an information platform for industrial real estate  to "PIVASIA 1.0".

According to a statement, the platform has been launched as a paid membership service, beginning Jan 16.

JPMD is a Japan Post Group company based in Tokyo whilst FIMO JSC is a Hanoi-based venture company from Vietnam National University.

The paid membership service provides more detailed area and industrial park information and search functions that include the ability to search for areas and industrial parks based on specific criteria, save search results to a list of favourites and compare information.

In addition, a new search function allows users to search for areas and industrial parks that meet their company's criteria efficiently, including the ability to compare information.

In conjunction with the addition of these features, JPMD and FIMO JSC also updated the facility information data for 359 industrial parks throughout Vietnam.

For PIVASIA membership fee schedule, the initial registration fee is 100,000 yen, with a six-month plan that costs 1,000,000 yen, whilst a 12-month plan costs 1,500,000 yen. (100yen = RM3.26)

The new interface and system display speed has been greatly improved and the duo will continue to strive to improve user satisfaction by continuing to provide highly needed data and functions.

More details at https://ip.piv.asia/en/

-- BERNAMA

Fiserv to support new payment flows with Major Payment Institution licence from MAS

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- Fiserv Inc operating entity that provides payment solutions for merchants in Singapore, First Data Merchant Solutions Private Limited, has been granted a Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), effective Jan 1.

In a statement, Fiserv said the licence allows the company to provide merchant acquisition services and domestic and cross-border money transfer services under the Payment Services Act (PS Act) 2019.

“Fiserv has a history of payments innovation in Singapore, and we are well-positioned and committed to expand our merchant acquiring business in the country and beyond.

“We will continue to support the merchant community with robust and secure global payments technology enabling locally relevant payment acceptance solutions that meet the demands of today’s consumer,” said its General Manager of ASEAN, Suhaib Khanyari.

The MPI licence permits the continued offering of merchant acquiring services in Singapore and will allow Fiserv to support new payment flows for its clients including cross-border funds transfer services and real-time account transfers.

Fiserv has a well-established Global Risk and Controls Framework and Global Cybersecurity Services to help ensure adherence to the regulations established under the PS Act in Singapore, as well as the regulatory bodies in markets worldwide in which the company operates.

As part of the MPI licence obligations and its own internal standards, Fiserv will continue to enhance its rigorous compliance programme, which includes anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing measures, as well as industry leading cybersecurity standards to protect customer data.

Fiserv, a global provider of payments and financial services technology solutions that has its regional headquarters in Singapore, has been providing solutions to some of the largest banks, financial technologies and merchants in Singapore and across the Asia Pacific region for over two decades.

-- BERNAMA

ZOOM TO UNVEIL FOURTH QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS, FULL FISCAL YEAR 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 (Bernama) -- Zoom Video Communications Inc has announced it would release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2023 on Feb 27, after the market closes.

In a statement, the cloud-based video conferencing platform said a live Zoom Video Webinar of the event could be accessed via the company’s investor relations website.

“A replay will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the live event,” it said.

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Jose, California, Zoom is an intuitive, scalable, and secure choice for large enterprises, small businesses and individuals alike.

-- BERNAMA