ASEAN-JAPAN CENTRE RELEASES REPORT ON LAO PDR RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT PATH

Global Value Chains in ASEAN: Lao People’s Democratic Republic” is available for download on AJC website. (Graphic: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- Lao PDR is a country rich in natural resources and associated with underdeveloped manufacturing, according to the Global Value Chains in ASEAN: Lao People’s Democratic Republic, released by the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC).

Based on the report, the country needs to acquire more technology and know-how in agriculture, manufacturing and services production by extending its engagement in global value chains (GVCs).

The report is also prepared in the context of celebrating the 65th anniversary of Japan-Laos diplomatic relations.

According to AJC in a statement, GVC participation is low as shown by the small share of foreign contents or foreign value added (FVA) in gross exports, which is only six per cent.

Domestic value added accounts for the balance of 94 per cent, because most value added products are resource-based (e.g., copper ores, electricity) and do not require inputs from foreign companies.

Lao PDR is categorised as a country with limited manufactured commodities. The manufacturing sector leads in GVC participation, though it is far smaller than that in other ASEAN countries.

It is followed by the extractive (agriculture and mining) sector, then the services sector. The low participation in GVCs implies that industrial development in the country has not reached the complicated technological production stage as in many advanced ASEAN member countries.

Thailand, China and Viet Nam are significant contributors to Lao FVA, while the European Union and Japan play smaller parts. These countries are also major contributors to Lao value added incorporated in other countries’ exports.

More details at https://www.asean.or.jp/en/centre-wide-info/gvc_database_paper5/

-- BERNAMA

SANDBOX LATEST ACQUISITION FORMS DIGITAL MEDIA POWERHOUSE WITH SUBSCRIPTION EDUTAINMENT SERVICES

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- Sandbox & Co, a strategic operator of millennial learning and entertainment companies has acquired Fingerprint, a digital content provider for kids and families to form Sandbox Kids.

According to a statement, Sandbox Kids will deliver on-demand, multimedia, multi-platform, digital subscription services for children and families globally.

Industry veteran, Nancy MacIntyre will serve as Chief Executive Officer, leading the newly-created division, which will include existing Sandbox properties Hopster and Curious World alongside Fingerprint’s Kidomi.

MacIntyre will drive the company’s mission to expand content that engages kids while also helping partners build, operate and market subscription services to reach families worldwide.

Sandbox Kids combines Fingerprint’s award-winning content and subscription expertise with Sandbox’s growing portfolio of global brands and expedites the growth of its customer-base that already reaches more than 55 million families monthly.

Sandbox Kids will offer kid-safe, age-appropriate digital content to the more than 1.14 billion kids globally who have access to mobile devices.

The suite of products grows with a child and includes Hopster for ages one-four, Curious World for ages four-eight and Kidomi for ages three-12.

Sandbox Kids products can be localised for any market and are optimised for any device or platform. They support any go-to-market strategy for OEMs, mobile carriers, and OTT/pay TV companies.

Fingerprint is the latest acquisition for Sandbox and the third in the last six months, following Teachit in Q4 and Code Kingdoms earlier this month.

-- BERNAMA

TOW CO LTD RELEASES VIDEO INTRODUCING SYSTEM FOR JAPANESE CUISINE COOKING SKILLS CERTIFICATION

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- TOW Co Ltd has released a video introducing the system for certification of Japanese cuisine cooking skills.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has established Guidelines for the Certification of Cooking Skills for Japanese Cuisine in Foreign Countries, as of April 2016.

This system lays out specific standards that private bodies may use to recognise foreign chefs who have acquired given levels of knowledge and cooking skills necessary for Japanese cuisine preparation.

According to a statement, this is to help ensure that the appeals of Japanese food and dietary culture, as well as of Japanese agricultural and marine products, are appropriately and effectively communicated worldwide.

And through it, the private sector is able to position itself as a driving force in promoting efforts to certify Japanese cuisine cooking skills, increasing the number of certified individuals, and fostering further growth in foreign chefs who have acquired the appropriate knowledge and skills for preparation of Japanese cuisine.

This is all with the ultimate goal of further strengthening the global reputation of Japanese food and dietary culture and expanding consumption of Japanese agricultural and marine products.

To that end, TOW Co Ltd is actively engaged as the Application/Management Body of the Certification System.

As of this month, it has approbated 11 certifying bodies, which have in turn recognised 14 individual chefs as meeting Gold Certification standards, 187 meeting Silver, and 389 meeting Bronze.

More details at https://tow.co.jp/certification/

-- BERNAMA

INVNT® ANNOUNCES GROWTH OF CREATIVE AND PRODUCTION TEAMS IN SINGAPORE AND SYDNEY

 Expanding client portfolio prompts six new hires across APAC


SYDNEY, Australia, March 30 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INVNT. The global live brand storytelling agency® has expanded its APAC operations with the appointment of new creative and production talent in Singapore and Sydney. 

Based in Singapore, Sarah Bailey joins INVNT as Creative Director, where she is responsible for devising compelling campaign ideas for clients across the entire APAC region. Bailey brings more than ten years’ experience to the role, where she has worked in agency and client-side roles at companies including Freeman and Publicis Singapore. She is joined by Karen Ho in the creative team, who is coming onboard as a Junior Designer in Sydney.

The agency has further built out its production expertise following ongoing demand from clients for high-end virtual and hybrid experiences. Based in Sydney, Ema Wakeford has been appointed to the role of Executive Producer and joins from George P. Johnson. She has worked on events including the renowned Light, Music & Ideas Festival, Vivid Sydney and with brands such as Cadbury and Johnson & Johnson.

The team also welcomes Caroline Bubb as Senior Producer, who has over 10 years' experience delivering events in both Australia and the UK, Producer, Rebecca Wheatley, whose background lies in consumer-facing festivals and events including the Margaret River Gourmet Escape, Taste Festivals Australia, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia and the ARIA Awards, and Production Coordinator, Lauren Moorhouse, who joins from CWT Meetings & Events.

Laura Roberts, Managing Director, INVNT APAC said: "INVNT’s growth in Singapore and Sydney is testament to our teams on the ground, who have successfully adapted and pushed the creative boundaries to deliver compelling experiences for our clients during a time of immense change for the industry.   

"As a strategy and creative-led agency, I’m thrilled to have Sarah and Karen join our team to ensure we continue to surprise and delight clients with our out of the box thinking and striking designs, and a talented team of producers in Ema, Caroline, Rebecca and Lauren, who will bring this thinking to life across virtual, hybrid and in-person experiences as the pandemic evolves across the APAC region."

Click here for visuals.

About INVNT
Founded in 2008 by Scott Cullather and Kristina McCoobery, INVNT uses the craft of live brand storytelling to create and produce live experiences that excite and unite physical and virtual audiences, globally. The company's 'challenge everything' positioning statement helps clients including General Motors, Grant Thornton, Merck, PepsiCo and Samsung share their stories with every audience that matters. Part of [INVNT GROUP], THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT™, INVNT's offices are strategically located in New York, London, Sydney, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Stockholm and Singapore. For more information visit www.invnt.com

Contact:
Brea Carter
INVNT
bcarter@invnt.com
+61(0)431407006


SOURCE : [INVNT GROUP]™

HIC Credit Ratings remain under review with developing implications status - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 -- AM Best has maintained the under review with developing implications status for the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bbb’ of Hyundai Insurance (China) Co Ltd (HIC) China.

The ratings reflect HIC’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and marginal enterprise risk management.

These ratings were placed under review with developing implications on July 30, 2019, following an announcement that HIC planned to raise additional capital through four new investors, according to a statement.

On March 10, last year, HIC obtained regulatory approval to receive capital injections from four new investors, namely Legend Holdings Corporation (Legend Holdings); Dirun (Tianjin) Technology Co Ltd (Dirun); Anhui Easy-Biz Digital Technology Co Ltd; and, Ningbo Meishan Bonded Port Area Sequoia Yaosheng Equity Investment Partnership.

Following the capital injections, HIC’s paid-in capital increased to RMB 1,667 million (US$240 million) as of 2020-end from RMB 550 million (US$79 million) in 2019.(US$1 = RM4.146)

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co Ltd’s stake in HIC was diluted to 33 per cent from 100 per cent, whilst Legend Holdings and Dirun each hold a 32 per cent stake. 

As the new board of directors appointment has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, HIC’s ratings will remain under review until AM Best concludes a full analysis on how the latest business plan will impact the company’s credit profile.

More details at www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

CHINA TAIPING INSURANCE (MACAU) CREDIT RATINGS AFFIRMED - AM BEST

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘a’ of China Taiping Insurance (Macau) Co Ltd (CTIM) Macau, resulting in stable credit ratings outlook.

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

CTIM’s balance sheet strength has improved to the very strong level, mainly driven by organic growth in the company’s capital and surplus through profit retention, as well as the settlement of large claims and reinsurance recoverables related to prior accident years.

According to a statement, the company’s risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, is expected to remain at the strongest level over the medium term.

Its investment strategy remains conservative and focused on investing in low-risk fixed-income assets, including cash and bonds.

CTIM maintains a long track record as the leader in Macau’s non-life insurance segment, and has a market share of 33.4 per cent last year based on gross premium written.

Leveraging its strong relationships with corporate clients, in particular Chinese state owned-enterprises, the company’s underwriting portfolio and distribution channel remain stable and diversified, albeit its business is mainly concentrated in Macau.

Notwithstanding, AM Best views that the necessity of capital support from its parent company, China Taiping Insurance Holdings Company Limited has diminished in recent years, as CTIM’s capitalisation continues to grow organically and its risk adjusted capitalisation remains at a robust level.

CTIM is well-positioned at its current rating level; negative rating actions could occur if there is a material decline in the company’s risk-adjusted capitalisation or a significant and sustained deteriorating trend in its operating performance.

-- BERNAMA

E-COMMERCE ACCOUNTS FOR HALF THE GLOBAL RETAIL GROWTH BY 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Bernama) -- By 2025, e-commerce will expand by an additional US$1.4 trillion, accounting for half the growth in the global retail sector, according to Euromonitor International. (US$1 = RM4.133)

In a new webinar, Retail in Transition: Capitalising on Future E-Commerce Opportunities, Euromonitor delves into how the e-commerce market has transformed due to Covid-19, future tech investment areas and countries with unmet e-commerce potential.

According to the webinar, 16 per cent of goods were bought online last year - double the ratio of 2015 - with the growth expected to continue to accelerate in the next five years.

Based on a statement, the United States, China and Mexico are forecast to achieve the highest absolute value growth between 2020 – 2025 at US$386 billion, US$361 billion and US$77 billion, respectively.

“One of the most pronounced impacts from the global pandemic is the expanding influence of tech. Retailers and brands are prioritising tech investments, which range from optimising supply chain operations to improving user experience,” said Euromonitor International senior head of the digital consumer research, Michelle Evans.

“Companies in Latin America, for example, have been making bigger digital investments, and the region is forecast to reach the highest growth of retail value of all regions by 2025.

“However, the rapid digital transformation has brought challenges towards traditional business models and physical stores into greater focus, and it is vital to re-evaluate strategy for businesses to stay competitive in the ever-growing digital sphere.”

-- BERNAMA

NIPPON EXPRESS USA COMPLETES CHICAGO LOGISTICS CENTER CONSTRUCTION

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) -- Nippon Express USA Inc (NEUSA), a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co Ltd, has finished construction of the Chicago Logistics Center in Wood Dale, Illinois.

According to a statement, the environs of Chicago, Illinois, constitute a key logistics junction encompassing Chicago O'Hare International Airport, a gateway for air cargo in the US, as well as the Port of Chicago, a major collection centre for ocean cargo containers.

The automobile industry has built up a concentration of facilities in nearby states such as Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee and, with companies from various sectors of the pharmaceutical and medical equipment industry also setting up operations in this same area, warehouse demand is expected to rise.

The Wood Dale location will be capable of meeting the diverse needs of automotive-related customers, including incidental operations such as repacking and inspections as well as cross-docking.

NEUSA is looking to pair this new location with another large-scale Nippon Express facility already operating near O'Hare International Airport to strengthen logistics functions and expand the business of its most important hub in the Midwest.

Coinciding with the start date for operations, NEUSA's head office will be relocated from New York to the new facility with the intent of enhancing the speed and efficiency of operations by integrating head office, sales and operational functions into a single location, thereby improving Nippon Express' operations across the US.

NEUSA will be devoting particular efforts to upgrading its nationwide logistics functions to serve the automotive and pharmaceutical industries, positioned as priority industries in the Nippon Express Group's Corporate Strategy, and further contributing to its customers' business activities.

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

-- BERNAMA

LIQUID INSTRUMENTS INTRODUCES MOKU:GO - THE ROBUST LAB EDUCATION SOLUTION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS

Moku:Go offers a complete set of instruments and features designed to help science and engineering students push past the traditional boundaries of teaching labs and classrooms

SAN DIEGO & CANBERRA, Australia, March 24 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Today, Liquid Instruments, an innovator in precision software-defined instrumentation, launched Moku:Go, a complete, portable platform designed to bring the engineering lab anywhere and usher in a new era of scientific and engineering education at universities around the world.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210323005031/en/

 

Within higher education, current in-person lab instrumentation is stationary, expensive, hardware-limited and fixed at the time of purchase. Existing portable solutions lack the intuitive software interfaces that current and future generations of students have come to expect. They also do not offer all of the necessary instruments and features to enable students to learn effectively outside of the lab. The increasing demand for remote learning solutions and a more hands-on experience both in and out of the classroom has fueled the market need for student-owned, flexible platforms that can support the next generation of engineers and scientists.

The new software-enabled hardware platform, Moku:Go, is an engineering lab that can fit in a backpack. It was designed for maximum portability, flexibility and durability, to take not just electrical engineering students, but physics, bioengineering, chemical engineering and other majors through all four years of their education and even beyond. It starts with 8 proven, powerful instruments including an oscilloscope, PID controller, logic analyzer, arbitrary waveform generator, data logger, spectrum analyzer, and more. It also features full connectivity with a Wi-Fi hotspot and USB-C, robust hardware features and electrical protection to ensure that students can explore new projects without putting themselves or their equipment at risk. The unique integrated power supplies are user programmable with high voltage and high current options for any project.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=39636

DataStax Enterprise with IBM to accelerate modern, multi-cloud data applications

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 -- DataStax has announced a collaboration with IBM to deliver DataStax Enterprise, a leading scale-out NoSQL database built on the open source Apache Cassandra.

As a result of an agreement between IBM and DataStax, DataStax Enterprise with IBM is now available to help enterprises build and manage modern data applications in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, according to a statement.

“We’re thrilled that DataStax Enterprise with IBM is now available, designed to help businesses deliver modern applications with global scale and zero downtime,” said DataStax Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Chet Kapoor.

DataStax Enterprise is an open, multi-cloud stack for modern data applications. DataStax powers demanding workloads for hundreds of the world’s leading enterprises, including The Home Depot, T-Mobile and Intuit.

A multi-model database incorporating transactions, search, analytics, and graph workloads all on the same platform, DataStax delivers a powerful mix of global scale and high performance with open source flexibility and multi-cloud freedom.

“The launch of DataStax Enterprise with IBM is another step to help our customers modernise their applications and build a strong hybrid cloud foundation that will support their AI and data science efforts for years to come,” said IBM Vice-President of Offering Management for Data and AI, Madhu Kochar.

DataStax Enterprise with IBM is designed to provide IBM customers with a hybrid cloud solution set that can be deployed on private clouds or on multiple public clouds to support applications requiring open source Apache Cassandra-based technology.

More details at https://www.ibm.com/products/datastax-enterprise.

-- BERNAMA

FLASHPOINT STRONG PERFORMER IN EXTERNAL THREAT INTELLIGENCE SERVICES - FORRESTER WAVE REPORT

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) -- Flashpoint, the global leader in actionable threat intelligence, has been named a Strong Performer in the new independent technology evaluation The Forrester Wave™: External Threat Intelligence Services, Q1 2021.

According to a statement, the Forrester Wave report states that Flashpoint excels in ‘uncovering fraud and stolen data in underground criminal communities’.

Additionally, Forrester noted that ‘Flashpoint continues to excel at cyber-enabled human intelligence’ adding that ‘Flashpoint’s Compromised Credential Monitoring solution is one of the premier capabilities for quickly reducing the risk of stolen credential reusage’.

In this Forrester Wave, which evaluates vendors based on the strength of their current offering, strategy, and market presence, Flashpoint received the highest scores possible for four criteria.

The criteria are Human intelligence, Dissemination, Market approach and Innovation roadmap.

Flashpoint Chief Executive Officer, Josh Lefkowitz said: “This recognition from a trusted firm like Forrester is exciting for all of us at Flashpoint. We believe it further validates Flashpoint’s position as a top technology provider in the threat intelligence market.

“Moreover, we are proud that Forrester’s scores for Flashpoint in the market approach and innovation road map criteria mirror our relentless determination to lead the market and protect all organisations from external threats.”

This Wave report follows a recent Forrester Consulting TEI study commissioned by Flashpoint that found Flashpoint delivers a 482 per cent ROI to participating enterprise customers that were modelled as part of the study.

-- BERNAMA

We Wanted Enough Ambassadors to Ensure That the Entire World Knew About FENIX360. We’re Well on Our Way!

TEL AVIV, Israel, March 24 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- FENIX360 today announced its latest Global Artist Ambassadors: another 16 highly accomplished artists that are excited about the FENIX360 platform and keen to speak to fellow artists, friends, and others about the opportunities it uniquely affords.

These ambassadors are all currently conducting interviews about their careers and decisions to join FENIX360 with our extraordinarily talented and dedicated Global Artist Ambassador Mr. Will Nunziata, a NYC-based Director and Creator of Theatre, TV, and Film.

Tony Award winner, Emmy Award nominee: Cady Huffman
Argentinian star of music, TV, and film: Laura Tuny
Award-winning star of music, TV, film: Karen Mason
Award-winning composer and orchestrator: Eric Fegan
Boston-based guitarist: Jon Jaffe
Internationally-known musician: Nick Throop
Music composer for TV and film: Nathaniel Lanier
TV and theater star: Joseph Allen
Theatre star: Roger Dawley
Broadway star of Spiderman and Rock of Ages: Justin Sargent
Award-winning content creator: Franco Giacomarra
Web designer, brand builder, and performer: Sarah Kleist
Award-winning musician and music engineer: Seth Nicholson
Actress and singer: Lauren Robinson
Broadway star of Fiddler on the Roof: Tess Primack
Pop star: TUCKER

What is remarkable about these artists is that they all came on board in the past eight days after we announced 15 new Ambassadors last Monday.

We already have 45 amazing Ambassadors and the way things are going, we may have as many Ambassadors as the USA (189) by the end of April. We’ll certainly have enough to reach around the world and introduce them to the revolutionary FENIX360.

ABOUT FENIX

In 2018, FENIX began building a blockchain ecosystem designed to facilitate all musicians with a dedicated following however small or large- being able to earn a living. The principal was that FENIX should provide all revenues to the artist apart from the small percentage necessary for running the FENIX business. And that FENIX should continually create new tools for the Artist. Since that time, in what FENIX describes as an “evolution to a revolution”, FENIX has focused on making the core feature of its ecosystem -- being able to build a unique, content-filled APP in 20 minutes -- available to anybody as the basis for a completely new type of social media. www.fenix360.net and www.fenix.band

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210323006112/en/

Contact

DOMINIKA BANDIKOVA
+421 911 290 741
dominika@fenix.cash

Source : FENIX360

HOW TO STRIKE A BALANCE WHEN WORKING FROM HOME (WFH)

 KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) -- I remember when I was in primary school, the teacher asked us to imagine and draw something about Wawasan 2020. We poured out our creative hearts by drawing robots, KLCC and of course flying cars all over the sky. Back then, we believed that in 20 years or more to come, the world would evolve like what we had creatively imagined.

Fast forward to 2019, nothing much has changed and in 2020-2021, it’s still a dream for us and even far apart from our imagination due to the global pandemic outbreak. It affected the world including Malaysia and changed the lifestyles of many such as no more outings without a mask, travel restrictions and working from home (WFH) has become a norm. One of the struggles that many people face when it comes to WFH is to juggle between work and house chores:
    
Tired of cooking

Preparing and cooking 3 meals per day especially for the entire family can become a chore after a while, especially the cleaning afterwards. Your kitchen is a mess now with tons of plate, oily floor and the most headache part is the food smell being trapped inside your house and sometimes it continues to linger even after you wake up the next morning. (sigh)

Pets fur everywhere

Pets like cats and dogs are cute but if you have a pet, you know how frustrating their drop of hair/ fur can be. You literally see the hair flying in the air or has firmly landed on the floor or attached to your furniture. And of course, you vacuum the fur everyday to ensure your family members are away from respiratory issues or allergies. It definitely drains your energy and you may feel extremely tired.

Getting rid of germs and bacteria

Due to the pandemic outbreak last year, no doubt that you are more aware and emphasise on the hygiene level at home. Especially parents are more alert to frequently sanitise things at home eg. door knobs, toys, remote controls etc to ensure your kids are protected from harmful germs and bacteria.

But sometimes it’s still unavoidable even after many rounds of cleaning and sanitising, tiny air pollutants which we could not see from our naked eyes may still enter from different entry points.

It is definitely not easy to juggle both your work and house chores daily. But, there is a way to reduce your burden. Initial InspireAir 72- air purifier that purifies and sanitises air up to 72m2  indoor space by eliminating 95% of air pollutants. It can be placed in your respective rooms to improve the indoor air quality for you and your family. It contains multilayer filters that remove harmful airborne particles down to 0.3 microns which include bacteria and pollen. Once the air purifier is set to run, it will start to clean and sanitise the air immediately and give a constant reading of the indoor air quality within the coverage vicinity.

Now, with good indoor air quality at home, it helps to protect you and your loved ones from harmful germs and bacteria while increasing productivity and performance at work and at the same time enjoy your leisure activities at peace. Be sure not to miss out the attractive deal for InspireAir 72. Head on to Initial Hygiene Malaysia now to find out more.

About Rentokil Initial Malaysia

Rentokil Initial is part of an international network of over 70 countries with 35,500 colleagues, more than 100 years of combined experience, and a great track record of providing reliable and trustworthy services to businesses globally.

Established in Malaysia for over 50 years, we are the experts delivering essential services in areas such as hygiene and pest control the foundation of businesses - so our customers can focus on what they do best. Rentokil Initial is characterised by efficient management that supports a national network across Malaysia. That means there's always a Rentokil Initial service technician nearby when a customer needs one - and that we have the range and depth of resources to provide consistent quality service to customers. This makes Rentokil Initial a trusted brand of many different customers ranging from residential, SMEs to large organisations.

For more information on our services, please contact:

Initial hygiene : 1800 880 388
initial.com.my

Rentokil pest control : 1300 886 911
rentokil.com.my 


SOURCE : Rentokil Initial Malaysia

JUMIO SECURES US$150 MILLION INVESTMENT FROM GREAT HILL PARTNERS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- Jumio, AI-powered end-to-end identity verification and eKYC solutions provider, has secured a US$150 million investment from Great Hill Partners. (US$1 = RM4.112)

This infusion represents the single largest funding round in the digital identity space and speaks to the global importance of establishing a user’s identity remotely to defend against fraud and financial crime, comply with KYC and AML regulations and boost online conversions.

The investment will accelerate Jumio’s significant global lead in the digital identity space by devoting additional resources to automate its identity verification solutions, expand the breadth of the Jumio KYX Platform and grow its suite of AML compliance services.

According to a statement, with this investment, Great Hill Partners' Nick Cayer and Matt Vettel will join Centana Growth Partners and Millennium Technology Value Partners on Jumio’s Board of Directors.

Great Hill has deep growth investing experience across the cybersecurity, compliance and financial technology sectors, having scaled and added value to a range of tech-enabled companies including AffiniPay and MineralTree.

Evercore served as financial adviser while Winston & Strawn LLP served as legal counsel to Jumio. Moelis & Company LLC served as financial adviser and Goodwin Proctor LLP served as legal counsel to Great Hill Partners.

-- BERNAMA

CLOUDFLARE ANNOUNCES MAGIC WAN WITH MAGIC FIREWALL, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- Cloudflare Inc recently introduced Magic WAN with Magic Firewall and new strategic partnerships with major networking and data centre providers as part of its cloud-based network-as-a-service solution, Cloudflare One.

Based on a statement, Magic WAN with Magic Firewall gives customers of all sizes a one-stop-shop to connect and secure data, devices, offices, cloud networks, and more without relying on hardware boxes.

Magic WAN is a SaaS solution that connects any traffic source to Cloudflare’s global network for secure, fast connectivity, and Magic Firewall integrates with it to enforce security rules across all traffic.

With Magic WAN and Magic Firewall, businesses can also speed up their network and add security at a fraction of the cost compared to legacy MPLS architecture.

On the other hand, many organisations already have SD-WAN appliances to route or tunnel traffic from offices, data centres, or from public clouds using virtual appliances.

According to the same statement, Cloudflare has partnered with leading network on-ramp providers including VMware and Aruba as well as data centre providers including Digital Realty, CoreSite, and EdgeConneX.

The partnerships aim to help businesses move their network to the cloud with existing hardware, wherever they are in their cloud journey.

More details on www.cloudflare.com

-- BERNAMA

PINNACLE LIFE LIMITED CREDIT RATINGS AFFIRMED -- AM BEST

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B (Fair) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bb+’ of Pinnacle Life Limited (Pinnacle Life) New Zealand, resulting in stable outlook.

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

Pinnacle Life’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio, which AM Best expects to remain at the strongest level over the medium term, albeit with a declining trend driven by increased underwriting risk as the company executes its strategic growth plan.

The company has experienced some volatility in its regulatory solvency ratio over recent years. Nonetheless, AM Best expects prospective regulatory solvency to be managed to an adequate level over the medium term.

However, AM Best notes that given the company’s small absolute capital base, capital adequacy remains sensitive to the rate of new business growth, changes in the interest rate environment and shock events.

Based on a statement, AM Best also views the company as having a high reliance on third-party reinsurance.

AM Best views Pinnacle Life’s operating performance as adequate, with the company having generated a five-year average return-on-equity ratio of 9.9 per cent (fiscal-years 2016-2020).

The agency considers Pinnacle Life’s business profile as limited, largely reflecting the company’s small-scale of operations, as well as its low product and geographical diversification in New Zealand.

More details on the ratings at www.ambest.com

-- BERNAMA

SIXTH ANNUAL STEVIE® AWARDS FOR GREAT EMPLOYERS SEEK NOMINATIONS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- The Stevie Awards is calling entries for the sixth annual Stevie® Awards for Great Employers, honouring the world’s best companies to work for and the human resource teams, professionals, suppliers, and new products and services that help to create and drive great places to work.

All individuals and organisations worldwide - public and private, for-profit, and non-profit, large and small - may submit nominations to the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, according to a statement.

The early-bird entry deadline, with reduced entry fees, is on April 28, while the final entry deadline is on June 2, but late entries will be accepted through July 13, with payment of a late fee.

Finalists will be announced on Aug 19. Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners will be revealed and presented their awards at a gala event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Oct 1, conditions permitting.

The Stevie Awards for Great Employers recognise achievement in many facets of the workplace. Categories include Employer of the Year Awards; HR Achievement Awards; HR Individual Awards; HR Team Categories; and, Solution Provider Awards.

There are many new categories in 2021 for HR achievements including Achievement in Managing a Remote Workforce; Achievement in Leadership Development for Racial/Ethnic Minorities; and Best Transformation Strategy.

Winners in the 31 industry-specific Employer of the Year categories will be determined by a unique blend of public votes and professional ratings. Public voting will take place from July 19 to Aug 9.

Entry details are available at www.StevieAwards.com/HR.

-- BERNAMA

CureApp, Jichi Medical University collaborate on hypertension therapeutics app

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 -- CureApp Inc has completed a Japanese Phase III multicentre randomised controlled trial of their digital therapeutics (DTx) app to treat hypertension.

According to a statement, it was jointly researched by a team, led by Professor Kazuomi Kario at Jichi Medical University.

Results of the study showed a statistically significant difference in average systolic blood pressure over a 24-hour period – the primary endpoint of this study, demonstrating a hypotensive effect.

Moving forward, the Company will seek regulatory approval based on the results.

“We view the popularisation of digital therapeutics for hypertension as having the potential to alter hypertension treatments for the better, as well as greatly contribute to reducing medical care expenses,” said CureApp Inc Chief Executive Officer and Practicing Doctor, Kohta Satake.

Having commenced in December 2019, this trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of the DTx app when used with patients with essential hypertension who had not received oral treatments using antihypertensive drugs.

For the comparative study, subjects were divided into two groups. This included a control group that only applied lifestyle changes based on the Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension 2019 and an intervention group using the DTx app in addition to the lifestyle changes proposed in the Guidelines.

Hypertension is the highest risk factor for cerebral and cardiovascular diseases (stroke and heart disease). An estimated 100,000 people die of hypertension induced cerebral and cardiovascular diseases every year.

-- BERNAMA

BUNKA FASHION GRADUATE UNIVERSITY ANNUAL EVENT GOES VIRTUAL

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 (Bernama) -- Bunka Fashion Graduate University (BFGU), a professional graduate school in Japan, has released ‘Vol.3 Future Generation’, the main content of the online event “BFGU Online Festival 'Redefining'.”

According to a statement, this is the first online presentation of ‘Bunka Fashion Graduate University Fashion Week’, attracting more than 4,000 visitors from the fashion industry every year.

The fashion show by BFGU's Division of Fashion Creation is a collection of released brands in which a huge number of current young designers participated previously.

On the other hand, Division of Fashion Management majors also present research on sustainable fashion, an area acquiring more attention in the industry in recent years.

The content details of Vol.3 Future Generation include the fashion show by second-year Division of Fashion students in a digital video technique, and the conventional runway style is transcended.

In addition, there is a 360-degree panoramic shot of the works by the fashion creation majors using the VR camera ‘Matterport’. Viewers can see the works and videos created by graduate students in a 3D virtual tour.

BFGU is also going to release creations with 3D CAD using AR technology. Viewers are able to indulge in virtual experience that they will feel true and real.

More details at https://bfgu-bunka.ac.jp/redefining/future/

-- BERNAMA