TDCX Inc announces fourth quarter, full year 2021 results on March 9

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 -- TDCX Inc (TDCX or the Company), a high-growth digital customer experience solutions provider for innovative technology and other blue-chip companies, plans to announce its fourth quarter and full year 2021 unaudited financial results on March 9, 2022, U.S. Eastern Time, before the U.S. market opens.

On that day, the TDCX senior management will host a conference call to discuss the unaudited financial results, according to a statement.

A live webcast of this conference call will be available on the TDCX website.

TDCX provides transformative digital CX solutions, enabling world-leading and disruptive brands to acquire new customers, to build customer loyalty and protect their online communities.

TDCX employs more than 14,000 employees across 26 campuses globally, specifically Singapore, where it is headquartered, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, India, Romania, Spain and Colombia.

More details at www.tdcx.com.

-- BERNAMA

NIPPON EXPRESS SELECTED FOR CDP'S "SUPPLIER ENGAGEMENT LEADER" OF HIGHEST-RATED COMPANIES FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR

TOKYO, Feb. 25, 2022 /Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/ --

Nippon Express Co., Ltd., a group company of Nippon Express Holdings, Inc. has been included for the second consecutive year on the "Supplier Engagement Leader" comprising highest-rated companies in the "Supplier Engagement Rating" conducted by CDP, an international NGO engaged in researching and disclosing environmental information on companies and cities.   Logo1 (Nippon Express): https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202202227644-O2-35P4W8mA   Logo2 (CDP): https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202202227644-O1-TolEJj72   One of the environmental rating institutions most trusted by investors, CDP is a non-profit organization whose principal activities involve requesting that companies and local governments disclose information on their climate change, water security, forest conservation and other environmental measures at the behest of institutional investors and major purchasing organizations around the world who take a great interest in environmental issues, thereby encouraging companies and local governments to pursue such measures.   The NX Group regards "responsibility for the global environment" as a priority issue and accordingly it pro-actively discloses environmental information, pursues green (eco-friendly) logistics initiatives such as cooperative delivery and modal shifts, and formulates projects that help reduce CO2 emissions. The effectiveness of these efforts was acknowledged in CDP's latest rating.   Nippon Express will continue to practice sustainable management from a long-term perspective while meeting the expectations of all stakeholders globally by ardently addressing environmental issues, and the NX Group will work in concert to achieve further growth and enhance its corporate value as it aims to become the trusted presence that customers and societies in all ages demand.   Related information - CDP Supplier Engagement Rating: https://www.cdp.net/en/research/global-reports/engaging-the-chain#supplier-engagement-2021     - NX Group's approaches to environmental issues: https://www.nipponexpress-holdings.com/en/csr/environment/   Nippon Express website: https://www.nipponexpress.com/   Official LinkedIn account: NX GROUP https://www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group/     Source: Nippon Express Holdings, Inc.  http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=42496

Gallium Semiconductor appoints Daniel Artusi to Advisory Board

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 -- Gallium Semiconductor, an innovative supplier of RF Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor solutions for 5G mobile communications, has announced the appointment of industry veteran Daniel Artusi to its Advisory Board.

With 40 years of experience leading global semiconductor companies, he will play an instrumental role in furthering Gallium Semi’s strategic goals, expanding its customer relationships and capturing its market expansion opportunities.

“We are extremely honoured to welcome Dan as a Board Advisor,” said Gallium Semi’s Chief Executive Officer, Kin Tan in a statement.

“Dan’s technical and business leadership experience at companies such as Lantiq, Conexant, Silicon Labs and Motorola will greatly contribute to our strategic development as well as our day-to-day operations.”

Meanwhile, Artusi said: “Gallium Semi is an opportunity to guide and support a highly experienced team with a strong industry track record. I look forward to working with the team as they fulfill a global market need for innovative RF semiconductor solutions for 5G mobile communications.”

From 2015 until 2018, he served as Vice President in the Client Computing Group and as General Manager for the connected home division of Intel Corporation. From 2012 until its acquisition by Intel in 2015, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Lantiq Deutschland GmbH.

Artusi also served as an operating executive with Golden Gate Capital, a private equity firm; as Chief Executive Officer of Conexant Systems; and as President and Chief Executive Officer of Silicon Laboratories.

More details at www.galliumsemi.com.

-- BERNAMA

NetWitness unveils Partner Program for resellers, distributors and MSSPs

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 -- NetWitness, an RSA business, and globally trusted provider of cybersecurity technologies and incident response services, has unveiled its new Partner Program.

The new programme is designed to better meet the needs of NetWitness’ ecosystem of channel resellers, distributors, and managed security service providers (MSSPs) working with enterprises globally to improve their threat detection and response capabilities.

NetWitness’ new Partner Program provides partner organisations with improved and simplified operations and processes, a wider breadth of training and enablement, and enhanced partner marketing opportunities and resources.

According to a statement, the new programme puts a greater emphasis on education, so that partners can continue addressing the ever-evolving cybersecurity concerns of their enterprise customers.

“Our partners play a critical role in enabling enterprises to detect threats and take action to mitigate them, and our new programme is now better positioned to support them in this mission,” said Chief Revenue Officer of NetWitness, Dave Govan.

Additionally, RSA and NetWitness veteran Corné van Rooij has been promoted to lead NetWitness’ worldwide channel organisation.

van Rooij has held leadership positions in NetWitness’ channel programme for more than three years. Prior to his current role, he was a senior leader at CPI Risk, Finance & Governance, as well as iWelcome.

NetWitness, an RSA® Business, provides comprehensive and highly scalable threat detection and response capabilities for organisations worldwide.

-- BERNAMA

EMQ DELIVERS REAL-TIME PAYMENTS ACROSS SOUTH ASIA

Enables our customers with fast, transparent and seamless international payments to bank accounts in Nepal and India

SINGAPORE & MUMBAI, India, Feb 14 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Global payments network EMQ today announced that it has significantly augmented its real-time cross-border payments across South Asia, including direct access to Nepal and India’s Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), with Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and additional markets in the pipeline. These major enhancements provide a more transparent and cost-efficient payments solution for our customers worldwide, while enabling them to capture new opportunities across the emerging markets.

“At EMQ, we actively listen to our customers and these service enhancements reflect our continuous efforts to provide value-added solutions that meet their business needs. In the coming months, we will continue to expand our network with more global market touch points across the fastest growing economic corridors,” said Steven Liu, Global Head of Networks and Expansion, EMQ. “Our enhanced coverage across Nepal and India further complement our efforts to offer differentiated value propositions with greater speed, agility and flexibility in both consumer and business payments that meet the evolving business models.”

Powered by EMQ’s real-time payments network, our enhanced payment capabilities to Nepal and India are now available across all EMQ’s global markets. With a single EMQ Connect API integration, customers can now send a maximum of 500,000 INR (increased from 200,000 INR) directly into local banks in real-time under IMPS and higher amounts via same-day fund transfers to India.

In Nepal, customers will also have direct access to real-time bank transfer of up to 1,000,000 NPR with additional same-day payment options available in the country. These extended service offerings enable enterprises to focus on growing their business without the need to manage complex network infrastructure.

With a network footprint touching billions of people, EMQ continues to expand its product suite with real-time payments capabilities across Europe (Sepa Zone), Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, Philippines, the United Kingdom, and 19 markets in Africa, with expansion underway in the United States, Canada and Latin America. The company is currently licensed in Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and registered as a Money Service Business in Canada.

About EMQ

EMQ is a global fintech company that enables businesses of every size to efficiently move money and deploy end-to-end financial services from anywhere in the world, leveraging our expansive global network. Through continuous innovation, we deliver flexible payment infrastructure with increased speed, transparency, and certainty - vital requirements in an always-on digital economy. Our API-powered platform makes it easy for businesses across industries to manage any cross-border transactions and embed financial service into your product offerings. www.emq.com. 

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AM BEST REMOVES FROM UNDER REVIEW WITH DEVELOPING IMPLICATIONS AND AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF PVI INSURANCE CORPORATION

SINGAPORE, Feb 14 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has removed from under review with developing implications and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” (Good) of PVI Insurance Corporation (PVI Insurance) (Vietnam). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is positive.

The ratings reflect PVI Insurance’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). In addition, PVI Insurance benefits from rating enhancement from HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie V.a.G. (HDI V.a.G. or the HDI group).

The ratings of PVI Insurance were placed under review with developing implications on 1 July 2021, following an announcement by HDI Global SE that it had partially divested its shareholding in PVI Holdings, the immediate parent of PVI Insurance, to comply with a regulatory condition imposed by the State Securities Commission of Vietnam. As a result of this shareholding change, the ultimate ownership of PVI Holdings’ total charter capital by HDI V.a.G. fell below 50%; this caused uncertainty over PVI Insurance’s eligibility to continue receiving rating enhancement from AM Best in respect of its ownership, integration and support from HDI group.

The latest rating actions follow a period of further shareholding changes, which has seen the HDI group regain majority ultimate ownership of PVI Holdings. As a result of this, AM Best continues to afford rating enhancement to PVI Insurance in respect of its ultimate ownership by and the implicit support from the HDI group. Although PVI Insurance’s operations account for a small portion of HDI V.a.G.’s overall revenues and earnings, AM Best views the company as being important to the HDI group’s international expansion plans.

PVI Insurance’s balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalisation that is expected to remain at the strongest level over the medium term, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). AM Best views the company’s investment portfolio to be of moderate risk, with a majority allocation to cash and term deposits, albeit some exposure to higher-risk assets including affiliated private investments. Other balance sheet considerations include the company’s high reinsurance usage and dependence, as well as its high dividend payout ratio over recent years, although retained earnings combined with periodic capital contributions have remained sufficient to support business growth.

PVI Insurance’s underwriting results have improved over recent years and it has a five-year average return-on-equity ratio of 14.5% (2016-2020). Robust underwriting performance has been supported by profitable commercial and industrial business and ongoing remediation measures in motor and personal accident insurance. Loss experience also improved during the first nine months of 2021, due in part to COVID-19-induced community lockdowns and social restriction measures. In addition, the company’s investment income has consistently supported overall earnings, although returns may be constrained by low interest rates over the near term.

The company’s business profile is assessed as neutral. PVI Insurance is the second-largest insurer in Vietnam’s non-life market by 2020 gross premium written with a market leading position in commercial and industrial lines of business, including property, engineering, marine, aviation and energy insurance. The company benefits from business sourced from its second largest shareholder, PetroVietnam group (PVN), the state-owned corporation operating in the oil and gas sector. The company’s integration with HDI V.a.G. is also expected to strengthen its position in the regional industrial risks insurance market.

AM Best considers the company’s ERM approach as appropriate given the size and complexity of its current operations. Going forward, AM Best expects PVI Insurance to benefit further from the HDI V.a.G. group’s international product expertise in areas of risk selection, pricing and reserving, as well as its oversight and support in respect of risk management.

The positive outlooks reflect AM Best’s expectation that the company will continue to demonstrate a trend of favourable underwriting and operating performance over the near to medium term. In addition, AM Best expects PVI insurance to maintain its importance and integration with HDI V.a.G. over the intermediate term.

Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 

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BEYOND LIMITS ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF OAK CONSULTING

The cloud data solutions provider accelerates Beyond Limits business intelligence and technical expertise growth in the Asia-Pacific region

SINGAPORE, Feb 11 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beyond Limits, the industrial and enterprise-grade AI software company built for the most demanding sectors, today announced its acquisition of Singapore-based cloud solutions and consulting partner Oak Consulting.

“Oak Consulting’s extensive track record and expertise in business intelligence and enterprise data management services made the company a natural strategic fit for Beyond Limits,” said David Liu, Executive Chairman of Beyond Limits Asia-Pacific. “Moreover, the company shares our strategic mission for creating solutions that magnify the talents and capabilities of people with the latest technologies, and we’re very excited to welcome them to the Beyond Limits team.”

Oak Consulting provides enterprise-class, full lifecycle solutions from strategy through to the implementation stage for critical industries including public sector, eCommerce, healthcare, financial and supply chain, among others. The firm brings decades of extensive industry knowledge and experience in guiding clients through operational analytics supported by data mining, artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as the adoption of the latest cloud and data management technology platforms. 

The acquisition of Oak Consulting further cements Beyond Limits’ position and profitability in the Asia-Pacific region and accelerates the company’s technical resources to support new customer projects and use cases. Current and future customers in the area will also have more immediate access to experienced teams to lead them through complex AI, machine learning, data analytics and management integrations from the concept phase through implementation.

“As a key partner for Beyond Limits since 2020, we’ve worked closely together for years to better understand and meet the rapidly evolving technology demands of businesses in the region,” said Victor Ng, Managing Director of Oak Consulting. “Beyond Limits and its Cognitive AI technology are extremely well-positioned to help meet these demands as artificial intelligence becomes more ingrained in daily business operations. We look forward to the strength and scope of services we will be able to offer together.”

Oak Consulting’s current employees and management team will remain in place and will continue to generate immediate opportunities under the Beyond Limits brand by offering its existing products and services to customers and partners. This acquisition brings together two leading companies with decades of extensive industry knowledge and experience in technology and business solutions. Beyond Limits is committed to growing Oak Consulting’s services to achieve dramatic growth in the coming years—growth that will result in more opportunities for Beyond Limits customers.

About Beyond Limits Asia-Pacific
Beyond Limits Asia-Pacific is an enterprise-scale AI company that optimizes operations, boosts efficiency, and increases productivity for demanding industries including energy, advanced manufacturing, and fintech.

Beyond traditional artificial intelligence, Beyond Limits’ software products are powered by award-winning Cognitive AI technology, utilizing a hybrid AI approach that combines data-centric techniques with embedded human knowledge to affirm trust in software-driven decisions, manage operational risk, and drive profitability.

Beyond Limits Asia Pacific is regionally headquartered in Singapore with operations in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Taipei and Tokyo. The regional headquarters drives strategic investments for joint ventures and partnerships in Asia to expand Beyond Limits’ AI in verticals including financial services, led by the Hong Kong office, advanced manufacturing, led the Taiwan office, and the energy sector led by the Singapore, Shenzhen and Tokyo offices.  

Founded in 2014, Beyond Limits leverages a significant investment portfolio of advanced technology developed at Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA space missions. The company was recently honored by Frost & Sullivan as a Company of the Year for their 2021 Best Practices Award and by CB Insights on their 2020 List of Top 100 Most Innovative Artificial Intelligence Startups.

For more information, please visit www.beyond.ai.

About Oak Consulting
Oak Consulting is a Premier Tier Tableau Value-Added Reseller and Cloud Solutions Provider based in Singapore with offices in India and Malaysia providing Data Management and Analytics Consulting Services. We specialize in industries such as Healthcare, Education, Retail and eCommerce, Telcos, Financials, Shipping, Airport Hub, Business Services and the Public Sector.

Our firm thrives in delivering enterprise-class, full life cycle solutions from strategy through to the implementation stage. Oak Consulting specialties lie in dealing with huge and complex data sets, providing operational analytics supported by data mining, artificial intelligence, and machine learning; adopting the latest state-of-the-art Cloud and Data Management technology platforms of the world. 

Our leadership team brings decades of extensive industry knowledge and experience in information technology and business solutions. Together with a team of experience technology and business domain specialists, we pride ourselves in being a Progressively Collaborative Partner to work with in Singapore and the Region.​ 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=42398

Press Ganey plans Forsta acquisition, hastening healthcare experience industry innovation

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 -- Press Ganey, a renowned leader in patient, member, employee and consumer experience across the healthcare ecosystem, has announced plans to acquire Forsta, an industry-leading global provider of customer experience and market research technology.

Forsta is named a Leader in the 2021 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Voice of the Customer. The transaction is expected to close in the first or second calendar quarter of 2022, and is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

“This alliance propels Press Ganey into a new future. Our unparalleled excellence in healthcare consulting, and proprietary data and analytics, will soon be infused with even more innovation and speed by Forsta’s world-class experience and research technology platform,” said Patrick T. Ryan, Chairman and CEO, Press Ganey based on a statement.

“I’m beyond thrilled to welcome Forsta to the Press Ganey family. This is a huge leap forward in helping our customers to do their jobs better every day.”

This pairing drives Press Ganey forward on its path to integrating human-centric, cutting-edge technology into its renowned thought leadership and management expertise in healthcare.

Press Ganey’s clients will have access to an even more powerful suite of customer experience (CX), employee experience (EX), and Market Research (MR) technology options on Forsta’s comprehensive platform.

“Press Ganey was the first company to truly recognise and respond to the importance of Patient Experience, and the company continues to lead innovation in the field. I’m excited to join forces with such a forward-thinking, highly respected company, and eager for the benefits this investment will bring to our customers,” said Forsta CEO, Kyle Ferguson.

Combined, Press Ganey and Forsta serve the experience and insights needs of millions of organisations.

-- BERNAMA

CHEVRON SINGAPORE EXPANDS RELATIONSHIP WITH PDI TO USE POINT-OF-SALE (POS) SOLUTIONS ACROSS THE APAC REGION

Cloud-based PDI POS Solutions offer deep functionality to support convenience, fuel retail, and foodservice operations with seamless integration to the retailer ecosystem

ATLANTA, Feb 11 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- PDI (www.pdisoftware.com), a global provider of leading software solutions for the convenience retail and petroleum wholesale industries, today announced it has signed an agreement with Chevron Singapore Pte. Ltd. (Chevron) to implement cloud-based PDI Point-of-Sale (POS) Solutions. The agreement provides support to multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and across the Chevron retail network, integrating with existing PDI back-office and home-office business solutions that simplify complex operations across all profit centers. PDI POS Solutions support convenience, fuel retail, and foodservice operations for Chevron with seamless integration across the company’s extensive retailer ecosystem.

In November 2020, PDI announced it would implement the next generation of PDI Envoy back-office and home-office software solutions at corporate-owned Chevron sites across APAC. Today’s announcement enables Chevron to continue leveraging the global team of PDI experts to support the ongoing digital transformation efforts in the region. In particular, Chevron will rely on the powerful, intuitive, and reliable PDI technology stack to create a foundation for future advanced technology investments.

“We’re excited to expand our longstanding relationship with Chevron in APAC. It’s a privilege to serve and enable customers like Chevron so they can benefit from PDI technology investments in the convenience petroleum industry,” said Brad McGuinness, Senior Vice President, POS Solutions at PDI. “This announcement legitimizes the significant investments PDI is making in the industry, international markets, and our solution portfolio.”

PDI leads the market in delivering solutions that provide essential building blocks for digital transformation, both to expand and future-proof operations. Leading retailers, like Chevron, continue to invest in technology that optimizes business operations and helps improve the guest experience with innovative POS solutions.

”To enhance our customer experience and increase enterprise productivity, we are refreshing our POS solutions,” said Dean Gilbert, General Manager, Marketing and Sales Support, Chevron, APAC. “PDI is a dedicated and trusted partner with a proven track record of supporting us in the region. Deep industry expertise from PDI contributes to Chevron success within the Asia-Pacific region and we’re excited to extend this to POS.”

With PDI POS Solutions, Chevron can increase customer-centricity with robust promotions and operations that also deliver better oversight of the business, including real-time updates on inventory, sales, pricing, and staffing.

Sin Hin Wong, PDI General Manager and Vice President of Sales APAC, said, “Chevron is focused on enhancing the customer experience, and a modern, integrated POS solution helps them achieve that goal while increasing enterprise productivity. We look forward to working with Chevron across the various parts of their retail operations in Asia and throughout the Pacific region.” 

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TIGERGRAPH LAUNCHES MILLION-DOLLAR CHALLENGE TO INSPIRE INNOVATIVE USES OF GRAPH

Company Tests Global Community of Innovators; Awards $1M in Prizes to Solve Real World Problems with Graph Technology

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb 10 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TigerGraph, provider of a leading graph analytics platform, today launched “Graph for All Million Dollar Challenge,” a global search for innovative ways to harness the power of graph technology and machine learning to solve real world problems. The challenge brings together brilliant minds to build innovative solutions to better our future with one question: How will you change the world with graph? Winners across four main categories will be announced this May at the 2022 Graph + AI Summit, the largest open industry event for graph and AI organized by TigerGraph.

“Every day, more than 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are produced — that’s 18 zeroes,” said Dr. Yu Xu, founder and CEO of TigerGraph. “Within this data are answers to critical health, climate, and business-related questions, and graph technology identifies those patterns across and within the data to find the answers. We’re giving one million dollars to innovators who push the boundaries of graph and AI technology to uncover new, transformational ways to solve real world issues. The challenge is officially on and we look forward to seeing thousands of registrants, hundreds of mind-blowing entries, and countless new ideas and concepts.”

Now considered a must-have technology for modern enterprises, graph is making a difference for companies under tremendous pressures brought on by the pandemic. Over the past 18 months alone, TigerGraph’s technology empowered medical providers to make real-time care recommendations to millions of patients, fueled countless COVID-tracking initiatives, and helped businesses save hundreds of millions of dollars by improving their supply chain decisions.

"TigerGraph's challenge is structured to stretch the imagination of graph enthusiasts and test its limits," said Usha Rengaraju, Graph for All Million Dollar Challenge Judge. "I'm excited to see teams coming together to create graph solutions that can impact society or shape the future for companies. There is so much data available in the world waiting to reveal patterns and relationships that will solve important global problems."

Solving Real Problems
Entrepreneurs, academics, engineers, and scientists have the freedom to create and use their own problem statement focused on a topic they are dedicated to or passionate about. Additionally, domain experts from around the world have contributed problem statements that contestants can select. A few examples include:

• Identify granular concepts that interlink multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals;
• Model the progression of COVID waves to better predict future waves;
• Understand patterns of diagnosis and treatment that point to potential off-label usage of drugs;
• Generate a model for individuals to track their own online information and make better decisions on who has their data, and what is being done with it;
• Add to the climate change knowledge by producing the time-series analysis for newly generated thermokarst lakes to help understand the impact in the polar regions.

Judging Committee
The judging committee includes the world’s brightest and most recognizable data scientists, professors, PhD’s, distinguished engineers, and founders of global companies focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, knowledge graph, and other industry experts with deep knowledge of graph technology, graph use cases, and graph deployments. Notable panelists include:

• Usha Rengaraju, Principal Data Scientist and founder of NeuroAI
• Juan Sequeda, Principal Scientist at data.world
• Dan McCreary, Distinguished Engineer in AI, Optum
• James Pang Yan, PhD, Co-Director, Master of Science in Business Analytics at National University of Singapore
• Ashleigh Faith, Director, Knowledge Graph and Semantic Search at EBSCO
• Ellie Young, Founder at Common Action

How to Register for the Million Dollar Challenge
The global virtual challenge is open to tech professionals, data scientists, engineers, university students, and researchers interested in discovering what is possible with graph and AI. Notable partners participating in the challenge include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, Google Dev Library, data.world, GitHub, Kubrick Group, Microsoft Azure, Plotly, and Women Who Code.

Registration opens today and the final submission deadline is April 20, 2022. Winners will be announced the week of May 23 at the 2022 Graph + AI Summit, the industry’s only open conference devoted to democratizing and accelerating analytics, AI, and machine learning with graph algorithms, organized by TigerGraph.

How to Win
Contestants will be part of a worldwide competition to solve crucial problems and have an opportunity to share in $1,000,000 in cash prizes.

Entries will be judged based on the project’s impact, creativity, boldness, and adaptability:

• Most Impactful: The project’s level of impact on social good and the community at large
• Most Innovative: The project’s level of ingenuity and the ability to identify new, never-imagined uses of graph
• Most Ambitious: The project’s overall ability to push the boundary of a graph to drive data insights
• Most Applicable: The project’s relevancy to a wide range of organizations

For complete rules and resources, and to register, click here: https://graphforall.devpost.com/

Helpful Links

· Graph for All Million Dollar Challenge
· Graph for All
· Graph + AI Summit
· Get TigerGraph
· TigerGraph Cloud
· TigerGraph Website
· TigerGraph Blog
· TigerGraph on Twitter
· TigerGraph on LinkedIn

About TigerGraph
TigerGraph is a platform for advanced analytics and machine learning on connected data. Based on the industry’s first and only distributed native graph database, TigerGraph’s proven technology supports advanced analytics and machine learning applications such as fraud detection, anti-money laundering (AML), entity resolution, customer 360, recommendations, knowledge graph, cybersecurity, supply chain, IoT, and network analysis. The company is headquartered in Redwood City, California, USA. Start free with tigergraph.com/cloud. 

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FUTUREDIAL AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS PROCESS OVER 231 MILLION PREOWNED MOBILE PHONES WORLDWIDE

Growing adoption of FutureDial’s robotics and automation software by Wireless Carriers, Third-Party Logistics Providers (3PLs) and Mobile Device Recyclers led to explosive volumes of preowned iPhones and Android Smartphones being processed for resale in 2021

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb 8 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FutureDial Incorporated continued its commanding lead in providing mobile device processing solutions for Wireless Carriers, Mobile Device Buy-Back & Trade-In Companies, Mobile Phone Recyclers and Third-Party Logistics Providers (3PLs) during the year, announcing that its robotics and automation software solutions have been used by customers in the mobile supply chain to data clear, functionally test and grade a cumulative total of over 231.4 Million pre-owned Android smartphones and iPhones worldwide, for resale on secondary markets. Additionally, the total number of functional tests using FutureDial software and robotics for quality assurance performed on preowned iPhones and Android smartphones exceeded 400 Million tests. In Q4 2021 alone, FutureDial reported that processing volume with customers increased over 50%.

In the growing reverse logistics market in the mobile supply chain, FutureDial is a leading provider-of-choice for automated processing solutions for preowned mobile phones, as well as for data management systems for those phone processing operations. This lucrative market continues to grow as the average selling price of second-generation smartphones in today’s market approaches an average of $180, representing an approximate total available market value of over $52.7 billion. The used smartphone market share in North America reached 24.4% and is expected to grow to 27% by 2024.

Boosting Workflows and Profits with Automation
As the market grows, mobile device reverse logistics operators and wireless carriers are challenged to keep up with processing the multi-millions of phone models which are traded-in or returned each year. This is increasingly difficult when current manual processes do not scale easily and labor challenges exist as they do today. FutureDial works closely with these companies based on their goals for automation and their desired pace of evolution through the automation lifecycle. Solutions provided by FutureDial range from single station implementations to total integrated solutions which automate and streamline the touchpoints and workflows all the way through the mobile device processing lines at customer sites. Automating these processes in the processing centers results in significant cost savings for the companies, which enables them to make more money on each phone they resell.

Process-Automation Achieves Certifiable Pricing of Used Phones
“Surpassing 231 million mobile phones processed by our robotics and software solutions indicates the explosive growth we are seeing with customers as they embrace, implement and scale process automation,” noted Frank Harbist, FutureDial’s President and CEO. “Our modular and fully-integrated robotics and software solutions address customers' unique needs for receiving, data-clearing, functional testing, and cosmetically grading smartphones and tablets for resale. Our process-automation approach and lifecycle orientation empower clients to achieve consistent, accurate and certifiable testing and resale price grading of millions of preowned phones, thereby achieving their business goals.”

About FutureDial
Founded in 1999, FutureDial is the leading provider of processing solutions for the mobile device reverse logistics supply chain. FutureDial's easy-to-use, ADISA certified, automated SMART Processing Platform™ reduces the number of operator touches, saving time and money for Mobile Device Buy-Back Trade-In companies, Third-Party Logistics Providers (3PLs), Wireless Carriers and Mobile Device Manufacturers (OEMs). By simplifying and automating processes, consolidating work flows and giving insight into business operations, FutureDial makes these businesses more efficient, profitable and responsive to their customer needs. Visit http://www.futuredial.com or email sales@futuredial.com . 

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JUNIPER RESEARCH: CARRIER BILLING SPEND TO REACH $73.8 BILLION GLOBALLY BY 2024, AS 5G NETWORKS INCREASE CONTENT CONSUMPTION

 Growth of 36% between 2021 and 2024

BASINGSTOKE, England, Feb 8 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A new Juniper Research study has predicted that end user spend via carrier billing will increase to $73.8 billion in 2024, from $54.4 billion in 2021, with growth driven by 5G-based mobile gaming and video subscriptions. To leverage this growth, the report advises operators to forge new partnerships with content providers to build frameworks enabling the distribution of new content paid for by carrier billing.

The new report, Carrier Billing: Opportunities, Challenges & Market Forecasts 2022-2026, also expects carrier billing spend on content bundling to enable operators to further recoup investments into 5G by charging a premium to facilitate high-quality video and games streaming over 5G networks. To maximise this opportunity, it urges operators to offer payment services in markets underserved by existing digital payment methods to maximise carrier billing spend.

For more insights, download the free whitepaper: Carrier Billing ~ Leveraging the 5G Opportunity

Indian Subcontinent Identified as Key Opportunity

Operators must expand the geographical reach of carrier billing; leveraging the trust fostered between them and their subscribers, and becoming increasingly valuable partners to content providers. It identified the Indian Subcontinent as a key target region for carrier billing stakeholders over the next two years, with smartphone penetration in the region expected to reach 50% by 2024.

New Opportunities in the Transit Sector

The research also found carrier billing spend on digital ticket purchases will grow by 250%, from $141 billion in 2021 to $275 billion in 2024. It predicts that the rise of new transportation modes, such as MaaS (Mobility-as-a-Service) will drive carrier billing spend for transit services by offering an improved user experience across a single app that leverages carrier billing to process the payment. Additionally, RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging will provide an interface between MaaS users and transit service providers; offering real-time travel updates.

Research author Susannah Hampton says: “Operators should focus on demonstrating their relevance to transit; driving the further growth of carrier billing via an improved range of technology partnerships.”

Download the whitepaper: https://www.juniperresearch.com/whitepapers/carrier-billing-leveraging-the-5g-opportunity

Carrier Billing market research: https://www.juniperresearch.com/researchstore/operators-providers/carrier-billing-research-report

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

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220207005792/en/

Contact

For further details contact Sam Smith, Press Relations
T: +44(0)1256 830002
E: sam.smith@juniperresearch.com

Source: Juniper Research

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JES3plus training available via Interskill Learning mainframe course catalog

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 -- Interskill Learning, a leading independent supplier of online mainframe training, and Phoenix Software International Inc, a systems software development company, have announced the release of a JES3plus course curriculum.

Chief Technology Officer at Phoenix Software International, Ed Jaffe said: “Our JES3plus team really enjoyed partnering with Interskill. In doing so, we learned firsthand why they're considered the de facto source for mainframe training globally.

“Interskill's talented course developers did a great job of tapping our decades of JES3 knowledge to create an e-learning curriculum that serves as a solid foundation for mainframers working in JES3plus shops.”

JES3plus, developed by Phoenix Software International Inc, is a derivative work based on z/OS® JES3, and offers a path forward for organisations wishing to remain on JES3 technology in lieu of a costly and potentially risky JES2 conversion.

z/OS 2.5, the latest release of the operating system, is the last to include JES3. Upon completion of the course, students will earn an IBM Authorized Digital Badge — JES3plus Experienced 1.1.

According to a statement, JES3plus customers and JES3 organisations planning their migration to JES3plus will benefit from access to training for existing staff and new hires.

The Interskill course designers worked closely with the JES3plus development team at Phoenix Software to provide detailed online, on-demand JES3plus training for mainframe personnel.

The course is appropriate for application programmers, system programmers, and system operators.

The JES3plus training curriculum consists of five modules: Introduction to JES3plus; Working with JES3plus; Monitoring the JES3plus Environment; Defining the JES3plus Environment; and, Application Interaction with JES3plus.

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

-- BERNAMA

LEDDARTECH ANNOUNCES 140 MILLION USD IN SERIES D FINANCING COMBINED WITH DEBT FACILITY

The latest financing supports LeddarTech's accelerated growth and development efforts for its unique proprietary sensor fusion and perception automotive solutions.

QUEBEC CITY, Feb 4 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LeddarTech^®, a global leader in providing the most flexible, robust and accurate ADAS and AD sensing technology, is pleased to announce a successful financing round with an investment of US$ 140M, which comprises a Series D first close of US$ 116M and debt facility of US$ 24M.

FS Investors led the financing round with the participation of Investissement Québec, BDC Capital, Go Capital, certain funds managed by Fidelity Investments Canada ULC, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Export Development Canada, ams OSRAM, Desjardins Capital, UI Investissement, Cowen Investment II LLC and other LeddarTech management. The debt facility was secured with Desjardins Group.

This investment will accelerate the development and commercialization of LeddarTech solutions. In addition, LeddarTech will use the funds to augment engineering resources to meet the demands from global OEM and Tier 1-2 automotive customers actively engaged with the company for sensor fusion and perception sensing solutions.

"Our decision to partner with LeddarTech began with our introduction to the corporate senior management team. Individually, the senior team possess decades of experience in the technology industry. In addition, many have worked with major global automotive and sensing technology companies," stated Nick Stone, founder and partner of FS Investors. "An extensive due diligence process coupled with strong customer validation confirmed that LeddarTech's unique solution is the best positioned in the market to unlock mass adoption of ADAS and AD by breaking typical software dependency on hardware in sensing," according to Mr. Stone, concluding that: "The LeddarTech solution, called LeddarVision™, provides customers with the flexibility to quickly scale across vehicle models and deliver faster to market with greater performance at a lower cost."

"The success of this round is a testament to the growth and industry recognition LeddarTech has achieved. I am delighted to welcome FS Investors as our most recent investors, who bring vast experience and expertise in the deep tech sector," stated Charles Boulanger, CEO of LeddarTech. "I was impressed by the quality and thoroughness of their due diligence and their exceptional understanding of the ADAS and AD market, which confirms the value of our unique software solution. Our team and I look forward to working with FS Investors, our other new investors and our existing partners to enable our customers to significantly deploy our reliable and cost-effective ADAS and AD solutions across their brands and markets," Mr. Boulanger concluded.

Cowen and Desjardins Capital Markets acted as co-advisors in this investment round.

About LeddarTech

Founded in 2007, LeddarTech has evolved to become a comprehensive end-to-end environmental sensing company by enabling customers to solve critical sensing, fusion and perception challenges across the entire value chain. The company offers cost-effective and scalable solutions such as LeddarVision™, a raw-data sensor fusion and perception platform that generates a comprehensive 3D environmental model with multi-sensor configurations to support Level 2+ to Level 5 full autonomy. It is scalable to support all vehicle automation levels. In addition, LeddarTech supports LiDAR makers and Tier 1-2 automotive system integrators with LeddarSteer™, a digital beam steering device, and the LiDAR XLRator development solution for automotive-grade solid-state LiDAR development based on the LeddarEngine™ and core components from global semiconductor partners. The company is responsible for several innovations in cutting-edge automotive and mobility remote-sensing applications, with over 100 patented technologies (granted or pending) enhancing ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities.

Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. 

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Synchronoss declares accelerated cloud subscriber growth in 2021 fourth quarter

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 -- Synchronoss Technologies Inc (Synchronoss or the Company), a global leader and innovator in cloud, messaging and digital products and platforms, has reported an 18 per cent year-over-year increase in subscribers within its Synchronoss Cloud business for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Based on a statement, the 18 per cent increase represents an acceleration from 16 per cent growth in the prior quarter and 15 per cent growth in the same period in 2020.

The key drivers behind the Company’s continued cloud subscriber growth include further adoption by existing customers, such as Verizon, AT&T, Tracfone, and Assurant, as well as the signing of new Synchronoss Cloud customers in its largest and most strategic business segment.

In 2021, Synchronoss secured cloud contracts with four new customers, including Allstate Protection Plans, Telkomsel, TelkomSigma and Kitamura. Allstate Protection Plans launched last year while the other three new customers are scheduled to roll out cloud offerings in 2022. 

“The strength of our cloud subscriber performance in Q4 2021 reflects our commitment to Synchronoss Cloud as the future growth driver of our business,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of Synchronoss, Jeff Miller.

“We are continuing to place greater focus on this strategic platform, delivering new offerings, feature enhancements, and user experiences to support our global expansion.”

Synchronoss Cloud is a white-label platform that enables users to backup, sync, and organise photos, videos, contacts and more between any device and the cloud.

The Synchronoss Cloud offering is currently integrated into a range of mobile and wireline service plans as well as other bundled offerings. The platform provides an easy way to securely manage, share, and safeguard all types of digital content.

Synchronoss will provide more detail on its cloud subscriber metrics when it reports complete financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2021 in March.

The details of the conference call will be provided prior to the event in the coming weeks.

-- BERNAMA

BITTREX GLOBAL LAUNCHES IEO PLATFORM, BITTREX GLOBAL STARTING BLOCK

VADUZ, Liechtenstein, Feb 3 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Bittrex Global today announced the launch of Bittrex Global Starting Block, a new Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) platform built to support high-caliber cryptocurrency projects looking to partner with an industry leader in security and compliance to take their project to the next level.

As one of the world’s premier digital exchanges, Bittrex Global is committed to driving innovation in the digital asset space. This newest initiative will give promising projects the ability to market and launch their IEO, enabling them to raise funds, distribute tokens and generate awareness for their project across the industry. Bittrex Global Starting Block will provide retail and institutional clients alike with the ability to access these new and innovative digital asset projects.

Using the expertise of Bittrex Global, projects will be evaluated extensively and undergo rigorous screening. Screening parameters include project innovation, token issuer due diligence, token economics, supply unlock schedule, use of proceeds, project roadmap, strategic partnerships, market interest and community engagement.

Blockchain projects vetted and qualified to launch on Bittrex Global Starting Block will gain access to Bittrex Global’s powerful marketing capabilities and worldwide user base.

“We are supporting the most promising projects in the most efficient way. Prior to an IEO, Bittrex Global will conduct a thorough review of the project and examine every aspect, from token ownership to historical sales, target token distribution, allocations and vesting periods, with a focus on ensuring that a balanced supply and demand exists for our IEO participants,” said Stephen Stonberg, CEO at Bittrex Global.

“Blockchain innovation and experimentation is at an all-time high. Our team is excited to meet new projects in the crypto space, and we look forward to supporting front runners who are truly looking to push the boundaries of blockchain technology,” said Chris Sinkey, Chief Business Officer at Bittrex Global.

To learn more about Bittrex Global Starting Block, and for details of our application process, please visit: https://global.bittrex.com/discover/startingblock

ABOUT BITTREX GLOBAL

Bittrex Global, the most secure digital asset exchange in the world, serves both retail and institutional clients, globally. Committed to helping users build wealth, Bittrex Global facilitates the purchase and trade of over 250 tokens. Through its use of cutting-edge technology, advanced security protocols, and a sophisticated elastic multi-stage wallet strategy the company provides a high-level experience for professional and novice customers alike. Bittrex Global is a key player in driving widespread adoption of secure and decentralized methods to building wealth while remaining compliant and adhering to the wide array of regulatory measures across the globe.

Bittrex Global GmbH is registered with the Financial Market Authority under Law of 3 October 2019 on Tokens and TT Service Providers (TVTG) in Liechtenstein to operate as a TT Exchange Service Provider, TT Token Depositary and Token Issuer on behalf and for the account of third parties. Bittrex Global (Bermuda) Limited is regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority and licensed as a Class F Digital Asset Business under the Bermuda Digital Asset Business Act 2018 to operate as a digital asset exchange, provide custodial wallet services and operate as a digital asset derivative exchange provider.

Learn more: https://global.bittrex.com/ 

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ACUITY KNOWLEDGE PARTNERS UNVEILS 2021 RAPID GLOBAL BUSINESS GROWTH

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 (Bernama) -- Acuity Knowledge Partners (Acuity), a leading provider of bespoke research, analytics and technology solutions to the financial services sector, has revealed the rapid growth that the firm experienced in 2021, across its global business. 

According to a statement, Acuity now supports over 400 banking, asset management, commercial banks and consulting firms.

In 2021, the firm saw a substantial increase in new sales and over 100 new institutions were added to its client roster. Additionally, Acuity now employs over 4,200 staff globally, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Sri Lanka, China and Costa Rica.

“We had high hopes for what Acuity could achieve in 2021 and we are thrilled to say that we outperformed our initial 2021 goals and have set ourselves up for greater success this year,” said Chief Executive Officer, Acuity Knowledge Partners, Robert King.

“Despite many challenges, we stayed focused on how to best serve our global client base, including through the evolution of our technological capabilities, as well as the growth of our analyst headcount. We start 2022 the strongest we have ever been.”

Meanwhile, Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer at Acuity, Damian Burleigh said: “In 2022, we will continue to introduce new services and capabilities, such as we did in the retail lending space last year, and we plan to expand our geographic footprint even further with new offices.”

Acuity’s technology platform BEAT – Business Excellence & Automations Tools - was a key area of focus for Acuity in 2021. BEAT-enabled service solutions use a combination of automation technologies and skilled analysts to improve turnaround times without compromising on quality and accuracy.

Last year saw Acuity recognised for some of its outstanding work for clients and the corporate culture it has built. In February 2021, the BEAT Edge solution received the Best New Product Award in the back/middle office category at the Fund Intelligence Operations & Services Awards.

At the end of 2021, Acuity was also certified in India by the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place to Work. Acuity is focused on employee health and well-being and as the pandemic continues to evolve it remains committed to making the right decisions for both employees and clients.

London-headquartered Acuity operates from nine locations worldwide.

-- BERNAMA