Chargebee new products help subscription businesses combat economic turmoil

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Bernama) -- Subscription management platform Chargebee has announced its Summer 2022 Product Release.

The slate of new products and features is focused on enabling high-performing subscription businesses to monetise their existing customers and fend off the growing threats of a tumultuous economy, a Chargebee statement said.

The overall challenge today is to manage cash flow processes by automating accounts receivables workflows, predict payment failure to minimise involuntary churn and increase customer retention and experiment with different packaging and pricing options.

“We’ve spent months engaging with customers, learning the ins and outs of their businesses and working with them to determine what types of tools they want and need to face their current challenges head-on,” product management vice president John Pearce said.

The software tools and solutions that form the centrepiece of its summer collection include Chargebee Retention, formerly Brightback, which along with Chargebee Receivables (numberz), and RevRec (RevLock), were acquired by Chargebee over the last 18 months, and represent Chargebee’s foray into becoming a multi-product company.

Pearce said these products will help customers “to build and scale their businesses, even in these trying times.”

Chargebee Retention allows businesses to focus on retaining customers they have at a time when both businesses and consumers have to evaluate everything in their portfolios and make difficult decisions, the statement said.

Chargebee Receivables helps businesses improve their cash flow management processes by automating accounts receivable workflows, while Chargebee Entitlements helps go-to-market teams provide feature access to customers beyond their plan on the flip of a switch, which can be used to incentivise plan upgrades and free-to-paid conversions.

The volatility of today’s market landscape calls for adaptability and being agile in ways businesses have not thought of previously, the statement said.

More details at www.chargebee.com.

-- BERNAMA

​AUTOMOX ANNOUNCES GLOBAL EXPANSION INTO EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA TO MEET GROWING CUSTOMER DEMAND FOR CLOUD-NATIVE ITOPS SOLUTIONS

ITOps leader expands global footprint through new partnership with QBS Group

Boulder, Colo, July 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Automox®, the cloud-native IT operations provider, today announced its expansion into the United Kingdom and Australian markets through a new partnership with QBS Group. Driven by global customer demand for a cloud-native solution that makes it easy to keep every endpoint updated and secure from anywhere in the world, the company also plans to further expand into the Middle East and Singapore. 

In a recent survey of global industry professionals, 84% said they rely on five or more endpoint management tools and 60% use more than 10. Realizing this a complex challenge for companies across the world, Automox, in partnership with QBS Group, will bring its modern cloud-native patch management and automated vulnerability remediation to these new markets through resellers and the broader partner community. The expansion also further strengthens Automox’s Rapid7 partnership, as QBS Group is one of Rapid7’s largest partners. 

“The UK and Australian markets present a great opportunity for Automox as we continue to grow and expand our customer base,” said Tim Lucas, CEO of Automox. “This move further cements Automox’s position at the forefront of cloud-native ITOps. We have extremely strong relationships with our partner community, including Rapid7, and are excited to broaden that network with our new QBS Group relationship.”

The global expansion marks continued impressive momentum for Automox. Earlier this year, Automox announced the availability of its new Automated Vulnerability Remediation (AVR) solution, synchronized with Rapid7 InsightVM to ingest critical vulnerability data every day, enabling IT Operations teams to automatically remediate vulnerabilities quickly, via patching as well as configuration with Automox Worklets™. QBS Group will now have the ability to better serve its global partners and customers with the availability of AVR and Automox’s full suite of ITOps solutions.

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EGON ZEHNDER NAMES RACHAEL DE RENZY CHANNER GLOBAL HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY

The newly created role marks one of the first formal sustainability leader appointments in the top five global executive search and leadership advisory firms

ZURICH, July 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Rachael De Renzy Channer has been appointed the Global Head of Sustainability of Egon Zehnder, the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firm.

Based in London, De Renzy Channer has led the global Sustainability Practice Group at Egon Zehnder for the past three years, helping organizations around the world develop their cultures, teams, and leaders to be forces for good. She co-authored the Firm’s recent sustainability report, which surveyed hundreds of leaders globally on the state of sustainability in their organizations. Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, De Renzy Channer led strategy in several companies, including Schneider Electric. Earlier in her career, she served in the British Army for 12 years, where a large part of her military career was spent focusing on leadership and development.

“Our Firm has been committed to creating a more sustainable world for years, and Rachael will bring greater visibility, alignment, and commitment to our Firm’s purpose, which is Leadership for a Better World,” said Edilson Camara, CEO of Egon Zehnder.

In her role as Global Head of Sustainability, De Renzy Channer will lead Egon Zehnder’s impact efforts, ranging from regional to global sustainability initiatives, to driving DEI transformation, to connecting with other organizations to improve our shared world. “Egon Zehnder, like many other organizations, is on a sustainability journey. We are learning that our own progress is deeply connected to a change in mindset and motivation that must come first,” De Renzy Channer said. “Sustainability is never about ticking boxes, but about driving forward a more inclusive and sustainable world. This change starts from within, and I am happy to continue this journey with our Firm in this new role.”

About Egon Zehnder

Egon Zehnder is the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firm, inspiring leaders to navigate complex questions with human answers. We help organizations get to the heart of their leadership challenges and offer honest feedback and insights to help leaders realize their true being and purpose. Our 560 consultants across 62 offices and 35 countries are former industry and functional leaders who collaborate seamlessly across geographies, industries and functions to deliver the full power of the Firm to every client, every time.

We believe that together we can transform people, organizations and the world through leadership.

For more information, visit egonzehnder.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

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Enterprises in Malaysia, Singapore turn to SDN to meet goals -- ISG report

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 (Bernama) -- Enterprises in Malaysia and Singapore are embracing software-defined networking (SDN) to improve network integration, automation, orchestration and management, in a trend expected to continue for several years.

This is according to a new research report published by Information Services Group (ISG), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens Network — Software Defined Solutions and Services report for Singapore and Malaysia said companies in the region are adopting SDN so they can seamlessly add applications and network resources to meet business and user goals more efficiently and securely.

“To remain competitive, enterprises need to become data-driven, with optimal connectivity, multi-cloud capability and end-to-end security,” said Deepraj Emmanuel, director of ISG Asia based in Singapore.

“These requirements are creating huge opportunities for carriers and managed service providers operating in Singapore and Malaysia,” he said in a statement.

Over the next five to 10 years, SDN will allow organisations to monitor workflows and segment networks from end to end, among other capabilities, the report said.

Key features made possible by SDN include intent-based networks, rapid hotspot provisioning, edge computing and solutions powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning.

The report also examines other aspects of the SDN’s emergence in Singapore and Malaysia, including the growing maturity of service providers and how they are helping enterprises enhance their performance with SDN.

More details at www.isg-one.com.

-- BERNAMA

Kioxia unveils new levels of performance with enterprise NVMe™ SSD family

 

KIOXIA CM7 Series Enterprise NVMe™ SSDs Designed with PCIe® 5.0 Technology (Photo: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 (Bernama) -- In another move that delivers next-generation levels of performance to enterprise data centres, Kioxia Corporation has announced that its KIOXIA CM7 series enterprise NVMe™ SSDs are now shipping to select customers.

Optimised for the needs of high-performance, highly efficient servers and storage, the KIOXIA CM7 series family is designed with PCIe® 5.0 technology in Enterprise and Datacenter Standard Form Factor (EDSFF) E3.S and 2.5-inch form factors.

Having introduced the industry’s first EDSFF drives designed with PCIe 5.0 technology last year, the addition of the KIOXIA CM7 series family expands KIOXIA’s leadership position and allows OEM customers to deliver best-in-class sequential read 14 GB/s performance to end users.

According to a statement, the EDSFF E3 family enables the next generation of SSDs with PCIe 5.0 technology and beyond to address future data centre architectures, while supporting a variety of new devices and applications.

It provides improved airflow and thermals, signal integrity benefits, eliminates the need for LEDs on the drive carriers, and gives options for larger SSD capacity points.

Kioxia is a world leader in memory solutions, dedicated to the development, production and sale of flash memory and solid-state drives (SSDs). 

-- BERNAMA

BUSINESSES, OTHER ORGANISATIONS INVITED TO TAKE PART IN GLOBAL ETHICS DAY

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 (Bernama) -- The ninth annual Global Ethics Day, an initiative of Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, will be celebrated on Oct 19, 2022, with the theme “Ethics Empowered”.

 “Global Ethics Day provides opportunities to listen, learn, and contribute to a worldwide dialogue on the values and principles we care about in 2022,”  said Carnegie Council president Joel Rosenthal in a statement.

“This year, we hope and expect that new voices will enrich Global Ethics Day with ideas for empowering ethics now and into the future.”

On #GlobalEthicsDay, Carnegie Council invites citizens, businesses, professional organisations, schools, governments, and nonprofits from across the world to demonstrate their commitment to using ethics as a force for good.

Activities may include debates, panels, social media campaigns, exhibits, videos, and pop-up events.

Those interested in participating in Global Ethics Day 2022 should visit Carnegie Council’s website to access resources such as key messages, a social media toolkit, and suggestions for ways to participate in this year’s event.

In 2021, more than 170 organisations and institutions in 45 countries participated in the international day of ethical action.

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs is an independent, research-driven nonprofit that works to empower ethics by identifying and addressing the most critical ethical issues of today and tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA

NIKKISO CLEAN ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL GASES GROUP ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF VAPORIZER MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN HOUSTON, TX

TEMECULA, Calif., July 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (“Group”), a part of the Nikkiso Co., Ltd (Japan) group of companies, is proud to announce yet another expansion of their manufacturing capabilities. This expansion represents their commitment to and support of their domestic industrial gas and clean energy customers.

Their new Houston, Texas, facility is now equipped to manufacture and deliver ambient vaporizers, bringing their products and support much closer to the East Coast, and Mexico markets, allowing for shorter turn-around times and reduced shipping costs for these growing markets.

Nikkiso Cryoquip Houston is already operational and ramping up to full production of the ambient air vaporizer product line, with customer deliveries already underway.

“We are excited to be able to increase our support of this important region and provide significant benefits to our customers,” according to Chris Colizzi, President of Nikkiso Cryoquip. “This expansion provides a strong support structure for future growth.”

The addition of the Houston facility also allows expanded capacity in the Group’s Murrieta, California, facility to further support their growing customer base across the Industrial Gases and Energy market segments. 

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BLACK & VEATCH EBOOK HIGHLIGHTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR NATURAL GAS TO HASTEN ASIA'S ENERGY TRANSITION

KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 (Bernama) -- Black & Veatch in its new eBook, Natural Gas: An Energy Transition Fuel for Asia, highlighted opportunities for innovation and lowering energy system emissions. 

These opportunities include production and supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to fuel the generation of electric power through turbine technology and the development of alternative sustainable fuels such as hydrogen.

According to a statement, the eBook illustrates how cost efficiencies can be achieved by planning through the entire current and future natural gas value chain.

“To accommodate increased variable renewable generation, deploying integrated solutions, including gas-fired generation, will be critical to stabilise regional grids and enhance their resilience,” said Black & Veatch’s Executive Vice President & Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Narsingh Chaudhary.

Chaudhary added that while both wind and solar power help address clean energy by replacing fossil energy with zero-emission electricity, in the near-term as energy storage technologies evolve, a mix of generation solutions is the best course of action.

In the eBook, Black & Veatch energy experts assess opportunities to monetise gas fields from early-stage commercial modelling of bankable projects through to the schedule and modularity advantages of building floating LNG infrastructure.

It details how holistic project planning can present opportunities to co-locate and integrate LNG receiving terminals alongside gas-fired power plants as well as other off-takers of ‘cold energy’ including data centres through to refrigeration facilities, while also designing for the longer-term combustion of carbon-emissions-free green hydrogen at gas-fired power facility.

Black & Veatch is a 100-per cent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure.

More details at www.bv.com.

-- BERNAMA

Digital China Summit a platform for imparting IT application development policies

KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 (Bernama) -- The 5th Digital China Summit (DCS), held over the weekend in Fuzhou, Fujian province, has been a platform for publishing China's policies on information technology application development.

Themed “Innovation-driven New Transformation, Digitisation-led New Paradigm”, the summit was jointly hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of China, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, and Fujian Provincial People's Government.

“It is also a platform for displaying the latest achievements in digital China development, a platform for exchanges on the theories, practices and experiences of e-government and digital economy, and a cooperation platform for pooling global resources to promote digital China development,” said the Publicity Department of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee in a statement.

The summit consisted of eight parts, including the opening ceremony, main forum, policy release, sub-forums, achievement exhibition and digital product expo.

“As the host of the DCS for five consecutive times, Fuzhou participates in this digital event with all exhibitors to witness the new development, new progress and new prosperity of digital China,” the committee said.

-- BERNAMA

CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY PARTNERS TALENTSPRINT TO CREATE GLOBAL DEVOPS EXPERTS

KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 (Bernama) -- TalentSprint, a global education technology (edtech) company, has announced a multi-year and multi-programme partnership with Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) School of Computer Science (SCS), Executive and Professional Education.

First to be launched under this partnership is the Advanced Certificate Programme in DevOps, a set of practices that combines software development and IT operations, aiming at fulfilling the growing need for new-age DevOps professionals in the APAC region.

Commenting on the launch, Director of Executive Education at the CMU-SCS Ram Konduru said: “We were exploring international markets like India, Middle East and Southeast Asian markets that have a growing demand for tech professionals.

“We wanted to collaborate with a serious edtech company that could align with our core competencies and help us reach out to new geographies. We are happy to announce our association with TalentSprint and launch our first programme in DevOps.”

Meanwhile, TalentSprint chief executive officer Santanu Paul said: “CMU’s School of Computer Science is iconic and this association is a validation of our success in path-breaking programmes with leading institutes and global tech organisations in India and the US.

The six-month high-impact programme, designed and taught by the expert faculty of CMU-SCS, will be delivered on TalentSprint’s digital platform ipearl.ai and help participants with in-depth knowledge of various new-age DevOps tools.

Upon successful completion of the programme, participants will receive CMU’s globally recognised certificate. 

-- BERNAMA

Rico Pang joins SPiCE VC team

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Bernama) -- SPiCE VC, the leading venture capital (VC) firm in the blockchain and tokenisation ecosystem, announced that serial entrepreneur, Rico Pang has joined its team as an advisor to its board of directors.

Pang is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Sanctum Global Ventures.

SPiCE VC said Pang’s intimate knowledge of the blockchain and tokenisation ecosystem as part of the greater global digital economy, coupled with his passion for philanthropy and corporate social responsibility, makes him a valuable addition to an already stellar team that is both diverse in geography and in thought.

“SPiCE VC’s role in identifying and investing in the innovative companies building the ecosystem of the digital future in a Web 3 world cannot be overstated, and Rico is well-positioned to help us achieve our immediate and long-term goals,” said co-founder and managing partner of SPiCE VC, Tal Elyashiv in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Pang said he ready to use his expertise to support the company’s mission and vision for growth.

“I plan to work hand-in-hand with the blockchain and tokenisation pioneers at SPiCE VC to not only expedite diversified access into the digital ecosystem globally, but also to help others use that access for the betterment of our local and global communities,” he said.

Pang has over 20 years of experience in emerging markets across supply chain management to fintech and e-commerce.

-- BERNAMA

DARWIN ABORIGINAL ART FAIR SET TO SHOWCASE WORKS FROM OVER 1,500 FIRST NATIONS ARTISTS, REPRESENTED BY A RECORD 76 COMMUNITY ART CENTRES FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA

DARWIN, Australia, July 21 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives will be celebrated in Darwin, Australia, from 2-7 August in an unmissable showcase of art, design and culture at Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) Foundation’s series of iconic events.

The Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) is Australia’s largest and most celebrated First Nations visual art event, which will return for the 16^th year to run both online and in person this 5-7 August.

The internationally celebrated art fair sits alongside the Foundation’s two Indigenous Fashion Projects events, Country to Couture on the 2 August, and the National Indigenous Fashion Awards on the 3 August, bringing Australia’s most acclaimed and vibrant First Nations artists and designers to the national and global stage.

As the only Australian event of its kind, DAAF has secured a reputation as one of the country’s most significant and internationally recognised arts events, creating a unique opportunity to connect with, and ethically purchase art directly from Art Centres, as well as meeting the artists and learning firsthand about their cultural heritage, stories, history and traditional artistic practices through a range of masterclasses, talks and demonstrations.

DAAF 2022 is on track to be the most successful and widest reaching yet, with a record 76 Art Centres participating in the Foundation’s inaugural hybrid delivery of the event. In 2021, the Fair achieved a record $3.12 million AUD in sales with 100 per cent of profits going back to the Art Centres and their communities. The Fair itself takes no commission from artwork sold.

DAAF Foundation are proud to be part of a collective of organisations championing music, arts, and ideas from the world’s oldest living cultures. Taking place in Australia’s Top End each July-August, alongside DAAF Foundation’s renowned Fair and fashion events, will be:

• Garma Festival | Yothu Yindi Foundation | 29 July - 1 August
• Salon des Refusés | Salon Art Projects | 3-13 August
• Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards | Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory | 5 August 2022 – January 2023
• National Indigenous Music Awards | Music NT | 6 August

The first week of August is predicted to be one of the biggest showcases of First Nations talent in the world. Music, art and culture will collide as The Collective unifies to bring the public a unique experience across the creative industries in the Northern Territory.

For more information about the 16th Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair and for priority access to the digital Art Fair, visit daaf.com.au/register. 

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HITACHI ENERGY AND H2 GREEN STEEL PARTNER TO LEVERAGE ELECTRIFICATION, DIGITALIZATION, AND HYDROGEN FOR GREEN STEEL PRODUCTION

Memorandum of Understanding outlines collaboration to support the decarbonization of the steel industry by using disruptive technology and reduce carbon emissions

Zurich, Switzerland, July 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hitachi Energy today announces that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with H2 Green Steel to leverage electrification, digitalization, and hydrogen to support the decarbonization of the steel industry.

H2 Green Steel, a Swedish industrial start-up, is on a mission to accelerate the global steel industry’s greatest technological shift by eliminating almost all of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the steel production process. It is planning to build its first fossil-free steel plant in Boden, Sweden, alongside a giga scale electrolyzer plant for the production of green hydrogen.

The MoU outlines a collaboration which is built on three (3) pillars: 1) Hitachi Energy’s equity investment in H2 Green Steel; 2) products and services from Hitachi Energy that are needed to construct and improve the electrical infrastructure to power steel production and giga scale electrolyzer plants; 3) green steel to be used in the manufacturing of Hitachi Energy’s products, once H2 Green Steel starts production.

Over the past decade, expanding steel production has increased total energy demand and CO₂ emissions¹, which contributes to about eight percent of the world’s global industrial carbon emissions².

Starting with the plant in Boden, H2 Green Steel will leverage Hitachi Energy’s capabilities to optimize customers’ value chain to plan, build, operate, and maintain the power infrastructure that includes IT and operational technology (OT). The steel production in Boden will use green hydrogen instead of coal in a fully integrated process using end-to-end digitalization, which reduces up to 95 percent CO₂ emissions compared to traditional steelmaking. This will be equivalent to removing 3 million passenger cars per year from road³.

“Achieving carbon-neutrality globally requires efforts from all industries to speed up the energy transition through collaborations,” says Johan Söderström, Head of Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Hitachi Energy. “This collaboration with H2 Green Steel is a pioneering example of how we are working together and creating additional benefits for our customers. We are supporting H2 Green Steel’s electrification project and at the same time, we are able to secure green steel for our products, which is in line with our Purpose: Advancing a sustainable energy future for all,” he added.  

"The partnership we have entered into with Hitachi Energy is further reinforced by an equity investment in H2 Green Steel. The partners we choose to work with need to share our values, to make a real commitment to live up to the Paris Agreement, and to work tightly together to leverage each other’s strengths. With Hitachi Energy we have that, as well as their long history, broad experience, and innovative offerings,” says Henrik Henriksson, CEO of H2 Green Steel.

1 IEA, Iron and Steel
2 McKinsey, Decarbonization challenge for steel (World Steel Organization)
3 Based on average 160 g CO₂/km and average distance of 15,000 km

-END-

About Hitachi Energy Ltd.

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible, and secure whilst balancing social, environmental, and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.

https://www.hitachienergy.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy
https://twitter.com/HitachiEnergy

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society with data and technology. We will solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products, under the business structure of Digital Systems & Services, Green Energy & Mobility, Connective Industries and Automotive Systems. Driven by green, digital, and innovation, we aim for growth through collaboration with our customers. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2021 (ended March 31, 2022) totaled 10,264.6 billion yen ($84,136 million USD), with 853 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 370,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.

About H2 Green Steel

H2 Green Steel (H2GS AB) was founded in 2020 with the ambition to accelerate the decarbonization of the steel industry, using green hydrogen. Steel, which is one of the world’s largest carbon dioxide emitters, is the company’s first business vertical. The founder and largest shareholder of H2 Green Steel is Vargas, which is also co-founder and one of the larger shareholders in Swedish battery maker Northvolt. H2 Green Steel is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with its first green steel plant under development in Boden, northern Sweden. www.h2greensteel.com 

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MEDTECH INNOVATOR NAMES 20 PREMIER STARTUPS FOR ANNUAL ASIA PACIFIC ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) -- MedTech Innovator, the largest accelerator of medical technology companies in the world, in partnership with Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed), has selected 20 companies to participate in the organisation’s third annual Asia Pacific Accelerator programme.

The companies, among others, are 4baseCare; AEvice Health; Alimetry; Bioscan Research; Cell4D; DC Medical; ErleaDx; and, Lenexa Medical.

In a statement, the company said that the MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific offers best-in-class start-ups with opportunities to work with investors, business leaders and allied service professionals in the medical technology industry to help drive the commercialisation of life-changing technologies throughout the region. 

The 2022 cohort companies will also compete for up to US$300,000 (US$1=RM4.447) in cash prizes and awards. 

“This year’s selected cohorts for our Asia Pacific Accelerator programme represent some of the region’s most promising entrepreneurs looking to solve significant real-world problems in healthcare.

“Together with our sponsors, we look forward to helping them bring their innovations to patients in need,” said MedTech Innovator chief executive officer Paul Grand.

Over 250 companies applied for the Asia Pacific programme, but only four startups from the 2022 Asia Pacific cohort will advance to compete in the grand finals at APACMed’s Medtech Forum 2022 in Singapore, which runs from September 26-27, 2022.

Attended by healthcare industry leaders, healthcare providers, and investors from across the region, the MedTech Forum will also showcase solutions from the 20 accelerator companies. 

The winning company, which will be determined by audience vote, stands to win a non-dilutive cash prize and the title of the 2022 MedTech Innovator Asia Pacific Winner.

-- BERNAMA

EXCEL, PETRÓLEOS INTERNACIONALES DEL CARIBE SIGN STRATEGIC EPC PARTNERSHIP

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- EXCEL, Petróleos Internacionales del Caribe (PIC) and its operating division in Mexico, Petróleos Internacionales del Caribe Inc Sucursal México (PICMEX), jointly announced the signing of a Strategic Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Partnership, Exclusive Agreement, with PIC.

This is for the engineering, procurement and construction of PIC’s key export facilities in Houston, TX, together with GLM compressed storage systems for various fuels and key gas pipelines forward positions for the required fueling elements for its maritime and terrestrial operations.

“Through this exclusive operational partnership, PIC and EXCEL will accelerate commercialisation of the export facilities to help meet the fuel supply and electricity needs of PIC’s customers in Mexico and throughout the Americas and abroad, while substituting higher-emission fuels to continue driving down emissions towards a greener brighter future,” said PIC chief executive officer Michael Hood in a statement.

Meanwhile, President of EXCEL Midstream Solutions, Jason Hardwick said: “EXCEL is very proud to be partners with such a great organisation like PIC and being the chosen EPC for PIC’s state-of-the-art facilities and pipelines.”

The Strategic EPC Partnership represents a significant investment milestone in the commercialisation of the export facilities and receiving terminals.

This signals the commencement of project-specific pre-FEED (Front End Engineering Design) studies by PIC for the delivery of its maritime and terrestrial operations that will ensure uninterrupted shipments by PIC and its other global partnerships for decades to come.

These studies will cover the design of the production and export terminals, receiving terminals and plants, along with the fleet that will be built to transport and deliver fuel to PIC’s markets in Mexico and throughout the Americas.

Following completion of the pre-FEED studies and Final Investment Decision by PIC and EXCEL, PIC and its consortium partners will undertake the FEED for the final design and construction for the projects in Mexico that PIC has positioned thus far with its consortium partners.

More details at www.pic-sas.com.

-- BERNAMA

ENTERPRISES FLOCK TO CLOUD SERVICES IN SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA

Pandemic effects have accelerated a regional trend toward digitization for greater efficiency and productivity, ISG Provider Lens™ report says

SINGAPORE & KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Enterprises in Singapore and Malaysia are adopting cloud computing at a rapid pace, motivated by the growth of digital transformation and other trends in the region, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Next-Gen Private/Hybrid Cloud — Data Center Services & Solutions report for Singapore and Malaysia finds an increasingly developed market for data center services and solutions in the region, with both global and local providers growing strongly. Cloud adoption increased with the COVID-19 crisis, but it was already in motion before the pandemic as part of widespread IT modernization.

“Digital transformation is on the rise in Singapore and Malaysia and will continue to grow,” said Deepraj Emmanuel, director, ISG Asia Pacific, in Singapore. “Private and hybrid/multi-cloud providers are helping make this possible.”

The rising demand for cloud products and services is linked to several enterprise IT trends in the region, including growing needs for automation, sustainability and edge computing, the report says. Both service providers and clients are quickly adopting platforms to automate cloud operations using AI and machine learning.

A major push for sustainability by both the public and private sectors in Singapore, likely to spread to Malaysia, is shaping companies’ decisions about data center locations, energy sources and service providers. Edge computing is emerging to address security, network latency and IoT applications.

For regulatory, cultural and geopolitical reasons, Singapore and Malaysia operate as separate markets for cloud solutions and services, so few providers have coverage in both countries. ISG expects providers to accelerate the creation of complex partnerships for national coverage, global connectivity and scale. In Malaysia, data center development is expected to move beyond Kuala Lumpur and the Cyberjaya district to other locations with cheap and reliable energy and proximity to Singapore.

The global shortage of IT skills is a particular challenge in Singapore and Malaysia, with technology unemployment at or near record lows and immigration reduced due to COVID-19, the report says. This crisis will require more investment in automation and a rethinking of how to fill the skills gap.

The report also covers other trends in the region, including the highly competitive market for managed services, the growing importance of physical and cybersecurity practices and the continued relevance of colocation services.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Next-Gen Private/Hybrid Cloud — Data Center Services & Solutions report for Singapore and Malaysia evaluates the capabilities of 32 providers across three quadrants: Managed Services, Managed Hosting and Colocation Services.

The report names Singtel and Telekom Malaysia as Leaders in all three quadrants. It names Fujitsu, Kyndryl and NTT DATA as Leaders in two quadrants each and Accenture, Atos, HCL, Infosys, Starhub, Telstra and Wipro as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, Equinix and Telstra are named as Rising Stars — companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in one quadrant each.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Next-Gen Private/Hybrid Cloud — Data Center Services & Solutions report for Singapore and Malaysia is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens™ Research

The ISG Provider Lens™ Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

A companion research series, the ISG Provider Lens Archetype reports, offer a first-of-its-kind evaluation of providers from the perspective of specific buyer types.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 800 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com. 

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VIETNAM'S CT GROUP UNVEILS HIGH-TECH STRATEGY, PLAN FOR ACCELERATING GLOBALISATION

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- CT Group has announced its high-tech strategy and plan for accelerating globalisation.

At the event of the golden 30th year milestone since its establishment held recently, CT Group was granted the First-Class Labour Medal.

The Second-Class Labour Medal was also awarded to exclusively honour CT Group chairman Tran Kim Chung.

Over the next 30 years, CT Group will step-by-step leverage CT Land (a subsidiary leading the comprehensive urban development segment) with pioneering breakthrough products, such as CT Homes - high-end and affordable housing for the community, CT Town high-class projects, new-generation megacities CT World and many other real estate fields in the country.

According to a statement, CT Group is also focusing on rapid advancement in high-tech fields including fintech, celltech, flytech, hitech construction, e-commerce and renewable energy to align with Vietnam’s progress in the global Industrial Revolution 4.0.

In addition, to promote globalisation and contribute to the concretisation of the “Turning future technology into dragons” strategy, CT Group has continuously expanded its Vietnam and oversea offices. 

On June 9, 2022, CT Innovations was established in Hanoi, in charge of connecting technology development, innovation, creativity and investment with foreign markets.

With extensive research and the ability to accurately forecast upcoming technology transformations, CT Group has soon been well prepared for the next challenging 30 years.

The group is ready to collaborate extensively with major global partners and financial institutions to promote the high-tech segment and sustainable real estate development.

More details at https://ctgroupvietnam.com/

-- BERNAMA

CISCO APPDYNAMICS STUDY: NEW CLASS OF POST-PANDEMIC TECHNOLOGY LEADERS EMERGES TO TACKLE THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMY

Spiraling Complexity and Business Expectations Spawn Growing Skills and Resources Demands

News Summary:

• Cisco AppDynamics has released the annual Agents of Transformation report which reveals the emergence of a new class of post-pandemic technology leaders who are reimagining applications and digital services delivery as the lines between IT operations and business strategy blur.
• 74% say their experiences in recent years have accelerated their careers, and 88% now consider themselves to be business leaders and believe what it means to be a technology expert has changed. However, just 10% have reached the elite status of ‘Agents of Transformation’.
• While technology leaders are looking to better understand and adapt to digital transformation with solutions that positively affect the overall business, 66% say it is now more difficult to be an Agent of Transformation, and one-quarter say their organization remains stuck in “fire-fighting mode.”

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 13 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) AppDynamics, a leading provider of Observability and Application Performance Monitoring technology, has published findings from Agents of Transformation 2022, the fourth annual report that analyzes the skills and attributes of elite global technologists.

In the wake of the pandemic, it reveals the emergence of a new class of technology experts stepping up to meet critical challenges that are blurring the lines between business strategy and IT operations. The report also cites the demand to make all products and services digitally available in the Experience Economy amid heightened security threats, increasing complexity, and the accelerated shift to hybrid work and the cloud.

“The bar continues to rise, and over the last year we have seen a redefinition of what it means to be an Agent of Transformation. These leaders are looking to better understand how issues in their respective domains impact the total experience of users and applications, adapting to change with solutions that positively affect the overall business,” said Liz Centoni, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, GM of Applications.

According to the Cisco AppDynamics report, 74% believe that their experiences in recent years—particularly during the pandemic—have accelerated their careers, and 88% now consider themselves to be business leaders. However, just 10% of technology experts have reached the elite status of ‘Agents of Transformation’. These individuals represent top-flight leaders who are reimagining and delivering high-value applications and services that create the always-on, secure, and exceptional user experiences now demanded by end users and customers.

Respondents cite a fundamental change in the role of technologists, including the skills and resources required to operate effectively and proficiently. At the same time, they say they now contend with soaring complexity and volumes of data from across the technology stack and must integrate a massively expanding set of cloud-native services with existing on-premises systems and tools.

• 88% believe that what it means to be a technologist has changed
• 84% say the skills and qualities that define an Agent of Transformation have evolved
• 66% indicate that it is now more difficult to be an Agent of Transformation
• One in four say their organization remains stuck in reactive, “fire-fighting mode”

Digital transformation means almost every company and organization interacts with consumers via web and mobile applications, and the transition to hybrid work means more interaction with SaaS tools and web interfaces. While consumers can pivot fast to another brand’s app or service, companies that cannot instantly improve digital experiences risk having loyal customers walk away.

“The new Agents of Transformation recognize a need to reimagine applications not just in response to post-pandemic challenges, but also, to create flawless, reliable digital experiences that address some of the world’s greatest problems—from meeting critical human needs to giving people the skills and resources to succeed in the digital economy,” Centoni said.

While acknowledging the far-reaching consequences of this change, respondents in the Cisco AppDynamics report note that they need help navigating the technical and operational ambiguities of digital transformation. Specifically, they are looking for unified visibility into their IT environments to better manage and optimize application availability and performance. This requires focusing investments on application security, observability over cloud-native applications and infrastructure, and linking IT performance to business decision making.

• 77% believe it will be important to invest in application security over the next 12 months to meet customer and employee needs
• 71% think their organization will need to invest in observing cloud-native applications and infrastructure
• 84% say that the need to maintain the performance of business applications is now more important than ever
• 85% state that full stack observability is core to sustainable transformation and innovation in their organization

Additional Resources:

Download the Agents of Transformation 2022 report: https://www.appdynamics.com/resources/reports/agents-of-transformation-2022

Read more on the AppDynamics blog: https://www.appdynamics.com/blog/news/agents-of-transformation-are-adapting-at-speed-to-drive-innovation-in-the-experience-economy

About AppDynamics

Cisco AppDynamics is a leading provider of Observability and Application Performance Monitoring technology. AppDynamics helps customers observe what matters inside and beyond their IT environments. Combined with the power of Cisco, AppDynamics enables organizations to deliver exceptional user experiences by centralizing and correlating data into contextualized insights of critical business metrics — providing them with the power to prioritize actions based on business needs.

AppDynamics received Glassdoor’s 2019 Best Places to Work Award and Fortune’s #1 Best Place to Work in 2021 and 2022 as part of Cisco.

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your enterprise, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Newsroom and follow us on Twitter at @Cisco.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. 

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ATP Electronics introduces new SD/microSD cards for non-stop video recording

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- The global leader in specialised storage and memory solutions, ATP Electronics has introduced its new 3D triple-level cell (TLC) S750/S650 Series SD and microSD memory cards built for the rigours of non-stop video recording.

According to a statement, they meet the high endurance, low latency, and built-to-last data storage requirements of dashcams and digital video recorders (DVRs), as well as surveillance systems, autonomous vehicles, and other write-intensive applications.

Video evidence can prove critical in many scenarios; hence, it is very important for SD/microSD cards to record non-stop without compromising image quality and integrity.

The S650 Series can record full high-definition (HD) videos continuously for up to 109,401 hours — far longer than similar cards marketed as “high endurance”.

After power is on, drive recorders may have to wait a few seconds to be ready for recording. The time between the first read command and the first write command from the host is the “response time”.

Thus, ATP S650 and S750 Series cards take less than one second of response time while normal cards may take seven to 12 seconds based on real tests on a DVR at room temperature.

As a true manufacturer with its own hardware/firmware capability, ATP can adjust to a variety of usages to fulfil customers’ specific application requirements and conditions.

More details at www.atpinc.com.

-- BERNAMA

SYNCHRONOSS EXTENDS PLATFORM SUPPORT FOR ALIBABA AND GOOGLE CLOUD

Certifications Address the Need to Provide Customers with Multi-Cloud Environments to Deploy Synchronoss Personal Cloud and Synchronoss Email Suite Worldwide

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., July 13 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (“Synchronoss” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: SNCR), a global leader and innovator in cloud, messaging and digital products and platforms, today announced that its namesake personal cloud and email suite have been certified on the Alibaba Cloud and Google Cloud, respectively. In addition to Amazon AWS and Oracle OCI already in use, the new certifications provide customers with multi-cloud environments to deploy and scale Synchronoss Personal Cloud and Synchronoss Email Suite globally.

Synchronoss Personal Cloud and Synchronoss Email Suite are utilized by leading service providers around the world, supporting more than 250 million subscribers. Each service provider has its own specific requirements, including content security, data sovereignty, compliance, and cost. Supporting Alibaba and Google Cloud allows service providers to extend their deployment across multi-cloud environments and geographies while ensuring security, accessibility, and reliability. Synchronoss is well-positioned to deliver its products to customers throughout Asia and beyond now that Personal Cloud is certified on the Alibaba and Google platforms.

“Our global customers have specific requirements when it comes to performance, cost, compliance, and critically, data sovereignty,” said Patrick Doran, Chief Technology Officer at Synchronoss. “By extending Personal Cloud on Alibaba and Email Suite on Google Cloud, Synchronoss is able to deliver secure, cost-optimized, in-country solutions that are reliable and scalable, upholding our strategy of supporting hybrid and multiple cloud environments.”

“The combination of Synchronoss Email Suite delivered via Google Cloud provides customers with a highly-scalable and reliable solution that is easily accessible globally,” said Gia Winters, Managing Director, Google Cloud. “We look forward to supporting Synchronoss with our infrastructure to keep pace with demand in key territories around the world across their product portfolio.”

Leading Tier One service providers utilize Synchronoss Personal Cloud, Synchronoss Email Suite, or both to manage 250 million plus subscribers worldwide, storing and managing more than 142 petabytes of data. 

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PROJECT TWELVE BREAKS RECORD FOR MOST NFT HOLDERS AMID $8 MILLION FUNDING ROUND TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE WEB3 GAMING ECOSYSTEM

Amid surging popularity of Web3 gaming platform Project Twelve, Genesis Soul-Bound NFT airdrop receives over 500,000 claims in under one week, catapulting Project Twelve to record breaking status as Web3 leader with the largest number of NFT holders and airdrop claims.

NEW YORK, July 13 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- As a pioneer of Web3 gaming, Project Twelve’s (P12) recently revealed Genesis Soul-Bound NFT airdrop was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from the global gaming community. In the first week since its launch on June 27th, over 500,000 NFTs were claimed and this number continues to rise. Nearly 70% of participants joined through referrals, reflecting strong organic growth.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220710005022/en/

 

The airdrop’s greater-than-expected popularity is a testament to P12’s strong brand recognition and the appeal of its innovative vision to the gaming community. It also establishes P12 as the platform with the largest number of engaged potential users in the Web3 gaming platform space. Genesis Soul-Bound NFT pays homage to Steam developers and gamers by capturing off-chain credentials, including games published and hours played. In doing so, the set of valuable proof-of-play data will entitle NFT holders to future rights and benefits, and gamers within the P12-verse will be a part of the growing movement of virtual asset pioneers, paving the way for a new Web3 gaming future.

Project Twelve recently closed $8 million in new funding from a combination of committed investors, including: MetaApp, Project Galaxy, Primavera Ventures, CyberConnect, CCV, Smrti Lab, and others. With this new funding, P12 will be able to tackle key challenges affecting the Web3 gaming industry. Removing the flawed, for-profit model, P12 aims to better serve the user by building complete infrastructure and tooling to make game creation accessible and implementing a set of economic and governmental mechanisms to make game economy sustainable.

Engage with Project Twelve on Twitter (@_p12_), Discord (https://discord.com/invite/p12), and their blog (https://mirror.xyz/p12.eth).

About Project Twelve

Project Twelve (https://p12.network/) is a Web3 gaming platform and game creator ecosystem with a sustainable economy. It features the Editor, a full-featured Metaverse content engine for building game worlds; the Infra, a set of API/SDK and developer portals for bridging game content on-chain; and the Econs, a set of economic and governmental rules and mechanisms implemented in EVM smart contracts. 

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MARY KAY INC. PARTNERS WITH DR. JACK GILBERT TO FURTHER STUDY SKIN'S "MICROBIOME" AND THE IMPACT ON THE AGING PROCESS

DALLAS, July 8 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Mary Kay Inc., one of the world’s leading skincare research companies, has announced a new partnership with Dr. Jack Gilbert, professor of pediatrics at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and professor of microbial oceanography at UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Through the partnership, scientists at Mary Kay will work in conjunction with Dr. Gilbert to study one of the most important—but least understood—areas of aging and skin health: the skin Microbiome.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220707005167/en/

 

“Understanding how our normal aging process influences microbiota of the skin may provide startling new discoveries that shape the future in designing cosmetic products,” said Dr. Lucy Gildea, Chief Innovation Officer, Product and Science at Mary Kay Inc. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Dr. Gilbert to better understand the impact of the microbiome in overall skin health.”

In 2022, Dr. Gilbert became co-director of the Microbiome and Metagenomics Center at UC San Diego, part of the National Institutes of Health’s $175 million Nutrition for Precision Health program. Combined with Dr. Gilbert’s expertise, scientists at Mary Kay hope to explore how different skin attributes are associated with microbial shifts in women. “There’s a knowledge gap here,” Dr. Gildea added. “We hope to bridge it.”

Previous research has concluded that human skin has its own complex ecosystem of bacteria and other microorganisms that serve as its healthy foundation. Much like what has been found in the gut, human skin—the body’s largest organ—needs these bacteria for optimal function. These bacterial communities also maintain a unique signature based on location, age, gender, and interaction with the environment. There is very limited knowledge of exactly what factors contribute to the highly variable bacterial communities on the skin and their impact on the aging process.

The partnership with Dr. Gilbert is just the latest effort by Mary Kay to reinforce the brand’s long-standing commitment to advancing skin health research and development. Mary Kay holds more than 1,600 patents for products, technologies, and packaging designs in its global portfolio.

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty company in 1963 with one goal: enriching women’s lives. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. As an entrepreneurship development company, Mary Kay is committed to empowering women on their journey to economic independence through education, mentorship, advocacy, networking, and innovation. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skincare, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and fragrances. Mary Kay believes in enriching lives today for a sustainable tomorrow, partnering with organizations from around the world focusing on promoting business excellence, supporting cancer research, advancing gender equality, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Learn more at marykayglobal.com, find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on Twitter. 

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