KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- UBiqube, a leader in hybrid cloud and security infrastructure automation, has appointed two seasoned executives, Jean-David Lehmann-Charley and Ahmed Guetari, to its Board of Directors.
“I am humbled and proud of the endorsement of the addition of Jean-David and Ahmed to our board represents. Their experience and industry knowledge will be invaluable as we scale our operations and continue to expand into global markets,” said UBiqube Chief Executive Officer, Nabil Souli.
UBiqube in a statement said both leaders bring extensive expertise in network, security, and cloud technologies, with proven track records in driving innovation and growth in the service provider industry.
Their addition comes at a pivotal time for UBiqube as the company embarks on its Agile Ops journey, implementing scalable, automated solutions for CloudOps, NetOps, and SecOps practices.
They will join the company’s distinguished directors from NTT and Fujitsu and complete the board with relevant skills to drive the adoption of UBiqube’s innovation.
Lehmann-Charley brings over 20 years of experience in complex sales, direct and indirect, in the network & security market across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and Latin America at Palo Alto and before that at Juniper.
Meanwhile, Guetari, General Manager and Vice President of products for Service Providers at F5, brings over 20 years of industry experience. He is an industry-wide recognised strategic thinker with a passion for delivering technology with purpose.
Based in Dublin, Ireland, UBiqube partners with leading system integrators worldwide to design and deliver tailored solutions that address the complexity of an ever-changing information technology infrastructure landscape.
-- BERNAMA
Monday, September 30, 2024
UBIQUBE TAPS SEASONED CLOUD, SECURITY VETERANS TO STRENGTHEN BOARD
Thursday, September 26, 2024
SMARTSTREAM INTRODUCES VERSION 9 OF AIR PLATFORM
In a statement, SmartStream Chief Technology Officer, Andreas Burner said Version 9 transformed data into a strategic asset, enabling customers to enrich their data with greater ease.
“Through observational learning, it offers intelligent suggestions of how best to gain valuable insights from data, significantly boosting competitiveness. The introduction of low-code / no code environment makes it easy to deploy, operate and scale,” added Burner.
Following years of extensive research and development, the new release is committed to transform how businesses manage data across the front-to-back office, positioning Air as a leading Data Automation and Intelligence Platform.
The Air Data module automates time-intensive tasks such as cross-checking between different systems, pre-settlement error detection, and comparing trade records, in addition to enhancing internal data quality by identifying inconsistencies in static or reference data.
Meanwhile, the Air Cash module is designed to handle a wide range of cash reconciliations data, from simple to highly complex cases, with unparalleled speed and ease.
Built on the latest software as a service (SaaS) technology, version 9 is globally available, highly scalable to handle fluctuating data volumes, making it a fast, cost-effective platform for today’s dynamic markets.
SmartStream continues to invest in and support existing customer deployments, whilst the latest release of Air enhances its comprehensive portfolio of solutions and services.
-- BERNAMA
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
XSOLLA TO PRESENT GLOBAL EXPANSION SOLUTIONS AT TOKYO GAME SHOW 2024
(Graphic: Xsolla)
Xsolla to Showcase Innovative Tools for Game Developers and Publishers to Reach Global Markets
TOKYO, Sept 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Xsolla, a global video game commerce company, will showcase its cutting-edge solutions at Hall 4, Booth #04-C48, during the Tokyo Game Show 2024, which will take place from September 26-27, 2024, at the Makuhari Messe Convention Center in Tokyo, Japan. Xsolla’s booth will feature live demonstrations of its latest solutions aimed at helping game developers and publishers succeed in expanding to international markets.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240925444898/en/
In addition to showcasing their MoR solutions, Xsolla will demonstrate how their payment systems and cross-play/cross-pay features enhance global reach for game developers of all sizes and across all platforms. Xsolla will also showcase how they help video game companies integrate with various payment methods worldwide, allowing developers to monetize their games across different regions easily.
David Stelzer, President of Xsolla, emphasized the significance of this event for the company: “We’re thrilled to be part of the Tokyo Game Show and to present our latest solutions designed to empower game developers and publishers to expand globally. Our mission is to support the gaming industry with the tools they need to thrive in international markets, and we are eager to showcase how Xsolla can make global expansion easier and more effective.”
Attendees are invited to visit Xsolla’s booth to meet with the team of experts, who will be available to provide insights, answer questions, and discuss how their tailored solutions can help game developers and publishers grow their businesses. For those interested in more in-depth discussions, Xsolla also offers one-on-one meetings to explore specific solutions for global market expansion.
For more information or to schedule a meeting with Xsolla during the Tokyo Game Show, please visit xsolla.com/events/tgs24
About Xsolla
Xsolla is a global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the industry. Since its founding in 2005, Xsolla has helped thousands of game developers and publishers of all sizes fund, market, launch, and monetize their games globally and across multiple platforms. As an innovative leader in game commerce, Xsolla’s mission is to solve the inherent complexities of global distribution, marketing, and monetization to help our partners reach more geographies, generate more revenue, and create relationships with gamers worldwide. Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, with offices in London, Berlin, Seoul, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Raleigh, Tokyo, Montreal, and cities around the world, Xsolla supports major gaming titles like Valve, Twitch, Epic Games, Take-Two, KRAFTON, Nexters, NetEase, Playstudios, Playrix, miHoYo, and more.
For additional information and to learn more, please visit xsolla.com
View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240925444898/en/
Contact
Media Contact
Derrick Stembridge
Director of Public Relations, Xsolla
d.stembridge@xsolla.com
Source : Xsolla
LYB SECURES CAPACITY TO REACH ITS 2030 RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY GOAL
Approximately 15% of LYB’s 2020 baseline scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions come from its electricity consumption. The company target to procure a minimum of 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 is based on 2020 procured levels.
Under the 15-year PPA signed today, LYB will secure 25 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity generation capacity from the Hollandse Kust West VI (HKW-VI) ecology plot offshore wind farm in the North Sea, the Netherlands.
Eneco will deliver approximately 103 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of offshore wind power to LYB annually, starting in 2027. This is comparable to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 28,500 European homes. The offshore wind park will rank among the largest of its kind in the Netherlands.
About LyondellBasell
LyondellBasell is a leader in the global chemical industry creating solutions for everyday sustainable living. Through advanced technology and focused investments, we are enabling a circular and low carbon economy. Across all we do, we aim to unlock value for our customers, investors and society. As one of the world’s largest producers of polymers and a leader in polyolefin technologies, we develop, manufacture and market high-quality and innovative products for applications ranging from sustainable transportation and food safety to clean water and quality healthcare. For more information, please visit or follow @LyondellBasell on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
The statements in this release relating to matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions of management of LyondellBasell which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially based on factors including, but not limited to, the availability, cost and price volatility of utilities; our ability to meet our sustainability goals, including our ability to reduce our emissions and achieve net zero emissions by the time set in our goals; our ability to procure energy from renewable sources; and the successful construction and operation of the projects described in this release. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the "Risk Factors" section of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which can be found at www.LyondellBasell.com on the Investor Relations page and on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov. There is no assurance that any of the actions, events or results of the forward-looking statements will occur, or if any of them do, what impact they will have on our results of operations or financial condition. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made and are based on the estimates and opinions of management of LyondellBasell at the time the statements are made. LyondellBasell does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change, except as required by law.
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
AI INCREASINGLY IMPACTS CONSUMERS' BUYING DECISIONS - STUDY
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- NielsenIQ (NIQ), the world’s leading global consumer intelligence company, in its latest report found consumers remain determined and resilient despite the uncertainty, providing a strategic roadmap for retailers looking to win over consumers over the next 12 to 18 months and beyond.
NIQ Chief Operating Officer, Tracey Massey said there is increasing demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-driven insights based on large quantities of granular data that only the company can deliver.
“Having your finger on the pulse of current and expected consumer behaviour that is benchmarked globally is now table stakes to establish and maintain any competitive advantage,” she said in a statement.
Its much-anticipated Mid-Year Consumer Outlook: Guide to 2025 report identified macro catalysts across industries, highlighting global catalysts to change such as readiness for AI, the rise and impact of GLP-1 medications, omnichannel evolution, and hot commodity costs.
Buying decisions increasingly influenced by AI, with 40 per cent of consumers willing to use AI to enhance daily shopping decisions, while social commerce revolution has led to the evolution of omni, with an 11.6 per cent increase in global online sales performance and the rise of gamification, with 36 per cent of consumers saying they would spend more on a purchase because of an in-app experience.
Meanwhile, among top trends framing expected 2025 spending are rising food prices continues to be consumers’ top concern (33 per cent), followed by increasing utilities costs (20 per cent), the threat of an economic downturn (19 per cent), and climate change due to the numerous extreme weather occurrences worldwide (14 per cent).
Consumers also intend to continue cutting back on non-essentials like Out-of-Home (OOH) Dining (38 per cent), OOH Entertainment (37 per cent), and Food Delivery/Takeaways (36 per cent), which will see a decreased spend on OOH activities.
The forward-looking study also revealed the pace of monthly consumer packaged goods (CPG) inflation continues to slow across countries, down to less than two per cent growth year over year (YoY). Inflationary pressures is also trending down regionally, but they remain higher than average in Latin America and Africa.
With the global economy facing ongoing and unprecedented challenges, understanding consumer behaviour has become mission-critical for businesses seeking to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.
NIQ’s semi-annual study offers a comprehensive analysis of the impact of economic events and trends on consumer confidence, changes in consumer attitudes, and important insights into the factors influencing purchasing decisions.
-- BERNAMA
Saturday, September 14, 2024
OTC Markets Group To Connect East And West With OTC Overnight
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- OTC Markets Group Inc has officially launched over-the-counter (OTC) Overnight, enabling a select group of active securities to be traded from Sunday through Thursday.
“OTC Overnight will provide a transparent, competitive, and cost-effective market to support the growing needs of investors, broker-dealers, and issuers.
“It is an important step in furthering our company’s mission to create better informed and more efficient markets,” said OTC Markets Group Executive Vice President of Market Data, Matt Fuchs in a statement.
OTC Overnight provides trading capabilities that will significantly expand market accessibility, transparency, and comprehensive data coverage by using existing infrastructure and connectivity, allowing broker-dealer subscribers to efficiently meet their customer demand.
With OTC Overnight trading and reporting functionality now live on OTC Link NQB, an Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-regulated Alternative Trading System, a select group of active securities are now eligible for trading in overnight sessions by broker-dealer subscribers in the US dollars.
While the initial launch applies to a limited group of securities, the operator of regulated financial markets for over 12,000 United States (US) and global securities, plans to expand the offering to additional securities over the near term.
The company first announced OTC Overnight in May, noting proposed market hours and the type of securities to be eligible at launch.
OTC Overnight signifies an evolution of the company’s service, launched at a critical moment as innovative broker-dealers seek to enhance the trading experience for investors in the US and Asia.
-- BERNAMA
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
EKIMETRICS APPOINTS CHRISTINA CEN AS GENERAL MANAGER, CHINA TO LEAD THE SHANGHAI OFFICE AND SUPPORT ITS STRATEGIC EXPANSION IN THE APAC REGION
Alongside its Hong Kong office which has been operational since 2015, Ekimetrics furthers its strategic expansion in the APAC region as new Shanghai office will drive growth opportunities in Mainland China and beyond
PARIS & SHANGHAI, Sept 10 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Ekimetrics, a global leader in data science and AI-powered solutions, announces the appointment of Christina Cen as General Manager of Ekimetrics in China to drive growth and operations in the region. Operational since the beginning of 2024, the Shanghai office opening is part of Ekimetrics’ strategic expansion in APAC, alongside the Hong Kong office that has been operational since 2015.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240901003407/en/
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the venture of Ekimetrics in China. Since my years as Deloitte APAC Clients & Industries COO, I have witnessed the increasing demand for and the impact of solution-based consultative service and become a firm believer in it,” says Christina Cen, General Manager China, Ekimetrics. “Ekimetrics, as a global leader in data science and AI-powered solutions, can bring significant value to clients when combined with consultative services which I have been working on for the majority part of my career. I wish to leverage my hybrid experience in consulting, in-house and startup to build an ecosystem to enhance our capabilities and offer the best value-creating services to our clients.”
“I am very excited to welcome Christina Cen, as our new China General Manager to lead our expansion in China,” says Olivier Kuziner, Partner and Managing Director, APAC, Ekimetrics. “Christina brings close to 20 years of business strategy, marketing & sales plans, and digital transformation experience, dedicated to consumer & retail, TMT, Financial services and automotive sectors. She will be helping clients achieve high impact with long-term business purposes, thanks to her great understanding of the China market, data ecosystem and expertise in data & AI-enabled solutions with Ekimetrics.”
“The potential for AI and data science-powered solutions in China is immense, and we are excited to have Christina Cen onboard to lead our China market expansion, drive regional growth and better serve our clients,” says Jean-Baptiste Bouzige, CEO of Ekimetrics. “With most of our clients being global brands with multiple offices around the world, the Shanghai office is also paramount in helping accelerate time to value for our clients and prospects, as well as reinforcing Ekimetrics’ local footprint in APAC.”
The establishment of the Shanghai office marks a significant step in Ekimetrics' plan to accelerate business growth in the APAC region. The company’s ambition is to generate a turnover of over 100 million RMB within the next five years, leveraging its existing footprint in the region with the Hong Kong office serving as Ekimetrics’ APAC hub and its collaborations with other global offices based in Paris, London, and New York.
Ekimetrics' expansion into China is driven by several key factors. China is one of the largest economies in the world, with immense market potential that requires large-scale AI-enabled transformations. With 30% of Ekimetrics’ APAC revenue already coming from China, the launch of the China operations and appointment of Christina Cen demonstrates Ekimetrics’ commitment to the Chinese market, with the aim to offer better service and increased impact to clients. Furthermore, the opening of the Shanghai office will allow Ekimetrics to effectively meet market demands due to China’s specific digital ecosystems and data regulations.
The new office will focus on key industries such as Consumer & Retail, Financial Services, Technology, and Automotive, which align closely with Christina Cen’s extensive experience. Christina Cen’s appointment will also contribute to enhancing Ekimetrics’ ability to better serve its clients, delivering tailored, high-value solutions based services and helping them navigate the complexities of the Chinese market while achieving their business objectives.
About Ekimetrics
Ekimetrics helps organizations be future proof through transformational AI solutions. We deliver AI products and platforms built to optimize revenue, profit and grow our clients’ AI capabilities in a sustainable way. We specialize in Marketing and Commercial effectiveness, Customer Analytics, Operational excellence, and ESG transformation. Ekimetrics is a global leader in data science and AI-powered solutions, with offices on 3 continents and +500 data & AI experts. Since 2006, we have led more than a thousand MMM and data science projects in over 50 countries, generating more than €1bn in profit for our customers.
Quantexa Secures Contract With US Special Operations Command
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Quantexa, the global leader in Decision Intelligence solutions for the public and private sectors, has signed its first contract with the United States (US) federal government through a new deal with the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).
USSOCOM will deploy Quantexa News Intelligence (QNI), an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled software as a service (SaaS) solution that provides real-time insights from global news data, to identify and monitor emerging risks and aid in making mission-critical decisions.
“Our platform will minimise repetitive and manual tasks, create automated workflows, and provide ready-to-operationalise data across teams and departments, significantly streamlining operations,” said Quantexa Chief Product Officer, Dan Higgins in a statement.
This contract comes on the heels of QNI achieving “Awardable” status through the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace, the Department of Defense’s suite of tools and services designed to accelerate the procurement and adoption of AI/machine learning, data, and analytics capabilities.
QNI leverages advanced AI, machine learning, and natural language processing (NLP) to process millions of news articles daily, transforming them into enriched, actionable intelligence.
The scale, accessibility, reliability, flexibility, and richness of the news data that QNI provides will strengthen USSOCOM’s data intelligence operations to enable faster and more informed decisions. With QNI, Quantexa will provide USSOCOM with one of its biggest datasets for building intelligence.
QNI provides instant access to news articles from over 90,000 global news publishers that are auto translated into English. QNI ingests, reads, tags, and makes available fourteen articles per second, every second.
For USSOCOM and other US Department of Defense agencies, defence-specific category filtering and entity-specific search capabilities will make pinpointing relevant and accurate news exponentially faster and easier than ever before, on a global scale.
Quantexa is a trusted partner for government agencies around the world, including the United Kingdom Cabinet Office, Australia’s Executive Government and one of Europe’s largest tax authorities.
-- BERNAMA
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Toshiba's Automotive Brushed DC Motors Driver IC Provides Higher Equipment Reliability
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation (Toshiba) has started providing engineering samples of "TB9103FTG", a gate driver IC for automotive brushed DC motors.
According to Toshiba in a statement, this includes latch motors and lock motors in power backdoors and power slide doors, and drive motors for power windows and power seats.
Formerly manually adjusted parts of automobiles are now largely electrified, which has increased both demand for electric motors and the number integrated into vehicles.
The number of drivers used in motors has also increased, prompting moves to downsize and integrate overall systems. There are also some motor applications that do not require rotational speed control, and drivers with simple functions and performance are required for these applications.
TB9103FTG offers streamlined gate driver functions and performance for brushed DC motors that do not require speed-control, opening the way to more compact design.
It has a built-in charge pump circuit that ensures voltage needed to power external MOSFETs for driving motors and also has a gate monitoring function that prevents the generation of through-current by automatic control of the output timing of the gate signal to the high-side and low-side external MOSFETs.
The new IC can also be used as one-channel H-bridge or two-channel half-bridges. In addition to application as a motor driver, it can be combined with an external MOSFET to replace mechanical relays and other mechanical switches, contributing to quiet operation and higher equipment reliability.
-- BERNAMA
Saturday, September 7, 2024
CNE DIRECT, INC. (DBA "ILLUMYNT") ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF PAUL KNIGHT AS CEO
“I’m excited to be returning as CEO and look forward to working with our world class team and getting the chance to spend more time with our customers and partners around the world to execute our new strategic growth plans,” said Knight.
In addition to Knight’s return the company is also announcing the following actions today:
- Hiring of a new V.P. of Engineering, Gavin Wilson. Formerly of Reconext. Gavin has over 20-years’ experience developing sophisticated testing, repair, and value recovery solutions for customers globally.
- Joe Conway has been promoted to the role of V.P. of Solutions. Joe has provided strong leadership in analyzing, pricing, and onboarding large global programs for illumynt, managing cross-functional teams to deliver targeted results.
- Signing of a strategic engagement with ITAD advisory firm Circular Integrity, led by Founder & CEO Todd Zegers, former Global Vice President of ITAD and Reverse Logistics for Ingram Micro. Circular Integrity will work closely with CNE’s senior management team to accelerate growth and diversification.
- Expanding our global footprint, illumynt is in the process of opening three new facilities in Franklin, MA, USA, Cork, Ireland, and Thailand.
For more information visit http://www.illumynt.com, or follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/illumynt.
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
NIQ-GFK: GLOBAL TECH AND DURABLES MARKET IN RESURGENCE STATE
At the mid-year point, most T&D segments are showing steady growth, and the market overall is slowly recovering due to easing of inflation and omnichannel growth that drive modest gains, albeit still in negative territory.
The global T&D market recorded a slight decrease of 0.6 per cent in revenue to US$395 billion in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, according to a statement. (US$1=RM4.36)
Inflation and high prices continue to be a top concern of consumers worldwide according to GfK Consumer Life study, and based on NIQ Consumer Outlook report 2024, 57 per cent of global consumers are prepared to switch stores to manage costs.
GfK insights expert for T&D industry, Nevin Francis said that omnichannel retailing remains popular, with 36 per cent of total global T&D sales made online in the first half of 2024, an increase of 0.4 per cent from last year.
Furthermore, the progress of Chinese online retailers in Europe is quite notable in the same period, which saw Chinese e-commerce retailer Temu, ranked second in terms of order volume for computers and electronics, and according to NielsenIQ’s Foxintelligence, 77 per cent of German Temu shoppers in the last 60 days were repeat buyers.
Looking at regional differences, consumer spending caution varies depending on purchasing power and local price levels. While Western Europe and Developed Asia experienced year-on-year revenue declines in the first half of this year with one per cent and nine per cent respectively, Eastern Europe and the Middle East grew to four per cent and eight per cent, respectively along with Emerging Asia.
GfK panel data also shows that the Telecom and Photo categories are back in the black in the first half of 2024, while other T&D categories such as Consumer Electronics, Information Technology (IT), Small Domestic Appliances, and Major Domestic Appliances are regaining momentum and starting to recover.
Growth in the home appliances sector is being driven by three key consumer desires, namely sustainability, simplification and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered intelligence, as the demand for related devices such as smart ovens and cookers has noticeably increased with 30 per cent year-over-year in revenue for the first half of the year.
In the IT sector, on the other hand, it is still all about premiumisation, especially more memory in devices. In laptops, 16 gigabytes (GB) RAM is becoming the new standard, with sales volume up three percent in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, replacing older models.
In contrast to the business-to-consumer (B2C) market, which is slowly recovering, the business-to-business (B2B) market is still stuck in the red, according to GfK's distribution panel, with revenues down six per cent year-over-year in the first half of this year.
-- BERNAMA