Kioxia Portable SSD Bags Red Dot Design Award 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- Kioxia Corporation, a world leader in memory solutions, announced its EXCERIA PLUS G2 Portable solid-state drive (SSD) Series has won the Red Dot Design Award in the “Product Design 2025” category.

According to Kioxia in a statement, the EXCERIA PLUS G2 Portable SSD Series has also previously been awarded the Good Design Award 2024 in Japan.

The Red Dot jury, composed of internationally recognised design experts, selected the EXCERIA PLUS G2 portable SSD Series for its sleek design, user-centric functionality and durable build.

In addition, the award recognised the smooth, rounded aluminium housing, lack of visible screws for a seamless feel, and heat dissipation and impact resistance solutions through design.

The Red Dot Design Award is one of the world’s most prestigious design awards, honouring the very best in design annually. Winners will be honoured at the Red Dot Design Award ceremony on July 8, in Essen, Germany.

Dedicated to the development, production and sale of flash memory and SSDs, Kioxia is committed to uplifting the world with “memory” by offering products, services and systems that create choice for customers and memory-based value for society.

-- BERNAMA

DUCK CREEK TECHNOLOGIES TAPS SEKOU ANDREWS TO HEADLINE FORMATION '25

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- Duck Creek Technologies, a global intelligent solutions provider for the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry, has announced renowned spoken word poet and entrepreneur Sekou Andrews as the keynote speaker for its upcoming Formation ’25 conference.

SekouWorld Inc Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Andrews is a thought leader and award-winning entrepreneur known for pioneering the “Poetic Voice”.

He is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading spoken word poets, bringing a unique blend of performance and inspiration to global audiences, according to Duck Creek Technologies in a statement.

“Sekou Andrews is an influential speaker and poet that has inspired many organisations and individuals with his powerful poetry to embrace change, spark innovation, and think boldly.

“We are thrilled to have him share his inspirational words and style at Formation ’25 as we continue to lead and innovate across the insurance landscape,” said Duck Creek Technologies CEO, Mike Jackowski.

Formation ’25, Duck Creek’s annual user conference, will be held from May 19 to 21 in Orlando, Florida. The event brings together prominent figures from the insurance and technology sectors to explore industry challenges and emerging opportunities.

This year’s conference will offer a platform for professionals in the P&C and general insurance sectors to discuss key issues such as climate change, cybersecurity risks, evolving technology and regulatory trends. Participants will gain access to insights, tools and innovations aimed at shaping the future of the insurance industry.

The agenda includes general and breakout sessions led by Duck Creek executives, customers, partners, and industry analysts, all of whom will share their expertise and vision for driving transformation and delivering enhanced customer experiences.

Andrews’ keynote address, titled “The Audacity of What If?”, will explore the role of bold questions and unconventional thinking in fuelling innovation. His message will encourage leaders to embrace change, challenge the status quo and drive progress through creativity and audacity.

-- BERNAMA

CHECKMARX ONE DELIVERS ASPM DIRECTLY TO DEVELOPERS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- Checkmarx, a leader in cloud-native application security, has launched its latest application security posture management (ASPM) solution directly within the most widely used integrated development environments (IDEs).

In a statement, Checkmarx said the cloud-based Checkmarx One platform enhances the developer experience by streamlining security-related tasks, prioritising and remediating vulnerabilities with minimal disruption.

Checkmarx Vice President of Product, Ori Bendet highlighted that developer experience is now a critical factor for successful enterprise-scale security programmes.

He emphasised that Checkmarx One brings the necessary tools directly to developers, empowering them to secure applications more effectively.

According to recent findings, 72 per cent of developers in large enterprises spend over 17 hours weekly on security tasks, underscoring the urgency of simplifying the application security (AppSec) process.

Checkmarx One responds to this by delivering ASPM directly in the IDE, allowing developers to speed up vulnerability prioritisation and remediation, thereby improving both security and productivity.

In addition to ASPM integration, Checkmarx One introduces new features, such as Pre-commit Secrets Scanning, JFrog Artifactory Integration, and an Engineering Dashboard, all designed to streamline AppSec for developers, reduce redundant fixes, and ensure compliance while accelerating secure code delivery.

Checkmarx One offers comprehensive security coverage for cloud-native applications throughout the development lifecycle, addressing emerging threats including supply chain attacks, application programming interface (API) exploits, and malicious code.

-- BERNAMA

AM Best Assigns Credit Ratings to The Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Insurance Company (China) Limited

 

HONG KONG, April 24 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) to The Tokio Marine and Nichido Fire Insurance Company (China) Limited (TMNCH) (China). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings of TMNCH reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). The ratings also factor in the rating enhancement from its parent, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (TMNF), which is the main insurance operating entity of Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc.

Established in 2008, TMNCH is a small sized, long-standing player in China’s non-life insurance markets. The predecessor of TMNCH was TMNF’s Shanghai Branch, which was founded in 1994. The company is 100% owned by TMNF, the first Japanese non-life insurance company with operations spanning across various markets and lines of business globally. TMNCH benefits from preferential access to Japanese interests abroad business in China given its affiliation and common branding with TMNF. The company also receives various implicit support from TMNF, including reinsurance protection, management oversight, and risk framework and governance.

TMNCH has gross premiums written (GPW) reaching RMB 976 million in 2024, which represents less than 1% of its total market share. The company has a moderately diversified underwriting portfolio, consisting of motor, fire, marine, liability and other lines. In terms of its distribution channel, around 70% of TMNCH’s GPW are underwritten by inward treaty contracts or on a direct basis, while the remainder is sourced through brokers and agents.

AM Best assesses TMNCH’s risk-adjusted capitalisation at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), supplemented by its low underwriting leverage and conservative investment strategy, as well as positive liquidity. The company’s capital and surplus remains comparatively modest, but stable, driven by partial profit retention over the years, and its solvency stays robust with a comfortable buffer above the regulatory requirement.

AM Best views TMNCH’s operating performance as strong, as demonstrated by a five-year average (2019-2023) operating ratio of 88.9% and a return-on-equity (ROE) ratio of 11.6%. Investment results continue to be supported by a stable stream of interest income derived from deposits and money market funds. In 2024, the company’s top-line performance was affected by the slowdown in the business activity of Japanese entities in China, as well as a more cautious approach to risk selection. Despite the headwinds, TMNCH’s operating performance has been further enhanced, due to an improvement in its loss ratio. Additionally, the company has maintained a double-digit ROE ratio. Moving forward, TMNCH will continue to explore business opportunities in the upstream and downstream industries of Japanese clients.

Negative rating actions could occur if there is a material deterioration in TMNCH’s operating profitability, for instance, due to reduced underwriting profit, which no longer supports favourable assessment or continued headwinds in the top-line. Negative rating actions also could occur if there is a reduced level of support from its parent. Although it is unlikely in the near term, positive rating actions could occur if there is a material improvement in TMNCH’s risk-adjusted capitalisation.

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 © 2025 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Source : AM Best

TÜRKIYE JOINS EXP REALTY'S RAPID INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Bernama) -- The independent real estate brokerage, eXp Realty, has officially launched in Türkiye, marking its 26th international market and its second global expansion in less than a month after Peru in March.

In a statement, eXp Realty said this rapid growth highlights its commitment to redefining the real estate industry through a scalable, agent-first model that meets the evolving needs of professionals worldwide.

“Our entry into Türkiye, just weeks after launching in Peru, reflects our momentum and our mission: to deliver the most agent-centric brokerage on the planet.

“We are expanding fast — not just for the sake of growth, but because agents around the world are demanding a better way to build their business,” said eXp World Holdings Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Glenn Sanford.

Türkiye’s strategic position between Europe and Asia, combined with its fast-growing real estate sector and entrepreneurial agent base, makes it a strong match for eXp’s cloud-based, borderless business model that is built to empower agents with more flexibility, financial opportunity, and global connection.

At the forefront of eXp Türkiye is Yigit Portakal as Country Leader, a dynamic leader with profound market knowledge and one of the most influential voices in Türkiye’s real estate space, who is known for his passion, community engagement, and agent-first mindset.

The company is giving agents in Türkiye access to a platform that removes traditional barriers and puts their business in their control with benefits such as a cloud-based business model with no physical office requirements or franchise fees and an attractive commission structure designed to maximise agent earnings in the local market.

Agents will also benefit from the revenue share and equity opportunities that allow them to build long-term wealth; the global referral and collaboration network of nearly 83,000 agents in 26 countries; as well as access to live training, mentorship, and community through eXp’s virtual platforms and global leadership.

-- BERNAMA

HOFA, PHILLIPSX LAUNCH DIGITAL ART AWARDS TO CELEBRATE INNOVATION IN TECH-DRIVEN ART

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (Bernama) -- HOFA Gallery, in partnership with PhillipsX, has announced the launch of the Digital Art Awards, an initiative recognising cutting-edge work at the intersection of art and technology.

Set to debut on May 15, the awards will honour innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), generative media and immersive experiences, featuring four key categories of Still Image, Moving Image, Innovation, and Experiential. Following the ceremony, a public exhibition hosted by Phillips will be held in London from May 16 to 22.

“The Digital Art Awards represent an important recognition of the artists shaping the future. Through our partnership with Phillips, we are committed to championing innovation and providing a platform for visionary talents to redefine art and technology,” said HOFA and the Digital Art Awards Co-Founder, Elio D’Anna in a statement.

Positioned as a major highlight of London’s spring art calendar, the inaugural event underscores the growing influence of digital art and spotlights artists redefining visual culture through algorithmic aesthetics and human-machine collaboration.

Twenty international finalists will be selected for their boundary-pushing work, with each category winner receiving a US$10,000 coins commission for a new artwork. Finalists and winners will be chosen by a panel of leading experts in art and innovation. (US$1=RM4.42)

Early applicants include several prominent figures in digital and generative art, such as Sarah Meyohas, Sougwen Chung, Emily Xie, Operator and Kevin Abosch—underscoring the calibre of talent the awards are already attracting.

The exhibition will feature the winning artworks from each category along with a curated selection from some finalists, offering a spectrum of the innovation driving digital art.

The awards expand upon the success of SPACES, HOFA’s collaborative exhibition series with PhillipsX, which champions artists at the nexus of art, science, and technology. Winning artists will also be featured in future exhibitions, art fairs, and institutional collaborations.

The Digital Art Awards are backed by Hivemind Capital Partners’ Digital Culture Fund, with additional backing from ApeChain and Amina, a global crypto bank. Hivemind is committed to championing established digital artists while nurturing emerging talent and building a sustainable economic foundation for the flourishing digital art ecosystem.

-- BERNAMA

Kioxia, AIO Core, Kyocera Unveil PCIe 5.0-Compatible Broadband Optical SSD Prototype

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Bernama) -- Kioxia Corporation, AIO Core Co Ltd, and Kyocera Corporation have jointly announced the development of a prototype of a PCIe 5.0-compatible broadband solid-state drive (SSD) with an optical interface (broadband optical SSD).

The companies will develop technologies for broadband optical SSDs to enhance their suitability for advanced applications that require high-speed transfer of large data, such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), and will also apply them to proof-of-concept (PoC) tests for future social implementation.

In a statement, Kioxia said the new prototype achieved functional operation with the high-speed PCIe 5.0 interface, which is twice the bandwidth of the previous PCIe 4.0 generation, through the combination of AIO Core’s IOCore optical transceiver and Kyocera’s OPTINITY optoelectronic integration module technologies.

This broadband optical SSD technology could play a significant role in green data centres by replacing the electrical wiring with optical interfaces. This shift increases the physical distance between compute and storage devices while maintaining energy efficiency and high signal quality.

Additionally, it allows for greater flexibility and efficiency in data centre system design, where digital diversification and the evolution of generative AI require complex, high-volume, high-speed data processing.

This achievement is the result of the Japanese “Next Generation Green Data Center Technology Development” project JPNP21029, supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under the “Green Innovation Fund Project: Construction of Next Generation Digital Infrastructure”.

The goal of the initiative is to reduce energy consumption in data centres by over 40 per cent compared to current standards. As part of this project, Kioxia is focused on developing broadband optical SSDs, AIO Core is advancing optoelectronic fusion devices, and Kyocera is working on optoelectronic device packages.

-- BERNAMA

NIQ LAUNCHES AI-POWERED PLATFORM TO REVOLUTIONISE GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION INSIGHTS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (Bernama) -- NielsenIQ (NIQ) has announced the global launch of gfknewron Supply Chain, an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled platform providing distributor sales data to assist Tech & Durables clients in managing their distribution and channel business.

According to NIQ in a statement, the tool, introduced on its advanced gfknewron platform, offers manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and retailers a comprehensive view of the global supply chain, enabling them to adapt quickly to market changes and make data-driven decisions.

NIQ Head of Distribution and Supply Chain Intelligence, Tatjana Wismeth highlighted that this integration of global distribution intelligence with existing market intelligence, consumer insights, and forecasting features marks a significant step forward in helping clients achieve business success.

She emphasised the unique achievement of integrating these complex datasets into a single platform.

gfknewron Supply Chain provides in-depth sell-through data based on distributor sales from around 300 distributors across over 45 global markets, covering 200 product groups in information technology, consumer electronics, office equipment, telecom, and small domestic appliances. The data is updated weekly and reports on 24 individual sales channels, offering a detailed view of market dynamics.

The tool was developed in collaboration with the Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) and its members, enabling users to analyse distributor sales data with flexibility. GTDC EMEA General Manager, Peter van den Berg expressed excitement about the tool’s potential to simplify distribution intelligence, improve efficiency, and enhance sell-through market data analytics.

Users can seamlessly switch between different modules to track growth drivers, sales channel trends, price developments, and top-selling items at the stock-keeping unit level. The platform also enhances collaboration by allowing teams to combine and share analytics across markets.

With the addition of point-of-sale information, consumer insights, and NIQ’s forecasting module, the tool offers a holistic view of market trends, helping businesses optimise pricing strategies and improve sales management.

-- BERNAMA

Hytera Named Official Communications Provider For China Pavilion At Osaka World Expo

 

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (Bernama) -- Hytera Communications, a global provider of professional communications solutions, has been appointed the official professional communications technology provider for the China Pavilion at the Osaka World Expo.

The company has supplied the China Pavilion’s organising committee with its latest instant team communication and collaboration solution, through its local partner General Trading Japan Co Ltd.

The Pavilion team utilises the Hytera HyTalk PoC system, which features private and group calls, GPS positioning, and end-to-end encrypted communications. The company is also providing technical support to ensure seamless coordination throughout the event.

Hytera Eastern Asia Sales Director, Ning Ma in a statement expressed excitement about supporting the China Pavilion and highlighted the alignment of the expo’s values with Hytera’s mission.

As one of the largest national pavilions at the expo, the China Pavilion is expected to receive a significant share of the estimated 28 million visitors.

Hytera’s advanced Push-to-Talk Over Cellular (PoC) radios and systems will facilitate efficient communication for teams managing event operations, cultural performances, exhibitions, security, and guest services.

Hytera has been serving the Japanese market since 2005, providing advanced two-way radio solutions to various industries, including those requiring stringent intrinsically safe (IS) certifications.

The company’s involvement in the expo adds to its history of providing communication solutions for major global events, having previously supported the Astana World Expo in 2017 and the Dubai World Expo in 2021 and 2022.

-- BERNAMA

General Omi Beef Launches "Steak Sudaku" Restaurant In Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (Bernama) -- General Omi Beef Trading Company, known for exporting premium Omi beef from Shiga Prefecture, Japan, is set to broaden its brand presence with the opening of a new restaurant in Singapore.

The company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Omigyu Trading Singapore Pte Ltd, will open a fast-casual restaurant called "Steak Sudaku" on April 4, according to a statement.

The restaurant will feature Omi beef steaks as its main offering, with a focus on quick delivery and service. The brand name is a creative blend of Chinese characters, which convey the meaning "joy, achieve, gather", symbolising a place for people to gather and enjoy a great meal.

The new establishment, located at 302 Beach Rd, will operate daily with two service periods and aims to provide a fun and efficient dining experience while introducing the rich flavours of Omi beef to Singapore’s market.

-- BERNAMA