Sunday, September 30, 2018

CENSOF, SOFT SPACE'S SUBSIDIARY SIGNS MOU FOR GROWTH IN SOUTHEAST ASIA



 KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- T-Melmax Sdn Bhd (T-Melmax), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Censof Holdings Bhd (Censof), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Fass Payment Solutions Sdn Bhd (Fasspay) to drive potential capital growth, improve market access, and procure various business deals together in Southeast Asia.

The MoU will enable Fasspay, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia’s leading fintech company Soft Space Sdn Bhd (Soft Space), to gain access to the vast list of T-Melmax’s clientele via Censof, while T-Melmax will be able to leverage on Fasspay’s payment technologies for further growth.

In a statement, Censof group managing director, Ameer Shaik Mydin, said, “We are pleased to join hands with Fasspay and Soft Space, a leading and innovative payments player in the region.”

“Our platform will enable Soft Space to expand its presence within a short time frame and without specific payment barriers whilst delivering the highest quality and security standards. Both parties mutually benefit from the partnership due to greater market penetration and access to new client segments,” he added.

-- BERNAMA

IWBI announces well portfolio participation


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) announced today the first participants in WELL Portfolio, a new streamlined pathway for WELL Certification of multiple new or existing buildings and tenant spaces in a single portfolio.

Released as part of the WELL v2  pilot, the latest iteration of the WELL Building Standard (WELL) is part of a suite of enhancements to WELL which addresses the growing demand across the building industry for a programme that helps owners, developers and tenants streamline and scale health and wellness upgrades in their real estate assets.

The addition of an early-phase review process enabling projects to seek the WELL D&O designation introduced in WELL v2 allows portfolio projects to move through the certification process in a more streamlined and systematic fashion across their asset base.

The WELL Portfolio Pathway encourages owners to treat achieving WELL as a journey and not a destination, and to make incremental improvements across their portfolios over time, a statement said.

Tenants, developers and investors from Europe, North America, Australia and Asia have expressed interest in pursuing the WELL Portfolio Pathway, having already used WELL for individual buildings, and are now looking to bring the same value and evidence-based performance to their portfolios.

IWBI is leading the global movement to transform buildings and communities in ways that help people thrive.

WELL is focused exclusively on the ways that buildings and communities, and everything in them, can improve our comfort, drive better choices and generally enhance -- not compromise -- our health and wellness.

For more information, visit https://www.wellcertified.com.

-- BERNAMA

Euromonitor International: Indonesia´s middle class consumers growing


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- According to global market research company, Euromonitor International, Indonesia has the largest number of middle class households in ASEAN, representing 30 per cent of households in 2018.

A Euromonitor conference on how companies can tap into the Indonesian market held at Pullman Jakarta Central Park today, also revealed that big cities in Sumatra will have the highest penetration of middle class households by 2030.

“Medan, Bandar Lampung and Padang will be the top three big cities in Indonesia, with almost 50 per cent of its population enjoying annual incomes of between US$10,000 and US$25,000 (US$1 = RM4.13),” said Euromonitor research manager, Adhitya Nugroho, in a statement.

Travel is set to be one of the fastest-growing categories in the country, increasing by 49.2 per cent by 2023.

Led by millennials who are more inclined to splash out on travel than any other demographic, spending on convenience and experience will see unprecedented growth in Indonesia.

Smartphone penetration, which reached 142 per cent of households in 2017, is also supporting the tendency to spend more on holiday-planning.

Euromonitor International is the world’s leading provider for global business intelligence and strategic market analysis.

It has more than 40 years of experience publishing international market reports, business reference books and online databases on consumer markets.

-- BERNAMA

Friday, September 28, 2018

RESEARCHERS, SURVIVORS, ADVOCATES AND PHYSICIANS CONVENE TO DISCUSS INNOVATIONS IN LUNG CANCER RESEARCH, TREATMENT AND ADVOCACY AT THE LARGEST-ATTENDED WORLD CONFERENCE ON LUNG CANCER


TORONTO, Sept 24 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patients, survivors and advocates joined researchers and physicians from across the globe to discuss the future of lung cancer at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s (IASLC’s) 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Toronto, Canada. The conference’s first press briefing highlighted the record-breaking number of registered attendees (over 7,300), reviewed patient-caregiver communities working to accelerate research, evaluated survey data on the emotional needs of lung cancer survivors and underscored the impact of comprehensive genomic profiling on patient care.

The press conference opened with a welcome message from conference co-presidents Natasha B. Leighl, M.D., BSc, MSc; Andrea Bezjak, M.D., FRCPC, MSc; and Gail Darling M.D., FRCSC, who have worked tirelessly to make this year’s conference in Toronto highly successful.

Oncogene-driven patient-caregiver communities creating new paradigm for non-small cell lung cancer research
Recent review of patient-caregiver communities focusing on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with genomic alterations showed that these groups are improving outcomes by supporting patients and caregivers, increasing awareness and education and accelerating research.   

Patient advocate Janet Freeman-Daily, co-founder of the community known as The ROS1ders, Robert C. Doebele, M.D., Ph.D., of the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado and Christine M. Lovly, M.D., Ph.D., of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, worked as a team to identify the impact of oncogene-driven patient groups.

“These oncogene-driven groups created by patients and caregivers are ushering in a new era for lung cancer research partnerships,” said Freeman-Daily. “By collaborating with researchers, clinicians, advocacy groups and industry, we are accelerating research into our own diseases.”

Read the full press release here.

Survey data from Lung Cancer Alliance highlights the unmet emotional needs of long-term lung cancer survivors
Recent survey data showed lung cancer survivors indicate that emotional effects, unlike physical impacts, are more problematic for long-term survivors after five years. Maureen Rigney, a licensed clinical social worker and Director of Support Initiatives for Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA), and her team led an online survey on the treatment and smoking histories of 820 respondents.

“Symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue are just a few of the physical side effects that can occur during and post treatment,” said Rigney. “Emotionally, lung cancer stigma and anxiety don’t end when treatment is over.” 

PureCircle, North Carolina farmers to harvest first stevia in US

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 (Bernama) --  PureCircle, the world’s leading producer and innovator of stevia sweeteners and its North Carolina farmer partners will soon harvest its first commercial-scale crop of Starleaf™ stevia grown in the US.

Stevia is a naturally sweet plant native to South America. Today, it is grown around the world, especially in Kenya, China and the US. The sweet-tasting parts of the stevia leaf are up to 400 times sweeter than sugar.

PureCircle’s proprietary Starleaf stevia contains more of the best-tasting stevia sweeteners, such as Reb M, than other stevia plant variants, a statement said. 

Following successful Starleaf stevia plot trials in North Carolina in 2017, PureCircle and a number of farmers in the state increased the amount of acreage dedicated to stevia by tenfold this year. 

The quality and yield of that Starleaf stevia met PureCircle’s standards and the company plans to increase significantly the acreage used to grow stevia in the US over the next two to three years.

The North Carolina program is enabling PureCircle to broaden and diversify its supply chain by increasing the amount of Starleaf stevia grown in different areas around the globe throughout the year.

This gives food and beverage companies further confidence to launch global brands with PureCircle’s best-tasting stevia leaf sweeteners like Reb M.

PureCircle chief executive officer, Maga Malsagov said: “Our partnerships in North Carolina will significantly increase our supply of Starleaf stevia plants grown in North America and thereby geographically diversify our stevia plant supply.

“We currently have three strong farming partnerships in North Carolina, and we expect to bring many more farmers into our program. We could not be more pleased with this year’s results,” Malsagov added.

Fortunately, the North Carolina farms growing the Starleaf stevia plants were not damaged by Hurricane Florence which tragically ravaged some areas of the Carolinas.

Stevia leaf extract is a natural, zero calorie, high-intensity sweetener, used by global food and beverage companies as a great-tasting zero-calorie alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. More details on www.purecircle.com

--BERNAMA

China´s Shandong invites overseas Chinese students to start business

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- Shandong - a coastal province in eastern China - is welcoming overseas-educated Chinese students home to start their own businesses.

Governor of Shandong, Gong Zheng in his invitation said Shandong - with 145 universities and colleges -- firmly believes that while development is the top priority, talents are the most important resources and innovation is the premier driving force.

To attract more overseas-educated scholars to Shandong, the 10th China Shandong Domestic and Overseas High-end Talents Exchange Fair is slated on 29 to 31 October in Weihai, Shandong.The fair has been held for 9 sessions in a row, a statement said.

With themed "Gathering global talents, promoting quality development", the fair is expected to be a diversified, specialized and well-targeted international event that encompasses factors including talents, ideas, projects, technologies and financial capital.

“We work unremittingly to improve the policies for recruitment, training and use of talents, and upgrade the relevant mechanism and institution so that Shandong can become a fertile ground for talents,” he said in the invitation.

As a platform connecting Shandong with domestic and overseas high-caliber professionals and projects, the event offers an important opportunity for talents across the world to get to know, come and participate in the development of the province.

Shandong is also expected to set an example for rural revitalization, give higher priority to marine industry, and serve as a powerhouse for opening up. Acting upon the important instructions of Chinese General Secretary Xi, Shandong is implementing the major program to foster new drivers of growth and build a modernized economic system with focus on high quality development and supply-side structural reform.

Shandong accounts for nearly 1/10 of the GDP, 1/8 of the industrial output and 1/4 of the agricultural export of China.

In 2017, the GDP of Shandong reached 7.27 trillion yuan; general budget revenue topped 600 billion yuan; foreign trade was nearly 1 trillion yuan; the number of market entities exceeded 8 million. (1 yuan = RM0.60)

--BERNAMA

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Travel industry to record 2.4 billion international trips by 2030 - research

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- The travel industry is set to record strong growth with international arrivals reaching 2.4 billion by 2030, corresponding to USD2.6 billion  (RM10.76 billion) in incoming receipts. (USD1 = RM4.14)

The market research company, Euromonitor International in a statement released the new data on the future of the travel industry which China, France and the US are the main beneficiaries of international arrivals.

Travel industry manager at Euromonitor International, Nadejda Popova said the sharing economy and digitalisation are bringing new business models with consumers becoming more sophisticated and demanding.

Therefore it is critical to provide a seamless travel experience for competitive advantage, from the inspiration stage, through search and booking to in-destination services with Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data and cloud computing help to drive for personalised and frictionless travel experiences.

The research reported that global arrivals will grow by five per cent between 2017 and 2018 to reach 1.4 billion trips while low-cost carriers are expected to show a passenger growth rate of six per cent in 2018 to 2023, thus outperforming the scheduled operators.

The travel intermediaries are also forecast to exceed USD2 trillion by 2023 stimulated by digital advances and the shift to mobile sales representing 70 per cent of travel agents’ sales in 2017.

Euromonitor International’s analysts will introduce the ‘Megatrends Shaping the Future of Travel’ report on November 6 at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London. More details about the company at www.euromonitor.com.

--BERNAMA

Radiotherapy, chemotherapy reduce recurrence of small cell lung cancer

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- The use of involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) and irradiating post-chemotherapy residual primary tumor volume for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC) did not result in increased recurrence of the cancer.
The recent study was presented by Xiao Hu, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Thoracic Radiotherapy, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s (IASLC’s) 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Toronto, Canada.
“Considering the high malignancy and easy metastasis of SCLC, chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of comprehensive treatment,” said Dr. Hu.
However, patients having difficulty with full-dose intravenous chemotherapy could be administered safely by dose reduction or using single agent chemotherapy or oral chemotherapy, along with radiotherapy, a statement said.
Also highlighted during the conference is on the impact of this year’s practice-changing abstracts, emphasizing that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world and in men and women.
The final press briefing at the IASLC’s 19th WCLC led by conference co-presidents Natasha B. Leighl, M.D., BSc, MSc, and Gail Darling M.D., FRCSC,  reviewed the innovative work in lung cancer research and treatment presented at the conference.
Dr. Leighl closed the press briefing with a preview of the closing plenary and said: “The goal of this plenary is to help us take the great progress at this meeting—take it home, take action and really put this into practice.”
More details available at www.iaslc.org and https://wclc2018.iaslc.org.

-- BERNAMA

EASTSPRING INVESTMENTS DECLARES INCOME DISTRIBUTION FOR 2 FUNDS


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 (Bernama) – Eastspring Investments Bhd today announced the gross income distribution for two of its existing funds.
The funds are Eastspring Investments Asian High Yield Bond MY Fund (Bond MY) and the shariah-compliant unit trust fund, Eastspring Investments Dynamic Fund.
Eastspring, in a statement, announced a 0.46 cent per unit gross income distribution for the Bond MY Fund under the US dollar currency class and a 4.69 sen per unit gross income distribution for the Dynamic Fund.
"All unit holders who have maintained their unit holdings in the funds as at Sept 25, 2018 would be entitled to the income distribution," it said.
-- BERNAMA



Blockchain think tank in Singapore


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- The National University of Singapore’s (NUS) School of Computing has created an academic research laboratory and think tank, CRYSTAL (Cryptocurrency Strategy, Techniques and Algorithms) Centre.
Founded by NUS Computing faculty members, the centre aims to become one of the world’s foremost centres for research on blockchains and providing scientific clarity in shaping technical ideas in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space.
The island republic’s flagship university, in a statement, said the think tank would engage in productive interaction with the industry to draw up new research problems and propose solutions to these.
The centre will consist of experts in program language design and verification (Asst Prof Aquinas Hobor and Asst Prof Ilya Sergey), distributed computing algorithms (Assoc Prof Haifeng Yu), security (Asst Prof Min Suk Kang and Asst Prof Prateek Saxena) and market economics (Assoc Prof Keith Carter).
They will conduct research on scalable consensus protocols, verification and testing techniques, privacy-preserving computation, safe programming language design, blockchain applications, fundamentals of trading cryptocurrency, analysis of cryptocurrency economics, and highly available peer-to-peer (P2P) network designs.
Frank Xiang Wang of the X-Order Institute, said: “CRYSTAL Centre is one of the first labs in the world that focuses on both the technological side and the economic side of public blockchain. We look forward to the many discoveries and projects that will come out of it in the future.”
The centre is funded through research gifts towards public and open research on blockchains and cryptocurrency.
The initial sponsors include Quantstamp, NEO Global Capital, Zilliqa, X-Order Institute, Tateru, Chainfund Capital and Kyber Network. The lab has also formed strategic partnerships with Dekrypt Capital, Blockchain at Berkeley and Blockchain at NTU. More information at http://crystal.comp.nus.edu.sg/
-- BERNAMA

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

CT screening reduces lung cancer mortality - study

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- Recent findings from Europe’s largest running lung cancer screening trial, the NELSON study, demonstrated that the use of computed tomography (CT) screening with a unique nodule management protocol led to a 26 per cent reduction in deaths among lung cancer patients at eight years of study follow-up.

The findings was presented by Harry J. De Koning, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Public Health & Screening Evaluation, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands, at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s (IASLC’s) 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC).

The study was made to assess the effect of CT screening, in combination with increasing screening intervals, on lung cancer mortality, a statement said.

“These findings show that CT screenings are an effective way to assess and manage nodule volume in lung cancer patients, often leading to detection of suspicious nodules and subsequent surgical intervention, and can positively impact survival rates,” said Dr. De Koning.

Meanwhile, recent findings from the PACIFIC trial found that durvalumab demonstrates statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival (OS) compared with placebo for patients with Stage III, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have not progressed after chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

“Results of PACIFIC provide compelling evidence for the unprecedented benefit of durvalumab treatment as the standard of care in this patient population,” said Scott J. Antonia, M.D., Ph.D., department chair of the Thoracic Oncology Department at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa and Professor of Oncologic Sciences at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

“Durvalumab offers the first major advance in this disease setting in many years, offering new hope to patients with Stage III, unresectable NSCLC without progression after CRT,” added Dr. Antonia.

Today’s press conference at the IASLC’s 19th WCLC featured some of the year’s most innovative research in both small cell and non-small cell lung cancer, as well as groundbreaking data which demonstrated an advancement in disease treatment not seen for many years.

More details available at www.iaslc.org and https://wclc2018.iaslc.org.

-- BERNAMA

Women with non-small cell lung cancers live longer than men - study

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 (Bernama) -- A study showed that women diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) live longer than their male counterparts.

The revelation came from a SWOG study presented today by Kathy Albain, M.D., the Huizenga Family Endowed Chair in Oncology Research at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s (IASLC’s) 19th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC).

The study was conducted on 981 patients newly diagnosed with Stage I, II, or III NSCLC and they are grouped into four cohorts based on sex and smoking history, a statement said.

Regardless of the factors or smoking history, women in the trial had significantly better overall survival (OS) rates compared to men. Female never-smokers and female ever-smokers had significantly better OS compared to male never-smokers and male ever-smokers.

Another study, presented by Renelle L. Myers of British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, demonstrate that female lung cancer patients who have never smoked have significantly greater exposure rates to outdoor air pollution than female lung cancer patients with a history of smoking.

The results showed that the median air pollution exposure of never-smoker cancer patients was more than double that of ever-smokers with lung cancer. Interestingly, never-smokers with the highest levels of ambient particulate matter exposure were 74 per cent women.

“The results of this study underscore the importance of factoring outdoor air pollution into lung cancer development among women, particularly those who have never smoked,” said Myers.

“Although long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter has been associated with an increased risk of developing lung cancer, there is currently no lung cancer screening risk prediction model that includes air pollution as an individual risk factor in its calculation,” added Myers.

The IASLC’s 19th WCLC summarised wide-ranging study topics, from significant clinical research findings to gender differences in lung cancer survival.

More details available at www.iaslc.org and https://wclc2018.iaslc.org.

-- BERNAMA 

A HIGH-STANDARD MEDICAL DEVICE INDUSTRY COMPETITION IS HELD BY EAST CHINA'S XIANJU TO ATTRACT TALENTS

A HIGH-STANDARD MEDICAL DEVICE INDUSTRY COMPETITION IS HELD BY EAST CHINA'S XIANJU TO ATTRACT TALENTS

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

TRIPLE-1 HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE 50% CURTAILMENT COMPARED TO THE ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION OF THE CONVENTIONAL MINING MACHINE

The official announcement of the numerical value in performance of the hyper specification will be publicized.

-The performance evaluation of the mining machine, “KAMIKAZE” equipped with the 7nm ASIC chip has been completed. –

FUKUOKA, Japan, Sept 20 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- TRIPLE-1, Inc. (Representative director: Takuya Yamaguchi) is publicizing the numerical performance evaluation of the mining machine, “KAMIKAZE”equipped with the 7nm ASIC chip this day, 19th September 2018.
 
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180919005227/en/
 


-- The numerical performance evaluation of the mining machine, “KAMIKAZE” equipped with the 7nm ASIC chip will be publicized.

This time, in the test of the performance evaluation of the mining machine, “KAMIKAZE” equipped with the 7nm ASIC chip, we have confirmed the result as follows.

“KAMIKAZE” Performance: Energy saving performance
Hashrate : 14.5 TH / s ± 5% (* at the normal state)
Power Consumption : 750 W ± 5%
Power Efficiency : 0.052 W / GH ± 5%

“KAMIKAZE” Official Movie : https://youtu.be/Fp_K4bV639Y

The mining machine, ”KAMIKAZE” equipped with the world’s most advanced 7nm ASIC chip has the same Hashrate as the main mining machine equipped with the 16nm ASIC chip, but the power consumption value has been successfully curtailed by almost 50%.

Due to the elevation of difficulty in bitcoin mining, nowadays, a large arithmetic capacity (Hashrate) has been required and we have been proceeding with the manufacturing examination of the large hash power model.

As a result of the large hash power performance evaluation test, the following numerical value has been confirmed.

Monday, September 24, 2018

Team Toread winners in China Mountain Race

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- Team Toread came out first in the 2018 China International Mountain Quest and 2018 China Mountain Outdoor Sports Series in Wulong, Chongqing.

A statement from the Publicity Department of Wulong District Committee of Chongqing Municipality said the team finished the 250km, four-section race in 19 hours, nine minutes and five seconds.

Team Aliexpress was in second place by finishing the race in 19 hours, 56 minutes and 47 seconds, while Beijing Koosa came in third, finishing the race in 20 hours, 37 minutes and 59 seconds.

The race route designed in line with Wulong's major scenic spots offered players a memorable trip combining sports, including kayaking and swimming, with tourism experience.

The top 25 teams will be awarded by the organiser.

--BERNAMA 

LIQUINEX AND GRAFOID TEAM UP TO PROVIDE WATER PURIFICATION SOLUTIONS USING THE INDUSTRY LEADING MESOGRAF™GRAPHENE BASED FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY - GPURE

OTTAWA, Sept 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grafoid Inc. (“GRAFOID”) is pleased announce the strategic partnership with Liquinex, a company specializing in waste water engineering needs, to provide commercial scale water treatment solutions using Grafoid’s innovative MESOGRAF™ graphene based filtration technology.

The increasing demand for clean drinking water, rising scarcity of water resources, rapid industrialization, and increasing construction activities represent real-world factors that necessitate the need for scalable water treatment solutions around the globe.

Compounded by other factors, such as the increased support from government regarding treatment and proper disposal of water, the global market for water treatment solutions is expected to grow at an annual compounded growth rate of 7.4% from 2017 to 20271.

GPURE’s Graphene based filtration products are readily scalable to meet these commercial demands making them ideal for industrial level, niche applications such as the concentration of beverages, treatment of crude oil/water mixtures, biofuel and industrial wastewater treatments where reverse osmosis (RO) is not suitable due to the fouling tendencies when concentrated liquids are purged through RO cartridges.

Conventional filtering materials (e.g. activated carbon, zeolites, flocculants etc.,) have certain limitations of pH-sensitivity, poor efficiency and recoverability to treat a mixture of wide variety of contaminants present in the wastewater. In contrast, MESOGRAF™ graphene, being a 2D-material with high surface-area and functional-group tunability, exhibits outstanding adsorption and recyclability capabilities for a wide variety of contaminants.

Dr. Kiran Manga, Grafoid’s Engineering Manager states: “Our MESOGRAF™ surface engineered graphene derivatives have been successfully deployed to meet the specific requirements (eg. removal of organic dyes from textile and leather industries, phenols and heavy metal ions from ore-processing industry etc.) of our industrial clients. Our GPURE technologies are able to remove up to 99.8% phenol contaminants, 99% dye removal from real-time industrial wastewater samples at neutral pH and room temperature.”

Bashir Ahmad, CEO of Liquinex Group Pte Ltd. confirmed the significance of the strategic partnership with Grafoid as a critical component to a successful roll-out by commenting, “Effective water treatment solutions require strong partnerships and alignment between both public sector, such as IPI Singapore, and private organizations to implement broad based adoption of innovative technologies – such as Grafoid – will be critical.  We are empowered by this partnership with Grafoid and foresee tremendous potential.

Gary Economo, CEO of Grafoid acknowledged the potential global impact of the partnership with Liquinex, observing that  “We know that water is an integral part of many industrial processes and increasing demand for water for industrial uses will result from increasing economic activity. We believe that our GPURE technology can play a critical role in securing the future of water treatment around the globe.”

1 https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/05/1517364/0/en/Water-Treatment-Market-Poised-to-Register-7-4-CAGR-through-2027.html
* Apr 26, 2018 (marketresearch.biz via COMTEX)

About Grafoid.

Founded in 2011, Grafoid Inc. is a graphene research, development and investment company that invests in, manages and develops markets for processes that produce economically scalable graphene for use in graphene development applications by leading corporations and institutions. Grafoid’s leading investment produces application friendly, minimal-defect, high-energy density few layer graphene, utilizing a safe, non-destructive extraction process, leaving the lowest possible ecological footprint. The completely unique, proprietary process results in what Grafoid regards as a new global standard for economically scalable, high-purity graphene products — trademarked under the MesoGraf™ trade name — that can be tailored to both industrial and commercial applications.

About Liquinex.

Located in Singapore, Liquinex is a global manufacturing, design and engineering company using next generation graphene based filters, ceramic membrane and proprietary membrane cleaning technology in the manufacturing of water treatment systems for industrial, municipal water purification and remediation applications. With registered patents for a specialized industrial Cooling Tower/Chilled Water Treatment System, Liquinex provides innovative environmental engineering, services and purification systems. With successful installations in place across Asia including Singapore, Malaysia, Laos and Indonesia – Liquinex continues to commercialize their cutting edge water treatment solutions systems for treating river, underground (well) and various sources of water including industrial waste water for the purpose of removing heavy metals for potable use, recycling or discharge, or meeting regulatory standards. Liquinex has developed a state of the art compact water purification system that weighs under 30Kg, is battery and/or Solar operated, is able to produce up to 500 litres per hour and can be transported as standard luggage check-in on any airline.

Contact Information

Grafoid Inc.
Gary Economo
Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer
613-447-8521
geconomo@grafoid.com
www.grafoid.com

Source: Grafoid Inc.

--BERNAMA

ROCKET SOFTWARE EXPANDS OPERATIONS IN ASIA

Company names Paul Lin as senior channel manager for Asia-Pacific Region
 

SYDNEY, Sept 24 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Rocket Software, a global technology provider that helps Fortune 500 companies and government agencies modernise critical enterprise applications, today announced the addition of Paul Lin to the company’s senior sales leadership team; he will oversee the company’s reseller and sales operations in Southeast Asia. It’s the latest move in Rocket’s strategic expansion into the Asia-Pacific region, where the company has already struck major deals with financial institutions such as CIMB Bank, Erste Group Bank, Westpac Banking Group, and PT Bank Central Asia Tbk.
 
Lin joins Rocket after serving in senior channel and partner management positions at Prysm Inc., BT Group and Cisco. An accomplished business leader with more than 20 years of professional experience in strategic alliances, portfolio management, channel sales and business development in the IT industry, Lin brings to Rocket a strong track record of driving business growth, building C-level executive relationships, developing channel partner programs and managing complex projects. He is fluent in English and Chinese.
 
“In the short time he’s been here, Paul has already proven himself to be an invaluable member of our channel management team,” said Rocket VP of international sales Chip Salyards. “With his broad cultural knowledge and proven experience in managing channels and strategic alliances, Paul is helping us forge new and important connections. I look forward to working with him and the rest of the APAC team to accelerate business growth in this crucial region.”
 
“I am excited to be a part of Rocket’s fast-growing APAC team,” said Lin. “Every day, companies and governments around the world use Rocket solutions to reliably, efficiently and securely power the IT infrastructure behind many of the world’s most critical financial, healthcare, retail, and manufacturing applications. There is a large and growing need in the APAC market for these kinds of technologies and as a result we are seeing a lot of interest in our solutions.”
 
Rocket already maintains a major presence in APAC. Existing partners in the region include IBM®, Silverlake, Multipolar Technology, Metro Systems and S&I Systems. The company is currently working on a broad range of initiatives in APAC, including projects to leverage technology to better connect citizens with government and to help banks deliver more personalized services for their customers.
 
“MSC and Rocket have a strong relationship that is measured in financial results to date,” said Aekachai Limprasert, Vice President of Digital Solutions Group at Metro Systems Corporation Public Company Limited, a Bangkok-based IT solutions provider that licenses and customizes Rocket solutions for businesses and government organizations in the Asia-Pacific market. “Rocket is committed to collaborating with us to address customer needs in this region while generating new market share opportunities.”
 
About Rocket Software
 
Rocket Software (www.rocketsoftware.com) is a technology company that helps organisations in the IBM ecosystem build solutions that meet today’s needs while extending the value of their technology investments for the future. Thousands of companies depend on Rocket to solve their most challenging business problems by helping them run their existing infrastructure and data, as well as extend those assets to take advantage of cloud, mobile, analytics, and other future innovations. Founded in 1990, Rocket is based in Waltham, Massachusetts with locations in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180923005021/en/
 
Contact
VerbFactory for Rocket Software
Richard Berman, +1-415-359-4906
richard@verbfactory.com
 
Source : Rocket Software
 
--BERNAMA

Flooding in Kerala to have limited impact on rated Indian insurer's capital


 
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- Flooding in the Indian state of Kerala will not have a significant impact on the balance sheet strength of rated Indian non-life insurers.
However, the losses may add to the unfavorable underwriting performance that A.M. Best has flagged as a negative rating factor for some of these insurers.
A.M. Best -- a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry -- stated a statement in a new Best’s Briefing titled, “Kerala Floods: Limited Impact on Rated Insurers’ Capital, May Add to Performance Issues”.
A.M. Best notes that Kerala represents a significantly smaller portion of the Indian non-life market and its rated insurers’ overall gross premiums. Insurance penetration in India is low and insurance penetration in Kerala is estimated to be below the national average.
The cumulative rainfall this year during the 2018 summer monsoon period in Kerala was significantly higher than normal and together with the release of waters from dams, have created severe flooding in the region.
Motor own damage is one of the leading sources of business, accounting for 30 per cent of gross premiums in the state while four large insurers with estimation of 70 per cent Kerala’s gross non-life premiums in 2017, are likely to absorb the majority of claims.
The affected insurers rated by A.M. Best are expected to have adequate reinsurance protection, with deductibles that are small percentages of their premium base and capital sizes.
The agency will continue to closely monitor developments at its rated insurers as more information becomes available on the ultimate gross and net impact of the floods on their profitability. More details at www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

 

Saturday, September 22, 2018

SERVICE PROVIDERS SPEED DEPLOYMENT, REDUCE COSTS WITH PATTON CLOUD EDGE ORCHESTRATION SERVICE

SERVICE PROVIDERS SPEED DEPLOYMENT, REDUCE COSTS WITH PATTON CLOUD EDGE ORCHESTRATION SERVICE

VISTA GLOBAL ACQUIRES XOJET, THE LEADING ON DEMAND BUSINESS AVIATION COMPANY IN NORTH AMERICA WITH 43 AIRCRAFT, STRENGTHENING ITS GLOBAL PRESENCE WITH 115 OWNED BUSINESS JETS

- Vista Global acquires XOJET’s fleet and commercial operations
- Acquisition of XOJET’s business aviation services reinforces Vista Global’s market position in North America
- Vista Global’s technology and worldwide reach to expedite growth at XOJET
- Vista Global’s asset lite solutions to fly point to point, anywhere, anytime, are now offered by two complementary market leading brands, VistaJet and XOJET
- XOJET accelerates Vista Global’s end to end coverage of business aviation solutions

NEW YORK, Sept 21 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a further move towards strengthening its lead in the fragmented and expanding business aviation market, Vista Global, the aviation group founded by Thomas Flohr, announces the acquisition of XOJET’s business aviation fleet and commercial operations. XOJET’s regulated air carrier will continue to be independently operated in a joint venture under U.S. control and leadership, in accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation criteria.

XOJET is the leading on demand private aviation platform in North America and its innovative model is unrivaled in the industry. XOJET’s four distinct membership programs serve the whole spectrum of business aviation needs on its owned fleet, whilst also providing its customers with additional flexible off-fleet alternatives. All of XOJET’s products are asset lite, a business model which is fully aligned with prevailing global macro trends and preferred by both corporates and UHNWIs.

True to its innovative culture, XOJET uses machine learning technology to drive its dynamic pricing, thereby offering extraordinary value to its members and on demand clients. With a fleet of 43 branded super-mid size business jets, XOJET has performed strongly in recent years. In the first half of 2018, the company saw its total revenue rise by 12%, while off-fleet business grew 22% in revenue.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=32742

​KONICA MINOLTA BRINGS CHEER TO THE ELDERLY THIS MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

​KONICA MINOLTA BRINGS CHEER TO THE ELDERLY THIS MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

Moving beyond passwords at FIDO Authentication Seminar

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- The FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance is organising the FIDO Authentication Seminar in Singapore on Oct 8, as it aims to reduce the world’s reliance on passwords with simpler and stronger authentication.

Attendees will learn the latest trends in strong authentication, including key updates on newly released FIDO2 specifications being supported in leading browsers such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox.

The uptake of FIDO authentication in the Asia-Pacific region with case studies on real world deployments from leading companies such as BC Card, Tradelink Electronic Commerce Ltd and LINE will also be presented.

Speakers will also cover the technical details of FIDO standards, FIDO certification programs and FIDO’s role in the global regulatory landscape for strong authentication.

FIDO standards offer a simple, low-cost way to improve security and user experience. 

The seminar is free of charge and open to anyone, but registration is required. To register, go to https://fidoalliance.org/events/fido-authentication-seminar-singapore/

-- BERNAMA

Friday, September 21, 2018

European R&D Center in China upgraded


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- The European Research and Development Center – overseas research and development center with the highest specification in China – has been upgraded to European Innovation Center recently.
The announcement was made by the chief executive officer of Yili Group, Zhang Jianqiu. Yili Group and Wageningen University in the Netherlands jointly established the center in 2014.
Deputy secretary general of China Chamber of International Commerce, Zhang Yi said the center covered different fields, built bridges between countries and continents and integrated different cultures, which can be used to not only satisfy technological demand of the enterprises, but also directly transfer innovation of the research institute.
Yi added the center can be regarded as an excellent example of non-governmental cooperation between China and foreign countries – setting a new benchmark for the development of the enterprises under the situation of world economic integration in the future.
In the ‘List of World Top-20 Enterprises in the Global Dairy Industry’ issued by RABOBANK, Yili listed among the top ten in the global dairy industry and first rank in Asia for many years.
Chief executive officer of Wageningen University, Fresco said: "Wageningen University is one of the best agricultural universities in the world and Yili is the biggest dairy company in Asia.
“The collaboration between Wageningen University and Yili is not only beneficial for the Chinese market, but more importantly, for the global market,” added Fresco.
In recent years, innovation has been regarded by Yili as the ‘core’ power for the development of the enterprise; different ways of innovation have been established for the primary, secondary and tertiary industry in the industry chain; multiple innovation institutions have been established at home and abroad for the organization structure, in order to coordinate global wisdom and plan for the future, a statement said.  

-- BERNAMA

SmartStream appoints Chinese partner as official distributor in mainland market


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- SmartStream Technologies - the financial Transaction Lifecycle Management (TLM) solutions provider - has appointed TGT Chibo Data Service as an official distributor partner for SmartStream’s TLM solutions in the mainland market.
The addition of SmartStream’s solutions will enable TGT Chibo to provide a full suite of back-office operational capabilities to the Chinese banking market and enable the SmartStream to extend its value to the market and to strengthen its position in Asia.
TGT Chibo Data Service  is one of the leading technology services and payment solution providers in China, a statement said.
“The strategic partnership with TGT Chibo Data Service is a natural one which complements our work in the region, we are already working together to play an important role in supporting the local banks,” said regional director Asia Pacific, SmartStream, Mark Taylor.
The new agreement will allow TGT Chibo Data Service to initially market SmartStream’s reconciliations solutions to the financial sector in China, including banks, asset managers and third party administrators.
TGT Chibo Data Service will provide the local infrastructure and local representation, whilst SmartStream will provide proven post-trade processing technology for the local market.

-- BERNAMA

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

KYRIBA SEES RAPID EXPANSION IN APAC WITH ADDITION OF GRAB, DANONE AND OTHER MULTINATIONALS

Global FinTech Leader Counts More Than 100 Clients in Asia Pacific including Japan

SINGAPORE, Sept 19 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Kyriba, the #1 global provider of cloud treasury and financial management solutions, today announced that Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading online-to-offline (O2O) mobile platform is leveraging the use of Kyriba to optimize its treasury operations including improving cash visibility and automation opportunities that better position the company for accelerated growth and expansion; and Danone Asia PTE. LTD., one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world, has selected Kyriba to centralize, automate and secure global treasury operations. Kyriba now has more than 100 clients in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, as the company continues to see strong demand for its enterprise platform worldwide. This summer, Kyriba announced a 48 percent increase in global sales booking in the first half of 2018 compared to the last year.

The International Monetary Fund’s “Regional Economic Outlook: Asia Pacific” recently reported an improvement in the already favorable outlook for the region in 2018, despite continued market volatility. “Asia is expected to grow by around five and a half percent this year,” according to the report.

Grab and Danone join major industry leaders in APAC who are switching to Kyriba to accelerate growth opportunities, protect against loss, and enhance fraud protection and compliance. They include CWT, LIXIL, TransferTo, Tan Chong Motor Holdings, Konica Minolta, JVCKENWOOD, Yokohoma, Nissin, and many others.

“We were looking for a modern treasury and finance platform to manage our business units across Asia Pacific in collaboration with our regional center in Singapore,” said Calvin Lee, Regional Treasurer Asia Pacific at Danone. “Kyriba brings us the technological solution to secure our workflows and control points in a fast-changing environment.”

“Kyriba enables treasury and finance leaders at fast-growth companies in the Asia Pacific region to capitalize on their surging economy,” said Jean-Luc Robert, Chairman and CEO at Kyriba. “Kyriba serves as a catalyst for digital finance transformation at many organizations, where automation, centralization, visibility and secure controls give CFOs and their treasury teams a compelling advantage over the competition.”

For more information or to contact Kyriba in Asia Pacific, Kyriba teams will be onsite at the ACT Asia Treasury Leader’s Forum 2018 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong, 19 September, and at ACTS & ATC Treasury Forum 2018, 20 September, at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

About Kyriba Corp.

Kyriba empowers financial leaders and their teams with award-winning solutions for cash and risk management, payments and supply chain finance. Kyriba delivers a highly secure, 100 percent SaaS enterprise platform, superior bank connectivity and a seamlessly integrated solution set for tackling today’s most complex financial challenges. Thousands of companies, including many of the world’s largest organizations, rely on Kyriba to streamline key processes, protect against loss from fraud and cybercrime, and accelerate growth opportunities through improved decision support. Technology analyst firm IDC recognized Kyriba as a global leader in its MarketScape for SaaS and cloud-enabled treasury and risk management applications for 2017-2018. Kyriba is headquartered in New York, with offices in San Diego, Paris, London, Tokyo, Dubai and other major locations. For more information, visit www.kyriba.com.

Engage with Kyriba
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180918006140/en/

Contact
Kyriba Corp.
Daniel Shaffer, +1 858-263-2218
dshaffer@kyriba.com

Source : Kyriba Corp.

--BERNAMA

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Call to climate action and use of latest emission reduced diesel engines

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 (Bernama) -- World’s leaders should embrace greenhouse-gas-reducing technologies and consider policies that increase the adoption of the latest diesel engines, vehicles and equipment to accelerate emissions reductions and carbon-cutting climate benefits.

“We should all embrace innovation and opportunity in every form and at the same time not lose sight of technologies that deliver climate progress today on a wide scale,” said executive director of The Diesel Technology Forum, Allen Schaeffer.

“Making progress on global climate commitments requires a mix of proven and existing technologies, working alongside new technologies. Among these must be the new generation of diesel power,” added Schaeffer.

Diesel powers one out of every two sectors in the global economy. At work on the streets, on jobsites, and in farm fields, mines and beyond, greenhouse gas emissions reductions are not a prospective goal but are a daily reality, driven by the increased use of more advanced diesel engines, vehicles and equipment around the globe.

While technology demonstrations or small-scale releases of alternate technologies may take place, in many sectors no other fuel or technology options are expected to be commercially available on a wide scale nor be able to deliver the unique combination of benefits that diesel possesses for the foreseeable future.

The continuous improvement in efficiency and performance in the newest generation of diesel engine – when deployed in conjunction with ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel – offered a proven, cost-effective, energy-efficiency and near-zero-emission power choice.

New renewable diesel and biodiesel fuel options – drop-in replacements for conventional fossil-based diesel – mean that the newest diesel technologies can cut greenhouse gasses and other emissions even further.

“We encourage world leaders to consider policies to encourage the greater adoption of the latest clean diesel technologies out on the road, in the fields and on jobsites so as to accelerate progress today,” said Schaeffer in a statement.

The Diesel Technology Forum is a non-profit organisation dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of Diesel engines, fuel and technology. More details on http://www.dieselforum.org.

--BERNAMA

EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL EXPANDS RESEARCH TO 100 COUNTRIES


LONDON, Sept 7 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Global market research company Euromonitor International announces a significant enhancement in its research capability, expanding its country coverage to 100 markets.

This represents an increase of 20 countries to Euromonitor international’s previous geographical coverage, enabling the market research company to track 98 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 91 percent of the global population.

Euromonitor International’s market research database Passport now includes new data and analysis for some of the fastest developing countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, including:

Angola
Bangladesh
Cambodia
Côte d'Ivoire
Cuba
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Ghana
Honduras
Jordan
Kuwait
Iraq
Laos
Lebanon
Myanmar
Oman
Panama
Paraguay
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Anthony Irwin, Vice President (VP) of research at Euromonitor International, comments, “Our market research reports empower organisations and brands of all sizes with strategic data, analysis and consumer trends. We know our clients look to us for cross-country comparable market size forecasts and shares; our new ability to do that on 100 markets further underlines the value of how Euromonitor International’s data and analysis can be used to inform strategic objectives.”
To find out more about Euromonitor International’s research, request a demo: http://go.euromonitor.com/passport-request-demo.html


To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download Euromonitor International’s free white paper at https://bit.ly/2o1N4fG

ABOUT EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL

Euromonitor International is the world’s leading provider for global business intelligence and strategic market analysis. We have more than 40 years of experience publishing international market reports, business reference books and online databases on consumer markets.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180906005426/en/ 



Contact
Violetta Scola
Global Media Relations Specialist- Euromonitor International
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7251 8024 EXT 1360
Violetta.scola@euromonitor.com

Source : Euromonitor International

--BERNAMA

Dubai Airports retains world no 1 position for 4th year in 2017


 
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- The Dubai International (DXB) airport has retained its position as the world’s number one international airport for the fourth consecutive year in 2017 with annual traffic exceeding 88.2 million passengers.
In a statement announcing new developments, Dubai Airports’ chief executive officer, Paul Griffiths will provide an update on the first half of 2018.
The airport connects 240 destinations around the world through 75 international airlines and is expected to serve 90.2 million passengers in 2018, a statement said.
Access on the video update is available at https://youtu.be/1V5UAJWOUIk.
-- BERNAMA

Saturday, September 15, 2018

TESCO MALAYSIA TO HOST ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY PROGRAMME


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 (Bernama) – In conjunction with World Cleanup Day on Sept 15, Tesco Malaysia is collaborating with RCOMM Lestari to host community engagements at four locations concurrently as a commitment towards creating a cleaner environment.
RCOMM Lestari is a non-profit organisation officially appointed by Let’s Do It World Foundation, the initiator of World Cleanup Day, to lead and implement this environmental movement in Malaysia.

Tesco Malaysia chief executive officer, Paul Ritchie said: “We look forward to be part of this important initiative because we know that every small effort made to clean the environment will bring great benefits to the community we serve.

“I’m pleased that through this global movement, our colleagues and the community including students from our adopted schools will come together to make a great impact on the environment.”

During the one-day, five-hour event, local communities as well as students from schools located near four Tesco stores, namely Tesco Sungai Petani South, Kedah; Tesco Tanjung Pinang, Penang; Tesco Manjung, Perak and Tesco Kota Bharu, Kelantan will do clean-up activities together.

Apart from gathering the waste, the communities will also be briefed on waste management like waste separation, identifying recyclable items and ideal ways to dispose of waste, by a local RCOMM representative at the respective locations.

-- BERNAMA


Friday, September 14, 2018

Asia Lifestyle Expo 2019 in Bangkok


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- Asia Lifestyle Expo 2019 will take place at BITEC Bangkok, Thailand from Aug 21 to 23, 2019 – organized by COMASIA Limited and co-organized by N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer Co Ltd.

In line with the One Belt One Road initiative, Asia Lifestyle Expo 2019 will shine a spotlight on ASEAN products and provide a platform to support ASEAN businesses within the competitive global market.

Director of COMASIA Limited, Peter Cheung said the emphasis of Asia Lifestyle Expo 2019 is firmly focused on ASEAN trading, providing an opportunity for ASEAN firms to ride on the One Belt One Road initiative by making new ties and trade partners within the region and beyond.

The expo will also give retailers, trading companies, e-commerce and online sellers an opportunity to import lifestyle products to ASEAN and to export ASEAN-made products regionally and globally, a statement said.

Five-hundred booths will showcase products ranging from gifts, consumer electronics, toys, accessories, kitchenware, arts, crafts and homeware.

President of N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer Co Ltd, Sakchai Pattarapreechakul said the expo will showcase a huge range of lifestyle products and will offer a huge potential to the region’s firms to break into the competitive global market of imports and exports.

Asia Lifestyle Expo 2019 is the sister show of Hong Kong’s October Show, a hugely popular series of the largest and most important sourcing trade events in Asia. More details on https://www.asialifestyleexpo.com

--BERNAMA

Thursday, September 13, 2018

​BIMAN签下订单采购三架BOMBARDIER Q400新客机

​BIMAN签下订单采购三架BOMBARDIER Q400新客机

Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo hosts special Geiko and Maiko Culture Exhibition

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) --  Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo (KPH) will hold ‘The Traditional Beauty of Kyoto Supporting Geiko and Maiko Culture’ exhibition from Oct 3 to Nov 9, 2018.
The special exhibition will showcase Kyoto’s traditional arts to provide insight to the cultural aspect of Japan’s traditional Geiko and Maiko culture.
The hotel in a statement said they will also display examples of ‘Kyo Yuzen’ traditional dying techniques, ‘Nishijin Ori’ woven materials, ‘Hanakanzashi’ ornate combs and other props used by Geiko.
Geiko is the preferred term in Kyoto for geisha – women who study and perform the ancient tradition of art, dance and singing, wearing traditional kimono gowns and makeup. Maiko is considered to be an apprentice Geiko.
On Oct 25, Geiko, Maiko and musicians from the Komaya Geiko House in Miyagawacho, Kyoto will perform special events, including a special complimentary Geiko and Maiko demonstration performance.
Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo is one of Japan’s most prestigious international hotels located in Shinjuku, Tokyo. More details on https://www.keioplaza.com/

--BERNAMA

Global consumers demand ethical use of technology

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- Ninety seven per cent of global consumers are demanding for ethical use of technology, based on data from Brands in Motion 2018 global study released by WE Communications.
Consumers have been shaken by recent technology scandals and are anxious about the promises of unprecedented innovation -- 94 per cent said that if brands can’t use technology ethically, then governments should step in. Consumers are giving brands an ultimatum either self-regulate or be regulated.
WE Communications said in a statement that nearly 50 per cent of respondents believe technology will either help do more things in less time or create greater sustainability.
Chief executive officer of WE Communications, Melissa Waggener Zorkin said they are seeing some compelling year-over-year shifts in customer attitudes.
She said consumers continue to have high expectations for brands to use innovative technologies, but most are afraid of how those same technologies might disrupt their lives. These fears are causing consumers to demand greater accountability from brands.
The study conducted across eight global markets, examined both rational and emotional drivers that motivate customer choices within today’s environment -- to decipher brand movement relative to geography, industry and key stakeholders.
WE Communications developed a matrix to help brands understand and manage their motion against the larger environmental factors in play. The company separates the Motion Matrix into four quadrants; providers, defenders, movers and agitators. More details on https://www.we-worldwide.com/

--BERNAMA

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

WEX partners with Troovo for virtual cards uses in Asia Pacific

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- WEX Inc -- a leading provider of corporate payment solutions -- partnered with Sydney-based Troovo Technologies to unlock travel and B2B spend using Troovo Payments and WEX virtual cards in the Asia Pacific region.

Director, Market Development APAC Corporate Payments for WEX, Justin Cross said Troovo is a leading innovator in the travel technology space and partnering with them is a step forward in improving WEX service for its mutual and prospective customers.

Under the partnership, Troovo will provide WEX customers the ability to streamline virtual payments with no development effort, costs or changes to existing workflows, a statement said.

The initial phase of the partnership will be focused on empowering travel businesses in APAC to realise the full benefits of virtual payments.

Troovo has developed intelligent Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions that enable industries such as travel, payment and procurement to fully automate their workflows and processes.

As these businesses typically transact across borders and process high volumes of data, RPA solutions are optimal to improve operational efficiencies, boost capabilities and reduce processing costs.

WEX operates in more than 10 countries and in more than 20 currencies through more than 3,500 associates around the world. More details at www.wexinc.com.

--BERNAMA