HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL HOSTS 5 LIFESTYLE PRODUCT SHOWS, APRIL 19-22

HKTDC Five Lifestyle Product Shows Open in April 2023 (Photo: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) -- The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will organise five lifestyle product shows on April 19-22, under one roof at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

The shows are Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair; Home InStyle; Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair; Fashion InStyle; and Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair, according to HKTDC in a statement.

The HKTDC’s online smart business matching platform, Click2Match, will run from April 19-29, providing a convenient and efficient platform for traders to connect beyond physical fairs, while the new EXHIBITION+ hybrid model reinvents trade fairs to serve global traders anytime and anywhere.

The fairs will offer an ideal one-stop sourcing platform with a total of over 3,500 global exhibitors, whereby the Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair provides an excellent platform for industry professionals to explore the latest trends and innovations in the gifts and premium industry.

Hong Kong Houseware Fair renamed as Home InStyle enables exhibitors and buyers to explore the latest houseware trends, source smart and unique home designs and products, while Hong Kong International Home Textiles and Furnishings Fair showcases a broad array of home textiles and furnishings.

In addition, Hong Kong Fashion Week renamed as Fashion InStyle serves as an ideal business platform for the fashion and textile industry's entire supply chain; and Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair showcases a wide range of professional printing and digital printing solutions, along with innovative packaging designs and services.

With a wide variety of products and trends on display, these fairs provide an excellent opportunity for traders to build relationships, explore new business opportunities and expand their networks.

-- BERNAMA

HITACHI ENERGY, PETROFAC ACQUIRE 13 BLN EUROS WORTH FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) – Hitachi Energy and Petrofac, have been selected by TenneT, the Dutch-German transmission system operator, to supply multiple offshore and onshore high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter stations and associated infrastructure to accelerate the integration of bulk renewables into European power grids.

Having begun working together in June 2022, Hitachi Energy and Petrofac were awarded the multi-year framework agreement as part of TenneT’s ambitious offshore wind "2GW Program”, based on HVDC technology pioneered by Hitachi Energy.

Hitachi Energy Grid Integration business Managing Director, Niklas Persson said this innovative business model will set the course for the integration of a huge amount of offshore wind power and gives visibility of the future.

“We are proud to be part of this journey and, along with our partner Petrofac, we are setting the benchmark for deploying offshore HVDC technology at scale and with speed,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Petrofac Group Chief Executive, Sami Iskander said: “By combining Petrofac’s industry-leading EPCI expertise and Hitachi Energy’s well proven technology, we look forward to supporting TenneT to connect larger, more effective wind farms to deliver affordable clean energy for millions of European homes.”

The agreement includes an initial commitment to deploy six record-breaking renewable integration systems, five of which will connect offshore wind farms to the Dutch grid and the sixth to the German grid. Each of these connection systems has a capacity of two gigawatts (GW) and a voltage level of 525 kilovolts (kV), a world-first for offshore wind.

This landmark framework agreement is the largest ever for Hitachi Energy, allowing Hitachi Energy and Petrofac to plan in advance and increase their workforce and manufacturing capacity timely as well as train people to have the skills needed in the industry while also capturing synergies between successive projects to meet the in-service dates.

Hitachi Energy will supply its HVDC Light converter stations, which convert alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) power offshore and DC to AC onshore, while Petrofac will undertake the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) of the offshore platforms and elements of the onshore converter stations.

The first contract under the framework, for the Ijmuiden Ver Alpha project, was awarded with immediate effect, and the second, Nederwiek 1, is expected to be awarded later in the year. The framework also includes projects Doordewind 1, Doordewind 2, Nederwiek 3 and LanWin5, expected to be awarded over a 2024-2026 timeframe.

-- BERNAMA

CHIBA PREFECTURE PUBLISHES ONLINE BROCHURE FOR STRAWBERRY PICKING FARMS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Chiba Prefecture has published an online brochure for strawberry picking farms in the prefecture which are easily accessed from Narita International Airport.

According to Chiba Prefectural Government in a statement, the brochure contains information on various strawberries and picking know-how to enjoy fresh strawberries of the visitor's choice.

In addition, Chiba Prefecture also welcomes foreign tourists through Narita International Airport, which is located within the Prefecture.

As agriculture, forestry and fishery are major industries in Chiba Prefecture, there are many facilities offering hands-on experiences for each sector.

-- BERNAMA

BOOMI-WAPS COLLABORATION TO EXPEDITE JAPAN’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Boomi Partners With Leading Japanese ERP Provider To Accelerate Digital Transformation in Japan (Graphic: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Boomi, the intelligent connectivity and automation leader, has announced a new partnership with Works Applications Systems Co Ltd (WAPS) to accelerate digital transformation in Japan.


WAPS is a group company of Works Applications Co Ltd, a leading provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solutions for financial and supply chain management.


Together, the companies will help organisations in their modernisation efforts by quickly and easily integrating data from legacy systems, assets and software as a service (SaaS) applications throughout complex information technology (IT) environments.


“To ensure that our customers' data, applications, systems and services are linked at the right time, we will work closely with Works Applications Systems, bringing together the expertise and technical capabilities of both parties,” said Boomi Director, Japan, Kazunori Hori in a statement.


Meanwhile, WAPS Representative Director, President, Kenichi Yoshida said: “We are very pleased to announce the partnership agreement with Boomi to further strengthen our collaboration in Japan.


“We are confident that by combining our extensive knowledge and experience in building business innovation systems with Boomi’s category-leading integration platform as a service, we can contribute to our clients’ modernisation evolution, including rapid cloud deployment and effective use of data.”


WAPS seeks to solve its customers’ challenges in a one-stop shop by leveraging an ecosystem of industry-leading, third-party partners. By partnering with Boomi, WAPS will be able to leverage the Boomi Platform to quickly and easily connect everyone to everything, anywhere.


Based on the intelligence of mapping hundreds of millions of production-deployed integrations from Boomi customers globally, the Boomi platform provides pre-built connectors for more than 200 of the most popular cloud and on-premises applications, as well as a flexible architecture that enables customers to take full advantage of cloud computing.


-- BERNAMA

RECOGNIZE MAKES STRATEGIC GROWTH EQUITY INVESTMENT IN 2X

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Recognize, a technology investment platform has announced a significant strategic investment in 2X, a pioneer of the marketing-as-a-service (MaaS) solution for the business-to-business (B2B) sector to continue catalysing growth in the company.

According to a statement, the investment enables 2X to expand its capabilities that transform revenue operating models for clients. With Recognize’s support, 2X is redefining the B2B marketing services landscape.

2X chief executive officer and co-founder, Domenic Colasante said: “Working with Recognize will elevate our infrastructure to better service our clients with on-shore account management, expanded time-zone coverage, global delivery centres and consulting services.

“The investment expands our capabilities around technology implementation and management and will increase our value to both enterprise-sized and PE-portfolio clients.”

Meanwhile, Recognize co-founder and managing partner, Charles Phillips said the 2X team has cracked the code in high quality, offshore B2B marketing and is solving revenue growth problems for clients when they need it most.

“2X has grown impressively since launching and has displayed multiple horizons of exciting growth potential. Our partnership with Domenic and his team will help cement 2X as the preeminent leader of this emerging market,” he said.

B2B marketing is critical to driving business growth in today’s market conditions and yet the B2B industry has suffered severely from a technology skills shortage.

2X has embraced the future of work to thrive in today’s “do-more-with-less” environment and these transformative capabilities have fuelled the company’s organic growth and 95 per cent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) since its 2017 founding.

-- BERNAMA

MICK EBELING JOINS DUCK CREEK’S FORMATION ’23 AS KEYNOTE SPEAKER

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) – Duck Creek Technologies, the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, has welcomed Mick Ebeling as a keynote speaker at its Formation ’23, an annual user conference which takes place in Orlando, Florida from May 8-10.

Ebeling is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Not Impossible, a critically acclaimed, award-winning social lab and production company that taps into the power of technology and story to change the world.

“Mick Ebeling’s vision, leadership and focus on using technology to change the course of humanity is a perfect fit for Formation.

“We are thrilled to have him join us as our keynote speaker and to help inspire continued innovation across our industry that will better the world,” said Duck Creek Technologies Chief Marketing Officer, Jeff Winter.

Meanwhile, Ebeling said: "I am excited to be joining Duck Creek Technologies in Orlando for Formation. I know the attendees will be bringing a lot of energy and look forward to how we can leverage the 'building together' theme to go out into our world and make an impact."

According to Duck Creek in a statement, Formation ’23 will empower the P&C and general insurance community with the insights, technology and inspiration to build better human experiences.

As the industry comes together to collaborate and reimage the future of P&C technology, the conference’s theme, “building together,” is meant to capture the importance of creating meaningful interactions that foster trust, earn loyalty and create lasting value.

The agenda is filled with general and breakout sessions, led by company leaders, customers, partners and analysts, who all share the passion and expertise to bring lasting innovation to the insurance ecosystem.

-- BERNAMA

BRANDSTARS REVEALS 2023 KOREA REPRESENTATIVE BRAND

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) – In the fifth 2023 Korea Representative Brand hosted by the BRANDSTARS Selection Committee, Korea’s best brands by industry were announced through major media outlets in China and other Asian countries.

This event aimed to provide global customers with reasonable product information and promote the growth of corporate brand value by selecting and publicising Korea's representative brands known for excellent quality and services.

According to a statement, the Korea Representative Brand is selected for conglomerate, medium-sized and small business categories in each industry based on integrated media and consumer evaluations.

By industry, Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Flip4 (smartphone), Hyundai Motor Company's Genesis (car), Kia's EV6 (electric vehicle), LG Electronics’ Whisen (air conditioner), SSG.com (online shopping), The Shilla Hotels & Resorts (accommodation), Kiturami Energy (Boiler), Kumsung Kamping KidKid (education), Agabang (infants clothing), and Kakao (mobile platform) were selected, among others.

In addition, for the category of entertainment, the idol group BTS (K-pop group) was chosen while Amorepacific’s Sulwhasoo and LG Household and Health Care’s The History of Whoo, Olive Young (beauty multi shop), and Well-being Health Gounbal (skin care) were selected in the field of K-beauty cosmetics.

The winners of K-food category include Bibigo (instant food), Shin Ramyun (Nongshim), Paris Baguette (bakery), BBQ (chicken), Ottogi (ketchup), Buldak-bokkeum-myeon (spicy ramen), MAMACOOK (side dish), Baunenajoo (Beef-bone soup) and Garimi (seaweed).

In the K-fashion category, LF Hazzys (casual wear) was selected, and in the healthcare category, CheongKwanJang (red ginseng), Boto (health food) and Neo safeguard KF-94 (K-quarantine mask) were selected. As for the leading tourism brand, Jeju Island (tourist attraction) was selected.

Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy, Hyundai Motor Company’s Genesis, LG Electronics’ Whisen, BTS, Sulwhasoo, The History of Whoo, Gounbal, Bibigo, Ottogi, Baunenajoo, CheongKwanJang and Jeju Island have been selected for five consecutive years.

Meanwhile, Hazzys, SSG.com, Neo safeguard, Kia’s EV6, Boto, Agabang and Kiturami Energy have been in the list for more than two years.

-- BERNAMA

LEDDARTECH RELEASES LEDDARVISION PREMIUM SURROUND, ITS LATEST LOW-LEVEL FUSION AND PERCEPTION PRODUCT, TO SUPPORT AUTOMOTIVE LEVEL 2/2+ ADAS APPLICATIONS

QUEBEC CITY, March 27 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LeddarTech^®, a global leader in providing the most flexible, robust and accurate ADAS and AD software technology, announces its third product launch since December with the LeddarVision™ Surround (LVS-2⁺). This product is a comprehensive fusion and perception software stack to support premium surround-view L2/L2+ ADAS highway assistance and 5-star NCAP 2025/GSR 2022 safety applications.

LeddarVision Surround (LVS-2⁺) is the latest low-level sensor fusion and perception product built on LeddarTech’s award-winning LeddarVision software. The LVS-2⁺ expands the company’s current product offering of the LeddarVision Front-Entry LVF-E and Front-High LVF-H. These products target entry- to premium-level ADAS applications.

The LVS-2⁺ efficiently extends the LVF front-view product family from a one-camera plus two to five-radar (1V2R-1V5R) sensor configuration to a five-camera plus five-radar (5V5R) configuration. This enhanced configuration supports ADAS functions such as traffic jam and highway assist applications, enabling automated lane changes, overtaking and extended speed range adaptive cruise control. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45750

VENTI TECHNOLOGIES ANNOUNCES $28.8 MILLION SERIES A FUNDING TO AUTOMATE GLOBAL LOGISTICS AND INDUSTRIAL HUBS

Financing led by LG Technology Ventures, with participation from Safar Partners, UOB Venture Management


BOSTON & SINGAPORE, March 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Venti Technologies, a world leader in autonomous logistics for global supply chain and industrial hubs, today announced that it has secured $28.8 million in a Series A financing. The financing round was led by LG Technology Ventures, the Silicon Valley-based venture capital arm of the LG Group, with participation from Safar Partners, UOB Venture Management, and existing investors Alpha JWC and LDV Partners. The funding will be used to accelerate Venti's growth and meet increasing demand from customers worldwide.

Each year, trillions of dollars of goods pass through global supply chain and industrial hubs – ports, airports, factories, warehouses and depots. These hubs face key challenges such as driver shortages, supply disruptions and safety concerns. Venti’s full-scope autonomy solutions require no change to existing infrastructure and work with any vehicle in any logistics or industrial hub. After three years of development in one of the world’s largest container ports, the company’s fleets can navigate complex environments and heavy traffic, with unmatched precision and the ability to park 45-foot tractor-trailers accurately down to one inch.

“With this new round of funding, we are well-positioned to broadly deploy our autonomous logistics solutions to power safer and more efficient global supply chains and industrial yards,” said Heidi Wyle, Founder and CEO. “Our autonomous vehicles have industrial grade precision in everyday operating environments and are already successfully in use. We have the potential to revolutionize goods transportation and are excited to be working with partners around the world to make this vision a reality.”

“Venti is solving real-world problems for large customers in huge markets with technology that has proven safe, mature and capable of near-term driverless deployment,” said Anshul Agarwal, Managing Director at LG Technology Ventures. “We are impressed not only by the technology, which is more complete and rapidly able to provide value to end customers, but also by the world-class team.”

Venti was founded in 2018 by a team with strong MIT roots, including Chief Executive Officer Dr. Heidi Wyle, Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Xinxin Du, and MIT electrical engineering and computer science professors Daniela Rus, Director, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and MacArthur Fellow, and Saman Amarasinghe.

“Venti represents exactly the kind of opportunity that appeals to Safar: best-in-class technology developed by leading minds from the world's top universities working to develop innovative, implementable solutions that address real world market needs,” said Arunas Chesonis, Managing Partner at Safar Partners. “We enthusiastically support Venti in scaling its operations and demonstrating its value to a wider cast of partners and customers worldwide.”

About Venti Technologies

Venti Technologies is a world leader in autonomous logistics for the global supply chain and industrial hubs: ports, airports, warehouses, factories and depots. Founded in 2018 by a team with strong roots at MIT, the company is pioneering the future of transportation for moving goods. Its highly flexible and industrial grade precision technology enables rapid deployment and best-in-class safety and operational efficiency for customers. For more information, please visit www.ventitechnologies.com.

About LG Technology Ventures

LG Technology Ventures, established in 2018 in Silicon Valley, is the venture capital investment arm of the Korea based LG Group. Its team consists of experienced investors, entrepreneurs, technologists and industry domain experts. LG Technology Ventures manages over $500 million of fund assets and invests in early-stage start-ups in artificial intelligence, mobility, electrification, advanced materials, climate technologies, life-sciences, next generation display, XR, Web3, mobile and 5G. They create value for LG portfolio companies by helping them develop strategic partnerships with LG Companies. For more information, please visit www.lgtechventures.com.

About Safar Partners

Safar Partners is a seed- to growth-stage venture fund investing primarily in technology companies out of MIT, Harvard, and the University of Rochester. Safar invests in platform technologies in the cleantech and advanced materials, AI/IT and robotics, and life sciences/medical device areas. For more information, please visit www.safar.partners.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230327005521/en/

Contact

Press

North America
Adam Novak
PAN Communications
venti@pancomm.com
(207) 712-5165

Asia
P. Koh
comms@ventitechnologies.com

Source : Venti Technologies

SIMPLY CHARMING: WE CAN TAKE YOU OUT OF FUZHOU, BUT NOT FUZHOU OUT OF YOU

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (Bernama) -- The promotional video of Fuzhou of Fujian Province, titled "What You Did Not Know about Fuzhou -- Cultural Tourism Economy", was released via overseas social media accounts including "Oriental.Paris", "Discover Fujian" and "Discover Fuzhou".

According to the Publicity Department of the CPC Fuzhou Municipal Committee in a statement, the city invites tourists worldwide to visit Fuzhou, feel it and fall in love with its classical and fashionable elements, the beauty of the mountains and the sea, the profound culture and the smart and convenient service.

The video shows the "going green" and the beauty of Fuzhou, a modern metropolis. Its blue seashore, waterways of Min River, and recreational hot springs are diverse and integrated attractions.

In addition, the Heart of the Min River, the Cultural Town of Naval Industry History, and the Three Treasures of Fuzhou City are blossoming in synergy.

The Maritime Silk Road International Tourism Festival and the World Heritage Conference are making great strides in their endeavours, fully showcasing the international style of Fuzhou and enlarging the circle of friends.

The 5G, big data, cloud computing and precise cultural tourism services have improved the convenience and sense of happiness of tourists.

In recent years, Fuzhou has refined its top-level design, incorporated the whole-area eco-tourism development concept into the overall economic and social development of the city, actively expanded the integrated development path of cultural and tourism for high-quality development.

-- BERNAMA

Art Attack: Hong Kong celebrates creativity with large scale art fairs

The biggest edition of Art Basel Hong Kong since 2019. (Photo Courtesy of Art Basel)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (Bernama) -- The eyes of the art world turned to Hong Kong last week as colour, creativity and vibrancy descended upon the city for the arts and culture scene.

Headlined by large-scale fairs Art Basel Hong Kong and Art Central, the internationally renowned celebration of arts and culture sees a suite of world-class events, encounters and experiences taking place throughout the city, showcasing Hong Kong’s thriving creative landscape while reinforcing its position as a global cultural hub.

The three-day Art Basel Hong Kong ending March 25, hosted the biggest edition of the international art fair since 2019, which this year features 177 exhibitors from 32 countries and territories.

Concurrently, held on March 22-25, Art Central, Hong Kong’s homegrown art fair has established itself as one of the region’s most significant platforms for emerging artists.

In particular, Hong Kong Tourism Board in a statement said it is teaming up with Art Central in launching an “Arts in Hong Kong café” to invite visitors to walk into the contemporary art gallery like café and see the collaborative works of local and overseas artists.

As Hong Kong’s stock on the global arts stage continues to go from strength to strength, a host of opportunities for artistic encounters can also be discovered around town such as large-scale work ‘GIANTS: Rising Up’, the first of French artist JR’s GIANTS series in Asia running from March 13 to April 23, at Harbour City.

In addition, Pacific Place is hosting the world premiere of ‘Gravity’, a 10-metre-tall work by Los Angeles-based conceptual artist Awol Erizku which runs from March 17 to April 2; while ArtisTree has unveiled ArtisTree Selects: Urban Rocks, a solo exhibition featuring brand-new sculptural works by Hong Kong-based French artist Polo Bourieau.

Street art will also be in the spotlight this dynamic art week, with prominent showcases including Street art festival HKwalls making a vibrant return to Hong Kong; and City As Studio, Greater China’s largest ever exhibition of graffiti and street art, presented by K11 Arts Foundation.

-- BERNAMA

CBL International announces IPO pricing of US$13.3 mln

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) – A marine fuel logistics company, CBL International Limited (CBL International or the Company), together with its wholly owned subsidiaries announced the pricing of its initial public offering (IPO) of 3,325,000 ordinary shares (Shares) at a price to public of US$4 per Share. (US$1=RM4.42)

The price is for the total offering size of approximately US$13.3 million, assuming the underwriters do not exercise their over-allotment option to purchase additional Shares.

According to a statement, the Shares will begin trading on March 23, on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol BANL, and the offering is expected to close on March 24, subject to customary closing conditions.

CBL International has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an aggregate of 498,750 additional Shares to cover over-allotments at the IPO price, less underwriting discounts.

If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase the additional Shares in full, the total proceeds from the offering are expected to be approximately US$15.3 million.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for enlarging the number of local suppliers to enhance its competitiveness as well as to increase the service options available in the Singapore and South Korea markets.

The proceeds will further increase the Company’s business market shares in existing markets; for cash collateral to conduct trade financing activities with financial institutions, thus creating transaction records for further acquisition of bank financing to facilitate its business growth.

It also will be used for procuring and developing a centralised management information system in order to enhance its daily management control and treasury management; and other working capital and general corporate purposes.

Pacific Century Securities, LLC is acting as lead book running manager of this offering, Loeb & Loeb LLP as counsel to the Company, and The Crone Law Group, P.C. as counsel to Pacific Century Securities, LLC.

-- BERNAMA

Medical Korea 2023 Conference kicks off March 23-24 in Seoul

 

Medical Korea 2023 Conference, which celebrates its 13th this year, will be held as a large-scale offline event in three years after the outbreak of COVID-19, from March 23 to 24 at Coex in SEOUL. (Graphic: Business Wire) 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) will host Medical Korea 2023 - The 13th Global Healthcare & Medical Tourism Conference at Coex in Seoul from March 23 to 24.

Medical Korea 2023, one of the largest global healthcare conferences in Korea with the aim of the globalisation of the Korean healthcare industry, will be held as a large-scale offline event, the first time in three years after the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to a statement, the KHIDI has designated ‘Endemic’, ‘Telemedicine’, ‘Personal Health Record’, ‘Medical Tourism’ and ‘Digital Therapeutics (DTx)’ as the top five keywords for global healthcare trends in 2023.

The conference begins with keynote lectures by technology and healthcare futurist, Jamie Metzl; and Kakao Healthcare Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Hwang Hee.

The lectures consist of four forums and six seminars covering various topics such as medical tourism trends, online training, personal health record, digital healthcare and scale-up strategies for regional global healthcare business, in attendance of 65 speakers.

The invited speakers include Mohd Daud Mohd Arif (Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council CEO), Hiang Khoon Tan (SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute Director), and Kim Ju Han (Seoul National University College of Medicine Professor).

Various programmes such as business meetings, exhibition and Government to Government (G2G) meetings are in place to promote the discovery of channels to attract new customers via exchanges between overseas buyers and domestic sellers, and the expansion into the overseas markets by the health industry.

In the forums, participants can explore the latest trends in the global healthcare industry and opportunities for health care cooperation through medical tourism policies, as well as predict changes and innovations in health care caused by the spread of My Data.

For more information on the conference at www.mkconf.org.

-- BERNAMA

American Express 2023 Top Travel Trends

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) – American Express Travel has released its 2023 Global Travel Trends Report, highlighting four global trends inspiring people to travel this year namely the Rise of “Set-Jetting”; Delicious Destinations; A Wellness Wave; and Travelling off the Beaten Path.

The report, based on traveller survey data from the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Japan, India and the United Kingdom, found that more than half (52 per cent) of respondents say they plan to take more trips this year than last year and 50 per cent planning to spend more money on travel in 2023 than 2022.

Meanwhile, 84 per cent of Gen Z and Millennials surveyed would rather take a dream vacation than purchase a new luxury item, and 79 per cent agree that travel is an important budget priority.

American Express Travel President, Audrey Hendley said vacations are precious, and travellers are prioritising personalised itineraries built around their passions, from planning an entire vacation for a single dinner reservation to getting the perfect video for TikTok.

“No matter what the inspiration is, American Express Travel Consultants have the expertise to help every type of traveller plan all types of trips,” she said in a statement.

Top insights from the report shows that pop culture and social media are influencing the rise of “set-jetting,” especially among younger travellers with 75 per cent respondents agreeing that they have been inspired to travel to a specific destination by social media.

For Gen Z and Millennials surveyed, 70 per cent agree that they have been inspired to visit a destination after seeing it featured in a television show, news source or movie while 46per cent have been inspired to travel to a destination because of Instagram.

From visiting top restaurants and local favourites to taking a cooking class, food has a huge impact on where people travel. The report shows people are choosing their next destination based on what they will eat with 81 per cent agreeing that trying local foods and cuisines is the part of travelling they look forward to the most.

Restorative vacations are on the rise as travellers prioritise self-care, and mental and physical health with 73 per cent respondents planning vacations driven by a desire for greater wellness, and 60 per cent Gen Z and Millennials say they go out of their way to book hotels that offer spa and wellness services.

In addition, travellers want to discover hidden gems and support the local communities with 85 per cent of respondents wanting to visit a place where they can truly experience the local culture, while 78 per cent are interested in going on vacations that support local communities.

-- BERNAMA

2023 CHINA INTERNATIONAL BIG DATA INDUSTRY EXPO CONFIRMED 93 ENTERPRISES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EXHIBITION INCLUDING HUAWEI AND ALIBABA

 

Caption: China International Big Data Industry Expo 2023 

GUIYANG, China, March 21, 2023 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
 

On March 17, it is learned from the exhibition group of 2023 China International Big Data Industry Expo Executive Committee that so far 93 enterprises including China Electronics Corporation, Huawei and Alibaba have confirmed to participate in the Expo, which will be held from May 26th to 28th this year. The Expo exhibition group general contact Luo Geng introduced that this year the Expo will set up six offline theme exhibition halls, including international pavilion, east number west calculation pavilion, digital industry pavilion, industry digital pavilion, innovation scene pavilion and digital life pavilion. The Expo plans to attract 320 enterprises to exhibition, focusing on new technologies, new products, new plans, new applications of big data field, and the exhibition area covers 60,000 square meters. The Expo exhibition group has issued invitations to big data industry-related enterprises to participate. Now, 93 enterprises have been confirmed to participate in the exhibition, including 12 international enterprises and 81 domestic enterprises. The Expo will roll out professional customized exhibition routes. Focusing on the needs of enterprises and the hot areas of the industry, the professional customized exhibition routes will be designed such as "east number and west calculation", data element circulation, intelligent manufacturing, data security, smart city and cloud services and so on. For more information, please visit: https://www.bigdata-expo.cn/ Source: 2023 China International Big Data Industry Expo Executive Committee Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=439105 Caption: China International Big Data Industry Expo 2023  --BERNAMA

SINGAPORE-BASED OHMYHOME ANNOUNCES IPO PRICING

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- Ohmyhome Limited (Ohmyhome), a data-driven property technology company based in Singapore, has announced the pricing of its initial public offering (IPO) of 3,775,000 ordinary shares at a price of US$4.00 per share. (US$1=RM4.46)

Ohmyhome is offering 2,800,000 ordinary shares and the selling stockholder named in the prospectus is offering 975,000 ordinary shares.

According to a statement, the company will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling stockholder.

The shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market and begin trading under the ticker symbol "OMH" on March 21, and the offering is expected to close on or about March 23, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

The offering is being conducted on a firm commitment basis. Prime Number Capital LLC is acting as the sole book runner for the offering, while SBI China Capital Financial Services Limited will be acting as the co-manager.

Ohmyhome is a one-stop-shop property technology platform providing end-to-end property solutions and services to end customers directly to help them buy, sell, rent, renovate their homes and more with a single application.

-- BERNAMA

2 UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS BAG KING FAISAL PRIZE DEVELOPING COVID-19 VACCINES

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) – Harvard University and Oxford University professors Dan Barouch and Sarah Gilbert, received the King Faisal Prize for Medicine in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for their innovative technologies developing Covid-19 vaccines, which saved millions of lives.

Additionally, Northwestern University Professor, Chad Mirkin, and the A*STAR Senior Fellow and NanoBio Lab Director, Professor Jackie Yi-Ru Ying, were awarded the Science Prize for helping define the modern age of nanotechnology, and for their various advancements and applications of nanomaterials.

Barouch; the William Bosworth Castle Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Gilbert; the Saïd Chair of Vaccinology in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at Oxford University, employed a novel technology in developing Covid-19 viral vectors vaccines which are the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine, respectively.

Instead of the traditional vaccines’ methods which use a weakened or killed form of the original infection and require a long time to develop in the human body, the two professors genetically modified a harmless version of a different virus to carry genetic material to body cells and deliver protection.

“This vaccine has been rolled out across the world by the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, and over 200 million people have received this vaccine, particularly in the developing world,” said Barouch in a statement.

Meanwhile, Gilbert said: “This award is in recognition of my work to co-create a vaccine for COVID-19. A low-cost, accessible, efficacious vaccine that has now been used in more than 180 countries and is estimated to have saved more than six million lives by the start of 2022.”

Along with Medicine and Science, the King Faisal Prize recognised outstanding thinkers and scholars in Arabic Language & Literature and Islamic Studies this year and honoured exemplary leaders who have contributed to serve Islam, Muslims and humanity.

Professor Abdelfattah Kilito, from Morocco, received the “Arabic Language & Literature” prize focusing on “Classical Arabic Narrative and Modern Theories”, while Professor Robert Hillenbrand (United Kingdom), Honorary Professorial Fellow in the department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Edinburgh, was awarded the “Islamic Studies” prize in “Islamic Architecture”. 

As for the “Service to Islam” Prize, Professor Choi Young Kil-Hamed (South Korea) and Shaikh Nasser Abdullah Al Zaabi (the United Arab of Emirates) were this year’s laureates.

Each prize laureate is endowed with US$200,000; a 24-carat gold medal weighing 200 grammes, and a Certificate inscribed with the Laureate’s name and a summary of their work which qualified them for the prize. (US$1=RM4.46)

-- BERNAMA

2023 DigitalCFO Asia Symposium Series: xSuite exhibits AP Automation software solutions

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama) – xSuite Group, a leader in Systems Applications and Products (SAP)-based Procure-to-Pay (P2P) workflows, will attend three events of the upcoming 2023 DigitalCFO Asia Symposium Series in Singapore on May 11, Manila (July 13) and Kuala Lumpur (Oct 12).

In Singapore, Manila and Kuala Lumpur, xSuite will showcase its versatile software solutions for incoming invoice processing and how to obtain a holistic solution with digital procurement solutions.

xSuite’s standardised rule-based workflows manage both paper and electronic invoices with all common formats and standards worldwide (including InvoiceNow and PEPPOL BIS Billing 3.0, the leading e-invoice format in the European Union [EU]).

According to a statement, the solution component for InvoiceNow received the "Peppol ready" award from the Infocomm Media Development Authority in Singapore.

xSuite combines invoicing with procurement processes in order to streamline P2P-workflows, which can be handled via the xSuite Business Partner Portal.

This central platform automates data and document exchange as well as communication with suppliers in the P2P process. Purchasing, accounting, and suppliers exchange all data and documents related to procurement via the portal.

The DigitalCFO Asia Symposium Series bring together influential chief financial officers (CFOs), financial controllers, finance directors and other senior finance professionals to discuss trends, insights and challenges affecting their businesses.

CFOs and finance leaders are able to learn about streamlining Accounts Payable (AP) processes within an SAP environment and lead their organisation to greater heights with digital transformation.

Participants will also be shown latest technology solutions in the areas of financial planning & analysis, corporate finance, accountancy and other CFO-centric topics, like those from xSuite, one of the leading innovators in optimising accounts payable and procurement processes.

-- BERNAMA

LAXMAN NARASIMHAN IS STARBUCKS NEW LEADER

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama) -- Starbucks announced Laxman Narasimhan has assumed the role of chief executive officer (CEO), joining the company’s board of directors.

Narasimhan was named incoming CEO on Sept 1, 2022, succeeding company founder and now former CEO, Howard Schultz.

“Laxman’s intensive immersion into the business coupled with his extensive experience as a proven brand builder, innovator and operator have uniquely prepared him to lead Starbucks into its next phase of growth,” said Mellody Hobson, Independent Starbucks Board of Directors Chair in a statement.

“This immersion has deepened Laxman’s understanding of Starbucks culture and values. In this time of learning and listening, he has already won the hearts and minds of our partners around the world.”

Meanwhile, Narasimhan added: “I am humbled to officially step into my role as Starbucks chief executive officer, leading our incredible team of more than 450,000 green apron partners around the world.” 

Following the global search for the new leader of Starbucks, Narasimhan joined the company as incoming CEO on Oct 1, 2022, bringing nearly 30 years of experience leading global consumer goods businesses and advising retail, grocery, restaurant and e-commerce companies.

Over the past five months, he has embarked on a unique immersion experience, travelling to work with partners (employees) in over 30 stores, manufacturing plants and in support centres worldwide, earning his barista certification along the way.

He became immersed in the reinvention plans for the company led by Schultz who returned as interim CEO, effective April 4, 2022.

Since Schultz returned last year, Starbucks unveiled a company-wide reinvention strategy and continued to deliver on more than US$1 billion in investments in retail partners and stores for prioritised areas such as increased pay and sick time accrual, new financial well-being benefits, modernised training and collaboration, store innovation and equipment and the celebration of coffee.(US$1 = RM4.471)

The company saw a 47 per cent stock price increase since the Q2 FY22 earnings call through the Q1 FY23 earnings call, and market cap growth of approximately US$40 billion during that same time. The company also delivered 50 per cent in Total Shareholder Return in this time period, far outpacing the S&P 500.

For more information, visit www.starbucks.com.

-- BERNAMA

7th China Yiwu International Hardware & Electrical Appliances Fair April 20-22

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama) -- The 7th China Yiwu International Hardware & Electrical Appliances Fair will be held for three days at Yiwu International Expo Center beginning April 20, to showcase the best of hardware and electrical products.

According to a statement, the total exhibition area for this year will measure 50,000 square metres, which is 10,000 square metres larger than that of last year.

Expected to gather over 1,400 companies and 60,000 professional buyers, the event will provide a comprehensive platform for hardware and electrical buyers from home and abroad to find the best hardware and electrical products.

At the Fair, hardware and electrical products will be showcased in four major categories namely hardware tools, building hardware, electronics and electrical appliances, and labour protection products.

Hardware tools include hand tools, electric tools, air tools, general accessories, automotive and motorcycle tools, and garden tools, while building hardware comprises plumbing equipment, bathroom fixtures, building materials, decorative hardware, as well as door and window accessories.

Electronics and electrical appliances include lighting fixtures and decorations, electrical products, electrical materials, electric razors, and clocks, while labour protection supplies comprise safety helmets, respiratory protective gear, ear protection gear and protective shoes, among others.

More details and registration for the Fair are available at http://en.hardwareexpo.cn/.

-- BERNAMA

Aura Network makes way for NFTs accessible to mainstream via Xstaxy Mainnet launch

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama) -- Aura Network has officially launched The Xstaxy Mainnet on March 20, marking a significant milestone in its journey towards revolutionising the Cosmos ecosystem and enabling a more sustainable future for Web3, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Decentralised Finance (DeFi).

Aura Network, a pioneering blockchain infrastructure provider, committed to delivering top-of-the-line layer-1 solutions using Cosmos SDK is dedicated to meeting the skyrocketing demand for NFTs, sustainable DeFi and Web3 gaming.

According to a statement, Aura Network’s innovative solutions and industry expertise have positioned the company as the leading force in the blockchain space.

With the latest technologies integrated into the Xstaxy Mainnet, its infrastructure is built to deliver exceptional scalability, security and reliability.

Backed by a team of 70 top-notch validators, Aura Network is implementing great innovations that offer an unmatched user experience, making it the perfect entrance for Web2users looking to transition into the world of Web3.

The company has successfully launched its Mainnet, and now it is embarking on a new phase of development that will take the company to greater heights of innovation.

To achieve its vision, Aura Network will focus to expand NFT adoption, optimise user experience (UX) for the mainstream and grow Cosmos open-source software.

Aura Network is assured that its Mainnet will be a game changer in the blockchain industry and is ready to lead toward a better Web3 future with its commitment to innovation, sustainability and community.

-- BERNAMA

World's largest alternative asset manager Blackstone will open new office in Germany

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Bernama) -- Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, announced that it will open a new office in Frankfurt, Germany.

According to Blackstone in a statement, the new flagship location will occupy 1,300 square metres in the OMNITURM in Frankfurt’s financial district and serve as a hub for Blackstone in Germany.

Blackstone President and Chief Operating Officer, Jon Gray said: “We are very excited to be opening a new office in Frankfurt, and to be expanding our presence in Germany. Germany is an economic powerhouse, a great country to do business in and we look forward to investing here for a long time to come.”

The new office will host professionals across Blackstone’s private equity, real estate, and credit businesses, in addition to providing a hub for Blackstone’s private wealth solutions business, which serves investment professionals and individual investors across Europe.

The firm Senior Managing Directors, Juergen Pinker will lead on Private Equity, with Jurij Puth, leading on Credit.

Blackstone has been an active and significant investor in Germany for more than two decades, with currently more than 7,000 people employed by its portfolio companies in the country.

The opening of the new office in Frankfurt highlights Blackstone’s conviction in Germany, and its plan to build on its success and expand its activity in the German market going forward.

Currently, Blackstone investments in Germany include Leica and Schenck Process. In the past, the firm invested in Scout24, Gerresheimer, as well as Meerwind, the first privately financed offshore wind farm in Germany.

The firm also has significant investments in German real estate, particularly logistics assets and commercial real estate. 

-- BERNAMA

NTT COM LAUNCHES INITIATIVES INVOLVING DIGITAL HUMANS, METAVERSE

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Bernama) -- NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com) has announced its immediate launch of initiatives involving digital humans and the metaverse under its business co-creation programme, "OPEN HUB for Smart World”.

With the launch, the company aims to expand opportunities for all people, including those with workplace or time challenges, and strengthen solutions to address issues such as Japan's declining labour force.

According to NTT Com in a statement, OPEN HUB which was launched in October 2021, has been used by some 3,000 people in about 1,300 companies for business co-creation in real and remote environments.

Established in the metaverse, OPEN HUB Virtual Park utilises a human-like "digital catalyst" generated by digital human technologies, including three-dimensional computer graphics (3DCG) and high-definition scanning and motion capture, to create a photorealistic human figure responding to human visitors.

The initiative is one of many ways NTT Com aims to use the metaverse to innovate workstyles, create new customer contact points accessible to all, and to develop services that address problems such as Japan's labour shortage and improve productivity, ultimately for greater wellbeing in society.

The OPEN HUB currently has 400 internal and external specialists, real people called catalysts, that companies utilise for business co-creation.

The newest catalyst which is a digital catalyst named CONN, was created by combining human-like visuals generated by Toei Zukun Laboratory of Toei Corporation's Digital Human Technology with human-like personalities generated by NTT's Human Informatics Laboratories' body motion-generation artificial intelligence (AI) technology and voice-synthesis generation AI technology.

The OPEN HUB Virtual Park will also serve as an environment that transcends the limits of space and distance. By utilising the NTT XR Space WEB "DOOR" metaverse platform, community members will be able to interact with each other and engage in discussions with the digital catalyst on an ongoing basis.

Going forward, NTT Com will work to match catalysts and community members based on communication logs, action logs, visitation histories and other data obtained in real and virtual environments.

-- BERNAMA

MIXI RELEASES UPDATES ON CHARLIE PUTH’S FREE LIVE SHOW ON HUMY, MARCH 25

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Bernama) -- MIXI Inc has unveiled the latest details regarding the free online event “humy presents: the Charlie Puth Livestream Experience" to be held on March 25, on Charlie Puth's official fan communication platform, humy.

Proven to be one of the industry's most consistent hitmakers and sought-after collaborators, Puth has amassed eight multi-platinum singles, four GRAMMY nominations, three Billboard Music Awards, a Critic's Choice Award and a Golden Globe nomination.

According to a statement, the first 10 minutes of the event will be simultaneously streamed live on Charlie Puth's official YouTube channel.

The songs performed will be picked by fans through a poll before the event, and questions from fans that were submitted in advance will be answered during the event.

In addition, a campaign leading up to the event is underway whereby 10 lucky winners will get three-month Premium subscriptions to "humy with Charlie Puth".

Available in select regions, the event is open to anyone with a humy account and registration is free.

With the purpose of enriching communication and inspiring moments of joy, MIXI is committed to providing enjoyable communication services for friends and families, including mixi, MONSTER STRIKE, FamilyAlbum and TIPSTAR.

More details at https://mixi.co.jp/en.

-- BERNAMA

LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN: ZOOM, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STRIKE DEAL ENHANCING GAMES, FAN VIEWERSHIP EXPERIENCE

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- Zoom Video Communications Inc and Major League Baseball (MLB) have announced a first-of-its-kind partnership for the league, aimed at enhancing MLB games and fan viewership experience.

According to a statement, as the new Official Unified Communications Platform of MLB, Zoom Contact Center and the Zoom platform technology will power new elements of Major League games and broadcasts.

“Zoom’s rapid pace of innovation and obsession with making human connection easier and better, is crucial to help MLB evolve its experience and deliver unprecedented transparency and access to its fans.

“With MLB leveraging Zoom Contact Center and Zoom’s all-in-one collaboration platform, we are able to truly show the world how a historical brand can continue to innovate and unlock new possibilities,” said Zoom Chief Marketing Officer, Janine Pelosi.

Meanwhile, MLB Chief Operations & Strategy Officer, Chris Marinak said: “We are always looking for innovative ways to leverage best-in-class technology to advance the MLB experience and deliver more to our fans.

“We are excited to integrate Zoom Contact Center and other Zoom platform technology into our gameday operations and continue to modernise experiences in a secure, reliable and innovative way.”

MLB innovations are driven by Zoom Contact Center, Zoom Events and Zoom’s all-in-one collaboration platform delivering unprecedented transparency to the fans and enhanced communications between front office staff, umpires and league officials.

Beginning with the 2023 Season, the Crew Chief, the most senior member of the four-man umpire crew, will connect to the Zoom Replay Operations Center using Zoom’s Contact Center solution during any replay review.

During national broadcasts on MLB Network and Apple TV+, fans will also see the Zoom Replay Operations Center in action live during replay reviews and hear from an expert rules analyst who will discuss replay reviews with the broadcast team.

In addition, Zoom will be used to securely deliver sensitive information in one of the most high-pressure and high-profile MLB Events, Day One of the 2023 MLB Draft while its all-in-one collaboration platform is integrated across several MLB clubs, platforms and broadcast outlets.

-- BERNAMA

Philip Macnabb designated Curia chief executive officer

KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 (Bernama) -- Curia, a leading contract research, development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) has announced the appointment of Philip Macnabb as chief executive officer, succeeding John Ratliff.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, we thank John Ratliff for the tremendous progress that Curia made during his tenure,” said Curia board members Sean Cunningham, managing director, GTCR and William McMullan, managing director, Carlyle in a statement.

“We are delighted to welcome Phil, a seasoned executive who has an impressive track record of focusing companies on their core value proposition, enhancing the customer experience and building organisations with real and sustaining value.

“Curia is well positioned in the growing CDMO market, and we are excited about its outlook under Phil’s leadership.”

Macnabb commented that Curia was a unique company with deep scientific expertise across its end-to-end offering.

“We have incredible people in the global Curia community, who are highly motivated by our noble purpose of improving patients lives. Going forward, we will focus on creating sustainable value for customers and employees.”

Macnabb joins Curia having spent years in leadership roles at various companies in the healthcare industry. Prior to that, he held senior positions in technology, distribution and consumer product segments.

He received an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BS in Business Administration from Purdue University.

Curia’s nearly 4,000 employees at 29 locations across the United States, Europe and Asia help its customers advance from curiosity to cure.

-- BERNAMA

TRAVELOKA'S INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FIESTA SET TO GET MALAYSIANS EXPLORING AGAIN

Enjoy attractive deals and promotions for international travel

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) – The travel bug has bitten Malaysians again, now that borders across the world have opened up.

As a timely response to the heavy travel demand, Traveloka Malaysia has taken the lead in rolling out the International Travel Fiesta (ITF) from 15 - 26 March 2023.

To add to the buzz, Traveloka Malaysia intends to stimulate sales for the travel fair with superb offers. Aside from the attractive deals, customers will also be privy to special fares from various airlines, especially for international destinations on Traveloka.

“The surge in the number of travellers is encouraging, and Traveloka is eager to engage customers in getting the best deals for their next holiday or adventure from participating airlines during the ITF,” says Iko Putera, CEO of Transport, Traveloka.

“Already there are indications of high demand from Malaysians who are eager to snag the best deals for domestic and international travel,” he adds.

Traveloka will continue to strengthen its position as the leading travel platform of Southeast Asia that provides the best bargains and exceptional customer experiences through a comprehensive range of services. There will be a booth at One Utama from 15-19 March 2023 and Sunway Pyramid from 24-26 March 2023, where visitors stand to win attractive giveaways and lucky draws. From 17 March 2023, visit Traveloka to discover unmatched travel deals.

"As Traveloka's airline partner during the International Travel Fiesta 2023, we are offering consumers the opportunity to explore and discover great places, go on adventure trips and see more of the world with their families and loved ones. Wherever they choose to travel, we want to assure our passengers that we are committed towards providing a safe, seamless, and comfortable travel experience,” commented Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi, Chief Executive Officer of Airlines, Malaysia Aviation Group.

Although airline deals will take centrestage, there will also be offers for hotels and experiences. Avid travellers could expect Traveloka to offer exciting daily coupons, where generous discounts will be given for individual international destinations which are popular tourist havens like Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, Taiwan and Thailand.

As with the International Travel Fiesta last year, one could be rewarded with more savings and interesting promotions such as social media challenges to be posted on Traveloka Malaysia’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts, all with the aim of winning some exciting prizes.

The return to normalcy when it comes to travel is very much welcome, indicated for instance by searches for overseas destinations. Since it is now possible to pack one’s overnighter, purchase a holiday and head out at a moment’s notice, Traveloka intends to remain at the forefront to ensure its customers attain their travel aspirations. Let’s live life, your way!

About Traveloka
Traveloka, Southeast Asia's leading travel platform, provides users access to discover and purchase a wide range of travel, local services, and financial services products. Traveloka's comprehensive product portfolio includes transport booking services such as flight tickets, bus, trains, car rental, airport transfer, as well as access to the largest accommodation inventory in Southeast Asia, including hotels, apartments, guest houses, homestays, resorts, and villas, making Traveloka a booking platform with the widest selection of accommodation and packages.

Traveloka is also a key player in the local services category (currently specific to certain markets), offering reservations for a wide range of local attractions, activities, wellness and beauty clinics, culinary directories as well as food delivery. Traveloka also offers financing, payment, and insurance products to help Southeast Asian consumers fulfil their lifestyle aspirations. Traveloka provides 24/7 customer service in local languages as well as more than 30 different local payment methods. Traveloka lifestyle superapp has been downloaded more than 100 million times, making it the most popular travel and lifestyle booking application in the Southeast Asian region.

For more information, please visit: https://www.traveloka.com/en-my/


http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45652

AND THE WINNERS ARE...EPICOR REVEALS PARTNER EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) -- Epicor, a global leader of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, has announced its Partner Excellence Award winners at this year’s Momentum International Partner Conference 2023.

According to a statement, the event recognises industry Channel Partners that have outperformed in their commitment to the growth of Epicor business, through innovation and cloud technology with their customers.

Its Vice President, International Channel Sales, Paul Flannery said: “The essential businesses that make, move and sell increasingly recognise the significant benefits that the cloud can provide to their businesses.

“Epicor Channel Partners have been there every step of the way to support and collaborate with our customers on their digital transformation journeys and are a natural extension of our business in delivering the deep industry expertise our customers expect.”

Among the winners are Index Infotech LLC (Industry Specialist Award); Kairos Solutions Pte Ltd (Business Transformation Award); Coreplus Co Ltd (Cloud Transformation Award); Mindbox (Rising Star Award); and Precise Business Solutions (International Partner of the Year Award).

Index Infotech delivered strong expertise in precast concrete and deployed Epicor Kinetic to multiple customers, while Kairos Solutions was recognised for its work in collaborating with a customer on their Industry 4.0 journey.

Meanwhile, Coreplus evolved its organisational model to lead with cloud, working closely with a customer to expand and connect their operations across Southeast Asia, covering each of the customers’ make, move, and sell initiatives.

Mindbox delivered exceptionally strong year-on-year growth across a variety of Epicor platforms in a very competitive and price sensitive market, while Precise Business Solutions significantly transformed its business over the last three years to focus on delivering for customers in the cloud.

With deep industry knowledge and experience, Epicor accelerates its customers’ ambitions, whether to grow and transform, or simply become more productive and effective.

-- BERNAMA

QUORUM SOFTWARE NEW PLANNING SPACE EXPEDITES BUSINESS WORKFLOWS

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) -- Quorum Software (Quorum), a global software leader dedicated to the energy industry, has announced the newest version of its Planning Space application suite within the Quorum Energy Suite as the only integrated corporate planning platform.

It is specifically designed to solve the complexities and challenges of planning in the modern energy industry, leveraging the power of the cloud to help energy companies make better decisions in less time, with the certainty of trusted and accurate data.

“Leveraging the cloud and unified data architecture, Planning Space enables accelerated and shared decision-making with the intelligence to better align capital, financial, and reserves plus resource planning. 

“Ultimately, companies can now confidently plan faster, with greater accuracy and alignment, to achieve both top-line and bottom-line performance gains, while meeting net-zero goals,” said Quorum Chief Product Officer, Tyson Greer in a statement.

The new Planning Space provides a step change in performance and scalability with a dynamic planning philosophy that eliminates cumbersome planning cycles, allowing users to maximise productivity and focus on value-added activities.

The suite fully integrates five modules, streamlining business planning workflows with connected data for greater efficiency, transparency, and risk management including capital planning, financial planning, petroleum and energy economics, and reserves and resource management.

Planning Space’s ability to configure standardised inputs and outputs enables efficient portfolio consolidation and optimisation, supported by an up-to-date audit trail for greater regulatory compliance and data governance.

Key features of the new Planning Space include consumer-grade usability; next generation performance; scalability; cloud optimisation; and seamless integration.

-- BERNAMA

TECH DATA PARTNERS WITH SIMPLIFAI TO OFFER INNOVATIVE AI SOLUTIONS IN THE ASIA PACIFIC AND JAPAN REGION

Partnership enhances Tech Data’s AI solutions portfolio and strengthens Simplifai’s presence in the region.

SINGAPORE, March 14 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Tech Data, a TD SYNNEX company, today announced its strategic partnership with Simplifai - an AI (artificial intelligence) solutions expert. Through this partnership, Tech Data will be offering Simplifai’s state-of-the-art automation solutions in key markets across the Asia Pacific and Japan region, enhancing its comprehensive portfolio of AI solutions and cloud-native technologies.

With the collaboration, Simplifai’s innovative all-in-one platform for intelligent process automation, Simplifai Studio, will be available in Singapore, Malaysia and India. Simplifai Studio is a user-friendly AI platform that can automate work processes with ease. It can configure and train an organization’s own bots without coding and with minimal effort, resulting in higher work productivity in just a few weeks. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=45644

17TH YEAR RUNNING, MILLIKEN & COMPANY AMONG 2023 WORLD’S MOST ETHICAL COMPANIES

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) -- Milliken & Company has been recognised as one of the 2023 World’s Most Ethical Companies, for the 17th year in a row, by Ethisphere, a leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices.

Milliken, the global manufacturing leader is one of 135 honourees spanning 19 countries and 46 industries and one of only six honourees appearing on the World’s Most Ethical Companies list every year since the award was founded in 2007.

“At Milliken, we are guided by a commitment to do the right thing. We are honoured to be recognised once again, and we are proud of the strong sense of integrity that drives our global team,” said its president and chief executive officer, Halsey Cook in a statement.

Doing what is right encourages Milliken to take bold steps across its diverse portfolio. Guided by its five core values namely integrity, excellence, innovation, sustainability and people, Milliken works to be a leader in responsible and sustainable manufacturing.

Its 2025 Sustainability Goals define the company’s work with its products, its people and the planet in addition to Milliken recent announcement on its path toward a net-zero future by 2050 with Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved short and long-term net-zero targets.

Ethisphere’s 2023 Ethics Index, the collection of publicly traded companies recognised as recipients of this year’s World’s Most Ethical Companies designation, outperformed a comparable index of large-cap companies by 13.6 percentage points over a five-year period.

Grounded in Ethisphere’s proprietary Ethics Quotient, the World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment process includes more than 200 questions on culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity, and initiatives that support a strong value chain.

-- BERNAMA

CLOUDFLARE USES THE POWER OF ITS GLOBAL NETWORK TO IDENTIFY THE TOP 50 MOST IMPERSONATED BRANDS AND PROTECT ZERO TRUST CUSTOMERS FROM PHISHING SCAMS

 

• AT&T, PayPal, and Microsoft top the list of most impersonated brands in phishing attempts
• Most targeted industries include Finance, Technology, and Telecom for phishing scammers
• New anti-phishing protections in Cloudflare One block the tricks phishers use to confuse end-users

SAN FRANCISCO, March 14 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET), the security, performance, and reliability company helping to build a better Internet, today published a global report on the Top 50 Brands Used in Phishing Attacks. Nearly 20% of all websites are protected by Cloudflare's global network and its email security offering stopped 2.3 billion unwanted emails from hitting inboxes in 2022. As a result, Cloudflare’s machine learning and data analysis give it unique insight into the phishing domains most frequently clicked on by Internet users and the ability to proactively protect its Zero Trust customers.

“Phishing” refers to an attempt to steal sensitive information like usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, bank and crypto account information, or other important data in order to utilize or sell the stolen information. Today, phishing is the fastest growing Internet crime, and a threat to both consumers and businesses. By masquerading as a reputable source – sometimes with an enticing request, other times with a severe consequence – an attacker lures in the victim in order to trick them, similarly to how a fisherman uses bait to catch a fish. Oftentimes, these attempts come in the form of an email, text message, or mistyped website URL that looks like it’s from a well-known brand, but is actually a malicious party.

“Phishing attacks prey on our trust in the brands we love and use everyday, and are becoming more difficult to spot for even the most digitally-savvy person. Our sanity, bank accounts, and passwords shouldn't be compromised because we glossed over a misspelled 'from' field or accidentally clicked on an obscure URL,” said Matthew Prince, co-founder and CEO, Cloudflare. “We've extended our Zero Trust services with real-time protection against new phishing sites, so our customers won't fall victim to attacks leveraging the brands they trust.”

Most Impersonated Brand of 2022: AT&T Inc.

The top 50 brands most commonly impersonated by phishing URLs are:
 

1.	AT&T Inc.	26.	Coinbase Global, Inc.
2.	PayPal	27.	Banco Bradesco S.A.
3.	Microsoft	28.	Caixa Econômica Federal
4.	DHL	29.	JCB Co., Ltd.
5.	Facebook (Meta)	30.	ING Group
6.	Internal Revenue Service	31.	HSBC Holdings plc
7.	Oath Holdings/Verizon	32.	Netflix Inc
8.	Mitsubishi UFJ NICOS Co., Ltd.	33.	Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
9.	Adobe	34.	Nubank
10.	Amazon	35.	Bank Millennium SA
11.	Apple	36.	National Police Agency Japan
12.	Wells Fargo & Company	37.	Allegro
13.	eBay, Inc.	38.	InPost
14.	Swiss Post	39.	Correos
15.	Naver	40.	FedEx
16.	Instagram (Meta)	41.	Microsoft
17.	WhatsApp (Meta)	42.	United States Postal Service
18.	Rakuten	43.	Alphabet
19.	East Japan Railway Company	44.	The Bank of America Corporation
20.	American Express Company	45.	Deutscher Paketdienst
21.	KDDI	46.	Banco Itaú Unibanco S.A.
22.	Office365 (Microsoft)	47.	Steam
23.	Chase Bank	48.	Swisscom AG
24.	AEON	49.	LexisNexis
25.	Singtel Optus Pty Limited	50.	Orange S.A.

Cloudflare found that finance, technology, and telecom brands were the most commonly impersonated industries, notably for the unprecedented access and financial benefit that bank accounts, email and social media, and phone companies can give attackers. Technology and telecom companies are a unique threat because phishing attacks can intercept the emails and text messages that are used to verify a user’s identity via two-factor authentication. Therefore, these phishing attempts can lead to other accounts being compromised as well.

The top 50 brands we found, along with the most commonly used domain for phishing those brands can be found on Cloudflare’s blog.

New Anti-Phishing Protections with Cloudflare One

Today, Cloudflare also announced new capabilities to provide customers the most comprehensive and effective phishing protection available. Building on Cloudflare Area1’s recent launch of advanced Zero Trust email security tools, customers can now automatically and immediately identify and block “confusable” domains to better protect their corporate networks. This offering can help protect against phishing attacks similar to the one that threatened Cloudflare and 100 other companies last summer, when attackers created the misleading “cloudflare-okta.com” domain just 40 minutes before sending it to employees. Using Cloudflare Gateway, customers can create zero trust rules that prevent their employees from resolving or browsing to these “confusable” or lookalike domains.

Report Methodology

To generate the report, Cloudflare used 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver resolution data to find the domains associated with phishing URLs that were most commonly clicked. All domains that are used for shared services (like hosting sites Google, Amazon, and GoDaddy) that could not be verified as a phishing attempt were removed from the data set.

To learn more, please check out the resources below:

• Blog: Top 50 Most Impersonated Brands in phishing attacks and new tools you can use to protect your employees from them
• Cloudflare Announces Comprehensive Email Security & Data Protection Tools to Help Secure Enterprises Against Phishing Attacks
• Blog: The mechanics of a sophisticated phishing scam and how we stopped it
• Cloudflare Area1 Email Security
• Cloudflare Zero Trust

About Cloudflare

Cloudflare, Inc. (www.cloudflare.com / @cloudflare) is on a mission to help build a better Internet. Cloudflare’s suite of products protect and accelerate any Internet application online without adding hardware, installing software, or changing a line of code. Internet properties powered by Cloudflare have all web traffic routed through its intelligent global network, which gets smarter with every request. As a result, they see significant improvement in performance and a decrease in spam and other attacks. Cloudflare was awarded by Reuters Events for Global Responsible Business in 2020, named to Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in 2021, and ranked among Newsweek's Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces in 2022.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “explore,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue,” or the negative of these words, or other similar terms or expressions that concern Cloudflare’s expectations, strategy, plans, or intentions. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements expressed or implied in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the capabilities and effectiveness of the Cloudflare One suite of Zero Trust solutions (including Cloudflare Area 1) and Cloudflare’s other products and technology, the benefits to Cloudflare’s customers from using the Cloudflare One suite of Zero Trust solutions (including Cloudflare Area 1) and Cloudflare’s other products and technology, the expected functionality and performance of the Cloudflare One suite of Zero Trust solutions (including Cloudflare Area 1) and Cloudflare’s other products and technology, the timing of when any new Cloudflare One features (including Cloudflare Area 1) will be generally available to all current and potential Cloudflare customers, Cloudflare’s technological development, future operations, growth, initiatives, or strategies, and comments made by Cloudflare’s CEO and others. Cloudflare’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, risks detailed in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including Cloudflare’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 24, 2023, as well as other filings that we may make from time to time with the SEC.

The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate to events as of the date on which the statements are made. Cloudflare undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. Cloudflare may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, or expectations disclosed in its forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on Cloudflare’s forward-looking statements.

© 2023 Cloudflare, Inc. All rights reserved. Cloudflare, the Cloudflare logo, and other Cloudflare marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Cloudflare, Inc. in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. All other marks and names referenced herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230313005193/en/

Contact

Cloudflare, Inc.
Daniella Vallurupalli
Vice President, Head of Global Communications
press@cloudflare.com

Source : Cloudflare, Inc.