HONG KONG-BASED CONGLOMERATE REDUCES INTEGRATION CYCLES BY 70 PCT VIA BOOMI PLATFORM

DCH Shortens Integration Cycles by 70 Percent With Boomi (Graphic: Business Wire)

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 (Bernama) -- Boomi, the intelligent connectivity and automation leader, announced international distributor Dah Chong Hong Group (DCH) has implemented the Boomi platform to modernise legacy integrations and accelerate its digital transformation journey.

Boomi Director of Asia, HonChew Seetoh said the Boomi platform enabled DCH to maximise the flexibility, agility, and scalability of the cloud, break down silos across the distributed environment, and more importantly, unlock the power of data.

According to a statement, Boomi's low-code platform helps DCH shorten integration cycles by as much as 70 per cent, while running multiple applications in parallel.

Hong Kong-based DCH is a leading Asian distribution company operating in the motor, healthcare, food, electrical and consumer goods industries, having over 16,000 employees and operations extending across 13 Asian economies.

DCH is continually evolving and innovating its overall information technology (IT) architecture to strengthen service delivery and drive further growth.

A key metric of DCH's integration objective was to establish a clear enterprise integration architecture and standard ensuring consistent streamlining of data and enabling quick access across business units to support continued, long-term innovation.

Acting on the advice of system integrator Laputa Technologies, DCH implemented the Boomi platform to enhance its systems.

The digital platform enabled DCH employees to break down data silos and benefit from further automation. As a result, different business units within DCH can swiftly and efficiently extract data for reporting.

In addition to an intuitive, low-code interface, Boomi's usage-based pricing model was a key reason DCH opted for the Boomi platform, whereby DCH was able to gain the requisite scale to maximise the value of its integration objectives and accelerate digital transformation.

-- BERNAMA

HENLEY & PARTNERS: NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR 2023 GLOBAL CITIZEN AWARD

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (Bernama) -- Leading international residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners, in partnership with the Swiss non-profit humanitarian Andan Foundation, announced the call for nominations for the 2023 Global Citizen Award.

The 2023 laureate will be selected by a distinguished, independent committee and honoured at the Global Citizen Award ceremony, the concluding event of the annual Henley & Partners Global Citizenship Conference, taking place in Dubai from Nov 9-10.

Created in 2014, the Global Citizen Award is a tribute that honours remarkable individuals working to advance any one of the global challenges affecting humanity today, challenges that transcend national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone.

Henley & Partners Chairman and Founder of the Andan Foundation, Dr Christian H. Kaelin, in a statement, says the awardee’s work needs to demonstrate a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable social groups, particularly with a connection to migration-related issues.

“The Global Citizen Award is open worldwide to those working in a field with a direct link to the issues they are looking to affect and excludes political figures, opinion leaders and celebrities.

“The committee is looking for remarkable and inspirational individuals who demonstrate vision, courage, and innovation in driving global change, and whose actions and outlook contribute to a more just, peaceful, connected, and tolerant world,” he added.

The selection process is confidential and is based on a majority decision of the Award Committee, with nominations closing on June 30.

The award itself consists of a bespoke sculptural medal designed by leading Italian artist Antonio Nocera, an award certificate signed by the Chairman of the Global Citizen Award Committee, and a monetary prize of US$20,000, which goes towards supporting the awardee’s humanitarian efforts. (US$1=RM4.41)

In addition, Henley & Partners commits to working closely with the awardee for a period of one year, raising awareness of their work and supporting the selected project through the firm’s network of more than 40 offices worldwide.

-- BERNAMA

TRACING ANCESTORS WITH LAUNCH OF ACTIVITIES TO UNEARTH LEGENDARY ROOTS

Travelling to the remotest corners of the world, but Hongtong is home

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (Bernama) -- The series of activities of 2023 Linfen Hongtong Big Locust Tree Tourist Season to Trace the Roots of Ancestors have been launched recently in Hongtong County, Shanxi Province.

Themed "Travelling to the remotest corners of the world, but Hongtong is home", the activities will last until May 1, according to the Publicity Department of Hongtong County in a statement.

In recent years, Hongtong has actively established a gathering area for cultural tourism and health care in Shanxi.

It also expanded and upgraded the quality of the first batch of national integrated tourism demonstration zones, and made great efforts to build an internationally renowned cultural tourism destination.

With the successful series of activities of the 2023 Tourism Season, Hongtong is embracing the world, inviting the descendants of Dahuaishu, or the Big Locust Tree, to "go back home" for sightseeing and tracing their roots.

-- BERNAMA

2023 QINGMING FESTIVAL MEMORIAL CEREMONY FOR YELLOW EMPEROR IN SHAANXI PROVINCE

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (Bernama) -- The 2023 Qingming Festival Memorial Ceremony for the Yellow Emperor was held at the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor in Shaanxi Province on April 5.

The mausoleum, situated in Huangling County, Shaanxi Province, is the location of the tomb of Yellow Emperor, the common ancestor of the Chinese nation.

According to a statement, the ceremony was jointly organised by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and Shaanxi Provincial People's Government.

As the ceremony officially started, attendees were standing solemnly for the drumbeats and bell rings, in which the 34 drumbeats symbolised the common aspiration of the whole Chinese nation, as well as all overseas Chinese to worship the ancestor of the Chinese nation.

Meanwhile, the nine bell rings represented the highest etiquette of traditional rituals of the Chinese nation, expressing the infinite admiration and gratitude of sons and daughters of the Chinese nation to their ancestor, the Yellow Emperor.

During the superb and elegant memorial music and dance performance, Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Xiao Jie, presented the flower basket to the statue of the Yellow Emperor.

At the same time, the governor of Shaanxi Province, Zhao Gang delivered the memorial address. The attendees made three deep bows to the statue of the Yellow Emperor upon the end of the memorial address.

After the memorial music and dance performance, a 56-metre-long Chinese dragon hovered and leaped from the centre of the altar, soaring to the sky, travelling through five thousand years of history, gazing at the ever-changing present and flying towards a bright and magnificent future.

Following the completion of the Memorial Ceremony, the attendees visited the Xuanyuan Hall and the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor, before planting the Qiaoshan cypress.

-- BERNAMA

POINT HOPE DISTRESSED CREDIT FUND TO BUY ASIAN CONSUMER NON-PERFORMING LOANS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 (Bernama) -- Singapore-based fund manager, Point Hope Pte Ltd, has partnered with Longan Group Pte Ltd to launch a funding platform that will acquire, service and restructure consumer non-performing loan (NPL) portfolios in emerging markets across Asia.

Point Hope Chief Executive Officer, Subra Iyer said: “This is more than a collections business; while recovery of debts is a key part of it, to do so sustainably and ethically at scale is what we stand for.

“We are proud of the high standards to which we hold our collection teams, and the trust gained by our financial partners, to ultimately help promote financial health and solve consumer indebtedness for the two billion population in Southeast and South Asia.”

The Singapore-domiciled fund, called Annexe Fund VCC - Longan NPL Fund (Fund), was launched in 2022 and mainly invests in delinquent unsecured consumer credit in Vietnam and Indonesia, with plans to enter India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand in the coming years.

According to a statement, the Fund partners with regional financial institutions and fintech companies to purchase NPL portfolios from their books.

Managing the Fund is a team with 10 years of track record in consumer credit globally, comprising 150 staff members in Vietnam and Indonesia with extensive experience in credit scoring, data analysis and best practices.

The Fund’s infrastructure in Asia uses an advanced proprietary credit scoring system that applies artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to price NPLs.

Within six months of launch, the debt servicing business in Vietnam became a top three market leader, growing its local NPL book to over US$300 million. (US$1=RM4.40)

The Fund aims to gain a first mover advantage in the Asian consumer NPL space, aided by multiple tailwinds such as rising household debt, greater financial inclusion and a significant growth in consumer credit.

-- BERNAMA

AKWEL Announces 2022 Annual Results

KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 (Bernama) -- AKWEL, the automotive and heavy goods vehicle (HGV) equipment and systems manufacturer specialising in fluid management, mechanisms and structural parts for electric vehicles, has announced its 2022 annual results.

In an automotive production market that is still subject to strong tensions, the AKWEL Group ends 2022 with a 7.4 per cent annual increase and up 11.3 per cent on a like-for-like basis.

According to AKWEL in a statement, the delay in the impacts of increases in purchase prices on sale prices weighed heavily on the Group’s results in 2022.

Its current operating income amounted to €38.6 million, representing a margin of 3.9 per cent, down 4.3 points compared to 2021, while net income Group share stands at €11.1 million. (€1 = RM4.79)

The business generated cash-flow of €48.9 million for an investment flow of €33.2 million leading to a positive net cash position of €113.7 million compared with €98.2 million at the end of 2021.

The distribution of a dividend of €0.30 per share for 2022 will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting on May 25.

For this year, AKWEL remains cautious with regard to the sector’s recovery forecasts and anticipates a slight increase in turnover and continued tension over production costs.

Operating in 20 countries across every continent, AKWEL employs 9,500 people worldwide.

-- BERNAMA

Hytera Expands TETRA Radio Portfolio With New PT590 Release

KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 (Bernama) -- Hytera Communications, a global provider of professional communications technologies and solutions, has expanded its TETRA radio portfolio by releasing PT590, a mission-critical portable TETRA radio.

According to Hytera in a statement, the new release is designed to provide excellent coverage, superior audio quality, and boosted productivity and safety features to ensure the capability of frontline workers to respond and act at all times.

“Professionals in mission-critical sectors require proven and trusted radios to ensure connectivity with the team when getting their jobs done.

“Equipped with an abundance of innovative features, PT590 raises the bar of TETRA portables; it is not only ready for the missions but also ready to lead the evolution of TETRA devices,” said Hytera Deputy Director of Global Marketing and Solutions, Steven Hao.

Delivering unparalleled clarity in every conversation, PT590 offers outstanding audio quality with its high-sensitivity speaker and optimised cavity design that produces loudness up to 106 phons, while its unique microphone cavity design eliminates wind noise, guaranteeing clear voice communication even in windy conditions.

The artificial intelligence (AI) noise cancellation algorithm adjusts to different types of noise, while advanced echo reduction algorithms suppress howling echoes effectively even when radios are as close as only 30cm to each other.

The PT590 boasts a compact and lightweight design, featuring large emergency button that is easy to locate and press; four separated navigation keys enable high accuracy of operation even without looking at them; and large textured push-to-talk (PTT) key is finger-friendly for users on the move.

The grid-style menu displays nine applications at a time, while simplified menu structures reduce steps and ensure immediate access to the desired functions.

Comes in two different versions namely the standard version and the advanced version, the PT590 standard version has been launched, which offers exceptional features for mission-critical communication needs, while the advanced version will be launched later this year.

-- BERNAMA