DOCOMO to Further Expand 5G Trials with Overseas Partners

— Initiates business co-creation with cross-border partners —

TOKYO, March 27 (BUSINESS WIRE)-- NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it has agreed with enterprises and organizations in the United States and Israel as well as Japan to collaborate in trials involving a 5G mobile test network established in Guam with the aim of verifying 5G-compatible systems and equipment for new business solutions.

The trials will involve Field Partners, Solution Partners and DOCOMO as the provider of the 5G test network. Solution Partners will develop and provide solutions incorporating 5G systems and equipment and Field Partners comprising companies and organizations will use these solutions in practical applications on an experimental basis for testing and verification.

The Field Partners include the electricity utility Guam Power Authority, the University of Guam Office of Information Technology, and major enterprises and organizations in Guam engaged in such diverse fields as bridal services and a marathon administrative office. They will test various solutions that incorporate 5G’s extra-high-speed, large-capacity and low-latency technologies, including a remote training system using high-definition virtual reality, a monitoring system using AI surveillance cameras to detect suspicious individuals, and many others.

DOCOMO also announced today that it has launched its DOCOMO 5G Open Lab^TM GUAM, its first center outside of Japan for verifying 5G technologies. The facility will provide a 5G trial environment that companies from Japan and other countries can use to verify 5G solutions. Field Partners will be able to use the network for outdoor testing of new services that incorporate equipment compatible with 5G networks. To utilize this network, in addition to Japanese companies, a number of overseas ventures with advanced 5G technology have announced that they will participate in cross-border 5G testing with DOCOMO as part of the 5G Open Partner Program. The program promotes partner collaboration with the aim of creating innovative 5G services. There are already more than 80 overseas companies and organizations participating in the program.

Going forward, DOCOMO will further collaborate with partners in Japan and overseas, to create new value and businesses through 5G that solve social issues for a brighter future.

5G Trials Overview
Fields Partners		Solution Partner(s)		Details
Guam Power Authority (electricity utility)		Humaneyes Technologies Ltd. (Israeli VR camera developer)		5G virtual-reality training Live video using a 360-degree high-definition VR camera (Vuze XR) for remote training of new technicians
		Aegis Systems Inc. (U.S. developer of object-detection AI)		5G monitoring with AI technology High-speed video processing of AI surveillance cameras to reduce costs of nighttime surveillance at an electrical substation
University of Guam Office of Information Technology		PLEN Robotics Inc. (Japanese developer of facial-recognition technology)		5G education Low-cost AI-based robot system for identifying examinees at test sites via high-speed, low-latency 5G network
		Smart Home Sentry, Inc. (U.S. developer of motion-detection AI)		5G monitoring with AI technology High-speed processing of video from AI-based surveillance camera to detect abnormal behavior and suspicious individuals on campus at night
ARLUIS Wedding Guam (Guam-based wedding services)		AMATELUS Inc. (Japanese developer of video streaming software)		5G live streaming of multi-screen video High-definition video system incorporating multiple cameras to allow people to richly experience wedding ceremonies from remote locations
United Airlines Guam Marathon Organizer		Flashframe (U.S. photo-sharing platform provider)		5G sports High-speed, large-capacity, low-latency system for uploading official photos from United Airlines Guam Marathon 2019 this coming April 14
		NS Solutions Corporation (Japanese system integrator) Meritech Co., Ltd. (Japanese software developer) Space Entertainment Laboratory (Japanese integrator of aerospace technologies)		5G drones System for wide-area, extended-flight monitoring of remote areas, such as the ocean and jungles, using special ocean-going drones
		JTB Corp (Japanese travel agency)		5G tourism Services to provide tourists with increased safety, convenience and excitement
		Sony Corporation (Japanese electronics maker)		5G AI robotics Remote outdoor operation of concept vehicle equipped with high-definition video cameras and high-definition 4K digital signage
DOCOMO 5G Open Lab is a trademark of NTT DOCOMO, INC.

About NTT DOCOMO
NTT DOCOMO, Japan's leading mobile operator with over 77 million subscriptions, is one of the world's foremost contributors to 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network technologies. Beyond core communications services, DOCOMO is challenging new frontiers in collaboration with a growing number of entities ("+d" partners), creating exciting and convenient value-added services that change the way people live and work. Under a medium-term plan toward 2020 and beyond, DOCOMO is pioneering a leading-edge 5G network to facilitate innovative services that will amaze and inspire customers beyond their expectations. DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (9437). www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190326005442/en/

Contact

For further information, please contact:
NTT DOCOMO
Mr. Michael Bristow or Ms. Saori Yoshimatsu
Public Relations Department
Tel: +81-3-5156-1366
Fax: +81-3-5501-3408
Website: www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english

Source : NTT DOCOMO, INC.

EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL UNVEILS GLOBAL SPORT CLUB ATTRACTIVENESS INDEX

DUSSELDORF, Germany, March 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Global market research company Euromonitor International published the first edition of the Global Club Attractiveness Index today, revealing the world’s top performing sports clubs ranked by their commercial attractiveness in 2018.
 
Euromonitor International’s new report shows that European football clubs from leagues such as La Liga, the Premier League and the Bundesliga, as well as teams from the major US leagues dominate the ranking.
 
According to Euromonitor International, the top five sport clubs are:

1. Real Madrid is the most followed sports club globally with over 226 million followers on social media platforms. The club continues to invest heavily in growth markets, inking broadcast deals in India and seven new South Asian countries.

2. FC Barcelona is the runner-up in this ranking with a record total ticket spend of USD91.9 million and one of the highest average attendances in football as well as the second highest social media following globally.

3. Manchester United boasts a history of success both locally and internationally. The Red Devils are one of the strongest professional sports brands globally, ensuring lucrative broadcast and commercial revenues for the club.

4. Arsenal is placed second in the Premier League ranking with a strong performance in total ticket spend and total attendance. In the 2017-2018 season the club managed to rank first in total ticket spend in Premier League as its average price for a home match increased from USD57 to USD74.

5. Bayern Munich has become synonymous with success on the pitch, as well as in the commercial sense. Unlike many of its European peers, the club has generated profits for over 20 consecutive years.
 
“Football clubs in Europe claim the top spots in the Global Club Attractiveness Index. Those clubs contain the key factors of success, from strong local support to extensive digital media footprint globally, guaranteeing a high return on investment for sponsor companies,” comments Egle Tekutyte, sports analyst at Euromonitor International.
 
Register now to receive a free copy of the report: https://bit.ly/2Wf74dH
 
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/20190326005119/en/
 
Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Soren Buchheister
Communications Associate - Euromonitor International
Tel: +49 211 89094423
soren.buchheister@euromonitor.com
 
Source : Euromonitor International
 
--BERNAMA

TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION ADDS BICS FLASH ENABLED UFS TO LINEUP OF EMBEDDED FLASH MEMORY PRODUCTS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS

Addresses Data Storage Demands, Including Increased Performance and Capacity, Required by Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Applications
 
TOKYO, March 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Toshiba Memory Corporation, the world leader in memory solutions, today announced that it has begun sampling^[1] new Automotive JEDEC UFS^[2] Version 2.1 embedded memory solutions utilizing 3D flash memory. The new products are embedded flash memory devices that integrate the company’s BiCS FLASH™ 3D flash memory and a controller in a single package. The sequential read and write performance are improved by approximately 6 percent and 33 percent, respectively, over existing devices^[3].
 
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190325005851/en/
 
The company’s Automotive UFS supports a wide temperature range (-40°C to +105°C), meets AEC-Q100 Grade2^[4] requirements and offers the enhanced reliability required by various automotive applications. The lineup consists of four capacities: 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB^[5].
 
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=34129

SHONAI REGION IN YAMAGATA PREFECTURE PRODUCES PR VIDEO"FOOD CAPITAL: SHONAI"

SHONAI, Japan, Mar. 25, 2019 /Kyodo JBN - AsiaNet/ --

- Tasty Japanese Food Isn't Only Found in Kyoto and Osaka! -

The Shonai Branch Office of the Yamagata Prefectural Government has produced a promotional video titled "Food Capital: Shonai," to be released on March 25, 2019. The Shonai Branch Office hopes that people all over Japan and the rest of the world will know the many charms of food sourced in and around the Shonai region in northeastern Japan.

1. Why people say "Food Capital: Shonai"

1) Abundant land surrounded by the ocean, mountains and rivers brings various delicious ingredients

Fertile plains on an alluvial fan surrounded by an abundant ocean and Mt. Gassan and Mt. Chokai, each measuring around 2,000 meters high. A miraculous natural environment brought about by varied terrain and a clearly defined difference in temperatures across the four seasons. Abundant fishing grounds where warm and cold currents meet.

2) Ingredients with a story

Rare ingredients few in number but high in variety -- there exist over 70 types of native produce passed down throughout the generations. Each type of produce has its own folklore, and each has its own special flavor suited to Shonai, making them "edible cultural assets."

3) Delicious cuisine

The Three Mountains of Dewa's "shojin ryori" -- vegan meals eaten by Japanese monks and priests -- refined by its long history (Tsuruoka City designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy). Traditional local cuisine and creative Western cuisine using local fish and native produce in abundance, soy sauce-flavored ramen with clear broth, with "dashi" made from seafood, and more!

2. Closer than you think! "Food Capital: Shonai"

Transfer at Haneda Airport and arrive at Oishii Shonai Airport in just one hour! Four return flights a day between Haneda Airport and Oishii Shonai Airport. (Oishii = Delicious)

3. Take the chance to try it in Hong Kong!

Fresh ingredients imported to Hong Kong by special express! Japanese restaurants across Hong Kong are planning to use these ingredients in their cooking.

For further information, please check the following website.

Website: http://syokunomiyakoshounai.com/international/

Promotion video website:
https://youtu.be/hcf6XRKaygA
https://youtu.be/JNEOkwxkiOI

SOURCE: Yamagata Prefectural Government

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=34122

KIRIN BEVERAGE REWRITES OWN NATIONAL RECORD FOR LIGHTEST 2-LITER PLASTIC BOTTLE

TOKYO, Mar. 26, 2019 /Kyodo JBN - AsiaNet / --
 
- Lighter Bottle Top Helps Further Reduce Environmental Impact –
 
Kirin Beverage Co., Ltd. has managed to reduce the weight of its 2-liter plastic bottle from 28.9 grams -- the lightest of its kind in Japan as of March 20, 2019 -- to 28.3 grams by making the bottle’s top part lighter. This achievement is a result of the company’s drive to “improve the sustainability of raw materials for plastic bottles” under the “Kirin Group Plastic Policy,” an initiative established by Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd. to promote the sustainable use of plastics and the circulation of resources. The lighter plastic bottle will be used for “Kirin Alkali Ion Water” starting in April this year.
 
The debuting 2-liter plastic bottle, now the lightest in Japan at 28.3 grams, has been developed in collaboration with the Kirin Group’s Research Laboratories for Packaging Technologies by successfully reducing its weight through modification of the threaded portion of the bottle top with a narrower screw thread and a shorter screw.
 
By utilizing this plastic bottle, the company will be able to reduce the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin by about 107 tons* per year and cut CO2 emissions by about 375 tons* per year.
*Estimated by the company on the basis of sales results for 2018
 
(Image: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/release/201903224551?p=images)
 
Kirin Beverage has long been pursuing activities to reduce environmental impact. In developing environmentally conscious containers and packaging, the company introduced an ultra-light “pecology bottle” for the 2-liter plastic bottle of “Alkali Ion Water” in June 2003, slashing its weight from the previous 63 grams to 42 grams. The “pecology bottle” was further applied to the 2-liter plastic bottles of “Kirin Nama-cha (green tea)” and “Kirin Amino Supli” in March 2005 and to the 1.5-liter plastic bottle of “Kirin Gogo no Kocha (black tea),” in April 2008.
 
In November 2010, the weight of the “pecology bottle” was further brought down to 35 grams (38 grams for some products) and a new “pecology bottle” was introduced for all home-use 2-liter plastic bottles with a universal design, making it easier for users to hold them and serve what is inside.
 
A new design was chosen in March 2015 for the 2-liter bottle of “Alkali Ion Water” as it evolved into a new “pecology bottle” that was easier to hold, handle and discard, weighing 28.9 grams. The company vows to continue making the bottle lighter still while considering convenience for customers.
 
Source: Kirin Beverage Co., Ltd
 
--BERNAMA

EARTH NETWORKS ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF SEVERE WEATHER EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR PAGASA

Collaboration with Philippines’ public weather provider enables faster early warning and new weather data for the country and the broader region

GERMANTOWN, Md., March 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Earth Networks announced today the completion of the Philippines’ first nationwide severe weather monitoring and alerting network with associated software services for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the Republic of the Philippines. The announcement was made at the 6^th annual InterMET Asia conference in Singapore.

Initiated in 2017, and formally commissioned this week, the technology partnership between PAGASA and Earth Networks is the first of its kind in the Philippines and surrounding regions, powered by a network of total lightning sensors and real-time automatic weather stations for mesoscale monitoring. Installed and operated together with Philippines partner West Point Engineering, the 10-year program includes:
 

• Real-time lightning detection powered by the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network
• On-the-ground weather monitoring via the Earth Networks Weather Network, integrated with PAGASA’s existing weather data systems
• Sferic Maps, a web-based severe weather monitoring and alerting platform
• Severe weather data and visualization tools such as Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts and PulseRad, a lightning-derived radar alternative
• Short-range point forecasts powered by ENcast, enabling emergency response planning for specific disaster-prone sites
• Comprehensive training and maintenance for all weather sensors

Data from the collaboration will be commercially available to public and private industries in the region to improve and inform decision-making around severe weather. This will further enable a commercial sustainability model for these severe weather monitoring and alerting systems. Earth Networks has also deployed its first Outdoor Alerting System in the Philippines to provide wide area public alerting.

PAGASA is the Philippines’ public weather service provider, issuing typhoon and flood warnings, public weather forecasts, advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological products and other specialized services primarily for the protection of life and property and in support of economic productivity and sustainable development.

Earth Networks is a global provider of weather information services, including the Earth Networks Total Lightning Network, with 1,700 total lightning sensors across 100 countries. Newly expanded in the Philippines, it is the world’s most advanced lightning network technology, featuring comprehensive monitoring of both in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning, enabling faster localized storm alerts and more accurate weather forecasts.

“Our partnership with Earth Networks is an exciting next step in our commitment to bring the best, most technologically advanced weather information systems to the Philippines.” said the PAGASA Administrator. “We can already see the benefits in improvements to our near-term forecasts, nowcasting and severe weather warning capabilities and look forward to further enhancements as a result of our cooperation.”

“We are delighted to build this innovative partnership model with PAGASA to help further our vision for a safer and more prosperous world,” said Jim Anderson, Senior Vice President, Global Sales at Earth Networks. “In addition to helping PAGASA with more accurate forecasting, severe weather monitoring and alerting, these new sources of data will greatly benefit a wide range of weather-sensitive industries in the Philippines, such as aviation, agriculture, energy and utilities. These commercial partnerships will further help sustain and expand these capacity enhancements for many years to come.”

About Earth Networks

Earth Networks has developed partnerships in many countries over the past several years to bring weather observation, forecasting and alerting technologies that are both low-cost and easy to deploy and maintain. The company is committed to enabling the best weather and lightning observation networks, visualization tools and early warning alerting technologies to the world. Schools, airports, sports teams, utilities and government agencies rely on our early warning solutions to safeguard lives, prepare for weather events and optimize operations. Companies across all industries use our weather data to automate decisions regarding risk management, business continuity, and asset protection.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190325005127/en/

Contact

Anna Porteus
aporteus@earthnetworks.com
+1-301-250-4156

Source : Earth Networks

--BERNAMA

SONITOR TECHNOLOGIES TO EXHIBIT AT 2019 AUSTRALIAN HEALTH CARE WEEK

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Bernama) -- Sonitor Technologies Inc. will exhibit its products at the 2019 Australian Health Care Week (AHCW) Conference and Exhibition in Sydney, Australia.

The two-day event begins March 27.

Sonitor Technologies is the first and only provider of ultrasound technology for real-time location systems (RTLS) and indoor positioning systems.

AHCW is the largest healthcare event in the Southern Hemisphere and the largest gathering of healthcare professionals in Australia.

Sonitor thrives on RTLS innovation and pushing technology limits. Whether it is consistently and reliably delivering accuracy from zone to chair level with its Sense technology or with its newest breakthrough technology, Forkbeard, Sonitor is at the forefront of innovation.

Compatible with iOS, Android and Windows, Forkbeard transforms smart devices to ‘be the tag’ and delivers 100 times more accuracy than Bluetooth® Low Energy, enabling wayfinding and workflow applications with unprecedented accuracy.

During the conference, attendees will have the opportunity to experience Sonitor’s technologies through live and interactive demonstrations.

“This event will provide us with the opportunity to provide live demonstrations that showcase the positive impact that our unique, ultrasound-based technology will have on both healthcare and aged-care facilities today, and in the future,” said Sonitor Technologies Inc Vice-President (Asia and Pacific), Murray Robinson.

“We have had tremendous response to Forkbeard since our market introduction at HIMMS2018. Healthcare industry leaders confirm that this is a major technology breakthrough that will help transform healthcare and other markets.”

Powered by Sonitor’s open integration RTLS platform, Sense and Forkbeard are complementary technologies that integrate with a wide variety of leading third-party software solutions and smart devices, significantly enhancing used cases such as asset management, patient flow, workflow, nurse call, wayfinding as well as staff and patient assist.

More details at www.sonitor.com

-- BERNAMA