Hong Kong Cyberport supports local mobile, arcade and console game developers

 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 -- The novel coronavirus has dealt heavy blows to many industries, yet it has also presented new business opportunities for sectors such as digital entertainment, of which game development is a key component.

Although countries like the United States, Japan and China have well-established in the gaming market, Hong Kong’s game developers are starting to shine.

As the city’s leading digital technology community, Cyberport has supported a number of promising game developers, whereby their work is available as mobile games, games for home consoles and arcade games.

Cyberport’s Chief Public Mission Officer, Eric Chan said: “We have seen more game development start-ups leveraging the Cyberport Incubation Programme for business development support. Designated quotas are allocated for digital entertainment start-ups, including game developers.”

The Cyberport Incubation Programme has cultivated a number of mobile game developers, who have produced games catering to diverse user preferences ranging from mysteries to car racing, exploration and business simulation.

As games must be extraordinary to stand out amongst the wide variety of car racing games already on the market, Cyberport has incubatee Twitchy Finger which made a name for itself with ‘Mini Legend’, released five years ago.

There are now close to 150 digital entertainment and esports companies in the Cyberport community, of which over 60 are engaged in gaming development whereby, Cyberport provides one-stop entrepreneurial support.

Through initiatives including the Cyberport Incubation Programme and the Cyberport Creative Micro Fund, start-ups can receive up to HK$1.1 million in financial aid, plus other forms of assistance. (HK$100 = RM53.56)

-- BERNAMA

Juniper’s wired, wireless solutions selected to transform JoongAng Group’s network system

 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 -- Juniper Networks, a leader in secure, AI-driven networks has announced that JoongAng Group has selected Juniper’s wired and wireless solutions driven by Mist AI to transform its network system.

With the country’s first AI-driven enterprise network by Juniper, JoongAng Group can continue to lead its diverse array of business and broadcasting services, while securely maximising operational efficiency and flexibility for future business expansion.

As the company prepared to spread its workforce across two office buildings upon completion of its JTBC Building in 2019, JoongAng Group wanted to introduce a next-generation network system that would provide a unified experience for all employees in both buildings.

To achieve that goal, JoongAng Group decided to plan their infrastructure based on a smart office concept centered on providing a fast, seamless, wireless network that would bridge the two physically separated buildings.

Juniper’s wired and wireless network solutions fulfilled all of the company’s needs and were first deployed in the JTBC Building last year followed by the JoongAng Building, according to a statement.

In particular, Juniper’s Wireless Access Points driven by Mist AI equipped with Wi-Fi 6 stood out for providing enterprise-grade performance and an AI engine that has replaced manual IT tasks with AI-driven proactive automation and self-healing.

With Juniper’s AI-driven network, JoongAng Group has jumped a step ahead of the industry in terms of network efficiency, leveraging automation and insights to lower IT costs while maximising the end-user experience.

More details at www.juniper.net.

-- BERNAMA
 

CIC Guam Credit Ratings maintained under review with positive implications status - AM Best

 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 -- AM Best has maintained the under review with positive implications status for the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bbb+’ of Century Insurance Company (Guam) Limited (CIC Guam) Guam.

These Credit Ratings (ratings) were initially placed under review on July 3, last year, following an announcement that DB Insurance Co Ltd (DBI) entered into an agreement with CIC Guam’s parent company, Tan Holdings Corporation (THC).

This is to acquire an 80 per cent stake in each of THC’s three insurance subsidiaries, including CIC Guam and two other insurers in Saipan and Papua New Guinea. DBI was also expected to secure the management rights in all three companies.

At that time, AM Best indicated the ratings would remain under review until the transaction was completed, and an assessment of the subsequent impact to CIC Guam’s business profile and other credit fundamentals could be determined, according to a statement.

Based on the global credit rating agency, AM Best’s recent conversations with company management, THC and DBI remain in close contact on this transaction.

Currently, there is no clear date for closing; however, CIC Guam does continue to operate unencumbered by this ongoing development.

The company’s ratings will remain under review until the resolution of the transaction and AM Best has the necessary information to assess the full rating impact.

More details at www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

Tricor launches virtual board meeting solution in Singapore

 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17-- Asia's leading business expansion specialist, Tricor Group (Tricor) has launched its Boardfolio platform in Singapore, a secure and easy-to-use, virtual board portal that manages the full lifecycle of board and committee operations digitally.

The launch of Boardfolio in Singapore marks the next phase of a strategic partnership that Tricor formed with leading board portal provider, Praxonomy in November last year, which paired Tricor’s corporate governance suite with Praxonomy's secure digital board portal.

Anchored by two technology solutions, including EZBoard and the SPOT collaboration between 3 Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, Microsoft and TFI Digital Media Limited, the Boardfolio has been launched in Singapore and across ASEAN key markets.  

In a statement, Tricor Group Chief Commercial Officer, Gary Tok said after seeing significant traction and success with the Boardfolio solution in Hong Kong, the company now launched the offering in Singapore and looked forward to delivering the best and most innovative governance solutions available to today’s board leaders.

“Boardfolio empowers a swift digital transformation and the benefits will reverberate long after the pandemic, enhancing shareholder participation, reducing the company secretary’s workload, driving collaboration, strengthening data security and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements in the long term,” said Tricor Singapore Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Ho Lon Gee.

More details at www.tricorglobal.com.

-- BERNAMA

Provident Insurance Corporation Limited Credit Ratings affirmed - AM Best

 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B (Fair) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bb+’ of Provident Insurance Corporation Limited (PICL) New Zealand.

In a statement, the global credit rating agency, AM Best said the outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) was stable.

The ratings reflect PICL’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as adequate, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

PICL’s balance sheet strength assessment reflects its risk-adjusted capitalisation, which was at the strong level as of fiscal year-end 2020, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.

Due to elevated planned underwriting growth over the medium term, AM Best expects PICL’s prospective risk-adjusted capitalisation to weaken but remain at least at the adequate level, as the company executes its strategic plan.

Other balance sheet factors include the company’s conservative investment strategy, and its relatively small absolute capital base, which exposes its risk-adjusted capitalisation to potential volatility in stressed scenarios.

AM Best views PICL’s business profile as limited, given its relatively small scale of operations and limited geographical diversification, with all business emanating from New Zealand.

More details at www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

Popular Chiba Prefecture spots bedazzle tourists with colourful autumn leaves

 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 -- The Chiba Prefectural Government has introduced popular tourist spots for viewing colourful autumn leaves on its official mascot character CHI-BA+KUN's Facebook page.

Since Chiba Prefecture is close to Tokyo, not only is enjoying autumn leaves convenient, but visitors can also appreciate fall foliage at various spots such as gorges, temples, and parks, according to a statement.

The Chiba Prefectural Government is also introducing various attractions such as tourist spots and delicious foods to the people of Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam as part of its efforts to let them know about Chiba Prefecture.

Relevant information is available on the Facebook pages. The Facebook pages are Taiwan: CHI-BA+KUN; Thailand: Chibakun Japan; Malaysia: Chibakun Japan for Malaysia; Singapore: Chibakun Japan for Singapore; and, Vietnam: Chibakun Japan for Vietnam.

CHI-BA+KUN is a curious creature born and living in Chiba Prefecture. Its side profile represents the shape of Chiba Prefecture.

-- BERNAMA

GRAVITY NEOCYON OPENS PRE-ORDERS FOR THE NEW GAME 'ACTION RO2: SPEAR OF ODIN' IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN REGION ON DECEMBER 8

 

^{Gravity Neocyon, a subsidiary of Gravity, has opened pre-orders for its action RPG using the Ragnarok IP 'Action RO2: Spear of Odin' for the Southeast Asian region. The game will captivate its players with fascinating action scenes and visuals. The game will support Indonesian and English languages in five regions: Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia. Events are opened to celebrate the launch of the pre-orders: a prize of a latest-model automobile worth USD 15,100 to one of the pre-ordering users; as well as awarding game items according to the number of pre-orders received and “likes” clicked on the game’s official Facebook page. (Graphic: Business Wire)}


- The first action RPG using Ragnarok IP to be released within the year
- Services the game in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia in the Indonesian and English
- First global game launch since Neocyon changed the name to Gravity Neocyon


SEOUL, South Korea, Dec 9 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Gravity Neocyon, Inc., a subsidiary of Gravity, has opened pre-orders for its new game, 'Action RO2: Spear of Odin' for the Southeast Asian region on December 8.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201208006213/en/  

‘Action RO2: Spear of Odin’ is developed and serviced by Gravity Neocyon. An action RPG using the Ragnarok IP, ‘Action RO2: Spear of Odin’ players will adventure and collect various game items and cards to develop unique strategies and styles. ‘Action RO2: Spear of Odin’ will captivate its players with fascinating action scenes and visuals.

The game will support Indonesian and English languages in five regions: Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia.

The Ragnarok IP is highly recognized and preferred in these regions. ‘Action RO2: Spear of Odin’ will be the first game of its genre that the Ragnarok IP is applied for these regions. Gravity Neocyon plans to target local users based on the differentiation points of this new game. The game is scheduled for release within the year.

“Action RO2: Spear of Odin has been meticulously prepared as it is the first game to be globally launched since we changed our name from Neocyon to Gravity Neocyon,” said a Gravity Neocyon insider. “It will provide differentiated fun from that of other games that the Ragnarok IP is applied. Users will be able to enjoy creating the equipment and game cards, etc. and also playing with friends through the raid system.”

Several events are opened to celebrate the launch of the pre-orders. The events include a prize of a latest-model automobile worth USD 15,100 to one of the pre-ordering users; as well as awarding game items according to the number of pre-orders received and “likes” clicked on the game’s official Facebook page.

Established in 2000, Neocyon changed its name to Gravity Neocyon on December 2, 2020, to maximize synergy with its parent company, Gravity, and improve business efficiency and competitive power.

[Facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RO2Odin/
[Pre-order Event Page] https://ro2odin.gnjoy.id/

About Gravity Neocyon

Established in 2000, Neocyon is a mobile content specialist that comprehensively supports the system, content, and service. Its business areas include mobile service platform establishment, mobile content development, online marketing, and publishing service in Korea and abroad. Since 2006, in particular, the company has been producing great results with the mobile version of “Ragnarok Online,” a global game brand, in Korea, Japan, and North America. It is also developing various mobile games and SNS games, multimedia, augmented reality, and application contents. In 2020, it changed the name to Gravity Neocyon to maximize synergy with its parent company, Gravity, and improve business efficiency and competitive power.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201208006213/en/

Contact

Gravity Neocyon
InKyung Kwon
+82-2-2132-6996
sagomong@neocyon.com

Source : Gravity Neocyon, Inc.

Research: 57 per cent Southeast Asia viewers streaming more OTT video content amidst pandemic

 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 -- The Trade Desk has announced new, first-of-its-kind research in the Southeast Asia market, showing that 180 million consumers stream eight billion hours of over-the-top (OTT) content per month across Southeast Asia.

This makes OTT one of the fastest growing media channels in the region, according to a statement.

The study, which surveyed usage and viewing habits on OTT platforms in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, showed that COVID-19 accelerated OTT adoption.

More than half (57 per cent) of OTT users say they are streaming more OTT content during the pandemic and these habits are likely to continue even after COVID-19 with 73 per cent planning to maintain or increase OTT consumption after the pandemic ends.

OTT services enable viewers to stream professionally-produced video content over the internet on demand, from any device including smart TVs, personal computers or mobile devices.

The study also showed that OTT has the potential to seriously disrupt traditional primetime TV as the majority of OTT viewers (70 per cent) prefer to tune in between the hours of 8pm-12am, bringing streaming into direct competition with traditional TV for valuable primetime audiences.

In addition, Southeast Asian viewers are also looking to OTT for their favourite content, with 58 per cent tuning in to OTT to watch their favourite programming versus just 48 per cent on traditional broadcast.

As part of this shift, Southeast Asian viewers are willing to embrace ads for free content. Regionally, over 100 million people use ad-supported OTT platforms, with the vast majority of viewers (89 per cent) willing to watch ads in exchange for free programming.

The report was commissioned by The Trade Desk and carried out by the world’s leading marketing data, insight, and consultancy, Kantar. Kantar conducted a survey among 4,500 consumers, aged 16+ in September this year.

-- BERNAMA

Triton's Omny Studio platform to power SPLiCE Studios' podcast strategy creation, distribution

 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 -- Triton Digital®, the global technology and services leader to the digital audio and podcast industry, and SPLiCE Studios, creator of English & Asian language audio content for broadcast, film, corporate, and online media, disclosed SPLiCE Studios selected Triton’s Omny Studio platform to power the creation and distribution of their growing podcast strategy.

Via this partnership, SPLiCE Studios will utilise the comprehensive tools within Omny Studio to create, publish, and promote their evolving portfolio of original and third-party podcast content to audiences across a wide range of devices and platforms, including smart speakers, social media networks and smart phones.

“We are proud to be providing SPLiCE Studios with the technology and support they need to further their podcast business,” Triton Digital Managing Director, Sharon Taylor said in a statement.

“We are confident that our platform will enable SPLiCE Studios to continue to grow and evolve while making the process of producing and sharing content more efficient.”

Singapore-based SPLiCE Studios will leverage the rich distribution tools within the Omny Studio platform to provide an increasingly engaging experience for its audience, including customisable and multi-lingual web and embed players, automated transcriptions, audiograms, and more.

“We are thrilled to be leveraging Triton’s Omny Studio platform to help us create and manage our podcast content through a more optimised and seamless workflow,” said SPLiCE Studios Owner & Sound Designer, Kenn Delbridge.

For details, visit www.TritonDigital.com.

-- BERNAMA

Bao Minh Insurance Corporation Credit Ratings affirmed - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘bbb’ of Bao Minh Insurance Corporation (BMI) Vietnam.

The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable, according to a statement.

The ratings reflect BMI’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The ratings also factor in a neutral impact from the company’s majority ownership by the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC), which is the sovereign wealth fund of Vietnam.

BMI’s balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalisation that is expected to remain at the strongest level over the medium term, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.

Despite the company’s moderate dividend payout ratio, AM Best expects retained earnings to remain sufficient to support planned business growth.

AM Best assesses BMI’s business profile as neutral. BMI is ranked as the fourth largest non-life insurer in Vietnam based on 2019 gross premium written, although its market share has shown a gradual reduction over the years.

BMI’s business profile benefits from a level of business referral from its majority shareholder; SCIC, albeit a divestiture by this shareholder is expected over the near to medium term.

More details at www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

AM BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF NONGHYUP PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED

 HONG KONG, Dec 4 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” of NongHyup Property and Casualty Insurance Company Limited (NH P&C) (South Korea). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect NH P&C’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorises as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The ratings also reflect the implicit and explicit support the company receives from its ultimate parent company, the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF).

The risk-adjusted capitalisation of NH P&C, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), is assessed at the strongest level, supported by a capital increase of KRW 160 billion (USD 140 million) in 2019 from its immediate parent, NongHyup Financial Group Inc. (NHFG). NH P&C has maintained a zero-dividend policy since 2017 to strengthen its capitalisation in preparation for IFRS 17 and K-ICS, a new solvency regime that will be implemented in South Korea along with IFRS 17. The company’s conservative investment portfolio, consisting largely of highly rated domestic and overseas fixed-income securities, also adds stability to the current balance sheet strength assessment.

NH P&C’s operating performance is assessed as being adequate with a five-year average operating ratio of 98.7% (2015-2019) and a return-on-equity ratio of 3.2%. The company reported a slight improvement in 2019 net profit compared with 2018, during which the company incurred large losses related to government policy products amid abnormal weather conditions. Its underwriting performance remained unfavourable in 2019 due to a rise in its expense ratio, along with increased claims on medical coverage and a few large loss events in the long-term property line. Nonetheless, in the first half of 2020, its bottom line markedly increased to KRW 42 billion (compared with KRW 6 billion in the first half of 2019), driven by improved claims experience in the long-term and government policy insurance lines, as well as a normalised expense ratio.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of NHFG, the financial arm of NACF, NH P&C generated approximately 4% of South Korea’s non-life market based on 2019 direct premium written (DPW). While the long-term insurance line contributes the largest share of its business, NH P&C also exclusively provides South Korea’s farmers with government policy insurance such as crop and livestock insurance, which comprised approximately 28% of its DPW in 2019. Distribution is highly concentrated in the cooperative channel, which is a network of NACF’s members.

NH P&C is strategically important to its ultimate parent, NACF, due to its role as an exclusive provider of government policy insurance to NACF cooperative members. The rating enhancement reflects the operational and financial benefits that NH P&C derives from being a key member within NACF, including subsidies and reinsurance support from the government for government policy insurance, exclusive access to NACF’s cooperative channel, and capital support from its immediate parent, NHFG.

Negative rating actions could occur if there is a significant deterioration in the company’s risk-adjusted capitalisation or operating performance. Negative rating actions may also arise if the level of support or the company’s strategic importance to its ultimate parent diminishes to a degree that no longer supports the current level of enhancement.

Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2020 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201203005719/en/

Contact

Chang Sim
Associate Financial Analyst
+852 2827 3407
chang.sim@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Chanyoung Lee
Senior Financial Analyst
+852 2827 3404
chanyoung.lee@ambest.com

Jim Peavy
Director, Communications
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com

Source : AM Best

RoosterBio-Sartorius partnership to expand cell, gene therapy manufacturing into South Korea

 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 -- RoosterBio Inc, a leading supplier of innovative cellular therapy bioprocess tools and scalable manufacturing solutions for regenerative medicine, has entered into an exclusive agency agreement with Sartorius Korea Biotech, a subsidiary of the Sartorius Group.

This strategic partnership combines Sartorius’ proven expertise in providing high-calibre bioprocess testing, technical and customer services to the local South Korean market, as well as its global reach, and RoosterBio’s advanced platform of RUO and cGMP-grade human mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (hMSC) working cell banks, optimised paired media, and hMSC bioprocess systems.

This winning combination sets the stage for accelerating the development of new, effective medical treatments and expands RoosterBio’s footprint into Asia, especially in South Korea.

“South Korea is a pre-eminent innovator in hMSCs, and the South Korean biotech ecosystem has been flourishing according to every measure of growth.

“One of the first MSC therapies was developed in Korea, clearing an entirely new path to treat previously incurable diseases,” said RoosterBio Chief Executive Officer, Margot Connor in a statement.

Under the terms of the agreement, Sartorius Korea Biotech - a leading international partner of the biopharmaceutical and life science research sectors - will engage with its customers as an exclusive agent for RoosterBio to facilitate sales operations and increase the market potential for RoosterBio products on an exclusive basis in South Korea.

“RoosterBio’s commercialised product systems standardise hMSC manufacturing to remove years of time and millions of dollars from the timeline of traditional mesenchymal cell therapeutic product development and clinical translation efforts,” said Sartorius Korea Biotech Managing Director, Duck Sang Kim.

For details, visit www.roosterbio.com.

-- BERNAMA

i-exceed notes increased digital onboarding adoption in corporate banking

 KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 -- Over the last few months, the banking landscape has undergone dramatic changes, focusing on customer experience in a digital-only world.

i-exceed’s Appzillon Digital Banking platform enables banks to move to a mobile-first strategy and helps them accelerate their digital transformations, helping banks accelerate their corporate client origination processes with an end-to-end on-boarding platform.

The solution provides banks’ clients and sales teams with a simple and intuitive platform that handles the entire lifecycle of the onboarding journey from origination to fulfillment.

Appzillon’s micro-app based architecture provides a highly flexible and configurable platform that lets banks manage the entire lifecycle of their product origination process.

The Appzillon Corporate Banking Solution offers a simplified user experience, comes with local adaptors for most major markets and has built-in Natural Language Processing and Optical Character Recognition for documentation and verification.

“Banks like Citi and AGTB (Anglo-Gulf Trade Bank) are at the fore-front of digital transformation. It is a great testament to Appzillon’s strength as a multi-experience platform and its ability to scale that provided value to them,” says i-exceed Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Sundar Sundararajan in a statement.

i-exceed technology solutions is a FinTech company powering digital transformation of the world’s leading banks and financial institutions.

For details, visit https://www.i-exceed.com/.

-- BERNAMA