Cognite Data Fusion™ to power data infrastructure of NTT Comware's Smart Data Fusion

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 -- Cognite, a global provider of Industrial DataOps software, has announced that NTT Comware, a global system integrator for telecommunications and other industries in the NTT Group, has adopted Cognite Data Fusion™ as part of the data infrastructure of the smart maintenance solution Smart Data Fusion.

Cognite Data Fusion™ is the leading Industrial DataOps platform, according to a statement.

“We are very pleased to be selected as the digital twin platform for NTT Comware's new service, and to be able to expand its application to new fields such as smart energy, smart infrastructure, and smart cities,” said president of Cognite Japan, Nori Tokusue.

Cognite Data Fusion™ integrates and contextualises various forms of industrial data, including images and sensor data collected by drones and robots, enabling industrial companies to easily create digital twin environments.

NTT Comware develops and operates operational and business systems for telecommunications infrastructure for the NTT Group.

NTT Comware also promotes and supports information and communications technology (ICT) utilisation and digital transformation for other customers by using the know-how accumulated over decades of operation.

Smart Data Fusion, provided by NTT Comware, is a service that realises digital transformation (DX) of facility management operations by integrating system information (IT), operational information (OT), 3D data, open data, and more into a digital twin space to analyse and use the data.

Cognite Data Fusion™ was adopted as a part of this infrastructure because of its scalability and track record, including its ability to integrate diverse data and withstand increases in data volume.

NTT Comware is the first system integrator in Japan to build and provide services using Cognite Data Fusion™.

More details at www.cognite.com.

-- BERNAMA

Japan non-life insurance market stable outlook maintained - AM Best report

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 -- Global credit rating agency, AM Best holds its stable market segment outlook on Japan’s non-life insurance industry, predominantly driven by carriers’ profitable underwriting performance amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the new Best’s Market Segment Report, titled, ‘Market Segment Outlook: Japan Non-Life Insurance’, premium rate adjustments, which are likely to improve the profitability of the fire insurance line; and solid risk-adjusted capitalisation to weather potential financial market volatility are also key supporting factors behind the stable outlook.

For fiscal-year 2020, the economic fallout from the pandemic led to a slowdown in economic activity domestically and regionally, with most major domestic non-life insurers seeing negative impact on certain lines of business due to the pandemic, such as the premium revenue of marine and travel insurance.

Nonetheless, the overall underwriting performance of non-life insurers in Japan generally has been positive despite the impact of COVID-19, based on a statement.

According to the report, this is because the increase in claims related to COVID-19 have been relatively low, as domestic non-life insurers typically have limited net retained exposure to event cancellation and business interruption risks in Japan.

Net incurred losses of most major domestic non-life insurers declined in fiscal-year 2020, primarily due to a decrease in large-scale natural catastrophe occurrences, as well as the positive effect of stay-at-home policies on the claim frequencies of voluntary automobile and travel insurances.

Furthermore, with increases in the premium rates for voluntary automobile insurance and fire insurance, most major domestic non-life insurers reported a material improvement in their combined ratios for private insurance. Voluntary automobile insurance accounts for over half of Japan’s non-life insurance net premium written, excluding compulsory automobile liability insurance.

Most domestic non-life companies have very strong capital positions, with excess solvency margin held by most domestic insurance companies also sizable relative to the value of equities and foreign securities, suggesting significant amount of excess capital available to cushion against market volatility.

For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

INNIO JENBACHER GAS ENGINES READY FOR HYDROGEN

 

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· From today, Jenbacher Type 4 gas engines are available as “Ready for H₂” engines, able to operate on up to 100% hydrogen
· As of 2022, all other engine types are offered as “Ready for H₂”, with the option to operate with up to 25%(v) of hydrogen in pipeline gas
· All “Ready for H₂” units and most of the currently installed Jenbacher natural gas fueled engines can be converted to operate on 100% hydrogen, as hydrogen gas becomes more widely available
 
JENBACH, Austria, July 22 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- As a key enabler and an integral part of the energy transition, today INNIO announced the launch of its “Ready for H₂” portfolio that includes 100% hydrogen-fueled Jenbacher H₂-engines. INNIO’s “Ready for H₂” gas engine portfolio is built on a long history of innovation with more than 30 years of experience and expertise in the use of renewable fuels and hydrogen-rich fuels, such as syngas and process gases for power generation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210721005146/en/  

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ZOOM TO ACQUIRE FIVE9

 

The combination of Zoom’s robust communications platform with Five9’s intelligent cloud contact center will enable organizations to reimagine the way they engage with their customers SAN JOSE, Calif. and SAN RAMON, Calif., July 19 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ: FIVN), a leading provider of the intelligent cloud contact center, in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $14.7 billion. Combining Five9’s Contact Center as a Service (“CCaaS”) solution with Zoom’s broad communications platform will transform how businesses connect with their customers, building the customer engagement platform of the future. The acquisition is expected to help enhance Zoom’s presence with enterprise customers and allow it to accelerate its long-term growth opportunity by adding the $24 billion contact center market. Five9 is a pioneer of cloud-based contact center software. Its highly-scalable and secure cloud contact center delivers a comprehensive suite of easy-to-use applications that allows management and optimization of customer interactions across many different channels. “We are continuously looking for ways to enhance our platform, and the addition of Five9 is a natural fit that will deliver even more happiness and value to our customers,” said Eric S. Yuan, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Zoom. “Zoom is built on a core belief that robust and reliable communications technology enables interactions that build greater empathy and trust, and we believe that holds particularly true for customer engagement. Enterprises communicate with their customers primarily through the contact center, and we believe this acquisition creates a leading customer engagement platform that will help redefine how companies of all sizes connect with their customers. We are thrilled to join forces with the Five9 team, and I look forward to welcoming them to the Zoom family.” “Businesses spend significant resources annually on their contact centers, but still struggle to deliver a seamless experience for their customers,” said Rowan Trollope, Chief Executive Officer of Five9. “It has always been Five9’s mission to make it easy for businesses to fix that problem and engage with their customers in a more meaningful and efficient way. Joining forces with Zoom will provide Five9’s business customers access to best-of-breed solutions, particularly Zoom Phone, that will enable them to realize more value and deliver real results for their business. This, combined with Zoom’s ‘ease-of use’ philosophy and broad communication portfolio, will truly enable customers to engage via their preferred channel of choice.” Zoom’s acquisition of Five9 is complementary to the growing popularity of its Zoom Phone offering. Zoom Phone is a modern, cloud phone system that offers a digital alternative to legacy phone offerings, enabling organizations to connect and interact in new and convenient ways to keep businesses moving. The combination also offers both companies significant cross-selling opportunities to each other’s respective customer bases. As a result of the acquisition, Zoom will play an even greater role in driving the digital future and bringing companies and their customers closer together. Following the close of the transaction, Five9 will be an operating unit of Zoom and Rowan Trollope will become a President of Zoom and continue as CEO of Five9, reporting to Eric Yuan.  http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=40563

Nippon Express Italia obtains GDP certification for warehouse near Milan Malpensa Airport

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 -- Nippon Express Italia S.P.A. (NE Italy), a local subsidiary of Nippon Express Co Ltd, has obtained Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification from the certification body CERTIQUALITY S.r.l., effective May 25.

This is for its company-owned warehouse near Milan Malpensa Airport, evidencing its compliance with GDP standards for the proper distribution of pharmaceuticals established by the European Commission.

According to a statement, Italy is a key global manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, accounting for 12 per cent of the world's pharmaceutical production and 22 per cent of Europe's.

NE Italy has constructed new temperature-controlled facilities equipped with cooling units to maintain 2 - 8 C (20 m2) and 15 - 25 C (470 m2) temperature ranges within its company-owned warehouse in Lainate, located about 30km southeast of Milan Malpensa Airport.

This will allow NE Italy to meet the logistics needs of customers in the pharmaceutical industry by combining temporary storage services using these facilities with Nippon Express' temperature-controlled international transport services.

Nippon Express will be further enhancing its services to meet increasingly sophisticated and diverse pharmaceutical logistics needs and bolstering its efforts on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry, positioned as a priority industry in its current business plan.

More details at http://www.nipponexpress.com/

-- BERNAMA 

BEYOND LIMITS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH MITSUI TO EXPAND GLOBAL ACCESS TO COGNITIVE AI SOLUTIONS

LOS ANGELES, July 13 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beyond Limits, an industrial and enterprise-grade AI technology company built for the most demanding sectors, today announced a new partnership with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui) to expand access to Cognitive AI solutions in the Asia-Pacific region.

The collaboration will establish digital transformation and AI-readiness consulting services for Mitsui’s clients in Japan and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, in addition to expanding globally. The services will first be deployed with one of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Plants where Mitsui is involved as an investor, utilizing Beyond Limits’ Cognitive AI solution to accumulate operational knowledge, analyze datasets, and boost production efficiency. 

“Beyond Limits is committed to developing AI solutions that go beyond solving today’s challenges to address the needs of new industries and regions that are recognizing the impact of artificial intelligence,” said Leonard Lee, President, Beyond Limits Asia-Pacific. “We’re proud to partner with Mitsui, an established leader in business development and trade in so many global industries. This collaboration is a testament to our joint commitment to building knowledge and value with AI for many sectors which are just now exploring its potential.”

The AI market in the Asia-Pacific region, including software and other services, is expected to reach a value of $136 billion by 2025 according to a report by research firm Tractica. The high market potential, coupled with growing technology adoption across traditional industries including infrastructure, energy and manufacturing, is expected to create a need for expert resources as more companies look to capitalize on digital services. 

“Mitsui announced the DX Comprehensive Strategy in November 2020,” said Yuji Mano, Managing Officer, General Manager of Integrated Digital Strategy Division at Mitsui. “We are working to improve productivity, strengthen competitiveness, and create new business models by integrating the various sites of Mitsui’s global portfolio with the power of digital. Through this partnership, we will accelerate our short to medium-term goals through efficiency improvement and execution of high added value of the existing business.” 

“Mitsui is delighted to partner with Beyond Limits,” said Hiroki Tanabe, Deputy General Manager, Forth Dept, Division III, Infrastructure Projects Business Unit at Mitsui. “We have been working on this deal for several years, and believe that the integration of Mitsui’s Operation Technology (OT) knowledge & Digital Transformation (DX) expertise under global portfolio and Beyond Limits’ AI technology will be able to deliver impact for companies across the energy industry and beyond.” 

For more information on Beyond Limits’ Cognitive AI energy solutions, click here. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=40520

Mark Kornblau named SoftBank Group Global Head of Communications

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 -- SoftBank Group Corp (SBG) has announced Mark Kornblau will join SBG as Global Head of Communications, effective Aug 16.

He joins SBG from the NBCUniversal News Group, where he is currently Executive Vice President of Communications.

Kornblau will be based in SoftBank's New York office, reporting to Representative Director, Corporate Officer, Chairman & CEO of SBG, Masayoshi Son, and Corporate Officer, Executive Vice President & COO of SBG and Chief Executive Officer of SoftBank Group International, Marcelo Claure.

In this role, Kornblau will be responsible for leading SBG's corporate communications strategy, directing the Company's external and internal global communications functions. He will also work with SBG's nearly 300 portfolio companies to foster alignment and value creation across the SoftBank Group ecosystem.

According to Claure in a statement, Kornblau will be a valuable partner to the leadership team and entrepreneurs and companies invested in.

Kornblau said: “SoftBank is at the centre of a transformative global moment. It is shaping the future by identifying truly innovative technologies and accelerating the growth of companies that are revolutionising the way we live and work – for the better. I’m looking forward to supporting that mission.”

Previously, Kornblau, who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served in the Obama Administration as Communications Director and Spokesman for Ambassador Susan Rice at the United States Mission to the United Nations.

The SoftBank Group invests in breakthrough technology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. The SoftBank Group comprises SoftBank Group Corp, an investment holding company that includes stakes in telecommunications, internet services,  and AI, among others.

For more information, visit https://global.softbank.

-- BERNAMA

Registration open, ‘Asia SPAC Management Bootcamp' set July 15

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 -- Marcum Bernstein & Pinchuk LLP (MBP) and Baker McKenzie have opened registration and confirmed the panelist line-up for the co-hosted virtual ‘Asia SPAC Management Bootcamp’ on July 15.

Discussions will feature management of venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE)-funded private companies, special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsors, private investment in public equity (PIPE) funds, investment banks, and SPAC advisers.

“SPACs are chasing deals in Asia right now. With more than 700 unicorns worldwide, half from China, these companies generate significant attention and drive value for the sponsor,” said MBP Co-Managing Partner Drew Bernstein.

“The SPAC boom is poised for continued growth within and from Asia. With SPAC deals moving fast, Asian management teams and dealmakers are preparing to navigate regulations and maximise the open window.”

According to a statement, the panels will be conducted in English with simultaneous translation in Chinese.

"SPAC dealmakers and target companies need to be aware of both the risks and opportunities in the market,” said Partner-in-Charge, Los Angeles and Chair of the North America Securities Litigation Group at Baker McKenzie, Perrie Weiner.

“There is significant upside for these types of deals, and proactively addressing risks can ensure such opportunities can be fully realised.”

MBP offers specialised audit and advisory services to support SPAC sponsors and SPAC targets in Asia. More details at www.marcumbp.com.

-- BERNAMA

40 MILLION PEOPLE RELIED ON GFN FOOD BANKS FOR MEALS AMID COVID-19 CRISIS IN 2020

 

Food banks increased their reach by 132 percent over the previous year due to increased demand for food caused by pandemic and faltering economic conditions Chicago, IL, July 7 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) announced that food banks in 44 countries served 40 million people in 2020, a 132 percent increase over service in 2019. The data is part of GFN’s annual Network survey, which this year includes information about how GFN-supported food banks around the world responded to COVID-19. The significant increase in people accessing food banks reflects the toll of the pandemic. As food requests rose from cut-off or quarantined communities, food banks rapidly deployed their transport, inventory, and logistics infrastructures to assist people who were isolated due to closed schools and public support agencies or overwhelmed health systems. “Food banks have served as a lifeline for millions of people during the health crisis,” said Lisa Moon, president and CEO of The Global FoodBanking Network. “When the pandemic rattled economies and prevented access to food, food banks responded where existing infrastructure failed. They proved agile and resourceful, providing emergency relief and hope to their communities.”   African food banks, which served 169 percent more people than the year before, reported the highest increase in people served globally, followed by food banks in Latin America, which served 157 percent more people than in 2019.   Many food banks embraced mass distribution through congregate feeding sites and meal kit deliveries as they sought to reach the most people possible. More than half of the people served by GFN partner food banks in 2020 were women and girls.   Children were especially vulnerable during lockdowns and movement restrictions. In response to widespread school closures, the majority of GFN partner food banks that operated or supported feeding programs for school-age children (including school lunches, after-school snacks, and backpack programs) quickly pivoted to alternative models, such as providing food directly to families or organizing distribution events at schools and daycare centers.   As COVID-19 disrupted the global food supply chain, food banks saw a shift in the sources of donated products. According to the survey, food banks experienced a tremendous drop in donations from food services, restaurants, hotels, grocers, and markets. At the same time, food donations from the agricultural sector nearly doubled in 2020, partly because farms did not have the informal labor force needed for harvest.   This year promises to be another challenging year for food banks. In the GFN survey, food banks in many countries reported deep concern over slow vaccine rollouts, additional waves of infections, economic recovery and recession, and staff and volunteer burnout.   “COVID-19 has made the hunger crisis even more urgent,” said Moon. “Now more than ever, it is important that governments, businesses, and other community leaders partner with food banks, which are community assets that work to ensure all people have access to food.”   ### About The Global FoodBanking Network: The Global FoodBanking Network supports community-driven solutions to alleviate hunger in more than 40 countries. While millions struggle to access enough safe and nutritious food, nearly a third of all food produced is lost or wasted. We’re changing that. We believe food banks directed by local leaders are key to achieving Zero Hunger and building resilient food systems. For more information, visit foodbanking.org. Nina Rabinovitch Blecker The Global FoodBanking Network +1-617-823-4107 nblecker@foodbanking.org  Source: The Global FoodBanking Network --BERNAMA

'Falcon's Beyond Global' takes off as fully integrated development enterprise

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 -- With proven theme park success in Europe, an award-winning creative team, patented technologies, and access to global real estate in prime tourist destinations, Falcon’s Beyond Global™ LLC has launched as a fully integrated enterprise to propel story-driven, experiential entertainment worldwide.

According to a statement, until now, it has proven almost impossible for most IP franchises to rapidly deploy across media content, consumer products, and hardest of all, themed location-based entertainment, all at once.

“Falcon’s Beyond Global represents the ultimate combination of unlimited storytelling potential, agile and flexible real estate scalability, and imaginative expansion into a multitude of categories,” said chief executive officer of Falcon’s Beyond Global and founder of the original Falcon’s Creative Group, Cecil D. Magpuri.

The new enterprise, supercharged by a joint venture with Meliá Hotels International, will be the only vertically-integrated entertainment powerhouse able to simultaneously activate an intellectual property across the full transmedia spectrum — with the potential to transform the US$440 billion hospitality and entertainment category. (US$1 = RM4.170)

Meliá, the world’s #1 leisure hotel group with over 390 properties in 40 countries, many in prime beach destinations, is jointly developing theme park + resort combos with Falcon’s Beyond at flagship properties on multiple continents.

Falcon’s Beyond was formalised this May when leading attraction design & master-planning firm Falcon’s Creative Group united with themed-entertainment company Katmandu Group.

This powerful combination has instantly created the only fully integrated source for simultaneous entertainment IP activations — from streaming media development to theme park site acquisition; master planning to brick-and-mortar projects; immersive ride & attraction design to merchandise creation; right through world-class park & resort operation.

Meanwhile, Executive Chairman of Falcon’s Beyond Global and co-founder of Katmandu Group, Scott Demerau said: “Through our partnership with Meliá, we have created a new playbook for building cost-effective, ‘Big-Experience, Small-Footprint’ theme parks, from beach resort communities to mixed-use entertainment spaces.”

With its expertise in intellectual property expansion, licensing, and immersive experiences, Falcon’s Beyond Global has unprecedented power to turn imagined worlds into reality — inspiring wonder in audiences and guests, with memories to last a lifetime.

More details at www.falconsbeyondglobal.com.

-- BERNAMA

20 PROMISING KOREAN DIGITAL CONTENT COMPANIES TO PARTICIPATE IN 'CONNECTECHASIA', THE LARGEST SINGAPORE ICT EXHIBITION IN ASIA

 

- The companies to extend the industrial exchange for digital content with ASEAN countries including Singapore - "Korean DC companies with innovative content will join the event, and we expect a great help in attracting visitors and gaining its popularity," a CTA official said.  SINGAPORE, July 5 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The digital content (DC) companies in Korea, a leading country in the digital industry, will attend the Singapore ICT exhibition ‘CommunicAsia 2021-ConnecTechAsia’ which will be held online from July 14 to 16.  The participation of the Korean companies supported by MOIBA and sponsored by the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea is to promote the development of the global DC industry and to enter a new southern market expanding the economic exchange with the ASEAN countries including Singapore. In this exhibition, 20 promising Korean companies will participate.  The 'Korea Pavilion – MOIBA hall’ on the CTA website will be open and various content like promotional videos, IR pitching videos, directory books will be posted. Based on its event platform, the domestic and overseas partnership with buyers and VCs will be established and it will support Korean companies’ efforts for product introduction through free demo sessions.  Utilizing the CTA network, business matching and online export consultation will be proceeded in prior to the event for 5 days, from July 5 to 9.  Moreover, non-contact IR pitching sessions will be open to attract investment in the companies, and the promotion for ‘MOIBA hall’ using local media and social media will also be carried out.  An official from CTA said, “Including Singapore, ASEAN countries have the highest confidence and interests in Korea’s DC industry. And we expect that the participation of Korean DC companies will be a great help for the attraction of visitors and the success of the exhibition.” According to the business agreement with IMDA in Singapore, this event will be open in the name of ‘Asia Tech x Singapore 2021 (AT x SG)’ this year which will be the largest ICT event in Asia with the participation of the DC related agencies, companies, and VCs. The details of the exhibition are available on the official website (https://www.connectechasia.com) including Korean companies that will be joining. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210704005006/en/  Contact  Korea Mobile Internet Business Association (MOIBA) Aaron Im +82-70-8765-8321 ish@moiba.or.kr  Source : Korea Mobile Internet Business Association  --BERNAMA

HYTERA LAUNCHES 4G & 5G SOLUTIONS TO SERVE THE MNO AND VERTICAL INDUSTRY MARKETS

 

SHENZHEN, China, July 2 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hytera has introduced its new 4G/5G portfolio including its industry-leading HyXG O-RAN solution. HyXG forms a key part of Hytera’s total solution aimed at serving the MNO and vertical industry markets. It comprises DU board, O-BBU and a high-end Edge-Node. The online launch event was held on 29 June 2021 to coincide with MWC Barcelona 2021.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: 
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210701005591/en/

Hytera believes more than ever that openness and innovation are important to society. Enterprises need a holistic approach to help them tackle the challenges they face and to instigate progress and change. The communications ecosystem needs to collaborate to explore innovative digital network solutions, which will transform enterprises across the globe.

Hytera HyXG O-RAN solution

5G technology will empower enterprises by underpinning the Industry 4.0 revolution. 5G, combined with the innovative, open standards approach promoted by the O-RAN Alliance, will enable a more competitive and vibrant RAN supplier ecosystem leading to faster innovation, greater collaboration and reduced risk of vendor lock-in.

O-RAN will deliver a more open, intelligent, virtualized and fully interoperable RAN architecture based on open hardware and cloud with intelligent management of radio and platform resources and service quality. By delivering a more efficient RAN, O-RAN will reduce operator CAPEX and OPEX. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=40446

Cigniti expands global footprint with Singapore office opening

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 -- Cigniti Technologies, world’s leading Independent Quality Engineering & Software Testing Services company, has announced the opening of its first office in Singapore.

With this new expansion, Cigniti further extends its global footprint in the Asia Pacific region to meet the growing digital transformation needs of leading enterprises based in the region.

“Cigniti is recognised globally for its innovative approach to assisting enterprises in their Quality Engineering and Digital transformation initiatives leveraging proprietary IP, AI & ML driven frameworks and highly agile & DevOps development methodologies,” said Cigniti’s head of RoW business. Nanda Padmaraju.

“This is a key milestone for us and we are keen on investing in the region, leverage the diverse hi-tech talent available locally and help towards further strengthening the QA community in the region.”

Meanwhile, Cigniti Chief Executive Officer, Srikanth Chakkilam said: “As we looked at expanding our presence in Asia Pacific, Singapore was a natural choice as it is a global business hub, with great connectivity, technologically sophisticated infrastructure, and overall a very supportive business ecosystem and government.”

According to a statement, the company is already working with several leading enterprises in Singapore as its strategic quality engineering partner, and its new office in the heart of Singapore will enable it to be more agile and responsive to the needs of its clients in the region and serve them better.

-- BERNAMA

With new vice presidents, CyCognito expands sales footprint including APAC, US Government

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 -- CyCognito, the leader in external attack surface management and attack surface protection has announced the hire of new sales executives Justin DuHaime and Michael Tan to help scale the sales team and expand its target focus to new markets both domestically and abroad.

DuHaime joins CyCognito as Vice President of Public Sector, bringing more than 28 years experience of building successful sales organisations and strategic partnerships in federal and commercial markets, and most recently led government sales at BitSight.

The need for attack surface protection in the government sector is evidenced by historical and recent attacks as well as the President’s recent Executive Order 14,028 on “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity”.

Tan is the new Regional Vice President of Sales for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. With more than 28 years experience building sales and channels in the region, he comes to CyCognito after three years at IntSights where he was the first hire in APAC.

Demand for attack surface protection has been growing in the region, paralleling the global need to get ahead of attackers and prevent breaches using proactive measures.

“We are very excited to welcome Justin and Michael to the CyCognito team,” said CyCognito Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Mike Trites.

“Customer demand for cybersecurity solutions, in particular attack surface protection, is surging as attackers get more sophisticated and find new ways to access organisations’ data, applications and networks. Scaling our sales leadership allows us to focus on and reach customers in new markets that are yearning for solutions like ours.”

Founded by national intelligence agency veterans, Palo-Alto based CyCognito is funded by leading Silicon Valley venture capitalists, according to a statement.

-- BERNAMA

Uniphore named Conversational Automation Innovation Leader by Frost & Sullivan

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 -- Uniphore, an early leader in Conversational Service Automation (CSA), announced it has been awarded the 2021 Frost & Sullivan Global Technology Innovation Leadership Award in Conversational Automation.

The Frost & Sullivan-authored award recognises Uniphore’s comprehensive and innovative approach to addressing customer needs with the development and support of its CSA platform via its best-in-class underlying AI technology.

The report is the result of an independent, non-sponsored evaluation by Frost & Sullivan’s analyst team and calls out Uniphore’s commitment to innovation and creativity, financial performance, operational efficiency, and growth potential, with the Award following a strong year of growth across the board for Uniphore.

“Because of the pandemic, enterprise automation has really accelerated the transformation of enterprise conversations, with a specific focus on customer experience (CX). To solve some major challenges and eliminate customer frustration across the board, we know that AI-driven conversational automation is the key,” said Uniphore CEO and co-founder, Umesh Sachdev.

According to the report, Uniphore’s comprehensive product portfolio “addresses the ongoing trend of companies seeking to simultaneously transform customer care digitally while using technology to rein in costs and boost revenue.”

In particular, the award recognises the recent additions of U-Assist Assurance – which leverages RPA technology to register promises or assurances made to customers during a call in real-time and manage the fulfillment of those promises after the call ends to ensure they are kept – and U-Trust – a voice biometric-based solution that provides agent authentication and secures sensitive customer data during an interaction.

“Uniphore has been at the forefront of conversational automation for years and continues to impress,” said Frost & Sullivan Industry Director, Information & Communications Technologies, Nancy Jamison.

According to a statement, Uniphore is already on track for another strong year and expects to have US$100 million in contracted annual recurring revenue and hire more than 300 employees in fiscal 2022 based on a forecast of continued hypergrowth. (US$1 = RM4.155)

-- BERNAMA

INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR RESEARCH PUBLISHES 2021 ASIA EXECUTIVE TEAM RANKINGS

All-Star status - 14 companies in Mainland China and 12 companies in the Rest of Asia achieve first place in at least four categories in their sectors. 
Firms achieved top spot through excellent IR program, ESG, executive leadership and COVID response.

HONG KONG, June 30 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Institutional Investor Research (II Research) announced the results of their 11th Annual Asia Executive Team survey, revealing Asia’s leading CEOs, CFOs, Investor Relations Officers, and Investor Relations programs that best uphold corporate governance standards and facilitate investment into their company. A total of 116 companies attained a published position in the categories listed above to become an Honoured company, and 46 of those companies were granted the coveted Most Honoured Company recognition.

A total of 4,084 investors and portfolio managers and analysts from 1,285 voter firms participated in this survey, nominating a total of 1,438 companies and 2,690 individuals across 18 sectors. This included 3,503 buy-side professionals from 1,178 buy-side companies with an estimated $1,863 billion in Asia (ex-Japan) equities and 581 sell-side analysts from 107 companies.

The companies were rated on several core areas, including Financial Disclosure, Services & Communication, COVID-19 responses and ESG. When presented with the added attributes of CEO and CFO, we can see that while there was an increase in votes for these positions, there was also more scrutiny. 

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NIKKISO CLEAN ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL GASES GROUP ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF NIKKISO CLEAN ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL GASES (SEA) SDN. BHD IN MALAYSIA

TEMECULA, Calif., June 29 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (Group), a subsidiary of Nikkiso Co., Ltd (Japan), is proud to announce the creation of Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases (SEA) Sdn. Bhd. effective 1^st July 2021. This company represents the combining of our two Malaysia business units: Cryogenic Industries and Cryoquip in a new joint facility.

This merger represents another step forward in the Group’s overall corporate growth strategy, emphasizing their ability to provide both global and regional support for sales and service. The name change emphasizes the support and strength of the larger Group; Clean Energy is the growth engine and Industrial Gases the core foundation. 

The new, larger facility provides a strong support structure for future growth. Ideally placed within the region to support their key customers and provide an additional focus on clean energy, the 56,400 square foot facility is twice the size of their previous center. It has an improved capacity for loading flow and manufacturing for vaporizers, vacuum lines, process skid fabrication and assembly, refurbishment work, as well as pumps parts and service. In addition, it offers opportunities for sharing resources with other Nikkiso group companies (supporting Nikkiso Cryo or for fabrication of LEWA SEA and/or Geveke Malaysia skids). 

According to Tim Born, the Vice President of Nikkiso CE&IG for South East Asia and Oceania;

“This new facility will provide a one-stop shop for the Nikkiso CE&IG Group’s cryogenic process equipment, installations and services. The amalgamation of our two businesses in Malaysia and the willingness to expand our facility and capabilities highlights our Group’s commitment to this region. Our new facility will provide timely local support for our complete range of products and services, and I look forward to working together with our customers and our talented local Nikkiso CE&IG team to provide the products and services this growing region needs.” 

Nikkiso CE&IG (SEA) is responsible for business in South East Asia, namely Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Brunei, Laos and Cambodia, as well as Taiwan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, and provides support to the Middle East, India, Africa and Australia. 

Contact Information: 

Nikkiso Clean Energy and Industrial Gases (SEA) Sdn. Bhd. 199601016333
(formerly known as Cryoquip Sdn. Bhd. 388684-P)
Lot 862, Jalan Subang 8, Taman Perindustrian Subang
47600 Subang, Selangor, Malaysia 

Tel: +60 3 8081 8330
Fax: +60 3 8081 8360
Email: sales.sea@nikkisoceig.com Website: www.nikkisoCEIG.com  

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