Friday 29 June 2018

​BRANDSAFWAY™ FORMS NEW INNOVATION COUNCIL

Improving value and quality of product and service solutions for customers

Kennesaw, Georgia, June 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BrandSafway, a leading provider of work access and specialized services to the global industrial, commercial and infrastructure markets, has formed an innovation council to identify, develop and launch new, forward-thinking ideas.

“We take our role as the industry’s leader in safety, engineering and innovation seriously,” said Bill Hayes, president and CEO of BrandSafway “The BrandSafway Innovation Council will focus on harnessing internal creativity in the development of new processes and tools.”

BrandSafway leads the industry with patented and proprietary products like the QuikDeck® Suspended Access System, which creates a factory-floor-like platform in the air, reducing craft labor by as much as 35 percent or more, and BrandNet®, which increases productivity on jobsites through access optimization. “Our Innovation Council is developing a pipeline of similar, innovative solutions,” Hayes said. “They will focus on accelerating ideation, development and commercialization.”

Access and industrial services are connected to many major industries – refining, power, commercial construction, transportation and infrastructure. “By helping our customers improve safety and increase productivity, we can have a powerful, positive impact on our customers, their industries and the economy,” Hayes explained. “The Council is an important step in improving and accelerating innovation globally, while ultimately increasing the value we bring to our customer sites. BrandSafway is invested in continuing to provide thought leadership in safety, engineering and innovation.”

Vishnu Irigireddy, vice president of Global Engineering for SafeWorks, a BrandSafway company, has been named chair of the Innovation Council. “This is an exciting time at BrandSafway,” Irigireddy said. “The Innovation Council not only provides an opportunity for ideas to be heard and carefully considered; it’s a great way for our various divisions and departments to build off each other, and in the end, come up with even better, safer and more productive solutions for our customers.”

Irigireddy joined the SafeWorks leadership team in 2016, bringing more than 18 years of senior leadership experience in engineering and strategic growth. The Council also includes leaders from throughout all BrandSafway’s departments and divisions. This includes product line management, safety, business and operational leaders in BrandSafway’s industrial, commercial and infrastructure segments.

“Our people are our greatest asset,” said Hayes. “We have the most experienced team in the industry, and the Council will provide a forum to capture their ideas for improving safety and productivity for our customers.”

About BrandSafway
With a commitment to safety as its foremost value, BrandSafway provides the broadest range of services, products and solutions, with the greatest depth of expertise, to the industrial, commercial and infrastructure end markets. A portfolio company of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, BrandSafway offers access, industrial services and forming and shoring solutions to more than 32,000 customers through a workforce of approximately 35,000 employees, who support our network of 350 strategic locations across 30 countries. With its global footprint, rigorous operating processes and extensive service offerings — access, insulation, coatings, specialty industrial services and forming and shoring — BrandSafway supports customers’ maintenance and refurbishment needs as well as new construction and expansion plans. Today’s BrandSafway — large enough to leverage economies of scale to increase safety and productivity, while remaining nimble and responsive — delivers unmatched service with local labor and management. For more information, visit www.brandsafway.com.
 
Karla Cuculi
BrandSafway
414-523-6580
KCuculi@BrandSafway.com

Source : BrandSafway

--BERNAMA

NTT COMMUNICATIONS WINS BEST NFV/SDN IMPLEMENTATION AND MOST INNOVATIVE IOT PROJECT AT TELECOM ASIA AWARDS 2018

TOKYO, June 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the information and communications technology (ICT) solutions business within the NTT (TOKYO:9432), announced today that it has won Best NFV/SDN Implementation and Most Innovative IoT Project in the Telecom Asia Awards 2018, during a gala ceremony in Singapore on June 26.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180626005019/en/

NTT Com was named Best NFV/SDN Implementation, an award that recognizes a provider demonstrated a high-quality network utilizing NFV and SDN. NTT Com offers unrivaled performance and connectivity in over 190 countries/regions through its SD-WAN Service Portfolio. These services transform the way networks are designed and built by leveraging the industry’s leading global SD-WAN platform to deliver a next generation WAN solution with application-awareness, optimized MPLS, Internet, or hybrid connectivity networking, fully integrated security and application acceleration services to optimize the user experience.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=32188

​THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS SELECTS CISCO AS AN INNOVATION PARTNER OF THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS STUDIOLAB

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 27 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cisco today announced that it has been selected by The Walt Disney Studios as a founding member and Innovation Partner of The Walt Disney Studios StudioLAB. StudioLAB will be based on The Walt Disney Studios Lot in Burbank, California.

The announcement was made on stage at the first annual “XR On the Bay” Conference hosted by the Advanced Imaging Society at Cisco corporate campus in San Jose, California.

The StudioLAB initiative is focused on using cutting-edge technologies to reimagine, design, and prototype the entertainment and production capabilities of the future. The 3,500 square foot StudioLAB facility will be located on the historic Disney studio lot in Burbank.

The Walt Disney Studios produces feature films from Disney, and includes Walt Disney Animation Studios; Pixar Animation Studios; Marvel Studios; and Lucasfilm. It also brings music and stage plays to consumers via The Disney Music Group and Disney Theatrical Group.

StudioLAB will feature Cisco hardware and software solutions extending to services spanning network, storage, orchestration and collaboration. Initial areas of focus will include:
  • Enhancing the remote collaboration experience for creatives and studio leadership
  • Providing a more seamless and secure connectivity for filmmakers, the studio, and third parties
  • Offering efficient and reliable ways to deliver production data and assets from set to the cloud
“We are aligning with best-of-breed technology companies to support our vision for StudioLAB. Our goal is to jointly innovate and apply emerging technologies to support our production capabilities and help build new entertainment experiences,” said Benjamin Havey, vice president, Technology Innovation Group, The Walt Disney Studios. “We are very pleased to welcome Cisco as a StudioLAB Innovation Partner, as we combine the best of Silicon Valley and Hollywood to help our storytellers tell their very best stories. Through this partnership, we can push the boundaries of how content can be created and consumed.”

“Cisco and Disney are helping to drive innovation in the entertainment industry, combining our expertise, skills, content, technology and passion,” said David Ward, senior vice president, CTO and chief architect, Cisco. “This partnership is a game changer for the media industry, and we are excited for the opportunity to work closely with The Walt Disney Studios team to prototype, develop and showcase new technology at StudioLAB. This will be the place where true innovation comes alive in media entertainment.”

Supporting resources
RSS Feed for Cisco: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/rss.html

About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

Press Contact:
Sara Cicero stutzes@cisco.com

Source : Cisco Systems, Inc.

--BERNAMA

NEW ANALOG TRUNKING GATEWAY MORPHS FROM FXO TO SIP WHEN YOU GO ALL-IP

For SMBs that need 8 FXO trunks for their IP PBX, Patton now offers a new menu of VoIP CPE solutions. The gateways can morph into eSBCs when the business transitions to ALL-IP.

SmartNode VoIP… More than just talk!

GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Patton Electronics—US-manufacturer of UC, Cloud, and IoT-enabling solutions for carrier, enterprise, and industrial networks—announced today a new family of voice-over-IP (VoIP) gateways and enterprise session border controllers (eSBCs) with up to 8 integrated FXO interfaces for small-to-medium-businesses (SMBs).

The new SmartNode family of customer-premise analog-trunking devices provides flexible combinations of up to eight FXO, FXS, and BRI interfaces.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=32198

BW LPG SENDS LETTER TO DORIAN BOARD OF DIRECTORS, REITERATING COMMITMENT TO PROPOSED COMBINATION WITH DORIAN

Highlights Strong Support for the Proposed Transaction Expressed by Many Shareholders of Both Dorian and BW LPG 

Urges Dorian to Engage with BW LPG to Realize Value Maximizing Opportunity 

OSLO, Norway, June 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- BW LPG Limited (“BW LPG”, the “Company”, OSE ticker code “BWLPG”) today sent an open letter to the Dorian LPG (“Dorian”) (NYSE: LPG) Board of Directors regarding BW LPG’s proposal to combine with Dorian, under which Dorian shareholders would receive 2.05 BW LPG shares for each Dorian share.

Based on BW LPG’s current price of NOK 33.80 (USD $4.17) as of June 25, 2018, BW LPG’s proposal to combine with Dorian represents a value of USD $8.55, a 22.9% premium to Dorian’s unaffected share price of USD $6.96 as of May 25, 2018. On a pro forma basis for the year ended December 31, 2017, Dorian would have contributed 33% of revenue, 38% of EBITDA and 40% of free cash flow while its shareholders would receive a 45% stake in the combined entity.

The overall market response has been positive and reflective of the significant benefits of the proposed combination, including the creation of a leading VLGC player, significant synergies, increased market capitalization, cash flow accretion, liquidity for Dorian shareholders, and a stronger credit profile. The Company has communicated with a significant percentage of Dorian’s shareholder base, and the response of shareholders to the proposed transaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Importantly, several Dorian shareholders have publicly declared their support for the transaction by sending open letters to the Dorian Board of Directors expressing their views that the proposal is in the best interest of Dorian shareholders.

BW LPG Chief Executive Officer, Martin Ackermann, said, “We urge Dorian’s Board of Directors to respond to its shareholders and engage with us. Since announcing the proposal, we have spoken with many BW LPG and Dorian shareholders and are pleased with the positive feedback we have received. It is clear that both companies’ shareholders recognize the compelling benefits of the proposed combination. We were surprised that Dorian’s Board of Directors rejected our proposal without giving us the opportunity to engage in a discussion, and believe a number of the points Dorian’s Board of Directors highlighted suggest a misunderstanding of our business and the proposed combination. We believe that a discussion between Dorian and BW LPG would be appropriate to address any questions Dorian may have about our proposal and we are ready to meet with them.” 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=32184

Thursday 28 June 2018

Malaysia's pharmaceutical companies participate in preservation of antibiotics workshop

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- Fifty leading pharmaceutical companies in Malaysia attended a Sustainability Through Excellence in Manufacturing (STEM) workshop on advanced, clean, sustainable manufacturing and quality techniques on preservation of antibiotics.

The training and education session was hosted recently in Malaysia by DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals (DSP) -- a global leader in sustainable production of antibiotics -- in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi.

Business director AMEA at DSP, Tim Rutten said Malaysia has a rapidly growing domestic pharmaceutical industry, ably supported by government policies, private investment and public-private collaborations.

Antibiotics are the cornerstone of modern health care, curing bacterial infections and enabling advanced medical treatments such as surgery and cancer treatments.

Rutten added that to continue the move forward, the pharmaceutical industry must ensure that antibiotics are made, used and taken responsibly to prevent the further growth of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Factors that commonly contribute to AMR include misuse and overuse of antibiotics as well as rising of industrial pollution particularly pharmaceutical waste as discharge of the waste into the environment containing antimicrobial activity can contribute to the growth of AMR.

The Malaysian Health Ministry also has initiated a working committee that called for urgent collaborations amongst different sectors, as part of its One Health Approach to address the gaps and solutions of the AMR situation in the country.

Under the 'One Health' framework, the National Antimicrobial Resistance Committee (NARC) was formed in March 2017 and an event-based surveillance protocol will be established in 2018 to detect and report of newly emerging resistance that could constitute a public health emergency.

DSP, headquartered in Singapore is the global leader in sustainable antibiotics, next-generation statins and anti-fungals. The company develops, produces and sells intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

-- BERNAMA

MILLIONAIREMANSION.CO.UK OFFER BRITISH MANSION IN THE FIRST GLOBAL COMPETITION TO WIN A LUXURY HOME

MILLIONAIREMANSION.CO.UK OFFER BRITISH MANSION IN THE FIRST GLOBAL COMPETITION TO WIN A LUXURY HOME

Fusionex provides data technology for Asian Education Institute

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 (Bernama) -- Fusionex, a data technology provider has rolled out a data analytics solution for an institute of higher learning in Asia to elevate its market intelligence by accurately determining market demand.

The data management solution captures information from online interactions on the client's web portal to accurately discern student interest, course relevance and potential roadblocks against enrolment.

Fusionex revamped the client's web portal and transforming it into an intelligent data gathering platform capable of tracking user data, a statement said.

The web portal could measure how each user uniquely interacts with it and produces insights from the data to form a true 360-degree view of each customer.

It can also determine which pages failed to capture user interest, causing them to drop off from the web portal.

The client could also monitor patterns of visit to their web portal via social media platforms such as Facebook as well as from online ads, giving the client a better understanding of their sales conversion rates and return on advertising investment.

Fusionex Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, Ivan Teh said: "We are delighted to deploy this robust data management solution as we look forward to it generating powerful insights for the client."

He added the client will be able to create relevant targeted offerings for prospective students and for students to find the most suitable courses that match with their individual talents and interests.

Fusionex will be advancing the client's online visibility and presence via search engine optimization, machine learning, artificial intelligence and search engine marketing techniques.

More details on www.fusionex-international.com.

-- BERNAMA

Wednesday 27 June 2018

CONSTELLATION DISTRIBUTES DAG TOKEN & LAUNCHES FLAGSHIP PRODUCT, ORION, TO MOBILIZE DEVELOPER COMMUNITY

Portal launch comes after Constellation raised $33.7 million USD in its private pre-sale

San Francisco, CA, June 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Labs (Constellation), the horizontally-scalable blockchain for consumer-grade applications, announced the launch of its flagship product, Orion. Orion, a membership portal to the Constellation ecosystem, will serve as a platform where the Constellation team, developers, and community members can communicate, share resources, and contribute to the network within a token compensation model. Constellation token holders will be able to stake tokens to gain access to the incentivized community or developer tier of membership, with a free tier available to view the portal’s various channels and message boards. The portal became fully active on June 18, when Constellation's DAG tokens were also distributed. Constellation's permissioned testnet launches at the beginning of August, at which time token holders will need to stake DAG tokens to run a node and validate test transactions. Nodes will earn validator rewards (ERC-20 DAG) based on their transaction throughput and reputation score, with rewards paid proportionally to testnet participants. At full functionality, this system will be the world's first ever incentivized cross-chain testnet (Constellation DAG to ERC-20).

Orion will allow developers and community members to earn tokens for contributing to the network across a range of activities, from bug reporting to correcting whitepaper mistranslations, in addition to providing general support to the community. The basic reward structure — a point-based system, awarded on productive activity — will create an organic hierarchy and encourage positive community behavior. Once tokens are staked, they will be locked for the duration of the six-month membership period. Over the next six months, Constellation will be running monthly airdrops and giving away two tiers of DAG totals that are locked and open membership to the Orion portal.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=32163

Eastspring declares income distribution for four funds

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- Eastspring Investments Bhd has announced the income distribution for four of its existing unit trust funds with the total gross distribution declared for the financial year ended June 30, 2018 amounting to more than RM52.5 million.

The unit trust company said it would pay 4.48 sen per unit gross distribution for Eastspring Investments Equity Income Fund and 4.39 sen per unit for the Eastspring Investments Dynamic Fund.

Meanwhile, it would pay 3.43 sen per unit for the Eastspring Investments Asia Select Income Fund and 2.53 sen per unit for the Eastspring Investments Dinasti Equity Fund.

It said all unit holders who have maintained their unit holdings in the funds as at June 22, 2018 will be entitled to the income distribution.

Chief investment officer (equities), Yvonne Tan, said the funds' stable performance can be attributed to a disciplined investment strategy which is based on fundamental and valuations.

"Almost one month post the 14th general election, the new government has been keeping investors on their toes with lots of information," she said in a statement.

"We remain focused on fundamentally strong companies, and we believe any correction will be a good opportunity to accumulate," Tan added.



-- BERNAMA

Tuesday 26 June 2018

Shyft Network announces 17 new board of advisors

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (Bernama) -- Shyft Network - a leading blockchain-based solution -- announced 17 new board of advisors to provide strategic guidance across multiple dimensions to make the global economy more efficient and effectively regulated.
The board of advisors bring deep industry knowledge from international business and finance, blockchain, economics and Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti Money Laundering (AML) compliance, a statement said.
Shyft chairman, Joseph Weinberg said the advisors understand the dire need for a new system that allows attested data to not only be shared securely and privately but also a system that can build reputational identity from the data to be used across borders.
The advisors have diverse backgrounds, experiences and broad networks as they provide unique perspective and strategic direction on the global and complex topic of identity, compliance and privacy as well as solving global problem related to blockchain technology.
Shyft will be featuring individual dialogue and commentary from its advisors through its various channels starting in early July to build and connect the ecosystems that deal with data and identity. More information at www.shyft.network.
-- BERNAMA

TELENOR SELECTS BUSINESS SPEND MANAGEMENT LEADER COUPA TO POWER GLOBAL PROCURE-TO-PAY INITIATIVE

Coupa will enable global telco to streamline policy-compliant purchasing

SAN MATEO, Calif., June 22 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coupa Software (NASDAQ:COUP), a leader in business spend management (BSM), today announced that Telenor, one of the world’s largest telecommunications companies, has selected Coupa to transform its global procurement capability and drive efficiencies across its 25,000 employees. Global service provider KPMG will support the deployment.

“Telenor is embarking on the beginning of its digital transformation journey to among other things, digitize and simplify its internal processes,” said Jon Omund Revhaug, CEO, Telenor Procurement Company. “We are excited to have Coupa and KPMG as our partners in this journey because of their innovation and strong subject matter expertise, which promise an effective outcome.”

The telecommunications leader will first deploy a pilot to employees in Denmark and Singapore before embarking on a rollout for Telenor’s Business Units in Norway, Sweden, and across Asia. The project will simplify policy-compliant purchasing for Telenor’s 25,000 employees who in turn service Telenor’s 178 million customers around the world.

“Standardizing and streamlining procure-to-pay processes across Telenor’s diverse businesses across Europe and Asia required a solution that could be rapidly deployed and easily configured in the cloud,” said Revhaug.

“We are delighted to work with Telenor on this project to help drive increased visibility into the company’s BSM processes,” said Mark  Riggs, chief customer officer, Coupa. “Telenor needed a modern, agile cloud platform and a deployment approach squarely focused on its desired business outcomes. We are thrilled that Telenor selected Coupa and KPMG to be a key part of its transformation.”

Coupa and KPMG were selected by Telenor after an extensive evaluation of potential solutions.

About Coupa Software
Coupa Software (NASDAQ:COUP) is the leading provider of business spend management, or BSM, solutions. We offer a comprehensive, cloud-based BSM platform that has connected hundreds of organizations with more than four million suppliers globally. Our platform provides greater visibility into and control over how companies spend money. Using our platform, businesses are able to achieve real, measurable value and savings that drive their profitability. Learn more at www.coupa.com. Read more on the Coupa Blog or follow @Coupa on Twitter.

About Telenor
Telenor Group connects its 178 million customers to what matters most. Connecting the world has been Telenor’s domain for more than 160 years and we currently operate in 12 markets across Scandinavia, Central Eastern Europe and Asia. Our 30,000 employees are committed to responsible business conduct and driven by the ambition of empowering societies. For more information, please visit https://www.telenor.com/

Media inquiries:
Orlando De Bruce
Coupa Software
Global Public Relations
orlando.debruce@coupa.com
O (650) 485-8629

SOURCE : Coupa Software Incorporated

--BERNAM

Hiring of MBA graduates remains strong reports GMAC

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (Bernama) -- Eighty one per cent of companies planned to hire MBA graduates this year.
This is according to the findings from Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) 2018 Corporate Recruiters Survey, a world wide report which also indicated that MBA hiring remains strong.
GMAC recently released its 17th annual survey report which said that 52 per cent of the responding companies around the world also plan to increase MBA starting base salaries this year, a statement said.
Sangeet Chowfla, GMAC president and chief executive officer said they have tracked positive trends in hiring of MBA and business master's graduates over the past several years as the overall analysis shows MBA hiring is still strong.
MBA graduates continue to command a salary premium relative to direct-from-industry hires and bachelor's degree hires as the projected median base starting salary for recent MBA graduates in the United States in 2018 is US$105,000 (RM 421,575). (1US$ = RM 4.02)
The data shows a slight decline in projected hiring among US (85 per cent) and European (64 per cent) employers compared to 2017. The demand remains same for MBA talent in Asia Pacific with 90 per cent of responding employers plan to make MBA hires in 2018.
Additional findings from the survey includes graduates in data analytics are in high demand as 62 per cent of Asia Pacific employers demand to hire Master of Data Analytics graduates compared to employers in Europe and Latin America.
It is also reported that most employers plan to bring on MBA interns in 2018 as MBA internships are most prevalent in Asia Pacific and the United States. Internships continue to be an avenue to jobs for many business school graduates to obtain permanent positions.
GMAC - a non-profit association of leading graduate business schools -- and partners conducted the survey in February and March 2018. GMAC is based in the United States. More information at www.gmac.com.
-- BERNAMA 

FIRST WESTINGHOUSE AP1000® NUCLEAR PLANT SANMEN 1 COMPLETES INITIAL CRITICALITY

SANMEN, China, June 22 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Westinghouse Electric Company, China State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) announced today that the world’s first AP1000 nuclear power plant located in Sanmen, Zhejiang Province, China has successfully completed initial criticality.


“Today we completed the final major milestone before commercial operation for Westinghouse’s AP1000 nuclear power plant technology,” said José Emeterio Gutiérrez, Westinghouse president and chief executive officer. “We are one step closer to delivering the world’s first AP1000 plant to our customer and the world – with our customers, we will provide our customers in China with safe, reliable and clean energy from Sanmen 1.”
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=32148

WESTINGHOUSE LOADS FUEL IN SECOND AP1000® NUCLEAR POWER PLANT


Haiyang Unit 1 joins Sanmen 1 in start-up process

HAIYANG, China, June 22 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Westinghouse Electric Company and its customers, China State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) and Shangdong Nuclear Power Company Limited (SDNPC) announced today that Haiyang Unit 1, the AP1000 nuclear power plant located in Haiyang, Shandong Province, China, has begun to load fuel.

“This is a great day for Westinghouse, our China partners and the nuclear industry. Haiyang Unit 1 continues to demonstrate our ability to deliver safe, innovative solutions for power generation,” said José Emeterio Gutiérrez, Westinghouse president and chief executive officer. He added, “Westinghouse will continue to deploy AP1000 technology throughout the world and demonstrate our technical leadership in the nuclear energy industry.”

Fuel load at Haiyang Unit 1 commenced at 7:36 p.m. (GMT+8) today. Earlier this summer, in preparation for fuel load, Haiyang Unit 1 successfully completed the necessary testing and regulatory reviews conducted by China’s National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA). Haiyang Unit 1 met all the criteria, confirming the capability of Westinghouse’s AP1000 technology.

The plant’s start-up process includes the completed testing phase, the currently occurring fuel load, initial criticality and synchronization to the electrical grid including ascension to 100 percent power. Testing will be performed throughout these phases to ensure safe plant operations until the unit successfully achieves 100 percent power.

“The lessons learned and resources shared between Sanmen and Haiyang throughout all phases of construction and start-up have made tremendous improvements in terms of quality and execution, which will benefit future AP1000 fleets,” stated Gavin Liu, Westinghouse president – Asia Region. “We will continue to work side by side with our Chinese customers and ensure the success of the remaining testing.”

In addition, David Durham, Westinghouse senior vice president, New Projects Business, added, “Our partnership and customer confidence continues to showcase through our successfully completed project milestones at both Sanmen and Haiyang.”

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=32149

Monday 25 June 2018

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD FILES REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR PROPOSED INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING

CHICAGO, June 21 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Cushman & Wakefield today announced that it has publicly filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) relating to the proposed initial public offering of its ordinary shares. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined.

Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and UBS Investment Bank will serve as joint book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters for the offering. Barclays Capital Inc., BofA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and William Blair & Company, L.L.C. will also serve as joint book-running managers for the offering.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=32140

Friday 22 June 2018

Ant Financial shares full suite of AI capabilities with Asset Management Companies in China


 
KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 (Bernama) -- Ant Financial Services Group (Ant Financial) shares a full suite of AI capabilities -- Caifuhao, AI-powered corporate account on Ant Fortune Platform -- with asset management companies in China to support their digital transformation.

Executive chairman and chief executive officer of Ant Financial, Eric Jing said combination of the company's technologies and capabilities of asset management companies have customised wealth management services more accessible for ordinary users.

Caifuhao benefits 27 fund management companies to increase their operational efficiency by 70 per cent while reducing their overall costs by 50 per cent since launched last year, a statement said.

It also includes a 10-fold increase in the number of daily visitors, a three-fold increase in the amount invested by returning customers and 89 per cent increase in the holding period among all investors.

Caifuhao provide fund managers with a channel to better connect and engage with users to build their own brands. More than 100 asset management companies have signed up to join the Ant Fortune platform since 2015, represents over 90 per cent of all fund management companies in China.

Ant Financial has launched Alipay in 2004 - a payments services to a wide range of online and offline businesses. It also announced ?Internet Booster' plan in 2015 to support the digital transformation of traditional financial institutions by sharing its technological capabilities.

Ant Financial uses blockchain, artificial intelligence, security and computing to serve the unbanked and underbanked. The company brings secure, transparent, cost-effective and inclusive financial services to individuals and SMEs worldwide. More at www.antfin.com.

-- BERNAMA

KEIO PLAZA HOTEL TOKYO HOSTS "PRINCESS MERMAID SWEETS BUFFET"

Commemorating the Fairy Tale Written by Hans Christian Andersen
 
TOKYO, June 22 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo (KPH), one of Japan’s most prestigious international hotels located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, will host the “Princess Mermaid Sweets Buffet” in commemoration of the fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen at our All Day Dining Restaurant “Jurin” from July 1 (Sunday) to September 30 (Sunday), 2018. This year’s buffet will offer a wide range of colorful desserts based on the “deep blue color of the cornflower” and other various flowers specially prepared by our patissiers and patterned after various sea creatures reminiscent of characters portrayed in the Little Mermaid fairy tale. Some of delectable desserts include clams made of chocolate and “deep sea mousse” made in a colorful blue using passion fruit and pineapple flavorings.
 
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180621005383/en/
 
The wide variety of delicious desserts prepared by our hotel patissiers will be served at our All Day Dining Restaurant “Jurin”, which is known for its special seasonal meals based upon various fairy tales including “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, “Beauty and The Beast” and others. These events are especially popular amongst female guests in their 20s to 30s for the highly photogenic desserts which can be used in posts on various social media. This time marks the third year that this dessert buffet based upon the theme of “The Little Mermaid” is held, and our patissiers have created new desserts for the entertainment of our guests. In addition, the Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo will also offer a special guest plan entitled “Temptation of the Little Mermaid” until September 17 (Monday) that includes use of our Sky Pool.
 
About the Keio Plaza Hotel
 
Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo, located in Shinjuku at the very heart of the nation’s capital Tokyo, is one of Japan’s leading international hotels. Our hotel boasts of over 20 restaurants and bars, and we host a wide range of local and international guests who visit us for our welcoming facilities, warm hospitality and unique services that allow them to experience Japanese culture, including our Hello Kitty themed rooms and Japanese cultural experience programs. For more information about our facilities and services, please visit our websiteYouTubeFacebook or Instagram.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=32150

Thursday 21 June 2018

CHINESE SCIENTISTS SPOT SELFISH GENETIC ELEMENT IN PLANTS

NANJING, China, June 20, 2018 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

After found in mice and nematodes, selfish genetic element is once again discovered in rice by Chinese scientists. This is the first time that selfish genetic element is found in plants, challenging the renowned Mendel's Law of segregation. The article introducing such new findings has been published by the world's top academic journals Science on 8th June 2018. Dr. Xiaowen Yu and Professor Zhigang Zhao are the first authors of this article, who are from the College of Agriculture of Nanjing Agricultural University. Jianmin Wan, an academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, is the corresponding author.

What about selfish genes? The core of Mendelian genetics is the concept that gametes are equally likely to carry either of the two parental copies of a gene. In fact, offspring traits might be more similar to those of its father or mother. The same also goes to the selfish genetic element in rice. What's more, such selfish genes weaken the advantages of O. sativa ssp japonica (DJY1) hybrids.

Theoretically, the Indica/japonica hybrids have a 15% yield advantage over the best existing indica/indica hybrids. However, Hybrid sterility, including pollen sterility, aborted embryo sac, low seed-set rate, is always together with hybrid vigor. According to the study by Wan's group, such phenomenon is caused by the selfish genetic elements.

Selfish genetic elements are pervasive in eukaryote genomes, but their role remains controversial. The proffesor Wan's group from Nanjing Agricultural University discovers the mechanism of hybrid sterility causing by the selfish genetic element. There are two closely related genes ORF2 and ORF3 in hybrid male sterility locus between O. sativa ssp japonica (DJY1) and wild rice (Oryza meridionalis). ORF2 aborts pollen in a sporophytic manner, while ORF3 protects pollen in a gametophytic manner. Moreover, wide compatible varieties created by CRISPR technology to facilitate utilization of the strong hybrid vigor in rice agriculture.

For further information, please visit:
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6393/1130

Source: Nanjing Agricultural University

--BERNAMA

China´s Yichang city advocates traditional culture

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (Bernama) -- Yichang -- a city in central China's Hubei Province -- famed for historic figures, largest hydro-power station in the world, pianos and poetry is now thriving on its rich traditional culture.

The state council, China's cabinet has proposed in the 2018 government work report in February to advocate excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation and build a prosperous cultural society with Chinese characteristics.

Yichang Municipal Government in a statement said there over 150 distinctive activities at grass-root level was held in Yichang.

The city government also invested more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) (RM 6.42 billion) in major cultural infrastructures.

Yichang is also home to 15 poetry research and creation teams with 39 poetry societies as over 80 large-scale poetry activities are held every year with 100,000 participants from local communities and over 400,000 residents participated in various kinds of poetry activities in the city last year.

The city also held the China's traditional Dragon Boat Festival on June 18 -- a grand dragon boat competition in Yichang's Zigui County.

The county government of Zigui recently brought a folk melodrama based on ancient Chinese poet, Qu Yuan to Beijing and presented citizens in the Chinese capital an original cultural feast.

Previously, the Zigui Quyuan art troupe consisting of 23 artists flew to Canada to perform and it was the first time for a county-level troupe to attend an art festival in a foreign country.

-- BERNAMA 

'Disruptive' experts to speak at ASEAN Leadership Summit in KL

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (Bernama) -- Here's one way you can stay ahead of the curve - attend the inaugural ASEAN Disruptive Leadership Summit 2018 (ADLS2018) organised by Shapers Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Country Heights Holding Bhd at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) on July 9.

The pundits invited to speak on the topic of disruption are Marc Randolph, an American techpreneur, advisor and founding CEO of Netflix; Sarah Robb O'Hagan, former global president of Gatorade who has also been listed as one of Forbes magazine's ?Most Powerful Women in Sports'; Ram Charan, a world-renowned business advisor and bestselling author who has been named Fortunemagazine's ?Most Influential Consultant Alive'; Jon Steinberg, former president of BuzzFeed as well as CEO and founder of Cheddar Inc; and Scott Deming, a famous customer service and emotional brand-building guru, author of ?The Brand Who Cried Wolf' and advisor to Fortune 500 companies.

Ambitious and dynamic executives from around the region are expected to attend for insight on staying relevant and serving the market better, as well as understanding how to learn from their successes and failures.

ADLS2018's mission is to contribute to disruptive idea creation, leadership, promotions and imprinting of brands, managing failures and stress, as well as ideas on viral and online marketing.

In a statement, Shapers said: "With the likes of Uber, Netflix and AirBnB transforming the norms in engaging with customers, businesses have to act now in adapting to changes in technology as well as anticipating customer expectations in order to stay ahead of the market."

The conference is 100 per cent Human Resources Development Fund Malaysia (HRDF) claimable. A 10 per cent discount will be offered to groups of eight people or more, and a five per cent discount to groups of between five and seven people. The price starts from RM550 nett.



For more information or to book seats, call 03-6203 4433, e-mail: mktg@shapers.my, WhatsApp: 019 3222 220 or visit www.shapers.my

-- BERNAMA

Lithium Werks signs distribution agreement with Endrich for Asian customers

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- Lithium Werks B.V. -- a fast-growing global lithium ion battery company with production facilities in China -- signed a distribution agreement with Taipei, Taiwan-based distributor Endrich Co Ltd to bolster its support for Asian customers.

Chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Lithium Werks, T. Joseph Fisher III said the company has seen the strong demand for lithium batteries from Asian customers. The company expects an enormous uptick in demand in the years ahead.

Lithium Werks has collaborate with Endrich for its unrivaled knowledge of Asian markets and Endrich is a trusted supplier to a number of tier-one original design manufacturers (ODMs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), a statement said.

"Together, we will continue to develop ever closer relationships with customers in markets such as Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and, not least, China, where we are preparing to build a lithium battery giga factory," added Fisher.

"This partnership will forge even closer relationships with tier-one ODMs and OEMs, and as we grow together, I am convinced that Lithium Werks' research and development (R&D) teams will continue to come up with revolutionary solutions," said CEO of Endrich, Olivia Chang.

Lithium Werks specialises in Lithium Iron Phosphate technology, a lithium-ion chemistry that offers high thermal and chemical stability and is seen as the safest lithium-ion technology available today.

More information at lithiumwerks.com and www.endrich.com.tw.

-- BERNAMA

VRICON'S DISRUPTIVE 3D GEOINT TECHNOLOGY FUELS COMPANY GROWTH

Company’s momentum reflects growing need for high-resolution, extremely accurate 3D data and solutions

McLean, VA, June 19 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vricon, a global leader in 3D data and solutions, today announced that it has more than doubled its year-over-year sales growth rate and set a record pace for new customer acquisition.

Vricon serves the global professional geospatial market with world-leading 3D geodata and 3D visualization solutions. With direct access to the world’s largest global imagery archive, Vricon uses automated 3D image-processing algorithms inside a state-of-the-art high-performance computing environment to produce its high-resolution 3D data and solutions for government and commercial clients. Use of 3D geodata helps users to see the world as it really exists, explain what they're seeing more clearly, and better convey their findings to decision makers.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=32121

FormFactor collaborates with two companies to deliver silicon photonics test

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- FormFactor Inc deployed an integrated CM300xi probing solution for wafer-level testing of silicon photonics (SiPh) devices with the collaboration of GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Keysight Technologies.

The collaboration is made to ensure the system is flexible to meet engineering needs and to deliver high throughput in volume production, a statement said.

"Our collaboration with both Keysight and GF Singapore delivers a solution that truly addresses the unique test and measurement challenges of silicon photonics devices," said president and chief executive officer of FormFactor, Mike Slessor.

The silicon photonics enable the transfer of enormous amounts of data at high speeds using optical signals instead of electrical signals.

The silicon photonics market is gaining momentum for data center, automotive and other applications because it allows optical devices to be made cost effectively which reducing power and size by using silicon semiconductor fabrication techniques.

In addition, the Cascade CM300xi from FormFactor and Keysight Technologies' Photonics Application Suite measurement software provides industry-first capabilities of automated alignment and simultaneous optical-optical and optical-electrical device tests.

FormFactor is a leading electrical test and measurement supplier to the semiconductor industry. The company serves customers through its network of facilities in Asia, Europe and North America. More information at www.formfactor.com.

-- BERNAMA

Wednesday 20 June 2018

Shenyang establishes the 'One Belt and One Road' Scientific Research Institute Alliance

KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 (Bernama) -- The 'One Belt And One Road' Scientific Research Institute Alliance conference was held in Shenyang, China recently with 40 research institutes from 18 cities at home and abroad participating.

The conference adopted the union constitution and released Shenyang declaration of the Scientific Research Institute Alliance.

The first council of the alliance was selected and Shenyang Surveying Geotechnical Research Institute Co Ltd of MCC was elected as the President unit, a statement said.

Shenyang with great positional advantage and development space, is an important node city of 'The Belt and Road' initiative and the establishment of the Alliance is an important measures for Shenyang municipal government to build a modern international metropolis.

Shenyang Municipal Government hopes that the Alliance will promote cultural exchanges and enhance international mutual trust through think tank communication and technical services.

The Alliance will also explore new ways to complement each other and to pursue openness and development, providing new energy for Shenyang in its construction to be a Northeastern Asia center for scientific and technological innovation.

-- BERNAMA

Juniper Networks now technology partner of World Robot Olympiad Association


 
KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) -- Juniper Networks Inc has become the global technology partner of the World Robot Olympiad Association (WRO) -- a non-profit organisation that focuses on the hands-on development of robotics within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education on a worldwide scale.

Juniper will work closely with WRO to promote, stage and further develop this global competition that attracts tens of thousands of young people. Juniper will also sponsor the new Juniper Networks´ Engineering Simplicity Honors Award at WRO 2018, a statement said.

The WRO competition this year from November 16 to 18 in Chiang Mai, Thailand encourages participating teams to solve challenges and complex problems using mathematics, computer programming, coding skills and exploring the principles of automation. It also fosters other important life skills including teamwork, perseverance, learning from mistakes and creative thinking.

Each year, at least 23,000 teams from more than 70 countries take part in WRO´s competition which involves approximately 100,000 young people, ranging from six to 25 years old.

The competition comprises several categories including Regular (a themed category), Open (to drive innovation and creativity), a robotic football tournament, an Advanced Robotics Challenge for students aged 19 to 25 and WeDo, a starter class for children aged six to 10.

Currently, Juniper is sponsoring a short documentary film looking at the human stories behind some of the teams and their paths to WRO 2018. The company is working in conjunction with the accomplished filmmaker and director, James Redford.

Juniper Networks is an industry leader in automated, scalable and secure networks. More information at www.juniper.net.

-- BERNAMA 

Innovmetric releases universal 3D Metrology Software platform


 
KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (Bernama) -- InnovMetric Software Inc has released PolyWorks 2018 -- a universal 3D metrology software platform -- that delivers universal inspection projects playable on any 3D measurement device.

President of InnovMetric, Marc Soucy said the company has delivered a universal 3D metrology software platform that interfaces with all 3D measurement devices which offers a universal workflow for performing all inspection tasks and deploys universal inspection projects.

PolyWorks 2018 is an enhanced alignment toolbox, smart collision avoidance for CNC CMMs, more robust measurement sequences for CNC CMMs and enhanced usability and performance that promote valuable gains in user productivity, a statement said.

PolyWorks 2018 enable users to maximise the use of their 3D metrology hardware and minimise the risk of operator errors by creating and embedding multiple piece measurement templates within a single inspection project.

Users also can preconfigure an inspection project with the piece measurement templates including performing it with CNC CMMs and portable scanning arms, set up for different laser tracker brands and models and manage multiple versions of an inspection routine.

The software adds new measurement sequence fixers to the powerful real-time collision analysis technology to prevent detected potential collisions. It also offers intelligent solutions for measuring deformed, incorrectly aligned or deviated parts without operator intervention.

InnovMetric Software Inc is the leading provider of universal 3D metrology software solutions headquartered in Quebec, QC, Canada. More information at www.innovmetric.com.

-- BERNAMA

Toshiba Memory Corporation unveils new SAS SSDs in server applications

KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 (Bernama) -- Toshiba Memory Corporation -- the leader in memory solutions -- has unveiled new SAS SSDs to replace SATA SSDs in server applications.

The RM5 12Gbit/s value SAS (vSAS) series features capacity, performance, reliability, manageability and data security advantages with the price that will replace SATA SSDs, a statement said.

The company has leveraged its leading position in SAS SSD line optimising RM5 to close the cost gap with SATA - and usher in a new class of SSDs. SATA simply cannot compete with SAS, falling well short in terms of performance, robustness and encryption options.

The RM5 vSAS series provides a cost effective and much higher performing solution to overcome the bottlenecks that are inherent with SATA today as the RM5 enables the use of native SAS from end-to-end, eliminating the need for protocol translation to SATA.

The series will initially be available in capacities up to 7.68TB with a single 12Gbit/s port and SFF-8639 connector. Sample shipments to OEM customers start today in limited quantities and the company will gradually increase shipments from the third calendar quarter of 2018.

The RM5 series will also be exhibited at HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise) Discover in Las Vegas, USA until June 21 at the Toshiba Memory America booth #196.

-- BERNAMA

Tuesday 19 June 2018

Juniper Networks wins top awards at Interop Tokyo 2018


 
KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 (Bernama) -- Juniper Networks Inc -- an industry leader in automated, scalable and secure networks has won several top awards at Interop Tokyo 2018, the largest network computing trade shows in Asia recently.

"We are delighted to once again continue Juniper Networks´ proud tradition of capturing multiple prestigious awards at Interop Tokyo, across the Network Infrastructure, Cloud Computing and Security categories, " said senior vice-president and chief marketing officer at Juniper Networks, Mike Marcellin.

The awards marks Juniper´s achievement at Interop Tokyo for 12th straight year since 2007. It reflects the company´s consistent commitment toward delivering innovative and industry-leading networking technology while simplifying the complexities of networking, a statement said.

Juniper won the 'Best of Show' Grand Prix Awards for its MX10008 Universal Chassis and Contrail Enterprise Multicloud, 'Best of Show´ Runners-Up Award for its Advanced Threat Prevention Appliance and ‘Best of Show´ Special Award for the SRX4600 Services Gateway.

This year, Interop Tokyo 2018 has attracted more than 140,000 attendees (including co-located events) and featured major keynote addresses and full-fledged conference programs as well as an associated expo area for showcases by vendors.

Juniper Networks simplifies the complexities of networking with products, solutions and services in the cloud era to transform the way people connect, work and live. More information at www.juniper.net.

-- BERNAMA