SDC LAUNCHES CLEARCHOICE™ INTERACTIVE PRODUCT SELECTOR GUIDE

Interactive product selector guides coating users to the most appropriate coating technologies


IRVINE, Calif., July 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SDC Technologies, Inc. (SDC), the recognized global leader in premium, high performance abrasion resistant coating solutions, has launched a new interactive product selector tool called ClearChoice Coatings in conjunction with its FSI Coating Technologies subsidiary. The tool allows product engineers to easily search for the best coating solution for any need by selecting product characteristics such as coating type, substrate, feature, cure and application method and chemistry, as well as use parameters such as industry and market, and application method. The tool enables users to compare up to three products at a time and generate a PDF for future reference.

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IIOT WORLD TOUR TO STOP IN SINGAPORE ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2017, HOSTED BY THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET CONSORTIUM AND PLATTFORM INDUSTRIE 4.0

SINGAPORE, July 31 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) and Plattform Industrie 4.0 have announced a stop in Singapore on their IIoT World Tour, which brings together industry leaders from both organizations and local organizations to accelerate the digitalization of industrial production. The two organizations have partnered with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), to co-host an event in Singapore, held in conjunction with A*STAR’s Future of Manufacturing Singapore, a series of events related to advanced manufacturing. The Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce will serve as a further local partner for the event.
 
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies will dramatically improve productivity and efficiencies throughout the entire manufacturing supply chain, with processes governing intelligent machines to improve production and even take corrective action to avoid unscheduled downtime. A thriving manufacturing sector helps strengthen the global economy.

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VERTIV SELLS ASCO® TO SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Sale enables greater focus on core business

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vertiv, formerly Emerson Network Power, today announced plans to sell its ASCO^® business as it continues to sharpen its focus on the digital critical infrastructure space. The $1.25 billion sale to Schneider Electric allows Vertiv to apply additional resources toward business and technological advancements in its core data center, telecommunications and commercial and industrial markets.

As Vertiv has repositioned itself after being sold to Platinum Equity in November 2016, it became clear that ASCO’s strengths in the automatic transfer switch arena fell outside the new organization’s more focused strategy, said Vertiv CEO Rob Johnson.

“This sale is a significant step forward in our evolution as the premier provider of digital critical infrastructure solutions,” Johnson said. “This is consistent with our strategy of focusing on our customers and aligning the strengths of our organization –  deep domain knowledge in IT and facilities applications, global scale and service coverage  – to better meet their needs.”

Platinum Equity Partner Jacob Kotzubei praised Vertiv’s progress.

“Thanks to strong leadership and the commitment of Vertiv employees around the world, the company is performing exceptionally well, and the transformation of the business is right on track,” said Mr. Kotzubei. “The sale of ASCO will further support those efforts and help Vertiv continue focusing on its core business. Given the amount of cash proceeds expected to be generated from the sale, we will evaluate a number of capital structure alternatives that would be beneficial to all stakeholders."

The sale price of $1.25 billion reflects a multiple of 11.7x adjusted EBITDA for CY2016. The sale is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close by Q4 2017. 

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A.M. BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF PROVIDENT INSURANCE CORPORATION LIMITED

SINGAPORE, July 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb” of Provident Insurance Corporation Limited (PICL) (New Zealand). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
 
The ratings reflect PICL’s adequate risk-adjusted capitalization, prudent reserving and conservative investment portfolio. Moreover, despite the company’s start-up nature, its operating performance and claims experience during its first four years of operations have been largely consistent with initial projections.
 
Partially offsetting these positive rating factors are the company’s increasing underwriting leverage and a high expense ratio. Due to the delayed premium recognition of its core motor warranty products, growth in earned premium and underwriting profits tend to lag behind growth in incurred expenses. Hence, increased underwriting leverage from above-target premium growth over the short term could result in additional pressure on the company’s risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR).

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TGS Q2 2017 WEBCAST AND TELECONFERENCE

ASKER, Norway, July 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TGS will release its Q2 2017 results at approximately 07:00 CEST on 3 August 2017. CEO Kristian Johansen and CFO Sven Børre Larsen will present the results at 09:00 CEST at the Hotel Continental, Stortingsgata 24/26 in Oslo, Norway. The presentation is open to the public and can be followed live on the internet at www.tgs.com.
 
The slides from the presentation will also be available in PDF format at both the TGS and Oslo Stock Exchange websites.
 
CEO Kristian Johansen and CFO Sven Børre Larsen will host a conference call on 3 August 2017 at 15:00 CEST (09:00 EDT). Attendees may want to call 5-10 minutes before to ensure registration and access.

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AMAZON INTRODUCES PRIME NOW IN SINGAPORE: FREE TWO-HOUR DELIVERY ON TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ITEMS

SEATTLE, July 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced the launch of Prime Now in Singapore, which offers free two-hour delivery on tens of thousands of items right from your phone. Customers can shop on the Prime Now app for everything on their list from eggs, cold beverages and ice cream to baby strollers, toys, and consumer electronics. Local favorites such as Tiger Balm, Milo, Scotch-Brite and MamyPoko diapers as well as products from iconic brands including L’Oreal, Pampers, and Samsung are also available for ultra-fast delivery right to your door with free two-hour delivery on orders of S$40 or more.
 
“We are excited to introduce the busy people in Singapore to this convenient, ultra-fast delivery solution to get more time back to do the things they love,” said Aarif Nakhooda, Director of Prime Now Asia-Pacific. “Prime Now is powered by Amazon’s more than 20 years of operational and technological excellence and hundreds of Singapore’s talented and skilled associates.”

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​ACAPTURE AND BOATSTERS LAUNCH THE FIRST, END-TO-END VR WEBSHOP

With this white label app, merchants can now cover the entire customer journey, from selection to payment, offering a complete omnichannel experience
 
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, July 27 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acapture, a global, data-driven omnichannel PSP, together with Boatsters, a world leading rental platform for yachts and boats, have launched a Virtual Reality (VR) webshop pilot project.
 
Available as a white label application, Acapture’s VR webshop solution can be utilized and personalized by any merchant looking to add VR to their offering. The application covers the entire customer journey, from selection to payment. When consumers are ready to make a purchase, the payment is supported by Acapture’s award winning payment platform and completed entirely within the VR environment. Webshops created with this application can be accessed by consumers via their smartphone at the lowest-priced headsets available.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29676

A.M. BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF YOUI NZ PTY LIMITED

SINGAPORE, July 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb” of Youi NZ Pty Limited (Youi NZ) (New Zealand). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
 
The ratings reflect Youi NZ’s strong balance sheet, which is due to the company’s low underwriting leverage, as well as its prudent reinsurance program and conservative investment approach. In addition, actual claims experience during the company’s first three years of operation were largely consistent with the assumptions used in pricing its policies.

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NASDAQ ANNOUNCES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND OF $0.38 PER SHARE

NEW YORK, July 27 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of Nasdaq, Inc (Nasdaq:NDAQ) has declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.38 per share on the company's outstanding common stock.  The dividend is payable on September 29, 2017 to shareowners of record at the close of business on September 15, 2017.  Future declarations of quarterly dividends and the establishment of future record and payment dates are subject to approval by the Board of Directors.

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CARBON BLACK NAMED 'ASIA-PACIFIC EMERGING CYBERSECURITY VENDOR OF THE YEAR' BY FROST & SULLIVAN

SINGAPORE, July 27 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Carbon Black, the leader in next-generation endpoint security, today announced the company was named “Asia-Pacific Emerging Cyber Security Vendor of the Year” by Frost & Sullivan at the annual ICT awards ceremony in Singapore.
 
The contenders for the Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific ICT Awards were evaluated on a variety of market performance indicators which include revenue growth, market share and growth in market share, leadership in product innovation, breadth of products and solutions, major customer acquisitions, and business and market strategy as well as other category-specific criteria.
 
A team of 30 leading Frost & Sullivan analysts and consultants based in the Asia-Pacific were involved in the shortlisting, evaluation and research process, applying the same thorough approach that has been the hallmark of Frost & Sullivan globally.

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A.M. BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF CENTRAL REINSURANCE CORPORATION

HONG KONG, July 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” of Central Reinsurance Corporation (Central Re) (Taiwan). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

 

The ratings reflect Central Re’s strong risk-adjusted capitalization, favorable operating results and solid presence in Taiwan’s reinsurance market as the sole domestic reinsurer.

Central Re maintains strong risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Its favorable earnings are underpinned by positive underwriting and investment income. The company’s life portfolio has delivered a track record of stable underwriting profit, which over the years has reduced earnings volatility from its non-life business.

Offsetting rating factors include the challenges Central Re faces in the current soft reinsurance market conditions and its potential earnings and capital volatility in light of its catastrophe exposures. Compared with its regional peers, Central Re has high net catastrophe loss retention relative to its total capital and surplus.

Positive rating actions are unlikely in the near term. Negative rating actions could result from material decreases in the company’s risk-adjusted capitalization or from sustained deterioration in its operating performance. 

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'XI JIA' PAN (823 B.C. CHINA): ANCIENT BRONZE PLATE BREAKS AUCTION RECORD

HANGZHOU, China, July 26, 2017 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
 
A few days ago, an eye-catching bronze 'Xi Jia' Pan (823 B.C.) was sold at Xiling Yinshe Auction (www.xlysauc.com) with a remarkable price of RMB 212.75 million ($31.5 million, commission included), setting a new record for Chinese works of art in China.
 
'Xi Jia' Pan, with as many as 133 characters of inscription, is the only existing bronze from the Western Zhou Dynasty collected by the royal family of Southern Song Dynasty. Wang Guowei, a famous modern Chinese scholar, held it of greater importance than 'Mao Gong' Ding (Duke Mao Tripod), which is treasured in the "National Palace Museum" in Taipei. According to Wang, 'Xi Jia' Pan's original owner Yin Jifu was not only a great politician and military strategist, but also the collector and compiler of Shijing (Book of Songs), China's earliest collection of Chinese poetry.

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GOODPACK SELECTS ANTUIT'S ADVANCED SUPPLY CHAIN PLANNING AND ANALYTICS PLATFORM TO MAXIMIZE RETURN ON ASSETS

NEW YORK, July 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Goodpack, a world leader in steel intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), has selected Antuit’s Advanced Supply Chain Planning and Analytics platform to maximize return on assets by improving container availability and reducing overall cost to serve.
 
“We were impressed by Antuit’s domain expertise and ability to demonstrate the positive impact of advanced analytics on our business,” said Goodpack CIO Kenneth Hee. “I’m confident that Antuit’s platform will transform our supply chain planning into a data-driven, customer-centric strategic business enabler.”
 
“Although there has been a lot of talk about artificial intelligence and how it can maximize value in the supply chain, very few companies have taken significant steps to leverage it,” explained Siva Lakshmanan, Senior Vice President and global digital supply chain practice lead at Antuit. “Goodpack views its supply chain a key differentiator in the market, and understands that advanced analytics can unlock the true value of its supply chain.”

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WIPRO AND HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE PARTNER TO OFFER CONSUMPTION-BASED IT INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J., & BANGALORE, India, July 25 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today announced a partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to offer IT infrastructure solutions in a consumption-based or pay-per-use business model for enterprises. This model for IT infrastructure procurement and provisioning will be offered to both Wipro and HPE’s customers, globally.
 
As a part of this alliance, Wipro will leverage HPE Flexible Capacity to offer flexible and scalable IT infrastructure services in a consumption-based IT model, accelerate growth and enable digital transformation for its customers. HPE’s scalable, consumption-based IT model of provisioning and procurement coupled with Wipro’s industry-proven end-to-end suite of IT infrastructure services, and global delivery capabilities will enhance the security, agility, scalability of customers’ IT infrastructure, and help them ascertain and regulate the public cloud economics of their data centers.

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CALVIN KLEIN, INC. ANNOUNCES FALL 2017 CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC GLOBAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

NEW YORK, July 25 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Calvin Klein, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PVH Corp. [NYSE: PVH], today announced the Fall 2017 CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC global multi-media advertising campaign. The campaign features the debut CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC collection by Chief Creative Officer Raf Simons.

Shot by photographer Willy Vanderperre, the visually striking campaign presents a cast of 22 models shot against a series of billboards that feature images from last season’s CALVIN KLEIN: American Classics campaign. The billboards of the previous campaign – which include works by artist Andy Warhol – were erected in the California desert in the days leading up to the shoot. The campaign is a study in art and artifice, of the real and the imagined, the mannered world of high fashion combined with a sense of the everyday. Ultimately, the campaign explores the cinematic and romantic outsider’s view of America, something of a dream world that has become concrete for Chief Creative Officer Raf Simons and Creative Director Pieter Mulier.

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PROFICIO EXPANDS ASIA FOOTPRINT WITH NEW HONG KONG PRESENCE

Award-winning managed security services provider continues to drive global expansion efforts in Asia-Pacific
 
SINGAPORE, July 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proficio, one of the fastest growing managed security service providers (MSSPs) delivering managed detection and response (MDR), today announced its newly expanded Asia presence in Hong Kong. Following quickly on the launch of its security operations center (SOC) in Barcelona, Spain, this expansion enables Proficio to broaden its presence in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and service more clients globally.
 
Overseeing the Hong Kong area for Proficio is David Cheng, the regional director for security consulting.  Cheng has over a decade of experience in the IT security and software industry across corporate lines, including business development and solution selling. He has extensive cybersecurity experience in the banking, government, insurance, telecommunications, hospitality, retail and manufacturing industries.

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QNB GROUP COMMENCES OPERATIONS IN INDIA

DOHA, Qatar, July 24 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- QNB Group, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, has recently commenced operations in the city of Mumbai, the economic capital of the Republic of India.

The start of the Group’s operations in the Republic of India comes in support of its vision to become a leading bank in the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia by 2020, in addition to establishing a foothold in highly competitive markets.

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MEDIBIO BUILDING CREDENTIALS TO "SCALE" VIA APPOINTMENT OF HEALTHCARE & TELEHEALTH ICON TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SYDNEY, Australia and MINNEAPOLIS, July 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medibio Limited (MEB or the Company) (ASX:MEB) (OTCQB:MDBIF), a digital health company that has developed an objective testing system to assist in the screening, diagnosis and treatment effectiveness of depression, chronic stress and other mental health disorders, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Adam Darkins, MB, ChB., MPHM, M.D., FRCS to the Board of Directors as Deputy Chairman. Dr Darkins has unique experience in taking national and trans-national virtual care delivery systems to scale.

Medibio Board member and fellow physician, Dr Frank Prendergast, M.D. said, “Adam is a wonderful addition to the Medibio Board. He complements our team, drawing on a wealth of experience gained from the practice of medicine, health care management, and having built one of the world’s largest, telehealth programs. His proven track-record in tackling one of the current greatest healthcare challenges – how to introduce transformational new technologies that demonstrably increase access to care and reduce its cost – is what makes him so unique. His creativity and rigour, in design, and continuing development, of innovative care systems will help guide Medibio to meet anticipated milestones in our growth trajectory as we transition from clinical validation to regulatory approval, and then commence broader implementations. Adam will help us to lay the strategic foundations for large-scale operations in the pre-eminent health care systems of the future.”  

Dr Darkins developed an extensive understanding of patient care, clinical processes, and outcomes measurement from his physician training at Manchester University Medical School, UK, and further training/accreditation as a neurosurgeon and researcher at UCLA. Studying public health medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and pioneering shared patient decision-making programs at the King’s Fund, London, grounded him in leading transformative change with a particular talent for safely and effectively taking long-established hospital-based practice into primary care, community care and non-traditional settings. Thereafter, already renowned for his ability to utilise new information and telecommunication technologies to empower patients, increase access to care and reduce cost, he gained widespread US and international recognition for his leadership of telehealth programs at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). At VA he developed health informatics, telehealth and disease management technologies to enhance and extend care and case management. Together with his team, Dr Darkins created a capacity that delivered virtual services to more than 480,000 Veteran patients each year via 1.4 million episodes of care. On any given day, 83,000 Veteran patients were using home-telehealth technologies to live independently at home and avoid institutional care. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29620

NRI SECURE LAUNCHES JAPAN'S FIRST "BLOCKCHAIN ASSESSMENT" SERVICE

- First Step Designed for Smart Contract Security -
 
TOKYO, July 21 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- NRI SecureTechnologies, Ltd. (President: Jun Odashima; hereinafter NRI Secure), a leading provider of information security solutions in Japan, has begun providing Japan’s first-ever^*1 “Blockchain Assessment,” a security Assessment service designed for systems and services which use blockchain technology^*2.
 
As the blockchain technology has become more widespread, the presence of security-related vulnerabilities has also become increasingly apparent. In particular, with regard to smart contracts, ^*3 one of a constituent element of services using the blockchain, a cyberattack carried out on any vulnerable programs could lead to major threats or even to actual damage^*4 by causing services to behave differently than originally intended.

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MYCC'S FIRST SPECIAL COMMITTEE MEETING ON COMPETITION FOR 2017

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 (Bernama) -- The Special Committee on Competition gathered for the first meeting for 2017, led by the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC). This Special Committee on Competition was formed fundamentally to discuss related issues on competition law as well as to ensure there is consistency in the application of the law between sector regulators.

Apart from the MyCC, other members on the Special Committee are representatives from the sectoral regulators, namely the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the Energy Commission (EC), the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), the Central Bank of Malaysia (BNM), the Securities Commission (SC) and the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM).

BNM updated that Phase II of the Liberalisation of the Motor and Fire Tariffs have commenced on 1 July 2017. The pricing for Comprehensive motor cover and Third Party, fire theft cover will be determined by the insurance market and no longer guided by the tariffs. 

Meanwhile, SPAD informed that it continues to monitor the working environment especially at various airports in ensuring the quality of taxi services as well as
assessing the quantity sufficiency of taxis servicing passengers from airports.

SC informed the meeting that it launched a new “Malaysian Code of Corporate Governance” which is a set of corporate governance best practices for listed
companies in the country.

EC briefed that the Electricity Supply Act 1990 [Act 447] has been amended in 2015 and the amendments came into force on 1 January 2016. This amendment has not included any new provisions on competition and may be considered in the future. In addition, the Gas Supply Act 1993 [Act 501] has been amended in 2016 and the new amendments came into force on 16 January 2017. The amendments have incorporated a new chapter on competition into Act 501.

MAVCOM on the other hand has published mergers and acquisition notification thresholds which is currently accessible from its website. MAVCOM is also
participating in the Air Transport Agreement negotiation with the European Union (EU) as part of the delegation under the Ministry of Transport. 

SPAN in the meeting reported they are in the midst of amending the Water Services Industry Act and Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara Act. The amendments is targeted to be gazetted in October 2017.

In line with MyCC's continuous initiative towards enhancement of its enforcement, MyCC has also extended an invitation to the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) as a new member of the Special Committee on Competition. MyCC strongly believes in the significance of MyIPO participation with an aim to streamline the laws and policies relating to competition and intellectual property. MyCC hopes by providing a platform for discussion, there will be increased transparency and motivation for businesses to continue providing consumers with the best products and services in a competitive environment.

The MyCC was represented by its Chairman, Tuan Che Mohamad Zulkifly B. Jusoh and the other Commission Members namely YBhg. Dato’ Ahmad Hisham B. Kamaruddin, YBhg. Dato’ Jagjit Singh A/L Bant Singh, YBhg. Datin Seri Ruzaina Bt. Wan Haniff and YBrs. Dr. Zakariah B. Abdul Rashid together with YBhg. Dato’ Abu Samah B. Shabudin, MyCC’s Chief Executive Officer.

About Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC)

Established in June 2011, MyCC is an independent body responsible for enforcing the Competition Act 2010, which was implemented to create healthy competition which would in turn stimulate productivity and innovation, thus creating wider choices of products for consumers with better quality at reasonable prices. The Act applies to all commercial activities undertaken within and outside Malaysia that affect competition in the Malaysian market. It provides a regulatory framework including powers to investigate, adjudicate and impose penalties on the perpetrators of anticompetitive practices/ conduct under the competition laws. For more information on the Act and the MyCC’s activities, log on to www.mycc.gov.my.

SOURCE : Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Corporate Affairs Division
Malaysia Competition Commission
Tel : +603 2273 2277

--BERNAMA 

JENNIFER POWERS TO JOIN GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS AS A PARTNER AND CHAIR OF GIP'S CREDIT BUSINESS

New York, July 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), the leading, independent global infrastructure investment firm, announced today that Jennifer Powers will join GIP in September as a Partner and Chair of GIP's Credit Business. Ms. Powers will work closely with GIP Partner Jon Bram and GIP CAPS Fund Managing Partners Reiner Boehning and Steve Cheng to build out and expand GIP's Credit Business into a market leader in providing financing for infrastructure assets and projects.

Ms. Powers joins GIP from Mizuho Bank where she was co-head of Investment Grade Debt Capital Markets. Prior to Mizuho, she was a founding member of the Royal Bank of Scotland's Credit Markets Business. Ms. Powers also spent 12 years in the energy investment banking and capital markets departments of Credit Suisse.

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UPM Bags Main Prize At National Intellectual Property Award 2017

KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) -- Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) won the gold medal at the National Intellectual Property Award 2017, jointly organised by the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) and Intellectual Property Corporation (MyIPO) today.

UPM has won the award - which is also the grand prize for 'Intellectual Property Management' in the organisations' category - for the fifth time since it was introduced in 2006.

UPM walked away with a cash prize of RM30,000, a trophy and certificate of appreciation presented by KPDNKK secretary-general Datuk Seri Jamil Salleh.

The public university was chosen as the winner following active efforts of managing and registering intellectual properties.

Meanwhile, UPM vice-chancellor Prof Datin Paduka Dr Aini Ideris today said UPM had registered 2,070 intellectual properties comprising a wide range of products and technologies, with 135 of them being commercially successful for the benefit of various industries, particularly in the agriculture and veterinary sectors.

She said among products created using the university's research include 'Afdhal oil' formulated from natural ingredients that could reduce oil absorption in cooking, and could be reused many times.

"We also have the U-Putra Paddy that can increase the production of paddy up to 10 tonnes per hectare, far more than the usual production of four to five tonnes per hectare,"she told reporters after receiving the award on behalf of UPM.

Meanwhile, UPM's Putra Business School (PBS) emerged as the winner of the 99-Second Pitch Challenge at the Siam Commercial Bank PLC (SCB) Future Leader Challenge 2017 in Thailand, beating 280 teams across 33 countries.

The team, named 'The Challenger', was the sole Malaysian representative at the competition, consisting of four graduate students namely Cheah Fu Yuan, Kogillavanan Munusamy, Loh Wai Mun and Hoo Yien Ting.

Held from June 20 to 24, the SCB Future Leadership Challenge is an international business case competition based in Thailand for master's degree students, which provides participants with the opportunity to enhance and practise their analytical skill set by solving real-life business cases.

PBS in its statement said, this year's competition saw participants from various Asian universities including Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University,Thailand; The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Singapore Management University, Japan's Globis University and Indonesia's Gadjah Mada University.

-- BERNAMA

WEBEMOBILE OFFERS FREE 10GB LTE HOTSPOTS TO NEW AND EXISTING MEMBERS

KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 (Bernama) --  Telekom Malaysia Bhd’s digital mobility services centre of excellence, webe Digital, is giving out 10GB LTE Hotspot to all existing webe mobile and webe mobile SME (small and medium enterprise) members.

“New members can also enjoy this offer if they join before Oct 1,  2017,” it said in a statement today.

The 10GB LTE Hotspot pass will be renewed every month until year-end.

For more information on all the qualifying products and services available, visit webe.com.my.

-- BERNAMA

BNP PARIBAS ANNOUNCES SETTLEMENT WITH THE US FEDERAL RESERVE REGARDING ACTIVITY IN THE FX MARKETS FROM 2007 TO 2013

PARIS, July 18 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BNP Paribas today announced a settlement with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (“FRB”) relating to past misconduct in its foreign exchange business.

Under this settlement with the FRB, BNP Paribas will pay a fine of USD 246 million (approximately 215 million euros) which will be covered by existing provisions. This follows the announcement by BNP Paribas of a settlement with the New York State Department of Financial Services on the 24^th May relating to the same issue.

In reaching this settlement, the FRB acknowledged the Group wide remediation initiatives and the full cooperation of BNP Paribas in the investigation.

The conduct which led to this settlement occurred during the period from 2007 to 2013. Since this time, BNP Paribas has proactively implemented extensive measures to strengthen its systems of control and compliance. The Group has increased resources and staff dedicated to these functions, conducted extensive staff training and launched a new Code of Conduct which applies to all staff.

BNP Paribas deeply regrets the past misconduct which was a clear breach of the high standards on which the Group operates.

Conducting its business in a responsible and ethical manner is a cornerstone of BNP Paribas’ values and the Group will continue to make improvements to ensure that it delivers on its responsibilities to all its stakeholders.

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INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST GROUP WELCOMES NUCLEAR WEAPONS BAN TREATY

TOKYO, July 10 (Bernama) -- 

 

The adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at UN Headquarters in New York on July 7 is being lauded as a historic step for humankind by the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist association. The treaty, which lays out detailed provisions stipulating a comprehensive ban on the development, production, possession, stockpiling, testing, use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, is the result of intensive negotiations at the UN involving over 120 governments and many civil society representatives. Kimiaki Kawai, SGI Director of Peace and Human Rights, was in New York to take part in the final session of negotiations, where he stated that the continued existence of nuclear weapons threatens human dignity. He comments, "The adoption of this treaty feels like a momentous step forward. Even if the nuclear-weapon states and most nuclear-weapon dependent states have not participated, the moral norm has been declared very clearly, with the united will of the world's people behind it. Nuclear weapons in any hands are wrong." The SGI has issued an official statement in the name of Hirotsugu Terasaki, Director General of Peace and Global Issues, welcoming the adoption of the treaty. It reads: "The existence of nuclear weapons is the greatest threat to the right to life of both the individual and humankind as a whole. For this reason, their total elimination is a desire shared by all people." See: http://www.sgi.org/resources/ngo-resources/peace-disarmament/ptnw-statement-july-2017.html  http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29544

ASIA'S FIRST SELF-RECHARGING ENERGY SYSTEM

KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama)  --  Solar NRJ, an incubatee company of Technology Park Malaysia Corporation Sdn Bhd (TPM) has taken a step further by developing the Self-Recharging Energy System (SES) BETA, a mobile power station for off-grid remote locations. It is a prefabricated and modularised solution that is fully factory tested, easy-to-ship and quick-to-install.

SES BETA is the perfect solution for hard to reach locations as it needs no refuelling, has very low maintenance requirement and absolute zero carbon footprint that elevates to a competitive solution for remote power for any off-grid power requirements.

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REGIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOP ON TRANSFER OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY WITH SPECIFIC FOCUS ON "APPLICATION OF ICT FOR RESILIENT AGRICULTURE"

Technical Workshop on Distributional Effects of Disasters and Climate Change on Food Security in ASEAN

PUTRAJAYA, July 18 (Bernama) -- The Director General of MARDI, Datuk Dr Sharif Haron inaugurated two International Events held back to back in Putrajaya today. The first event is a one-day Technical Workshop on Distributional Effects of Disasters and Climate Change on Food Security in ASEAN, which was organized by MARDI and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) held yesterday and the second event is the Regional Training Workshop on Transfer of Agricultural Technology with Specific Focus on "Application of ICT for Resilient Agriculture” which was organized by MARDI and Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Sustainable Agriculture (CAPSA-UNESCAP). The ceremony was also attended by Mr. Masakazu Ichimura, CAPSA-UNESCAP Director and Dr. Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Senior Economist of ERIA.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29603

THE NIGERIAN STOCK EXCHANGE GOES LIVE WITH NASDAQ SMARTS MARKET SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY

LAGOS, Nigeria and STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 17 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nasdaq (Nasdaq:NDAQ) and The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) have officially announced that NSE, the stock exchange of the largest economy in Africa, has launched a new market surveillance platform powered by SMARTS, Nasdaq's flagship surveillance solution. The technology will, amongst other things, enable NSE to proactively monitor market manipulation (including spoofing and layering), detect and deter manipulative tendencies, gather intelligence, carry out traders’ monitoring and analysis, conduct multi-asset and cross-market surveillance, and execute risk-based supervision of flagged participants. “As we enter the growth phase of the development of our market, including the introduction of new asset classes such as derivatives, there will be the imperative of processing significant volumes of market information in real-time to detect anomalies,” said Tinuade Awe, General Counsel and Head of Regulation, NSE. “The SMARTS technology, which we have successfully deployed, allows our team to proactively analyze patterns and trends to make sense of the vast amounts of data for investigative purposes and protection of investors, while strengthening the integrity of our market.” “Through SMARTS, NSE is leveraging the latest in surveillance technology and demonstrating its commitment to fostering a strong marketplace,” said Tony Sio, Head of Exchange & Regulator Surveillance, Market Technology at Nasdaq. “SMARTS performs universal surveillance of all asset classes and provides a strong platform for NSE to develop new products such as derivatives. We look forward to a long partnership with the NSE as the Nigerian markets evolve.” Nasdaq SMARTS Surveillance solutions have been the industry benchmark for real-time, cross-market, cross-asset surveillance for 22+ years. Used by over 3,500 compliance professionals around the world, SMARTS currently powers surveillance at 47 marketplaces, 17 regulators and 140+ market participants across 65 countries. http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29596

SAISON INFORMATION SYSTEMS: DATASPIDER SERVISTA EMPOWERS IT DEPARTMENTS

New version further enables rapid implementation of large-scale data integration

TOKYO, July 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Saison Information Systems Co., Ltd. (JASDAQ:9640) (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; CEO: Kazuhiro Uchida; herein, “Saison Information Systems”) will release version 4.1 of DataSpider Servista, the data integration platform developed its wholly owned subsidiary, Appresso Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; CEO: Kazutoshi Ono; herein “Appresso”), on July 31, 2017.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29601

PERSONAL ACCESSORIES TO RECORD US$530 BILLION SALES IN 2017 DRIVEN BY AFFORDABLE LUXURY

LONDON, July 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Global market research company Euromonitor International released today 2017 personal accessories data.

According to the new research, the global personal accessories market is set to record 4 percent growth to reach US$530 billion sales in 2017, driven by the rise in affordable luxury in the jewellery and bags market. Being the two largest categories, jewellery is set to account for over 50 percent of personal accessories sales in 2017 and bags 20 percent.

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A.M. BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF SOMPO JAPAN NIPPONKOA INSURANCE INC. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

HONG KONG, July 17 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “aa-” of Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance Inc. (SJNK) (Japan). A.M. Best also has affirmed the FSR of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a-” of SJNK’s subsidiary, NIPPONKOA Insurance Company (China) Limited (NKC) (China). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) remains stable.

Concurrently, A.M. Best has affirmed the FSR of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term ICRs of “aa-” of Sompo America Insurance Company (SAIC) and its reinsured affiliate, Sompo America Fire & Marine Insurance Company (SAFM), collectively knownas Sompo Japan US Group (both domiciled in New York, NY). The outlook for each of these ratings remains stable. Additionally, A.M. Best has affirmed the FSR of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a-” of Canopius US Insurance, Inc. (Canopius US) (Wilmington DE). The outlook of each of these ratings remains negative.

Furthermore, A.M. Best has affirmed the FSR of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term ICRs of “aa-” of Endurance Specialty Insurance Ltd. (Endurance) (Bermuda) and its subsidiaries. A.M. Best also has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of “a-” and the Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IRs) of Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. (Bermuda). The outlook of these ratings is stable. (See below for a detailed list of the companies and the Long-Term IRs.)

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CT CORP AND PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL, INC., CREATE LIFE INSURANCE JOINT VENTURE IN INDONESIA

Strategic partnership expands access of Indonesia’s growing middle class to financial protection and insurance solutions
 
JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- CT Corp and U.S.-headquartered Prudential Financial, Inc. (PFI) (NYSE: PRU), have created a joint venture to provide life insurance solutions to a broad spectrum of people in Indonesia through a multi-channel distribution strategy, the companies announced today. Under the recently closed agreement, which has been approved by the OJK in Indonesia, PFI subsidiary Pruco Life Insurance Company has acquired a 49 percent interest in CT Corp’s wholly-owned life insurance subsidiary, PT Asuransi Jiwa Mega Indonesia.
 
“We’re pleased to partner with CT Corp, which controls one of Indonesia’s largest and most prominent business groups, as we enter this market for the first time to introduce our offerings and capabilities to serve the needs of the Indonesian market,” said Charles Lowrey, executive vice president and chief operating officer of PFI’s International businesses. “The partnership advances our business growth strategy by expanding PFI’s international footprint into an attractive market with long-term growth potential, low insurance penetration and a well-developed regulatory environment.”

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MURATA PARTNERS WITH STMICRO TO ADD SIGFOX CONNECTIVITY TO ITS LORAWAN MODULE ENABLING "BEST OF BOTH WORLDS" CAPABILITY

KYOTO, Japan, July 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 6981) (ISIN: JP3914400001) today announced the results of its collaboration with both STMicro and SigFox to port the SigFox stack to co-exist alongside the LoRa stack on Murata’s small form factor Type ABZ LoRaWAN™ module. With this feature Murata has extended the module’s capability for providing both LoRa and SigFox capabilities worldwide from a single hardware platform. This approach allows customers to decide which network technology serves the application best depending on location, service requirements and cost.
 
Both networks offer similar low-power wide area network (LPWAN) capabilities, targeting applications in smart meters, facility management, asset tracking, and a range of other uses in the IoT space. While each has differences, the common goal is network coverage with good Quality of Service (QoS). By supporting both standards, Murata’s module can also bridge both networks, providing even greater deployment flexibility by allowing a dual-mode operation from a single firmware package that can be used globally.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29602

FEDEX FILES 10-K WITH ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURE ON CYBER-ATTACK AFFECTING TNT EXPRESS SYSTEMS

Reaffirms Commitment to Improve FedEx Express Operating Income by $1.2-$1.5 billion by FY2020
 
MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 18 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) (“FedEx”) today filed its annual report on Form 10-K for fiscal year 2017 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The filing includes additional information regarding the June 2017 cyber-attack on the worldwide information systems of TNT Express B.V. (“TNT”), the international express transportation, small-package ground delivery and freight transportation company FedEx acquired in May 2016.
 
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SIGMA DESIGNS TO OFFER HDR10+ IN STV7803/4 UHD HDR CHIPSETS

Next-Gen Dynamic HDR (High Dynamic Range) Visual Engine for Real-Time Optimization of Picture Contrast and Color Now in Sigma Chipset

FREMONT, Calif., July 14 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sigma Designs® (NASDAQ:SIGM), a leading provider of Smart TV platforms and IoT devices, announced today that universal HDR chipsets  STV7803 and STV7804 will now support HDR10+ . Samsung Electronics recently introduced this  new open standard (ST.2094-40) for high dynamic range (HDR) video called HDR10+  that leverages dynamic metadata to produce enhanced contrast and colors, making television pictures more life-like.

HDR10+ is an open-standard, royalty-free protocol and part of SMPTE2094 technology standards, which adds scene-by-scene Dynamic Tone Mapping. This innovative feature adjusts brightness levels in real time during video playback, continually optimizing picture quality to the degree achievable by each individual display panel using it.  HDR10+ is an evolution beyond the original HDR10 specification, adding dynamic metadata as opposed to static metadata. In practice, HDR10 compromises picture quality particularly for darker and brighter scenes as a single static setting is used for the entire duration of the content. In comparison, the metadata in HDR10+ Dynamic Tone Mapping continually adjusts the range of brightness, adapting in real time to specific scenes or even individual frames. With HDR 10+, dark scenes are darker, bright scenes are brighter, and visual content is dramatically more compelling than through the static single setting of HDR10.

According to a new report from Strategy Analytics’ Intelligent Home Group, annual worldwide sales of HDR-enabled TVs in 2020 will reach 58 million units, bringing the number of homes with at least one HDR-enabled TV to 107 million. The report further projects that HDR TVs will reach nearly 25% of homes in the US by that time frame.

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METRO IVF SETIAWALK OPEN DAY FOR COUPLES INTEND TO BUILD A FAMILY

PUCHONG, July 15 (Bernama) -- In conjunction with the latest laboratory opening located at Setiawalk Mall Puchong, Metro IVF Sdn Bhd outlined an open day programme especially for married couples plan to build a family with various activities scheduled for the day such as acupuncture, yoga, basic health screening and in-store promotions including hysterosalpingogram (HSG) and In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) package.

“It is indeed a memorable occasion to share our latest laboratory opening with our existing patients -shows support we received and confidence that they have with Metro IVF. Our sincere appreciation to all our patients while we welcome new ones to join our extended family member,” says Dr Tee Swi Peng, Founder and Fertility Consultants, Metro IVF Sdn Bhd.

The Metro IVF Setiawalk Mall laboratory is conveniently located for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor residents easily accessible with integrated highways and ample parking bays at the enrichment shopping centre able to cater to family members to enjoy while accompany their loved ones receiving treatment at Metro IVF.

A total investment of more than RM1,000,000.00 with local talents trained and developed to manage the  latest Metro IVF Setiawalk Mall laboratory. It is expected to serve couples require Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to achieve their dreams of having a family due to various factors and the key drivers of declining fertility rates as more Malaysian women pursuing their education and career aspirations thus encounter new challenges in terms of child-rearing. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29585

PENANG GIS RECEIVES SAG AWARD FOR E-PETA

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- The Penang Geographic Information System (PEGIS) Centre received the Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award for their cutting-edge app called e-Peta, which plays a vital role in facilitating effective collaboration amongst the local government and various socio-civic organisations.
 
The SAG award is a prestigious global technology award and was presented to PEGIS officials by Esri president, Jack Dangermond, during the Esri International User Conference in San Diego, California.

PEGIS was selected to receive the award from among more than 300,000 international commercial and public sector organisations in recognition of its innovative use of geographic information system (GIS) technology to solve real-world challenges.
 
Developed in 2014, e-Peta uses location-based analytics to integrate authoritative data from various government departments and display layers on a dynamic smart map.
 
The application has supported government projects and day-to-day operations of agencies — such as the Town Planning & Development Department, Penang Island City Council and Seberang Perai Municipal Council — and advanced the advocacies of various non-profit organisations including George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), the Penang Botanic Gardens, Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC), among others.

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