Netpoleon releases report on Business Email Compromise

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 -- Netpoleon Solutions Pte Ltd (Netpoleon) has published the report ‘Business Email Compromise (BEC): How does it attack your business and how can you prevent it?’.

The report was written by Macnica Networks Corp (Macnica Networks), the parent company of Netpoleon and analyses threats targeting Asia’s organisations and provides security solutions in Japan.

The report summarises reality of fraud, flow from careful preparation to transfer to the account prepared by the attacker, measures that it believes have a certain effect at this point in the system and accounting departments and the incident response required when faced with BEC.

It is the result of an analysis based on many emails obtained by Macnica Networks, according to a statement.

Macnica Networks has analysed not only BEC email received by group affiliates of Macnica Group from 2015 to 2019, but also BEC email received by trading partners purporting to be from Macnica Group.

This includes BEC cases handled through the incident response service provided by Macnica Networks and has exposed the methods used by attackers.

With the cooperation of Itochu’s ITCCERT providing analysis results regarding the daily BEC attacks on the Itochu Group, as it continues to expand worldwide, the company is now able to shed even more light on the methods and identities of attackers.

The leading provider of integrated security, networking solutions and value added services, Netpoleon, will endeavour to contribute to cyber security measures by investigating, analysing, and disclosing information on attacks.

More details at https://www.netpoleons.com/

-- BERNAMA

Barco names Next Visual as distribution partner for ClickShare Conference

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 -- Barco, a global leader in professional visualisation and networking technology, has appointed Next Visual as reputable distribution partner in Malaysia.

Next Visual will deliver increased access to Barco’s future-ready and hybrid-enabled Unified Communication & Collaboration Solution, ClickShare Conference, according to a statement.

A pioneer in collaboration technology, Barco aims to deliver on its end-consumer targeted partnerships in order to ensure complete engagement, outreach and service.

Barco South East Asia Managing Director, Ta Loong Gan said: “ClickShare Conference enables corporates to merge in-room collaboration technology with the ability to connect with colleagues anywhere in the world.”

As Barco’s legacy partner, Next Visual has been distributing solutions including Barco weConnect, projectors, LCD video walls and Barco ClickShare Wireless presentation in Malaysia and is now onboarded for ClickShare Conference.

Considering its software and hardware agnostic nature, ClickShare Conference is primed to work seamlessly with all video conferencing software, camera brands, and laptops.

Fully secure, easily accessible, manageable, and fully compatible (triple agnostic), Barco ClickShare is the first wireless collaboration technology to obtain ISO 27001 Certification (international standard for rigorous information security management).

More details at www.barco.com.

-- BERNAMA

ISKANDAR PROPERTY CENSUS: 8 RTS PROPERTIES UNDER 15-MIN WALK TO HUB IN HIGH DEMAND

 JOHOR BAHRU, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- The Rapid Transit System (RTS) official launch on 22 Nov 2020 coupled with Budget 2021 allocation means all-systems-go and 8 freehold properties within 15-minute walking distance to the RTS hub will be in high demand.

Jerren Lai, Head of Research at Datamine Malaysia said, "The Iskandar Property Census 2020 Q3 Report singles out 8 freehold properties walking distance to the RTS hub that will have an added premium as Woodlands is earmarked as the third Regional Centre and largest Northern economic hub of Singapore.”
 
Singapore Woodlands is a thriving commercial and industrial node where its Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) currently employ a large pool of Malaysians whose expected salary is lower as they live across the Causeway and the pool will get much larger once RTS completes.
 
Strong demand will also come from Singapore HDB leasehold dwellers who are experiencing the lease-decay problem. About 80 percent of Singaporeans live in HDB flats and 100,000 of these units are nearing 60 years where banks are reluctant to offer loans to new purchasers. Iskandar freehold properties will be an affordable escape route for them.
 
The 8 properties are Tri Tower and Suasana, 4-minute and 7-minute walk respectively to the hub and priced around RM1,300psf. R&F Princess Cove with fully covered walkway is a 9-minute walk priced at RM910psf. Sky Habitat 10-minute walk at RM800psf, Skysuites and V Summerplace 12-minute walk at RM635psf and RM748psf respectively while Paragon Suites 15-minute walk at RM880psf. Upcoming Twin Tower 5-minute walk at RM791psf.
 
Comparing Singapore Woodlands vs JB CIQ property price, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA) records Woodland’s median price at SGD799psf (RM2,397psf) while Iskandar Property Census 2020 Q3 reported JB CIQ prices at RM921psf.
 
Lai said, "Private property price between the two nodes exceeds 320 percent differential but will likely narrow to around 30 percent upon RTS completion. JB CIQ prices will gradually appreciate in tandem with RTS progress from RM921psf now to around RM1,700psf.”
 
Danga Bay, a prime sea-frontal area where China Country Garden made its debut and Tropez - the first modern condominium in JB, will likely hit RM1,200psf or half of Woodlands’ median price.
 
The RTS journey is projected to take less than 10 minutes to connect the two regions and the state-of-art immigration clearance system that mirrors Shenzhen-HK crossing is said to be on the cards.

Malaysian real estate valuers will need a paradigm shift in the way they value Iskandar properties as the Singapore factor will drive prices benchmarked against Woodlands rather than historical local transaction prices.
 
Datamine
Datamine Malaysia is a market research firm that pioneered the Iskandar Property Census research. The 6-monthly tracking survey has been on-going since 2012 and uses census instead of sampling data to give prices, supply and demand, hotspot and forecast outlook.
 
Photo link: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ai3HzmW_0gEFgf4AYuxJrdOtuJAIsA?e=tnzij9                                           

SOURCE: Datamine

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Guangzhou city to watch as China journeys toward modernisation

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 -- The Understanding China Conference 2020, one of the most influential platforms on China's development strategy recently closed in Guangzhou.

It is the second time Guangzhou hosted the event, making the city an important window through which to observe China's new journey toward modernisation.

At this year's Conference, Guangzhou, a historical city with new vitality and fresh impetus emerging as a megacity, garnered great attention from all present, with many expecting to refer to the experience it gains in pursuing development. 

Home and abroad delegates spoke highly of the inspiring adaptability of Guangzhou, as seen from its synergy-oriented connectivity with Shenzhen, the urban revitalisation drive in its comprehensive function, cultural appeal, service and global business environment.

Officials from Guangzhou said that Guangzhou would seize new opportunities to pursue transformation and upgrading and turn the negative impact of the pandemic into new drivers for economic transformation to sustain quality economic growth.

“Guangzhou's economic recovery is gathering momentum as production continues to pick up while demand continues to increase,” said Guangzhou Statistics Bureau deputy chief, Feng Jun in a statement.

“New growth drivers are going strong, people's livelihood well safeguarded and leading indicators keep improving to positive or hitting new highs since the outbreak of the epidemic.”

In the face of the pandemic and the complex economic situation, Guangzhou, as an international business and trade hub, is now reshaping its development paradigm by exploring new opportunities to secure its new advantages, development areas and growth drivers.

-- BERNAMA

FWD TAKAFUL AND UNBOUND MALAYSIA DESIGN AUGMENTED REALITY GAME TO ENHANCE STUDENTS' TAKAFUL AWARENESS

 

Partnership with UnBound Malaysia provides an immersive approach to demystify Takaful for university students

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- FWD Takaful Berhad (“FWD Takaful”) has partnered with UnBound Malaysia, to develop an Augmented Reality (“AR”) game as a new approach to promote, educate, and improve the awareness of Takaful protection. The game, aptly titled “UnBound, powered by FWD Takaful” will be introduced to students of the participating public and private universities as part of their online distance learning initiatives.
 
Salim Majid Zain, FWD Takaful’s Chief Executive Officer said, “We’re very excited to be partnering with UnBound Malaysia to leverage technology in educating Malaysians on the importance of Takaful protection. We want to empower the students with Takaful values while indulging an immersive and interactive gaming experience and change the way people feel about Takaful.
 
Ryan Kang, UnBound Malaysia’s Director said, “The UnBound, powered by FWD Takaful AR Game allows the students to become a hero in the Takaful virtual world. We’re pleased to partner with FWD Takaful and to have the opportunity to be one of the few gaming platforms that incorporate AR for learning financial literacy.”

Motivated by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the game’s mission is to eliminate viruses from the virtual world, with time-based quizzes on Takaful, financial literacy and related course subjects. Students from participating universities will be able to experience the game from December 2020.
 
For more information on UnBound, powered by FWD Takaful, visit unboundmalaysia.com or follow @unbound.edn on Facebook and Instagram.
 
For more information on FWD Takaful, visit fwd.com.my. Alternatively, call 1300 13 7988 or email contact.my@fwd.com.

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Taiwanese pioneers in mid, high-end mountain bikes flourish as demand increases

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 -- As a major exporter of bikes, Taiwanese manufacturers provide nearly 70 per cent of all the bikes for mid-range and high-end consumers worldwide.

Each year, Taiwan exports about two million traditional bikes and mountain bikes now account for 60 per cent of that total, according to a statement.

Based on the data collected by Eco-Counter, a global statistics and analysis organisation for people flow data, the 2019 Worldwide Cycling Index showed an increase in recreational cycling of three per cent between 2017 and 2018.

It is generally believed that with the growing popularity of eco-friendly recreational activities globally, leisure cycling activities will lead to an ever increasing demand for bicycles.

In particular, mountain biking and cyclocross biking, which give cyclists a great sense of achievement by helping them to conquer challenging mountain terrain at high speed, are coming to be regarded as mainstream recreational biking activities.

There may have been an increasing demand for road bikes in Asian countries, especially in Taiwan, over the past few years yet mountain bikes are still the kings of the hill in the US, Taiwan’s main export market.

Giant and Merida have always been highly regarded in producing mountain and cyclocross bicycles with Giant's Stance, XTC and Reign, as well as Merida's BIG NINE5000 and ONE TWENTY7000 mountain bikes being very popular among cyclists worldwide.

-- BERNAMA

Taiwan-made bicycle spins wheel of fortune over global demand

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 -- Bicycle manufacturing has long been Taiwan's standout industry, having earned the reputation as ‘The Bicycle Kingdom’ with nearly 70 per cent of the global mid-to-high-end bicycle demand fulfilled by Taiwan yearly.

Annually, Taiwan exports over two million traditional bicycles globally. Road bike exports have comprised a stable 20-30  per cent in the past few years, while mountain bikes now take up 60 per cent of the exports to the United States as mainstream demand is on the rise.

In contrast, due to the increasing popularity of various high-profile cycling events and of leisure riding recently, the demand for road bikes in the European market is almost equivalent to that of mountain bikes, and the Asian market also shows a similar rising trend year by year.

Giant and Merida, the two major bicycle companies in Taiwan, have become leading brands in the world, and their road bikes are often selected by professional cyclists and their teams for competitions.

Besides the two leading brands, other rising Taiwanese brands such as DIZO, BESV, and VOLANDO also hold prominent places in the road bike industry, according to a statement.

DIZO derives its name from the Taiwanese homophony ‘customised’, indicating that its products are made in Taiwan and tailored to customer needs, featuring unique and bespoke designs.

Although BESV and VOLANDO Innovation joined the industry later, they still have been able to quickly make their bikes by leveraging the groups' inherent competitive advantages based on high-end golf heads and electronic control system development.

Also, the road bikes, specifically electric road bikes, from both companies have won the coveted Taiwan Excellence Award.

-- BERNAMA

Zenlayer chooses Juniper Networks to boost better-connected world

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 -- Juniper Networks, a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, has announced that Zenlayer selected Juniper Networks for datacenter network upgrades to drive its rapid growth as a global edge cloud services provider.

The selection is also aimed at better delivering its vision of providing instantaneous worldwide connectivity and superior digital user experience via its software-defined platforms, according to a statement.

As a leading global edge cloud services provider, Zenlayer has experienced stellar growth to now offer on-demand bare metal cloud, SD-WAN, cloud networking and managed services from a global footprint of over 180 nodes across six continents.

Having forged a long-term relationship driving Zenlayer’s growth as its major network vendor over the years, Juniper Networks was selected again for Zenlayer’s latest upgrade and to further introduce agile, automated and AI-driven innovation across its network.

Juniper Networks® MX Series Universal Routing Platforms have been deployed as backbone routers in Zenlayer’s initial phase of upgrades, with plans for the potential replacement of other vendor backbone routers in later phases.

Juniper’s strong automation capabilities also allow Zenlayer to continuously explore the increased adoption of agile, automated and AI-driven innovation across its network.

More details at www.juniper.net.

-- BERNAMA

‘BTS POP-UP : MAP OF THE SOUL’ opens in Asia, including Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 -- BTS’ new pop up store ‘BTS POP-UP : MAP OF THE SOUL’ has kicked off, beginning Nov 14 until Feb 14, 2021, across seven countries and regions in ONLINE STORE ASIA namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Big Hit IP, an independent corporation that leads Big Hit Entertainment's IP business, previously operated a new form of experiential space complex under the name ‘BTS POP-UP : HOUSE OF BTS’ in October last year.

This time, the new pop-up store that draws concepts from BTS’ fourth studio album MAP OF THE SOUL : 7 released in February arrived right at the fans' doorsteps.

The BTS POP-UP : MAP OF THE SOUL ONLINE STORE ASIA has been opened on the exclusive website, morningKall and it is running successfully, according to a statement.

The pop-up offers up to 300 different products including but not limited to apparel, stationery, and household items. It also features products that have the b-side tracks of MAP OF THE SOUL : 7 as a central theme.

The online store plans to introduce new products every week according to the schedule. Items such as apparel, accessories, and various goods using the BTS logo and products featuring song themes such as ‘Black Swan’ and ‘ON’, are also gaining great popularity.

In addition, by delivering purchased products locally, the pop-up store provides a more convenient purchasing experience for local consumers by solving the inconveniences such as customs procedures and tariff tax due to overseas delivery.

More details at https://2020btspopupasia.morningkall.com/

-- BERNAMA

Vonage selected to drive Fisher & Paykel’s customer service communications

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 -- Vonage, a global leader in cloud communications, has been chosen by global appliances manufacturer, Fisher & Paykel, to drive customer service communications for customers in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Fisher & Paykel is using Vonage’s Messages API to provide instant maintenance support notifications via SMS and enhance post-sale services.

The Vonage Messages API embedded within Fisher & Paykel’s platform delivers automated and instant SMS confirmations and reminders on all technician appointments, including self-service links for customers to easily cancel or reschedule the appointment.

Fisher & Paykel also uses Vonage to send follow up messages for customer feedback once a job is completed to make ongoing service improvements, according to a statement.

“Vonage APIs allow companies to instantly reach their customers through their preferred channels at reduced costs, enabling businesses to effectively communicate with their customers and create a better customer experience,” said Vonage Senior Vice-President and General Manager for the Asia Pacific region, Sunny Rao.

With an ever-growing network of over one million registered developers, the Vonage Communications Platform makes it easy for businesses to use APIs to disrupt their industries, and enable the type of business continuity, remote work, and remote delivery of services.

More details at www.vonage.com.

-- BERNAMA

Zhejiang logistics boasts Malaysia link

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 -- The three-day 2020 Zhejiang Service Trade Online Exhibition (Malaysia-Logistics Service Session) hosted by Zhejiang Department of Commerce and undertaken by Zhejiang Samexpo Exhibition & Convention Holdings Co Ltd begins today, via ZOOM.

In order to promote the sustained and stable development of the foreign trade economy in Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Department of Commerce is committed to cooperating with overseas enterprises to help them open up trade channels.

Malaysia is strategically located in the heart of the 10-member Group of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), playing a key role in global logistics and links, and creating enormous business opportunities.

Malaysia has over 50 maritime ports of different sizes, among which Penang, Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas are world famous ports, according to a statement.

Currently, Malaysia is building a core logistics centre and striving to become a logistics giant in ASEAN with broad space for cooperation.

In recent years, the logistics industry in Zhejiang has developed rapidly, with the characteristics of continuous expansion of industrial scale, economic structure and gradual optimisation of service mode, which plays a positive role in promoting economic development and accelerating industrial structure adjustment in the whole province.

Within three days, Zhejiang enterprises will conduct one-to-one accurate trade negotiation with Thai buyers through online live broadcast on the basis of previous offline match making.

At the same time, a logistics theme supporting activity will be held every day during the activity to invite Malaysian industry experts and Zhejiang enterprises to exchange views on the logistics industry development.

It is estimated the fair will exceed 120 rounds of meetings, the intended turnover is expected to break through US$5 million. (US$1 = RM4.085)

-- BERNAMA

5-day 2020 World Industrial Design Conference begins Nov 25

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 -- The 2020 World Industrial Design Conference (WIDC) will take place for five days beginning Nov 25, in Yantai, Shandong.

The conference will be jointly hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Shandong Provincial People's Government.

During the conference, the 2020 China Excellent Industrial Design (CEID) Award Ceremony and Exhibition will also be held, according to the Information Office of the Yantai Municipal People's Government in a statement.

With the theme of Intelligent Design & Road to the Future, the conference brings together academic advisers, practical experts, and innovative elites from the global intelligent manufacturing field.

They will look into broad development models and innovation paths for industrial design in the era of information and intelligence, and explore the infinite possibilities of creativity in design with smart products, smart services, smart cities and smart platforms.

The WIDC is a spectacular international design development event celebrated by design organisations, institutions, and enterprises from more than 40 countries and regions worldwide.

The conference aims to promote the comprehensive integration of industrial design with economic and social development, while providing an impetus for design exchange and cooperation.

The CEID Award Exhibition, covering an area of 20,000 square metres, will display over 1,000 outstanding works and innovative products from 14 industries in more than 30 provinces.

-- BERNAMA

Lithium Werks announces Power cell manufacturing continued growth

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 -- Lithium Werks has continued to manufacture the Best in Class patented Lithium Iron Nanophosphate™ Power cells for the most demanding markets.

According to a statement, the company’s 26650 Nanophosphate™ cells are used as single cells, as well as to build cell-packs and modules like its Lithium Werks P40-24 battery modules.

They are implemented by customers in a wide variety of power, pulse, and stand-by applications, whereby the market-leading Power, Safety, and Life of the company’s LFP cells makes them ideal for use in many critical applications.

The 18650 and 26650 cells are used in business sectors such as energy storage, UPS, communication technologies, aerospace, emergency and other lighting applications, industrial equipment, medical devices, and consumer goods.

Lithium Werks can produce millions of 18650 and 26650 cells a month in its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in China due to the continued demand from customers across a wide spectrum of applications.

More details at https://lithiumwerks.com/products/cells/

-- BERNAMA

Physically-challenged take a bite at China's livestreaming boom cherry

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 -- Wheelchair-bound Shi Zaohua, 29, has garnered a 200,000-strong fan base, thanks to finding her niche in livestreaming e-commerce.

One of a growing number of livestreamers, she is now fully occupied by China's largest annual online shopping event, Singles' Day or Double Eleven, which fell on Wednesday.

Early in the morning, she heads to her office in the city of Longnan, one of the least developed areas in northwest China's Gansu Province and on her virtual store, sells local specialties from Sichuan pepper to traditional Chinese medicinal materials to customers nationwide.

According to a statement, Shi became wheelchair-bound following a car crash in 2013. This left her without an opportunity to work.

Her break came the following year, when Longnan native Du Guiying established a farmers' cooperative - following the local government’s call to promote e-commerce to alleviate rural poverty - and invited Shi to help manage her online store and to try livestreaming e-commerce.

In early March, Shi made her successful livestreaming debut, selling products worth a total of around 30,000 yuan (US$4,548) in a single day. (US$1 = RM4.104)

Shi says e-commerce live streaming brings people like her a mixture of fortune, dignity and hope.

In Longnan, a total of 366 online stores are now run by people with physical disabilities, and jobs have been created for more than 670 such workers.

-- BERNAMA

Computer vision company Chooch AI closes US$20 million Series A round

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 -- Computer vision AI platform, Chooch AI has announced its US$20 million Series A round led by venture capital firm Vickers Venture Partners. (US$1 = RM4.104)

Additional institutional funding include from 212, Streamlined Ventures, Alumni Ventures Group and Waterman Ventures, among others.

Chooch replicates human visual tasks and processes using a complete computer vision deployment process across a wide variety of industries.

According to a statement, the proprietary technology has been deployed at scale for enterprise applications including geospatial, healthcare, security, media, industrial and retail.

Clients include Fortune 500 companies and the US Government. This series A Growth round will serve to build out the strategic engineering team, top data scientists, and the creation of a global sales force.

Chooch AI is a member of the NVIDIA Inception and Metropolis programmes and can be mass deployed on GPU-powered edge devices and PCs. It allows remote management of AI models, devices and video streams from the Chooch AI dashboard in the cloud.

Unlike single-purpose computer vision systems, Chooch Al can rapidly ingest and process visual data from any spectrum, generating AI models in hours that can detect objects, actions, processes, coordinates, states, and more.

More details at https://chooch.ai

-- BERNAMA

APRU Quarantunes competition links student communities via music during pandemic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 -- The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) recently launched its Quarantunes student music competition to bring international university students together by sparking creativity and sharing positivity during the pandemic.

Attracting 108 impressive entries by students from 13 economies across Asia-Pacific, the Quarantunes competition was organised by APRU Plus, an online hub launched specifically to address challenges during COVID-19.

The 1st Prize (Tied) was won by ‘Get Down’ - National Taiwan University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong; and ‘Sonos Más’ - Tecnológico de Monterrey, while the 3rd Prize was clinched by ‘Six Feet Apart’ - University of the Philippines.

The winning teams reflected an incredible breadth of international student talent, with the leading entries emerging from student teams in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mexico, the Philippines, California (USA), Colombia, and South Korea.

With virtually no international student mobility and physical classes halted, students are facing unprecedented disruptions to their studies and university experience, according to a statement.

Conceived as a way to foster creativity and discussion around the importance of mental wellness during this challenging time, the competition gave students a new way to cope with isolation and come together to produce musical works that spread positivity.

APRU also offers the APRU Virtual Student Exchange Program, an exclusive opportunity to connect with peers from worldwide to learn new knowledge and skills, exchange ideas and cultures, and develop connections vital for success.

-- BERNAMA

7th time Hillstone Networks acknowledged in Magic Quadrant for Network Firewalls

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 -- Hillstone Networks, a leading provider of Enterprise Network Security and Risk Management solutions, has been positioned highest for ability to execute in the Niche Player’s quadrant in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Network Firewalls.

“We have been positioned in the Magic Quadrant for Network Firewalls seven years in a row (two years in a row for the related Critical Capabilities report),” said Hillstone Networks CTO and Co-Founder, Tim Liu in a statement.

“We think it is our unwavering and underlying commitment to deliver on the promise of standing with our clients in defence of their network that helped us be included.”

Hillstone’s robust portfolio addresses a variety of uses, cases and deployment scenarios, network security based on micro-segmentation technology, and a relentless strategy that has centered around cloud from the onset.

Hillstone Intelligent Breach Prevention solution, including Hillstone iNGFW and sBDS, delivers a full, lifecycle-based threat prevention solution that defends advanced threats, protects critical assets, and shortens time between compromise and detection.

Meanwhile, Hillstone Secure SD-WAN solution helps multi-branch organisations quickly deploy a secure VPN network, anywhere, to improve user experience without compromising security posture.

More details at www.hillstonenet.com.

-- BERNAMA

AXA CONTINUES TO PROTECT SOCIETY IN THE NEW NORMAL

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the critical role of insurers in protecting and supporting the societies. Recognising how the unprecedented outbreak has posed a crippling effect to the less privileged group within the community, AXA Affin General Insurance Berhad (AXA) is committed to uphold its role as a trusted partner that cares, acts and protects customers in difficult times.  

Under the new norm, AXA has re-designed its Corporate Responsibility (CR) strategy by exploring new ways to strengthen social solidarity and contribute towards a sustainable society. Over the past months, AXA has launched multiple meaningful initiatives in support of 3 key pillars ̶ Social Inclusion, Health and Environment, including raising funds and contributing a total of RM20,000 to 7 welfare homes during the recent 10^th CR Week. Among other activities held during the week were blood donation, health talk, sign language class, healthy cooking class and homemade cleaning product workshop.

A notable highlight is the return of AXA Hearts in Action Run 2020 for the 6^th consecutive year. To adapt to the new normal, the run has been launched in virtual format to encourage Malaysians to run for better health and advocate on key social causes close to their heart. This year’s theme “Run to Protect What Matters” supports AXA’s commitment to foster progress in difficult times and act as a force for collective good.

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Railsbank secures US$37 million to support global growth, product expansion

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 -- Railsbank, the leading global Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform, has raised US$37 million as part of continued equity funding to support its global growth and product expansion. (US$1 = RM4.115)

Railsbank’s existing investors, MiddleGame Ventures and Ventura Capital, co-led the round, with Anthos Capital, Global Brain, Clocktower Technology Ventures, Mitsui Fudosan and Firestartr also participating.

The new investment will enable Railsbank to continue to expand its global footprint, further strengthen its core product proposition, launch Credit Cards as a Service and help increase its lead in the embedded finance market as the world’s pre-eminent BaaS platform.

This enables start-ups and established brands to prototype, launch and scale financial products within their own customer experience, according to a statement.

Railsbank co-founder and chief executive officer, Nigel Verdon said: “We are thrilled to have the support of world-class investors who bring a highly strategic network to help us continue with the vision, with zero pivots, that Clive, my co-founder, and I started with in 2016.

“Over the past four years, we have built a global winning team and expanded our product into credit and data-driven insights, enabling any fungible product, such as money, digital assets, kilowatt hours, gas units, carbon credits, reward points, telco minutes, to be spent as money.”

The latest round adds to the previous Series A funding round of US$10 million in September 2019 from companies including CreditEase, Clocktower Technology Ventures, Singapore Life and a number of existing investors.

Railsbank is headquartered in London, with offices in Santa Monica, Singapore, Vilnius, Munich, Newcastle, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.

-- BERNAMA

National Nanning Economic & Technological Development Area optimises business environment

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 -- National Nanning Economic & Technological Development Area recently issued the National Nanning Economic & Technological Development Area Special Action Plan for 'Improving Business Environment'.

Also issued National Nanning Economic & Technological Development Area Appraisal Plan for 'Returning Power to Enterprises' in hopes of comprehensively improving the business environment, fully stimulating the market vitality and social creativity.

This includes implementing Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Prefecture's and Nanning's requirements to deepen the reform of government functions and the work deployment of taking the 100-day actions to optimise the business environment, and embodying the Area’s resolution and strength to refine its business environment.

The first special seminar on ‘business environment improvement’ was held to unify thoughts and reach consensus, on which several ‘highlights’ of the two documents became the focus of the discussion. In particular, the initiative to ‘return power to enterprises’ has stirred up extensive response.

The National Nanning Economic & Technological Development Area has spotlighted pain points of business development and continuously deepened the reform of government functions in recent years.

From the establishment of Guangxi's first and the nation's third administrative approval bureau to the creation of the motherly service brand, it endeavours to offer investors and enterprises the optimum services, greatest support and best conditions.

This includes fast and efficient administrative approval; offering thoughtful and quality services; and attracting investment in a pragmatic and targeted way.

“Through the 'business environment improvement' special actions, we seek to better unify the thoughts, concentrate the power, reform the approval, improve the approval services, and fulfill the policy commitment faster,” said National Nanning Economic & Technological Development Area Administrative Approval Bureau director, Li Tianhuan, in a statement.

-- BERNAMA

AKWEL reports upturn in activity for Q3 2020

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 -- AKWEL, an automotive and HGV equipment and systems manufacturer, has reported consolidated turnover of €649.1 million for the first nine months of 2020, limiting the decline to -21.4 per cent  from the same period last year. (€1 = RM4.88)

The upturn in AKWEL’s activity was confirmed in September, generating turnover growth of 0.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2020 (+6.7 per cent comparing like-for-like figures), and continued to outperform global automotive production.

The main performance factors were the continued positive impact of the Opel/PSA merger, which expanded the customer scope; a high level of aftermarket activity on SCR tanks; and, the ramp-up of activities in China.

According to a statement, the net cash continued to increase in the third quarter, totalling €42.2 million (excluding IFRS 16 impact) at the end of September 2020.

The signs of recovery seen in the third quarter must be tempered in a context of new restrictions associated with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Europe and the United States.

AKWEL continues to operate in a low-visibility market by relying on the flexibility and effectiveness of its business model and prioritising investments to support market trends, particularly in clean vehicles.

-- BERNAMA

Graforce, Berlin Hotel unveil negative emissions technology

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 -- The Mercure Hotel MOA Berlin is set to become the first hotel and event location worldwide with a negative CO₂ balance when generating heat.

This is due to Graforce-developed methane plasmalysis technology, whereby the MOA Berlin will not only generate its heat without any emissions. It will also be able to extract CO₂ from the atmosphere – while heating.

According to a statement, the MOA Berlin is no longer heating with natural gas but with hydrogen from biogas as the methane plasmalysis technology splits the biogas into hydrogen and solid carbon.

Using electricity from renewable energies, methane plasmalysis is just as climate-friendly as electrolysis – but the costs are significantly lower.

For the zero-emission heating process, the MOA Berlin uses modified gas condensing boilers fuelled by a mixture of green hydrogen and biogas. The mixing ratio is controlled by the methane plasmalyser.

The solid carbon can be used as an industrial raw material, for paints and ceramics or, as in the case of the MOA Berlin, for producing asphalt.

Thus, Graforce offers the worldwide first market-ready technology for CO₂ reduction and a green alternative to the controversial CCS storage.

The German company Graforce has developed new plasma applications for inexpensively producing green hydrogen and other valuable industrial gases from residual materials. Details at www.graforce.com/EN.

-- BERNAMA

The Machinery Expo & Investment Fair takes off in Longyan, China

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 -- The Machinery Expo & Investment Fair recently kicked off in Longyan, Fujian Province was hosted by the China Machinery Industry Federation.

The event was supported by the China Chamber of International Commerce, the Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of Fujian Province, the Fujian Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Fujian Provincial Department of Commerce and various other chambers of commerce and associations in Taiwan.

The Publicity Department of Longyan Municipality in a statement said the event, themed ‘Cross-Strait Cooperation for a Win-win Development Path’, was guided by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the People's Government of Fujian Province.

The exhibition covered an area of 30,000 square metres and divided into six exhibition areas including Industrial Development; Engineering and Environmental Protection Machinery; Special Vehicles and Emergency Equipment; and, Taiwan Machinery.

More than 600 construction machines, environmental sanitation machines, special vehicles, items of military-civilian, emergency, and intelligent manufacturing equipments, as well as over 5,000 instruments, tools, functional parts and accessories were displayed.

The event also included more than 20 sessions and activities including the Industry Development Summit Forum, the inaugural Internet Conference of Longyan & the Longyan Digital Industry Development Project Meeting 2020 and the Cross-Strait Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Forum (Longyan).

-- BERNAMA

MFPC AND ALLIANZ LIFE COLLABORATED TO COACH AGENTS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- After succeeding a pilot programme in February this year featuring 50 Allianz Life agents, Allianz Life Insurance Malaysia Berhad (Allianz Life) and the Malaysian Financial Planning Council (MFPC) have signed a training service agreement namely; Professional Estate Planning Adviser Programme (PEPAP) starting next year. 

During the signing ceremony that took place at Allianz Life Insurance Malaysia office this morning, MFPC’s President Vincent Kwo Shih Kang added that he is grateful that the “partnership with Allianz Life and MU Advisory has enabled the Council to offer a wider variety of real case studies based on the scenarios in the Malaysian market place.” As consumer needs have boosted in the last few years, it seems like a positive move for an agent to undertake a professional certification like PEPAP. He also congratulated Allianz life insurance agents who have stepped forward to complete this professional certificate programme and for their enthusiasm and commitment to professionalise their practice; and at the same time putting themselves in the upper hand position to serve their clients better.

In a speech by the Allianz Life Chief Executive Officer Joseph Gross he highlighted that “high-performance culture is one of the five core values of our organisation, and in driving that home with our agency talent, we put a lot of emphasis in curating our training and development programmes to ensure that these programmes are industry-focused, adds value to our agents, and increases professionalism in their work.” This means that the agreement came just at the perfect time and moment where it could contribute to the aforementioned values.

Upon the completion of PEPAP; the enrolled agents will be awarded the professional designation; Associate RFP designation to them as they have been equipped with modules on Estate Management after a 42-hour contact programme and will be well versed in the planning of wills, trust and the management of Islamic estate. In addition to that, they will also be exempted from the professional Registered Financial Planner (RFP) M5 Estate Planning examination.

Being an independent body, MFPC has worked towards developing the financial planning profession through its professional education programmes and introducing several initiatives and projects to raise the financial literacy of Malaysians from all walks of life. Subsequently, in line with the developments in the Malaysian Financial landscape, the RFP/ Shariah RFP designation was approved by Bank Negara Malaysia as a professional qualification for the application of the Financial Adviser License and Financial Adviser Representative License, and by the Securities Commissions Malaysia for the application of the Capital Market Services License.

Source: Malaysian Financial Planning Council (MFPC)


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Madison Realty Capital closes new debt investment vehicle up to US$1 billion

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 -- Madison Realty Capital, a New York City-based real estate private equity firm focused on debt and equity investment strategies, recently closed on a new debt investment vehicle with up to US$1 billion in investing capability. (US$1 = RM4.11)

Madison, with US$5.6 billion of gross assets under management, will deploy this new debt strategy to target lighter value-add and core-plus real estate transactions with a greater focus on income generation with rates of four per cent to 7.5 per cent.

The new strategy adds another solution to Madison Realty Capital’s comprehensive lending and investment platform and allows the firm to provide an even greater variety of options to its deep relationships of real estate owners, operators and lenders.

Accordingly, the firm will originate and acquire senior loans and mezzanine loans as well as make preferred equity investments backed by a diversified pool of transitional real estate assets.

The new vehicle also enables Madison Realty Capital to provide other alternative real estate lenders with financing solutions on both a single asset and overall portfolio basis. 

“Expanding our product offering is consistent with Madison’s approach of developing financing solutions to meet the evolving needs of our borrowers and to capture more income-oriented opportunities we might have otherwise had to forego,” Madison Realty Capital Managing Principal and Co-Founder, Josh Zegen said in a statement.

-- BERNAMA

APRU partners United Nations ESCAP, Google on AI for Social Good report

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 -- APRU has partnered with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (United Nations ESCAP) and Google to launch the AI for Social Good report, calling for AI innovation to aid post-COVID recovery.

This is the third project exploring AI’s impact on Asia-Pacific societies to offer research-based recommendations to policymakers that focus on how AI can empower work towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

APRU Secretary General, Chris Tremewan said: “APRU members have incredible research depth in the challenges facing this region, from extreme climate events and the global COVID-19 pandemic to complex cross-border problems.”

“Bringing their expertise and AI innovation together in a collective effort makes a powerful contribution to our societies and our planet’s health.”

Researchers’ insights underpin the report’s recommendations for developing an environment and governance framework conducive to AI for Social Good - a term encompassing increasingly rapid technological changes occurring amidst inequality, the urgent transition to renewable energy and unexpected international tensions.

According to a statement, the report’s multidisciplinary studies provide the knowledge and perspectives of researchers from Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, India and Australia.

Combining local understanding with international outlook is essential for policymakers to respond with regulation that enables international tech firms to contribute to the common good.

The key recommendations are multi-stakeholder governance must push innovation to realise AI’s full potential; establish standardised data formats and interoperability; and, address data privacy concerns and protect individual dignity.

-- BERNAMA

YAYASAN PETRONAS, PETRONAS DAGANGAN BERHAD LIVEN UP MOOD OF 400 DESERVING BENEFICIARIES FOR DEEPAVALI

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Yayasan PETRONAS in collaboration with PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (PDB), has begun distributing festive and personal hygiene care packages to 400 beneficiaries from various charities and homes for Deepavali, as part of its Sentuhan Kasih Festive programme.

From 6 to 12 November 2020, food supplies, plush toys, tumblers, masks and hand sanitisers are being donated to beneficiaries in Kuala Lumpur and seven states  -- Johor, Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak and Selangor.  

Yayasan PETRONAS and PDB are working together with several state agencies to distribute these items worth RM88,000 to the beneficiaries, including orphans, underprivileged senior citizens as well as those who are vulnerable and at high risk during this COVID-19 pandemic.

Commenting on the effort, Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer Nelly Francis Shariah said: “We may not be able to celebrate this festive season in large gatherings or with regular activities this year, but good flourishes when we choose to give during challenging times. Our team is committed to offering a ray of hope during this festive season, amidst the challenges brought about by the pandemic.”

PDB Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Azrul Osman Rani said: “It is a challenging time for the nation as a whole and I'm sure it will be even harder for the less fortunate. We hope that through this small gesture, we can help make a difference for them this Deepavali.

“We are glad to have the support from PETRONAS station dealers who helped facilitate the sourcing and distribution of the items, which made the entire process a seamless one for our recipients. This is indeed a time for all of us to come together to give back meaningfully to the community that sustains us,” he added.

In Klang Valley, Yayasan PETRONAS distributed 50 care packages each to Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) Kuala Lumpur and Sepang respectively for their Deepavali celebration. Three hundred beneficiaries in Kedah, Penang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor will also be receiving a care package each.

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FWD TAKAFUL OFFERS MALAYSIANS OPPORTUNITY TO EARN EXTRA INCOME THROUGH FWD AFFILIATE

Initiative encourages Malaysians to be part of a new digital revolution and boost awareness of the importance of Takaful

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- FWD Takaful Berhad (“FWD Takaful”) is offering Malaysians the opportunity to earn additional income through FWD Affiliate, a simple, direct and free way to earn income for those who enjoy sharing and connecting on social media – all from the comfort of their own homes.
 
Launched in December last year, FWD Affiliate is part of FWD Takaful’s ongoing effort to increase awareness and educate the public about the importance of Takaful while offering the opportunity to earn additional income. In light of the pandemic, Malaysians have placed greater emphasis on their health and overall wellbeing and making sure that they’re adequately covered to protect themselves in future circumstances.
 
The programme was launched allowing referral of Takaful plans offered through FWD Takaful’s agency network such as FWD Family First, FWD Future First and FWD Invest First. Now, the initiative will be extended to include affordable online Takaful plans such as FWD Protect Direct, FWD Care Direct and FWD MedSecure Direct to provide a wider range of product choice for affiliates to share.
 
Wan Ahmad Najib Wan Ahmad Lotfi, FWD Takaful’s Chief Strategy & Digital Distribution Officer said, “FWD Affiliate is a good fit for today’s world of digital connectivity through a model that is resilient to the environment and circumstances. With addition of our affordable online products, we now have a more comprehensive product suite for our affiliates to share. We’re confident that this initiative will be able to support people’s needs during this time and help to change the way people feel about takaful.”
 
Wan Mohd Fadhlan Mohd Azmi, FWD Takaful’s Chief Agency Officer added, “Digital connectivity and reliance continue to soar during these trying times. We’re inviting all Malaysians aged 18 and above to leverage their vast social media networks and join us as an FWD Affiliate, to earn extra income easily without capital, and no selling needed.”
 
FWD Affiliates will have the flexibility and freedom to determine the income they would like to earn. With simple and straightforward processes, they can take control of the content they share and monitor it all using one app. Here are a few simple steps on how to become an FWD Affiliate:
1. Create an account and download the FWD Affiliate app to be tagged to one of our registered agents.
2. Share pre-generated content to your social media connections.
3. Earn a referral fee for each plan that the customer participates in.
 
As at end October 2020, FWD Affiliate has successfully registered close to 2,000 affiliates and generated more than 1,600 leads.
 
Join the new digital revolution and go beyond fulfilling the need to earn a living for yourself but also helping others get protected. Visit fwd.com.my/affiliate to register as an FWD Affiliate today and start earning extra income. Alternatively, call 1300 13 7988 or email affiliatesupport.my@fwd.com for more information.

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Unisys Stealth(R) latest version to hasten deployment, simply management

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 -- Unisys Corporation has announced the availability of Unisys Stealth(R) 6.0, which features enhanced visualisation and dashboard tools to simplify an organisation's IT reporting and deployment – strengthening security posture and allowing businesses to reduce the complexity of their IT environment with appropriate security policies.

“With more enterprises managing a remote workforce and increasing reliance on the cloud since the pandemic started, the need to consolidate and simplify security is more important than ever,” said Unisys chief technology officer and senior vice-president of Products and Platforms, Vishal Gupta.

“Stealth combines identity-based access management with an easy-to-use interface and touchless provisioning that allows businesses to meet privacy and compliance standards while reducing cost and complexity."

According to a statement, Stealth(TM) 6.0 helps organisations achieve zero trust security quickly and provides real-time insights and security metrics to improve decision making.

Stealth(TM) features artificial intelligence (AI)-driven automation to dramatically speed up installation, configuration and deployment in the enterprise within minutes.

Stealth 6.0, which uses micro-segmentation, encryption and dynamic isolation to contain threats and protect public, private, hybrid, multi-cloud and on-premises environments, is available for enterprise use to provide additional protection across the world's largest cloud computing platforms.

This includes Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services Cloud and Google Cloud.

Stealth also provides virtual agent support across operating systems, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS and Android, enabling support for the broadest array of digital infrastructure in the IT industry.

For details, visit www.unisys.com.

-- BERNAMA

DEMAND FOR B-SCHOOLS INCREASES AMIDST GLOBAL PANDEMIC

New research shows applications to graduate business school programs are up, with variations in growth rates by region and program due to online learning, travel, and visa concerns

RESTON, Va., Nov 11 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Graduate Management Admission Council™ (GMAC™), a global association of leading graduate business schools, today released its annual 2020 Application Trends Survey. GMAC delayed the release of this year’s report, initially scheduled for publication in mid-October, to further gauge the impact of COVID-19 on application trends in regions around the world. As institutions adopted a range of admissions policies to aid candidates amid COVID-19, the report, known for assessing growth trends with an emphasis on the flow of international students crossing borders, highlights shifts in enrollment trends across Asia Pacific, Canada, Europe and the United States.

Overall, 67 percent of the more than 1,000 programs participating in this year’s survey report an increase in application volume. This includes 66% of MBA programs and 67% of business master’s programs.

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IBM MALAYSIA: BUDGET 2021 IS STRATEGIC, A 'CRUCIAL STEP' TOWARDS ECONOMIC RECOVERY

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 (Bernama) --  IBM Malaysia has described Budget 2021 as a crucial step in a series of initiatives that the government has and will undertake to address the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 on the nation’s economy.

Its managing director Catherine Lian described the budget as ‘strategic’ and designed to address the immediate problems faced by the rakyat, further enhanced by the previous Penjana and Prihatin programs.
 
“We are heartened that the budget is very much a people-centric one focusing on the critical areas of the rakyat’s welfare, business continuity and economic resilience,” said Catherine.
 
With Malaysia expecting a contraction gross domestic product (GDP) of 4.5% in 2020, Catherine is encouraged that measures addressed within Budget 2021 aim to further kick-start Malaysia’s recovering economy towards targeted growth of 6.5% - 7.5% in 2021.
 
She is further encouraged by the emphasis on digital transformation to elevate the country’s productivity and national competitiveness.
 
To further strengthen Malaysia’s economic competitiveness, she further suggested for the government to complement current fiscal and financial measures with a robust policy framework that would enhance Malaysia’s position in the global digital economy.
 
“A focus on international trade agreements that enhance and promote data flows across borders, standards to facilitate digital trade activities and robust data protection and privacy regime that pivots on trust and transparency will ensure that Malaysia remains a competitive player in the digital space,” said Catherine.
 
Finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz had announced that RM1 billion would be set aside for digital transformation schemes, coupled with RM150 million in grants for the digitalisation and automisation of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and nearly RM1.2 billion for microcredit schemes.
 
In addition, the government also announced RM10 billion for Syarikat Jaminan Pembiayaan Perniagaan Bhd and RM2.5 billion for G1 to G4 contractors for small and medium projects nationwide, with MARA to provide RM50 million in funding scheme for Bumiputera contractors.

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Tokyo Sustainable Finance Week set for next February

 KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 -- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) will organise Tokyo Sustainable Finance Week in February 2021, to promote ESG investment and sustainable finance that contribute to sustainable cities development and enhance TMG's presence in these areas.

During the week, the Tokyo Sustainable Finance Forum will be held, targeted at professionals working at financial institutions and relevant organisations in Japan and overseas.

In addition, the Financial Seminar for Tokyo Residents will also be held to improve financial literacy and raise awareness for sustainable finance among the general public.

Programme includes Keynote speech 1: Global Trends in Sustainable Finance (tentative); Keynote speech 2: Development of Sustainable Finance in Japan; and, Keynote speech 3: Sustainable Finance Trends in Japan and Overseas from the Perspective of Investors.

In addition to the keynote speeches, a panel discussion will also be held, according to a statement.

Applications to attend the Tokyo Sustainable Finance Forum are accepted beginning Nov 9, while applications for the Financial Seminar for Tokyo Residents will open in early December.

Application is available at https://sites.net-convention.com/tsfw_forum_en/

-- BERNAMA

ZYNGA ANNOUNCES THIRD QUARTER 2020 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Reports Highest Quarterly Revenue and Bookings in Zynga History

Generates Best Q3 Operating Cash Flow

Raises Full Year 2020 Guidance

Uniquely Positioned to be an Interactive Entertainment Growth Leader in 2021 and Beyond

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 5 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA) today released financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2020 by posting management’s Q3 2020 Quarterly Earnings Letter to its Investor Relations website. Please see the attached Quarterly Earnings Letter or visit http://investor.zynga.com/financial-information/quarterly-results to access the letter.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201104005051/en/

 

“We delivered strong results in Q3, ahead of guidance across all key financial measures, including our highest ever quarterly revenue and bookings and best Q3 operating cash flow. Execution of our multi-year growth strategy has driven our tremendous results to date and generated positive momentum across our live services and overall business,” said Frank Gibeau, Chief Executive Officer of Zynga. “Extending our strength in live services, we recently launched one of our key franchises Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells to global fanfare and positive player reviews and closed our acquisition of Rollic on October 1 – marking our entry into the high-growth, hyper-casual games category. Today, we are raising our full year 2020 guidance and are uniquely positioned to be an interactive entertainment growth leader in 2021 and beyond.”

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Cummins unveils 2 Digital Master Controls to PowerCommand products

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 -- Cummins Inc has added two new Digital Master Controls (DMC), DMC2000 and 6000 to its suite of PowerCommand® power system paralleling products.

According to a statement, the new Master Control products are enhanced to meet market needs while supporting a wide range of configurations suiting various design complexities.

The pre-engineered system level controls will enable faster delivery time to customers at an optimised price.

Cummins’ new DMC products are designed to directly interface with Cummins Power Generation PowerCommand generator sets and switchgear and ATS to deliver a truly integrated power control solution.

This integrated power system solution seamlessly provides reliability and dependability in critical applications like hospitals, airports, data centres, telecommunications or high-tech manufacturing facilities.

Both DMCs will complement the already-existing DMC8000 by offering integrated control solutions that meet market demand for a wide range of site designs where the completely customisable DMC8000 exceeds site specifications.

The new products also provide comprehensive design flexibility, control modularity, enhanced user interface experience, and more than 1,200 failure scenarios that have been analysed, tested and mitigated to ensure complete power control.

Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, Cummins Inc is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions.

-- BERNAMA

NGL Tricor Governance acquisition to expand Tricor Malaysia's business advisory division

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 -- Tricor Axcelasia Sdn Bhd has agreed to acquire the remaining 60 per cent of NGL Tricor Governance Sdn Bhd to expand Tricor Malaysia’s strategic business advisory division.

Tricor Malaysia Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Yeap Kok Leong said: “With NGL Tricor Governance as a wholly-owned subsidiary, Tricor Axcelasia will now be the largest provider of outsourced internal audit services to public-listed companies in Malaysia.

“This important investment will greatly benefit Tricor’s 6,000 clients in Malaysia, as it would allow us to bring our services to a broader client base and expand our offerings in both Malaysia and across Asia-Pacific.”

Tricor Axcelasia Regional Managing Director, Ranjit Singh hailed the acquisition for strengthening the firm’s dominant position resulting in an increased market share of 25 per cent of the outsourced internal audit market for listed companies in Malaysia.

“Business partners will now further benefit from cost-effective and immediate solutions for all their governance, risk management and internal control needs,” said NGL Tricor Governance Managing Director, Chang Ming Chew.

NGL Tricor Governance, an existing associate company under Tricor, currently serves over 40 clients listed on Bursa Malaysia and the Singapore Stock Exchange, providing internal audit support and risk management services.

Tricor Group (Tricor) is the leading business expansion specialist in Asia, with global knowledge and local expertise in business, corporate, investor, human resources & payroll, corporate trust & debt services, and strategic business advisory.

-- BERNAMA

CIMB EMPOWERS SMES WITH BUSINESSHR.ASIA CLOUD BASED ALL-IN-ONE PAYROLL AND HR PLATFORM

The platform aims to enable business customers to streamline HR tasks digitally and seamlessly in the COVID-19 environment 

 
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- CIMB Bank Berhad and CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad (collectively “CIMB” or “the Bank”) today unveiled the BusinessHR.asia solution, offering a convenient all-in-one human resources platform for business customers. Co-hosted by HReasily, a regional digital human resource solutions provider, the cloud based solution has been specifically created and designed with small and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”) clients in mind, to ensure a more robust, seamless human resources system.

BusinessHR.asia, powered by CIMB Bank, is designed to automate and simplify HR tasks ideally suited to the current working-from-home arrangements. The platform offers security and transparency for business owners and employees, including the ability to access and view salary slips as well as leave balances and employee expense reimbursements quickly and on-the-go via mobile or personal computer.

Victor Lee Meng Teck, CEO, Group Commercial Banking, CIMB Group said, “The introduction of BusinessHR.asia, a cloud based all-in-one payroll and HR platform, is timely given the current challenging business climate. In line with one of our Forward23+ main pivots namely, ‘Customer Centricity’, the innovative offering reflects CIMB’s continuous commitment in placing customers at the heart of everything we do whilst supporting SMEs in adapting to the new norm. The proposition will also assist SMEs in digitalising their businesses, ultimately helping them improve productivity and efficiency. We are also happy to note that the platform complements businesses in their sustainability efforts towards reducing paper.”

BusinessHR.asia has one of the most competitive rates in the market with a minimum value of RM4 – RM12 monthly and no upfront commitment. CIMB is currently offering a one-month trial on BusinessHR’s Full Suite Package to all businesses, available from October until December 2020. New and existing CIMB SME customers with a Business Current Account/-i are eligible for an additional month’s fee waived while existing customers who have enrolled for CIMB@Work payroll solution will receive additional two months’ fee waived to their subscription should they decide to subscribe for BusinessHR’s annual package.

For more information on BusinessHR.asia and sign up, please visit: www.cimb.com.my/bizhr.


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