Here is the official result for 3D Swertres Lotto today, Friday, September 25, 2020 from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) based on 2PM, 5PM, and 9PM live draws online.
The PCSO releases official 3D result / Swertres result September 25, 2020 at 2pm, 5pm and 9pm.
Here is the latest 3D Swertres result for today from PCSO:
2pm: 6-4-9 5pm: 9-9-7 9pm: _-_-_
(in exact order)
Congratulations to all the winners. if you did not make it in today’s draws, don’t worry, there are still more draws to come. 3D Swertres tickets are still at P20 each. Please check this post regularly for the latest 3D Swertres Lotto results from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Only persons aged 18 and above are allowed to play Swertres Lotto. Players are responsible for checking the accuracy of the data printed in their tickets.
How to play Swertres Lotto / 3D Lotto
Select your Swertres number combination by marking one (1) number out of numbers 0 to 9 in each of the three columns.
Mark LP (Lucky Pick) if you want the terminal to choose the number combination for you.
Select your play amount.
Mark Rambolito if you want to play Rambolito 3D Lotto System Bet.
For Advance Plays, mark the number of consecutive draws in the Draw panel.
New global survey looks at future digital transformation efforts of finance and IT leaders amid pandemic and beyond
Sept 25, 2020 – Trintech, a leading global provider of integrated Record to Report software solutions for the office of finance, today released a study evaluating organizations’ use of ERP systems and financial software during the global COVID-19 pandemic and its impact. Nine out of ten respondents said they experience challenges with the financial close process, with the top challenges being 1) a time-consuming process, 2) the risk of experiencing manual errors, and 3) under-supported to achieve their goals.
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Trintech surveyed 336 finance and IT leaders globally on challenges experienced in digital transformation efforts. Respondents reported their organizations’ processes and strategies are rife with challenges due to data accuracy and lack of collaboration. However, there are opportunities for organizations to pinpoint their problem areas and utilize modern technology and strategic approaches to help propel themselves toward long-term success.
Key findings include:
– Complex environments cause challenges with executive collaboration and financial close technology. Organizations operate in complex ERP environments and use an average of nine different vendors and 18 instances across the enterprise globally which leads to disconnects in collaboration and communication among the C-Suite and other leadership stakeholders and trouble with data availability and accuracy. This increases the risk of financial misstatements and potentially incorrect insights. 44% of respondents cited errors due to manual processes as one of the biggest challenges during financial closes.
– Adopting advanced technologies can benefit the entire organization. Many organizations can benefit from supplemental financial close applications that work across this complex and disparate ERP environment while also introducing advanced technological capabilities such as AI that benefit the entire organization. Currently, CFOs spend almost 17% of their work week analyzing financial information and only 12% on business strategy-related activities. Advanced technologies can free up time and help CFOs spend more time on strategy.
– The financial close process will be overhauled in the age of AI. Eighty percent of respondents said AI will play a large or central role in their organization’s next wave of financial management technology. Organizations must take advantage of and invest in technologies like AI, robotics, automation, and risk management so the finance office can overcome its own challenges while leading the way in the organization for the ROI on these advanced technologies.
“Prior to the pandemic, we heard many business leaders say digital transformation is a priority, but too many overlook finance as a crucial and foundational element of this transformation. Investing in the right technology to maintain business continuity in a remote environment and beyond is no longer a “want”, it’s a critical need,” said Teresa Mackintosh, CEO at Trintech. “This survey revealed that complex ERP environments hinder the ability to produce necessary financial statements and track key metrics to get a true view of the business. Looking to supplemental solutions that integrate across these complex ERP environments to ensure data accuracy, automation, and collaboration in the C-Suite are paramount to ensuring long-term success for your organization.”
According to the study, “Finance teams are notorious for lagging behind their enterprises’ digital transformation efforts, though not for lack of trying. While many large enterprises focus on their technology teams, they overlook the transformational necessity of the finance teams, leaving them with outdated systems and frustrated employees and lacking skill sets. To effectively position themselves for long-term success, organizations must deliver on these increasingly challenging demands in the short run and find a way to manage the complexities that come with being an enterprise-level organization.”
Key Recommendations:
Growing pressures due to rising customer expectations, fast pace of change, and the ongoing impacts of the pandemic will force organizations to invest in modern finance solutions or face perilous consequences. This in-depth survey yielded several important recommendations:
– Organizations need to make bold investments in finance for business survival and growth. Decision makers must overhaul their current thinking and recognize that great finance systems – including clear visibility and controls – can make or break the business. Leaders need accurate, real-time financial information through streamlined financial close software to make important decisions about business health and investments.
– The right technology will bring consistency and automation to critical financial processes. Respondents said they prioritize integration, breadth, and automation when selecting financial software. These characteristics are critical to solving issues around fragmented data, inconsistent processes, and out-of-date information that can drag down business success.
– Make sure to invest in governance and CFO-CIO collaboration for best results. Leading organizations must combine people, processes, and technology for best results in modern finance systems. The technology is a starting point, but real success can only happen when key stakeholders are aligned and clear on roles and responsibilities.
– Push the limits of AI in core finance processes. All financial software aims to automate and reduce manual effort, but leading solutions are changing the game with real learning and intelligence. Go beyond the buzzwords and ask your supplier for real examples and references from customers who can speak to the power of real AI.
Please tune in to our webinar, “Leveraging Advanced Technology to Succeed in a Complex Financial Close”, on October 16th to hear more about our survey findings and recommended next steps. https://pr.report/6H-IMBOJ
About Trintech
Trintech Inc., a pioneer of Financial Corporate Performance Management (FCPM) software, combines unmatched technical and financial expertise to create innovative, cloud-based software solutions that deliver world-class financial operations and insights. From high volume transaction matching and streamlining daily operational reconciliations, to automating and managing balance sheet reconciliations, intercompany accounting, journal entries, disclosure reporting and bank fee analysis, to governance, risk and compliance – Trintech’s portfolio of financial solutions, including Cadency® Platform, Adra® Suite, and targeted tools, ReconNET™, T-Recs®, and UPCS®, help manage all aspects of the financial close process. Over 3,500 clients worldwide – including the majority of the Fortune 100 – rely on the company’s cloud-based software to continuously improve the efficiency, reliability, and strategic insights of their financial operations.
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Trintech has offices located across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Nordics, as well as strategic partners in South Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. To learn more about Trintech, visit www.trintech.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
HONG KONG, Sept 24, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited (CITIC Telecom CPC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883) and the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) have introduced a jointly developed Augmented Reality (AR) solution designed to transform field engineers’ operations and maintenance processes. Branded DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand Service (AR Remote Hand), the solution leverages wearable Augmented Reality (AR) technology and brings CITIC Telecom CPC’s field engineers and its customers to a new era, enabling them to slash the time and cost of troubleshooting and maintenance for achieving better results.
The “DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand Service”meets the growing customer demand for support in managing the increasing complexity and diversity of equipment used today in data centres via the state-of-the-art solution. It enables field engineers across multiple locations to overcome the challenges of multiple languages and skillsets in multi-technology environments; as well as to manage installation and maintenance issues more efficiently and cost effectively, resulting in improved customer satisfaction
The AR Remote Hand Service employs AR glasses to stream real-time intelligence, troubleshooting logs, graphics and encrypted data from back-end systems to on-site engineers and maintenance staff, boosting field productivity by up to 50%. By wearing the glasses, field engineers do not have to stop their work to communicate with back-end support teams via a laptop or phone, nor to refer to a paper manual. The AR Remote Hand provides field engineers with a heads-up display for remote visualisation in real time as they install, maintain or troubleshoot equipment, thus speeding up the whole process.
Global-Local Service Enabler
CITIC Telecom CPC and ASTRI share the same vision in driving innovation and enhancing customer experience. Through the partnership, both companies not only take the latest AR technology to the next level, but also bring those benefits to a wide range of industries.
The new DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand Service meets the growing customer demand for support in managing the increasing complexity and diversity of equipment used today in data centres via the state-of-the-art solution. AR Remote Hand enables field engineers across multiple locations to overcome the challenges of multiple languages and skillsets in multi-technology environments; as well as to manage installation and maintenance issues more efficiently and cost effectively, resulting in improved customer satisfaction.
With the DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand Service, remote support teams share the same view as on-site engineers which reduces the need for and expense of travel time. This ability to work effectively from remote locations is also helping CITIC Telecom CPC’s customers and staff stay safe in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure safe operations and maintain service infrastructure availability by the global remote service support teams, CITIC Telecom CPC is using DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand Service in its China Data Center operations to assure regional customers’ business operations continuity.
“We are delighted to see the results of our strategic partnership with ASTRI in the launch of AR Remote Hand Service,” said Mr. Esmond Li, CEO of CITIC Telecom CPC. “The partnership has provided us with a solution that significantly strengthens our managed services offerings, greatly enhances the customer experience and is revolutionising the industry’s operations and maintenance capabilities. DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand is an innovative remote maintenance service adopted in data centre scenarios, which leverages AR intelligent operations and maintenance technologies. This is only the first step and we will not stop here. Through collaborating more innovative thinking, we expect to enhance the service to cope with more scenarios and bring more value and better customer experience to enterprises.”
“Our strategic collaboration with CITIC Telecom CPC has demonstrated the success in leveraging next generation technology in real-life applications that benefit our people and society, in this case smart industrial applications and field service management solutions for Hong Kong enterprises,” said Mr. Hugh Chow, CEO of ASTRI. “We are delighted that our applied research has proven effective in enhancing CITIC Telecom CPC’s customer experience, improving operational efficiency and boosting business resilience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. ASTRI, as a bridge of innovation and technology, will continue to strive to create economic value and societal impact via technology transfer and commercialisation in building a smarter and safer Hong Kong.”
In their collaboration, ASTRI focused on developing the software platform and customisation, while CITIC Telecom CPC provided related information and opinions based on its experience with business cases in various scenarios and applications. This ensured the solution could effectively address enterprise customers’ needs across a range of industries. The result is a solution that offers a wide array of benefits in service provisioning and remote location visualization and communication capabilities:
Intelligent Service Provisioning without Boundaries
Field engineers managing complex equipment and procedures for on-site service previously required significant time and effort which reduced efficiency. Thanks to the innovative wearable AR technology, the AR Remote Hand service now substantially reduces the time and cost for field service provisioning while boosting capabilities. Customers can solve problems faster while minimising downtime and expense.
1.) Intuitive AR-Guided Installation, Troubleshooting and Maintenance: With AR Remote Hand, field engineers recognise any device with a designated QR code and access real-time intelligence, graphics, and encrypted data from back-end systems streamed on-site. Field staff can access virtual step-by-step guides or even 3D manuals via AR glasses, without the need to interrupt work to check information on a laptop or in a manual.
2.) Historical Records Analysis: Using a pre-set routine (e.g. gestures), on-site engineers can review a device’s historical record (e.g. customers’ network traffic or cloud CPU history), to speed up data analysis and troubleshooting, while cutting downtime and cost.
3.) Seamless Communication and Collaboration with Back-end Support: Field engineers previously communicated with back-end support via email or phone, making it difficult to describe a troubleshooting situation. Removing distance and language barriers, back-end engineers now view real-time images streamed via AR glasses through an AR operations console, improving operational speed and quality. Its powerful video conferencing feature also offers engineers instant support and fosters off-site collaboration between global operations and maintenance teams. In addition, back-end engineers can give field engineers clear instructions via 3D AR labelling.
AR-Enabler Acts as Customers’ Remote Hands
While enterprises promote cross-regional operations and continuously develop businesses, the kinds of IT equipment used are diversified with fast upgrades, making daily IT operation and maintenance management difficult. In the past, maintenance of IT equipment was done by on-site professionals who would need to investigate and analyse the issues on-site in order to identify the solutions. However, the experience and capability of IT staff can vary. When an enterprise’s IT and maintenance staff face situations they cannot fix or when its professional engineers are not able to go for on-site support, urgent maintenance can be delayed, compromising the enterprise’s efficiency and putting it at risk.
In exceptional circumstances, such as the current pandemic, it’s difficult for enterprises’ IT staff to travel to data centres and manage their equipment. Equipped with the latest AR glasses development, CITIC Telecom CPC’s DataHOUSE AR Remote Hand serves as customers’ remote hands. It not only shows the status of on-site equipment as customers watch in real time from offices or other locations, but also lets customers to provide live instructions to CITIC Telecom CPC’s on-site engineers as they troubleshoot equipment issues without physically being in the data centre.
“At CITIC Telecom CPC, we are constantly innovating to improve the customer experience,” said Mr. Daniel Kwong, Chief Information and Innovation Officer of CITIC Telecom CPC. “We plan to extend the AR Remote Hand service for further customer use and will enlarge the list of equipment support. Adding AI applications for the AR glasses will be the next milestone as we work to deliver even more intelligent diagnoses. For example, when a field engineer sees the status of the target-fixing equipment through the AR glasses, they will be shown a number of possible causes for the problem, with each cause ranked with a percentage according to how likely it is to be the source of the problem.”
Game-Changing Innovation in Algorithm Design
Innovation Never Stops. The innovative AR Remote Hand solution is the result of the hard work of CITIC Telecom CPC’s data scientists and R&D experts based in Chengdu, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. In addition to developing the solution using AR technology, CITIC Telecom CPC’s innovation team recently received an award that highlights its engineers’ expertise in data science and algorithm design.
CITIC Telecom CPC’s Data Science professionals won the “Tianchi Big Data Competition” organised by Alibaba Group in a fierce competition with over 900 teams from industry leading companies and top universities. The team helped ELEME Inc., an online food delivery platform, to optimise their food ordering and delivery with better algorithms to provide the best routes for their riders with full consideration of the location of food stores, the time needed for food preparation, traffic on the rider’s route, service coverage in delivery areas, peak hours for food ordering, and customer waiting times.
The judges expressed their impression of the team’s innovative thinking and algorithm calculation results, not only to achieve the fastest delivery time but also the shortest extra waiting time for customers. In the future, we expect the algorithm developed by the team will continue to add value for businesses of different industries and for the social community in a range of scenarios, such as optimising traffic flow or improving plane flight paths.
About CITIC Telecom CPC
We are CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited (“CITIC Telecom CPC”), a wholly owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883), serving multinational enterprises the world over by addressing their specific ICT requirements with highly scalable tailored solutions built upon our flagship technology suites, comprising TrueCONNECT(TM) private network solutions, TrustCSI(TM) information security solutions, DataHOUSE(TM) cloud data center solutions, and SmartCLOUD(TM) cloud computing solutions.
As a leading Global Local ICT Solutions Partner with worldwide footprint across East to West and native presence, we truly live our motto, “Innovation Never Stops.” Being a preferred Digital Society Enabler, we lead our key markets at the forefront of pioneering ICT development, embracing AI, AR, Big Data, IoT, and other cutting-edge emerging technologies to transform technical potential into real-world value for our customers, helping them achieve higher productivity, agility, cost-efficiency, and ultimately, Digital Globalization.
As one of the first managed service providers in Hong Kong to achieve ISO 9001, 14001, 20000, 27001, and 27017 ICT-related certifications, CITIC Telecom CPC delivers on our superior quality commitment through a broad global self-managed infrastructure encompassing some of the highest growth markets in Asia, Europe and America, with over 140 points of presence, 18 Cloud service centers, 30+ data centers, and two dedicated 24×7 Security Operations Centers.
For more information please visit www.citictel-cpc.com
About ASTRI
The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong’s competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research.
ASTRI’s research and development strategic focus covers five areas of applications: Smart City; Financial Technologies; Intelligent Manufacturing; Health Technologies; and Application Specific Integrated Circuits through its mandate as the Hong Kong branch of the Chinese National Engineering Research Centre.
Our core competence in various areas is grouped under five technology divisions, namely Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics; Communications Technologies; Cybersecurity, Cryptography and Trusted Technologies; Integrated Circuits and Systems, and IoT and Sensors.
ASTRI seeks to develop technologies that address the needs of industries, institutions and communities in Hong Kong; as well as nurture talent to create economic value and societal impact. To date, ASTRI has transferred more than 750 technologies to the industry and owns more than 850 patents in the Mainland, the US and other countries.
For further information, please visit www.astri.org.
Media Contacts:
Rowena Leung
CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited
(852) 2170 7536
Email: rowena.leung@citictel-cpc.com
Jeanette Kwok
Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute
Asia’s leading B2B e-commerce group, ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL), announced that it will be expanding the scale of its operations and investments in Singapore. ZALL will invest in its Singapore business, including Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC), a Joint Venture between ZALL, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) and Global eTrade Services (GeTS). It has increased its recruitment efforts, with a number of open roles for its operations and trading teams in Singapore. ZALL is also investing into technology to further enable Singapore SMEs to trade more freely across Asia.
ZALL is one of the nine bidders who made the shortlist for the Singapore wholesale digital banking license with only three licenses will be awarded by end-2020. The digital bank foray will mark ZALL’s fourth major project in Singapore as it aims to bridge the funding gap and support the expansion of local SMEs and micro-SMEs into Asia.
ZALL’s Chairman, Yan Zhi believes that the pandemic has highlighted the importance of leveraging cross-border growth opportunities, especially between ASEAN and China to build more resilient supply chains. Mr. Yan’s comments were shared at the recent FutureChina Global Forum 2020 (FCGF) that was attended by over 1,300 regional delegates who discussed the latest development trends and growth opportunities between China and ASEAN. From Singapore, the event was graced by Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Chan Chun Sing.
“While it is business as usual in China now, the rest of the world is still affected by the pandemic that has disrupted supply chains, cratering economies. Today, most of the trading and transactions have to be done online, creating an urgency for traditional businesses to leverage on digital platforms and digitally transform as soon as possible in order to survive,” emphasized Mr. Yan Zhi, Chairman of ZALL.
“With confidence, we will eventually go through the difficulties, through the epidemic and fog before us, and the world in three years will only be better,” said Mr Yan.
The pandemic has amplified Singapore’s importance in driving ASEAN-China trade, a valuable proof point around ZALL’s decision to establish its international headquarters in Singapore by launching Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) two years ago (2018). CIC is Singapore’s first B2B e-trading platform for physical commodities powered by blockchain technology. It offers a global intelligent trading platform to more than a dozen countries, helping companies to reduce transaction costs, optimise the efficiency of their supply chains across cross-border trading, financing, logistics, compliance and risk management; and achieve greater trading synergies globally.
Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, CIC has seen sales revenues at approximately US$1 billion (S$1.36 billion) during the first half of this year (2020), which exceeded the total revenue throughout last year. Moreover, the number of customers on the CIC platform increased by 20 per cent as compared to 2019, resulting in a surge in the level of activity on the entire platform.
Mr Peter Yu, CEO of Commodities Intelligence Centre, shared, “Singapore has the ideal geographical location when it comes to commodities trading, playing a critical role in supporting regional trade. Singapore’s nation-wide push for digitalisation has created the necessary environment to groom digital-savvy talents, and we look forward to inviting ideal candidates to join our growing team in Singapore.”
“Be it COVID-19 or the recent spike in dengue cases, CIC offers opportunities for businesses of all sizes to mitigate crises by diversifying revenue sources and extending their global reach of their supply chains. In doing so, we are building business resilience against current and future pandemics,” added Mr Yu.
About ZALL Smart Commerce Group
ZALL Smart Commerce Group (ZALL) is a leading Chinese B2B e-commerce group (ranked 139th of Fortune China 500 companies in 2020) with a global footprint across the world and is listed on four exchanges on HKSE, NYSE, SSE and SZSE. ZALL develops and operates Asia’s largest B2B offline-to-online trade ecosystem in China and Southeast Asia, including Singapore, with more than 30 B2B platforms in China, US and Singapore, and a GFA of more than 10 million sqm of wholesale trade centres in China. In 2018, ZALL Group achieved a GMV of more than RMB 600 billion (US$85.2 bn), serving over 1 million SME customers worldwide.
ZALL has also obtained a virtual banking licence and currently operates Z-Bank in China since 2017, one of China’s top 5 digital banks that has supported more than 5.5 million SMEs and individual customers. For more information, please visit http://en.zallcn.com/
About Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC)
The Commodities Intelligence Centre (CIC) is a global trading platform for physical commodities including Ferrous & Non-Ferrous Metals, Chemicals & Plastics, Oil & Petroleum, and Agri Commodities. Officially launched in Singapore on 12 Oct 2018, CIC is a Joint Venture between China-based ZALL Smart Commerce Group, Global eTrade Services (GeTS) and Singapore Exchange (SGX) to build trade connectivity through digital marketplaces and to grow a vibrant trading ecosystem in Singapore.
CIC aims to revolutionise commodity trading and facilitate cross-border trade through deal matching, trade finance, supply chain logistics, track and trace and global trade compliance. Since its establishment in October 2018, CIC has achieved a GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) of more than US$13.1 billion (S$17.9 billion), with over 5,000 registered users covering markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China, amongst other countries in Asia. For more information, please visit www.cic-tp.com.
– JCB and Banco Santander have evolved their partnership to additionally support e-commerce exchange between JCB’s 140 million global cardmembers and Banco Santander’s online merchant portfolio in Spain.
– Banco Santander’s merchant partners in industries such as retail, hospitality, transportation, travel, restaurants, and education can now welcome increased revenue by utilising J/Secure™ 1.0 on their online platforms.
– According to Banco Santander, the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain has moved customers to online sales, increasing e-commerce transactions by over 40%. Many face-to-face merchants have been forced to a quick digitisation of their businesses to offer their products online or over the phone for delivery.
Madrid & Tokyo, Sept 25, 2020 – In June 2019, JCB International Co. Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., and Banco Santander, through its subsidiary Santander Espana Merchant Services, partnered to support the growth of face-to-face transactions made by JCB cardmembers across Spain. Earlier this year, in March 2020, JCB and Banco Santander pivoted this collaboration to additionally support online exchange between JCB cardmembers and Banco Santander’s e-commerce merchants. This extensive merchant list includes those in the retail, hospitality, transportation, travel, restaurant, and education sectors, to name a few.
In the past 4 years, JCB’s annual sales volume has increased by approximately 37% globally, with over 140 million cardmembers and around 34 million merchants now accepting JCB cards. This JCB partnership with Banco Santander offers merchants and cardmembers a safe online purchase experience with JCB’s J/Secure™1.0 (based on Visa’s 3-D Secure Core Protocol Specifications).
This secure platform enhances the online shopping experience, as it identifies cardmembers by requesting a password. J/Secure™ 2.0 (based on the EMV 3-D Secure Protocol and Core Functions Specification) is set to follow the additional expansion in future.
Ruben Justel, Managing Director at Santander Espana Merchant Services, said, “This new step on our fruitful partnership with JCB contributes to our vision to help our merchants increase their sales by accepting the most demanded means of payments, in addition to reaching more international clients from JCB issuing countries.”
Tsuyoshi Notani, Managing Director, JCB International (Europe) Ltd. said, “Partnering with Banco Santander has enabled us to further fulfil our promise to provide our card members with as many safe payment methods for international online transactions as possible. We are further delighted to be able to support Banco Santander’s merchants, as they welcome e-commerce trade while we have seen a decline in face-to-face sales in recent months. It is our hope that this collaboration will support recovery of the payment industry, especially in Spain, after the global COVID-19 pandemic.”
About JCB
JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes 34 million merchants in the world. JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories with more than 140 million cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/
About Banco Santander
Santander, with more than 160 years of history, is a retail bank operating in 10 main markets that obtained an attributable profit of EUR 7,810 million in 2018 – which is an increase of 18% on the previous year. Santander’s European businesses serve 9.9 million loyal customers and 14.2 million digital customers, with 70,000 employees and 4,900 branches. In the first quarter, the bank achieved more than EUR 100 million in efficiencies with costs falling 5% in real terms year-on-year.
Contacts:
JCB International/Europe
Contact: India Stone
Email: istone@jcbeurope.eu
Phone: +44 020 7087 4754
TOKYO, Sept 24, 2020 – Showa Denko (SDK; TSE:4004) decided at its Board of Directors meeting held today that its consolidated subsidiary Showa Denko Carbon Holding GmbH (SDCH) will merge with its consolidated subsidiary Showa Denko Europe GmbH (SDE), and that the surviving company SDCH will change its company name into Showa Denko Europe GmbH (new SDE) effective as of January 1, 2021.
Since this is a case of merger between SDK’s wholly owned subsidiaries, part of the details are not disclosed in the following announcement.
1. Purpose of merger and change of company name
SDE provides business support services such as import/export management, chemical substance management, and marketing function to subsidiaries of SDK in Europe. SDCH operates its Graphite Electrode business subsidiaries as a management company in Europe.
This time, SDK decided to merge these two companies for the purpose of expanding its business operation in Europe further by fusing SDCH’s business management function and SDE’s business support function into one.
With regard to formalities of this merger, SDCH will merge with SDE and become the surviving company. However, in order to clarify its business management function in Europe, SDCH will change its company name into “Showa Denko Europe GmbH” at the same date of the merger.
2. Outline of merger
(1) Schedule
Resolution at the Board of Directors meeting: September 24, 2020
Effective date of merger: January 1, 2021 (plan)
(2) Form of merger
SDCH will merge with SDE and become the surviving company, and SDE will be dissolved at the effective date. SDCH will change its company name into “Showa Denko Europe GmbH” at the same date.
(3) Allotment of stocks related to merger
Since this is a case of merger between wholly owned subsidiaries, there will be no new stock issue, no increase in capital, nor payment of grant money due to merger.
(4) Handling of stock acquisition rights and bonds with stock acquisition rights related to merger
There will be no applicable matters.
3. Profile of the two companies to merge
Company name: Showa Denko Carbon Holding GmbH (Surviving Company)
Head office: Werner-von-Siemens-Str.18, 86405 Meitingen, Germany
President: Masami Tobito, Stephan Becker
Scope of business: Holding company that owns companies producing and selling graphite electrodes
Capital: 25,000 EUR (3,071,000 JPY)*
Establishment: February 10, 2016
Accounting term: Ending December 31
Major shareholders: Showa Denko: 100%
*Here EUR is converted into JPY at 1 EUR = 122.84 JPY (as of September 23, 2020).
Company name: Showa Denko Europe GmbH (To be dissolved)
Head office: Konrad-Zuse-Platz 3, 81829 Munich, Germany
President: Takashi Kotsuka
Scope of business: Sales base of Showa Denko Group’s businesses in Europe, Turkey, Russia, Middle East and Africa, providing liaison services including market research and marketing
Capital: 205,000 EUR (25,182,200 JPY)*
Establishment: January 1, 2002
Accounting term: Ending December 31
Major shareholders: Showa Denko: 100%
*Here EUR is converted into JPY at 1 EUR = 122.84 JPY (as of September 23, 2020).
4. After the merger
SDCH, the surviving company of the merger, will change its company name and scope of business as following at the same date of the effective date of merger. Although the head office will be located in Wiesbaden, the office in Munich will be retained as a sales office of SDE.
Company Name: Showa Denko Europe GmbH
Head office: Abraham-Lincoln-Str. 44, 65189 Wiesbaden, Germany
President: Takashi Kotsuka
Scope of business: Sales base of Showa Denko Group’s businesses in Europe, Turkey, Russia, Middle East and Africa, providing liaison services including market research and marketing. Holding company that owns companies producing and selling graphite electrodes.
Capital: 25,000 EUR (3,071,000 JPY)*
Major shareholders: Showa Denko: 100%
*Here EUR is converted into JPY at 1 EUR = 122.84 JPY (as of September 23, 2020).
5. Future prospect
Since this is a case of merger between wholly owned subsidiaries, SDK’s consolidated performance will not be affected materially by the merger.
Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004, ADR:SHWDY) is a major manufacturer of chemical products serving from heavy industry to computers and electronics. The Petrochemicals Sector provides cracker products such as ethylene and propylene, the Chemicals Sector provides industrial, high-performance and high-purity gases and chemicals for semicon and other industries, the Inorganics Sector provides ceramic products, such as alumina, abrasives, refractory/graphite electrodes and fine carbon products. The Aluminum Sector provides aluminum materials and high-value-added fabricated aluminum, the Electronics Sector provides HD media, compound semiconductors such as ultra high bright LEDs, and rare earth magnetic alloys, and the Advanced Battery Materials Department (ABM) provides lithium-ion battery components. For more information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp/english/.
SyncDog, Inc., an Independent Software Vendor (ISV) for next generation mobile security and data loss prevention, today announced their partnership with Halodata, data security solutions distributor, to expand access to SyncDog’s Secure.Systems solution within Singapore and the Southeast Asian commercial market.
This partnership provides SyncDog with the opportunity to empower more organizations to tap into the flexibility of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) technology, enabling mobile workers to conduct business operations efficiently and securely from wherever they are.
“Halodata is thrilled to partner with SyncDog to expand access to their advanced mobile security solution to our customers in the Southeast Asian market,” said Resham Ganglani, CEO of Halodata International.
“We recognize the benefits of implementing flexible mobile device policies like BYOD and CYOD, as well as the challenges organizations face in securing these devices. We are excited to be able to offer a mobile workspace solution that prioritizes efficiency and productivity without sacrificing security.”
Over the past 10 years, mobile devices have become a more attractive attack vector for threat actors seeking to steal corporate data. As the threat landscape expands, and threat actors continuously work to exploit mobile endpoints, corporate data that is access by and stored on mobile devices is at great risk.
SyncDog’s innovative approach to mobile security provides a desktop-like experience on mobile devices and enables unrestricted, unimpeded, and fully secure collaboration between mobile employees and their enterprise ecosystem – while completely separating that information from their personal use applications and data.
Secure.Systems boasts a full suite of mobile-enabled productivity applications that provides a defense-grade containerized workspace serving as an additional, robust layer of security to existing enterprise mobility strategies. – BusinessNews.ph
ADERA AI Pte. Ltd. (ADERA), an innovative technology services group headquartered in Singapore with a track record of more than 35 years, and BreadTalk Group Pte Ltd (BreadTalk Group), an award-winning F&B Group with more than 1,000 retail stores spread across 17 territories, are pleased to announce the establishment of a technology joint venture to develop innovative fintech and digital solutions targeted at small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Highlights:
– COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of technology adoption as initiatives to tap new growth opportunities amid the pandemic were largely reliant on digitalisation and technology
– The technology joint venture aims to develop innovative fintech and digital solutions, such as data analytics, blockchain-based supply chain financing platform, digital payments, to accelerate SMEs’ digitalisation strategy to enhance their business efficiency and unlock new growth opportunities
– The first batch of fintech and digital solutions is targeted to be rolled-out by 1Q2021 and it will be deployed progressively across BreadTalk Group’s F&B establishments as proof-of-concepts before adaption for mainstream adoption in other industries
SMEs are an important component of Singapore’s economy, providing employment for two thirds of Singapore’s workforce and contributing nearly half of Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on an annual basis.
COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of technology adoption as initiatives to tap new growth opportunities amid the pandemic were largely reliant on digitalisation and technology. As such, the scale of technology adoption for business enterprises to transform their business models has never been more apparent than now.
Leveraging on the combined expertise and resources of both ADERA and BreadTalk Group, the technology collaboration aims to:
1. Develop digital tools that offer data analytics, enhance operational efficiency and data- driven decision methodology on issues such as inventory, payments, customer acquisitions and etc.
2. Create a scalable omni-channel platform to enhance outreach to customers via new sales channels, integrating operations, incorporating digital payments, facial recognition and designing a cohesive user experience for end-customers.
3. Establish a blockchain-based supply chain financing platform with digitalised processes and document automation so stakeholders can gain faster access to financing and potentially lower their costs of funding. With more accountability and transparency, it can foster greater trust and confidence between financing institutions and transacting parties, leading to lower financing and business risks.
Under the joint venture, ADERA will provide its knowhow, capabilities and experience in key areas such as digital automation, facial recognition, digital identity, digital payments and artificial intelligence, while BreadTalk Group will contribute its technical and operational experience.
Commenting on the technology joint venture, Mr. Lennon Tan, Chairman of ADERA, said: “Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has become an essential tool to overcome operational challenges and enhance business agility.
As we adapt and adjust to the new normal economy, both ADERA and BreadTalk Group recognise that our combined know-how and experience can lead to the development of cutting- edge fintech and digital tools that can be adapted for the digitalisation roadmap of other industry segments.
With BreadTalk Group’s established F&B business presence across 17 territories, it will provide significant opportunities for us to introduce and deploy our fintech and digital solutions to improve business operations and customers’ engagement, leading to more proofs-of-concept and accelerating mainstream adoption of our technology innovations.
Combining the resources and strengths of both ADERA and BreadTalk Group, we look forward to using our best talents and expertise together to unlock new opportunities in the digitalisation journey for stakeholders.”
Mr. Cheng William, Group COO of BreadTalk Group, added: “There are vast, untapped opportunities in the areas of digitalisation within the Group and the F&B industry. Our diverse multi-brand operating environment with international presence provides an ideal platform for proof-of-concepts.
To this extent, we have identified 3 “pros” to guide our digitalisation efforts: pro-customers, pro-workforce, pro-business partnerships to create more value propositions for stakeholders.
Leveraging on ADERA’s expertise and capabilities of more than 35 years in technology services, we are confident that this joint venture will strengthen the core capabilities of our businesses and such technology innovations can be replicated to enable businesses in other industries to build sustainable growth in their digitalisation roadmap.”
About ADERA AI Pte Ltd (ADERA)
Serving global banks, financial institutions, telecommunications, and government agencies around the world, ADERA is a technology services group headquartered in Singapore providing a platform of innovative fintech, digitalisation and data security solutions.
With an established track record of more than 35 years, ADERA aims to enable our customers to digitalise and enhance their business and operating models to broaden access to new markets, improve end-user experience and develop greater business efficiency.
About BreadTalk Group Pte Ltd
Founded as a bakery brand in Singapore in 2000, BreadTalk has rapidly expanded to become an award-winning F&B Group that has established its mark on the world stage with its bakery, restaurant, and food atrium footprints. With over 1,000 retail stores spread across 17 markets in Asia, Middle East, and the United Kingdom, its brand portfolio comprises direct owned brands such as BreadTalk, Toast Box, Food Republic, Food Junction, Bread Society, Sō Ramen, Thye Moh Chan, The Icing Room and partner brands such as Din Tai Fung, Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, and Wu Pao Chun Bakery.
The Group has a network of owned and franchised bakery outlets in markets across Asia and the Middle East. It also operates the world-renowned Din Tai Fung restaurants in Singapore, Thailand and London as well as the award-winning Food Republic food atrium in markets such as Singapore, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Issued on behalf of ADERA AI Pte. Ltd. and BreadTalk Group Pte Ltd by 8PR Asia Pte Ltd.
Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and sponsored by Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the CENTRESTAGE fashion extravaganza entered its fifth year in 2020, with six virtual runway shows presented online from 17 to 19 September. Combining traditional fashion shows with computer-generated imagery, these unique showcases drew the attention of fashion lovers and media from around the world, allowing Hong Kong and Asian designers to gain exposure and expand their networks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The six virtual runway shows included “Fashion Hong Kong”, “Next in Cheongsam”, “FASHIONALLY #15”, “Taipei in Style”, “Hong Kong en Vogue” and the final of the Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers’ Contest (YDC) 2020, all of which can now be viewed on the CENTRESTAGE website. The site also features fashion images highlighting the new collections of local designers.
*Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.
About Create Hong Kong
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated agency set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) in June 2009. It is under the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and dedicated to spearheading the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. CreateHK sponsors the CENTRESTAGE since 2019 to promote Hong Kong’s fashion design. Website: www.creathek.gov.hk.
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn
Award-winning Agilex Biolabs, the Asia-Pacific region’s leading bioanalytical laboratory for clinical trials, based in Australia, has developed the world’s most accurate cannabinoid assay.
The announcement was made at BioPharm America (September 21-24, 2020).
The assay is already being used by 4 sponsors in drug development.
Agilex Biolabs CEO Jason Valentine said the company was now very much at the forefront of assay development for cannabis clinical trials, with more assays in the pipeline.
“We have developed a high sensitivity, quantitative assay for the detection of CBN, CBD and THC and metabolites in human plasma.
The Agilex Biolabs cannabinoids assay achieves >98% of ISR (Incurred Sample Reanalysis) samples within the acceptance criteria, which demonstrates that it is robust and reproducible.
The FDA and EMA criteria is 67% of samples within 20%.
This is the best-in-class because we have resolved interferences that over-state THC concentrations that can potentially skew reported data. The improved accuracy and sensitivity means we now have a precise low level assay for our clients.
This competes with anything in the world for accuracy, and cuts the risk of flawed results.
Due to high client demand a CBD and metabolites assay is in development and will be ready before end of the year.”
Agilex is also now offering additional pharmacodynamics services that include immunobiology services using the latest state-of-the-art technology to support immunology, cell biology and mode of action assays, including:
– Immunophenotyping
– Receptor occupancy
– Cytokine release assays (whole blood or PBMC stimulation assays) and cytokine/biomarker profiling
– PBMC assays and cellular mechanism of action assays (eg: ADCC)
Agilex Biolabs, the only FDA-inspected lab of its type in the Asia-Pacific, offers bioanalysis for small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity and biomarkers utilising the two platforms of LC-MS/MS and Immunoassay (MesoScale, Gyrolab).
The FDA-inspected facilities have more than 90 dedicated laboratory staff, and annually support more than 80 clinical trials. This year Agilex Biolabs will analyse more than 60,000 samples for pharma/biotechs from US, Europe and APAC.
By combining specialised expertise, technological innovation and a 20-year track record, Agilex Biolabs have supported hundreds of preclinical and clinical trials around the world.
Agilex Biolabs’ world-class bioanalytical facilities have OECD GLP Recognition with NATA (Australian Government OECD GLP Compliance monitoring authority) and ISO 17025 Accreditation for global recognition.
About Agilex Biolabs https://www.agilexbiolabs.com/
Agilex Biolabs, Australia’s leading bioanalytical laboratory, has more than 20 years’ experience in performing regulated bioanalysis, including quality method development, method validation and sample analysis services. We have successfully supported hundreds of preclinical and clinical trials around the world where customers choose Australia for the streamlined regulatory process and access to the world’s most attractive R&D rebate of more than 40% on clinical trial work conducted in Australia.
We offer services for both small molecules and biologics for PK, immunogenicity (PD) and biomarker bioanalysis utilising the two platforms of LC-MS/MS and Immunoassay.
Agilex Biolabs operates a fully quality-assured laboratory ensuring that, within the principles of GLP, assays are validated to the latest FDA/EMA guidance and study samples are assayed and reported to the sponsor’s desired format using WATSON LIMS. Laboratory certifications include OECD GLP and ISO/IEC17025.
Our highly experienced team consists of over 65 dedicated laboratory staff with over 15 years average industry experience across senior scientists. Expertise includes development of robust compliant PK and PD assays de novo or by method transfer.
Our laboratory is fitted with 7 SCIEX tandem mass spectrometers, 6 API 4000 and 1 QTRAP 5500 as our standard platform for LC-MS/MS analysis. For immunoassay, we employ the state-of -the-art systems of Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) and Gyrolab xPlore.
Agilex Biolabs owns a suite of validated biosimilar assays that have already supported biosimilar studies executed in the region. These assays include Avastin/Bevacizumab, Lucentis/Ranibizumab, Actemra/Tocilizumab, Xolair/Omalizumab, Herceptin/Trastuzumab and Solaris/Eculizumab. We would like to discuss how we can support companies with biosimilar pipelines looking to conduct trials in the region. Our validated biosimilar assays require less setup saving time and money.
Agilex Biolabs also have a suite of biomarker assays that have been developed to support studies in the areas of endocrinology (estrone, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone and others).
Recently, Agilex Biolabs has added a comprehensive cannabinoid assay to its suite of validated assays to support clinical trials. The fully validated assay includes the five cannabinoids THC, CBD, CBN and the two THC-metabolites OHTHC and COOHTHC.
Our LC-MS/MS experience includes NCEs, sugars, nucleotides, enantiomers, steroids, prodrugs, peptides, immunosuppressants, nanoparticles, neurotransmitters, oligonucleotides and polymeric mixtures.
Our biologics experience entails PK analysis using colorimetric, fluorescence or chemiluminescence detection for recombinant or fusion proteins, monoclonal antibodies, ADCs, immunogenicity testing, biomarker analysis and PBMC blood stimulation assays.
