Wednesday 31 January 2018
Tuesday 30 January 2018
PAYVISION SECURES STRATEGIC INVESTMENT FROM ING GROUP
Speeding up further innovation in the payments space and business growth
AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands, Jan 29 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Payvision, a global merchant acquirer and omnichannel payment provider, announced today a strategic partnership with ING, one of the largest European banks, with a strong international network. Payvision has agreed to sell a majority stake of 75%, creating a new synergy that will accelerate its ambitious growth plans within the dynamic payments market, extend its global network and broaden its payment product portfolio. Payvision is valued at €360 million.
Founded in 2002, in Amsterdam, Payvision is at the forefront of the payments industry and it has been growing at a very fast pace, registering a robust 66% volume growth in 2017. With the launch of Acapture, a new, scalable, data-driven payment service provider, in 2015, Payvision aims to bolster group’s position as a global merchant acquirer and omnichannel payment provider. The partnership with ING builds on Payvision’s strong foundation in the acquiring space and will support company’s goal to create innovative, tailor-made payments products designed for the fast-paced international retail environment.
According to the deal, Payvision’s founding management team will hold a 25% minority stake and will continue to lead the company, backed-up by ING’s global presence and retail market share, its vast experience in financial services and its ability to streamline payment products.
Rudolf Booker, founder and CEO of Payvision, said: “It’s with great excitement that we’re announcing the partnership with ING today. Within 15 years of the company’s inception, we feel it’s the right time to make such a strategic step to strengthen the company’s foothold in the payments industry.” “This investment in the payments market, made by one of the world’s most innovative financial and banking services brands, acknowledges our vision to deliver leading payments capabilities to support customers to maximize their revenues,” continued Booker.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31051
AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands, Jan 29 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Payvision, a global merchant acquirer and omnichannel payment provider, announced today a strategic partnership with ING, one of the largest European banks, with a strong international network. Payvision has agreed to sell a majority stake of 75%, creating a new synergy that will accelerate its ambitious growth plans within the dynamic payments market, extend its global network and broaden its payment product portfolio. Payvision is valued at €360 million.
Founded in 2002, in Amsterdam, Payvision is at the forefront of the payments industry and it has been growing at a very fast pace, registering a robust 66% volume growth in 2017. With the launch of Acapture, a new, scalable, data-driven payment service provider, in 2015, Payvision aims to bolster group’s position as a global merchant acquirer and omnichannel payment provider. The partnership with ING builds on Payvision’s strong foundation in the acquiring space and will support company’s goal to create innovative, tailor-made payments products designed for the fast-paced international retail environment.
According to the deal, Payvision’s founding management team will hold a 25% minority stake and will continue to lead the company, backed-up by ING’s global presence and retail market share, its vast experience in financial services and its ability to streamline payment products.
Rudolf Booker, founder and CEO of Payvision, said: “It’s with great excitement that we’re announcing the partnership with ING today. Within 15 years of the company’s inception, we feel it’s the right time to make such a strategic step to strengthen the company’s foothold in the payments industry.” “This investment in the payments market, made by one of the world’s most innovative financial and banking services brands, acknowledges our vision to deliver leading payments capabilities to support customers to maximize their revenues,” continued Booker.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31051
CAAS Gives System Contract To Metron Aviation
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has awarded Metron Aviation, an Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) system contract for the Singapore Air Traffic Control Centre (SATCC).
"A subsidiary of Airbus Americas, Metron will supply its flagship ATFM automation product, Harmony, for air navigation service providers.
"It provides advanced features to monitor air traffic demand in airspace areas and at airports in the strategic, pre-tactical and tactical timeframes," it said in a statement.
Metron Aviation president, John Kefaliotis said CAAS had a leadership role in the development of regional ATFM concept for the Asia Pacific region that would become a model for regional ATFM cooperation around the world.
"Selecting the Harmony platform to support the concept testifies to the advanced capabilities of the product," he added.
Under the 11-year contract, Metron will be responsible for the design, supply, delivery, installation, integration, testing and commissioning of the ATFM system after the start of the sales support service and acceptance of the initial system.
Metron's responsibilities also include the overall system implementation and maintenance over the duration of the contract.
-- BERNAMA
"A subsidiary of Airbus Americas, Metron will supply its flagship ATFM automation product, Harmony, for air navigation service providers.
"It provides advanced features to monitor air traffic demand in airspace areas and at airports in the strategic, pre-tactical and tactical timeframes," it said in a statement.
Metron Aviation president, John Kefaliotis said CAAS had a leadership role in the development of regional ATFM concept for the Asia Pacific region that would become a model for regional ATFM cooperation around the world.
"Selecting the Harmony platform to support the concept testifies to the advanced capabilities of the product," he added.
Under the 11-year contract, Metron will be responsible for the design, supply, delivery, installation, integration, testing and commissioning of the ATFM system after the start of the sales support service and acceptance of the initial system.
Metron's responsibilities also include the overall system implementation and maintenance over the duration of the contract.
-- BERNAMA
APTEAN INTRODUCES NEW IDENTITY
ALPHARETTA, Ga., Jan 30 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Aptean, a leading global provider of mission-critical,
industry-specific software solutions and support, has introduced a new,
modern identity to reflect the company’s transformation and expansion
since its formation five years ago.
“Aptean is now 2,100 employees, 7,000 customers and close to 50 products strong, with a renewed focus on operations and innovation so we can continue to serve our customers well,” said CEO Kim Eaton. “We’re bigger, better and different than we were five years ago, and that means we need a different way to present the company to our markets. I’m very excited to be at a point in our evolution that calls for a fresh new identity.”
In addition to a new logo and visual identity, Aptean is introducing new positioning to describe what the company does and its importance to customers. “We have survey data showing that 77% see workarounds such as managing by spreadsheet as a problem in their organizations. Too many companies spend too much time making homegrown, generic solutions do things they were never designed to do,” Eaton said. “We’re on a mission to end our customers’ workarounds and provide them with purpose-built software, expert support and new ideas and innovations.”
Since Aptean’s formation in 2012, the company has grown significantly through acquisition, adding 16 product lines to its portfolio of offerings. Acquisitions the company made in 2017 added strategic products and capabilities to complement Aptean’s ERP, supply chain management, asset management, complaints management and public sector solutions.
“When it comes to our customers, our mission to end their workarounds is one we couldn’t be more serious about,” Eaton said. “Whether through acquisition or innovation, our track record proves our dedication to offering industry-specific software to solve the problems of every production supervisor or customer relationship manager who has said ‘there has to be a better way’ to do their work.”
About Aptean
Aptean provides very specific industries with very specific ERP, supply chain management and customer experience solutions. In today’s fast-paced, highly competitive economy, organizations don’t have time to waste forcing homegrown software, spreadsheets and one-size-fits-all solutions to do things they were never designed to do. That’s why over 7,000 highly specialized organizations in more than 20 industries and 74 countries rely on Aptean to streamline their everyday operations. To learn how Aptean can help your organization stay at the forefront of your industry, visit www.aptean.com.
Aptean is a trademark of Aptean, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Media Relations
Stephanie Zercher, Aptean
stephanie.zercher@aptean.com
678.681.9070
SOURCE : Aptean Inc.
“Aptean is now 2,100 employees, 7,000 customers and close to 50 products strong, with a renewed focus on operations and innovation so we can continue to serve our customers well,” said CEO Kim Eaton. “We’re bigger, better and different than we were five years ago, and that means we need a different way to present the company to our markets. I’m very excited to be at a point in our evolution that calls for a fresh new identity.”
In addition to a new logo and visual identity, Aptean is introducing new positioning to describe what the company does and its importance to customers. “We have survey data showing that 77% see workarounds such as managing by spreadsheet as a problem in their organizations. Too many companies spend too much time making homegrown, generic solutions do things they were never designed to do,” Eaton said. “We’re on a mission to end our customers’ workarounds and provide them with purpose-built software, expert support and new ideas and innovations.”
Since Aptean’s formation in 2012, the company has grown significantly through acquisition, adding 16 product lines to its portfolio of offerings. Acquisitions the company made in 2017 added strategic products and capabilities to complement Aptean’s ERP, supply chain management, asset management, complaints management and public sector solutions.
“When it comes to our customers, our mission to end their workarounds is one we couldn’t be more serious about,” Eaton said. “Whether through acquisition or innovation, our track record proves our dedication to offering industry-specific software to solve the problems of every production supervisor or customer relationship manager who has said ‘there has to be a better way’ to do their work.”
About Aptean
Aptean provides very specific industries with very specific ERP, supply chain management and customer experience solutions. In today’s fast-paced, highly competitive economy, organizations don’t have time to waste forcing homegrown software, spreadsheets and one-size-fits-all solutions to do things they were never designed to do. That’s why over 7,000 highly specialized organizations in more than 20 industries and 74 countries rely on Aptean to streamline their everyday operations. To learn how Aptean can help your organization stay at the forefront of your industry, visit www.aptean.com.
Aptean is a trademark of Aptean, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Media Relations
Stephanie Zercher, Aptean
stephanie.zercher@aptean.com
678.681.9070
SOURCE : Aptean Inc.
CIPPE2018 TO GATHER MORE THAN 1800 COMPANIES IN BEIJING ON MARCH 27
BEIJING, Jan 30 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- With
a highly optimistic anticipation for the global petroleum industry,
nearly 1,800 companies, including 46 Fortune 500 companies and 18
international delegations, from 65 countries and regions will gather at
the 90,000m2 18th China International Petroleum
& Petrochemical Technology and Equipment Exhibition (cippe2018),
which will be on March 27-29, 2018 at the New China International
Exhibition Centre in Beijing.
Besides the 7 traditional sectors, namely petroleum & petrochemical equipment, shale gas equipment, offshore oil and gas equipment, ocean engineering equipment, natural gas equipment, pipeline and storage equipment, and explosion-proof instruments and devices, cippe2018 will add new exhibition sectors such as Smart Field and Communications Equipment Sector, Institutions and Research Achievements Sector, Pump Valve Sector, Industrial Fire Control and Security Sector, New Materials Sector, and Field Environment Sector.
Exhibitors will include international companies such as Gazprom, NIGC, Caterpillar, NOV, Schlumberger, GE, Honeywell, Rockwell, Cummins, API, 3M, MTU, ARIEL, Atlas, Hempel, and Chinese companies such as CNPC, Sinopec, CNOOC, CSSC, CSIC, CASC, CIMC, Jereh, Kerui, RG Petro-Machinery.
Over 300 professional buyer delegations including all world’s top 50 oil companies will be attracted, such as Saudi Aramco, NIOC, CNPC, PDVSA, Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, Rosneft, Gazprom, Total, Chevron, PETROBRAS, Sonatrach, KNPC, PEMEX, LukOil, ADNOC, Qatar General Petroleum, Petronas, INOC, NNPC, ENI, EGPC, BHP Billiton, Apache, etc.
Meanwhile, dozens of forums, seminars, new products launching conferences, and business matching meetings such as the 10th International Petroleum and Natural Gas Summit, cippe2018 Embassy (Oil & Gas) Promotion Conference, and cippe2018 Business Matchmaking Meetings will be held concurrently. These supporting activities may provide visitors with the latest information in the industry and lead to many business deals and partnerships.
As “smart field” is fueling a new round of technology revolution, cippe2018 will add the Smart Field and Communications Equipment Sector and hold the Smart Field and Smart Factory Forum. With this “display+forum” combination, the achievements in the smart field sector made by Internet companies and oil companies worldwide will be displayed, and the future development of smart field will be discussed by experts and industry professionals.
For pre-registration: http://v.zhenweiexpo.com/cippe/en/
Besides the 7 traditional sectors, namely petroleum & petrochemical equipment, shale gas equipment, offshore oil and gas equipment, ocean engineering equipment, natural gas equipment, pipeline and storage equipment, and explosion-proof instruments and devices, cippe2018 will add new exhibition sectors such as Smart Field and Communications Equipment Sector, Institutions and Research Achievements Sector, Pump Valve Sector, Industrial Fire Control and Security Sector, New Materials Sector, and Field Environment Sector.
Exhibitors will include international companies such as Gazprom, NIGC, Caterpillar, NOV, Schlumberger, GE, Honeywell, Rockwell, Cummins, API, 3M, MTU, ARIEL, Atlas, Hempel, and Chinese companies such as CNPC, Sinopec, CNOOC, CSSC, CSIC, CASC, CIMC, Jereh, Kerui, RG Petro-Machinery.
Over 300 professional buyer delegations including all world’s top 50 oil companies will be attracted, such as Saudi Aramco, NIOC, CNPC, PDVSA, Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, Rosneft, Gazprom, Total, Chevron, PETROBRAS, Sonatrach, KNPC, PEMEX, LukOil, ADNOC, Qatar General Petroleum, Petronas, INOC, NNPC, ENI, EGPC, BHP Billiton, Apache, etc.
Meanwhile, dozens of forums, seminars, new products launching conferences, and business matching meetings such as the 10th International Petroleum and Natural Gas Summit, cippe2018 Embassy (Oil & Gas) Promotion Conference, and cippe2018 Business Matchmaking Meetings will be held concurrently. These supporting activities may provide visitors with the latest information in the industry and lead to many business deals and partnerships.
As “smart field” is fueling a new round of technology revolution, cippe2018 will add the Smart Field and Communications Equipment Sector and hold the Smart Field and Smart Factory Forum. With this “display+forum” combination, the achievements in the smart field sector made by Internet companies and oil companies worldwide will be displayed, and the future development of smart field will be discussed by experts and industry professionals.
For pre-registration: http://v.zhenweiexpo.com/cippe/en/
Contacts
cippe 2018 Organizing Committee
cippe@vip.163.com
cippe@zhenweiexpo.com
or
For exhibitors
Mona Wang, 86-10-58236555
or
For visitors
Yolanda Zhao, 86-10-59273878
cippe@vip.163.com
cippe@zhenweiexpo.com
or
For exhibitors
Mona Wang, 86-10-58236555
or
For visitors
Yolanda Zhao, 86-10-59273878
Source: cippe
WEST CORPORATION AGREES TO ACQUIRE NASDAQ'S PUBLIC RELATIONS SOLUTIONS AND DIGITAL MEDIA SERVICES BUSINESSES
OMAHA, Neb. and NEW YORK, Jan 30 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
West Corporation (“West”) and Nasdaq, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ) (“Nasdaq”)
jointly announced today that West has entered into a definitive
agreement to acquire the public relations (Public Relations Solutions)
and webcasting and webhosting (Digital Media Services) products and
services within Nasdaq’s Corporate Solutions business for approximately
$335 million, subject to adjustments. Public Relations Solutions and
Digital Media Services consist of a comprehensive portfolio of
communication tools, media intelligence and multimedia services for
organizations across all industries. These solutions help enterprises
more effectively communicate with their investors, customers and
employees and increase the relevance of messaging by ensuring that it
reaches the targeted audience.
The products and services included in the transaction are:
The products and services included in the transaction are:
- GlobeNewswire: a global press release distribution platform and media contacts database with analytics
- Webhosting: a web hosting service purpose-built for investor relations and external communications functions
- Webcasting: a multimedia service that publishes webcasts, webinars, video presentations and other content
- Media Intelligence: a media monitoring and analyst-curated daily news reporting service
- Influencers Database: a service to identify and connect with relevant journalists and social media profiles
As
part of the terms of the transaction, Nasdaq has agreed to an exclusive
multi-year partnership with West to provide eligible Nasdaq clients
seamless access to certain products and services included in the
transaction.
“West is a leader in technology-enabled communication services and is focused on growth and expanding the depth and breadth of its enterprise communications client relationships,” said John Shlonsky, Chief Executive Officer of West Corporation. “This acquisition will complement and broaden our portfolio of products and services. We see tremendous opportunity to grow and enhance this business. We are also excited to partner with Nasdaq and add the talented Public Relations Solutions and Digital Media Services teams to West.”
Stacie Swanstrom, Executive Vice President, Nasdaq Corporate Solutions, added, “We are confident that West will be able to provide the resources needed to accelerate the various Public Relations Solutions and Digital Media Services product initiatives that are already underway, while providing additional flexibility and resources to deliver increased value for our clients and their communications needs. We look forward to our continued partnership with West. This strategic decision will allow us to focus our efforts on strengthening technology, data and analytics capabilities within our core investor relations and board collaboration solutions, which are an important component of Nasdaq’s relationships with its corporate clients.”
This process is a result of Nasdaq’s refined strategic direction and its decision to explore strategic alternatives for these products and services that was announced in September 2017.
The closing of this transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is projected to occur in the second quarter of 2018. Nasdaq expects to use the proceeds from the sale for share repurchases. In conjunction with this, Nasdaq’s board of directors has authorized an additional $500 million for the share repurchase program to facilitate additional share repurchases and support the existing buyback objective of maintaining a stable share count.
Advisors and Financing Providers:
Credit Suisse and LionTree are acting as financial advisors to West. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is acting as corporate counsel to West and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is acting as financing counsel to West. Transaction financing is being provided by Credit Suisse and RBC Capital Markets.
Evercore is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Nasdaq. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is acting as lead corporate counsel, Baker McKenzie is advising on international issues and Jones Day is acting as antitrust counsel to Nasdaq.
About West Corporation:
West Corporation is a global leader in technology-enabled communication services that connect people and businesses around the world, helping its clients more effectively communicate, collaborate and connect with their audiences through a diverse portfolio of innovative solutions.
For over 30 years, West has provided reliable, high-quality voice and data services. West has sales and/or operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Latin America and South America. For more information, please call 1-800-841-9000 or visit www.west.com.
About Nasdaq:
Nasdaq (Nasdaq:NDAQ) is a leading global provider of trading, clearing, exchange technology, listing, information and public company services. Through its diverse portfolio of solutions, Nasdaq enables customers to plan, optimize and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating today's global capital markets. As the creator of the world's first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 90 marketplaces in 50 countries, and 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. Nasdaq is home to approximately 3,900 total listings with a market value of approximately $13 trillion. To learn more, visit: http://business.nasdaq.com.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including with respect to the proposed transaction between West and Nasdaq, including statements regarding the benefits of the proposed transaction and the anticipated timing of the proposed transaction. Forward-looking statements can be generally identified by the use of words such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "intends," "continue" or similar terminology. These statements reflect only West's or Nasdaq’s current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that the parties may be unable to complete the proposed transaction because, among other reasons, the parties cannot satisfy the conditions precedent to the transaction; the timing of consummation of the transaction; the ability of the parties to secure regulatory approvals in a timely manner or on the terms desired or anticipated; the ability to implement the anticipated business plans following closing and achieve anticipated benefits and savings; the effect of the announcement of the proposed transaction on West’s and Nasdaq’s relationships with their respective clients, operating results and business generally; competition in West’s or Nasdaq’s highly competitive markets; increases in the cost of voice and data services or significant interruptions in these services; West’s and Nasdaq’s ability to keep pace with client needs for rapid technological change and systems availability; the continued deployment and adoption of emerging technologies; the loss, financial difficulties or bankruptcy of any key clients; security and privacy breaches of the systems West or Nasdaq’s uses to protect personal data; the effects of global economic trends on the businesses of West’s clients; the non-exclusive nature of West’s client contracts and the absence of revenue commitments; the cost of pending and future litigation; the cost of defending against intellectual property infringement claims; the effects of extensive regulation affecting many of West’s or Nasdaq’s businesses; West’s or Nasdaq’s ability to protect its proprietary information or technology; service interruptions to West’s data and operation centers; West’s or Nasdaq’s ability to retain key personnel and attract a sufficient number of qualified employees; increases in labor costs and turnover rates; the political, economic and other conditions in the countries where the parties operate; changes in foreign exchange rates; West’s and Nasdaq’s ability to complete this and future acquisitions, integrate or achieve the objectives of its recent and future acquisitions, including this acquisition; and future impairments of our substantial goodwill, intangible assets, or other long-lived assets. In addition, West is subject to risks related to its level of indebtedness. Such risks include West’s ability to generate sufficient cash to service its indebtedness and fund its other liquidity needs; West’s ability to comply with covenants contained in its debt instruments; West’s ability to obtain additional financing; the incurrence of significant additional indebtedness by West and its subsidiaries; and the ability of West’s lenders to fulfill their lending commitments. West and Nasdaq are also subject to other risk factors described in documents filed by the parties with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including Nasdaq’s annual report on Form 10-K, and West’s offering memorandum for its unsecured notes.
These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements were made. West and Nasdaq undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.
West Contact:
Dave Pleiss
(402) 716-6578
DMPleiss@west.com
Nasdaq Media Relations Contacts:
Allan Schoenberg
(212) 231-5534
allan.schoenberg@nasdaq.com
Will Briganti
(212) 231-5012
william.briganti@nasdaq.com
Nasdaq Investor Relations Contact:
Ed Ditmire, CFA
(212) 401-8737
ed.ditmire@nasdaq.com
-NDAQG-
-WSTC-G-
SOURCE : Nasdaq, Inc.
“West is a leader in technology-enabled communication services and is focused on growth and expanding the depth and breadth of its enterprise communications client relationships,” said John Shlonsky, Chief Executive Officer of West Corporation. “This acquisition will complement and broaden our portfolio of products and services. We see tremendous opportunity to grow and enhance this business. We are also excited to partner with Nasdaq and add the talented Public Relations Solutions and Digital Media Services teams to West.”
Stacie Swanstrom, Executive Vice President, Nasdaq Corporate Solutions, added, “We are confident that West will be able to provide the resources needed to accelerate the various Public Relations Solutions and Digital Media Services product initiatives that are already underway, while providing additional flexibility and resources to deliver increased value for our clients and their communications needs. We look forward to our continued partnership with West. This strategic decision will allow us to focus our efforts on strengthening technology, data and analytics capabilities within our core investor relations and board collaboration solutions, which are an important component of Nasdaq’s relationships with its corporate clients.”
This process is a result of Nasdaq’s refined strategic direction and its decision to explore strategic alternatives for these products and services that was announced in September 2017.
The closing of this transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is projected to occur in the second quarter of 2018. Nasdaq expects to use the proceeds from the sale for share repurchases. In conjunction with this, Nasdaq’s board of directors has authorized an additional $500 million for the share repurchase program to facilitate additional share repurchases and support the existing buyback objective of maintaining a stable share count.
Advisors and Financing Providers:
Credit Suisse and LionTree are acting as financial advisors to West. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is acting as corporate counsel to West and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is acting as financing counsel to West. Transaction financing is being provided by Credit Suisse and RBC Capital Markets.
Evercore is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Nasdaq. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is acting as lead corporate counsel, Baker McKenzie is advising on international issues and Jones Day is acting as antitrust counsel to Nasdaq.
About West Corporation:
West Corporation is a global leader in technology-enabled communication services that connect people and businesses around the world, helping its clients more effectively communicate, collaborate and connect with their audiences through a diverse portfolio of innovative solutions.
For over 30 years, West has provided reliable, high-quality voice and data services. West has sales and/or operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Latin America and South America. For more information, please call 1-800-841-9000 or visit www.west.com.
About Nasdaq:
Nasdaq (Nasdaq:NDAQ) is a leading global provider of trading, clearing, exchange technology, listing, information and public company services. Through its diverse portfolio of solutions, Nasdaq enables customers to plan, optimize and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating today's global capital markets. As the creator of the world's first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 90 marketplaces in 50 countries, and 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. Nasdaq is home to approximately 3,900 total listings with a market value of approximately $13 trillion. To learn more, visit: http://business.nasdaq.com.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including with respect to the proposed transaction between West and Nasdaq, including statements regarding the benefits of the proposed transaction and the anticipated timing of the proposed transaction. Forward-looking statements can be generally identified by the use of words such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "intends," "continue" or similar terminology. These statements reflect only West's or Nasdaq’s current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that the parties may be unable to complete the proposed transaction because, among other reasons, the parties cannot satisfy the conditions precedent to the transaction; the timing of consummation of the transaction; the ability of the parties to secure regulatory approvals in a timely manner or on the terms desired or anticipated; the ability to implement the anticipated business plans following closing and achieve anticipated benefits and savings; the effect of the announcement of the proposed transaction on West’s and Nasdaq’s relationships with their respective clients, operating results and business generally; competition in West’s or Nasdaq’s highly competitive markets; increases in the cost of voice and data services or significant interruptions in these services; West’s and Nasdaq’s ability to keep pace with client needs for rapid technological change and systems availability; the continued deployment and adoption of emerging technologies; the loss, financial difficulties or bankruptcy of any key clients; security and privacy breaches of the systems West or Nasdaq’s uses to protect personal data; the effects of global economic trends on the businesses of West’s clients; the non-exclusive nature of West’s client contracts and the absence of revenue commitments; the cost of pending and future litigation; the cost of defending against intellectual property infringement claims; the effects of extensive regulation affecting many of West’s or Nasdaq’s businesses; West’s or Nasdaq’s ability to protect its proprietary information or technology; service interruptions to West’s data and operation centers; West’s or Nasdaq’s ability to retain key personnel and attract a sufficient number of qualified employees; increases in labor costs and turnover rates; the political, economic and other conditions in the countries where the parties operate; changes in foreign exchange rates; West’s and Nasdaq’s ability to complete this and future acquisitions, integrate or achieve the objectives of its recent and future acquisitions, including this acquisition; and future impairments of our substantial goodwill, intangible assets, or other long-lived assets. In addition, West is subject to risks related to its level of indebtedness. Such risks include West’s ability to generate sufficient cash to service its indebtedness and fund its other liquidity needs; West’s ability to comply with covenants contained in its debt instruments; West’s ability to obtain additional financing; the incurrence of significant additional indebtedness by West and its subsidiaries; and the ability of West’s lenders to fulfill their lending commitments. West and Nasdaq are also subject to other risk factors described in documents filed by the parties with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including Nasdaq’s annual report on Form 10-K, and West’s offering memorandum for its unsecured notes.
These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements were made. West and Nasdaq undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.
West Contact:
Dave Pleiss
(402) 716-6578
DMPleiss@west.com
Nasdaq Media Relations Contacts:
Allan Schoenberg
(212) 231-5534
allan.schoenberg@nasdaq.com
Will Briganti
(212) 231-5012
william.briganti@nasdaq.com
Nasdaq Investor Relations Contact:
Ed Ditmire, CFA
(212) 401-8737
ed.ditmire@nasdaq.com
-NDAQG-
-WSTC-G-
SOURCE : Nasdaq, Inc.
A.M. BEST REVISES OUTLOOKS TO STABLE FOR ERGO INSURANCE PTE. LTD.
SINGAPORE, Jan 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” of ERGO Insurance Pte. Ltd. (ERGO Insurance) (Singapore).
The affirmation of these Credit Ratings (ratings) reflects ERGO Insurance’s balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The revised outlooks recognize ERGO Insurance’s role in supporting its parent, ERGO Group AG, with its business development plans in Asia, as well as the explicit support ERGO Insurance receives from its ultimate parent company, Munich Reinsurance Company.
ERGO Insurance’s risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), remains solid and continues to support a balance sheet strength assessment of strong, despite a downward trend since 2014. Significant capital repatriation in the form of high dividend payments has reduced the company’s capital and liquidity position. A.M. Best expects ERGO Insurance’s risk-adjusted capitalization to remain strong in the near term, supported by reduced premium volumes.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31047
The affirmation of these Credit Ratings (ratings) reflects ERGO Insurance’s balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The revised outlooks recognize ERGO Insurance’s role in supporting its parent, ERGO Group AG, with its business development plans in Asia, as well as the explicit support ERGO Insurance receives from its ultimate parent company, Munich Reinsurance Company.
ERGO Insurance’s risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), remains solid and continues to support a balance sheet strength assessment of strong, despite a downward trend since 2014. Significant capital repatriation in the form of high dividend payments has reduced the company’s capital and liquidity position. A.M. Best expects ERGO Insurance’s risk-adjusted capitalization to remain strong in the near term, supported by reduced premium volumes.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31047
Monday 29 January 2018
CORPORATE DIRECTORS TO CONVENE IN GENEVA FOR WORLD'S FIRST-EVER GLOBAL CYBER FORUM
NACD to Host Global Boardroom and Cybersecurity Leaders to Elevate Cyber-Risk Oversight Practices
WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the authority on boardroom practices representing more than 18,000 corporate board members, today announced its 2018 Global Cyber Forum, which will be held April 17–18 in Geneva, Switzerland. This event recognizes the global nature of cyber threats and gives international scope to NACD’s efforts to drive board members’ greater understanding of, and role in, cybersecurity oversight. An elite group of nonexecutive directors (NEDs) of multinational corporations, C-suite and managing-director-level executives, cybersecurity experts, global cybersecurity policy and law enforcement officials, and other thought leaders will attend the forum. Participants will examine leading board-level cyber-risk oversight practices and explore key themes that include cross-border law enforcement, the shifting global regulatory landscape, the impact of emerging technologies on cybersecurity, and leading practices in cyber hygiene. The forum will engage attendees in a cyberbreach simulation for interactive learning. “As new threats arise amid increased global integration and connectivity, corporate boards need to be well-versed in their companies’ vulnerabilities in order to be prepared in the event of a cyberbreach,” said NACD CEO Peter Gleason. “Our primary goal is to provide NEDs and company leaders with practical information they can take back to the boardroom.” http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31026 |
TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION RELEASES SMALL DUAL MOSFET FOR RELAY DRIVERS
TOKYO, Jan 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation today announced the launch of “SSM6N357R,” a new MOSFET with a built-in diode between the drain and gate terminals. The device is suited to driving inductive loads, such as mechanical relays. Volume shipments start today.
SSM6N357R integrates a pull-down resistor, a series resistor and a Zener diode, which reduces the parts count and save on board space. Furthermore, since it is a dual-type package product (2 in 1), it has an approximately 42% smaller mounting area than the alternative of using two SSM3K357R (2.4 x 2.9 x 0.8 mm) single-type package products.
An industry-standard TSOP6F-class package, a low operating voltage of 3.0V and AEC-Q101 qualification make the SSM6N357R suitable for automotive and many other applications.
Applications
SSM6N357R integrates a pull-down resistor, a series resistor and a Zener diode, which reduces the parts count and save on board space. Furthermore, since it is a dual-type package product (2 in 1), it has an approximately 42% smaller mounting area than the alternative of using two SSM3K357R (2.4 x 2.9 x 0.8 mm) single-type package products.
An industry-standard TSOP6F-class package, a low operating voltage of 3.0V and AEC-Q101 qualification make the SSM6N357R suitable for automotive and many other applications.
Applications
- Relay and solenoid control for automotive applications
- Relay and solenoid control for industrial applications
- Clutch control for OA equipment
- Reduced board space and part count (pull-down resistor, series resistor and Zener diode integrated.)
- Low operating voltage of 3.0 V
- Dual package (2 in 1)
- AEC-Q101 qualified
A.M. BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF FIDELITY LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED
SINGAPORE, Jan 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” of Fidelity Life Assurance Company Limited (Fidelity life) (New Zealand). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect Fidelity Life’s balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).
Fidelity Life’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), which is maintained at the strongest level. Its regulatory solvency margin also has improved significantly following the recent capital injection by a new investor, New Zealand Superannuation Fund. Nevertheless, the company’s business model, which generally calls for high up-front commissions to generate new business, is highly capital-intensive to operate. This capital-intensive business model, together with the company’s dependence on reinsurance, weigh on the overall balance sheet assessment.
Fidelity Life has a track record of positive operating earnings. Nonetheless, recent profitability has been under pressure, owing largely to the impairment of intangible assets and unfavorable discount rate movements. Prospectively, A.M. Best expects operating earnings to remain positive, supported by steady revenue growth, adequate rates for its in-force portfolio and a stable stream of investment income.
Fidelity Life is the third-largest life insurer in New Zealand, with a market share of around 11% based on in-force premiums. The company also has a low to moderate product risk profile, with a majority of its in-force premium related to mortality risk; the remainder is mostly income protection and trauma. However, the company remains reliant on independent distributors to distribute its products. For certain lines of business, the company continues to face a challenging environment due to fierce competition, especially for mortality risk products.
A.M. Best views Fidelity Life’s ERM to be appropriate, based on its current size and risk profile. The company has a developed set of ERM responsibility and internal reporting commitments. Fidelity Life’s risk management capabilities are considered to be aligned appropriately with its risk profile and supported by its low product and investment risk profile, as well as a conservative reinsurance strategy.
Fidelity Life is well-positioned for its current rating level. Negative rating actions may occur if there is significant deterioration in operating performance as a result of factors such as higher-than-expected lapse rates. Additionally, downward rating pressure could occur if the company experiences difficulties in reaching its targeted surplus.
Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.
This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on A.M. Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see A.M. Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and A.M. Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and A.M. Best Rating Action Press Releases.
A.M. Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
Copyright © 2018 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The ratings reflect Fidelity Life’s balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).
Fidelity Life’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), which is maintained at the strongest level. Its regulatory solvency margin also has improved significantly following the recent capital injection by a new investor, New Zealand Superannuation Fund. Nevertheless, the company’s business model, which generally calls for high up-front commissions to generate new business, is highly capital-intensive to operate. This capital-intensive business model, together with the company’s dependence on reinsurance, weigh on the overall balance sheet assessment.
Fidelity Life has a track record of positive operating earnings. Nonetheless, recent profitability has been under pressure, owing largely to the impairment of intangible assets and unfavorable discount rate movements. Prospectively, A.M. Best expects operating earnings to remain positive, supported by steady revenue growth, adequate rates for its in-force portfolio and a stable stream of investment income.
Fidelity Life is the third-largest life insurer in New Zealand, with a market share of around 11% based on in-force premiums. The company also has a low to moderate product risk profile, with a majority of its in-force premium related to mortality risk; the remainder is mostly income protection and trauma. However, the company remains reliant on independent distributors to distribute its products. For certain lines of business, the company continues to face a challenging environment due to fierce competition, especially for mortality risk products.
A.M. Best views Fidelity Life’s ERM to be appropriate, based on its current size and risk profile. The company has a developed set of ERM responsibility and internal reporting commitments. Fidelity Life’s risk management capabilities are considered to be aligned appropriately with its risk profile and supported by its low product and investment risk profile, as well as a conservative reinsurance strategy.
Fidelity Life is well-positioned for its current rating level. Negative rating actions may occur if there is significant deterioration in operating performance as a result of factors such as higher-than-expected lapse rates. Additionally, downward rating pressure could occur if the company experiences difficulties in reaching its targeted surplus.
Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.
This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on A.M. Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see A.M. Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and A.M. Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and A.M. Best Rating Action Press Releases.
A.M. Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
Copyright © 2018 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Contacts
A.M. Best
Sin Yee Chuah
Associate Financial Analyst
+65 6303 5022
sinyee.chuah@ambest.com
or
Jason Shum
Associate Director, Analytics
+65 6303 5020
jason.shum@ambest.com
or
Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com
or
Jim Peavy
Director, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com
Sin Yee Chuah
Associate Financial Analyst
+65 6303 5022
sinyee.chuah@ambest.com
or
Jason Shum
Associate Director, Analytics
+65 6303 5020
jason.shum@ambest.com
or
Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com
or
Jim Peavy
Director, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com
Source: A.M. Best
DUCO ANNOUNCES $28M GROWTH INVESTMENT FOR DATA ENGINEERING IN THE CLOUD
LONDON & NEW YORK, Jan 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) --
Duco, the data engineering technology company, today announced the
completion of a $28m investment round by Insight Venture Partners, NEX
Opportunities and Eight Roads Ventures. The round also includes an
investment by lifetime entrepreneur and former CEO of SunGard, Cristóbal
Conde.
Duco provides technology that enables banks, brokers, asset managers and exchanges to normalise, validate and reconcile any type of data in Duco’s cloud, providing firms with on-demand data integrity and insight. The company has seen rapid and global growth as the industry re-platforms, adopting advances in leading technology to eliminate operational risk and cost and making actionable data more immediately available across the enterprise. Duco will use the investment to expand its global footprint, with headcount growth in Europe and the US, the launch of an Asia office and an expansion of its award-winning product set.
Christian Nentwich, CEO of Duco, said, “Duco’s approach to solving complex data problems in financial services is to empower experts with self-service solutions. We have gained considerable traction as the industry looks for intelligent answers to evolving new market realities. Our clients have engaged us globally at a strategic level and are relying on our proven ability to deliver at scale. This investment enables us to push further in applying our natural background in Computer Science to solving fundamental industry problems, while strengthening our resources to deepen relationships with our existing client base.”
Peter Sobiloff, Managing Director, Insight Venture Partners, said, “Insight Venture Partners tracks many companies, but few stand out. Duco is one of the few. The company has already demonstrated tremendous growth, and we are looking forward to scaling that growth to the next level. We are impressed by the management team’s ability to deliver tangible impact in a challenging and complex business-to-business environment while amassing an impressive global client list with high customer satisfaction levels and retention rates. Insight is looking forward to working with the Duco team.”
Michael Spencer, CEO of NEX, said, “The evolution of the post-trade environment in financial services requires fundamental changes in market structure, processes and technology. In areas such as data, a deeper and more technical level of innovation has been required and this is exactly where Duco are the industry’s pioneers. NEX has supported the firm from its conception and we are thrilled, but not surprised, to see its substantial progress.”
Cristobal Conde said, “I am delighted to be deepening my relationship with Duco at this important inflection point for the company. Reconciliation in financial services, and particularly in banks and large asset managers, is an area that requires a shake-up and re-engineering in the coming years. Duco is focused on bringing technological advancements to market in an industry that is ripe for disruption. The company is taking significant market share and will emerge as a household name in the coming years.”
About Duco
Duco provides self-service data engineering in the cloud. We empower users to normalize, validate and reconcile any type of data on demand. New clients are live in 24 hours, with results in 7 days and tangible business value in 30 days. Our customers include international banks, brokers, exchanges, asset managers, hedge funds, administrators, service providers and corporates. Headquartered in London, with offices in New York and Luxembourg, Duco serves clients throughout Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. For more information go to https://du.co
About Insight Venture Partners
Insight Venture Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight has raised more than $18 billion and invested in over 300 companies worldwide. Our mission is to find, fund and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on growth expertise to foster long-term success. Across our people and our portfolio, we encourage a culture around a core belief: growth equals opportunity. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit www.insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter @insightpartners.
About NEX Opportunities
A NEX business, NEX Opportunities helps companies challenge convention and accelerate growth. We invest in financial technology companies that are transforming markets. We partner with pioneers who are bringing new technologies, sciences, business models and talent to capital markets technology. Investments include: Abide Financial, AcadiaSoft, ENSO Financial, Duco, OpenGamma, Axoni, Digital Asset Holdings, OpenFin and Cloud 9. For more information, go to www.euclidopportunities.com.
About Eight Roads
Eight Roads Ventures is a global venture capital firm with more than 40 investments in the FinTech space. Together with associated funds it manages $3.6Bn of capital across offices in the UK, India, Japan, China and the US. Eight Roads has a near 50-year history of investing, that includes partnerships with companies such as Alibaba, Ant Financial, Appsflyer, China PnR, Compte Nickel, Curam, Future Advisor, Kensho, InnoGames, iPipeline, Letgo, Made.com, Neo4j, Nuance, Ping Identity, Prosper, Recurly, Wuxi Pharmatech, Xoom.
About Cristóbal Conde
Cristóbal is the former President and CEO of SunGard. He spent 24 years at the firm, growing SunGard into a Fortune 500 Company and the largest privately held software and services company in the world, employing over 26,000 staff. Prior to President and CEO, Cristóbal held various senior roles at Sungard including Executive Vice President and COO.
Duco provides technology that enables banks, brokers, asset managers and exchanges to normalise, validate and reconcile any type of data in Duco’s cloud, providing firms with on-demand data integrity and insight. The company has seen rapid and global growth as the industry re-platforms, adopting advances in leading technology to eliminate operational risk and cost and making actionable data more immediately available across the enterprise. Duco will use the investment to expand its global footprint, with headcount growth in Europe and the US, the launch of an Asia office and an expansion of its award-winning product set.
Christian Nentwich, CEO of Duco, said, “Duco’s approach to solving complex data problems in financial services is to empower experts with self-service solutions. We have gained considerable traction as the industry looks for intelligent answers to evolving new market realities. Our clients have engaged us globally at a strategic level and are relying on our proven ability to deliver at scale. This investment enables us to push further in applying our natural background in Computer Science to solving fundamental industry problems, while strengthening our resources to deepen relationships with our existing client base.”
Peter Sobiloff, Managing Director, Insight Venture Partners, said, “Insight Venture Partners tracks many companies, but few stand out. Duco is one of the few. The company has already demonstrated tremendous growth, and we are looking forward to scaling that growth to the next level. We are impressed by the management team’s ability to deliver tangible impact in a challenging and complex business-to-business environment while amassing an impressive global client list with high customer satisfaction levels and retention rates. Insight is looking forward to working with the Duco team.”
Michael Spencer, CEO of NEX, said, “The evolution of the post-trade environment in financial services requires fundamental changes in market structure, processes and technology. In areas such as data, a deeper and more technical level of innovation has been required and this is exactly where Duco are the industry’s pioneers. NEX has supported the firm from its conception and we are thrilled, but not surprised, to see its substantial progress.”
Cristobal Conde said, “I am delighted to be deepening my relationship with Duco at this important inflection point for the company. Reconciliation in financial services, and particularly in banks and large asset managers, is an area that requires a shake-up and re-engineering in the coming years. Duco is focused on bringing technological advancements to market in an industry that is ripe for disruption. The company is taking significant market share and will emerge as a household name in the coming years.”
About Duco
Duco provides self-service data engineering in the cloud. We empower users to normalize, validate and reconcile any type of data on demand. New clients are live in 24 hours, with results in 7 days and tangible business value in 30 days. Our customers include international banks, brokers, exchanges, asset managers, hedge funds, administrators, service providers and corporates. Headquartered in London, with offices in New York and Luxembourg, Duco serves clients throughout Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. For more information go to https://du.co
About Insight Venture Partners
Insight Venture Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight has raised more than $18 billion and invested in over 300 companies worldwide. Our mission is to find, fund and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on growth expertise to foster long-term success. Across our people and our portfolio, we encourage a culture around a core belief: growth equals opportunity. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit www.insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter @insightpartners.
About NEX Opportunities
A NEX business, NEX Opportunities helps companies challenge convention and accelerate growth. We invest in financial technology companies that are transforming markets. We partner with pioneers who are bringing new technologies, sciences, business models and talent to capital markets technology. Investments include: Abide Financial, AcadiaSoft, ENSO Financial, Duco, OpenGamma, Axoni, Digital Asset Holdings, OpenFin and Cloud 9. For more information, go to www.euclidopportunities.com.
About Eight Roads
Eight Roads Ventures is a global venture capital firm with more than 40 investments in the FinTech space. Together with associated funds it manages $3.6Bn of capital across offices in the UK, India, Japan, China and the US. Eight Roads has a near 50-year history of investing, that includes partnerships with companies such as Alibaba, Ant Financial, Appsflyer, China PnR, Compte Nickel, Curam, Future Advisor, Kensho, InnoGames, iPipeline, Letgo, Made.com, Neo4j, Nuance, Ping Identity, Prosper, Recurly, Wuxi Pharmatech, Xoom.
About Cristóbal Conde
Cristóbal is the former President and CEO of SunGard. He spent 24 years at the firm, growing SunGard into a Fortune 500 Company and the largest privately held software and services company in the world, employing over 26,000 staff. Prior to President and CEO, Cristóbal held various senior roles at Sungard including Executive Vice President and COO.
Contacts
Chris Peacock, +44 20 3111 9294
press@du.co
or
MWWPR for Insight Venture Partners
+1 646 376 7037
insightventurepartners@mww.com
or
Bryony Scragg, +44 20 7818 9689
Head of Media Relations
Bryony.Scragg@nex.com
or
Alex Prescot, +44 20 7074 5473
alex.prescot@eightroads.com
press@du.co
or
MWWPR for Insight Venture Partners
+1 646 376 7037
insightventurepartners@mww.com
or
Bryony Scragg, +44 20 7818 9689
Head of Media Relations
Bryony.Scragg@nex.com
or
Alex Prescot, +44 20 7074 5473
alex.prescot@eightroads.com
Source: Duco
FEDEX COMMITTING MORE THAN $3.2 BILLION IN WAGE INCREASES, BONUSES, PENSION FUNDING AND EXPANDED U.S. CAPITAL INVESTMENT FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- FedEx Corporation is announcing three major programs today following the recently enacted U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:
1) Over $200 million in increased compensation, about two-thirds of which will go to hourly team members by advancing 2018 annual pay increases by six months to April 1st from the normal October date. The remainder will fund increases in performance-based incentive plans for salaried personnel.
2) A voluntary contribution of $1.5 billion to the FedEx pension plan to ensure it remains one of the best funded retirement programs in the country.
3) Investing $1.5 billion to significantly expand the FedEx Express Indianapolis hub over the next seven years. The Memphis SuperHub will also be modernized and enlarged in a major program the details of which will be announced later this spring.
FedEx believes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will likely increase GDP and investment in the United States.
The company has made no change to its fiscal 2018 earnings or capital expenditure guidance as issued on December 19, 2017, as a result of these actions.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31040
1) Over $200 million in increased compensation, about two-thirds of which will go to hourly team members by advancing 2018 annual pay increases by six months to April 1st from the normal October date. The remainder will fund increases in performance-based incentive plans for salaried personnel.
2) A voluntary contribution of $1.5 billion to the FedEx pension plan to ensure it remains one of the best funded retirement programs in the country.
3) Investing $1.5 billion to significantly expand the FedEx Express Indianapolis hub over the next seven years. The Memphis SuperHub will also be modernized and enlarged in a major program the details of which will be announced later this spring.
FedEx believes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will likely increase GDP and investment in the United States.
The company has made no change to its fiscal 2018 earnings or capital expenditure guidance as issued on December 19, 2017, as a result of these actions.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31040
BUDDHIST LEADER IKEDA URGES HUMAN RIGHTS FOCUS AS KEY TO RESOLUTION OF GLOBAL ISSUES AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS ABOLITION
TOKYO, Jan 26 (Bernama-AsiaNet) -- On January 26, 2018, Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda, President of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), issued his annual peace proposal, titled "Toward an Era of Human Rights: Building a People's Movement."
Ikeda welcomes the July 2017 adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as a turning point in the global history of efforts to achieve peace and disarmament, emphatic that while nuclear weapons exist, a world of peace and human rights will remain elusive. He outlines strategies for gaining support for the Treaty from the nuclear-weapon states and nuclear-dependent states.
Ikeda welcomes the July 2017 adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as a turning point in the global history of efforts to achieve peace and disarmament, emphatic that while nuclear weapons exist, a world of peace and human rights will remain elusive. He outlines strategies for gaining support for the Treaty from the nuclear-weapon states and nuclear-dependent states.
DAVID BINKS, FEDEX EXPRESS EUROPE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TNT, TO RETIRE
Bert Nappier to Succeed Binks June 1, 2018
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) today announced that David Binks, FedEx Express Europe president and CEO of TNT, will retire in June.
Bert Nappier, currently FedEx Express senior vice president of finance - international, will succeed Binks in the role effective June 1, 2018.
Binks, who started with FedEx in 1983 as part of an acquisition in the UK, rose through the ranks, leading FedEx Express teams in Europe, the Middle East and Canada. Most recently, he was instrumental in the completion of the company’s acquisition of TNT.
Nappier joined FedEx in 2005 and has served in a variety of leadership roles. In addition to leading the international finance organization, he serves as co-chair of the FedEx Integration Leadership Council, where he plays a key role leading our TNT integration efforts around the world.
“Throughout David’s remarkable 35-year-career at FedEx, he has contributed to the growth of our company around the globe,” said David L. Cunningham, president and CEO, FedEx Express. “We wish him the best in his retirement, and look forward to continued success in Europe as Bert takes on this critical role.”
Helena Jansson, a more than 20-year FedEx veteran and native of Sweden, will succeed Nappier as FedEx Express senior vice president of finance - international.
About FedEx
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $62 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 400,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit http://about.fedex.com.
Contacts
FedEx Global Media Relations
Katie Wassmer, + 1 901-434-5593
or
FedEx Express Europe Media Relations
Eline Dermaut, + 32 2 752 77 25
or
TNT Media Relations
Cyrille Gibot, + 31 65 113 31 04
Katie Wassmer, + 1 901-434-5593
or
FedEx Express Europe Media Relations
Eline Dermaut, + 32 2 752 77 25
or
TNT Media Relations
Cyrille Gibot, + 31 65 113 31 04
Source: FedEx Corporation
View this news release and multimedia online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180126005169/en
--BERNAMA
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180126005169/en
--BERNAMA
TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION INTRODUCES SOI PROCESS WITH LOW NOISE FIGURE FOR LOW-NOISE RF AMPLIFIERS FOR SMARTPHONES
TOKYO, Jan 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation today announced the development of "TaRF10," a next generation TarfSOI™ (Toshiba advanced RF SOI[1]) process optimized for low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) in smartphone applications.
In recent years, the increasing speed of mobile data communication has expanded use of RF switches and filters in the analog front end of mobile devices. The resulting increase in signal loss between antenna and receiver circuit has degraded receiver sensitivity, and focused attention on LNAs with a low noise figure[2] (NF) as a means to compensate for signal loss and improve the integrity of the received signal.
In recent years, the increasing speed of mobile data communication has expanded use of RF switches and filters in the analog front end of mobile devices. The resulting increase in signal loss between antenna and receiver circuit has degraded receiver sensitivity, and focused attention on LNAs with a low noise figure[2] (NF) as a means to compensate for signal loss and improve the integrity of the received signal.
ALGECO SCOTSMAN ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION
BALTIMORE, Jan 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Algeco/Scotsman Holding S.Ã r.l. (together with its subsidiaries, “Algeco Scotsman”) today announced that it has made available certain information relating to Algeco Scotsman on its website, which contains an update on the financial performance of the Group and certain other information and can be accessed at http://www.algecoscotsman.com/pdf/Algeco-Information-Release_Jan_25_2018.pdf
About Algeco Scotsman
Algeco Scotsman is the leading global business services provider focused on modular space, secure portable storage solutions, and remote workforce accommodation management. Headquartered in Baltimore, Algeco Scotsman has operations in 24 countries with approximately 245,000 modular space and portable storage units and 11,400 remote accommodations rooms. The company operates as Target Logistics in North America, Algeco in Europe, Elliott in the United Kingdom, Ausco in Australia, Portacom in New Zealand, and Algeco Chengdong in China.
Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains statements reflecting assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions or beliefs about future events that are intended as “forward-looking statements,” particularly those statements concerning expectations regarding the use of proceeds from the offering. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from current projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations relating to us. Any or all of these forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.
Disclaimer
This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Investor Relations Contact
Scott Shaughnessy
Vice President, Finance
Algeco Scotsman
+1 410-933-5921
Scott.Shaughnessy@as.willscot.com
Source : Algeco Scotsman
--BERNAMA
About Algeco Scotsman
Algeco Scotsman is the leading global business services provider focused on modular space, secure portable storage solutions, and remote workforce accommodation management. Headquartered in Baltimore, Algeco Scotsman has operations in 24 countries with approximately 245,000 modular space and portable storage units and 11,400 remote accommodations rooms. The company operates as Target Logistics in North America, Algeco in Europe, Elliott in the United Kingdom, Ausco in Australia, Portacom in New Zealand, and Algeco Chengdong in China.
Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains statements reflecting assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions or beliefs about future events that are intended as “forward-looking statements,” particularly those statements concerning expectations regarding the use of proceeds from the offering. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from current projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations relating to us. Any or all of these forward-looking statements may turn out to be wrong. They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.
Disclaimer
This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Investor Relations Contact
Scott Shaughnessy
Vice President, Finance
Algeco Scotsman
+1 410-933-5921
Scott.Shaughnessy@as.willscot.com
Source : Algeco Scotsman
--BERNAMA
LIGHTBRIDGE AND FRAMATOME LAUNCH ENFISSION TO COMMERCIALIZE INNOVATIVE NUCLEAR FUEL
RESTON, Va., Jan 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lightbridge Corporation (NASDAQ:LTBR) (the “Company”), a nuclear fuel technology company, and Framatome, a leader in nuclear fuel, components and reactor services, finalized and launched Enfission, a 50-50 joint venture company to develop, license and sell nuclear fuel assemblies based on Lightbridge-designed metallic fuel technology and other advanced nuclear fuel intellectual property. Lightbridge is a U.S. nuclear fuel development company and Framatome is a leader in designing, building, servicing, and fueling today’s reactor fleet and advancing nuclear energy.
The two companies already began joint fuel development and regulatory licensing work under previously signed agreements initiated in March 2016. The joint venture is a Delaware-based limited liability company.
Bernard Fontana, Chairman of the Managing Board and CEO of Framatome, said, “This is an exciting time of growth for Framatome and we are proud to work with Lightbridge on Enfission. Together, we are developing an innovative fuel technology that will provide significant benefits for our customers, helping them to generate more electricity from their nuclear power plants and better compete in the marketplace. Framatome provides its next generation of fuel assembly designs to more than 100 of the approximately 260 light water reactors worldwide. Through this work, we help our customers to meet their operational goals with a high level of safety. We are confident that our strategic partnership with Lightbridge on Enfission will strengthen our position as a key international player in the global fuel market.”
Seth Grae, Lightbridge president and CEO, said, “With the world calling for more reliable, economic and carbon-free baseload power, Lightbridge’s innovative metallic fuel technology will help both existing and new nuclear plants fill that need. Framatome is the ideal partner with established manufacturing capabilities, an impeccable reputation as a nuclear fuel supplier and a large global footprint. We appreciate the strong support we have already received from the leading nuclear operators, both in the U.S. and around the world. The world’s energy and climate needs can only be met if nuclear power grows as a part of the energy-generating mix. We are honored to work with Framatome on this important project and believe the economic and safety benefits of our fuel will encourage greater use of nuclear power.”
About Framatome
Framatome is a major international player in the nuclear energy market recognized for its innovative solutions and value-added technologies for designing, building, maintaining, and advancing the global nuclear fleet. The company designs, manufactures, and installs components and fuel for nuclear power plants and offers a full range of reactor services.
With 14,000 employees worldwide, every day Framatome’s expertise helps its customers improve the safety and performance of their nuclear plants and achieve their economic and societal goals.
Join the energy conversation with Framatome Inc. on Twitter: @FramatomeUS and Facebook: @FramatomeUS.
Framatome is owned by the EDF Group (75.5%), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI – 19.5%) and Assystem (5%).
About Lightbridge Corporation
Lightbridge (NASDAQ:LTBR) is a nuclear fuel technology development company based in Reston, Virginia, USA. The Company develops proprietary next generation nuclear fuel technologies for current and future reactors. The technology significantly enhances the economics and safety of nuclear power, operating about 1000° C cooler than standard fuel. Lightbridge invented, patented and has independently validated the technology, including successful demonstration of the fuel in a research reactor with near-term plans to demonstrate the fuel under commercial reactor conditions. The Company has assembled a world class development team including veterans of leading global fuel manufacturers. Four large electric utilities that generate about half the nuclear power in the US already advise Lightbridge on fuel development and deployment. The Company operates under a licensing and royalty model, independently validated and based on the increased power generated by Lightbridge-designed fuel and high ROI for operators of existing and new reactors. The economic benefits are further enhanced by anticipated carbon credits available under the Clean Power Plan. Lightbridge also provides comprehensive advisory services for established and emerging nuclear programs based on a philosophy of transparency, non-proliferation, safety and operational excellence. For more information please visit: www.ltbridge.com.
To receive Lightbridge Corporation updates via e-mail, subscribe at http://ir.ltbridge.com/alerts.cfm .
Lightbridge is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @LightbridgeCorp at http://twitter.com/lightbridgecorp.
Forward Looking Statements
With the exception of historical matters, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the joint venture and its impact on each company’s businesses, customers and positions in the global fuel market; the development of innovative metallic fuel technology; the world’s energy and climate needs; and the ability of commercial nuclear power to meet the world’s energy and climate needs. These statements are based on current expectations on the date of this news release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ significantly from such estimates. The risks include, but are not limited to, the degree of market adoption of the Company's product and service offerings; market competition; dependence on strategic partners; demand for fuel for nuclear reactors; the Company's ability to manage its business effectively in a rapidly evolving market; as well as other factors described in Lightbridge's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lightbridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new developments or otherwise. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Investor Relations Contact:
David Waldman/Natalya Rudman
Tel. +1 855-379-9900
ir@ltbridge.com
Source : Lightbridge Corporation
--BERNAMA
The two companies already began joint fuel development and regulatory licensing work under previously signed agreements initiated in March 2016. The joint venture is a Delaware-based limited liability company.
Bernard Fontana, Chairman of the Managing Board and CEO of Framatome, said, “This is an exciting time of growth for Framatome and we are proud to work with Lightbridge on Enfission. Together, we are developing an innovative fuel technology that will provide significant benefits for our customers, helping them to generate more electricity from their nuclear power plants and better compete in the marketplace. Framatome provides its next generation of fuel assembly designs to more than 100 of the approximately 260 light water reactors worldwide. Through this work, we help our customers to meet their operational goals with a high level of safety. We are confident that our strategic partnership with Lightbridge on Enfission will strengthen our position as a key international player in the global fuel market.”
Seth Grae, Lightbridge president and CEO, said, “With the world calling for more reliable, economic and carbon-free baseload power, Lightbridge’s innovative metallic fuel technology will help both existing and new nuclear plants fill that need. Framatome is the ideal partner with established manufacturing capabilities, an impeccable reputation as a nuclear fuel supplier and a large global footprint. We appreciate the strong support we have already received from the leading nuclear operators, both in the U.S. and around the world. The world’s energy and climate needs can only be met if nuclear power grows as a part of the energy-generating mix. We are honored to work with Framatome on this important project and believe the economic and safety benefits of our fuel will encourage greater use of nuclear power.”
About Framatome
Framatome is a major international player in the nuclear energy market recognized for its innovative solutions and value-added technologies for designing, building, maintaining, and advancing the global nuclear fleet. The company designs, manufactures, and installs components and fuel for nuclear power plants and offers a full range of reactor services.
With 14,000 employees worldwide, every day Framatome’s expertise helps its customers improve the safety and performance of their nuclear plants and achieve their economic and societal goals.
Join the energy conversation with Framatome Inc. on Twitter: @FramatomeUS and Facebook: @FramatomeUS.
Framatome is owned by the EDF Group (75.5%), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI – 19.5%) and Assystem (5%).
About Lightbridge Corporation
Lightbridge (NASDAQ:LTBR) is a nuclear fuel technology development company based in Reston, Virginia, USA. The Company develops proprietary next generation nuclear fuel technologies for current and future reactors. The technology significantly enhances the economics and safety of nuclear power, operating about 1000° C cooler than standard fuel. Lightbridge invented, patented and has independently validated the technology, including successful demonstration of the fuel in a research reactor with near-term plans to demonstrate the fuel under commercial reactor conditions. The Company has assembled a world class development team including veterans of leading global fuel manufacturers. Four large electric utilities that generate about half the nuclear power in the US already advise Lightbridge on fuel development and deployment. The Company operates under a licensing and royalty model, independently validated and based on the increased power generated by Lightbridge-designed fuel and high ROI for operators of existing and new reactors. The economic benefits are further enhanced by anticipated carbon credits available under the Clean Power Plan. Lightbridge also provides comprehensive advisory services for established and emerging nuclear programs based on a philosophy of transparency, non-proliferation, safety and operational excellence. For more information please visit: www.ltbridge.com.
To receive Lightbridge Corporation updates via e-mail, subscribe at http://ir.ltbridge.com/alerts.cfm .
Lightbridge is on Twitter. Sign up to follow @LightbridgeCorp at http://twitter.com/lightbridgecorp.
Forward Looking Statements
With the exception of historical matters, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the joint venture and its impact on each company’s businesses, customers and positions in the global fuel market; the development of innovative metallic fuel technology; the world’s energy and climate needs; and the ability of commercial nuclear power to meet the world’s energy and climate needs. These statements are based on current expectations on the date of this news release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ significantly from such estimates. The risks include, but are not limited to, the degree of market adoption of the Company's product and service offerings; market competition; dependence on strategic partners; demand for fuel for nuclear reactors; the Company's ability to manage its business effectively in a rapidly evolving market; as well as other factors described in Lightbridge's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lightbridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new developments or otherwise. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Investor Relations Contact:
David Waldman/Natalya Rudman
Tel. +1 855-379-9900
ir@ltbridge.com
Source : Lightbridge Corporation
--BERNAMA
Saturday 27 January 2018
CORPORATE COMPANIES INVITED TO PARTAKE IN MYTN50 BOOK EFFORT
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 (Bernama) – The Persatuan Kesejahteraan Rakyat 1Malaysia (KER1M) invites corporate companies including government-linked investment companies and government-linked companies to collaborate with the association in publishing the MYTN50 book.
The association,
in a statement, said the publishing of the book was to support the government’s
initiative to empower the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) agenda.
“The objectives
and targets outlined in the MYNT50 policy document will be
published in early 2020. The MYTN50 is a long-term national
development initiative from 2020 to 2050.
“In preparing for
MYTN50, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has
given the mandate to KER1M to get the attention and full
involvement of the corporate sector in providing the input in steering the
country’s future,” it said.
Sponsorship of
the MYTN50 book publishing effort qualifies for tax exemption.
For more
information on the KER1M programme, call
Isma Zaimei Ishak, Nur Shaqhiroh Hussin or
Mastura Umar Baki at 03-88617557.
Friday 26 January 2018
A.M. BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF THE DAI-ICHI LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, LIMITED
HONG KONG, Jan 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “aa-” of The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited (DL) (Japan), a wholly owned subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect DL’s balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
DL’s very strong balance sheet is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalization that A.M. Best considers to be at the strongest level and by a positive impact from the holding company, which is offset partially by DL’s moderate asset/liability duration gap. The company’s capital requirements, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), continue to be driven by asset risk due to its sizeable investment assets relative to its shareholder funds. DL’s financial leverage remains adequate for the current ratings.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31025
The ratings reflect DL’s balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
DL’s very strong balance sheet is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalization that A.M. Best considers to be at the strongest level and by a positive impact from the holding company, which is offset partially by DL’s moderate asset/liability duration gap. The company’s capital requirements, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), continue to be driven by asset risk due to its sizeable investment assets relative to its shareholder funds. DL’s financial leverage remains adequate for the current ratings.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31025
CISCO ACCELERATES MULTICLOUD JOURNEY WITH HYPERFLEX PLATFORM INNOVATIONS
Adds support for containers and Microsoft Hyper-V, integrates multicloud services
SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cisco today announced platform innovations for Cisco® HyperFlex™ with the 3.0 software release that delivers performance and simplicity for any application, on any cloud, at any scale. Enhancements include support for Microsoft Hyper-V, stretch clusters, containers, and new multicloud services that enable applications to be deployed, monitored and managed in any cloud. The result is a platform that uniquely enables development and deployment of both traditional and cloud-native applications on a common hyperconverged platform.
Cisco HyperFlex: The Power to Simplify More
Other hyperconverged solutions neglect the crucial roles that networking and distributed file systems play in the performance and scaling of clustered servers. Cisco redefined hyperconvergence with a complete end-to-end approach that engineers high performance server and networking technology, with a purpose-built filesystem. The result is industry leading performance that enables customers to efficiently support a broader array of applications, including databases and mission critical ERP workloads.
“HyperFlex’s approach enables high performance of Microsoft SQL and Oracle databases and critical applications with faster delivery of the environment, lower costs, and more effective management,” said Edivaldo Rocha, CEO, CorpFlex.
The latest release of HyperFlex builds on this superior architecture and expands the opportunity for customers to simplify more. “Customers tell us they need operational simplicity, effortless scalability, and the ability to serve the unique needs of each of their applications,” said Liz Centoni, senior vice president and general manager of Cisco’s Computing Systems Product Group. “The new HyperFlex platform underscores our commitment to continuously simplify and improve data center operations and help organizations thrive in a multicloud world.”
Run Any Application
The HyperFlex 3.0 software release delivers significant advancements for mission critical and cloud-native workloads:
SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cisco today announced platform innovations for Cisco® HyperFlex™ with the 3.0 software release that delivers performance and simplicity for any application, on any cloud, at any scale. Enhancements include support for Microsoft Hyper-V, stretch clusters, containers, and new multicloud services that enable applications to be deployed, monitored and managed in any cloud. The result is a platform that uniquely enables development and deployment of both traditional and cloud-native applications on a common hyperconverged platform.
Cisco HyperFlex: The Power to Simplify More
Other hyperconverged solutions neglect the crucial roles that networking and distributed file systems play in the performance and scaling of clustered servers. Cisco redefined hyperconvergence with a complete end-to-end approach that engineers high performance server and networking technology, with a purpose-built filesystem. The result is industry leading performance that enables customers to efficiently support a broader array of applications, including databases and mission critical ERP workloads.
“HyperFlex’s approach enables high performance of Microsoft SQL and Oracle databases and critical applications with faster delivery of the environment, lower costs, and more effective management,” said Edivaldo Rocha, CEO, CorpFlex.
The latest release of HyperFlex builds on this superior architecture and expands the opportunity for customers to simplify more. “Customers tell us they need operational simplicity, effortless scalability, and the ability to serve the unique needs of each of their applications,” said Liz Centoni, senior vice president and general manager of Cisco’s Computing Systems Product Group. “The new HyperFlex platform underscores our commitment to continuously simplify and improve data center operations and help organizations thrive in a multicloud world.”
Run Any Application
The HyperFlex 3.0 software release delivers significant advancements for mission critical and cloud-native workloads:
- Multi-hypervisor Support. In addition to VMware ESXi, HyperFlex adds hypervisor support for Microsoft Hyper-V.
- Container Support. Data platform enhancements include a FlexVolume driver to enable persistent storage for Kubernetes managed containers, enabling development and deployment of cloud-native applications on HyperFlex.
- Enterprise Application Validations. HyperFlex is ready for a wide range of workloads with workload profiling and sizing tools available to support application migration projects. In addition to design and deployment guides for Virtual Server Infrastructure (VSI) and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) , Cisco design guides are now available for mission critical databases, analytics and ERP applications - including Oracle, SQL, SAP, Microsoft Exchange, and Splunk.
On Any Cloud
Organizations today require workload mobility and application monitoring across public and private clouds. HyperFlex is the platform for the multicloud era featuring new service integrations with Cisco’s multicloud software portfolio:
- Application Performance Monitoring. AppDynamics with HyperFlex enables performance monitoring of hybrid applications running on HyperFlex and across multiple clouds.
- Application Placement. Cisco Workload Optimization Manager (CWOM) for HyperFlex assists customers with automated analysis and workload placement.
- Cloud Management. Introduced last year, CloudCenter for HyperFlex enables workload lifecycle management across one to many private and public clouds.
- Private Cloud. CloudCenter for HyperFlex simplifies the deployment and management of VM’s, containers and applications, making it easy for developers and administrators to consume private clouds.
At Any Scale
Only Cisco enables customers to power rapidly growing workloads with comprehensive resiliency while enjoying the global reach of cloud-based systems management.
Only Cisco enables customers to power rapidly growing workloads with comprehensive resiliency while enjoying the global reach of cloud-based systems management.
- Greater Scalability and Resiliency On-prem. Supporting customers with higher virtual machine density, HyperFlex clusters now scale to 64 nodes with added resiliency through fully-automated availability zones.
- Stretch Clusters Across Datacenters. To meet data protection and high availability requirements, HyperFlex can now be configured into stretch clusters for campus and metro mission critical availability.
- Cloud-based Management Across Datacenters. Cisco Intersight now supports HyperFlex Cloud Deployment, extending simplified deployment and management to any remote location.
Applications
are at the heart of digital transformation. The changing application
landscape demands support for both traditional, monolithic workloads as
well as distributed microservices architectures. In addition, the
ability to enable a multicloud operating environment is quickly becoming
a data center requirement. According to IDC’s July 2017 CloudView Survey,
85 percent of respondents are evaluating or using public cloud, while
among current cloud users 87 percent have taken steps towards a hybrid
cloud strategy and 94 percent plan to use multiple clouds.
Organizations are rapidly adopting hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) to help simplify their environments. HCI is one of the fastest growing segments in the data center space with a 5-year CAGR (2016-2021) of 30.2 percent (Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Converged Systems Forecast Tracker, 3CQ17). Cisco HyperFlex is being adopted as the platform of choice for enterprise IT, accelerating this market transition with more than 2000 customers globally.
Additional Resources
Organizations are rapidly adopting hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) to help simplify their environments. HCI is one of the fastest growing segments in the data center space with a 5-year CAGR (2016-2021) of 30.2 percent (Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Converged Systems Forecast Tracker, 3CQ17). Cisco HyperFlex is being adopted as the platform of choice for enterprise IT, accelerating this market transition with more than 2000 customers globally.
Additional Resources
- Join us on February 28th for a deep dive into HyperFlex 3.0 with TechWise TV – Accelerating Multicloud IT with the New Cisco HyperFlex. Register Today!
- Read Kaustubh Das ’s blog - HyperFlex 3.0: Platform for the Multicloud Era
- Going to Cisco Live Barcelona? Get the new details on HyperFlex there.
- Experience HyperFlex 3.0. Watch here!
- Learn more about Cisco HyperFlex at www.cisco.com/go/hyperflex
About Cisco HyperFlex Systems™
Cisco HyperFlex Systems delivers complete hyperconvergence, combining compute, storage, and networking resources into a simplified, easy-to-use platform. The HyperFlex data platform engineered with Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS®) delivers a dynamic data fabric™ with the industry-leading performance customers need to simplify more applications in their data centers. Cisco HyperFlex Systems deliver the agility, scalability, and pay-as-you-grow economics of the cloud, but with the benefits of on-premises infrastructure. Cisco HyperFlex. Simplify more.
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that has been making the Internet work since 1984. Our people, products, and partners help society securely connect and seize tomorrow's digital opportunity today. Discover more at thenetwork.cisco.com and follow us on Twitter at @Cisco.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.
Press Relations
Lee Davis
Cisco
650-868-3036
leedavis@cisco.com
Analyst Relations
Jennie Olean
Cisco
978 936-0223
jolean@cisco.com
Investor Relations
Carol Villazon
Cisco
408-527-6538
carolv@cisco.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f62645a1-5b28-4671-ac70-24a5338e2371
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/312438df-ca48-4c77-ac19-4664ff6f1106
SOURCE : Cisco Systems, Inc.
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