First Corporate Credit Card in Myanmar Introduced by Ayeyarwady Bank as AYA Universal Corporate MPU-JCB Co-Branded Card

November 14, 2017, 4:00 am

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Universal Corporate Platinum Credit Card

Universal Corporate Gold Credit Card

Yangon and Tokyo, Nov 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Ayeyarwady Bank (AYA Bank), a major commercial bank in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Myanmar Payment Union (MPU), and JCB International Co. Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., today announced that AYA Bank has launched the AYA Universal Corporate MPU-JCB Co-Branded Card in Myanmar. This is the first corporate credit card targeted for business payment use ever issued in the country.

The AYA Universal Corporate MPU-JCB Co-Branded Card has 2 different products: Universal Corporate Platinum Credit Card and Universal Corporate Gold Credit Card. All the cardmembers can enjoy the same JCB privileges as personal credit cardmembers, such as JCB Plaza and special offers at selected merchants all over the world. Universal Corporate Platinum Credit Card cardmembers can also use exclusive JCB Platinum services, such as JCB Platinum Airport Lounge service, JCB Platinum Concierge Desk, and Special JCB Platinum Hotel Services.

U Zaw Zaw, Founder and Chairman of AYA Bank commented, "The Myanmar economy is growing fast and we have commercial cooperation with neighboring countries which means companies need to send their employees on business trips and need to use other international services. I believe that AYA Universal Corporate MPU-JCB Co-Branded Card will be welcomed by companies here. AYA is honored that JCB will be our first international brand corporate product, and we know this card will bring convenience and reliable payment experience to Myanmar ‎enterprises."

Kimihisa Imada, President and COO of JCB International said, "Corporate card is a popular product welcomed in Japan, and it can be used for the payment of business-related expenses, most often travel-related. Without a corporate card, sometimes employees need to take money out of their personal account to pay for company expenses. With the AYA Universal Corporate MPU-JCB Co-Branded Card, employees don't need to pay themselves. Also, for employees who go on business trips can enjoy JCB privileges which make traveling smoother and safer." He added, "I am very pleased JCB will be the first international brand on a corporate product in Myanmar. AYA Universal Corporate MPU-JCB Co-Branded Card is a new product based on the needs of Myanmar enterprises. I am confident that the issuance of AYA Universal Corporate MPU-JCB Co-Branded Card can satisfy our customers and will allow both AYA Bank and JCB to continue growing business."

About AYA Bank

AYA Bank received its banking license from the Central Bank of Myanmar on 2 July 2010 and began operations on 11 August 2010. The bank is authorised to operate as an investment or development bank for the domestic market and the approved banking activities include borrowing or raising of money, lending or advancing of money either secured or unsecured, receiving securities or valuables for safe custody, collecting and transmitting money and securities, and provides international banking services including international remittance, payment and trade services. AYA Bank subscribes to global standards in governance, risk and compliance in its management and operations. The bank has engaged talents with both domestic and international exposures and has invested significantly in training and technology as a way to ensure long term sustainable growth for the bank and for the community it serves.

Since its inception, the bank has grown steadily, with the number of branches increased progressively to 232 branches at the end of October 2017 and customer deposits grew healthily to Kyats 3.95 Trillion as at end April 2017, signifying increased confidence among the public in the bank.

For the years ahead, the bank will continue to extend its branch network throughout Myanmar. It will continue to focus on building relationships with customers, providing excellent customer service, and leveraging technology as the enabler to enhance its customer base. At the same time, the bank aims to strengthen its governance, risk and compliance structure as a measure to ensure balance and sustain growth.

About Myanmar Payment Union (MPU)

Myanmar Payment Union (MPU) was established in 2011 under the guidance of the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Myanmar. MPU started operating as National Payment Switch in late 2012 with the issuance of debit cards. In late 2015, MPU credit card was issued by our member banks and the first co-brand debit card was issued in Feb 2016 and soon followed by co-brand credit cards. In April 2015, MPU launched MPU e-commerce service in partnership with its technical service provider 2C2P. MPU is the only official national payment switching network to be recognized by the central bank of Myanmar, and currently 23 members of 28 local financial institutions have been connected to MPU.

About JCB

JCB is a major global payments brand and a leading payment card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes about 30 million merchants. JCB Cards are now issued in 23 countries and territories, with more than 100 million cardmembers. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to provide responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.global.jcb/en/

Contact
AYA Bank
Thiri Kyar Nyo
Assistant General Manager, Corporate Affairs
T: +95 9 511 7204
E: thirikyarnyo@ayabank.com

JCB Co., Ltd.
Kumiko Kida
Corporate Communications Department
Tel: 81-3-5778-8353
Email: jcb-pr@info.jcb.co.jp

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Huawei and Gemalto team up to accelerate NarrowBand IoT deployments

November 13, 2017, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: Showa Denko (SDK) Announces 2017 Third Quarter Financial Results

≪ Previous: First Corporate Credit Card in Myanmar Introduced by Ayeyarwady Bank as AYA Universal Corporate MPU-JCB Co-Branded Card

Gemalto and Huawei create a cost-effective solution for mass market IoT

AMSTERDAM, Nov 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - To help device manufacturers meet a growing demand for long-lasting low-power NarrowBand (NB) IoT modules, Gemalto and Huawei - via its semiconductor arm, HiSilicon - are working together to develop the next generation of modules that combine an extra level of security and consume very low power. By combining the expertise from both companies, these NB-IoT modules will help manufacturers reduce the cost and size of their devices, and lengthen the battery life of the devices to up to ten years.

NB IoT has been developed to address lower bit rates and lower cost segments, and works virtually anywhere. It offers ultra-low power consumption enabling devices to be battery operated for periods of up to 10 years. Applications include smart parking sensors, intruder and fire alarms, personal healthcare appliances, tracking devices, and street lamps to name a few. According to ABI Research, NB IoT modules connecting objects to networks are forecast to represent over 20% of all cellular shipments by 2021.

"2017 is the year of commercial NB IoT rollouts for us, and we will be building 30 such networks in 20 countries worldwide by the end of the year. Huawei has been a major player in this arena, and we continue to capitalize on this vast opportunity," said XiongWei, president of LTE solution, Huawei. "We look to supply the market with solutions that provide stable connectivity, low energy consumption, and cost efficiency. The network roll-out will now come with an enhanced integration and flexibility thanks to this collaboration with Gemalto."

"The combination of our expertise in IOT cellular connectivity, and digital security, and Huawei's high-performance NB IoT chipsets will help device manufacturers and service providers take the plunge into cellular IoT mass deployment thanks to a standardized solution," said Suzanne Tong-Li, SVP Greater China and Korea for Mobile Services and IoT and China President, Gemalto. "Our collaboration simplifies the implementation of NB IoT projects combining solid security and flexibility."

Press release (PDF): http://hugin.info/159293/R/2149365/824849.pdf

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the global leader in digital security, with 2016 annual revenues of EUR 3.1 billion and customers in over 180 countries. We bring trust to an increasingly connected world.

From secure software to biometrics and encryption, our technologies and services enable businesses and governments to authenticate identities and protect data so they stay safe and enable services in personal devices, connected objects, the cloud and in between.

Gemalto's solutions are at the heart of modern life, from payment to enterprise security and the internet of things. We authenticate people, transactions and objects, encrypt data and create value for software - enabling our clients to deliver secure digital services for billions of individuals and things.

Our 15,000+ employees operate out of 112 offices, 43 personalization and data centers, and 30 research and software development centers located in 48 countries.

For more information visit www.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.

Gemalto media contacts:
Philippe Benitez
Americas
+1 512 257 3869
philippe.benitez@gemalto.com

Kristel Teyras
Europe Middle East & Africa
+33 1 55 01 57 89
kristel.teyras@gemalto.com

Shintaro Suzuki
Asia Pacific
+65 6317 8266
shintaro.suzuki@gemalto.com

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Showa Denko (SDK) Announces 2017 Third Quarter Financial Results

November 13, 2017, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: Chinese AI Pioneer YITU announces plans to establish R&D Hub in Singapore to accelerate AI development in the nation and Asia market

≪ Previous: Huawei and Gemalto team up to accelerate NarrowBand IoT deployments

TOKYO, Nov 14, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Showa Denko K.K. ("SDK"; TSE:4004) today announced its 2017 third quarter financial results.

- 2017 Third Quarter Consolidated Financial Statements and summary
http://www.sdk.co.jp/assets/files/english/ir/library/fss2017-3q.pdf

About Showa Denko K.K.

Showa Denko K.K. ("SDK"; TSE:4004, US:SHWDF) is a major manufacturer and marketer of chemical products serving a wide range of fields ranging from heavy industry to the electronic and computer industries. The Petrochemicals Sector provides cracker products such as ethylene and propylene, the Chemicals Sector provides industrial and high-performance gases and chemicals and high-purity gases and chemicals for the semiconductor industry, and the Inorganics Sector provides ceramics products such as alumina, abrasive, refractory and graphite electrodes and fine carbon products. Today, the Aluminum Sector provides aluminum materials and high-value-added fabricated aluminum, the Electronics Sector provides HD media, compound semiconductors such as ultra high-bright LEDs and rare earth magnetic alloys, and the Advanced Battery Materials Department (ABM) provides lithium-ion battery components. For more information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp/english/.

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Chinese AI Pioneer YITU announces plans to establish R&D Hub in Singapore to accelerate AI development in the nation and Asia market

November 13, 2017, 7:00 pm

≫ Next: Kingston Financial Group Included in MSCI Global Standard Index - Hong Kong Index

≪ Previous: Showa Denko (SDK) Announces 2017 Third Quarter Financial Results

Discussion with Singapore officials at YITU's Shanghai headquarters

Singapore will be the gateway for YITU to expand to the rest of the world

SHANGHAI, Nov 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - YITU Technology, a Chinese pioneer in artificial intelligence (AI), announced its plans to set up a Research & Development (R&D) Hub in Singapore, bolstering Singapore's AI applications in the area of security and finance. The discussion was held at a visit to YITU's Shanghai headquarters recently, represented by Singapore officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB), where they witnessed its award-winning facial recognition technologies.

With much potential waiting to be harvested, AI is one of the key frontier technologies that the Singapore Government will harness and build capabilities in, positioning the Smart Nation as a regional focal point for the fast growing industry. When YITU's R&D Hub is established in Singapore, it will be their first R&D Hub outside of China.

"Singapore is an international hub and is a good place to start off for YITU as compared to other countries in the region. The AI vision for Singapore is that once it has started its AI development, there will be a ripple effect across other countries and regions as Singapore has a good reputation, and other companies will possibly follow in the country's footsteps. Hence our focus is to set up R&D Hub in Singapore rather than other countries as this is a strategic location to be the next AI Hub," said Leo Zhu, CEO and Founder of YITU. "Through YITU's products, we can help Singapore to evolve its society. Singapore is the strategic location for us to begin our overseas venture."

At the visit, the delegation also learnt about the extensive business applications of YITU's technology in sectors such as security, finance, transportation and healthcare.

"We are impressed that YITU has won the 1st Place in Identification Accuracy in Face Recognition Prize Challenge 2017 hosted by IAPRA," Jo Choo, Director Ops - Technology Group, Ministry of Home Affairs, said. "We believe that these strengths could provide the foundation that we need to leverage advanced AI technology to enhance Singaporeans' living standards. We realized video analytics are up and coming in China, and would like to work with Chinese companies to find an integrated solution."

YITU's advanced facial recognition technology has already been adopted by China Merchants Bank at over 1,500 outlets nationwide, enabling face-authenticated cash withdrawals at ATMs. Shanghai Pudong Development Bank has also adopted YITU's technologies in its Video Teller Machines (VTM) and for online banking.

YITU's technologies have also been used in sectors such as public safety, financial services, healthcare, customs and ports, and integrated marketing. YITU has formed partnerships with leading companies in these fields to provide integrated solutions.

About YITU Technology

YITU Technology (YITU) is a pioneer in practical artificial intelligence (AI) research and innovation that provides advanced AI-based business solutions to build a safer, better and healthier world. YITU boasts a world-class R&D team that drives industrial development to find comprehensive solutions in the areas of machine vision, speech and language understanding. www.yitu-inc.com.

Media Contact:
Eva Chen
zhengying.chen@yitu-inc.com
+86-21-6151-7311

Han Yang
media@yitu-inc.com
+86-21-6151-7311

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Kingston Financial Group Included in MSCI Global Standard Index - Hong Kong Index

November 13, 2017, 8:11 pm

≫ Next: Fashion Hong Kong Returns to Tokyo Fashion Week

≪ Previous: Chinese AI Pioneer YITU announces plans to establish R&D Hub in Singapore to accelerate AI development in the nation and Asia market

Investment Value Highly Recognized by Global Capital Market

HONG KONG, Nov 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Kingston Financial Group Limited ("Kingston Financial Group" or "the Group") (stock code: 1031) is pleased to announce that the Group has been included as a constituent of the MSCI Global Standard Index - Hong Kong Index with effect from the close of 30 November 2017.

The MSCI Index, a securities index compiled by Morgan Stanley Capital International ("MSCI"), is the most widely used reference index of capital market performance for investors in many countries and regions. The shares included in the MSCI Index are the leading and most representative companies among the industry, meeting key criterion in business scope, financial performance, market liquidity and market capitalization.

Kingston Financial Group stated, "In addition to the Hang Seng Composite LargeCap & MidCap Index, the Group has been added to the MSCI Hong Kong Index, another influential international stock benchmark, demonstrating that the global capital markets have recognized the management and outstanding performance of Kingston Financial Group, and our investment value has performed consistently. This will further enhance our global visibility and stock circulation in the international capital markets so as to broaden the shareholder base of the Group."

About Kingston Financial Group Limited (Stock code: 1031)
Kingston Financial Group Limited is principally engaged in the provision of a wide range of financial services which include securities brokerage, underwriting and placements, margin and initial public offering financing, corporate finance advisory services, futures brokerage and asset management services. According to Bloomberg, the Group was ranked 1st as the leading placing agent and underwriter and one of the top three M&A financial advisers by number of issues in Hong Kong in 2016.

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Fashion Hong Kong Returns to Tokyo Fashion Week

November 13, 2017, 10:00 pm

≫ Next: P&G stands up for racial equality in a divided nation

≪ Previous: Kingston Financial Group Included in MSCI Global Standard Index - Hong Kong Index

MEIKING NG

LOOM LOOP

HARRISON WONG

HEAVEN PLEASE+

Hong Kong Designers Showcase Spring/Summer 2018 Collections

HONG KONG, Nov 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), four Hong Kong fashion brands hit the runway in Tokyo, with support from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Tokyo. As part of the 20th anniversary celebratory events for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Fashion Hong Kong Month series, which coincided with Amazon Fashion Week TOKYO Spring/Summer 2018 (16-22 October), unveiled the latest fashion from Hong Kong through a series of fresh initiatives throughout October. The event drew fashion experts, buyers, journalists, bloggers and celebrities, as well as the online fashion crowd to view the latest designs of some of Hong Kong's hottest designers.

Fashion Hong Kong Month

Harrison Wong's namesake label HARRISON WONG and Polly Ho's LOOM LOOP returned to the Fashion Hong Kong runway show in Tokyo, which was held on 17 October. Two other brands, MEIKING NG by Meiking Ng and HEAVEN PLEASE+ by design duo Yi Chan and Lary Cheung, made their debut at the runway show. Staged at the retail skyscraper complex Shibuya Hikarie, the show unveiled the latest Hong Kong designs to an audience of fashion lovers, movers and shakers, buyers, local fashion bloggers, celebrities, as well as representatives from the international fashion media, including Vogue Talent, WWD Japan, Fashionsnap.com, gapPRESS.

The collections highlighted Hong Kong's design diversity. More than 900 attendees got an up-close look of fashion-forward styles, from LOOM LOOP's eco-initiatives and Chinese folklore motifs with a fancy twist, to MEIKING NG's cubic art-meets-architectural cut, and HARRISON WONG's brilliant interplay of lines and stripes, to HEAVEN PLEASE+'s revisit of inventive visuals and '90s subculture. A livestream of the show, organised by the HKTDC and media partner Fashionsnap on its official Periscope, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram platform, drew more than 10,000 views. Hong Kong online fashion retail start-up, Goxip also live-streamed the show via its official Facebook account. The collaboration allowed fashion lovers from around the world to purchase items soon after the show.

More than 200 industry elites attended an after-show party to have a closer look of the runway designs and mingle with the creative minds behind the collections.

Buyers-Meet-Designers at Fashion Hong Kong Showroom

Numerous fashion buyers from around the globe visited the Fashion Hong Kong B2B Showroom at H3O Showroom. To match prospective business partners and counterparts, business-matching meetings were arranged between Hong Kong designers and buyers from renowned department stores and e-tailing platforms. On-site orders were placed by local fashion buyers.

Apart from the four runway designer brands, 10 other Hong Kong fashion accessory labels were also showcased around Tokyo during Fashion Hong Kong Month. The lineup included a o g p, BIG HORN, CECILIA MA, FAVEbykennyli, IIJIN, MARIJOLI, MASE, methodology, MIDOTI by SHARON5 and NOVEL. Their Fall/Winter 2017 and Spring/Summer 2018 collections were sold at pop-up stores in destination Tokyo and LaForet Harajuku.

Blending fashion and technology, Fashion Hong Kong partnered with local fashion tech start-up, Casetify to present a Fashion Hong Kong x Casetify crossover phone-case collection. Featuring motifs and patterns from the four designers' runway series, the phone cases were available for print on-demand, allowing trendsetters to carry Hong Kong fashion designs on accessories.

Extra Delight by Local Young Talent

Another fashion show, Asia Fashion Collection, held on 15 October in Tokyo, showcased the latest SS18 collections of KA WA KEY, by up-and-coming Hong Kong designer Key Chow, alongside other designs from Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

For three consecutive years, the HKTDC has exhibited the strengths of Hong Kong fashion design via Amazon Fashion Week TOKYO. To nurture Hong Kong's economy and creativity, Fashion Hong Kong, launched by the HKTDC in 2015, aims to promote local designers and labels to the global fashion stage through a host of promotions. Various world-class runway shows initiated by Fashion Hong Kong have been staged in Tokyo Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week and Copenhagen Fashion Week.

Fashion Hong Kong Official Webpage: www.fashionhongkong.com
Fashion Hong Kong Official Instagram: @hktdcfashionhk
Photo Download: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j3bt2xs8w968qty/AAB_CRTrC9gZi256lFIIhrp2a?dl=0

Media Registration:
Media representatives wishing to cover the event may register on-site with their business cards and/or media identification.

About HKTDC

Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-council

Contact:
HKTDC
Communication and Public Affairs Department
Agnes Wat
Tel: +852 2584 4554
Email: agnes.ky.wat@hktdc.org

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P&G stands up for racial equality in a divided nation

November 13, 2017, 10:36 pm

≫ Next: Greg Gibb, Lufax Holdings: On the Impact of Big Data and AI on the Future of Finance

≪ Previous: Fashion Hong Kong Returns to Tokyo Fashion Week

Geoffrey Precourt, WARC

Marc Pritchard, P & G

United States, Nov 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Procter & Gamble, the consumer-packaged goods manufacturer, is actively seeking to tackle racial inequality with its multicultural marketing finds WARC, the global marketing intelligence service.

The current societal and political unrest in America has landed the country at a "cultural crossroads," according to Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer at Procter & Gamble. And this "unique moment in time," he warned, requires marketers to react to a chaotic shift in values that threatens to undermine a decades-long march towards marketplace parity among different consumer groups.

As he delivered the opening-day keynote address to the Association of National Advertiser's 2017 Multicultural Marketing and Diversity Conference, held recently in Miami, he added a personal point of passion to his on-going march to industry integrity: The challenge to create responsible, powerful multicultural advertising, he said, "has affected me personally, since I'm half-Mexican.

"My father was Mexican-American, but he was adopted by a man with an English name. Growing up, I had the ability to move between White and Latino cultures. But when entering the workforce, I suppressed my Mexican heritage, for fear of being labelled, because I had heard these denigrating terms used many times in my life.... I came to grips with my own biases to change my attitudes and behaviour. I recognized the privilege of being viewed as White, with a name like 'Pritchard' and decided to share my personal story and open up a dialogue within our company."

Pritchard's impassioned speech outlined his company's belief that shattering "myths" about multicultural marketing is vital to moving brands in the right direction.

"At P&G, we've made a choice to step up and use our voice in advertising as a force for good and a force for growth by taking a stand on racial equality," said Pritchard.

Pritchard has outlined three steps the multinational has taken to tackle marketing biases:

Representation & portrayals: Alongside dramatically increasing the diversity depicted in its ads, P&G stands in opposition to pernicious and inaccurate stereotypes. This notion is epitomized by ads for Swiffer, Dawn and Luvs that feature dedicated, doting African-American dads. Pritchard says: "Black fathers are often unfairly stereotyped as being absent or inattentive. We view our advertising right with Black families as the highest bar to clear."

Products: Pantene's Gold Series haircare products, introduced in March 2017, is tailor-made for African-American women. This new product undermines two common biases. The first, explains Pritchard, "is that the brand's existing offerings were designed for straight and round hair rather than for the characteristics of Black hair," and secondly it challenges unfair online illustrations of African-American hair by deliberately celebrating Black women's hair as "unique, strong and beautiful."

Social action: In reaction to racial prejudices re-surfacing, P&G have crafted a multi-brand platform entitled "My Black is Beautiful" designed to celebrate African-American cultural identity and start a conversation around racial biases.

Geoffrey Precourt, WARC's US Editor WARC concludes that his speech was significant "because Pritchard's remarks were particularly impressive in that they elevated marketing and advertising from a powerful brand-focused business practice to a force that can react to-and shape-public affairs. When Pritchard cites a chaotic shift in values that threatens to undermine decades of a march to marketplace parity among different audiences, he's also calling for business leaders to step up and take a leadership role against bias.

"Even as multicultural audiences are growing in size and affluence, they are also witnessing renewed pushback from the less-progressive corners of American society."

Precourt added: "I've never seen any marketing-conference audience moved to a standing ovation. And, in 10 years of covering meetings for WARC all over the U.S., I've never seen a speaker more passionate about his subject. He demonstrated that the world's largest advertiser also has one of the largest hearts."

As consumers across the board are growing more interested in the social preference of the companies they do business with, WARC summarises that for effective brand marketing in today's world, understanding and reflecting the unique characteristics of different demographics is essential for delivering campaigns that truly respect the individual.

Additionally there is both a moral and financial imperative for marketers to address racial inequality by taking on stereotypes and prejudices.

More information on how P&G is tackling racial inequality see WARC's ANA event reports:

P&G's Pritchard boldly call on marketers to stand up for racial equality (https://www.warc.com/content/article/event-reports/pamp;gs_pritchard_boldly_calls_on_marketers_to_stand_up_for_racial_equality/113422)

P&G shatters multicultural marketing biases (https://www.warc.com/content/article/event-reports/procter_amp;_gamble_shatters_multicultural_marketing_biases/113424)

About WARC

- your global authority on advertising and media effectiveness

warc.com is an online service offering advertising best practice, evidence and insights from the world's leading brands. WARC helps clients grow their businesses by using proven approaches to maximise advertising effectiveness. WARC's clients include the world's largest advertising and media agencies, research companies, universities and advertisers.

WARC hosts four global and two regional case study competitions: WARC Awards, WARC Innovation Awards, WARC Media Awards, The Admap prize, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy and WARC Prize for MENA Strategy.

WARC also publishes leading journals including Admap, Market Leader, the Journal of Advertising Research and the International Journal of Market Research. In addition to its own content, WARC features advertising case studies and best practices from more than 50 respected industry sources, including: ARF, Effies, Cannes Lions, ESOMAR and IPA.

Founded in 1985, WARC is privately owned and has offices in the UK, U.S. and Singapore.

Contact:
Amanda Benfell
PR Manager, WARC
Email: amanda.benfell@warc.com
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7467 8125

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Greg Gibb, Lufax Holdings: On the Impact of Big Data and AI on the Future of Finance

November 13, 2017, 11:13 pm

≫ Next: Greg Gibb of Lufax Holdings: On of the Impact of Big Data and AI on the Future of Finance

≪ Previous: P&G stands up for racial equality in a divided nation

HONG KONG, Nov 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - "It only takes a few minutes or even seconds to make a decision on a loan, which in turn will increase the loaning opportunity for each borrower," said Greg Gibb, opening his keynote speech on the impact that Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have on the financial sector.

Gibb, Co-Chairman and CEO of Lufax Holdings, gave the speech on Nov 4 at the 2nd Annual Conference on the Chinese Era of Digital Finance, at the Institute of Digital Finance, Peking University. Greg believes that big data and AI financial management can increase market transparency, and as such, financial institutions could render investors with more pertinent services and assist their clients to diversify investment risk, while improving operational efficiency and sustaining real economic development.

Greg pointed out that big data and AI help institutions to understand the credit standing of an individual borrower from multiple perspectives so that a rapid decision could be made. AI and big data will lead the market to higher levels of transparency and standardization. Financial institutions will have a faster understanding of corporations, including market changes within the respective industry, corporate position and cash flow status, etc.

Big Data and AI can also help the platform to better understand the specific needs of the investors in order that a better choice of products can be arranged. Greg said, "We found that the accuracy of the traditional (questionnaire) method of assessing the customers' need is relatively low. In the past few years, we found that the data from the clients' end, including their answers to a few psychological issues, we can grasp even more understanding of their ability to withstand risk.

"Therefore, in the future, not only that AI and big data can enable us to attain a thorough understanding of our clients and companies from the asset end, but also enable us to know if the investors are suitable participants of the market and which investment products are most appropriate from the investment end.

"The development on big data and AI will lead to the emerging of many new product portfolios for clients to invest in diversified sectors; or if adopted dynamically, clients' fund can be allocated to diversified areas, with relevant market trends taken into consideration in order to reduce overall investment risk and to increase overall investment return."

The growing popularity of the U.S. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in recent years has served as an evident. ETF was originally a passive investment tool, while with the development of big data, it was then transformed into a more active and less costly way of investment. ETF had been gradually replacing the largest fund market.

The future development of big data and AI will also have a major impact on matching mechanism. "If there are clear rating standards on the asset end and lots of automatic investment tools with detailed understanding of individual investor, the market can actually achieve automatic matching." The automatic matching mechanism can greatly reduce labor costs as well as financial costs and bring about inclusion in financial services.

"In the past five years, we think the internet has only exerted its influence on channel extension, but big data will affect the whole financial market in all aspects in the next five years. Firstly, AI and big data will enhance market transparency and standardization and support development in real economy; secondly, it can help investors to attain more diversified investment strategies, and clients can attain higher returns. This is a relatively big help to the society as a whole, yet a great challenge for the financial sector in itself."

Greg also put forward that there could be induced-risk coming along with big data and AI. Firstly, short-term accuracy does not guarantee the long-term one; secondly, as large number of transactions will be assigned to computerized automation mechanism, this can bring different problems. "We cannot conclude that large data and AI must necessarily be good. We must be careful in controlling risk," Greg added.

↧

Greg Gibb of Lufax Holdings: On of the Impact of Big Data and AI on the Future of Finance

November 14, 2017, 10:00 pm

≫ Next: Hitachi Develops Open Source Software Based Big Data Analytics Technology to Increase Speed by Up to 100 Times

≪ Previous: Greg Gibb, Lufax Holdings: On the Impact of Big Data and AI on the Future of Finance

HONG KONG, Nov 15, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - "It only takes a few minutes or even seconds to make a decision on a loan, which in turn increases the loaning opportunity for each borrower," said Greg Gibb, opening his keynote speech on the impact that Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have on the financial sector.

Gibb, Co-Chairman and CEO of Lufax Holdings, gave the speech on Nov 4 at the 2nd Annual Conference on the Chinese Era of Digital Finance, at the Institute of Digital Finance, Peking University. Greg believes that big data and AI financial management can increase market transparency, and as such, financial institutions could render investors with more pertinent services and assist their clients to diversify investment risk, while improving operational efficiency and sustaining real economic development.

Greg pointed out that big data and AI help institutions to understand the credit standing of an individual borrower from multiple perspectives so that a rapid decision could be made. AI and big data will lead the market to higher levels of transparency and standardization. Financial institutions will have a faster understanding of corporations, including market changes within the respective industry, corporate position and cash flow status, etc.

Big Data and AI can also help the platform to better understand the specific needs of the investors in order that a better choice of products can be arranged. Greg said, "We found that the accuracy of the traditional (questionnaire) method of assessing the customers' need is relatively low. In the past few years, we found that the data from the clients' end, including their answers to a few psychological issues, we can grasp even more understanding of their ability to withstand risk.

"Therefore, in the future, not only that AI and big data can enable us to attain a thorough understanding of our clients and companies from the asset end, but also enable us to know if the investors are suitable participants of the market and which investment products are most appropriate from the investment end.

"The development on big data and AI will lead to the emerging of many new product portfolios for clients to invest in diversified sectors; or if adopted dynamically, clients' fund can be allocated to diversified areas, with relevant market trends taken into consideration in order to reduce overall investment risk and to increase overall investment return."

The growing popularity of the U.S. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in recent years has served as evidence. The ETF was originally a passive investment tool, while with the development of big data, it has been transformed into a more active and less costly way of investment. ETFs had gradually been replacing the largest part of the fund market.

The future development of big data and AI will also have a major impact on matching mechanism. "If there are clear rating standards on the asset end and lots of automatic investment tools with detailed understanding of individual investor, the market can actually achieve automatic matching." The automatic matching mechanism can greatly reduce labor costs as well as financial costs and bring about inclusion in financial services.

"In the past five years, we think the internet has only exerted its influence on channel extension, but big data will affect the whole financial market in all aspects in the next five years. Firstly, AI and big data will enhance market transparency and standardization and support development in real economy; secondly, it can help investors to attain more diversified investment strategies, and clients can attain higher returns. This is a relatively big help to the society as a whole, yet a great challenge for the financial sector in itself."

Greg forwarded the idea that there could be induced-risk coming along with big data and AI. Firstly, short-term accuracy does not guarantee the long-term one; secondly, as large number of transactions will be assigned to computerized automation mechanism, this can bring different problems. "We cannot conclude that large data and AI must necessarily be good. We must be careful in controlling risk," he concluded.

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Hitachi Develops Open Source Software Based Big Data Analytics Technology to Increase Speed by Up to 100 Times

November 15, 2017, 12:13 am

≫ Next: Fujitsu Develops Security Technology to Safely Connect Blockchains

≪ Previous: Greg Gibb of Lufax Holdings: On of the Impact of Big Data and AI on the Future of Finance

Overview of the technology developed

For a high-speed analytics system with lower IT investment

TOKYO, Nov 15, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) today announced the development of the technology increasing the speed of big data analytics on an open source software Hadoop-based distributed data processing platform(1) (Hadoop platform) by a maximum of 100 times that of a conventional system. This technology converts data processing procedure generated for software processing in conventional Hadoop data processing, to that optimized for parallel processing on hardware, to enable high-speed processing of various types of data in FPGA(2). As a result, less number of servers will be needed when conducting high-speed big data analytics, thus minimizing IT investment while enabling interactive analytics by data scientists, quick on-site business decision making, and other timely information services. This technology will be applied to areas such as finance and communication, and through verification tests, will be used to support a platform for data analytics service.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_HitachiHadoopPlatform.jpg
Overview of the technology developed

In recent years, big data analytics for interactively analyzing large amounts of various types of data from sources such as sensor information in IoT, financial account transaction records and social media, under various conditions and from various perspectives for business and services, is becoming increasingly important. The open source Hadoop platform is widely used for such analytics, however as many servers are required to raise processing speed, issues existed in terms of equipment and management costs.

In 2016, Hitachi developed high performance data processing technology using FPGA(3). As this technology however was developed for Hitachi's proprietary database, it could not easily be applied to the Hadoop platform as it employed a different data management method and used customized database management software.

To address this issue, Hitachi developed technology to realize high-speed data processing on the Hadoop platform utilizing FPGA(4). Features of the technology developed are outlined below.

1) Data processing procedure conversion technology to optimize FPGA processing efficiency

The Hadoop platform data processing engine optimizes data processing using the CPU to serially execute software to retrieve, filter and compute. Simply executing this procedure however does not fully exploit the potential of the hardware to achieve high-speed processing through parallel processing. To overcome this, the Hadoop processing procedures were analyzed, and taking into consideration distributed processing efficiency, technology was developed to convert the order of the processing commands to that optimized for parallel processing on FPGA. This will enable the FPGA circuit to be efficiently used without loss.

2) Logic circuit design to analyze various data formats and enable high-speed processing in FPGA

Conventionally in FPGA processing, to facilitate processing on the hardware, the formats of different types of data, such as date, numerical value and character string, was restricted, and dedicated processing circuits were required for each type of data. The Hadoop platform however needs to deal with multiple data formats even for the same item, for example, even with dates there is the UNIX epoch day expression as well as the Julian day expression among others. Thus, as many dedicated processing circuits would be needed, the limited FPGA circuitry could not be effectively used with conventional FPGA processing. To resolve this issue, a logic circuit was designed to optimize parallel processing in FPGA, using parser circuits that clarify various data types and sizes*5 and depending on the data type and size, packs multiple data to be processed in one of the circuits. As a result, it is possible to not only handle various data formats but also realize parallel processing fully utilizing filtering and aggregation circuits for efficient high-speed data processing.

The technology developed was applied to the Hadoop platform. When analytics was performed on sample data, it was found that data processing performance improved by up to 100 times. The results suggest it will be possible to reduce the cost of Hadoop-based big data analytics as the number of servers required for high-speed processing can be significantly reduced. Hitachi will now conduct verification tests together with customers as it works towards the commercialization of this technology.

The technology developed will be on exhibit at SC17 - The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis, to be held from 13th to 16th November 2017 in Denver, Colorado, USA.

(1) Hadoop-based distributed data processing platform: A computation platform for storing and analyzing large amount of data on distributed servers using open source software, "Hadoop"
(2) FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array): An integrated circuit manufactured to be programmable by the purchaser. In general, FPGA is inexpensive compared to application specific circuits.
(3) 3rd August 2016 News Release: "Hitachi develops high performance data processing technology increasing data analytics speed by up to 100 times"
(4) 10 related international patents pending
(5) Supports the standard format "Parquet," generally used in open source data processing platforms such as Hadoop

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.

Contact:
Hitachi Ltd
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-3258-1111

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Fujitsu Develops Security Technology to Safely Connect Blockchains

November 15, 2017, 2:22 am

≫ Next: NEC Launches LoRaWAN Compliant Network Server

≪ Previous: Hitachi Develops Open Source Software Based Big Data Analytics Technology to Increase Speed by Up to 100 Times

Figure 1: Issues with transactions across multiple blockchains

Figure 2: Value transfer using ConnectionChain

Figure 3: Details of the asset transfer transactions

Creates new value exchange business between different virtual currencies

KAWASAKI, Japan, Nov 15, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. today announced that it has developed its "ConnectionChain," a security technology that can safely and easily execute exchanges and payments in different virtual currencies.

A great deal of attention has recently been focused on virtual currency exchange among individuals and companies using initial coin offerings (ICOs)(1) to raise capital from the sale of virtual currencies. Settlement between virtual currencies managed using blockchains, however, requires a reliable application to handle the currency exchange processing at the boundaries between the blockchains, and ensuring transparency in this process has been an ongoing issue.

Fujitsu Laboratories has now developed an extension of smart contract(2) technology which inter-connects multiple blockchains by recording the series of related transactions on each chain in a dedicated blockchain, or a "connection-type chain," to link to the currency exchange into a single transaction process that can be automatically executed. It has also developed a transaction control technology to synchronize execution timing of the transaction process on each chain. With these technologies, transparency of transactions can be guaranteed, because all transaction processes are recorded as a trail in the connecting blockchains, even when they cross multiple chains.

In a trial that used this technology in a simulated virtual currency exchange system, Fujitsu Laboratories confirmed that when the currency exchange process was executed that the entire transaction trail for the virtual currency exchange was recorded in the connecting blockchain. These technologies make it easy to support payments in a variety of regional currencies, and operators can also easily setup special exchange rates for promotional campaigns.

Fujitsu Laboratories will continue expanding this technology beyond currency exchange to areas such as high-trust data exchanges between companies and contract automation, while also continuing to conduct trials in a variety of fields, with the goal of commercialization in fiscal 2018 and beyond.

Development Background

Without a central authority, blockchain offers high usability and guaranteed reliability due to being resistant to modification. It is therefore expected to be widely used in a number of fields, including finance and distribution. For this reason, it is said that around 2020, numerous blockchains will be set up across a range of fields. In addition, as applications in the financial field, there are ICOs in which companies and individuals sell virtual currencies to raise capital, as well as the issuing of proprietary virtual currencies by financial institutions. As a result, the volume of virtual currency being issued is skyrocketing, and it is expected that demand will increase for solutions that can handle transfers between these sorts of virtual currencies or data exchanges managed by blockchains.

Issues

With services to exchange virtual currencies or other assets, existing smart contracts merely execute transactions or contracts automatically and operate only within the limited scope of a single blockchain.

There were two major issues when executing exchanges across multiple blockchains, as follows (figure 1).

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_Fujitsu111517BlockchainFig1.jpg
Figure 1: Issues with transactions across multiple blockchains

1. The need to ensure transparency in the application located between the blockchains, which handles the processing for things like the exchange rate and handling fees.

2. The need to control transaction timing across multiple blockchains, and to deal with them as a single continuous series.

About the Newly Developed Technology

Now, Fujitsu Laboratories has developed connection-type chain security technology that can safely and easily execute payments between different virtual currencies (figure 2).

Details of the technologies are as follows.

1. Extended Smart contract technology

Fujitsu Laboratories has enhanced the capability of smart contracts, which automate contract processing and the handling of such tasks as placing orders and payments, to also be able to handle processes involving multiple blockchains.

This technology is enabled by adding new nodes to connect blockchains, forming ConnectionChain, a blockchain used for connecting blockchains. The block data containing the relevant transaction process is extracted from the two blockchains via this connection node, and each transaction process is connected. This enables the entire series of transactions, including task processing on the ConnectionChain, to be automatically executed as a single smart contract.

By inheriting capability of the blockchain on handling the linking and task processing, rather than trusting to an application, operators can ensure the transparency and confirm the accuracy of the processing.

2. Transaction control technology

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed technology to control the transfer of assets in response to transaction processes across all blockchains that make up a system, designing an asset depositing concept that can put asset-transfer on hold, which did not previously exist in blockchain transactions. This technology controls the timing of the transaction processing in each chain, first putting the asset on hold temporarily without confirming the transaction process on the asset-holder's side, then, after confirming the currency transfer from the recipient, confirming the transaction status for the asset-holder, and so on. This enables users to put the entire transaction process into a waiting state, which was difficult with existing blockchain technology, and then either confirm or cancel the transaction process based on the overall outcome.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_Fujitsu111517BlockchainFig2.jpg
Figure 2: Value transfer using ConnectionChain

Effects

In a trial that used this technology in a simulated virtual currency exchange system, Fujitsu Laboratories interconnected two blockchains using different architectures to a system for exchanging proprietary virtual currencies, and executed asset transfers by exchanging virtual currency. The results confirmed that the transaction records relating to an asset transfer, including the transaction IDs on each blockchain, the amount of assets transferred, and the results of those transactions, were recorded on ConnectionChain as a single transaction (figure 3, left). In addition, if a transaction across blockchains were to fail while in progress, for reasons such as an inability to pay or settle, Fujitsu Laboratories also confirmed that the ID and timestamp for the transaction process that returned the assets on hold to their original owner was recorded (figure 3, right).

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_Fujitsu111517BlockchainFig3.jpg
Figure 3: Details of the asset transfer transactions

This technology will make it easy for small businesses, such as small-scale online shops that might be operated by a single person, and which accept virtual currencies, to support new regional currencies, and it also enables the operator to freely define exchange rates, enabling initiatives such as preferential exchange campaigns for users who hold a particular virtual currency.

Future Plans

Fujitsu Laboratories aims to expand this technology beyond currency exchange to areas such as high-trust data exchanges between companies and contract automation, while also continuing to conduct trials in a variety of fields, especially in finance, with the goal of commercialization in fiscal 2018 and beyond.

(1) ICO
Initial coin offering. A method of raising capital in which an individual or company issues a proprietary virtual currency.
(2) Smart contract
A system in the blockchain that automatically executes checks on the status and fulfilment of a contract.

About Fujitsu Laboratories

Founded in 1968 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. is one of the premier research centers in the world. With a global network of laboratories in Japan, China, the United States and Europe, the organization conducts a wide range of basic and applied research in the areas of Next-generation Services, Computer Servers, Networks, Electronic Devices and Advanced Materials. For more information, please see: http://www.fujitsu.com/jp/group/labs/en/.

About Fujitsu Ltd

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

* Please see this press release, with images, at:
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/

Contact:
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd.
Security Research Laboratory
E-mail: cc-press2017@ml.labs.fujitsu.com

Fujitsu Limited
Public and Investor Relations
Tel: +81-3-6252-2176
URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

↧

NEC Launches LoRaWAN Compliant Network Server

November 15, 2017, 4:51 am

≫ Next: WARC Media Awards 2017 - Effective Use of Tech shortlist announced

≪ Previous: Fujitsu Develops Security Technology to Safely Connect Blockchains

LoRaWAN Network Server Connection

TOKYO, Nov 15, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) today announced the global commercialization of a new network server that complies with LoRa (Long Range) WAN, a new wireless communication technology, and LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), which creates wide area networks with low power consumption. NEC will begin providing the new products to communication carriers from this December.

The new server carries out ID control, data rate control and channel allocation for sensor devices complying with LoRaWAN through the LoRaWAN gateway. It also mediates data processing from each sensor device to the application server. Moreover, as the LoRa network server features a function for conducting flexible multi-tenant and multi-device control assuming a variety of service provision formats of communication carriers, it is capable of providing LoRaWAN network services to numerous companies and service providers. Furthermore, its WebAPI capability makes it interoperable with a wide range of service applications using LoRa. This facilitates the utilization of data collected from sensor devices.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_NECLoRaWANNetworkServerConnection.jpg
LoRaWAN Network Server Connection

In recent years, the spread of new IoT services has created a growing need for the control of devices and information collected via networks. In relation to the promotion of smart cities in particular, a system that consumes low levels of power is required for collecting information from a wide range of sensor devices, such as health check meters and environmental sensors.

Since all kinds of sensor devices are expected to connect to networks in the future, LoRa is expected to be widely used as a communication technology for IoT that saves power in the collection of a wide range of information.

"This new server enables new IoT services to be flexibly provided to telecommunications carriers in combination with gateways and end-devices," said Shigeru Okuya, Senior Vice President, NEC Corporation. "NEC aims to provide LoRaWAN compliant solutions to companies around the world in the coming years as part of accelerating the creation of new IoT services and improving user convenience."

"It is an honor to see NEC providing a network server that utilizes LoRaWAN and helps to promote the realization of a plentiful and safe society using IoT," said Hiroyuki Nakamura, Executive Officer, Chief Director of 3rd Sales, Oi Electric Co., Ltd. "Our IoT initiatives include the development of prototypes and demonstration experiments for the provision of an original LoRaWAN gateway, communications units and various dedicated devices for telecommunications carriers and other companies. These new links with NEC's network server will help to establish a system for the reliable introduction and operation of these products."

"NEC's network server integrated with Semtech's LoRa Technology will give operators a competitive advantage that will contribute to society," said Marc Pegulu, General Manager and Vice President of Semtech's Wireless and Sensing Products Group. "LoRa Technology offers long-range, low-power capabilities for next-generation IoT applications in vertical markets, including smart cities, smart building, smart agriculture, smart metering, and smart supply chain and logistics."

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.

Based on its Mid-term Management Plan 2015, the NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company's corporate message of "Orchestrating a brighter world," NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, please visit http://www.nec.com/en/global/about/solutionsforsociety/message.html.

Contact:
NEC 
Seiichiro Toda         
s-toda@cj.jp.nec.com 
+81-3-3798-6511

↧

WARC Media Awards 2017 - Effective Use of Tech shortlist announced

November 14, 2017, 8:42 pm

≫ Next: Toyota Announces Selection of Recipients of the 2017 Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program

≪ Previous: NEC Launches LoRaWAN Compliant Network Server

LONDON, Nov 15, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - The first shortlist of WARC's Media Awards, an international competition that examines the insight, strategy and analytics that power effective media investment, is now released.

17 entries from a wide range of countries and companies including Danone, Heineken, Google, P&G and Unilver have been shortlisted in the Effective Use of Tech category, a search for communications that have effectively used or combined emerging platforms or technology in the media mix.

Kristi Argyilan, Senior Vice President, Media and Guest Engagement, Target - jury chair of the panel of 12 senior executives from brands, agencies and tech-inspired businesses, commented: "As our jury examined the wide pool of cutting-edge work, we were struck by how marketers were utilizing technology to humanize their brands and creating emotionally stirring programs that engaged while providing meaningful service to their audiences across every imaginable industry."

The shortlisted entries are:

The campaign that saved 2500 lives - Softlogic Life Insurance - Mindshare Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka
Smart = Sexy - Lifestyles, Blowtex - +KNAUSS - Brazil, United States
The Better Wishes - Google Taiwan - OMD Taiwan - Taiwan
Spreading love online, sending gifts on LINE - Ferrero Rocher - PHD Taiwan - Taiwan
Inspiring weather to grill, or not - Johnsonville Fresh Bratwurst - CompassPoint Media - United States
#AdaAQUA GifMojis - AQUA - Havas Media - Indonesia
#AdaAQUA campaign with #PathDaily - AQUA - Havas Media - Indonesia
Loved the cold - Coors Light - Kinetic, Starcom - Irish Republic
Dynamic recruitment - The University of Sydney - The Monkeys - Australia
@GeoStories - Geological Survey of Canada History Committee - McMillan - Canada
From inside the plot - Fiat - People Initiative - Turkey
Humans 2: Closer to perfect than ever before - Channel 4 - OMD UK, 4creative - United Kingdom
Sea Hero Quest - Deutsche Telekom - MediaCom, Saatchi & Saatchi - Global
Bigger Than Suicide - Lynx - Kinetic UK, Mindshare - United Kingdom
React to shamers - Always - MediaCom Israel - Israel
Our hearts beat as one! - Cornetto - Mindshare - India
Martes de McDonald's - McDonald's - OMD, Tribal DDB - Mexico
The shortlists of the three other categories - Effective Channel Integration, Effective Partnerships and Sponsorships and Best Use of Data - will be announced shortly.

To see the case studies of the shortlisted entries or for more information about the WARC Media Awards please visit at www.warc.com/mediaawards.prize.

About WARC

- your global authority on advertising and media effectiveness

warc.com is an online service offering advertising best practice, evidence and insights from the world's leading brands. WARC helps clients grow their businesses by using proven approaches to maximise advertising effectiveness. WARC's clients include the world's largest advertising and media agencies, research companies, universities and advertisers.

WARC hosts four global and two regional case study competitions: WARC Awards, WARC Innovation Awards, WARC Media Awards, The Admap prize, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy and WARC Prize for MENA Strategy.

WARC also publishes leading journals including Admap, Market Leader, the Journal of Advertising Research and the International Journal of Market Research. In addition to its own content, WARC features advertising case studies and best practices from more than 50 respected industry sources, including: ARF, Effies, Cannes Lions, ESOMAR and IPA.

Founded in 1985, WARC is privately owned and has offices in the UK, U.S. and Singapore.

Contact:
Amanda Benfell
PR Manager, WARC
Email: amanda.benfell@warc.com
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7467 8125

↧

Toyota Announces Selection of Recipients of the 2017 Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program

November 14, 2017, 8:47 pm

≫ Next: Matsui MFG., DOCOMO and DOCOMO ASIA to Demonstrate Mobile-Connected IoT Platform for Plastic-Molding Manufacturing

≪ Previous: WARC Media Awards 2017 - Effective Use of Tech shortlist announced

Toyota City, Japan, Nov 15, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) has selected 28 projects as grant recipients of the Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program. In the 18 years since its introduction in 2000, a cumulative total of 360 projects in 53 countries and regions have received this grant.

The program was introduced to commemorate Toyota winning the Global 500 Award1 in 1999. It is also part of Challenge 6: the Challenge of Establishing a Future Society in Harmony with Nature under the Toyota Environmental Challenge 20502, which was announced in 2015.

Biodiversity conservation and climate change were chosen as themes for the grant program, which drew 104 applications in the three selection categories--international project grants, domestic project grants, and domestic small project grants.

During the screening process, the first and final rounds focused on continuity and future development, harmony with regional characteristics, among other points. Within the international project grant category, 10 projects were selected, including the "Save the forests in Madagascar and make children smile!" project. In Japan, ten projects were selected from the domestic project category, including the "Coral reef habitat restoration project around the Kerama Islands (Okinawa)," and eight projects, including the "Ex situ conservation project for the critically endangered pink sea milkwort of Noto Peninsula" were selected from the domestic small project grant category.

A ceremony will be held in December in Tokyo, where representatives of this year's selected projects will be presented with grant certificates. A meeting is scheduled to be held next spring to report on the selections.

Toyota intends to continue its efforts toward establishing a future society in harmony with nature through various forms of support to NPOs and other organizations in the future.

(1) The award recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals and organizations in protecting and improving the environment. In 1999, Toyota became the first Japanese corporation to receive the award in recognition of its many initiatives to protect and improve the environment (such as being the first company in the world to mass-produce and sell hybrid vehicles) and its wide-ranging corporate social contribution activities.
(2) With the aim of contributing to the sustainability of the global environment, in October 2015 Toyota announced the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050. The Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050 aims to reduce the environmental burden of manufacturing and driving vehicles to zero, by helping address key global environmental issues such as climate change, water shortage, resource depletion, and degradation of biodiversity, as well as to create value and produce benefits for society. The challenge is composed of six individual challenges across three areas: ever-better cars, ever-better manufacturing, and enriching the lives of communities. http://www.toyota-global.com/sustainability/environment/challenge2050/

About Toyota

Supported by people around the world, Toyota Motor Corporation (TSE: 7203; NYSE: TM), has endeavored since its establishment in 1937 to serve society by creating better products. As of the end of December 2013, Toyota conducts its business worldwide with 52 overseas manufacturing companies in 27 countries and regions. Toyota's vehicles are sold in more than 170 countries and regions. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.

Contact:
Public Affairs Division
Global Communications Department
Toyota Motor Corporation
Tel: +81-3-3817-9926

↧

Matsui MFG., DOCOMO and DOCOMO ASIA to Demonstrate Mobile-Connected IoT Platform for Plastic-Molding Manufacturing

November 14, 2017, 9:18 pm

≫ Next: Seven HKTDC Autumn Fairs Attract 190,000+ Buyers, Overseas Visitors Spent Over HK$1 billion in Hong Kong

≪ Previous: Toyota Announces Selection of Recipients of the 2017 Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Program

Mobile-connected mold-temperature controller system

TOKYO, Nov 15, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Matsui MFG. Co., Ltd., NTT DOCOMO, INC. and NTT DOCOMO ASIA Pte. Ltd. announced today that they will launch a proof-of-concept demonstration of an IoT platform for plastic-molding operations using a mold-temperature controller equipped with sensors and connected to a mobile communications network, enabling production data to be sent to a cloud server for real-time processing. Beginning November 15, the demonstration will help to confirm system accuracy and related issues for an envisioned commercial solution, expected to be the world's first of its kind, for highly efficient plastic molding applications in Southeast Asia's fast-growing industries for automobiles, electrical appliances and other products.

The solution will incorporate the use of a mobile-connected mold-temperature controller, built specially for the demonstration, at a plastic molding factory in Indonesia. The controller collects data via sensors and then communicates the data via a mobile network for real-time visualization and analysis. IoT-dedicated software will connect the sensors to a public cloud via a mobile network, or potentially a low-power wireless access (LWPA) system. Manufacturers are expected to use the platform to reduce machine downtime due to various malfunctions, prevent production defects and improve production processes.

Through the demonstration, the three partners will determine the possibilities of acquiring and visualizing data suitable for extra-efficient plastic-molding production. In the future, machine learning and artificial intelligence are expected to be incorporated in the platform for increasingly efficient production operations.

In preparation for an envisioned commercial launch, Matsui will continue to enhance its mold-temperature controller, sensors and related know-how, DOCOMO will develop practical IoT services for Southeast Asian industries and DOCOMO ASIA will continue to enhance the IoT-solution platform for deployment in Southeast Asia.

Factors such as mold-temperature control, screw speed, pressure, etc. greatly affect the quality of plastic molding, creating the need for high-precision IoT-based production platforms. The demand for plastics in Southeast Asia's manufacturing industry is expected to show robust growth due to factors including regional population growth, expanding operations by Japanese automotive, electric, and other manufacturers, and ongoing efforts to reduce product weights and production costs.

Demonstration

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_DOCOMOMobileConnectedTemperature.jpg
Mobile-connected mold-temperature controller system

About Matsui

Manufacturing and sales of plastics processing equipment and systems (molding-process temperature controllers, conveyors, mixers, crushers, recycling devices, etc.). Design, manufacturing, installation, repair and maintenance of plastics processing equipment and systems, factory automation system and components, and factory distribution system and components.

About NTT DOCOMO ASIA

NTT DOCOMO ASIA Pte. Ltd. (UEN number: 201228945N), a Singapore-based subsidiary of NTT DOCOMO, provides mobile solutions and conducts research aimed at developing new business opportunities in Singapore and neighboring countries in Asia. Based on shared values with NTT DOCOMO, NTT DOCOMO ASIA is challenging new frontiers in collaboration with business partners, by driving forward with global ICT-related solutions that change the way people work. For more information, please visit New windowhttp://www.docomo-asia.com/index_en.html.

About NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO provides innovative, convenient and secure mobile services that enable smarter living for each customer. The company serves over 65 million mobile customers in Japan via advanced wireless networks, including a nationwide 3G network and one of the world's first commercial LTE networks. Leveraging its unique capabilities as a mobile operator, DOCOMO is a leading developer of cutting-edge technologies for NFC mobile payments, mobile GPS, mobile TV, intuitive mobile assistance, environmental monitoring, smart grids and much more. Overseas, the company provides technical and operational expertise to eight mobile operators and other partner companies. NTT DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo (9437) and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. Please visit https://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/ for more information.

Contact:
NTT DOCOMO
International PR
Public Relations Department
Tel: +81-3-5156-1366    
Fax: +81-3-5501-3408
URL: www.nttdocomo.com

↧

Seven HKTDC Autumn Fairs Attract 190,000+ Buyers, Overseas Visitors Spent Over HK$1 billion in Hong Kong

November 14, 2017, 10:00 pm

≫ Next: Hong Leong Chooses Kamakura's Integrated Risk Solution

≪ Previous: Matsui MFG., DOCOMO and DOCOMO ASIA to Demonstrate Mobile-Connected IoT Platform for Plastic-Molding Manufacturing

electronicAsia

Eco Expo Asia

Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition)

Survey Reveals Bright Outlook for Chinese mainland and ASEAN Markets, Concern over Rising Operating Costs

HONG KONG, Nov 15, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Seven trade fairs organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) in October and November attracted a total of more than 9,500 exhibitors, and welcomed over 190,000 buyers from 176 countries and regions. The attendance figures is similar to last year's.

The seven fairs were: the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition), electronicAsia, the Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), the Hong Kong Optical Fair, and the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair, which were held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC); as well as the Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo, and Eco Expo Asia, held at the AsiaWorld-Expo.

- Increase in overseas exhibitors and buyers

International trade fairs attract many business visitors with high consumption power to Hong Kong. The seven autumn fairs drew more than 7,000 Chinese mainland and overseas exhibitors (up six per cent over last year), and about 120,000 mainland and overseas buyers (up three per cent) to Hong Kong.

Buyer attendance from a number of countries and regions, including the Chinese mainland, India, Korea and Thailand, recorded satisfactory growth. According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, per-capita spending of overnight MICE visitors was HK$7,700, which includes fees for hotel accommodation, shopping, food and beverage, local transport and sightseeing (excluding cross-border transport).

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau said: "Based on this figure, the total amount spent by Chinese mainland and overseas exhibitors and buyers during their stay in Hong Kong would amount to more than HK$1 billion, a significant source of income for the tourism industry. In addition, the fairs also brought in substantial orders for local exhibitors, resulting in a major driving force for the development of local industries."

- Industry optimistic about sales growth next year

The HKTDC commissioned an independent survey about market prospects and product trends to gauge the views of more than 1,600 exhibitors and buyers at the autumn Electronics Fair, Lighting Fair and the Outdoor and Tech Light Expo.

The survey found that more than half of the respondents (51%) expected overall sales to grow next year, while 43 per cent expected it to remain unchanged. A majority of respondents saw Taiwan (84%) and Japan (79%) with the most growth potential among traditional markets in the next two years, while 78 per cent and 77 per cent of respondents considered North America and Western Europe to be promising or very promising, respectively.

For emerging markets, respondents were optimistic about the Chinese mainland (92%) and ASEAN (89%) markets. Most respondents considered the business challenge this year to be rising operating costs (45%), followed by price fluctuations in raw materials (41%), and keen competition within the industry (33%). Twenty-seven per cent of respondents were concerned about fluctuations in the global economy.

- More respondents optimistic about wearable electronics

Innovative technology is critical to the success of the electronics industry. A survey at the autumn Electronics Fair polled industry views on three types of emerging technology products. Ninety-one per cent of respondents said that the prospect of wearable electronics in the next two years are promising or very promising, up 15 percentage points over last year's survey. Eighty-one per cent of respondents held positive expectations on AR and VR applications in the next two years, while 70 per cent were optimistic about robotic applications.

Among wearable electronics items, most respondents expected smart watches (60%) to have the greatest market potential, up 21 percentage points over last year, followed by smart wristbands (45%), up seven percentage points over last year. Among robotic applications, respondents believed products with the greatest market potential were entertainment devices (51%), followed by robots for retail services (36%), and home appliances (35%).

For the lighting industry, respondents were most optimistic about household lighting (29%), LED and green lighting (24%), and commercial lighting (16%). However, the industry expects both the retail price and ex-factory price of LED lamps to drop by eight per cent within the year. Ninety-three per cent of respondents believed smart city and smart home development would spur growth in the lighting industry in the next two years, up nine percentage points over last year.

For related products, most respondents were optimistic about household lighting systems that are compatible with, or can be controlled by smartphone or tablet applications (53%), as well as smart lighting systems primarily with energy-saving purpose (40%).

- Small quantity orders match global market demand

The survey also found that 56 per cent of respondents engaged in e-tailing, an increase of 29 percentage points over last year. Seventy-seven per cent of buyers sourced less than 300 pieces of each item. In view of the keen demand for small orders, the hktdc.com Small Orders concept was introduced in 2012.

The hktdc.com Small Orders zones at the autumn Electronics Fair and Lighting Fair featured close to 500 showcases for buyers to source in minimum quantities of between five and 1,000 pieces, generating more than 30,000 business connections.

To further support Hong Kong companies in exploring global e-tailing opportunities, the HKTDC launched the hktdc.com Small Orders online transaction platform (http://smallorders.hktdc.com/) in 2014, enabling more than 11,000 suppliers to feature over 120,000 products, generating a total of more than 2.5 million business connections to date.

Photo Download: http://bit.ly/2zIAuZt

About HKTDC

Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-council

Contact:
HKTDC
Communication and Public Affairs Department
Billy Ng
Tel: +852-2584-4393
Email: billy.km.ng@hktdc.org

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Hong Leong Chooses Kamakura's Integrated Risk Solution

November 14, 2017, 11:00 pm

≫ Next: Destination EU2018: Lithuania and Singapore Forge New FinTech Bridge between Europe and Asia

≪ Previous: Seven HKTDC Autumn Fairs Attract 190,000+ Buyers, Overseas Visitors Spent Over HK$1 billion in Hong Kong

SINGAPORE, Nov 15, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Hong Leong Finance Ltd has implemented the Kamakura risk solution for its balance sheet management, funds transfer pricing and liquidity management processes. The Singapore-listed finance company (SG:S41), part of the Hong Leong Group , made its decision after doing a comprehensive upgrade exercise involving all risk management processes.

"Hong Leong Finance was clear in its risk vision, and wanted to incorporate an integrated framework for its risk management and compliance initiatives," said Dr. Clement Ooi, Kamakura EVP and Managing Director of Asia-Pacific Operations.

"They wanted to load the data once, and reconcile the data once. Kamakura's solution fit the bill perfectly, providing the company with an accurate assessment of transaction cashflows that can then be used for gap, duration, and mismatch management, as well providing a crystal-clear understanding of the margins associated with transactions.

"The company now has an integrated, holistic computation engine - the platform upon which it will build its integrated risk framework. It will be one of the first to generate both historical and forward-looking views of its balance sheet and gain a transaction-level understanding of profit margins. This system will provide a good appreciation of customer behaviour, products, business units, and organisational profit and value dynamics."

"Companies are no longer looking for fragmented solutions for risk and compliance, but are seeking to adopt a holistic, robust framework that allows for a one-time loading of data for repeated use in the various aspects of risk and compliance," said Mr Ang Tang Chor, President of Hong Leong Finance.

"We aim to enhance our overall risk management monitoring framework, turning risk insight into a strategic business driver to attract and retain customers, develop new sources of revenue, and proactively meet risk and regulatory requirements."

Hong Leong Finance is Singapore's largest finance company, having a network of 28 branches island-wide since its formation in 1961. Its extensive suite of financial products and services includes deposit and savings accounts, corporate and consumer loans, government assistance programmes for small and midsize enterprises (SMEs), and corporate finance and advisory services.

The company launched its SME Business Current Account service in 2007, the only finance company in Singapore to offer checking services to corporate customers. It has twice won the Friends of Enterprise award by Singapore's Spirit of Enterprise organization, the Singapore Finance Company of the Year Award for three years starting in 2011, and the ASEAN Finance Company Award from 2014 to 2016.

Martin Zorn, President and COO of Kamakura, said, "The successful implementation of balance sheet management, funds transfer pricing and liquidity management at Hong Leong Finance is an indicator that organisations are seeking to deploy solutions with minimal IT overhead, use an architecture that is open and organisation-agnostic, and most importantly, use the same set of results to stress test all possible scenarios and outcomes."

Kamakura Corporation is the first software company in the world to provide a single, fully integrated software package that performs critical functions previously requiring multiple vendors. Provided with full access to modeling details and underlying mathematics, Kamakura's clients have never failed to successfully operate the Kamakura Risk Manager system on their site with their data. Please visit www.kamakuraco.com.

Please contact:
Martin Zorn
President and COO
1-808-791-9888, ext.8700
pressroom@kamakuraco.com
www.kamakuraco.com
www.kris-online.com

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Destination EU2018: Lithuania and Singapore Forge New FinTech Bridge between Europe and Asia

November 15, 2017, 1:00 am

≫ Next: Re-engineered, Refined Mazda6 to Debut at Los Angeles Auto Show

≪ Previous: Hong Leong Chooses Kamakura's Integrated Risk Solution

SINGAPORE / VILNIUS, Nov 15, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Invest Lithuania and Singapore FinTech Association today signed a landmark financial technology ("fintech") innovation agreement at the 2017 Singapore FinTech Festival, signifying deeper bilateral economic relations as both republics seek to enter each other's regional markets.

The Republic of Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Linas Linkevicius, witnessed the signing at the festival in a session hosted by the Lithuanian delegation to Singapore. Organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Singapore FinTech Festival provides a platform for Lithuania to reach out to Asian fintech leaders, policy makers and technopreneurs.

Representatives from the Bank of Lithuania and government-backed business advisor Invest Lithuania shared insights on starting and expanding a business in Europe. As national regulator, the Bank grants fintech enterprises access via its infrastructure to the Single Euro Payment Area, thus via straight-through processing non-banks can reach the entire SEPA area. E-payment providers can obtain a financial institution code for generation international bank account numbers (IBAN's) within 24 hours of commencing operations. In August 2017, the bank entered public consultation on the creation of a regulatory sandbox to simplify procedures and lift requirements for selected companies.

Prajit Nanu, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Singapore-based fintech provider InstaRem, was also present to take questions about his experiences in setting up InstaRem's office in Vilnius, Lithuania's fintech-friendly capital city. InstaRem is one of many international providers -- including the UK's Revolut and Contis Group -- that have chosen the Baltic state for their European operations.

The collaboration comes amid Singapore's push for regional fintech leadership, following the MAS' recent partnership with rival financial hub Hong Kong. Both Lithuania and Singapore are small financial hubs with global talent pools and thriving start-up scenes: Lithuania's fintech friendly regulation offers the Lion City a gateway to the post-Brexit European Union single market of more than 500 million customers, while Singapore is a hub for Asian investment.

Investor confidence in fintech is still strong as the remaining EU countries promote themselves as alternative financial hubs to claim a larger share of European investments. Moreover, banks and insurance providers in Asia and Europe are modernising rapidly. According to the 2017 PwC Global FinTech Report, traditional financial institutions are increasingly integrating fintech into their systems. 82 percent of institutions from 71 different countries have said they will ramp up fintech partnerships in the next three to five years.

Marius Jurgilas, Board Member of the Bank of Lithuania, commented: "Lithuania and Singapore are at the forefront of fintech in Europe and Asia, thanks to their strong digital infrastructure and thriving start-up ecosystems. We are excited to help more Singaporean investors and businesses grow in Europe, which is home to 500 million customers."

Prajit Nanu, Co-Founder and CEO of InstaRem, added: "Innovation is key to fintech growth both locally and abroad. Lithuania is a rising fintech destination in Europe, and I am confident that this partnership will fuel the development of transformative new solutions in the fintech space. I remain grateful to the Lithuanian fintech authorities for their support of our European expansion."

About Invest Lithuania
Invest Lithuania is the ﬁrst point of contact for global companies looking to establish operations in Lithuania. We are focused on building the perfect product for global business, in order to attract foreign direct investment that leads to creation of new jobs and capital investment. https://investlithuania.com.

About Go Vilnius
Go Vilnius -- the official development agency of the City of Vilnius -- provides visitors, investors, relocating talent, entrepreneurs and businesses with everything they need to know about the Capital of Lithuania. http://govilnius.lt.

Media Relations:
WeR1 Communications - Go Vilnius
Asha Devi; ashadevi@wer1.net
Gintare Kavaliunaite; gintare.kavaliunaite@vilnius.lt

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Re-engineered, Refined Mazda6 to Debut at Los Angeles Auto Show

November 16, 2017, 1:01 am

≫ Next: Fujitsu Supports Digital Transformation with 17 AI Technology Offerings

≪ Previous: Destination EU2018: Lithuania and Singapore Forge New FinTech Bridge between Europe and Asia

Mazda6 sedan exterior (North American specifications)

Mazda6 sedan interior (North American specifications)

HIROSHIMA, Japan, Nov 16, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Mazda Motor Corporation announced today it will unveil a thoroughly re-engineered and refined Mazda6 sedan (known as Mazda Atenza in Japan) at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The company will hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. (local time) on Nov. 29, the first of two press days. The show is open to the public from December 1-10.

The Mazda6 is the flagship of Mazda's passenger car lineup. The development team's goal for this round of updates, the third since the model was fully redesigned in 2012, was to enhance the daily lives of people who love cars, incorporating premium details and new engineering concepts and technologies based on Mazda's human-centered design philosophy.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_Mazda6SedanExterior111617.jpg
Mazda6 sedan exterior (North American specifications)

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_Mazda6SedanInterior111617.jpg
Mazda6 sedan interior (North American specifications)

The powertrain lineup adopts new technologies, including a cylinder deactivation system for the SKYACTIV-G 2.5-liter gasoline engine, to offer superior fuel efficiency and a performance feel crafted to match human sensibilities. In addition, the SKYACTIV-G 2.5T direct-injection turbocharged gasoline engine that debuted in the Mazda CX-9 crossover SUV has been added to the engine lineup in North America and some other markets. Producing torque on par with 4-liter V8, this engine offers an effortless performance feel that is equal parts composure and excitement.

The concept behind the styling improvements is "Mature Elegance," and the design team worked to raise the quality feel of both the interior and exterior, resulting in a look of greater maturity and composure. A new high-grade interior features Japanese Sen Wood, often used in traditional Japanese instruments and furniture, and other exclusive trim elements for an enhanced premium feel that is authentic to the brand. Overall the design is more distinctive, premium, beautiful and dignified, as befits the flagship of Mazda's passenger car lineup.

The updated Mazda6 offers a wider range of advanced i-ACTIVSENSE safety technologies which help the driver identify potential risks and reduce the likelihood of damage or injury. Mazda Radar Cruise Control (MRCC) can now bring the car to a standing stop and take off again when the car in front moves away, and the model also adopts Mazda's latest 360 degrees View Monitor. In combination with previously introduced safety features, these technologies allow drivers to enjoy superior safety and worry-free driving under an even wider variety of conditions.

The highly acclaimed VISION COUPE design concept, which the company recently unveiled at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, and the updated Mazda CX-5, which adopts the same SKYACTIV-G 2.5 with cylinder deactivation as the new Mazda6, will both make their North American debut at the L.A. Auto Show.

In line with its "Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030" long-term vision for technology development, Mazda aims to use the fundamental appeal of the automobile - driving pleasure - to inspire people, enrich society and help bring about a beautiful earth. By offering an experience of car ownership that celebrates driving, the company hopes to enrich lives and build a strong bond with customers.

To follow the livestream unveiling of the new Mazda6, please visit: https://insidemazda.mazdausa.com/new-mazda6 (Online from November 29 (PST))

List of exhibits at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show
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About Mazda

Mazda Motor Corporation (TSE: 7261) started manufacturing tools in 1929 and soon branched out into production of trucks for commercial use. In the early 1960s, Mazda launched its first passenger car models and began developing rotary engines. Still headquartered in Hiroshima in western Japan, Mazda today ranks as one of Japan's leading automakers, and exports cars to the United States and Europe for over 30 years. For more information, please visit www.mazda.com

Contact:
Corporate Communications Division
Mazda Motor Corporation, Japan
+81-3-3508-5056 [Tokyo]
+81-82-282-5253 [Hiroshima]
mailto: media@mazda.co.jp

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Fujitsu Supports Digital Transformation with 17 AI Technology Offerings

November 16, 2017, 2:19 am

≫ Next: Sansheng Holdings Passed The JV Formation, Pingtan and Jinan Acquisitions at EGM

≪ Previous: Re-engineered, Refined Mazda6 to Debut at Los Angeles Auto Show

Figure 1: Searching and visualization of technical documents using Zinrai

Figure 2: Anomaly detection in production lines using Zinrai

For quick and easy deployment of its Zinrai AI technology, introduces usage scenarios for customers

TOKYO, Nov 16, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced that it has categorized specific artificial intelligence usage scenarios and introduced 17 offerings that indicate the optimal technology and solutions as well as the implementing effects of Fujitsu Human Centric AI Zinrai, in order to promote its use in a wide range of industries and businesses.

These offerings show cases of how AI can resolve issues, and propose Zinrai technology, products and services that would support such uses, based on a categorization of the various issues facing customers through the approximately 600 business deals relating to AI usage at Fujitsu. Moreover, these offerings predict the impact of deploying these products and services while estimating costs, enabling customers to more concretely envision the use of AI in their business and deploy solutions quickly and easily.

Fujitsu will expand the lineup of Zinrai technologies, products, as well as solutions going forward, and search for new usage scenarios across an even broader range of industries and businesses, supporting the customers' digital transformations with the new offerings.

Details of these offerings will be introduced at Fujitsu Insight 2017 in Belle Salle Nihonbashi (Tokyo) on November 17.

Background

In November 2015, Fujitsu systematized its set of AI-related technologies, products, and services as Fujitsu Human Centric AI Zinrai, and since April 2017, has been offering products and services such as the Fujitsu Cloud Service K5 Zinrai Platform Service and the Fujitsu AI Solution Zinrai Deep Learning System. At the same time, Fujitsu has worked with customers in co-creation efforts and field trials due to numerous demands in utilizing AI.

Through these activities, Fujitsu received many questions from customers in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, retail, and finance, asking what they could achieve with AI, or whether their issues could be resolved with AI, or how much it would cost, in both time and money, to apply AI to a problem. This led the company to realize that customers had not specified scenarios in which they could utilize AI.

About the 17 Offerings

Over the course of approximately 600 business deals relating to the use of AI, Fujitsu has categorized the usage scenarios with particularly high demand, creating an initial total of 17 AI usage scenarios spread across seven different usage areas, including knowledge utilization and call centers. Moreover, Fujitsu will introduce Zinrai technologies, products, and services that will deliver on these scenarios while laying out the expected impact and estimated costs, thereby supporting the entire process from deployment to installation and operations with optimal AI usage for customers.

Table1: Major offerings for the use of AI in business
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1. Usage Scenario 1: Finding and collating related materials in research and development

The API function (that search for meaning by area of specialization) of Zinrai automatically comb through large volumes of various documents to organize information, in order to efficiently search through large volumes of documents related to technical information without missing anything. As a result, for example, if a researcher or developer were to search for information using the name of a technology or a related keyword, the results will be displayed in the order of their relevance. In addition, by displaying results including similar research topics and related examples of failure, this solution can visualize the relationships between documents.

This system enables efficient and complete collection and organization of information, as compared to existing document search methods, which can lead to improved research and development output.

(Cost estimate) Initial expenses: 10 million yen+ (from deployment to verification)

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Figure 1: Searching and visualization of technical documents using Zinrai

2. Usage Scenario 2: Recognizing product defects with deep learning

Customers primarily involved in manufacturing can use image recognition technology through the Fujitsu Cloud Service K5 Zinrai Platform Service Zinrai Deep Learning to standardize and increase the efficiency of the detection of anomalous products in production lines, as the system will be trained on images of normal products only and automatically detect defective products. In addition, by using the same, trained deep learning model in all factories, it becomes easy to ensure that the standard for anomaly detection is consistent, while the trained model can be continually improved through additional training on a variety of image data collected at each factory.

With this service, customers can achieve more consistent and improved product quality across all production lines, without spending time and money from manual labor.

(Cost estimate) Pre-deployment evaluation: 2 million yen+, full scale production deployment: by individual estimate

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Figure 2: Anomaly detection in production lines using Zinrai

About Fujitsu Ltd

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 155,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$40 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

* Please see this press release, with images, at:
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/

Contact:
Fujitsu Limited
Public and Investor Relations
Tel: +81-3-6252-2176
URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

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