NEC to Establish FIWARE Lab Node in India

December 11, 2017, 11:34 pm

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-Addressing growing demand for smart city applications across India-

TOKYO, Dec 12, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) and NEC Technologies India Private Limited (NECTI) today announced that they will establish a FIWARE Lab node in India. The objective is to encourage application developers and solution provider organizations, government bodies and academia to experiment and innovate FIWARE(1)-based solutions for smart cities. Having a FIWARE Lab node within India will encourage more participation from Asian countries as they can keep all experimental and research data within the boundaries of the region.

The FIWARE Lab node in India will help to foster a culture of collaboration between various participating entities and help to promote their solutions in the FIWARE community. With the Indian government increasing its focus on Open Source Software, FIWARE can introduce open APIs based on specifications which are public and royalty-free.

Slated to start operation from April 2018, the facility will be the first FIWARE lab node in India endorsed by FIWARE Foundation e.V. The NEC Group aims to achieve revenues of more than 150M USD from India and other parts of South East Asia by fiscal year 2020 through FIWARE-based solutions aided by the FIWARE Lab node, which is being established with an overall investment of 15M USD over the same period.

FIWARE Lab, which is part of the FIWARE community, is a non-commercial sandbox environment where innovation and experimentation based on FIWARE technologies take place. Organizations, entrepreneurs and individuals can utilize this lab for learning FIWARE, as well as to test their applications while capitalizing on Open Data published by cities and other organizations. FIWARE Lab is deployed over a geographically distributed network of federated nodes leveraging a wide range of experimental infrastructures.

"The FIWARE Foundation welcomes the new FIWARE Lab node starting in India. FIWARE is used by an increasing number of cities in Europe and other regions and I wish this new FIWARE Lab node will trigger the adoption of FIWARE both in India and other APAC countries," said Ulrich Ahle, CEO of FIWARE Foundation. "It is also our pleasure to have the NEC Technologies India team's commitment of making contributions to the FIWARE community, which will strengthen the FIWARE technology as well as its globalization as a smart city platform."

"Backed by the Indian Government's strong initiatives for smart city and digital India projects, we have seen huge demand in India to develop IoT-based applications for multiple sectors, for which FIWARE technologies can serve as an open and common platform. In this sense, India is a natural choice for us to establish the FIWARE Lab node," said Naoki Hashitani, Senior Vice President, System Integration, Services & Engineering Operations Unit, NEC Corporation. "We will fully utilize this facility in order to contribute to the FIWARE community's efforts and to develop and test our innovative solutions based on FIWARE technologies to address growing smart city opportunities."

NEC is a platinum member of the FIWARE Foundation. NEC was the first Japanese company to join the Foundation and has joined the board of directors and technical steering committee of the FIWARE Foundation, the foundation's decision-making authorities, thereby contributing to development, standardization and promotion of the FIWARE technology to accelerate smart city and smart industry businesses utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT).

(1) FIWARE is an open source platform which enables real-time smart services through data sharing across vertical domains and agencies via open standard-based APIs. FIWARE focuses on specifications for common context information API, data publication platforms and standard data models in order to achieve and improve cross-sector interoperability for smart applications, with FIWARE NGSI as a starting point. The technology is present in more than 100 cities in 23 countries in Europe and other regions. It is royalty free and avoids any vendor lock-in.

About FIWARE Foundation

The FIWARE Foundation was founded as a legal non-profit association in October 2016. The purpose of the FIWARE Foundation is to serve the FIWARE Community which comprises all individuals and organizations committed to materialise the FIWARE mission, that is: "to build an open sustainable ecosystem around public, royalty-free and implementation-driven software platform standards that will ease the development of new Smart Applications in multiple sectors". These platform standards are materialized in the FIWARE Open Source Platform for helping startups and enterprises build the next generation of smart applications and services for cities, industries, e-health or agribusiness. For additional information, please visit the FIWARE home page at: https://www.fiware.org/

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

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DENSO to Demonstrate Latest Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Innovations at CES 2018

December 11, 2017, 11:52 pm

≫ Next: New Company to Focus on Full Development of Hydrogen Recharging Station Network in Japan

≪ Previous: NEC to Establish FIWARE Lab Node in India

KARIYA, JAPAN, Dec 12, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - DENSO Corporation today announced that it will exhibit at CES 2018 at the Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center in Las Vegas, Nevada from Tuesday, January 9 to Friday, January 12, 2018. At the exhibition, DENSO will present its future of mobility and connected and automated driving technologies.

DENSO focuses on developing technologies for safer, more comfortable and convenient mobility. Simulators at DENSO's CES booth will show how core connected and automated drive technologies and the concept of shared mobility deliver on this promise.

Connected vehicle information and communications systems

DENSO's 5G-based high-speed and large-capacity communications systems are essential to achieve connected cars. DENSO's quantum computing algorithms also deliver crucial connected services, like solutions that alleviate traffic congestion.

Human Machine Interface (HMI)

DENSO's latest HMI technologies, such as organic EL display, manage and display information related to driving safety and cockpit environment to the driver using the safest, most appropriate device.

Driving environment recognition

DENSO's AI-powered technology adjusts the vehicle environment based on changing road conditions. DENSO will also exhibit automated driving technology that recognizes obstacles and movement of other vehicles to automatically determine the optimal route.

About Denso

DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions and employs nearly 140,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, totaled US$39.8 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.globaldenso.com, or visit our media website at www.densomediacenter.com.

Contact:
DENSO CORPORATION
Sadayoshi Yokoyama, Toshiko Watanabe 
Phone: 81-566-25-5594 
Fax: 81-566-25-4509 
sadayoshi_yokoyama@denso.co.jp 
toshiko_watanabe@denso.co.jp

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New Company to Focus on Full Development of Hydrogen Recharging Station Network in Japan

December 12, 2017, 12:04 am

≫ Next: Shenzhen Expressway Acquired Coastal Company at RMB1.472 Billion; New Income Source for Toll Revenue

≪ Previous: DENSO to Demonstrate Latest Connected and Autonomous Vehicle Innovations at CES 2018

TOKYO, Dec 12, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - As a result of discussions that began in May 2017, the following 11 companies have signed an agreement to form a new company in the spring of 2018, aimed at the full-fledged development of hydrogen recharging stations (HRS) for fuel cell vehicles (FCV): Toyota Motor Corporation, Nissan Motor Co Ltd., Honda Motor Co Ltd., JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd., Iwatani Corporation, Tokyo Gas Co Ltd., Toho Gas Co Ltd., Air Liquide Japan Ltd., Toyota Tsusho Corporation, and Development Bank of Japan Inc.

The new company will be established to accelerate Japan's hydrogen initiative - which is driven mainly by these 11 companies - toward the achievement of Japan's common target shared by the government and industries regarding the development of hydrogen recharging stations. According to the "Strategic Road Map for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells" (revised March 22, 2016) released by the Council for a Strategy for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, an industry body organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, in the initial phase of promoting fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen, the target penetration is 160 stations and 40,000 fuel cell vehicles by FY 2020.

The objective of the new company is to enhance the collaboration among infrastructure developers, automakers, and financial institutions in order to simultaneously accelerate and scale up Japan's deployment of HRS and FCV.

The new company will take on the following specific initiatives:

1. Strategic deployment of hydrogen recharging stations

The company will aim to complete its mission in 10 years. During the first four years in Phase 1, the new company intends to target the construction of 80 new stations. To achieve this target, new member companies, extending beyond the current member companies, will be invited to participate.
The new company will, while taking into account subsidies from the national government and initiatives of local governments, develop its own original "Hydrogen Recharging Station Deployment Plan," in order to create an environment in which many users can enjoy driving fuel cell vehicles in Japan.

2. Contribution to efficient hydrogen station operation

By collecting and utilizing information regarding the construction and operation of hydrogen recharging stations through infrastructure developers, which will oversee operations of hydrogen recharging stations, the new company, which will deploy and own stations nationwide, will contribute to efficient operations and other road map objectives in the following ways:

Improvement of convenience for FCV users

In order to encourage customers to use hydrogen, the new company will improve the convenience of stations, coordinating with the Association of Hydrogen Supply and Utilization Technology (HySUT), which has already begun actively expanding the market, for example by extending the number of service days per week to meet increased demand.

Cost reduction and regulation review

The new company will collaborate with external organizations, such as the Fuel Cell Commercialization Conference of Japan (FCCJ) and HySUT, to reduce cost by addressing issues such as the standardization of equipment and revision of regulations.

To carry out these actions, member companies will play the following key roles:

Infrastructure developers will invest in and construct hydrogen recharging stations, and operate them, on behalf of the new company;

Automakers will contribute financially to the operations of the new company in order to efficiently deploy hydrogen recharging stations, improve convenience for users, and boost public awareness, while also striving for higher penetration of fuel cell vehicles during Phase 1;

Financial institutions will partially cover HRS deployment costs through investments. By providing the funds necessary until the HRS business becomes commercially sustainable, financial institutions will help reduce the financial burden borne by infrastructure developers during Phase 1 and will help attract new participants.

The new company will aim to seek wider participation by HRS-operating companies and investors, to achieve a sustainable HRS business and FCV penetration as swiftly as possible, thus contributing to the creation of a full-fledged hydrogen society in Japan.

Signing companies and their roles

Infrastructure developers: JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd., Iwatani Corporation, Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd., Toho Gas Co. Ltd., Air Liquide Japan Ltd.
Automakers: Toyota Motor Corporation, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
Financial institutions: Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Development Bank of Japan Inc.

About Honda

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (TSE:7267 / NYSE:HMC / LSE:HNDA) is one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please visit http://world.honda.com.

Contact:
Honda
Media Inquiries
corporate_pr@hm.honda.co.jp
+81-3-5412-1512

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

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Shenzhen Expressway Acquired Coastal Company at RMB1.472 Billion; New Income Source for Toll Revenue

December 12, 2017, 3:30 am

≫ Next: JWD InfoLogistic (JWD.TB) and Samudera Indonesia Group form Integrated Logistics Joint-Venture

≪ Previous: New Company to Focus on Full Development of Hydrogen Recharging Station Network in Japan

HONG KONG, Dec 12, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Shenzhen Expressway Company Limited ("Shenzhen Expressway", or the "Group"; Stock Code: 00548) announced that the Group has acquired 100% equity interest in Coastal Company from Shenzhen International Holdings Limited (SIHCL) at a consideration of RMB1.472 billion. Upon completion of the Acquisition, Coastal Company will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shenzhen Expressway.

Investment, construction, operation and management of toll highways and roads are within ordinary and usual course of business for Shenzhen Expressway. This acquisition of Coastal Company, subsequent to Shenzhen Expressway's previous acquisition of 100% equity interest in Yichang Expressway, will further expand its road network layout, which, in turn, will consolidate and enhance its toll highway business.

Steady growth in long-term toll revenue and enhances performance vitality

Guangshen Coastal Expressway is an important core passage going through the north-south of the Pearl River Delta region and enjoys an economically viable neighbourhood region. With the steady development of the regional economy along the Coastal Project and the constant improvement of its surrounding road networks, the operating performance of Coastal Project will have a rapid growth, bring stability and good toll revenue for the Company. After the completion of the transaction, Coastal Company will be included into the consolidated financial statements of the Group. Supposing the date of consolidation as 1 March 2018, it is estimated that the transaction will increase a revenue of RMB442 million in 2018. In 2038, the Coastal Project will contribute annual revenue of RMB1.4 billion, and long-term income will be considerable.

The Group's management said that "in the long run, the acquisition of 100% interest in Coastal Company will help to enhance the business scale and profit base and contribute to steady growth of cash flow for Shenzhen Expressway. The Acquisition will further strengthen the core strengths of Shenzhen Expressway in the investment, management and operation of highways, and in line with the development strategy and overall interests of Shenzhen Expressway as a whole. The Acquisition is the result of the negotiation between the Group and SIHCL which Shenzhen Expressway has seized the favourable market opportunity. It is a win-win proposal which fully demonstrated the positive attitude of SIHCL in supporting Shenzhen International and Shenzhen Expressway's development and strengthened the positive image of SIHCL in keeping its commitment."

Crucial corridor to Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area; Superior prime position induced economic development

Guangshen Coastal Expressway (Provincial Line S3) is an important channel connecting Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and Guangdong and Hong Kong. It has a total length of approximately 90km connecting Huangpu District in Guangzhou and Nanshan District in Shenzhen. Coastal Project is the Shenzhen section of Guangshen Coastal Expressway, extending from Dongbao River, the boundary between Dongguan and Shenzhen, to Nanshan District, Shenzhen and connecting with Shenzhen Western Corridor in the south. Coastal Project is a dual eight-lane expressway with the total mileage of approximately 37 km. It is comprised of two phases. Coastal Phase I is on the main line of Guangshen Coastal Expressway. It has a toll mileage of approximately 30.9 km and was opened to traffic on 28 December 2013with a toll collection period of 25 years. Coastal Phase II includes the connection line on the Shenzhen side of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel, Airport Interchange, International Convention and Exhibition Center Interchange, etc., with a total length of approximately5.7 km. The construction of Coastal Phase II commenced in December 2015 and is scheduled to be opened to traffic by end of 2019.

According to the Coastal Project investment and financing plan approved by the Shenzhen Government, the estimated total cost of Coastal Project is approximately RMB16.7 billion. The government shall contribute RMB10.3 billion and Coastal Company shall contributeRMB6.4 billion, which shall be financed by bank loan after pledging its toll-collection right to such bank. The transaction price of about RMB7.5 billion, including the purchase price of shares, bank loans and the construction funds of Coastal Phase II.

Good performance in the first three quarters

In the first three quarters of 2017, Shenzhen Expressway's revenue maintains a steady growth, recorded revenue of RMB3,371 million, representing a YOY increase of 6.00%; recorded net profit of RMB1,211 million and earnings per share of RMB0.555, representing a YOY increase of 27.91%.Toll revenue is the main source of the Group, the Group achieved toll revenue of RMB3,177 million from January to September 2017, representing a YOY increase of 15.76%, in which the aggregate toll revenue contributed from consolidation of Shenchang Company and Yichang Company amounted to approximately RMB200 million.

Proposed issuance of the A Share CB optimized capital structure and enabled future positive growth

Previously, the Group announced to propose the public issue of A Share convertible bonds (CB) and the total amount of A Share CB to be issued should not exceed RMB2.2 billion, while the total proceeds from which would be applied in the construction of Shenzhen section of Shenzhen Outer Ring Expressway (Coastal Expressway to Shenshan Expressway session). The issue of A Share CB can broaden the Group's equity financial channels, enhance its capital strength, which allows the Group to optimize its capital structure, maintain its financial flexibility, enhance follow-up development capability, provide financial support for strategic implementation and facilitate its healthy development in the future.

The Group's management also said that the Group will continue to consolidate and enhance the toll highways main business, while further integrating resources. The Group will actively promote and implement new industrial investment, in order to eventually realize long-term healthy development and create more value for shareholders.

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JWD InfoLogistic (JWD.TB) and Samudera Indonesia Group form Integrated Logistics Joint-Venture

December 13, 2017, 12:00 am

≫ Next: NEC Supplies Toyo Engineering with IoT Solution based on GE Predix

≪ Previous: Shenzhen Expressway Acquired Coastal Company at RMB1.472 Billion; New Income Source for Toll Revenue

First Deal for JV in Cold Storage Biz in Indonesia

BANGKOK, Dec 13, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - JWD InfoLogistic PCL (JWD.TB), a leading "Total Logistics Solutions Provider", and the Samudera Indonesia shipping group have established a Joint Venture firm to provide integrated logistics solutions in Indonesia. The JV firm's initial mission is a 67% purchase in cold storage company based in Jakarta, with additional cold storages in other cities to follow. Samudera has stated the need to grow its presence in the inland logistics business, a sector with high growth potential, while JWD seeks to create Asean's 'Food & Cold Supply Chain'.

Mr. Charvanin Bunditkitsada, JWD Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Committee Chairman, says this is an opportunity to step up JWD investment efforts in the Asean region in order to secure regional logistics leadership. JWD Asia Holding Private Limited, Singapore-incorporated and 99.98% owned by JWD, reached an agreement with PT Samudera Sarana Logistik of group PT Samudera Indonesia Tbk (SMDR.JK), a major shipping line listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange, to set up PT Samudera JWD Logistics as a joint-venture (or JV) firm with initial registered capital of USD 780,000 (approx. THB 26m), of which 49% shares are held by JWD and 51% by Samudera.

"PT Samudera JWD Logistics is to serve as holding company for pursuing investments and acquiring stakes in a wide range of logistics businesses across Indonesia, especially cold storage, automotive storage and management and hazardous cargo warehousing and management. We have a strong base in Thailand and we have made investments in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Indonesia, but this deal with Samudera marks a major milestone in the campaign to grow our presence in Indonesia, initially investing in cold storage businesses, given the currently high demand for cold storage space.

"JWD also has an ambition to create Asean's 'Food & Cold Supply Chain', offering a comprehensive range of services, including cold storage, carriage, cross-border transport, freight forwarding and incidental services (e.g. procurement of materials). In the meantime, we keep looking for new opportunities to expand regionally. To realise our goal to maintain logistics bases in nine Asean countries (excluding Brunei), we aim to set our foot on Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia by 2020. We will focus our efforts on building a network and connecting logistic solutions regionwide, using a 'Total Solutions' business model", said he.

Mr. Tanate Piriyothinkul, Executive Committee and SVP Business Development of JWD, added that, after completion of the incorporation process, PT. Samudera JWD Logistics (the JV firm) has invested about USD 7.8m (approx. THB 260m) in a 67% equity stake in Adib Cold Logistics (ACL), a Jakarta-based member of Adib Group that operates cold storage and transport facilities with a cargo warehousing capacity of about 7,000 pallets and a cold storage space occupancy ratio of approximately 60%, which is forecasted to jump to 80-90% in March 2018 due to orders from new users of its storage space.

This investment deal will allow JWD starting January 2018 to recognise revenue from the profit sharing proportionate to its share of investment through the JV firm. For 2017, Adib Cold Logistics is forecasted to post a revenue figure of approximately USD 4m (approx. THB 140m) and a profitability ratio of approximately 10%. JWD also seeks to expand the fleet of transport vehicles in Jakarta and build new cold storage plants in the same city and elsewhere (e.g. Surabaya, Medan), as the existing providers of cold storage and logistics services there cannot meet the high levels of demand.

Mr. Yudi Riyadi President Director of PT SAMUDERA SARANA LOGISTIK, stated that his company is a provider of cargo transport and logistic services (including container handling) and a member of PT. Samudera Indonesia Tbk, which is a company founded in 1953 (or six decades ago) and listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. Using the brand 'Samudera', it conducts activities in five core segments, namely Samudera Terminal, Samudera Shipping, Samudera Shipyard, Samudera Logistics and Samudera Property. It employs more than 4,000 workers and maintains 17 branch offices throughout Asia, including in Dubai.

The decision to partner with JWD was taken to respond to Samudera's need to grow its operations and provide integrated logistics services in Indonesia. Samudera looked for an equity partner and saw that JWD possessed extensive experience in the logistics industry, as well as professionalism and expertise in cold storage, hazardous cargo warehousing and management and automotive storage and logistics. Given its expertise in shipping line and logistics businesses, Samudera is convinced that the partnership is a win-win deal that will allow both parties to use their know-hows to create the JV firm's growths through investments in promising businesses.

"Driven by a booming population and healthy growths in restaurant and convenience store chain and auto manufacturing businesses (Indonesia is an auto manufacturing base in Asean and requires professional inland logistics services), the demand for logistics services involving cold storage, hazardous cargo and automobiles in the country keeps rising. We see this as a great opportunity to partner with JWD to create mutual growths," said Mr. Riyadi.

About JWD InfoLogistics PCL

JWD InfoLogistics (SET:JWD) knows everything about logistics and supply chain management. The Group's fully integrated logistics and supply chain solutions cover all types of warehousing, including the free zone area, in fields where it has competitive advantage in terms of the ability to manage one-stop and unconditional service offers because it wholly owns all warehouses. The Group is also proficient in customs procedures, product transportation and distribution, as well as logistics software development. Founded in 1979, the JWD Group has grown to comprise 18 subsidiaries and operates warehouses and yards covering a total storage space of approximately 800,000 sqm. The Group currently employs 1,300 staff and has branch offices in 32 countries. For more information, please visit www.jwd-group.com/en/.

Contact:
For JWD InfoLogistic
Yuttachai ("Tle") Paikanahok
MT Multimedia
Tel: +66 0 2612 2081 #125
Mobile: +66 9 1736 2866
E-mail: yuttachai.p@mtmultimedia.com

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NEC Supplies Toyo Engineering with IoT Solution based on GE Predix

December 13, 2017, 12:32 am

≫ Next: Eisai's Aricept Approved for Additional Indication of Severe Alzheimer's Disease in China

≪ Previous: JWD InfoLogistic (JWD.TB) and Samudera Indonesia Group form Integrated Logistics Joint-Venture

- Optimization system for fertilizer plant operations and maintenance -

TOKYO, Dec 13, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) announced it has supplied Toyo Engineering Corporation (TOYO) with an IoT solution based on the industry platform Predix from General Electric Company (GE) in order to optimize fertilizer plant operations and maintenance.

This system will gather data on fertilizer plant operations and maintenance via Predix, and share data between all concerned parties in real-time, enabling the plant to be operated and maintained more efficiently.

Having entered into a comprehensive partnership with GE in the field of IoT in October 2016, with an eye to accelerating Digital Transformation, NEC has established a framework to provide companies with total support for the development, installation and maintenance of IoT solutions(1).

In line with this process, more than 100 NEC engineers are already certified in Predix, and the company plans to increase that number to approximately 500 by fiscal 2020. Moreover, NEC also uses Predix to manage large-scale projects as part of improving its global supply chain.

"This order for TOYO is part of NEC's commitment to promoting IoT solutions based on Predix while capitalizing on our track record and expertise," said Masaaki Saito, executive specialist, IoT Platform Development Division, NEC Corporation.

(1) GE Digital and NEC Collaborate to Drive the Digital Industrial Era Forward in Japan:
http://www.nec.com/en/press/201610/global_20161026_01.html

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

↧

Eisai's Aricept Approved for Additional Indication of Severe Alzheimer's Disease in China

December 12, 2017, 7:59 pm

≫ Next: CASBAA Lauds Indian Ease of Doing Business; Calls for Policy Reforms for Broadcast & Satellite Industries

≪ Previous: NEC Supplies Toyo Engineering with IoT Solution based on GE Predix

TOKYO, Dec 13, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. announced today that Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride) has been approved for the additional indication of severe Alzheimer's disease in China. Aricept is the first Alzheimer's disease treatment with a broad indication that covers mild to severe Alzheimer's disease in China.

The approval of the additional indication was based on the results of a Phase III clinical study (Study 3391) in China. Study 339 was a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel-group study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Aricept 10 mg per day in 313 Chinese patients with severe Alzheimer's disease. In this study, Aricept demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in total Severe Impairment Battery scores after 24 weeks compared to placebo, which was the primary endpoint of the study. In the study, the four most commonly observed adverse events in the Aricept arm were bradycardia, anorexia, QT interval prolongation, and dizziness.

In China, it has been estimated that approximately 6 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease.1 Furthermore, with the progressive aging of the population, the number of patients with dementia is expected to greatly increase in the future. Eisai launched Aricept in China in September 1999, and in collaboration with various stakeholders including government, hospitals and non-government organizations, is actively promoting dementia disease awareness initiatives for civilians as well as support for establishing memory clinics and other initiatives.

With the approval of this indication covering severe Alzheimer's disease, Eisai strives to further contribute to increasing the quality of life of patients with Alzheimer's disease in China, and as the originator of Aricept, continues to make comprehensive contributions in dementia such as improving treatment and care, increasing public awareness of the disease and discovering new treatment methods.

About Aricept in China

Eisai launched Aricept in China in September 1999. The indication for Aricept in China covers mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, and can be used in either 5 mg or 10 mg dosages. By obtaining approval for severe Alzheimer's disease, Aricept is the first Alzheimer's disease treatment with a broad indication that covers mild to severe Alzheimer's disease in China.

About the Phase III Clinical Study Conducted in China (Study 339)(1)

Study 339 was a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel-group study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Aricept 10 mg per day in 313 Chinese patients with severe Alzheimer's disease. Patients were in the Aricept arm received 5 mg for 6 weeks and 10 mg for the remaining 18 weeks (24 weeks in total). From the results of this study, the change in Severe Impairment Battery scores(2) from baseline at week 24, the study's primary endpoint, was 2.9 for Aricept compared to -2.0 for placebo, suggesting a statistically significant improvement for Aricept (difference: 4.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.56 to 8.08, p=0.004). In the study's secondary endpoint of change in CIBIC-plus scores(3), Aricept demonstrated a statistically significant difference compared to placebo (difference: -0.4, 95%CI -0.66 to 0.03, p=0.04), suggesting that treatment with Aricept is clinically meaningful compared to placebo. However, in change in MMSE scores(4) from baseline, another secondary endpoint of the study, a statistically significant difference was not observed between the Aricept and placebo arms. In the study, adverse events were observed in 26.7% of patients in the Aricept arm, and the four most commonly observed adverse events in the Aricept arm were bradycardia (5.7%), anorexia (4.5%), QT interval prolongation (3.8%), and dizziness (3.2%).

(1) Jia J, Wei C, Jia L, et al. Efficacy and safety of donepezil in Chinese patients with severe Alzheimer's disease: A randomized controlled trial. J. Alzheimers Dis 2017; 56: 1495-1504.
(2) Severe Impairment Battery: A validated clinical instrument used to measure severely impaired cognitive function. Patients are evaluated in an interview that assesses cognitive function in nine domains: Social Interaction, Memory, Orientation, Attention, Praxis, Visuospatial, Language, Construction, and Name Orientation. Test scores range from 100 (normal) to 0 (severely impaired).
(3) CIBIC-plus (the Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change plus caregiver input): a validated clinical instrument used to measure change in global function through an interview with patients and their caregivers. Patients are evaluated by an assessor who is independent from the attending physician on a 7-point scale (very much improved, much improved, minimally improved, no change, minimally worse, much worse and very much worse) in four major categories: General, Mental/Cognitive State, Behavior, and Activities of Daily Living.
(4) MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination): A method for assessing cognitive function. Comprised of the categories orientation, memorization, attention, calculation, recent and distant memory, comprehension, reading and writing, as well as design. Test scores range from 30 (normal) to 0 (severely impaired).

About Eisai

Eisai Co., Ltd. (TSE:4523; ADR:ESALY) is a research-based human health care (hhc) company that discovers, develops and markets products throughout the world. Eisai focuses its efforts in three therapeutic areas: integrative neuroscience, including neurology and psychiatric medicines; integrative oncology, which encompasses oncotherapy and supportive-care treatments; and vascular/immunological reaction. Through a global network of research facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, Eisai actively participates in all aspects of the worldwide healthcare system. For more information about Eisai Co., Ltd., please visit www.eisai.com.

Contact:
Public Relations Department,
Eisai Co., Ltd.
+81-3-3817-5120

↧

CASBAA Lauds Indian Ease of Doing Business; Calls for Policy Reforms for Broadcast & Satellite Industries

December 12, 2017, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: Toyota and Panasonic to Start Feasibility Study of Joint Automotive Prismatic Battery Business

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New Delhi, Dec 13, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Speaking at the India Satcom 2017 forum in New Delhi today, Joe Welch, Chairman of regional Pay-TV industry association CASBAA, applauded the Indian government's emphasis on improving the ease of doing business in the country. A great deal of attention has been paid to the power and infrastructure sectors, Welch noted, but "the key to... realisation of the Prime Minister's vision of taking India up to a Top-50 ranking (in ease of doing business) lies in improving business conditions in other sectors of the economy", specifically satellite communications and broadcasting.

Welch observed that the broadcasting sector is heavily dependent on satellite links, and that "the single most crucial measure the government could take... would be to create conducive conditions for both the satellite operators and the broadcasters to be able to enter into long-term service agreements". (Currently, contracts for satellite capacity for DTH broadcasters are limited to a 3-year term by Indian government regulation.) "Striking long-term commercial deals in a marketplace that is less government-constrained would help increase business certainty for all the stakeholders", he said.

Satellite services are also important to achieving the 'Digital India' dream - championed by Prime Minister Modi - as satellite services can help bring broadband and other related services to the hinterland of India, digitally connecting thousands of villages where cable or other modes of broadband delivery may pose logistic and financial challenges.

Welch also called for other reforms, including development of a private-sector Indian space industry, opening of the teleport industry to foreign direct investment, and establishment of clear timelines and benchmarks for licensing actions by government agencies.

India Satcom 2017 is organised by the Broadband India Forum; CASBAA is a supporting organisation.

About CASBAA

Established in 1991, CASBAA is the association for digital multichannel TV, content, platforms, advertising and video delivery across a variety of geographic markets throughout the Asia Pacific. CASBAA's members reach over 500 million connections within a regional footprint ranging from China to Australasia, Japan to Pakistan. For more information, visit www.casbaa.com.

Contact:
Kay Bayliss
CASBAA Member Relations & Marketing
Tel: +852 3929 1724
kay@casbaa.com

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Toyota and Panasonic to Start Feasibility Study of Joint Automotive Prismatic Battery Business

December 12, 2017, 9:04 pm

≫ Next: mybitwallet introduces 24/7 currency exchange services

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Aim is to advance prismatic battery technology for automotive use

Toyota City, Japan, Dec 13, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation and Panasonic Corporation announce today an agreement to begin studying the feasibility of a joint automotive prismatic battery business.

This agreement between the two companies aims to help find solutions to pressing societal issues such as global warming, air pollution, the depletion of natural resources and energy security. Furthermore, this agreement is intended to address growing demand and expectations for electrified vehicles. In order to realize these objectives, Toyota and Panasonic target further advancements in automotive batteries, which are crucial technologies in electrified vehicles.

Since Toyota and Panasonic began their business relationship in 1953, the two companies have been challenging each other with the goal of mutual improvement, particularly in honing their manufacturing capabilities (monozukuri). With the business environment undergoing drastic change, both companies have realized the importance of collaborating with trusted partners and looking past conventional boundaries to contribute to the world through monozukuri and creating new value.

Through activities such as launching the Prius, the world's first mass production hybrid vehicle (HV), in 1997, and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle (FCV) in 2014, Toyota has a record of taking on difficult challenges in its effort to realize a sustainable mobility society. Leveraging the know-how and experience accumulated through the continuous refinement and commercialization of its electrification technologies, Toyota is working on the development of a full range of environmentally friendly vehicles including HVs, PHVs (plug-in hybrid vehicles), FCVs, and EVs (electric vehicles) that fit the needs of customers' lifestyles worldwide.

Panasonic has positioned automotive lithium-ion batteries as one of its key businesses, and its automotive batteries are used by many automakers worldwide. Panasonic's technological capabilities which achieve various requirements for such batteries are well regarded in the market. The company is making efforts to further enhance the safety and capacity of its automotive prismatic batteries, making use of its accumulated technological knowledge in the battery business.

Toyota and Panasonic recognize the importance that further advancements in battery performance, price and safety, as well as a stable supply capacity, will have on encouraging further popularization of electrified vehicles. Both companies will consider details of the collaboration with the aim of achieving the best automotive prismatic battery in the industry and, ultimately, contributing to the popularization of Toyota's and other automakers' electrified vehicles.

About Toyota

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.

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

↧

mybitwallet introduces 24/7 currency exchange services

December 12, 2017, 10:30 pm

≫ Next: WARC Awards 2018 - Effective Content Strategy jury announced

≪ Previous: Toyota and Panasonic to Start Feasibility Study of Joint Automotive Prismatic Battery Business

SINGAPORE / TOKYO, Dec 13, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - mybitwallet, a leading digital payment services provider, now offers JPY/USD/EUR currency exchange services on a round-the-clock basis.

This newly extended service allows users anywhere, from any location or time zone around the world, to transact anytime - between JPY, USD and EUR on the digital mybitwallet platform.

mybitwallet users are able to exchange funds with just 2 simple steps:
1. Select base currency and target currency from currencies (JPY/USD/EUR) on the platform.
2. Enter the amount requested for an exchange of currency and submit.

The currency exchange service is free for all mybitwallet users, with no additional service charges incurred. mybitwallet hopes the 24/7 currency exchange will provide a better payment experience to users worldwide.

About mybitwallet -

mybitwallet, a leading digital Wallet payment solution, aims to provide the world's best multi-currency, real-time payment experience for all mybitwallet users - and the world's best payment solution experience across all industries.

Introduced in 2016, mybitwallet is driven by a team of passionate disruptors determined to create a seamless payment platform for business owners and merchants around the world - and their clients.

mybitwallet by E PROTECTIONS PTE LTD (Singapore, 2012). Visit mybitwallet at https://mybitwallet.com.

Contact mybitwallet -

Jasmine Chang
T: +65 6221 0111
E: jasminechang@epro.sg

Japan Customer Service
T: +81 3 6893 0958
E: info@mybitwallet.com

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WARC Awards 2018 - Effective Content Strategy jury announced

December 13, 2017, 12:00 am

≫ Next: Gemalto Rejects Unsolicited and Conditional Proposal by Atos

≪ Previous: mybitwallet introduces 24/7 currency exchange services

John Dokes, Content Chair

LONDON, Dec 13, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Leading industry professionals from a wide range of businesses, sectors and countries make up the Effective Content Strategy jury of the WARC Awards 2018 - a global search for next-generation marketing effectiveness.

The 12-strong jury includes Lionel Benbassat, MD of independent creative boutique network Fred & Farid and former Marketing and Product Director at Eurostar; Michael Davidson, Associate Partner and Head of Strategy of independent advertising agency Venables Bell & Partners; and multi award-winner Nick Kendall, Founding Partner of Broken, Electric Glue and The Garage Soho.

The Effective Content Strategy jury will look for evidence of how a content strategy - as opposed to a traditional advertising strategy - has helped a brand achieve business goals.

Jury chair John Dokes, Global Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager of AccuWeather Network, commented on his up-coming role: "It is an honour and a privilege to judge this prestigious competition in the company of such industry talent and trend setters. I look forward to helping to identify the next generation of effective advertisers who use innovative content to establish, promote and extend their brand."

The WARC Awards 2018 - Effective Content Strategy jury is:

- John Dokes, Global Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager, AccuWeather Network - Jury Chair
- Lionel Benbassat, Managing Director, Fred & Farid
- Michael Davidson, Associate Partner & Head of Strategy, Venables Bell & Partners
- Aliya Hasan, Head of Strategy, Vizeum Australia
- Jennifer McBride, Director of Digital & Innovation, JWT New York
- Nick Kendall, Founding Partner, Broken, Electric Glue and The Garage Soho
- Lindsay Landy, Planning Director, Ogilvy
- Bronwen Morgan, Head of Content, Flamingo
- Mylene Ong, Head of Strategy, Colenso BBDO
- Lennie Stern, Head of Creative and Entertainment Strategies, BETC Paris
- Dean Taylor, Director of Creative Strategy, Momentum
- My Troedssen, Planner, Forsman & Bodenfors

The WARC Awards are free to enter and are open to submissions from any country and communications discipline. Case study papers can be entered into four categories: Effective Content Strategy, Effective Innovation, Effective Use of Brand Purpose and Effective Social Strategy.

In addition to the Grand Prix, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, the jury will select three Special Awards honouring particular areas of excellence. For the Effective Content Strategy category they are: Long-Term Idea Award, Best Multiplatform Award and Smart Spender Award. The top winners across all four categories will share a $40,000 prize fund.

Full details of the judges and information on how to enter the WARC Awards, are available at www.warc.com/warcawards.prize. Entry deadline for the WARC Awards 2018 is 12 February.

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
+44 20 7467 8125
amanda.benfell@warc.com

↧

Gemalto Rejects Unsolicited and Conditional Proposal by Atos

December 13, 2017, 8:00 pm

≫ Next: DENSO and Toyota Tsusho to Conduct a Test Applying a Quantum Computer to Analyze IoT Data with a Commercial Application

≪ Previous: WARC Awards 2018 - Effective Content Strategy jury announced

Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, is best positioned to grow successfully on a standalone basis and create long term value for its stakeholders, including its shareholders
The Atos proposal does not form the basis for constructive engagement as it:
- fails to provide a compelling strategy versus Gemalto's standalone prospects;
- significantly undervalues the Company;
- fails to adequately address the interests of its various stakeholders;
- does not offer sufficient deal certainty.

AMSTERDAM, Dec 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Gemalto N.V. (the Company) announces that it has rejected the unsolicited and conditional proposal by Atos SE (Atos) for a possible recommended cash offer for all issued and outstanding shares of the Company at an offer price of EUR46 per share (cum dividend) set forth in letters received from Atos on 28 November, 8 December and 11 December 2017, and as announced by Atos on 11 December 2017 (the Proposal).

Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, is best positioned to grow successfully on a standalone basis and create long term value for its stakeholders, including its shareholders.

Consistent with its fiduciary duties, the Board of Directors, in consultation with its financial advisors Deutsche Bank and J.P. Morgan and legal advisors Allen & Overy and Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier, has carefully reviewed and discussed whether the Proposal is in the best interests of the Company, its business and clients, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders. After thorough consideration, the Board of Directors has unanimously come to the conclusion that this is not the case.

Philippe Vallee, Gemalto CEO commented: "In 11 years, we have turned Gemalto into a technology Blue-Chip, recognized in over 180 countries throughout the world. In 11 years, the Company has created 5 000 jobs. In 11 years, Gemalto has become the world leader in digital security.

We have taken the measure of the recent changes in our historical markets, taken the responsible decisions and are now focused on leveraging the many opportunities of our fast-growing markets.

We will soon be presenting to our stakeholders our ambitious and substantial development plan for the Company that will focus on the next generation of digital security for companies, governments and citizens worldwide.

Gemalto's employees, its Board of Directors, its Management team and I are fully aligned and committed to achieving the success of this plan that will benefit our stakeholders, including all our shareholders."

In its review, the Board of Directors has considered the following topics of particular relevance:

Strategy

Gemalto - the world leader in digital security - is best positioned to grow successfully on a standalone basis and create long term value for its stakeholders, including its shareholders, through its ambitious strategy.

- Gemalto's unique technology platform allows it to support clients' digital security needs across multiple high-growth markets;
- Gemalto is well advanced in its transition from traditional banking and telecom smartcard markets to fast-growing Government, Enterprise & Cybersecurity and Machine-to-Machine markets;
- The implementation of Gemalto's transition plan is already enabling the Company to be more agile and nimble and better serve its clients' needs. The Proposal is unclear as to critical elements of the combination strategy, integration and potential consequences for its stakeholders;
- Gemalto is organized to benefit from innovation across its business units and the potential break-up contemplated by Atos through the contribution of Gemalto's businesses to three separate divisions of Atos (for example the integration of the payments business into Worldline) would negatively impact Gemalto's performance and ability to best serve its clients.

Valuation

The Board of Directors considers that the Proposal significantly undervalues the Company:

- The timing of the Proposal is opportunistic: the proposed offer price represents a discount of 27.4% vs. Gemalto's last 12-month high and a premium of only 3.5%[1] vs. Gemalto's 12-month average share price. It is made at a time when Gemalto has stabilised its performance following a challenging period;
- As mentioned, Gemalto is well advanced in the transition from traditional banking and telecom smartcard markets to fast-growing Government, Enterprise & Cybersecurity and Machine-to-Machine markets. The impact of this transition is yet to be reflected in the Company's share price as its strategy and positioning around these growth segments will be detailed during the forthcoming Capital Markets Day;
- The proposed offer price of EUR46 per share does not reflect Gemalto's leadership positions in these fast-growing segments, and is well below the valuation levels of companies involved in highly strategic Government and Cybersecurity activities;
- The Proposal does not adequately reflect a fair sharing of synergies accruing from the potential combination, which Atos believes to be substantial.

Deal certainty

The Proposal does not provide adequate deal certainty, given the significant conditionality attached to it, and the likely execution risks involved in the proposed transaction. In particular, the Proposal does not contain a substantiated explanation on, and analysis of, the envisaged anti-trust, CFIUS and other clearance procedures. It lacks details on timing, risks and potential remedies that would be offered to ensure completion. In addition, the proposed merger protocol contains a number of off-market, unclear, unusual and unacceptable terms and conditions.

Stakeholders

The Proposal falls short in addressing the interests of the Company, its business and clients, employees, shareholders and other stakeholders.

The Proposal provides very limited protection for Gemalto's other stakeholders, mentioning only a small number of general topics, and falls short of actual and concrete commitments. The Proposal fails to include important non-financial commitments customary for a friendly recommended transaction of this size and nature, including, but not limited to, commitments on no-redundancies, customer approach, and the required fair dealing and protection of the interest of any remaining minority shareholders if the offer were to be declared unconditional. In addition, the proposed duration of the non-financial covenants is not specified and their enforcement is not safeguarded post potential completion and delisting, leaving the Company's stakeholders essentially unprotected.

Atos' approach

The Board of Directors also note that Atos' Proposal is not reflective of a friendly and collaborative approach as it was not preceded by customary exploratory discussions, the announcement of the Proposal was done unilaterally and Atos indicated its intention to file an offer memorandum with the AFM irrespective of whether it has reached agreement with Gemalto. The Board of Directors is concerned that this could exemplify cultural differences between the two companies.

Attached to this press release is a copy of the letter that was sent today on behalf of the Board of Directors of Gemalto to Mr Thierry Breton, Chairman and CEO of Atos.

Investor Relations
Jean-Claude Deturche
M.: +33 6 2399 2141
jean-claude.deturche@gemalto.com

Sebastien Liagre
M.: +33 6 1751 4467
sebastien.liagre@gemalto.com

Domenic Brancati
M. +44 7799 316 030
domenic.brancati@georgeson.com

Corporate Communication
Isabelle Marand
M.: +33 6 1489 1817
isabelle.marand@gemalto.com

Media Relations Agency
Frans van der Grint
T: +31 20 404 4 707
Frans.vanderGrint@hkstrategies.com

Arien Stuijt
T: +31 20 404 47 07
arien.stuijt@hkstrategies.com

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. In most cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may", "should", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "potential" or "continue" or the negative of such terms or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve significant assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

This is a public announcement by Gemalto N.V. pursuant to section 17 paragraph 1 of the European Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014). This public announcement does not constitute an offer, or any solicitation of any offer, to buy or subscribe for any securities in Gemalto N.V.

[1] As of market close on 11 December 2017
[2] As of market close on 11 December 2017

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.

Press release (PDF): http://hugin.info/159293/R/2156012/828541.pdf

↧

DENSO and Toyota Tsusho to Conduct a Test Applying a Quantum Computer to Analyze IoT Data with a Commercial Application

December 14, 2017, 12:00 am

≫ Next: Singapore Institutes Collaborate with Samsung Medical Center to Improve Treatment of Liver Cancer

≪ Previous: Gemalto Rejects Unsolicited and Conditional Proposal by Atos

- Test will advance R&D on essential technology for vehicles and transportation systems in the connected age -

TOKYO, Dec 14, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - DENSO Corporation and Toyota Tsusho Corporation today announced to conduct the world's first test using a quantum computer to process data from a traffic IoT platform. The companies will process vehicle location and travel data in real-time from about a130,000 commercial vehicles in Thailand, aiming to establish best practices for quantum computer applications in transportation.

This type of technology will be essential in the connected era, when vehicles and mobility systems need to process large amounts of data in real-time. DENSO will present the concept and overviews at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2018) in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States from January 9 to 12, 2018.

The test will collect and analyze location information from about 130,000 taxis and trucks in Thailand through cloud-based quantum computer devices developed by Canada-based D-Wave Systems Inc. DENSO and Toyota Tsusho will also implement quantum computer-based data analysis and processing technologies from TSquare, a traffic information service application from Toyota Tsusho group company Toyota Tsusho Nexty Electronics (Thailand) Co., Ltd. DENSO will create an algorithm to process and analyze quantum computer-based data, and Toyota Tsusho will integrate the algorithm into a new application on TSquare's platform. Findings will help guide application development to make transportation more efficient, from traffic decongestion to route optimization for emergency vehicles.

Unlike conventional computers, quantum computers perform calculations to find an enormous number of combinations simultaneously, and can analyze certain data more than 100 million times faster than conventional computers. Algorithms like the one DENSO will develop will also be key to translate the calculations into decisions, making the future of mobility a reality.

About Toyota Tsusho Corporation

Toyota Tsusho Corporation was founded in 1948 as the trading company for the Toyota Group. Today, Toyota Tsusho operates in more than 120 countries with approximately 58,000 Group employees, all striving to contribute to the creation of prosperous societies. Toyota Tsusho continues to expand as a global leader in vehicle exports and automobile production support. The company has seven operating divisions (Metals/ Global Parts & Logistics/ Automotive/ Machinery, Energy & Project/ Chemicals & Electronics/ Food & Consumer Services/ Africa) focused around three business fields. These are the Mobility field, which contributes to future convenient societies, the Resources & Environment field, which ensures sustainable societies, and the Life & Community field, which supports comfortable and healthy lifestyles.

About Denso

DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions and employs nearly 140,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, totaled US$39.8 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.globaldenso.com, or visit our media website at www.densomediacenter.com.

Contact:
DENSO CORPORATION
Sadayoshi Yokoyama, Toshiko Watanabe 
Phone: 81-566-25-5594 
Fax: 81-566-25-4509 
sadayoshi_yokoyama@denso.co.jp 
toshiko_watanabe@denso.co.jp

↧

Singapore Institutes Collaborate with Samsung Medical Center to Improve Treatment of Liver Cancer

December 14, 2017, 2:00 am

≫ Next: DENSO and BlackBerry Partner to Develop World's First Integrated Automobile HMI Platform

≪ Previous: DENSO and Toyota Tsusho to Conduct a Test Applying a Quantum Computer to Analyze IoT Data with a Commercial Application

- This collaboration creates the world's first clinically reliable and robust patient-specific diagnostic and predictive platform to improve treatment of liver cancer.
- The platform will provide high throughput genomics and drug screening data from a patient's liver cancer sample, to inform timely clinical management.
- The high throughput data will significantly enhance and direct drug development for liver cancer.
- This multi-institutional effort brings together leading experts in translational research in liver cancer from Singapore and the Republic of Korea.

SINGAPORE, Dec 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Scientists and doctors from Singapore institutes are collaborating with Samsung Medical Center (SMC), a leading academic medical centre in Seoul, Republic of Korea, to develop the world's first clinically reliable and robust platform that will significantly improve the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or liver cancer.

In Singapore, this multi-institutional effort involves A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), and National University of Singapore (NUS).

HCC is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths, with approximately 1 million new HCC cases diagnosed annually worldwide. In Singapore, it is the fourth most common cancer among men. If untreated, most patients do not survive beyond six months.

As HCC is highly heterogeneous, treatment has to be individualised and targeted to be effective. Current systemic treatment for HCC is limited and does not take into consideration genomic differences between different patients. As a result, treatment outcomes generally remain poor.

The new platform will provide reliable and robust patient-specific diagnostic and predictive data in a clinically relevant timeframe of three weeks versus the typical three to four months. Patient-derived HCC tumour samples will contribute to genomic integration, in vivo model studies and drug screening data. It will be validated to deliver precision analysis and revolutionise liver cancer treatment to improve patient outcomes.

Perspectives on the collaboration

"While Singapore has achieved much excellence in upstream and translational research in HCC, this initiative brings together the strengths of our institutions, combining the efforts of the existing flagship programme in Liver Cancer with other programmes," said Professor Pierce Chow, who is the Lead Principal Investigator of this initiative. Professor Chow is also Surgical Director of the Comprehensive Liver Cancer Clinic at NCCS, a Professor and Course Director at the Duke-NUS Medical School, and an Associate Faculty Member at GIS.

"When three of the top cancer centres in Asia come together with A*STAR to deal with a cancer that primarily affects Asians, I am confident that we will change clinical practice, treat liver cancer better, and save many lives," said Dr Benjamin Seet, Executive Director of A*STAR's Biomedical Research Council.

"Our new innovative translational research platform, the AVATAR platform, based on AVATAR Mouse(R) and AVATASCAN(R) was developed with strong support from the Korean government's Ministry of Health and Welfare to provide treatment solutions for refractory cancer patients. We are also keen to contribute such technologies and know-how to this collaboration which will create a synergistic effect for both sides," said Professor Do-Hyun Nam who is the Lead Principal Investigator of SMC for this initiative. Professor Nam is also Director of Institute for Refractory Cancer Research and a Professor of Department of Neurosurgery at the SMC.

"SMC has made continuous investment in the establishment of infrastructure for precision medicine," said Professor O Jung Kwon, President of SMC. "Through this partnership, we are expecting to build a firm global network for precision medicine and hope to be able to provide the world's best genome based personalised treatment for liver cancer patients."

Multi-institutional collaboration

The collaboration leverages the strengths of current programmes in both countries - mainly the Translational and Clinical Research (TCR) Flagship Programme for Liver Cancer in Singapore, and the Refractory Cancer Research Programme of SMC, called AVATAR platform, in the Republic of Korea.

The TCR Flagship Programme which has uncovered useful drug targets that provide critical data for drug development and precision medicine, will combine the expertise of other programmes at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore), GIS and IMCB to re-position the AVATAR platform developed at SMC for disease areas ranging from brain cancer to HCC.

The team aims to set up a joint lab with SMC that is based in Singapore and commence research collaborations with industry for drug development within two years.

"Due to the heterogeneity of liver cancer, there are currently only few drugs with proven efficacy to target it. This new platform will allow researchers and pharmaceutical companies to work together to understand the disease better. We hope this will enable all of us to accelerate the drug development and expand treatment options for HCC patients," said Associate Professor William Hwang, Medical Director of NCCS.

Notes to Editor:

AVATASCAN(R): Automated drug screening system of patient-derived cells for genome based drug treatment suggestion. AVATASCAN(R) is comprised of a robotic system for rapid screening of drug panel on refractory cancers including glioblastoma, metastatic brain cancer and recurrent cancer. AVATASCAN(R) integrates gene-drug response and genomic analysis to suggest the most optimal treatment option for the patients.

AVATAR Mouse(R): Patient Derived Xenograft model which immunodeficient mice are implanted with patient-derived tissue specimens that have been removed surgically. It can recapitulate the genome, histopathology and biology of patient-derived tumor in situ. SMC possesses a variety of AVATAR Mouse(R) for different cancers such as glioblastoma, gastric cancer, etc.

About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector agency that spearheads economic oriented research to advance scientific discovery and develop innovative technology. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit society.

As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by contributing to societal benefits such as improving outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability.

We play a key role in nurturing and developing a diversity of talent and leaders in our Agency and Research Institutes, the wider research community and industry. A*STAR oversees 18 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis. For more information on A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg

About National Cancer Centre Singapore

National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) provides a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to cancer treatment and patient care. We treat almost 70 per cent of the public sector oncology cases, and they are benefiting from the sub-specialisation of our clinical oncologists. NCCS is also accredited by the US-based Joint Commission International for its quality patient care and safety. To deliver among the best in cancer treatment and care, our clinicians work closely with our scientists who conduct robust cutting-edge clinical and translational research programmes which are internationally recognised. NCCS strives to be a global leading cancer centre, and shares its expertise and knowledge by offering training to local and overseas medical professionals. www.nccs.com.sg

About National University of Singapore (NUS)

A leading global university centred in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore's flagship university, which offers a global approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise.

NUS has 17 faculties and schools across three campuses. Its transformative education includes a broad-based curriculum underscored by multidisciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment. Over 38,000 students from 100 countries enrich the community with their diverse social and cultural perspectives. NUS also strives to create a supportive and innovative environment to promote creative enterprise within its community.

NUS takes an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to research, working with partners from industry, government and academia, to address crucial and complex issues relevant to Asia and the world. Researchers in NUS' Schools and Faculties, 30 university-level research institutes and centres, and Research Centres of Excellence cover a wide range of themes including: energy, environmental and urban sustainability; treatment and prevention of diseases common among Asians; active ageing; advanced materials; risk management and resilience of financial systems. The University's latest research focus is to use data science, operations research and cybersecurity to support Singapore's Smart Nation initiative. For more information on NUS, please visit www.nus.edu.sg.

About Samsung Medical Center

When the Samsung Medical Center (SMC) opened in 1994, it changed the paradigm of the domestic medical world with the advanced concepts "patient-centered" and "customer satisfaction." SMC is dedicated to improve health and enhance the quality of life for mankind through the provision of state-of-the-art patient care, clinical research and education.

During the past 20 years, SMC has received much love and encouragement and has won first place in the National Customer Satisfaction Index (NCSI) 14 times, first place in the Korean Customer Satisfaction Index (KCSI) 16 times, first place in the Korean Standard - Service Quality Index (KS-SQI) 12 times consecutively, and has been selected as the top medical center in the hospital sector in Brand Star 12 times consecutively.

SMC is the leading research oriented hospital in Korea equipped with appropriate facilities and personnel, with the training, knowledge and experience necessary to conduct pre-clinical and clinical research. SMC plans to achieve medical innovation in the future to promote the happiness of patients and will develop into a global hub of biohealth care study and link the industry by connecting to hospital-R&D Center-school and enterprises. At the same time, SMC will create the image of a new future hospital as a public medical institution that leads social contribution. For more information on SMC, please visit www.samsunghospital.com.

For more information, please contact:

National Cancer Centre Singapore
Ms Rachel Tan
Manager, Corporate Communications
Office: +65 6236 9535
Mobile: +65 9754 0842
Email: rachel.tan.c.h@nccs.com.sg

Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Mr Robin Chan
Assistant Head, Corporate Communications
Office: +65 6826 6281
Mobile: +65 9830 2610
Email: robin_chan@scei.a-star.edu.sg

National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Ms Justine Lai
Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications
Office: +65 6772 3831
Mobile: +65 9738 0669
Email: justine_lai@nus.edu.sg

Samsung Medical Center
Dr Misuk Kim
General Manager, Institute for Refractory Cancer Research
Office: +82-2-2148-7321
HP: +82-10-4117-1422
Email: misuk.ns.kim@samsung.com

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DENSO and BlackBerry Partner to Develop World's First Integrated Automobile HMI Platform

December 14, 2017, 2:17 am

≫ Next: Hitachi Promotes ASEAN Business Strategy at Board of Directors Meeting in Singapore

≪ Previous: Singapore Institutes Collaborate with Samsung Medical Center to Improve Treatment of Liver Cancer

- Virtualization Technology Enables Integrated Control of In-vehicle HMI Systems -

KARIYA, JAPAN, Dec 14, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - DENSO Corporation and BlackBerry Limited announced today the companies have jointly developed the world's first integrated HMI (Human Machine Interface) platform. Intel Corp. also collaborated in the development of this product.

The integrated HMI platform will enable a system which optimally cooperates and coordinates various HMI products such as display and sound inside the automobile cockpit at a low price. The integrated HMI platform will appear in successive car models scheduled for release after 2019.

With the improvement of automobile safety and convenience in recent years, the amount of data the vehicle transmits to the driver is increasing. Today, vehicles are equipped with multiple HMI systems, which require several device-specific operating systems (OSes) to work in unison. Because the OSes are independently controlled by multiple microcontrollers, it has not been possible to cooperate and coordinate them to display content and sound uniformly.

The integrated automotive HMI platform is believed to be the first of its kind and was developed by DENSO and BlackBerry using BlackBerry's QNX Hypervisor for virtualization and the Intel Atom processor A3900 series. The hypervisor technology enables the independence of several OSes with different characteristics and controls the integration with one microcomputer.

This architecture allows various HMI products to cooperate allowing necessary information to be displayed to the appropriate devices with appropriate timing. For example, it will be possible to communicate a heads-up or a warning through easy-to-understand expressions on the display with the appropriate timing. Additionally, through cooperation between instrument cluster and navigation center displays, it is now possible to show animation with a sense of unity between the navigation screen in the meter screen. Furthermore, by updating the performance of one microcomputer the processing performance for screens of both devices is updated which contributes to improved increase in R&D productivity and cost reduction.

"DENSO has developed various HMI products, such as instrument clusters, car navigation systems and head-up displays that contribute to the safety and the convenience of automobiles," said Yukihiro Kato, senior executive director, Information & Safety Systems Business Group of DENSO. "Leveraging the technology and know-how acquired through the development of these products, we have developed an information management HMI technology that will support the evolution of automobiles in collaboration with BlackBerry QNX and Intel."

"While cluster, head unit, infotainment, and entertainment screens are all part of a new digital user experience in the car, they can't be developed in isolation and need to work in tandem," said John Wall, SVP and GM of BlackBerry QNX. "With help from DENSO and Intel, BlackBerry QNX will provide a highly functional, virtual cockpit including a safety-certified digital instrument cluster that will be the new gold standard in the automotive industry. We look forward to working with them on many more projects in the future."

As part of the integrated HMI, Intel has provided a unique and revolutionary graphics sharing technology, which it has optimized for the Intel Atom processor A3900 series, to the development efforts. The technology prioritizes and operates 3D workloads important for safety and 3D workloads of less importance on the same processor.

DENSO and BlackBerry will have booths at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas held from January 9 - 12, 2018. The companies integrated HMI platform will be displayed in DENSO's booth located at 1917, North Hall.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry is a cybersecurity software and services company dedicated to securing the Enterprise of Things. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company was founded in 1984 and operates in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Latin America and Africa. The Company trades under the ticker symbol "BB" on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com.

BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of BlackBerry Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

About Denso

DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions and employs nearly 140,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, totaled US$39.8 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.globaldenso.com, or visit our media website at www.densomediacenter.com.

Contact:
DENSO CORPORATION
Sadayoshi Yokoyama, Toshiko Watanabe 
Phone: 81-566-25-5594 
Fax: 81-566-25-4509 
sadayoshi_yokoyama@denso.co.jp 
toshiko_watanabe@denso.co.jp

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Hitachi Promotes ASEAN Business Strategy at Board of Directors Meeting in Singapore

December 14, 2017, 3:39 am

≫ Next: Gemalto Research Reveals Hardware Technology Companies See 11% Increase in Earnings Following Shift to Software-based Revenue Models

≪ Previous: DENSO and BlackBerry Partner to Develop World's First Integrated Automobile HMI Platform

Aiming for Business of 700 billion yen

SINGAPORE, Dec 14, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) announced today that it held its Board of Directors Meeting in the Republic of Singapore where Hitachi's headquarters for the ASEAN region is located. This is Hitachi's first Board of Directors Meeting in the ASEAN region, and the fifth outside of Japan. Under the 2018 Mid-term Management Plan, Hitachi aims to become "an Innovation Partner for the IoT Era" by focusing on expanding Social Innovation Business globally. Discussion at the meeting centered on Hitachi's growth strategy from 2018 onwards and includes means of harnessing the growth potential of the ASEAN region, which is expected to drive the world economy in future.

In the ASEAN region, as momentum in the regional economy accelerates with integration of the market through various partnerships including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), other various plans for the region including strategies relating to Infrastructure Export and Economic Corporation of the Japanese government, and the One Belt, One Road initiative of the Chinese government continue to raise growth expectations. In addition, Singapore and Malaysia, aiming to take the lead in introducing groundbreaking technologies and to forge ahead with nonstop industry innovations, announced their adoption of a regulatory sandbox. With a burgeoning market underpinned by a population of over 600 million people and the most advanced expertise as reflected in the wisdom of FinTech, ASEAN is a region brimming with untapped potential.

ASEAN is a key region in Hitachi's global strategy. Since establishing the Singapore office in 1963, Hitachi has engaged in a wide range of enterprises and projects over the past 54 years. During this period, businesses in the region has grown to approximately 500 billion yen at present. In addition to receiving orders for major projects in 2016 including the Red Line Mass Transit System Project in Thailand, and the Proton Therapy System for the National Cancer Centre Singapore, Hitachi has been playing an active role in a wide range of social innovation projects to realize a smart, peaceful, safe, and comfortable society in recent years. Among these are an electricity distribution system which incorporates a gas-blast load-break switch that contributes to electric power network stability, elevators to support urbanization, and security systems. In Vietnam, Hitachi participated in a joint cashless settlement project and is strengthening its approaches through cooperation with local stakeholders, including an agreement to cooperate with the EEC Development Policy Committee to establish an IoT engineering center which will contribute to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) project in Thailand.

Bearing in mind this market environment, Hitachi's performance to date and the application of Hitachi's IoT technology, the Board of Directors discussed the ASEAN regional strategy focusing on the following four core businesses: (1) urban infrastructure to contribute to urban development, (2) digital infrastructure to contribute to social stability by enhancing efficiency and transparency of government administration, (3) enhancement of manufacturing and logistics efficiency to realize an advanced streamlined cross-border supply chain unique to the ASEAN region, and (4) a service platform that will bring about QoL improvement in people's lives by linking B-to-C companies with the aim of expanding the customer base and the middle class which requires high-quality services. Through its commitment to these core businesses, Hitachi aims to expand business in the ASEAN region from the current level of approximately 500 billion yen to 700 billion yen by 2021.

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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Gemalto Research Reveals Hardware Technology Companies See 11% Increase in Earnings Following Shift to Software-based Revenue Models

December 13, 2017, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: Lockheed Martin and NEC to Enhance Satellites, Space Travel with Artificial Intelligence

≪ Previous: Hitachi Promotes ASEAN Business Strategy at Board of Directors Meeting in Singapore

- Nearly all (94%) device makers have invested in software development in the past five years
- Nine in 10 (88%) believe the Internet of Things (IoT) is driving growth within the manufacturing industry
- 84% have changed - or have already changed - their business model to put software at its core in delivering services and generating revenue
- Of the 37% who have made the transition, the average increase in revenue has been 11%

AMSTERDAM, Dec 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Surveying 300 business decision makers in device manufacturing firms across five major global markets, Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, reveals that the device manufacturing industry is embracing software over hardware as its primary business model.

The change highlights how crucial software is becoming to device manufacturers, specifically in improving business performance and growing revenue. And, as end-users begin to demand more options and control of their devices and data, entire industries are being forced to change their business models and strategies to cater to their customers.

According to Gemalto's 'How Software is Powering the Hardware Renaissance' report, the majority (84%) of organizations in the sector are changing how they operate. In fact, nearly four in 10 (37%) have already made a full shift to a software-centric business model, one that places software at the core of how a company delivers value and generates revenue. The research also found that 94% of respondents have increased their investment in software development in the last five years. Germany is leading the charge. All (100%) of German organizations questioned have boosted their software-based services over this time; with France second (98%) and the US (93%) in third.

Substantial benefits

Hardware technology companies are already reaping substantial benefits - of those that have changed their models, the average increase in revenue has been 11%. They expect further growth in the next five years, with the revenue from software projected to rise from 15% to 18%.

As well as revenue growth, businesses that have moved to software-based selling have seen other benefits. Over eight in 10 have driven diversity in hardware with software features (86%), implemented remote feature upgrades (84%) and improved customer experience (84%). Businesses also report having a more flexible strategy that allows them to adapt to market change (79%), better control copy protection (76%) and being more competitive in the market (73%).

These changes are also having a positive impact for employees. The majority of businesses have retrained their employees (64%) and hired new ones (58%), with three in five (61%) also revealing they have or intend to reshuffle employees into different roles.

Opportunities in IoT

With businesses starting to see the potential of the IoT, software-based business models are generating commercial benefits. Around nine in 10 respondents (88%) believe IoT is driving growth in the industry and that IoT itself is a chance to change their company's business model (85%). Enabling automated upgrades (61%), remote support (57%), collecting usage analytics (54%) and gathering increased and higher quality customer insights (53%) are the main benefits businesses see IoT enabling.

Challenges of software-based selling models

While it may bring substantial benefits and new opportunities, changing from a hardware to a software-based selling model isn't without challenges. When it comes to practicalities, almost all organisations (96%) that have changed, or are changing, have experienced some difficulties in making the transition work.

Looking at the challenges faced in more detail, one in two (56%) respondents reported that they needed to hire staff with different skills. Around one in three said solutions evolved organically without a central strategy (36%) and managing new sales and operational methodologies with outdated legacy processes (34%), caused challenges in the transition.

"The results of this survey validate what we see on a daily basis with our customers as we help them make this transition," said Shlomo Weiss, Senior Vice President, Software Monetization at Gemalto. "Companies who adopt software-based revenue models will reap three main benefits: long term relationships with their customers, predictable revenue streams and a clear competitive advantage. From gaining insight into product usage, to pay-per-use payment structures and on to new market penetration - all the companies we surveyed identified a real need to transform how they do business."

About the survey

Independent technology market research specialist Vanson Bourne surveyed 300 IT decision makers across the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan on behalf of Gemalto, the world leader in digital security. The respondents were from organizations that manufacture software-enabled hardware.

Additional Resources
- Visit the 'How Software is Powering the Hardware Renaissance' website for regional data or downloading the report and infographic. http://bit.ly/2zayJUd
- Learn more about Gemalto's Sentinel Software Monetization solutions https://www.gemalto.com/software-monetization

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:
Tauri Cox
North America
+1 512 257 3916
tauri.cox@gemalto.com

Sophie Dombres
Europe Middle East & Africa
+33 4 42 55 36 57 38
sophie.dombres@gemalto.com

Jaslin Huang
Asia Pacific
+65 6317 3005
jaslin.huang@gemalto.com

Enriqueta Sedano
Latin America
+52 5521221422
enriqueta.sedano@gemalto.com

Press release (PDF): http://hugin.info/159293/R/2156017/828553.pdf
2017 Survey Infographic: http://hugin.info/159293/R/2156017/828561.pdf
2017 Survey Picture: http://hugin.info/159293/R/2156017/828562.JPG

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Lockheed Martin and NEC to Enhance Satellites, Space Travel with Artificial Intelligence

December 13, 2017, 6:50 pm

≫ Next: DENSO Acquires InfiniteKey, Inc. to Advance Keyless Automotive Experience

≪ Previous: Gemalto Research Reveals Hardware Technology Companies See 11% Increase in Earnings Following Shift to Software-based Revenue Models

TOKYO, Dec 14, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Lockheed Martin and NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) today announced that Lockheed Martin will use NEC's System Invariant Analysis Technology (SIAT) in the space domain.

SIAT's advanced analytics engine uses data collected from sensors to learn the behavior of systems, including computer systems, power plants, factories and buildings, enabling the system itself to automatically detect inconsistencies and prescribe resolutions.

NEC's advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities and Lockheed Martin's space domain expertise offer new opportunities in developing enhanced integrated satellite and spacecraft operations with uniquely developed prescriptive analytics. These include rapid assessments of changes in performance and the space environment, such as the potential influence of space weather on electronics. With this information, operators can improve product performance and lifecycle efficiency.

"Lockheed Martin and NEC are experts in space and systems, and that's the right blend to explore how AI can improve space products for astronauts and people on the ground," said Carl Marchetto, vice president of New Ventures at Lockheed Martin Space. "AI can revolutionize how we use information from space, both in orbit and on deep space missions, including crewed missions to Mars and beyond."

"The innovative SIAT developed by NEC can make valuable contributions to solving the challenges faced by Lockheed Martin in the space field," said Tomoyasu Nishimura, senior vice president, NEC Corporation. "Going forward, NEC aims to continue strengthening this solution and to globally support safety, security and operational efficiency in a wide variety of fields."

"It is an honor to see NEC's SIAT being used by Lockheed Martin, one of America's leading space innovators," said Masahiro (Mark) Ikeno, president and CEO, NEC Corporation of America. "We are confident in SIAT's ability to contribute to the reliability, safety and security of Lockheed Martin's developments in the space field."

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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

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DENSO Acquires InfiniteKey, Inc. to Advance Keyless Automotive Experience

December 14, 2017, 11:52 pm

≫ Next: UK ABWR Successfully Completes GDA Process

≪ Previous: Lockheed Martin and NEC to Enhance Satellites, Space Travel with Artificial Intelligence

- Replacing keys with smartphones will enable a broad range of mobility, including ridesharing and driverless services -

KARIYA, JAPAN, Dec 15, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - DENSO, one of the world's largest automotive technology, systems and components suppliers, has acquired Holland, Mich.-based InfiniteKey, Inc., along with several key patents and R&D resources. The acquisition provides foundational pieces to developing phone-as-a-key technology and increases DENSO's lead in developing and deploying smartphone-based automotive access, a critical component of the company's strategy to create a future with frictionless mobility. This type of technology will become increasingly important for automakers, as ridesharing and driverless services progress beyond the need for keys.

"When we consider the future of mobility, the customer experience is always at the forefront of our design. Eliminating the need for physical keys will create a headache-free experience for car owners, and ridesharing and driverless services users," said Bill Foy, senior vice president of Engineering, DENSO International America. "This acquisition brings us one step closer to making this experience a reality and advancing vehicle access technologies."

InfiniteKey has developed advanced techniques for microlocating smartphones relative to vehicles using standard Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This technology allows automakers to rely on phones as passive keys, in the same way they rely upon dedicated passive key fobs today. Unlike key fobs, however, phones as passive key systems enable a broad range of mobility services, such as ridesharing and driverless services.

"This acquisition demonstrates DENSO's aggressive approach to supporting startups and technologies we view as significantly valuable for the future of the transportation industry," said Tony Cannestra, director of Corporate Ventures, DENSO International America. "Whether it's through direct investment or acquisition, DENSO will find a way to support and partner with companies to help transform mobility."

Kevin Virta, CEO of InfiniteKey, expressed his team's enthusiasm for joining forces with DENSO. "Becoming part of DENSO, with its global reach and world-class engineering, means our phone-as-a-key technology can reach the broadest possible penetration in the automotive market," said Virta. "We are looking forward to making significant contributions to DENSO's efforts to lead the way in automotive technologies of the future."

InfiniteKey has been acquired by DENSO International America, DENSO's North American regional headquarters, and is now a satellite office. DENSO completed its transaction of InfiniteKey in October 2017. Terms were not disclosed.

About Denso

DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan, is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. Its customers include all the world's major carmakers. Worldwide, the company has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions and employs nearly 140,000 people. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, totaled US$39.8 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 9 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.globaldenso.com, or visit our media website at www.densomediacenter.com.

Contact:
DENSO CORPORATION 
Sadayoshi Yokoyama, Toshiko Watanabe
Phone: 81-566-25-5594 
Fax: 81-566-25-4509 
sadayoshi_yokoyama@denso.co.jp 
toshiko_watanabe@denso.co.jp

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UK ABWR Successfully Completes GDA Process

December 15, 2017, 1:59 am

≫ Next: Hitachi to Install New Proton Beam Therapy System in Spain

≪ Previous: DENSO Acquires InfiniteKey, Inc. to Advance Keyless Automotive Experience

Major achievement for Hitachi, and leap forward for Horizon's Wylfa Newydd

LONDON, Dec 15, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) and Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd. today announced that the UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) has successfully completed the UK Nuclear Regulators' Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process within the target period of 5 years. This has followed extensive assessment and scrutiny by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Hitachi-GE has received on schedule approval for deployment in the UK, paving the way for the construction of Horizon Nuclear Power's first unit at Wylfa Newydd on Anglesey, North Wales.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_UKABWR.jpg
From Left: Hidetoshi Takehara COO of Nuclear Energy BU, Hitachi; Mark Foy, Chief Nuclear Inspector, ONR; Steve Hardy, EA; Tim Jones, NRW

Four generation III + ABWRs have previously been successfully built and operated - all to time and budget - making ABWR the world's most established modern design. ABWR has now achieved approvals under four different regulatory regimes worldwide.

Hitachi has been continuously involved in construction of power plants for more than 40 years, and developed the ABWR in collaboration with various international partners. Hitachi has participated in the design, development and construction of 23 nuclear power plants in Japan, with BWRs including ABWRs.

The ABWR is a Generation III + reactor, the most modern and well-established operational generation of nuclear power stations in the world. The main features include enhanced safety, higher operability, reduced dose equivalent and enhanced cost efficiency during construction and operation. UK ABWR includes those amendments agreed with ONR, EA & NRW, specific to the UK operating environment.

Toshiaki Higashihara, President & CEO of Hitachi, Ltd., said

"I am delighted that GDA of the UK ABWR has been successfully completed. Hitachi is taking another critically important step forwards in delivering an ABWR for the UK. Successfully completing GDA on schedule represents steady, sustained, and enduring progress for our UK nuclear projects. Hitachi is focused on continuing this success, and delivering the project in order to provide clean, secure and sustainable energy for the UK."

Tadashi Kume, President & Representative Director of Hitachi-GE, said

"Meeting the famously high standards of the UK regulators is a great achievement, and is one more mark of success for our tried and tested ABWR design. Successful completion of GDA is pivotal to deploying UK ABWR in the UK, creating thousands of jobs and driving economic growth. We now look forward to supporting Horizon's ramp-up of site-specific licensing for Wylfa Newydd."

Duncan Hawthorne, CEO of Horizon Nuclear Power, said

"This is a huge milestone for Horizon and a major leap forward for us in bringing much-needed new nuclear power to the UK. Nuclear can deliver high volumes of stable low carbon energy, which makes it a vital part of the country's energy mix and once up and running, both Wylfa Newydd and our Oldbury site will supply clean, reliable power to the UK for decades to come.

"It's testament to the strength of the combined team, and the proven nature of the technology, that the GDA process has been completed and delivered on time."

- The UK ABWR underwent a rigorous four-step assessment by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales. The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has granted the UK ABWR a Design Acceptance Confirmation (DAC) whilst the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) granted a Statement of Design Acceptability (SoDA).
- GDA is the process by which the UK nuclear regulators assess the potential suitability of a nuclear reactor design for development at an unspecified location in the UK. GDA of the UK ABWR began in April 2013, and entailed assessments across 20 topic workstreams, entailing a peak team of well over 300 from Hitachi-GE, Horizon and GE Hitachi.
- Horizon has worked closely with Hitachi-GE throughout GDA, and will be the site license applicant for their proposed developments. GDA does not in itself give permission to construct, and Horizon now begins a process of site specific safety and environmental applications - in parallel to that for their nuclear site license.
- Horizon's Wylfa Newydd and Oldbury projects will create tens of thousands of jobs, and ultimately provide more than 5.4GW of clean, secure and affordable electricity, enough to power some 10 million homes.
- The regulators today published the: DAC; SoDA; Assessment Reports for each topic (GDA Step 4); ONR Summary Assessment Report; EA & NRW Decision Document; and EA / NRW Summary Decision Document. They have also completed publication of all RIs & ROs - with resolution plans & closure letters at www.onr.org.uk/new-reactors/uk-abwr/index.htm.
- Hitachi-GE has published their final Generic Pre-Construction Safety Report (PCSR) and Generic Environmental Permit (GEP) at www.hitachi-hgne-uk-abwr.co.uk/gda_library.html.

About Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.

Hitachi-GE, a joint venture established by Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501) and GE in July 2007, as one of the world's leading comprehensive plant manufacturers, engages in the development, planning, design, manufacture, inspection, installation, pre-operation, and maintenance of nuclear reactor-related equipment and is able to execute integrated project management. Hitachi-GE has been involved with 23 reactors in Japan to date, including those currently under construction. For more information about Hitachi-GE, please visit http://www.hitachi-hgne.co.jp/en/index.html.

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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