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Northern New Energy Announces 2018 First Quarter Results

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Satisfactory New Energy Business Performance Drives Net Profit Up by 658.3% Year-on-Year

HONG KONG, May 11, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Northern New Energy Holdings Limited ("Northern New Energy" / the "Group"; stock code: 8246) today announced its first quarter results for the three months ended 31 March 2018. The Group continued to implement its dual-track development strategy and strived for diversification and professional development of its business segments. It strengthened its Catering Business and at the same time actively expanded New Energy Business. The latter delivered satisfactory performance in the first quarter of 2018, bolstering the Group's overall performance, with income up by 164.7% year-on-year and net profit after taxation rocketed by 658.3% against the last corresponding period.

In the first quarter of 2018, revenue of the Group amounted to RMB58.2 million (corresponding period in 2017: RMB22 million) and profit and total comprehensive income for the period was RMB5.1 million (corresponding period in 2017: RMB0.7 million). Basic earnings per share were RMB0.09 cents (corresponding period in 2017: RMB 0.01 cents).

The Group continued to provide diverse integrated new energy services in Tianjin during the period. With professional expertise and affording high quality services, the Group provided technological development and consultancy services in relation to heat supply and coal-to-natural gas conversion solutions to customers in Tianjin and completed contracts for construction of outdoor pipe network. It also traded new energy related industrial products. These projects generated significant revenues and profits for the Group in the first quarter.

The Group also embarked on acquisitions and mergers to expand its business scope and enhance the quality of its business. In February this year, it acquired 81.8% registered capital of Tianjin Jin Re Natural Gas Sales Company Limited ("Tianjin Jin Re Natural Gas") and the project is expected to present the Group with a new income stream in 2018. Tianjin Jin Re Natural Gas is principally engaged in sale of natural gas; gas pipeline engineering; sale, installation and maintenance of gas transmission equipment; development, consultation, service and transfer of heat supply technology; development of new energy technology; leasing and commercial services industry; installation of electric and mechanical equipment; and centralized urban heat supply service.

Looking ahead, capitalizing on the support of favorable national policies such as the "Clean Winter Heating Plan for Northern China (2017-2021)", Northern New Energy will focus on developing and strengthening the new energy segment with unlimited potential. The Group will extend the coverage of its New Energy Business to other regions in northern China, while continuing to expand its customer base and market share in Tianjin.

Subsequent to the period under review, the Group signed a cooperation framework agreement with Tractebel Engineering S.A., one of the world's largest engineering and consultancy companies, and Tianjin Jinre Heat-Supply Group Co. Ltd, a key heat-supply enterprise in Tianjin, on cooperation in such areas as coal-to-natural gas conversion heating projects, heating facilities and networks, energy efficiency management and construction of gas storage facilities. The partners will submit a feasible proposal to relevant government agencies as soon as possible in the hope that related construction can commence this year. The project will generate new income for the Group, allowing it to upgrade its professional technologies thus move closer towards the goal of becoming a provider of diverse integrated new energy services and leading Northern New Energy to advance and reach a new milestone.

As for Catering Business, the Group will adjust related business strategy to boost the profitability of the business. Regarding Property Investment, the Group will continue to identify premium investment projects for securing stable rental income and bringing better investment returns to shareholders.

Northern New Energy Holdings Limited
Northern New Energy Holdings Limited formerly known as Noble House (China) Holdings Limited, is a company listed on the GEM of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2011 (stock code: 8246). In 2015, the Group began to develop new energy operations and R&D of related technologies, plus construction engineering business. The Group also operates restaurants, provides management services, and sells processed food and seafood. Also in 2015, the Group further diversified its business to cover also property investment.

Media enquiries
Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Keris Leung +852 2864 4863 keris.leung@sprg.com.hk
Fanny Yuen +852 2864 4853 fanny.yuen@sprg.com.hk
Boni Liu +852 2864 4870 boni.liu@sprg.com.hk


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

The World's First Blockchain Product Brand 31BLOCKCHAIN Launches in Hong Kong

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The guests performed ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening ceremony of "31 BLOCKCHAIN" store. From Right to Left: General Manager of IP3-Technology Mr. CAO Yalian, Toi Shan Association of Hong Kong Doctor & President Mr. LEI Tingsun, Founder of Triangle Technology Mr. GAO Shengli, CEO of HC Group Mr. LIU Xiaodong, Technical Director of Intel China ODM and Mr. YAN Tao Vice President of Highly Group Mr. GAO Ge
The management team of Triangle Technology chaired traditional eye-dotting and green-plucking ceremony of the lion dance to celebrate the grand opening of "31 BLOCKCHAIN" store. From Right to Left: Co-founder Ms. WANG Ke, CEO Mr. LIN Bing Hong, Founder Mr. GAO Shengli, Executive Director Ms. CENG Shu Fang, CTO Mr. FAN Qi Fei, and Retail & Franchise Director Ms. Mengdi JIA.
Mr. GAO Shengli, Founder of Triangle Technology and Mr. LIU Xiaodong, President of HC Group (2280.HK) chaired unveiling ceremony of 31Blockchain.
- Acute Angle PC Featuring Triangular Main Unit
- Creates Craze in Over 26 Countries and Regions
- Daily Quota of 30 Units Offered at Special Price Sell Out in a Flash

HONG KONG, May 11, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - 31BLOCKCHAIN, the world's first BLOCKCHAIN product brand, has finally arrived in Hong Kong. 31BLOCKCHAIN's hardware and related peripherals and accessories store in Wanchai is the first retail outlet around the world. Apart from the proprietary iconic product Acute Angle PC featuring a triangular main unit based on Blockchain technology which has been a hit in more than 26 countries and regions, the store also offers a variety of ancillary blockchain products, transforming 31BLOCKCHAIN into a prestigious trendy BLOCKCHAIN product brand worldwide.

31BLOCKCHAIN has carried out external trial operation from 1-10 May and held a grand opening ceremony today. It will officially open for business on 12 May. A special introductory promotion offer was provided during the trial run period, in which a daily quota of the first 30 triangular main units were sold at a discount price of HK$5,380 (original price: HK$7,880). Each purchase was limited to two units and the quotas were filled virtually as soon as the offer was launched stirring up a shopping frenzy.

31BLOCKCHAIN is committed to creating a satisfactory service experience for customers and building the brand image as a trendy powerful blockchain product. The store is currently offering blockchain application hardware products under the Acute Angle brand, blockchain peripherals under the 31BLOCKCHAIN brand and related consumer electronic products that meet the brand concepts. Accessory products to be launched in the future include shirts, cups and premiums with Bitcoin or e-money elements. 31BLOCKCHAIN brand has also established a one-stop consultancy service which provides customers with comprehensive product information including specifications and operation guidelines of Acute Angle's products and after-sales service. Customers can also appraise the product experience and services as well as access blockchain -related information through 31BLOCKCHAIN.

Win 10 and Intel N3450 14nm Quad-Core Processor Combination Powers New-generation Green Technology Product
Powered by Intel's latest Apollo N3450 14 nm quad-core microprocessor, the Acute Angle PC runs the Win 10 operating system and is equipped with 8+64G RAM and system storage. The main unit incorporates 128GSSD hard disk storage and supports 2.4G/5Ghz dual-band WiFi. Compared with a 20nm microprocessor with the same functions, the Acute Angle PC consumes 40% less energy and its light sleek triangular design also helps reduce its size60%, making it the new generation "green technology product".

By adopting the BLOCKCHAIN technology, cloud computing and IPFS technology, Acute Angle PC can also realise a distributed IaaS platform which completely transforms the high maintenance cost operation model of the traditional centralized machine rooms by sensibly utilising idle system resources. The resulting benefits will be returned to the users.

Acute Angle Chain enables the PC to contribute idle resources and offer a comprehensive and stable IaaS service. Users can integrate idle resources into the Acute Angle Cloud, which will then carry out automatic redistribution to enhance utilization rate of storage space and make the sharing of resources possible. It can also speed up the services provided by a series of innovative and practical big data platforms including a downloading platform, UGC acceleration platform, mobile media platform and dynamic acceleration platform. The service cost of using resources from Acute Angle Cloud is just one-tenth or even less than the comparable cloud service cost in the market. Acute Angle Cloud distributed cloud service platform is more secure, efficient and reliable and thus is considered as a highly cost-effective and innovative system solution alternative.

The Acute Angle PC is also equipped with BLOCKCHAIN-based applications hardware. The idle computing resources including the broadband, storage, CPU and hard disk, which are idle or are not fully utilised, will be found and allocated when the users are operating their computer are that are linked in the Acute Angle Chain, offering these idle computing resources and are eligible for the reward scheme under the smart contract. The users can then participate in the designated official activities or duties to obtain reward tokens, which can subsequently be used to pay for transactions for storage space, information access and application development.

With respect to the global pre-sale of 30,000 Acute Angle PCs via the official website, despite only a 12-hour limit and a single purchase restriction to five PCs for an individual, some 20,000 Acute Angle PCs were sold within just 19 minutes. The coverage of product delivery includes more than 26 countries and regions around the world.

Mr. GAO Shengli, Founder of Triangle Technology, which owns the brand of 31BLOCKCHAIN, said, "Web 2.0 currently has many shortcomings, including vulnerability to attacks from hackers, leakage of personal information, abuse and wastage of abundant resources and expensive cloud service fees. Our 31BLOCKCHAIN team intends to explore new technology concepts, which have yet to be developed and applied, and to provide better software and hardware and BLOCKCHAIN-based solutions for society. We have selected Wanchai, Hong Kong as the location of our first product store in the world as we hope to promote Acute Angle PC?s service philosophy of trust, stable and security globally through the international and diverse stage and window of Hong Kong. Going forward, we will further introduce comprehensive service capabilities in our Acute Angle Cloud in order to offer the cloud users the CDN acceleration services, which better meet the needs of Internet business. Complementing these efforts, we will also further expand our BLOCKCHAIN-based and peripheral product offerings."

About Triangle Technology (HK) Co., Ltd
Founded in 2015, Triangle Technology (HK) Co., Ltd is a state-of-the-art technology company focusing on BLOCKCHAIN-based software and hardware applications and pursuing diversification and innovation, and is the world's first provider of BLOCKCHAIN-based hardware solutions. Triangle Technology has launched the first-ever BLOCKCHAIN-based Acute Angle PC. Through connecting the idle resources of global PC users, the Acute Angle Cloud enables the users to participate in the Acute Angle Chain reward scheme and it has successfully entered different countries and online trading platforms. The coverage of product delivery includes more than 26 countries and regions around the world.

Details about 31BLOCKCHAIN Store
Store address: G/F., 167-169 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Store tel: 852-2516 9334
Official email: 31BLOCKCHAIN@acuteangle.com

Media enquiry:
Strategic Financial Relations (China) Limited
Karen LI Tel: (852) 2864 4837
Jacqueline TANG Tel: (852) 2864 4846
Yoyo LO Tel: (852) 2114 4965


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Bettium, Analytical Blockchain Platform, announces Token Sale

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HONG KONG, May 11, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Bettium has announced a token sale to raise funds for its analytical blockchain P2P betting platform, designed to combine the familiar features of online betting together with unprecedented new capabilities, such as a built-in AI assistant, Big Data analytical tools and algorithmic betting. The platform will serve both amateurs and betting professionals in a unified ecosystem based on the blockchain with all its associated advantages: decentralization, reliability, transparency, scalability and unprecedented performance.

"The online betting market is on the threshold of tectonic change. Blockchain will revolutionize the industry, significantly expanding the user base by ushering in new standards for functionality and reliability that will radically change the way individuals interact with each other. The Bettium platform will present a cleaner, more responsible alternative to the traditional bookmaker, fundamentally altering perceptions of sports betting and encouraging wider participation from the community as a whole: bettors, players, advertisers and industry professionals. We intend to show the positive side of the betting industry, providing tools and algorithms that will allow even amateur bettors the chance to play like the experts. Betting today stands at the intersection of sports, technology and logic - and Bettium is the key," says Nathan Hunt, Bettium CEO.

Bettium will truly level the playing field between professionals and amateurs by providing all users with equal capabilities and the same professional-grade tools, such as the platform's built-in AI assistant (nicknamed "Merlin"), which will not only process Big Data and help users make educated decisions, but also allow to automatically execute their own betting strategies. Those who prefer to rely on the expertise of professionals will be able to subscribe to expert forecasts, mimicking their bets or even completely entrusting wagers to a fund manager for a small fee. The transparency and security of such relationships will be guaranteed by smart contracts and facilitated with a rating system allowing users to assess expert capabilities.

The project expects to capture a significant share of the online betting market, which has more than doubled over the past decade and is projected to reach US$52 billion in 2018. Bettium will help transform the industry from of loose collection of semi-respectable and unregulated bookmakers to an established institution with functionality that ensures safety and transparency for the common bettor. Blockchain technology and smart contracts will be used for deposits, payouts, transactions and risk coverage, eliminating the pitfalls of traditional systems, such as lack of transparency, technical vulnerability, excessive fees, low bet limits and high deposit requirements. Change is inevitable in today's market and Bettium will be at the forefront.

The Bettium team has already announced the details of its public crowdsale. The pre-sale of BETT tokens is starting on May 20, and the open phase of the crowdsale on June 1, 2018. Currently, the company is conducting a private sale. A total of 1,000,000,000 BETT tokens will issued (ERC-20 standard), 1 BETT = 0,05 USD. The company anticipates it will raise up to US$30 million in the token offering (which is the hard cap), with 50 percent of the accumulated sum to be used for creation of the platform and operational costs, 37 percent to be spent on research, marketing and tournaments, and 13 percent to support the company's legal procedures.

Details of the Bettium platform and project Token Sale can be found at https://bettium.com/.

Chat with the Bettium team on Telegram:
Telegram news: https://t.me/bettium
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Learn more about Bettium on Medium: https://medium.com/bettium


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

DGIP visits Israel and Nordic countries to promote Hong Kong's business advantages

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Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Stephen Phillips
HONG KONG, May 13, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Stephen Phillips, today (May 13) embarked on a visit to Israel and northern Europe to promote the latest business advantages Hong Kong has to offer.

The visit covers Tel Aviv, Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen, where Mr Phillips will meet with business chambers and government leaders and speak at various business seminars. He will also meet heads of leading companies from a wide range of cutting-edge FinTech and technology sectors as well as start-up communities.

Mr Phillips said, "At this juncture, Hong Kong is turning a new page in its economic development in light of the opportunities brought by the national Belt and Road Initiative and the growth engine in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. The business opportunities arising from the increased flows of people, goods and capital within the Bay Area will be immense, while Hong Kong as a strategic, international city will have a key role to play to help propel the growth of the Bay Area."

He continued, "Hong Kong under the 'one country, two systems' principle offers an unrivalled edge including its geographical location, a vibrant business environment, a robust legal system, intellectual property protection, and deep, world-class financial and professional services, amongst others."

"In recent years, the city has also offered new business opportunities in areas such as innovation and technology, creative industries, smart city and financial technology as well as biological technology. These advantages will provide companies and entrepreneurs looking to expand in Asia a solid platform to grow their business globally."

During his first stop in Tel Aviv, Mr Phillips will meet with leaders in hi-tech sectors and speak at a seminar entitled "Asia at Your Fingertips" about opportunities resulting from the Bay Area development and other updates from the Hong Kong business scene. He will also meet with the Head of Invest in Israel, Mr Eyal Eliezer.

In Stockholm, Mr Phillips will speak at a Stockholm FinTech Hub seminar, as well as meet with officials of the Sweden China Trade Council and the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Sweden. Mr Phillips will also meet some of the leading tech companies notably in the augmented reality and cloud businesses. In Helsinki, he will speak at a seminar hosted by the Finland-Hong Kong Trade Association, and meet with heads of various companies. In Copenhagen, he will speak at a seminar hosted by the Copenhagen FinTech Lab and meet with heads of various FinTech companies.

About InvestHK

Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to attract foreign direct investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services for overseas and Mainland companies enrolled as its clients. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.

Ends/Sunday, May 13, 2018

Media contacts:

For Israel-
Michael Platt
Lead Consultant (Jerusalem)
Tel: +972 2 571 0199
Email: MPlatt@investhk.com.hk

For Stockholm-
Richard Chiu
Consultant (Gothenburg)
Tel: +47 909 81 404
Email: RChiu@investhk.com.hk

For Helsinki-
Mats Gerlam
Consultant (Gothenburg)
Tel: +46 708 572 288
Email: MGerlam@investhk.com.hk

For Copenhagen-
Geert Hovens
Consultant (Gothenburg)
Tel: +31 6 5232 3542
Email: GHovens@investhk.com.hk

For Hong Kong-
Antoine So
Head of Public Relations
Tel: +852 3107 1035
ASo@investhk.gov.hk

Eva Chan
Manager of Public Relations
Tel: +852 3107 1071
EChan@investhk.gov.hk

 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Hong Kong investment promotion chief visits Israel and Nordic countries to promote Hong Kong's business advantages

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Head of Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Mr Stephen Phillips
HONG KONG, May 13, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Head of Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Mr Stephen Phillips, today (May 13) embarked on a visit to Israel and northern Europe to promote the latest business advantages Hong Kong has to offer.

The visit covers Tel Aviv, Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen, where Mr Phillips will meet with business chambers and government leaders and speak at various business seminars. He will also meet heads of leading companies from a wide range of cutting-edge FinTech and technology sectors as well as the start-up communities.

Mr Phillips said, "At this juncture, Hong Kong is turning a new page in its economic development in light of the opportunities brought by the national Belt and Road Initiative and the growth engine in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. The business opportunities arising from the increased flows of people, goods and capital within the Bay Area will be immense, while Hong Kong as a strategic, international city will have a key role to play to help propel the growth of the Bay Area."

He continued, "Hong Kong under the 'one country, two systems' principle offers an unrivalled edge including its geographical location, a vibrant business environment, a robust legal system, intellectual property protection, and deep, world-class financial and professional services, amongst others."

"In recent years, the city has also offered new business opportunities in areas such as innovation and technology, creative industries, smart city and financial technology as well as biological technology. These advantages will provide companies and entrepreneurs looking to expand in Asia a solid platform to grow their business globally."

During his first stop in Tel Aviv, Mr Phillips will meet with leaders in hi-tech sectors and speak at a seminar entitled "Asia at Your Fingertips" about opportunities resulting from the Bay Area development and other updates from Hong Kong business scene. He will also meet with the Head of Invest in Israel, Mr Eyal Eliezer.

In Stockholm, Mr Phillips will speak at a Stockholm FinTech Hub seminar, as well as meet with officials of the Sweden China Trade Council and the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Sweden. Mr Phillips will also meet some of the leading tech companies notably in the augmented reality and cloud businesses. In Helsinki, he will speak at a seminar hosted by the Finland-Hong Kong Trade Association, and meet with heads of various companies. In Copenhagen, he will speak at a seminar hosted by the Copenhagen FinTech Lab and meet with heads of various FinTech companies.

About InvestHK

Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to attract foreign direct investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services for overseas and Mainland companies enrolled as its clients. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.

Note to editors:
The "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area" refers to the PRC government's scheme to link the cities of Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing into an integrated economic and business hub.

Ends/Sunday, May 13, 2018

Media contacts:

For Israel-
Michael Platt
Lead Consultant (Jerusalem)
Tel: +972 2 571 0199
Email: MPlatt@investhk.com.hk

For Stockholm-
Richard Chiu
Consultant (Gothenburg)
Tel: +47 909 81 404
Email: RChiu@investhk.com.hk

For Helsinki-
Mats Gerlam
Consultant (Gothenburg)
Tel: +46 708 572 288
Email: MGerlam@investhk.com.hk

For Copenhagen-
Geert Hovens
Consultant (Gothenburg)
Tel: +31 6 5232 3542
Email: GHovens@investhk.com.hk

For Hong Kong-
Antoine So
Head of Public Relations
Tel: +852 3107 1035
ASo@investhk.gov.hk

Eva Chan
Manager of Public Relations
Tel: +852 3107 1071
EChan@investhk.gov.hk

 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

NEC to Provide NTT DOCOMO with Base Station Equipment for 5G Services

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TOKYO, May 14, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) today announced an agreement with NTT DOCOMO, INC. to provide control units for 5G base station equipment aiming for the commercialization of 5G services. NEC is slated to carry out development that enables existing communication equipment, such as high-density base station equipment, to be fully compatible with 5G. These developments will contribute to the successful provision of 5G services that DOCOMO aims to launch in 2020.

Currently, high-density base station equipment that NEC began providing in February 2015 is already compatible with the advanced Centralized Radio Access Network (C-RAN) architecture advocated by DOCOMO, and is now being utilized as a base station control unit. Moreover, following a software upgrade, an advance in communications from LTE to LTE-Advanced has been achieved.

Under this new agreement, NEC will achieve 5G compatibility through software upgrades and a minimal replacement of hardware to maximize the use of existing high-density base station equipment. Even after making equipment compatible with 5G, existing LTE/LTE-Advanced services will continue to be available. With the coexistence of the LTE/LTE-Advanced and 5G services, NEC will contribute to the realization of a network that meets a variety of service demands.

"DOCOMO aims to deploy and expand our commercial 5G services efficiently by maximizing the use of existing communications equipment," said, Hiroshi Nakamura, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Board of Directors, NTT DOCOMO. "This agreement with NEC is in line with that policy and we expect it to make a significant contribution to our 5G services. Going forward, DOCOMO accelerates co-creation of new services and businesses with vertical industry partners."

"NEC is proud to be providing base station equipment and to be driving the development of 5G New Radio technologies in support of DOCOMO's commercial 5G services. Together, we are working to co-create ultra-high-speed and high capacity services and use cases, including remote diagnosis and advanced security, that combine 5G with the latest ICT," said Atsuo Kawamura, Executive Vice President, NEC Corporation. "Through these initiatives, NEC will continue strengthening our partnership with DOCOMO and contributing to the realization of 5G 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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Global Exclusive Premier of CCCX on Coinsuper Crypto Exchange

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HONG KONG, May 14, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Coinsuper, a leading crypto exchange in Hong Kong, is announcing that Clipper Coin Capital (CCCX) will have its global exclusive premier listing on Coinsuper on May 14th, 2018.

Coinsuper is the largest digital asset trading platform based in Hong Kong, providing crypto trading services to individuals and institutions. It has built a professional crypto exchange with strict listing standards, and ensures stakeholders safety with state-of-the-art digital security technology. Coinsuper has a team of professionals with broad experience in financial services, wealth management, and blockchain technology.

Clipper Coin Capital is a decentralized brokerage and investment bank focusing on cryptocurrency markets. Clipper Crypto Rating helps crypto participants avoid ICO scams and trade in the future of blockchain technology. Clipper Coin Capital has created crypto market indices and is working on Crypto ETFs. It also provides investment banking services to promising blockchain projects.

As a leader in promoting the public trust in the crypto currency market, Coinsuper is dedicated to creating a better and more secure exchange platform, especially for new ICO listings, to ensure a scam-free crypto environment, and to provide crypto participants with financial education and advisory services.

About Coinsuper
Coinsuper is a leading digital asset trading platform based in Hong Kong. We are a global elite team with extensive experience in financial advisory, compliance, wealth management and most importantly, cryptocurrency and financial technology. Coinsuper adopts methods such as SSL encryption technology, multi-signature cryptocurrency wallets, offline capital management to ensure the security and stability of the platform. We also adopt google authenticator in customer login and fund/BTC withdrawal to ensure that our customers' assets and account information well protected.

Website: www.coinsuper.com
Telegram: https://t.me/CoinsuperEx

About Clipper Coin Capital
Clipper Coin Capital is an innovative crypto brokerage and investment bank with global reach. Clipper Crypto Rating helps crypto participants avoid ICO scams and trade in the future of blockchain technology. Clipper Coin Capital has created crypto market indices and is working on Crypto ETFs. It also provides investment banking services to promising blockchain projects. Clipper Coin Capital will be listed on Coinsuper as CCCX.

Website: www.clippercoin.com
Telegram: https://t.me/CCC_official


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

NEC and AIST Develop Efficient Technology for Discovery of Rare Critical Events by Merging AI and Simulation Technologies

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New technology reduces the risk of undiscovered critical events and significantly shortens validation time

TOKYO, May 14, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (NEC) and Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) today announced a new efficient search technology for the discovery of rare critical events. The technology repeats simulations while artificial intelligence (AI) learns the simulation results. As a result, it efficiently discovers rare critical events that are difficult to discover at the product design stage due to the extremely low probability of their occurrence. The technology is one of NEC's lineup of cutting-edge AI technologies "NEC the WISE"(1).

The new technology merges AI and simulation technologies to improve the efficiency of search for rare events. It significantly shortens validation time (the time taken for highly-skilled experts to discover such rare events at the product design stage) and reduces the risk of multiple critical events being overlooked.

The technology was applied to the design of an optical device to detect stray light(2), whose probability of occurrence is very low (around 1 in 100 million), but critical because it causes significant performance degradation as a noise signal. While skilled experts require approximately one week, the technology dramatically shortened search time: completing the search in around one day and successfully discovered several critical events without any being overlooked.

With this technology, NEC and AIST will contribute to the further improvement of the quality and reliability of products and operations by supporting human decisions in the design, production, and operation of complex systems, such as social infrastructure; and by discovering and eliminating rare critical events in the design stages in advance.

Features of the rare event discovery technology

Efficiently narrows down occurrence conditions for rare events and shortens validation time
While AI runs simulations, the technology searches for events based on learned characteristics. NEC and AIST have developed an algorithm that enables intentionally biased search based on the frequency of event occurrence. As a result, it has become possible to efficiently narrow down the conditions for rare events, and to discover them in a shorter time.

Reduces the risk of multiple critical events being overlooked

Based on the degree and frequency of occurrence of rare events in its learning outcomes, the AI developed by NEC and AIST calculates and adjusts the concentration ratio of its search in the vicinity of already detected events to 50%, thereby enabling the risk of overlooking multiple critical events to be reduced.

NEC and AIST will extend the field of applications for this technology from optics design to structural design, such as bridges and buildings, and fluid design such as engines, and will continue working in cooperation to contribute to the development of new technologies merging AI and simulations, and to their application in industry.

NEC and AIST presented the technology on May 4 at the SIAM International Conference on Data Mining (SDM18) in San Diego, California.

(1) NEC announces new AI technology brand, "NEC the WISE"
http://www.nec.com/en/press/201607/global_20160719_01.html
(2) Stray light: Stray light is unwanted light in an optical system. When stray light reaches the detector, it causes errors and degrades the observational performance of the optical device.

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Fujitsu and Nippan Jointly Develop "SeleBoo" Book Selection Service Using AI

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Diagram: The structure of SeleBoo
AI-based machine learning of knowledge and intuition possessed by bookstore staff to support in attracting customers

TOKYO, May 14, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, Inc. (Nippan) and Fujitsu Limited announce the joint development of "SeleBoo" book selection service, which uses artificial intelligence to automatically select books that fit with the unique characteristics of a bookstore, such as the store concept and target customers. Nippan will make the service available to its affiliated bookstores across Japan, beginning in the summer of 2018. SeleBoo, a word combination derived from "Select Book," is the industry's first AI-based book selection service to create book lists suited to a store's theme and customer base, from approximately 600,000 books on sale in Japan, through big data analysis using Fujitsu's AI. Based on these lists, Nippan will suggest books to its affiliated bookstores across Japan, helping retail locations attract customers through in-store promotions and events. Through this service, Nippan and Fujitsu aim to invigorate the publishing industry market, and create new business models by matching books with products and services in other industries, such as cafes and general merchandise stores.

Background

The publishing industry is facing the pressure of dramatic change as reading rates fall among young people and ebooks become increasingly common. In light of this, Nippan, which connects publishers with bookstores, has joined with Fujitsu to develop SeleBoo, an AI book selection service, based on Nippan's data, including product information, sales results, and purchase records, in order to support a new strategy of bringing out the distinctiveness of bookstores.
Details of the SeleBoo Service

This service uses the Marketing AI Container(1), which is a big data analysis service using Fujitsu's AI, to analyze open data such as DBpedia(2) and Lod4all(3) in addition to Nippan's 3.5 million bibliographic items of information on books and magazines as well as sales information, from about 3,000 bookstores across Japan. The service then selects books to create a list based on the bookstore or retail store's theme and target customer base. In addition, by incorporating feedback from bookstore staff on the selection results, AI can apply machine learning to bookstore staff knowledge and intuition, improving its book selection capability. The service will initially offer keyword book selection, which will select books related to a theme, key book selection, which will select books that are similar to a specified book, and location book selection, which will select books related to a specific area. Fujitsu and Nippan plan to further enhance the service going forward, developing functionality such as bookstore color book selection, which will select books that suit the characteristics of a bookstore, and cover book selection, which will select books based on their covers.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_FujitsuSeleBoo51418.jpg
Diagram: The structure of SeleBoo

SeleBoo will be exhibited at the Nippan Partner Event(4) on May 15, and Fujitsu Forum 2018(5), which will be held May 17-18.

(1) Marketing AI Container An analysis environment that can execute as-is the advanced analysis logic developed by Fujitsu on the basis of over 200 analysis projects aimed at specific data usage goals for each individual company. The container can provide an analysis environment in a flexible form that fits the customer's needs.
(2) DBpedia A community site that extracts information from Wikipedia and publishes it as Linked Open Data (LOD).
(3) Lod4all An LOD usage platform that aggregates LOD published around the world, and enables unified searches.
(4) Nippan Partner Event An annual meeting, held for the purpose of deepening the participants' understanding of Nippan's management plans and policies, while building strong partnerships with affiliated bookstores and publishers.
(5) Fujitsu Forum 2018 Fujitsu's largest event in Japan. The theme for this year is "Human Centric Innovation: Co-creation for Success." Held at the Tokyo International Forum (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo).

About Fujitsu Ltd

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

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

Contact:
Fujitsu Limited Public and Investor Relations Tel: +81-3-3215-5259 URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Hitachi and Toray are Commissioned by NEDO to Implement the Demonstration Project for an Energy Saving Seawater RO System in the actual scale in Saudi Arabia

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Applying Japan's advanced technologies to save energy by approx. 20% and reduce construction cost


TOKYO, May 14, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) and Toray Industries, Inc. (TSE: 3402) today announced that they have been commissioned to implement the "Demonstration Project for an Energy Saving Seawater Reverse Osmosis(RO) System in the actual scale in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" within the framework of "International Project for Increasing the Efficient Use of Energy and System Demonstration Project" by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The companies signed the commission contract with NEDO today. Under the contract, Hitachi and Toray will work together with Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), a Saudi Government owned seawater desalination company, in designing, constructing, and operating facilities for demonstrating an energy saving seawater RO system in the city of Ummluji, Saudi Arabia, and testing the performance of the system and studying the business model to put the system to practical use, aiming to expand the operation in the country and to its neighboring countries. The period for the demonstration project is scheduled to be approximately five years from April 2018 to March 2023.

Saudi Arabia faces a shortage of water resources because the majority of its national land is dry, where rainfall is less than 100 mm per year. Accordingly, the country relies on seawater desalination for most of daily water needs. While the amount of freshwater produced in the country is among the largest in the world, a great amount of energy is consumed for desalinating seawater, which is a problem. In addition, while many seawater desalination plants need to be replaced because they are aging, demand for water is expected to continue rising due to the progress in industrialization under the Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030(1), a long-term policy guidance, as well as the rising population, and construction and replacement of large-scale seawater desalination plants are being planned for the country. Against this background, SWCC recognized Japan's energy-saving technologies and decided to implement the demonstration project in Saudi Arabia with cooperation from government-affiliated organizations of Japan.

In this demonstration project, facilities for real-scale demonstration of an energy saving seawater RO System with a water production capacity of 10,000m3/ day(2) will be constructed in Ummluji, a city on the Red Sea coast. A low pressure multi-stage high recovery(3) seawater RO system developed by Hitachi and low-pressure seawater RO membranes developed by Toray will be used for the facilities based on the outcome of the Mega-ton Water System, which was established during FY2009 to FY2013 under the Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology (FIRST Program(4)), an R&D program of the Cabinet Office. The low pressure multi-stage high recovery seawater RO system features RO membrane vessels (tubular pressure vessels) installed in multiple stages, with which it controls the flow rate and pressure of the feed-water and thereby equalizes the volume of permeated water. It thus maximizes the performance of the RO membranes, ensuring high efficiency. At the same time, energy recovery device is applied for this system to reduce the energy consumed for driving the pump. In addition, the low-pressure seawater RO membranes ensure a high salt removal rate even with low-pressure operation. By applying these technologies, Hitachi and Toray aim to reduce energy consumption by around 20%(5) compared to conventional seawater desalination plants applying RO membranes. The companies also aim to reduce the construction cost(6) by reducing the capacity of the pretreatment facilities, which will be enabled by lowering the seawater intake.

Since December 2016, Hitachi and Toray have been conducting a pilot test using a small-scale plant (water production capacity: 500 m3/day) at a research site of SWCC in Al-Jubail, a city located on the coast of the Arabian Gulf.

Hitachi and Toray will combine the strengths of both companies- Hitachi's water treatment engineering capabilities and Toray's water treatment membrane technologies- working together in the testing and implementation of the energy saving seawater RO system, in order to contribute to resolving the problem of water shortages in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries.

(1) Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030: A national growth strategy of Saudi Arabia toward 2030, which was announced by its government in April 2016. Activities under the vision include economic reforms aimed at achieving sustainable development by breaking dependence on oil
(2) Water production capacity of 10,000m3/day: Equivalent to the amount of water that is supplied to approx. 25,000 people
(3) Recovery: Proportion of production water volume to seawater supply
(4) Funding Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology ("FIRST Program"): A research support program that was established by the Council for Science and Technology Policy, Cabinet Office to promote cutting-edge research, aiming for the best in the world
(5),(6) Values estimated by Hitachi and Toray, respectively, by comparing between a seawater desalination plant with a capacity of 1,000,000m3/ day with seawater salt concentration at 3.5% and a conventional one
(7) Flux: Flow volume per unit area per unit time (m3/m2/day)

About Toray Industries, Inc.

Toray Industries, Inc., founded in 1926, is an integrated chemical industry group developing its businesses in 26 countries and regions worldwide. Its consolidated revenues for fiscal 2017 (ended March 31, 2018) totaled 2,204.9 billion yen ($20.8 billion). In addition to the fibers & textiles created at the time of its establishment, Toray has gone on to create cutting-edge, high value-added products including films, fine chemicals, plastic resins, electronics & information-related products, as well as carbon fiber composite materials, pharmaceutical and medical products, and products for the water treatment and environmental fields. For more information on Toray, please visit the company's website at http://www.toray.com.

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Loyyal Corporation Expands Global Reach to Australia and New Zealand

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REFFIND (ASX: RFN) appointed Value Added Reseller and exclusive Network Operator in territory for Loyyal�s blockchain platform

SAN FRANCISCO, May 14, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Loyyal, the industry leader in applying blockchain technologies to loyalty and incentive programs, is pleased to announce the addition of REFFIND (ASX: RFN) as the exclusive Network Operator for Australia and New Zealand, also operating as a Value Added Reseller (VAR) of Loyyal's innovative platform for these markets.

Having established itself with clients in North America and the Middle East since 2016, Loyyal now extends its "Internet of Loyalty" into a fast-growing region that shows tremendous opportunity for the loyalty marketing industry. Bringing strong access to capital and a successful employee incentive platform and service already in market ("Wooboard"), REFFIND is ideally poised to apply Loyyal's proprietary technology, serving both loyalty program operators, as well as other VARs in Australia and New Zealand. This appointment comes following an equity investment in Loyyal by REFFIND, completed earlier this year.

"We see this as a crucial milestone in our strategic growth plan, which is to be quickly recognized as a global leader in enterprise rewards, recognition, and loyalty solutions," said Tim Lea, CEO of REFFIND. "Our expansion in the corporate and government agency markets across the region is significantly enhanced through Loyyal's technology, and our ability to scale as the exclusive Network Operator in region for Loyyal fits perfectly with our overall corporate strategy."

Greg Simon, Founder and CEO of Loyyal said: "Loyyal's blockchain-based loyalty network was the world's first to market in 2016. Initiating our global expansion into Asia-Pacific with REFFIND enables us to leverage the depth of their regional strength and exceptional management. We are incredibly confident that REFFIND will deliver world-class solutions for customers of Loyyal's platform and of our mutual success as we aggressively and rapidly expand across the region together."

About Loyyal
Loyyal, the Internet of Loyalty, is reinventing how loyalty is created, rewarded, and managed. Using proprietary blockchain and smart contract technology, Loyyal's interoperable loyalty and rewards platform brings a host of benefits to a highly fragmented industry and offers brands an innovative way to unlock the billions of dollars in value held captive in legacy loyalty programs today. For information about Loyyal, please visit www.loyyal.com or email info@loyyal.com.

About REFFIND
REFFIND Limited is a Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions provider with a product focus on enterprise to employee solutions including rewards, loyalty and recognition, employee communication and engagement. Based in Sydney, Australia, the Company is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: RFN). The Company has built its growth to date through both organic growth and acquisition. For more information please visit www.reffind.com.

 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Northern New Energy Announces 2018 First Quarter Results

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Satisfactory New Energy Business Performance Drives Net Profit Up by 658.3% Year-on-Year

HONG KONG, May 11, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Northern New Energy Holdings Limited ("Northern New Energy" / the "Group"; stock code: 8246) today announced its first quarter results for the three months ended 31 March 2018. The Group continued to implement its dual-track development strategy and strived for diversification and professional development of its business segments. It strengthened its Catering Business and at the same time actively expanded New Energy Business. The latter delivered satisfactory performance in the first quarter of 2018, bolstering the Group's overall performance, with income up by 164.7% year-on-year and net profit after taxation rocketed by 658.3% against the last corresponding period.

In the first quarter of 2018, revenue of the Group amounted to RMB58.2 million (corresponding period in 2017: RMB22 million) and profit and total comprehensive income for the period was RMB5.1 million (corresponding period in 2017: RMB0.7 million). Basic earnings per share were RMB0.09 cents (corresponding period in 2017: RMB 0.01 cents).

The Group continued to provide diverse integrated new energy services in Tianjin during the period. With professional expertise and affording high quality services, the Group provided technological development and consultancy services in relation to heat supply and coal-to-natural gas conversion solutions to customers in Tianjin and completed contracts for construction of outdoor pipe network. It also traded new energy related industrial products. These projects generated significant revenues and profits for the Group in the first quarter.

The Group also embarked on acquisitions and mergers to expand its business scope and enhance the quality of its business. In February this year, it acquired 81.8% registered capital of Tianjin Jin Re Natural Gas Sales Company Limited ("Tianjin Jin Re Natural Gas") and the project is expected to present the Group with a new income stream in 2018. Tianjin Jin Re Natural Gas is principally engaged in sale of natural gas; gas pipeline engineering; sale, installation and maintenance of gas transmission equipment; development, consultation, service and transfer of heat supply technology; development of new energy technology; leasing and commercial services industry; installation of electric and mechanical equipment; and centralized urban heat supply service.

Looking ahead, capitalizing on the support of favorable national policies such as the "Clean Winter Heating Plan for Northern China (2017-2021)", Northern New Energy will focus on developing and strengthening the new energy segment with unlimited potential. The Group will extend the coverage of its New Energy Business to other regions in northern China, while continuing to expand its customer base and market share in Tianjin.

Subsequent to the period under review, the Group signed a cooperation framework agreement with Tractebel Engineering S.A., one of the world's largest engineering and consultancy companies, and Tianjin Jinre Heat-Supply Group Co. Ltd, a key heat-supply enterprise in Tianjin, on cooperation in such areas as coal-to-natural gas conversion heating projects, heating facilities and networks, energy efficiency management and construction of gas storage facilities. The partners will submit a feasible proposal to relevant government agencies as soon as possible in the hope that related construction can commence this year. The project will generate new income for the Group, allowing it to upgrade its professional technologies thus move closer towards the goal of becoming a provider of diverse integrated new energy services and leading Northern New Energy to advance and reach a new milestone.

As for Catering Business, the Group will adjust related business strategy to boost the profitability of the business. Regarding Property Investment, the Group will continue to identify premium investment projects for securing stable rental income and bringing better investment returns to shareholders.

Northern New Energy Holdings Limited
Northern New Energy Holdings Limited formerly known as Noble House (China) Holdings Limited, is a company listed on the GEM of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2011 (stock code: 8246). In 2015, the Group began to develop new energy operations and R&D of related technologies, plus construction engineering business. The Group also operates restaurants, provides management services, and sells processed food and seafood. Also in 2015, the Group further diversified its business to cover also property investment.

Media enquiries
Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Keris Leung +852 2864 4863 keris.leung@sprg.com.hk
Fanny Yuen +852 2864 4853 fanny.yuen@sprg.com.hk
Boni Liu +852 2864 4870 boni.liu@sprg.com.hk


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

2017 HKACE Customer Service Research: Digital Transformation of Customer Services in Hong Kong

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Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
HONG KONG, May 14, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Hong Kong customers' expectation from digital services outpace what companies are offering today

HKACE research reveals that Hong Kong customers' expectation from digital services is outpacing their actual experiences. Demands regarding digital experiences are high and what is being offered by companies in Hong Kong is not yet able to fully satisfy their needs.

Research findings

Hong Kong customers are enthusiastic to use more digital services, and they want to get their issues solved promptly and easily.

Despite increasing number of companies providing digital channels for customer service, human-touch channels remain more popular than digital channels. Our survey reveals that while more than two-fifth of respondents used different human-touch channels in the past 12 months, only around one-third or less have used digital channels such as online instant e-chat (36%), contacted specific staff through WhatsApp/ WeChat (23%) and left message on social media (18%). Despite low usage in digital channels currently, Hong Kong customers have the desire to use more digital channels in the next 3 years (see figure 1).

This research also suggested that Hong Kong customers are sophisticated and discerning. Majority (90%) expect their enquiries can be solved the first time they contact the customer service. Compared with human-touch channels, Hong Kong customers are less satisfied with digital channels because they are not able to solve their enquiries the first time (see figure 2).

There are misalignments between what customers need and what staff think customers need in digital services

Do companies in Hong Kong provide what customers need in digital service? The research revealed there are misalignments on what customers need and what companies are currently providing. While 41% of customers want digital services to be able to solve customers' issues, only 15% of customer service staff think that customers value this. In contrast, 24% customer service staff think customers want efficient service from digital channels; however, only 10% of Hong Kong customers share the same views (see figure 3).

Customers prefer a seamless customer experience through integrated multiple channels

Do customers always prefer the same channel? This research found that customers prefer different channels for different customer services. They tend to go to company websites/ mobile app for enquiry of basic information (65%), enquiry of products/ services (59%) and bill payment (50%). They tend to go to store/ branch/ service centre to purchase/ apply products or services (50%) while they tend to call hotline when they look for solutions to a problem or an issue (51%), contract renewal (49%) and enquiry of service appointment or delivery (42%) (see figure 4).

As Hong Kong customers are exposed to different channel options, majority (64%) wants customer service to be delivered through Omni-channel to meet their different needs rather than through multiple channels that are not connected (24%) or single-channel (7%).

Conclusion: Current digital or A.I. technology is yet to fully replace the human touch

This research reveals that there are still gaps between digital and human services. When customers cannot solve their issues via digital channels (e.g. websites or social media), they tend to seek human channels with higher expectation. While companies continue to improve and innovate their digital services, it is also important to enhance their customer services staff with skills to solve customer issues effectively and efficiently.

Mr. Algernon Yau, Chairman of HKACE concludes, "We are delighted to see that customers welcome digital channels in customer service. However, we must make sure our digital channels and services create value and convenience to our customers. With our theme "iService, I Serve", the Association will work with our fellow industry players to provide Hong Kong customers with more satisfied customer journey through experience sharing, company visits and research findings sharing. While we advocate the use of digital technologies in customer service, we will continue to emphasize the importance of integrated channels by embedding human touch elements into digital technology, so as to provide a better customer experience to our customers."

About this research

The research was conducted from December 2017 to February 2018 and we interviewed a total of 858 respondents for this study:

1. Hong Kong customers (n = 500)
2. Customer Service staff (n = 358)
All interviews were conducted via an online survey.

More about HKACE

HKACE, a non-profit organisation, was established in February 2000 to represent more than 300,000 customer service practitioners in Hong Kong, the number of member companies has grown up to 57. The 11 founding member organisations are AIA International Limited, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, Centaline Property Agency Limited, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited, Dah Chong Hong (Motor Service Centre) Limited, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Hong Kong Post, HKT Limited (a PCCW Group Member), Shell Hong Kong Limited, and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited. They are committed to continuously improve themselves, to promote customer service culture with passion, leveraging on members' synergy and professional expertise.

The Association drew up the first-ever Hong Kong Customer Service Charter and initiated a multitude of industry awards over the years, including the "Customer Service Excellence Awards", and the "Top 10 SME Awards". The Association aims to facilitate the sharing of experiences among member organisations, to encourage innovation, and to elevate the competitiveness of Hong Kong's service sector by rewarding high levels of customer service.

Highlights of the research methodology, analysis and results are available for downloading at HKACE's website.


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

Mitsubishi Corporation: Cross-Border Payment Pilot Test Using Next Generation Technology

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TOKYO, May 14, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), MUFG Bank, Ltd. (MUFG Bank), Bank of Ayudhya PCL (Krungsri), a Thailand-based subsidiary of MUFG Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank (Standard Chartered), today jointly announced the commencement of a pilot test for moving real funds over RippleNet, with the objective of making cross-border payments more convenient and further improving the capital efficiency of corporate groups.

This pilot test will be carried out by MC between the accounts of MC's subsidiaries in Thailand and Singapore, under the Bank of Thailand Regulatory Sandbox Framework. It is the first time for a Japanese company to conduct cross-border payments over RippleNet.

Based on the results of this pilot test, the companies will work towards commercializing this high-speed, transparent and traceable cross-border payments solution and collaborate on a variety of innovative projects.

Purpose and background

MC, MUFG Bank, Krungsri and Standard Chartered have been working together to improve financial efficiency internally using next generation technologies. This pilot test is the first result of a joint project between the companies to improve cash management with a real-time, multi-currency, multiple-bank platform.

About Ripple and RippleNet

Ripple is a system software vendor established in 2012 in San Francisco. The cross-border payment software developed by Ripple uses Interledger Protocol, an internet protocol which provides pre- and post-settlement messaging function, and allows for the real-time settlement and delivery of funds. Financial institutions with this software can transact between each other across the network, RippleNet.

Since 2015, Ripple and an advisory team made up of a diverse set of leading transaction bankers including Standard Chartered and MUFG Bank, have been building the Rulebook, a common framework that ensures operational consistency and legal clarity for every transaction. This group actively advises on maintaining and enhancing the rules and standards.

About MUFG Bank

MUFG Bank, Ltd. is Japan's premier bank, with a global network spanning around 50 countries. Outside of Japan, the bank offers an extensive scope of commercial and investment banking products and services to businesses, governments and individuals worldwide.

MUFG Bank's parent, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world's leading financial groups. Headquartered in Tokyo and with over 360 years of history, MUFG has a global network with over 1,800 locations in more than 50 countries. The Group has over 150,000 employees and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, and leasing. MUFG's shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges. For more information, visit https://www.mufg.jp/english

About Krungsri

Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya PCL and its group companies) is the fifth largest financial group in Thailand in terms of assets, loans, and deposits, being one of Thailand's Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) with 74 years of history in the country. Krungsri is a strategic member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Japan's largest financial group and one of the world's largest financial organizations. Krungsri provides a comprehensive range of banking, consumer finance, investment, asset management, and other financial products and services to individual consumers, SMEs, and large corporations through 700 branches (663 Banking Branches and 37 Auto Business Branches) and over 35,000 service outlets nationwide. The Krungsri Group is the largest card issuer in Thailand with 8.6 million credit cards, sales finance, and personal loan accounts in its portfolio; a major automobile financing service provider (Krungsri Auto); one of the fastest growing asset management companies (Krungsri Asset Management); and a pioneer in microfinance (Ngern Tid Lor).

Krungsri has been proactive about promoting FinTech as a part of its "Digital First" initiative, introducing Ripple software in September 2017. The bank collaborated with a corporation in Laos to conduct test payments, sending USD from a branch in Laos to the Bangkok Head Office, successfully reducing the time required for payments, which had previously required several business days.

About Standard Chartered

Standard Chartered is a leading international banking group, with more than a 150-year history in some of the world's most dynamic markets. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good.

Standard Chartered is present in more than 60 markets, with over 1,000 branches and around 3,000 ATMs.

Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India.

For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com. Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About Mitsubishi Corporation

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC; TSE: 8058) is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry, including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals, and daily living essentials. MC's current activities have expanded far beyond its traditional trading operations to include investments and business management in diverse fields including natural resources development, manufacturing of industrial goods, retail, new energy, infrastructure, finance and new technology-related businesses.

With over 200 offices and subsidiaries in 90 countries and regions worldwide and a network of approximately 1,300 group companies, MC employs a multinational workforce of over 70,000 people.

For more information, visit https://www.mitsubishicorp.com/jp/en/

Contact:
Mitsubishi Corporation T +81-3-3210-2171 MUFG Bank, Ltd. Public Relations Division T +81-3-3240-2953 E kana_nagamitsu@mufg.jp Krungsri Public Relations Department Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Limited T +66 (0) 2296 3795 E Krungsri.PR@krungsri.com Andrew Low Group Corporate Affairs Standard Chartered T +65 6596 6001 E andrew-yh.low@sc.com

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Loyyal Corporation Expands Global Reach to Australia and New Zealand

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REFFIND (ASX: RFN) appointed Value Added Reseller and exclusive Network Operator in territory

SAN FRANCISCO, May 15, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Loyyal, the industry leader in applying blockchain technologies to loyalty and incentive programs, is pleased to announce the addition of REFFIND (ASX: RFN) as the exclusive Network Operator for Australia and New Zealand, also operating as a Value Added Reseller (VAR) of Loyyal's innovative platform for these markets.

Having established itself with clients in North America and the Middle East since 2016, Loyyal now extends its "Internet of Loyalty" into a fast-growing region that shows tremendous opportunity for the loyalty marketing industry. Bringing strong access to capital and a successful employee incentive platform and service already in market ("Wooboard"), REFFIND is ideally poised to apply Loyyal's proprietary technology, serving both loyalty program operators, as well as other VARs in Australia and New Zealand. This appointment comes following an equity investment in Loyyal by REFFIND, completed earlier this year.

"We see this as a crucial milestone in our strategic growth plan, which is to be quickly recognized as a global leader in enterprise rewards, recognition, and loyalty solutions," said Tim Lea, CEO of REFFIND. "Our expansion in the corporate and government agency markets across the region is significantly enhanced through Loyyal's technology, and our ability to scale as the exclusive Network Operator in region for Loyyal fits perfectly with our overall corporate strategy."

Greg Simon, Founder and CEO of Loyyal said: "Loyyal's blockchain-based loyalty network was the world's first to market in 2016. Initiating our global expansion into Asia-Pacific with REFFIND enables us to leverage the depth of their regional strength and exceptional management. We are incredibly confident that REFFIND will deliver world-class solutions for customers of Loyyal's platform and of our mutual success as we aggressively and rapidly expand across the region together."

About Loyyal
Loyyal, the Internet of Loyalty, is reinventing how loyalty is created, rewarded, and managed. Using proprietary blockchain and smart contract technology, Loyyal's interoperable loyalty and rewards platform brings a host of benefits to a highly fragmented industry and offers brands an innovative way to unlock the billions of dollars in value held captive in legacy loyalty programs today. For information about Loyyal, please visit www.loyyal.com or email info@loyyal.com.

About REFFIND
REFFIND Limited is a Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions provider with a product focus on enterprise to employee solutions including rewards, loyalty and recognition, employee communication and engagement. Based in Sydney, Australia, the Company is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: RFN). The Company has built its growth to date through both organic growth and acquisition. For more information please visit www.reffind.com.


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com

NEC Enhances Express5800/A2000 Series of Enterprise Servers

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Express5800/A2000 Series
TOKYO, May 15, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) today announced the global release of a new Express5800/A2000 Series of enterprise servers for Windows and Linux operating systems with the latest Intel Xeon Scalable Family (up to 28 CPU cores) and suitable for mission critical systems and processing Big Data.

"Armed with the latest CPU technology and the advanced availability features of server components, which NEC has long been developing and enhancing through multiple generations of this server series, this new server offers a platform solution that is ideal for mission critical databases and real-time data processing/analytics to make real-time decisions, which are increasingly in demand by the enterprise market for driving digital transformation," said Kazuhiro Mori, Deputy General Manager, Cloud Platform Division, NEC Corporation.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_NECExpress5800A2000.jpg
Express5800/A2000 Series

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Fujitsu Quantum-Inspired Digital Annealer Cloud Service to Rapidly Resolve Combinatorial Optimization Problems

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Fujitsu: Digital Annealing Unit (DAU), 15 May, 2018.
TOKYO, May 15, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced the launch of Fujitsu Quantum-inspired Computing Digital Annealer Cloud Service. This new service leverages the Fujitsu Digital Annealer, a next-generation architecture inspired by quantum phenomena, for the high-speed resolution of combinatorial optimization problems. The service is available in Japan beginning today, and will be steadily rolled out to North America, Europe, and Asia during fiscal 2018.

The Digital Annealer Cloud Service promises to be useful in a wide variety of areas that cannot currently be handled by traditional computers due to the massive computational volume required. This not only includes issues that companies in a range of industries face, such as speeding up the search of similarities in molecules for drug discovery, optimizing portfolios in finance, personalizing advertisements in digital marketing, and optimizing the arrangement of warehoused components for factories and logistics, but also challenges confronting society at large, such as transportation congestion and disaster recovery planning.

In addition to deploying this new cloud service, Fujitsu is also launching the Fujitsu Digital Annealer Technical Service to support the application development for customers to define issues, as well as build and utilize mathematical models.

Fujitsu remains committed to positioning Digital Annealer as a core technology in accelerating digital innovation, and with the technological prowess cultivated in supercomputer development, a wealth of experience in systems integration, and a dedicated team of Digital Annealer experts, will additionally contribute to the transformation of customer operations and the creation of new businesses by further advancing technological innovation.

Digital Annealing Unit (DAU)

As we reach the limits of conventional computing power and existing technologies' ability to solve combinatorial optimization problems, expectations have been mounting around the continued development of quantum computers as the next generation of computing technology. In today's quantum computers (quantum annealing machines), there are enormous limitations with hardware, and there are a great many technical problems to overcome in order to easily solve problems at a practical scale.

To overcome this challenge, in 2016 Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. announced its Digital Annealer, an architecture dedicated for combinatorial optimization problems, that has the advantages of digital circuitry, namely, a high degree of flexibility in design and noise resistance, as well as high speed inspired by quantum phenomena. Fujitsu Limited has been working to develop services based on this technology.

Service Details:

Fujitsu will begin offering its Digital Annealer Cloud Service, and, in addition to its AI and big data solutions technology, will bring together its knowhow associated with the development of its Digital Annealer and provide its Digital Annealer Technical Service, which will aid in application development by having dedicated personnel define issues, and build and utilize mathematical models.

1. High-speed calculation of combinatorial optimization problems on world's largest scale

The Digital Annealer adopts a fully linked design in which the elements within the computer can freely exchange signals with one another. The 1,024 individual bits have full bonding connectivity, and moreover, as it can express bonding power minutely in 65,536 gradations, it has become possible to solve complex and large-scale problems that current quantum annealing machines cannot handle. Furthermore, the utilization of digital circuitry makes it resistant to the impact of noise, making it possible to operate with stability at room temperature, without using special cooling devices.

2. Expanding partnerships

In order to expand the applicable fields of the Digital Annealer Cloud Service, Fujitsu is globally collaborating with 1QB Information Technologies Inc. (1QBit), the leading vendor of software for quantum computers, and from fiscal 2018 it will be possible to also use a Digital Annealer via 1QBit's cloud service. By implementing a 1QBit framework in the Digital Annealer Cloud Service, the companies are expanding the service's applicability.

Fujitsu is additionally strengthening its partnership with the University of Toronto, and is currently conducting five joint research projects covering Digital Annealer applications in the four fields of transportation, networking, finance, and healthcare. In healthcare, for example, the two organizations are researching radiotherapy planning, which is anticipated to streamline treatments and thus cut the number of days needed.

3. Establishing a new AI Headquarters to accelerate deployment to customers worldwide

Fujitsu is bringing together three of its technologies-high-performance computing (HPC), which offers massively parallel computational processing, Deep Learning to elicit AI, and the Digital Annealer-so that their respective strengths can support one another in tackling the challenges facing companies and society. Fujitsu's Digital Annealer that requires advanced-level data analysis technology will work in tandem with personnel possessing advanced AI skills to establish a new AI Headquarters in Vancouver in the first half of fiscal 2018.

Examples:

Fujitsu has already conducted joint trials with a number of customers, including Recruit Communications Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Investment Technology Institute Co., Ltd. [Shareholder: Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Group (100%)], Fujifilm Corporation, and Fixstars Corporation. In addition, manufacturer of servers and other products Fujitsu IT Products Limited was able to reduce transfer distance by up to 45% using the Digital Annealer to optimize the picking plan in its warehouses.

Future Plans

Fujitsu plans to expand the full-scale links in the Digital Annealer from the current 1,024 bits to 8,192 bits, while increasing the precision from 16 bits to up to 64 bits (18.45 quintillion gradations), developing a dedicated Digital Annealing processor, the Digital Annealing Unit (DAU), using Fujitsu's processor development technology and the latest cutting-edge CMOS technology. In so doing, Fujitsu aims for applications for ever-larger-scale problems. This will enable calculations even for complex problems in society, such as traffic congestion and disaster recovery.

Fujitsu plans to offer a cloud service with DAU within fiscal 2018, and in order to fulfill applications requiring high frequency usage, it also plans to sell on-premises products that can be installed in customer datacenters.

Furthermore, by taking such measures as expanding to the million-bit level and raising the number of dedicated technicians, it is moving forward on R&D toward a new computing paradigm, beginning with the Digital Annealer and quantum computing.

Pricing and Availability:

The Fujitsu Quantum-inspired Computing Digital Annealer (Cloud Service) and Fujitsu Digital Annealer Technical Service are available from May 15, 2018, by individual client estimate.

Sales Target:

Fujitsu is aiming for 100.0 billion yen in revenue over five years through fiscal 2022.

* Comment from 1QBit CEO Andrew Fursman:
Fujitsu's Digital Annealer is the ideal near-term platform for 1QBit's quantum software development kit. The incredible recent advances in quantum inspired hardware and physics-based sampling and optimization algorithms provide new methods for addressing some of the most important problems in the life sciences, finance and other areas of industrial optimization and machine intelligence. When paired together, this combination of Fujitsu hardware and 1QBit software is capable of addressing incredibly complex problems found in a wide variety of high-value industries. 1QBit is especially excited to leverage the Fujitsu Digital Annealer to conduct exciting AI research and develop new machine learning services based on foundational theories reanimated by the power of the Digital Annealer.

* Comment from Professor Ali Sheikholeslami, University of Toronto:
University of Toronto is pleased to have been working closely with Fujitsu Laboratories over the past few years in the research and development of what is being commercialized today as the Digital Annealer. We hope that this product can address many challenges in the real world, including those in the social, economic, and health areas. To further improve this technology, with the aim of solving a wider range of problems, we have strengthened our partnership with Fujitsu Laboratories through the opening of the Fujitsu Co-Creation Research Laboratory at the University of Toronto, and by engaging several research groups, from the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Medicine, in this research. Together, we strive to arrive at new heights in this research in the near future.

* Comment from SVP Yasuhiko Shioda, Head of the Solutions Business, Fixstars Corporation:
Companies around the world are competing fiercely to develop practically usable next-generation computers, particularly quantum computers. In light of these circumstances, the Digital Annealer, with features such as full linking and room temperature operation, has taken the lead over other companies in both performance and convenience. I look forward to it showing us the shape of next-generation computing quickly.

As acceleration professionals, Fixstars is working to utilize the Digital Annealer as soon as possible, resulting in rapid advancement toward real world usage, especially in finance and the life sciences. We will continue to deliver dramatic "high speed" with the Digital Annealer going forward.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 140,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.1 trillion yen (US $39 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.

Press Contacts:
Fujitsu Limited
Public and Investor Relations
Tel: +81-3-3215-5259
URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/
Please see this press release at
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-releases/

 
Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

DENSO Releases New Safety Monitor to Reduce Accidents Involving Commercial Vehicles

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- The retrofittable driver status monitor detects distractions and drowsiness to improve the safety of drivers in new and existing commercial vehicles -

TOKYO, May 15, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - DENSO Corporation, one of the world's largest automotive suppliers, today announced it has released a retrofittable driver status monitor to help reduce the number of traffic accidents involving commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses. The safety product checks for distractions, drowsiness, sleep, and inappropriate posture based on the driver's facial image, which is captured through a camera installed in the cabin. If drowsy or distracted driving is detected, the monitor voices an alert. It is now sold by DENSO Sales and DENSO service stations across Japan and will be released outside the country later this year.

Large commercial vehicles can cause serious damage in an accident, and many trucks and buses do not have the latest safety devices installed because they've been in use for so many years. The driver status monitor is retrofittable to existing vehicles on the road, and can therefore accelerate the introduction of safety devices to large commercial vehicles.

A driver's condition is detected by the product and recorded on a SD card. An operation manager and the driver can review the driving status, including the number of voiced alerts, and an image of the driver when the alert was triggered. This feature offers additional guidance for safe driving. The driver's condition can also be notified to the operation manager in real-time, making it possible to caution the driver and take quick action in the event of an emergency. In addition, the monitor can be linked with a new telematics device for commercial vehicles released by DENSO this summer and a cloud-based digital tachograph manufactured by Fujitsu Limited.

DENSO has been developing safety technologies and products for passenger cars and commercial vehicles to help create a society free from traffic accidents. In 2014, DENSO developed its first driver status monitor and currently offers products for heavy trucks and large sightseeing buses. In 2017, DENSO collaborated with FotoNation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Xperi Corporation that creates facial image recognition and neural network technologies, to further improve the performance of driver status detection and accelerate the development of products that will impact the future of mobility.

These technologies and partnerships support DENSO's commitment to deliver a safe and secure automotive society for all people around the world.

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

NEC Brings AI to Submarine Cable Networks

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TOKYO, May 15, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) announced today successful transmission tests that took place over a commercial subsea cable measuring more than 10,000 kilometers using artificial intelligence (AI) and probabilistic shaping at a modulation of 64QAM.

NEC, in a joint research publication with Google, has demonstrated for the first time that the FASTER open subsea cable can be upgraded to a spectral efficiency of 6 bits per second per hertz (b/s/Hz) in an 11,000km segment. This represents a capacity of more than 26 terabits per second (Tb/s) in the C-band, which is over 2 1/2 times the capacity originally planned for the cable, for no additional wet plant capital expenditure. In doing so, the authors set a spectral efficiency-distance product record of 66,102 b/s/Hz in a field trial performed together with live traffic neighboring channels.

The team achieved this result using near-Shannon probabilistic-shaping at a modulation of 64QAM, and for the first time on a live cable, artificial intelligence (AI) was used to analyze data for the purpose of nonlinearity compensation (NLC). NEC developed an NLC algorithm based on data-driven deep neural networks (DNN) to accurately and efficiently estimate the signal nonlinearity.

"Other approaches to NLC have attempted to solve the nonlinear Schrodinger equation, which requires the use of very complex algorithms," said NEC's Mr. Toru Kawauchi, General Manager, Submarine Network Division. "This approach sets aside those deterministic models of nonlinear propagation, in favor of a low-complexity black-box model of the fiber, generated by machine learning algorithms. The results demonstrate both an improvement in transmission performance and a reduction in implementation complexity. Furthermore, since the black-box model is built up from live transmission data, it does not require advance knowledge of the cable parameters. This allows the model to be used on any cable without prior modeling or characterization, which shows the potential application of AI technology to open subsea cable systems, on which terminal equipment from multiple vendors may be readily installed."

These field trial results were recently presented at the post-deadline session of the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) 2018 in San Diego, California. The experimental demonstration of NLC achieved a generalized mutual-information (GMI) capacity gain of -0.15 b/s/2-pol, which is equivalent to a capacity increase of 15 gigabits per second (Gb/s) in every 100GHz of fiber bandwidth. NEC announced plans to continue this AI-based research, with the dual aims of increasing system capacity while reducing the complexity of implementation. For more details about the paper, you may download the paper here.

NEC has more than 40 years of experience in the submarine cable business and is recognized as one of the world's top submarine system vendors. NEC has laid a total of more than 250,000 kilometers of submarine cable, the equivalent of six trips around the earth. As a total system integrator, NEC produces optical submarine cable, optical submarine repeaters and equipment for connecting optical transmissions to land, in addition to carrying out ocean surveys, route design, laying optical submarine cable and training personnel for the handover of these systems.

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Toyota to Invest in ALBERT

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Data Analysis Collaboration Aimed at Further Accelerating Development of Automated Driving

Toyota City, Japan, May 15, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and ALBERT Inc. (ALBERT) announce today that both companies have agreed on a business alliance for big data analysis, mainly in the field of advanced development of automated driving technology, and that Toyota will invest in ALBERT. Toyota's investment in ALBERT is expected to be in the amount of 400 million yen, and Toyota is to acquire new shares in ALBERT issued through a third-party allocation of shares dated May 30, 2018.

To promote the development of automated driving technologies, Toyota has been bolstering its organization at unprecedented speed, such as by establishing the advanced research company, Toyota Research Institute (TRI), in the United States in January 2016 and the advanced development company, Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development (TRI-AD), in Tokyo, while also advancing its technology development centered on AI.

Meanwhile, ALBERT, as a group of data scientists(1) in the domain of big data analysis, has been continuously providing optimal solutions to companies since 2005. In recent years, it has been actively expanding into the field of imagery analysis in the development of automated driving technologies. Through the business alliance announced today between Toyota and ALBERT, Toyota believes it will be possible to strengthen elements such as data analysis processes in Toyota's development of AI technologies, which is expected to achieve greater acceleration of Toyota's development of automated driving technologies.

Executive General Manager Ken Koibuchi, who is in charge of the development of automated driving at Toyota's in-house Advanced R&D and Engineering Company, commented, "We believe that AI technologies are indispensable for achieving our vision of 'safe and smooth mobility for all people.' To bring out the full performance of AI technologies, it is necessary to skillfully manage large volumes of data. I look forward to this business alliance accelerating Toyota's development of automated driving technologies."

ALBERT President Takeshi Matsumoto said, "For technological innovation, such as in the development of automated driving technologies, to be fully implemented in society and be able to create new value, advanced analytical capacity centered on AI and machine learning and data scientists who pursue realization of this are essential. Going forward, our company intends to support 'safe technological innovation demanded by society' through, among other efforts, the strengthening of a distinguished group of data scientists who aim for enhanced analysis."

(1) A person whose profession is to create value from data using one's ability in data science and data engineering for providing business solutions.

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

Copyright 2018 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com
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