Quantcast
Channel: ACN Newswire
Viewing all 16958 articles
Browse latest View live

Steve Leung Design Group Limited - Second Largest Interior Design Services Providers in the PRC and Hong Kong Announces Details of Proposed Listing on Main Board of SEHK

0
0

Management of SLD Group attended the Group's IPO press conference today (left to right) Mr. Yip Kwok Hung, Kevin - Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer; Mr. Xu Xingli - Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Board; Mr. Leung Chi Tien, Steve - Founder of SLD Group; Mr. Siu Man Hei, Kenny - Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer
The management of SLD Group and the representative of Dongxing Securities (Hong Kong) Company Limited (left to right) Mr. Yip Kwok Hung, Kevin - Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer; Mr. Xu Xingli - Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Board; Mr. Leung Chi Tien, Steve - Founder of SLD Group; Mr. Siu Man Hei, Kenny - Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Jim Lui - Managing Director, Investment Banking Department, Dongxing Securities (Hong Kong) Company Limited
Mr. Xu Xingli - Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Board (left) and Mr. Leung Chi Tien, Steve - Founder of SLD Group (right)
HONG KONG, Jun 25, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Steve Leung Design Group Limited ("SLD Group" or the "Group"), an award-winning and internationally renowned interior design services and interior decorating & furnishing services provider headquartered in Hong Kong, today announced the details of its proposed listing on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited ("SEHK").

Offering Details
The Group intends to offer a total of 285,000,000 shares (subject to the over-allotment option), of which 256,500,000 shares are for International Placing (subject to adjustment and the over-allotment option) and the remaining 28,500,000 shares are for the Hong Kong Offer (including 2,850,000 employee reserved shares, subject to adjustment). Assuming the over-allotment option is not exercised and the offer price is HK$0.88 per share (being the mid-point of the indicative offer price range between HK$0.71 and HK$1.05), net proceeds from the Global Offering are expected to be approximately HK$203.4 million.

The Hong Kong Public Offer will commence on 22 June 2018 (Friday), and end at 12:00 noon on 27 June 2018 (Wednesday). The final offer price and the allocation results are expected to be announced on or before 4 July 2018 (Wednesday). Trading of the shares of SLD Group is expected to commence on SEHK on 5 July 2018 (Thursday) under the stock code 2262. The shares will be traded in board lots each of 3,000 shares.

Dongxing Securities (Hong Kong) Company Limited ("Dongxing Securities") is the sole sponsor, while Dongxing Securities, China Securities (International) Corporate Finance Company Limited, China Merchants Securities (HK) Co., Limited and Guotai Junan Securities (Hong Kong) Limited are the joint global coordinators, joint bookrunners and joint lead managers of the proposed listing.

Investment Highlights

An internationally renowned and award-winning interior design services and interior decorating & furnishing services provider
Established in 1997, the Group has gained widespread recognition in the industry with its solid design experience and reputation while garnering many awards and honours. It was recognised as the number one interior design firm in the residential category and the top second and 21st interior design firm in the Asia and global rankings, respectively, by the 2018 Top 100 Giants Research issued by the Interior Design magazine of the United States. In addition, according to Frost & Sullivan Report, the Group ranked second in the PRC and Hong Kong based on revenue for FY2017, among companies within the interior design and decorating services industry that did not offer any fitting out services.

Award-winning projects include Yuan at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai; The Eight at Grand Lisboa Hotel, Macau; and The Orchard Residence in Singapore; yoo Residence II, MX, and Novotel Citygate Hong Kong Hotel in Hong Kong; and One Park Shanghai, Nanjing Mandarin Palace, Tang Island, and One Shenzhen Bay in Mainland China.

Stable client base in the PRC and Hong Kong
During the track record period (i.e. FY2015 to FY2017), the Group served over 390 clients including well-known hotel operators and developers such as Shangri-la Hotels Pte Ltd. and listed property developers in the PRC and Hong Kong such as K.Wah Real Estates Co., Ltd., Yanlord Land Group Limited, China SCE Property Holdings Limited and Agile Group Holdings Limited. Over 70% of the Groups total revenue can be attributed to recurring clients , with property developers being its key clients . Other clients include individual private clients, restaurant operators, hotel developers and operators, well-known furniture and lifestyle product brands and private corporations. In FY2017, the Group has maintained business relations that range from three to 11 years with its five largest clients. As a member of Jangho Group Co., Ltd. ("Jangho Group"), a company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (stock code: 601886), the Group enjoys synergies derived from its own established brand and the extensive business network of its parent company, enabling it to further strengthen its client base. By leveraging Jangho Group's business network in architecture and construction, healthcare and medical services, the Group can also develop its own specialisation to enhance its competitiveness and broaden its client base in the PRC.

Outstanding and experienced management, design and decorating teams
The Group's founder, Mr. Steve Leung, is a renowned architect and interior and product designer with more than 30 years of experience in the interior design and decorating services and architecture industries. He is mainly responsible for the brand building, market development and strategic planning activities of the Group, as well as creative design of key projects. Between 2000 and 2017, the awards and honours that Mr. Steve Leung received include being elected as one of the 50 Most Influential Persons of the Year by INTERNI and named as one of the 20 most influential interior designers in the PRC by Hurun Interior Designers List 2017, published by the Hurun Research Institute of the PRC. He was honoured as the winner of the Andrew Martin International Interior Designer of the Year Award in 2015, selected as one of the 30 Most Influential Designers by FORBES China, and has been named one of the world's top interior designers by the Andrew Martin International Interior Design Awards on 14 occasions since 2000. Mr. Steve Leung also holds several prominent industry positions, including the President of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers from 2017 to 2019 - becoming the first Chinese president ever.

Apart from the founder, many of the senior management members also have over 20 years of experience in the architecture and interior design and decorating services industries. The Group has more than 20 design and decoration teams with over 380 interior designers and decorators stationed in both the PRC and Hong Kong as at the latest practicable date. The teams are led by over 25 interior designers and decorators with Design Directors and Senior Decorator or more senior titles who have from five to over 17 years of experience in the interior design and decorating services industry. Moreover, talented graduates from design schools and experienced interior designers and decorators are also identified and recruited through a scholarship programme and referrals from employees. Orientation and on-the-job training are provided to these employees to ensure that they are familiar with the Group's internal design standards and specifications. The Group also provides training opportunities to make sure its designers are kept abreast of new market trends and technologies.

Well-established internal control systems for maintaining design quality and efficient execution capability
The Group's founder and chief creative officer have formulated in-house design references and guidelines that cover various areas. They have also formulated and implemented a set of standards and specifications to manage such deliverables as layout plans and image boards. To monitor in-house standards and specifications, the Group has also adopted an internal control system. The Group's chief creative officer, director of design, and design management and support team are responsible for overseeing the deliverables produced by each design and decoration team for each project. The Group has obtained ISO9001:2008 certification for its operations in the PRC and Hong Kong in recognition of its quality management system.

Stable Financial Performance
The Group has maintained a solid financial position during the track record period. Its revenue for FY2016 and FY2017 rose 27.5% and 36.5% yoy respectively, from HK$249.9 million for FY2015 to HK$318.6 million for FY2016, and it recorded HK$434.8 million in FY2017. At the same time, the Group's gross profit and net profit have continued to rise, which can mainly be attributed to the growth of the real estate market in the PRC, leading to a substantial increase in service demand. Furthermore, the Group officially introduced interior decorating and furnishing services in 2015 that contributed to the overall revenue rise. In addition, the contract sum of new contracts awarded to the Group during the record period has continued to rise, climbing from HK$354 million in FY2015 to HK$523 million in FY2017 - achieving a CAGR of 21.6%.

Future Development Plans
According to Frost & Sullivan Report, the PRC real estate market will steadily grow going forward. Real estate development investment is projected to achieve a CAGR of 5.5% from 2018 and reach RMB1,500 billion in 2022. Total private residential project expenses in Hong Kong are projected to increase at a CAGR of 16.7% from 2017 and reach HK$230.2 billion in 2021. These trends, coupled with the increasing demand for interior design and decorating services which focus on the elderly, improved medical care, advanced technologies and protecting the environment will create a stable operating environment for the interior design and decorating services market. To capture these opportunities and maintain growth momentum, the Group intends to use approximately 50% of the proceeds from the listing on strengthening its interior design services and developing specialisation services, as well as bolstering its interior decorating & furnishing services. Such efforts include expanding existing design and decoration teams, developing their specialisations, expanding and diversifying the FF&A catalogue, expanding headquarters and offices and stepping up marketing efforts. As product design services are considered complementary to interior design and interior decorating & furnishing services, the Group will recruit more product designers and direct greater resources towards researching and developing the latest skills, technologies and processes in product design so as to capture cross-selling opportunities.

The Frost & Sullivan Report also found that the interior design and decorating services markets where the Group operates are highly fragmented and competitive, with the largest market player accounting for less than 0.5% of the total market share in the PRC and Hong Kong in terms of revenue in FY2017. Taking this into consideration, the Group plans to use about HK$30 million of the proceeds from the listing on acquiring one or two small-scale interior design and decorating services companies in the PRC to expand and strengthen its business, as well as seize opportunities in the PRC market. As the Group's businesses continue to grow, it needs to enhance operational efficiency to achieve effective cost control. Therefore, other than maintaining existing systems and processes, the Group also plans to invest more (approximately HK$23.3 million of the proceeds from the listing) on improving its information technology systems.

Use of Proceeds
Assuming an offer price of HK$0.88 per Share, being the mid-point of the indicative offer price range, the net proceeds from the offering are estimated to be HK$203.4 million and the Group intends to use such net proceeds as follows:

Items / %
Strengthen interior design services and develop specialisation: 34.7%
Further develop interior decorating & furnishing services: 16.1%
Pursue growth through selective mergers and acquisitions: 14.8%
Improve information technology systems: 11.5%
Repay existing bank borrowings: 9.8%
As working capital and other general corporate purposes: 5.8%
Enhance brand recognition: 5.7%
Further develop product design services: 1.6%

About Steve Leung Design Group Limited
Steve Leung Design Group Limited is an internationally renowned and award-winning interior design and interior decorating & furnishing company founded in 1997 by Mr. Steve Leung. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the Group has branch offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shenzhen, and with over 500 staff. The Group is second largest interior design services providers which did not provide any fitting-out services in the PRC and Hong Kong in terms of revenue for FY2017.

The Group has a wide spectrum of design projects that have been accredited with design awards in Asia Pacific region and worldwide. Overseas award-winning projects include Yuan at Atlantis The Palm, The Eight at Grand Lisboa Hotel in Macau; PRC projects include: One Park Shanghai, One Shenzhen Bay, Nanjing Mandarin Palace and Tang Island; and Hong Kong projects include: MX, yoo Residence II and more. The Group has become part of Jangho Group since 2014.

Media Enquires:
Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Vicky Lee Tel: (852) 2864 4834 Email: vicky.lee@sprg.com.hk
Rita Fong Tel: (852) 2114 4939 Email: rita.fong@sprg.com.hk
Yoko Li Tel: (852) 2864 4813 Email: yoko.li@sprg.com.hk
Fax: (852) 2527 1196



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

JAC-series Gas Turbine With Enhanced Air Cooling Surpasses 8,000 Hours of Commercial Operation As MHPS Takes the Lead in Global Market Share

0
0

J-series Gas Turbine
- Enhanced Air Cooling Meets 8,000 hours Insurance Industry Standard
- Adoption of air-cooled system improves performance, shortens overall GTCC start-up time, and extends maintenance intervals

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Jun 25, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) announced that a JAC-series gas turbine using Enhanced Air Cooling has surpassed 8,000 cumulative hours of combined cycle operation at the company's commercial power plant in Takasago, Japan. Exceeding 8,000 hours of commercial operation is widely taken as an industry benchmark for demonstrating a gas turbine's reliability.

J-Series History:
The original J-Series was launched in 2009 and achieved 8,000 hours of commercial operation in 2011. To improve efficiency and operability, MHPS then developed an air-cooled combustor with Tohoku Electric Power Co. which resulted in the JAC gas turbine. To further improve the JAC, MHPS then developed Enhanced Air Cooling that just achieved 8,000 hours of commercial operation.

In total, 55 J/JAC turbines have been ordered globally and an additional 16 have been technically selected by power generation customers, making this one of the most successful product introductions in history. Among them, 28 J-series turbines are now in commercial operation, accumulating over 600,000 hours of commercial operation. The MHPS method for demonstrating 8,000 hours of commercial operation before introducing new products has resulted in the industry's most reliable products, with these 28 turbines having demonstrated 3rd party verified industry-leading reliability of 99.3%.

The Future
MHPS Senior Executive Vice President and CTO Akimasa Muyama commented, "Enhanced Air Cooling takes our JAC to the next level, and establishes the JAC's position as the new industry standard. In 1x1 combined cycle configuration, a 60 Hz JAC power plant will now have a generating capacity of over 600 megawatts, providing over 64% fuel efficiency and 99.5% reliability. According to a market survey report, the JAC now holds the top global market share for gas turbine orders in 2018(1). MHPS will continue to lead the industry with technically sophisticated, environmentally-friendly GTCC power generating systems."

The U.S.-based McCoy Power Report, provides in-depth market survey data on the global power generation business. McCoy reported that thus far in 2018 the JAC had more megawatts of orders than any other product, and that MHPS had more megawatts of orders in 2018 than all other vendors combined.

About Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS) was formed on February 1 2014, integrating the thermal power generation systems businesses of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Hitachi, Ltd. in a quest to further enhance their social response capabilities in all respects. These include the technological strength to create new products of outstanding quality and reliability, the comprehensive strength in engineering to oversee projects in regions across the globe, and finely honed sales and after-sale servicing capabilities. MHPS aims to come out a winner in global competition and achieve a solid position as a world leader in thermal power generation systems and environmental technologies. For more information, please visit www.mhps.com.

Contact:
Joseph Hood, PR Manager Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Email: mhi-pr@mhi.co.jp Tel: +81-(0)3-6716-2168 Fax: +81-(0)3-6716-5860

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

Tigerobo Raises over RMB 100 Million Series Pre-A to Create an Intelligent Financial Search Engine

0
0
HONG KONG, Jun 25, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - On June 5, 2018, Tigerobo, an AI-based financial search engine start-up, announced today that it has raised over RMB 100 million in Series Pre-A led by NWS Holdings (00659.HK), a subsidiary company of New World Development Company Limited, and Gaorong Capital. Sun Hung Kai & Co. Ltd. (00086.HK ) participated as co-investor. In August 2017, the company closed Series Angel fund raising with tens of millions RMB, participated by Gaorong Capital, Light Up Capital as well as Zhang Tao, founder of Dianping.com.

Tigerobo, which was launched in July 2017, offers an intelligent search engine to help professional and individual investors improve their efficiency of research by orders of magnitude. The accurateness, completeness, and timeliness of information is fundamental to human decision making.

In the financial industry among many others, however, the way people collect and consume information has not kept pace with the revolution of AI. The traditional approach is labor intensive, cannot scale beyond a dozen standard financial metrics, hence missing more important first-order, operational and alternative data, even leading indicators. Human labor is error-prone, cannot respond fast to the overwhelming information. On the other hand, the way users acquire and consume the information is cumbersome, through an over-loaded terminal, by browsing a gigantic portal.

Tigerobo takes an AI-based approach. By leveraging and advancing the cutting-edge neural text processing technology, Tigerobo builds a machine comprehension system that collects and understands the data into knowledge, automatically and promptly as the raw data emerges. The machine comprehended knowledge is then handy for users to consume, through a natural language interfaced chatbot or question-answering system. The team believes this is the future way to consume information and knowledge, on demand, straight to the point, and in real time.

"We will stay at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, so that we can enable superior user experience unprecedentedly, focusing on the financial data industry" said Dr. Chen Ye, founder and CEO of Tigerobo. In less than one year of stealth mode, Tigerobo's intelligent search has covered data from global capital markets, from macroeconomy, industries and companies, and they are expanding rapidly.

The company has been testing its products with professionals from several top financial institutions in China for couple of months. And its accuracy, real-time-ness and efficient search experience has greatly exceeded users' expectation.

Dr. Chen Ye, the founder & CEO, is one of the experts under the Shanghai Thousand Talents Plan. He was a senior vice president of Meituan-Dianping. Prior to that, he had served as principal development manager and principal researcher in Microsoft, eBay, and Yahoo in the United States, deployed several artificial intelligence applications with significant business impact. He has also received best paper awards for three times in top artificial intelligence conferences (KDD and SIGIR) and published more than 20 papers in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Some of his work has been incorporated into the graduate- level course materials at top AI schools including Stanford and UC Berkeley. Ye obtained Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison, was guest lecturer at UC Berkeley. Dr. Chen holds more than 10 patents.

Dr. John Canny, Tigerobo's co-founder and chief scientist, has been a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley since 1987. John has served as technical advisor for Yahoo, eBay, Microsoft, and Google over the past decade, more than half of which he worked closely with Dr. Chen, successfully bringing cutting-edge AI technologies into business reality. John is a world-class computer scientist and AI expert. He has published more than 170 papers and won 15 academic paper awards.

NWS Holdings Executive Director Brian Cheng remarked, "Artificial intelligence has great application potentials in financial information and data anlaysis, and will enable revolutionary development in this industry. The Tigerobo team is ready to grasp this huge opportunity. We are impressed by the team's capabilities in technology and commercialization, and confident that they will bring forward home-grown technological innovations that could impact the world."

"Artificial intelligence is playing a pivotal role in financial services more so than ever. The recent revolutionary advance in AI is very likely to reshape the industrial structure or even enable new business models. Tigerobo has a world-class team in technology and product development. The team is building innovative products to offer unprecedented user experience and bring financial data and knowledge to every individual rather than only accessible to a few professionals. Gaorong is very honored to be part of the great journey," said Yue Bin, the founding partner of Gaorong Capital.

Li Chenghuang, the Chairman of Sun Hung Kai Co., Ltd. also shared his opinion, "Tigerobo's core founding team has world-class scientists and algorithm experts in the field of artificial intelligence. They have profound insight into the industry, and their approach and product just hit the pain points, hence have an immense potential. We have been actively and strategically invested in finance and fintech worldwide recent years, which will bring a strong synergy with Tigerobo."

"We share the same view as the team that AI will revolutionize the user experience in financial sector. We are constantly impressed by Tigerobo's capability and vision along the way, and look forward to supporting their continued growth." said Li Jing, the founding partner of Light Up Capital.

The funding will enable the company to continuous invest on talents, technology and product, data acquisition, as well as business development.

"No better time than now to be an innovator and entrepreneur in China", Chen Ye commented with full passion: "China has a massive market, and talents and technology are rapidly catching up with most developed countries. We are determined to solve world-class problems through fundemantal scientific research and hard-core engineering, and to create a China-made world leading technology phenomenon."



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

Hong Kong-Based Blockchain Project SmartUp Announces Strategic Agreement With China Heping Construction Group Pte Ltd.

0
0

Mr. Ric Wu, Founder of SmartUp (Left), and Ms. Anne Chan, President of China Heping Construction Group Pte Ltd. (Middle) shook hands and witnessed the signing of strategic agreement between SmartUp and China Heping Construction Group Pte Ltd.
Brings opportunities in Asian market to Singaporean investors

HONG KONG, Jun 25, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Hong Kong based blockchain incubator SmartUp is dedicated to linking blockchain projects with good potential to investors and resources around the globe, therefore has made progress in each Asian blockchain market. SmartUp is pleased to announce that it has signed a strategic agreement with China Heping Construction Group Pte Ltd. (the "Group"): the Group will assist investors to participate SmartUp's blockchain, and make use of the matching and smart credit information services to be provided by the blockchain platform, for identifying projects with good investment potential in Asia as well as around the globe.

This participation led by the Group to SmartUp has introduced the platform to the market. At the same time, this latest development also marks that Singapore has become SmartUp's third major blockchain market after Japan and China.

Ms. Anne Chen, President of China Heping Construction Group Pte Ltd., said, "Singapore is one of the Asian markets which has a high regard for blockchain applications, which attracts investors and blockchain projects from every corner of the world. For investors, lack of accurate funding records, unclear matching mechanism and lack of cross-border development capabilities are often the reasons which hinder them obtaining quality blockchain projects. We took lead in participation, and looked forward that SmartUp's smart credit function would enable more investors to identify their ideal projects with sufficient information."

Mr. Ric Wu, Founder of SmartUp, said, "On behalf of SmartUp, I would like to welcome the China Heping Construction Group Pte Ltd. which led the local investors to join our blockchain ecosystem. This is a recognition to SmartUp's vision of facilitating the matchup of Asian as well as global investors, quality blockchain projects and resources. Following the continuous growth of blockchain ecosystem and community, we will snare more smart ideas and promote blockchain applications in Asia.

Before signing the strategic agreement with China Heping Construction Group Pte Ltd., SmartUp received USD5 million investment from Blockchain Japan; By the end of May, SmartUp signed and co-established a blockchain ecosystem fund valued RMB10 billion with the Government of Wujiang City of Guizhou Province and five enterprises, which will support the investment and incubation of vertical companies in the blockchain ecosystem and eventually develop the city to be the hub of global blockchain industry; Last week, SmartUp was appointed by Shine Rain Beijing to use blockchain technology and help its "Ban Sou Ren" branded restaurant to develop as an international restaurant chain.

SmartUp continues to set its footholds on major Asian markets that embrace blockchain applications. It also allied with local governmental organizations, chambers of commerce, and institutional investors which is a testimonial to SmartUp's right business strategy. Differentiating from its peers, SmartUp focuses on building an investor community on the ground in major markets, and provides irreversible trading information, reduces the risk of blind investment with application of the new technology, which can increase the confidence of participants in the blockchain market. Looking forward, Smartup will establish links with Asian and international investor, communities and governments that apply blockchain technology, therefore join hands to build a trustful and mutually beneficial commercial incubating platform.

About SmartUp
SmartUp is a global blockchain incubating platform connecting enterprises and individuals. It connects diversified types of projects, companies, individuals, and services, as a result of irrefutable, transparent and temper-free features. The platform also provides a comprehensive service for startups through SIT, which would help create a complete credit system.

SmartUp is committed to creating a global, mutual trust, and mutual business ecosystem incubating platform. Through exclusive research and development of the smart credit system, international resource matching, and global financing and lead mechanism, truly realize information transparency, without geographical restrictions, high efficiency and low cost full-scale incubation services, including entrepreneurial support, corporate counseling, lead investment and financing and international business networks and other services. The platform uses SIT tokens as trading tools, which can greatly reduce the existing transaction costs, improve transaction efficiency, lower investment barriers and solve global payment issues.

Please visit: www.smartup.global to understand more about the project, team and service providers.

Media Enquiry:
Across Asia Communications Limited
Damon Kwok
Direct: +852 3111 5182
Email: damon.kwok@acrossasia.hk


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

The upsurge in Hong Kong of pirated TV boxes poses a major threat to the subscription video industry

0
0

Nearly one in four Hong Kong consumers use pirated TV boxes, survey finds

HONG KONG, Jun 25, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - In a newly released Casbaa survey of the content viewing behaviour of Hong Kong consumers, it was revealed that close to one in four consumers (24%) use a TV box which can be used to stream pirated television and video content. These TV boxes, also known as Illicit Streaming Devices (ISDs), allow users to access hundreds of thousands of pirated television channels and video-on-demand content, usually with the payment of a one-time fee. TV boxes BossTV (9%), Ubox (7%), EVPad (6%), Lingcod (5%), and Magic Box (4%), which come pre-loaded with applications allowing 'plug-and-play' access to pirated content, are among the most popular ISDs amongst Hong Kong consumers. Over 350 ISDs were recently seized in a Hong Kong Customs enforcement operation (Operation Trojan Horse) resulting in the arrest of four shop owners and four salespersons, all of whom were subsequently charged with copyright offences.

The survey, commissioned by Casbaa's Coalition Against Piracy (CAP), and conducted by YouGov, also highlights the effects of streaming piracy on legitimate online subscription services. Of the 24% of consumers who purchased an ISD, half (49%) claimed that they had cancelled all or some of their subscriptions to legal pay TV services. More than one in four (26%) claimed that they cancelled their subscription to local pay TV services as a direct consequence of owning an ISD. Nineteen percent (19%) stated that they had cancelled a specific part of their traditional cable TV bundle or packages after purchasing an ISD. International subscription services were also not immune to the prevalent usage of ISDs in Hong Kong - more than one in five (21%) users who had purchased an ISD said that they had cancelled their international subscription service that was available to them in Hong Kong.

Cancelling legitimate subscription services and paying less for access to pirated content is fraught with risks, as Neil Gane, Managing Director for Casbaa's Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) comments, "The damage that content theft does to the creative industries is without dispute. However, the damage done to consumers themselves, because of the nexus between content piracy and malware, is only beginning to be recognised. The piracy ecosystem is a hotbed for malware, whether purchasing ISDs from Sham Shui Po's Golden Arcade or downloading content from infamous torrent sites. Unfortunately the appetite for free or paying cheap subscription rates for stolen content, blinkers some consumers from the real risks of malicious malware infection such as spyware".

Of those consumers who own an ISD, about half of respondents (49%) claim to have purchased their illicit streaming device from Sham Shui Po, a popular local electronics hotspot. The survey also found that some of the world's top e-retail stores and social media platforms are preferred destinations where Hong Kong consumers acquire their ISDs and other devices used for pirating video content from.

In addition to the short-term problem of cancelled subscriptions is a longer term problem - namely, many of the people using ISDs are young. The survey found that ISDs are particularly favoured among 25-34 year-olds and high income earners with university degrees.

"The illicit streaming device (ISD) ecosystem is impacting all businesses involved in the production and distribution of legitimate content", said Louis Boswell, CEO of Casbaa. "ISD piracy is also organised crime, pure and simple, with crime syndicates making substantial illicit revenues from the provision of illegally re-transmitted TV channels and the sale of such ISDs."

Casbaa's Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) includes leading video content creators and distributors in Asia. Members include: beIN Sports, Casbaa, Discovery, The Walt Disney Company, Fox Networks Group, HBO Asia, NBCUniversal, Premier League, Turner Asia-Pacific, A&E Networks, Astro, BBC Worldwide, CANAL+, Cignal, La Liga, Media Partners Asia, National Basketball Association, PCCW Media, Singtel, Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia, TVB, True Visions, TV5MONDE, and Viacom International Media Networks.

About CASBAA

Casbaa is THE trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. Casbaa leads the fight against video piracy, publishes in-depth reports and hosts conferences and seminars aimed to support a vibrant video industry. For more information, visit www.casbaa.com.

Contact:
(Ms) Kay Bayliss Manager, Marketing & Communications Tel: +852 5741 6559 pr@casbaa.com

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

Third Belt and Road Summit Opens on Thursday

0
0

The third Belt and Road Summit will be held on 28 June (Thursday) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Edward Yau (L), Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR Government, and Vincent HS Lo (R), Chairman of the HKTDC, attended the press briefing today to introduce details of the Summit.
Last year's Belt and Road Summit welcomed more than 3,000 government and business leaders from some 50 countries and regions. Photo shows last year's Summit.
The Project Pitching sessions will focus on three areas: Transport and Logistics Infrastructure, Energy, Natural Resources and Public Utilities and Rural and Urban Development. Participants can learn about the characteristics and potential of different projects.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister to deliver keynote speech; Participation of Senior Government Officials from the mainland

HONG KONG, Jun 25, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the third Belt and Road Summit themed "Collaborate for Success", will be held this Thursday (28 June) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. More than 80 heavyweight speakers from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and countries along the Belt and Road will share their insights on the development of the Initiative, intergovernmental cooperation and business opportunities presented for different industries.

Hong Kong-Thailand bilateral cooperation deepens

Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, will deliver the opening remarks and Xiao Yaqing, Chairman, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), Ning Jizhe, Vice Chairman, National Development and Reform Commission and Gao Yan, Vice Minister, Ministry of Commerce of Chinese Mainland will give special addresses at the opening session. Dr Somkid Jatusripitak, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, will deliver a keynote speech on how the Belt and Road Initiative is driving the steady growth of the global economy and how Thailand and other ASEAN countries can get involved.

Vincent HS Lo, Chairman of the HKTDC, said: "The HKTDC has been reaching out to various Belt and Road countries through business missions to explore business opportunities for Hong Kong. Following our mission to Thailand last year, we are delighted to have Thai Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak to speak at our Summit this year in recognition of our commitment. It also shows both Hong Kong and Thailand agree there are immense collaboration opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative for both sides to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. I hope other Belt and Road countries will follow suit and leverage Hong Kong as the platform to capture the socio-economic benefits the Initiative unlocks."

Echoing the Summit's theme of collaboration, Hong Kong companies from the electricity and architectural sectors will sign memoranda of understanding with their Thai partners at the Summit to implement cooperation plans.

Ministerial Dialogue discussing intergovernmental cooperation

Plenary luncheon will be chaired by Edward Yau Tang-wah, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Government of the HKSAR, who will discuss with Genadi Arveladze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Georgia; U Thaung Tun, Union Minister for the Ministry of the office of the Union Government, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, Department for International Trade, the United Kingdom and Lim Sidenine, Secretary of State, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Kingdom of Cambodia. The speakers will examine how governments can enhance cooperation and support enterprises and investors to participate in Belt and Road projects.

Explore development opportunities for different industries

The plenary session entitled "Action through Collaboration: Case Studies on Signature Belt and Road Projects" will be moderated by Bernard Chan, President of Asia Financial Holdings Limited. Guest speakers include Liu Qitao, President of China Communications Construction Company Limited; Li Shufu, Vice Chairman of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and Chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group; Prof Frederick Ma, Chairman of MTR Corporation Limited; Manuel V Pangilinan, Chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, a renowned Filipino infrastructure company and Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, Vice Chairwoman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN Indonesia) and Chief Executive Officer of Sintesa Group. They will share their first-hand experience and perspectives as investors and project owners on how to achieve an "all-win" outcome through collaboration.

Other breakout sessions will explore the new opportunities that the Belt and Road Initiative presents to areas including infrastructure financing, digital technology, construction, green finance, risk management and legal services. The sessions will also shed light on how enterprises can leverage Hong Kong's advantages to deliver better project quality and maximise returns. Additionally, young business leaders and leading women entrepreneurs will share their experience in Belt and Road markets.

More than 220 investment projects available

This year's Investment and Business Matching Session will be extended to a full day. More than 220 projects from over 40 countries and regions have already been received, including projects in Logistics, Infrastructure, Energy, Technology and Urban Development. One-to-one Business Matching Meetings will be arranged for project owners, investors and service providers based on their needs.

In addition, Project Pitching sessions covering the three sectors: Transport and Logistics Infrastructure; Energy, Natural Resources and Public Utilities and Rural and Urban Development will be organised for participants to learn about different projects.

For further information, the Global Investment Zone that features more than 50 investment promotion agencies from 29 countries will showcase the investment environments and projects of different regions, while the Hong Kong Zone will bring together more than 40 Hong Kong companies from four sectors: Banking and Financial Services, Information Technology, Infrastructure Development and Professional Services.

The third Belt and Road Summit has invited more than 34 global business leaders to serve as honorary advisors. China International Capital Corporation Ltd is the Summit's Strategic Partner. Bank of China (Hong Kong) Ltd is the Diamond Sponsor.

Belt and Road Summit website: www.beltandroadsummit.hk
HKTDC Belt and Road Portal: www.beltandroad.hk
Photo Download: https://bit.ly/2Mjxpm0

About HKTDC

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

Contact:
Billy Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4393, Email: billy.km.ng@hktdc.org

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

Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group Limited Announces Proposed Listing on the GEM of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange

0
0

Offer Price Set Between HK$0.60 to HK$1.00 per Share To Raise Gross Proceeds Up to HK$100 Million;
Finance Leasing Service Provider to SMEs in the PRC;
Continues to Expand Operation Scale;
Strategic Extension of Sales Network;

HONG KONG, Jun 25, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group Limited ("Ziyuanyuan Holdings" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, the "Group", stock code: 8223.HK), a finance leasing service provider to SMEs in the PRC, today announced the proposed listing of its shares on the GEM Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited ("Hong Kong Stock Exchange").

Ziyuanyuan Holdings plans to offer 100,000,000 shares, of which 90,000,000 shares will be placing shares (subject to reallocation), representing 90% of the initial offer shares; the remaining 10,000,000 shares will be public offer shares (subject to reallocation), representing 10% of the total offer shares. Offer price is set between HK$0.60 to HK$1.00 per share. The Public Offering will start at 9 a.m., 25 June 2018 (Monday), and close at 12:00 noon, 28 June 2018 (Thursday). Dealings in shares on the GEM of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is expected to commence at 9:00 a.m. on 9 July 2018 (Monday). The shares will be traded in board lots of 4,000 shares each. The stock code will be 8223.HK.

Guoyuan Capital (Hong Kong) Limited is the Sole Sponsor. Future Land Resources Securities Limited is the Sole Bookrunner. Guoyuan Capital (Hong Kong) Limited, Future Land Resources Securities Limited and Brilliant Norton Securities Company Limited are Joint Lead Managers.

The Group is engaged in providing equipment-based finance leasing services to SME customers in the printing and logistics industries in the PRC. Since the commencement of the finance leasing business in 2014, the Group has focused its efforts on providing finance leasing services to the printing and logistics industries in various provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in the PRC. In addition, leveraging on its operational experience and practical knowledge in delivering finance leasing services to customers in the printing industry, the Group has further expanded the business into the transportation equipment finance leasing market in China, focusing on provision of finance leasing services to customers which purchase and operate commercial vehicles for logistics purpose.

The Group's finance leasing services are classified into two categories: (i) sale-leaseback; and (ii) direct finance leasing. Sale-leaseback involves leasing of used equipment which was owned by our customer and sold to us prior to a finance leasing transaction. In a sale-leaseback transaction, a customer sells the existing equipment to the Group, and then the Group leases the equipment back to the customer for its use. After the customer has paid up all lease payments upon expiry of the lease term, the Group transfers the ownership of leased equipment back to the customer. Direct finance leasing involves leasing of new equipment acquired by the Group from an equipment supplier prior to a finance leasing transaction. In a direct finance leasing transaction, when a customer needs financing to purchase certain equipment, the Group purchases such equipment from the supplier selected by the customer. The Group then lease the equipment to the customer for business use. After the customer has paid up all the lease payments upon expiry of the lease term, the Group transfers the ownership of leased equipment to the customer.

The Group has capitalised on and benefited from the capital demands of SME customers across China. According to the Frost & Sullivan Report, the New Contract Volume of the PRC printing equipment finance leasing market grew from RMB8.3 billion in 2011 to RMB14.6 billion in 2017 with a CAGR of 9.9%. Moreover, there are capital demands from SMEs in the printing industry in China. SMEs have difficulty in accessing to traditional bank loans due to the long-term credit records and other strict requirements under bank loan policies.The Group's finance leasing service becomes an efficient way for SME customers to solve their funding problems. The Group's customised finance leasing services satisfy the short to medium-term financing need of SME customers. Compared with traditional bank loans, the Group's finance leasing services offer SME customers a less rigid application process and a more flexible solution with respect to the interest rates, payment schedules and duration of loans.

At the same time, the Group's office automatic system (OA System) has integrated its business processes and financial systems through an online platform, covering customer data, loan processing and most steps of the transaction management workflow, enhancing the capability in risk management and overall efficiency during the loan approval process and differentiate the Group from competitors through developing and implementing an advanced information technology system in accordance with its business needs. OA System enable the Group to efficiently complete the work in the phases of customer credit assessment, project evaluation, drawdown of funds and post-drawdown management, trace and follow up with both existing customers and potential customers, monitor the payment progress of each customer, evaluate the performance of our employees, reduce the hassle of circulating physical documents and decrease the risk of human errors. It enhances the efficiency in providing quality services to customers and improving customer satisfaction and loyalty to the Group's business.

Moreover, leveraging on the Group's accumulated experience and operational expertise in the PRC printing and logistics industries, as well as its practical knowledge of its SME customers' characteristics and demands, together with streamlined loan application review process, the Group has successfully expanded its customer base and achieved revenue growth by capitalising on the growth and financing needs in the PRC printing and logistics finance leasing markets. The Group's customer base expanded from approximately 14 customers as at 1 January 2015 to approximately 292 customers across 24 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China as at 31 December 2017. For FY2015, FY2016 and FY2017, the Group's revenue was approximately RMB10.8 million, RMB29.5 million and RMB52.1 million, respectively.

Mr. Zhang Junshen, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Ziyuanyuan Holdings Group Limited, said, "Since our incorporation, we have positioned ourselves in the niche market as a finance leasing service provider to SMEs with customised financial solution in comparison to CBRC-regulated finance leasing companies and other large scale finance leasing companies. We have gained practical knowledge and experience of providing finance leasing services to SMEs, which enables us to maintain our competitive position in the finance leasing market. Through customised services to customers in the printing industry, successful expansion into the transportation equipment finance leasing market, rapidly growing, diversified customer base and effective risk management measures, we differentiate ourselves from our competitors and to enable us to compete effectively in the PRC finance leasing industry."

The PRC Finance Leasing Market and Transportation Equipment Finance Leasing Market have been developing rapidly, which has tremendous potential growth. According to the Frost & Sullivan Report, the penetration rate of China's finance leasing market is merely 7.0% in 2017, which is much lower than that of developed countries, thus leaving immense market development space. The penetration rate of the PRC finance leasing market is expected to reach more than 10.0% by 2022. Furthermore, the total registered capital of finance leasing companies increased from RMB195.5 billion in 2011 to RMB3,203.1 billion in 2017, with a CAGR of 59.4%. Significant increase in capital inflows are expected to stimulate the growth of finance leasing market in China in the near future. Meanwhile, due to the increasing road freight turnover of logistics industry and the flourishing e-commerce, the New Contract Volume of the PRC transportation equipment finance leasing market increased from RMB102.3 billion in 2011 to RMB488.6 billion in 2017, with a CAGR of 29.8%. In addition, a large number of medium and small logistic companies have emerged in recent years. They need new transportation equipment, but only have limited access to traditional bank loans. These factors are beneficial to the long-term development of the Group's business.

Mr. Zhang Junshen concluded, "In the future, in light of the sizable and increasing demands for our finance leasing services in China, we will focus on expanding our operation scale, extending our sales network and broadening our customer base strategically in other regions of China, which will enable us to realise better economic efficiency. At the same time, We plan to continue to strengthen our key market player position in the finance leasing industry in China and leverage on our competitive advantages in customized service provision, prudent risk management and our OA system, to enhance our overall competitiveness and market shares, further strengthen our market position in our target industries of printing and logistics in China, and generate investment returns for our shareholders and drive our sustainable growth."

Factsheet

Information on the Global Offering:

Number of Offer Shares: 100,000,000 Shares
Number of Public Offer Shares: 10,000,000 Shares (subject to reallocation)
Number of Placing Shares: 90,000,000 Shares (subject to reallocation)
Maximum Offer Price: HK$1.00 per share, plus brokerage of 1.0%, SFC transaction levy of 0.0027% and Stock Exchange trading fee of 0.005% (payable in full on application and subject to refund)
Board Lot: 4,000 Shares
Start of the Public Offering: 9 a.m., 25 June 2018 (Monday)
End of the Public Offering: 12:00 noon, 28 June 2018 (Thursday)
Expected Price Determination Date: 28 June 2018 (Thursday)
Announcement of Allotment Results: 6 July 2018 (Friday)
Expected Listing Date: 9 July 2018 (Monday)
Stock Code: 8223.HK

Use of Proceeds
After The Group estimates that they will receive approximately HK$50.8 million net proceeds from the Share Offer after deducting underwriting commission and other estimated expenses paid and payable by the Group in connection with the Share Offer, assuming an Offer Price of HK$0.80 per Share (mid-point of the indicative Offer Price range). The Group intends to apply the net proceeds in the following manner:

Use of Proceeds: Amount(HK$ million) / As a Percentage of Total Amount (%)
Develop its finance leasing business in the PRC printing and logistics industries (Note 1): 45.0 / 88.6
Expanding its business in these two industries in northern and eastern parts of China: 3.5 / 6.9
Exploring on its new target industries for its finance leasing business (Note 2): 1.1 / 2.2
Funding its general working capital needs: 1.2 / 2.3

Note 1: Based on the finance lease agreements on hand, our Group expects to use the net proceeds to acquire 20 printing equipment. The number and types of logistics equipment to be acquired by the proceeds will be determined based on the request of our future customers.
Note 2: The Group plan to expand our business operation to the PRC medical device industry, with implementation plans include but not limited to market research, business development and employee training for new industry entry.

Key Financial Figures

For the years ended Decemeber 31
2015(RMB '000) 2016(RMB '000) 2017(RMB '000)
Revenue 10,807 29,546 52,060
Profit before taxation 958 7,536 15,942
Profit and total comprehensive income for the year 680 5,217 9,565


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

Asia Allied Infrastructure Concludes HK$1.2 Billion 3 Years Term Loan And Revolving Credit Facility Agreement

0
0

Avails Abundant Financial Resources to Support Business Development
Reinforces the Group's Development Strategy

HONG KONG, Jun 25, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings Limited ("Asia Allied Infrastructure" or "the Group") (stock code: 00711) is pleased to announce today that it has entered into a HK$1.2 billion term loan and revolving credit facility agreement with five banks. Part of the loan will be used to restructure the loan portfolio of the Group, while the rest will be used to support future operations and development. This facility will lower the finance cost of the Group, enhance its financial flexibility and funding capability, as well as enable the Group to accelerate its business expansion.

The three-year facility of HK$1.2 billion carrying an interest rate of HIBOR+1.65% was arranged by Hang Seng Bank Limited, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited, Chong Hing Bank Limited, Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) Limited and United Overseas Bank Limited.

Mr. Dominic Pang, Chairman of Asia Allied Infrastructure, said, "The overwhelming response to this facility is a clear signal of the great trust and a strong vote of confidence in the Group from the banking community. The long-term cooperation with the banking community has enabled the Group to focus on diversifying its business strategically and actively participate in large-scale infrastructure projects. As an industry leader and armed with ample capital, as well as seasoned management, the Group is well positioned to capitalize on future business opportunities with the loan facility. With a healthy financial position and good relationships with banks, we are confident in our ability to capitalize on the opportunities ahead to enhance shareholder value."

Photo: https://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_AAI20180625.jpg
Photo Caption: Mr. Dominic Pang, Chairman of Asia Allied Infrastructure (Fifth from right); Mr. Jerry Xu, Deputy Chairman of Asia Allied Infrastructure (Third from left), Ir Dr. Derrick Pang, JP, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Asia Allied Infrastructure (Third from right), Mr. Martin Shea, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary of Asia Allied Infrastructure (Second from right) together with representatives of Hang Seng Bank Limited, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited, Chong Hing Bank Limited, Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, and United Overseas Bank Limited attended the signing ceremony.

Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings Limited (stock code: 00711.HK)
Asia Allied Infrastructure Holdings Limited ("AAI") is listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 00711. It is engaged in various businesses including construction engineering and management, property development, security services and property management. With Hong Kong as its business development base, AAI is also exploring development opportunities with Asia as the main focus, as well as in overseas markets. Its subsidiary "Chun Wo" is a renowned construction contractor and property developer in Hong Kong, which enables AAI to capitalise on that company's solid construction experience and professional capabilities to seize the opportunities for infrastructure development in countries along the area of the "Belt and Road" initiative, and, ultimately, to increase overall profitability and create higher investment value.

For press enquiries:
Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Cindy Lung (852) 2864 4867 cindy.lung@sprg.com.hk
Carven Tsui (852) 2864 4859 carvensm.tsui@sprg.com.hk
Wilson Ngan (852) 2114 4318 wilson.ngan@sprg.com.hk


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

Jacobson Pharma Announces 2018 Annual Results

0
0

Revenue Increased 23.3% to HK$1,548.7 Million;
Adjusted EBITDA Up by 20.7% to HK$397.0 Million;
Profit Attributable to Shareholders Increased 12.8% to HK$202.3 Million;
Recommends a Final Dividend of HK2.9 Cents per Share

HONG KONG, Jun 25, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Jacobson Pharma Corporation Limited ("Jacobson Pharma" or the "Group"; Stock Code: 2633), a leading company engaged in the research, development, production, marketing and sale of generic drugs and proprietary medicines, today announced its annual results of the Company and its subsidiaries (collectively the "Group") for the year ended 31 March 2018 ("FY2018").

Financial Highlights

During the reporting period, the Group's revenue grew by 23.3% to HK$1,548.7 million (FY2017: HK$1,256.0 million). Gross profit rose by 10.9% to HK$617.7 million (FY2017: HK$556.9 million) and adjusted EBITDA was up by 20.7% to HK$397.0 million (FY2017: HK$328.9 million). Profit from operations posted a solid growth of 26.4% to approximately HK$297.2 million (FY2017: HK$235.2 million). The profit attributable to the shareholders of the Company rose by 12.8% to HK$202.3 million (FY2017: HK$179.3 million). Basic and diluted earnings per share were HK11.14 cents (FY2017: HK11.39 cents).

The Group maintains a strong financial position with cash and cash equivalents of HK$656.7 million at the end of FY2018. The Board has recommended a payment of a final dividend of HK2.9 cents per share for the year ended 31 March 2018 (FY2017: HK1.4 cents per share). Together with the interim dividend of HK0.9 cent per share, the total dividend for FY2018 amounts to HK3.8 cents per share.

Generic Drugs

Revenue of generic drugs demonstrated a steady growth at 7.4% amounting to HK$1,178.8 million (FY2017: HK$1,097.6 million), of which public and private sectors grew by 7.9% and 7.2% respectively. The Group saw solid sales growth for its central nervous system and respiratory categories at 20.5% and 36.0% respectively, whilst the ophthalmic preparations and dermatological products also posted an encouraging growth of 14.9% and 20.0% respectively in the public sector.

Biosimilars and Specialty Drugs

The Group has entered into a licensing framework agreement with a subsidiary of Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. namely, Shanghai Henlius Biotech Inc., for an exclusive right to develop and market a propriety biosimilar product, Recombinant Humanised Anti-Her2 Monoclonal Antibody Injection (biosimilar version of Trastuzumab) in Hong Kong and Macau, in association with a right of first negotiation to commercialise the product in certain emerging markets within ASEAN region. This allows the Group to swiftly tap into the fast-growing biosimilar market in Hong Kong and certain emerging ASEAN markets.

On broadening its portfolio of specialty drugs, the Group has also signed an in-licensing agreement for a specialized anti-viral drug for manufacturing and exclusive distribution right in Hong Kong and other Asian markets such Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Philippines.

Proprietary Medicines

Revenue from the Proprietary Medicine segment achieved a year-on-year growth of 21.3% to HK$192.2 million. The increase in revenue was mainly contributed by the increase in sales of newly acquired household brand, Ho Chai Kung, which posted HK$73.8 million in revenue to the proprietary medicine business. Another well recognized proprietary medicine brand, Shiling Oil, acquired by the Group, also contributed HK$5.3 million in sales revenue to the segment during the reporting period.

The sales of Po Chai Pills in chain-store channel in Hong Kong posted a notable growth, thanks to the persistent marketing efforts as well as the online adverting campaign "Po Chai Pills x Angela Yuen" launched during the reporting period proved to be a hit and succeeded in serving the objectives of product education and creating a contemporary appeal of the brand among the younger segment.

Product Development on Clinical Diagnostics

In addition to its various on-going collaborative technological projects, the Group has signed a heads of terms with a university spin-off company on the collaborative development of an innovative, non-invasive, accurate diagnostic test of prostate cancer. This technology can provide a reliable alternative of blood PSA level testing in a medical laboratory setting with the benefits of better patient experiences. The collaboration includes the conduct of clinical trials, in-licensing of the technology, scale-up manufacturing, registration, and product commercialization for global market delivery.

Business Update

The recent announcement of the landmark results of the TAILORx study, the largest ever breast cancer treatment trial, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and led by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN), provided definitive evidence that the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test identified 70 per cent of early-stage breast cancer patients who received no benefit from chemotherapy and can be effectively treated with endocrine therapy alone.

The Oncotype DX gene expression tests carried out by Genomic Health, Inc., the world's leading provider of genomic-based diagnostic tests, have been used to guide treatment decisions for more than 900,000 cancer patients in more than 90 countries. Jacobson has been the exclusive distributor of Genomic Health in Hong Kong and Macau for 10 years, and is well positioned in expanding business opportunities emerging in this arena.

Mr. Derek Sum, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Jacobson Pharma said, "The year of 2018 marks our 20th anniversary and gives us the opportunity to reflect not only on our past achievements, but also on what it takes to prepare us well for facing the challenges ahead. Throughout the year we have carefully integrated the newly acquired businesses into our core operations and our management team had made tremendous efforts in maximizing the synergies amongst these units. I'm delighted that Jacobson's overall business continued to deliver solid results, which was driven by the execution of our balanced business strategies that focused on delivering results across our generics and proprietary medicine businesses.

Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in expanding our generic drug and proprietary medicine product portfolios and pipelines, integrate our operational capabilities and explore opportunities through in-licensing, strategic alliances and acquisitions. We are committed to expanding our regional platform, building on our commercial strengths, maximizing our ability to invest in opportunities, and retaining the best talent in the industry. We remain adamantly positive that Jacobson will continue to do well by doing good."

About Jacobson Pharma Corporation Limited (Stock Code: 2633)
Jacobson Pharma is the largest generic drug company in Hong Kong with over 30% share of the total generic drug market for each year since 2012. The Group's proprietary medicines, notably being Po Chai Pills, Tong Tai Chung Woodlok Oil, Ho Chai Kung Tji Thung San, Contractubex Scar Gel Doan's Ointment, Flying Eagle Wood Lok Medicated Oil, Saplingtan, Shiling Oil and Col-gan Tablet have been widely recognized by the market. Jacobson Pharma has been a constituent stock of MSCI Hong Kong Micro Cap Index since 1 June 2017. For more details about Jacobson Pharma, please visit the Group's website: http://www.jacobsonpharma.com

For media enquiries, please contact:
Strategic Financial Relations Limited
Vicky Lee Tel: (852) 2864 4834 Email: vicky.lee@sprg.com.hk
Stephanie Liu Tel: (852) 2864 4852 Email: stephanie.liu@sprg.com.hk
Queenie Chan Tel: (852) 2864 4851 Email: queenie.chan@sprg.com.hk
Fax: (852) 2527 1196


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

Sparkle Roll Group Limited Announces Annual Results for the Year Ended 31 March 2018

0
0

Grasping the enormous business opportunities derived from luxury goods market;
Gross Profit Increased by Approx. 20.6% YOY to Approx. HK$399 Million

HONG KONG, Jun 25, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Sparkle Roll Group Limited (Stock Code: 970.HK) ("Sparkle Roll" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, the "Group"), principally engaged in distributorships and dealerships of top-tier branded consumer goods, today announced its audited consolidated results for the year ended 31 March 2018 (the "Year").

During the year, the Group's consolidated revenue increased 4.0% year-on-year ("yoy") to approximately HK$2.89 billion. The increase was mainly attributable to the increase in sales of Rolls-Royce, audio products and menswear apparel products. Driven by the improvement in automobile dealership business including increase in incentive bonuses from suppliers, the Group successfully increased its gross profit by 20.6% yoy to approximately HK$399.0 million.

In addition, due to the change in accounting treatment on the Group's investment in Bang & Olusen ("B&O") as a result of loss of significant influence over B&O, it led to an increase of approximately HK$585.6 million (which is non-cash in nature) in the consolidated net profit.

The Directors do not recommend the payment of a final dividend for the year ended 31 March 2018 (2017: nil) while no interim dividend (2017: nil) had been distributed during the year as the Group would like to reserve more capital to capture opportunities.

Business Review

Auto Dealerships

During the year, the revenue of the ultra-luxury automobile distributorships (Bentley, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce) increased by approximately 3.1% yoy to approximately HK$2.470 billion. Rolls-Royce reached the highest sales amid three automotive brands under the Group with total sales of approximately HK $1.046 billion, representing an approximately 25.4% increase as compared with previous financial year. Among all models on sale of Rolls-Royce during the current financial year, Ghost performed the best in terms of revenue and gross profit contribution. The gross profit margin of sales of Bentley, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce improved significantly, while the Group continued enjoying bonus from the brands.

Non-auto Dealerships

During the year, the sales performance of the non-auto division including audio equipment, menswear apparel and accessories, watches, jewelleries, fine wines and tobacco products, performed satisfactorily. Revenue recorded an approximately 23.5% increase yoy to approximately HK $323.5 million. The strong growth was mainly driven by the sales of audio equipment, menswear apparel and accessories. Among all brands under the non-auto division, B&O PLAY performed the best in terms of revenue contribution. The gross profit margin of non-auto division increased from approximately 26.5% in the last financial year to approximately 35% in the current financial year. The revenue and gross profit of audio equipment, menswear apparel and accessories and tobacco products increased by approximately 85.2% and approximately 121.3% respectively over the last financial year.

Investment, Debt Securities and Loan Receivables

In the past two financial years, in order to enhance the capital return, the Group has allocated and managed certain resources on various types of investment, P2P financing portfolios, Senior note and other financing arrangement. During the year, these contributed approximately HK$13.8 million of gross income to the Group and represented approximately 47.6% of the total assets of the Group as at 31 March 2018. Besides, as at 31 March 2018, the Group owned approximately 15.09% of the total shareholding in B&O. The Group sold 64,454 shares in B&O and hence realized approximately HK$12.4 million in May 2018. As at 31 May 2018, the Group held approximately 14.94% of the shareholding in B&O.

Mr. Zheng Hao Jiang, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Sparkle Roll, said "During the year, with global economic stable recovery, as well as China's economy has been growing in a fast pace, there is a growing demand of luxury goods in China. Looking forward, to grasp the market opportunity, Sparkle Roll has established a strategic development plan to expand its market share in the China luxury goods market for its sustainable development of business. The Group will focus on the automobile dealership business, actively search for the opportunities to acquire profitable businesses and enrich the brand portfolio of the Group to attract more potential customers. Meanwhile, Sparkle Roll plans to relocate an existing after-sales services center in Beijing for Bentley so as to cope with the demands of the brand and reduce the non-auto inventory especially in watch and jewellery to enhance the Group's operational strength. With our core development strategies, we will strive to maintain our leading position in the PRC market. "

About Sparkle Roll Group Limited (Stock Code: 970.HK)
Sparkle Roll Group Limited is principally engaged in the dealerships of luxury goods, trading of top-tier automobiles, high-end watches and jewellery and other branded consumer goods in the PRC, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The Group's businesses are divided into two divisions - (i) Auto dealerships, includes distribution of branded automobiles, namely Bentley and Rolls-Royce in Beijing and Tianjin, Lamborghini in Beijing and provision of related after-sales services; (ii) Non-auto dealership of high-end branded watches Richard Mille in Beijing, DeWitt, Parmigiani in the PRC and DeLaCour, as well as cohesive partnership with high-end branded jewelry Boucheron, and exclusive license agreement using trademarks of Royal Asscher in the PRC respectively, and dealership of an Austria top-notch brand, manufacturer of "OBJECTS OF TIME", Buben & Zorweg; and distributorships of Bordeaux fine wines from renowned French fine wines merchants Maison Joanne, Ulysse Cazabonne and Compagnie Medocaine Des Grands Crus in the PRC; approved dealerships of Chateau Latour, Domaine d'Eugenie, Chateau Margaux, Chateau d'Yquem and Chateau Mouton Rothschild; dealership and reseller right of audio equipment brand of B&O PLAY under Bang & Olufsen; non-exclusive right to sell clothing articles and other menswear products of Corneliani Brand in the PRC, retail business of cigars and smoker's accessories brand of Davidoff.


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

Tigerobo Raises over RMB 100 Million Series Pre-A to Create an Intelligent Financial Search Engine

0
0
HONG KONG, Jun 25, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - On June 5, 2018, Tigerobo, an AI-based financial search engine start-up, announced today that it has raised over RMB 100 million in Series Pre-A led by NWS Holdings (00659.HK), a subsidiary company of New World Development Company Limited, and Gaorong Capital. Sun Hung Kai & Co. Ltd. (00086.HK ) participated as co-investor. In August 2017, the company closed Series Angel fund raising with tens of millions RMB, participated by Gaorong Capital, Light Up Capital as well as Zhang Tao, founder of Dianping.com.

Tigerobo, which was launched in July 2017, offers an intelligent search engine to help professional and individual investors improve their efficiency of research by orders of magnitude. The accurateness, completeness, and timeliness of information is fundamental to human decision making.

In the financial industry among many others, however, the way people collect and consume information has not kept pace with the revolution of AI. The traditional approach is labor intensive, cannot scale beyond a dozen standard financial metrics, hence missing more important first-order, operational and alternative data, even leading indicators. Human labor is error-prone, cannot respond fast to the overwhelming information. On the other hand, the way users acquire and consume the information is cumbersome, through an over-loaded terminal, by browsing a gigantic portal.

Tigerobo takes an AI-based approach. By leveraging and advancing the cutting-edge neural text processing technology, Tigerobo builds a machine comprehension system that collects and understands the data into knowledge, automatically and promptly as the raw data emerges. The machine comprehended knowledge is then handy for users to consume, through a natural language interfaced chatbot or question-answering system. The team believes this is the future way to consume information and knowledge, on demand, straight to the point, and in real time.

"We will stay at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence, so that we can enable superior user experience unprecedentedly, focusing on the financial data industry" said Dr. Chen Ye, founder and CEO of Tigerobo. In less than one year of stealth mode, Tigerobo's intelligent search has covered data from global capital markets, from macroeconomy, industries and companies, and they are expanding rapidly.

The company has been testing its products with professionals from several top financial institutions in China for couple of months. And its accuracy, real-time-ness and efficient search experience has greatly exceeded users' expectation.

Dr. Chen Ye, the founder & CEO, is one of the experts under the Shanghai Thousand Talents Plan. He was a senior vice president of Meituan-Dianping. Prior to that, he had served as principal development manager and principal researcher in Microsoft, eBay, and Yahoo in the United States, deployed several artificial intelligence applications with significant business impact. He has also received best paper awards for three times in top artificial intelligence conferences (KDD and SIGIR) and published more than 20 papers in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Some of his work has been incorporated into the graduate- level course materials at top AI schools including Stanford and UC Berkeley. Ye obtained Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison, was guest lecturer at UC Berkeley. Dr. Chen holds more than 10 patents.

Dr. John Canny, Tigerobo's co-founder and chief scientist, has been a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley since 1987. John has served as technical advisor for Yahoo, eBay, Microsoft, and Google over the past decade, more than half of which he worked closely with Dr. Chen, successfully bringing cutting-edge AI technologies into business reality. John is a world-class computer scientist and AI expert. He has published more than 170 papers and won 15 academic paper awards.

NWS Holdings Executive Director Brian Cheng remarked, "Artificial intelligence has great application potentials in financial information and data anlaysis, and will enable revolutionary development in this industry. The Tigerobo team is ready to grasp this huge opportunity. We are impressed by the team's capabilities in technology and commercialization, and confident that they will bring forward home-grown technological innovations that could impact the world."

"Artificial intelligence is playing a pivotal role in financial services more so than ever. The recent revolutionary advance in AI is very likely to reshape the industrial structure or even enable new business models. Tigerobo has a world-class team in technology and product development. The team is building innovative products to offer unprecedented user experience and bring financial data and knowledge to every individual rather than only accessible to a few professionals. Gaorong is very honored to be part of the great journey," said Yue Bin, the founding partner of Gaorong Capital.

Li Chenghuang, the Chairman of Sun Hung Kai Co., Ltd. also shared his opinion, "Tigerobo's core founding team has world-class scientists and algorithm experts in the field of artificial intelligence. They have profound insight into the industry, and their approach and product just hit the pain points, hence have an immense potential. We have been actively and strategically invested in finance and fintech worldwide recent years, which will bring a strong synergy with Tigerobo."

"We share the same view as the team that AI will revolutionize the user experience in financial sector. We are constantly impressed by Tigerobo's capability and vision along the way, and look forward to supporting their continued growth." said Li Jing, the founding partner of Light Up Capital.

The funding will enable the company to continuous invest on talents, technology and product, data acquisition, as well as business development.

"No better time than now to be an innovator and entrepreneur in China", Chen Ye commented with full passion: "China has a massive market, and talents and technology are rapidly catching up with most developed countries. We are determined to solve world-class problems through fundemantal scientific research and hard-core engineering, and to create a China-made world leading technology phenomenon."

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

Grand Ming Group Holdings Limited Announces Annual Results for the Year Ended 31 March 2018

0
0

Underlying Net Profit Increased by 42.4% to HK$171.3 Million
Declared Final Dividend of 5.8 HK Cents per Share

HONG KONG, Jun 26, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Grand Ming Group Holdings Limited (the "Company" and together with its subsidiaries, the "Group", stock code: 1271.HK) today announces its annual results for the year ended 31 March 2018 ("FY 2017/18").

Highlights

- Recorded revenue of HK$1,423.9 million, an increase of 34.9%.
- Recorded underlying profit, exclusive of the effect of changes in fair value of investment properties, of HK$171.3million, an increase of 42.4%
- Attained net profit of HK$171.8 million, representing a decrease of 15.4% over last year.
- Declared final dividend of 5.8 HK cents per share.
- Seek opportunities to expand landbank in Hong Kong and second tier cities in the PRC.

Total revenue of the Group increased 34.9% from HK$ 1,055.7 million for the year ended 31 March 2017 ("FY 2016/17") to HK$1,423.9 million for FY 2017/18. The increase in revenue was mainly attributable to the construction project at Kai Tak, Kowloon for which the construction work commenced in June 2016 and was in full swing during the year under review.

For the FY 2017/18, the Group's underlying profit, excluding the fair value gains on investment properties, amounted to HK$171.3 million, representing an increase of HK$51.0 million or 42.4% over that of HK$120.3 million in FY 2016/17. Underlying earnings per share was 24.1 HK cents (2017: 16.9 HK cents as adjusted for the bonus issue in August 2017). While the Group's profit for the year was HK$171.8 million, inclusive of an increase in fair value of investment properties of HK$0.5 million, representing a decrease of HK$31.2 million or 15.4% when compared with that of HK$203.0 million for FY 2016/17. Earnings per share was 24.2 HK cents (2017: 28.6 HK cents as adjusted for the bonus issue in August 2017).

With the proposed final dividend of 5.8 HK cents per share declared today, the Group is now in its 5th consecutive year of dividend payments since it became a listed company in 2013. Protecting and growing our shareholders investments and sharing profits through dividends remains a priority. Together with the interim dividend of 4.0 HK cents per share paid in December 2017, the total dividends for FY 2017/18 will amount to 9.8 HK cents per share, representing a payout ratio of approximately 40.6%.

Throughout FY 2017/18, the Group continued to execute on the strategic plan and achieved solid results. The Group's construction business remained the key revenue and profit contributor for FY 2017/18. The construction business delivered statisfory results with revenue increased by 39.6% or HK$361.7 million, from approximately HK$912.8 million for FY 2016/17 to HK$1,274.5 million for FY 2017/18, which was due to increased revenue recognised from the construction project at Kai Tak, Kowloon.

Revenue from the data centre portfolio (iTech Tower 1 and 2) remained steady over FY 2017/18. The data centre premises leasing business saw an increase of 3.0% or HK$4.2 million, from HK$140.8 million for FY 2016/17 to HK$145.0 million for FY 2017/18, mainly was driven by the a gradual climb in occupancy rates of iTech Tower 2 during the year under review on top of high occupancy rates in iTech Tower 1.

For the property development segment, the site formation and foundation works of the Group's first property development project at Sai Shan Road, Tsing Yi, New Territories, which was acquired in May 2016, are now progressing in good shape. The development of a gross floor area of approximately 400,000 square feet will consist of two blocks of 30-storey residential buildings together with clubhouse facilities and car parks.

In order to expand its property portfolio and swiftly launch the property to the market, the Group in October 2017 acquired another property at a consideration of approximately HK$814 million. The property is an en-bloc completed residential building located at No. 279 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon, and comprises 18 residential units with the size ranging from 1,300 to 2,700 square feet. The Group has renamed the property as "Cristallo" and launched to market in March 2018. Since commencement of the sales campaign the Group received overwhelming market supports. One unit was subsequently contracted to sell in April 2018 with a contract sale of approximately HK$48 million, and completion is scheduled to take place in August 2018.

The Group is committed to grow its property development business. It acquired several premises at the basement floor, ground floor and first floor of No.39 Chatham Road South, Kowloon in April 2018 with an objective of converting them into the sales office and the show flats for upcoming sales of the Group's properties. Renovation works are expected to be commenced in June 2018 and the sales office is expected to be ready for use by the end of 2018.

Looking forward, the Group maintains an optimistic view on the general construction industry in Hong Kong but ongoing labour-related challenges remain. The Group will continue to pursue a prudent strategy to strike a balance between tendering new construction projects and reasonable profit margin.

Mr. Chan Hung Ming, Chairman and Executive Director of Grand Ming Group Holdings said, "I'm pleased to report to you leading into a milestone year, we are thrilled by the overwhelming response after the launch of sale of our first luxury apartment namely "Cristallo" in March 2018. This project is expected to bring the first revenue contribution to the Group's property development segment. We see market demand varying by asset class and region and we expect this to continue in the years ahead. We will maintain our disciplined, conservative approach to operations to ensure that we remain profitable while achieving our fundamental goals of protecting shareholder investment and sharing corporate profit with our shareholders. Therefore, in order to create a balance leveraged property portfolio, on the one hand, we will act very cautiously in investing and developing our third high-tier data centre and we are ready to explore development opportunity of new data centres outside Hong Kong. On the other hand, we will grow our landbank via opportunities available such as public tendering, joint ventures, property acquisitions, as well as explore opportunities outside Hong Kong such as second tier cities of Mainland China where the land cost are comparatively lower but have strong potential in economic growth that will in turn lead to a demand for property."

About Grand Ming Group Holdings Limited (Stock code: 1271.HK)
The Group is principally engaged in the business of building construction, property leasing and property development. As a local wholesale co-location provider of high-tier data centres, the Group is one of the dedicated service provider in Hong Kong which owns and uses the entire building for leasing to customers for data centre use. Its clients include multinational data centre operator, telecommunications company and financial institutions. With more than 20 years of experience in the construction industry, the Group also provides building construction services as a main contractor, and is involved in residential property development projects with prominent local developers, as well as offering alteration, renovation and fitting-out services for existing buildings in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the Group owns a land in Sai Shan Road, Tsing Yi for the purpose of developing a residential project with gross floor area of 400,000 square feet, as well as an en-bloc residential building in Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon being renamed as "Cristallo".

Media Contacts:
Angel Yeung
Jovian Communications Ltd
Tel: +852 2581 0168
Fax: +852 2854 2012
Email: news@joviancomm.com


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

Fujitsu-Developed "ABCI" System Takes 5th Place in TOP500, 8th in Green500 Supercomputer Rankings

0
0

ABCI's Compute Node Racks
The AI Datacenter Housing ABCI
TOKYO, Jun 26, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announces that its AI Bridging Cloud Infrastructure (ABCI) system has placed 5th in the world, and 1st in Japan, in the TOP500 international performance ranking of supercomputers. ABCI has also taken 8th place in the world in Green500, which ranks outstanding energy saving performance. Fujitsu developed ABCI, Japan's fastest open AI infrastructure featuring a large-scale, power-saving cloud platform geared toward AI processing, based on a tender issued by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).

These rankings were announced on June 25 (Japan time) at ISC 2018, an international conference on high performance computing (HPC) held in Germany. TOP500 evaluates and ranks the top 500 computer systems in the world by computational processing speed. Green500 ranks the TOP500-listed supercomputers to offer excellent examples of power consumption performance.

ABCI is a large-scale cloud platform focused on AI applications, consisting of 1,088 Fujitsu Server PRIMERGY CX2570 M4 x86 servers, each equipped with two Intel Xeon Scalable family processors and four NVIDIA Tesla V100 accelerators, the latest GPU computing card.

In the TOP500 performance testing, ABCI achieved a LINPACK performance(1) of 19.88 petaflops(2) using its 1,088 computational nodes, due to application acceleration technology and other technologies developed by Fujitsu and Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. in their experience in HPC development. Through the use of such technologies as performance balance optimization as well as overlapping optimization of computational processing and communications processing, Fujitsu was able to not only improve GPU computational efficiency, but also optimize communications processing between servers, eliciting maximum hardware performance. In addition, ABCI achieved a performance value of 12.05 gigaflops(3) per watt in the Green500 rankings, earning world-class recognition not only for performance, but also as a supercomputer system with excellent energy efficiency.

AIST plans to begin full-scale operations with ABCI from August 2018. As a type of open AI infrastructure geared to deliver the fastest AI processing in Japan, ABCI's computational resources will be available to a broad range of organizations, from research institutions and universities to research by private companies, rapidly advancing the use of cutting-edge AI technology by industry and contributing to the creation of technologies useful for Japanese industry and society.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_ABCIComputeNodeRacks.jpg
ABCI's Compute Node Racks

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_%20AIDatacenterHousingABCI.jpg
The AI Datacenter Housing ABCI

Endorsement

"AI is transforming virtually every industry. ABCI, powered by over 4,300 NVIDIA Volta Tensor Core GPUs, is one of the largest GPU accelerated supercomputer systems for AI. Volta Tensor Core GPUs, the engine for modern AI, is designed for the future of computing where deep learning is fused with traditional high-performance computing for accelerating scientific and industrial progress. ABCI will fuel AI adoption across Japan," said Ian Buck, vice president and general manager of Accelerated Computing at NVIDIA.

(1) LINPACK Performance A program developed by J. Dongarra, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee, for solving simultaneous linear equations using regular matrix calculations (a direct method of finding a solution). It is used as a benchmark program in creating the TOP500 list. It is known for easily producing performance close to the peak performance of the hardware.
(2) Petaflops Quadrillion floating point operations per second.
(3) Gigaflops Billion floating point operations per second.

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

DOCOMO to Launch Global IoT Solution "Globiot" to Assist Corporate Customers with Global Connectivity and Related Operational Support and Consulting

0
0

TOKYO, Jun 26, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it will launch its global IoT solution, named "Globiot", to provide global connectivity and related operational support and consulting to Japanese enterprises with global IoT operations on July 2.

DOCOMO's global IoT solution "Globiot" is a combination of services that will help enterprises identify and use the most advantageous connectivity options suited to their IoT equipment deployments overseas. It will provide global connectivity via local SIM/eSIM (Embedded Subscriber Identity Module) or roaming, as well as advise customers on appropriate business models. It will also provide support with operation and maintenance and advise customers about relevant IoT regulations and necessary certifications overseas.

DOCOMO has provided IoT connectivity services using docomo IoT KAISENKANRI Platform since 2012 and commercialized an eSIM solution for IoT equipment in 2014. So far, DOCOMO has coordinated its IoT-related services through its wide range of alliances, such as IoT World Alliance(1), SCFA(2), Conexus(3) and other organizations, and through direct collaboration with many overseas operators and various partners.

Leveraging DOCOMO's global experience and accumulated expertise, its global IoT solution "Globiot" will enable Japanese enterprises to reduce the time and cost of researching, preparing and launching global IoT operations.

Japanese enterprises have found it troublesome to arrange Internet connections for automotive and other IoT equipment they need to operate overseas, such as equipment for construction, agriculture and production operations. In particular, having to deal with varying IoT regulations and authentication procedures in each overseas region has slowed the pace of global expansions for these companies. DOCOMO's new solution, however, will simplify such tasks to help companies launch global IoT operations faster and for less cost.

Considering the continuous growth of the IoT market toward the upcoming 5G era, DOCOMO will exploit this solution to further assist its corporate customers in improving productivity and providing added values using IoT.

(1) IoT World Alliance is a global partnership of nine telecommunications providers. The members are DOCOMO, KPN, Rogers, SingTel, Telefonica, Telenor Connexion, Telstra, Veon and DNA. (Est. 2013)
(2) SCFA (Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement) is a cooperative business initiative of DOCOMO, China Mobile Communications Group and KT Corporation. (Est. 2011)
(3) Conexus (Conexus Mobile Alliance) is one of the largest mobile alliances in the Asia-Pacific region. (Est. 2006).

About NTT DOCOMO

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

Contact:
NTT DOCOMO International PR Public Relations Department Tel: +81-3-5156-1366 Fax: +81-3-5501-3408 URL: www.nttdocomo.com Contact: https://nes.nttdocomo.co.jp/PINQ01/showinquiry.do

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

China Mobile and NTT DOCOMO to Launch World's First IoT Multi-vendor eSIM Solution

0
0

- To support corporate customers' IoT business expansions in China -

TOKYO, Jun 26, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - China Mobile and NTT DOCOMO, INC. (DOCOMO) announced today that on July 2 they will launch an eSIM(1) solution to enable cross-vendor SIM profile switching from DOCOMO to China Mobile.

This solution allows DOCOMO customers from Japan with IoT equipment in China to switch the mobile numbers (profiles) of their IoT equipment from DOCOMO to China Mobile even with different SIM vendors adopted by the two operators, thus eliminating the need to replace physical SIM cards.

Up until now, different mobile operators were required to use the same vendor to overwrite eSIM profiles when switching between their mobile networks. The new GSMA 3.1(2) specifications adopted by this eSIM solution, however, allow the overwriting of eSIM information of operators who use different SIM vendors, making this the world's first multi-vendor eSIM system.

By doing away with the need to replace physical SIM cards, the new system will enable smooth switching between mobile networks when companies send connected automobiles or construction, agriculture or production machinery from Japan for use in China.

DOCOMO commercialized the eSIM solution in 2014 and launched a commercial service with Telefonica Brasil S.A. (Vivo) in 2015. DOCOMO and China Mobile International signed an IoT Service Agreement including eSIM solution in November 2017. DOCOMO has also been pursuing various eSIM projects through partnerships with international mobile operators including IoT World Alliance(3), SCFA(4) and Conexus(5). Gradual expansion to Europe, Asia, Middle East and America is planned. Going forward, DOCOMO will continue to support the global expansion of customers' IoT services leveraging its eSIM solution and global IoT solution "Globiot".

Information about the multi-vendor eSIM solution will be exhibited at China Mobile's booth during Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2018 from June 27 to 29.

(1) eSIM (Embedded Subscriber Identity Module): Solution enabling switching between mobile operators remotely. Traditional solutions require the manual replacement of SIM cards.
(2) GSMA 3.1: The Remote Provisioning Architecture for Embedded UICC Technical (3) Specification Version 3.1 standardized by the GSMA (GSM Association) organization. GSMA is the world's most renowned telecommunications industry group, comprising more than 800 operators, 300 device manufacturers and IT companies.
(3) IoT World Alliance is a global partnership of nine telecommunications providers. The members are DOCOMO, KPN, Rogers, SingTel, Telefonica, Telenor Connexion, Telstra, Veon and DNA. (Est. 2013)
(4) SCFA (Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement) is a cooperative business initiative of DOCOMO, China Mobile Communications Group and KT Corporation. (Est. 2011)
(5) Conexus (Conexus Mobile Alliance) is one of the largest mobile alliances in the Asia-Pacific region. (Est. 2006).

About China Mobile International

China Mobile International Limited (CMI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Mobile. China Mobile is now the largest telecom operator in the world by network scale and subscriber base, and is among the top in terms of market capitalization and brand value. In order to provide better services to meet the growing demand in the international telecommunications market, China Mobile established a subsidiary, CMI, in December 2010, mainly responsible for the operation of international business. Leveraging the strong support by China Mobile, CMI provides a full range of comprehensive international telecommunications services which includes IDD, roaming, Internet, MNC services and Value Added Business across the globe.

Headquartered in Hong Kong, CMI has expanded our footprint in 20 countries across different regions. http://www.cmi.chinamobile.com/

About NTT DOCOMO

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

Contact:
NTT DOCOMO International PR Public Relations Department Tel: +81-3-5156-1366 Fax: +81-3-5501-3408 URL: www.nttdocomo.com Contact: https://nes.nttdocomo.co.jp/PINQ01/showinquiry.do

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

Fukuoka Airport Holdings-led Consortium to Enter into a Basic Agreement for the Operation of Fukuoka Airport

0
0

TOKYO, Jun 26, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Fukuoka Airport HD Group, a consortium led by Fukuoka Airport Holdings, and comprised of Nishi-Nippon Railroad, Mitsubishi Corporation, Changi Airports International and Kyushu Electric Power, entered into a Basic Agreement with Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) on June 26, 2018, for the operation of Fukuoka Airport. The consortium was selected as the preferred bidder for the project on May 16, 2018.

As the operator, the consortium will facilitate the revitalization of the airport and its surrounding areas, and unlock its potential as a key transport hub in the region, with the long-term aim of stimulating Kyushu's economy through trade and business activities. The consortium is committed to safe and secure airport operations, and will leverage the Fukuoka Airport's center city location as well as its geographical proximity to East and Southeast Asia.

The consortium aims to commence operation of Fukuoka Airport on April 1, 2019, and in accordance with the Basic Agreement, has initiated preparation for the incorporation of the special purpose company and the execution of a subsequent Project Agreement.

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 Telephone: +81 3 3210 2171 Facsimile: +81 3 5252 7705

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

Toyota to Make "Connected Vehicles" its New Standard in Japan

0
0

- New technology provides connected services to enhance car ownership experience
- Aim to make it standard on all new domestic passenger vehicles starting with New Crown and New Corolla Sport

Toyota City, Japan, Jun 26, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - The future of just-in-time vehicle services and support has arrived in Japan in the form of two well-known Toyota vehicles--the Crown, the volume nameplate's flagship passenger vehicle, and the Corolla Sport, the all-new hatchback version of the Corolla, launched just this year. Crown and Corolla Sport, as the first generation of "Connected Cars," come standard with an on-board Data Communication Module (DCM) that links to a Controller Area Network (CAN). By using this hardware, Toyota can provide various connected services to T-Connect subscribers through its proprietary Mobility Service Platform (MSPF), an information infrastructure developed by the company for Connected Cars. Moving forward, Toyota aims to equip most new passenger vehicles in its domestic market with DCM.

"Our goal is to enhance services to customers utilizing vehicle data uploaded to our mobility service platform," says Shigeki Tomoyama, Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Corporation and president of Toyota's in-house Connected Company. "Importantly, we will also use connectivity to change the way we work with our dealers across the country."

Toyota considers some connected services essential for drivers to safely, intuitively and effortlessly enjoy their cars. Connected cars, linked to the MSPF will offer customers ways to better understand, use, and care for their vehicles. Toyota also thinks the best quality connected services will combine human- and technology-based support, in what the company calls "Human Connected Service."

Peace of mind through vehicle data

e-Care Driving Guidance

Operator-based services offer drivers two primary benefits. The first is a concierge service, where an operator will be available to set the destination of the on-board navigation system. The second is for driving support, offering advice to drivers by diagnosing technical faults based on linked vehicle data. This benefit comes via a feature called "e-Care Driving Guidance", in which a remote operator is able to speak directly to the driver through the onboard microphone and speaker in the event of technical failure. The operator is able to review the vehicle data supplied by the DCM and provide either trouble-shooting steps or advise the driver to bring their vehicle in to their usual or nearest service dealership.

e-Care Health Check Report

The Toyota Smart Center monitors and examines the vehicle 24/7, and Toyota makes the data available to its dealers. The customer's preferred dealer will then contact him or her to bring the vehicle in for service at the ideal timing interval. For instance, any vehicle's auxiliary battery's starting voltage gradually declines over time. With the data provided, an alarm will be shown at the dealership's operational platform and the dealership staff will contact the driver and recommend a battery change prior to the customer experiencing trouble when starting their vehicle. The message from the dealership is sent to the car's navigation unit and read aloud to the driver.

HELPNET

Toyota is offering an emergency call service linked to air bag deployment, called "HELPNET". Upon detecting air bag deployment, an operator from the service will immediately review data sent by the DCM as well as attempt to contact the customer to assess the situation. Depending on the customer's response, or lack thereof, the operator then is able to alert fire or ambulance services. If emergency services consider that severe injury is likely, they may respond, possibly even dispatching a medical helicopter or such together with a doctor to provide emergency medical treatment. This service will cover the entire country of Japan.

With the addition of these new services, Toyota hopes to offer security and peace of mind to customers 24/7. To ensure the smooth operation of these connected services, Toyota will establish a "Connected Operation Kaizen Dojo" within its training center in Nisshin-city (Aichi Prefecture) and train dealership staff nation-wide.

Insurance based on driving behavior data

The standardization of DCM also makes it possible to introduce automobile insurance based on actual driving behavior data. Drivers will be assigned a safety score based on their driving data collected in the MSPF. Drivers can use their smartphone to check their safe driving scores. This score can then be part of a new data-based insurance, called the "Toyota Connected Car Insurance Plan," which will be launched by Aioi Nissei Dowa Insurance Co., Ltd. The insurance premium will be updated every month based on the policy-holder's safe driving score and driving distance, and notifications sent to the customer through their smartphone. Insurance premium discounts may be up to 80% of usage-based insurance premiums and 9% of the entire premium.(1)

Improvements in online service through standardization of DCM

AI Voice Recognition Service

Using voice recognition, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) virtual agent can be accessed using the driver or passenger's natural speech and can set the destination for the navigation system, manage the audio system or even provide instructions to use the car's equipment. The AI is designed to also understand complicated requests such as "Please search for Soba restaurants around here, preferably with a parking lot."(2)

My Car Account on the LINE app

Customers may also use the popular smartphone application LINE with their car. With a LINE "My Car Account," drivers or passengers will be able to have a conversation with the vehicle by registering it as a friend on the LINE app. For example, if a LINE account holder inputs a destination in the chat function with the "My Car Account," the destination will be sent to the on-board navigation system. The LINE app can also provide information such as idealistic time of departure, distance to empty, and fuel efficiency, based on the time and distance to destination.

Hybrid Navigation

Thanks to the cloud and big data, the on-board navigation system will have access to the latest version of the program and map data at all times(3). To provide customers real-time services, the navigation system will use real-time map and traffic data to suggest the optimum route information to help drivers reach their destination, automatically switching between cloud and on-board computing for optimal route calculations and location searches.

No tech for tech's sake: "Human Connected Service"

Toyota believes that the connected services it is rolling out are not about information technology (IT) or artificial intelligence (AI)--those are mere tools to enrich the customer experience.

"Customer service should always be provided by people, which is why we insist on "Human Connected Service"," says Tomoyama.

Toyota aims to link vehicles, the manufacturer, and dealerships through connectivity and provide a sense of ultimate peace of mind to customers, contributing to the realization of an exciting mobility society.

(1) Discount depends on insurance and accident history. Vehicle operation is restricted to drivers 26 years of age or older, and annual driving distance is capped at 8,000 km, with safe driving score above 80.
(2) Please note that services currently only support Japanese language speaking.
(3) Currently only available in Crown.

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

Toyota Rolls Out New Corolla Sport

0
0

Hybrid G "Z"
First-generation connected car; straightforward Corolla for a new generation

First-generation connected car for a life of new mobility

Straightforward new generation car integrated with connected functions for a fun drive

- On-board DCM(1) is standard in all Corolla Sport models; enables remote driving guidance and vehicle diagnosis Equipped with connected functions including e-Care Service and LINE My Car Account
- Sporty exterior design and sophisticated interior design
- Further TNGA(2) evolution makes for high-quality, comfortable, and fun driving
- Latest Toyota Safety Sense that detects bicycles and pedestrians at night comes as standard in all Corolla Sport models

Toyota City, Japan, Jun 26, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation announces the launch of the new Corolla Sport in Japan at Toyota Corolla dealers nationwide. An Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT) Corolla is scheduled for release in August.

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_HybridGZ.jpg
Hybrid G "Z"

With the advent of a new mobility society, the automotive industry is changing significantly. The new Corolla Sport makes its debut as a first-generation connected car, connecting people, communities, and cars, while offering individually tailored services for safety, security, comfort, and convenience. The Corolla Sport is not just a means of transportation; it offers a brand new relationship between people and cars.

The Corolla Sport, faithful to its name, adopts a sporty design. As a global sports car backed by a total of one million kilometers of test driving in five continents, anyone in the world can enjoy driving it, whatever the environment.

The first-generation Corolla was developed with the passion to pave the way for a motorized society in Japan. Debuting in 1966 with the concept of 'mobilizing Japan,' the Corolla marks its 52nd anniversary this year. Today, Corolla has become a globally loved car, with longtime strong sales, boasting a total of over 46 million vehicle sales(3) in more than 150 countries and regions. Yoshiki Konishi, the chief engineer in charge of development, explains: "The Corolla has changed with the times. The new Corolla Sport continues the Corolla 'fun to drive' DNA and integrates connected functions toward the future of mobility. I want people to experience both the history and the future woven by the Corolla when they drive it."

Leading the way as a first-generation connected car and the 12th generation Corolla, the long awaited Corolla Sport, first unveiled in New York in March 2017, is now available in Japan, offering a brand new relationship between cars and people as a straightforward car for a new generation.

In Toyota Corolla dealerships nationwide, customers can enjoy events that connect with the Corolla Sports name, such as e-sports experience.

Sales Outline
- Sales outlets Toyota Corolla dealers across Japan
- Monthly sales target for Japan 2,300 units
- Reveal event at dealers Saturday, July 7 and Sunday, July 8

Assembly Plant
- Tsutsumi Plant, Toyota Motor Corporation

(1) Data Communication Module
(2) Toyota New Global Architecture. Toyota's company-wide global program to structurally transform automobile design. The goal of TNGA is to dramatically improve the basic performance and marketability of Toyota vehicles by redeveloping powertrain units and vehicle platforms and reconceiving overall vehicle optimization
(3) As of the end of May 2018 according to Toyota Motor Corporation

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

Toyota Rolls Out Completely Redesigned Crown

0
0

RS Advance 2.5-liter hybrid
First-generation connected car that continues to innovate and push limits

First-generation connected car for a life of new mobility

Pursuing "connected technology that expands the functionality of cars" and the "evolution of design, driving, and safety performance"

- On-board DCM(1) standard on all vehicles. Driving guidance and vehicle diagnosis can be received remotely.
- Equipped with the latest connected functions, such as e-Care Service and LINE My Car Account
- Elegant, sporty appearance and high-quality interior design that appeal to the senses
- Responsive driving performance realized by a completely renewed platform based on TNGA(2) strategy
- Features cutting-edge preventive safety technologies including the latest Toyota Safety Sense that can detect bicycles and pedestrians at night

Toyota City, Japan, Jun 26, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation announces the launch of its completely redesigned Crown in Japan and the start of sales at all nationwide "Toyota" dealers (including for the Tokyo area Toyopet and "Toyota" dealers).

http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_RSAdvance2.5LHybrid.jpg
RS Advance 2.5-liter hybrid

Since its debut in 1955, the Crown has been a symbol of innovation. As illustrated by TRC(3) featured in the 8th generation Crown (1987) and ABS in the 9th generation Crown (1991), cutting-edge technologies that are now used in many vehicles featured in the Crown before any others on the road.

The new 15th generation Crown enters the world as Toyota's first-generation connected car equipped with a standard DCM. 24-7 vehicle connectivity with customers brings the relationship between cars and people, even the community, to a completely new level. Services focused on safety, security, comfort, and convenience, such as maintenance notifications based on real-time driving data, will be offered at the most suitable time for each customer.

Style and vehicle performance such as driving, turning, and stopping were also refined based on TNGA. For driving in particular, testing was carried out at Germany's famed Nurburgring circuit, regarded as the world's most challenging race track. Outstanding handling realizes responsive driving performance and exceptional vehicle stability in a range of driving conditions and scenarios, at low or high speeds, on smooth or rough road surfaces.

Akira Akiyama, chief engineer in charge of development, states: "In inheriting the passion from the early days of the company when the first generation Crown was born, I wanted the world to see the 'Japanese brains and brawn' that went into developing this car. It was with this spirit that we promoted development. I feel the new Crown is a car that will take your breath away in every single aspect including design, driving, and connected technology."

The Crown, Japan's renowned high-end car, has continued to evolve and push the limits, offering even more advanced driving performance and cutting-edge connected functions.

(1) DCM Data Communication Module
(2) TNGA Toyota New Global Architecture. Toyota's company-wide program where technology, sales, procurement, production engineering, and other areas unite to dramatically improve the basic performance and marketability of Toyota vehicles by offering high-quality products at inexpensive prices.
(3) TRC Traction Control

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

Reshaping Healthcare with Blockchain and AI - Doctor Smart Launches a $50M Token Sale

0
0
The company aims at disrupting the healthcare industry by offering a technologically advanced ecosystem providing access to high-quality medical support and wellness services around the world

HONG KONG, Jun 26, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Doctor Smart, a new blockchain ecosystem for digital healthcare services, today announced the launch of its ICO, a sale of DSTT tokens. The main token sale is to commence Q3, 2018. According to Grand View Research, the global market for internet healthcare services is poised to reach $308 billion by 2022. Aimed at transforming the market and improving current state of medical and wellness services - while making them affordable and easily accessible for patients - Doctor Smart is building a blockchain-based global ecosystem for digital healthcare.

Doctor Smart's Co-Founder Pavel Roytberg announced that "our primary goal is to achieve a new standard of medical support efficiency and to drastically improve people's quality of life. Doctor Smart will be available around the clock through the website or mobile application to provide our clients with personalized advice. Apart from this, we have adopted blockchain and smart contracts to secure patient data and all of the transactions on the new platform."

Doctor Smart's private blockchain is based on Quorum, a leading blockchain and smart contracts platform and a spin-off project of JP Morgan Chase. In turn, the public Ethereum blockchain is used for the sale of project tokens for the widest possible distribution of potential ecosystem participants and to ensure the inalterability of the private blockchain.

An important feature of the platform is that it automatically checks doctor's recommendations to ensure that they are line with a patient's medical history. To use the platform, specialists will have to pass an automated test running on the AI-core of the Decision Support System (DSS) and provide detailed information about their education.

"In this way, we are adopting the trends that present real-world opportunities for the telehealth industry. We believe that our unique platform will revolutionize the sector," added Roytberg.

Doctor Smart is backed by a team with years of experience in medical practice, healthcare science, and IT project management. In addition, to expand its healthcare network of several hundreds specialists, Doctor Smart has acquired Med.me, Israelian blockchain project that connects doctors, patients, clinics and other medical organizations by EHR (Electronic Health Record) sharing and medical appoint scheduling.

The token sale is expected to run within Q3, 2018, and aims at raising a hard cap of $50 million. Investors can use BTC, ETH, BCH, LTC, DASH, or ZEC to participate in the sale. In this phase, the exchange rate is 1,000 DSTT for 1 ETH. The minimum transaction amount is 0.1 ETH.

Early investors will get the best deals - the earlier they buy tokens, the higher is the bonus. For large investors making big purchases (bigger than 500 ETH), the bonus will be negotiated individually.

About Doctor Smart

Doctor Smart's mission is to improve medical support and therefore patients' quality of life by directly connecting them to high-quality medical experts worldwide. The platform uses artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies to handle medical data and to ensure secure transactions. With years of combined expertise in health tech, blockchain, and AI, the Doctor Smart team aims at reinventing the telehealth industry and creating a secure, reliable, and privacy-protective medical platform for a mass audience.

Media Contact:
Across Asia Communications Limited
Damon Kwok
Phone: +852 3111 5182
Email: damon.kwok@acrossasia.hk


 
Copyright 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.acnnewswire.com
Viewing all 16958 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images