AGF MANAGEMENT LIMITED REPORTS STRONG SECOND QUARTER 2017 FINANCIAL RESULTS

TORONTO, June 29 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AGF Management Limited (AGF or the Company) today announced financial results for the second quarter ended May 31, 2017.

Total assets under management (AUM) increased 8.0% to $36.4 billion compared to the same period in 2016, and up 3.7% compared to $35.1 billion as at February 28, 2017. AUM increased across all lines of business, including retail, private client, institutional and subadvisory, and the Company’s alternative asset management platform.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29486

​ADVANCED ENERGY CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF TOKYO, JAPAN, SERVICE CENTER

Dedicated Service and Repair Facility Improves and Simplifies the Service Experience, Providing Regional Access to Industry-Leading Service Solutions that Lower Cost of Ownership

TACHIKAWA, Japan, June 29 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq:AEIS), a global leader in precision power conversion, today announced the grand opening of a service center in Tachikawa, Japan. The new facility, dedicated to service and repair operations, expands the company’s global footprint to support semiconductor manufacturing customers in Japan. The service center allows for Advanced Energy® (AE®) to engage more directly with customers and respond to growing customer demand for long-term, high-quality service in the region.

“Our customer relationships are built on trust, and we always take a highly responsive customer approach,” said Yuval Wasserman, Advanced Energy president and CEO. “The opening of the Tachikawa service center has resulted from listening, then improving and simplifying the service experience with a service and repair center devoted to our semiconductor customers in Japan.”

Mike McDonald, Advanced Energy vice president of global services, added, “We are excited to bring our service capabilities closer to our customers in Japan. We have a broad portfolio of service offerings that will be more effectively delivered from our new repair center in Tachikawa. Our industry-leading solutions are quantifiably superior to third-party services, lowering cost of ownership in semiconductor and related thin-film manufacturing processes. We’ve made significant investments in fixed assets and infrastructure and are looking forward to putting these to good use by providing the highest quality and most responsive lifecycle management products and services available.”

Advanced Energy will host a private ceremony to formally mark the grand opening of the Tachikawa service center on June 30. Leaders from key accounts, along with members of AE’s management team, will speak at the dedication ceremony. Distinguished guests, including local representatives and several high-ranking officials in the semiconductor industry, will receive a guided tour of the facility and enjoy a private reception.

“We are very pleased that Advanced Energy’s in-country service center is here to support us,” said one executive from a large semiconductor equipment maker.  “The presence of a local Advanced Energy repair facility will reduce tool downtime by providing quicker repair turnaround. This will also enable our organization to return AE product repairs to AE rather than to less reliable third-party repair companies.”

The Tachikawa service center follows the opening of a service center earlier this year in Xi’an, China. The new facilities provide customers in Asia the high-quality lifecycle services they need, accelerate repair cycles and streamline the service experience. This latest addition is one of 14 service centers around the world and one of two local facilities in Japan—in Ichigaya and now Tachikawa. Many customers rely on AE to stock spares, provide extended warranties and expedite repairs to keep production moving.  

About Advanced Energy

Advanced Energy (Nasdaq:AEIS) is a global leader in innovative power and control technologies for high-growth, precision power solutions for thin films processes and industrial applications. Advanced Energy is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, with dedicated support and service locations around the world.

CONTACT:

Christina Liebman
Director, Corporate Marketing
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.
+1.970.407.6444   

SOURCE : Advanced Energy Industries, Inc.

--BERNAMA

NASDAQ'S DIRECTORS DESK® AND BOARDVANTAGE® TO INTRODUCE BOARD ASSESSMENTS AND COMPLIANCE QUESTIONNAIRES

A Unique Collaboration between Nasdaq Corporate Solutions and the Center for Board Excellence

NEW YORK and GREENSBORO, N.C., June 29 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nasdaq Corporate Solutions, a business of Nasdaq, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ), announced today a new partnership with The Center for Board Excellence (CBE), a provider of board assessments and compliance questionnaires. In the first phase of the partnership, Nasdaq Corporate Solutions will facilitate introductions for users of Directors Desk and Boardvantage – Nasdaq’s board portal and meeting management solutions – to CBE’s cloud-based corporate governance solutions including: board and committee assessments; director peer assessments; CEO and management evaluations; and directors’ & officers’ questionnaires. Later this year, the parties plan to offer an integrated workflow between Nasdaq’s board portal solutions and CBE’s EnGauge™ platform, making it even easier for users to elect to benefit from these CBE offerings.

“Through our new relationship with CBE, the thousands of CEOs, corporate secretaries, general counsels, directors, and board chairs in over 70 countries who rely on Nasdaq Corporate Solutions will gain access to industry-leading corporate governance resources,” said Stacie Swanstrom, Executive Vice President and Head of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. “We are excited about the prospect of offering our clients a solution that will be designed to streamline the assessment and questionnaire processes for faster, more efficient, and more effective results.”

Since its acquisition of Boardvantage in May 2016, the Nasdaq Corporate Solutions business of Nasdaq, Inc. has invested in enhancements to both the Directors Desk and Boardvantage portals to support better workflows in response to client feedback. “This new feature is a continuation of Nasdaq’s commitment to improving our users’ experience by offering solutions that have the potential to impact their productivity both in the boardroom and beyond,” added Matthew Healy, Vice President and Head of Governance at Nasdaq Corporate Solutions. 

“CBE is proud to work with Nasdaq Corporate Solutions to deliver solutions for corporate governance excellence on a global scale. Forward-thinking leaders and investors use our metrics and innovative tools to reduce risk and streamline governance,” said Byron Loflin, CEO of CBE.

To learn more about Nasdaq Corporate Solutions, visit http://business.nasdaq.com/intel/cs.html.

About Nasdaq: 
Nasdaq (Nasdaq:NDAQ) is a leading global provider of trading, clearing, exchange technology, listing, information and public company services. Through its diverse portfolio of solutions, Nasdaq enables customers to plan, optimize and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating today's global capital markets. As the creator of the world's first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 90 marketplaces in 50 countries, and 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. Nasdaq is home to 3,800 total listings with a market value of $11 trillion. To learn more, visit: business.nasdaq.com.

About the Center for Board Excellence:
Founded in 2010, the Center for Board Excellence has built the leading platform for board and CEO assessments, plus other governance compliance tasks. CBE’s team of developers, leaders, and attorneys innovate to streamline laborious, costly and previously paper-based processes through its proprietary EnGauge™ cloud-based platform. CBE’s solutions create efficiencies that save directors, in-house counsel and governance professionals substantial time, effort, and money, helping drive strategy and improve the total quality of compliance and governance. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.boardevaluations.com.

This communication and the content found by following any link herein are being provided to you by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions, a business of Nasdaq, Inc. ( “Nasdaq”), for informational purposes only. Nasdaq makes no representation or warranty with respect to this communication or such content and expressly disclaims any implied warranty under law. Nasdaq, the Nasdaq logo, and Nasdaq Corporate Solutions are registered and unregistered trademarks, or service marks, of Nasdaq, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. © Nasdaq, Inc. 2017. All rights reserved.

NDAQG

Nasdaq Media Contact: 

Will Briganti
(646) 441-5012
william.briganti@nasdaq.com

SOURCE : NASDAQ, Inc.

--BERNAMA

SUNDANCE ENERGY AUSTRALIA LIMITED PROVIDES OPERATIONS UPDATE

DENVER, June 29 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sundance Energy Australia Limited (ASX:SEA) (NASDAQ:SNDE) (“Sundance” or the “Company”), a U.S. onshore oil and gas exploration and production company focused in the Eagle Ford in South Texas, reported initial production rates on its four operated  Eagle Ford wells that have begun production in the second quarter.

Well Name	County	SEA Working Interest		SEA Net Revenue Interest		Completed Lateral Length	% Oil		Peak 24- Hour (boe/d)	30-Day (boe/d)	60-Day (boe/d)
Peeler EFS 11HD	Atascosa	100	%	75	%	9050'	92	%	1,059	764	760
Woodward EFS 4HB	McMullen	100	%	85%*		7630'	60	%	1,348	954	n/a
Red Ranch EFS 32HC	Dimmit	100	%	75	%	7340'	80	%	1,131	822	n/a
Shook EFS 11HU	Dimmit	100	%	70	%	7400'	75	%	742	610	n/a
*85% until payout and then 80%

Grace Ford, COO, commented “we are very pleased with early results from our 2017 development program.  Our generation 5 completion design which focuses on perforation proficiency is generating higher initial production rates which we believe will translate to higher ultimate recoveries and better economics.  In addition to higher production rates, the two new Dimmit wells we brought online saw first oil approximately 30 days earlier than previous wells.  While we have seen some delays caused by tightening in the onshore US service market, so far we have been able to offset these minor delays with improved well results.”

The Company recently acquired approximately 3,200 net acres in its core McMullen area for $5.8 million adding approximately 21 gross (19 net) lower-lower Eagle Ford (“LLEF”) locations and 17 gross (16 net) upper-lower Eagle Ford (“ULEF”) locations.  The new additions bring the Company’s McMullen area LLEF inventory to 128 gross (107 net) remaining locations and its ULEF inventory to 149 gross (126 net) remaining locations.  Approximately 17 of these new locations are considered to be proved reserves adding approximately 6.5 mmboe to our proved reserve base.  To fund the lease acquisitions we have deferred drilling one well.

Eric McCrady, CEO, commented “we are very excited to build our McMullen area drilling inventory with these lease additions in our core project area which are contiguous with our existing acreage position.  At an average price of ~$1,900 per acre we have replaced the locations we are drilling as part of our 2017 development program and extended our inventory.  We anticipate the proved component of these leases will add over $40 million to our proved PV10 based on 1 June 2017 NYMEX strip oil prices.”  

For more information, please contact:

United States Eric McCrady, Managing Director Tel: +1 (303) 543 5703

Australia Mike Hannell, Chairman Tel: +61 8 8363 0388

About Sundance Energy Australia Limited

Sundance Energy Australia Limited (“Sundance” or the “Company”) is an Australian-based, independent energy exploration company, with a wholly owned US subsidiary, Sundance Energy Inc., located in Denver, Colorado, USA.

The Company is focused on the acquisition and development of large, repeatable oil and natural gas resource plays in North America. Current activities are focused in the Eagle Ford.  A comprehensive overview of the Company can be found on Sundance’s website at www.sundanceenergy.net

Summary Information

The following disclaimer applies to this document and any information contained in it. The information in this release is of general background and does not purport to be complete. It should be read in conjunction with Sundance’s periodic and continuous disclosure announcements lodged with ASX Limited that are available at www.asx.com.au and Sundance’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission available at www.sec.gov.

Forward Looking Statements 

This release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements relate to the Company’s expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. These statements can be identified by the use of words like “anticipate”, “believe”, “intend”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “plan”, “project”, “will”, “should”, “seek” and similar words or expressions containing same.

These forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s views and assumptions with respect to future events as of the date of this release and are subject to a variety of unpredictable risks, uncertainties, and other unknowns. Actual and future results and trends could differ materially from those set forth in such statements due to various factors, many of which are beyond our ability to control or predict. These include, but are not limited to, risks or uncertainties associated with the discovery and development of oil and natural gas reserves, cash flows and liquidity, business and financial strategy, budget, projections and operating results, oil and natural gas prices, amount, nature and timing of capital expenditures, including future development costs, availability and terms of capital and general economic and business conditions. Given these uncertainties, no one should place undue reliance on any forward looking statements attributable to Sundance, or any of its affiliates or persons acting on its behalf.  Although every effort has been made to ensure this release sets forth a fair and accurate view, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE : Sundance Energy Australia Limited

--BERNAMA

POLYPLASTICS' SUPER-HIGH FLOW PBT "DURANEX (R) SF SERIES" ACCELERATES DOWNSIZING MOLDING DESIGN

TOKYO, June 27 (Bernama-AsiaNet) -- Polyplastics Co., Ltd.'s DURANEX (R) SF Series of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) meets increasing needs of customers regarding the downsizing of components in fields such as automotive, consumer electronics and industrial electrical devices. With double the flowability of standard PBT, the DURANEX SF Series can fill super-thin wall sections of molded parts, critical in designing light-weight application products. The high flowability of the DURANEX SF Series contributes to downsizing product design, optimizing processing and reducing energy costs in injection molding.

(Image:
http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M100475/201706223007/_prw_PI1fl_Oi82345s.jpg)

Given its excellent balance of mechanical and electrical properties, in addition to high moldability and durability, PBT is used in a variety of applications with various additives. However, the smaller and thinner the application designs become, the more flowability of resin will be required. Super-high flow resin, such as LCP, which costs more and requires higher temperature in molding than PBT, has conventionally been used. The DURANEX SF Series meets these requirements while providing the versatility of PBT, including better electrical properties and design flexibility.

Polyplastics offers selections of the DURANEX SF Series with low warpage and high filler characteristics:
- SF3300: Standard GF-reinforced type
- SF733LD: Low warpage type
- SF755: High filler type

For more information, visit
https://www.polyplastics.com/en/product/lines/pbt_sf/index.vm

DURANEX (R) is a registered trademark of Polyplastics Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries and is used by WinTech Polymer Ltd. under license.

About Polyplastics
Polyplastics is a global leader in the development and production of engineering plastics solutions. The company has the largest global market share of POM (polyacetal copolymer). With more than 50 years of experience, its technical experts enhance manufacturing and product performance with a proficiency that has become second nature. Backed by a strong global network of R&D, production and sales resources, the team is able to create advanced solutions for an ever-evolving market.

SOURCE: Polyplastics Co., Ltd.

--BERNAMA

MALAYSIA'S ANGKASA SELECTS UNISYS SOFTWARE TO ENHANCE CLIENT EXPERIENCE AND OPEN NEW CHANNELS FOR SERVICE DELIVERY

KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia, June 27 (Bernama-AsiaNet) --Unisys solution strengthens ANGKASA's position as leading provider of financial services for Malaysia's cooperatives movement

Unisys Corporation ( http://www.unisys.com/) (NYSE: UIS) today announced that
Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia (ANGKASA)
( http://www.angkasa.coop/english/) has selected the company to provide Unisys
ClearPath Forward(TM)
( http://www.unisys.com/offerings/technology-products-and-services/clearpath-forward-systems/brochure/the-unisys-
clearpath-forward-eportal-for-mcp-and-os-2200-environments-id-544)
software technology that enables ANGKASA to deliver and expand payment services for its constituents and their customers.

ANGKASA is the leading body of Malaysia's co-operative movement representing 13,428 co-operatives (social organisations owned and managed by its members). In that role, ANGKASA provides a salary deduction service for salaried employees, credit co-operatives, financial institutions and other business organisations through an efficient, systematic and secure deduction channel.

The computerised system allows government payroll offices or other employers to effectively and efficiently process monthly salary deductions, while enabling more than 3.5 million co-operatives members nationwide to pay their loan instalments, insurance policies, trustees accounts, recreational club memberships and workers union subscription fees.

Delivery of fast, efficient salary-deduction and payment services through the Unisys software solution is key to ANGKASA's strategy for member retention and customer satisfaction.

ANGKASA President Dato' Hj Abdul Fattah said, "ANGKASA's salary deduction service is crucial to the organisation and our members. We rely on the high reliability, scalability and security of the Unisys operating platform to deliver an efficient payment service to our members, and it has become central to our IT infrastructure-modernisation strategy. In addition, innovative Unisys ClearPath Forward software tools are crucial for creating new online channels for service delivery to our co-operative members."

ANGKASA will use Unisys ClearPath Forward(TM) (
http://www.unisys.com/offerings/technology-products-and-services/clearpath-forward-systems)
software technology and solutions such as Agile Business Suite (
http://www.unisys.com/offerings/technology-products-and-services/clearpath-forward-systems/newsrelease/unisys-adds-devops-features-to-ab-suite-app-development-software ) (AB Suite(R)), Enterprise Output Manager (
http://www.unisys.com/offerings/technology-products-and-services/clearpath-forward-systems/cross-platform-software/enterprise-output-manager)
and ePortal (
http://www.unisys.com/offerings/technology-products-and-services/clearpath-forward-systems/brochure/the-unisys-clearpath-forward-eportal-for-mcp-and-os-2200-environments-id-544)
to develop new channels for serving customers through the web and mobile devices and deliver continuous availability for the salary-deduction service. Providing unsurpassed security, the Unisys ClearPath Forward environments are the only ones on the market in which user data has never been forcibly extracted (
http://assets.unisys.com/Documents/Global/Misc/NISTNationalVulnerabilityDatabase.pdf).[1]

Upgrading the IT infrastructure is a key part of ANGKASA's digital transformation of the organisation's two data centres into software-defined facilities. Under the agreement, Unisys will create new development and disaster recovery environments, and replace manual backup processes with automated data replication between the sites to reduce recovery time significantly.

"Unisys enables ANGKASA to retain and expand its member base and provide an optimal user experience for constituents and their customers," said Richard Parker, vice president, financial services, Unisys Asia Pacific. "Our common goal is to strengthen ANGKASA's position as a leader in service to cooperatives while providing a secure, flexible platform that can adapt quickly to changing member and customer requirements. Other organisations providing financial services can follow that model to deliver expanded, always-on services across multiple devices for an optimal customer experience."

[1]Based on Unisys analysis of incidents in the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology National Vulnerability Database, April 6, 2017.

About Unisys
Unisys is a global information technology company that specialises in providing industry-focused solutions integrated with leading-edge security to clients in the government, financial services and commercial markets. Unisys offerings include security solutions, advanced data analytics, cloud and infrastructure services, application services and application and server software. For more information, visit www.unisys.com. Follow Unisys on Twitter (http://twitter.com/UnisysCorp) and LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/company/unisys).

About Unisys Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific, Unisys delivers services and solutions to clients in more than 15 countries across the region. For more information visit: www.unisys.com.my

Follow us on twitter @UnisysAPAC (http://www.twitter.com/UnisysAPAC), LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/company/unisys), and in China on: www.weibo.com/unisyschina and WeChat Official Account: Unisys China.

Contacts:
Asia-Pacific: Claire Hosegood, Unisys Asia Pacific, +61 411 253 663
claire.hosegood@au.unisys.com

RELEASE NO.: 0627/9516
Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder.
UIS-C

SOURCE: Unisys

--BERNAMA

DEMAND FOR COSMETIC SURGERY PROCEDURES AROUND THE WORLD CONTINUES TO SKYROCKET - USA, BRAZIL, JAPAN, ITALY AND MEXICO RANKED IN THE TOP FIVE COUNTRIES

NEW YORK, June 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) today released the results of their annual Global Aesthetic Survey for procedures completed in 2016, which showed an overall increase of 9% in surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures within the past twelve months.

Ranking of the World's Top Ten Countries for Cosmetic Procedures

The top five countries - USA, Brazil, Japan, Italy and Mexico - account for 41.4% of the world's cosmetic procedures, followed by Russia, India, Turkey, Germany and France.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29473

ALIBABA INCREASES STAKE IN E-COMMERCE PLATFORM LAZADA

Alibaba doubling down in Southeast Asia
 

HANGZHOU, China & SINGAPORE, June 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) --Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA) announced today that it will invest approximately USD1 billion to increase its stake in Lazada Group, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, from 51% to approximately 83%. This transaction demonstrates the continued success of Lazada’s business, Alibaba’s confidence in the growth potential of the Southeast Asian markets and its commitment to the region as part of its global strategy.

Alibaba will purchase the shares of certain Lazada shareholders at an implied valuation of USD3.15 billion for the company, reflecting a significant increase in the value of Lazada since Alibaba first acquired its majority stake in April 2016. The transaction will increase Alibaba’s total investment in Lazada to over USD2 billion. Lazada will continue to operate under the same brand following this investment.

Alibaba’s investment in and collaboration with Lazada have been an important part of expanding Alibaba’s global footprint, providing it with unrivalled access to consumers in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. With only 3% of the region’s total retail sales conducted online, Southeast Asia is expected to offer tremendous growth potential.

With Alibaba’s scale, e-commerce know-how and technology expertise supporting the execution of Lazada’s management team, the two businesses have successfully developed a vibrant e-commerce gateway, giving brands and sellers access to the 560 million consumers in the region. The cooperation has also enabled Lazada to invest further in the marketplace, technology, payments and logistics, greatly enhancing its services and providing an unparalleled consumer experience for online shoppers, as well as critical support for the region’s merchants, many of whom are small businesses.

“As a market leader, Lazada has demonstrated its ability to execute and further lead the region in products and services with the best consumer experience in Southeast Asia while growing a strong ecosystem that supports small businesses going online,” said Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group. “The e-commerce markets in the region are still relatively untapped, and we see a very positive upward trajectory ahead of us. We will continue to put our resources to work in Southeast Asia through Lazada to capture these growth opportunities,” he added.

Maximilian Bittner, CEO of Lazada Group, said, “I couldn’t be more excited to deepen our relationship with Alibaba. With their support, we will continue to empower brands and sellers to offer a wide selection of unique assortment to consumers across Southeast Asia while delivering an exceptional customer experience backed by our best-in-class logistics network.”

During the past 12 months, both Lazada and Alibaba worked on a number of initiatives to advance e-commerce in Southeast Asia, endeavoring to lower barriers and facilitate borderless commerce. These initiatives include the establishment of an e-fulfillment center in Malaysia which forms part of Alibaba’s Electronic World Trading Platform (eWTP) strategy, advancing “Thailand 4.0”, and launching Taobao Collection in Singapore and Malaysia allowing local customers to shop for high quality products from China.

Morgan Stanley Asia Limited acted as exclusive financial adviser for the transaction.

About Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group’s mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. The company aims to build the future infrastructure of commerce. It envisions that its customers will meet, work and live at Alibaba, and that it will be a company that lasts at least 102 years.

About Lazada Group

Lazada is the number one online shopping & selling destination in Southeast Asia – present in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Lazada helps more than 100,000 local and international sellers as well as 2,500 brands serve the 560 million consumers in the region through its marketplace platform, supported by a wide range of tailored marketing, data, and service solutions. Lazada offers an excellent customer experience through a wide network of logistics partners and its own first and last mile delivery arm.

Safe Harbor Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expect,” “future,” “continue,” “strategy” and similar statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Alibaba’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release and is based on assumptions that Alibaba believes to be reasonable as of this date, and Alibaba does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
 

Contacts

Alibaba Group
Rico Ngai, +852 9725 9600
rico.ngai@alibaba-inc.com
or
Lazada Group
William Gaultier, +65 8459 5766
william.gaultier@lazada.com

 

Source: Alibaba Group Holding Limited

 

View this news release online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170628005543/en

--BERNAMA

TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION DEVELOPS WORLD'S FIRST QLC 3D FLASH MEMORY

Achieves World’s Largest Capacity of 1.5TB in a Single Package with BiCS FLASH™ chip
 

TOKYO, June 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Toshiba Memory Corporation, the world leader in memory solutions, today announced development of the world’s first^[1] BiCS FLASH™ three-dimensional (3D) flash memory^[2] with a stacked cell structure. The newest BiCS FLASH™ device is the first to deliver 4-bit-per-cell (quadruple-level cell, QLC) technology, advancing capacity beyond that of triple-level cell (TLC) devices and pushing the boundaries of flash memory technology.

Multi-bit cell flash memories store data by managing the number of electrons in each individual memory cell. Achieving QLC technology posed a series of technical challenges, as increasing the number of bit-per-cell by one within same electron count requires twice the accuracy of TLC technology. Toshiba Memory has drawn on its advanced circuit design capabilities and industry-leading 64-layer 3D flash memory process technology to create the QLC 3D flash memory.

The prototype features the world’s largest die capacity^[3] (768 gigabits/96 gigabytes) with 64-layer 3D flash memory process. Shipment of prototypes to SSD and SSD controller vendors for evaluation and development purposes started in early June.

The QLC 3D flash memory also enables a 1.5-terabyte (TB) device with a 16-die stacked architecture in a single package - the industry’s largest capacity^[4]. Samples of this groundbreaking device will be showcased at the 2017 Flash Memory Summit in Santa Clara, California, United States, from August 7-10.

Toshiba Memory already mass produces 64-layer 256-gigabit (32-gigabytes) devices, and as it expands mass production it will continue to demonstrate industry leadership by advancing technology development. Focused on meeting growing demand for high density, smaller chip size flash memory solutions, the new QLC device targets such applications as enterprise SSD, consumer SSD and memory cards.

Note:
1. Source: Toshiba Memory Corporation, as of June 28, 2017.
2. A structure stacking Flash memory cells vertically on a silicon substrate to realize significant density improvements over planar NAND Flash memory, where cells are formed on the silicon substrate.
3. Source: Toshiba Memory Corporation, as of June 28, 2017.
4. Source: Toshiba Memory Corporation, as of June 28, 2017.

• Company names, product names, and service names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=51581332&lang=en

Contacts

Toshiba Memory Corporation
Kota Yamaji, +81-3-3457-3473
Business Planning Division
semicon-NR-mailbox@ml.toshiba.co.jp

 

Source: Toshiba Memory Corporation

 

View this news release and multimedia online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170627006601/en

--BERNAMA

ROBOTS TO ENHANCE, NOT REPLACE HUMANS IN MOST JOBS: ARM SURVEY

Key findings:

• 61% of respondents think AI will help society, with only 22% believing change will be negative
• Future jobs: 30% list job concerns as biggest drawback of AI citing construction, delivery and transportation as being most impacted
• Healthcare: 57% willing to let an AI doctor perform an eye exam; 41% open to brain surgery by an AI doctor
• Autonomous driving: 55% would trust an autonomous car if safety record is proven better than human-driven vehicles, with 70% expecting to trust them in a decade

CAMBRIDGE, England, June 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Consumers who believe AI will lead to rampaging, job-taking robot chaos are in the minority according to an ARM-commissioned independent global survey of nearly 4000 consumers. When considering a future where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly part of their lives, 30 percent of consumers identified “fewer or different jobs for humans” as the biggest drawback. However, respondents remained positive that robots would enhance rather than replace humans in most jobs, and assist by increasingly performing more tedious and dangerous jobs.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170627005941/en/ 

“It is encouraging to see the survey results highlighting the optimism and opportunities tied to AI, but we are just scratching the surface of its potential,” said Joyce Kim, vice president, global marketing, brand and communications, ARM. “The impact of AI on jobs will be disruptive but it can be a manageable and highly positive disruption in terms of opportunities and enhancing our lives. If we increase our investments in STEM and educating the next-generation workforce on AI technologies, we can ensure they are not left behind in the robot economy.”

The survey was carried out by Northstar Research Partners and ARM. Researchers surveyed only consumers with some knowledge of AI, gauging opinions from nearly 4,000 respondents across the US, UK, Sweden, Germany, China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

Survey respondents believed that jobs in manufacturing and banking would be most disrupted by new AI technologies while professions related to cooking, fire-fighting and farming will continue to be the domain of humans. This was the view of most people surveyed about a robotic future; with those surveyed in Asia responding most positively, followed by the US and then Europe.

Overall, consumers were surprisingly optimistic on the future outlook with 61 percent believing that “society would become better” with increased automation and AI. In particular they support applications in health care and science, and are prepared to trust machines to diagnose illnesses, drive cars and be personal companions.

Key Survey Findings Summary: Benefits vs Drawbacks for Consumers

What is the biggest benefit of a future in which AI significantly impacts life?

• 37% believe there will be advancements that help humans, i.e., in medicine and science
• 29% believe tedious or dangerous tasks will be done by robots
• 19% believe in lower business cost leading to better service and lower prices
• 11% see less chance of human accidents/ mistakes
• 5% more free time

What is the biggest drawback of a future in which AI significantly impacts life?

• 30% Fewer or different jobs for humans
• 20% Giving some control over our lives to machines
• 18% More data being shared and potentially stolen online
• 12% Societal issues around fewer opportunities for humans/ feeling less useful/ too much free time
• 11% Machines becoming independent and able to think for themselves
• 9% Tendency to build relationships with machines more than humans

Learn more about this research and download the full report here.

About ARM

ARM technology is at the heart of a computing and connectivity revolution that is transforming the way people live and businesses operate. Our advanced, energy-efficient processor designs are enabling the intelligence in 100 billion silicon chips and securely powering products from the sensor to the smartphone to the supercomputer. With more than 1,000 technology partners including the world's largest business and consumer brands, we are driving ARM innovation into all areas compute is happening inside the chip, the network and the cloud.

About Northstar Research Partners Ltd

Northstar Research Partners, a member of the MDC Partners Network, is a leading global full-service market research and consulting firm. Established in 1998 and having grown to 50+ team members, Northstar has completed over 5,000 qualitative, quantitative and consumer anthropology studies with services in both consumer and business-to-business channels.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170627005941/en/
 

Contacts

Allison & Partners
Kate Lynch
arm@allisonpr.com

 

Source: ARM Holdings

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SAVE THE CHILDREN RENEWS CONTRACT WITH SPEEDCAST FOR CONNECTIVITY ACROSS 40+ SITES IN AFRICA

SYDNEY, June 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Speedcast International Limited (ASX: SDA), the world’s most trusted provider of highly reliable, fully managed, remote communication and IT solutions, today announced that Save the Children International (SCI), a leading international non-government organization (NGO) with its central office in London has awarded Speedcast a contract to provide connectivity to a network of 40+ sites in Africa.
 

Recognized for their humanitarian work around the world, Save the Children’s mission has always been to save lives by preparing for and responding to humanitarian emergencies caused by natural disasters, disease outbreaks and armed conflicts. The organization ensures that children affected by calamities receive life-saving medical aid, shelter and education.

“In any crisis, children are always the most vulnerable,” said Andrew Burdall, executive vice president, enterprise & emerging markets, Speedcast. “In order to achieve their critical mission in remote parts of the world, Save the Children relies on resilient communications supplied by Speedcast. As the demand for higher bandwidth increases for Save the Children sites located in remote parts of Africa, our reliable C-band VSAT solution allows the organization to focus on its mission rather than its communications.”

Speedcast provides C-band virtual network operator (VNO) services which allows Save the Children to allocate pooled bandwidth across their sites. This solution efficiently matches Save the Children’s requirements for flexibility and scalability while accommodating their growing demand for cloud applications. This has enabled Save the Children to provide a reliable service to their sites over the past three years.

“Speedcast has provided a resilient VSAT solution and excellent service through the past three years,” said Mark Hawkins, global humanitarian technology manager, Save the Children. “The Speedcast technical support team is very helpful, easy to reach and extremely agile. During emergencies they know how to prioritize requests from Save the Children. We have experienced a true 24/7 support team and fast operational maintenance in the field. With Speedcast’s support, we are able to aid children faster and more efficiently.”

For more information about Speedcast’s work with NGOs, please visit: https://www.speedcast.com/industries/non-governmental-organisation/.

About Speedcast International Limited

Speedcast International Ltd (ASX: SDA) is the world’s most trusted provider of highly reliable, fully managed, end-to-end remote communication and IT solutions. The company utilizes an extensive worldwide footprint of local support, infrastructure and coverage to design, integrate, secure and optimize networks tailored to customer needs. With differentiated technology, an intense customer focus and a strong safety culture, Speedcast serves more than 2,000 customers in over 140 countries via 39 teleports, including offshore rigs and cruise ships, 10,000+ maritime vessels and 4,500+ terrestrial sites. Speedcast supports mission-critical applications in industries such as maritime, oil and gas, enterprise, media, cruise and government. Learn more at www.speedcast.com.

Social Media: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

Speedcast® is a trademark and registered trademark of Speedcast International Limited. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective owners.

© 2017 Speedcast International Limited. All rights reserved.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170626005733/en/
 

Contacts

Speedcast International Ltd
Toni Lee Rudnicki, 832-668-2634
VP, Head of Global Marketing
tonilee.rudnicki@speedcast.com

 

Source: Speedcast International Limited

--BERNAMA

PARTNERS JUSTIN WATTS AND MATTHEW SHADE BOLSTER WILMERHALE'S IP LITIGATION PRACTICE IN LONDON

LONDON, June 28 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WilmerHale today announced that Justin Watts, PhD, and Matthew Shade, PhD, have joined the firm as partners in its London office, strengthening WilmerHale’s position as a firm of choice for complex patent litigation in the United Kingdom and for clients seeking an effective global strategy for their intellectual property disputes.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29474