INCA Internet expands to India and Southeast Asia with nProtect AppGuard

SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 13, 2020 — INCA Internet Co., Ltd, the leading online and mobile security solution vendor headquartered in South Korea, today announced its expansion to India and Southeast Asia with their flagship mobile app security solution, nProtect AppGuard. The company has recently partnered with Codec Networks in New Delhi, India and is also planning to carry out new partner contracts in Southeast Asian countries to ensure that mobile applications are secure and protected, especially in the mobile gaming and financial service industry.

In recent years, the real money earning games became increasingly popular. More cheaters are willing to use various cheating tools to gain an unfair advantage over an opponent, which may eventually lead to business failure. On the other hand, due to poor coding and application source code vulnerability, user information can be leaked through repackaged apps. Criminals are able to steal victims’ money using stolen user credentials. This could become a very serious problem because the number of users of mobile banking is growing rapidly.

To help solve the problem, INCA Internet has rolled out more improvements to protect mobile applications against debugging or hacking techniques such as magisk, macros, and auto-click.

nProtect AppGuard is a mobile in-app security solution that encompasses anti-cheating, anti-forgery and hardening capabilities such as anti-debugging, anti-emulation and encryption.

nProtect AppGuard is an Application Shielding solution. Protecting Mobile apps against cheaters.
nProtect AppGuard is an Application Shielding solution. Protecting Mobile apps against cheaters.

Currently, it provides a wide range of mobile games, financial services, e-commerce, and public sector app services locally and abroad. Some of the clients using the nProtect’s security solution are global companies such as Sega, Bandai Namco, Line games, and other top tier financial service companies.

About INCA Internet

Founded in January 2000, nProtect, also known as INCA Internet, is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea and provides online and mobile banking/payment security to financial institutions, game companies and public agencies. Over 100 million endpoint users from more than 1,000 organizations rely on nProtect’s security solutions to secure their computer and mobile devices against malware, phishing, and number of other security threats. Global fintech and game companies such as Sega, Bandai Namco, Line games, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank and HSBC trust and use nProtect security solution.

For more information, contact INCA Internet Co., Ltd.

Related Links :

https://appguard.nprotect.com/en/index.html

Binance Smart Chain is Aligned to Bithumb Global’s Philosophy

Why Bithumb Global is Supporting Binance’s Efforts to Bring Together DeFI and CeFi

SINGAPORE, Nov. 13, 2020 — Bithumb Global, a leader among digital assets management platforms, has been one of the most active supporters of the development of the DeFi ecosystem in a multi-faceted manner. And as part of its commitment to this goal, Bithumb Global has been proactive in advocating the Binance Smart Chain Project, along with many other global supporters of the project on its various aspects.

Why Binance Smart Chain?

This project is unique in terms of its technology, as it will enable the operation of smart contracts, and will support the Ethereum Virtual Machine. This blockchain will also allow the hosting of Decentralised Applications, which will be perfectly suitable for the projects.

The system will also enable interoperability with other blockchains like the Binance Chain within its domestic environment, but will also allow for interoperability with other blockchains. To enable this cross-chain communication on the Binance Smart Chain, the Panama Project has been hosted on the chain. This project provides users with a great deal of advantage in terms of carrying out their transactions. This is part of Binance’s Token Canal project which strives to create a truly connected crypto world.

This will not only enhance the performance of the BNB token and the Binance Chain but will be hugely beneficial for all platforms which will be hosted on this blockchain. Interoperability is particularly beneficial for the Decentralised Finance platforms, as this will increase the scope of transactions and flexibility of moving assets around various platforms and uses. There are also other benefits of using this system, like the higher speed of transactions across different blockchains and no transaction fee for transactions to name a few. This is expected to attract more people towards the use of decentralized financial systems.

Moreover, despite being run on smart contracts, the Binance Pioneer Burn Program has been able to claim a niche, by flaunting their humane side of Binance. The program offers to cover for cases of genuine mistakes made in transferring Binance Tokens through the Token Canal Project.

Furthermore, centralized crypto platforms like Binance are always pitted against decentralized finance platforms. They are believed to have conflicting goals. However, through the establishment of the Smart Chain, Binance has been able to pave the path for the crypto sector in a new direction.

In this project, Binance has illustrated how the best utilities from both types of platforms can be pooled to produce better results for the customers. They have shown, while the stability and security of centralized platforms can be preserved, the flexibility and incentives for innovations which are the key advantages of decentralized platforms could also be nurtured within this framework.

Marrying the best of both worlds

They will be able to bring together features from conventional exchanges like spot trading and margin trading among others, and decentralized features like decentralized lending, liquidity mining, and many others. Therefore, unlike many assumptions about the competition between the two forms, in this case, we see the increased utility and greater options for the members of the community.

Binance has committed large amounts to nurture talent on the platform. This will be used for encouraging more innovative solutions towards this goal integration. These supports come in the form of liquidity support for selected DeFi programs. In the next phase, the fund will also take up incubation and other forms of long term support for innovative projects. Finally, in order to create this cross-chain network more efficient, the company has committed to invest in better tools that will be developed and deployed in the ecosystem.

Overall, all these projects are expected to not only popularise Decentralized Finance but also increase its utility. And since, this is aligned with the goal of Bithumb Global, we are committed to supporting this initiative all along.

About Bithumb Global

Launched by BGH One Limited in 2019, Bithumb Global is a distributed digital asset trading platform providing world-class fiat and cryptocurrency trading services to users worldwide. Part of the Bithumb family, one of the most popular cryptocurrency trading platforms in South Korea, and backed by more than half a million community members, Bithumb Global enables each global user to trade, participate or contribute in the digital assets ecosystem.

Integrating virtual currency exchange services with the traditional financial system, Bithumb Global is a whole new distributed financial product with accessibility and scalability for users. The popular and innovative exchange with leading technology and unparalleled reliability is aspiring to utilize the blockchain technology to devise a new financial ecosystem and expedite the free circulation of valued assets in the human society.

For more information, please visit https://www.bithumb.pro or connect on Telegram, Facebook and Twitter.

Huntkey Introduces Air Purifiers to Vietnam Market

SHENZHEN, China, Nov. 13, 2020 — Huntkey, a prominent manufacturer of PC power supply, PC monitor and PC case, recently introduced two models of its small-sized air purifiers – the Desktop Air Purifier and Car Air Purifier to the Vietnam market. They are branded "OUCICA" , a subsidiary of Huntkey specializing in the development of photocatalyst air purifiers.

Desktop Air Purifier:
https://en.huntkey.com/product/desktop-air-purifier/

Car Air Purifier:
https://en.huntkey.com/products/air-purifiers/

Photocatalyst is a catalyst able to accelerate chemical reactions without being consumed. When energized by UV light, it can continuously and repeatedly increase the rate of chemical reactions to remove and decompose air pollutants. In the desktop and car air purifiers, the photocatalyst is evenly coated onto substrates to form high-performance filters for removing airborne hazards.

Desktop Air Purifier

The desktop air purifier is egg-shaped and measures a dimension of Φ108*160mm. Its air purification speed is 10m3/h, which is well-suited for a room space around 8-10m3. In this scenario, it will clean the entire air in the room with nearly one hour. It is ideal for being used in small working, studying or reading rooms. It is paired with a USB charger or car charger, meaning it can work well on an office desk, a bedside table or in a car.

To assure the users of healthy breaths, the purifier is integrated with photocatalyst filters inside to eliminate harmful substances in the air such as smokes, dust, odors, haze particles, bacteria and viruses. Thanks to the non-consumable feature of photocatalyst, the photocatalyst filters don’t need to be replaced regularly. This is a key difference from traditional air purifiers inside which filers need to be renewed according to their using conditions.

The desktop air purifier can also work as an ionizer to release negative ions. By this means, it is capable of sedimentating airborne dust, PM2.5 and other particulate matters. Negative ions are molecules that are electrically charged with an extra electron, they exist in the environment or can be created by devices like air purifiers and ionizers. Some evidence suggests that an atmosphere filled with negative ions is better for health and well-being.

Specifications:

Name

Desktop air purifier

Indication type

Light Display

Model

DJ010

Bacterial eliminating rate

99%

Input

5V/2A (Min. 4.6V, Max. 5.5V)

Cleaner type

Photocatalyst decomposition system

8W

Applicable space

8-10m3

Noise

38dB(A) (Low level)

Product dimensions

Φ108mm×160mm

Car Air Purifier

The car air purifier is well-suited for cars. It measures a dimension of Φ67*180mm and it is designed like a water cup that can be easily put in a cup holder. Its air cleaning volume is 3.6m3/h, thus, to clean air in sedans, it will approximately take 1-2 hours.

Usually, the inside of a car is a confined space, and the drivers will inevitably face a high risk of exposure to a variety of airborne infectious agents and allergens, with possible harm to health. To tackle this problem caused by bad air quality, the car air purifier is a good choice. It is also equipped with photocatalyst filters by which almost all the infectious agents will be decomposed into carbon dioxide and water, resulting in no secondary pollution.

The purifier is also paired with an other kind of filter (a preliminary filter) to form a strong purification system. It features two air inlets near the bottom and an ultraviolet lamp in the middle, as well as one air outlet on the top. The polluted air firstly will be pre-filtrated by a preliminary filter to remove particles, and than sterilized by the photocatalyst filters to kill viruses and bacteria, finally fresh air will come out from the outlet.

The photocatalyst filters are firmly built in the purifier, while the preliminary filter is detachable that it is packed independently. One car charger and one USB cable are included in the package. To meet different preferences, three color options – red, golden and gray are available.

Specifications:

Name

Car Air Purifier

Indication type

Light Display

Model

CJ001

Bacterial eliminating rate

99%

Input

5V/2A

Cleaner type

Photocatalyst decomposition system

8W

Net weight

460g

Noise

40dB(A) (Low level)

Product dimensions

Φ67mm×180mm

To learn more about Huntkey air purifiers, please visit: https://en.huntkey.com/

About Huntkey

Founded in 1995, Huntkey is a leading global provider of PC power supplies, power strips, surge protectors, laptop adapters, phone chargers, monitors and air purifiers. Huntkey is an Asia renowned brand, a member of The International Power Supply Manufacturer’s Association (PSMA) and China Power Supply Society (CPSS). Including three total nearly 1,000,000 square meters industrial parks, Huntkey is one of the most famous brands and largest companies in mainland China. It is headquartered in Shenzhen, with branch companies in the US, Japan and Hong Kong, and with cooperating factories in Vietnam, Brazil, Argentina and India.

https://en.huntkey.com/ 

Related Links :

Home

Integrating Fitbit Wearable Devices into Diabetes Care Leads to Significant Improvements in Blood Glucose and HbA1C, Finds Health2Sync Clinical Study in Taiwan

  • Wearing Fitbit devices with Health2Sync glucose control app clinically proven to help both users and healthcare providers to control and better manage the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes
  • Results from the study in Taiwan revealed an improvement in patients’ health conditions, with participants recording higher levels of physical activity, reduced HbA1C, fasting blood glucose and LDL-C, and higher blood glucose measurement frequency
  • The Health2Sync Patient Management Platform allows healthcare providers to seamlessly monitor patients’ information and provide remote consultative advice where necessary

SINGAPORE, Nov. 13, 2020 — Health2Sync, the number one diabetes management app in Taiwan and Japan, today announced the results of their clinical study in Taiwan, demonstrating that combining Fitbit wearable devices with their Health2Sync Patient Management Platform can help users control and better manage the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In the study[1], conducted with four of Taiwan’s leading diabetes clinics, participants recorded significant average improvements in key indicators, such as reduced HbA1C, fasting blood glucose  and LDL-C, and higher blood glucose measurement frequency — a valuable proof of concept for using Fitbit wearables with diabetes care protocols and solutions.     

Voluntarily connecting their Fitbit Inspire HR with the Health2Sync App enabled study participants to let their doctors seamlessly monitor their information on the Health2Sync Patient Management Platform and provide remote consultative advice where necessary.
Voluntarily connecting their Fitbit Inspire HR with the Health2Sync App enabled study participants to let their doctors seamlessly monitor their information on the Health2Sync Patient Management Platform and provide remote consultative advice where necessary.

The study found:

  • Average glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C) decreased 0.33%, while patients who did moderate to high-intensity activity duration of at least 150 mins per week, saw their average HbA1C[2] decrease 0.66%
  • Average fasting blood glucose (BG) decreased 10.92 mg/dL
  • Average low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) decreased 11.55 mg/dL
  • Weight reduction of up to 2 kilograms among some patients
  • Increased frequency in moderate to high intensity activity to 7.03 times a week among some patients

Conducted over a three-month period ending in July 2020 in conjunction with the Neng-Chun Diabetes Clinic, Da-Ya Chang-An Clinic, Yier Clinic and Banqiao Da-Jun Clinic, the study, with patient consent, lets the patients’ doctors track the progress and lifestyle changes of 95 participants with T2DM. Prior to the commencement of the study, doctors at the four clinics established benchmarks for all participating patients based on blood glucose tests at the start of the trial, then on a self-monitored weekly basis throughout the study period.

Each participant was given a Fitbit Inspire HR and the participants voluntarily agreed to connect their Fitbit wearable data with the Health2Sync diabetes management app to track their progress throughout the program. Physical activity data generated from each person’s Fitbit device was integrated into the Health2Sync app, which housed other health metrics such as patients’ HbA1c, BG and cholesterol levels. This let doctors seamlessly monitor patients’ information on the Health2Sync Patient Management Platform and provide remote consultative advice where necessary.

Dr. Kuo-Liang Lu of Da-Ya Chang-An Clinic in Taiwan, said: "The results speak for themselves. We saw a reduction in some of our patients’ weight by an average of two kilograms and fasting BG levels of study participants from Da-Ya Chang-An clinic decreased 11.10 mg/dL within 3 months[3], leading to significant health improvements."

Dr. Neng-Chu Yu of Neng-Chun Diabetes Clinic said: "Type 2 diabetes, with the right lifestyle changes – medication adherence, increased activity, and better diet – can lead to major improvements in control of blood glucose levels. The integration of Fitbit data with Health2Sync let me easily view my patients’ activities and self-monitored data, enabling me to make necessary suggestions and give guidance to help patients for further improvement."

Diabetes is a chronic condition that, if not managed, can lead to health complications like blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation.[4] It remains the second highest cause in premature mortality, after cancer, among major non-communicable diseases in Taiwan[5] and its prevalence has posed economic burdens such as increased personal and healthcare spending and loss of work productivity.[6]

A holistic approach to managing T2DM requires lifestyle changes, which includes medication adherence, exercise and proper diet. The integration with Fitbit wearable devices and activity data is key to helping to promote healthier behaviours and improve participants’ health outcomes. Participants received reminders for weekly exercises via their Health2Sync App, which promoted an increased frequency in moderate to high intensity activity at 7.03 times a week. The increased levels of activity corresponded with an improvement in patients’ health conditions.

"We are thrilled to see such optimistic results in the clinical study. We believe that innovations in Fitbit wearable devices and Fitbit health solutions have a major role to play in the global effort against diabetes – whether it is in reducing the onset of diabetes, or helping patients to better manage their condition – and we look forward to further expanding on our partnership with Fitbit," said Ed Deng, CEO at Health2Sync.

"The behavioural changes exhibited by study participants reinforces our belief that Fitbit amplifies our intrinsic motivation to adopt healthier habits, which can make all the difference when dealing with a condition like Type 2 diabetes where lifestyle factors play such a big role," said Steve Morley, Vice President of International Health Solutions & General Manager of Asia Pacific at Fitbit. "Together with the seamless experience that Health2Sync provides for patients and their health providers to track key indicators, they create a powerful solution that makes it simpler and more convenient to manage conditions like Type 2 diabetes."

In September last year, Fitbit and Health2Sync collaborated to allow the integration of Fitbit’s health, sleep and fitness wearable data with the Health2Sync app (with user consent) to support Health2Sync’s 520,000 users in Japan and Taiwan to better manage their conditions, like Type 2 diabetes. The new platform gives users who have a Fitbit account access to an in-app dashboard that includes the option to agree to share their wearable data from their Fitbit devices[7], including heart rate, sleep and physical activity, alongside recent blood glucose readings from Health2Sync depicting if levels fall within, above, or below the healthy range.

[1] The study was conducted on 95 participants, ages 18- 60.

[2] The term HbA1c refers to glycated haemoglobin. Diabetics with higher levels of HbA1c face greater risk of developing diabetes-related complications.

[3] Average fasting blood glucose levels of study participants from Da-Ya Chang-An clinic decreased 11.10 mg/dL compared to the study average of 10.92 mg/dL

[4] "Diabetes" World Health Organization, 2020. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes.

[5] IC Chen., Yu NC. "A Decade of Diabetes Care in Taiwan." Diabetes research and clinical practice. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25550058/.

[6] Wong LC., Tsai CY., Chou HK., Tsai MT., Tsai WH., Chou.P., and Shen ST. "Healthcare costs associated with progressive diabetic retinopathy among National Health Insurance enrollees in Taiwan, 2000-2004." BMC Health Services Research, May 26, 2010. https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6963-10-136

[7] Includes Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Versa 3, Fitbit Charge 4, Fitbit Inspire 2, among others.

About Health2Sync

Health2Sync scales diabetes care by providing a digital engagement platform that is comprised of a mobile App for diabetics, cloud-based analytics, and cloud platform for healthcare providers. The smart analytics algorithms provide users with personalized education and guidance based on their biometric and behavior data captured. With the cloud platform, healthcare providers can easily take control of patients’ condition through the analyzed data.

Health2Sync is the largest diabetes management platform in Asia (excl. China) and proven to help users improve their outcome.  Health2Sync has supported partners including pharmaceuticals, private payers, and the public payor to provide diabetics with innovative services.  In 2017, 2018 and 2019 Health2Sync was selected as Top 10 Diabetes App globally by Healthline.

Joining Forces with the Largest Startup Festival in Taiwan, #AsiaRocks Returns With More Contents for Startups to Softland in the APAC Region

Taipei, Nov. 13, 2020 — Last year, Taiwan Startup Stadium launched its first-ever #AsiaRocks event in Taiwan. #AsiaRocks aims to bring together prominent ecosystem builders across APAC to provide startups a whole new gateway to Asian markets. Through exhibition, keynote speeches, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, #AsiaRocks offers unique "cross-border, market-entry" content for the attendees. It also provides access to key players and resources from Asian markets, opportunities to deep dive into the different startup ecosystems, a closer look into investment trends, government subsidy programs, and soft-landing services of these regions. The event attracted hundreds of attendees from across different industries.

This year, #AsiaRocks returns in a different format with even more content! #AsiaRocks is joining forces with the largest startup festival in Taiwan – Meet Taipei, from November 18th through 21st. Attendees from overseas can join virtually from November 18th through 30th.

#AsiaRocks - Your Whole New Gateway to APAC Markets!
#AsiaRocks – Your Whole New Gateway to APAC Markets!

This year, #AsiaRocks exhibitors include:

  • Hong Kong: Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), WHub
  • Japan: Fukuoka Growth Next (FGN), The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
  • Taiwan: Taiwan Startup Stadium (TSS)
  • Korea: Korea International Trade Association (KITA)
  • Thailand: Techsauce
  • Vietnam: InnoLab Asia
  • Australia: Startupbootcamp Australia
  • Singapore: BLOCK71

Representatives from each of these organizations will be available to speak to you at the #AsiaRocks booth throughout the exhibition. Additionally, in the afternoon of November 20th, #AsiaRocks will take over the Global Stage at Meet Taipei with a variety of exciting activities, including an ecosystem pitch by all the country partners on soft-landing into their markets, an interactive game on Asia’s startup ecosystems, and two fireside chats on trending topics for startups.

In one fireside chat, some of the most prominent VCs, such as Hive Ventures, SOSV MOX and Chinaccelerator, and Infinity Venture Partners will share their thoughts on the impact of COVID-19 on startup funding. In the other fireside chat, the Senior HR Director of PAP Region at Acer and the Regional Head at Adecco Group Taiwan and Korea will discuss global talent sourcing and planning.

For more information and to sign-up, please refer to this page.

Look for #AsiaRocks at booth AC-01!

About Taiwan Startup Stadium
Taiwan Startup Stadium is Taiwan’s leading ecosystem builder that cultivates global-minded entrepreneurs and showcases innovative Taiwanese startups to the world!

Hankyung.com’s Introduces: Medium Inc. Releases ‘MDL Test Lab’ for potential clients to experience 15,000 TPS on E-O-V architecture based enterprise blockchain solution

Medium Inc. Releases ‘MDL Test Lab’ for potential clients to experience 15,000 TPS on E-O-V architecture based enterprise blockchain solution. MDL Test Lab was first piloted in August, 2020 with various global system integration and IT consulting firms participating.

SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 13, 2020 — Following announcement covered by Hankyung.com, The test lab is currently running on AWS (Amazon Web Service) Cloud Server and is open to the public for anyone to try out and verify MDL’s TPS performance through Hyperledger Caliper and J-Meter. Components of the environment include 3 peer nodes, 3 orderer nodes that use a raft based ordering service, 1 channel, and 1 organization. Chaincodes used in Hyperledger Caliper are Smallbank and Simple.

Medium Inc. is an enterprise blockchain solution company that focuses on advancing TPS(Transactions Per Second) performance of Hyperledger Fabric. Hyperledger Fabric is the most widely used enterprise blockchain platform in the global market. Medium is currently delivering its solution, MDL (Medium Distributed Ledger), to numerous public and enterprise environments.

MDL is based on Hyperledger Fabric with three major improvement points. They are:

  • Performance improvement using cache
  • Performance improvement using parallel processing
  • Performance improvement using preprocessing

Through these improvement points, load on the CPU core can be efficiently allocated and unnecessary recomputations can be reduced, therefore resulting in a drastic increase in performance improvement range.

A Medium official stated that "Participants experienced 15,000TPS with 1.6sec Latency directly on the system console and are considering improving their Hyperledger Fabric based systems/services with MDL". Many of these participants include players in the global IT industry that run operations generating more than ten billion dollars in annual revenue. Microsoft, IBM, Informatica, AWS, Cloudera are a few examples of names on the participants’ partners list.

A commonality these big players share is that they need a system that is able to process large amounts of data with sufficient speed, stability and precision. In order to commercialize enterprise blockchain in the global marketplace, it is essential to introduce a high-performing blockchain technology solution at a serviceable level. Medium has reached this milestone with MDL and is on its way to further develop the technology to a level that is unrivaled. Medium Inc. is to open ways to practical and reliable high performance enterprise blockchain system builds

Pan Jong Kim, CEO of Medium Inc, has stated that "through this test lab, global leading companies have started to pay attention to Medium’s unique blockchain technology. Specific business discussions toward technology commercialization are in progress with participants, and more aggressive marketing activities are to be conducted through a process that will allow easy and convenient introduction of MDL around the world."

Hollysys Automation Technologies Reports Unaudited Financial Results for the First Quarter Ended September 30, 2020

First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2021 Financial Highlights

  • Non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys was $20.8 million, a decrease of 30.2% compared to the comparable prior year period.
  • Total revenues were $129.5 million, an increase of 5.1% compared to the comparable prior year period.
  • Non-GAAP gross margin was at 33.7%, compared to 37.7% for the comparable prior year period.
  • Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.34, a decrease of 30.6% compared to the comparable prior year period.
  • Net cash provided by operating activities was $21.6 million for the current quarter.
  • DSO of 185 days, compared to 204 days for the comparable prior year period.
  • Inventory turnover days of 58 days, compared to 56 days for the comparable prior year period.

BEIJING, Nov. 13, 2020 — Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: HOLI) ("Hollysys" or the "Company"), a leading provider of automation and control technologies and applications in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 ended September 30, 2020 (see attached tables). The management of Hollysys, stated:

Industrial Automation ("IA") business finished the quarter with revenue and contract at $81.9 million and $107.8 million, representing 26.8% and 28.4% YOY growth, respectively.

  • In power sector, we continued our effort in strengthening our market position in high-end coal fire market (600MW and plus power unit). Meanwhile, with respect to our current client base in this sector, we are actively responding to various regular and value-added service demand covering old system replacement, system upgrade, part component sales and annual maintenance, etc.
  • In chemical and petro-chemical sector, contract growth remains healthy. We continued our effort in key projects winning, key client cooperation, key marketing events and development and demonstration of solution capability to penetrate the market and build our reputation.

    Sector highlights of the past quarter include:

–  Winning the bidding of DCS+ESD (emergency shutdown device) + AMS (asset management system) +F&G (fire and gas) integrated solution for two offshore oil platforms. It is the 8th oil platform solution that the Company has won since the beginning of the calendar year, marking a remarkable progress for our exploration in the oil and gas industry.

–  Signing a CCS (Coordination Control System) contract with a client on its 400,000 tons/year tert-butyl alcohol and 200,000 tons/year MMA (methyl methacrylate) projects, marking a breakthrough as it is the Company’s first contract in MMA.

–  Signing a DCS + SIS + GDS + MES + OTS + AMS + information security integrated solution contract with a client on its 100,000 tons polycarbonate project. The DCS control points for the project amount to approximately 20,000, making it the largest project ever for the Company in similar craft.

  • In food & beverage and pharmaceutical sector, we continue to see healthy growth in contract. With our core control solution capability and inclusion of engineering design capability, we are building our EPC (engineering design + procurement + construction) capability so as to provide more comprehensive solution to our clients. Periodic progress was made in such model as we signed our first workshop-level EPC contract with a client for its 7-ACA (7-aminocephalosporanic acid) refining project, which is expected to lay foundation for our further pursuit of larger scale EPC project in the future.
  • In smart factory business, we continue to actively engage the potential clients through various marketing events, to stay close for in-depth grasp of market demand, and to develop and improve our solution for real value creation in economic benefit and operation safety. Highlights of the past quarter include:

–  Signing a contract with a new client from the thermal-power sector to provide a total solution with control-level and management-level data integration that covers comprehensive function modules including   control optimization, smart diagnosis, equipment management, decision making and operation management, etc. We expect such project to become a key demonstration of solution for the thermal-power sector.

–  Signing a contract with a client from the coal-fire sector for its new 2*660MW power plant. Contract covers a similar total solution at control and management level, and marks a significant breakthrough in our smart factory solution for high-end coal-fire market.

–  Signing a contract with an existing client from the petro-chemical sector to provide management-level solution based on our industrial internet platform.

  • Aftersales business of IA is keeping the healthy pace. We continued to engage our valuable client base and respond with both regular and value-adding initiatives covering old system upgrade and replacement, part component sales, annual maintenance, control optimization, data integration and energy management, etc.
  • Under our big automation initiatives, we continued to improve our capability for wider range of solution covering entire life cycle. By end of September, we have put into operation our in-house instrument production line, with which we will be capable of manufacturing certain types of instruments contained in our total control solution. Such is expected to be a valuable addition to our project delivery, market opportunities and operation.

Rail business finished the quarter with revenue and contract at $28.7 million and $24.2 million, recording 35.6% YOY decrease and 15.0% YOY growth, respectively.

  • In high-speed rail ("HSR") sector, we continued our delivery of on-ground solution along with the rail-road construction progress. Periodic progress was achieved for the smart solution initiatives for the sector, and we have completed our top-level design of the smart maintenance solution. Meanwhile, bidding from the client was seeing its gradual recovery in the post-pandemic period, both for on-ground and on-board equipment. Highlights of the quarter include:

–  Winning the bidding of 140 sets (out of the total package of 274 sets) of ATP for C2 (250km) China Standard High-speed train in August.

  • In subway sector, our cloud-based SCADA project for Shenzhen Subway Line 6 was fully delivered, which was the second cloud-based SCADA project of the Company and represents our constant effort in innovation for continued value creation for our clients. In delivery, our enhancement in supply chain management and engineering standardization has contributed to improved quality and efficiency of project execution.
  • In aftersales business, we continued to strengthen local service network, to expand service solution and to develop technology-and-service-centered service for better differentiation. In HSR sector, we continued to respond to regular services including advanced maintenance, system and software upgrade and part component sales, as well as total replacement. We continued to act as the service provider to Hong KongShenzhen high-speed rail, with our service quality being highly recognized. In subway sector, we continued to explore potentials from the current client base and signed contracts covering system upgrade, maintenance and product sales.
  • Under our big transportation initiatives, the Company has established the smart highway solution and was actively involved in marketing events for new contracts breakthrough in new business. Highlight for the quarter includes:

–  Signing a breakthrough contract of smart traffic meteorology solution for a section of the highway connecting Sichuan and Yunnan province. The data-driven solution targets highway administration as the intended clients and through collection and processing of meteorological, geographical and traffic data, advices the highway administration on more effective decision making in highway management, in particular under extreme weather condition.

Mechanical and Electrical Solutions ("M&E") business finished the quarter with revenue and contract at $18.8 million and $12.3 million, recording 34.4% increase and 63.4% YOY decrease respectively.

COVID-19 remains a challenge to M&E and overseas business. We will keep monitoring the impact on this sector and risk control remains to be the key focus.

Fiscal Quarter Ended September 30, 2020 Unaudited Financial Results Summary

 (In USD thousands, except for number of shares and per share data)

Three months ended

Sep 30, 2020

 Sep 30, 2019

%
Change

Revenues

$

129,468

123,230

5.1%

    Integrated solutions contracts revenue

$

105,706

104,466

1.2%

    Products sales

$

6,569

6,123

7.3%

    Service rendered

$

17,193

12,641

36.0%

Cost of revenues

$

85,891

76,771

11.9%

Gross profit

$

43,577

46,459

(6.2)%

Total operating expenses

$

22,558

23,291

(3.1)%

    Selling

$

8,176

7,277

12.4%

    General and administrative

$

10,179

10,592

(3.9)%

    Research and development

$

9,981

8,942

11.6%

    VAT refunds and government subsidies

$

(5,778)

(3,520)

64.1%

Income from operations

$

21,019

23,168

(9.3)%

Other income, net

$

1,229

2,025

(39.3)%

Foreign exchange (loss) gain

$

(2,323)

604

(484.6)%

Gains on disposal of an investment in an equity investee

$

5,763

(100.0)%

Share of net income of equity investees

$

1,891

1,541

22.7%

Interest income

$

3,798

3,029

25.4%

Interest expenses

$

(137)

(113)

21.2%

Income tax expenses

$

4,760

6,209

(23.3)%

Net (losses) income attributable to non-controlling interests

$

(80)

26

(407.7)%

Non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys Automation 
    Technologies Ltd.

$

20,797

29,782

(30.2)%

Non-GAAP basic EPS

$

0.34

0.49

(30.6)%

Non-GAAP diluted EPS

$

0.34

0.49

(30.6)%

$

Share-based compensation expenses

175

26

573.1%

Amortization of acquired intangible assets

$

76

75

1.3%

GAAP Net income attributable to Hollysys Automation Technologies
    Ltd.

$

20,546

29,681

(30.8)%

GAAP basic EPS

$

0.34

0.49

(30.6)%

GAAP diluted EPS

$

0.34

0.49

(30.6)%

Basic weighted average common shares outstanding

60,552,099

60,470,611

0.1%

Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding

60,552,099

60,483,884

0.1%

Operational Results Analysis for the First Quarter Ended September 30, 2020

Comparing to the first quarter of the prior fiscal year, the total revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2020 increased from $123.2 million to $129.5 million, representing an increase of 5.1%. Broken down by the revenue types, integrated contracts revenue increased by 1.2% to $105.7 million, products sales revenue increased by 7.3% to $6.6 million, and services revenue increased by 36.0% to $17.2 million.

The Company’s total revenues can also be presented in segments as shown in the following chart:

(In USD thousands)

Three months ended Sep 30,

2020

2019

$

% to Total
Revenue

$

% to Total
Revenue

Industrial Automation

81,931

63.2%

64,637

52.4%

Rail Transportation Automation

28,696

22.2%

44,576

36.2%

Mechanical and Electrical Solution

18,841

14.6%

14,017

11.4%

Total

129,468

100.0%

123,230

100.0%

Overall gross margin excluding non-cash amortization of acquired intangibles (non-GAAP gross margin) was 33.7% for the three months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to 37.7% for the same period of the prior year. The non-GAAP gross margin for integrated contracts, product sales, and services rendered were 25.3%, 73.7% and 70.0% for the three months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to 32.6%, 79.9% and 59.5% for the same period of the prior year, respectively. The gross margin fluctuation was mainly due to the different revenue mix with different margins. The GAAP overall gross margin which includes non-cash amortization of acquired intangibles was 33.6% for the three months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to 37.6% for the same period of the prior year. The GAAP gross margin for integrated contracts, product sales, and service rendered was 25.2%, 73.7% and 70.0% for the three months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to 32.5%, 79.9% and 59.5% for the same period of the prior year, respectively.

Selling expenses were $8.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, representing an increase of $0.9 million or 12.4% compared to $7.3 million for the same quarter of the prior year. Presented as a percentage of total revenues, selling expenses were 6.3% and 5.9% for the three months ended September 30, 2020, and 2019, respectively.

General and administrative expenses, excluding non-cash share-based compensation expenses (non-GAAP G&A expenses), were $10.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, representing a decrease of $0.4 million or 3.9% compared to $10.6 million for the same quarter of the prior year. Presented as a percentage of total revenues, non-GAAP G&A expenses were 7.9% and 8.6% for quarters ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The GAAP G&A expenses which include the non-cash share-based compensation expenses were $10.4 million and $10.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Research and development expenses were $10.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, representing an increase of $1.0 million or 11.6% compared to $8.9 million for the same quarter of the prior year. Presented as a percentage of total revenues, R&D expenses were 7.7% and 7.3% for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

The VAT refunds and government subsidies were $5.8 million for three months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to $3.5 million for the same period in the prior year, representing a $2.3 million or 64.1% increase, which was primarily due to increase of the VAT refunds.

The income tax expenses and the effective tax rate were $4.8 million and 18.9% for the three months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to $6.2 million and 17.3% for comparable prior year period. The effective tax rate fluctuation was mainly due to the different pre-tax income mix with different tax rates, as the Company’s subsidiaries are subject to different tax rates in various jurisdictions.

The non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys, which excludes the non-cash share-based compensation expenses calculated based on the grant-date fair value of shares or options granted, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and fair value adjustments of a bifurcated derivative, was $20.8 million or $0.34 per diluted share based on 60.6 million diluted weighted average ordinary shares outstanding for the three months ended September 30, 2020. This represents a 30.2% decrease over $29.8 million or $0.49 per share based on 60.5 million diluted weighted average ordinary shares outstanding reported in the comparable prior year period. On a GAAP basis, net income attributable to Hollysys was $20.5 million or $0.34 per diluted share representing a decrease of 30.8% over $29.7 million or $0.49 per diluted share reported in the comparable prior year period.

Contracts and Backlog Highlights

Hollysys achieved $144.3 million of new contracts for the three months ended September 30, 2020. The backlog as of September 30, 2020 was $596.1 million. The detailed breakdown of new contracts and backlog by segments is shown below:

(In USD thousands)

New contracts achieved

Backlog

for the three months

 ended Sep 30, 2020

as of Sep 30, 2020

$

% to Total
Contract

$

% to Total
Backlog

Industrial Automation

107,806

74.7%

252,299

42.3%

Rail Transportation

24,167

16.8%

254,833

42.7%

Mechanical and Electrical Solutions

12,304

8.5%

89,005

14.9%

Total

144,277

100.0%

596,137

100.0%

Cash Flow Highlights

For the three months ended September 30, 2020, the total net cash inflow was $34.9 million. The net cash provided by operating activities was $21.6 million. The net cash provided by investing activities was $2.6 million and mainly consisted of $114.6 million of matured time deposits, which were partially offset by $108.8 million of time deposits placed with banks. The net cash used in financing activities was $0.2 million.

Balance Sheet Highlights

The total amount of cash and cash equivalents were $321.6 million, $288.8 million, and $340.0 million as of September 30, 2020, June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2019, respectively.

For the three months ended September 30, 2020, DSO was 185 days, as compared to 204 days for the comparable prior year period and 167 days for the last quarter; and inventory turnover was 58 days, as compared to 56 days for the comparable prior year period and 66 days for the last quarter.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call at 8:00 pm November 12, 2020 U.S. Eastern Time / 9:00 am November 13, 2020 Beijing Time, to discuss the financial results for fiscal year 2021 first quarter ended September 30, 2020 and business outlook.

Joining the Conference Call:

  1. Please register in advance of the conference using the link provided below. Upon registering, you will be provided with participant dial-in numbers, Direct Event passcode and unique registrant ID.
  2. In the 10 minutes prior to the call start time, you will need to use the conference access information provided in the email received at the point of registering.

Note: Due to regional restrictions some participants may receive operator assistance when joining this conference call and will not be automatically connected.

Helpful keypad commands:
*0 – Operator assistance
*6 – Self mute/unmute

Direct Event online registration: http://apac.directeventreg.com/registration/event/3446698. Please use Conference ID 3446698 for entry if the link fails to lead directly to the registration page.

SAFE HARBOUR:

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are "forward-looking statements," including statements regarding: the ability of the Company to achieve its commercial objectives; the business strategy, plans and objectives of the Company and its subsidiaries; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects" or similar expressions, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements, based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Hollysys’ management, are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company’s reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

For further information, please contact:

Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd.
www.hollysys.com
+8610-58981386
investors@hollysys.com

 

 

 

HOLLYSYS AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES LTD.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In USD thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

Three months ended

Sep 30,

2020

2019

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Net revenues

Integrated solutions contracts revenue

$

105,706

$

104,466

Products sales

6,569

6,123

Revenue from services

17,193

12,641

Total net revenues

129,468

123,230

Costs of integrated solutions contracts

79,081

70,500

Cost of products sold

1,729

1,231

Costs of services rendered

5,157

5,115

Gross profit

43,501

46,384

Operating expenses

Selling

8,176

7,277

General and administrative

10,354

10,618

Research and development

9,981

8,942

VAT refunds and government subsidies

(5,778)

(3,520)

Total operating expenses

22,733

23,317

Income from operations

20,768

23,067

Other income, net

1,229

2,025

Foreign exchange (loss) gain

(2,323)

604

Gains on disposal of investments in an equity investee

5,763

Share of net income of equity investees

1,891

1,541

Interest income

3,798

3,029

Interest expenses

(137)

(113)

Income before income taxes

25,226

35,916

Income taxes expenses

4,760

6,209

Net income

20,466

29,707

Less: Net (losses) income attributable to non-controlling interests

(80)

26

Net income attributable to Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd.

$

20,546

$

29,681

Other comprehensive income, net of tax of nil

Translation adjustments

38,950

(34,174)

Comprehensive income (loss)

59,416

(4,467)

Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests

80

(25)

Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Hollysys Automation
Technologies Ltd.

$

59,336

$

(4,442)

Net income per share:

Basic

0.34

0.49

Diluted

0.34

0.49

Shares used in income per share computation:

Basic

60,552,099

60,470,611

Diluted

60,552,099

60,483,884

 

 

 

HOLLYSYS AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES LTD.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In USD thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

Sep 30,

Jun 30,

2020

2020

(Unaudited)

(audited)

ASSETS

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$

321,641

$

288,782

Time deposits with maturities over three months

330,432

324,949

Restricted cash

11,827

8,663

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $54,069 and
    $41,618 as of September 30, 2020 and June 30, 2020, respectively

268,270

242,449

Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings, net of allowance for doubtful 
     accounts of $8,185 and $6,150 as of September 30, 2020 and June 30, 2020,
     respectively

189,834

186,879

Accounts receivable retention

5,227

6,088

Other receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $6,382 and $6,224 as
     of September 30, 2020 and June 30, 2020, respectively

28,408

28,257

Advances to suppliers

18,614

17,255

Amounts due from related parties

22,222

21,444

Inventories

56,805

48,210

Prepaid expenses

654

648

Income tax recoverable

87

870

Total current assets

1,254,021

1,174,494

Non-current assets

Restricted cash

20,558

21,652

Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings

1,771

2,309

Accounts receivable retention

5,559

4,717

Prepaid expenses

8

6

Property, plant and equipment, net

84,261

78,050

Prepaid land leases

16,168

15,742

Intangible assets, net

1,665

1,713

Investments in equity investees

45,814

41,133

Investments securities

4,816

4,640

Goodwill

1,516

1,460

Deferred tax assets

10,738

8,909

Operating lease right-of-use assets

6,496

6,010

Total non-current assets

199,370

186,341

Total assets

1,453,391

1,360,835

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities

Current portion of long-term loans

334

320

Accounts payable

129,336

117,460

Construction cost payable

1,762

2,350.00

Deferred revenue

161,692

139,242

Accrued payroll and related expenses

21,766

17,245

Income tax payable

7,021

3,142

Warranty liabilities

6,074

6,604

Other tax payables

4,129

3,279

Accrued liabilities

36,738

31,595

Amounts due to related parties

3,394

3,576

Operating lease liabilities

2,211

2,489

Total current liabilities

374,457

327,302

Non-current liabilities

Accrued liabilities

3,000

5,635

Long-term loans

15,885

15,780

Accounts payable

3,221

2,530

Deferred tax liabilities

14,307

13,940

Warranty liabilities

1,847

3,460

Operating lease liabilities

3,901

3,302

Total non-current liabilities

42,161

44,647

Total liabilities

416,618

371,949

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ equity:

Ordinary shares, par value $0.001 per share, 100,000,000 shares authorized;
    60,537,099 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2020 and June
    30, 2020

61

61

Additional paid-in capital

224,218

224,043

Statutory reserves

49,423

49,423

Retained earnings*

783,315

774,473

Accumulated other comprehensive income

(24,728)

(63,517)

Total Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. stockholder’s equity

1,032,289

984,483

Non-controlling interests

4,484

4,403

Total equity

1,036,773

988,886

Total liabilities and equity

$

1,453,391

$

1,360,835

* The adoption of ASC 326 started in July 1st had a one-off effect on the beginning of balance sheet accounts.

 

 

 


HOLLYSYS AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES LTD

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In USD thousands).

Three months ended 

Sep 30, 2020

(Unaudited)

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income

$

20,466

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

2,548

Amortization of prepaid land leases

101

Amortization of intangible assets

76

Allowance for doubtful accounts

952

Gains on disposal of long-lived assets

(11)

Share of net income of equity investees

(1,891)

Share-based compensation expenses

175

Deferred income tax benefit

(1,363)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable and retention

(25,949)

Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings

4,397

Inventories 

(6,640)

Advances to suppliers

(702)

Other receivables 

621

Due from related parties

(1,148)

Accounts payable

7,901

Deferred revenue

16,963

Accruals and other payables

154

Due to related parties

(182)

Income tax payable

4,499

Other tax payables

713

Operating lease right-of-use assets

(305)

Operating lease liabilities

222

Net cash provided by operating activities

21,597

Cash flows from investing activities:

Time deposits placed with banks

(108,757)

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

(3,354)

Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment

65

Maturity of time deposits

114,597

Net cash provided by investing activities

2,551

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from long-term bank loans

37

Repayments of long-term bank loans

(194)

Net cash used in financing activities

(157)

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes

10,938

Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

$

34,929

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period

$

319,097

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

354,026

 

Non-GAAP Measures

In evaluating our results, the non-GAAP measures of "Non-GAAP cost of integrated contracts", "Non-GAAP general and administrative expenses", "Non-GAAP other income (expenses), net", "Non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. stockholders", "Non-GAAP basic earnings per share", and "Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share" serve as additional indicators of our operating performance and not as a replacement for other measures in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors, as they exclude the non-cash share-based compensation expenses, which is calculated based on the number of shares or options granted and the fair value as of the grant date, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and fair value adjustments of a bifurcated derivative. They will not result in any cash inflows or outflows. We believe that using non-GAAP measures help our shareholders to have a better understanding of our operating results and growth prospects. In addition, given the business nature of the Company, it has been a common practice for investors to use such non-GAAP measures to evaluate the Company.

The following table provides a reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures with the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measures for the periods indicated:

(In USD thousands, except for number of shares and per share data)

Three months ended

Sep 30,

2020

2019

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Cost of integrated solutions contracts

$

79,081

$

70,500

Less: Amortization of intangible assets

76

75

Non-GAAP cost of integrated solutions contracts

$

79,005

$

70,425

General and administrative expenses

$

10,354

$

10,618

Less: Share-based compensation expenses

175

26

Non-GAAP general and administrative expenses

$

10,179

$

10,592

Net income attributable to Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd.

$

20,546

$

29,681

Add:

      Share-based compensation expenses

175

26

      Amortization of intangible assets

76

75

Non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys Automation
Technologies Ltd.

$

20,797

$

29,782

      Weighted average number of basic ordinary shares

60,552,099

60,470,611

      Weighted average number of diluted ordinary shares

60,552,099

60,483,884

Non-GAAP basic earnings per share

$

0.34

$

0.49

Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share

$

0.34

$

0.49

 

 

Related Links :

http://www.hollysys.com

Huawei’s Ken Hu: 5G Creates New Value for Industries and New Growth Opportunities

SHANGHAI, Nov. 13, 2020 — At the 11th Annual Mobile Broadband Forum today, Huawei’s Deputy Chairman Ken Hu spoke with leaders in the telecoms and digital technology sectors about the new value that 5G can bring to different industries around the globe. As 5G is poised to transform the way we live, connect, and work, the telecoms sector is deeply invested in creating more value beyond the consumer market.

"There’s no out-of-the-box approach to innovation," said Hu on the topic of accelerating 5G application in industrial settings. "We’ve got to focus on real needs in real scenarios – and build up the capabilities to meet those needs. This is a challenge. But more importantly, it’s a huge opportunity for everyone involved."

Ken Hu speaks at 2020 MBBF
Ken Hu speaks at 2020 MBBF

Global 5G rollout is progressing quickly. As a leader in this domain, China has already seen over 600,000 base stations deployed in more than 300 cities, supporting more than 160 million 5G connections across the country. 5G services in China now deliver speeds in the hundreds of Mbps, and a wide array of 5G services have already been implemented in more than 20 domestic industries, including healthcare, ports, steel, power grids, mining, and manufacturing.

"The adoption of 5G in industries has moved from technical verification to commercial deployment," Hu noted. "As of September 30, 2020, China’s three major operators have implemented over 5,000 innovative 5G projects and signed over 1,000 5G business contracts."

While expressing his full confidence in 5G’s promising future with industries, Hu noted, "There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution, because every industry has vastly different requirements." He shared four observations on the best ways to drive 5G innovation for industry applications.

First, the industry needs to identify real needs based on specific business scenarios. While many industries have shown that they are ready and willing to embrace 5G, Hu stressed the need to develop a concrete set of criteria for specific scenarios and assess whether or not 5G is the right tool for the job: "This is how we can identify the real needs that are worth investing in."

Huawei proposed four criteria for assessing real needs: technical relevance, business potential, value chain maturity, and standardization. Based on these criteria, four typical scenarios that demonstrate a real need for 5G include remote control, video backhaul, machine vision, and real-time positioning.

Second, networks need to adapt to different scenarios. Networks are the foundation of competitive 5G services, so network equipment, together with network planning, construction, maintenance, and optimization, must be able to meet the requirements of an incredibly diverse range of industrial use cases. This requires operators and vendors to work together and keep innovating based on in-depth insight into industrial challenges.

Third, a thriving industrial 5G device ecosystem is key. Huawei estimates that the average price of 5G modules will level out at around US$100 by the end of 2020, and hit US$40 by the end of 2022, which will greatly enrich the 5G device ecosystem.

Fourth, telecoms operators need to develop new capabilities to serve business-facing 5G markets. 5G technology is a critical element in digital transformation, but it’s not a full solution in and of itself. So beyond connectivity, telecoms service providers need to build a range of adjacent capabilities in areas like cloud operations, industry application development, and end-to-end system integration. At the moment, there is a noticeable lack of comprehensive solutions to meet these needs in the enterprise market.

Telecoms operators are in a good position to provide these services. By focusing on connectivity, they can solidify their position as a connection provider in markets where existing network solutions are no longer sufficient. If they develop cloud and integration capabilities on top of that, operators can then provide a combination of connectivity, cloud, and integration services. Different roles have different capability requirements, and Huawei has doubled down on its commitment to helping carriers transform their portfolios as needed.

"5G will create increasingly greater value for industries over the next decade," said Hu in closing. "This means another period of rapid development for the telecoms industry. Moving forward, we will have to overcome a number of difficulties, and every step forward requires change. But I firmly believe that the hardest things are the things worth doing most. Because when you succeed, the results are incredible. We are ready and willing to work with operators, our enterprise customers, and industry partners to push the boundaries of innovation and build a better future for everyone."

At the 2020 Global Mobile Broadband Forum, Huawei will share insights into global industry trends and hot topics with carriers, regulators, partners, and media analysts from around the world. They will explore how innovation in ICT technologies such as 5G and AI can be mutually beneficial to industries and society at large. For more information, please visit: https://www.huawei.com/minisite/mbbf2020/en/

About Huawei
Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have more than 194,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.

Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it, when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they’re at home, in the office, or on the go.

For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:
http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei
http://www.twitter.com/Huawei
http://www.facebook.com/Huawei
http://www.google.com/+Huawei
http://www.youtube.com/Huawei

Visaic Acquires Video Platform Provider YARE Media

The combined companies will offer a scalable cloud-based content delivery and fan engagement solution

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 12, 2020 — Visaic, Inc., a provider of cloud-based content delivery solutions today announced the acquisition of successful Vancouver-based streaming platform company YARE Media. Together the companies will offer a scalable cloud-based content delivery and fan engagement solution for sports/esports, entertainment and enterprise. 

Under the terms of the transaction, Visaic will acquire all outstanding shares of YARE.

Founded in 2016, YARE launched a streaming platform solution that enables sports properties to quickly enter new territories, gather valuable analytics, and deliver high quality video to connected devices. The service has been embraced by amateur sports associations, professional sports leagues, and major media organizations.

In October, "Canadian Business" ranked YARE in the top 50 of their annual 2020 Startup List, which is the definitive ranking of Canada’s Top New Growth Companies.

"We are excited to bring the YARE team into the Visaic family," stated Kanaan Jemili, CEO of VISAIC: "There are great synergies between our current operations and clients and this new relationship will enable both businesses to accelerate."

YARE offers a range of software tools for broadcasting video content over the Internet. Its largest deployments are in sports and include Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, Rogers Sportsnet Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling (international), and the Canadian Football League (CFL) International Game Pass.

Hugh Dobbie, CEO of YARE commented, "Combining forces with Visaic will provide our clients a vast array of additional capabilities and technologies to further enable their fan engagement and growth strategies. We’re looking forward to seeing the evolution of our platform expand and service the international markets targeted by Visaic."

YARE’s clients will have access to new channels of distribution.

About Visaic
Formed by a team of streaming industry veterans, Visaic operates a live and on-demand over-the-top (OTT) platform for distribution and monetization of content worldwide and offers cinemas a rich portfolio of live internationally recognized sports and events such as: soccer, basketball, concerts, festivals, and other lifestyle content. Website: www.visaic.com.

About YARE
YARE provides solutions to address changing content distribution models in sports, broadcasting and entertainment. The company focuses on helping organizations implement market strategies that generate new over-the-top (OTT) digital revenues and help grow their audience and brand. Website: www.yaremedia.com

Contact:
Jason Nicol, VP Marketing
(619) 800-5297
info@visaic.com

Related Links :

Home

TIDAL Adds Millions of Master Quality Tracks, Offering Extensive Catalog of Highest Quality Streaming Audio

MQA Users have Doubled Since 2019 on TIDAL

TIDAL HiFi Users Now Stream 40% More Tracks in Master Quality than Last Year

NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2020 — Today, global music and entertainment streaming platform, TIDAL, added millions of tracks in MQA from Warner Music Group to its Masters catalog. TIDAL, in partnership with MQA (Master Quality Authenticated), provides guaranteed delivery of the original sound recording with TIDAL Masters. Now music fans can listen to an expanded Masters catalog, featuring iconic albums from artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Missy Elliott, LCD Soundsystem, Madonna and more.

MQA, led by Bob Stuart, who this year became the first audio engineer to receive the Prince Philip Award from the Royal Academy of Engineering, has pioneered an entirely new way of coding digital audio based on key insights into how humans hear. Key to the technology is MQA’s built-in authentication to confirm that the listener is getting the exact sound created in the studio. Additionally, MQA addresses the issue that when analogue sound is turned into digital, the process introduces time-smearing artefacts that blur sounds unnaturally. MQA solves these problems, and then the MQA decoder in the TIDAL app ensures the conversion back to analogue preserves the music’s pristine clarity.

Bob Stuart, MQA Founder, explained, "By paying great attention to the nature of sound and the way we hear, MQA opens a clear window and delivers all the detail and nuance of the original song. The music industry’s catalog contains millions of significant performances from the early days of CD where, sometimes, the recording was created in 44.1kHz 16bit and where no alternative existed. We are delighted that Warner Music Group is bringing this content to TIDAL."

"TIDAL Masters offer the best sound available. As consumers’ expectations of high quality experiences increase, TIDAL’s audio innovation sets the bar for music listening," said Lior Tibon, TIDAL COO. "Not only can members hear music exactly as their favorite artists recorded it, but with recent platform enhancements, the experience is as seamless as ever."

In response to listeners’ requests to make it easier to listen to and discover more Masters tracks, TIDAL has added ‘Master Edition’ Artist Radio and Track Radio. TIDAL members can listen to radio stations in the best quality available containing  Masters only songs, uninterrupted. In conjunction, TIDAL is adding the Master Edition of My New Arrivals, a personalized playlist of new music in full master quality audio for members based on their listening habits. Using less bandwidth, MQA technology packages and delivers master quality audio to music fans making MQA files accessible to listeners on-the-go, with any headphones.

To further support a harmonious listening experience, TIDAL recently launched the "Connect" feature, which allows users to stream music from its HiFi tier directly to connected devices, including: Bluesound, Cambridge Audio, DALI, KEF, iFi audio, Lyngdorf, Monitor, NAD, and Naim Audio. Through TIDAL Connect, the platform’s unparalleled lossless audio quality can now be seamlessly experienced on members’ favorite devices with the touch of a button. For more information on how to connect, visit TIDAL.com/Connect

TIDAL offers the largest MQA catalog outside of China. In addition, TIDAL offers music lovers unlimited access to its extensive catalog of over 70 million tracks across all genres, thousands of expertly curated playlists by TIDAL’s seasoned editorial team, and endless artist radio stations.

TIDAL HiFi at a Glance

A TIDAL HiFi membership allows you to listen to the best quality sound based on your settings, selected playback device, and data availability. The HiFi tier offers a number of streaming options, including:

HiFi – High-fidelity sound comes from uncompressed music files. TIDAL HiFi utilizes FLAC, a more robust file format. In contrast, MP3 files are compressed to decrease file size, which can remove audio details, which can reduce sound quality. FLAC offers CD-quality audio in its purest form (1411kbps or 16bit / 44.1kHz)

Master – Authenticated and unbroken files with the highest possible resolution—as flawless as it sounded in the mastering suite. And exactly as the artist intended.

Dolby Atmos – An immersive audio experience. Dolby Atmos Music allows sounds to be precisely placed, adding dimensionality to create a full audio atmosphere.

Sony 360 Reality Audio – An immersive experience using Sony’s spatial audio technology to map out sound at any point or distance from your ears. This new listening experience is the culmination of years of acoustic and physiological studies of how we hear and place sounds.

Learn more on tidal.com/sound-quality 

About TIDAL
TIDAL is an artist-owned global music and entertainment platform that brings artists and fans closer together through unique original content and exclusive events. Available in 56 countries, the streaming service has more than 70 million songs and 250,000 high quality videos in its catalog along with original video series, podcasts, thousands of expertly curated playlists and artist discovery via TIDAL Rising. With the commitment of its owners to create a more sustainable model for the music industry, TIDAL is available in premium and HiFi tiers—recordings which includes Master Quality Authenticated (MQA), Sony’s 360 Reality Audio recordings, and Dolby Atmos Music.

About MQA
Using pioneering scientific research into how people hear, MQA has created a technology that captures the sound of the original studio performance. The master MQA file is fully authenticated and is small enough to stream, while also being backward compatible, so you can play MQA music on any device. MQA’s award-winning technology is licensed by labels, music services and hardware manufacturers worldwide and is certified by the RIAA.

For more information visit www.mqa.co.uk
Follow MQA on: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn
Press site: www.mqa.co.uk/press-and-pr

Related Links :

https://tidal.com