Hot off the finalisation of the sale of it’s Honor brand, rumours are surfacing that Huawei may be looking to do the same with their P and Mate smartphone line ups as well. News first surfaced when Reuters reported that it had obtained the information from sources close to the matter.
The report stated that Huawei was in talks with Shanghai government-backed investment firms to spin the brands off as independent companies like Honor. One of the sources claimed that the idea has been floated since late last year. Sources are claiming that Huawei hasn’t made a final decision just yet and the deal may not go thru as Huawei is still looking to manufacture its own HiSilicon Kirin chipsets.
Be that as it may, Huawei has issued a statement to Android Authority dismissing the “rumours”. That said, the company did the same when initial rumours of Honor’s sale surfaced. In its statement, Huawei states, “There is no merit to these rumours whatsoever. Huawei has no such plan. We remain fully committed to our smartphone business, and will continue to deliver world-leading products and experiences for consumers around the world.”.
The sale would effectively mean that Huawei would be withdrawing itself from the high-end smartphone market. On the other hand, Huawei has been touting its upcoming Harmony OS as an alternative to Google’s Android OS since the sanctions from the U.S. were enacted. However, things haven’t been easy for the company as sanctions have tightened leading to the company losing access to key partners such as ARM and TSMC.
The sale of Honor seems to have been a boon to the brand as the company has since inked deals to engage partners like AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, MediaTek and more. This enables them to produce their Honor MagicBooks and smartphones. However, unlike Honor, the sale of the P and Mate brands would only leave Huawei’s lower end Y and Nova series in their smartphone portfolio.
BEIJING, Jan. 26, 2021 — Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM) ("Autohome" or the "Company"), a leading online destination for automobile consumers in China, today announced that it will report its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2020, before U.S. markets open on February 2, 2021.
Autohome’s management team will host an earnings conference call at 6:30 AM U.S. Eastern Time on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 (7:30 PM Beijing Time on the same day).
Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:
United States:
+1-855-824-5644
Hong Kong, China :
+852-3027-6500
Mainland China:
8009-880-563 / 400-821-0637
United Kingdom:
0800-026-1542
International:
+1-646-722-4977
Passcode:
38347400#
Please dial in ten minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the passcode to join the call.
A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until February 8, 2021:
United States:
+1-646-982-0473
International:
+61-2-8325-2405
Passcode:
319339324 #
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at http://ir.autohome.com.cn.
About Autohome Inc.
Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM) is the leading online destination for automobile consumers in China. Its mission is to enhance the car-buying and ownership experience for auto consumers in China. Autohome provides original generated content, professionally generated content, user-generated content, AI-generated content, a comprehensive automobile library, and extensive automobile listing information to automobile consumers, covering the entire car purchase and ownership cycle. The ability to reach a large and engaged user base of automobile consumers has made Autohome a preferred platform for automakers and dealers to conduct their advertising campaigns. Further, the Company’s dealer subscription and advertising services allow dealers to market their inventory and services through Autohome’s platform, extending the reach of their physical showrooms to potentially millions of internet users in China and generating sales leads for them. The Company offers sales leads, data analysis, and marketing services to assist automakers and dealers with improving their efficiency and facilitating transactions. Autohome operates its "Autohome Mall," a full-service online transaction platform, to facilitate transactions for automakers and dealers. Further, through its websites and mobile applications, it also provides other value-added services, including auto financing, auto insurance, used car transactions, and aftermarket services. For further information, please visit www.autohome.com.cn.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
Autohome Inc. Investor Relations Anita Chen Tel: +86-10-5985-7483 E-mail: ir@autohome.com.cn
The Piacente Group, Inc. Jenny Cai Tel: +86-10-6508-0677 E-mail: autohome@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente Tel: +1-212-481-2050 E-mail: autohome@tpg-ir.com
Samsung is always making waves when it comes to launching their brand new devices in any country. In Malaysia, the company is approaching things a little differently given the current situation. Having just launched the Galaxy S21 internationally with pre-orders happening already ongoing in Malaysia, the company is looking to launch the Galaxy S21 series with a bang; albeit a little differently.
The Galaxy S21 series will be making its official Malaysian debut on the silver screen. Samsung Malaysia is partnering with local broadcast companies Media Prima and Astro. In this partnership, the Galaxy S21 series will make its big debut on TV3 and Astro AEC. However, it’s not a live stream or recap of the international announcement. Instead, TV3 and Astro AEC will be airing specials which highlight the many features of the new smartphone series.
Kicking off the launch is a special featuring popular local artists Ismail Izzani, Nabila Razali, Elly Mazlein, Norman Hakim and more on TV3. The special will be airing tonight – yep – you read that right! Tonight, 26th January 2021, will be the first of two specials. The TV3 special called “Keluarga Epik” will air at 9PM. It will be showcasing how a family pursues their dreams and passions from home with the Galaxy S21 series.
Tomorrow, on the 27th of January 2021, join Astro’s Yoke Chen, Darren Ch’ng and Jie Ying as they showcase the Galaxy S21 series. The three hosts will be joined by many more Astro celebrities in showing you how they make everyday moments epic with the Galaxy S21. The special will also be live streamed on MY’s Facebook page where viewers will be able to participate in a live Q&A session and stand to win prizes.
Samsung Malaysia will also be making a special announcement during these specials.
With reviews dropping for the Galaxy S21 series today, we thought it would be better to take you through some of the first the impressions we got from the Samsung Galaxy S21 when we first started using it instead. We will, naturally, have a full review with an in-depth breakdown for you to get into the nitty gritty details of the phone.
The first thought that came into my mind when I held the Galaxy S21 is, “It’s back”. The latest iteration of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S series finally brings back the qualities that made the Samsung Galaxy S series stand out. Aside from the colour, the phone’s design gives you the impression that Samsung spent its time thinking up the S21.
It a subtle but loud design choice – a metallic accent on a glasstic body. After years of dealing with glass front and backs, the new approach is the breath of fresh air and new life that the series needed. While it may seem like a downgrade going from glass to glasstic, the Galaxy S21 still feels premium and is so much easier to hold in hand. The subtle curves of the back make the phone more palmable and easy to manoeuvre in one hand. It’s also just hefty enough.
The FHD+ AMOLED 2X display brings a pretty brilliant display. We say brilliant not to praise the display but to highlight that this display is plenty bright. Even under direct 11am sunlight, the screen was still legible. We haven’t really noticed the difference with adaptive refresh rate just yet – but rest assured, it’ll be one of the main points in our in-depth review.
Aside from the visuals, it really feels like Samsung took the time to think out this flagship and deliver an experience that is well rounded. The speakers are loud! Even watching Instagram videos on the Galaxy S21 can be risky business (especially if you’re on a video call!). Even at 30% volume, the phone was audible about 3 to 5 meters away. It’s a pretty good indication of the media experience you’ll be getting from the device.
That said, the first 24 hours is usually about the batter and the setup for us. The battery on the Galaxy S21 is actually pretty small – considering the size of the other devices in the series. However, while size does matter, the Galaxy S21 is still able to impress with its battery life. After charging it up to 100%, the battery lasted a good 40 hours before it needed to be charged. The 40 hours included the setup process and the downloading of apps needed on the device. After which, it was swiftly put to a barrage of gaming, YouTube, Instagram and TIDAL. This bodes really well for battery life on the S21 moving forward.
The setup process is pretty straight forward. Samsung asks you to sign in to your Google account and you Samsung account. You can restore your device from either service. Of course, if you’re jumping or upgrading from another Samsung device, you get everything – including your home screen layout transferred over. Something that not many other manufacturers are doing. That said, we didn’t setup the S21 with a back up instead we opted to set it up from scratch. It took us roughly 30 minutes to get all our apps downloaded and all the relevant emails synced. The time from the start of the setup excluding setting up email accounts on a new app and downloading apps was about 10 minutes. Not too bad considering not many of us would like to baby the phone while it updates.
You’ll have to wait when it comes to the camera. We’re definitely excited to see what Samsung has in store there. However, barring that, the Galaxy S21 is definitely hitting the right notes when it comes to a flagship. It seems to be somewhat of a return to form for the Galaxy S series.
SHENZHEN, China, Jan. 26, 2021 — Kingdee International Software Group Company Limited ("Kingdee" or the "Group"; stock code: 00268.HK) received the IDC 2020 SaaS ERP Customer Satisfaction Award based on the results of IDC’s SaaSPath global survey (IDC #US46933620), and was the one and only Chinese SaaS vendor recognized by this Award.
The Customer Satisfaction Award Program (the CSAT Awards) seeks to recognize leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors in each application market with the highest customer satisfaction scores based on IDC’s SaaSPath survey. SaaSPath is a global survey of approximately 2,000 organizations across all geographic regions and company sizes, where customers are asked to rate their vendors on more than 30 different customer satisfaction metrics.
Robert Xu, Chairman and CEO of Kingdee Group said, "It is our honor to be granted the IDC Customer Satisfaction Award, and truly grateful to our customers for their recognition and positive comments on Kingdee. It will be a beginning for us to uphold the philosophy of ‘Customer Orientation, Dedication as foundation and Long-term professionalism’, as to achieve customer direction connection and succeed with leading technology, best-in-class product and service, as well as innovation in enterprise management."
SaaSPath is IDC Global’s first SaaS-specific industry survey, providing customer-side guidance for vendors on the SaaS buyers’ thinking and decision process. Coverage includes application adoption, deployment models, budget plans and replacement cycle timing, drivers and inhibitors, packaging and pricing options, and in-depth vendor reviews, ratings, spend, and advocacy scores for most leading vendors in each of the 15 functional application markets.
The SaaSPath survey is conducted across all company sizes around the world, including roughly 55% IT leaders and 45% line of business leaders, and its survey targets cover enterprises senior management. All respondents go through an extensive screening process to ensure they are familiar with the technologies they are being asked about, are current users, and have influence in their company’s technology buying decisions. Further, all customer satisfaction metrics and ratings are collected solely from current customers of the vendors being rated, to ensure scoring reflects up-to-date customer sentiment based on proper vendor familiarity and knowledge.
About Kingdee
Kingdee International Software Group Company Limited ("Kingdee International" or "Kingdee") was established in 1993. It is listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (stock code: 0268.HK) and headquartered in Shenzhen, the PRC. Adhering to the core values of "Acting in all Conscience, with Integrity and Righteousness", the Company is committed to helping businesses achieve their growth targets and let the sun shine on every company through dedicated services. It strives to provide them with the most trusted enterprise service platform.
Through persistent efforts to explore China’s Cloud enterprise service market, Kingdee has retained the largest share in the enterprise application software sector for fast-growing enterprises for 16 consecutive years according to IDC, and has grasped the biggest share in the enterprise-grade SaaS Cloud services industry in China for the second years, held the largest market share in SaaS ERM (Cloud ERP) and Financial Cloud for four consecutive years. Kingdee is currently the only SaaS cloud service provider of Chinese enterprises selected into Gartner’s market guide.
Samsung’s big launch of the second half of 2020 came with a big announcement too. It came with the big announcement of their follow up to their very innovative 2019 product, the Samsung Galaxy Fold. They now call it the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, basically to align the device to the newly introduced Samsung Galaxy Z series line-up with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is a completely different beast though. It is not a nostalgic keepsake that is bringing back a very popular smartphone design language that is the flip mobile phone. It is not technically new in its form factor too. Well, technically because it is a successor to the 2019 Samsung Galaxy Fold.
This is not just a mere minor product update from the older foldable device though. This looks like a complete overhaul of the device. This feels more like a major evolution, rather than an improvement.
Picking up the Z Fold2
The evolution is apparent from the moment you pick up the device from the box. It feels untypically heavy. Untypical, because you are used to the near weightless feel from Samsung’s vast portfolio of flagship smartphones.
The first touch feels solid, robust; more so than the old Samsung Galaxy Fold. It feels like a product you can properly chuck in your bag when you need to. It feels complete, unlike the ‘prototype’ that was the Samsung Galaxy Fold. It feels substantial, cold, durable.
The first fold did not feel like a mechanism breaking maneuver. That first fold motion does not feel like you are breaking the ‘Glastic’ in to prepare it for even more folds that the display is going to do in its lifetime. The first fold feels tight and satisfying too, nothing fearful or doubtful.
We love the Mystic Bronze colour option. Somehow, the black does not accentuate the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2’s design characteristics enough. Somehow, the Mystic Bronze highlights the odd glossy chromed lining that runs down the center of the device at the back (opened). It accentuates the proportions of the device and somehow frames it beautifully.
The brushed aluminium on the sides adds a contrast to the whole body. It adds some needed texture for better grip, of course. But its contrasting finish also hides the size, or thickness of its body, especially when its folded in. No 3.5mm jack in sight; just dual speakers, USB Type-C, mic ports, rocker and power buttons, and a SIM tray on the sides.
Fold the device and the center line splits to reveal a very pretty, very classy looking chromed housing for the folding mechanism. It closes with a satisfying thud. You know the inner display is protected by a screen protector and a raised bezel with a recessed panel. There are also some little plastic nubs to prevent the sides to completely crash into each other.
Then you unfold it, because you want to set it up for the first time. The back is now a split of a proper glass back and glass protected front secondary display. It feels weird to say that the display on the outside, that is supposed to be tougher and more protected than the inner display is a secondary display here. It is what it is though, with the device opened and spread out to its full glory, the back is made up for the secondary display under a glossed up glass, and the Mystic Bronze matte finish of the main back plate only disturbed by a protruding camera module.
That bulge is quite disturbing on a flat surface though. The device also does not come with a case out-of-the-box for the device, so you might want to consider getting an OEM case for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2. Go for something good, you have spent a good deal of money to get your hands on the device, do not cheap out on the case.
Then you turn it on to set it up for the first time, you rely on its inner display, of course. While it is the same set-up process that comes with any other Samsung device, you feel like you are looking at a completely new set-up experience. Part of that is due to the fact that Samsung bombards you with the ‘dos and do nots’ of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2. But most of it is because you are looking at a much larger display than usual. Not quite tablet display, but not quite smartphone as well.
Everything is the same as when you set up your Samsung for the first time though. We have the benefit of having an older Samsung smartphone to switch from, so Samsung Smart Switch is the way to go. You can get Samsung Smart Switch to work on other devices to, for you to transfer the data from those older devices to a Samsung device.
Larger Than Life
I personally remembered mentioning that the Samsung Galaxy Note series was ‘larger than life’. That was because the Samsung Galaxy Note series, at the time, boasts displays bigger than most smartphones features. The display on a Samsung Galaxy Note series, at that time, borders that of a tablet. Hence the word ‘phablet’ was used to describe the older generation Samsung Galaxy Note devices.
The main display on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is even bigger than the Samsung Galaxy Note series though. Unfolded, the screen measures 7.6-inch. It is not a mere Full HD+ screen too. It is a high-resolution 2,208 by 1,768 pixels of Dynamic AMOLED 2X goodness. The other display is still quite large at 6.2-inch but only features Super AMOLED and 2,280 by 816 pixels, in the region of HD+ territory.
There is nothing to complain about up front though, it is a much bigger and much more functional screen than before. The only issue I have with it is how narrow it is. While I have smaller hands and thinner fingers, typing on the narrower display is still quite a nightmare. We can talk about that a little later though. We focus on the bigger picture now, the inside flexible display.
Flexible display is not necessarily a new technology. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, in fact, features the same type of flexible display that the Samsung Galaxy Fold had. The improved the panel and its working tremendously though. The mechanism feels more solid, looks more substantial, and more industrial. There are no more gaps between panels, as they have harshly learnt from their past product. The mechanism is closer to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip than the older Galaxy Fold, to be fair.
The nice thing is that Samsung managed to retain the almost bezel free look that most devices feature today but still have enough bezel to raise a protective barrier for the highly sensitive display. They also managed to fit a punch hole camera instead oof that awkwardly placed notch on the older device. The drawback is that there is only one front-facing camera here instead of two. It is an overall improvement though with less wasted screen real estate.
While the display is that large, videos can hardly take full advantage because of the oddly proportioned display. In the case of YouTube, where you can view the videos either in horizontal or vertical mode, it feels like there is nearly no difference in viewing videos in both forms. Of course, when you put the videos in full horizontal mode, you get an inch more than you get on the normal vertical viewing layout. You hardly notice though, because there are such big black bars on top and bottom of the display.
If you want to watch your videos without holding the device at an angle, you do not need a kickstand. Simply fold the Galaxy Z Fold2 a little bit to create a natural stand. But your YouTube video will shrink to fill one half of the display. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video does not have this feature.
Flipping the device like that also gives us the ability to type messages horizontally with more keyboard space. Samsung’s default keyboard layout when the device is open is a split key mechanism that we actually like very much. We think that it makes sense so that you do not have to reach too far into the middle of the device when typing horizontally. It sort of protects the tender middle of the display in vertical typing mode. Keep in mind though that typing horizontally on Whatsapp will not allow you to see the chat window, that works on Telegram and almost any other app though.
One thing you want to keep in mind if you want to keep your device angled is that the device is back heavy. That also means that your device will tend to rest on the camera side. In this case, if you did not get a case for your Galaxy Z Fold2, the left side of the device will be slightly raised.
Large, but Compact
The large screen folds away to a smaller 6.2-inch display as we mentioned earlier. Technically you get about half the display real estate compared to what is tucked away inside. You get an ultra-narrow workspace and home screen up front. What is nice about this layout is that you can have a completely different home screen on your secondary display compared to what you have on your main display.
You can set up the front display to be a quick access page to things you want to quickly access like calls, messaging, WhatsApp maybe, camera app, or clock. Whatever tickles your fancy can be on that home screen, just like a normal Android home screen. You just have to keep in mind that the display is narrower than even the modern regular small smartphone.
That also means that your keyboard layout is massively compressed and extra small. As mentioned, I had a lot of trouble typing on the front display quickly and accurately. There will always be some sort of typo in every word that I type because the display is so small. Of course, flipping it horizontally helps with typing, but the keyboard will take up at least half the screen at that point. The horizontal layout mimics the keyboard layout when you open to the main display though, which is nice.
The front display though is quite perfect for single handed use, especially when you are out and about. The size of the device in its folded form fits perfectly in your pockets. It is a little on the thick side, we admit, but it still does fit nicely in the pockets, which is all we ask for.
You do not have to watch your YouTube or Netflix videos on the inner display, as it turns out. The secondary display works just fine with all sorts of videos. You get the benefit of making the back plate a stand and just angle the display a little bit for a more comfortable viewing angle on the desk.
We do not think that the secondary display would be as useful or as regularly used as the main display at home just because it is so much smaller and so much more difficult to type on. You will have to keep the device folded to answer calls though. The only earpiece of the device is sitting on top of the secondary display. Imagine if the earpiece was placed on the inside as well.
There is no transition that we can find from the inner display to the outside display though. As far as we know the display locks when you close the display. Which also means you have to turn on the device again if you want to purely use the front display.
4,500mAh Battery – That Cannot Possibly be Enough
When we first heard that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 comes with a 4,500mAh battery, we started getting concerned on its battery consumption. Remember you are powering two displays and up to five cameras. How the same battery pack you find on a Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra going to help you keep the device running the entire day?
We cannot comment too much here though, we need more time to do a proper review of its battery life. We can report to you that 4,500mAh could be just enough to keep you running from morning to at least after work. Not on your first day with the device though.
Your first set up will take some time if you use Samsung’s Smart Switch. You want to wait for everything to be transferred and installed properly. That is going to take some battery life already unless you leave it plugged in. The next thing you will do is start downloading all the other apps that has not yet been installed already. You are going to start setting up your Google apps, check if your emails are coming in properly, see if all your necessary accounts like Netflix, Prime Video, and such are signed in and working.
There are going to be apps that are not transferred from the older device and you might want to go through Google’s Play Store to install them. Because the display is now much bigger, you might want to play new games on it too. You are going to be on your device for the whole day just to see what its like to do everything.
That is the thing though. If you rely on your battery, you are going to run out of battery by the end of your lunch hour. Thankfully charging is relatively quick, though I do feel that it should be a little faster. Still, getting it from nothing to full in less than 2 hours is not bad at all. You can at least keep it plugged in at work.
24 Hours with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 – We Are Not Sure Just yet
This is a piece of kit that we find cool, to be honest. It is unique, innovative, and it feels like a proper Samsung product; a quality product. At the same time though it costs MYR 7,999. That also means that it could be gimmicky, and obnoxious as a product. If you do buy one, you are making a statement too.
To be fair, we do see potential of this type of form factor in the competitive world of the smartphone industry. We do think that this sort of device has a place somewhere in the world if Samsung keeps at it and probably add S Pen functionality to it. The stylus is a little bit much to ask at this point of time, I know. Technology has not caught up to that request just yet, we understand.
The thing is though, we do not know if we would tell anyone to buy this device. What is wrong with a Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra? What is wrong with an Apple iPhone, for that matter? It is a novelty though, this piece. It is an exquisite piece of engineering we cannot find anywhere, and that is important to keep in mind as we review the device.
We have not explored its capabilities and functions fully just yet. We are just peeling off that first layer of fascination you always have when you get a new smartphone or gadget. Would we change our minds completely on this device? Stay tuned to our review.
SINGAPORE, Jan. 26, 2021 — CAN (Community Alliance Network), Asiance (An advanced model of digital agency and leading Brandtech partner), and TheVentures (Early-stage investor) are proud to announce the launch of CANnovate 2021 – Devless Heroes.
CANnovate 2021 Devless Heroes
CANnovate – Devless Heroes is an acceleration program aiming to help startups or startups-to-be with community-driven business models to build and run a competitive online service of their own without heavy investment in development.
CANnovate – Devless Heroes is an online 12-week program, open to startups from all over the world.
We invite startups who are pursuing community-driven innovation in various sectors such as:
Community innovation in education
Cooperation of decentralized community
Governance innovation of the traditional organization
Journalism/media innovation using community power
Participative local community
E-democracy
Responsible & conscious consumption
Community commerce
Community-driven innovation for small-medium businesses, etc.
And more
During the 12-week program, 10 selected startups will build their MVPs (Minimum Viable Product) using CAN’s "plug-n-play" tools with tech consultations to launch their beta service and to conduct a market test. The participating teams will have the opportunity to interact with other teams from various fields, share their insights, and learn from each other. Furthermore, selected startups will receive tailored mentorship from experienced mentors who have successfully built their products and services on a global scale.
By the end of the program, the top 5 startups, who best showed their business potentials through their initial beta service, will be selected as Devless Heroes. The Devless Heroes will continuously receive tech support from CAN for additional 12 months to refine their product and prove their business model while getting access to investment opportunities.
We will be receiving applications until January 31st, 2021 Apply here: https://cannovate.dev/
About Us
CAN (Community Alliance Network), as an alliance of startups and developers, collectively provides a comprehensive set of SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) tools for communities, to let a variety of organizations, from traditional companies through nonprofits to virtual organizations, build and run a community without an in-house tech team.
The first Brandtech partner in Asia, Asiance is an advanced model of Digital Agency. Since 2004, we help business leaders and world-renowned brands to create a maximum brand value through the creative use of technology and make a positive impact on the world.
TheVentures is an early-stage investor focusing on technology, community, and impact. With the belief that building a powerful community is a key driver behind any successful business, we aim to redefine the capital model for startups by bringing the collective power of the community and local experts into the investment process.
Representing MSPs, Datto joins Microsoft, Rapid7, Citrix, and other global leaders to combat growing cyber threats
SINGAPORE, Jan. 26, 2021 — Datto Holding Corp. ("Datto"), (NYSE:MSP), the leading global provider of cloud-based software and technology solutions purpose-built for delivery by managed service providers (MSPs), today announced it was invited by the Institute for Security and Technology to join its Multi-Sector Ransomware Task Force. As a founding member, Datto joins other world-renowned experts in the fight against cybercrime and will represent the MSP community, focusing on the interests and needs of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).
"Cybercriminals learn from each others’ attacks by sharing information and continuously evolving their tradecraft," said Ryan Weeks, CISO at Datto. "All organizations – governments, enterprises, and SMBs – need to approach the serious threat of cyberattacks with the same collaborative concept. Working in silos against these sophisticated attackers is no longer an option. Threat actors have built successful businesses exploiting the fragile cyber defenses and recovery practices at many organizations. Only by working together across industries and sectors can we hope to make progress against these threat actors."
Cyberthreats, particularly ransomware attacks, are a growing concern to organizations across industries and the globe. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting widespread shift to remote work, combined with the adaptability and sophistication of attacks created a perfect storm for a wide array of threat actors. In fact, the FBI claimed that cyberattacks have increased by more than 400% since the start of the pandemic¹.
"Security has been at the heart of Datto’s ethos from the start, both culturally and built into our technology. But we have learned that a focus on security is a lifetime journey and requires constant attention and investment. Entities must continuously raise their defenses and stay vigilant to escalating threats," said Tim Weller, CEO of Datto. "For these reasons, we are humbled to be a founding member of the Ransomware Task Force and to work alongside some of the brightest minds in arenas like policy making, law enforcement, and cyber insurance. We look forward to the conversations ahead, the policies we will influence, and to making cyber resilience more accessible to the MSP community."
MSPs are on the frontlines of a cyber war, protecting both their own infrastructure and the IT systems of the SMB customers they serve from threats such as ransomware. According to Datto’s 2020 Global Ransomware Report, ransomware remains the most common cyber threat to SMBs, with 60% of MSPs reporting their SMB clients were hit in the first half of 2020. As part of the Ransomware Task Force, Datto will help educate and empower SMBs to make cyber resilience a top priority in 2021. Only by taking the necessary precautions can SMBs avoid the costly downtime and disruptions that occur in the aftermath of an attack.
As the world’s leading provider of cloud-based software and technology solutions purpose-built for delivery by managed service providers (MSPs), Datto believes there is no limit to what small and medium businesses can achieve with the right technology. Datto offers Unified Continuity, Networking, and Business Management solutions and has created a unique ecosystem of MSP partners. These partners provide Datto solutions to over one million businesses across the globe. Since its founding in 2007, Datto has won awards for its rapid growth, product excellence, superior technical support, and for fostering an outstanding workplace. With headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut, Datto has global offices in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Canada, Australia, China, and Singapore. Learn more at www.datto.com/au.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 26, 2021 — The Green Future Index, a new study by MIT Technology Review Insights in association with Citrix, Morgan Stanley, and Salesforce ranks 76 countries and territories on the progress and commitment they are making toward a green future by reducing carbon emissions, developing clean energy, and innovating in green sectors, as well as the degree to which governments are implementing effective climate policies.
(PRNewsFoto/MIT Technology Review Insights)
The interactive index shows which countries are progressing fastest in global efforts to decarbonize and limit global heating in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The key findings are as follows:
Europe will be a future green leader. Europe dominates the top of the index, with 15 European nations in the top 20. Many countries across the region have already made progress with curbing emissions, transitioning energy production to renewable sources, and investing in green mobility. Since covid, the EU has committed more than €200 billion in bold green economy investments, accelerating decarbonization even in the most fossil-fuel dependent states.
Iceland, Denmark, and Norway top the index. Iceland, in first place, aims to be carbon neutral by 2040. The country has become a world leader in clean energy and carbon capture technology. Denmark (2nd) is the largest producer of hydrocarbons in Europe to stop issuing new oil and gas exploration licenses. Norway (3rd) is also striving to decouple its economy from fossil fuels.
Costa Rica and New Zealand secure top 10 positions. Costa Rica, ranked 7th, and New Zealand, ranked 8th, have made major strides with renewables and have world-leading agendas for decarbonization across industry and agriculture. Canada (14th), Singapore (16th), and Uruguay (20th), the other non-Europeans in the top 20, have strategies for decarbonization, transitioning energy sources, and government-led initiatives to promote green living, such as Singapore’s Zero Waste Masterplan, which aims to reduce landfill waste by 30% between now and 2030.
There is uneven progress across the world’s largest economies. The United States (40th) has reduced emissions over recent years and is responsible for nearly one-fifth of the world’s green patents. Yet it is emerging from four years of climate denial and remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels and unsustainable farming practices. China (45th) is responsible for more than one-quarter of global emissions but has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2060 and is the world’s fastest growing producer of renewable energy. France (5th), Germany (11th), and Canada (14th) are the highest ranked countries in the G20.
The countries at the bottom of the index risk losing competitiveness in the green economy. The laggards include South Africa (47th), Vietnam (49th), and Indonesia (57th), where economic pressures run counter to sustainable development. Japan (60th) has a goal to be carbon neutral by 2050, although government targets for renewable energy remain modest. The 16 "abstainer" countries at the bottom include petrostates such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, and Russia. The latter’s Energy Strategy 2035 for expanding oil and gas production identified the trend toward carbon neutrality as an existential threat.
"With hundreds of billions of dollars being injected into economies worldwide, covid-19 has created huge momentum for developing green industries and financing infrastructure that will be clean, technologically advanced, and climate resilient," says Nico Crepaldi, head of custom content, MIT Technology Review. "In the future, we’re likely to see ‘green’ being synonymous with economic competitiveness."
DHAKA, Bangladesh, Jan. 26, 2021 — OBHAI, the home-grown ride-sharing company of Bangladesh is 1st among its peers to recognize the potential benefits of WhatsApp and its ease of access, which would benefit the user base from all walks of life, with the launch of its services on WhatsApp.
Ridesharing APP OBHAI ON WHATSAPP – A First in Bangladesh
With 1.5 billion monthly active users around the globe, and 22% (around 40 Million) users in Bangladesh, social-media communication giant WhatsApp is being actively used as the primary communication platform in the country.
One can order OBHAI G (car), CNG (three-wheeler) or OBHAI Express (parcel) on WhatsApp. Commuters can save +8801313201222 in their address book as ‘OBHAI WhatsApp’. All one needs to do after that is to type ‘Hi’, following which customers can avail OBHAI’s services on WhatsApp. To book a ride, one just needs to type in the assigned number, click on send, after which users can gear up for a comfortable ride on OBHAI.
"WhatsApp OBHAI booking will help a lot of OBHAI users to simply order an OBHAI Gari, OBHAI CNG, and even order OBHAI Express services in few key strokes," said Anis Ahmed, Startup Founder, and Investor of Obhai Solutions Ltd.
OBHAI WhatsApp can be used by current OBHAI customers seamlessly, and all facilities including refund request, complaints, billing, reviewing ride history, and suggestions will be available within minutes from OBHAI call center representatives.
Furthermore, one can chat live with OBHAI agents for quick solutions. The AI service associated will also be monitored and maintained by the customer care agents of OBHAI.
Besides offering the most sophisticated communication service through WhatsApp, OBHAI will be able to cater to the smartphone users and passengers, taking into consideration those who do not have enough storage on their smartphones, improving their comprehensive lifestyle.
As Bangladesh marches forward towards a more sophisticated digital era, the masses are now more accustomed to having the world at the palm of their hands. As such, frequency of communication via social media platforms, the likes of Facebook, Viber, WhatsApp etc. are increasing significantly. Keeping the need and comfort of the citizens of Bangladesh in mind, OBHAI edged a step ahead and introduced its own WhatsApp service to complement its ride-sharing offerings, and to provide passengers a more personalized experience.
Since its inception in 2018, OBHAI has been providing 24/7 customer care support to its customers in 53 cities in Bangladesh, and to ensure a prompt support and utmost satisfaction, the ride-sharing company aims to deliver on its commitment via the cutting-edge WhatsApp service.
