Monthly Archives: February 2021

PR Newswire

China Distance Education Holdings Limited Announces Shareholders’ Approval of Going-Private Transaction

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BEIJING, Feb. 26, 2021 — China Distance Education Holdings Limited (NYSE: DL) (the "Company"), a leading provider of online education and value-added services for professionals and corporate clients in China, today announced that at an extraordinary general meeting (the "EGM") held today Beijing Time, the Company’s shareholders voted at the EGM to authorize and approve (i) the previously-announced agreement and plan of merger (the "Merger Agreement"), dated as of December 1, 2020, by and among the Company, Champion Distance Education Investments Limited ("Parent"), and China Distance Learning Investments Limited ("Merger Sub"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent, pursuant to which Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company (the "Merger"); (ii) the plan of merger required to be filed with the Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands (the "Plan of Merger") for the purposes of the Merger; and (iii) the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the Plan of Merger, including the Merger.

Approximately 96.6% of the total outstanding ordinary shares ("Ordinary Shares") of the Company were voted in person or by proxy at the EGM. Of the Ordinary Shares voted at the EGM, approximately 67.4% were voted in favor of the Merger Agreement; the Plan of Merger; and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and the Plan of Merger, including the Merger. The affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the ordinary shares present and voting in person or by proxy at the EGM was required for approval.

The Company and the other parties to the Merger Agreement currently expect to proceed expeditiously to complete the Merger, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. Upon completion of the Merger, the Company will survive as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent; the American depositary shares (the "ADSs") of the Company, each of which represents four Ordinary Shares, will no longer be listed on The New York Stock Exchange; the ADS program will terminate; and the ADSs and the Ordinary Shares will cease to be registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Any such statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expect," "predict," "anticipate," "future," "intend," "plan," "believe," "is/are likely to," "estimate," and similar statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic and annual reports to the SEC, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by its officers, directors, or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Risks and uncertainties include the possibility that the Merger will not occur as planned if events arise that result in the termination of the Merger Agreement, if one or more of the various closing conditions to the Merger are not satisfied or waived,  and other risks and uncertainties regarding the Merger Agreement and the Merger that are discussed in the proxy statement included as part of the Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement filed with the SEC on January 29, 2021 by the Company and the other filing persons named therein. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement or other information included in this press release, except as may be required by applicable law.

About China Distance Education Holdings Limited

China Distance Education Holdings Limited is a leading provider of online education and value-added services for professionals and corporate clients in China. The courses offered by the Company through its websites are designed to help professionals seeking to obtain and maintain professional licenses and to enhance their job skills through our professional development courses in China in the areas of accounting, healthcare, engineering & construction, legal and other industries. The Company also offers online test preparation courses for self-taught learners pursuing higher education diplomas or degrees, and practical accounting training courses for college students and working professionals. In addition, the Company provides business services to corporate clients, including but not limited to tax advisory and accounting outsourcing services. For further information, please visit http://ir.cdeledu.com.

Contacts:

In China:
China Distance Education Holdings Limited
Jiao Jiao
Tel: +86-10-8231-9999 ext. 1826
Email: IR@cdeledu.com

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86-10-6508-0677
E-mail: dl@tpg-ir.com

In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1 212-481-2050
Email: dl@tpg-ir.com

PR Newswire

Technology and Art of Light in the Spotlight: Artists from around the World Gather at Shenzhen International Light Art Forum

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SHENZHEN, China, Feb. 26, 2021 — The 1st Shenzhen International Light Art Forum, one of the most important events of GLOW SHENZHEN 2020, was successfully held on February 24, 2021. With guidance from the Urban Administration and Law Enforcement Bureau and the Commerce Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality and support from Shenzhen International Investment & Promotion Association, the forum was hosted by IDG World Expo China Co.,Ltd., organized by IDG ASIA Accelerator, and attended by representatives of relevant departments and enterprises together with experts and artists in fields of light & shadow, art and new technology. Jian Zheng, Deputy Director of the Commerce Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality; Zhou Yaowei, Official of the Shenzhen Urban Administration and Law Enforcement Bureau; and Zhu Dongfang, President of IDG ASIA, addressed the forum respectively.

With an array of keynote speeches and roundtable discussions, the forum academically explored the art of light and shadow covering topics of empowering future cities, boosting night economy, and back-feeding cities’ soft power. Participants of these online and offline discussions included Wang Zhi‘ou (Chief Curator of GLOW SHENZHEN 2020), Qiu Zhijie (Dean of School of Experimental Art, Central Academy of Fine Arts), Cai Xinyuan (Associate Dean of School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Liu Jun (General Manager of Strategic Market Center of Unilumin), teams of artists such as Radugadesign from Russia and ENESS from Australia, as well as experts of light technology and related industries. In one of the roundtable discussions themed "exploring the influence of light art on city life and public space in the future", Wen Bin, Director of IDG ASIA Accelerator, Qin Xiu, Founder of Aura Project, and other representatives shared enlightening insights from different walks of life. The discussion was hosted by Professor Zhang Yuxing from School of Architecture & Urban Planning, Shenzhen University.

In the forum, the Urban Administration and Law Enforcement Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality and IDG ASIA signed a five-year framework agreement, with the aim to build GLOW SHENZHEN into a world-renowned brand of city light art exhibition.

In the forum, the Urban Administration and Law Enforcement Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality and IDG ASIA signed a five-year framework agreement
In the forum, the Urban Administration and Law Enforcement Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality and IDG ASIA signed a five-year framework agreement

Wen Bin, Director of IDG ASIA Accelerator, expressed his hope that this forum, as an industry-academia-research platform for the development of tech-based art, can help Shenzhen lead the world in scientific and technological innovation and play an exemplary role in the integration of "technology + art" for the world. IDG ASIA also wishes to make full use of its resources in technology, investment, convention& exhibition, industry& research, media, culture& tourism to support GLOW SHENZHEN 2020.

"The brightness of lighting in a region at night is proportionate to the GDP of that region." A healthy business environment can unleash the potential of night consumption to promote a city’s economic growth. This forum received strategic support form Shenzhen International Investment & Promotion Association (SZIIPA), a non-profit organization initiated by the Shenzhen Investment Holdings Co., Ltd. and other institutions. Sticking to the forum’s core topics such as technology industry, urban art and economic development, SZIIPA drew on all kinds of resources from enterprises that have invested in Shenzhen to support the building of industry-academia-research platforms, to connect global investment resources, and to consistently promote Shenzhen’s business environment and its image.

PR Newswire

SEMI Applauds President Biden, Bipartisan Congressional Leaders for Supporting Semiconductor Supply Chain Incentives

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MILPITAS, Calif., Feb. 26, 2021 — SEMI, the industry association serving the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, today released the following statement from president and CEO Ajit Manocha on the support of funding incentives to expand U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and research by President Biden and a bipartisan group of members of Congress in a meeting at the White House on February 24, 2021.

"We thank President Biden and bipartisan congressional leaders for their support of incentives for U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and research. Enacting an investment tax credit and funding the programs authorized last year will help build needed semiconductor manufacturing capacity in the U.S. and reverse America’s declining share of global chip production. We look forward to working with the Biden administration and Congress on these and other policies to strengthen the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain that is the lifeblood of technology innovation driving countless societal and economic benefits worldwide."

SEMI strongly supported the CHIPS for America Act, which included a refundable investment tax credit (ITC) to build U.S. semiconductor manufacturing capacity, a Commerce Department program to provide grants to semiconductor manufacturing projects, and authorizations for significant new semiconductor research programs and funding. The Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act signed into law this January authorized the Commerce Department and semiconductor research programs in the CHIPS for America Act but failed to provide new funding. SEMI supports enactment of all three major pillars of the CHIPS for America Act, which together will promote U.S. semiconductor research and manufacturing.

Attending the meeting with President Biden were Sens. Cornyn (R-TX), Warner (D-VA), Baldwin (D-WI), Blackburn (R-TN), Braun (R-IN), Duckworth (D-IL), Hassan (D-NH), and Portman (R-OH); and Reps. Matsui (D-CA), McCaul (R-TX), and Joyce (R-PA).

About SEMI

SEMI® connects more than 2,400 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics design and manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) are SEMI Strategic Technology Communities, defined communities within SEMI focused on specific technologies. Visit www.semi.org to learn more, contact one of our worldwide offices, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SEMI Contact
Samer Bahou/SEMI
Phone: 1.408.943.7870
Email: sbahou@semi.org

 

Related Links :

http://www.semi.org

PR Newswire

ViewSonic Introduces ToF Technology to its Latest Portable LED Projector M2e to achieve Instant Auto Focus

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Complete focus in one second, automatic motion detection and refocus

BREA, Calif., Feb. 26, 2021 — ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, is introducing its latest M2e Instant Smart 1080p Portable LED Projector. This new addition to the company’s M series of smart portable LED projectors uses Time-of-Flight (ToF) technology to achieve instant auto focus in an ultralight and portable design. ToF technology enables the M2e to instantly auto focus in only one second, which is 3-5 times faster compared to current methods. It delivers impeccable optical precision, effortless setup, and its portability makes for flexible entertainment and work at home.

ViewSonic's Latest Portable LED Projector M2e uses ToF Technology to complete focus in one second.
ViewSonic’s Latest Portable LED Projector M2e uses ToF Technology to complete focus in one second.

"ViewSonic is an industry-leading manufacturer in visual technology, constantly dedicated to innovating and upgrading LED projectors, making them smarter, easier to use, and thus enhancing the user experience," said Dean Tsai, Head of the Projector BU at ViewSonic. "By applying ToF technology, we have reached a new milestone with the launch of the M2e, which fulfills carefree usage at home. As people now tend to stay at home more often, the new M2e allows them to enjoy an unprecedented audiovisual feast and the precious moments with family instantly and effortlessly."

Instant Auto Focus with ToF Technology

ToF sensors are a type of scanner-less LIDAR (light detection and ranging) technology that measures distance based on the time it takes for photons to travel between the sensor’s emitter and the target area, enabling accurate distance ranging regardless of the object’s surface characteristics. They also have high-accuracy linearity and up to 3m detection range with a full field of view.

Traditionally, when a projector is moved, it needs to be refocused by either a press on the remote control to trigger auto focus, or manual adjustments on the focus ring. With built-in G sensor design, the M2e can detect change of setup position and automatically trigger instant auto focus which utilizes ToF technology. Not only is the focusing more precise, but it can be completed in only one second, which is 3–5 times faster than the normal auto focus that uses a camera for continuous image capturing and matching, not to mention those by manual focus ring adjustment.

An Easy-to-Use Portable LED Projector for the Home

The M2e is designed specifically for comprehensive home entertainment and working from home. It is extremely portable, effortless to set up, and easy to connect. Weighing only 1 kg, it is light and small enough to carry in a handbag or backpack, and it can be placed virtually anywhere at home.

Setting up the M2e is effortless with features such as instant powering on/off, instant auto focus, and auto keystone, and a stepless stand for customized projection angles. Connecting your devices with the M2e is easy. Users can cast or screen mirror content from their smartphones to the big screen via Wi-Fi, input/output audio via Bluetooth for flexible usage, or do direct single-cable streaming via USB Type-C.

The Ultimate Audiovisual Experience

The M2e has various extraordinary features that bring consumers an unprecedented and immersive audiovisual experience. Take in crystal clear visuals in Full HD resolution and cinematic colors covering 125% Rec.709 supported by ViewSonic’s industry-leading 2nd generation LED technology on an 80" large screen from only 2.1m away. Thanks to the low running temperature of the LED light source and ViewSonic’s exclusive thermal design, users can be fully immersed in their viewing experience free from irritating fan noise. Combined with exceptional sound quality through integrated dual speakers customized by Harman Kardon, the M2e promises endless possibilities for entertainment.

Additionally, ViewSonic is dedicated to helping consumers stay healthy while keeping them entertained. With their eye care in mind, the M2e is thoughtfully designed to deliver a visual experience that is virtually free of blue light in order to reduce eyestrain over prolonged viewing periods.

About ViewSonic

Founded in California, ViewSonic is a leading global provider of visual solutions and conducts business in over 100 countries worldwide. As an innovator and visionary, ViewSonic is committed to providing comprehensive hardware and software solutions that include monitors, projectors, digital signage, ViewBoard interactive displays, and myViewBoard software ecosystem. With over 30 years of expertise in visual displays, ViewSonic has established a strong position for delivering innovative and reliable solutions for education, enterprise, consumer, and professional markets and helping customers "See the Difference." To find out more about ViewSonic, please visit www.viewsonic.com.

Related Links :

http://www.viewsonic.com

Android, Mobile, News

Xiaomi Just Announced the Mi 11 – The Most Affordable Snapdragon 888 Flagship in Malaysia & Singapore Yet!

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Xiaomi is no stranger to the smartphone scene. In recent years, the company has clawed its way to become one of the top 3 smartphone brands in the world. The same rings true in Malaysia and Singapore where the company has become one of the top 2 fastest growing smart devices companies. They have attributed their success to their highly innovative R&D process amazing products and what they call “honest prices.”  That said, Xiaomi’s biggest boon is the support of their Mi Fans Community. Today, the company announced their latest flagship – the Xiaomi Mi 11, the first device in both Singapore and Malaysia to come with MIUI 12.5 and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with support for 5G.  

Source: Xiaomi

The Mi 11 is being touted by Xiaomi as a ‘Movie Magic’ device as it allows users to enjoy shooting like a director and edit like a pro. The Mi 11 comes with a triple camera sensor setup and a single selfie camera. Its main sensor is a 108-megapixels sensor. The is complemented with a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor with 123° field of view and the first M series Tele-macro lens. The front 20-megapixel, selfie camera is nestled in a punch hole up front.  

The camera setup comes with improved software including an improved night mode which is now available on the ultra-wide and front camera, giving users to the flexibility of shooting at night with different lenses. It is also equipped with AI features such as Magic Zoom, Parallel world, Freeze Frame, and Night Time-lapse, which brings even more variety to the shots that users can take with the smartphone. Apart from that, users can also take advantage of 8 cinematic video filters. The Mi 11 supports recording video in 8K resolution and supports HDR10+. It also has a 30% improvement in capture compared to previous devices. 

Source: Xiaomi

Even with all those features, the Mi 11 is thinner and lighter than before. It has a quad-curved edge design on the front and back of the device which make it more ergonomic. This device comes with a WQHD+ resolution AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120hz and 480Hz touch sampling.  

The Mi 11 has a dual speaker setup calibrated by Harman Kardon for a more premium audio experience. Keeping the device flagship worthy, the Mi 11 comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor complemented by the Adreno 660 GPU promising an immersive, responsive experience. The new flagship is also the first device with MIUI 12.5, Xiaomi’s latest operating system which runs atop Android 11. To make sure that you have enough power to last, the Mi 11is supported by a 4600mAh battery fully equipped with 55W fast charging and 50W wireless charging. It also supports 10W reverse charging. The cherry on the package with the Mi11 in Malaysia and Singapore is the inclusion of a 55W GaN (Gallium Nitride) charger in the box.  

Pricing & Availability   

Xiaomi Mi11 will be available in three colors: Cloud White, Horizon Blue, and Midnight Gray. It will be priced starting at MYR2,799 (SGD999/USD$) for the 8GB version with 128GB internal storage. Full pricing is listed in the table below. 

Storage & Memory Sale Date Pricing  
128GB + 8GB RAM TBA MYR 2,999 (SGD$1099/742.53USD$) 
256GB + 8GB RAM March 13, 2021 MYR 2,799 (SGD$999/693.04USD$)  
  • Source: Xiaomi
  • Source: Xiaomi
  • Source: Xiaomi
  • Source: Xiaomi
  • Source: Xiaomi

Pre-orders are now open in Malaysia and Singapore. It will be running from 25 February to 10 March 2021 at Authorized Mi Stores and on Lazada, and Shopee. In Singapore, the Mi 11 is also available for pre-order with M1, Singtel, and StarHub.  

Pre-orders are will be up for several freebies. The first 100 pre-orders made will stand a chance to win Mi AloT Premium Pack worth up to MYR1,356 (SGD$ 461.90). The subsequent 600 pre-orders in Singapore and 1,500 in Malaysia will be in the running to win a Mi Air Purifier 3C worth MYR 569 (SGD$ 179). To be eligible, customers will need to register their pre-orders at the official Mi11 pre-order website. 

First sales will kick off on March 13, 2021 in Malaysia and 20 March 2021 in Singapore.

PR Newswire

Glory Star Enters Market for Intelligent IoT Terminals to Drive Development of Content Services

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BEIJING, Feb. 25, 2021 — Glory Star New Media Group Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: GSMG) ("Glory Star" or the "Company"), a leading mobile and online digital media and entertainment company in China, today announced that it has signed a content service agreement (the "Agreement") with Hangzhou Beiying Network Technology Co., Ltd. ("Hangzhou Beiying"), a subsidiary of Dangbei Network Technology Co. Ltd. ("Dangbei Network"), the leading smart home entertainment solution developer and manufacturer. The Company has received the initial payment of RMB6 million from Hangzhou Beiying under the Agreement. The Company believes that the cooperation with Hangzhou Beiying will further catalyze the development of the Company’s content services business and therefore help to increase the long-term growth momentum of the Company’s enterprise value.

Under the Agreement, Glory Star will distribute its high-quality content, such as its unique domestic short-form video matrix, Cheers lifestyle video series, PGC interactive live streaming events, and more, on Hangzhou Beiying’s multiple intelligent terminals and smart hardware equipment markets, including but not limited to Dangbei Market, SONY TV, Baidu App Market, Skyworth TV, Konka TV, Haier TV, Xiaomi TV, Panasonic TV, Wasu TV, XGIMI Projector, and JmGo Projector. In addition, the Company will also launch an updated version of its CHEERS Video App designed specifically for large screens. As part of its new consumption model, the Company plans to utilize smart algorithms to provide high-quality short-form video content and e-commerce services that are tailored to the preferences of hundreds of millions of large screen users, which will further promote the development of the Company’s content services in the domestic market for intelligent IoT terminals.

Glory Star owns multiple registered copyrights and provides high-quality and original short-form videos on its CHEERS Video platform. Over the years, the Company has been committed to expanding its short-form video content across various fields, such as e-commerce, live streaming, marketing, education, and lifestyle services. This has led to the development of the Company’s unique content-based new consumption model in China. Through its cooperation with Hangzhou Beiying, the Company will utilize its competitive strengths in short- and medium-form video content creation, user operation management, big data analysis, and algorithms, as well as Hangzhou Beiying’s mature intelligent terminal ecosystem. As a result, the Company will be able to provide more immersive and interactive experiences to its users in order to meet their needs across a wider range of consumption scenarios. At the same time, such advantages will also enable the Company to deepen its collaborations with IoT industry partners. By integrating digital content and digital technology with intelligent IoT terminals, the Company will further enrich the lives of its users and enhance its users’ smart living experiences in multiple scenarios.

About Dangbei Network Technology Co. Ltd.
Founded in 2013, Dangbei Network Technology Co. Ltd. ("Dangbei Network") designs and manufactures large screen home entertainment solutions with award winning engineering and innovation in premium quality and style. Dangbei Network’s product lines include hardware, such as smart home entertainment projectors and the super TV box, as well as software, such as Dangbei OS, Dangbei Store, customized large screen content for TVs and projectors, and apps. As a result of its strategic partners, professional team, and investors, including Shunwei Capital, Haitong, and Suning Group, Dangbei Network has grown into a leading developer in the intelligent TV network industry, serving more than 300 million global users. In China, Dangbei Market is the number one store for large screen applications, with 80% of the total market share. Additionally, Dangbei projector ranks in the top 3 spots for projectors on JD.com and TMall, the biggest ecommerce platform in China.

About Glory Star New Media Group Holdings Limited
Glory Star New Media Group Holdings Limited is a leading mobile entertainment operator in China. Glory Star’s ability to integrate premium lifestyle content, including short videos, online variety shows, online dramas, live streaming, its Cheers lifestyle video series, e-Mall, and mobile app, along with innovative e-commerce offerings on its platform enables it to pursue its mission of enriching people’s lives. The company’s large and active user base creates valuable engagement opportunities with consumers and enhances platform stickiness with thousands of domestic and international brands.

Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements made in this release are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "estimates," "projected," "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "plans," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "should," "future," "propose" and variations of these words or similar expressions  (or the negative versions of such words or expressions ) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, are: the ability to manage growth; ability to identify and integrate other future acquisitions; ability to obtain additional financing in the future to fund capital expenditures; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions; costs or other factors adversely affecting our profitability; litigation involving patents, intellectual property, and other matters; potential changes in the legislative and regulatory environment; a pandemic or epidemic; and other factors listed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2019 and in other filings made by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Such information speaks only as of the date of this release.

Contacts
Glory Star New Media Group Holdings Limited
Yida Ye
Email: yeyida@yaoshixinghui.com

ICR LLC.
Sharon Zhou
Tel: +1 (646) 308-0546
Email: gsnm@icrinc.com

 

PR Newswire

Global Financial Firms Agree Automation, Remote Collaboration, Cloud, and Data Analytics are Biggest RegTech Priorities Following COVID-19 Pandemic

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AxiomSL’s survey of financial risk and regulatory compliance professionals in EMEA aligns with North American survey results stressing continued investment in tech infrastructure

LONDON, Feb. 25, 2021 — The 2020 AxiomSL annual user conferences in North America and EMEA regions have produced a clear consensus among global financial risk and regulatory compliance professionals on the most critical issues for the year ahead. According to surveys of participants in both events, automation, remote collaboration, cloud, and data analytics need to be the priorities for risk and regulatory compliance professionals as they chart a course to recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Regulatory reporting and risk management tends to be heavily influenced by regional regulatory requirements and pending legislation that will affect risk professionals in their own back yards, but this year has been very different," said Ed Royan, Head of Global Product, AxiomSL. "In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has created the need for a more concerted, technology-driven, global response to regulatory reporting – one that addresses the need for seamless collaboration among disparate teams, increased automation, and a continued expansion of data analytics capabilities," Royan continued. "Indeed, firms are seeing the benefits of RegCloud®, our secure cloud offering that insulates clients from both technology regulatory changes while enabling efficient outcomes across the global regulatory reporting landscape." 

Following are some of the key findings of the AxiomSL EMEA client survey:

  • Automation is the top challenge for next two years: Financial risk and regulatory professionals on both sides of the pond say eliminating manual processes is the top challenge their organizations will face over the next two years, with 28% of EMEA respondents and 29% of North American respondents saying their organizations are focused on automation.
  • Remote collaboration is the top operational challenge: More than half of respondents to the EMEA survey (51%) cited collaborating with teams while working remotely as the top operational challenge they have faced during the pandemic. Among North American respondents, 41% cited remote collaboration as the biggest operational challenge.
  • Data analytics and cloud come into focus: After years of resisting cloud adoption, many EMEA and North American financial institutions are finally gearing up to make the move. When it comes to regulatory technology spending over the next two years, enhanced data analytics is the top area of focus among 32% of EMEA and 29% of North American survey respondents. Cloud deployment followed with 23% of the vote among both EMEA and North American respondents.
  • RegTech budgets largely unchanged for 2021: The majority of EMEA (65%) and North American (70%) financial risk professionals said their regulatory technology budgets were not influenced by the COVID-19 crisis, while 22% of EMEA and 19% of North American respondents said they would spend less as a result of the pandemic. The remaining 13% of EMEA respondents and 11% of North American respondents said their firms would spend more on regulatory technology this year.

The two surveys were conducted independently as part of AxiomSL’s annual EMEA User Conference, which was held virtually on November 19, 2020, and North America User Conference, which was held virtually on June 18, 2020. Survey respondents represented a cross-section of financial risk and regulatory professionals from global systemically important banks (G-SIBs), regional banks, and foreign banking organizations (FBOs). The full report is available here: https://www.axiomsl.com/impacts-and-trends-in-risk-and-regulatory-reporting/

About AxiomSL
AxiomSL, a leading global provider of solutions and managed services, delivers efficient risk and regulatory data-management and reporting outcomes for financial institutions. Clients leverage AxiomSL’s solutions across financial, liquidity, capital and credit, shareholding disclosure, trade and transaction, and tax mandates. Its single, fully managed, audit-empowered offering, RegCloud® – AxiomSL’s ControllerView® platform in the cloud, futureproofs clients against technology and regulatory change. AxiomSL’s client base spans national, regional, and global financial institutions. These comprise banks with $45 trillion in total assets including 80% of G-SIBs; investment managers with $13 trillion in assets under management; and 30% of the top 60 US broker-dealers representing $44 billion in shareholder equity. It covers 110 regulators across 50 jurisdictions. AxiomSL ranks in the top 20 of the Chartis RiskTech100®.

For more information, visit www.axiomsl.com 

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Email: john@jroderick.com

 

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Media Relations Director, Dina Communications

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Email: shamira@dinacomms.com

 

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Global Head of Marketing and Communications, AxiomSL

Tel: +1 212 248 4188
Email: fgittins@axiomsl.com

 

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PR Newswire

Gale and Bodleian Libraries at University of Oxford Announce the Gale Scholar Asia Pacific, Digital Humanities Oxford Fellowships

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FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Feb. 25, 2021 — The Bodleian Libraries and Gale, a Cengage Company, are delighted to announce the launch of the Gale Scholar Asia Pacific, Digital Humanities Oxford Fellowships program. Funded by Gale, the fellowships will support three scholars for a three-month period of research into a digital humanities related topic at the University of Oxford, using the Centre for Digital Scholarship of the Bodleian Libraries. The goal of the program is to encourage emerging digital humanities scholarship in the Asia Pacific region and progress the contribution of non-Western and regional perspectives in the field of digital humanities research.

The Bodleian Libraries and Gale would like to congratulate the following candidates awarded the fellowships in 2021/2022 as well as highlight the projects they will be pursuing:

  • Dr. Tuo Chen, research assistant professor, faculty of history,
    Nankai University, China
    Project: Dr Chen’s project, The Communication Circuit of Chinese Christian Books (1807-1949), aims to extend his doctoral work on Chinese and Western Book culture and cultural exchange by examining Chinese Christian books.
  • Dr. Hsuan-Ying Tu, assistant professor in early modern history, school of history and researcher of the Research Centre for Digital Humanities,
    Renmin University of China
    Project: With her project, Clientage, Politics and the Elizabethan Regime: Digital Humanities and New Perspectives, Dr. Hsuan-Ying Tu will use the digital humanities to unravel the web of deliberately complex papers left by Elizabethan ‘spymaster’ Francis Walsingham and others and explore ways to visualize these webs of data and power relationships.
  • Dr. Mark Byron, associate professor in modern and contemporary literature, department of English, University of Sydney
    Project: Dr. Byron’s project, Digitizing Samuel Beckett’s novel Watt: The Beckett Digital Manuscript Project and Beyond, aims to widen historical understanding of the novel by placing it within the historical context of its composition during the Second World War. Dr. Byron’s ambition is to open complex manuscripts to a wider readership through building digital ‘clues‘ and pathways so readers can explore contexts and the relationships of this work to contemporary issues of political radicalisms and migration.

"Welcoming our first cohort of Gale Fellows is tremendously exciting. They are a group of leading researchers and academics who will advance their respective fields through exploring new forms of scholarship using digital techniques and approaches," said Richard Ovendon, Bodley’s librarian in the University of Oxford. "The Bodleian Libraries are excited at the prospect of working with these three talented individuals as they pursue ambitious projects that will advance our understanding of the humanities, based on our rich holdings of primary sources in both physical and digital form."

Along with access to the special collections of the Bodleian Libraries, the fellows will be able to access Gale Primary Sources and the Gale Digital Scholar Lab to assist them with their digital humanities initiatives.

"We are thrilled at sponsoring these fellowships and know these three scholars will enjoy a rich experience at the University of Oxford," said Terry Robinson, senior vice president and managing director of Gale International. "Gale will continue to publish rich and varied primary document archives and are fully committed to the ongoing development of the Gale Digital Scholar Lab which, I’m sure the three scholars will make use of at Oxford. Our commitment to enabling digital scholarship is at the core of our values and I look forward to many years ahead of cooperating with the Bodleian Libraries and the University of Oxford."

The fellows will start their new posts at the University of Oxford between October 2021 and May 2022. They will be expected to present their work at TORCH (The Oxford Centre for Research in the Humanities) and can propose to develop a digital resource or other innovative output during their time at Oxford.

To learn more about the fellowship projects, visit the Digital Humanities Oxford Fellowships webpage.

About Cengage and Gale
Cengage, an education technology company serving millions of learners in 165 countries, advances the way students learn through quality, digital experiences. The company currently serves the K-12, higher education, professional, library, English language teaching and workforce training markets worldwide. Gale, a Cengage company, provides libraries with original and curated content, as well as the modern research tools and technology that are crucial in connecting libraries to learning, and learners to libraries. For more than 60 years, Gale has partnered with libraries around the world to empower the discovery of knowledge and insights – where, when and how people need it. Gale has 500 employees globally with its main operations in Farmington Hills, Michigan. For more information, please visit: www.gale.com/intl.

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About the Bodleian Libraries
The Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford is the largest university library system in the United Kingdom. It includes the principal University library – the Bodleian Library – which has been a legal deposit library for 400 years; as well as 27 libraries across Oxford including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, over 80,000 e-journals and outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera. Members of the public can explore the collections via the Bodleian’s online image portal at digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk or by visiting the exhibition galleries in the Bodleian’s Weston Library. For more information, visit www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Media Contact:
Kayla Siefker, Gale, a Cengage company
248-915-9624
kayla.siefker@cengage.com

Dr. Tuo Chen
Dr. Tuo Chen

 

Dr. Hsuan-Ying Tu
Dr. Hsuan-Ying Tu

 

USYD SLAM head shots John Wolley Library August 2018
USYD SLAM head shots John Wolley Library August 2018

 

 

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PR Newswire

inConcert Commended by Frost & Sullivan for Enhancing Customer Service with its End-to-End Omnichannel Contact Center Solution

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The diversity of its solutions, customer focus, and deep customization help it fill the white spaces in the market and expand in diverse industries

LONDON, Feb. 25, 2021 — Based on its recent analysis of the European Contact Center-as-a-Service (CCaaS) market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes inConcert with the 2020 European Enabling Technology Leadership Award. Its keen understanding of market dynamics, customer demands, and industry Mega Trends has helped the company design a remarkable product portfolio and position itself as an industry challenger. Its inConcert Omnichannel Contact Center solution has steadily gained traction in the market by helping businesses enhance their customer service capabilities, reduce costs, and energize business operations.

inConcert
inConcert

"inConcert offers one of the industry’s most comprehensive and diverse portfolios comprising modules and applications that respond to various challenges across the CX space. inConcert Omnichannel Contact Center, the core of the product portfolio, presents powerful contact center features such as dialing, messaging, interactive voice response (IVR), recording, and integration capabilities enhanced by AI," said Federico Teveles Research Analyst, CX. "Its products support the management of interactions across 11 channels through a unique, single interface. It also delivers one of the largest sets of channel options covering voice, mail, SMS, webchat, Web Forms, video, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp."

Furthermore, the company delivers systems that are not a part of the core of a contact platform but add value and meet customer needs without requiring third-party application integration. Some of these systems include chatbots and virtual assistants, workforce management, speech analytics, and quality assurance. Meanwhile, its wide array of plug-and-play business applications covers the entire life cycle of customers and enhancing their revenue-generating opportunities.

inConcert complements its wide portfolio with its advanced customization tools to provide tailor-made solutions that clients can use by themselves with proper training. It substantially expanded its portfolio in 2020 to include complete functional modules that adhere to the latest technological trends in terms of artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA), omnichannel capabilities, and mobility. Some of these upgrades are the inConcert Video Contact Center for video calls, a mobile app for inConcert Marketing & Sales, a machine learning-based lead distributor, an AI module for inConcert HelpDesk, and a new speech analytics technology.

"inConcert’s excellent post-sales customer services across training, business consulting, professional services, and 24/7 customer support give it a further advantage in the CCaaS market," noted Teveles. "It performs the entire solution delivery process, from analysis, customization, implementation, and onboarding to training and support all by itself by working alongside clients. Overall, its high-quality solutions and deep customer focus have helped it expand into diverse industries and markets all over the world."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that has developed a pioneering technology that not only enhances current products, but also enables the development of new products and applications. The award recognizes the high market acceptance potential of the recipient’s technology.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Kristen Moore
P: 210.247.3823
E: kristen.moore@frost.com

About inConcert

Since 2001 inConcert has been developing software and implementing technological solutions for contact centers, customer service, marketing and sales – deployed in on-premises and SaaS modes – that help organizations of different industries and sizes to increase their revenues, reduce operating costs and provide an excellent experience for their customers.

For further information visit https://www.inconcertcc.com/en/

 

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PR Newswire

Scienjoy Announces Closing of $30 Million Common Stock Purchase Transaction With White Lion Capital

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BEIJING, Feb. 24, 2021 — Scienjoy Holding Corporation ("Scienjoy" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SJ), a leading live entertainment mobile streaming platform in China, today announced that it has closed the transaction in accordance with a Common Stock Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") it has entered with White Lion Capital, LLC, a Nevada limited liability company (the "White Lion Capital"). The Purchase Agreement provides that White Lion Capital is committed to purchase the Company’s Ordinary Shares with an aggregate offering price of up to $30,000,000 ("Commitment Amount") from time to time during the Commitment Period, which starts on the date of the filing of the initial registration statement covering the resale of securities issued under the Purchase Agreement, and shall terminate on the six month anniversary of the filing of such initial registration statement and terms as specified in the agreement. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this transaction for the expansion of working capital, supporting the operations of BeeLive International and other general corporate purposes.

Under the Purchase Agreement, on any trading day selected by the Company, the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to present White Lion Capital with a purchase notice, directing White Lion Capital (as principal) to purchase up to a certain amount shares of the Company’s Ordinary Shares ("Purchase Notice") at a certain price as defined in the agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company and White Lion Capital may elect a negotiated fixed purchase at a certain volume and price at any time during the Commitment Period by mutual consent ("Fixed Purchase Notice"). 

White Lion Capital has no right to require any sales by the Company, but is obligated to make purchases from the Company as the Company directs in accordance with the Purchase Agreement. For more details, please refer to the Company’s Current Report on Form 6-K filed with the Securities Exchange Commission on February 23, 2021, at https://www.sec.gov/.

Mr. Victor He, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Scienjoy, commented, "We are pleased to announce the closing of the purchase agreement with White Lion Capital as it once again demonstrates the strong vote of confidence we are receiving from investors. Importantly, this transaction marks our first capital raise since becoming a public company last year and therefore demonstrates both the validity of our business model as well as our positive long-term outlook. Looking ahead, we remain focused on laying the foundation for continuous development by diversifying our product offerings, bolstering our technological capabilities, enlarging our customer base, and increasing our global footprints. We believe that such efforts alongside our commitment to developing a fully integrated live streaming ecosystem in the fields of entertainment, e-commerce, and MCN, will help to augment our business sustainability and generate lasting shareholder value."

About Scienjoy Holding Corporation 

Founded in 2011, Scienjoy is a leading mobile live streaming platform in China, and its core mission is to build a live streaming service matrix that delivers pleasant experience to users. With more than 243 million registered users, Scienjoy currently operates four brands of live streaming platforms, consisting of: Showself, Lehai, Haixiu, and BeeLive (including Mifeng, BeeLive Chinese version, and BeeLive International for international markets). Scienjoy adopts multi-platform operation strategies and is committed to providing high quality and value-added services for users with innovative thinking. Based on the in-depth understanding of and research on the live streaming industry and user behavior, Scienjoy is devoted to building a second life world in which the virtual world and the reality are integrated within the live streaming scenario, to deeply integrating the industry through diversified live broadcasting scenarios, and to empowering the industry by building a content-rich and vibrant Live Streaming Full Ecosystem. For more information, please visit http://ir.scienjoy.com/.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements made in this release are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "estimates," "projected," "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "plans," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "should," "future," "propose" and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, are: the ability to manage growth; ability to identify and integrate other future acquisitions; ability to obtain additional financing in the future to fund capital expenditures; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions; costs or other factors adversely affecting our profitability; litigation involving patents, intellectual property, and other matters; potential changes in the legislative and regulatory environment; a pandemic or epidemic. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") from time to time. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Such information speaks only as of the date of this release.

Contacts

Ray Chen
VP, Investor relations
Scienjoy Inc.
+86-010-64428188
ray.chen@scienjoy.com

 

Jack Wang
ICR Inc.
+1 (212) 537-9254
scienjoy.ir@icrinc.com