Monthly Archives: August 2021

PR Newswire

Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc. is Now Offering Cannabis Standards for MS-based Testing

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TEWKSBURY, Mass., Aug. 31, 2021 — CIL now offers solutions for testing the quality and safety of Cannabis products with the launch of a variety of stable-isotope labeled and native standards of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids to assist with testing needs.

Research suggests the cannabis plant produces between 80-100 cannabinoids, primarily cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The complexity and diversity of cannabis products poses unique challenges to accurate quality testing and Cannabis testing laboratories must meet the needs of varying state and federal requirements to ensure products are safe, effective, and consistent.

Ben Priest, Business Development Manager for Environmental Products at CIL, states "The increased use of mass spectrometry in cannabis testing has enabled testing facilities to offer a greater degree of accuracy and precision. CIL’s high purity analytical reference standards facilitate accurate strain identification, potency testing, and adulterant analysis." 

"The cannabis reference standards provide an accurate analytical means to measure and quantify the presence and concentration of targets in a wide range of samples, including plant material, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, food, and beverages, says CIL’s Senior Applications Chemist, Mass Spectrometry, Andrew Percy, Ph.D. "Due to their high characterization, users can be assured that the CIL standards implemented for method development and application will lead to robust and accurate results that can be trusted in safety, quality, stability, and consistency testing."

To learn more about CIL’s Cannabis testing standards including cannabinoids and other common pesticides related to cannabis testing, visit isotope.com.

About Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc.   

CIL is the world’s largest manufacturer and global supplier of stable isotopes and stable isotope-labeled compounds used in research, environmental, neonatal, pharmaceutical, medical diagnostic, OLED, and industrial markets. CIL is an operating business owned by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. The CIL business consists of two facilities in the Boston, MA, area; a large isotope-enrichment production plant in Xenia, OH; CIL China; CIL Canada; ABX in Dresden, Germany; and Eurisotop in Saclay, France.   

For more information on CIL, visit isotope.com.

Contact Information:
Crissy Krisko
Phone: 1.978.749.8000 
Fax: 1.978.749.2768 
www.isotope.com

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Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc.
Cambridge Isotope Laboratories, Inc.

PR Newswire

INFiLED Launches Cutting Edge Outdoor LED Rental Solution TITAN-X

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SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 31, 2021 — INFiLED, leading global manufacturer of LED displays, is delighted to officially announce the launch of its new cutting-edge outdoor rental solution, TITAN-X, after several months of hard work and dedication. As part of the INFiLED DNA, the idea behind the TITAN-X innovation is to create a long-lasting outdoor LED rental screen with excellent transparency yet remains strong.


 


Michael Hao, CEO of INFiLED, commented, "To accomplish this challenging task, we built an international R&D team of 15 engineers from both Europe and China, who after seven months of dedication to this project, finally completed TITAN-X. The beauty of TITAN-X lies in how our team combined high transparency with a super load capacity into one. The average outdoor stage screen construction needs a stage truss for every 2 meters of screen to protect against wind over 20m/s for two-tiers. However, TITAN-X needs a stage truss for every 9.6 meters of eight tiers, thanks to an elaborate built-in foldable subframe inside the TITAN frame. Moreover, the overall system remains around 30kg/m2 making it lightweight and strong which is absolutely mind-blowing."

TITAN-X high-transparency large-format outdoor touring LED solution features a pixel pith of 8.3mm and high transparency rate of 70% offering outstanding display performance for state-of-the-art stage visual effects. Each cabinet offers extensive load capacity and advanced overall stability due to its unique rear triangular foldable wind bracing system which can resist wind speeds of 20m/sec for outdoor events, while the screen can reach heights of up to 24 meters. The extra-large 1200x1200mm cabinets feature a unique design with an innovative lifting operation from the dolly that quickens installation time to a new level.

Its dedicated dolly system allows for easy transportation and makes installation more efficient. The foldable bracing design of each cabinet saves on storage space and even with extra accessories, the cabinets can still be transported in their dollies. Featuring a high brightness of 5000nits and IP65 protection, it´s a reliable and robust choice under any light and weather conditions. The TITAN-X can be customized and assembled at angles of ±15 giving it the ability to adapt to unlimited stage and creative design requirements such as a curve effect. 

The INFiLED TITAN-X is expected to be available from August 2021.

About INFiLED

INFiLED is a leading high-tech enterprise specialized in developing and manufacturing large format LED display solutions. INFiLED’s product application range covers digital signage, transportation, sports, events, command & control, corporate branding and meetings, creative applications and many more. With installations in over 85 countries and over 178 patents, one of the highest numbers in the industry, INFiLED is striving to be a top brand of LED screen manufacturers to enlighten the world with a visual feast.

Media contact: pr@infiled.com 
Web: www.infiled.com  

PR Newswire

Colt Data Centre Services to Build New 45MW Osaka Keihanna Data Centre

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The new data centre in Keihanna Science City marks its fourth hyperscale facility in Japan

LONDON, Aug. 31, 2021 — Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS), a leading provider of global hyperscale data centre solutions, has commenced construction of its next hyperscale data centre with a ground-breaking ceremony in Japan. This 42,000m2, 45MW facility will be located in Keihanna Science City, in the Kansai area. The site will be ready to service Colt DCS customers in early 2023.

CGI of Colt DCS’ upcoming 45MW data centre in Osaka, Keihanna
CGI of Colt DCS’ upcoming 45MW data centre in Osaka, Keihanna

This carrier neutral and diversely connected facility will be purpose-designed to meet the scalable capacity demands of hyperscale and enterprise customers looking for large scale facilities to meet growing requirements. Following the 2011 earthquake in Japan, many companies realised the benefit of geographically dispersed sites and so there is a large demand for data centres near Osaka as an integral part of disaster recovery plans.

The facility will employ state-of-the-art cooling technologies to ensure high efficiency, while supporting Colt DCS and its clients’ sustainability targets.

The ground-breaking for this site swiftly followed the Colt DCS announcement of Fidelity’s joint venture with Mitsui to provide advanced hyperscale data centres in Japan, with potential further growth in APAC.
"Mitsui is very pleased to celebrate the ground-breaking for the first data centre project in Keihanna. Starting with this exciting project, Mitsui hopes to further strengthen our partnership with Fidelity and Colt for our JV," commented by Shinsuke Waka, GM of Financial Business Division, from Mitsui & Co.

"There has been a surge in cloud service demand throughout Japan, all of which requires carrier-neutral network access in the region, as well as disaster recovery sites," commented Quy Nguyen, Vice President, Global Accounts and Solutions. "Combined with the fact that the Kansai region of Japan has a population of around 22.4 million, generating enough GDP to position itself at the same level as the Top 20 countries, we expect this facility to be a key site for Colt DCS."

"The acquisition of this site is another stake in the ground for us, demonstrating the momentum of our hyperscale strategy and cementing our foothold in APAC," added Padraig MacColgain, Vice President, Head of APAC at Colt DCS. "This land was not originally available for purchase by a data centre operator due to Keihanna Science City being an area designated for research and development activities.  However, we received immense support from the Kyoto Prefectural authorities to help make our acquisition possible and want to thank them greatly for their support."

About Colt DCS

Colt Data Centre Services provide true service and operational excellence in the design, build, delivery and operational management of hyperscale data centres and hybrid cloud solutions to our customers across Europe and Asia pacific.

We have over 25 years of experience in operating 26 state-of-the-art carrier neutral data centres across 18 cities, offering 24/7 security and local language support.

Our connectivity and colocation solutions allow our customers freedom to plan effectively for the growth of their business, knowing that their data centre strategy is ready for the demands of tomorrow. https://www.coltdatacentres.net/  

CGI of Colt DCS’ upcoming 45MW data centre in Osaka, Keihanna
CGI of Colt DCS’ upcoming 45MW data centre in Osaka, Keihanna

 

 

PR Newswire

JS Global Lifestyle reports 2021 interim results, with net profit doubling year-on-year

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HANGZHOU, China, Aug. 30, 2021 — JS Global Lifestyle (01691.HK) announced its interim results for 2021. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Group reported total revenue of US$2.24 billion, up 47.8% year-on-year. Net profit for the reporting period was US$218 million, up 104.0% year-on-year, reflecting a strong overall performance.

The interim results shows that JS Global Lifestyle’s revenue has increased significantly since the beginning of 2021, despite great pressure from a tightened supply chain, rising inflation and the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase was driven by the steady demand for product in North America and APAC, as well as JS Global Lifestyle’s continued expansion in the European market. The significant increase in net profit was mainly attributable to the global team’s efforts to control and leverage costs while ensuring that retailers never ran out of stock.

Efforts in four areas to maintain growth

In the first half of 2021, JS Global Lifestyle focused its efforts in four areas: deep insights into consumer expectations, outstanding product innovation and design capabilities, brand engagement driven by advantages in marketing, and an omnichannel distribution model with high penetration.

In recent years, consumption trends have changed significantly, with an increase in the proportion of shopping that is done online, the participation of social media in the decision-making process, a shift in consumers’ preferences towards high-end products and services, branded products with high added value, and increased expectations when it comes to the appearance of the goods. The COVID-19 pandemic further changed consumer expectations and shopping habits for small home appliances.

Based on its in-depth insights into the consumer market, JS Global Lifestyle in the first half of 2021 developed several new categories and products, including the Ninja CREAMi which can make ice cream and milkshakes from everyday ingredients, the Ninja professional cold-pressed juicer, the Shark air purifier, the Joyoung Y521 high-speed blender without the need to pre-wash ingredients by hand, the F921 intelligent electric cooker with a carbon steel kettle, and the T21 steam scrubber. The new products have all been launched.

In the new consumer era, the way brands communicate with shoppers and the purchase decision-making process have both changed. In this context, JS Global Lifestyle has leveraged the opportunities presented by online shopping, increased the use of new media to reach consumers, enhanced communication and interactions with consumers, and improved the awareness and reputation of its brands and products.

At the same time, JS Global Lifestyle has continued focusing on international expansion by partnering with local sales teams and major retailers to launch products while continuing to build a closed shopping loop by integrating online and offline channels. In the online segment, JS Global Lifestyle worked closely with platforms such as Amazon and Tmall, while, as for offline, the company secured prime locations at retailers in various markets, while adding more of its brand stores in shopping malls, to ensure that products are available to shoppers regardless of what channel they choose.

Multi-pronged measures to focus on sustainable long-term growth

Comparing H1 2021 financials with those for the same period in 2020 and 2021, JS Global Lifestyle not only saw significant year-over-year growth in revenue and net profit, but also maintained high profitability through supply chain synergies, product portfolio optimization and cost control, with net margin improving by 2.7 percentage points year-over-year.

Since 2020, JS Global Lifestyle has achieved growth amid a market downturn, increasing its market share in existing categories and steadily advancing its expansion of new categories and in international markets. Looking ahead, despite the uncertainties in the macro market environment, JS Global Lifestyle expects to continue innovating its products and categories and developing new ones, to maintain rapid growth by providing consumers with better solutions for small appliances.

To drive sustainable long-term growth, JS Global Lifestyle plans to leverage its leading position in the global market by innovating products, expanding categories and sales networks, maximizing synergies, strengthening brand awareness, and enhancing consumer engagement, as well as seek out strategic partnerships and acquisitions.

About JS Global

JS Global Lifestyle Company Limited (Hong Kong: 1691) is a world leading producer of small household appliances. It ranks fifth globally in the small household appliance industry and third among small household appliance-focused companies. It primarily operates three major brands: Shark, Ninja and Joyoung. The Company’s success is centered around its deep understanding of consumer needs, and is built on its strong product innovation and design capability powered by a global research and development platform, marketing strengths driving high brand engagement, and an omni-channel distribution coverage with high penetration. For more information, please visit www.jsgloballife.com

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PR Newswire

GCash cements fintech leadership and innovation thrust in the Philippines

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MANILA, Philippines, Aug. 30, 2021 — GCash, the number 1 mobile wallet in the Philippines, continues to be a rising star in Asia as it sets the bar higher for fintech innovation in the region. The company achieved unprecedented growth as it saw an exponential increase in its number of users from 20 million in January 2020 to 46 million in June 2021. The app also had over 13 million log-ins per day, peaking at almost 15 million in the second quarter of 2021.

GCash served as a lifeline for millions of Filipinos during the pandemic as users were able to perform various digital financial payments and solutions nationwide
GCash served as a lifeline for millions of Filipinos during the pandemic as users were able to perform various digital financial payments and solutions nationwide

 

GCash is the undisputed mobile wallet in the Philippines and continues to strengthen its vision to promote financial inclusion for all
GCash is the undisputed mobile wallet in the Philippines and continues to strengthen its vision to promote financial inclusion for all

 

This year, GCash processed an average of PHP 300 billion in monthly transactions, and is on track in breaching its PHP 3 trillion Gross Transaction Value (GTV) target. The company boasts of its wide network of more than 2.5 million merchant partners and social sellers via its QR and P2P features, enabling the app to cater to a diverse set of stakeholders in the country. As one out of every 3 Filipinos is now using the app, GCash sets its eyes on achieving more game changing milestones to uplift the lives of many and contribute to building an even stronger and more robust Philippine economy.

With its clear vision of promoting financial inclusion for all, GCash has quickly adapted to the needs of the Filipino people by being a digital payment essential for individuals and entrepreneurs, especially during the pandemic. The company has launched trailblazing products and programs to reach out to more sectors in the country, including underserved and vulnerable groups like overseas workers, the youth, small businesses and even market vendors and cab/tricycle drivers. The top mobile wallet company worked with the Philippine government last year and became its financial aid tool for communities affected by COVID 19, disbursing over P16 billion to more than 2 million Filipinos. It was likewise able to raise over P40 million in donations via digital bayanihan or resource mobilisation, helping at least 3 million Filipinos impacted by typhoons and other calamities.

A fast-rising regional fintech brand

The fintech brand was recently included in the Top 100 Brands in the Philippines, according to Campaign Asia-Pacific and NielsenIQ. GCash is also one of Asia’s top 1,000 brands this 2021.

Asia’s Top 1000 Brands is a consumer opinion survey across 14 markets in Asia-Pacific and measures brand preference in 15 product/service categories. It shows brands that are succeeding with their marketing and brand-building efforts and reveals the favorite brands among consumers. This year’s study saw the changing consumer behavior among brands and their increasing digital services.

"We are honored to be part of the top brands in the Philippines and in Asia. This award further inspires us to continue with our mission to empower as many Filipinos as possible by giving them access to digital financial solutions that can make their lives better and more convenient especially during this pandemic," said Martha Sazon, President and CEO of GCash.

No other fintech brand made it to the top 50 of the prestigious list, where the ranking of GCash rose from the previous year’s 51st spot to this 24th in the country in 2021.  Among the high-ranking brands in the list are Samsung, Apple, LG, Sony, Panasonic, Nike, Nestle, Google, Colgate, and Starbucks.

Solidifying customer experience through value-adding services

GCash provides customers with an easy and secure cashless payment platform through digital products and services like free money transfers from user to user, frictionless bank transfers, and bills payments. The mobile wallet company also offers businesses, especially MSMEs, a contactless way to accept payment for goods through the use of QR codes and its P2P platform, which has empowered over 2.5 million GCash merchants and social sellers.

Currently, a third of GCash’s monthly active users utilize at least one of the app’s digital products like GCredit, GSave, GInvest, or GInsure. GCash provides customers easy access to a pre-approved credit line to pay for bills or QR transactions with GCredit, safely deposit money with GSave, easily invest in a market fund with GInvest, and buy essentials on GLife.  With the health risks of the pandemic, GCash also offers customers  COVID-19 health insurance for as low as P39 (~USD 0.78) a month via GInsure.

"We are glad to see that GCash has become an extension of the Filipino digital life everyday. It is our goal to democratize access to financial services because everyone deserves to have ways to protect and grow their money, especially during these difficult times," said Martha Sazon, GCash President and CEO.

GCash feted as outstanding fintech company promoting nation building

GCash was recently named as an "Outstanding Partner" by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) – the Central Bank of the Philippines, at the agency’s 2021 Stakeholders Appreciation Ceremony. The recognition is for GCash’s continued support and commitment to deliver innovative financial solutions for all Filipinos, especially the unbanked and underbanked segments. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno, in a recent webinar, described his vision for the country becoming a digital-heavy, cash-light society to help achieve inclusive growth. "50% or half of all transactions should be digital by 2023, and 70% of Filipino adults should have formal bank accounts by 2023," Governor Diokno said.

GCash also garnered two awards from the prestigious Asian Banker Awards 2021, and was the sole Philippine fintech company to do so. It won awards for the "Best Financial Inclusion Initiative/Application" for its Social Amelioration Program together with the country’s Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and "Best Digital Brand Campaign" for its CSR response to COVID-19, further solidifying the company as the e-wallet app in the country.

GCash continues to empower more Filipinos everyday as it strengthens its "One with the Nation" corporate social responsibility program employing various initiatives including NGO partnerships, programs on disaster response and environmental stewardship, as well as grassroots finlit education campaigns nationwide.

Many Filipinos have come to rely on GCash for their daily cashless payment transactions, helping sustain the economy during the pandemic and propelling the mobile wallet to becoming one of the most respected and widely used brands in the Philippines today.

According to Visa’s latest Consumer Payment Attitudes study, Filipinos using digital commerce platforms like GCash helped boost the usage of digital payments in the country. It was also expected that it will continue to grow as more Filipinos appreciate the benefits of contactless payments like GCash during the pandemic.

For more information, visit www.gcash.com. For partnerships and sustainability initiatives, please email chito.maniago@mynt.xyz.

About GCash

GCash (G-Xchange, Inc.) is the Financial App in the Philippines. Through the GCash App, customers can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills at over 600 partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 2.5M partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, insurance and invest money all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt (Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.) since 2015.

GCash was recognized by The Asian Banker (TAB) in 2021 for its outstanding digital financial inclusion programs impacting more than 46 million Filipinos in the country today.

For more information, please contact:
Chito Maniago
Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
GCash
Email Address: corpcomm@mynt.xyz │ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gcashofficial  

iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

More Apple Spatial Audio! This Time on Clubhouse!

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Apple’s Spatial Audio is sure making its rounds. In the previous weeks, the excellent virtual surround sound audio technology makes its way into Netflix apps for the iPhone and iPad. You can now use your Apple AirPods Pro and AirPods Max with Spatial Audio when watching Netflix on your iPhone or iPad. It does make sense too, in a sense. You get more immersive experience from your pocket devices.

Spatial Audio is nothing new though. Apple has implemented their own 360 virtual audio technology in they own apps. Apple’s Music app has embraced the surround sound technology since the beginning. Even Apple’s Apple TV+ has integrated the technology for a while now. The feature will be coming to other apps like Spotify eventually, of course you do have to wait for the clever developers to tinker with the technology and its algorithms a bit more.

There is one other app that just got Spatial Audio for their app though. That app in question is Clubhouse. They announced this milestone on their Twitter page, very much like any respected app organisation on Social Media platforms. Now is the time you start asking; “why?”

Again, surround sound technology is not exactly new. The technology does add a bit more in terms of realism in films. In Music, it adds a sort of depth perception of a recording studio, or stage. The technology puts your right in the middle of the action. In the case of Clubhouse, while you might argue that the reason the developers added Spatial Audio feature to the app on Apple devices is “because they can”, it is a bit more than that.

Yes, over the internet, you are getting high-quality voice calls from Clubhouse itself. It is the next best thing to hanging out with a bunch of people physically. At the same time, you are connecting with so many people from all over the world. You can just sit in a ‘club’ with hundreds of people all from different regions of the world practically.

While that is already impressive enough, there is a way to make it better. Yes, the answer to that is surround sound. Again, surround sound is more than just an entertainment technology. It can add a perception of space and depth around you with the right headphones. That is exactly what Clubhouse is trying to achieve here. They wat to add that sense of perception, that sense of realism.

The addition will also mean that Clubhouse is realty now the next best thing in terms of hanging out with your friends in this trying times. It may not make you choose clubhouse over other similar platforms at this time. It does add some sense of intimacy with other clubhouse users and friends on the platform though. You would really feel like you are talking to the person next to you.

The update is now rolling out for the Clubhouse app on iOS. There are still limitations to its implementation which also means you might not hear that much in difference when you get on the app, especially on Bluetooth audio. Clubhouse, on their Twitter post is also saying that Android will get its fair share of Spatial Audio soon. Clubhouse is now available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

PR Newswire

CGTN: How will China, a unified multi-ethnic country, address ethnic affairs in new era?

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BEIJING, Aug. 30, 2021 — An unequivocal message concerning China’s ethnic affairs has been conveyed at a two-day meeting that concluded Saturday, as China, a unified multi-ethnic country, embarked on a new journey to fully build itself into a modern socialist country.

 

Forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation must be the focus of the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) work on ethnic affairs in the new era, said President Xi Jinping while addressing the central conference on ethnic affairs.

The central conference on ethnic affairs, held in Beijing on Friday and Saturday, was the fifth conference of its kind since China’s reform and opening-up, following those in 1992, 1999, 2005 and 2014.

Consolidating sense of community for the Chinese nation in new era

Summarizing past experience, Xi said the CPC’s work on ethnic affairs should serve the goal of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and efforts should be made to enhance ethnic unity and promote common prosperity among all ethnic groups. He also underscored the importance of safeguarding China’s sovereignty, security and development interests, calling for efforts to strengthen patriotism among all ethnic groups.

Consolidating the sense of community for the Chinese nation is necessary for protecting the fundamental interests of all ethnic groups, realizing national rejuvenation, and developing socialist ethnic relations characterized by equality, unity, mutual assistance and harmony, he said at Saturday’s meeting.

The sense of community for the Chinese nation is not a new notion. It was put forward by Xi at the second central work conference on Xinjiang in May 2014. He once again highlighted the importance of laying a solid foundation for the sense of community for the Chinese nation at the central conference on ethnic affairs held in September 2014. The idea was enshrined in the Party’s Constitution at the 19th CPC National Congress in October 2017.

Xi called for innovation and development in CPC’s work on ethnic affairs so as to better protect the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups. An important principle is to enhance commonalities while respecting and tolerating differences, he said on Saturday.

All ethnic groups should prioritize the interests of the Chinese nation, and the sense of each ethnic group should be subordinated to and serve the sense of community for the Chinese nation, he stressed. In the meanwhile, the specific interests of each ethnic group should be well addressed in the process of realizing the interests of the Chinese nation as a whole, he added.

Xi called for efforts to accelerate socialist modernization among all ethnic groups. Differentiated policies should be made to support the reform and opening-up in ethnic minority regions, he said. The sense of gain, happiness and security should be enhanced for people of all ethnic groups, he stressed.

Exchanges and integration among ethnic groups should be encouraged, he said. Measures should be taken to create an environment where people of different ethnic groups can embed themselves spatially, economically, socially and psychologically, he said.

Xi stressed the importance of preventing major risks related to ethnic affairs. Ideological issues that involve ethnic elements should be handled actively and properly, he said, adding that continuous efforts are needed to eradicate separatist and extremist ideas. He also called for strengthening international cooperation in fighting terrorism.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-08-28/Xi-stresses-high-quality-development-of-Party-s-work-on-ethnic-affairs-1364xXfhBK0/index.html

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PR Newswire

Stibo Systems receives SOC 2 Type I report

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SYDNEY, Aug. 30, 2021 — Stibo Systems, a global leader in multidomain Master Data Management (MDM) solutions, has received the SOC 2 Type I report from external auditors. The report is issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and serves as a third-party testament to the design and quality of the procedures and controls implemented for the company’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering. "We have proven that we have documented procedures and controls in place. And we have provided evidence that they are used in the best interest of our customers," says Martin Samuel Nielsen, Chief Information Security Officer of Stibo Systems. "As a Master Data Management SaaS provider, we securely manage our customers’ data to protect their organizations and the privacy of their clients." Stibo Systems’ customers are primarily asking for cloud solutions. More than 80 percent of the company’s new customers are choosing a Software-as-a-Service master data management solution.

About Stibo Systems

Stibo Systems, the master data management company, is the trusted enabler of data transparency. Our solutions are the driving force behind forward-thinking companies around the world that have unlocked the strategic value of their master data. We empower them to improve the customer experience, drive innovation and growth and create an essential foundation for digital transformation. This gives them the transparency they require and desire – a single, accurate view of their master data – so they can make informed decisions and achieve goals of scale, scope and ambition. Stibo Systems is a privately held subsidiary of the Stibo A/S group, founded in 1794, and is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark. More at stibosystems.com.

PR Newswire

Qeeka Home 2021 Interim Revenue Up 66.5% to 524 Million RMB

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SHANGHAI, Aug. 27, 2021 — On August 24, Qeeka Home (01739.HK, operator of Jia.com in China) (the "Company"), a SaaS enabled solution platform serving China’s interior design and construction sectors, released its H1 2021 financial results. For the first half year of 2021, the Company’s total revenues increased by 66.5% year-over-year to 524 million RMB (approx. US$81 million), while revenue from the SaaS and Extended Services business rose by 38.4% to 309 million RMB. Adjusted net profit attributable to shareholders improved to 20.54 million RMB, up 286.3% year on year.

The solid growth in revenue was attributed to Qeeka Home’s implementation of its SaaS strategy, which assisted home improvement and interior design firms in adapting to industry changes and in embracing new industrial forms. The roll-out of the strategy helped the home improvement sector recover, while significantly enhancing the Company’s operational efficiency. "Aggressive and effective empowerment initiatives have helped us to increase the amount of business we receive from our active paying merchants and enhance their stickiness, as well as significantly heighten our appeal to the home improvement firms and interior designers that have not yet registered on our platform," said Qeeka Home chairman and CEO Deng Huajin.

Revenue from the main business grew 38.4%, with SaaS services as the core driver

As one of the largest service platforms serving China’s home improvement sector, Jia.com continued the roll-out of its SaaS service platform strategy, providing home improvement firms with comprehensive business solutions covering marketing, supply chain procurement and SaaS services, helping them to improve their core competitiveness in terms of marketing, branding and supply chain, to precisely target potential customers, reduce costs and increase efficiency, while empowering them to expand efficiently.

During the first half of 2021, the minor COVID-19 outbreaks in China nevertheless impacted industrial production and people’s daily lives. Against this backdrop, the digital transformation of virtually every industry in China became an inevitable "must do". For a long time, the home improvement and interior design sectors, due to their inherent nature, had been characterized by many pain points such as low access threshold, long industry chain, great dependence on offline delivery and difficulties in standardization and transformation. The pandemic hit home improvement firms that had not yet started their digital transformation hard, leaving them struggling or even experiencing negative growth.

Having been a player in the home improvement and interior design sectors for many years, Qeeka Home has collected a massive amount of industry data and practical experience by virtue of having served tens of thousands of firms. This has led Qeeka Home to be a driver in improving the efficiency of the industry by empowering the digital upgrade of the firms. The Company supports across-the-board digital upgrades of home improvement firms covering all chains, providing a practical path for the firms to cope with the COVID-19 crisis and realize rapid transformation.

The interim report shows that Qeeka Home’s businesses currently consist of two main segments – SaaS and Extended Service Business as well as Interior Design, Construction and other Business. The SaaS and Extended Service Business segment is further broken down into sub-segments including SaaS, Marketing Services and Supply Chain Service. As the Company’s core business, the SaaS and Extended Service Business booked revenue of 309 million RMB for the first half, up 38.4% year-on-year. SaaS subscription fees reached 15.33 million RMB, up 52.5% year-on-year, while marketing revenue rose to 265 million RMB, up 38.8%.

Qeeka Home said that the solid growth was mainly driven by the increase in revenue from the SaaS and Extended Service Business due to the increase in the number of active paying merchants, and by the continuous optimization and adjustment in the Company’s internal structure. This has improved the organizational and operational capabilities of the team and resulted in significant cost reduction and efficiency gains. At the end of the first half of 2021, the number of new paying merchants on the platform had climbed to 1,082, with a merchant retention rate of 93%, a testament to the company’s sound growth.

With the gradual increase in the industry-wide digitalization rate, Qeeka Home’s SaaS-enabled strategy began to serve as the industry’s digital infrastructure, providing a one-stop solution to the home improvement firms that need to digitize their marketing, operation and supply chain services. Meanwhile, the strategy also became Qeeka Home’s core growth driver.

Active paying merchants increase by 33.8%: improving industrial efficiency through digitalization

China’s home improvement and interior design market is valued at some trillion RMB, with demand for home improvement and the outfitting of new homes remaining stable. According to the 2020 China Internet Home Improvement Industry Report published by Fastdata, the overall size of the market in 2020 had reached 2.61 trillion RMB. Despite the market’s massive size, the Matthew Effect of accumulated advantage in the industry is obvious. The digitalization rate is low, with only 9.7% of transactions happening online and only 19.2% of the firms having undertaken or in the process of digitalizing. As a result, actively embracing digital transformation has become a consensus across the industry.

As a professional service platform serving the industry, Qeeka Home, by grasping the opportunities brought about by the industry’s ongoing digital transformation, has adjusted and optimized its own development logic and service system. The Company has also put further focus on integrated SaaS solutions for home improvement firms based on SaaS subscription services, which are synergistically empowered by marketing services, supply chain procurement and innovative value-added services. In other words, Qeeka Home hopes to use its rich big data and technology-enabled capabilities to help home improvement firms solve the operational inefficiency and frequent inability to truly compete due to the lack of digitalized operations.

Qeeka has assumed a leadership role in the provision of home improvement and interior design SaaS solutions. As for digital marketing, Qeeka Home has not only collected a huge number of sales leads, but also helped home improvement and interior design firms achieve efficient transformation by optimizing big data matching, building a high-quality home improvement content ecosystem, upgrading user protection plans and creating live streaming tools.

In terms of supply chain empowerment, Qeeka Home has joined forces with many high-quality building materials brands in China and abroad, to create a comprehensive supply chain covering main materials, accessories and soft furnishings, helping the firms procure products via digital means, greatly reducing back-end procurement costs and improving procurement efficiency. Enhanced offerings have also become another venue for attracting new customers.

Digital marketing and supply chain empowerment can better help home improvement firms reduce costs and increase efficiency, and Qeeka Home’s innovative value-added services can better help these firms improve service quality and establish a good brand image, enhancing their ability to provide superior services. Qeeka Home’s special services include the Qijia Bao consumer protection plan and the Merchant Service Integrity Alliance. The Qijia Bao consumer protection plan is so well known across the industry that it is often referred to as the sector’s "Alipay" (China’s leading merchant payment solutions provider), and has become a standard service that protects the rights and interests of users on the Jia.com platform. The Merchant Service Integrity Alliance requires the firms in the Alliance to meet credible service standards by setting up dynamic labels.

Both the Qijia Bao consumer protection plan and the Merchant Service Integrity Alliance both act as incentives for merchants to strive to provide excellent service process and quality, protecting shoppers’ interests. After years of iteration and optimization, all of Qeeka Home’s special services have matured and earned good reputations. Qeeka Home empowers merchants with its good brand image and standardized services, which not only strengthens the shoppers’ trust in the merchants, but also enhances the merchants’ capabilities.

Data shows that the number of active paying merchants on the Jia.com platform increased by 33.8% to 5,667 during the first half of 2021. The merchant loss rate dropped by half while the retention rate was further improved. The 93% retention rate is the result of the merchants’ satisfaction with Qeeka Home’s services. Home improvement firms that opt for digital transformation are the direct beneficiaries of Qeeka Home’s SaaS empowerment strategy, while the improvement in the competitiveness and service quality of the firms will ultimately benefit consumers and do wonders for the user experience.

Qeeka Home plans to continue consolidating its position as the most impactful home improvement SaaS service provider in China, while continuing to expand its partnerships with merchants based on its SaaS strategy, in a move to further improve merchant retention rate, help home improvement firms improve their services and management capabilities, further reduce costs and increase efficiency, and enhance user experience.

About Qeeka Home

Qeeka Home (01739.HK, domestic operator of Jia.com) is one of the largest SaaS enabled solution platforms in Interior Design & Construction (IDC) Industry in China. The company provides marketing service, supply chain service and other innovative value-added services to thousands of IDC service providers through the SaaS platform. Qeeka also operates several well-known IDC brands in China and provides consumers with capital protection and independent inspection services. Qeeka Home was founded in 2007 and listed on the main board of HKSE on 2018.

For more information, please contact:

Qeeka Home CFO
Mr. Leo Kang
Phone: (+86) 021-61740163
E-mail: ir@qeeka.com

PR Newswire

China.org.cn: China’s space station: Warm, open new home in outer space

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BEIJING, Aug. 27, 2021 — A news report by China.org.cn on China’s space station and astronauts in space:

 

Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, dubbed the "trio who traveled to space on business," have been living and working on China’s space station core module Tianhe for more than two months. Recently, they carried out extravehicular activities for a second time. Look at Nie standing on the robotic arm against the backdrop of the earth. What a breathtaking scene.

During their time in space, the crew have experienced many other unforgettable moments.

The first thing the three astronauts did after arriving at Tianhe on June 17 was to start opening packages. Back in May, the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-2 was launched ahead of the crewed mission, delivering more than six tons of goods and materials to the space station. The more than 160 packages contained not only various parts and equipment to be installed and tested, but also the basic supplies for the astronauts.

These included more than 120 kinds of space food carefully prepared by nutritionists. In the module, the astronauts enjoyed various dishes, teas, juices and more, adding to the joy of "earth-dwellers" below. In addition, the crew work as each other’s health care assistants, regularly taking blood samples and conducting tests as well as routine ultrasounds. They exercise on the space station’s specially designed treadmill and exercise bike to keep fit in a microgravity environment. The friendly astronauts also interact with netizens on earth from time to time: Posting a video after watching the Tokyo Olympic Games, or sending wishes on "Chinese Valentine’s Day," — really made known their presence in space.

These seemingly trivial things and relaxing scenes are actually very meaningful and important. According to its plan, China will finish building the space station in 2022. This manned mission aims to test key technologies in the construction and operation of the station in orbit, including bioregenerative life support systems, and technologies for supporting astronauts’ long-term stay and conducting extravehicular activities.

Moreover, since the International Space Station, which has been in orbit for decades, could be retired as early as 2024 or possibly in 2028, construction of China’s station becomes even more significant.

Sometimes people hear arguments that treat space exploration as a "competition of interests" or "more political than scientific." However, astronauts from different countries live and work in space, showing their appreciation and empathy for each other, such scenes are touching — humans are born with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge, and the vast universe carries the hopes and dreams of all mankind. After all, space is open to all. Space exploration should not and cannot exclude anyone.

Previously, to board the Chinese space station, astronauts from Germany, France, Italy and other countries worked hard learning Chinese and came to China for training, eating and living with Chinese astronauts like family. Nine projects from 17 countries, including Switzerland, Poland, Kenya and Japan, have also been approved to conduct experiments on the Chinese space station. More people could be expected to visit the new China-made home in outer space, where they can work together to seek a better future.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm
China’s space station: Warm, open new home in outer space
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2021-08/27/content_77718318.htm