Yearly Archives: 2021

PR Newswire

KONKA Group Reports 125% Net Profit Surge in 2020, Pushing Further into Optoelectronics

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SHENZHEN, China, April 2, 2021 — KONKA Group Co. Ltd. ("the Company"; 000016.SZ), a leading technology company, has released its financial results for 2020. The Company’s net profit last year expanded by 125.26% year-on-year, driven by its environmental technology, semiconductors, new materials and electronics businesses.

KONKA is committed to investing in technological innovation, and last year the Company focused on the development of semiconductors and artificial intelligence, with its spending on research and development increasing by 36.57% year-on-year.

Specifically, KONKA has optimized its business in the semiconductor industry, especially in the optoelectronic field. For example, the Company built the world’s first Micro LED full-process R&D production line, allowing it to carry out trial production.

In 2020, KONKA also continued to drive the development of Micro LED- and Mini LED-related development, obtaining nearly 700 core patents. The Company rolled out products such as the Micro LED Watch – the APHAEA Watch and a series of Micro LED and Mini LED 8K televisions. In terms of storage, KONKA primarily designs and markets master storage chips, and has been producing and selling its storage main control chips.

KONKA in AWE2021
KONKA in AWE2021

"KONKA categorizes technologies that are in line for more development as Micro LED and categorizes those that have been marketized as Mini LED," Li Hongtao, vice president of KONKA, said. "KONKA will continue to carry out the ‘dual wheel’ development strategy to aim the Company’s R&D power at areas that have yet to see technological breakthroughs and put those that have seen breakthroughs on the market," he said.

A well-rounded R&D system lays a critical foundation for technological breakthroughs. KONKA has formed a research alliance that connects prestigious universities, technology companies, and scientific and technology research institutes, to establish labs dedicated to artificial intelligence, internet of things, 5G, data imagery and communication applications.

Such strong R&D capacity has helped diversify KONKA’s product lineup. The Company has rolled out smarter electronics and appliances such as its K2 smart TV, APHAEA A5 TV and refrigerators. Meanwhile, KONKA has sold its products through livestreaming in collaboration with its offline stores, to accommodate consumers’ changing shopping habits.

As for KONKA’s white goods business, the segment has grown with the "KONKA + Frestec" dual brand operation after the acquisition of Frestec Electrical Appliances, further amplifying the Company’s influence in the market. Last September, the Company acquired Beko Changzhou Plant and entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Arcelik, the parent company of Beko, marking the beginning of a new phase for the Company’s drum washing machines — a shift from OEM to independent R&D, design, production and manufacturing.

In a bid to build a more integrated mechanism, KONKA has vigorously developed new projects to construct a number of industrial parks. Last year, the Company completed construction of Dongguan Konka Smart Industrial Park, Yibin Konka High-Tech Park, Frestec Smart Home Park, Chengdu Konka Smart Terminal Park, providing new momentum for its smart industrial transformation.

In 2021, KONKA aims to pour more efforts into R&D and innovation. On one hand, it will continue to increase its investment in R&D this year. On the other hand, it is set to focus on core technology in the field of semiconductors, seeking for breakthroughs in chip and mass transfer technologies, and to further develop Micro LED. Meanwhile, KONKA will gradually step up its efforts in acquiring intellectual property rights and strengthen its technological advantages in areas such as 5G, 8K, internet of things, Micro LED, semiconductors and storage, aiming to transforming the Company from an electronics company to an even more tech-centric company.

Gaming, News

[Update] E3 2021 is Online and Completely Free

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UPDATE: Microsoft and Nintendo has confirmed their presence in E3 2021. The Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo participation joins big names like Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games, and Koch Media. Sony, EA, Activision Blizzard, Bandai, Sega, and Square Enix has not confirmed their presence. Sony did not turn up in 2019 and was not going to be in E3 as of last year though.

When we say E3 2021 is online, we mean two things really. For one, it is happening. That means at E3 will go on in 2021 despite its 2020 cancellation for obvious reasons. The next thing we mean when we say that it is online is that it is happening completely virtually. For obvious reasons as well, E3 will happen and showcase completely online.

There is more good news here though, it is supposed to be an all-free event. That also means that you can register yourself and attend E3 without paying a single cent. According to their Twitter page as well, there should be no contents hidden behind annoying paywalls. Attendees are supposed to have access to all the major announcements and keynotes happening at E3 this year.

E3 is one of the world’s largest, if not the largest games convention and stage. E3 usually sees developers and platform owners run huge keynotes to announce new AAA titles to be released later in the year or even beyond. One of our favourite games; “Horizon: Zero Dawn” that was launched in 2017 was teased in E3 2015. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 took even longer from its first teaser to its final launch in 2020.

E3 is where we expect huge announcements from the likes of Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox camps. They made the first announcements of their next generation consoles in E3 as well. Of course, this year we have the Sony PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Xbox Series X/S. That also means that we can expect even more AAA titles to be announced from their camps. You can expect even more announcements made for PC games as well. Best part of this year’s E3 announcement is that you do not have to pay to get access to the keynotes.

E3 2021 is expected to happen June 15th, 2021 onward this year. Early on, there were rumours of keynotes and announcement behind paywalls only for E3 to come forward to dispel the idea. Of course, as per mentioned earlier, E3 2021 will be a completely virtual event for obvious reasons. For more information on E3 2021, you can visit E3’s official website.

PR Newswire

Tencent Music Entertainment Group Launches Charity Album “Stars and Wishes” on World Autism Awareness Day

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SHENZHEN, China, April 2, 2021 — Tencent Music Entertainment Group ("Tencent Music," "TME," or the "Company") (NYSE: TME), the leading online music entertainment platform in China, today launched a collaborative charity album with pop singer and TME Music Care Ambassador Chen Linong, and a select group of autistic children. Dubbed "Stars and Wishes", this album was launched on World Autism Awareness Day as part of TME Music Care FM, which continues the efforts of TME Music Charity Projects.

The collaborative charity album “Stars and Wishes” was launched by TME with pop singer and TME Music Care Ambassador Chen Linong, and a select group of autistic children.
The collaborative charity album “Stars and Wishes” was launched by TME with pop singer and TME Music Care Ambassador Chen Linong, and a select group of autistic children.

In China, children with autism are commonly referred to as "children of the stars". In the album "Stars and Wishes", Chen Linong uses music to give an encouraging voice to autistic children, with the warm lyrics in the song "Ten Thousand Sparkles": "We will guard the love in our hearts, and radiate warmth every minute. Lighting up a colorful life for you and accompanying you, getting through this together."  Universal Music Group, the music publishing company under which Chen Linong is signed, will publish and promote this single worldwide.

"I believe that music has the power to heal hearts," said Chen Linong. "I am pleased to join TME’s charity project and work with talented children, leveraging music to contribute to social welfare. Autism requires long-term rehabilitation, and thus we should give more care, patience and love to these children." 

TME has invited several young autistic music artists from around the world to take part in the production of this charity album, including Zhou Bohan from China, Clarence Kang from Malaysia, and Takuto Koyanagi from Japan. The album, as part of TME Music Care FM, is available on Tencent Music’s QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music, and WeSing.

In addition to the release of the "Stars and Wishes" charity album, TME also launched a variety of online activities, including an online art exhibition that features artwork from autistic children, and a collection of ‘I feel good’ stories, and more. At the same time, TME has worked with many brands to increase awareness and contribute to the public good.

During the four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020, Tencent Music released four charity albums, to provide support and education for special needs groups such as autistic children, while at the same time raising awareness of music therapy and how it can improve mental health.

TME Music Care FM has expanded its focus on autistic patients to society as a whole, committing to the use of music to remedy mental health issues prevalent in the world today. On March 20, Music Care FM partnered with various global artists to launch a "World Sleep Day" playlist on TME’s platforms. The goal was to use the rejuvenating power of music to enhance sleep quality and relieve mental pressure. On March 26, Music Care FM launched a long-form audio program, "Healing with Music", for its users.

As the leading player in China’s online music entertainment industry, Tencent Music is tapping the many benefits of music, using its vitality to bring care and warmth to its audiences. In the future, Tencent Music will introduce more charity music projects to draw attention to social issues and better engage music fans.

About Tencent Music Entertainment

Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE: TME) is the leading online music entertainment platform in China, operating the country’s highly popular and innovative music apps: QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music and WeSing. Tencent Music’s mission is to use technology to elevate the role of music in people’s lives by enabling them to create, enjoy, share and interact with music. Tencent Music’s platform comprises online music, online karaoke and music-centric live streaming services, enabling music fans to discover, listen, sing, watch, perform and socialize around music. For more information, please visit ir.tencentmusic.com.

Media Relations Contact
E-mail: TME.PR@icrinc.com
Phone: +86 13810791408

Related Links :

https://ir.tencentmusic.com/

PR Newswire

eftPay as the official electronic payment service provider of “18th HK Mega Showcase”; Showcases innovative e-Coupon platform “e+Coupon”, enabling merchants to establish marketing campaigns at low costs

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HONG KONG, April 2, 2021 — eft Payments (Asia) Limited ("eftPay"), one of the leading e-Payment services providers in Hong Kong, is pleased to announce that it has been appointed the official electronic payment service provider of the "18th HK Mega Showcase" for the first time. The Expo takes place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center for four consecutive days starting from 2nd April (Friday) to 5th April (Monday). eftPay showcases its innovative e-Coupon platform "e+Coupon" with the theme "Get your e-Coupons anytime, anywhere" at booth 3Q12, Hall 3. It aims at providing Hong Kong merchants an effective channel to establish marketing campaigns at a low cost.

With nine major zones and 500 booths, "18th HK Mega Showcase" satisfies all your shopping needs in one go. The 9 zones include Chill Handicraft Market, Beauty & Health Care Zone, Cleaners and Disinfectants Products, Local Brands Bazaar, Fashions & Sports Gear Zone, Local Design & Start-up Zone, Hong Kong Homex, Hong Kong Food Festival and e-Expo & Auto HK.

Converge different merchants and establish marketing campaigns at low costs

eftPay showcases its innovative platform "e+Coupon", which was officially launched in September 2020 and is a breakthrough of the industry. 2020 has been a challenging year, especially for the retail industry. Aiming at easing the blow of COVID-19 on SMEs, eftPay has thus designed "e+Coupon" that converges different merchants to establish marketing campaigns at a low cost.

"e+Coupon" is an innovative platform that combines a membership system and e-coupon function. Consumers who register as a member of "e+Coupon" can get e-Coupons from participating merchants in Hong Kong anytime. For merchants, "e+Coupon" is user-friendly and can be easily operated using eftPay’s terminal. It allows merchants to set up marketing campaigns at a low cost, enhancing the opportunities to promote, reach out to potential clients, drive revenue, and review the effectiveness of the campaign at any time. To boost sales, eftPay also offers promotion opportunities on social media platforms and helps merchants produce promotional videos.

"e+Coupon" has received widespread support since its launch. Currently, more than 200 merchants have joined the programme, most of which are small enterprises. eftPay will continue to strengthen its promotion in order to increase coverage, and to achieve its target of " Get your e-Coupons anytime, anywhere".

Consumers who register as a member of "e+Coupon" via platform will get an exclusive welcome offer at "18th HK Mega Showcase". Offer is limited and available only while stocks last.

eftPay, one of the leading e-Payment services providers in Hong Kong, is dedicated to providing comprehensive, convenient, fast and secure e-Payment services to merchants and consumers. Currently, its integrated payment system is one of the only payment platforms that support the most e-Payment methods in Hong Kong, including credit card, QR code payment, and even overseas e-Wallets from Taiwan and South Korea. It supports code scanning, contactless, card swiping and conventional card payment in one terminal. It is user-friendly that simplifies payment procedures, in order to provide merchants with tools that improve operational efficiency and reduce manpower.

Mr. Andrew Lo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of eft Payments (Asia) Limited said, "it is our honor to participate as the official electronic payment service provider of ’18th HK Mega Showcase’. Our innovative platform ‘e+Coupon’ combines a membership system and e-coupon function, enabling merchants to establish marketing campaigns at a low cost, as well as offering consumers the latest promotions and discounts anytime. We believe that ‘e+Coupon’ is a win-win solution to both merchants and consumers."

About eft Payments (Asia) Limited

Established in 2013, eftPay is one of the leading e-Payment services providers in Hong Kong, providing merchants with comprehensive e-Payment services, including account opening, point of sale system and integration of payment system, transaction processing and payment settlement services. Currently, eftPay serves at least 22,600 stores in Hong Kong, including well-known local jewelry chains, electrical appliances stores, makeup and beauty stores, clothing stores, food and beverage, theme parks, convenience stores and supermarkets. Website: http://www.eftpay.com.hk/ 

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PR Newswire

Chindata Group Releases 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report

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51 percent of its owned hyperscale data centers powered by renewable energy in 2020

BEIJING, April 2, 2021 — Chindata Group (Nasdaq: CD), a leading carrier-neutral hyperscale data center solution provider in Asia-Pacific emerging markets, has released its second annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report today, which highlights the company’s 2020 ESG results towards its 2030 carbon-neutrality goal and digital-inclusiveness vision.

With the theme of "Inspiring with Power", the Report includes a detailed roadmap for carbon neutrality, demonstrating Chindata Group’s sustainability and digital prosperity values. In December 2020, Chindata Group announced that all its hyperscale data centers in China would source 100 percent renewable energy and invest in clean energy with an installed capacity of no less than 2GW by 2030.

Mr Alex Ju, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Chindata Group, commented, "Chindata Group is the first digital technology company in China to release a carbon-neutral roadmap. We focus on mastering the core technologies in key areas to address digital development challenges, laying a solid foundation for a more sustainable and inclusive digital life for all."

Some of the key highlights are:

  • Fifty-one percent of its owned data centers were powered by renewable energy, a 14 percent increase from 37 percent in 2019, making it the best performing digital technology company in terms of sustainability.
  • In 2020, Chindata Group reduced 368,886 tons of carbon dioxide emission, an equivalent of planting about 200,000 trees every day.
  • Chindata Group is China’s first data center company to disclose its power usage exceeding 1 billion kWh in 2020 and energy savings reaching 391,640,000 kWh.

Chindata Group published its inaugural ESG Report in 2019, after setting a long-standing goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy for its hyperscale data center clusters.

About Chindata Group

Chindata Group is a leading carrier-neutral hyperscale data center solution provider in Asia-Pacific emerging markets and a first mover in building next-generation hyperscale data centers in China, India and Southeast Asia markets, focusing on the whole life cycle of facility planning, investment, design, construction and operation of ecosystem infrastructure in the IT industry. Chindata Group provides its clients with business solutions in major countries and regions in Asia-Pacific emerging markets, including asset-heavy ecosystem chain services such as industrial bases, data centers, network and IT value-added services.

Chindata Group operates two sub-brands: "Chindata" and "Bridge Data Centres". Chindata operates hyper-density IT cluster infrastructure in the Greater Beijing Area, the Yangtze River Delta Area and the Greater Bay Area, the three key economic areas in China, and has become the engine of the regional digital economies. Bridge Data Centres, with its top international development and operation talents in the industry, owns fast deployable data center clusters in Malaysia and India, and seeks business opportunities in other Asia-Pacific emerging markets.

Related Links :

https://www.investor.chindatagroup.com/

PR Newswire

Kingdom Heroes M pre-register exceeds 500,000, officially launched on 4/15

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NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan, April 2, 2021 — The first brand of the genuine mobile game "Three Kingdoms Heroes M" is officially announced that the pre-register has rapidly exceeded 500,000 people. In order to thank the players for their support, the USERJOY official has held the pre-register event. As long as pre-register before the game is launched on April 15th, players can participate in the iPhone12 draw activity.

Kingdom Heroes M pre-register exceeds 500,000, officially launched on 4/15
Kingdom Heroes M pre-register exceeds 500,000, officially launched on 4/15

The "Three Kingdoms Heroes" game brand has been in business for 24 years, and the game has swept over hundreds of millions of Asian people. Now, the global version of the "Three Kingdoms Heroes M" mobile game, which inherits the essential State War in the original PC version, is going to be launched at the same time in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Since the opening of pre-register, the popularity of the game has risen incredibly. In order to respond to the enthusiasm of players, they have held the pre-register event that players can obtain exclusive rewards and a chance to win iPhone 12 after the game is launched. Officials stated that they are making every effort to prepare the "Three Kingdoms Heroes M" listing plan, which is expected to be officially launched on April 15. Please stay tuned.

For more information, please visit:

[Official website] https://sgc.userjoy.com/
[Pre-register page] https://sgc.userjoy.com/event/khm_preregister/index.php
[Google Play] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.userjoy.sgc.sea
[App Store] https://apps.apple.com/app/id1529559020
[Official Fanpage] https://www.facebook.com/KingdomHeroesM
[Official Instagram] https://www.instagram.com/kingdomheroesm/

 

PR Newswire

Future Fintech Group Inc. Announces $35 Million Registered Direct Offering Priced At-the-market Under Nasdaq Rules

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NEW YORK, Apr. 1, 2021 — Future FinTech Group Inc. (NASDAQ: FTFT) ("Future FinTech", "FTFT" or "the Company"), a leading blockchain based e-commerce company and a service provider for financial technology, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with institutional investors for the purchase and sale of 5,737,706 shares of its common stock at a price of $6.10 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $35 million in a registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about April 6, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners is acting as the sole placement agent for the offering.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for growth capital and general working capital purposes.

This offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-224686) previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and declared effective on December 11, 2020. A prospectus supplement describing the terms of the proposed offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the prospectus supplement may be obtained, when available, from A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, 590 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at (212) 624-2060, or by email at prospectus@allianceg.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Future FinTech Group Inc.

Future FinTech Group Inc. ("Future FinTech", "FTFT" or the "Company") is a leading blockchain e-commerce company and a service provider for financial technology incorporated in Florida. The Company’s operations include a blockchain-based online shopping mall platform, Chain Cloud Mall ("CCM"), a cross-border e-commerce platform (NONOGIRL), an incubator for blockchain based application projects. The Company is also engaged in the development of blockchain based technology and services as well as financial technology services. For more information, please visit http://www.ftftex.com/.  

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain of the statements made in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning and protections of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions, and future performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause the actual results, performance, capital, ownership or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as "may," "will," "anticipate," "assume," "should," "indicate," "would," "believe," "contemplate," "expect," "estimate," "continue," "plan," "point to," "project," "could," "intend," "target" and other similar words and expressions of the future.

All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and our other reports and filings with SEC. Such reports are available upon request from the Company, or from the Securities and Exchange Commission, including through the SEC’s Internet website at http://www.sec.gov. We have no obligation and do not undertake to update, revise or correct any of the forward-looking statements after the date hereof, or after the respective dates on which any such statements otherwise are made.

PR Newswire

US State Turns on COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Scheduling Hotline in Less Than a Day with Bright Pattern

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COVID-19 vaccine appointment hotline deployed in record time – 23 hours – by Atento and Bright Pattern with an agreement for 1500 agents

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 1, 2021 — Bright Pattern, a leading provider of AI-powered cloud contact center software, has been deployed to help schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments. The appointment scheduling hotline needed to be deployed in less than a day to accommodate the rapid distribution of vaccinations to the citizens of the state. Bright Pattern, the contact center software with the fastest deployment time of less than half the industry average, was deployed in 23 hours, making it the fastest COVID hotline deployed to help decrease the spread of COVID-19. In just 23 hours, 200 remote agents were trained and started handling calls on the Bright Pattern platform with a record 14,000 calls on day one of the campaign.

Atento, one of the top five customer relationship management and business process outsourcing providers (BPO), evaluated many contact center solutions including Genesys and Avaya, but partnered with Bright Pattern because of its remote agent capabilities, ease of use, and speed of deployment. "Bright Pattern had a contact center up and running in just 23 hours. The other vendors we were talking with simply couldn’t deploy the agents quickly enough for this urgent need," said Hugo Martinez, Regional Technical Account Manager and Security at Atento. The Bright Pattern platform also provided the scalability needed. "In just a week of using Bright Pattern, we saw a 70% increase in agents and have plans to grow to 1500 agents over the next month," continued Martinez.

Bright Pattern has helped numerous existing and new customers deploy remote teams, provide safe work environments for agents, and improve customer satisfaction amid a global pandemic. Some of the innovative use cases Bright Pattern has seen since the pandemic include:

  • The 2nd largest US bank deployed Bright Pattern in 10 days for over 2,000 remote agents handling over 3 million interactions per month to support COVID-19 paycheck protection program – Read More
  • The South Korea Center for Disease Control is revolutionizing their contact tracing program with innovative cloud contact center technology to contain the spread of COVID-19 – Read More
  • The UK National Health Service (NHS) launched a technology-reliant testing and tracing campaign to combat the spread of COVID-19, utilizing Bright Pattern Contact Center Software for omnichannel communications – Read More
  • Bright Pattern helps Naver, often referred to as "the Google" of South Korea and creator of the LINE messaging app go remote amid COVID-19 – Read More
  • A leading European travel exploration company moved all call center agents remote during COVID-19 thanks to Bright Pattern cloud-based contact center software – Read More
  • Cenaced, a non-profit healthcare organization, is using Bright Pattern to deploy remote agents and offer free telehealth services to help citizens in Mexico dealing with stress during the quarantine – Read More
  • A multi-state retail chain triages over 50% of pandemic call volume using Bright Pattern AI for bots and conversational IVR – Read More
  • A leading brick-and-mortar luxury retailer in Europe moved fully remote and online. They also used the WhatsApp messaging platform so that in-store personnel could be redeployed to capture and share videos of requested products with customers chatting online, providing personal concierge service via digital channels like chat and messengers.

"COVID has spurred companies to think differently about how they communicate with their customers, and companies have become more nimble and innovative as a result. Getting vaccines out has been an issue, and Atento and Bright Pattern teamed up to deploy the fastest vaccine scheduling hotline yet using nimble cloud technology for remote agents in less than a day," said Ted Hunting, SVP of Marketing at Bright Pattern.

Companies of all sizes select Bright Pattern to support their customer care organizations because of its simplified – yet robust – omnichannel platform, offering traditional channels; emerging channels like Facebook Messenger; in-app customer support; enterprise functionality; cloud-first architecture; and the ability to modify without the time and cost of professional services. Bright Pattern was recently recognized by Ovum as a Market Challenger, by Omdia for best platform functionality, by Frost & Sullivan as a top-performing vendor, and by Gartner as a leader in the Call Center FrontRunners Quadrant.

About Bright Pattern
Bright Pattern provides the simplest and most powerful AI-powered omnichannel contact center software for innovative midsize and enterprise companies. To make customer service brighter, easier, and faster than ever before, Bright Pattern offers the only true omnichannel cloud platform with embedded AI that can be deployed quickly and nimbly by business users—without costly professional services. Bright Pattern allows companies to offer an effortless and personal customer experience across channels like voice, text, chat, email, video, messengers, and bots. Bright Pattern also allows companies to measure and act on every interaction on every channel with embedded AI omnichannel quality management. The company was founded by a team of industry veterans who pioneered the leading contact center solutions and are now delivering an architecture for the future with an advanced cloud-first approach. Bright Pattern’s cloud contact center solution is used globally in over 26 countries and 12 languages.

About Atento
Atento is one of the five largest global providers for client relationship management and business process outsourcing services nearshoring for companies that carry out their activities in the United States. Since 1999, the company has developed its business model in 13 countries with a workforce of 150,000 employees. Atento has over 400 clients for which it provides a wide range of CRM/BPO services through multiple channels. Its clients are leading multinational companies in the technology, digital, telecommunications, finance, health, consumer and public administration sectors, amongst others. Atento trades under ATTO on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2019 Atento was recognized by Great Place to Work® as one of the 25 World’s Best Multinational Workplaces and as one of the Best Places to Work in Latin America. For more information: www.atento.com

Related Links :

http://www.brightpattern.com

PR Newswire

SafeRide unveils support for Vehicle Health Management industry standard at the ATA-TMC spring conference

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SafeRide’s vInsight™ platform supports the SAE JA6268 standard and enables state-of-the-art Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) solutions for fleets, OEMs, and suppliers

TEL AVIV, Israel, April 1, 2021 — SafeRide Technologies, a leading provider of AI-based vehicle health management (VHM) solutions unveiled today that its vInsight™ platform has been extended to support the SAE JA6268 VHM standard. The vInsight VHM platform includes a deep learning development tool for fleets, OEMs, and Tier-1 suppliers that generates VHM monitors for deployment on board the vehicle or in the cloud.

The SAE Health-Ready Components and Systems (HRCS) Consortium™, a subgroup of SAE, was created to increase the impact of SAE’s JA6268 standard. It provides standard templates for common vehicle components and systems that describe their failure modes, the mechanisms to monitor their health, and the data required to enable their health monitoring.

SafeRide is collaborating with HRCS members, including General Motors, Volvo Group, Garret in Motion, Nexteer, and others, to implement the best practices and guidance provided in the SAE JA6268 standard to facilitate the integration of IVHM functionality in health-ready components and systems to meet the needs and objectives of the industry in a cost-effective manner.

SafeRide together with other HRCS partners demonstrated at the American Trucking Association’s Technology and Maintenance Council (ATA-TMC) conference on March 31st the benefits of using the JA6268 standard to streamline the delivery of vehicle health data to fleet operators and OEMs.

At the ATA-TMC conference SafeRide presented how JA6268 templates can be imported into and customized by the vInsight Developer tool to enable automated, simplified, and efficient development and delivery of vehicle health indicators to fleets, OEMs, and suppliers.

Existing VHM solutions rely on diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) and telematics data to detect and predict malfunctions. DTCs can only detect failures after they occur, and they provide limited insights about the problem. This can lead to a complex and expensive repair process, and sometimes a wrong diagnosis. Current telematics solutions are limited by network bandwidth and access to data; therefore, they may fail to address the growing complexity of modern vehicles.

"OEMs and fleets are paying billions of dollars every year in warranty claims and maintenance cost" said Gil Reiter, SafeRide’s Vice President of Product Management and Marketing. "The vInsight platform, with JA6268 support, can help OEMs and fleets reduce these costs significantly, while enabling smooth and interoperable deployment into existing fleets and new vehicles."

SafeRide’s vInsight™ platform enables customers to develop, train, optimize, test, and deploy deep-learning based algorithms for VHM using a rich library of production grade models and design templates for major vehicle systems such as engine, transmission, emission, braking, battery management, and more. vInsight Developer can generate compressed and optimized models for embedded deployment onboard vehicles, or for remote deployment in the cloud.

"SafeRide’s vInsight platform brings together AI and domain knowledge" said Steve Holland, SAE HRCS Consortium Chairman and former GM VHM Chief Technologist. "This unique combination enables powerful IVHM solutions that are changing how we manage vehicle health".

SafeRide’s vInsight solution is currently deployed in pilot projects with several major OEMs and fleets.

For more information about vInsight visit www.saferide.io/vinsight, or to request a demo of the vInsight VHM platform email info@saferide.io.

About SafeRide Technologies 

SafeRide Technologies is a leading provider of AI-based vehicle health management, data analytics, and cybersecurity solutions that provide timely vehicle insights to automakers and fleet owners and help them reduce warranty costs, limit recalls, minimize vehicle downtime, lower total cost of ownership, optimize vehicle performance, and prevent reputation loss. For more information, visit www.saferide.io. 

Logo – https://mma.prnasia.com/media2/1212705/SafeRide_Technologies_Logo.jpg?p=medium600  

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https://saferide.io/

PR Newswire

Modern-day ‘Mogao Grottoes’ hidden in Beijing airport

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BEIJING, April 1, 2021 — A feature story by China.org.cn on scholars and experts’ work to save documents, images and memories related to groundbreaking murals painted at Beijing Capital International Airport:

Scholars and experts are working hard to save documents, images and memories related to groundbreaking murals painted in 1979 at Beijing Capital International Airport, in order to create an informative book and preserve their legacy, as well as celebrate Tsinghua University’s 110th anniversary.

A detail from the mural "Nezha Stirs Up the Sea" by Zhang Ding.
A detail from the mural "Nezha Stirs Up the Sea" by Zhang Ding.

"The airport’s murals are like the 20th-century continuation of those at the ancient Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in Gansu province, continuing the legacy of Chinese murals," said Zhou Aimin, associate professor at the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University (AADTHU).

Special history

Beijing Capital International Airport opened in 1958, and construction of its first international terminal building began in 1974. Four years later, the Ministry of Culture and the Civil Aviation Administration of China invited teachers and students from the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts (now the AADTHU) to create art deco murals for the new building.

Zhang Ding, then-president of the Central Institute of Arts and Crafts, headed the creative team behind what was the first large-scale national-level mural project since the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The faculty and students worked with 52 artists from 17 provinces and municipalities across China to create more than 50 artworks, including murals and oil paintings. Completed in 1979, these artworks were placed at various sites around the terminal, from waiting rooms to restaurants.

At the 4th Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC) in 1979, fellow artists praised the airport murals for blazing a new path for the artform in China. "The creators emancipated their minds, bravely innovated, and integrated China’s traditional mural crafts and modern techniques," said Zhou Yang, then-president of CFLAC.

Tang Wei, now a professor of AADTHU, took part in the project as a college student in 1979. "At first I felt a little bit clueless, but when I started working, I was very excited and energized in that special atmosphere, inspired by such renowned artists and fellow participants, who were also excited to look at the blank concrete terminal walls with their own visions."

Tang was tasked with helping artist Yuan Yunfu finish the mural "Mountains and Rivers of Sichuan." When she looked back on the murals, she called them "creations with long artistic accumulation," while she described the artists as "constantly striving for perfection."

For example, Zhang Ding was both directing the team to create their works, while himself creating a mural titled "Nezha Stirs Up the Sea." Tang recalled: "He insisted on using traditional Chinese techniques to create the contemporary murals, repeatedly testing various paints and pigments to find the best solutions."

Cultural impact

A detail from the mural "Song of the Forest" by Zhu Danian.
A detail from the mural "Song of the Forest" by Zhu Danian.

Du Dakai, another prominent professor at AADTHU, also participated in the airport project, assisting artist Zhu Danian. "When the murals were all finished, I could feel the shockwaves," he said, noting that many people made the trip out to view the artworks, despite the airport’s remote location. A detail from the mural "Song of the Forest," created by Zhu, was later featured on the cover of an art textbook for China’s high school. 

Du remembered a visit to the airport by Kuwabara Sumio, a renowned Japanese art critic and scholar: "He said, ‘This is the spring of China; a new era has come.’"

The artworks at Beijing Capital International Airport have influenced generations of Chinese artists, as well as serving as an aesthetic education for domestic and foreign travelers, acting as symbols of Chinese culture, and representing China’s reform and opening-up.

Artist Yuan Yunsheng painted female nudes in a mural portraying the Dai ethnic minority’s Water-Sprinkling Festival — a remarkable feat at a time when Chinese society was relatively conservative.

Henry Fok Ying-tung, the late Hong Kong-based tycoon, once recalled: "At that time, when investing in the mainland, we always feared policy changes. Every time I went to Beijing, I had to see if the mural was still there. If it was, my heart would be more secure."

Preserving memories

As many of the artists and participants of the project have grown old or passed away, historians, scholars and experts were determined to ensure the artworks will live on forever.

Back in 2019, the AADTHU held an exhibition marking the project’s 40th anniversary. Nearly 30 former participants of the project were interviewed to record their memories, and documents, manuscripts and photos related to the project were also collected.

In addition, since April 2019, the AADTHU has been compiling a book on the Beijing airport murals based on two years of research. This year, the book will be published as part of celebrations to mark the 110th anniversary of Tsinghua University.

"An international airport is the gateway to a country. Machines or equipment may become obsolete over time, but the value of art will never go out of fashion. If an artwork was created based on ancient traditions but has new innovations, it is a valuable creation," said the late Ikuo Hirayama, one of the most celebrated contemporary Japanese artists, when commenting on Beijing’s airport murals.

Modern-day ‘Mogao Grottoes’ hidden in Beijing airport
http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2021-04/01/content_77367015.htm