Monthly Archives: September 2023

PR Newswire

VIRNECT and CelcomDigi sign MoU to develop experiential industrial Metaverse learning and education.

Leave a comment

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — CelcomDigi Berhad (CelcomDigi) and VIRNECT (438700: KOSDAQ), a Korea-based technology company that specializes in the development and commercialization of industrial extended reality (XR) solutions, have sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the development of experiential learning and education using metaverse, for multiple Malaysian universities.

[from left] Tim Ha, CEO of VIRNECT, Minister of Communications and Digital of Malaysia, YB Fahmi Fadzil, and Datuk Idham Nawawi, CEO of CelcomDigi, sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the development of experiential learning and education using Metaverse, for multiple Malaysian universities.
[from left] Tim Ha, CEO of VIRNECT, Minister of Communications and Digital of Malaysia, YB Fahmi Fadzil, and Datuk Idham Nawawi, CEO of CelcomDigi, sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the development of experiential learning and education using Metaverse, for multiple Malaysian universities.

Under the MoU, both organizations will collaborate to co-create industrial virtual learning programs reimagined using metaverse and AI-based solutions. Utilizing the Metaverse platform across various learning segments, students will be trained with an immersive learning and education method that will potentially benefit enterprises such as cybersecurity, healthcare, robotics, and oil and gas engineering.

CelcomDigi, via its Innovation Center, aspires to build the nation’s most inspiring innovation ecosystem by teaming up with VIRNECT and XRA, VIRNECT’s local partner and support team in Malaysia, to deliver strategic initiatives leveraging the capabilities of cutting-edge metaverse and AI-based technology solutions into higher learning institutions in Malaysia.

The collaboration aims to produce industry-ready graduates skilled in metaverse applications, building Malaysia’s digitalized society through cutting-edge solutions and technology. Local graduates will be enabled with the opportunity to harness the capabilities of the metaverse and transform beyond traditional knowledge and learning programs, accelerating the development of Malaysia’s future talents with AI-based digital growth.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at Westin Chosun Hotel on Sep 8, 2023, by Datuk Idham Nawawi, Chief Executive Officer of CelcomDigi Berhad, and Tim Ha, Chief Executive Officer of VIRNECT. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Minister of Communications and Digital of Malaysia, YB Fahmi Fadzil.

Commenting on the collaboration, CelcomDigi CEO Datuk Idham Nawawi said, “We are committed to bringing the best innovation that will greatly benefit the development of Malaysian industries by utilizing the real values of 5G technology. We are excited to collaborate with VIRNECT, an leading industrial XR technology expert, for the development and co-creation of experiential learning and education using Metaverse solutions. This strategic collaboration underscores our position of leveraging metaverse, 5G, and AI technology to potentially establish innovative and productive digital solutions for Malaysian enterprises, spurring Malaysia’s digital ecosystem into a new era of digital leadership.”

VIRNECT’s Southeast Asian Distributor, XRA, has been key to localising cutting-edge technology in Malaysia, and within this alliance, the company will continue spreading access to technology. Havene Liew, President of XRA, was “excited to partner with VIRNECT and CelcomDigi to spread XR technology in Malaysia. Through this collaboration, we aim to socialise the power of XR across the nation, enabling them to enhance productivity, efficiency, and innovation.”

Tim Ha, CEO of VIRNECT, celebrated the collaboration: “We are immensely grateful to have partners like CelcomDigi and XRA who share our passion for advancing technology to enhance how organizations work, learn, and communicate,” he expressed. “South Korea’s leading industrial company has leveraged XR technology to enhance data understanding and collaboration. As a global trendsetter, their success sets the stage for similar advancements in Malaysia, promising increased productivity and innovation across industries.”

[From Left] Havene Liew, President of XRA, Tim Ha, Chief Executive Officer of VIRNECT, YB Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Communications and Digital of Malaysia, Datuk Idham Nawawi, CEO of CelcomDigi, T. Kugan, Chief Innovation Officer of CelcomDigi and Joachim Rajaram, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of CelcomDigi.
[From Left] Havene Liew, President of XRA, Tim Ha, Chief Executive Officer of VIRNECT, YB Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Communications and Digital of Malaysia, Datuk Idham Nawawi, CEO of CelcomDigi, T. Kugan, Chief Innovation Officer of CelcomDigi and Joachim Rajaram, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of CelcomDigi.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

You Can Soon Text People Not on WhatsApp Via WhatsApp in the Future

Leave a comment

The digital age of smartphones and apps gave birth to plenty of alternatives for communication methods. We are not really talking about the evolution of 3G to 4G to the current 5G, or whatever that it will evolve into the future. We are talking about going back to messenger apps that sort of lost their appeal when mobile phones became a thing in the Windows XP era. Thanks to the large uptake of an app ecosystem like Apple’s App Store, WhatsApp became a big phenomenon, even bigger than the BlackBerry Messenger. Even with BlackBerry bringing their Messenger app, the rise of apps like Signal, and even Telegram, WhatsApp remains the most popular alternative messenger app you use on your smartphone. There is a good reason for that.

WhatApp, while starting out as a rather simple messenger app for the masses and bridging the gap between Apple iOS and Google Android users, has progressed to become something beyond a simple messenger. The look has not changed all that much to be fair, but the number of features that is packed into the app makes it one of the most complete messenger apps you have out there. One of biggest or most significant updates, at least in our opinions, is the introduction of Communities into the platform. They are not stopping there though.

WA THIRD PARTY CHATS SUPPORT EU REGULATION DMA ANDROID scaled
Source: WA Beta Info

According to the most reliable WhatsApp leak sources, WA Beta Info, WhatsApp is now working on bringing third-party messaging into the platform. This will be in accordance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations that obligate tech companies to offer a more global communication tool that allows users from different platforms to communicate with each other. That also means that you might be able to start texting your friend on Telegram or WeChat without having to download those apps or have any account on the apps and vice versa.

While it has appeared as a Beta feature on WhatsApp Beta version 2.23.19.8 for Android, it does not mean that we will see the feature coming as a fully developed feature anytime soon. There are plenty of things to work on when it comes to third-party app messaging abilities. For one, end-to-end encryption between different apps works rather differently from one another. While a previous interview tells us that the encryption protocol between Signal and WhatsApp is rather similar, there are no guarantees that both apps can communicate with each other without hiccups. There is also a problem of the different programming languages and architecture on the platforms for seamless transition and communication between each of the programs. You also want to keep in mind that not all the features that come out in the Beta version of WhatsApp will be released as a full feature for WhatsApp in the future.

This Beta feature is a little different though. It is developed in compliance with a sanctioned regulation. That also means that we will most likely see the feature being baked into WhatsApp and other messenger apps like Telegram and even Signal. It is just a matter of time.

PR Newswire

TargetRecruit Unveils Copilot: Revolutionising Artificial Intelligence for the Recruitment Industry

Leave a comment

SYDNEY, Sept. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — TargetRecruit is thrilled to announce Copilot, the first introduction of Generative AI, and an incredible leap forward in establishing the foundation for diverse native AI functionality within the TargetRecruit platform. 

Copilot is a feature that elevates user interaction with GPT-based models through seamless text generation capabilities, based on prompt input and context. Copilot leverages automated prompts to craft comprehensive, tailored job descriptions that perfectly match recruitment needs, save time, and streamline recruiter workflows with just a few clicks. Copilot’s user-friendly configuration empowers customisation, with the initial integration including OpenAI’s ChatGPT. 

Underpinning Copilot is an advanced AI Integration Framework designed to seamlessly integrate with any REST API-based Generative AI API, allowing the flexibility to connect with a wide array of AI models in the future. Enabling plug-and-play capabilities with preferred AI services will pave the way for a series of upcoming AI capabilities that will accelerate sales and recruiting productivity and efficiency. 

Copilot represents a significant milestone in TargetRecruit’s commitment to excellence where the power of Artificial Intelligence is propelling recruitment software into an era of unparalleled efficiency and innovation. As we move forward, we are excited to continue leading the way in recruitment software and artificial intelligence. 

About TargetRecruit

TargetRecruit provides a powerful CRM/ATS, sales, and middle office solution built on Salesforce – the world’s platform.  Headquartered in Houston, with offices in London, Sydney, and Bangalore, TargetRecruit employs over 100 people globally. To learn more, visit https://au.targetrecruit.com/.

Media contact: marketing@targetrecruit.com, +61 (0) 2 8365 3160

PR Newswire

Lotus Robotics Designated by Leading Automakers to License its Intelligent Driving Solutions

Leave a comment

NEW YORK and SINGAPORE, Sept. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Lotus Technology Inc. (“Lotus Tech” or the “Company”), a leading global luxury electric vehicle maker, announced today that its intelligent driving arm, Lotus Robotics, has been designated to license several leading automakers to provide them with its intelligent driving technology and software. The announcement demonstrates the R&D prowess that is driving the growth of Lotus Tech’s technology-related revenues as the Company executes its Vision80 business transformation strategy.

Lotus Robotics has advanced software capabilities and develops key intelligent driving algorithms, as well as testing and simulation tools. Its self-developed intelligent driving systems are used in all of the Company’s luxury lifestyle electric vehicles, including Eletre, its first fully electric hyper SUV, which began deliveries globally in March this year, and Emeya, its first electric hyper-GT, which was unveiled in New York on September 7. These vehicles feature innovative technologies, such as the world’s first deployable LiDAR system, and are fully embedded with best-in-class hardware that supports end-to-end intelligent driving solutions across scenarios ranging from highway, urban, to parking, which are expected to be integrated into the vehicles as premium functions through over-the-air updates.

Mr. Qingfeng Feng, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Tech, said, “We’re glad to see Lotus Robotics’ cutting-edge technologies being applied beyond our own luxury electric vehicles as we join our peers in advancing the development of intelligent driving solutions. These partnerships demonstrate Lotus Tech’s technology-related growth potential and further Lotus’s transformation under its Vision80 strategy into an intelligent, all-electric provider of sustainable luxury mobility ahead of its 80th anniversary in 2028.”

Lotus’s intelligent driving research and development commenced in 2018, and is committed to building the best platform for advanced intelligent driving technologies. Lotus Robotics has developed best-in-class hardware, award-winning algorithms and software, and powerful cloud solutions supported by its teams across Germany and China. Lotus Robotics has won awards in world-class competitions, including the CVPR 2023 Online HD Map Construction Challenge and the 2022 Argoverse Motion Forecasting Competition.

As announced in January 2023, Lotus Tech entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corp (“LCAA”) (NASDAQ: LCAA), a special purpose acquisition company formed by affiliates of L Catterton, a leading global consumer-focused investment firm. The transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement are expected to be completed later this year and would result in Lotus Tech becoming a public company with a pro forma enterprise value of approximately US$5.6 billion.

About Lotus Technology

Lotus Technology Inc., headquartered in Wuhan, China, has operations across China, the UK, and the EU. The Company is dedicated to delivering luxury lifestyle battery electric vehicles, including SUVs and sedans, with a focus on world-class R&D in next-generation automobility technologies such as electrification, digitalisation and more. For more information about Lotus Technology Inc., please visit www.group-lotus.com.

About L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corp

L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corp (NASDAQ: LCAA) is a blank check company incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. While it may pursue an initial target business in any industry or sector, it has focused its search on high-growth, consumer technology sectors across Asia. For more information about L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corp, please visit www.lcaac.com.

About L Catterton

L Catterton is a market-leading consumer-focused investment firm, managing approximately $34 billion of equity capital and three multi-product platforms: private equity, credit and real estate. Leveraging deep category insight, operational excellence, and a broad network of strategic relationships, L Catterton’s team of more than 200 investment and operating professionals across 17 offices partners with management teams to drive differentiated value creation across its portfolio. Founded in 1989, the firm has made over 250 investments in some of the world’s most iconic consumer brands. For more information about L Catterton, please visit lcatterton.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release (the “Press Release”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to Lotus Tech and LCAA. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this Press Release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential”, “forecast”, “plan”, “seek”, “future”, “propose” or “continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology although not all forward-looking statements contain such terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by LCAA and its management, and Lotus Tech and its management, as the case may be, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of definitive agreements with respect to the proposed Business Combination between LCAA, Lotus Tech and the other parties thereto (the “Business Combination”); (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against LCAA, the Combined Company or others following the announcement of the Business Combination and any definitive agreements with respect thereto; (3) the amount of redemption requests made by LCAA public shareholders and the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of LCAA, to obtain financing to complete the Business Combination or to satisfy other conditions to closing and; (4) changes to the proposed structure of the Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the Business Combination; (5) the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards following the consummation of the Business Combination; (6) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of the Company as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; (7) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the Combined Company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (8) costs related to the Business Combination; (9) risks associated with changes in applicable laws or regulations and Lotus Tech’s international operations; (10) the possibility that Lotus Tech or the Combined Company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (11) Lotus Tech’s estimates of expenses and profitability; (12) Lotus Tech’s ability to maintain agreements or partnerships with its strategic partner Geely Holding and to develop new agreements or partnerships; (13) Lotus Tech’s ability to maintain relationships with its existing suppliers and strategic partners, and source new suppliers for its critical components, and to complete building out its supply chain, while effectively managing the risks due to such relationships; (14) Lotus Tech’s reliance on its partnerships with vehicle charging networks to provide charging solutions for its vehicles and its strategic partners for servicing its vehicles and their integrated software; (15) Lotus Tech’s ability to establish its brand and capture additional market share, and the risks associated with negative press or reputational harm, including from lithium-ion battery cells catching fire or venting smoke; (16) delays in the design, manufacture, launch and financing of Lotus Tech’s vehicles and Lotus Tech’s reliance on a limited number of vehicle models to generate revenues; (17) Lotus Tech’s ability to continuously and rapidly innovate, develop and market new products; (18) risks related to future market adoption of Lotus Tech’s offerings; (19) increases in costs, disruption of supply or shortage of materials, in particular for lithium-ion cells or semiconductors; (20) Lotus Tech’s reliance on its partners to manufacture vehicles at a high volume, some of which have limited experience in producing electric vehicles, and on the allocation of sufficient production capacity to Lotus Tech by its partners in order for Lotus Tech to be able to increase its vehicle production capacities; (21) risks related to Lotus Tech’s distribution model; (22) the effects of competition and the high barriers to entry in the automotive industry, and the pace and depth of electric vehicle adoption generally on Lotus Tech’s future business; (23) changes in regulatory requirements, governmental incentives and fuel and energy prices; (24) the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on LCAA, Lotus Tech, Lotus Tech’s post business combination’s projected results of operations, financial performance or other financial metrics, or on any of the foregoing risks; and (25) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in LCAA’s final prospectus relating to its initial public offering (File No. 333-253334) declared effective by the SEC on March 10, 2021, and other documents filed, or to be filed, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) by LCAA or Lotus Tech, including the Registration/Proxy Statement (as defined below). There may be additional risks that neither LCAA nor Lotus Tech presently know or that LCAA or Lotus Tech currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.

Nothing in this Press Release should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved in any specified time frame, or at all, or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this Press Release represent the views of LCAA and Lotus Tech as of the date they are made. While LCAA and Lotus Tech may update these forward-looking statements in the future, LCAA and Lotus Tech specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, except to the extent required by applicable law. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Additional Information

In connection with the proposed Business Combination, (i) Lotus Tech will file with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-4 containing a preliminary proxy statement of LCAA and a preliminary prospectus (the “Registration/Proxy Statement”), and (ii) LCAA will file a definitive proxy statement relating to the proposed Business Combination (the “Definitive Proxy Statement”) and will mail the Definitive Proxy Statement and other relevant materials to its shareholders after the Registration/Proxy Statement is declared effective. The Registration/Proxy Statement will contain important information about the proposed Business Combination and the other matters to be voted upon at a meeting of LCAA shareholders to be held to approve the proposed Business Combination. This Press Release does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the proposed Business Combination and is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the Business Combination.

Before making any voting or other investment decisions, securityholders of LCAA and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the Registration/Proxy Statement and the amendments thereto and the Definitive Proxy Statement and other documents filed in connection with the proposed Business Combination, as these materials will contain important information about LCAA, Lotus Tech and the Business Combination. When available, the Definitive Proxy Statement and other relevant materials for the proposed Business Combination will be mailed to shareholders of LCAA as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed Business Combination. Shareholders will also be able to obtain copies of the Registration/Proxy Statement, the Definitive Proxy Statement and other documents filed with the SEC, without charge, once available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: LCAA, 8 Marina View, Asia Square Tower 1, #41-03, Singapore 018960, attention: Katie Matarazzo.

INVESTMENT IN ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SEC OR ANY OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY NOR HAS ANY AUTHORITY PASSED UPON OR ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE OFFERING OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

Participants in the Solicitation

LCAA and Lotus Tech, and certain of their directors and executive officers, may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from LCAA’s shareholders with respect to the proposed Business Combination. A list of the names of those directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in LCAA is set forth in LCAA’s filings with the SEC (including LCAA’s final prospectus related to its initial public offering (File No. 333-253334) declared effective by the SEC on March 10, 2021), and are available free of charge at the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to LCAA, 8 Marina View, Asia Square Tower 1, #41-03, Singapore 018960, attention: Katie Matarazzo. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants and other persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of the shareholders in connection with the proposed Business Combination will be contained in the Registration/Proxy Statement for the proposed Business Combination when available.

No Offer and Non-Solicitation

This Press Release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transaction and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of LCAA or Lotus Tech, nor shall there be any sale of any such 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 such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act.

Contact Information

For inquiries regarding Lotus Tech
Demi Zhang
ir@group-lotus.com

Brunswick Group
Lotustechmedia@brunswickgroup.com

For inquiries regarding LCAA and/or L Catterton
Julie Hamilton (U.S.)
media@lcatterton.com
+1 203 742 5185

Bob Ong / Bonnie Gan (Asia)
bob.ong@lcatterton.com / bonnie.gan@lcatterton.com 
+65 6672 7619 / +86 10 8555 1807

PR Newswire

China International Intelligent Communication Forum 2023 Builds up International Consensus and Facilitates Media Innovation

Leave a comment

WUXI, China, Sept. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The China International Intelligent Communication Forum 2023, hosted by China Media Group and the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government, took place in Wuxi, Jiangsu on September 7 to 9.

China International Intelligent Communication Forum 2023
China International Intelligent Communication Forum 2023

The forum has been held twice since 2021, building a high-end platform for international exchanges and cooperation in intelligent communication. Themed on “A New Journey towards Boundless Connectivity”, this year’s forum brought together former political dignitaries, representatives of international organizations, ambassadors to China, as well as Chinese and foreign media representatives, experts, scholars and entrepreneurs. They shared views and achievements on the development trend of intelligent communication, media responsibility in the era of intelligence, and so forth.

Participants of the forum included relevant leaders of China Media Group and the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government, relevant officials of the Wuxi Municipal People’s Government, Lin Shangli, President of Renmin University of China, Matteo Renzi, Former Prime Minister of Italy, Erik Solheim, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and President of the EU-Asia Centre, Shahbaz Khan, Representative of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, and John Collins, Academician of Cambridge University. They attended the forum in person or via video link and delivered speeches. During the forum, China Media Group grandly released the “CMG Algorithm”.

Representatives of young people at home and abroad were invited for a round-table dialogue, to seek solutions from a multicultural perspective through discussions, which centered around new opportunities and challenges faced by the young generation in the era of intelligent media.

Three sub-forums on “Intelligent Technology” , “Intelligent Consumption” and “Intelligent Culture” were held, together with activities such as “‘Wuxi onto the World Stage’ Global Livestream”, “Internet Celebrity’s Journey to Wuxi ” , and “Ambassadors’ Wuxi Tour”.

Wuxi, the host city, has long been known as “A Shinning Pearl of Taihu Lake and A Prosperous Land of Jiangnan Region”. With over 3,000 years of written records, Wuxi was one of the birthplaces of Wu culture and became the cradle of Chinese national industry and commerce in the 20th century. In recent years, Wuxi has taken the forum as an opportunity to develop intelligent media industry and apply cooperation achievements.

PR Newswire

Exiger Announces Capgemini Will Acquire its FCC Advisory Division as Exiger Continues to Accelerate and Focus the Scaling of its Third Party Risk and Supply Chain Management Technology Business

Leave a comment

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Exiger, the SaaS company revolutionizing the way corporations, government agencies and banks manage supply chains, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Capgemini, a leading business and technology transformation services company, for the sale of its market-leading Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) division. The transaction is due to close in the coming months.

Exiger Announces Capgemini Will Acquire its Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) Advisory Division as Exiger Continues to Accelerate and Focus the Scaling of its Third Party Risk and Supply Chain Management Technology Business
Exiger Announces Capgemini Will Acquire its Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) Advisory Division as Exiger Continues to Accelerate and Focus the Scaling of its Third Party Risk and Supply Chain Management Technology Business

This comes at a time when Exiger is experiencing accelerated growth and penetration in the third-party risk and supply chain management software market.

Founded in 2013, the FCC division of Exiger comprises a team of experts with offices in North America, EMEA and APAC. This team specializes in advisory, analytics and managed services relating to anti-money laundering, Know Your Customer (KYC), anti-bribery & corruption, suspicious activity monitoring, sanctions, transaction monitoring, and fraud. Exiger’s client roster is highly complementary to Capgemini’s and includes major players in banking, capital markets and fintechs.

“This sale marks an enormous milestone in the evolution and growth of Exiger,” said Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels. “Capgemini’s acquisition allows us to focus on our core third-party risk and supply chain management technology business, reinforcing our strength, market leadership and accelerated growth. As we continue to invest in cutting edge AI solutions for our customers across the public and private sectors, we’re thrilled that our market-leading advisory team will be able to continue the next leg of their growth journey with such a distinct leader in their space.”

“Financial crime compliance requirements are evolving at pace so financial institutions are looking to adopt data driven, technology enabled solutions to support their end-to-end FCC transformation,” comments Anirban Bose, CEO of Capgemini’s Financial Services and Group Executive Board Member. “The deep domain expertise of the FCC Division of Exiger will help us to further address growing client demand for these services. I am delighted to welcome them to our team.”

TD Cowen served as exclusive financial advisor and Dechert LLP served as legal counsel to Exiger on the transaction.

About Exiger
Exiger is revolutionizing the way corporations, government agencies and banks navigate risk and compliance in their third-parties, supply chains and customers through its software and tech-enabled solutions. Exiger’s mission is to make the world a safer and more transparent place to succeed. Emboldening its 550 customers across the globe, including 150 in the Fortune 500 and over 50 government agencies, with award-winning AI technology, Exiger leads the way in ESG, cyber, financial crime, third-party and supply chain management. Its work has been recognized by 40+ AI, RegTech and Supply Chain partner awards.  Learn more at Exiger.com and follow Exiger on LinkedIn.

Contact:
Kody Gurfein
Chief Marketing Officer for Exiger
1.914.393.0398
kgurfein@exiger.com

Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels: “Capgemini’s acquisition allows us to focus on our core third-party risk and supply chain management technology business, reinforcing our strength, market leadership and accelerated growth. As we continue to invest in cutting edge AI solutions for our customers across the public and private sectors, we’re thrilled that our market-leading advisory team will be able to continue the next leg of their growth journey with such a distinct leader in their space.”
Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels: “Capgemini’s acquisition allows us to focus on our core third-party risk and supply chain management technology business, reinforcing our strength, market leadership and accelerated growth. As we continue to invest in cutting edge AI solutions for our customers across the public and private sectors, we’re thrilled that our market-leading advisory team will be able to continue the next leg of their growth journey with such a distinct leader in their space.”
PR Newswire

MicroCloud Hologram develops ChatGPT holographic virtual digital human technology

Leave a comment

BEIJING, Sept. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — MicroCloud Hologram Inc. (NASDAQ: HOLO) (“HOLO” or the “Company”), a Hologram Digital Twins Technology provider, today announced the development of a holographic virtual digital human based on ChatGPT (GereratePre-Training) generative pre-training model, adopted in speech processing, through the use of large amounts of training data to simulate human language behavior, and through grammar and semantic analysis, generate human-understandable text. It can provide accurate and appropriate responses based on context and context, and simulate a variety of emotions and tones. In this way, users can feel a more real and natural dialogue experience when interacting with digital virtual people.

Through AI intelligent speech recognition, speech synthesis, natural language understanding and other technologies, HOLO’s Digital Human adopts ChatGPT generative pre-training model, so that virtual digital people can understand and realize human-computer interaction experience with emotion. Through deep learning and training of artificial intelligence, the accuracy of speech recognition and sentiment analysis is constantly improved. The training process of holographic virtual human voice interaction is very complicated and requires a lot of computing resources and data. During training, the model constantly learns various rules and patterns of the language and is able to make semantic understanding based on context. The advantage of ChatGPT is that it can generate very natural and fluent language and is able to understand complex language structures and patterns. It is also capable of generating high-quality text based on a given text, and is capable of simulating human-like conversations and answers, making the voice expression of holographic virtual digital people more natural.

The voice interaction of holographic virtual digital human needs a powerful high-quality knowledge graph library, which needs to be accumulated through a large number of long-term speech training models, which will be an important direction of future research and development. HOLO R&D team has also done a lot of research and development work in this direction, using artificial intelligence data annotation technology, can achieve a large amount of data accumulation.

Holographic virtual digital people are attached to dialogue-based products and carriers, and their future development space is broad. HOLO’s ChatGPt-based holographic virtual digital people can be applied to many fields, such as virtual human content creation, virtual human customer service, games, social networking, education, family care and other fields.

In the field of 2C, it can be applied to games, entertainment and cultural media to create holographic virtual digital human IP matrix, and holographic virtual digital human application scenarios are wide, such as short video, games, network literature and other digital content ecology. At present, holographic virtual digital people have been applied in the live broadcasting industry. With the development of online live broadcasting industry, virtual anchors have become a new popular role with their perfect human design, appearance and voice, which contributes to the development of the holographic virtual digital people industry and is also one of the models for the commercialization of holographic virtual digital people.

The development of virtual digital human industry involves many technical fields, including AI technology, real-time rendering technology, 3D modeling technology and motion capture technology. In addition to constructing a variety of holographic virtual human IP matrix, AI technology, real-time rendering technology, 3D modeling technology and motion capture technology are applied to develop the intelligent and scene-oriented development of holographic virtual human. With the prosperity and development of pan-entertainment ecology, holographic virtual digital characters will appear in more online scenes such as music platforms, games, and live broadcasts.

In the 2B field, holographic virtual digital human customer service and live delivery of goods achieve 24-hour online service. With the progress of technology, the function of holographic virtual digital people is no longer limited to meeting the entertainment needs of the public, and the application of B-side scenarios is also constantly expanding. In the future, virtual digital people will gradually penetrate marketing, government affairs, banking, real estate and other fields, and service-oriented functions will be highlighted to help enterprises achieve cost reduction and efficiency, and the holographic virtual digital people industry will develop in the direction of scale and social services. At present, virtual digital people are still in the primary stage of artificial intelligence. Identity and functional virtual digital people in the virtual customer service, virtual shopping guide, virtual tour guide, virtual anchor, e-commerce live broadcast and other industries slowly began to land, the future application prospects are very broad.

In the future, people may be able to see the figure of holographic virtual digital people in multiple industries, and holographic virtual digital people services can bring people a sense of freshness, and can overcome some space and time factors to achieve multi-scene services.

About MicroCloud Hologram Inc.

MicroCloud Hologram Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLO) engages in the research and development, and application of holographic technology. MicroCloud Hologram provides its holographic technology services to its customers worldwide. MicroCloud Hologram also provides holographic digital twin technology services and has a proprietary holographic digital twin technology resource library. MicroCloud holographic digital twin technology resource library captures shapes and objects in 3D holographic form by utilizing a combination of holographic digital twin software, digital content, spatial data-driven data science, holographic digital cloud algorithm, and holographic 3D capture technology. MicroCloud Hologram technology services include holographic light detection and ranging (LiDAR) solutions based on holographic technology, holographic LiDAR point cloud algorithms architecture design, technical holographic imaging solutions, holographic LiDAR sensor chip design, and holographic vehicle intelligent vision technology to service customers that provide holographic advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Safe Harbor Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this press release, as well as the Company’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward−looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward−looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on Forms 20−F and 6−K, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward−looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company’s goals and strategies; the Company’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the AR holographic industry; and the Company’s expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F and current report on Form 6-K and other documents filed with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable laws.

Source: MicroCloud Hologram Inc.

PR Newswire

mirrorboard Launches AI Stock Image Global Service, ‘Recipe-p’

Leave a comment

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — mirrorboard corp., an AI startup, announced on the 4th of September that it has successfully launched ‘Recipe-p,’ a stock image service using generative AI technology.


 Recipe-p is a second-generation AI stock image service created to solve the problems of the traditional stock image market, offering a library of over 100,000 AI stock images for free. Furthermore, Recipe-p regularly updates its AI stock images based on user preferences through its in-house developed AI model engine.

 The commercial stock image market is already widely used but poses a significant burden on users due to high costs and license expiration issues. Even with free stock image services, the images are often duplicated and used by millions worldwide, making it challenging to find unique images. Recipe-p has tackled these issues by providing life-like images using generative AI technology. AI stock images generated based on user input are unique, ensuring that users can access distinctive visuals. Currently, Recipe-p offers over 100,000 AI stock images and has gained popularity with over 2,000 sign-ups on its launch day alone.

The service currently focuses on offering portrait photos and plans to expand into various categories such as animals, objects, nature, and landscapes. Additionally, Recipe-p will provide editing features like AI content creation, inpainting, resizing, and upscaling.

Tae-Hyung Yu and Hae-Chan Moon, co-founders of mirrorboard which is a member company of Born2Global Centre, stated, “AI technology is about creating equal opportunities for more people,” and expressed their commitment to enhancing the accessibility and convenience of AI stock image usage through Recipe-p, ultimately transforming the global stock image market.

PR Newswire

CGTN: Regional economic integration promotes China-ASEAN common prosperity

Leave a comment

BEIJING, Sept. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Themed “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit concluded on Friday in Jakarta, Indonesia, with a series of positive outcomes.

Deepening ASEAN-China cooperation would benefit people on both sides, said Secretary-General of ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn on Thursday.

Regional economic integration

Addressing the 26th China-ASEAN Summit on Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged China and the ASEAN countries to enhance connectivity, deepen cooperation on industrial and supply chains, strive to complete in 2024 the negotiations on the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) 3.0 and steadily advance regional economic integration.

During the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, Li noted that in June this year, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) entered into full effect, which brought new opportunities for regional economic integration.

“We need to further bring out the potential of the agreement, boost the free flow of factors, and expand and upgrade our trade and investment. We need to advance our comprehensive, mutually beneficial and high-quality economic partnership, and move toward an integrated regional market that is more open and vibrant,” he said.

China has proposed to accelerate ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Negotiations and strives to conclude negotiations in 2024, according to a list of China’s cooperation initiatives for the ASEAN-related summits.

The Version-3.0 China-ASEAN FTA will bring tangible benefits to local residents, said Shi Zhongjun, secretary-general of the ASEAN-China Center, adding that the unilateralist, protectionist policies pursued by some countries outside the region have had certain impact on cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, including that between China and ASEAN.

Belt and Road cooperation

During the 26th China-ASEAN Summit, a joint statement was issued on mutually beneficial cooperation between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

China welcomes the active participation of ASEAN countries in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Li said on Wednesday.

Under the BRI cooperation framework, China and ASEAN have enhanced cooperation on infrastructure and regional cooperation.

The China–Laos railway had made a total of 20.09 million passenger trips as of April 16, with the section of the railway within China handling 17.09 million passenger trips and that outside China handling three million passenger trips since it went into operation in December 2021, according to data from China Railway.

The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, a BRI flagship project in Cambodia, has become the Southeast Asian country’s largest industrial zone, accommodating up to 175 factories so far.

Fruitful cooperation results

During the China-ASEAN Summit, a series of outcome documents were adopted, including a joint statement on deepening agricultural cooperation between China and ASEAN, an action plan on China-ASEAN green agricultural development (2023-2027), an initiative on enhancing bilateral e-commerce cooperation and an initiative on jointly implementing a China-ASEAN science and technology innovation enhancement program.

Data from China’s Ministry of Commerce showed that the trade volume between China and ASEAN reached $975.3 billion in 2022, up 11.2 percent year on year and surging by 120 percent from the level of 2013.

As of the end of July, the cumulative two-way investment exceeded $380 billion, and China had set up more than 6,500 enterprises with direct investment in ASEAN.

The past decade also saw ASEAN become China’s top trading partner in 2020, surpassing the European Union and the U.S.

“Looking ahead, I think ASEAN-China bilateral trade will increase three fold in the next 20 years, and the investment will increase accordingly,” said Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian ambassador to China.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-09-08/Regional-economic-integration-promotes-China-ASEAN-common-prosperity–1mW7i3aFKlW/index.html

News

Meet the ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard KW100: A Perky, Fun, Colourful Keyboard for MYR179

Leave a comment

ASUS Malaysia has unveiled the Marshmallow Keyboard KW100, a wireless keyboard that combines style, functionality, and versatility. This compact keyboard is not only eye-catching with its Oat Milk and Green Tea Latte colour options, but it also boasts a range of features that make it a valuable addition to any computing setup.

ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard 9

What sets the ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard apart is its distinct colour schemes. Available in Oat Milk and Green Tea Latte, this keyboard breaks away from the monotony of traditional black, beige, or grey keyboards. Even essential keys like Spacebar, Enter, and Esc are thoughtfully designed in a darker shade for better visibility. This unique colour palette not only adds a touch of sophistication but also pairs perfectly with modern laptops, PCs, and tablets.

The Marshmallow Keyboard comes with scissor keys that are meticulously engineered to offer a typing feel that’s both familiar and enjoyable, with a 1.6mm travel distance for enhanced comfort. What’s more, the keystrokes are impressively quiet, thanks to a foam layer that reduces keyboard noise to less than 50 dB per keystroke. This ensures you can work in peace without the distraction of noisy typing. Additionally, the keyboard features two-level adjustable kickstands, allowing you to find the ideal typing position.

ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard 10

The ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard offers Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity, allowing it to connect seamlessly with up to three devices, including laptops, PCs, and tablets. Switching between devices is effortless, enhancing your productivity. It also includes two system switch keys, making it easy to toggle between different operating modes, whether you’re using Windows, ChromeOS, MacOS, iOS, or iPadOS. This versatility ensures you can work efficiently, no matter your device.

ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard 6
ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard 7
ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard 1
ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard 2
ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard 3
ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard 4
ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard 5

Durability is a key focus for ASUS. The Marshmallow Keyboard is equipped with up to 10 million click switches, ensuring it stands the test of time. Each key is coated with UV-resistant material for added longevity. Plus, ASUS has taken an eco-friendly approach by packaging the keyboard in paper-based packaging, significantly reducing plastic waste.

Availability and Pricing

The ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard KW100 is now available in Malaysia, priced at MYR179.

If you’re looking for a matching accessory, the Marshmallow Mouse MD100, also available in the new Oat Milk and Green Tea Latte colour schemes, can be purchased for RM149.