Tag Archives: STW

YouLianCloud Officially Accesses Baidu ERNIE Bot, Driving the Development of Financial AIGC

SHANGHAI, Feb. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — On February 14, 2023, YouLianCloud announced to be the first batch of early experience officers of ERNIE Bot. Subsequently, YouLianCloud will fully experience ERNIE Bot ‘s ability to use AI to drive intelligent financial content production and jointly promote smarter, better quality financial intelligence products and services.

Next, YouLianCloud will apply the results of Baidu’s leading intelligent dialogue technology in the field of financial AIGC. This move marks the priority of YouLianCloud to gain the support of leading AI technology, and also marks the first landing of conversational language modeling technology in domestic financial intelligence scenarios.

ERNIE Bot is a generative conversational product launched by Baidu based on Wenxin’s large model technology.

As the leading intelligent financial information engine in China, YouLianCloud takes ecological connection as the core, deeply cultivates the financial industry and AIGC, uses natural language processing, big data and knowledge graph technology, relies on intelligent creation, intelligent connection, intelligent opinion integration financial SaaS, and provides enterprises with intelligent applications for multiple scenarios such as sales, marketing, investment research, and risk control.

In 2020, with ecological connection as the core, YouLianCloud launched the intelligent financial information connection engine “YouLian Connection” to automate and intelligently connect the online communication mode in real time, safely and accurately, helping enterprises to realize cost reduction and efficiency increase. In 2021, YouLianCloud deeply researched the field of financial AI and cultivated rich insight into the needs of the financial sector. By combining natural language processing, Knowledge Graph and generative AI technology, YouLianCloud launched the intelligent financial information creation platform “YouLian AIGC”, which generates content in the form of intelligent financial information and intelligent financial videos to help enterprises develop intelligently.

At present, “ERNIE Bot” is making a sprint before going online. YouLianCloud has priority to internal testing with ERNIE Bot, and integrates ERNIE Bot’s technical capabilities. It will deepen cooperation with Baidu in various fields such as product development and standard formulation. With the assistance of Baidu’s technical team, YouLianCloud will continue to build diversified solutions for more financial scenarios. Through technology sharing, training empowerment, and joint marketing, YouLianCloud will strengthen its competitiveness, create more financial AI application solutions and services for users, and ultimately unlock new industrial opportunities and lead industrial transformation and upgrading.

Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/youliancloud-officially-accesses-baidu-ernie-bot-driving-the-development-of-financial-aigc-301751343.html

/C O R R E C T I O N — Relativity/


Correction of Press Release: In the news release, The EPA Deploys Relativity’s SaaS Platform as its Cloud Solution for FOIA Requests, issued February 15, 2023, at 8:00 AM EST by Relativity over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that the EPA’s eDiscovery Division leverages RelativityOne Government for responding to litigation, Congressional Requests and FOIA matters, and that the ongoing work by Relativity and Deloitte is not associated with EPA’s FOIAonline or EPA’s National FOIA Office. 

The EPA Deploys Relativity’s SaaS Platform as its Cloud Solution for FOIA Requests

Deloitte supported the agency’s migration to RelativityOne Government, which provides integrated AI and state-of-the-art security

CHICAGO, Feb. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Relativity and Deloitte today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deployed Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) authorized SaaS platform, RelativityOne Government, as its cloud solution for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Relativity, a global legal technology company, with the support of Deloitte, a market-leading provider of litigation support and e-discovery services, helped facilitate the agency’s migration to RelativityOne Government. This move to RelativityOne Government provides the EPA with the security, flexibility and extensibility of the cloud-based data discovery product powered by AI.

“Our advanced AI capabilities empower teams at the EPA to spend less time combing through mountains of data and more time collaborating and gleaning insights from analytics,” said Doug Cowan, Managing Director, Government Sales at Relativity. “The EPA is able to use the information to guide courses of action for their litigation matters or FOIA requests, which is additive to the litigation and e-discovery matters in which they were already leveraging RelativityOne Government. We look forward to seeing what the EPA will accomplish with a platform built exclusively for the cloud, and hope that it encourages other U.S. government agencies that are contemplating the use of SaaS solutions for their e-discovery work.”

The EPA processes thousands of FOIA requests per year. The intuitive RelativityOne Government solution provides the EPA with the flexibility and speed to process this large volume of FOIA requests, and handle litigation and investigations of varying sizes securely and accurately. The solution creates a consistent and repeatable approach which allows for lower costs, reduced risks and an increased efficiency in the agency’s processes. 

“Deloitte’s experience supporting one of the first agencies to move to RelativityOne Government adds to the extensive and varied history Deloitte has in helping clients leverage innovative technology to achieve their goals,” said Chris Knox, Advisory Managing Director, Deloitte Transactions and Business Analytics LLP and leader of Deloitte’s Government and Public Sector Discovery practice. He added, “our extensive knowledge in shaping, planning and driving the migration to the cloud and Relativity’s commitment to building the secure and scalable platform for the public sector, were key factors in the EPA’s successful deployment.”

RelativityOne Government enables the EPA to respond to government matters of increasing complexity, demand, unpredictability and sensitivity. Data-driven insights and related decision-making in the public sector has grown exponentially, and RelativityOne Government helps agencies more securely and efficiently identify relevant documents, personally identifiable information and privileged data.

About Relativity

Relativity makes software to help users organize data, discover the truth and act on it. Its SaaS platform RelativityOne manages large volumes of data and quickly identifies key issues during litigation and internal investigations. Relativity has more than 300,000 users in approximately 40 countries serving thousands of organizations globally, primarily in legal, financial services and government sectors. Please contact Relativity at sales@relativity.com or visit http://www.relativity.com for more information.

About Deloitte

As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte & Touche LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

Please contact Deloitte at governmentdiscovery@deloitte.com or visit www.deloitte.com/us/government for more information.

CONTACT: PR@relativity.com

The Future of Mine Face Mapping: Mine Vision Systems Launches the FaceCapture™ Mapping System


The FaceCapture™ mapping system delivers actionable insights in real-time to geologists making daily mine face decisions involving production, efficiency, worker safety, and ESG

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Today Mine Vision Systems (MVS) announced the release of the FaceCapture mapping system (FaceCapture) to optimize decision predictability at the mine face. FaceCapture provides real-time insights at a level of precision not previously available while simultaneously reducing the geologist’s time at the face by over 80%.

“Our engineering efforts have been focused on building a system that delivers the right information at the right time without disruption to existing processes,” said Scott Thayer, MVS’s Chief Strategy Officer. “FaceCapture integrates georeferenced 3D point cloud and high resolution images into 3D meshes that can be imported into mine plans through industry standard file formats, providing real-time information to geologists to help them make the decisions they were trained to make.”

“FaceCapture empowers our customers to easily standardize on 3D data by adapting to existing surveying, geological, and geotechnical mapping workflows across the enterprise. We are grateful for the collaboration we have received from many of those customers to deliver this transformational product,” said Mike Smocer, MVS’s CEO.

MVS will be showcasing the FaceCapture mapping system at the MINEXCHANGE 2023 SME Annual Conference in Denver on February 26 through March 1, at booth 1574.

ABOUT MINE VISION SYSTEMS

Founded in 2015, MVS focuses on bringing vision-related technology and software algorithms to the resources mining industry. As pioneers in the underground 3D mapping space, we work worldwide to improve efficiency, safety, production and automation in mining through unmatched data collection and workflow.

Logo – https://techent.tv/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/the-future-of-mine-face-mapping-mine-vision-systems-launches-the-facecapture-mapping-system.jpg 

Hollysys Automation Technologies Reports Unaudited Financial Results for the Second Quarter and the First Half Year Ended December 31, 2022

First Half of Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Highlights

  • Total revenues were $414.8 million, an increase of 12.2% compared to the comparable prior year period.
  • Gross margin was 36.1%, compared to 35.3% for the comparable prior year period. Non-GAAP gross margin was 36.3%, compared to 35.4% for the comparable prior year period.
  • Net income attributable to Hollysys was $69.6 million, an increase of 57.1% compared to the comparable prior year period. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys was $72.5 million, an increase of 41.4% compared to the comparable prior year period.
  • Diluted earnings per share was $1.12, an increase of 55.6% compared to the comparable prior year period. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share was $1.17, an increase of 41.0% compared to the comparable prior year period.
  • Net cash provided by operating activities was $16.5 million.
  • Days sales outstanding (“DSO”) was 144 days, compared to 173 days for the comparable prior year period.
  • Inventory turnover days were 74 days, compared to 48 days for the comparable prior year period.

Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2023 Financial Highlights

  • Total revenues were $244.7 million, an increase of 13.2% compared to the comparable prior year period.
  • Gross margin was 39.6%, compared to 36.1% for the comparable prior year period. Non-GAAP gross margin was 39.7%, compared to 36.2% for the comparable prior year period.
  • Net income attributable to Hollysys was $48.2 million, an increase of 60.4% compared to the comparable prior year period. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys was $49.5 million, an increase of 49.4% compared to the comparable prior year period.
  • Diluted earnings per share was $0.78, an increase of 59.2% compared to the comparable prior year period. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.80, an increase of 48.1% compared to the comparable prior year period.
  • Net cash provided by operating activities was $15.5 million.
  • DSO was 119 days, compared to 147 days for the comparable prior year period.
  • Inventory turnover days were 72 days, compared to 50 days for the comparable prior year period.

See the section entitled “Non-GAAP Measures” for more information about non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share.

BEIJING, Feb. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: HOLI) (“Hollysys,”  the “Company” or “we”), a leading provider of automation and control technologies and applications in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter and the first half of fiscal year 2023 ended December 31, 2022.

The Industrial Automation (“IA”) business kept up its strong momentum with increased market shares and broader market recognition.

In the chemical and petrochemical field, Hollysys continued to win mid and high profile contracts with our good client relationship and competitive positioning. We have successfully signed the whole-plant integrated simulation project of China’s largest single set of synthetic ammonia and urea plant, with Hollysys providing MACSV system for the power station. Also, we provided the HiaPlant SCADA system for Zhongyuan Oilfield, the second largest oil and gas field under China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation. The system has successfully monitored production performance, optimized process parameters, and ensured safe production during operation, providing reliable technical support for the project. In addition, we signed a contract for the overhaul and rectification of 16 sets of control systems for 10 million tons of oil refining enterprises of the Branch of PetroChina, providing Coordination Control System (“CCS”), Distributed Control System (“DCS”) and Gas Detection System (“GDS”). Since then, the Coordination Control System (“CCS”), Safety Instrumented System (“SIS”), DCS and other systems of Hollysys have achieved a full coverage in various branches of China’s oil refineries, power plants, olefin plants and other plants, marking another important breakthrough of Hollysys in the field of control systems for 10 million tons of oil refining enterprises. In project delivery, our innovative technology product Optical Control System (“OCS”) has been successfully applied in Sinopec’s super-large coal chemical projects, setting a positive example in the promotion and application of this innovative technology in future large-scale petrochemical and chemical projects.

In the smart factory field, we successfully signed the project of automatic control system (providing OCS, SIS and GDS) and factory intelligent management system of Jingyuan Coal Power Clean and Efficient Gasification Comprehensive Utilization Project Phase I. The application of OCS in this project is expected to present the extra advantages the system brought to users. This project is also a localization initiative of Hollysys in the gasifier field, which will further promote our localization impact.

In Rail Transportation Automation (“RTA”) business, we maintain our market position. In the high-speed rail sector, the Changde-Yiyang section of the ChongqingXiamen high-speed railway, equipped with Hollysys train control center (“TCC”), was put into operation. In the urban rail transit section, we signed the smart inspection project for Line 1 of the Dalian Metro, which represents the first smart pilot project of the Dalian Metro and will put into application Hollysys’ edge smart control in the field of smart inspection. Meanwhile, branch lines of Shenzhen Metro Line 14 and Line 6 entered into operation smoothly with the support of Hollysys’ industrial control cloud access system, unmanned aerial vehicle detection system and other measures to improve the smartness of the project. In terms of highway projects, we won the weather monitoring related bids successively in Inner Mongolia, Sanmenxia and Shaanxi, providing HOLI “travel in all weather” traffic system that combines cloud and big data systems, enabling accurate inclement weather monitoring and warning, effective traffic emergency response and so on. In the tunnel monitoring and control sector, we also won consecutive bids in the provision of intelligent controllers and smart tunnel integrated management platforms, which demonstrates our dedication to contributing to the smart upgrades in highway systems.

The mechanical and electrical solutions (“M&E”) segment of the Company also manifested a stable performance with our smooth executions on various projects. The risk monitor and control are still expected to be our future focus in this field.

With our continuous dedication to the industry and the support of experienced and passionate experts, we believe that we will continue to create greater value for our clients and shareholders.

Second Quarter and First Half Year Ended December 31, 2022 Unaudited Financial Results Summary 

(In USD thousands, except for %, number of shares and per share data)

Three months ended
December 31,

Six months ended
December 31,

2022

2021

%
Change

2022

2021

%
Change

Revenues

$

244,731

216,251

13.2 %

$

414,774

369,636

12.2 %

    Integrated solutions contracts
revenue

$

188,929

166,505

13.5 %

$

332,055

291,068

14.1 %

    Products sales

$

12,014

9,871

21.7 %

$

23,788

19,517

21.9 %

    Service rendered

$

43,788

39,875

9.8 %

$

58,931

59,051

(0.2) %

Cost of revenues

$

147,892

138,264

7.0 %

$

265,085

239,254

10.8 %

Gross profit

$

96,839

77,987

24.2 %

$

149,689

130,382

14.8 %

Total operating expenses

$

48,993

54,268

(9.7) %

$

85,296

91,947

(7.2) %

    Selling

$

16,025

13,620

17.7 %

$

29,038

23,029

26.1 %

    General and administrative

$

19,741

25,965

(24.0) %

$

32,473

43,040

(24.6) %

    Research and development

$

20,431

20,611

(0.9) %

$

37,790

36,660

3.1 %

    VAT refunds and government
subsidies

$

(7,204)

(5,928)

21.5 %

$

(14,005)

(10,782)

29.9 %

Income from operations

$

47,846

23,719

101.7 %

$

64,393

38,435

67.5 %

Other income (expense), net

$

56

(9)

(722.2) %

$

1,121

959

16.9 %

Foreign exchange (loss) gain

$

(574)

(1,288)

(55.4) %

$

3,523

(1,714)

(305.5) %

Gains on disposal of investments in an
     equity investee

$

7,995

(100.0) %

$

7,995

(100.0) %

Share of net income of equity investees

$

1,068

774

38.0 %

$

1,665

986

68.9 %

Gains on disposal of an investment in
     securities

$

845

100.0 %

$

845

100.0 %

Dividend income from equity
     investments

$

179

(100.0) %

$

179

(100.0) %

Interest income

$

2,918

3,323

(12.2) %

$

6,079

6,183

(1.7) %

Interest expenses

$

(225)

(22)

922.7 %

$

(369)

(366)

0.8 %

Income tax expenses

$

3,626

4,767

(23.9) %

$

7,506

8,669

(13.4) %

Net income (loss) attributable to non-
     controlling interests

$

65

(167)

(138.9) %

$

108

(341)

(131.7) %

Net income attributable to Hollysys
     Automation Technologies Ltd.

$

48,243

30,071

60.4 %

$

69,643

44,329

57.1 %

Basic earnings per share

$

0.79

0.49

61.2 %

$

1.13

0.73

54.8 %

Diluted earnings per share

$

0.78

0.49

59.2 %

$

1.12

0.72

55.6 %

Share-based compensation expenses

$

940

2,713

(65.4) %

$

2,178

6,306

(65.5) %

Amortization of acquired intangible
assets

$

337

353

(4.5) %

$

677

632

7.1 %

Non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys
     Automation Technologies
     Ltd.(1)

$

49,520

33,137

49.4 %

$

72,498

51,267

41.4 %

Non-GAAP basic earnings per share(1)

$

0.81

0.54

50.0 %

$

1.18

0.84

40.5 %

Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share(1)

$

0.80

0.54

48.1 %

$

1.17

0.83

41.0 %

Basic weighted average number of
     ordinary shares outstanding

61,440,191

60,946,596

0.8 %

61,378,846

60,884,346

0.8 %

Diluted weighted average number of
     ordinary shares outstanding

62,007,655

61,682,393

0.5 %

61,969,551

61,556,602

0.7 %

(1) See the section entitled “Non-GAAP Measures” for more information about these non-GAAP measures.

Operational Results Analysis for the First Half Year Ended December 31, 2022

Total revenues for the six months ended December 31, 2022 were $414.8 million, as compared to $369.6 million for the same period of the prior fiscal year, representing an increase of 12.2%. In terms of revenues by type, integrated solutions contracts revenue increased by 14.1% to $332.1 million, products sales revenue increased by 21.9% to $23.8 million, and services revenue decreased by 0.2% to $58.9 million.

The following table sets forth the Company’s total revenues by segment for the periods indicated.

(In USD thousands, except for %)

Six months ended December 31,

2022

2021

$

% of Total
Revenues

$

% of Total
Revenues

Industrial Automation

252,777

61.0

216,294

58.5

Rail Transportation Automation

117,068

28.2

115,346

31.2

Mechanical and Electrical Solution

44,929

10.8

37,996

10.3

Total

414,774

100.0

369,636

100.0

Gross margin was 36.1% for the six months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 35.3% for the same period of the prior fiscal year. Gross margins for integrated solutions contracts, product sales, and services rendered were 28.3%, 78.0% and 63.2% for the six months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 26.5%, 74.9% and 65.5% for the same period of the prior fiscal year, respectively. Non-GAAP gross margin was 36.3% for the six months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 35.4% for the same period of the prior fiscal year. Non-GAAP gross margin of integrated solutions contracts was 28.5% for the six months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 26.7% for the same period of the prior fiscal year. See the section entitled “Non-GAAP Measures” for more information about non-GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP gross margin of integrated solutions contracts.

Selling expenses were $29.0 million for the six months ended December 31, 2022, representing an increase of $6.0 million, or 26.1%, compared to $23.0 million for the same period of the prior fiscal year. Selling expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 7.0% and 6.2% for the six months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

General and administrative expenses were $32.5 million for the six months ended December 31, 2022, representing a decrease of $10.6 million, or 24.6%, compared to $43.0 million for the same period of the prior fiscal year. Share-based compensation expenses were $2.2 million and $6.3 million for the six months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 7.8% and 11.6% for the six months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. 

Research and development expenses were $37.8 million for the six months ended December 31, 2022, representing an increase of $1.1 million, or 3.1%, compared to $36.7 million for the same period of the prior fiscal year. Research and development expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 9.1% and 9.9% for the six months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The VAT refunds and government subsidies were $14.0 million for the six months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to $10.8 million for the same period of the prior fiscal year, representing a $3.2 million, or 29.9%, increase.

The income tax expenses and the effective tax rate were $7.5 million and 9.7% for the six months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to $8.7 million and 16.5% for the same period of the prior fiscal year. The effective tax rate fluctuates, as the Company’s subsidiaries contributed different pre-tax income at different tax rates.

Net income attributable to Hollysys was $69.6 million for the six months ended December 31, 2022, representing an increase of 57.1% from $44.3 million reported in the same period of the prior fiscal year. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys was $72.5 million or $1.17 per diluted share. See the section entitled “Non-GAAP Measures” for more information about non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys.

Diluted earnings per share was $1.12 for the six months ended December 31, 2022, representing an increase of 55.6% from $0.72 in the same period of the prior fiscal year. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share was $1.17 for the six months ended December 31, 2022, representing an increase of 41.0% from $0.83 in the same period of the prior fiscal year. These were calculated based on 62.0 million and 61.6 million diluted weighted average ordinary shares outstanding for the six months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. See the section entitled “Non-GAAP Measures” for more information about non-GAAP diluted earnings per share.

Operational Results Analysis for the Second Quarter Ended December 31, 2022

Total revenues for the three months ended December 31, 2022 were $244.7 million, as compared to $216.3 million for the same period of the prior fiscal year, representing an increase of 13.2%. In terms of revenues by type, integrated contracts revenue increased by 13.5% to $188.9 million, products sales revenue increased by 21.7% to $12.0 million, and services revenue increased by 9.8% to $43.8 million.

The following table sets forth the Company’s total revenues by segment for the periods indicated.

(In USD thousands, except for %)

Three months ended December 31,

2022

2021

$

% of Total
Revenues

$

% of Total
Revenues

Industrial Automation

131,727

53.8

113,833

52.7

Rail Transportation Automation

88,826

36.3

79,411

36.7

Mechanical and Electrical Solution

24,178

9.9

23,007

10.6

Total

244,731

100.0

216,251

100.0

Gross margin was 39.6% for the three months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 36.1% for the same period of the prior fiscal year. The gross margin fluctuated mainly due to the product and service mix. Gross margin of integrated solutions contracts, product sales, and service rendered was 30.8%, 85.2% and 64.9% for the three months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 27.5%, 75.0% and 62.0% for the same period of the prior fiscal year, respectively. Non-GAAP gross margin was 39.7% for the three months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 36.2% for the same period of the prior fiscal year. Non-GAAP gross margin of integrated solutions contracts was 31.0% for the three months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 27.7% for the same period of the prior fiscal year. See the section entitled “Non-GAAP Measures” for more information about non-GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP gross margin of integrated solutions contracts.

Selling expenses were $16.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, representing an increase of $2.4 million, or 17.7%, compared to $13.6 million for the same period of the prior fiscal year. Selling expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 6.5% and 6.3% for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

General and administrative expenses were $19.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, representing a decrease of $6.2 million, or 24.0%, compared to $26.0 million for the same period of the prior fiscal year. Share-based compensation expenses were $0.9 million and $2.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 8.1% and 12.0% for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. 

Research and development expenses were $20.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, representing a decrease of $0.2 million, or 0.9%, compared to $20.6 million for the same period of the prior fiscal year. Research and development expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 8.3% and 9.5% for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The VAT refunds and government subsidies were $7.2 million for three months ended December 31, 2022, as compared to $5.9 million for the same period in the prior fiscal year, representing a $1.3 million, or 21.5%, increase.

The income tax expenses and the effective tax rate were $3.6 million and 7.0% for the three months ended December 31, 2022, respectively, as compared to $4.8 million and 13.7% for the same period in the prior fiscal year, respectively. The effective tax rate fluctuates, as the Company’s subsidiaries contributed different pre-tax income at different tax rates.

Net income attributable to Hollysys was $48.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, representing an increase of 60.4% from $30.1 million reported in the same period in the prior fiscal year. Non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys was $49.5 million or $0.80 per diluted share. See the section entitled “Non-GAAP Measures” for more information about non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys

Diluted earnings per share was $0.78 for the three months ended December 31, 2022, representing an increase of 59.2% from $0.49 reported in the same period in the prior fiscal year. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share was $0.80 for the three months ended December 31, 2022, representing an increase of 48.1% from $0.54 reported in the same period in the prior fiscal year. These were calculated based on 62.0 million and 61.7 million diluted weighted average ordinary shares outstanding for the three months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. See the section entitled “Non-GAAP Measures” for more information about non-GAAP diluted earnings per share.

Contracts and Backlog Highlights

Hollysys achieved $388.7 million and $193.8 million of value of new contracts for the six months and three months ended December 31, 2022, respectively. Order backlog of contracts presents the amount of unrealized revenue to be earned from the contracts that Hollysys won. The backlog was $861.7 million as of December 31, 2022. The following table sets forth a breakdown of the value of new contracts achieved and backlog by segment.

(In USD thousands, except for %)

Value of new contracts
achieved

Value of new contracts
achieved

Backlog
as of

for the six months

 ended December 31, 2022

for the three months

 ended December 31, 2022

 December 31,
2022

$

% of Total
Contract
Value

$

% of Total
Contract
Value

$

% of Total
Backlog

Industrial Automation

263,392

67.8

104,488

54.0

356,306

41.3

Rail Transportation Automation

105,502

27.1

89,254

46.0

325,402

37.8

Mechanical and Electrical
Solutions

19,778

5.1

88

179,991

20.9

Total

388,672

100.0

193,830

100.0

861,699

100.0

Cash Flow Highlights

For the six months ended December 31, 2022, the total net cash outflow was $51.5 million. The net cash provided by operating activities was $16.5 million. The net cash used in investing activities was $45.9 million, mainly consisting of $85.9 million purchases of short-term investments, and $24.4 million purchases of property, plant and equipment, which was partially offset by $59.3 million maturity of short-term investments, and $4.2 million proceeds from disposal of a subsidiary. The net cash provided by financing activities was $5.0 million, mainly consisting of $5.3 million of proceeds from long-term bank loans.

For the three months ended December 31, 2022, the total net cash inflow was $52.7 million. The net cash provided by operating activities was $15.5 million. The net cash provided by investing activities was $23.6 million, mainly consisting of $47.7 million maturity of short-term investments, and $4.2 million of proceeds from disposal of a subsidiary, partially offset by $14.8 million purchases of short-term investments, and $14.3 million purchases of property, plant and equipment. The net cash provided by financing activities was $4.1 million, mainly consisting of $4.3 million of proceeds from long-term bank loans.

Balance Sheet Highlights

The total amount of cash and cash equivalents was $627.6 million, and $575.1 million as of December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022, respectively.

For the six months ended December 31, 2022, DSO was 144 days, as compared to 173 days from the same period of the prior fiscal year, and inventory turnover days were 74 days, as compared to 48 days from the same period of the prior fiscal year.

For the three months ended December 31, 2022, DSO was 119 days, as compared to 147 days for the same period of the prior fiscal year and 171 days for the last fiscal quarter; inventory turnover days were 72 days, as compared to 50 days for the same period of the prior fiscal year and 79 days for the last fiscal quarter.

About Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd.

Hollysys is a leading automation control system solutions provider in China, with overseas operations in eight other countries and regions throughout Asia. Leveraging its proprietary technology and deep industry know-how, Hollysys empowers its customers with enhanced operational safety, reliability, efficiency, and intelligence which are critical to their businesses. Hollysys derives its revenues mainly from providing integrated solutions for industrial automation and rail transportation automation. In industrial automation, Hollysys delivers the full spectrum of automation hardware, software, and services spanning field devices, control systems, enterprise manufacturing management and cloud-based applications. In rail transportation automation, Hollysys provides advanced signaling control and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems for high-speed rail and urban rail (including subways). Founded in 1993, with technical expertise and innovation, Hollysys has grown from a research team specializing in automation control in the power industry into a group providing integrated automation control system solutions for customers in diverse industry verticals. As of June 30, 2022, Hollysys had cumulatively carried out more than 40,000 projects for approximately 22,000 customers in various sectors including power, petrochemical, high-speed rail, and urban rail, in which Hollysys has established leading market positions.

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENTS

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are “forward-looking statements,” including statements regarding the ability of the Company to achieve its commercial objectives; the business strategy, plans and objectives of the Company and its subsidiaries; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “target,” “confident,” or similar expressions, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements, based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Hollysys’ management, are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company’s reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

For further information, please contact:

Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd.
www.hollysys.com
+8610-58981386
investors@hollysys.com

HOLLYSYS AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES LTD.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In USD thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

 

Three months ended
December 31,

Six months ended
December 31,

2022

2021

2022

2021

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Net revenues

Integrated solutions contracts revenue

$

188,929

$

166,505

$

332,055

$

291,068

Products sales

12,014

9,871

23,788

19,517

Revenue from services

43,788

39,875

58,931

59,051

Total net revenues

244,731

216,251

414,774

369,636

Costs of integrated solutions contracts

130,751

120,654

238,147

213,963

Cost of products sold

1,775

2,469

5,240

4,898

Costs of services rendered

15,366

15,141

21,698

20,393

Gross profit

96,839

77,987

149,689

130,382

Operating expenses

Selling

16,025

13,620

29,038

23,029

General and administrative

19,741

25,965

32,473

43,040

Research and development

20,431

20,611

37,790

36,660

VAT refunds and government subsidies

(7,204)

(5,928)

(14,005)

(10,782)

Total operating expenses

48,993

54,268

85,296

91,947

Income from operations

47,846

23,719

64,393

38,435

Other income (expense), net

56

(9)

1,121

959

Foreign exchange (loss) gain

(574)

(1,288)

3,523

(1,714)

Gains on disposal of an investment in an equity investee

7,995

7,995

Gains on disposal of an investment in securities

845

845

Share of net income of equity investees

1,068

774

1,665

986

Dividend income from equity investments

179

179

Interest income

2,918

3,323

6,079

6,183

Interest expenses

(225)

(22)

(369)

(366)

Income before income taxes

51,934

34,671

77,257

52,657

Income taxes expenses

3,626

4,767

7,506

8,669

Net income

48,308

29,904

69,751

43,988

Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests

65

(167)

108

(341)

Net income attributable to Hollysys Automation
Technologies Ltd.

$

48,243

$

30,071

$

69,643

$

44,329

Other comprehensive income, net of tax of nil

Translation adjustments

20,110

17,456

(50,382)

16,559

Comprehensive income

68,418

47,360

19,369

60,547

Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to non-
controlling interests

75

(58)

190

(175)

Comprehensive income attributable to Hollysys
Automation Technologies Ltd.

$

68,343

$

47,418

$

19,179

$

60,722

Net income per ordinary share:

Basic

0.79

0.49

1.13

0.73

Diluted

0.78

0.49

1.12

0.72

Shares used in net income per share computation:

Basic

61,440,191

60,946,596

61,378,846

60,884,346

Diluted

62,007,655

61,682,393

61,969,551

61,556,602

HOLLYSYS AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES LTD.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In USD thousands except for number of shares and per share data)

December 31,

September 30,

2022

2022

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

ASSETS

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$

627,589

$

575,148

Short-term investments

38,569

69,462

Restricted cash

39,926

38,932

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of $72,800 and $73,470 as
      of December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022, respectively

318,341

303,349

Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings, net of allowance for credit losses
      of $13,646 and $11,764 as of December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022,
      respectively

252,630

222,510

Accounts receivable retention

7,010

5,699

Other receivables, net of allowance for credit losses of $12,489 and $12,280 as of
      December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022, respectively

20,103

25,928

Advances to suppliers

35,618

41,439

Amounts due from related parties

23,630

24,219

Inventories

108,910

104,417

Prepaid expenses

997

511

Income tax recoverable

341

1,550

Total current assets

1,473,664

1,413,164

Non-current assets

Restricted cash

743

Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings

2,405

1,137

Accounts receivable retention

6,944

6,989

Prepaid expenses

Property, plant and equipment, net

128,066

107,762

Prepaid land leases

12,037

11,754

Intangible assets, net

9,555

9,771

Investments in equity investees

46,293

44,529

Investments securities

1,623

1,598

Goodwill

19,683

19,379

Deferred tax assets

6,429

3,801

Operating lease right-of-use assets

3,283

3,341

Total non-current assets

236,318

210,804

Total assets

1,709,982

1,623,968

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Current liabilities

Short-term bank loans

48

89

Current portion of long-term loans

255

260

Accounts payable

171,040

154,037

Construction costs payable

12,665

7,683

Deferred revenue

198,302

221,459

Accrued payroll and related expenses

32,610

23,239

Income tax payable

5,017

3,436

Warranty liabilities

4,556

4,349

Other tax payables

13,187

10,591

Accrued liabilities

36,136

34,954

Amounts due to related parties

6,379

6,401

Operating lease liabilities

1,870

2,069

Total current liabilities

482,065

468,567

Non-current liabilities

Accrued liabilities

3,045

2,924

Long-term loans

19,613

15,439

Accounts payable

2,782

2,677

Deferred tax liabilities

11,200

12,887

Warranty liabilities

2,642

2,357

Operating lease liabilities

1,200

1,054

Other liability

60

49

Total non-current liabilities

40,542

37,387

Total liabilities

522,607

505,954

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ equity:

Ordinary shares, par value $0.001 per share, 100,000,000 shares authorized;
      61,972,317 shares and 61,963,047 shares issued and outstanding as of
      December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022

62

62

Additional paid-in capital

245,654

244,713

Statutory reserves

78,932

77,263

Retained earnings

925,114

878,538

Accumulated other comprehensive income

(63,118)

(83,219)

Total Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. stockholder’s equity

1,186,644

1,117,357

Non-controlling interests

731

657

Total equity

1,187,375

1,118,014

Total liabilities and equity

$

1,709,982

$

1,623,968

HOLLYSYS AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES LTD

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In USD thousands)

 

Three months ended

Six months ended

December 31, 2022

December 31, 2022

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income

$

48,308

$

69,751

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

2,143

4,523

Amortization of prepaid land leases

86

166

Amortization of intangible assets

337

677

Allowance for credit losses

3,715

2,573

Gains on disposal of property, plant and equipment

150

94

Share of net income of equity investees

(1,068)

(1,665)

Share-based compensation expenses

940

2,178

Deferred income tax expenses

(4,428)

(3,561)

Gains on disposal of an investment in securities

(845)

(845)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable and retention

(11,997)

(20,371)

Costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings

(27,208)

(31,740)

Inventories 

(2,796)

(21,651)

Advances to suppliers

6,605

(3,140)

Other receivables 

2,186

912

Prepaid expenses

(469)

(320)

Due from related parties

971

2,612

Accounts payable

5,076

2,592

Deferred revenue

(27,426)

6

Accruals and other payables

16,020

10,900

Due to related parties

(22)

79

Income tax payable

2,800

616

Other tax payables

2,443

2,085

Net cash provided by operating activities

15,521

16,471

Cash flows from investing activities:

Purchases of short-term investments

(14,801)

(85,879)

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

(14,311)

(24,432)

Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment

22

83

Maturity of short-term investments

47,719

59,318

Proceeds from disposal of a subsidiary

4,175

4,175

Proceeds received from disposal of investment in securities

845

845

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities

23,649

(45,890)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Proceeds from short-term bank loans

97

294

Repayments of short-term bank loans

(141)

(311)

Proceeds from long-term bank loans

4,307

5,293

Repayments of long-term bank loans

(121)

(265)

Net cash provided by financing activities

4,142

5,011

Effect of foreign exchange rate changes

9,380

(27,104)

Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

$

52,692

(51,512)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period

$

614,823

719,027

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

667,515

667,515

Non-GAAP Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, in evaluating our results, we use the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin of integrated solutions contracts, non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd., as well as non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per share.

These non-GAAP financial measures serve as additional indicators of our operating performance and not as any replacement for other measures in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We believe these non-GAAP measures help identify underlying trends in the Company’s business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of the share-based compensation expenses, which are calculated based on the number of shares or options granted and the fair value as of the grant date, and amortization of acquired intangible assets. They will not result in any cash inflows or outflows. We believe that using non-GAAP measures help our shareholders to have a better understanding of our operating results and growth prospects.

Non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin of integrated solutions contracts, non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd., as well as non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per share should not be considered in isolation or construed as an alternative to gross profit and gross margin, gross profit and gross margin of integrated solutions contracts, net income attributable to Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd., basic and diluted earnings per share, or any other measure of performance, or as an indicator of the Company’s operating performance. Investors are encouraged to review the historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. Non-GAAP gross profit and gross margin, non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin of integrated solutions contracts, non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd., as well as non-GAAP basic and diluted earnings per share presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to the Company’s data. The Company encourages investors and others to review the Company’s financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.

We define non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin as gross profit and gross margin, respectively, adjusted to exclude non-cash amortization of acquired intangibles. The following table provides a reconciliation of our gross profit and gross margin to non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin for the periods indicated.

(In USD thousands, except for %)

Three months ended

Six months ended

December 31,

December 31,

2022

2021

2022

2021

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Gross profit

$

96,839

77,987

149,689

130,382

Gross margin(1)

39.6 %

36.1 %

36.1 %

35.3 %

Add:

    Amortization of acquired intangible assets

337

353

677

632

Non-GAAP gross profit

$

97,176

$

78,340

$

150,366

$

131,014

Non-GAAP gross margin(2)

39.7 %

36.2 %

36.3 %

35.4 %

(1)           Gross margin represents gross profit for the period as a percentage of revenue for such period. 

(2)           Non-GAAP gross margin represents non-GAAP gross profit for the period as a percentage of revenue for such period. 

We define non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin of integrated solutions contracts as gross profit and gross margin of integrated solutions contracts, respectively, adjusted to exclude non-cash amortization of acquired intangibles associated with integrated solutions contracts. The following table provides a reconciliation of the gross profit of integrated solutions contracts to non-GAAP gross profit and non-GAAP gross margin of integrated solutions contracts for the periods indicated.

(In USD thousands, except for %)

Three months ended December 31,

Six months ended December 31,

2022

2021

2022

2021

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Gross profit of integrated
    solutions contracts

$

58,178

$

45,851

$

93,908

$

77,105

Gross margin of integrated
    solutions contracts(1)

30.8 %

27.5 %

28.3 %

26.5 %

Add:

    Amortization of acquired
    intangible assets

337

353

677

632

Non-GAAP gross profit of
    integrated solutions
    contracts

$

58,515

$

46,204

$

94,585

$

77,737

Non-GAAP gross margin of
    integrated solutions
    contracts(2)

31.0 %

27.7 %

28.5 %

26.7 %

(1)           Gross margin of integrated solutions contracts represents gross profit of integrated solutions contracts for the period as a
percentage of integrated solutions contracts revenue for such period. 

(2)           Non-GAAP gross margin of integrated solutions contracts represents non-GAAP gross profit of integrated solutions contracts
for the period as a percentage of integrated solutions contracts revenue for such period. 

We define non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys as net income attributable to Hollysys adjusted to exclude the share-based compensation expenses and non-cash amortization of acquired intangible assets. The following table provides a reconciliation of net income attributable to Hollysys to non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys for the periods indicated.

(In USD thousands)

Three months ended

Six months ended

December 31,

December 31,

2022

2021

2022

2021

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Net income attributable to Hollysys Automation
      Technologies Ltd.

$

48,243

$

30,071

$

69,643

$

44,329

Add:

Share-based compensation expenses

940

2,713

2,178

6,306

Amortization of acquired intangible assets

337

353

677

632

Non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys
      Automation Technologies Ltd.

$

49,520

$

33,137

$

72,498

$

51,267

Non-GAAP basic (or diluted) earnings per share represents non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys divided by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the periods (or on a diluted basis). The following table provides a reconciliation of our basic (or diluted) earnings per share to non-GAAP basic (or diluted) earnings per share for the periods indicated.

(In USD thousands, except for number of shares and per share data)

Three months ended

Six months ended

December 31,

December 31,

2022

2021

2022

2021

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Net income attributable to Hollysys Automation
      Technologies Ltd.

$

48,243

$

30,071

$

69,643

$

44,329

Add:

Share-based compensation expenses

940

2,713

2,178

6,306

Amortization of acquired intangible assets

337

353

677

632

Non-GAAP net income attributable to
      Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd.

$

49,520

$

33,137

$

72,498

$

51,267

Weighted average number of basic ordinary
      shares

61,440,191

60,946,596

61,378,846

60,884,346

Weighted average number of diluted ordinary
      shares

62,007,655

61,682,393

61,969,551

61,556,602

Basic earnings per share(1)

0.79

0.49

1.13

0.73

Add:
   non-GAAP adjustments to net income per share(2)

0.02

0.05

0.05

0.11

Non-GAAP basic earnings per share(3)

$

0.81

$

0.54

$

1.18

$

0.84

Diluted earnings per share(1)

0.78

0.49

1.12

0.72

Add:
   non-GAAP adjustments to net income per share(2)

0.02

0.05

0.05

0.11

Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share(3)

$

0.80

$

0.54

$

1.17

$

0.83

(1)           Basic (or diluted) earnings per share is derived from net income attributable to Hollysys Automation Technologies Ltd. for
computing basic (or diluted) earnings per share divided by weighted average number of shares (or on a diluted basis). 

(2)           Non-GAAP adjustments to net income per share is derived from non-GAAP adjustments to net income divided by weighted
average number of shares (or on a diluted basis). 

(3)           Non-GAAP basic (or diluted) earnings per share is derived from non-GAAP net income attributable to Hollysys Automation
Technologies Ltd. for computing non-GAAP basic (or diluted) earnings per share divided by weighted average number of shares (or on
a diluted basis). 

Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hollysys-automation-technologies-reports-unaudited-financial-results-for-the-second-quarter-and-the-first-half-year-ended-december-31-2022-301747212.html

Mitchell 1 Applauded by Frost & Sullivan for Enabling Fleet Maintenance for All Types of Trucks with Its Automotive Diagnostic and Repair Software


Mitchell 1’s TruckSeries software offers excellent application coverage and more frequent updates than competing solutions.

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Frost & Sullivan recently researched the medium/heavy truck aftermarket industry and, based on its findings, recognizes Mitchell 1 with the 2023 North American Technology Innovation Leadership Award. The company is North America’s top diagnostic and repair software supplier for automotive service shops, including large truck fleets and repair shops. Mitchell 1’s software suite provides calibration information for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), a growing and lucrative source of revenue for independent repair shops. The company supplies detailed data to fleets and maintenance/repair shops for all medium and heavy truck brands serviced in the aftermarket, making it the preferred solution provider.

Mitchell 1’s TruckSeries repair solution provides diagnostics to large fleets and repair shops, covering all makes and models of medium and heavy trucks. Apart from its updated ADAS repairs, TruckSeries features new wiring diagrams that help independent service providers compete with dealers on complex repairs. Dependence on TruckSeries increased in 2022 after 2 years of business closures, driver shortages, and supply chain disruptions, showcasing its importance in the medium and heavy truck aftermarket industry, particularly for fleet owners and independent service providers.

Stephen Spivey, program manager at Frost & Sullivan, observed, “Mitchell 1 employs dedicated content editors to continuously upload information about new repairs into TruckSeries and its other software solutions. Its in-house experts can quickly address complex repair questions for all truck types. Software companies or truck manufacturers cannot provide this degree of information across all vehicle platforms to service professionals in the aftermarket.”

Mitchell 1’s software solution competes with truck manufacturers and smaller software solutions that lack its amount of data and level of expertise. The company supports different aftermarket industry customers, outperforming its OEM sector competitors that develop software support only for the trucks they manufacture. The company’s aftermarket industry focus and superior customer service support TruckSeries, which is increasing its usership faster than competing software solutions. More and more fleets will migrate to the independent aftermarket (IAM) sector, where Mitchell 1 is the leader.

“Mitchell 1’s TruckSeries developers and product managers are also automotive and truck enthusiasts, and work directly with customers to continually improve the product. This allows them to provide superior customer service compared to other aftermarket software solutions,” added Spivey.

With its strong overall performance, Mitchell 1 earns the 2023 North American Technology Innovation Leadership Award in the North American medium/heavy truck industry. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a product with innovative features and functionality that is gaining rapid acceptance in the market. The award recognizes the quality of the solution and the customer value enhancements it enables.

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

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

Contact:
Claudia Toscano
P: 1.956.533.5915
E: claudia.toscano@frost.com

About Mitchell 1
As a member of the Snap-on® TOTAL SHOP SOLUTIONS brand family, Mitchell 1 has been a leading provider of repair information solutions to the motor vehicle industry for more than 100 years. Mitchell 1 offers a complete line of integrated repair software and services, including vehicle repair information, business management and shop marketing services, to help commercial truck and automotive professionals improve productivity and profitability. For more information, visit the company’s website at mitchell1.com

Contact:
Janet Dayton
P: 1.858.391.5251
E: janet.dayton@mitchell1.com

Appier records its first profitable year and forecasts profitable growth for 2023

Achieved annual operating profit one year ahead of schedule

TAIPEI, Feb. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — 

Highlights and achievements for fiscal year 2022

  • Annual revenue increased to 19.4 billion yen with a 53% YoY growth rate, surpassing previous guidance of 19.2 billion yen
  • Full-year operating profit target reached one year ahead of schedule, with operating margins at 0.3% and improving by 9 percentage points YoY
  • Annual gross profit accelerated to 60% YoY, with a gross margin of 51.5%, more than tripled in the last 4 years
  • Revenue from US and EMEA markets increased over 7 times YoY and represented 12% of total revenues

Guidance for fiscal year 2023

  • Forecast of 31% (34% on FX neutral basis) increase in YoY revenue growth to 25.5 billion yen and gross profit growth is expected to surpass revenue growth at 35% YoY due to further gross margin improvement.
  • Increase in operating income by around 10 times to 535 million yen and further improve operating margin to 2.1%
  • Continuous geographic and vertical expansion, along with ROI-driven solutions and further product synergies for better up-sell and cross-sell opportunities, to be key growth drivers in FY23
  • Continued growth of AI trends to drive further business growth

Highlight and achievements of Q4 FY22

  • Revenue increased by 47% YoY and hit a historical high of 5.8 billion yen
  • Annual recurring revenue YoY growth rate further increased from 46% to 53%
  • Gross profit reached 56% YoY growth with a record-high gross profit of 3 billion yen
  • Attained both EBITDA margin and operating margin improvement of 6 percentage points YoY
  • Grew customers by 26% YoY, alongside a low customer churn rate of 0.62%

Closing out the year with a stellar performance

Appier Group Inc (TSE: 4180), henceforth referred to as Appier, today announced its fiscal and fourth-quarter earnings results for the year ended 31 December 2022. Appier closed out the fiscal year of 2022 achieving a full-year operating profit for the first time, one year ahead of schedule from its FY23 target, with a revenue increase of 53% YoY at 19.4 billion yen. This year marks growth acceleration for Appier for four years in a row, as annual gross profit more than tripled in the last four years to accelerate to 60% YoY. EBITDA margin rose to 7%, keeping the company on a strong trajectory toward its 2025 financial targets.

Appier’s strong performance was attributed to the continuous expansion of its customer base both regionally and vertically, alongside robust product synergies and successful customer retention through up-sell and cross-sell strategies. Northeast Asia (63%) continued to reach high growth despite a large revenue base, while revenues in Greater China (20%) were mainly driven by vertical growth. US and EMEA (12%) continue to be a key growth driver with a larger total addressable market (TAM), as it increased its revenue over 7 times YoY in the fiscal year.

The company’s further expansion to more diversified verticals led to stronger growth acceleration. The Digital Content (gaming, entertainment, e-books, and online streaming) vertical grew significantly with 10 percentage points YoY increase in FY22 to constitute 38% of total revenues, only second to Ecommerce (43%), then followed by Other Internet Services [1] (12%) and Consumer Brands and BFSI (7%). Strong demand from these digital-first industries will continue as they place digital strategies at the forefront of their transformation under the new normal post-COVID.

In addition to growing the total number of customers by 26% in FY22, Appier’s higher business efficiency also resulted in a higher customer Lifetime Value (LTV) at 64% YoY and a lower Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) at -12% YoY. The higher LTV was driven by a lower churn rate of customer revenue and higher gross profit per customer; while the lower CAC was driven by lower expenses on new customer acquisition and a higher number of net new customers. 

The successful transfer from the Mothers segment to the Prime segment on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) in December 2022 is also a significant testament to the sophisticated organization with strong growth and good corporate governance.

A strong quarter to close out a profitable year

Appier’s revenue in Q4 grew at a rate of 47% YoY to record a historical high of 5.8 billion yen, reaching a gross profit of 56% YoY growth. Operating margins reached 137 million yen, providing a strong tail end to close out a profitable fiscal year 2022. The company also retained a low customer churn rate of 0.62%.

“2022 has been a year of growth acceleration for Appier. We achieved full-year profitability one year ahead of schedule and tripled our revenue and gross profit in four years. These great results reflect that the market is responding well to the first-party data trends and our ROI-driven solutions powered by AI,” said Dr. Chih-Han Yu, CEO and Co-Founder, Appier. “2023 is an important year for exciting developments in AI. Supporting customers to gain the most value from AI trends and technologies through their digital transformation journeys remains a key priority for us. With the current trajectory that Appier is on, along with our core value of innovative technology enhancement, a customer-centric mindset, and prudent M&A approach, we are confident that we are on the right track to reach our targets this year.”

Strong business momentum for future growth

Appier’s 2023 guidance comes with forecasted annual revenue growth of 31% (34% on FX neutral basis) to reach 25.5 billion yen. The overall outlook for 2023 is optimistic, with annual gross profit growth of 35% YoY, an operating income increase of around 10 times to 535 million yen, and an EBITDA profit of 2.34 billion yen with a 72% YoY growth rate. The company also targets to achieve operating margins of 2.1% following its strong business momentum.

Looking ahead to FY23, Appier is confident about the future. The influence of first-party data trends and new technologies in AI, alongside the company’s strategic geographical and vertical expansions, and its focus on cutting-edge innovation, are set to consolidate demand for Appier’s solutions that turn customers’ marketing investments into measurable returns.

Generative AI: Enlarge the TAM from decision-making to content creation

The exponential growth of Generative AI and its potential has widened the space for MarTech applications. AI is not only empowering productivity through marketing automation and decision-making, but it is also tapping into the fields of idea generation to explore user insights and content creation to generate more creative materials for campaign usage. As Generative AI is expected to lead the next wave of AI accelerations and streamline marketing workflows, Appier keeps integrating advanced technologies to create cutting-edge solutions to bring value to customers and ensure that the company stays at the forefront of the AI SaaS space.

About Appier

Appier (TSE: 4180) is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that uses artificial intelligence to power business decision-making. Founded in 2012 with a vision of democratizing AI, Appier now has 17 offices across APAC, Europe and US, and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Visitwww.appier.com for more company information and visit ir.appier.com/en/ for more IR information.

[1] Other Internet Services includes food delivery, travel booking and utility apps

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VIRNECT partners with DigiLens to bring cutting-edge XR technology to the industrial market

VIRNECT will be able to offer a broader and more cost-effective alternative by partnering with DigiLens.

SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — VIRNECT, an XR technology solutions provider, has announced a strategic partnership with DigiLens, a leading developer of waveguide displays for augmented and mixed-reality devices. The partnership will allow VIRNECT to integrate DigiLens’ state-of-the-art technology into its XR solutions, delivering customers a new level of immersive experiences.

VIRNECT partners with DigiLens to bring cutting-edge XR technology to the industrial market
VIRNECT partners with DigiLens to bring cutting-edge XR technology to the industrial market

Key benefits of the partnership:

  • Increased accessibility to XR technology for businesses and consumers
  • Improved user experience through the combination of VIRNECT’s XR platform and DigiLens’s innovative lens technology
  • Enhanced performance and affordability of XR devices

The partnership between VIRNECT and DigiLens will bring new hardware options to VIRNECT’s offerings, providing cost-effective XR solutions for various applications, such as remote assistance and guided manufacturing. By integrating XR technology, customers have reported increased engagement and reduced cognitive load, leading to more effective training and fewer mistakes. In addition, with DigiLens ARGO, a wider range of customers can benefit from a safer and more efficient working environment thanks to XR-compatible options.

DigiLens is recognized for its advanced waveguide displays, providing clear and vivid augmented reality experiences. The company’s technology is based on proprietary holographic nanostructures, resulting in lightweight and compact devices with exceptional performance. The partnership with VIRNECT will allow both companies to bring these technologies to market in innovative ways.

“We are excited to partner with DigiLens, a leader in waveguide display technology,” said Tim Ha, CEO of VIRNECT. “By combining our expertise, we can offer innovative XR solutions to a wider audience. DigiLens ARGO will create new ways for people to learn, work, and communicate.”

According to The Insight Partners (March 14, 2022), the XR market is expected to grow from $28 billion in 2021 to $252 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 35%. This partnership aims to make XR innovation accessible and capitalize on this growth potential. The two companies are looking forward to exploring new applications and opportunities in the XR space.

As part of this partnership, VIRNECT is offering free XR content production to support the implementation of XR technology in various industrial applications aiming to facilitate the incorporation of XR technology and improve knowledge management in the industrial field. To learn more about this offer, visit www.virnect.io/free-xr-production-landing-page.

For more information, visit www.virnect.io for VIRNECT and www.digilens.com for DigiLens.

About VIRNECT
VIRNECT creates a better way to learn, work and communicate through XR. Its metaverse solution provides scalable and fast turnaround times with collaborative, end-to-end digital continuity solutions. VIRNECT has supported XR implementation in over 200 enterprises and government institutions, including LG Chemical, Samsung Electronics, KEPCO, and KAC.

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Wix Launches SEO Dashboard, with Integrated Reports from Google Search Console, For Users to Manage Their SEO from One Place

The SEO Dashboard provides Wix users with SEO tools, insights and reports from Google Search Console, further democratising access to valuable SEO data

SYDNEY, Feb. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Wix.com Ltd. (NASDAQ: WIX), a leading global SaaS platform to create, manage and grow an online presence, today announced the launch of the SEO Dashboard, a unified place for everything SEO related. This includes SEO tools, educational materials tailored to different skill levels, and a new integration with Google Search Console, which provides valuable information on site performance on search results.

The SEO Dashboard provides Wix users with SEO tools, insights and reports from Google Search Console, further democratisingaccess to valuable SEO data
The SEO Dashboard provides Wix users with SEO tools, insights and reports from Google Search Console, further democratisingaccess to valuable SEO data

The SEO Dashboard provides a suite of advanced tools to help implement changes, with access to content from the Wix Education Hub curated based on site activity and the users’ proficiency. By bringing together the tools users need to manage their SEO, valuable insights and reports from Google, and tailored educational materials, users of all skill levels have the resources to execute their SEO strategy, to streamline their workflow. 

From within the SEO Dashboard, users have access to a snapshot of their Google Search Console data. Users can view site impressions and clicks, and compare them to previous periods. They can access insights on changes in terms of queries and impressions, and they can filter the data based on impressions and clicks to understand which of their pages are increasing in traffic, and which can be better optimised. For a more in-depth look, users can click on the ‘see full report’ link to get to an in-depth report in Wix Analytics.

The full reports include:

  • Top Search Queries on Google: Users can analyse search query data to identify their sites’ performance for different Google searches and track the queries that generated impressions in Google’s organic search results.
  • Top Pages in Google Search Results: Users can easily track the top-performing pages for their site and the queries that generated impressions in Google’s organic search results. These insights on individual pages provide users with a deeper understanding of where impressions and clicks are coming from and which keywords are driving that traffic.

“We’re dedicated to providing our users and SEO professionals with the tools they need for seamless workflows in order for them to achieve their business goals, build brand awareness and drive traffic to their site,” said Einat Hoobian-Seybold, SEO Product Lead at Wix. “The SEO Dashboard, with the extended integration with Google Search Console, aligns with our mission to help users at any skill level understand how their site is performing, and help inform them on what needs their attention. We look forward to developing more features, adding additional reports and actionable insights to help our users in their optimisation process.”

“We’re excited to bring important stats and functionality about the value of Google Search directly to Wix’s Dashboard,” said Mariya Moeva, Senior Product Manager, Search. “This integration will help Wix site owners understand how people are finding them on Search and optimise how their website contributes to their business goals. We look forward to bringing even more useful insights to where business owners and content creators already are — their own site.”

The SEO Dashboard is available to all Wix users in English and will be gradually opened to more languages. To learn more, click here.

About Wix.com Ltd.
Wix is a leading platform to create, manage and grow a digital presence. What began as a website builder in 2006 is now a complete platform providing users with enterprise-grade performance, security and a reliable infrastructure. Offering a wide range of commerce and business solutions, advanced SEO and marketing tools, Wix enables users to have full ownership of their brand, their data and their relationships with their customers. With a focus on continuous innovation and delivery of new features and products, anyone can build a powerful digital presence to fulfill their dreams on Wix.

For more about Wix, please visit our Press Room.
Media Relations Contact:  PR@wix.com

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Source: Wix.com Ltd.

WeTrade Group plans to access Baidu ChatGPT-Style product “ERNIE Bot” to improve the efficiency of community precision marketing

BEIJING, Feb. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — WeTrade Group Inc. (“WeTrade” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: WETG), a global diversified “software as a service” (“SaaS”) technology service provider committed to providing technical support and digital transformation tools for enterprises across multiple industries, today announced that the company plans to access Baidu ChatGPT-stlye product “ERNIE Bot” in the form of API, continue to improve the function of YCloud , and improve the efficiency of community marketing precision marketing. As the service provider of Baidu ,WeTrade Group completed the application of “Daren Xiaodian” mini program in Baidu App on October 2022.

On February 7, Baidu officially confirmed to launch the “ERNIE Bot”, a ChatGPT-style project, which will release for public access after its internal test in March. At present, the pace of development of “ERNIE Bot” increases for the final opening.

So far, the overall layout of “model layer + tool and platform layer + product and community layer” has been formed for the Wenxin Big Model. At the end of November 2022, it released eleven big models and two products based on the Wenxin Big Models, namely, the text to image creative tool “Wenxin Yige” and industry-level search system “Wenxin Baizhong”.

The ChatGPT-stlye industry-level search system can further improve the YCloud AI function of WeTrade Group. In the “product and community level”, it can quickly capture users’ purchase preferences through community user portraits, realize automatic product selection, active product distribution, real-time interactive feedback of users, and realize the full scene landing of precision marketing and promotion.

About WeTrade Group Inc.

WeTrade Group Inc. is a global diversified “software as a service” (“SaaS”) technology service provider which is committed to providing technical support and digital transformation tools for enterprises across different industries. The four business segments of WeTrade Group are YCloud, WTPay ,Y-Health and YG.

YCloud is a micro-business cloud intelligent system launched by WeTrade, serving global micro-business industry. YCloud strengthens users’ marketing relationship and CPS commission profit management through leading technology and big data analysis. It also helps increase the payment scenarios to increase customers’ revenue by multi-channel data statistics, AI fission and management as well as improved supply chain system.

Independently developed by the Company, WTPay supports multiple methods of online payment and eight mainstream digital wallets in over 100 countries to help customers quickly realize global collection and payment business.

Y-Health is the sector focusing on public health business, which engages in developing global business for biological health and medical enterprises. Currently, Y-Health mainly focuses on detection and prevention of epidemic, daily healthcare, traditional Chinese medicines, and others.

YG is the new energy business segment which mainly provides tools and technical support for the digital new energy industry in the Middle East and Central Asia.

For more information, please visit https://ir.wetg.group.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains information about the Company’s view of its future expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from historical results or those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with its ability to raise additional funding, its ability to maintain and grow its business, variability of operating results, its ability to maintain and enhance its brand, its development and introduction of new products and services, the successful integration of acquired companies, technologies and assets into its portfolio of products and services, marketing and other business development initiatives, competition in the industry, general government regulation, economic conditions, dependence on key personnel, the ability to attract, hire and retain personnel who possess the technical skills and experience necessary to meet the requirements of its clients, and its ability to protect its intellectual property. The Company’s encourages you to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s annual reports and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Bramble Welcomes Jeff Immelt As Advisor

JACS Capital officially invests in future of Bramble

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Feb. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Bramble, the next-gen continuous improvement software company, is excited to announce Jeff Immelt has been appointed to its advisory board, and JACS Capital, Mr. Immelt’s family office, has joined as an investor. The announcement comes as Bramble has entered a period of rapid growth.

Jeff Immelt
Jeff Immelt

“We are thrilled to partner with Jeff,” said Bramble CEO, Dan Wain. “The depth of Jeff’s experience is unparalleled and we are excited to have the opportunity to work with him so closely on the future of Bramble.”

Mr. Immelt, former chairman and CEO of GE, and former Executive Chairman of athenahealth, has been named to Barron’s “World Best CEO’s” three times. Since then, he has been a lecturer on systems leadership at Stanford Business School and has worked directly with innovative companies in the healthcare, IoT, industrial automation and clean tech industries. Mr. Immelt brings immense experience to the Bramble team.

“Bramble fills a much needed gap in the way managers lead their teams,” said Immelt. “The combination of advanced analytics and habit-formation is an exciting approach to enhancing productivity while also staying focused on engagement within an organization. I look forward to working with Dan and the team at Bramble as they change the way teams are managed around the world.”

To learn more about Bramble, visit brmbl.io.

About Bramble

Bramble is a cloud-based platform designed to simplify management by providing real-time insight into operational performance, process and cost effectiveness, and sizing of improvement opportunities. Through our intuitive solution, Operations, Transformation, HR, IT & Finance departments gain real-time access to all the key metrics required for effective, continuous, and sustainable improvement.

Contact:
Dan Wain, CEO
dan@brmbl.io
(816) 328-3378

Bramble is a cloud-based platform designed to simplify management by providing real-time insight into operational performance, process and cost effectiveness, and sizing of improvement opportunities. Through our intuitive solution, Operations, Transformation, HR, IT & Finance departments gain real-time access to all the key metrics required for effective, continuous, and sustainable improvement.
Bramble is a cloud-based platform designed to simplify management by providing real-time insight into operational performance, process and cost effectiveness, and sizing of improvement opportunities. Through our intuitive solution, Operations, Transformation, HR, IT & Finance departments gain real-time access to all the key metrics required for effective, continuous, and sustainable improvement.

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