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NineSmart won IT Solution Excellence Award of the 14th PCM Biz.IT Excellence

With Smart Access, a Cloud-Based Access Control System

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 29 November 2022 – NineSmart Limited is honored to announce its flagship product “Smart Access”, a cloud-based access control system named “IT Solution Excellence” of PCM The 14th Biz.IT Excellence. This is the second award presented by Hong Kong major IT media that proves the outstanding performance of Smart Access since its launch in 2020.

PCM is a leading professional IT magazine which has been published for three decades. The Biz.IT Excellence aims to encourage innovations and effective use of applications by enterprises to achieve business excellence.

“The award encouraged us to continue our investment of time and effort in R&D,” said Lucas, MO Tsun-ming, COO of NineSmart. “There is a significant increase in market demand for cloud-based access control due to the COVID-19. Managers are aware of the importance of contactless and remote access control that facilitate self-serve operations. Smart Access got the attention of enterprises and new businesses, especially those with high volume of daily visitors” Lucas Mo elaborated.

Smart Access is a versatile mobile app that allows corporate users to create visitor QR codes with limited access time to specific entrances; scan QR codes for quick onsite verifications, and even unlock a door remotely by a sliding button.

More modules to enhance visitor experience are available, such as Smart Booking – for end-users to reserve venues by e-payment and access by QR codes; and Smart Display – install the app to tablets and show daily bookings or status of specific rooms.

“We aim at having a comprehensive Visitor Management System (VMS) in SaaS model with open API, giving corporate clients a flexibility to select features they need for their business environments.” said Ryan, IP Chi-yung, CTO of NineSmart.

The combinations of Smart Access and other modules can be used in co-working spaces, function rooms, indoor or outdoor events etc. Management can access the admin panel anytime to check facilities access and booking status, and download reports for review. Visit the webpage for more details https://ninesmart.io/it-solution-excellence-2022-ninesmart-smart-access/

Hashtag: #PCM #BizITExcellence2022 #ITSolutionExcellence #NineSmart #technine #SmartAccess #AccessControl #VMS #QRCode

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About NineSmart

NineSmart () is devoted to bringing IoT into use with open API, enabling organizations to control various IoT devices with different protocols through network and a single application. We offer products – Smart Access and VMS that help companies quickly adopt cloud-based QR code access control systems, streamline people flow and enable remote management of access and booking records.

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Tia goes back to the beginning of her journey, was it just a dream?

Episode 5 of “Goodbye Princess” animation series ” Temptation Apple ” – Will the princess accept the prince’s kiss?

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 28 November 2022 – In the fifth episode of “GOODBYE PRINCESS” animation series, Asian global fashion icon, C-pop singer, film and television actress — Tia Lee (Tia Lee Yu Fen) takes a bite on the apple given by the magical mirror. She, then, has been returned to the depths of the sea and back to the beginning of her Journey, was it just a dream? With the 6-part series drawing to a close, stay tuned as the plot continues to challenge your imagination. The viewership figures of the “GOODBYE PRINCESS” animation and motion images MV pre-release campaign series has scaled new heights, with almost 90 million views to date.

In the fifth episode, Temptation Apple, after the handsome prince kneels down and declares his love for the princess in the previous episode, they are now dancing inside the castle. She takes a casual glance outside the window, but discovers that the dazzling light that has drawn her to this adventure is drifting further and further away. She runs down the spiraling staircase inside the castle without the prince. She is led into a room, where the magical mirror awaits and reflects her “past life” as a carefree mermaid who swims in the sea happily. The magical mirror then hands her an apple, and she takes a bite without hesitation. The handsome prince follows, but he is not quick enough to stop her in time. When the princess opens her eyes again, she has been returned to the depths of the sea. The television set shows images of the handsome prince holding the unconscious princess, trying to revive her with the kiss of life.

Thematic image echoing content of the fifth animated episode
Thematic image echoing content of the fifth animated episode

Then the Temptation Apple” poster, released on 26 November, told Tia’s followers more about this episode:

  1. The magical mirror that never lies makes an appearance, re-connecting Tia with reality.
  2. The bite of the apple changes the princess’ life. For better or worse, it is her own choice to make.
  3. As the princess returns to the setting of the first episode, in the depths of the water and with the old television set, was everything she experienced just a dream?
TiaLee-8th-image02.png

The fifth set of motion images and still photography for “ Temptation Apple” was released today together with Vogue Hong Kong, showing Tia in her Prakakaas hook and Poem skirt, looking curiously into the magical mirror.

Will the princess wake with the handsome prince’s kiss of life? Expect an unexpected ending in the finale of this “GOODBYE PRINCESS” animation series.

Official press materials:

“GOODBYE PRINCESS” Animation Episode 5: https://youtu.be/FWHHBO3yL4I
“GOODBYE PRINCESS” Episode 5 Poster: https://www.instagram.com/p/Claj4s2P-ih/

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=686167262876498&set=a.231904644969431 (for downloading)

“GOODBYE PRINCESS” Episode 5 Still Image: https://www.instagram.com/p/ClfwyiVu5bC/

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=691724972320727&set=a.231904644969431 (for downloading)

“GOODBYE PRINCESS” Episode 5 Motion Image: https://youtu.be/9Lk-amx1NUw
ROLLACOASTER UK Cover:

Caption

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClUA1Swtnyk/

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=688854202607804&set=a.231904644969431 (for downloading)

Vogue Hong Kong「The Voice」Cover:

Caption

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck7_neKsh_w/

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=681908259969065&set=pcb.681909583302266 (for downloading)


Tia Lee Official Channels:
Instagram @leeyufen: https://www.instagram.com/leeyufen/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tialeeofficial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leeyufentialee/
Weibo: https://weibo.com/u/1396928042/

Hashtag: #TiaLee

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Tia Lee Yu Fen:

Tia Lee Yu Fen (李毓芬), born in Taipei, is an Asian global C-pop singer, film and television actress, and model. In addition to her acting roles and musical career, Tia appears frequently at major fashion shows. As a fashion icon and trend-setter, Tia has graced the covers of fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, and shares her beauty and fashion tips through a number of Vogue’s social media channels.

AWS Makes Water Positive Commitment to Return More Water to Communities Than It Uses by 2030

World’s leading cloud provider announces new replenishment projects in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States to bring much needed clean water to communities around the world

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 28 November 2022 – Today at AWS re:Invent, Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com, Inc. company (NASDAQ: AMZN), announced it will be water positive (water+) by 2030, returning more water to communities than it uses in its direct operations. The company also announced its 2021 global water use efficiency (WUE) metric of 0.25 liters of water per kilowatt-hour, demonstrating AWS’s leadership in water efficiency among cloud providers. AWS is already well on the path to becoming water+ and as part of this new commitment will report annually on its WUE metric, new water reuse and recycling efforts, new activities to reduce water consumption in its facilities, and advancements in new and existing replenishment projects. To learn more about AWS’s water+ commitment visit: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/water.

“Water scarcity is a major issue around the world and with today’s water positive announcement we are committing to do our part to help solve this rapidly growing challenge,” said Adam Selipsky, CEO of AWS. “In just a few years half of the world’s population is projected to live in water-stressed areas, so to ensure all people have access to water, we all need to innovate new ways to help conserve and reuse this precious resource. While we are proud of the progress we have made, we know there is more we can do. We are committed to leading on water stewardship in our cloud operations, and returning more water than we use in the communities where we operate. We know this is the right thing to do for the environment and our customers.”

AWS has been driving four key strategies in pursuit of becoming water+ by 2030: improving water efficiency, using sustainable water sources, returning water for community reuse, and supporting water replenishment projects.

Water efficiency: AWS is constantly innovating across its infrastructure to reduce water consumption. It achieves its industry-leading water efficiency by using advanced cloud services, such as Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, to analyze real-time water use and identify and fix leaks. AWS further improves operational efficiency by eliminating cooling water use in many of its facilities for most of the year, instead relying on outside air. For example, in Ireland and Sweden, AWS uses no water to cool its data centers for 95% of the year. AWS also invests in on-site water-treatment systems that allow it to reuse water multiple times, minimizing water consumed for cooling.

Sustainable sources: AWS uses sustainable water sources, such as recycled water and rainwater harvesting, wherever possible. Using recycled water, which is only suitable for a limited set of applications such as irrigation and industrial use, preserves valuable drinking water for communities. In Northern Virginia, AWS worked with Loudoun Water to become the first data center operator in the state approved to use recycled water in direct evaporative cooling systems. AWS already uses recycled water for cooling in 20 data centers around the world and has plans to expand recycled water use in more facilities as it works toward becoming water+.

Community water reuse: After maximizing the use of water in its data centers, the spent liquid is still safe for many other uses, and AWS is finding more ways to return it to communities. In Oregon, AWS provides up to 96% of the cooling water from its data centers to local farmers at no charge for use in irrigating crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat.

Water replenishment: To meet its water+ commitment, AWS is investing in water replenishment projects in the communities where it operates. Replenishment projects expand water access, availability, and quality by restoring watersheds and bringing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services to water-stressed communities. To date, AWS has completed replenishment projects in Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa, providing 1.6 billion liters of freshwater each year to people in those communities. For example, in regions like Maharashtra and Hyderabad, India, and West Java, Indonesia, AWS is partnering with global clean water nonprofit Water.org to provide 250,000 people with access to safe water and sanitation. Building on its existing portfolio of water replenishment programs, AWS today announced several new projects, which, once completed, will provide more than 823 million liters of water to communities each year, including:

  1. India: AWS is providing continued support to WaterAid to complete projects in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh after they were launched in March 2022. Since then, WaterAid has already completed five piped water systems and new groundwater recharge projects, which will supply 500 households–approximately 2,100 people–with an estimated 47 million liters of water per year. WaterAid also conducted education campaigns on water conservation in these communities to educate residents on practical ways they can conserve clean water, use rainwater harvesting, and conduct water audits.
  2. UK: AWS is working with The Rivers Trust and Action for the River Kennet to create two wetlands on a tributary of the River Thames, one of the most important water catchment areas in the UK. The wetlands will recharge over 587 million liters of groundwater per year and improve water quality by receiving and treating polluted runoff from farms and roadways, addressing growing water scarcity and boosting water quality in the Thames River basin.
  3. US (California): Beginning this winter, AWS, the conservation non-profit Freshwater Trust, and the Omochumne-Hartnell Water District will recharge 189 million liters of groundwater per year using winter water from the Cosumnes River. This will allow water to gradually flow through the groundwater table and back into the Sacramento and San Joaquin watershed, increasing water flows during drier summer months. This lowers the temperature of the river, improves salmon habitat, and increases summer flows into the San Francisco Bay Delta, a critical water supply source for the communities in the region.

Today’s announcement adds to Amazon’s commitment of $10 million to Water.org to support the launch of the Water & Climate Fund, which will deliver climate-resilient water and sanitation solutions to 100 million people across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This donation will directly empower 1 million people with water access by 2025, providing 3 billion liters of water each year to people in water scarce areas.

“Our work with Amazon is supported by the shared belief that solving the global water crisis is possible. We commend AWS for committing to return more water than it uses by announcing Water+ by 2030,” said Matt Damon, co-founder of Water.org. Gary White, Water.org CEO and co-founder, added, “Our collaboration with Amazon and AWS already brings over 805 million liters of safe water to communities around the world every year, and we are excited to continue to work with Amazon to bring even more safe water to families in need.”

“WateReuse Association celebrates AWS’s commitment to go water positive by 2030, and for integrating water recycling as a key component in its goal to protect water resources, local ecosystems, and spur economic development,” said Patricia Sinicropi, executive director of WateReuse Association. “The progress AWS has made in using recycled water for cooling in 20 of their data centers already shows great leadership for the industry. We look forward to collaborating with Amazon to implement water reuse for the benefit of their operations and for the communities in which they operate.”

“AWS’s announcement to be water positive by 2030 demonstrates a clear commitment to water stewardship and sustainability,” said Mary Wenzel, managing director of corporate engagement at The Nature Conservancy. “AWS’s support of our work has helped improve water security for people and nature in water-stressed regions in South Africa and Brazil. We look forward to continuing our relationship with AWS to improve water quality and quantity by protecting and restoring watersheds around the world.”

AWS will report annually on new innovations in water efficiency, community reuse, water replenishment projects, and other activities on its path to achieving its water+ commitment. A full overview of how AWS will meet water+ by 2030 is in the methodology, available here:

https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/water

More information on AWS Water+ can also be found on at Amazon’s Water Stewardship in Data Centers: https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/water

Hashtag: #AmazonWebServices

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Amazon Web Services

For over 15 years, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud offering. AWS has been continually expanding its services to support virtually any cloud workload, and it now has more than 200 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), media, and application development, deployment, and management from 96 Availability Zones within 30 geographic regions, with announced plans for 15 more Availability Zones and five more AWS Regions in Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, and Thailand. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit .

Luang Prabang Announces Itself to be Open Defecation-Free

Officials at the ceremony to mark the end of open defecation in Luang Prabang on Thursday.

Following the lead of the nation’s capital, Vientiane, Luang Prabang declared itself open defecation-free last week. It is the third province to make such an announcement.

Japan to Grant USD 3.5 Million in Support of Laos’ 2024 ASEAN Chairmanship

On November 28, a signing ceremony for “the Exchange of Notes for the Economic and Social Development Plan (Support for ASEAN Chairmanship)” was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vientiane.

COLOTECT™ Test Kit has obtained the Certificate of IVD from HKSAR Department of Health, Providing A Convenient Way to Detect Non-invasive Colorectal Cancer

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 28 November 2022 – COLOTECT™ Test Kit has obtained the Certificate of IVD from HKSAR Department of Health.COLOTECT™ is a non-invasive colorectal cancer (CRC) self-sampling test that can detect the methylation status of exfoliated cell genes in the intestine, help screen for colorectal cancer and precancerous lesions risk, and detect bowel cancer risk even in the absence of active bleeding lesions.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second deadliest cancer globally. In 2020, the number of colorectal cancer diagnoses worldwide was about 1.9 million. Older age, a history of bowel disease, a family history of related diseases, having type 2 diabetes, being overweight or obese, certain types of diet, smoking, and drinking are all risk factors that can lead to colorectal cancer. In recent years, the incidence rate of colorectal cancer among young people has also been increasing significantly.

As the tumor grows, patients may experience one or multiple symptoms, including blood in the stool, abdominal pain, and bloating, among others. However, colorectal cancer usually does not show any symptoms in the early stages, which causes nearly 50% of patients not be detected until they reach the third or fourth stage and miss the best time for treatment. If colorectal cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the 5-year relative survival rate of patients can be as high as 90%. Conversely, if it is stage IV at the time of discovery, the 5-year survival rate will be reduced to only about 10%.

To learn about the new method of colorectal cancer screening in under 90 seconds, please click on the following link: https://colotect.hk/colotect#video-gallery-1

A non-invasive, painless, convenient, and the best way to deal with colorectal cancer is to actively use COLOTECT™ and other screening methods to detect and treat colorectal cancer as early as possible.

Hashtag: #SunriseDiagnosticCenterLimited

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Retail is the top performing sector for Customer Experience Excellence in Hong Kong, KPMG survey finds

User-friendly digital experiences have become a minimum expectation as 85% of surveyed consumers interact digitally with leading brands

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 28 November 2022 – As brands have continued to deliver better customer experiences, expectations among consumers in Hong Kong have risen. As a result, Hong Kong brands experienced a slight decline in their overall customer experience performance compared with 2021, according to a KPMG China survey.

In the 2022 edition of the Hong Kong Customer Experience Excellence (CEE) Report “Getting Future-ready and Staying Ahead”, nearly 1,200 customers were surveyed regarding their views on what constitutes a great customer experience. Those surveyed were asked to rate their experiences with over 70 brands that operate across five sectors: financial services, non-grocery retail, grocery retail, travel & hotels, and entertainment & leisure. The study took into account the six pillars of Customer Experience Excellence, which defines what customers look for in organisations.

The survey found that the overall customer experience score out of 10 decreased slightly from 6.91 in 2021 to 6.81 in 2022. Integrity and Personalisation are the leading pillars driving customer advocacy and loyalty in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong consumers are increasingly embracing digital channels, with 85% of respondents to a KPMG China survey reporting digital interactions with leading brands – an 8% increase compared with the previous year. As brands continue to invest in their customer experience, user-friendly digital experiences are now the minimum standard expected in Hong Kong.

Retail (Non-Grocery)
While non-grocery retail and grocery retail are the top performing sectors, non-grocery retail was the only sector to see an improvement in this year’s overall customer experience score compared with the previous year. Non-grocery retail scored 6.98/10 in the study, ranking first among all sectors.

The adoption of technology to streamline and improve communications by retailers has resulted in more transparency and engagement with customers. Compared with last year’s report, the frequency of communication between brands and customers has increased by at least 5% across multiple channels, including chatbots, in-store staff and phone calls. The Resolution pillar grew the fastest in hon-grocery retail compared with last year, while the Integrity and Expectations pillars remained the most important.

Anson Bailey, Partner and Head of Consumer and Retail ASPAC, KPMG China, says: “Tech-savvy Gen Z consumers still want an immersive physical retail store experience. Retailers need to leverage data and collaborate with stakeholders, as well as financial institutions, to curate a seamless omnichannel customer experience.”

Retail (Grocery)
The grocery retail sector scored 6.82/10 in the study. Hong Kong consumers are notorious for their fast-paced lifestyles, and time and convenience remain key buying factors for the vast majority. At the same time, grocery retailers in Hong Kong have also continued to streamline their customer experience through the use of technology. In particular, the Consumption Voucher Scheme, along with a variety of other efforts, has driven a wider adoption of digital payments.

Daniel Hui, Partner and Head of Consumer and Retail, Hong Kong, KPMG China, says: “Hong Kong consumers expect their shopping experiences to be exceptional, immersive, and content-rich, seamlessly combining the convenience of online shopping with the service of offline retail. Brands need to redesign and optimise their pre- and post-purchase experiences. Evolving roles and responsibilities of retail staff are key to bridging online to offline experiences. Knowledgeable and qualified retail staff, coupled with a strong interior concept for retail stores, are the keys to a seamless integration between the online and offline shopping experience.”

Financial Services
Financial services scored 6.76/10 in terms of customer experience in 2022. In this year’s survey, it is noted that the amplified efforts in digital transformation by traditional banks have paid off and they performed better across all six pillars when compared with virtual banks and other payment services.

Customer adoption of digital solutions has accelerated, with only 29% of surveyed customers interacting with their bank through the branch channel, compared with 39% in the previous year. Digital banking has become the new standard and is the gateway to personalised products and services.

The report notes that traditional banks have overcome legacy issues and can now compete with digital-first challengers in providing a seamless omnichannel experience. With the emergence of new technologies, the banking industry is closer than ever to providing smarter advisory and more personalised services and product offerings.

Hashtag: #KPMGChina

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Xaysomboun Hosts Bullfighting Competition as Part of Hmong Games

Bullfighting competition in Xaysomboun Province.

The Department of Education and Sports in Xaysomboun Province on Saturday organized the opening ceremony of this year’s Hmong games which saw participants competing in bullfighting, spinning top game, or Tuj Lub and Hmong archery.