Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien chairs the conference promoting Vietnam’s trade in coal with Laos (Photo Credit: Vietnam Economic News)
The Vietnamese government is actively seeking solutions to enhance coal trade cooperation with Laos, addressing the challenges in the current coal trade between the two countries.
Luang Prabang city street at night (photo credit: J&C Laos)
Lonely Planet, the renowned UK-based travel guide website, has named Luang Prabang as one of the seven best places to visit in Southeast Asia for 2024.
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 July 2024 – Award-winning multi-asset CFD broker VT Markets recently completed a successful seminar in Hong Kong. Featuring stock-picking expert Louis Wong, renowned stock commentator Agnes Wu, and analyst Eyad, the event was a masterclass focusing on identifying investment strategies for the latter half of 2024.
Seminar scene
While the experts shared insights on building and applying investment strategies, the seminar was an immediate hit, attracting nearly 200 industry professionals and trading enthusiasts; a likely indicator of the country’s growing interest towards professional guidance in practical trading.
The seminar began with a presentation by VT Markets‘ special analyst Eyad, who shared his approach towards investment trend analysis. Stemming from his personal experience and his losses in trading, Eyad explained how to identify complete trading signals from macroeconomic data and apply them to specific trading executions.
His analysis covered economic condition judgments, product selection criteria, and information filtering. Eyad explained that his goal was to help traders understand the overall trading context through intuitive methods; establishing correct investment thinking and knowledge systems in the process. This will ostensibly reduce losses and increase win rates in trading.
Louis Wong and Agnes Wu then provided their interpretations of the U.S. and global markets for the second half of the year. With a volatile economy looming in the background, they discussed the future investment prospects of Hong Kong stocks.
One topic that stood out was the U.S. stock market. Often used as an indicator for how domestic markets might respond, the experts explained that the market was keenly observing U.S. stock trends for the latter half of the year. As part of the seminar’s bid towards better financial education, Wong started with an explanation of his analysis using critical data and indicators affecting the U.S. stock market.
Wong then elaborated on the highly-anticipated U.S. presidential election, opining that if Trump won, his aggressive unilateralism and America-first approach could pose significant risks for the market. For instance, Trump’s potential tariff imposition on countries like China might escalate the trade war, leading to higher inflation in the U.S. This is in stark contrast with expectations towards Trump; the market expects him to push the Federal Reserve towards a monetary easing policy, benefiting assets like bonds, gold, and small-cap stocks.
Agnes Wu then reviewed the status and future of the U.S. and other Asian markets, using hot topics like youth employment and consumer market activity in Mainland China as the main medium of analysis.
With the Hong Kong stock market serving as a bridge between Mainland China and the international markets, its movements reflect regional and global economic trends and Sino-U.S. relations. In this regard, for Hong Kong stocks, Wu suggests that if the Hong Kong government introduces economic stimulus plans, ETFs like the CSI 300 Index could be considered as good portfolio enhancers. Her advice was to focus on leading stocks with better profitability and avoid companies with single revenue sources to reduce risk.
As part of its mission towards enhancing financial literacy, VT Markets will continue to provide such platforms for investors to exchange knowledge and learn from experts. In a vastly competitive financial market such as Hong Kong, having access to a professional and trustworthy broker committed to enhancing practical financial knowledge will give investors an edge over the competition.Hashtag: #VTMarkets #CFDs #CFDsbrokers #Forextrading #Goldtrading #MT4 #Wongwaikit #Wumangching #stocks
THAILAND, BANGKOK – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 July 2024 – BTS GROUP AB (publ.), a leading global strategy implementation firm, has agreed to acquire the organizational development and leadership business and the related assets of Seasia Leadavation Company Ltd (SEAC), based in Bangkok, Thailand. SEAC is owned by the publicly listed [AP (Thailand)].
Founded originally as the APM Group in 1992, SEAC is Thailand’s number 1 organizational development and leadership company in Southeast Asia. In the past 32 years, SEAC has served over 1,500 organizations and 3 million leaders and learners on their mission to grow and empower people and organizations. APM was incorporated into the AP Thailand Group in 2017, operating under the SEAC brand.
With an office in Bangkok and operating in the Southeast Asia region, SEAC delivers world-class, impactful organizational, leadership, and talent development solutions through their proprietary, innovative and smart learning processes and technology platforms. SEAC’s solutions help their clients transform their work models, build essential future capabilities, and drive powerful cultural changes to successfully execute their strategies.
The Southeast Asia operation is one of the fastest growing businesses in BTS and Thailand is a large and growing market with many prominent clients. With SEAC’s impressive portfolio of both local and global companies operating in the region, with only limited overlap with BTS, its learning experience platforms, an innovative portfolio of solutions, and the proprietary 456 Smart Learning experience design and delivery processes, the acquisition of SEAC will significantly enhance BTS position in Thailand, strengthen its market presence in Southeast Asia and pave the way for additional strong growth in one of the fastest growing regions in the world.
“We are really excited to welcome the SEAC team to our family,” says Philios Andreou, Deputy CEO of the BTS Group. “Their focus on client results, the quality of their innovative learning methodologies, their entrepreneurial spirit, passion and great team will be a perfect fit with BTS’ organizational DNA and values. As the two business integrate, we see opportunities to increase profitability further over time.”
Following the integration into BTS, SEAC’s team will be able to accelerate their personal development and the company’s growth and expansion into new markets. “Since our early days at the APM Group, our passion has been to serve and grow organizations and people in Southeast Asia. Joining BTS will exponentially allow us to do more of this,” says Arinya Talerngsri, current Managing Director of SEAC. “The combination of our skills will create a ‘dream team’ to facilitate our client’s growth and success locally and globally,” says James R. Engel, SEAC’s Chief Learning Architect.
SEAC’s organization will be merged with BTS Thailand, part of BTS Southeast Asia but its solutions, methodologies and platforms will also be sold and leveraged throughout the entire BTS Group.
“The mix of people and assets that SEAC brings to BTS, combined with our current presence, will strengthen our leadership position in the region, enabling us to scale the impact to our clients’ businesses and reach a higher number of leaders. We are excited by the vast opportunities ahead as we join forces,” says Gianfranco Di Maira, partner and Head of BTS Southeast Asia.
BTS’s strategy for acquisitions aims to create a broader base for future organic growth while actively consolidating in a highly fragmented market. Through its acquisitions, BTS seeks to serve new and existing customers with innovative services.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About BTS Group AB
BTS is a global professional services firm headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. BTS has about 1,100 professionals in 38 offices located on six continents. BTS competes in both talent and HR consulting as well as the traditional consulting markets. BTS’s services support a broad range of client challenges including top-to-bottom and on-demand leadership development, talent selection and readiness, strategy creation and strategy implementation, as well as culture and broad-scale change. For over 35 years, BTS has been focused on the people-side of change and on powering better performance using proprietary simulation, learning, coaching, and assessment methodologies. We partner with nearly 1,200 organizations, including over 40 of the world’s 100 largest global corporations.
BTS is a public company listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange and trades under the symbol BTS B.
Aditi Rasquinha is named CEO, taking over from Steve Huang, who recently entered retirement
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 July 2024 – DHL Global Forwarding, the freight specialist of DHL Group, has appointed Aditi Rasquinha as the new CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Greater China with effect from 1 August 2024. She takes over from Steve Huang, who retired after more than 30 years of illustrious service with DHL Group.
Aditi Rasquinha, a new CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Greater China
“We are thrilled to have Aditi rejoin DHL Global Forwarding. Her familiarity with our organization, extensive experience and leadership in the logistics industry will be invaluable as she leads the Greater China market. This region is one that offers a lot of opportunities for us, as well as our customers, and I am confident Aditi will bring a fresh perspective and help build on our success here,” said Niki Frank, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.
No stranger to the DHL Global Forwarding family, Rasquinha started her career with DHL Group in 2005 as a Business Analyst as part of Singapore’s Global Customer Solutions team. Over the next five years, she rose through the ranks to the role of Director, Strategic Ocean Freight Accounts, DHL Global Forwarding Singapore. At DHL, she most recently served as Director Ocean Freight, DHL Global Forwarding Malaysia in 2014.
Since then, Rasquinha accumulated extensive experience with Kuehne + Nagel as Ocean Freight Head Thailand and the Netherlands, and in her current position as Head of Ocean Freight Asia Pacific at DB Schenker since 2021.
“I am excited about the role, and looking forward to accelerating the growth momentum at DHL Global Forwarding Greater China. Returning to DHL feels like coming home, and I look forward to reconnecting with my colleagues and bringing new ideas to the table. We have many opportunities to do more in this region, especially with our launch of the EV Center of Excellence in Shanghai,” added Rasquinha, CEO DHL Global Forwarding Greater China.
DHL Global Forwarding has recently opened its latest electric vehicle (EV) Center of Excellence in Shanghai to support EV companies and related sectors in growing their presence locally and globally. This marks the Group’s first EV Center of Excellence in China, the largest global EV market.
The Shanghai EV Centre of Excellence specializes in seamless and integrated end-to-end logistics for EV products, including batteries, electric motors, charging infrastructure and more. It has a dedicated team of specialists to ensure efficient handling, storage and transportation while meeting the unique needs of the EV sector.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
DHL – The logistics company for the world
DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 395,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.
DHL is part of DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 81.8 billion euros in 2023. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.
1st mega shopping mall is expected to launch in Q1 2025
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 July 2024 – The revitalization of Dock 1A, a community and recreational hub in Sai Kung located at 1A, Chui Tong Road is underway. The mall will be transformed into a modern, community-driven lifestyle and recreational landmark in the district. Dock 1A is now available for lease, and the grand opening is expected to happen in January of 2025.
With over 56,000 sq ft of leasing area, the revitalised 10-storey shopping mall will be the first mega shopping mall and parking facility in the Sai Kung district. The mall will offer a wide range of shops, dining, and entertainment facilities, including coffee shops, fitness centre, supermarket, and shops for kids’ entertainment and pet supplies. More than 380 parking spaces will be provided from the fifth floor to the rooftop, accommodating the parking needs of local residents and visitors.
Dock 1A is located within walking distance of Sai Kung’s major attractions and transportation hubs. Visitors from Sai Kung Town Centre take only 5 minutes to walk from the Sai Kung Town Centre, and 10 minutes from Sai Kung Public Pier. Drivers from Sha Tin, Tseung Kwan O, Ma On Shan, and other neighbouring areas can arrive in around 20 minutes.
“Dock 1A is designed based on a community-centred concept, in which the daily living needs of residents and stakeholders are in priority,” said Kevin Wong, Accounting and Operation Manager of Dock 1A. “With the vision to provide a leisure living space in the community, Dock 1 will play an essential role in enhancing the development of Sai Kung for locals, visitors and nearby merchants.”
“Looking forward, the new management team envisioned Dock 1A as a cultural and social centre promoting the history of Sai Kung, as well as a relaxing spot for visitors exploring the community,” added Kevin.
Hashtag: #Dock1A
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Dock 1A
Positioned as a community and recreational hub, Dock 1A is a newly revitalised mall and parking facility located at 1A Chui Tong Road, Sai Kung, near Sai Kung Town Centre and Public Pier. The new management envisioned the mall as a modern, community-driven lifestyle and recreational landmark in the district, providing living space for Sai Kung residents and Hong Kong citizens.
Cybersecurity leader announces capabilities to safeguard business resilience and AI adoption
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 July 2024 – Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today announced new innovations in its enterprise platform and consumer cybersecurity products focused on protecting all environments from the rapidly growing threat of AI-based attacks and fraud.
Trend research shows that cybercriminals are catching on to the explosion of enterprise AI use, resulting in a dramatic increase in AI-based tools available on the criminal underground. These tools are cheaper and more accessible than ever, enabling criminals at any skill level to more easily launch attacks at scale that mislead victims for purposes of extortion, identity theft, fraud, or misinformation.
Kevin Simzer, COO at Trend: “Our latest research reveals several new deepfake tools that make it easy for cybercriminals at all skill levels to launch damaging scams, social engineering, and security bypass attempts. We are leading the industry in fighting back for both our enterprise and consumer customers with new capabilities to detect deepfakes and other forms of AI fraud. Like past shifts in the threat and IT landscape, we’ve seen the challenge of securing AI and risen to it.”
Detecting and defeating these AI-based methods is central to better managing attack surface risk for enterprises and lowering overall online risk for consumers—71% of whom, in a recent Trend survey, viewed deepfakes negatively and believed that one of their top uses is for fraud.
Available soon in the Trend Vision One™ platform, new deepfake detection technology will use a variety of advanced methods to spot AI-generated content. This capability is also available for consumers today in Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector.
Going beyond techniques like image noise analysis and color detection, the platform also analyses user behavioral elements to provide a much stronger approach to detecting and stopping deepfakes. Upon detection, Trend immediately alerts enterprise security teams, enabling them to learn, educate, and take proactive measures to prevent future attacks.
Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector can help verify if a party on a live video conversation is using deepfake technology, alerting users that the person or persons with whom they are conversing may not be who they appear to be.
According to Gartner1 analyst Dan Ayoub, “Readily available, high-quality GenAI applications are now capable of creating photo-realistic video content that can deceive or mislead an audience. Given the low barriers to entry in using these tools and their increasing sophistication, developing a methodological approach to detecting GenAI deepfake content has become necessary.”
Deepfakes pose a significant risk to modern enterprises and individuals. An undetected deepfake can lead to financial impacts, job losses, legal challenges, reputation damage, identity theft, and potential harm to mental or physical health. In a recent Trend Micro study, 36% of consumers reported experiencing a scam attempt using a deepfake. The FBI has also previously warned of deepfake technology being used in conjunction with video calls to carry out business email compromise attacks, and to fraudulently apply for remote working positions.
This technology is not only being abused to bypass human verification but also biometric security measures like facial recognition. Trend research has also revealed recent shifts indicating a growing preference for exploiting existing LLM models through innovative jailbreaking techniques rather than developing bespoke criminal AI tools.
The launch of Trend’s new solutions is part of a company-wide mission to secure customers’ AI journey. Supporting a zero trust strategy, Trend also recently released new features for Trend Vision One designed to:
Centralize management of employees’ GenAI access and usage
Inspect prompts to prevent data leaks and malicious injections
Filter GenAI content to meet compliance requirements
Defend against large language model (LLM) attacks
Trend Micro Deepfake Inspector is a free solution designed to alert users to potential deepfakes while they are on video call. Analysis takes place in real time and locally on the consumer device, ensuring users’ data and privacy are protected at all times.
1Gartner, Emerging Tech: Combating Deepfakes, Deception and Disinformation in Multimedia Content, Dan Ayoub, 17 April 2024
Gartner is a registered trademark and service mark, Peer Insights and Magic Quadrant are registered trademarks, of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner Peer Insights content consists of the opinions of individual end users based on their own experiences with the vendors listed on the platform, should not be construed as statements of fact, nor do they represent the views of Gartner or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in this content nor makes any warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this content, about its accuracy or completeness, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose Hashtag: #trendmicro #trendvisionone #visionone #cybersecurity #deepfake #deepfakeinspector
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Trend Micro
Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro’s AI-powered cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, Trend’s platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 70 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. www.TrendMicro.com.hk
Veteran banking leader Chris Shayan appointed as Head of AI to enhance AI capabilities across customer lifetime value in the Engagement Banking Platform
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 31 July 2024 – Backbase, the global leader in Engagement Banking, announces the establishment of its first global Center of Excellence (COE) focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The COE will serve as the development hub for Backbase’s AI banking solutions worldwide and will be led by Head of AI Chris Shayan, a former CXO at Techcombank and HDBank.
Backbase’s strategic decision to establish this COE in Vietnam underscores its commitment to Asia. Vietnam is pegged as the fastest growing digital economy in Southeast Asia and recognized for its rapid digital transformation, innovative spirit, and growing pool of talent. Asia is a core region for Backbase and Vietnam has become one of the fastest growing markets in Asia, with key banks including Techcombank, TPBank, ABBANK, and OCB driving digital transformation through the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform.
The Center of Excellence is strategically located near Saigon Center in District 1, occupying an entire floor dedicated to advancing AI development. The COE will bring together a talented team of engineers specializing in web, mobile, backend, AI, machine learning, and large language models (LLM), fostering rapid AI development and innovation.
Chris Shayan, an industry veteran in AI and digital transformation, brings his vision and expertise to drive this initiative in Vietnam, where he has resided for more than a decade. According to Shayan, the COE’s first product launch is targeted within 6 months of its establishment, reflecting Backbase’s confidence in a rapid development cycle.
“Vietnam is a crucial part of our global strategy. Having managed an 800-person team, of which 99% were Vietnamese, I can personally attest to the remarkable potential of Vietnamese talent in technology and innovation,” Shayan stated. “At this stage, our focus for the COE is to harness this talent pool to create world-leading AI capabilities that help banks solve business problems on a global scale, leveraging the wealth of knowledge and experience from Backbase’s portfolio of banks and tech experts.”
Before joining Backbase, Shayan led digital transformation initiatives as Techcombank’s Chief Technology Officer, achieving benchmark-setting results in just 9 months. In addition, as the Chief Digital Officer at HD Bank, he led a transformation that saw 4x customer growth under his leadership.
“The Center of Excellence will harness AI to deepen the value our customers can obtain from the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform, by increasing customer usage and servicing experience, as well as provide access to analytics for informed decision-making. The Center of Excellence aims to vertically integrate AI to uplift customer lifetime value and accelerate development and deployment of products for banks to have access to AI-driven features soon,” adds Shayan.
A forecast by McKinsey predicts that generative AI has the potential to create up to $340 billion in value for banks, while still in the nascent stages of AI development in the region. The CoE will prioritize practical AI applications to enhance business outcomes, rather than focusing solely on R&D efforts. The goal is to create AI capabilities that accelerate customer lifetime value and engagement, integrating these solutions seamlessly on top of Backbase’s existing architecture.
Vietnam as a growing hub for Backbase
Backbase’s annual flagship conference, ENGAGE, will take place in Ho Chi Minh City on September 11 – 12 this year. Core leadership team members, including the CEO, CPO, CTO, and Product Directors, will gather to share the latest global insights and unveil new technological innovations. A key highlight of this year’s conference will be the focus on AI and the new Center of Excellence. With the theme “Banking Reinvented,” the ENGAGE Asia 2024 will feature a wealth of content, from go-live success stories to pioneering achievements in digital banking and transformation. These presentations and use cases will showcase the real-world progress of Asian banks that have boldly embraced customer-centric approaches. Banking leaders from across Asia are invited to join this impactful event.
Vietnam is growing to be a key hub for teams to come together from all across the Southeast Asian region and beyond. Through its investments in Vietnam, Backbase is set to redefine the boundaries of AI in the banking sector, driving innovation, customer engagement, and business growth for banks globally.
Recent press releases on awards and go-live with Backbase’s Vietnam customers
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Backbase
Backbase is on a mission to re-architect banking around the customer.
Backbase created the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform – a unified platform with the customer at the center, empowering banks to accelerate their digital transformation. From customer onboarding to servicing, loyalty, and loan origination, our single platform — open and frictionless, with ready-to-go apps — improves every aspect of the customer experience. Built from the ground up with the customer at the heart, our Engagement Banking Platform easily plugs into existing core banking systems and comes pre-integrated with the latest fintechs so financial institutions can innovate at scale.
Industry analysts Gartner, Omdia, and IDC continuously recognize Backbase’s category leadership position. Over 120 financial institutions around the world have embraced the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform. In APAC, the customers we serve include ABBANK, BDO Unibank, Bank of the Philippine Islands, China Bank, EastWest Bank, HDFC Bank, JudoBank, OCB, Techcombank, and TPBank.
Backbase is a privately funded fintech company, founded in 2003 in Amsterdam (Global HQ), with regional offices in Singapore (APAC HQ), Atlanta (Americas HQ), and operations in Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Latin America, and the UK.
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