Industry’s first O-RU vendor to support the NB-IoT and LTE-M technologies
Expand O-RU portfolio to support TDD technology
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 February 2023 – Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited (“Comba Telecom” or “the Group”, SEHK stock code: 2342) – Comba Network Systems Company Limited (“Comba Network”), a subsidiary of the Group, today announced significant feature enhancements across the OpenRadio®product portfolio, including the support of the NB-IoT and LTE-M technologies for IoT applications and 5G FDD NR for 5G low band (FR1) deployments. In addition, Comba Network announced the launch of the outdoor TDD O-RU series, with the Single Band TDD 4T4R Macro RRU being the first to be released to enable mobile operators to use their TDD assets with Open RAN technology.
The support of NB-IoT and LTE-M technologies designed for IoT applications has been introduced in the draft specification of the O-RAN Alliance as the global IoT market continues to prosper. Leveraging its leading innovative technologies and capabilities, Comba Network unveils the industry’s first commercially available NB-IoT and LTE-M supported Open RAN RUs, adding to its portfolio of O-RAN Alliance compliant products. The new features will accelerate Open RAN adoption in brownfield projects with fully open system architecture. Additionally, with the support of 5G FDD NR, the entire open radio product family allows dual connectivity for simultaneous transmissions across 4G LTE and 5G NR. Software upgrades are available to unlock all the new features.
The new product release of the single-band TDD 4T4R RRU aims to expand network capacity for busy networks in dense urban environments, balancing capacity and regulatory restrictions.
Ms. Marie Ma, General Manager of Comba Telecom Network Systems Limited, said, “Comba Network has developed a strong market and technology foothold in Open RAN ecosystem. The support of NB-IoT and LTE-M is a step forward to enable brownfield operators to embrace Open RAN without losing service parity. With constant technological advancements and product portfolio expansion, Comba Network strives to deepen cooperation with top-tier industry players to boost network modernization worldwide.”
Hashtag: #CombaTelecom
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited
Comba Telecom is a global leading wireless solutions provider with its own R&D facilities, manufacturing base, and sales and service teams. The Company offers a comprehensive suite of products and services including base station antennas and subsystems, wireless access, wireless enhancement, and wireless transmission to its global customers. Headquartered in Hong Kong, with advanced manufacturing and R&D capabilities, Comba Telecom provides wireless communication solutions and information application services to customers in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. The Company has been included in the Hang Seng Composite SmallCap Index and Hang Seng Composite Industry Index – Information Technology. In Jan 2023, Comba Telecom successfully listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited by way of an introduction under the the stock code “STC”. For further information, please visit: www.comba-telecom.com.
Damaged buildings and rescue operations are seen in the aftermath of the earthquake, in Aleppo, Syria February 7, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a social media video. White Helmets/Handout via REUTERS
BEIJING (Reuters) – An earthquake rescue team dispatched by China’s government arrived in Turkey’s Adana Airport early on Wednesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday.
TOKYO, JAPAN – Media OutReach – 8 February 2023 – Azbil Corporation (Tokyo:6845) announced that it has received the prestigious 2022 Southeast Asia Smart Building Solutions Company of the Year Award from growth strategy consulting and research firm Frost & Sullivan as part of their 2022 Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards.
The Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize leading organizations that have accomplished innovative or disruptive breakthroughs while continually demonstrating excellence. Frost & Sullivan applies a rigorous analytical process to nominate award recipients based on Frost & Sullivan’s proprietary, measurement-based methodology derived from extensive research, in-depth interviews, analysis, and industry benchmarking. Best-in-class companies in Asia Pacific are shortlisted using their real-time performance indicators including market share, revenue growth, customer acquisition, product/service value, and technology innovation. The process involves a detailed evaluation of best practices criteria across two dimensions for each nominated company before determining the final award recipient. Azbil was commended for its outstanding performance and valuable contributions in shaping new trends across the region, particularly in fulfilling many criteria in the smart building solutions space. For two consecutive years, Azbil previously received the 2020 and 2021 Southeast Asia Building Automation Systems Customer Value Leadership Award for customer value creation.
“Azbil distinguishes itself by driving synergy between people and technology while including energy and environmental conservation efforts. It has more than 100 years of know-how and cutting-edge automation technologies,” said Frost & Sullivan’s Senior Director, Energy & Environment, Mr. Melvin Leong.
“We are delighted to have received this accolade as it reinforces Azbil’s commitment to providing smart building automation solutions with the latest technology. It is a testament to our world-class high tech automation solutions customized for the needs of buildings. With a proven track record for over a century, we continue to deliver solutions that meet the ever-changing needs for building safety, environmental issues, and productivity, while expanding collaborations that realize decarbonization and workplace wellness. We strive to be a trusted partner to help bring positive business impact to the building industry in Southeast Asia,” said Mr. Kazuyasu Hamada, Managing Corporate Executive and President of Building Systems Company, Azbil Corporation.
Guided by the Group philosophy of “human-centered automation,” Azbil continues to provide technology and services that contribute “in series” to creating a sustainable society.
Hashtag: #Azbil
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Azbil Corporation
Azbil Corporation, formerly known as Yamatake Corporation, is a leading company in building and industrial automation, using its measurement and control technologies to provide customers with high value-added solutions to make their operations more efficient and sustainable. Founded in 1906, Azbil serves customers across the globe in a broad range of industries and aims to contribute to people’s safety, comfort and fulfilment, and global environmental preservation. At the end of March 2022, Azbil employed over 10,000 people worldwide and generated ¥256 billion in revenue. For more information, please visit https://www.azbil.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/azbil-southeast-asia-and-india/
Survey Reveals Need for Hong Kong’s Working Population to Refocus on Retirement Planning as It Embraces a Post-pandemic World
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 February 2023 – Retirement savings, retirement investments, medical protection, and physical and mental wellbeing are the four essential components of an ideal retirement life. However, many Hong Kong workers experienced disruptions to their retirement planning due to COVID-19. Now, with society gradually moving towards a post-pandemic world, AIA Hong Kong has announced the results of its “14th Desired Retirement Tracker” (the survey), which analysed Hong Kong workers’ changing attitudes towards retirement preparations amidst the resumption of normal activities and revealed their views according to the four primary aspects of retirement.
The “14th AIA Desired Retirement Tracker” reveals the attitudes of working people in Hong Kong towards retirement in the post-pandemic “new normal” and offers suggestions on aspects including retirement savings, medical protection, physical and mental wellbeing, and retirement investment. Pictured is Ms. Elaine Lau, Chief Corporate Solutions Officer of AIA Hong Kong and Macau.
Key findings were as follows:
Retirement savings
Forty-seven percent of respondents have increased their personal savings over the past three years (i.e., during the COVID-19 pandemic). Of these, 41% have achieved extra savings of more than HK$40,000.
Seventy-three percent of respondents said they will increase their entertainment spending as their social lives return to normal. Well over half (58%) plan to use their savings for so-called “revenge” travel, while 46% plan to travel in the next three to six months with an estimated budget of HK$22,918 (median).
Medical protection
Among respondents who have been infected with COVID-19, 80% agree life is fragile and that they should enhance their medical protection. However, only 17% have purchased additional medical insurance since having the virus.
Among all respondents, 22% do not have any medical insurance and 13% have group medical insurance only, meaning 35% may lack medical protection after retirement.
Physical and mental wellbeing
Fifty-eight percent of respondents prefer a hybrid working mode and hope to work from home an average of 2.8 days per week. However, 76% think that work-from-home arrangements cause the boundary between work and personal life to blur.
Retirement investment
Seventy-eight percent of respondents would like to have sustainable investment elements in their retirement investment portfolios, while 80% admit that they do not know how to choose ESG MPF products.
Detailed survey results
Retirement savings: affected by revenge consumption and travel
The survey revealed that nearly half of respondents (47%) have increased their personal savings over the past three years due to reduced travel or shopping. Of these, around 40% have achieved extra savings of over HK$40,000. Also, after three years of pandemic restrictions, people are ready to increase their spending on entertainment and travel: 73% of respondents will spend more on entertainment as social life returns to normal; 58% plan to travel; and nearly half (46%) plan to travel in the next three to six months, with an estimated budget of HK$22,918 (median) to include flight tickets, accommodations, shopping, etc.
Medical protection: people agree on its importance but fail to act
The survey also explored views on medical protection among respondents who have been infected with COVID-19. Eighty percent said “life is fragile and [I] should enhance [my] medical protection”, yet only 17% have purchased additional medical insurance since they had the virus, demonstrating that only a small portion of people have taken action to acquire additional medical protection. Respondents gave three main reasons as to why they have not purchased additional medical insurance: 42% said they plan to use only public medical services in the future, 38% have insufficient funds, and 19% think the protection provided by their employer’s group medical insurance is adequate.
Among all respondents, more than one fifth (22%) do not own any individual medical insurance and 13% have group medical insurance only, which means 35% of respondents may lack medical protection after retirement. As medical expenditures increase with age, their retirement savings may be insufficient for their actual needs.
Physical and mental wellbeing: work-life imbalance affects health
As society returns to normalcy, some businesses have gone back to office working arrangements. However, the survey revealed that nearly 60% of respondents (58%) prefer a hybrid working mode (i.e., one that gives employees the flexibility to work from office or home) and hope to work from home an average of 2.8 days per week.
However, there were underlying concerns. Seventy-six percent of respondents agree that work-from-home arrangements cause the boundary between work and personal life to blur, 70% think they result in longer working hours, and 64% think they will reduce social lives and hence contribute to a stronger sense of solitude.
Retirement investment: interested in ESG investment, but hindered by limited knowledge
The pandemic has taught the lesson that individuals, society and the environment are interdependent. The survey found that 78% of respondents would like to incorporate sustainable investment elements into their retirement investment portfolios. However, respondents also have limited knowledge of ESG investments1: 80% admit that they do not know how to choose ESG MPF products, and 60% think ESG investments are limited to environmental protection or carbon reduction.
Suggestions
Ms. Elaine Lau, Chief Corporate Solutions Officer of AIA Hong Kong and Macau, remarked, “We are pleased to see the community return to a more normal way of life. But while it is understandable that people are looking forward to increasing their spending on travel and social activities in a post-pandemic world, it is still crucial to strike a balance between spending, saving and building healthy financial habits. In addition, it is not advisable to rely solely on group medical insurance for medical protection. To build stronger health cover, working people should start simple. For example, they could make MPF Tax Deductible Voluntary Contributions and purchase a Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme based on their own needs to establish a more adequate retirement and medical safety net while also enjoying tax deductions.”
Ms. Lau added, “The survey found that working people have become more aware of their physical and mental wellbeing and are more determined to pursue a healthy lifestyle than before. AIA strives to go beyond traditional employee benefits by bringing together group insurance and workforce wellness, providing employee benefits solutions that cover physical, mental, social and financial wellbeing and help the public live ‘Healthier, Longer, Better Lives’. As for ESG, promoting the sustainable and healthier development of society has always been one of our corporate strategic priorities. As interest in ESG-related MPF funds rises among our members, we will continue to offer educational tools through a variety of channels to enhance their knowledge of ESG and related funds.”
Detailed suggestions for Hong Kong workers
Retirement savings
Strive for balance between spending and saving
While people’s desire to spend more on travel and social activities in a post-pandemic environment is understandable, it is recommended that they still aim to strike a balance between spending and saving and to build a habit of making regular savings.
Saving for retirement is a long-term discipline. With the snowball effect of compound interest2, every dollar saved may yield higher returns over time. When preparing a retirement plan, one should cultivate a savings habit, practise prudent financial management, and consider increasing savings and investment amounts whenever possible, making good use of qualifying deferred annuity products and MPF Tax Deductible Voluntary Contributions (TVC) to reduce retirement reserve shortfalls while enjoying tax deductions.
Medical protection
Get medical protection as soon as possible
Employees:
The pandemic has underscored the importance of having medical protection. Employees should not neglect the need for individual medical insurance even if they are covered by their employer’s group plan. In addition, group medical insurance will become invalid after retirement or departure from a company. Medical insurance premiums tend to be more expensive after retirement, and medical insurance options and cover are more limited due to increased health conditions. Without adequate individual medical insurance, employees may find themselves facing a medical protection shortfall – or find that they have no protection at all.
Employees are advised to arrange for medical protection as early as possible. They may want to consider purchasing medical insurance during their employment, for example through a Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) or portable employee voluntary medical protection plans. Under such options, protection will continue even after departure from a company or retirement. Moreover, a VHIS offers guaranteed renewal up to 100 years of age, greatly increasing the duration of one’s medical protection.
Employers:
Employers should regularly evaluate whether their group medical insurance plans are able to meet the varying needs of their employees. Some group insurance providers offer packages and tailor-made solutions to fit different business budgets. These solutions also offer protection for group medical, life, critical illness, personal accident, dental and business travel to provide comprehensive protection for employees.
Physical and mental wellbeing
Establish a healthy lifestyle
Employees:
Embrace a healthy lifestyle by getting regular medical check-ups, exercising and adhering to a healthy diet. Joining a programme such as “AIA Vitality” is a positive step towards living ‘Healthier, Longer, Better Lives’.
Build a sense of personal fulfilment by actively engaging in the community, developing a positive self-image and living a meaningful life.
Stay positive by understanding and managing mental health and seeking help when in need.
Employers:
Build an inclusive working environment and support network to enhance employees’ sense of belonging and self-worth.
Choose providers that offer comprehensive employee benefits solutions to help employees stay healthy.
Retirement investment
Increase knowledge of ESG investing concepts
Before making ESG-related investment decisions, MPF members should understand clearly the details and risks of the funds. When comparing different funds, they should be cautious and not just follow the crowd. They should also regularly review their investment to ensure it continues to match their investment objectives.
ESG concepts can be incorporated through MPF management. Examples include investing in MPF funds with ESG concepts, and managing MPF via e-channels to minimise the environmental impact of paper consumption.
MPF members may want to consider providers that have extensive experience with ESG-related MPF funds and products.
The “14th AIA Desired Retirement Tracker” was conducted between 31 October and 11 November 2022 through online questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. A total of 1,023 working people in Hong Kong aged 18-65 and with at least one MPF account were interviewed regarding their goals, views on their desired retirement life and the possibility of achieving it. Survey data was weighted according to the distribution of Hong Kong’s working population (including factors such as age, gender and monthly personal income) to ensure that the sample fully reflected the characteristics of Hong Kong’s working population. The survey was conducted by Cimigo, an independent market research and consultancy agency.
1 ESG investments incorporate environmental, social and governance elements into the investment decision-making process.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About AIA Hong Kong & Macau
AIA Group Limited established its operations in Hong Kong in 1931. To date, AIA Hong Kong and AIA Macau have over 17,000 financial planners1, as well as an extensive network of brokerage and bancassurance partners. We serve over 3.4 million customers2, offering them a wide selection of professional services and products ranging from individual life, group life, accident, medical and health, pension, personal lines insurance to investment-linked assurance schemes with numerous investment options. We are also dedicated to providing superb product solutions to meet the financial needs of high net worth customers.
1 as at 30 June 2022 2 Including AIA Hong Kong and AIA Macau’s individual life, group insurance and pension customers (as at 30 June 2022)
Emergency personnel scour through ruined building, Turkey. (Photo: Hussein Malla/AP)
Countries across the Asia-Pacific region have offered aid after an earthquake on Monday killed thousands and devastated a vast area of southeastern Turkey and northern Syria.
The United States of America has provided MAG additional funding of USD 21.75 million for twenty-eight months to continue the implementation of UXO clearance, surveys, and explosive ordnance risk education in Xieng Khouang province.
NetApp reaffirms its leadership position with deep innovation across its storage portfolio, adding mid-market and entry level options to help customers navigate current economic conditions and constrained budgets
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 8 February 2023 – NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, today announced the upcoming availability of the NetApp AFF C-Series, a new family of capacity flash storage options that deliver lower cost all-flash storage, and NetApp AFF A150, a new entry-level storage system in the AFF A-Series family of all-flash systems.
The NetApp AFF C-Series
The new NetApp AFF C-Series delivers flash performance, while remaining cost-effective and efficient for a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and a smaller storage footprint. This family of capacity flash arrays are also offered with one of the industry’s most comprehensive software suites, ONTAP One, an all-in-one license that includes all available NetApp software. Customers can modernize their data center with the flexibility to choose the right storage (performance flash, capacity flash, or hybrid) for their VMware, database, and file workload requirements, all running on NetApp ONTAP and managed centrally by NetApp BlueXP for a seamless hybrid cloud experience.
NetApp also announced today, NetApp Advance, a new portfolio of storage programs and guarantees to deliver best-in-class customer ownership experience and cost-effectively future proof on-premises environments.* This gives customers the flexibility and choice to safeguard their storage investment – whether the C-Series, AFF A150 or other newly acquired AFF or FAS systems – with the ability to right-size on-premises environment and transition to storage as a service or cloud storage as their business requires. And with NetApp’s 4:1 Storage Efficiency Guarantee,* NetApp ensures that workload efficiency goals are met, or NetApp will rectify this at no cost to the customer.
“NetApp has been a flash storage leader for years, and today’s announcements of the AFF C-Series and A150 builds on that legacy of innovation to bring our customers and partners some of the most affordable and sustainable all flash storage in the market today,” said Sandeep Singh, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Storage at NetApp. “As companies are looking at their bottom line in this economic environment, we want to meet their needs by providing capacity flash at a lower cost to entry in order to better enable their transition from hybrid storage to all-flash while staying in budget.”
The NetApp AFF C-Series, which is comprised of the AFF C250, AFF C400 and AFF C800, offers:
Guaranteed storage efficiency to improve an organization’s storage footprint and energy costs to reduce TCO while simplifying operations.*
Seamless scalability on-premises to allow organizations to scale capacity and performance as their data grows.
Best-in-class data security with ransomware protection to keep important data secure, available and protected.
The new NetApp AFF A150 is ideal for Mid-size businesses, and Remote Office/Branch Office (ROBO) and distributed deployments to better meet the needs of customers who require entry-level, enterprise-class storage, while providing:
Better performance
More scalability and expansion options
High availability with support for MetroCluster IP
“The economic reality is driving APAC organizations to optimize operational efficiency while minimizing costs,” said Sanjay Rohatgi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NetApp Asia Pacific. “I am excited to launch the new AFF solutions today to bring customers a new level of simplified high-capacity, lower cost on-premises storage to modernize their data centers. They can now future proof their investments, and address economic headwinds and sustainability goals concurrently.”
These additions to NetApp’s product line-up are ideal for entry-level to high-end workloads (including virtual machines, database, and backup consolidation), are feature-rich with ONTAP data management, and are offered at an attractive price point for customers – creating strong growth opportunities for NetApp partners to reach new markets while qualifying for NetApp Partner Sphere incentives.
“NetApp continues to assert itself as one of the market’s preeminent innovators for hybrid cloud storage,” said Juan Orlandini, Chief Architect and Distinguished Engineer at Insight Enterprises. “As a leading solutions integrator and longtime NetApp partner, we know our joint customers are looking for the industry’s most innovative solutions and services to enable speed, scale and resilience for their business. With these new capacity flash and entry level offerings, we’re opening the door to acquire new customers at scale.”
NetApp Advance is available today. The NetApp AFF C-Series family and NetApp AFF A150 will be available starting in March 2023, and NetApp and Cisco plan to offer these storage options within the industry-leading integrated infrastructure offering, FlexPod, in Q4 FY’23.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About NetApp
NetApp is a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company that empowers organizations to lead with data in the age of accelerated digital transformation. The company provides systems, software and cloud services that enable them to run their applications optimally from data center to cloud, whether they are developing in the cloud, moving to the cloud, or creating their own cloudlike experiences on premises. With solutions that perform across diverse environments, NetApp helps organizations build their own data fabric and securely deliver the right data, services, and applications to the right people—anytime, anywhere. Learn more at www.netapp.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
NETAPP, the NETAPP logo, and the marks listed at www.netapp.com/TM are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.