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Macquarie Asset Management Acquires Significant Minority Stake in ST Telemedia’s VIRTUS Data Centres

LONDON, UK – Media OutReach – 2 August 2022 – ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (ST Telemedia) has reached an agreement for Macquarie Asset Management, via Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 7, to acquire a significant minority stake in leading data centre provider VIRTUS Data Centres (VIRTUS).

VIRTUS provides colocation and cloud connectivity services to blue-chip clients, including global technology companies and enterprise clients. Its portfolio comprises 11 data centre facilities in Greater London with a combined capacity of over 180 MW, and an initial 100 MW pipeline of projects under consideration in prime locations across the UK and Europe.

VIRTUS is deeply focused on sustainability, sourcing its electricity needs from renewable energy. VIRTUS is also targeting net zero emissions across its data centre operations by 2030.

Nathan Luckey, a Senior Managing Director within Macquarie Asset Management’s Real Assets team, said: “While London’s data centre market is expected to continue seeing increased absorption levels, driven by strong demand for hyperscalers, we believe Europe – including core markets such as Germany and France – will present sizeable growth opportunities over the next decade.”

“We are delighted to partner with ST Telemedia Global Data Centres to help scale VIRTUS’ operations, providing mission critical services that are central to the digital economy. Through our long-term investment, we intend to further strengthen VIRTUS’ focus on sustainability by backing further investment in its technology and enhancing the lifecycle management of its equipment.”

Bruno Lopez, President and Group Chief Executive Officer at ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, said: “We are pleased to have propelled VIRTUS’ growth journey over the past seven years which has seen their platform grow into the UK’s leading hyperscale data centre provider today. Our commitment has demonstrated the value of developing high-quality data centres in strategic locations. With Macquarie’s partnership, we look forward to building on this strong momentum, accelerating VIRTUS’ growth strategy and expanding our services to customers across Europe.”

Neil Cresswell, Chief Executive Officer of VIRTUS Data Centres, said: “Our vision is to lead the data centre industry in Europe by being different by design. We are excited to have an experienced data centre investor in Macquarie join ST Telemedia Global Data Centres to support not only our growth plans, but also our continued innovation and commitment to ensure our facilities are futureproofed with sustainability at their core.”

Macquarie Asset Management is a leading investor in digital infrastructure globally. As the world’s largest infrastructure manager, Macquarie Asset Management currently manages investments in AirTrunk, a leading Asia-Pacific data centre developer and operator with facilities in Australia, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong. Macquarie Asset Management is also supporting the expansion of leading US data centre providers Aligned Data Centers and Netrality Data Centers.

Hashtag: #MacquarieAssetManagement #STTelemediaGlobalDataCentres

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

About Macquarie Asset Management

Macquarie Asset Management is a global asset manager that aims to deliver positive impact for everyone. Trusted by institutions, pension funds, governments, and individuals to manage ÂŁ441 billion in assets globally, we provide access to specialist investment expertise across a range of capabilities including infrastructure, green investments and renewables, real estate, agriculture and natural assets, asset finance, private credit, equities, fixed income and multi asset solutions.

Macquarie Asset Management is part of Macquarie Group, a diversified financial group providing clients with asset management, finance, banking, advisory and risk and capital solutions across debt, equity, and commodities. Founded in 1969, Macquarie Group employs more than 18,000 people in 33 markets and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Macquarie Group businesses are actively supporting the development of the UK’s digital infrastructure, overseeing investment to upgrade essential fibre and telecommunications infrastructure nationwide via KCOM, Arqiva, and Voneus.

All figures as at 31 March 2022. For more information, please visit

About ST Telemedia Global Data Centres

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres is one of the fastest-growing data centre providers, headquartered in Singapore. With a global platform of data centres in the world’s major business markets of over 170 facilities across Singapore, UK, India, China, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan and Philippines, STT GDC offers a full suite of best-in-class, highly scalable and flexible data centre solutions, connectivity and support services that best meet customers’ current and future colocation needs. For more details, please visit.

About VIRTUS Data Centres

VIRTUS Data Centres (VIRTUS) is a trusted global leader in the data centre industry and the UK’s leading data centre company, committed to delivering reliable, resilient and responsible digital infrastructure for our customers. As part of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC), VIRTUS is the home of the cloud in London, and at the heart of Europe. Collectively, the STT GDC Group provides a global platform that has more than 170 data centres worldwide with over 2.2GW of IT load, across 20 major business markets.

VIRTUS has a proven track record of over a decade designing and operating the UK’s most efficient facilities. Committed to the highest standards of Operational Excellence – safety, security and availability – VIRTUS hires the best people to work in an industry which is increasingly essential to everyone and everything. We are laser focused on responsibly delivering solutions for the benefit of our customers, colleagues, suppliers, the environment and the world, every minute of every day.

Important Notices (Macquarie Asset Management): None of the entities noted in this document is an authorised deposit-taking institution for the purposes of the Banking Act 1959 (Commonwealth of Australia) and the obligations of these entities do not represent deposits or other liabilities of Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542 (Macquarie Bank). Macquarie Bank does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of these entities. In addition, if this document relates to an investment (a) each investor is subject to investment risk including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and principal invested and (b) none of Macquarie Bank or any other Macquarie Group company guarantees any particular rate of return on or the performance of the investment, nor do they guarantee repayment of capital in respect of the investment.

Spackman Media Group Artist Kim Sang-Kyung Stars In TVN K-Drama, POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST, Topping Audience Ratings On Premiere Day In Korea

  • Starring Spackman Media Group artist Kim Sang-kyung, POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST took first place in audience ratings for its time slot based on Nielson Korea, an audience rating research company
  • The tvN K-drama surpassed the premiere audience ratings of MY LIBERATION NOTES, which was the most popular K-drama in May in Korea
  • Last April, Kim Sang-kyung headlined in AIR MURDER, co-produced by the Group’s indirect wholly-owned subsidiary Platform Media Group, which was the #1 Korean film at its opening weekend box office in Korea

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 2 August 2022 Spackman Entertainment Group Limited (the “Group“), one of Korea’s leading entertainment production groups founded in 2011 by media & technology investor Charles Spackman, wishes to announce that veteran actor Kim Sang-kyung of Spackman Media Group Limited (“Spackman Media Group“) stars in tvN K-drama, POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST, which topped the audience ratings on its first day of release in Korea yesterday, and exceeded the premiere audience ratings of MY LIBERATION NOTES, which was the most popular K-drama in May in Korea.

According to audience rating research company Nielsen Korea, POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST achieved first place in audience ratings for its time slot. The K-drama scored premiere audience ratings of 3.9%, higher than that of MY LIBERATION NOTES, which recorded 2.9%.

The strong opening of POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST follows the success of Kim Sang-kyung’s latest film AIR MURDER, which was co-produced by the Group’s indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Platform Media Group Co., Ltd. Last April, AIR MURDER was ranked as the top Korean film at its first weekend box office in Korea.

POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST is based on the novel of the same name that won the Excellence Award in the 2016 Korea Story Contest. Directed by Park Won-gook, written by Park Seul-gi, Choi Min-ho & Lee Bom, and produced by Studio Dragon, the Joseon era drama depicts the redemption of a disgraced royal physician who becomes a well-respected psychiatrist in a small village. Along with Kim Sang-kyung, POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST features Kim Min-jae of DALI AND COCKY PRINCE (2021) and Kim Hyang-gi of ALONG WITH THE GODS (2017-2018).

Previously, Kim Sang-kyung of Spackman Media Group starred in SBS drama RACKET BOY BAND (2021), which was released on Netflix & SBS. He also starred in tvN’s and Netflix’s THE CROWNED CLOWN (2019). Kim Sang-kyung won the Jury Special Award for his role in THE DISCLOSER (2017) at the 38th Golden Cinematography Awards. He is widely known for his leading roles in MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003), directed by Bong Joon-ho of PARASITE (2019) and the Group’s 2013 US production SNOWPIERCER. Kim Sang-kyung won the Jury Special Award at the 38th Golden Cinematography Awards in 2018 and the Excellence Award & Netizen Award at the 2014 KBS Drama Awards.

Hashtag: #SpackmanEntertainmentGroup

About Spackman Entertainment Group Limited

Spackman Entertainment Group Limited (“SEGL” or the “Company“), and together with its subsidiaries, (the “Group“), is one of Korea’s leading entertainment production groups. SEGL is primarily engaged in the independent development, production, presentation, and financing of theatrical motion pictures in Korea.

The Company was founded in 2011 by renowned media and technology investor Charles Spackman who served as the Company’s Executive Chairman until 2017. For the past two decades, Mr. Charles Spackman has been a powerhouse in the Korean entertainment industry starting in the early 2000’s with the pioneering success of Sidus Pictures, the largest movie production company at the time and the first to be listed in Korea. Mr. Spackman is also the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the global investment firm, Spackman Group. For more information, please visit and .

Since its founding, SEGL had produced more than 30 major motion pictures including a number of the highest grossing and award-winning films in Korea, namely #ALIVE (2020), CRAZY ROMANCE (2019), DEFAULT (2018), MASTER (2016), THE PRIESTS (2015), SNOWPIERCER (2013), COLD EYES (2013) and ALL ABOUT MY WIFE (2012).

Our films are theatrically distributed and released in Korea and overseas markets, as well as for subsequent post-theatrical worldwide release in other forms of media, including online streaming, cable TV, broadcast TV, IPTV, video-on-demand, and home video/DVD, etc. Generally, we release our motion pictures into wide-theatrical exhibition initially in Korea, and then in overseas and ancillary markets.

The Group also invests into and produces Korean television dramas. In addition to our content business, we also own equity stakes in entertainment-related companies and film funds that can financially and strategically complement our existing core operations. SEGL is listed on the Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited under the ticker 40E.

Production Labels

SEGL owns Novus Mediacorp Co., Ltd. (“Novus Mediacorp“), an investor, presenter, and/or post-theatrical distributor for a total of 79 films (58 Korean and 21 foreign) including ROSE OF BETRAYAL, THE OUTLAWS and SECRETLY, GREATLY, which was one of the biggest box office hits of 2013 starring Kim Soo-hyun of MY LOVE FROM THE STARS, as well as FRIEND 2: THE GREAT LEGACY. In 2012, Novus Mediacorp was also the post-theatrical rights distributor of ALL ABOUT MY WIFE, a top-grossing romantic comedy produced by Zip Cinema. In 2018, THE OUTLAWS, co-presented by Novus Mediacorp broke the all-time highest Video On Demand (“VOD“) sales records in Korea. For more information, please visit

The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Simplex Films Limited (“Simplex Films“) which is an early stage film production firm. The maiden film of Simplex Films, JESTERS: THE GAME CHANGERS (2019), was released in Korea on 21 August 2019. Simplex Films has several line-up of films including HURRICANE BROTHERS (working title).

The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Take Pictures Pte. Ltd. (“Take Pictures“) which produced STONE SKIPPING (2020) and THE BOX (2021), and shall release THE GUEST in the second half of 2022 and A MAN OF REASON, with the previous working title GUARDIAN in 2022 tentatively.

The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Greenlight Content Limited (“Greenlight Content“) which is mainly involved in the business of investing into dramas and movies, as well as providing consulting services for the production of Korean content. Through the acquisition of Greenlight Content, the Group’s first co-produced drama, MY SECRET TERRIUS, starring top Korean star, So Ji Sub, achieved #1 in drama viewership ratings for its time slot and recorded double digits for its highest viewership ratings. Greenlight Content was one of the main investors of MY SECRET TERRIUS.

The Company owns a 20% equity interest in The Makers Studio Co. Ltd., which plans to produce and release four upcoming films, the first of which will be THE ISLAND OF THE GHOST’S WAIL, a comedy horror film.

Talent Representation

The Company holds an effective shareholding interest of 43.88% in Spackman Media Group Limited (“SMGL“). SMGL, a company incorporated in Hong Kong, together with its subsidiaries, is collectively one of the largest entertainment talent agencies in Korea in terms of the number of artists under management, including some of the top names in the Korean entertainment industry. SMGL operates its talent management business through renowned agencies such as MSteam Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Son Ye-jin, Wi Ha-jun, Lee Min-jung, Ko Sung-hee), SBD Entertainment Inc. (Son Suk-ku, Han Ji-hyun, Lee Cho-hee, Park Keun-rok), UAA&CO Inc. (Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Hye-ri, Kim Ji-young, Wang Ji-won), Play Content Co., Ltd. (Kang Min-ji, Hwang-hwi) and Kook Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Baek Si-won, Shin Ji-woong). Through these full-service talent agencies in Korea, SMGL represents and guides the professional careers of a leading roster of award-winning actors/actresses in the practice areas of motion pictures, television, commercial endorsements, and branded entertainment. SMGL leverages its unparalleled portfolio of artists as a platform to develop, produce, finance and own the highest quality of entertainment content projects, including theatrical motion pictures, variety shows and TV dramas. This platform also creates and derives opportunities for SMGL to make strategic investments in development stage businesses that can collaborate with SMGL artists. SMGL is an associated company of the Company. For more information, please visit

The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Constellation Agency Pte. Ltd. (“Constellation Agency“). Constellation Agency, which owns The P Factory Co., Ltd. (“The P Factory“) and Platform Media Group Co., Ltd. (“PMG“), is primarily involved in the business of overseas agency for Korean artists venturing into the overseas market. The P Factory is an innovative marketing solutions provider specializing in event and branded content production. PMG is a talent management agency which represents and manages the careers of major artists in film, television, commercial endorsements and branded entertainment.

Strategic Businesses

The Company also operates a café-restaurant, Upper West, in the Gangnam district of Seoul and own a professional photography studio, noon pictures Co., Ltd.

For more details, please visit

NOVATION launches DataVio solution, saving businesses time and resources on manual data processing

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 2 August 2022 – NOVATION, Hong Kong’s globally trusted leader in data security and automation, has announced the release of DataVio, its cloud-based solution for helping businesses automate the processing and extraction of valuable data from documents.

The launch of DataVio is part of NOVATION’s push towards offering more digital products and private cloud solutions to clients, while building on its heritage in secure data handling.

DataVio uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, which enables data to be extracted from printed or written text from a scanned document or image. The OCR converts data into a machine-readable form suitable for subsequent processing.

“Data is an inextricable part of a company’s lifeblood. Instead of spending valuable resources for manual processing, DataVio helps you manage your time and maximize your efficiency in doing business by leveraging data,” said Sin Wai Kin, General Manager at Novation Solutions.

Instead of spending valuable time and effort capturing and inputting data manually, ensuring that the data entered is correct, and going back to amend incorrect data, DataVio takes care of this for you so you and your team can dedicate your efforts to more important aspects of your business.

DataVio accomplishes automated data processing in three steps: data extraction, intelligent data processing and output data in convenient formats.

Data extraction entails leveraging OCR technology and algorithms to obtain data from formats such as Word, PDFs and even images. You need only upload business documents into the DataVio web application from your browser. Intelligent data processing then allows you to customise rules to improve processing: DataVio’s intuitive user interface/user experience (UI/UX) helps define data fields for this purpose.

Finally, DataVio helps convert extracted data into formats that fit your workflow. This solution imports data output files into your business applications (such as CRM) or files them for recording or compliance purposes.

“Data processing is necessary in every sector. DataVio provides digital solutions to real-world scenarios, where human error in data extraction and processing can occur,” Sin said.

DataVio can be useful in various industries. In banking and financial services, DataVio can reduce human error on the part of company staff, with regards to client documents and application forms.

In the healthcare and medical industry, DataVio is a highly practical tool to have. Apart from preventing mistakes in data extraction, this solution helps prevent medical staff getting bogged down by paperwork instead of focusing on patient care.

DataVio can also be applied to higher education and learning institutions by digitising student records and applications, as payment collections will be facilitated more easily. In the legal and compliance industry, DataVio can speed up extraction of data from legal documents and necessary paperwork, while helping you stay competitive in a quickly digitalising landscape.

This solution was presented to businesses by SDH Group, a subsidiary of Adera Global, Singapore’s foremost leader in automation and data security. The institution has under its belt 30 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies on digital identification, payment solutions, automation and smart cards.

Sin said: “We at NOVATION are committed to usher in businesses into the digital world through automation and data security. We also strive to help you enhance your business’ performance in your industry. DataVio reduces the need for manual data processing, thereby improving your business’ services.”

Hashtag: #NOVATION

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

ABOUT NOVATION

With over 33 years of Secured Data Handling experience, NOVATION has been appointed by different companies in Hong Kong from Banks, Insurance, Financial and Government Sector for providing printing services solutions. With this privilege, we have been working with the client’s business users, IT team and project team to deliver end-to-end services on secure data handling, which consists of 4 pillars – Document Management Services, Document Processing Services, Print Management and Automation Solutions.

With services that focus on digital transformation, workflow automation and process optimization, NOVATION strives to improve our service quality, capability, and flexibility in meeting our client’s business needs.

For more information, please visit the website at

OctaFX celebrates its 11th anniversary and reveals its brand philosophy

OctaFX is celebrating its 11th anniversary! Here’s what the broker achieved over the years and the core elements of the brand philosophy that helped it along the way.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 2 August 2022 – The global broker OctaFX is bigger than ever before—all thanks to the support of its clients. Below are the main achievements OctaFX has managed to accomplish over the past eleven years.

Those above are the numbers. But what is behind them? OctaFX shares the core elements of its philosophy and how they help the broker make the investment journeys of its clients as smooth as possible.

OctaFX-11-years.jpg

OctaFX is always online. The broker has already processed 8.8 million requests and dedicated approximately 96,800,000 minutes to resolving issues and answering the questions of its clients honestly and openly.

OctaFX is always looking for ways to improve, and therefore analyses all feedback carefully. Identifying the problems traders face when using its services or functionality they wish the broker had is what guides OctaFX’s development. Apart from other significant changes, it managed to decrease the average verification process to around three minutes, with 85% of clients passing it on the first time.

Constant change in the financial world is what keeps OctaFX agile and ready to transform and develop at all times. This approach resulted in releasing its own mobile trading and copytrading apps, adding a variety of popular financial instruments ranging from cryptocurrencies to stock indices, and developing a copytrading platform with unique features for finding and copying professional traders.

Data is what OctaFX is driven by. The broker is constantly conducting research and analysis of itself, learning about the latest financial technologies—all to make sure it provides the clients not only with the best trading conditions, but also with the cutting edge technical solutions.

OctaFX is focused on the goals of its clients, and that is why it tries to eliminate all the obstacles limiting their trading experience and keeping them from realising the full potential of their diverse approaches. To help its clients boost their trading and allow for a more effective use of long-term strategies, the broker decided to remove swaps entirely this May.

To become yet closer to its clients, OctaFX decided to rebrand and adopt a fresh new look: with refined colours, space-inspired elements, and a new logo.

‘All our achievements and transformations would be meaningless without our clients. It is our clients who drive our growth and allow us to always move forward. It is our clients who inspire us to be current, dynamic, innovative, confident. We thank all of them for choosing us as their broker,’ the OctaFX press office commented.

To mark its eleventh anniversary, OctaFX has made its usually below-the-market spreads the lowest in the industry on the MT4 and MT5 platforms. The broker has reduced the spreads by 20% on XAUUSD, EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDJPY, GBPJPY, USDCHF, XTIUSD, and US30, as well as by 25% on BTCUSD and ETHUSD.
Hashtag: #OctaFX

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

About OctaFX

is a global broker providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers everything one needs to reach their investment goals, providing top-notch conditions utilised already by clients from over 150 countries worldwide.

The company is involved in a comprehensive network of charity and humanitarian initiatives, including improvement of educational infrastructure, short-notice relief projects, supporting local communities and small to medium enterprises.

On a side note, OctaFX has also won more than 45 awards since its foundation, including the 2021 ‘Best Forex Broker Asia’ award from Global Banking & Finance Review and 2021 ‘Best ECN Broker’ award by World Finance.

Myanmar Military Regime Extends State of Emergency

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing

Myanmar’s military junta has extended its state of emergency by six months, saying elections could only be held after the country has achieved stability.

Prudential Laos Appoints Manish Gurbuxani as New Chief Executive Officer

Prudential Life Assurance (Lao) Company Limited announced the appointment of Manish Gurbuxani as Chief Executive Officer designate effective 1 August, subject to regulatory approval.

Vientiane Capital to Take Harder Stance on Crime, Social Issues

Vientiane Capital

Authorities have pledged to work harder to resolve social problems in Vientiane Capital, vowing to reduce traffic accidents, drug trafficking, and violent crime.

TalariaX Rebrands As SendQuick Pte Ltd To Strengthen Presence In Messaging Notification Arena

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 2 August 2022 – SendQuick Pte Ltd is pleased to announce that they have officially rebranded from TalariaX Pte Ltd, with effect from 1 July 2022. TalariaX Pte Ltd will continue to operate as their corporate holding company.

Since its inception, TalariaX has been known and respected for the depth of their experience in enterprise messaging solutions. It is for this reason that they have decided to rebrand as “SendQuick”, and realign with their renewed value proposition and vision.

This change in name unifies the company and their products under one brand, as well as its dedication to continuing to expand and enhance SendQuick’s range of products and services within the region. Clients can still expect the same quality of service from the brand, and any existing solutions will continue to operate as per usual.

With SendQuick’s messaging solutions, businesses can streamline their business processes, increase productivity levels and unlock their fullest potential for growth. Some of the solutions offered by the company include IT Alerts and Notifications, Security and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Business Process Automation and Enterprise Messaging Broadcast.

All of these SendQuick Solutions are designed to protect the privacy and security of corporate data while minimising inconvenience during unanticipated system outages brought on by cyberattacks. Apart from these, the brand also offers a selection of products such as SendQuick Assure, SendQuick Cloud, SendQuick Alert and many more, that are user-friendly and easy to implement.

SendQuick has been providing a range of future-proof enterprise mobility solutions since its establishment in 2001. The company has since worked with over 1500 corporations across various industries such as healthcare, finance, retail, education and more.

With its rebrand, SendQuick strives to continue to provide impeccable enterprise mobility management services and work closely with all its clients to transform its digital communication systems. For more information, please visit https://www.sendquick.com/.

Hashtag: #SendQuick