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Telstra now providing direct connection to Microsoft Azure Peering Service and Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 4 October 2021 – Telstra today announced it is a selected carrier for Microsoft Azure Peering Service, a networking service that enhances customer connectivity, and Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams, a new programmatic approach to operator-provided calling in Teams.

 

Today’s announcement builds on the long-standing relationship between Telstra and Microsoft to help enhance connectivity to Microsoft cloud services and provide an integrated calling experience via Teams.

 

With the ongoing shifts in the business landscape, networking solutions for remote workers and accelerating the migration of workloads to cloud services for business continuity have risen as top ICT investments for Asia Pacific businesses[1]. In the future workplace, global connectivity and cloud solutions that enable telephony services are expected to form the backbone for organisations looking to streamline their operations.

 

Microsoft Azure Peering Service provides reliable and optimised internet connectivity to Microsoft cloud services such as Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Azure. Customers can register for the offering in the Azure portal, and Telstra and Microsoft will work closely to provide enterprise customers with end-to-end, high-performing public connectivity with optimal routing in their selected region.

 

This offering is integrated with Telstra Global Internet Direct (GID) to ensure robust connectivity service and secure access through a single network. Additionally, customers will enjoy high levels of availability of service and lower latency connections. Telstra is now offering Azure Peering Service to customers in Asia, with plans to expand availability to Europe and the United States next calendar year.

 

Building on the momentum from the launch of Telstra Calling for Microsoft Teams in August last year, Telstra has streamlined calling for users by providing a simplified and unified collaboration experience for organisations through Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams.

 

This offering will enable organisations to speed up and simplify the provisioning of telephony services and reduce deployment time by using advanced automation that integrates architecture components between Telstra and Microsoft. Additionally, business users will experience enhanced voice call quality through the use of private network infrastructure and administrators will gain ability to provision and manage telephone numbers via the Microsoft Teams Admin Center.  

 

Sanjay Nayak, Telstra Executive of Fixed Connectivity Products said as organisations accelerate their digital transformation journey, underlying technologies like cloud and network connectivity need to work smoothly with reduced complexity.

 

“Microsoft Azure Peering Service provides direct access between Telstra and Microsoft’s networks – providing users with robust connectivity service at a location nearest to them, thereby reducing latency when accessing Microsoft’s workplace services. By leveraging Telstra’s connectivity and professional services capabilities and Microsoft’s focus on intelligent cloud services, we aim to help organisations across the region and globally enable a modern work experience,” said Mr. Nayak.

 

Taimoor Husain, Modern Workplace Strategy and GTM Lead for Microsoft said: “Telstra has been a long-standing partner for Microsoft since 2008. With internet traffic growing at an exponential rate, coverage has become critical for effective virtual collaboration. We look forward to tapping the breadth of Telstra’s network to build the modern workplace and enable more seamless collaboration for organisations.”

 

Telstra is recognised for its Microsoft Azure expertise and is a Microsoft Gold Partner in ten categories including Cloud Platform, Cloud Productivity and Communications, as well as a member of the Azure Expert MSP Program.

 

Please find more information below on:

 

About Telstra

Telstra is a leading telecommunications and technology company with a proudly Australian heritage and a longstanding, growing international business.

Today, we operate in over 20 countries outside of Australia, providing services to thousands of business, government, carrier and OTT customers. Telstra Enterprise is a division of Telstra that provides data and IP networks and network application services, such as managed networks, unified communications, cloud, industry solutions and integrated services. Telstra Purple, our new professional and managed services business in Australia, Asia and the UK, brings together people and innovative solutions to define and deliver a clear vision of our customers’ transformation journey, network foundation, and the protection they need to thrive.

Telstra’s global network includes more than 26 cable systems spanning over 400,000 kilometres, with access to multiple cable landing stations and more than 2,000 points of presence around the world. Our subsea cable network is the largest in Asia Pacific, with access to the most lit capacity not just in Asia, but also from the region to Australia, USA and Europe.

For more information, visit www.telstra.com.hk.

#Telstra

Minh Tien Group proudly presents circular economy model at World Expo 2020 Dubai

Since October 1, 2021, Minh Tien Group, a member of Vietnam Coffee – Cocoa Association, has presented the Circular Economy Model at World Expo 2020, organised in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.


HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – 4 October 2021 – World Expos, a non-commercial exhibition series with over a century of history, is organised every five years. The Expos are dedicated to endorse national culture, encourage bi-partisanship, assert reputation, and world-changing innovations.

Minh Tien Group’s booth at Vietnam Pavilion

This year, the Expo will be organised in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. With the central theme “Connecting minds, Creating the future”, the Expo opens opportunities for bipartisanship that would lead to a better future for world society.

The Expo will be divided into three main districts: Mobility – Sustainability – Opportunity. The Vietnam Pavilion is located in the Opportunity District with the theme: “Distilling the past, Shaping the future”.

Minh Tien Group proudly presents the Circular Economy Model which revolves around the coffee tree including Green coffee bean; Coffilia; Ha Chuc Cascara Tea; Namigo bio-packaging, and Organic fertiliser. Essentially, the by-product of a production stage will become the input material for subsequent productions.

Minh Tien Group desires to promote the model, to realise the opportunity for entering the Arabian Gulf’s market; most importantly, to present the world a different perspective of Viet Nam’s modern and sustainable agriculture.

Madam Nguyen Thi Hong Minh, Chairwoman of Minh Tien Group, said: “Coming to the Expo this year, we aim to announce and assert our business principle in the implementation of the Circular Economy Model in our company’s ecosystem, which has fully explored the “quintessential” value of our product life cycle and minimising our carbon footprint. To realise the vision of sustainable agriculture, Minh Tien Group is committed to being a successful contribution to the Vietnam Pavilion.”

Minh Tien Group is a leading coffee corporation with over 20 years of history. Determination to appreciate the value of Vietnamese coffee beans, continuous investment in research and development, and requisition of expertise from different farmlands across the globe are principles that made the company a well-trusted coffee supplier to international partners.

With the vision “Shaping the green economy”, Minh Tien Group continuously put efforts to innovate towards sustainable developments, and confidently affirm the stature of Vietnamese coffee on international markets.

#MinhTienGroup

Laos May Authorize Self-Isolation and At-Home Treatment for Covid-19

Laos to allow self-isolation and at-home care for Covid-19

Laos announced today it has plans to authorize self-isolation and at-home care for those infected with Covid-19, or people who have had close contact with an infected person.

Laos Records 307 New Cases of Covid-19 as Numbers Decrease Slightly

Covid-19 Update

Laos has recorded 307 new cases of Covid-19 today as numbers decrease slightly.

Small Luxury Hotels of The World Launches ‘Considerate Collection’: Actively Sustainable Luxury Hotels

LONDON, UK – Media OutReach – 4 October 2021 – Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) today announces the launch of Considerate Collection, a community of Actively sustainable luxury hotels going the extra eco mile, proving that luxury is compatible with longevity.  The hospitality brand renowned for its diverse portfolio of boutique properties also announces new sustainable initiatives forming part of a renewed strategic vision to mark its 30+1year anniversary.

From the biodiversity-promoting Keemala in Thailand to the culture-preserving Gangtey Lodge in carbon-negative Bhutan, *Considerate Collection debuts with 26 pioneering hotels in 16 countries, each meeting the highest criteria in sustainability. 

SLH has collaborated with the most respectable sustainable travel and luxury hospitality players to create a trusted and transparent framework.  These include Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) – the international, independent, not-for-profit body established by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO); and Greenview, whose platform is the only GSTC-recognised sustainable tourism management tool.

Daniel Luddington, VP of Development, Small Luxury Hotels of the World said “We’ve carefully curated the Considerate Collection to spotlight luxury boutique hotels exemplary in their sustainability efforts, making it easier for customers and the travel trade to make better-considered choices. Staying in small, independent hotels goes hand in hand with travelling sustainably and all SLH hotels are already steeped in the many facets of sustainable hospitality, so we haven’t had to look far outside of our portfolio for the launch collection. We also have an exciting pipeline of new hotels to add in the coming months.”  He adds, “This is not about creating a new brand, but rather building on the strong brand values that have existed within SLH since inception – independent spirits, community-centric, questioners, storytellers and the ultimate belief that Small is beautiful and a better way to travel.”

 

Criteria for the Considerate Collection align with the GSTC Criteria across three key pillars ensuring all the hotels are **Community Minded, Cultural Custodians and Environmentally Conscious.  These pillars are all underpinned by a strong sustainability management system. Each hotel within the Considerate Collection either has been certified by a GSTC Accredited Certification Body or certified to a GSTC Recognized Standard, or has passed an assessment by the SLH Sustainability Advisory Panel with review by the GSTC. 

 

Randy Durband, CEO, Global Sustainable Tourism Council said: “SLH has impressed us with their dedicated support of their member hotels, and we’re delighted to collaborate with them to devise a robust framework, consistent with GSTC measures but uniquely matched for all luxury boutique hotels.  We are sure it will be a huge success.”

SLH is making it easier for travel trade and customers to identify each Considerate Collection hotel by featuring them within a specific section on the website www.slh.com/considerate.  The hotel pages are also stamped with a sage leaf and include dedicated content outlining their notable sustainability initiatives.

Currently, with a luxury hotel portfolio of over 520 hotels in 90 countries, SLH has taken a holistic approach to sustainability to complement its long-term brand vision – a future where people explore the world with intention, experience its intensity, and protect its integrity. Over the last two years, SLH has worked with hospitality sustainability consultancy, The Considerate Group, to develop bespoke toolkits to support its member hotels and plans to continue this approach to “help our hotels walk all this sustainability talk”, adds Luddington. H2 Sustainability Consulting, headed by former legendary hotelier Hervé Houdré, is among the consultancies SLH is collaborating with to support hotel members.

 

SLH’s quality inspection reports, carried out annually by its international mystery hotel inspectors (all SLH hotel guests), has also been revamped and is currently being trialled to include a 60-point Considerate module focusing on customer-facing, front of house initiatives.

The company has also turned the microscope on itself to update its corporate head office policies making sure to practice what it preaches to hotel members.  These include implementing volunteer days for staff and the launch of a partnership with social change and reforestation charity, TreeSisters, among other initiatives.

Each SLH room night booked and stayed using an SLH INVITED member rate includes a donation to plant a minimum of three trees with TreeSisters. SLH INVITED membership is complimentary.

Through individuals and businesses that give back to Nature every month, TreeSisters has so far funded the planting of over 19 million trees across 12 locations in Brazil, Borneo, Cameroon, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Madagascar, Nepal and West Papua.

 

For more information, visit www.slh.com/considerate

Images can be downloaded here or via www.slhimages.com

 

 

Notes to editor

*Considerate Collection Hotels (26)

 

APAC

Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, Shaba, Bhutan

Gangtey Lodge, Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan

Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort, Bel Ombre, Mauritius

The Fortress Resort & Spa, Galle, Sri Lanka

Keemala, Phuket, Thailand

Pimalai Resort & Spa, Lanta Island, Thailand

The Racha, Phuket, Thailand

EMEA

Columbia Beach Resort, Limassol, Cyprus

Domaine de Manville, Les Baux de Provence, France

Domaine des Etangs, Massignac, France

Le Domaine d’Ablon, Ablon, France

Hotel Rangá, Hella, Iceland

FORESTIS, Brixen, Italy

Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda, Gargnano, Italy

Lefay Resort Dolomiti, Pinzolo, Italy

Susafa, Polizzi, Generosa, Italy

La Sultana Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco

The Dylan Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Storfjord Hotel, Skodje, Norway

Hotel Arima & Spa, San Sebastian, Spain

Torre del Marques, Monroyo, Spain

Grove of Narberth, Wales, United Kingdom

AMER

GAÏA Riverlodge, Cayo District, Belize

Hotel Nantipa, Santa Teresa de Cobano, Costa Rica

Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, La Fortuna de San Carlos, Costa Rica

Petit St Vincent, Vincent Island, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

** Considerate Collection Pillars

 

Community Minded

Proactive, positive members of the local community

Like the humble honey bee who works hard to keep his hive happy and healthy, Considerate Collection hotels are passionately committed to making their communities a better place for both locals and visitors to enjoy alike.

  • Many of our hotels are locally owned and family-run, who have a deep rooted, personal connection to the people who make a place special. By ensuring equal employment opportunities to local residents, including managerial positions without discrimination of any kind, the hotel invests in its community while giving guests a more authentic experience of its people’s culture, language, and storytelling.
  • As champions of local, fair-trade produce, our hotels buy local wherever possible to support the community’s supply chain – whether it’s serving fresh fruit from the morning market where the hotel chef knows the farmer by name, or providing hand-woven bags made by a local artisan for guests to use by the pool.
  • It is not enough for our hotels to simply give back to the community, they must continuously strive to enrich local lives through social impact initiatives, educational, health, and training programmes, and projects which address the impacts of climate change.


Cultural Custodians

Protectors and preservers of cultural heritage

To better understand and appreciate the culture and customs of another country is one of travel’s greatest joys. Each Considerate Collection hotel and destination has its own cultural identity which it works tirelessly to protect, preserve and promote for generations to come.

  • Elements of traditional and contemporary local culture are incorporated in the operations, design, decoration, cuisine, or boutiques of our hotels, while respecting the intellectual property rights of local communities.
  • Going beyond the maintenance of local buildings, and the protection of culturally, historically, archaeologically, and spiritually significant sites, our hotels aim to enhance and sensitively improve upon properties of cultural interest through ongoing heritage and restoration projects.
  • Immersing guests in the local culture through an array of authentic activities is integral to our hotel experience, from traditional cooking classes in a rural farmhouse to pottery making in an ancestral ceramics studio.


Environmentally Conscious

Maximising benefits to the environment

These trailblazing eco-hotels know that luxury travel shouldn’t cost the earth, which is why their sustainable strategies go well beyond reducing negative impact on their immediate environment with regenerative and restorative action.

  • Conserving resources – our hotels make an active effort to increase their use of renewable energy and sustainable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal or biofuels, while assessing, measuring, and minimising energy and water consumption.
  • Reducing pollution – greenhouse gas emissions from all sources controlled by our hotels are identified, calculated where possible, and procedures implemented to avoid or minimise them. Wastewater is effectively treated, and is only reused or released safely with no adverse effects to the local population or the environment, while solid waste is reduced, reused or recycled. Significant steps are taken by Considerate Collection hotels to reduce their carbon footprint.
  • Conserving biodiversity, ecosystems, and landscapes – from coral reef regeneration and ocean conservation to wildlife rewilding and tree reforestation, our hotels play an active role in restoring the natural beauty of our planet. Protected natural parks and areas of high biodiversity value are especially looked after, while any interaction with free roaming wildlife is non-invasive and responsibly managed.

About Small Luxury Hotels of the World:

Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) is the most desirable community of independently minded travellers and independently spirited hotels in the world. We turned the luxury boutique hotel into a phenomenon and selected the distinctive, the diverse and the downright delightful. People, places and experiences with individual character, intimate charm and inherent class. We’ve personally visited, vetted, and verified over 520 hotels in more than 90 countries. We are envisioning a future where people experience the world with intention, experience its intensity and protect its integrity. Be part of the community – join us at INVITED, visit us at www.slh.com, contact a travel agent or call the Small Luxury Hotels of the World VIP Desk. Click here to view a full contact listing by country.

#smallluxuryhotels

Rhenus India opens new chemical multi-user warehouse in Chennai

The strategic addition expands the Rhenus warehousing space across India to 2.2 million square feet and strengthens its capabilities in supporting the chemical industries.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 4 October 2021 – Leading global logistics service provider Rhenus has launched a new multi-user warehouse in Chennai, India. With good connectivity to Chennai’s major ports and to major industrial and automobile hubs, the PCB (Pollution Control Board) -approved facility will serve as the central Rhenus distribution hub for chemical customers throughout South India.

 

Offering 110,000 square feet of storage space for chemical cargo, the multi-user facility meets all HSSEQ (Health, Safety, Security, Environment & Quality) standards, and features modern fire safety infrastructure such as fire-rated walls, beam detectors and NBC-approved sprinkler system.

 

Manned by a team of professionals well-trained in material handling, safety and statutory compliances, the warehouse provides comprehensive solutions to leading companies from the chemical Industry.

 

The warehouse is part of a modern logistics park and equipped with eight loading and unloading bays with hydraulic dock levellers, as well as ground plus 7-level racking system and a capacity of 10,270 pallet positions.

 

“The logistics market in India is seeing an upward trajectory, with forecasted[1] growth at a CAGR of 10.5 percent between 2019 and 2025. The new warehouse, built with world-class Rhenus infrastructure, is our latest step in offering broad-based logistics support in India. By offering safe and reliable storage of general and chemical cargo, we are confident to provide well-managed and tailor-made storage solutions for our customers and continue to maintain our leadership position in handling chemical Logistics,” said Marcus Fornell, Director of Contract Logistics Rhenus India.

 

Rhenus India has over seven decades of expertise in domestic freight and logistics services. With more than 2,000 professionally qualified employees across 69 locations in India, Rhenus India provides integrated logistics solutions and services across most industry segments including chemicals and petrochemicals, industrial and engineering, automotive, electronics and white goods as well as pharmaceuticals.

 



[1] Indian Logistics Industry Outlook, 2020, Frost & Sullivan

About Rhenus

The Rhenus Group is one of the leading logistics specialists with global business operations and annual turnover amounting to EUR 5.4 billion. 33,500 employees work at 820 business sites and develop innovative solutions along the complete supply chain. Whether providing transport, warehousing, customs clearance or value-added services, the family business pools its operations in various business units where the needs of customers are the major focus at all times.

#Rhenus

Cambodian Conglomerate Prince Holdings Donates USD 1 Million to Laos to Fight Covid-19

Chairman of Prince Holding Group hands over a donation to the Lao Embassy in Cambodia.
Chairman of Prince Holding Group hands over a donation to the Lao Embassy in Cambodia (Photo: Khmer Times).

Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group has donated USD 1 million to the Government of Laos to assist in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

Toyota Section 19 PJ Installs Rikeguard Antimicrobial Film to Protect Customers

PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 4 October 2021 – Toyota Laser Motor PJ has recently installed the cutting-edge Rikeguard antimicrobial film in their Section 19 Petaling Jaya premises for their customers’ protection. The decision was made as an initiative to protect the health and well-being of their customers and visitors.




Following the installation, Rikeguard is now installed upon the high-touch surfaces of Toyota Laser Motor PJ, one of the largest and most iconic Toyota Sales, Service and Body & Paint centres in Malaysia which is located in Section 19 Petaling Jaya. The facility’s large size and wide range of Toyota model displays make it a popular Toyota centre with high customer traffic, making it necessary to make the showroom as safe as possible.

Rikeguard is an antimicrobial film which is made in Japan and deployed as Japan’s No. 1 protective film in highly public touchpoints, and exclusively distributed by Jasa Sarjana in Malaysia along with other safety film technologies. The film provides effective, long-lasting protection by neutralising 99.99% of viruses and bacteria immediately upon contact with the surface, making the showroom’s surfaces safe to touch at all times. These features have been certified by SIAA Japan, University of the West of Scotland, and SIRIM.

For more information about the Rikeguard antimicrobial film and installation queries, contact Jasa Sarjana Sdn Bhd via their website at: www.ice-u.com.my/rikeguard