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IBM Announces Strategic Collaboration with Arm to Shape the Future of Enterprise Computing

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Collaboration aims to advance new technologies that expand infrastructure choice while preserving mission-critical environments

ARMONK, N.Y., April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a strategic collaboration with Arm to develop new dual‑architecture hardware that helps enterprises run future AI and data intensive workloads with greater flexibility, reliability, and security.

IBM Corporation logo.
IBM Corporation logo.

IBM’s leadership in system design, from silicon to software and security, has helped enterprises adopt emerging technologies with the scale and reliability required for mission‑critical workloads. As AI moves deeper into core business operations, IBM continues to invest in hardware platforms such as the Telum II processor and Spyre Accelerator, which are designed to bring AI from experimentation into everyday enterprise use.

Through this collaboration, IBM and Arm aim to extend this track record of innovation by combining IBM’s enterprise leadership in systems reliability, security, and scalability with Arm’s own leadership in power‑efficient architecture, workload enablement expertise, and broad software ecosystem, to build flexible and scalable computing platforms for the future.

“As enterprises scale AI and modernize their infrastructure, the breadth of the Arm software ecosystem is enabling these workloads to run across a broader range of environments,” said Mohamed Awad, Executive Vice President, Cloud AI Business Unit, Arm. “Our collaboration with IBM builds on this progress, extending the Arm ecosystem into mission-critical enterprise environments and giving organizations greater flexibility in how they deploy and scale these workloads.”

“This collaboration is a natural extension of IBM’s leadership in hardware and systems innovation,” said Tina Tarquinio, Chief Product Officer, IBM Z and LinuxONE. “It continues IBM’s pattern of anticipating enterprise needs well ahead of market inflection points—developing capabilities early so clients are prepared as new workloads and business models emerge. Our aim is to expand software choice and improve system performance while maintaining the reliability and security our clients expect.”

“Enterprise infrastructure is entering a new phase where flexibility, workload portability, and ecosystem reach are becoming just as critical as performance and reliability. As AI and data-intensive applications reshape requirements, organizations are looking for platforms that can evolve without forcing disruptive tradeoffs,” said Patrick Moorhead, Founder, CEO, and Chief Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. “What IBM and Arm are signaling here is a meaningful step toward that future that could broaden how enterprises think about deploying and scaling modern workloads. While the full implications will take time to unfold, it’s clear this reflects a deeper level of investment in long-term platform innovation and ecosystem expansion than we typically see at this stage.”

A Collaboration Designed for What’s Next
The collaboration is focused on three key areas. First, the companies are exploring how to expand virtualization technologies that allow Arm®-based software environments to operate within IBM’s enterprise computing platforms. This work is designed to expand software compatibility and further streamline how developers and enterprises bring Arm applications into mission-critical environments.

Secondly, enterprise infrastructure must support high-availability operations, as well as security and local data sovereignty requirements. IBM and Arm are exploring new ways to support the performance and efficiency demands of modern workloads, including AI and data intensive applications. The work includes enabling enterprise systems to recognize and execute Arm applications, with the goal of helping Arm-based environments align with the reliability, security, and operational requirements enterprises need.

Finally, the collaboration is focused on long term ecosystem growth. By creating shared technology layers between platforms, IBM and Arm aim to open the door to broader software ecosystems and greater flexibility in how applications are deployed and managed. This approach could give enterprises more choice, positioning them to adopt new applications and architectures while continuing to leverage their existing investments.

“IBM’s defining role in shaping enterprise infrastructure spans decades, showcasing the breadth and commitment required to support our clients’ most intensive and sensitive workloads,” said Christian Jacobi, Chief Technology Officer and IBM Fellow, IBM Systems Development. “This moment marks the latest step in our innovation journey for future generations of our IBM Z and LinuxONE systems, reinforcing our end-to-end system design as a powerful advantage.”

Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice, and represent goals and objectives only.

About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to effect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media contact:

Bethany McCarthy
IBM
bethany@ibm.com

SonicWall Reframes Annual Research Around SMB Protection Outcomes, Reveals the Seven Deadly Sins in 2026 Cyber Protect Report

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New Report Finds Serious, Actionable Attacks Rose More Than 20% as SMBs Face Growing Threat from Increasingly Precise, AI-Enabled Adversaries


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 April 2026 – SonicWall today announced the release of the 2026 SonicWall Cyber Protect Report, marking a landmark reframing from traditional threat reporting in favor of the protection outcomes that matter most to business leaders. At the heart of the report is a sobering finding: most SMBs aren’t failing because of sophisticated attacks. They’re failing because of seven predictable, preventable gaps that SonicWall has named the Seven Deadly Sins of Cybersecurity.

The 2026 report continues to draw on data from SonicWall’s global network of more than one million security sensors to reveal a threat landscape that is growing more precise and more relentless. Some key statistical findings include:

  • High and medium severity attacks surged 20.8% to 13.15 billion hits. Attackers aren’t striking more often, they’re striking smarter.
  • Automated bots now generate more than 36,000 vulnerability scans per second, accounting for more than half of all internet traffic. Bad bot traffic alone has surged to 37% of all global internet traffic.
  • IoT attacks climbed 11% to 609.9 million hits; Log4j alone generated 824.9 million IPS hits in 2025, four years after disclosure.
  • Identity, cloud, and credential compromise account for 85% of actionable security alerts. The stolen password, not the zero-day, is the attacker’s weapon of choice.
  • SMBs bear a disproportionate ransomware burden: 88% of their breaches involved ransomware in 2025, more than double the rate seen at large enterprises.

“SonicWall data reveals attacks are getting faster, and in some instances, they’re getting a little more sophisticated,” said Michael Crean, SVP and GM of Managed Security Services at SonicWall. “But the vast majority of the attacks that we’re seeing and investigating are basic fundamentals that continue to be missed. The danger isn’t that AI isn’t working; it’s that we’re using it as an excuse not to do the things we already know we should.”

The 2026 SonicWall Cyber Protect Report is the first in the company’s history to be built around protection outcomes rather than threat statistics alone. In preparing this year’s research, SonicWall identified seven recurring patterns, dubbed the Seven Deadly Sins that consistently define the difference between resilience and exposure across SMB breach investigations, security assessments, and incident reviews.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Cybersecurity

Rather than attributing breach risk to exotic or emerging attack methods, the 2026 Protect Report identifies seven operational failures that appear repeatedly across investigations and that remain largely preventable. The Seven Deadly Sins are:

  1. Ignoring the Fundamentals — Weak authentication, unpatched systems, and excessive admin privileges remain the primary attack surface.
  2. False Confidence — Believing you’re too small to be targeted, overestimating control effectiveness, and assuming resilience without testing it create dangerous blind spots.
  3. Overexposed Access — Overly permissive rules, flat networks, and implicit trust after authentication give attackers an unobstructed path once inside.
  4. Reactive Security Posture — Without 24/7 monitoring and proactive threat hunting, attackers set the timeline. The average breach goes undetected for 181 days.
  5. Cost-Driven Security Decisions — Deferring investment based on short-term budget pressure creates costs that arrive later — with interest. A single SMB breach can exceed $4.91 million when downtime and recovery are included.
  6. Reliance on Legacy Access Models — VPNs that authenticate once and grant broad network access remain one of the most exploited entry points in enterprise security. VPN CVEs grew 82.5% over the analyzed period.
  7. Chasing Hype Over Execution — Buying the latest tools without deploying them completely, and expecting technology to compensate for process gaps, is its own form of vulnerability. Tools don’t create outcomes — execution does.

“The organizations that suffer the most are not failing because of sophisticated attacks, they’re failing because of predictable, preventable gaps,” Crean continued. “SMBs are the backbone of the U.S. economy, representing 99% of all U.S. businesses and nearly half of private sector employment. Protecting them protects entire communities. That’s why this report is designed around protection outcomes, not just threat statistics.”

Commenting on the findings, Debasish Mukherjee, Vice President of Sales, APJ at SonicWall said, “This year’s report reflects what we are consistently seeing across APJ, SMBs continue to be impacted by gaps in fundamental security practices that are both predictable and preventable. By reframing our research around protection outcomes, SonicWall aims to help organizations move beyond threat awareness to action, focusing on the areas that directly reduce risk. As attackers become more precise and increasingly AI-enabled, closing these gaps will be critical for SMBs across the region to strengthen resilience and make more informed decisions.”

In keeping with SonicWall’s partner-first mission, the 2026 Cyber Protect Report is designed to equip MSPs and MSSPs with the data and language needed for strategic conversations with SMB decision-makers, translating technical threat intelligence into business risk that leaders can act on.

The SonicWall 2026 Cyber Protect Report makes one thing clear: the gap between protected and exposed rarely comes down to technology. It comes down to execution. For the SMBs and the MSPs and MSSPs who protect them, this report is designed to close that gap with data, clarity, and a road map for what to do next.

To learn more about SonicWall and download the complete 2026 SonicWall Cyber Protect Report, please visit sonicwall.com/threat-report.
Hashtag: #SonicWall

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

ANGEL Unveils Smart Water Purification Solutions for the Foodservice Industry, Driving Safe Water Use and Operational Efficiency

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SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 April 2026 – As the foodservice industry continues to expand and consumer awareness of health rises, water safety has become a critical concern. Water quality directly affects food flavour, equipment performance and food safety, while also driving demand beyond basic drinking water toward scenario-based, high-capacity solutions.

At the HOTELEX 2026 held on 30 March, ANGEL introduced its latest smart water purification solutions for the foodservice sector. Powered by advanced technologies, these solutions aim to upgrade industry water standards, helping businesses ensure food safety and achieve high-quality growth.

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Addressing Diverse Needs with Tailored, Full-Scenario Solutions

With the rapid growth of chain operations and large-scale catering formats, water usage requirements have become increasingly diverse. Standardised products are no longer sufficient. ANGEL has responded by developing customised solutions across multiple scenarios, including convenience stores, beverage shops and restaurants, enabling operators to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance product quality.

For convenience stores, where space is limited and demand is high, ANGEL introduced the J3752 reverse osmosis water purifier. Featuring replaceable filter cartridges and a bypass design, it ensures continuous 24-hour high-volume water supply while reducing maintenance costs by over 40%. Its wall-mounted design fits compact spaces, and an integrated IoT system enables centralised multi-store management.

For beverage shops, ANGEL offers integrated solutions that combine customised water quality with efficient tea preparation. In high-hardness regions, the J3753 reverse osmosis water purifier delivers 1,600 GPD capacity and a fast flow rate of 4L/min, with dual RO membranes for enhanced purification. In low-hardness areas, the J3710 microfiltration system uses a triple-cartridge design to optimise water quality, ensuring consistent taste and flavour.

For restaurants with high water demand and a need for efficiency, ANGEL provides flexible configurations based on local water conditions. In high-hardness areas, the R series RO systems offer up to 2,400 GPD output with dual pumps and filters for stable, high-frequency use. In low-hardness regions, the C series microfiltration systems deliver long-lasting taste quality with a high flow rate of up to 25L/min, requiring no electricity and producing zero wastewater, significantly reducing operating costs.

2

Reliable Water Quality, Consistent Experience

ANGEL’s solutions are backed by strong product performance and international certifications, providing reliable water quality support for foodservice brands. ANGEL has already partnered with leading brands including TOMORO Coffee, Cotti Coffee and Haidilao. Looking ahead, the company will continue to innovate and refine its solutions to meet evolving industry needs, supporting foodservice brands worldwide in delivering consistent quality and achieving sustainable growth.

Hashtag: #ANGEL

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

About ANGEL

Founded in 1987, Shenzhen Angel Drinking Water Industrial Group Corporation (ANGEL) is committed to becoming a global leader in water purification and drinking water solutions through continuous innovation. Over the past three decades, the company has delivered safe, healthy, and thoughtfully designed water solutions to consumers worldwide.

ANGEL holds 11 internationally recognized certifications, including NSF, UL, TÜV, SGS, CSA, and Halal, meeting standards for quality, safety, and environmental responsibility.

From China’s Market Leader to Global Partner: Xiaodu AI Hotel Solutions Expands into Southeast Asia

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SHANGHAI, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Xiaodu Technology, an AI hardware subsidiary of Baidu that serves over 54 million households in China, has announced strategic international expansion. The company will introduce its “AI+Hotel” solutions into Southeast Asia, with Thailand and Singapore identified as its initial target markets.

Xiaodu’s expansion into Southeast Asia builds on its strong track record in the domestic market. In China, the company commands a 90% share of the smart hotel segment, with its solutions deployed in over 2,600,000 rooms across 90,000 hotel properties. It now aims to bring this proven model to mid-to-high-end international hotel chains, as well as Chinese hospitality brands expanding overseas.

The “AI+Hotel” solution is powered by a multilingual ecosystem designed to enhance four key aspects:

  • In-Room Control: Voice-enabled management of climate, lighting, and entertainment systems
  • Guest Services: Automated handling of guest requests, including room service and concierge support
  • Information Access: Instant access to hotel services, amenities, and local travel information
  • Operational Efficiency: Backend tools that streamline workflows, improve staff productivity, and reduce operational costs

In response to increasingly complex global data regulations, the company has also implemented robust data privacy and compliance measures, along with localized account systems, to ensure full alignment with international standards.

As digital transformation reshapes the hospitality industry, Xiaodu is positioning itself as a trusted AI partner committed to the future of travel. By integrating Xiaodu’s AI-powered solutions, hotels can reduce their environmental footprint through advanced energy management, while simultaneously optimizing service delivery to achieve greater operational efficiency and enhanced guest satisfaction.

Contact : Email: Dumo@baidu.com

OutSystems Introduces Agentic Systems Engineering to Power Governed, Open Enterprise AI

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The OutSystems Enterprise Context Graph and next-generation Mentor enable enterprises to build, modernize, and govern mission-critical agentic systems on a single secure, unified platform

SINGAPORE, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — OutSystems, a leading AI development platform, today announced Agentic Systems Engineering, a new approach to AI development designed to help organizations build, manage, and evolve governed agentic systems for the enterprise. 

AI development is radically transforming how software is built and the role of developers. As agents generate code faster than ever, there has been an explosion of new tools, but this isn’t leading to higher quality software or more coherent architectures. Further compounding the issue are legacy systems that restrain innovation and require even more complex data management and integration.

OutSystems Agentic Systems Engineering is a different approach. It addresses the technical complexity and fragmented architectures of modern enterprises that are often difficult to reason over. By developing the rich context and guardrails agents require, it ensures the delivery of reliable, secure, and compliant systems.

At the center of this approach is the OutSystems Enterprise Context Graph.  Drawing on more than two decades of software development centered on business intent rather than code alone, the Enterprise Context Graph extends the OutSystems unique contextual architecture with the dynamic tooling that agents need to work effectively across complex systems.

By providing a high-fidelity and real-time understanding of the enterprise architecture – enterprise apps and agents, workflows, data, and their interconnected dependencies – the Enterprise Context Graph is the platform advantage that enterprises need to realize the power of agentic technologies in their business.

“AI is creating more change, across more tools and surfaces, than ever before—but enterprises still need that change to be governed, secure, and production-ready,” said Woodson Martin, CEO of OutSystems. “Agentic Systems Engineering is our answer to that challenge. With the Enterprise Context Graph and the next generation of Mentor, OutSystems gives organizations the context, connection, and control they need to use agentic tools across complex systems and deliver real enterprise outcomes.”

Powered by the Enterprise Context Graph, the next generation of OutSystems Mentor delivers Agentic Systems Engineering directly within the OutSystems platform. Now with a highly conversational application generation and in-IDE (Integrated Development Environment) experience, Mentor enables teams to build and evolve complex systems with built-in architectural coherence and token efficiency. It transforms developers into highly productive architects.

Defining the shift towards an open ecosystem, enterprise context and governance isn’t just for OutSystems agents – it’s a requirement for every agent operating in today’s business environment. With Agentic Systems Engineering and the Enterprise Context Graph, developers will be able to use any agentic tool to inspect, extend, and build on the OutSystems platform.  

This enables teams to safely contribute to enterprise software development, whether building with Mentor, through the Studio IDE, or with agentic coding tools such as Claude Code, OpenAI Codex or Cursor. Regardless of the environment, agents will operate within a shared enterprise context and guardrails that ensure secure, compliant, and production-ready systems. This provides enterprises with the flexibility of an open ecosystem with the operational confidence of a unified, governed architecture.

OutSystems expects to open an early access program to customers in the second quarter of 2026.

Early customer implementations are showcasing the real-world impact of Agentic Systems Engineering.

ACM to Adopt OutSystems Mentor as its Primary AI Development Companion

AllianceCorp Manufacturing (ACM), a global leader in manufacturing technology, is exploring OutSystems Mentor as its core AI partner to drive innovation across the semiconductor and e-mobility sectors. Working iteratively with Mentor, ACM’s professional developers can instantly build data models, UI screens, and server actions while ensuring all code aligns with enterprise best practices. A primary use case, ACM is using Mentor to extract specific data, such as title blocks and geometric tolerances, from 2D CAD drawings via an AI agent. With Mentor, all steps and relationships are clearly described, making it easier to onboard a new developer into the project.

To learn more about OutSystems Agentic Systems Engineering, click here.  

About OutSystems

OutSystems is a leading AI Development Platform built for the enterprise. Global organizations trust OutSystems to rapidly build mission-critical apps and agents, modernize legacy processes with agentic systems, and govern their entire AI portfolio across complex regulatory environments, all on a unified platform.

OutSystems is consistently recognized as a leader in enterprise software development by Gartner, IDC, and Forrester, and ranked #1 in Customer Satisfaction by users on G2. Business leaders, IT executives and developers choose OutSystems to accelerate internal innovation without compromising reliability and security.

Founded in 2001, the OutSystems ecosystem includes more than 85 million end users, over 600 partners, and thousands of active customers in 75+ countries across 20+ industries. Learn more at www.outsystems.com. 

Alpha Ladder Group and MetaComp Partner with Maqam International Holding, an Abu Dhabi (UAE) company, to Advance RWA Tokenisation and Web2.5 Payments Across Singapore-UAE Corridor

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SINGAPORE, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Alpha Ladder Group (“Alpha Ladder”), a Singapore-headquartered Digital Green Group driving sustainable financial and technology innovation through subsidiaries including MetaComp and Alpha Ladder Finance, and Maqam International Holding, an Abu Dhabi-based company, today announced the establishment of a joint venture focused on real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation and digital payments across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Joint venture domiciled in ADGM marks a landmark in Singapore-UAE digital finance cooperation, connecting MENA’s real world asset base to global capital markets through regulated blockchain infrastructure and payment network.
Joint venture domiciled in ADGM marks a landmark in Singapore-UAE digital finance cooperation, connecting MENA’s real world asset base to global capital markets through regulated blockchain infrastructure and payment network.

The announcement follows MetaComp’s close of its Pre-A funding round at USD 35 million in total raised, backed by Alibaba, another internet conglomerate, Eastern Bell, Noah, Sky9, and a fund affiliated with Asia’s largest logistics infrastructure company. Having achieved profitability in 2025 and with USD 100 million in instantaneous liquidity on its platform, MetaComp enters this partnership as an operationally proven Web2.5 Pay + Wealth business model, institutionally backed payment infrastructure provider — capitalised and ready to deploy across priority corridors, including MENA.

Maqam International Holding is built on a multi-decade legacy as an operator and developer of landmark real assets, such as Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, across the Middle East. Running a portfolio of this scale and institutional complexity means the cross-border payment and settlement gap this joint venture addresses is not a strategic theme they are exploring — it is a constraint they already manage. Alpha Ladder delivers the full-stack technology, compliance infrastructure, and operational capability to resolve it.

The joint venture will be domiciled within the ADGM, the UAE’s premier international financial center.

MENA Digital Finance: The Opportunity
The MENA digital payments market was valued at USD 248 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 420 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual rate of approximately 11% [1]. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) RWA tokenisation represents a nearly USD 500 billion opportunity by 2030 [2], as global on-chain real-world assets surpassed USD 24 billion by mid-2025 [3].

The convergence of premium real assets, regulatory maturity, and institutional demand in the Gulf creates the conditions for a class of tokenised assets built on quality collateral and operational rigour.

Chairman of Maqam International Holding:
“Our partnership with Alpha Ladder Group reflects a shared conviction that the UAE’s position as a global financial hub is strengthened by the quality of the infrastructure built within it. We bring our assets, our relationships, and our deep roots in Abu Dhabi’s institutional ecosystem. Alpha Ladder brings the technology, the compliance framework, and the operational capability to make this platform world-class. Together, we are building something that meets the highest global standards from day one. Furthermore, this joint venture highlights Abu Dhabi as the premier global destination for investments in Fintech”

Maqam International Holding‘s Proven Investment Pedigree
Maqam International Holding has a legacy of decades building and operating landmark Abu Dhabi assets — including Etihad Towers — alongside global institutional partners across real estate, hospitality, and infrastructure. That operating history is achieved from sovereign relationships, family office networks, and regulatory access it has accumulated across the Middle East over the same period. Few institutions in the region combine proven hard-asset operational depth with direct proximity to the capital allocators and regulatory channels that determine how capital moves in this market.

Dr Bo Bai, Group Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, Alpha Ladder Group:
“Alpha Ladder was built on the conviction that the future of financial infrastructure is hybrid — and the UAE is where that convergence is happening at the highest institutional level. We are building an institution whose experience of the problem is as deep as our ability to solve it. Together, we are deploying compliant infrastructure that connects Abu Dhabi’s real asset base to global capital markets — at the standard both parties have built their reputations on. Our commitment to the UAE is firm and while the region faces real pressures, we are deepening our presence here because we believe in the UAE’s institutional resilience and in the strength of what we are building together.”

Core Focus Areas
The joint venture targets three pillars of digital financial infrastructure — an integrated stack that, taken together, represents one of the most comprehensive regulated fintech deployments connecting MENA and Asia to date.

  • Cross-border payments: Cross-border payments between MENA and Asia remain slow, costly, and fragmented. MetaComp’s StableX Network addresses this directly, routing payments across its partner network of traditional bank rails and stablecoin rails simultaneously. The StableX Engine handles real-time settlement at a fraction of conventional cost, while the VisionX Engine screens every transaction for compliance as it moves — across both fiat and on-chain activity — ensuring regulatory integrity without sacrificing speed.
  • RWA tokenisation: Real-world assets — from real estate to infrastructure — have historically been illiquid, difficult to divide, and accessible only to large institutional players. Alpha Ladder Finance’s patented Non-Fungible Digital Twin (NFDT) technology changes this by creating a live, blockchain-anchored digital record of each asset, reflecting its actual condition, performance, and ownership in real time. The result is a more transparent and auditable framework for asset fractionalisation and participation designed to support compliant structures.
  • Capital markets: Connecting MENA-based companies and funds to global liquidity pools through regulated digital channels.

Strengthening Singapore-UAE Fintech Axis
Singapore and the UAE are two of the world’s leading regulated digital finance gateways. Singapore’s MAS advances this through Project Guardian, stablecoin frameworks, and digital payment token licensing under the Payment Services Act.

In the UAE, ADGM is the primary regulatory domicile for this joint venture, a jurisdiction with direct application of English Common Law, comprehensive frameworks for tokenised securities, digital asset custody, and cross-border payments, and robust AML requirements aligned with FATF standards. This joint venture is a direct expression of the digital finance leadership the jurisdiction has built.

H.E. Jamal Abdulla Mohammad Bin Abdulwahab Alsuwaidi, UAE Ambassador to Singapore:
“The UAE strongly believes in the mutual benefits driven by forward-looking Singapore-UAE partnerships like this Alpha Ladder-Maqam International Holding collaboration. We welcome Alpha Ladder as a leading Singapore entity at the forefront of building resilient cross-border financial ecosystems between our nations.”

Dr Brian Shegar, UAE Singapore Business Council:
“We applaud Alpha Ladder’s pivotal role in this landmark collaboration and encourage more Singapore businesses to follow their lead in advancing UAE-Singapore economic ties through cross-border innovation and sustainable financial infrastructure development. We are delighted to have played a role in encouraging Alpha Ladder to pursue its UAE business aspirations.”

The joint venture intends to apply for a licence with the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) and launch initial operations in 2026. Alpha Ladder and Maqam International Holding are building the institutional digital finance infrastructure that connects Abu Dhabi’s premium real asset base to global capital markets, powered by MetaComp and governed by Alpha Ladder’s global compliance standards.

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Maqam International Holding
Maqam International Holding is an Abu Dhabi based company, dedicated to managing a diverse investment portfolio of assets and has been a cornerstone for strategic growth, driving economic development in UAE and beyond. With unwavering commitment to shaping a prosperous future, Maqam International Holding is dedicated to fostering transformative opportunities that enhance economic vitality and create job prospects within the economy. At the heart of our strategic vision are three pivotal areas of focus:

Real Estate

    • Acquiring, developing, and managing residential, commercial, and retail assets

Hotels

    • Development of Hotels managed by top-tier global brands in MENA and Zanzibar

International and MENA Investments

    • Strategic investments in equities and global investments in private equities, managed portfolios, equity and associate investments

About Alpha Ladder Group Pte. Ltd
Headquartered in Singapore, Alpha Ladder Group is a technology and financial services group driving Digital Green Transformation. We operate on the conviction that the future of financial infrastructure is neither purely centralised nor distributed, but a Hybrid.

From our first member subsidiary founded in 2016, we have grown into a multi-vertical ecosystem that operationalises this conviction across three critical sectors:

Digital Financial Services

    • MetaComp Group and affiliates deliver at group-level Asia’s leading licensed fiat &stablecoin hybrid platform, providing compliant payment & wealth services, with more than US$10billion payment volume and US$500+ million wealth AUM* in 2025.

Sustainable Investment

    • Asia Green Fund, an award-winning impact investment firm with around US$2.5 billion AUM* focusing on investing in deep-tech companies for decarbonisation.

AI-Powered Green Technology

    • MVGX, a leading AI ESG platform providing end-to-end carbon SaaS solutions: AI emission factor search engine, Scope 1, 2, & 3 measurement, decarbonisation rating, AI ESG reporting, green asset tokenisation & trading; and
    • Greenlyzer, a deep tech company building a hydrogen-based Green Moving Grid, a distributed power grid to augment traditional grid, to deliver a robust, intelligent and sustainable power infrastructure for next-generation AI.

At Alpha Ladder Group, our name reflects our commitment to continuous evolution. We believe that by engineering the intersection of Digital and Green, we move the world forward to pursue sustainable alpha—one particle at a time.

*Figures as of April 2026

References
[1] Mordor Intelligence, “Middle East and North Africa Digital Payments Market”
[2] Real-world asset tokenization: a $500 billion opportunity for the GCC
[3] InvestaX Q3 2025 RWA Report

eclicktech Co-Founder Simon Lan Calls on Chinese Companies to Collaborate for Stronger Overseas Market Presence

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BEIJING, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, at a closed-door seminar themed “Chinese Companies Going Global: An Open World, Coexistence and Co-prosperity,” held during the Beike Finance Annual Conference, Simon Lan, Co-founder of eclicktech, said that fluctuations in China–U.S. tariff policies have had a limited impact on service-trade sectors such as gaming and short-form dramas. He said this has created a favorable window for companies in these industries to accelerate overseas growth. Meanwhile, rapid shifts in the global geopolitical landscape are also encouraging companies already operating abroad to diversify beyond the U.S. market and tap into new growth opportunities across broader regions.

Lan said that amid ongoing uncertainties in global expansion, companies must work together—not only with one another, but also with Chinese enterprises at home—to better understand and address the genuine needs of local consumers. “Only through such collaboration can companies build sustainable operations, achieve long-term profitability, and strengthen their foothold in local markets,” he said.

As more Chinese companies expand into emerging markets such as South America and the Middle East, Lan said he favors strategies focused on deepening engagement within a specific region. “When a company truly commits to one market and its products solve real local needs, it builds lasting competitiveness and resilience,” he said. “Even amid factors such as trade disputes, local consumers will still be willing to pay for products that deliver genuine value.”

Using headphone exports as an example, Lan said that if higher tariffs were to reduce sales, companies could shift their approach by enhancing the product’s value proposition—for instance, developing and selling AI-powered headphones. “In the United States, Spanish-speaking users, including those of Mexican heritage, account for roughly 20% of the population. If a headset can provide AI-enabled features such as real-time translation between Spanish and English, it significantly increases perceived value, helps offset the impact of tariffs, and protects business profitability,” he said.

Lan said that many employees relocate with their families and take root in local communities, investing in long-term market development. “These companies are effectively becoming local players,” he said. “When local governments see that a company meets compliance requirements and contributes through taxes and job creation, they are more willing to provide support.”

OnTime’s 2025 Annual Results Announcement: Revenue Surges 114.6% as Profitability Accelerates, Gross Profit Jumps 395.3%

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GUANGZHOU, China and SHENZHEN, China and HONG KONG, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On March 31, OnTime, a leading mobility technology and service company in China, announced its annual results for the fiscal year 2025. During the reporting period, the company’s key financial metrics showed broad-based improvement, with total revenue reaching RMB5.286 billion, a year-on-year increase of 114.6%. Annual order volume and transaction value both more than doubled, while net profit improved by 48.1%. Gross profit for the period stood at RMB628 million, up 395.3% from a year earlier, with gross margin doubling to 11.9%.

The results reflect OnTime’s dual strengths of rapid business expansion and sustained operational improvement. The company’s core ride-hailing business continued to expand steadily, with order volume climbing 106.2%. Technology services revenue surged 487.4%, with a gross margin of 14.8%. The Robotaxi business scaled up operations, and AI data services have moved into commercial deployment across a range of scenarios, forming a new driver of future growth for the company.

Strong Performance Growth and Improved Profitability
Revenue Up 114.6%, Gross Profit Nearly Quintuples

Total revenue rose from RMB2.463 billion in 2024 to RMB5.286 billion, an increase of 114.6%. This performance was driven largely by deeper partnerships with third-party mobility platforms, as well as its regional expansion, which increased transaction value for mobility services from RMB2.979 billion to RMB6.426 billion.

Notably, the company’s profitability saw a significant improvement in 2025. Gross profit rose from RMB127 million in 2024 to RMB628 million, a year-on-year increase of 395.3%. Gross margin expanded from 5.1% to 11.9%, a jump of 6.8 percentage points, while net profit improved by 48.1%.

OnTime’s main businesses include mobility services, technology services (including AI data and model solutions and high-precision maps), and vehicle sales and maintenance services. All three segments recorded double-digit gross margins in 2025.

The company noted that higher user traffic, which drove increased order volume, together with other factors, contributed to the improvement in gross margin for mobility services from 5.0% to 11.7%.

Economies of Scale Drive Operational Efficiency Gains
Order Volume and Transaction Value Double; Multiple Expense Items Post Double-Digit Declines

Data show that in 2025, OnTime’s core business operations recorded broad-based momentum. For mobility services, annual order volume reached 233 million, up 106.2% year-on-year. Transaction value rose to RMB6.426 billion, a roughly 115.7% gain, while average transaction value per order edged up from RMB26.4 to RMB27.6.

As the company’s main revenue source, mobility services generated RMB5.097 billion in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 131.8%. These figures reflect how OnTime—focusing on core markets through a “ripple model,” enhancing operational efficiency, and replicating that model in new regions—is delivering measurable commercial results.

Even as the business scaled rapidly, OnTime continued to strengthen cost controls, with multiple expense lines declining by double digits—a sign that scale is already translating into operational leverage. According to the announcement, general and administrative expenses fell 18.1% year on year to RMB111 million, while finance costs dropped 48.9% to RMB905,000.

Robotaxi Fleet Expands Significantly
AI + Data Emerges as New Growth Engine

As part of OnTime’s second growth curve, the Robotaxi business made significant progress in 2025. The company operates a hybrid model combining traditional ride-hailing with Robotaxi services, ensuring a consistent user experience while enabling the commercial deployment of autonomous driving technology.

On March 19, OnTime announced a major upgrade to its Robotaxi operations, with the fleet it oversees growing to approximately 600 vehicles. Under its “Robotaxi+” plan, OnTime intends to collaborate with partners to build a Robotaxi fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles over the next five years, extend operations to 100 cities, and invest RMB1 billion to establish 1,000 maintenance networks across those cities to support the operation and maintenance of up to 100,000 Robotaxis.

OnTime’s technology services business posted revenue of RMB160 million, a substantial year-on-year increase of 487.4%, making it the company’s fastest-growing business segment, with a gross margin of 14.8%.

According to company disclosures, AI data service products and solutions accounted for the majority of the revenue in this segment.

OnTime Data, a full-stack AI data production, service and management platform, has already been deployed across AI use cases in several key industries, including autonomous driving, intelligent cockpits, large language models, consumer electronics, financial services, healthcare, and research.

OnTime said it will continue to channel resources into its technology services business, supporting the company’s long–term growth.

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