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Category: KB

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU is among the leaders of the M-rating in social networks

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    Based on the results of work for September, the State University of Management took a leading position in the official rating of media activity of Russian universities in the section “Social Networks”.

    The GUU channel on Rutube became the undisputed leader of the month, having overtaken the channels of other universities in terms of indicators. In September, about 50 horizontal and vertical video materials were published on the channel, which gained a total of almost 95 thousand views.

    On the Zen platform, the GUU channel took 3rd place among more than 140 university channels, improving its own indicators several times. The most popular article of the month was “Why is there a mass rebranding of Russian companies?”, which was read by over 18 thousand users.

    As a result, in general, in terms of the “Social Networks” indicator, our university entered the top leaders and took 10th place.

    Thank you, our beloved subscribers and readers, this is our common achievement! Subscribe to our channels, tell us what topics you would like to see in future materials and remember: we are all a GUU family!

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 10/16/2024

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://guu.ru/guu-in-the-leaders-rating-on-social-networks/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Bill to end the injustice of the Irish Sea Border introduced in Parliament today

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Mr Allister’s Bill, entitled, ‘European Union (Withdrawal Amendments) Bill’, seeks to address the constitutional and practical detriment of the Windsor Framework/Protocol arrangements as they affect Northern Ireland.
    This detriment includes the diminution of NI’s position within the UK, by virtue of being subject in much of its economy to EU, not UK laws, and the resulting imposition of a partitioning goods border in the Irish Sea.
    The Bill seeks to reverse this detriment and enables practical solutions to govern the movement of goods from NI to the EU’s territory of the Republic of Ireland.
    Clause 1 will set out constitutional imperatives governing all future arrangements. These will require respect for the territorial integrity of the UK and the avoidance of any part of the UK being subject to foreign made laws.
    Clause 2 will then temper the effect of section 7A of the EU Withdrawal Act 2018, which is the conduit by which EU law flows into effect in NI, by circumscribing it with the statutory requirement to respect both the territorial integrity of the UK and the common rights of the Acts of Union.
    Clause 3 and an associated Schedule will then address how goods should move from NI to ROI and vice versa by making provision for Statutory Instruments enabling both alternative arrangements and mutual enforcement, such as was anticipated under the NI Protocol Bill 2022, which passed the Commons before being ‘pulled’ by Rishi Sunak.
    The Windsor Framework/Protocol is wreaking constitutional havoc in respect of NI and its governance, with new impositions evolving all the time. This Bill is designed to reverse that and put relations back on the internationally accepted framework of the EU and the UK each respecting the territorial integrity of the other. Only such can provide the foundation for a neighbourly and successful relationship.
    In addition to Jim Allister being the primary sponsor of this Bill, he is pleased that all NI unionist MPs have assented to be co-sponsors, along with the former Conservative leader, Ian Duncan Smith, Labour MP, Graham Stringer, and Reform UK MPs, Nigel Farage and Richard Tice.

    This is a coalition agreed on the unworkability and unacceptability of the present arrangements and determined to offer a better way forward.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Territorial Bancorp Says Blue Hill Has Provided No Basis to Deem Its Preliminary Indication of Interest Superior

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    No Proof of Committed Financing and/or Information to Validate Its Claims that a Transaction Could Receive Regulatory Approval and Be Completed

    Hope Bancorp Merger Is the Only Opportunity that Provides Tangible Value, has a Clear Path to Close and Creates a Stronger Territorial

    Territorial Urges Shareholders to Vote FOR Hope Bancorp Merger in Advance of Special Meeting on November 6, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. Hawai‘i Time

    HONOLULU, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Territorial Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: TBNK) (“Territorial” or the “Company”) is mailing the following letter to Territorial shareholders in connection with the Company’s upcoming Special Meeting of Stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) to vote on the proposed merger with Hope Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOPE) (“Hope Bancorp”) and related proposals. The Special Meeting is scheduled for November 6, 2024 at 8:30 a.m., Hawai‘i Time. Territorial shareholders of record as of August 14, 2024 are entitled to vote at or before the meeting. Other important information related to the Special Meeting can be found at http://www.TerritorialandHopeCombination.com.

    Dear Fellow Territorial Bancorp Shareholders,

    On November 6, 2024, Territorial Bancorp is holding a Special Meeting of Stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) to vote on our pending merger with Hope Bancorp. Failure to approve the merger could have significant negative consequences for the value of your investment and Territorial’s continued success.

    Don’t be misled: Blue Hill Advisors LLC (“Blue Hill”) has only issued press releases and presentations. Blue Hill has warned that its indication of interest is “non-binding” and has provided no evidence that it would – or could – actually pay for the Company. Moreover, there are very real concerns that Blue Hill could complete a transaction at all.

    Protect your investment: The Territorial Bancorp Board of Directors strongly recommends that all Territorial shareholders vote “FOR” the Hope Bancorp merger and related proposals TODAY. Your vote is important, no matter how many, or few, shares you own.

    The Territorial Board of Directors is Committed to Doing What is in the Best Interest of Territorial Shareholders and Pursuing the Most Value Creating Path

    Blue Hill Has Provided No Information that Would Enable the Territorial Board to Deem Its Preliminary Indication of Interest Superior or Likely to Lead to a Superior Proposal

    In negotiating the Hope Bancorp merger agreement, the Territorial Board obtained important protections for our shareholders – namely a superior proposal provision. This provision enables the Board to have discussions with parties who present an alternative to the Hope Bancorp merger so long as the alternative proposal is real, fully financed and actually or likely “superior” to the Hope transaction. To meet this standard, the alternative proposal must, among other things, be more favorable to our shareholders from a financial point of view and be reasonably likely to close. Blue Hill has not met these and other thresholds.

    • No verifiable evidence Blue Hill can actually pay for your shares and fund the likely additional capital infusion into Territorial Savings Bank required with its acquisition. Blue Hill has only referenced “capital support” and pointed to its assets under management (“AUM”), neither of which are committed financing. Proving committed financing is easy so long as you have it, but Blue Hill has not provided any such evidence, which compounds doubts about its credibility and the credibility of its preliminary indication of interest. Assets under management are assets that belong to other people and Blue Hill has not shown it has any authority to access those funds to pay for Territorial.  
    • No confidence that its proposed transaction is reasonably likely to close.
      • Lack of M&A and regulatory experience: Blue Hill has made vague references to having M&A experience. However, Territorial has found no information to prove that Blue Hill has previously applied for – or secured – regulatory approvals for any transaction of this size and complexity. If Blue Hill has such a track record, where is it? 
      • Evasive about obtaining required regulatory approvals or simply ignoring them: The takeover of an entire bank, as Blue Hill is seeking, is likely a controlled acquisition under banking law. The coordinated efforts of six “discrete” investors per Blue Hill’s proposal would likely be viewed as a group that is “acting in concert,” increasing regulatory scrutiny and requirements – none of which Blue Hill has acknowledged or addressed. Nor have they offered even a guess as to how long these approvals will take.
      • Rejected by regulators: Blue Hill has refused to disclose the identity of its “discrete investors” and replacement Board and management. What is Blue Hill hiding? In addition, no information has been provided on how it would address safety and soundness issues regarding interest rate risk, liquidity, capital and earnings, which are paramount to regulators. Blue Hill’s lack of information all but ensures that regulatory applications would be rejected as soon as they were submitted.
      • Failed tender offer: Territorial has an approximately 50% retail shareholder base and a fragmented institutional investor base. Given these facts, it is highly unlikely that Blue Hill would be able to complete the 70% tender offer it has proposed.
    • No assurances that Blue Hill will stand by its price and not reduce it if the Hope Bancorp merger agreement was terminated or following its unspecified “due diligence.” Keep in mind – Hope Bancorp reduced its proposal for Territorial after conducting due diligence, and Blue Hill has explicitly stated that its indication of interest is conditioned on due diligence and is non-binding.
    • No assurances that Blue Hill won’t put its interests before your own: Blue Hill has entered into secret side agreements with its “discrete” investors. The terms of these agreements have not been disclosed and Blue Hill has not offered any governance structure, much less one that protects your interests.

    On four occasions we have publicly provided Blue Hill with a roadmap of the basic elements that need to be addressed before we would be able to engage in discussions with them under the terms of the Hope Bancorp merger agreement. Despite this, Blue Hill has repeatedly failed to provide credible and verifiable information as to these basic elements.

    Given these and other factors, the Territorial Board has not concluded that the Blue Hill proposal constitutes or is reasonably likely to lead to a superior proposal, as defined by the Hope Bancorp merger agreement. As a result, the only way to unilaterally engage in discussions with Blue Hill would be to break our obligations under the Hope Bancorp merger agreement, which would expose Territorial and our shareholders to substantial, costly litigation risk and the possibility of no transaction at all.

    Territorial Shareholders Are at Great Risk If the Hope Bancorp Merger is Terminated and the Only Strategic Alternative is Blue Hill

    The Value of Your Shares Could Decline Substantially

    • Hope Bancorp addresses Territorial’s business challenges. Blue Hill does not: While the overall market may have changed, Territorial’s business fundamentals have not. As a standalone, monoline, one- to four-family loan focused bank, Territorial faces substantial business and regulatory risks – even in a declining interest rate environment. The Company has been operating at a loss over multiple quarters; loan growth is flat; and revenues are declining.

      These and other factors led to the Board’s decision to cut Territorial’s dividend to essentially $0 and enter into the Hope Bancorp merger agreement. While our challenges would be addressed by Hope Bancorp’s larger, stronger, more diversified platform, Blue Hill offers nothing to benefit the business if the Hope Bancorp agreement is terminated. Indeed, with Blue Hill, Territorial would have the same standalone hurdles that it does today and potentially much worse.

    • With Blue Hill, the value of your shares and protection of your rights could be substantially diminished: If Blue Hill is unable to complete a 100% tender, the remaining Territorial shareholders would be left with an illiquid, stub minority investment in a controlled company and with limited rights. Stub stocks generally trade at a lower price and valuation and can be highly volatile.
    • A Blue Hill transaction would be taxable; the Hope Bancorp merger is not. Blue Hill’s tax consequences could potentially leave shareholders with less – in some cases substantially less – than the per share value Blue Hill has proposed.
    • Territorial shareholders will not immediately receive any payment for their shares while any transaction with Blue Hill is sitting in regulatory limbo. Given the time-value-of-money, delays mean that the net value of Blue Hill’s preliminary indication of interest, if completed, would be substantially less than what it has proposed. Meanwhile, your stock would remain tied up during the Blue Hill tender and could not be sold.

    The Hope Bancorp Merger Is the Best, Most Value-Creating Opportunity for Territorial Shareholders at Close and Over the Long-term

    Unlike the illusion that Blue Hill is promoting, the value creation and other benefits from the Hope Bancorp merger are real and achievable.

    • 100% tax free, stock-for-stock transaction: 0.8048 shares of Hope Bancorp for each Territorial share owned
    • ~25% premium to Territorial’s closing stock price just prior to merger announcementi
    • 1,000%+ increase to Territorial’s standalone dividend (from $0.01 to $0.11 per share)ii
    • Upside value opportunity by being invested in larger, more diversified company with a strong capital position and larger investment platform that is better positioned to navigate varying market environments
    • $10.5M of incremental value from annual merger enabled cost savings and synergies
    • Proven management team with strong record of superior value creation – total shareholder returns (“TSR”) outperforming peers
    • Choice as shareholders could also choose liquidity now if they prefer not to stay invested in the combined organization

    The merger will also create significant benefits for our customers, employees and local Hawai‘i communities. Hope Bancorp values the relationships we have established and wants to build on them.

    • We will continue to operate under the Territorial name.
    • Our local branches and operations will be led by local teams – Territorial’s customers can benefit from additional choices and rely on the same people they know and respect.
    • Employees will continue to receive competitive compensation and benefits and will have additional career opportunities.
    • We will continue to support and invest in our local communities.

    The Territorial Board Continues to Recommend that Shareholders Vote FOR the Hope Bancorp Merger

    The Territorial Board takes its fiduciary responsibilities seriously. Absent more information from Blue Hill, there is no basis to engage with Blue Hill or reach a determination that their illusory, non-binding, highly conditional preliminary indication of interest is superior, likely to lead to a superior proposal, or is in Territorial shareholders’ best interests.

    In contrast, with Hope Bancorp, we will become part of a larger, more diversified regional bank, unlocking new value creation opportunities for shareholders while building on our more than 100-year legacy of serving and supporting our local Hawai‘i communities.

    We are on a path to complete the Hope Bancorp transaction by the end of this year, subject to the condition that a majority of our shares are voted in favor of it. Your vote is important – no matter how many, or how few, shares you own. Every vote counts.

    So please, join me and the entire Territorial Board and management team by voting FOR the Hope Bancorp merger by internet, phone or mail today.

    Sincerely

    Allan S. Kitagawa
    Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer

    Your Vote Is Important, No Matter How Many or How Few Shares You Own!
    Please take a moment to vote FOR the proposals set forth on the enclosed proxy card — by Internet, telephone toll-free or by signing, dating and returning the enclosed proxy card or voting instruction form. Vote well in advance of the Special Meeting on November 6, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. Hawaiʻi Time. 

    If you have questions about how to vote your shares, please contact: 
    Laurel Hill Advisory Group 

    Call toll-free: (888) 742-1305
    Banks and brokers should call: (516) 933-3100
    Email: info@laurelhill.com


    About Us

    Territorial Bancorp Inc., headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, is the stock holding company for Territorial Savings Bank. Territorial Savings Bank is a state-chartered savings bank which was originally chartered in 1921 by the Territory of Hawaiʻi. Territorial Savings Bank conducts business from its headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, and has 28 branch offices in the state of Hawaiʻi. For additional information, please visit https://www.tsbhawaii.bank/.

    Additional Information about the Hope Merger and Where to Find It

    In connection with the proposed Hope Merger, Hope has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4, containing the Proxy Prospectus, which has been mailed or otherwise delivered to Territorial’s stockholders on or about August 29, 2024, as supplemented September 12, 2024. Hope and Territorial may file additional relevant materials with the SEC. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY PROSPECTUS, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR FURNISHED OR WILL BE FILED OR FURNISHED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. You may obtain any of the documents filed with or furnished to the SEC by Hope or Territorial at no cost from the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Some statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, expectations regarding the low-cost core deposit base, diversification of the loan portfolio, expansion of market share, capital to support growth, strengthened opportunities, enhanced value, geographic expansion, and statements about the proposed transaction being immediately accretive. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “will,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates” or similar expressions. With respect to any such forward-looking statements, Territorial Bancorp claims the protection provided for in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties. Hope Bancorp’s actual results, performance or achievements may differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. The closing of the proposed transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, the approval of Territorial Bancorp stockholders, and other customary closing conditions. There is no assurance that such conditions will be met or that the proposed merger will be consummated within the expected time frame, or at all. If the transaction is consummated, factors that may cause actual outcomes to differ from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements include, among things: difficulties and delays in integrating Hope Bancorp and Territorial Bancorp and achieving anticipated synergies, cost savings and other benefits from the transaction; higher than anticipated transaction costs; deposit attrition, operating costs, customer loss and business disruption following the merger, including difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees and customers, may be greater than expected; and required governmental approvals of the merger may not be obtained on its proposed terms and schedule, or without regulatory constraints that may limit growth. Other risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: possible further deterioration in economic conditions in Hope Bancorp’s or Territorial Bancorp’s areas of operation or elsewhere; interest rate risk associated with volatile interest rates and related asset-liability matching risk; liquidity risks; risk of significant non-earning assets, and net credit losses that could occur, particularly in times of weak economic conditions or times of rising interest rates; the failure of or changes to assumptions and estimates underlying Hope Bancorp’s or Territorial Bancorp’s allowances for credit losses; potential increases in deposit insurance assessments and regulatory risks associated with current and future regulations; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Hope Bancorp or Territorial Bancorp; the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of the common stock of either or both parties to the proposed transaction; and diversion of management’s attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities. For additional information concerning these and other risk factors, see Hope Bancorp’s and Territorial Bancorp’s most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K. Hope Bancorp and Territorial Bancorp do not undertake, and specifically disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of events or circumstances after the date of such statements except as required by law.

    Investor / Media Contacts:
    Walter Ida
    SVP, Director of Investor Relations
    808-946-1400
    walter.ida@territorialsavings.net

                                                                    

    i Based on Territorial and Hope Bancorp’s closing prices as of 4/26/24 (day before merger announcement)
    ii Based on 0.8048 fixed exchange ratio and Hope Bancorp’s $0.14 current per share dividend

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia donates 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Defence Department Supplied Photo

    The Albanese government is giving 49 M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, despite earlier this year apparently playing down the prospect of the donation.

    The latest Australian package is worth A$245 million. It brings the total Australian military aid to Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 to A$1.3 billion, and overall Australian support to A$1.5 billion.

    When asked about a possible gift of the tanks in February, Defence Minister Richard Marles said it was “not on the agenda”.

    Government sources say donating the tanks required US approval since Australia had purchased them from Washington, so there had been a process to go through.

    Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy, who is on his way to the NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels, announced the decision in London. In Brussels, Conroy will meet with the Ukraine defence minister.

    Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea form the “Indo-Pacific Four” group of non-NATO countries attending the meeting.

    The 49 tanks are near the end of their life, so a small number will have to be repaired before they are delivered. Alternatively, they could be used as spare parts if Ukraine wants them delivered more quickly. Ukraine will decide which option to pursue.

    The Australian army is retaining a handful of the M1A1 Abrams to help the transition to the M1A2 fleet of tanks.

    Conroy said: “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine in their fight against Russia’s illegal invasion. These tanks will deliver more firepower and mobility to the Ukrainian armed forces, and complement the support provided by our partners for Ukraine”.

    Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Australia donates 49 Abrams tanks to Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/australia-donates-49-abrams-tanks-to-ukraine-241485

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: iPower Completes First Purchase Order Shipment from Vietnam in September

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iPower Inc. (Nasdaq: IPW) (“iPower” or the “Company”), a tech and data-driven ecommerce services provider and online retailer, today announced the successful shipment of its first purchase order (PO) from Vietnam in September. This marks a significant milestone in iPower’s ongoing strategy to diversify its supply chain and expand its global reach.

    Building on its previous engagements with manufacturers in Vietnam, iPower is now realizing the first tangible outcomes of this collaboration. The initial PO was shipped in September, with additional shipments scheduled for this month and continuing thereafter. By diversifying the Company’s supply chain with global partners, iPower ensures greater stability and efficiency while reducing reliance on specific regions.

    The expansion into Vietnam presents meaningful cost-saving opportunities for iPower. As products begin to arrive in the U.S. and commence sales, the Company anticipates benefiting from reduced production and logistics expenses. These lower costs will enable iPower to offer more competitive pricing while improving margins, an essential factor for long-term, sustainable growth.

    iPower remains dedicated to expanding and diversifying its supply chain to build a more resilient and efficient global network. Collaborating with Vietnamese manufacturers is a key component of a larger strategy to explore new sourcing opportunities across the globe. This initiative is aimed at bolstering iPower’s capabilities to meet growing consumer demand while reinforcing its competitive position in the marketplace.

    “The shipment of our first purchase order from Vietnam marks a critical milestone in our supply chain diversification strategy,” said Lawrence Tan, CEO of iPower. “By reducing costs and expanding our global reach, we are positioning iPower for greater efficiency and long-term stability. We look forward to continuing our efforts to diversify and strengthen our supply chain through future shipments and strategic partnerships.”

    About iPower Inc.

    iPower Inc. is a tech and data-driven online retailer, as well as a provider of value-added ecommerce services for third-party products and brands. iPower’s capabilities include a full spectrum of online channels, robust fulfillment capacity, a network of warehouses serving the U.S., competitive last mile delivery partners and a differentiated business intelligence platform. iPower believes that these capabilities will enable it to efficiently move a diverse catalog of SKUs from its supply chain partners to end consumers every day, providing the best value to customers in the U.S. and other countries. For more information, please visit iPower’s website at http://www.meetipower.com.

    Investor Relations Contact

    Sean Mansouri, CFA or Aaron D’Souza
    Elevate IR
    (720) 330-2829
    IPW@elevate-ir.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Blue Mantis and HYCU® Partner to Deliver Enhanced SaaS Application Management, Protection and Compliance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PORTSMOUTH, NH and BOSTON, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Mantis, a premier provider of managed services, cybersecurity and cloud solutions, today announced a strategic partnership and integration agreement with HYCU, Inc., a leader for modern data protection for on-prem, cloud services, and SaaS, and one of the fastest growing companies in the industry. This collaboration will help Blue Mantis clients using AWS, Azure and Google Cloud, as well as a broad array of leading SaaS platforms, to instantly identify and backup their cloud and SaaS applications, determine vulnerabilities and remediate compliance gaps.

    In Q4 Blue Mantis will offer a free version of HYCU R-Graph™, the industry’s first and only SaaS visualization solution for data protection. HYCU R-Graph helps visualize a company’s entire data estate, including on-premises, cloud, and SaaS applications and data. Additionally, Blue Mantis plans to bring a HYCU Managed Backup Services Offering to market in 2025.

    “In today’s multi-cloud world, many organizations rely on SaaS applications to run their businesses, yet many still struggle with SaaS sprawl, which compromises their ability to protect and backup data and ensure compliance,” said Josh Dinneen, CEO, Blue Mantis. “Our partnership with HYCU allows Blue Mantis to address this complex challenge head-on by providing our clients with a proven solution that delivers unmatched visibility, protection, and compliance capabilities.”

    As technology continues to expand and evolve, organizations at the forefront of SaaS application deployments in conjunction with Cloud-Native or Cloud-Hybridized environments are realizing potential gaps in business resiliency, as well as their overall security posture and compliance initiatives. From a recent HYCU global survey, “The State of SaaS Resilience in 2024,” 43% of respondents said they lack staff with the required skills to protect SaaS application data leaving the growing number of SaaS applications in use across organizations at risk of being unprotected and unable to recover.

    “HYCU’s partnership with Blue Mantis represents a strategic alignment of our capabilities and vision,” said Simon Taylor, Founder and CEO, HYCU, Inc. “Blue Mantis’s expertise in managed services, cybersecurity, and cloud solutions truly complements HYCU’s advanced SaaS and cloud data protection solutions perfectly. By teaming, we can offer companies a powerful combination of Blue Mantis’s security-first approach and HYCU’s cutting-edge resiliency and data protection solutions. We will offer a powerful way to navigate the complexities of multi-cloud environments along with the emergence of SaaS application use for greater efficiency and security.”

    The integration of HYCU R-Graph into Blue Mantis’ service offerings provides several key advantages:

    • Improved Vulnerability Identification: R-Graph’s advanced analytics capabilities will help Blue Mantis more effectively identify potential security vulnerabilities in their clients’ cloud infrastructures.
    • Enhanced SaaS Application Protection: Blue Mantis clients will benefit from comprehensive data protection for the widest number of SaaS applications available in the industry currently, ensuring business continuity and minimizing data loss risks and recovery time from outages.
    • Streamlined Compliance Management: The solution will simplify compliance processes by providing detailed insights into data storage, access, and usage across multiple cloud platforms.
    • Cross-Cloud Data Visibility: Customers will gain a unified view of their data across Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, facilitating better decision-making and resource allocation.

    About HYCU
    HYCU is the fastest-growing leader in the multi-cloud and SaaS data protection as a service industry. By bringing true SaaS-based data backup and recovery to on-premises, cloud-native, and SaaS IT environments, the company provides unrivaled data protection, migration, disaster recovery, and ransomware protection to thousands of companies worldwide. The company’s award-winning R-Cloud platform eliminates complexity, risk, and the high cost of legacy-based solutions, providing data protection simplicity to make it the #1 SaaS Data Protection platform. With an industry-leading NPS score of 91, HYCU has raised $140M in VC funding to date and is based in Boston, Mass. Learn more at http://www.hycu.com.

    About Blue Mantis
    Blue Mantis is a security-first, IT solutions and services provider with a 30+ year history of successfully helping clients achieve business modernization by applying next-generation technologies including managed services, cybersecurity and cloud. Headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the company provides digital technology services and strategic guidance to ensure clients quickly adapt and grow through automation and innovation. Blue Mantis partners with more than 1,250 leading mid-market and enterprise organizations in a multitude of vertical industries and is backed by leading private equity firm, Recognize. For more information about Blue Mantis and its services, please visit http://www.bluemantis.com.

    CONTACTS:
    Sarah Foote, CMO
    Blue Mantis

    Don Jennings
    HYCU, Inc.
    617-791-1710
    don.jennings@hycu.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: MCQ Markets Announces Lamborghini Giveaway: Enter to Win a 2015 Lamborghini Huracan

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MCQ Markets is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for car enthusiasts and thrill seekers alike – the chance to win a Lamborghini valued at over $187,000. This iconic supercar, along with a trip to Miami, could all be yours – and here’s how.

    How to Enter:

    1. Visit http://www.mcqmarkets.com
    2. Fill out the official entry form.

    For 1 additional entry, complete the following steps:

    1. Include your Instagram handle in the entry form.
    2. Follow @mcqmarkets on Instagram.
    3. Tag 2 friends in the comments on the giveaway post.
    4. Like the post and comment where you’d drive the Lamborghini, using the hashtag #MCQMarketsGiveaway.

    Along with the car, the grand prize includes an all-expenses-paid trip to Miami for an exclusive presentation event. The trip includes one-way economy airfare from the major airport nearest the winner’s residence and two nights of hotel accommodations (ARV: up to $2,000). Total ARV of Grand Prize: $189,000. The winner must pick up the car in Miami and attend the presentation between February 26 and March 3, 2025.

    The promotion begins at 12:00 a.m. ET on October 7, 2024 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on January 15, 2025.

    The giveaway is open to legal residents of the 50 United States (excluding Hawaii) and the District of Columbia, as well as Canada (excluding Quebec), who have reached the age of majority in their state or province. Full eligibility details and official rules can be found on the entry page.

    About MCQ Markets

    MCQ Markets is redefining luxury asset ownership by making exotic automobiles attainable through its innovative fractional ownership model. The platform serves both passionate enthusiasts and seasoned investors, democratizing luxury ownership and allowing more individuals to invest in assets that were previously out of reach. For more information, please visit: https://www.mcqmarkets.com/

    No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted. No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement filed by the issuer with the SEC has been qualified by the SEC, any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of acceptance given after the date of qualification. An indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind. You must read the offering documents filed with the SEC before investing and the additional information available at: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2025795/000149315224023512/partiiandiii.htm

    Prize: 2015 White Lamborghini Huracan with 27,000 miles

    Contact Information:

    MCQ Markets Media Contact
    Email: press@mcqmarkets.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/245064eb-c805-4725-bbca-faf6dfc96276

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NMI Holdings, Inc. to Announce Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results on November 6, 2024; Reminder to Register for Annual Investor Day to be Held on November 21, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EMERYVILLE, Calif., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NMI Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: NMIH), the parent company of National Mortgage Insurance Corporation (National MI), today announced that it will report results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2024 after the market close on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

    The company will hold a conference call and live webcast at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The webcast will be available on the company’s website at https://ir.nationalmi.com/events-and-presentations. The call can be accessed by dialing (844) 481-2708 in the U.S. or (412) 317-0664 internationally by referencing NMI Holdings, Inc.

    A replay of the webcast as well as the earnings press release and any supplemental information will be available on the company’s website.

    Investor Day Registration Reminder
    NMI Holdings will host its annual Investor Day on Thursday, November 21, 2024, from 9:00 am to
    11:30 am Eastern Time at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. The event will be live streamed at NMIH 2024 Investor Day and on the company’s website at https://ir.nationalmi.com/events-and-presentations. Presentation materials will be available in advance of the event and archived on the company’s website at https://ir.nationalmi.com/events-and-presentations. A replay of the webcast will be archived and available on the company’s website following the event.

    NMI Holdings, Inc. Annual Investor Day
    November 21, 2024
    9:00 am – 11:30 am ET
    St. Regis Hotel, Two East 55th Street at Fifth Avenue
    New York, NY 10022

    To register for the event, please follow the link below:
    Register Now

    To register via email: investor.relations@nationalmi.com.

    About NMI Holdings

    NMI Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: NMIH) is the parent company of National Mortgage Insurance Corporation (National MI), a U.S.-based, private mortgage insurance company enabling low-down-payment borrowers to realize home ownership while protecting lenders and investors against losses related to a borrower’s default. To learn more, please visit http://www.nationalmi.com.

    Investor Contact
    Gregory Epps
    Manager, Investor Relations and Treasury
    Gregory.Epps@Nationalmi.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Rocket Software’s GenAI Advancements for Hybrid Cloud Revolutionize Mainframe and Cloud Integration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WALTHAM, Mass., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rocket Software, Inc. (“Rocket Software”), a global technology leader in modernization software, is advancing its mission of supporting enterprises at every stage of their modernization journey by expanding its Hybrid Cloud solutions to include cutting-edge generative AI (GenAI) functionality. These enhancements harness GenAI and automation to streamline the modernization of the business applications and data upon which businesses run. The goal of the new capabilities is to improve organizational agility and decision-making by unlocking the value of these applications and data, bridging them into hybrid cloud strategies.

    Global enterprises recognize AI’s role in enhancing efficiency and performance both in application modernization and in the broader scheme of enhancing organizational value. According to a 2024 Forrester survey commissioned by Rocket Software, 66% of respondents report that AI has significantly boosted efficiency in their IT modernization efforts, while 59% note improved technological capabilities for both employees and customers.

    “A number of industries are facing increasing pressure to prioritize decision-making for operational performance and risk management,” said Michael Curry, President of Data Modernization at Rocket Software. “The new and enhanced products in our Hybrid Cloud solution suite accelerate application understanding, streamline data integration, and enhance productivity. With over 34 years of experience, we have a unique vantage point from which we can help organizations unlock value from core business applications, while future-proofing operations.”

    Rocket Software continues to enhance its Hybrid Cloud solutions, enabling customers to take advantage of scalable, cost-efficient GenAI and automation in a safe way, that prioritizes robust security and regulatory compliance. This reflects the company’s commitment to delivering customer value through innovation, evidenced by the introduction of new and upgraded products, including:

    • Rocket® Content Smart Chat: Provides a secure conversational AI interface for sensitive document access and querying, streamlining unstructured data classification, while ensuring regulatory compliance by keeping critical data in protected governance environments. Rocket Software was recognized as a Major Player in the 2024 IDC MarketScape for Intelligent Content Services, in part for its SmartChat Feature, underscoring its innovation in delivering intelligent, scalable, and AI-driven content services.
    • Rocket®Enterprise Suite: Provides an AI natural language assistant to facilitate code analysis and accelerate mainframe application modernization and cloud transitions, enhancing developer productivity by simplifying complex code and the migration to cloud-native environments. Enterprise Suite is a key capability in modernization solutions from major Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) like Amazon Web Services® (AWS®), Google® Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft ®Azure®.
    • Rocket®Visual COBOL®: Employs an AI natural language assistant to simplify COBOL code understanding, modernize applications, and ensure seamless integration with hybrid cloud environments. This reduces the learning curve for developers, accelerating the modernization of distributed COBOL applications and integrating seamlessly with hybrid cloud infrastructures while preserving core business logic.

    “Following the acquisition of AMC, Rocket Software is releasing new functionality in less than six months—an uncommon move in the industry where many mature software companies tend to slow down evolution after an acquisition,” said Peter Rutten, Research Vice-President, Performance Intensive Computing, IDC, “This rapid progression highlights Rocket’s commitment to enhancing support for mainframe and distributed COBOL application modernization and re-platforming in alignment with hybrid cloud and migration strategies.”

    These new additions will join the company’s existing Hybrid Cloud solutions including Rocket® Data Intelligence, Rocket® Data Replicate and Sync, Rocket® Mobius®, Rocket® Cloud Connector, and Rocket® Data Virtualization, to round out the suite and further enhance end-to-end modernization and real-time data management.

    To learn more about these GenAI advancements and Rocket Software’s complete Hybrid Cloud solutions, visit its website here.

    Amazon Web Services and AWS are trademarks of Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Google is a trademark of Google LLC
    Microsoft and Azure are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation

    About Rocket Software
    Rocket Software is a global technology leader in modernization and a partner of choice that empowers the world’s leading businesses on their modernization journeys, spanning core systems to the cloud. Trusted by over 12,500 customers and 750 partners, and with more than 3,000 global employees, Rocket Software enables customers to maximize their data, applications, and infrastructure to deliver critical services that power our modern world. Rocket Software is a privately held U.S. corporation headquartered in the Boston area with centers of excellence strategically located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Rocket Software is a portfolio company of Bain Capital Private Equity. Follow Rocket Software on LinkedIn and Twitter or visit http://www.RocketSoftware.com.

    Media Contact
    Lacey Darrow
    ldarrow@rocketsoftware.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Lionpoint Group Rebrands to Alpha Alternatives, Highlighting Depth and Breadth of Services and Solutions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lionpoint Group (“Lionpoint”), part of the Alpha Financial Markets Consulting Group (“Alpha”), and a leading global consultancy to the alternative investments sector, has announced its rebranding to Alpha Alternatives.

    Founded in 2003, Alpha is a leading global provider of management and technology consulting to the financial services industry. Lionpoint was acquired by Alpha in 2021 and the rebranding to Alpha Alternative reflects a long-standing commitment by Alpha to providing highly specialized, sector focused solutions, including a major proven offering for the alternative investments sector.

    “We are delighted to announce the rebranding of Lionpoint to Alpha Alternatives, highlighting our growing strength in the rapidly expanding alternatives investment sector. This milestone reinforces our ability to deliver together to provide the very best management and consulting solutions across our consolidated organization,” commented Luc Baqué, Group Chief Executive Officer of Alpha FMC.

    With a deep understanding of industry-specific challenges and opportunities, and a strong delivery record developed over more than ten years, Lionpoint has built a global reputation as a specialist provider of management and technology consulting services to private equity, private credit, real estate, and infrastructure managers. Since joining the Alpha group, Lionpoint has deepened and broadened the range of services and solutions that it provides to help alternative investment managers define their business strategy, adopt leading technology and business solutions, and reduce operational risk and costs.

    “The transition to Alpha Alternatives enables us to deliver an even broader range of services and expertise not only to our alternative investment manager clients, but also to the growing number of our Group’s asset management clients who are building up alternatives capabilities. This rebrand will make it easier for clients and the market to recognize and leverage the full depth of Alpha’s capabilities,” said Nick Fienberg, Global Head of Alpha Alternatives.

    The rebrand to Alpha Alternatives confirms the success of the integration of the Lionpoint business as Alpha’s specialist alternatives consulting boutique and reflects its position as the leading advisor to private markets clients worldwide. The Alpha group encompasses a premier and integrated set of solutions for the financial services industry, enabling clients to access seamlessly the full range of capabilities that it offers.

    “Since joining Alpha in 2021, we’ve expanded our reach and delivered impactful solutions for our clients. This rebrand reflects the powerful synergy between our specialist expertise in alternatives and Alpha’s broader capabilities in asset management and insurance that are continuously converging, creating new opportunities and value for our clients,” added Jonathan Balkin, Lionpoint Co-Founder, Head of North America and Global Head of Private Equity & Credit for Alpha Alternatives.

    For more information about Alpha Alternatives and its services, visit http://alternatives.alphafmc.com.

    About Alpha FMC
    Alpha Financial Markets Consulting is a leading global consultancy to the financial services industry. Alpha combines highly specialist, sector-focused management consulting and technology expertise to support the client transformation lifecycle. Founded in 2003, it now has over 1,000 consultants across North America, UK, Europe, MENA and APAC.
    To learn more, visit: http://www.alphafmc.com

    About Alpha Alternatives
    Alpha Alternatives is an industry leader in delivering operations transformation and technology enablement solutions to the private markets investment industry. With 300 consultants and a global reach spanning eight offices worldwide, Alpha Alternatives is uniquely positioned to provide specialized support to clients, with unique experience and qualified resources.

    Media Contact
    Dylan Foster
    dfoster@wearecsg.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: DigiAsia Corp. and Digit9 Announce Strategic Collaboration

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ~ Enhancing Cross Border Payments ~

    ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates and NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DigiAsia Corp. (NASDAQ: FAAS) (“DigiAsia” or the “Company”), a leading Fintech as a Service (FaaS) ecosystem provider, has announced a strategic collaboration with Digit9, the cross-border payments orchestration platform developed by LuLu Money Singapore, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based LuLu Financial Holdings.

    The partnership with Digit9 will enhance DigiAsia’s offering and competitiveness in servicing the cross-border payments needs for Indonesian consumers and SMEs in Indonesia and the GCC.

    Further, DigiAsia will be able to leverage Digit9’s wide network of partners and the ability to facilitate cross-border payments in more than 150 markets globally, to create efficient and cost-effective cross-border payment rails to further support Indonesian consumers and SMEs.

    DigiAsia estimates that the partnership with Digit9 will generate an estimated US$250mn volume annually in cross-border payments.

    DigiAsia and Digit9 will continue strategic partnership discussions and look to launch innovative products and services in the cross-border payments space in the near future.

    About DigiAsia

    DigiAsia is a leading Fintech as a Service (FaaS) provider operating a B2B2X model offering its complete Fintech solution in emerging markets. DigiAsia’s fintech architecture offers small and medium business enterprises (SMEs) comprehensive embedded finance APIs to streamline processes across the commerce value chain of distributors and customers. DigiAsia’s embedded fintech solutions equally address democratizing digital finance access that supports financial inclusion of underbanked merchants and consumers in emerging markets resulting in growth for enterprise business. The suite of B2B2X solutions provided by DigiAsia include, but are not limited to, cashless payments, digital wallets, digital banking, remittances and banking licenses. DigiAsia has recently established a strategic initiative to develop its embedded FaaS enterprise solution with AI capabilities in Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East, with plans for global expansion. For more information, please visit DigiAsia’s Corporate website here or Investor Relations website here.

    About Digit9

    Digit9 is a payments orchestration platform tailored to meet the diverse needs of financial institutions. It seamlessly integrates an array of payment methods, banks, and service providers, simplifying the complexities of cross-border payments. Digit9 has been developed by LuLu Money Singapore, a wholly owned subsidiary of LuLu Financial Holdings.

    About LuLu Financial Holdings

    LuLu Financial Holdings is a leading global financial services provider, offering a wide range of services including cross-border payments, currency exchange, and financial technology solutions. With over 350 customer engagement centers in over 10 countries and a commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, LuLu Financial Holdings continues to set benchmarks in the financial services industry.

    Forward-Looking Statements:

    This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “project”, “targets”, “optimistic”, “confident that”, “continue to”, “predict”, “intend”, “aim”, “will” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements concerning DigiAsia and the Company’s operations, financial performance and condition are based on current expectations, beliefs and assumptions which are subject to change at any time. DigiAsia cautions that these statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors such as government and stock exchange regulations, competition, political, economic and social conditions around the world including those discussed in DigiAsia’s Form 20-F under the headings “Risk Factors”, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business Overview” and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. All forward-looking statements are applicable only as of the date it is made and DigiAsia specifically disclaims any obligation to maintain or update the forward-looking information, whether of the nature contained in this release or otherwise, in the future.

    DigiAsia Company Contact:
    Subir Lohani
    Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer
    646-480-0142

    Lulu Financial Holdings Company Contact:
    Ajit Johnson
    Head of Strategic Business Relations
    ajit.johnson@lulufin.com

    Investor Contact:
    MZ North America
    Email: FAAS@mzgroup.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Vimeo and the European Film Academy Partner to Celebrate Filmmakers and Bring “Staff Picks” Content to an All-New Audience

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vimeo (NASDAQ: VMEO), the world’s most innovative video platform, is proud to announce its new partnership with the European Film Academy to celebrate the diversity and layered richness of European filmmaking.

    This exciting collaboration builds upon both organizations’ shared mission to celebrate creators as they educate, entertain and inspire audiences worldwide. As part of the partnership, the European Film Academy will provide a new destination for European audiences to discover extraordinary films and filmmakers, including some Vimeo Staff Picks content, on its website. Vimeo will also serve as the exclusive title sponsor of the European Short Film category at the European Film Awards this December, underscoring its dedication to supporting emerging talent and celebrating exceptional creativity within the European film community. The category will be renamed “EUROPEAN SHORT FILM – Prix Vimeo.”

    “We are deeply honored to collaborate with the European Film Academy to celebrate the visionary European filmmakers who are shaping the future of cinema,” said Philip Moyer, CEO of Vimeo. “Europe has been an authentic soul for storytelling for centuries, and the European Short Film Awards is one of the most respected showcases for exceptional new talent within the European film community. Vimeo is committed to supporting European filmmakers with tools, and visibility. We are proud to support the European Film Awards’ short film competition with the EUROPEAN SHORT FILM – Prix Vimeo award, as the organization recognizes and inspires new generations of European filmmakers.”

    The European Film Academy is a long standing customer, using Vimeo’s OTT service to deliver video-on-demand to its members. Vimeo also hosts its European Film Club platform. This expanded partnership introduces exciting new avenues for creative expression and recognition. The European Film Awards’ website will now showcase its weekly selection of European Film Award-nominated short films and Vimeo Staff Picks. This creates an opportunity to celebrate short films all year long and will provide film enthusiasts access to an ever evolving collection of exceptional content.

    Vimeo will also lend its support to the prestigious European short film category of the European Film Awards, taking place on December 7, 2024 in Lucerne, Switzerland.

    “This expanded partnership with Vimeo marks exciting new steps for the European Film Academy,” said Matthijs Wouter Knol, CEO and Director of the European Film Academy. “Together, we can amplify the voices of some of the world’s most talented filmmakers and provide them with an even greater platform for their innovative storytelling to flourish. We are happy to join forces and are particularly thrilled to welcome Vimeo “Staff Picks” to our Awards’ website, offering our members and film enthusiasts a curated selection of exceptional films from the Vimeo community.”

    For more information, please visit: https://www.europeanfilmawards.eu/vimeo/

    About Vimeo

    Vimeo (NASDAQ: VMEO) is the world’s most innovative video experience platform. We enable anyone to create high-quality video experiences to better connect and bring ideas to life. We proudly serve our community of millions of users – from creative storytellers to globally distributed teams at the world’s largest companies – whose videos receive billions of views each month. Learn more at http://www.vimeo.com.

    About the European Film Academy

    The European Film Academy is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting European cinema. Founded in 1988, the Academy seeks to support and connect its 5,000 members and celebrates and promotes their work. Its aims are to share knowledge and to educate audiences of all ages about European cinema. Positioning itself as a leading organisation and facilitating crucial debates within the industry, the Academy strives to unite everyone who loves European cinema, culminating annually in the Month of European Film and the European Film Awards, by including European film heritage in its portfolio and by expanding its focus on young audiences through the European Film Club. Learn more at http://www.europeanfilmacademy.org.

    Contact: 
    Frank Filiatrault
    Director of Communications
    frank.filiatrault@vimeo.co

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Thrive Acquires Michigan-based Safety Net

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, Cloud, and IT managed services, today announced the acquisition of Safety Net, a leading Michigan-based IT services firm. With the acquisition, Thrive will expand its reach to the Midwest, enabling Safety Net’s customers to have access to Thrive’s industry-leading global Security Operation Center (SOC) & Hybrid Cloud solutions.

    Thrive’s mission is to empower their customers to harness the promise of technology, achieving success by proactively utilizing IT, cybersecurity, and Cloud best practices to drive ROI and desired business outcomes for their valued clients. The union of Thrive and Safety Net will ensure that customers in Michigan will continue to enjoy the exceptional high-touch managed services they’ve come to love, along with newly enhanced 24x7x365 global SOC, cybersecurity, and hybrid cloud resources.

    “Safety Net’s similar business philosophies and company culture are a perfect fit as our Midwest regional platform,” said Rob Stephenson, CEO of Thrive. “Their product and service sophistication, client first mentality, and dedicated team of talented engineers will allow Thrive to grow in Michigan, as well as expand deeper into other Midwest markets with their strong leadership team.”

    This latest acquisition comes at a time of strong growth for Thrive, having completed eleven previous acquisitions over the past two years, most recently acquiring The Longleaf Network. In addition to geographic expansion, Thrive continues to grow its service offerings to meet the growing needs of its customers, including Thrive Incident Response & Remediation, Managed Detection and Response, and Dark Web Monitoring.

    “With over two decades of providing strategic IT solutions to Michigan businesses, our team is excited to accept the challenge of accelerating our growth to become the premier managed services provider in the Midwest,” said Tim Cerny, CEO of Safety Net. “Our mission seamlessly aligns with Thrive’s commitment to deliver the best technology outcomes for customers. With their partnership, we look forward to elevating our technology capabilities to fulfill the rapidly emerging IT complexity that our clients face.”

    To learn more about Thrive and its offerings, visit the website.

    About Thrive
    Thrive delivers global technology outsourcing for cybersecurity, Cloud, networking, and other complex IT requirements. Thrive’s NextGen platform enables customers to increase business efficiencies through standardization, scalability, and automation, delivering oversized technology returns on investment (ROI). They accomplish this with advisory services, vCISO, vCIO, consulting, project implementation, solution architects, and a best-in-class subscription-based technology platform. Thrive delivers exceptional high-touch service through its POD approach of subject matter experts and global 24x7x365 SOC, NOC, and centralized services teams. Learn more at http://www.thrivenextgen.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

    Contacts
    Amanda Maguire
    thrive@v2comms.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: University Grants Committee welcomes “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address”

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
     
         The Chairman of the University Grants Committee (UGC), Mr Tim Lui, said today (October 16) that he welcomed the Chief Executive’s announcement of several relevant measures in the 2024 Policy Address, which aim at nurturing future talent and establishing the “Study in Hong Kong” brand. The UGC will join hands with the eight UGC-funded universities to optimise Hong Kong’s competitive advantages under “One Country, Two Systems”, as well as the highly internationalised and diversified characters of the higher education landscape, thereby pressing ahead with the development of Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education and high-calibre talent.
     
         The Government announced in this year’s Policy Address that it will establish the Hong Kong Future Talents Scholarship Scheme for Advanced Studies (SSAS) starting from the 2025/26 academic year, under which up to 1 200 local students enrolling in designated taught postgraduate programmes will receive a scholarship each year.
     
         Mr Lui said, “Over the past five years, the UGC has implemented the Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme on a pilot basis, which incentivised local students with aspirations for advanced studies to pursue over 100 master’s programmes within our priority areas. They have fuelled Hong Kong’s impetus for development as they equip themselves for the future. We welcome the establishment of the SSAS by the Government with reference to the experience and achievements of the pilot scheme. This clearly demonstrates the Government’s commitment towards the nurturing of high-calibre local talent and the development of new quality productive forces.”
     
         The Policy Address also announced that Hong Kong will strive to host international education conferences and exhibitions, as well as encourage local post-secondary institutions to enhance collaboration and exchanges with their counterparts around the world in promoting the “Study in Hong Kong” brand on a global scale. In this regard, the UGC will further strengthen collaboration with the Heads of Universities Committee’s Standing Committee on Internationalisation to actively enhance external promotion efforts targeting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other Belt and Road countries, and strive to foster closer partnerships with institutions worldwide in student mobility and research collaboration. The UGC also welcomed the Government’s introduction of a series of new measures to improve hostel facilities, including a pilot scheme to encourage the market to convert hotels and other commercial buildings into student hostels on a self-financing and privately funded basis. This will increase the supply of student hostels and facilitate the recruitment of more non-local students to pursue their studies in Hong Kong.
     
         In terms of research promotion, the UGC extended its gratitude to the Government for providing $1.5 billion to launch a new round of the Research Matching Grant Scheme (RMGS), which will incentivise more organisations to fund research activities by institutions. The inaugural round of the RMGS was concluded with resounding success in July 2024, which effectively expanded research funding sources of the higher education sector. The UGC also welcomed the introduction of a series of measures to facilitate close collaboration among the Government, industry, academic, research and investment sectors. Mr Lui is confident that the new round of the RMGS as well as various measures will deepen the collaboration between higher education and other sectors, thereby raising Hong Kong’s research capabilities as well as enhancing the local ecosystem for innovation and technology.
     
         Mr Lui continued, “Looking ahead, our higher education sector can tap into the immense opportunities presented by the Northern Metropolis University Town to leverage our distinctive advantage of having strong support from the motherland and close connection with the world, thereby enabling Hong Kong to scale new heights. Together with our UGC-funded universities, we will devote ourselves relentlessly to cultivating local talent, attracting elites from all over the world and reinforcing our global reputation, so as to contribute positively to Hong Kong’s development into an international hub for post-secondary education.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: France: Discriminatory algorithm used by the social security agency must be stopped 

    Source: Amnesty International –

    The French authorities must immediately stop the use of a discriminatory risk-scoring algorithm used by the French Social Security Agency’s National Family Allowance Fund (CNAF), which is used to detect overpayments and errors regarding benefit payments, Amnesty International said today.

    On 15 October, Amnesty International and fourteen other coalition partners led by La Quadrature du Net (LQDN) submitted a complaint to the Council of State, the highest administrative court in France, demanding the risk-scoring algorithmic system used by CNAF be stopped.  

    “From the outset, the risk-scoring system used by CNAF treats individuals who experience marginalization – those with disabilities, lone single parents who are mostly women, and those living in poverty – with suspicion. This system operates in direct opposition to human rights standards, violating the right to equality and non-discrimination and the right to privacy,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General at Amnesty International.

    In 2023, La Quadrature du Net (LQDN) got access to versions of the algorithm’s source code – a set of instructions written by programmers to create a software – thereby exposing the discriminatory nature of the system.

    Since 2011, CNAF has used a risk-scoring algorithm to identify people who are potentially committing benefits fraud by receiving overpayments. The algorithm assigns a risk score between zero and one to all recipients of family and housing benefits. The closer the score is to one, the higher the probability of being flagged for investigation.

    Overall, there are 32 million people in France living in households that receive a benefit from CNAF. Their sensitive personal data, as well as that of their family, is processed periodically, and a risk score is assigned.

    The criteria that increase one’s risk score include parameters which discriminate against vulnerable households, including being on a low income, being unemployed, living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, spending a significant portion of income on rent, and working while having a disability. The details of those who are flagged due to having a high-risk score are compiled into a list that is investigated further by a fraud investigator.

    “While authorities herald the rollout of algorithmic technologies in social protection systems as a way to increase efficiency and detect fraud and errors, in practice, these systems flatten the realities of people’s lives. They work as extensive data-mining tools that stigmatize marginalized groups, and invade their privacy,” said Agnès Callamard.

    Amnesty International did not investigate specific cases of people flagged by the CNAF system. However, our investigations in Netherlands and Serbia suggest that using AI-powered systems and automation in the public sector enables mass surveillance: the amount of data that is collected is disproportionate to the purported aim of the system. Moreover, evidence by Amnesty International also exposed how many of these systems have been quite ineffective at actually doing what they purport to do—whether it be identifying fraud or errors in the benefits system.

    While authorities herald the rollout of algorithmic technologies in social protection systems as a way to increase efficiency and detect fraud and errors, in practice, these systems flatten the realities of people’s lives. They work as extensive data-mining tools that stigmatize marginalized groups, and invade their privacy.

    Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International

    It has also been argued that the scale of errors or fraud in benefits system has been exaggerated to justify the development of such tech systems, often leading to discriminatory or racist or sexist targeting of particular groups, particularly migrants and refugees.

    Over the past year, France has been actively promoting itself internationally as the next hub for artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, culminating in a summit scheduled for February 2025. At the same time, France has also been legalizing mass surveillance technologies and has consistently undermined the EU’s AI Act negotiations.

    “France is relying on a risk-scoring algorithmic system for social benefits that highlights, sustains and enshrines the bureaucracy’s prejudices and discrimination. Instead, France should ensure that it complies with its human rights obligations in the first place that of non-discrimination. The authorities must address current and existing AI-related harms amid the country’s quest to become a global AI hub,” said Agnès Callamard.

    Under the newly adopted European Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AI Act), AI systems used by authorities to determine access to essential public services and benefits are considered to pose high risk to rights, health and safety of people. Therefore, they must meet strict technical, transparency and governance rules, including an obligation on deployers to carry out an assessment of human rights risks and guarantee mitigation measures before deployment.

    In the meantime, certain systems, such as those used for social scoring, are considered to pose unacceptable level of risk and therefore must be banned.

    It is unfortunate that EU lawmakers have been vague in explicitly defining social scoring within the AI Act. The European Commission must ensure that its upcoming guidelines provide a clear and enforceable interpretation of the social scoring ban, especially as it applies to discriminatory fraud detection and risk-scoring systems. 

    Agnès Callamard

    It is currently unclear whether the system used by CNAF qualifies as a social scoring system due to a lack of clarity in the AI Act on what constitutes such a system.

    “It is unfortunate that EU lawmakers have been vague in explicitly defining social scoring within the AI Act. The European Commission must ensure that its upcoming guidelines provide a clear and enforceable interpretation of the social scoring ban, especially as it applies to discriminatory fraud detection and risk-scoring systems,” said Agnès Callamard.

    Regardless of its classification under the AI Act, all evidence suggests that the system used by CNAF is discriminatory. It is essential that authorities stop employing it and scrutinize biased practices that are inherently harmful especially to marginalized communities seeking social benefits.

    Background

    The European Commission will issue guidance on how to interpret the prohibitions in the AI Act prior to their entry into force on 2 February 2025, including what would qualify as social scoring systems.

    In August 2024, the AI Act came into force. Amnesty International, as part of a civil society coalition led by the European Digital Rights Network (EDRi), has been calling for EU artificial intelligence regulation that protects and promotes human rights.

    In March 2024, an Amnesty International briefing outlined how digital technologies including artificial intelligence, automation, and algorithmic decision-making are exacerbating inequalities in social protection systems across the world

    In 2021, Amnesty International’s report Xenophobic Machines exposed how racial profiling was baked into the design of the algorithmic system by the Dutch tax authorities that flagged claims for childcare benefits as potentially fraudulent. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Netherlands: Mass police surveillance of protests part of ‘growing control culture’ – new report

    Source: Amnesty International –

    “All facial recognition technology for identification purposes should be banned and clear rules for police surveillance at protests must be established.” – Dagmar Oudshoorn

    Fear amongst protestors that camera surveillance may lead to negative repercussions

    Transparency needed from Dutch police about use of materials gathered at protests

    A new report from Amnesty International has found that widespread use of digital surveillance technology by police combined with a lack of transparency about its deployment and how materials gathered are analysed, stored and used is having a discriminatory and chilling effect on protest in the Netherlands.

    Recording dissent: Camera surveillance at peaceful protests in the Netherlands, finds that Dutch police are using an array of digital means to monitor peaceful protesters, from drones to video cars and bodycams to conduct mass surveillance of protesters which is detrimentally impacting the right to protest.  

    The report collates the experiences of protesters from a wide range of movements, including climate protests, pro-Palestine protests and protests relating to COVID. The research involved observation of 24 protests between 2022 and 2024, several interviews with protesters and police as well as an analysis of protest rules and practice. Across the range of demonstrations, protesters expressed fears that their identities could be logged in police databases and that this could have negative repercussions for them. 

    One organiser of COVID protests told Amnesty: “I would like to work at a ministry one day. If I have a mark against my name somewhere, I might never get in, so I want to avoid that. Those fears are really deep with everyone in our group.”  

    Dagmar Oudshoorn, Director of Amnesty International Netherlands, said:

    “Peaceful protest is a right, not a privilege but in the Netherlands an increasing risk-based approach to protest by authorities and a growing control culture is putting this right a risk.

    “Dutch laws and policies are not formulated with sufficient precision with regard to what police may or may not do when surveilling protests. This creates a risk of arbitrariness or abuse and is having a discriminatory and chilling effect.

    “It is unacceptable that images are stored in police data banks without any clarity as to what is done with them. This can lead to abuse – or fear of abuse – which can really have far-reaching consequences for people’s personal lives.

    “Camera surveillance is being deployed because protests are being perceived as a security risk rather than a fundamental right and a vital part of a healthy society. All facial recognition technology for identification purposes should be banned and clear rules for police surveillance at protests must be established.”  

    The new research shows that police routinely fail to explain to organisers, protesters and the public why camera surveillance is in place. Opaque practices make it unclear what resources are being deployed and what images of protesters are being used for. Without adequate safeguards in place, surveillance practices are open to widespread abuse.  Police are able to use facial recognition technology to identify people. This risk is especially serious for migrants, who could be included in a facial recognition database when they apply for a residence permit.

    One climate activist told Amnesty: “It’s unpredictable. I’ve seen camera surveillance in all forms…Police in uniform photographing, and camera cars with a telescopic camera on the roof…Not once have the police informed us about the surveillance.” 

    Protest rights under threat across continent.

    This report is part of Amnesty ‘s global “Protect the Protest” campaign which challenges attacks on peaceful protest, works in solidarity with those targeted and supports the causes of social movements pushing for human rights change.  

    A report published in July 2024 looking at the state of protest across Europe found that the right to protest is being systematically undermined across Europe. See https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/07/europe-sweeping-pattern-of-systematic-attacks-and-restrictions-undermine-peaceful-protest/ 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: France: Government must stop using dangerous AI-powered surveillance to tackle benefit fraud

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Authorities must immediately stop using discriminatory algorithm used by the social security agency

    The risk-scoring system treats marginalised individuals with suspicion

    ‘This system operates in direct opposition to human rights standards, violating the right to equality and non-discrimination and the right to privacy’ – Agnès Callamard

    The French authorities must immediately stop the use of a discriminatory risk-scoring algorithm used by the French Social Security Agency’s National Family Allowance Fund (CNAF), which is used to detect overpayments and errors regarding benefit payments, Amnesty International said today. 

    On 15 October, Amnesty and 14 other coalition partners led by La Quadrature du Net (LQDN) submitted a complaint to the Council of State, the highest administrative court in France, demanding the risk-scoring algorithmic system used by CNAF be stopped.

    In 2023, LQDN gained access to versions of the algorithm’s source code – a set of instructions written by programmers to create a software – exposing the discriminatory nature of the system.

    Since 2011, CNAF has used a risk-scoring algorithm to identify people who are potentially committing benefits fraud by receiving overpayments. The algorithm assigns a risk score between zero and one to all recipients of family and housing benefits. The closer the score is to one, the higher the probability of being flagged for investigation.

    Agnès Callamard, Secretary General at Amnesty International, said:

    “From the outset, the risk-scoring system used by CNAF treats individuals who experience marginalisation – those with disabilities, lone single parents who are mostly women, and those living in poverty – with suspicion. This system operates in direct opposition to human rights standards, violating the right to equality and non-discrimination and the right to privacy.

    “While authorities herald the rollout of algorithmic technologies in social protection systems to increase efficiency and detect fraud and errors, in practice, these systems flatten the realities of people’s lives. They work as extensive data-mining tools that stigmatise marginalised groups and invade their privacy.

    “France is relying on a risk-scoring algorithmic system for social benefits that highlights, sustains and enshrines the bureaucracy’s prejudices and discrimination. Instead, France should ensure that it complies with its human rights obligations in the first place that of non-discrimination. The authorities must address current and existing AI-related harms amid the country’s quest to become a global AI hub.”

    Putting people at risk

    There are currently 32 million people in France receiving a benefit from CNAF. Their sensitive personal data, as well as that of their family, is processed periodically, and a risk score is assigned.

    The criteria that increase one’s risk score include parameters which discriminate against vulnerable households, including being on a low income, being unemployed, living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, spending a significant portion of income on rent, and working while having a disability. The details of those who are flagged due to having a high-risk score are compiled into a list that is investigated further by a fraud investigator. 

    Amnesty did not investigate specific cases of people flagged by the CNAF system. However, its investigations in the Netherlands and Serbia suggest that using AI-powered systems and automation in the public sector enables mass surveillance and the amount of data collected is disproportionate to the purported aim of the system.

    Amnesty has also exposed how many of these systems have been quite ineffective at doing what they purport to do—whether it be identifying fraud or errors in the benefits system. 

    It has also been argued that the scale of errors or fraud in benefits system has been exaggerated to justify the development of such tech systems, often leading to discriminatory or racist or sexist targeting of particular groups – particularly migrants and refugees.

    Over the past year, France has been actively promoting itself internationally as the next hub for  AI technologies, culminating in a summit scheduled for February 2025. At the same time, France has also legalised mass surveillance technologies and consistently undermined the EU’s AI Act negotiations.

    Under the newly adopted European Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AI Act), AI systems used by authorities to determine access to essential public services and benefits are considered to pose high risk to rights, health and safety of people. Therefore, they must meet strict technical, transparency and governance rules, including an obligation on deployers to carry out an assessment of human rights risks and guarantee mitigation measures before deployment. 

    In the meantime, certain systems, such as those used for social scoring, are considered to pose unacceptable level of risk and therefore must be banned.

    It is currently unclear whether the system used by CNAF qualifies as a social scoring system due to a lack of clarity in the AI Act on what constitutes such a system. 

    Regardless of its classification however, all evidence suggests that the system is discriminatory. It is essential that authorities stop employing it and scrutinise biased practices that are inherently harmful – especially to marginalised communities seeking social benefits.

    Regulation and algorithms of discrimination

    The European Commission will issue guidance on how to interpret the prohibitions in the AI Act prior to their entry into force on 2 February 2025, including what would qualify as social scoring systems.

    In August 2024, the AI Act came into force. Amnesty, as part of a civil society coalition led by the European Digital Rights Network, has been calling for EU artificial intelligence regulation that protects and promotes human rights.

    In March this year, an Amnesty briefing outlined how digital technologies including artificial intelligence, automation, and algorithmic decision-making are exacerbating inequalities in social protection systems across the world.

    In 2021, Amnesty’s report Xenophobic Machines exposed how racial profiling was baked into the design of the algorithmic system by the Dutch tax authorities that flagged claims for childcare benefits as potentially fraudulent. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Expands Its Galaxy Wearables Ecosystem in India to Bring Premium Healthcare Experience with Galaxy Ring Starting INR 38999

    Source: Samsung

     
    Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, today announced the launch of its highly anticipated Galaxy Ring in India. Providing a sleek, stylish and compact form factor, this latest addition to the wearable’s portfolio is central to Samsung’s vision for Galaxy AI to enhance digital health, delivering personalized insights and tailored health experiences to customers.
     
    The launch of Galaxy Ring marks a new step in active and autonomous health management, moving beyond mere monitoring to offer users valuable guidance for healthier lifestyles. Galaxy Ring features advanced sensors that provide insights to help users understand their lifestyle patterns, helping them to manage their health goals.
     
    Designed for 24/7 health monitoring, Galaxy Ring offers a simple approach to everyday wellness. Blending timeless style with revolutionary functionality, it will be available in 9 different sizes, ranging from Size 5 to Size 13. Weighing just 2.3 grams for Size 5 with a width of just 7.0 mm, Galaxy Ring is ultra-lightweight, making it ideal for all-day wear. The weight of Galaxy Ring varies with size, going up to 3 grams for the biggest size (Size 13). Its distinct concave design adds a touch of elegance while maintaining durability. Despite its size, the device offers up to 7 days of battery life encased in a specially designed charging case that features aesthetic LED lighting to indicate charging status. The charging case comes with a clamshell design reminiscent of a jewellery box.
     
    Engineered with premium materials, including a titanium finish for enhanced durability, Galaxy Ring is IP68 water- and dust-resistant and can withstand depths of up to 100 meters with its 10ATM rating. This makes Galaxy Ring a sophisticated yet rugged accessory, perfect for all use cases.
     
    “The launch of Galaxy Ring marks a massive leap in Samsung’s commitment to democratize cutting-edge technology for everyone, helping users turn data in to meaningful insights and create a whole new era of expanded, intelligent health experiences. Galaxy Ring is not just another wearable, it’s a revolutionary health-tech device that blends innovation with accessibility. With advanced AI-driven insights, 24/7 health monitoring and a sleek, lightweight design, it empowers users to seamlessly track their wellness anytime, anywhere. With Galaxy Ring, we’re paving the way for a healthier, more connected future for all,” said Aditya Babbar, Vice President, MX Business, Samsung India.
     
    Powered by Samsung’s proprietary “Health AI”, Galaxy Ring delivers real-time insights intuitively, so users can simply wear it and let the AI-driven insights work in the background, providing personalized recommendations and wellness tips. All data and insights are integrated into Samsung Health for seamless access within one cohesive platform without a subscription.
     
    Starting with sleep, Galaxy Ring features Samsung’s best-in-class sleep analysis and a powerful sleep AI algorithm. Along with Sleep Score and snoring analysis, new sleep metrics such as movement during sleep, sleep latency, heart and respiratory rate provide a detailed and accurate analysis of sleep quality.
     
    Additionally, Galaxy AI generates a detailed health report that includes health metrics like Energy Score to enhance consumer’s awareness of the ways their health influences your daily life. This score is calculated by evaluating physical and mental capacity across four significant factors: Sleep, Activity, Sleeping Heart Rate and Sleeping Heart Rate Variability. In addition, the Wellness Tips feature is driven by comprehensive data and provides personalized insights according to user’s goals. Galaxy Ring also supports everyday wellness monitoring, allowing users to stay informed about heart health with HR monitoring providing alerts for high/low heart rates. Galaxy Ring is able to auto-detect workouts (walking & running) as well as provides inactive alerts to users keeping them motivated to achieve their goals. Furthermore, Galaxy Smartphone consumers can activate simple Gesture controls (like double pinch) on Galaxy Ring to easily take photos or dismiss alarms.  Furthermore, Galaxy Ring works seamlessly when worn simultaneously with Samsung Galaxy Watch providing enhanced accuracy of health and wellness tracking and improved battery life (up to 30%)
     
    Design, Availability and Pricing
    Galaxy Ring starts at INR 38999 and will be available on Samsung.com, select retail stores, Amazon.in and Flipkart.com.
     
    Empowering consumers to stay true to their personal style with three colour choices — Titanium Black, Titanium Silver and Titanium Gold, Galaxy Ring is poised to fit comfortably on users’ fingers like a traditional ring. Customers who are unsure about their ring size have the option to first get a sizing kit to verify the best fit before purchasing Galaxy Ring.
     
    Customers can also purchase the Galaxy Ring starting at just INR 1,625 per month with 24 months No Cost EMI across leading bank cards as well as financing through Samsung Finance+ and Bajaj Finance. In addition, Samsung is also offering a 25W Travel adapter to customers who purchase Galaxy Ring until 18th October, 2024.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Partners with Contiki Travel for Exclusive Summer Offer

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics is excited to announce a new partnership with Contiki Travel, aimed at travel enthusiasts looking to enhance their journeys with cutting-edge technology. This collaboration showcases how the Galaxy S24 FE’s state-of-the-art camera and Galaxy AI features come to life during travel, offering a unique opportunity to create unforgettable memories this summer.
     
    From October 11 to November 30, 2024, customers who purchase a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE will receive up to 40% off a Contiki trip to destinations around the globe[1]. This exclusive offer caters to young travellers who embody the spirit of adventure, living by the Contiki motto Travel Together. Contiki Travel was created for 18 to 35 year-olds who want to travel the world and experience as much as possible. With dream itineraries designed for those eager to explore the world, Contiki offers great experiences that maximise travel.
     
    To enjoy this special offer, you need to:
    Purchase a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE at Samsung Online or participating retailers and operators.
    Claim your voucher code via the Samsung Members App.
    Call Contiki to book your next dream holiday.
     
    Note: The redemption period for this offer is 11 October to 15 December 2024.
     

     
    “At Samsung, we aim to create opportunities for our beloved customers to enjoy the best that life has to offer and this partnership is one example of that. We believe in empowering our users to experience the world around them through the lens of innovation,” said Kgomotso Mosiane, Head of Marketing for Mobile eXperience at Samsung Electronics. “The Galaxy S24 FE is designed to enhance every moment, ensuring that every adventure is captured beautifully, and we’re thrilled to partner with Contiki to offer this exciting travel opportunity.”
     
    The Galaxy S24 FE is equipped with a powerful triple camera setup led by a 50 MP sensor, the most advanced in the Galaxy FE series. With features like Super HDR for vibrant colours, low-light enhancements, and Optical Quality Zoom, users can capture stunning images of your travels from every angle. The ProVisual Engine and AI-powered tools offer an unparalleled photography experience, while the Instant Slow-mo feature adds a creative touch to video memories.
     
    In addition, the Galaxy AI suite includes Circle to Search with Google for effortless information retrieval on your journeys and real-time voice translation with Live Translator, making international communication seamless. With the Interpreter feature, users have a personal assistant to help navigate foreign environments.
     
    This partnership between Samsung and Contiki is set to redefine how young travellers document their journeys, blending advanced technology with extraordinary experiences. Don’t miss out on this exclusive offer—capture your adventures and travel without regrets.
     

    @kukwami_la Exam in Progress, The Travel Math is mathing with @Samsung South Africa & @Contiki | Travel Together Save up to 40% on a Contiki trip when you buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. This is how I plan to travel this summer. #TravelMath #GalaxyS24FE #GalaxyAI #Contiki ♬ original sound – Nokwanda Gumede

     

    @ash_sewlal You buy a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, you get up to 40% off on a Contiki trip, which means you’re saving money, which means you’re basically making money – seems like a no brainer to me @Samsung South Africa @Contiki | Travel Together #TravelMaths #GalaxyS24FE #GalaxyAI #Contiki ♬ original sound – Ash Sewlal

     

    @minojaa And gurla you actually can’t stop me bc I already have the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE but it makes sense right?? Up to 40% off my next Contiki trip just for getting a phone? I basically got the phone and pocket money for free! @Samsung @Contiki | Travel Together #GalaxyS24FE #GalaxyAI #TravelMath #Contiki ♬ original sound – Nintendo

     
    [1]Terms and Conditions Apply. Redemption through Samsung Members app. Contiki voucher Ts & Cs apply. Participating operators and retailers Ts &Cs apply.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Arctic Wolf 2024 Human Risk Behavior Snapshot Reveals Nearly Two-Thirds of Security and IT Leaders Have Fallen for Phishing Attacks

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arctic Wolf®, a global leader in security operations, today published findings from its 2024 Human Risk Behavior Snapshot based on a global survey the company commissioned with Sapio Research of more than 1,500 senior IT and security decision-makers and end- users from over sixteen different countries.

    As modern threat actors gain access to increasingly more sophisticated AI tools, employees play an even more critical role in their organizations cyber defenses. The 2024 Arctic Wolf Human Risk Behavior Snapshot aims to provide business leaders and security practitioners with a better understanding of the people practices and behaviors in their organizations in a post gen-AI world and offer insight into common human risk elements.

    Key findings from the report include:

    • Consequences for Human-Related Security Failures are Steep: 27% of IT leaders have witnessed an employee termination for falling victim to a scam.
    • IT Leaders Prove to be Delinquent in Security Practices: More than a third (36%) of IT leaders have disabled security measures on their system.
    • Overconfidence Rings True for IT Professionals: 80% of IT leaders are confident their organization won’t fall for a phishing attack, despite the fact that 64% have clicked on phishing links themselves.
    • Password Reuse is Still a Significant Challenge: 68% of IT and cybersecurity leaders admit to reusing system passwords.
    • AI Policies Still in Early Adoption: 60% of IT leaders say their organization has an AI policy—but less than a third (29%) of end users are aware of it.

    “Protecting against the human element is a concern security practitioners have held as a top priority for years – and the data in the 2024 Arctic Wolf Human Risk Behavior Snapshot proves both leaders and end users still have a lot of work to ensure that they as individuals aren’t adversely impacting the overall security of their organizations,” said Adam Marre, chief information security officer, Arctic Wolf. “Cybersecurity isn’t just about technology—it’s about people. As threat actors grow more sophisticated, security leaders must move beyond traditional security training methods and adopt a comprehensive human risk management strategy that will not only help them to better identify and mitigate threats, but more importantly foster a more proactive and security-conscious workforce.”

    Security awareness training has historically been a core pillar of security operations, but traditional training solutions that operate on an annual cadence and offer a “check the box” approach to compliance are wildly ineffective, leaving employees unengaged and uninformed about the latest attacks targeting them. This snapshot report reveals how important it is for IT and security leaders to embrace the concept of human risk management within their organizations and explores how solutions such as Arctic Wolf Managed Security Awareness can help create a security culture instead of a culture of blame.

    For additional insights from Arctic Wolf’s Human Risk Behavior Snapshot, visit arcticwolf.com to download the full report and register for the 2024 Cybersecurity Awareness Month Summit by region below:

    Additional Resources:

    About Arctic Wolf:
    Arctic Wolf® is a global leader in security operations, enabling customers to manage their cyber risk in the face of modern cyber-attacks via a premier cloud-native security operations platform. The Arctic Wolf Security Operations Cloud ingests and analyzes more than 5.5 trillion security events a week to help enable cyber defense at an unprecedented capacity and scale, empowering customers of virtually any size across a wide range of industries to feel confident in their security posture, readiness, and long-term resilience. By delivering automated threat protection, response, and remediation capabilities, Arctic Wolf delivers world-class security operations with the push of a button so customers can defend their greatest assets at the speed of data.

    Press Contact:
    Lauren Back
    pr@arcticwolf.com

    © 2024 Arctic Wolf Networks, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Arctic Wolf, Arctic Wolf Platform, Arctic Wolf Security Operations Cloud, Arctic Wolf Managed Detection and Response, Arctic Wolf Managed Risk, Arctic Wolf Managed Security Awareness, Arctic Wolf Incident Response, and Arctic Wolf Concierge Security Team are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Arctic Wolf Networks, Inc. or Arctic Wolf Networks Canada, Inc. and any subsidiaries in Canada, the United States, and/or other countries.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Gilat Satellite Networks to Present at the 17th Annual LD Micro Invitational Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PETAH TIKVA, Israel, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ, TASE: GILT), a worldwide leader in satellite networking technology, solutions, and services, announced today that it will be presenting at the 17th annual LD Micro Invitational on Wednesday, October 30, at 8 am PT at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles. Gil Benyamini, Chief Financial Officer, will be giving the Gilat presentation.

    In addition, Mr. Benyamini, Gilat’s CFO and Ms. Mayrav Sher (Head of Finance & IR) will be available for one-on-one meetings with investors throughout the conference days. To schedule a meeting please contact an LD Micro representative or email a request to the Gilat investor relations team at Mayravs@gilat.com.

    We invite interested parties to register to watch the presentation remotely at Here.

    About LD Micro
    LD Micro, a wholly owned subsidiary of Freedom US Markets, was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the micro-cap space. Whether it is the Index, comprehensive data, or hosting the most significant events annually, LD’s sole mission is to serve as an invaluable asset for all those interested in finding the next generation of great companies. For more information on LD Micro, visit http://www.ldmicro.com.

    Please reach out to the company representative below or Dean Summers (dean@ldmicro.com) to register for the event and schedule a meeting with the company.

    To learn more about Freedom US Markets, visit http://www.freedomusmkts.com.

    About Gilat 
    Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT, TASE: GILT) is a leading global provider of satellite-based broadband communications. With over 35 years of experience, we create and deliver deep technology solutions for satellite, ground, and new space connectivity and provide comprehensive, secure end-to-end solutions and services for mission-critical operations, powered by our innovative technology. We believe in the right of all people to be connected and are united in our resolution to provide communication solutions to all reaches of the world.

    Our portfolio includes a diverse offering to deliver high-value solutions for multiple orbit constellations with very high throughput satellites (VHTS) and software-defined satellites (SDS). Our offering is comprised of a cloud-based platform and high-performance satellite terminals; high-performance Satellite On-the-Move (SOTM) antennas; highly efficient, high-power Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA) and Block Upconverters (BUC) and includes integrated ground systems for commercial and defense, field services, network management software, and cybersecurity services.

    Gilat’s comprehensive offering supports multiple applications with a full portfolio of products and tailored solutions to address key applications including broadband access, mobility, cellular backhaul, enterprise, defense, aerospace, broadcast, government, and critical infrastructure clients all while meeting the most stringent service level requirements. For more information, please visit: http://www.gilat.com 

    Certain statements made herein that are not historical are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “estimate”, “project”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Gilat to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, changes in general economic and business conditions, inability to maintain market acceptance to Gilat’s products, inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications, rapid changes in the market for Gilat’s products, loss of market share and pressure on prices resulting from competition, introduction of competing products by other companies, inability to manage growth and expansion, loss of key OEM partners, inability to attract and retain qualified personnel, inability to protect the Company’s proprietary technology and risks associated with Gilat’s international operations and its location in Israel, including those related to the current terrorist attacks by Hamas, and the war and hostilities between Israel and Hamas and Israel and Hezbollah. For additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties associated with Gilat’s business, reference is made to Gilat’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.

    Contact: 
    Gilat Satellite Networks
    Hagay Katz, Chief Products and Marketing Officer 
    hagayk@gilat.com

    Gilat Satellite Networks
    Mayrav Sher, Head of Finance and Investor Relations 
    mayravs@gilat.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Medallion Financial Corp. to Report 2024 Third Quarter Results on Tuesday, October 29, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Medallion Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: MFIN, the “Company”), a specialty finance company that originates and services loans in various consumer and commercial industries, as well as loan products and services offered through fintech strategic partners, announced today that it will report its results for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, after the market closes on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

    CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST INFORMATION

    A conference call to discuss the financial results will be held the next morning, October 30, 2024.

    How to Participate

    • Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2024
    • Time: 9:00 a.m. Eastern time
    • U.S. dial-in number: (833) 816-1412
    • International dial-in number: (412) 317-0504
    • Live webcast: Link to Webcast of 3Q24 Earnings Call

    A link to the live audio webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company’s IR website.

    Replay Information

    The webcast replay will be available at the Company’s IR website until the next quarter’s results are announced.

    The conference call replay will be available following the end of the call through Wednesday, November 6.

    • U.S. dial-in number: (844) 512-2921
    • International dial-in number: (412) 317-6671
    • Passcode: 1019 3247

    INDIVIDUAL MEETING INFORMATION

    To increase relations with institutional investors, management has dedicated time to hosting individual meetings with portfolio managers and analysts after its earnings conference call. If you are interested in scheduling a meeting with management, please contact investorrelations@medallion.com or (212) 328-2176.

    About Medallion Financial Corp.

    Medallion Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:MFIN) and its subsidiaries originate and service a growing portfolio of consumer loans and mezzanine loans in various industries. Key industries served include recreation (towable RVs and marine) and home improvement (replacement roofs, swimming pools, and windows). Medallion Financial Corp. is headquartered in New York City, NY, and its largest subsidiary, Medallion Bank, is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, please visit http://www.medallion.com.

    Company Contact:

    Investor Relations
    212-328-2176
    InvestorRelations@medallion.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Suspected Digital Fraud Coming from Canada Up Nearly 11% Since H1 2023, Reveals New TransUnion Analysis

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    In H1 2024, 5.7% of all attempted digital transactions originating from Canada were suspected to be Digital Fraud; more than half (54%) of Canadians said they were recently targeted by fraud attempts.

    Canadian business leaders said their companies lost approximately 6% of their equivalent revenue – representing $78 billion – over the past year due to fraud.

    TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In the first half (H1) of 2024, Canada saw a significant increase in suspected Digital Fraud attempts, with nearly 5.74% of all attempted digital transactions where the consumer was located in Canada involving suspected Digital Fraud, revealed a new TransUnion® (NYSE: TRU) analysis. This is nearly an 11% year-over-year (YoY) rate increase from H1 2023, and TransUnion also documented an 11% increase in the volume of suspected Digital Fraud from Canada during this period, despite a less than a one percent (0.7%) YoY increase in the volume of transactions.

    According to a recent TransUnion survey,1 more than half (54%) of Canadians said they were recently targeted by email, phone call or text message fraud attempts. Phishing was the most common scheme type (45%), followed by smishing (42%) and vishing (39%).

    The increasing use of digital transactions, combined with rising suspected Digital Fraud attempts are also impacting businesses as they potentially face revenue losses and increased operational costs due to fraud. According to a TransUnion business survey for the H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud report, 200 Canadian business leaders said their companies lost approximately 6% of equivalent revenue – representing $78 billion – over the past year due to fraud. The most prominent causes of fraud loss cited by them were:

    • Scam/Authorized fraud (31%): Dishonest scheme intended to trick a person into giving up something of value (e.g., account access, money, information)
    • Account takeover (19%): Unauthorized individuals taking over someone’s online account (e.g., bank, social media, email) without their permission
    • Synthetic identity fraud (18%): Use of a combination of personal information to fabricate a person or entity to commit a dishonest act for financial or personal gain

    TransUnion also found that suspected Digital Fraud attempts – where the consumer was transacting in Canada and targeted businesses globally – increased on average by 10.5% YoY in H1 2024 compared to H1 2023 and impacted all industries.

    Top Three Industries Globally with Highest Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada in H1 2024

    1. Gambling (online sports betting, poker, etc.) – 9.6%
    2. Retail – 9.2%
    3. Government – 7.7%

    Top Three Industries Globally with Highest YoY Increase (H1 2024 vs H1 2023) in the Rate of Suspected Digital Fraud Attempts Coming from Canada

    1. Logistics – 172.9%
    2. Gambling – 79.3%
    3. Video gaming – 67.8%

    “Protecting customers and their businesses from fraud is essential to enabling safe and tailored consumer experiences. These findings reveal that despite the good-faith efforts that are being undertaken by companies to identify and prevent fraud to date, fraudsters continue to evolve and it’s vital that fraud prevention methods keep up with the changing times,” said Patrick Boudreau, head of identity management and fraud solutions at TransUnion Canada.

    “Businesses that aren’t already doing so should ensure that they are taking advantage of fraud prevention technologies such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection as critical components of their fraud prevention programs,” he added.

    For more insights, read the H2 2024 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud report.

    About the Analysis
    TransUnion came to its conclusions about Digital Fraud based on intelligence from its identity and fraud product suite that helps secure trust across channels and delivers efficient consumer experiences – TransUnion TruValidate® The rate or percentage of suspected Digital Fraud attempts reflect those that TransUnion customers determined met one of the following conditions: 1) denial in real time due to fraudulent indicators, 2) denial in real time for corporate policy violations, 3) determined to be fraudulent upon customer investigation, or 4) determined to be a corporate policy violation upon customer investigation —compared to all transactions it assessed for fraud. 

    Specific country and regional data in the report include the United States, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and Zambia.

    Consumers who believe they may be a victim of fraud can find resources and information here.

    About TransUnion®(NYSE: TRU)
    TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries, including Canada, where we’re the credit bureau of choice for the financial services ecosystem and most of Canada’s largest banks. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this by providing an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care.

    Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world.
    For more information visit: http://www.transunion.ca

    ____________________
    1 TransUnion Q3 2024 Consumer Pulse survey of 1,000 consumers – conducted between July 16–23, 2024.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: LanzaTech Awarded $3 Million from U.S. Department of Energy to Advance Conversion of Waste CO2 into Valuable Chemicals

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LanzaTech Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNZA) (“LanzaTech” or the “Company”), the carbon recycling company transforming waste carbon into sustainable fuels, chemicals, materials, and protein, has been awarded $3 million by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM), as part of a broader $29 million investment program to advance its carbon management priorities. LanzaTech’s Project ADAPT (“Accelerating Decarbonization via Advanced Production Technologies”) was selected to address FECM’s priority of converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into environmentally responsible and economically valuable products.

    LanzaTech’s Project ADAPT builds upon the Company’s existing capabilities of using CO2 as a feedstock to produce isopropanol at a pilot scale and aims to advance the process and platform with the following key focus areas:

    1. Versatility in Feedstock Use: Enhancing the platform’s ability to process a range of gas mixes with CO2
    2. Microbial Strain Optimization: Employing advanced gene-editing techniques to develop tailored microbial production strains for making isopropanol and other prevalent chemicals
    3. Cost and Efficiency Improvements: Refining the end-to-end process to be more cost-effective, efficient, and more robust

    Isopropanol is a common alcohol used in an array of everyday products such as cleaning agents and is also a precursor to the propylene value chain. Propylene, which is a building block for packaging, medical supplies, automotive products, among many other applications, has a thriving demand market that is projected to approach $150 billion and 180 million tons by 2030. Importantly, isopropanol production has the ability to achieve greenhouse gas savings of over 200% when produced from recycled CO2 instead of fossil carbon, and a non-fossil commercial production pathway does not exist today.

    Project ADAPT will primarily be funded by the FECM investment of $3 million and includes a Company funded cost share portion of approximately $0.8 million, totaling an estimated project cost of $3.8 million. Revenue and costs related to this project will be reported as Joint Development Agreement and Contract Research results for LanzaTech, and the majority of revenue is expected to be received and benefit financial results in 2025 and 2026.

    “We are thrilled to receive this support from the U.S. Department of Energy to progress our work around scaling the conversion of waste CO2 to make some of the world’s most needed chemicals,” said Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. “CO2 is an essential feedstock of today and the future, and Project ADAPT leverages our expertise and existing operations to accelerate the commercialization of transformational carbon capture and utilization technologies that deliver cleaner and more sustainable energy and products.”

    The projects supported by FECM’s investment program are in keeping with the Biden-Harris Administration’s aggressive climate ambitions of reaching a carbon-neutral power sector by 2035 and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

    About LanzaTech
    LanzaTech Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNZA) is the carbon recycling company transforming waste carbon into sustainable fuels, chemicals, materials, and protein for everyday products. Using its biorecycling technology, LanzaTech captures carbon generated by energy-intensive industries at the source, preventing it from being emitted into the air. LanzaTech then gives that captured carbon a new life as a clean replacement for virgin fossil carbon in everything from household cleaners and clothing fibers to packaging and fuels. By partnering with companies across the global supply chain like ArcelorMittal, Zara, H&M Move, Coty, On, and LanzaJet, LanzaTech is paving the way for a circular carbon economy. For more information about LanzaTech, visit https://lanzatech.com.

    Forward Looking Statements
    This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding, among other things, the plans, strategies, and prospects, both business and financial, of LanzaTech. These statements are based on the beliefs, assumptions, projections and conclusions of LanzaTech’s management. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are outside LanzaTech’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. LanzaTech cannot assure you that it will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and you should not rely on forward-looking statements.

    Generally, statements that are not historical facts, including those concerning possible or assumed future actions, business strategies, events or results of operations, are forward-looking statements. These statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seeks,” “plans,” “scheduled,” “anticipates,” “intends” or similar expressions. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following:

    • Timing delays in the advancement of projects to the final investment decision stage or into construction;
    • Failure by customers to adopt new technologies and platforms;
    • Fluctuations in the availability and cost of feedstocks and other process inputs; • The availability and continuation of government funding and support;
    • Broader economic conditions, including inflation, interest rates, supply chain disruptions, employment conditions, and competitive pressures;
    • Unforeseen technical, regulatory, or commercial challenges in scaling proprietary technologies, business functions or operational disruptions; and
    • Other economic, business, or competitive factors, and other risks and uncertainties, including the risk factors and other information contained in LanzaTech’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other existing and future filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

    Any forward-looking statement herein is based only on information currently available to LanzaTech and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. LanzaTech undertakes no obligations to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    LanzaTech Global, Inc.

    Investor Relations
    Kate Walsh
    VP, Investor Relations & Tax
    Investor.Relations@lanzatech.com

    Media Relations
    Kit McDonnell
    Director of Communications
    press@lanzatech.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU presented the program of the upcoming scientific and production forum “Golden Valley” at the TASS press center

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Today, a press conference dedicated to the upcoming Golden Valley forum was held at the TASS press center in Novosibirsk.

    Rector of NSU, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Fedoruk, speaking about the reasons for holding the forum, noted:

    — Now, due to the development of the university, due to the fact that it has significantly expanded in scale and in the number of faculties, students and the projects that it carries out, it plays the role of a center of attraction on the territory of the Novosibirsk Scientific Center. This is facilitated by the university’s participation in all key federal development programs, such as “Priority 2030”, Advanced Engineering Schools, Creation of a Network of Modern Campuses, etc. The university is beginning to more actively position itself as a leading educational and scientific-technological center. Therefore, we are holding the second forum, which brings together large enterprises and scientific organizations. The goal of the forum is to strengthen and develop the university’s interaction with industrial partners and in the future to attract them to joint developments and technologies already based on the university.

    Next, Alexander Lyulko, Director of the Center for Interaction with Government Authorities and Industrial Partners of NSU, spoke in more detail about the forum program. This year it includes a business part – these are plenary sessions and sections on various topics; an exhibition of projects, technologies and developments; negotiations (a platform for signing agreements and contracts between forum participants); and a cultural and entertainment program with a scientific twist.

    There will be two plenary sessions within the framework of the “Golden Valley”: on the first day – on the topic “Requests of the real sector of the economy for the creation of new technologies”; on the second day – on the topic “Scientific developments for industry”. Within the framework of the second session, developments of NSU and scientific organizations of Akademgorodok, which may be of interest to industrial partners, will be presented.

    The forum will have 8 sections: Aviation; Unmanned systems; Mechanical engineering. Instrument making; Artificial intelligence in industry and robotics; Energy; Smart city technologies. Construction; Agriculture; Medicine; and a round table “Personnel for industry” will also be held.

    Among the key speakers from government and business: Sergey Semka, Deputy Governor of the Novosibirsk Region; Vadim Vasiliev, Minister of Science and Innovation Policy of the Novosibirsk Region; Sergey Tsukar, Minister of Digital Development and Communications of the Novosibirsk Region; Anna Korotchenkova, Vice President for Technology at AFK Sistema; Viktor Slavyantsev, Head of Highest Category Innovative Development Projects at Rostec State Corporation; Evgeny Pavlov, Head of Innovative Development Department at United Engine Corporation; Konstantin Kotlyarov, Head of R&D at AvtoVAZ, etc.

    On behalf of the scientific community: Aleksandr Rumyantsev, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, President of the Dmitry Rogachev National Medical Research Center for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, State Duma Deputy; Sergey Alekseenko, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Director of the Institute of Thermophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Mikhail Voevoda, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Deputy Chairman of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine; Aleksandr Latyshev, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Institute of Semiconductor Physics; Dmitry Markovich, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, First Deputy Chairman of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the Institute of Thermophysics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Sergey Netyosov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Biotechnology and Virology, NSU Natural Sciences Department; Sergey Abin, Director of the Institute of Automation and Electrometry, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Dmitry Kudlai, Vice President for the Implementation of New Medical Technologies at Generium JSC, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and others.

    This year, the forum program will be expanded with satellite events. This is primarily a technology exhibition, where NSU will present its developments, as well as a tour of the university’s innovation centers and laboratories. Also, over the course of three days, the NSU career forum will be held, which will bring together major employers interested in collaborating with the university.

    The Golden Valley will host strategic sessions on the following topics: “Digital Transformation: Artificial Intelligence in Solving Public Sector Problems”, which will be chaired by Sergey Tsukar, Minister of Digital Development and Communications of the Novosibirsk Region; “Chemical Technologies and Deep Processing of Raw Materials” (organized by the Interregional Association “Siberian Agreement”); “Development of Entrepreneurship Technologies in Universities in the Interests of Industry”.

    The forum is expected to see the signing of a number of agreements between NSU and industrial partners on joint developments, the implementation of projects in the field of introducing new technologies, including artificial intelligence, and the creation of consortiums and associations to solve industry problems.

    We remind you that the forum is held with the support of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District, the Interregional Association “Siberian Agreement”, the Government of the Novosibirsk Region, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Council of Rectors of Universities of the City of Novosibirsk and the Technopark of the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok.

    The Forum’s Program Committee is headed by the Rector of NSU, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences M.P. Fedoruk. It includes the Chairman of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician V.N. Parmon, ministers of the Novosibirsk Region government, heads of leading institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, directors of industrial enterprises, the Chairman of the Council of Rectors of Universities, representatives of the largest state corporations – Rostec, Rosatom, UEC, government bodies, academic institutes, development institutes of Novosibirsk and other Russian cities.

    All information about the forum, current program, news are presented on the website: http://zd.nsu.ru/

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.nsu.ru/n/media/nevs/science/ngu-presented-the-program-of-the-upcoming-scientific-production-forum-golden-valley-in-press-ts/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Improving our public realm to boost economic growth

    Source: City of Birmingham

    Published: Wednesday, 16th October 2024

    Improvements to the city centre public realm continues with the completion of groundworks in Victoria Square and pedestrianised zone in Waterloo Street.

    Funding has come from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund via the West Midlands Combined Authority (£4m), as well as money from the city council’s Clean Air Zone revenue (£8.3m) and just under half a million pounds from the city council’s general fund.

    The scheme began with the successful restoration of The River water feature prior to the Commonwealth Games and continued with the wider works with the support of residents and businesses within Colmore Row, Waterloo Street and Victoria Square.

    The scheme aims to provide greater priority for pedestrians and cyclists and enhanced signage and wayfinding in the city centre.

    Cllr Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for transport and environment, said: “This project is really important for economic growth within the area, giving businesses within the pedestrian zone the additional spaces for outdoor hospitality which has become a wonderful asset for the city centre. Prioritising pedestrians is a really important part of our transport strategy and this project creates an attractive, welcoming and safe environment for citizens and visitors to enjoy.”

    The is also protected by ‘hostile vehicle mitigation’, providing security for all events held within the civic spaces.

    Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: “It’s no secret that the hospitality industry has faced some tough challenges since the pandemic – only this week we have seen the loss of one of the city’s best restaurants – Purnells.

    “A more continental-style, alfresco experience, free from passing traffic can help attract more customers to this part of the city and that has to be a good thing for hospitality businesses and the people they employ.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnicians at the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum

    MILES AXLE Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    Last week, the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum 2024 (SPIGF-2024) was held at the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre, in the exhibition and scientific-business programme of which the Polytechnic University traditionally takes an active part.

    The forum visitors were able to get to know the university better in the Polytechnic’s unified catalogue. More than eight pages were devoted to the main areas of activity of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport.

    SPIGF is one of the key global events in the gas industry. The participation of Polytechnic divisions in the exhibition program of the forum opened up a wide range of opportunities for meeting potential customers and exchanging experience, says Anatoly Popovich, Director of IMMiT.

    Specialists from the Laser and Additive Technologies Research Laboratory (LIAT) at IMMiT presented their developments at the Polytechnic stand: components of the hot tract of gas turbine engines repaired by laser cladding, 7 and 10 mm thick samples welded in one pass without edge preparation using laser welding and hybrid laser-arc welding, and the mobile laser cladding complex “Nomad”, designed to restore large-sized products on the customer’s premises.

    If for some reason the enterprise cannot bring the product to the laboratory, then its specialists go to the site with a mobile complex. At the moment, they have already restored four rotors of the GTK-10-4 gas pumping units. In the laboratory itself, the “Nomad” is also used for laser welding and restoration of smaller products.

    The forum’s rich program brought together all the most advanced and significant areas of the industry. The opportunity to present the developments of the research laboratory at the forum made a significant contribution to determining the optimal scenarios for the further development vector of the division, – shared Mikhail Kuznetsov, head of the Scientific Research Laboratory “LiAT” of IMMIT SPbPU.

    The Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade presented educational programs created and implemented in partnership with PJSC Gazprom and its subsidiaries at the SPbPU exhibition stand: two master’s programs and two programs of additional professional education. The master’s program “IT Economics and Business Analysis” is a corporate master’s program of the university and Gazprom Neft, aimed at training specialists in the field of business analysis. This master’s program is reinforced by modules of specialized focus and project activities within the framework of research work built on business cases of Gazprom Neft. At the forum, we productively discussed with our partners strategic plans for the development of new corporate educational programs and other areas of joint activity taking into account current changes in the economy, – said Irina Rudskaya, Director of the Scientific and Educational Center for Information Technology and Business Analysis of Gazprom Neft.

    The Master’s program “Human Resources Management and Organizational Development”, created and implemented jointly with Gazprom Gazifikatsiya with the information and status support of the presidential platform of the ANO “Russia – Country of Opportunities”, was presented by the Higher School of Industrial Management of IPMEiT. The program was developed based on practical tasks and requests of the university’s corporate partners and is aimed at training specialists capable of implementing organizational design at all stages of the company’s life cycle, forming the company’s HR brand, developing and implementing a human resource management strategy based on building individual personnel development trajectories.

    This year, together with our partners Gazprom Gazifikatsiya, Gazprom Pitanie and the Russia — Land of Opportunities platform, with grant support from Gazprom, we created six online courses that we modularly integrated into the program’s curriculum, explained Olga Kalinina, Director of the Higher School of Industrial Management.

    Based on the created online courses, IPMEiT also presented two continuing education programs on motivation, personnel selection and personnel branding, developed for specialists in the field of HR management and heads of structural divisions of the oil and gas and energy industries. The presentation of the continuing education programs was attended by a student of the master’s program “Digital Business Management”, specialist of the personnel efficiency support group of Gazprom Neft exploration and production Ekaterina Khodarkevich, and a student of the bachelor’s program “Oil and Gas Enterprise Management”, an employee of the marketing department of Gazpromneft-SM Daniil Guryev.

    Professor of the Higher School of Industrial Management Alexander Ilyinsky took part in the round table of the Energy Initiative “International Business Congress” on the topic “Promising technologies for monetizing natural gas and ensuring energy security”. Alexander Ilyinsky also held business negotiations with the General Director of Gazprom Flot Yuri Shamalov, where they discussed promising areas of cooperation in the field of educational and scientific activities.

    Aleksandr Volkov, a practicing teacher, associate professor at the Higher School of Industrial Management, and CEO of the Grand Media Service communications agency, moderated the conference “Gas Industry Companies in New Realities: How to Be Most Effective in PR and Digital Communications?” and gave a presentation on a proven tool for comprehensive promotion in the gas industry, Public Performance. Among the audience were students from the Higher School of Industrial Management studying in the educational programs “Marketing” and “Oil and Gas Enterprise Management”.

    Students of the Higher School of Engineering and Economics took part in the round table “Distributed generation as a solution to the problems of energy-deficient regions”, where the prospects for implementing innovative solutions for distributed generation were discussed: own generation of electricity and heat supply.

    Students of the Higher School of Administrative Management, led by the head of the IPMEiT Directorate, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Administrative Management Maxim Ivanov, attended the conference “New Technologies for the Oil and Gas Industry”, the panel session “Technological Leadership: New Horizons” and the round table “Current Issues of Legislative Support for the Oil and Gas Industry”. They got acquainted with samples of modern equipment and advanced technologies at the RosGazExpo exhibition, an exposition of the subjects of the Russian Federation, which presented projects demonstrating their potential in the oil and gas sector.

    Such forums captivate with their scale and friendly, but at the same time businesslike atmosphere. The stand of the Polytechnic University stood out from the rest and attracted many visitors, it was impressive. We went around the stands that were related not only to the oil and gas industry, but also to the agricultural, transport industry and to the specialization of various regions of Russia. We learned that many representatives of large companies are graduates of the Polytechnic University, and, of course, they were happy to tell us about their work, – the students of the Higher School of Economics shared their impressions.

    Students of the Higher School of Industrial Management of the educational programs “Industrial Management (Energy)” and “Management of Oil and Gas Enterprises” together with teachers Olga Konovalova and Vyacheslav Melekhin participated in the round table “Union of Science and Industry in the Transformation of the World Energy Market”, where current issues and trends in the development of the international energy market, transformation of the gas market, the role of international cooperation and joint educational programs were discussed.

    The Gas Forum is certainly a large-scale event that has become a platform for demonstrating the technological and innovative capabilities of the domestic industry. For our students, this is an invaluable experience of participating in one of the most important events in the Russian economy, says Olga Konovalova, associate professor at the Higher School of Management and Management.

    Students of IPMEiT demonstrated significant results in the Virtual Academy from Gazprom. From June 3 to July 15, as part of the preparation for the SPIGF-2024 Youth Day, an educational program and selection round of the Virtual Academy project were held. This year, more than 130 candidates from 30 countries representing 45 universities participated in it. The Virtual Academy program included lectures in English by leading experts and scientists in the field of energy and information technology. Participants completed individual tasks and submitted them for expert assessment. As a result of the competitive selection, only 30 candidates with the best results received an invitation to the Youth Day. Among them, three students of the Higher School of Industrial Management: Nikita Kuznetsov and Leonid Alkhimovich (Bachelor’s program “International Business”) and Arab Yusof Abad Mohammad (international program “Development of International Business”). Moreover, Nikita Kuznetsov’s team, where he was the captain, took first place based on the results of participation in the case.

    This year, our institute made its small contribution to the work of the Polytechnic University at the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum. We prepared for individual events in advance, planned the participation of both adult colleagues-teachers and students. We paid special attention to the preparation of those students who already work in oil and gas and energy companies, undergo practical training or internships there, – noted the director of IPMEiT Vladimir Shchepinin.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://vvv.spbstu.ru/media/nevs/partnership/polytechnics-at-the-Petersburg-international-gas-forum/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Recruitment of Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland invites applications for the appointment of a new Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner.

    The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland invites applications for the appointment of a new Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner. 

    Further details about the role of Commissioner, including terms of appointment and an application pack are available for download at:

    https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/8403

    Alternatively, an application pack or alternative formats can be requested by email to NIVC2024@nio.gov.uk. 

    Applications should be submitted via the ‘Apply Online’ function on the Cabinet Office Website where possible:  http://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/

    The closing date for applications is 1 November 2024 at 4pm. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

    Equality of Opportunity

    We welcome applications from all suitably experienced individuals regardless of ethnicity, religion or belief, political opinion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and disability.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Youth Development Commission welcomes initiatives on youth development announced in “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address”

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Youth Development Commission:
     
         The Youth Development Commission (YDC) warmly welcomed the policy initiatives on supporting youth development in “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” delivered by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (October 16). 
               
         The Vice-Chairman of the YDC, Mr Kenneth Leung, said, “I strongly endorse the expansion of the Youth Hostel Scheme in the past two years mentioned in the Policy Address, which responds to our young people’s aspiration to have their own living space. I also support the setting up of different youth facilities at the Kai Tak Community Isolation Facility, the Nam Cheong District Community Centre and Youth Square to provide more physical spaces for young people to engage in mutual exchange and develop individual potential. These initiatives demonstrate the Government’s determination to support youth development in the long term. I am also pleased to note that the Policy Address has put forward measures of various areas that could benefit young people, in particular helping young people to overcome hurdles in education, employment, entrepreneurship and home ownership, and also assist them to realise their life planning and seize national development opportunities.”
          
         He expressed appreciation of the Government’s acceptance of suggestions raised by members of the YDC, and said that the YDC would continue to work proactively and closely with the Government and different sectors of society to follow up on the implementation of relevant policy initiatives in the Policy Address and the Youth Development Blueprint to promote youth development on all fronts.
               
         Chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, the YDC strives to enhance policy co-ordination within the Government for promoting youth development and enable a more holistic and effective examination of and discussion on issues of concern to young people. Since its establishment, the YDC has implemented a wide spectrum of programmes to promote youth exchanges, internship, entrepreneurship, life planning, positive thinking and more. It has also actively supported the Government in formulating and implementing the Youth Development Blueprint to promote the all-round development of young people and nurture a new generation of young people with an affection for the country and Hong Kong, and are equipped with a global perspective, an aspiring mindset and positive thinking.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Goonhilly to boost deep space communications capacity 

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Goonhilly will provide deep space communications services to the UK Space Agency and international partners from Cornwall, under a new contract.

    Goonhilly Earth Station

    Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd (Goonhilly) will provide deep space communications services to the UK Space Agency and international partners from its satellite Earth station in Cornwall, under a new contract announced today (16 October) during the International Astronautical Congress in Milan.  

    Space agencies and companies use a global network of large antennas to communicate with, and transfer data between, their spacecraft and controllers on Earth. As the numbers of space missions beyond Earth orbit – to destinations including the Moon – increase, the capacity of these existing services is reaching their limit.  

    Several of the world’s space agencies already share resources to cope with high demand, but this issue is predicted to deteriorate with the increase in robotic and human activity around the Moon. 

    The UK is in a unique position to provide increased capacity through facilities like Goonhilly, which is the world’s most experienced provider of commercial lunar and deep space communications services. Since 2021, Goonhilly has supported over 17 spacecraft beyond geostationary orbit, including CubeSats deployed on the Artemis-I mission. Goonhilly has also provided services for international organisations, including ESA, ISRO, and Intuitive Machines. 

    Minister for Data Protection and Telecoms, Sir Chris Bryant, said:  

    Just as digital infrastructure helps us stay connected here on Earth, this government-backed contract will play a vital role in supporting humanity’s next steps to the Moon and beyond.  

    The UK has a real competitive advantage in space and I want to exploit that to its full potential, using innovative commercial models such as those demonstrated by Goonhilly and the UK Space Agency to attract more investment, generate high-quality jobs and support our international partners.

    This new agreement between the UK Space Agency and Goonhilly will help expand existing UK capabilities, unlock new and emerging markets and support the growth of the fledgling lunar economy. It will support Goonhilly to provide more services to international agencies and companies to help them cope with the increasing global demand for deep space communications. The contract is task-based and worth up to an initial £2 million this financial year.  

    Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: 

    Our work with Goonhilly is a great example of how the UK can benefit from the commercial opportunities associated with developing the nascent lunar and deep space economy. This contract award signals a step change in how we use different tools as a government agency to support the growing space sector and strengthen international partnerships.  

    Earth ground stations will play an increasingly important role in every part of the sector, from supporting major UK-led missions such as TRUTHS and Moonlight to enabling the next generation of broadband connectivity in low Earth orbit. Developing this critical capability will help meet both our national and international ambitions in space.

    Goonhilly Earth Station.

    With the rapid rise in lunar missions, including upcoming examples like Intuitive Machines’ IM-2, Astrobotic’s Griffin Mission One, and NASA’s Artemis-II, the UK Space Agency recognises the potential for Goonhilly’s advanced capabilities to ensure that deep space networks are able to support increasing demand for communications services.  

    The UK Space Agency and Goonhilly will work with new international partners to showcase the quality of Goonhilly’s state-of-the-art assets, robust processes, and expert team, initially demonstrating  downlink telemetry and navigation services, with a long-term goal of providing uplink services to control spacecraft in flight – services Goonhilly has already successfully provided for a number of high profile missions. 

    Executive Director of UKspace, Colin Baldwin, said:

    Goonhilly Earth Station has pioneered commercial deep space communications capabilities in the UK. This agreement will put the UK at the heart of international missions to the Moon and Mars, and will continue to give us a seat at the top table of space faring nations.

    As a founding member of the European Space Agency with strong international ties beyond Europe, the UK wants to play a leading role in addressing this issue facing the global space sector, while supporting the development of new commercial models and national capabilites, and attracting more investment into the growing sector.  

    Matthew Cosby, CTO, Goonhilly Earth Station:  

    Goonhilly is at the forefront of commercial lunar and deep space communication services, providing vital infrastructure and expertise that supports international missions to the Moon and beyond.

    As the demand for deep space communications continues to grow, this new contract enables us to expand our capacity, support more missions, and play a key role in the next chapter of space exploration. We are excited to be contributing to the global space ecosystem and strengthening the UK’s leadership in this critical area.

    Goonhilly is at the heart of a growing cluster of 300 space organisations in Cornwall and the South West of England, which generate an annual income of £600 million and employ 3,200 people.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –