Day: April 20, 2023

Leading South Korean operator working with Casa Systems and its partner E-Tech System to deploy the Home eNode B Gateway (HeNB GW) and Security Gateway (SeGW)

ANDOVER, Mass., April 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Casa Systems (Nasdaq: CASA) today announced that LG U+ selected its virtualized Home eNodeB Gateway solution to help the South Korean operator modernize its network infrastructure and unlock new services and revenue streams as part of its broader network and service strategy. Casa Systems worked with distribution partner, E-Tech System, a leading provider of IT infrastructure and Mobile solutions and services in South Korea.

With nearly 20 million subscribers on wired and wireless services, LG U+ is one of the largest mobile operators in South Korea with a clear focus on differentiating through modern network infrastructure and advanced services. Featuring operational simplicity and the ability to quickly add new node deployment, Casa Systems’ virtualized HeNB-GW and SeGW solution will enable LG U+ to simplify its network, improve the 4G service coverage and service quality, and more easily capitalize on the growing market opportunity.

“We believe that the next generation of network services will be transformational for small and medium businesses and enterprise customers through new reach, performance, and capabilities. LG U+ will keep investment into small cells teaming up with Casa Systems and E-Tech System. The virtualized solution of Casa’s HeNB-GW and SeGW has the advantage of providing operational agility by requiring less space and power,” said Jonghyuk Lee, Access Team Leader at LG U+.

Based in South Korea, E-Tech System provides optimized IT solutions and professional technical services designed to improve the competitiveness and value of customers’ businesses. The company has expertise with a wide range of network hardware and software vendors and recognized that Casa Systems’ innovative software design addressed both the service flexibility and network operational requirements of LG U+. Casa Systems and E-Tech System are working on new opportunities to serve operators in the region and expect the LG U+ deployment to be the first of many engagements.

“LG U+ is at the forefront of deploying 4G and 5G mobile services, so we are excited to support their strategy with our network expertise and professional services,” said Mr. Shin Ho-Sik, Head of Network Service Provider ARM at E-Tech System. “Since so many of the solutions on the market are still tied to legacy chassis-based architectures and network designs, this collaboration with LG U+ proves Casa Systems’ virtualized HeNB-GW solutions to the market – an important milestone for Casa Systems and E-Tech System. Casa Systems has a robust portfolio of virtualized, cloud-native solutions for mobile core and RAN services. We see tremendous opportunity for operators in our markets to leverage Casa Systems’ solutions and deliver new advanced services and solutions to their customers.”

With Casa Systems’ virtualized HeNB-GW, LG U+ will handle the aggregation of the control and user plane traffic between large clusters of small cells and the core network while the SeGW provides secure connectivity with full visibility into performance and flexible, multi-vendor support.

“As LG U+ looked to scale the reach, performance and security of its corporate services, it recognized the value of Casa Systems’ fully virtualized HeNB GW and SeGW solution featuring unmatched performance from a small footprint, enabling them to cost-effectively scale services,” said Gibson Ang, Vice President of Technology at Casa Systems. “E-Tech System is a leader in the industry with a long history of delivering innovative software-based solutions and services to its customers. We look forward to working with E-Tech System on this and opening new doors for other deployments in Korea that would benefit from our 4G/5G cloud-native solutions.”

About Casa Systems, Inc.
Casa Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASA) delivers the core-to-customer building blocks to speed 5G transformation with future-proof solutions and cutting-edge bandwidth for all access types. In today’s increasingly personalized world, Casa Systems creates disruptive architectures built specifically to meet the needs of service provider networks. Our suite of open, cloud-native network solutions unlocks new ways for service providers to build networks without boundaries and maximizes revenue-generating capabilities. Commercially deployed in more than 70 countries, Casa Systems serves over 475 Tier 1 and regional service providers worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.casa-systems.com/.

About E-Tech System
Established in 2009, E-Tech System is an IT-specialized company that cooperates with major domestic and foreign IT manufacturers such as Cisco, Dell, Broadcom, VMware, Oracle, and HP to provide various system infrastructure such as networks and servers, as well as core infrastructure and services such as security, virtualization, and OS platforms. E-Tech System also provides professional IT services such as consulting, installation, and maintenance for the establishment and operation of IT infrastructure.

CASA SYSTEMS PR CONTACT
Alicia Thomas
Casa Systems, Inc.
+1.817.909.8921
alicia.thomas@casa-systems.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8812382

To celebrate the film’s 10-year anniversary, Aventus has partnered with The Wolf of Wall Street’s rights holders to produce historical collection of NFTs

LONDON, April 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aventus, a Web3 solutions provider for enterprises, has partnered with the film rights holders for The Wolf of Wall Street and world-leading film producers and editors to create The Wolf of Wall Street Experience: a series of NFT drops which will also act as a key to unlocking wider parts of the experience.

With a worldwide box office of almost $400M, five Oscar nominations including Best Picture, and a Guinness World Records entry for most swearing in a film, The Wolf of Wall Street’s impact on popular culture remains steadfast almost a decade after its release, with memes of the film continuing to generate millions of uses.

The Wolf of Wall Street Experience will give fans of the film and Web3 enthusiasts access to exclusive content, rewards, and experiences via a series of limited NFT drops. The NFTs will contain exclusive assets from the film, including new angles of iconic scenes, as well as authentic outfits worn by the cast, props and other memorabilia. In addition, real-life and virtual experiences will take place, including a Hollywood-style celebration of the anniversary this December.

The launch is scheduled for the second quarter of 2023, with additional benefits for early participants of the community. More information can be found on the official website: www.wolfofwallstreet.io.

The NFTs will be created by the carbon neutral Aventus Network, which is a layer 1 (parachain) on Polkadot – meaning the project will leverage the full benefits of the Polkadot ecosystem, including enhanced scalability, speed, interoperability and security. It also means NFT holders will be able to leverage the full benefits of interoperability across more than 50 blockchains, including Ethereum.

Alan Vey, Founder & CEO at Aventus, commented: “The Wolf of Wall Street is one of the most iconic films across not only popular culture more broadly, but specifically within the blockchain community. We’re thrilled to be able to bring this film to Web3 and to be a part of a historic moment for the industry as blockbuster becomes the latest sector to realise the benefits of NFTs in community building and engagement.”

Gavin Wood, Founder of Polkadot & Ethereum, added: “Polkadot’s parachain ecosystem aims to help blockchains achieve their objectives by providing enhanced scalability, security and interoperability, and it’s wonderful to watch Aventus leverage this support to enable this truly groundbreaking project.”

About Aventus
Aventus onboards enterprises to Web3, enabling them to generate new revenue streams, improve operational efficiencies, and future-proof their business. With a combined experience of over seven decades in Web3 and enterprise leadership, Aventus works with each enterprise to scope out potential use cases, and customize a SaaS-style product, as well as maintain and manage the solution – so enterprises can focus on what they do best.

www.aventus.io/

Media inquiries:
Ellie Hyman
ellie.hyman@aventus.io

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000805134

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VCI Global Limited (NASDAQ: VCIG) (“VCI Global”, or the “Company”) today announced it has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) which summarizes the principal terms of its proposed 70% acquisition of LOCUS-T Sdn Bhd (“LOCUS-T”) by V Capital Kronos Berhad (“V Capital Kronos”), a wholly owned subsidiary of VCI Global for a purchase consideration of Ringgit Malaysia Thirteen Million Four Hundred and Forty Thousand (RM13,440,000.00) (equivalent to approximately US$3,028,391, based on the exchange rate of US$1.00: RM4.4380 as at April 20, 2023). As part of the principal terms of the acquisition, V Capital Kronos will also be granted a first right of refusal to purchase the remaining 30% stake in LOCUS-T from its existing vendor should they decide to sell.

LOCUS-T is a marketing agency which specialises in digital marketing industry with a focus offering on marketing technology and solutions, such as Google SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Google Ads, Facebook Ads and Website Design based in Malaysia. It has over 20 years of experience and has served over 7,000 SMEs and MNCs clients since inception. It currently has an active client portfolio of over 1,000 SMEs and MNCs clients and is one of the few agencies in Malaysia carrying both the Google Premier Partner and Meta Business Partner.

“The acquisition of LOCUS-T allows us to immediately tap into its existing large portfolio of clients which range from Small Medium Enterprises and Multinational industry leaders such as Amway, 7-Eleven, Sports Planet, SP Setia just to name a few. With the huge portfolio of clients, VCI Global will be able to cross-sell our business and technology consultancy business to LOCUS-T’s existing clients and vice versa. This acquisition is highly synergetic to our existing consultancy business as it will also assist VCI Global’s existing clients to leverage on LOCUS-T’s digital marketing capability to grow our existing client’s business,” said Dato’ Victor Hoo, Chairman and Group Director of VCI Global.

In addition, the acquisition will also bring about a new suite of consultancy service in the digital marketing space complementing VCI Global’s existing business and technology consultancy business alongside creating a new business segment and revenue stream for VCI Global. As the world move towards digitalization, more and more businesses will embrace digitalization hence this acquisition will further enhance and reinforce VCI Global’s service offering to further promote client stickiness as the Company strengthens its service offering to add value to its existing and potential clients.

About VCI Global Limited

VCI Global is a multi-disciplinary consulting group with key advisory practices in the areas of business and technology. The Company provides business and boardroom strategy services, investor relation services, and technology consultancy services. Its clients range from small-medium enterprises and government-linked agencies to publicly traded companies across a broad array of industries. VCI Global operates solely in Malaysia, with clients predominantly from Malaysia, but also serves some clients from China, Singapore, and the US.

For more information on the Company, please log on to https://v-capital.co/.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding the Company’s ability to grow its business and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to achieve profitable operations, customer acceptance of new products, the effects of the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and future measures taken by authorities in the countries wherein the Company has supply chain partners, the demand for the Company’s products and the Company’s customers’ economic condition, the impact of competitive products and pricing, successfully managing and, general economic conditions and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release, except in accordance with applicable law.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Issued by Imej Jiwa Communications Sdn Bhd and ICR Inc. on behalf of VCI Global Limited
For media queries, please contact:

Imej Jiwa Communications Sdn Bhd
Chris Chuah
Email: chris@imejjiwa.com

ICR Inc.
Investor Relations
Michael Bowen
Vciglobal.ir@icrinc.com

Public Relations
Brad Burgess
Vciglobal.pr@icrinc.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8812251

London, United Kingdom, April 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Denmark, Switzerland and Finland took the top three spots in the 2023 World Citizenship Report, which launched today. The World Citizenship Report ranks 188 countries across five key motivators defining citizenship for the global citizen.

Published by CS Global Partners, the world’s leading government and investment migration advisory firm, the World Citizenship Report showcases the World Citizenship Index (WCI), an innovative tool that takes a holistic approach to rank the world’s citizenships across multiple dimensions including the motivators of Safety and Security, Quality of Life, Economic Opportunity, Global Mobility and Financial Freedom.

The World Citizenship Index is the product of a research-driven approach that goes beyond ordinary concepts of passport strength by placing greater emphasis on the diverse attitudes regarding key facets of citizenship. Unlike other rating tools, the World Citizenship Index ranking is designed to reflect a citizenship’s value through the lens of high-net-worth-individuals (HNWIs) and the newest generation of global citizens: the mass affluent population.

“This year, we looked beyond HNWIs and extended our survey to the new mass affluent, a globally mobile generation who is providing fresh impetus for a renewed drive towards global citizenship. As the world around continues to change at an exponential rate, bringing with it new crises and opportunities – individuals across the globe are increasingly calling their own citizenships into question in terms of the safety, freedoms, and the prosperity they provide,” said Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners.

“This Report stands apart from other reports in the industry because it examines which countries offer the most benefits for global citizens, particularly in a post-COVID world where those that have the means are consistently searching for greater opportunities.”

This year, Denmark kicked Switzerland out of the top spot and scored the highest points. Switzerland ranked in second place and Finland retained the third spot for a second year in a row.

Notably, global superpowers such as the United States and China did not rank in the top ten, symbolising a significant shift in what these economic giants can tangibly offer the global elite. HNWIs and mass affluent citizens are searching for a better quality of life, security and financial freedoms, all aspects which have been on shaky ground since the pandemic.

The surveyed cohort chose ‘Quality of Life’ as the most important feature of citizenship, which ranked first across the World Citizenship Index’s five pillars, eclipsing both Physical Safety and Financial Freedom.

The Report found that a competitive economy, public services, and environmental sustainability are the three areas mass affluent individuals feel most let down by their governments.​

We are unfortunately living through a period where the standard of living is falling at the fastest rate in over a generation. At the end of 2022, the UK Office for Budget Responsibility reported that UK households are set to suffer a 7.1 per cent fall in living standards over the next two years, the largest decline in six decades. Furthermore, according to the latest United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report published in the same period, living conditions in 90 per cent of the world’s countries deteriorated in 2021 – something that hasn’t been seen since the height of the previous global recession caused by the financial crisis in 2007. Moreover, the UNDP report marked the first consecutive year of decline in the 32-year history of the Human Development Index (HDI) – these trends are reflected in the current World Citizenship Index scores. For example, the United States dropped to 29th position for the Quality-of-Life motivator from 20th position previously, which shows how living standards are coming under pressure even in the world’s economic powerhouses.

“The World Citizenship Report aims to capture what truly concerns and affects a global citizen,” added Emmet. “When there are options to gain a second or third citizenship, the first question in a HNWIs mind is ‘where is the next place to be associated with?’”

“High-net-worth individuals and the mass affluent must consider a myriad of factors when deciding something as monumental as where to obtain second citizenship and build a second home. While passport strength is, of course, an important component, it is also one that is subject to the greatest change as evidenced by pandemic related travel restrictions,” she added.

As many parts of the globe recover from COVID-19 and find means to bolster their economies, a new chain of threats has emerged. The conflict in the Ukraine has not only made many nations in the northern hemisphere realise just how fragile the concept of safety and freedom is but has severely impacted energy and food security across the world.

With so much change happening so rapidly around us, it can be challenging to keep up with how all these disparate factors coming to bear on the prevailing attitudes toward global citizenship. And this is where the value of the World Citizenship Report comes into the picture. The Report continues to build on its reputation as an ambitious product reflecting the evolving nature of these attitudes toward citizenship, and one that is in tune with the defining issues of our time with respect to global citizens, including health and wellbeing, environmental sustainability, and shifting investment priorities.

The World Citizenship Index’s unique methodology relies on the experience gained through CS Global Partners unparalleled work in the citizenship solutions industry, as well as comprehensive research to evaluate 188 jurisdictions across the five motivators of citizenship out of a maximum attainable score of 100 points.

The Report’s multidimensional approach ensured that the attitudes under investigation were captured as accurately and meaningfully as possible. Consequently, rather than relying exclusively on value judgments to construct and weight the World Citizenship Index, CS Global Partners also leveraged its unparalleled network of industry experts and access to global citizens to isolate the major motivations for attaining a second citizenship. These factors were then further explored and validated by surveying the global mass affluent population on the value of second citizenship.

Thembi Saleshando
CS Global Partners
+44 (0) 207 318 4343
Thembi.Saleshando@csglobalpartners.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8812232

Private labels take the lead as product prices soar; 63% of shoppers turning from top-shelf brands to lower-shelf alternatives

BOSTON, April 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Salsify, the platform empowering brand manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to win on the digital shelf, announced the findings of new consumer research that reveals this is the era of the store brand with 63% of shoppers choosing store brands or private labels due to their low prices. The study also shows that pandemic habits persist with 68% of respondents indicating that they are shopping more online with delivery speed and flexibility being the #1 factor (85%) driving where they shop.

The report, Post Pandemic, New Recession: 2023 Global Guide to Consumers, provides detailed insights on what is driving global consumers to buy online in the midst of higher prices, rising layoffs and continued worry about a possible recession. This survey of more than 6,000 consumers from the US, France, Germany, Great Britain and Australia found that despite current economic uncertainties, product quality is more important to consumers this year than discounts, with 81% saying product quality is the number one factor that keeps consumers loyal to the brands they love.

“The pressure is on this year as consumers become much more selective about their purchases. While price is a key factor in purchasing decisions, it’s not the only thing that is swaying these careful consumers,” said Cara Wood, Head of Research at Salsify. “Product quality is under much greater scrutiny and more than half of consumers said they wouldn’t buy a product with bad product content that doesn’t include enough information or includes low quality images. In fact, strong product content is so important that shoppers are more likely to purchase products from unfamiliar brands or those with bad reputations than those with missing or bad information.”

Additional insights from the survey revealed the following trends:

Private-label products winning likes from consumers
As companies develop premiumization strategies with specialized products and services to drive higher revenues, consumers equate some cost savings with store-brand or private-label products, with 63% choosing private labels because of their low prices.

• Shoppers are also willing to buy the store brand product in most categories, so commodities like groceries and cleaning supplies brand names are often the most vulnerable to being replaced.
• 96% of consumers buy store-brand groceries.
• Fast fashion is not dead but 82% are choosing store-brand apparel.
• Apple beware, 69% of consumers are buying store-brand electronics.

The New US Shopping Wars is Parents vs Non-Parents
While brands have long engaged in marketing to parents for kid products, US brands may be missing an opportunity to tap into how differently parents think about purchases across categories.

• Brand trust matters to the majority, but it holds slightly less clout with parents. Fifty-six percent of parents compared to 65% of non-parents say they spend more when it’s a brand they know. However, ethical standards matter more to parents (34% parents versus 23% non-parents).
• Blame it on the bounce house. Parents put up with a number of minor annoyances so it may come as no surprise that the online shopping experience matters less to parents (53%) than non-parents (60%).
• Hold the peanut butter, keep the Roomba. When it comes to spending decisions this year, parents are more likely to cut back on groceries (39% parents versus 33% non-parents) than electronics (48% parents versus 54% non-parents).

Shopping and Social Issues Differ by Income and Gender
As brands work to win over careful consumers, they cannot ignore social issues such as climate change. The survey showed how these issues are impacted by income and gender.

• Income may inherently play a role in a lower carbon footprint. Low-income homes (under $25K a year) are the least likely to return products. Eleven percent said they never return items bought online vs 2% of those higher-income homes ($200K+).
• Men were more likely to say a brand’s sustainability practices matter to them more than women. The survey showed that 24% of men research a company’s sustainability practices before buying, compared to 17% of women. Interestingly, men are also more likely to research a company’s public stance on social or political causes with 21% doing so, versus 16% of women.

Consumers Getting Meta about the Future
Consumers (42%) continued buying directly on social media, but also tried some new channels in 2022. Twenty-five percent of all consumers said they shopped using augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) shopping tools in the last six months. These channels matter most to consumers under the age of 45.

About the Post-Pandemic, New Recession: 2023 Global Guide to Consumers
Salsify conducted a quantitative online research survey via SurveyMonkey in November 2022, among a general consumer pool of 6,326 online shoppers in Australia, Germany, Great Britain, France, and the United States. The margin of error is ≤ 3%. For more information on the methodology or to view the full results, download the report here.

About Salsify
Salsify helps thousands of brand manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in over 140 countries collaborate to win on the digital shelf. The company’s Product Experience Management (PXM) platform enables organizations to centralize all of their product content, connect to the commerce ecosystem, and automate business processes in order to deliver the best possible product experiences across every selling destination.

Learn how the world’s largest brands, including Mars, L’Oreal, Coca-Cola, Bosch, and GSK, as well as retailers and distributors such as DoorDash, E.Leclerc, Carrefour, Metro, and Intermarché use Salsify everyday to drive efficiency, power growth, and lead the digital shelf. For more information, please visit: www.salsify.com.

Media contact:
Carolyn Adams
carolyn@bluerunpr.com
847.867.3005

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8811631