Epson launches four SureColor P-Series large format printers

Source: Epson Singapore. The SureColor P9000.

Epson, the digital imaging and printing solutions provider, has launched 24" and 44" SureColor P-Series large format printers for the professional photo, fine art and proofing markets.

The flagship 24" SureColor P7000 and 44" SureColor P9000 printers, which are successors to the Epson Stylus Pro 900-Series, incorporate a reformulated Epson UltraChrome HDX 10-colour ink set for both commercial and flexographic printers.

Leveraging Epson’s UltraChrome HD eight-colour ink set, the 24" SureColor P6000 and 44" SureColor P8000 are designed for graphic designers, commercial printers and photographers.

The printers feature Epson’s upgraded PrecisionCore print head technology with Variable Size Dot Technology to produce outstanding performance and long-lasting quality output with ultra-precise control of dot size, shape and placement. The wide-gamut SureColor SC-P printers produce intense, vibrant colours and higher density blacks for both colour and black-and-white prints.

Using the UltraChrome HD pigment inks with archival pigment ink technology gives up to twice the overall print permanence compared to previous generation inks*. With superior lightfastness, prints will continue to look their best long after they are created. In fact, prints on Premium Glossy Photo Paper can last up to 60 years**.

A unique screening algorithm behind the Advanced Black and White mode enables complete control of greyscale toning for outstanding black and white prints. Microcrystal Encapsulation technology of the UltraChrome ink delivers superior gloss uniformity.

The SC-P7000 and SC-P9000 set new industry standards for commercial and flexographic proofing applications, ensuring highly-accurate prints with colours that will remain consistent throughout the print run. Both models feature a new violet ink for expanded colour gamut to deliver output matching 99% of the PANTONE Formula Guide***, making these two printers the most colour-accurate large format printers on the market utilising 10 colours or less.

“We have delivered an outstanding printing solution that has exceeded expectations of our customers with the SureColor P-Series. The SC-P Series brings together advanced technologies to deliver extraordinary print quality that will continue to look their best long after they have been created,” said Tan May Lin, General Manager (Sales Division), Epson Singapore.

Additional features include:

Media handling: Supports virtually any media type in roll or cut-sheet, from photographic paper to 1.5 mm thick fine art media and poster board. New roll media handling offers user-selectable 3 mm top and bottom margins and improved guide rollers for reduced media surface impressions. High-speed rotary cutter included.

Epson Colour Calibration Utility (ECCU) – This software replaces the Color Base Linearisation Tool. It measures colour density and concentration, calibrating and allows managing of the printer network from a central point. The ECCU can also check and verify whether colour calibration is needed before printing. The P-Series also offers a new large format printer (LFP) accounting tool that helps users to calculate the total cost of individual jobs.

An internal print server and an in-line spectrophotometer are available as options.

Interested?

The new SureColor P-Series lineup are priced at S$6,438 for the SC-P6000, S$9,488 for the SC-P7000, S$10,588 for the SC-P8000 and S$13,488 for the SC-P9000.

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about Epson's new colour label printer

*According to Wilhelm Imaging Research Display Permanence Ratings.

**Figure is an estimate based on the standard for the measurement of JEITA CP‐3901A for glossy paper (A4 size) at 23°C and 50% humidity.

***The 99% coverage of PANTONE FORMULA GUIDE solid coated palette is based on Epson Proofing Paper White Semi-matte printed with Epson printer driver at 2,880x1,440dpi. PANTONE coverage may vary when printed with a third-party RIP.

Audio-Technica to showcase ATH-AG1X and ATH-ADG1X at CES

Source: Audio-Technica. The ATH-AG1X headphones.

Source: Audio-Technica. The ATH-ADG1X.

At CES 2016 Audio-Technica will debut the ATH-AG1X closed back and ATH-ADG1X open-back high-fidelity gaming headsets. The new models build upon the winning formula of their predecessors with newly-designed large-diameter drivers and an improved 3D Wing Support System for added comfort.

Both premium-quality headsets utilise core elements of the company’s audiophile models to deliver an immersive sonic experience with exceptional dynamics and clarity. Both include a built-in microphone with windscreen along with additional gaming-specific features.

“Our ATH-AG1X and ATH-ADG1X add to the performance of our previous, highly-acclaimed ATH-AG1 and ATH-ADG1 to offer an even more spectacular and powerful gaming audio experience,” said Crystal Griffith, Audio-Technica Marketing Manager. “Both new models truly blur the line between ‘audiophile’ and ‘gaming’ headphones with their exceptionally accurate and detailed audio reproduction, the ability to deliver extreme dynamic range and transients, and a vast, stable sound field that places game sounds and dialogue exactly where they should be on the playing field to create a compelling sonic virtual reality.”

The ATH-AG1X and ATH-ADG1X feature all-new premium large-diameter 53 mm drivers to deliver superlative reproduction of speech, special effects and soundtracks, with high-power handling and volume, deep bass and superior midrange and treble definition. The closed-back ATH-AG1X employs Audio-Technica’s exclusive Double Air Damping System, which uses a main air chamber that houses the driver plus an additional chamber that controls and focuses the airflow produced by the driver, for expanding and controlling its bass output. For listeners who prefer an open-air design, the ATH-ADG1X offers impactful sound coupled with lightweight comfort.

Interested?

The Audio-Technica ATH-AG1X and ATH-ADG1X high-fidelity gaming headphones will be available in March 2016 at a suggested retail price of US$299.95 each.

View the associated video

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post on Audio-Technica's megalaunch at CES

Vuzix and Atheer team up to extend functionality of M100 Smart Glasses

Vuzix, a supplier of video eyewear and smart glasses for consumers, enterprises and entertainment, has partnered with Atheer, a specialist in augmented interactive reality (AIR) computing. The Vuzix M100 Smart Glasses now support Atheer's AiR Suite, which offers remote expert collaboration, management and rapid task flow deployment. The solution will be demonstrated at CES 2016.

"The M100 Smart Glasses can enhance workflows for companies in a broad range of sectors," said Paul Travers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vuzix. "Atheer's AiR suite is well aligned with the enterprise class productivity and collaboration capabilities that our customers expect from our devices."

"We're excited to work with Vuzix, as their hardware complements and works seamlessly with our AiR Suite for Enterprise," said Alberto Torres, CEO of Atheer. "The deskless workforce in Fortune 1000 entities is growing rapidly and needs hands-free access to task-specific information, as well as real-time guidance for complex tasks. Our AiR Suite software and Vuzix M100 is a fitting combination for companies looking to maximize performance and deploy smart glasses-based productivity, immediately."

The M100 with the Atheer AiR suite enables deskless professionals to see checklists and step-by-step procedures in their smart glasses and enjoy hands-free interaction with information using simple gestures, voice, or head motion. Further, the suite enables professionals to team up with remote experts via video calls and receive guidance through real-time image annotations to resolve problems quickly. The AiR Suite also includes an intuitive task flow authoring tool that allows enterprises to create smart glasses-optimised procedures and task flows with a simple drag-and-drop interface, saving valuable R&D resources and months of development time.

Interested?

Atheer's AiR Suite is available from the Vuzix app store. The full subscription license is priced at US$49 per user per month. All Vuzix customers receive a 30-day free trial.

Hashtag: #CES2016

STIL to introduce phone cases for the new Samsung phones

Source: STIL. STIL brings new phone cases for Samsung's new flagship phone to CES.

STIL, the company that makes high fashion for the phone, will bring its phone cases to CES 2016. STIL, whose Southeast Asian distributor is MD Micrographics Data, launched its inaugural line of phone cases in November. The cases are set apart by the use of high-end and experimental materials.

All three of the company's premier lines of iPhone 6 and 6s cases will be on display, as will new cases for Samsung's upcoming flagship phones. The company will unveil 13 different designs, inspired by fashion trends, colours and fabrics. 

Interested?

Visit the company's Mobile Fashion Week themed website, which stars models on an interactive virtual runway holding the phone cases.

Hashtag: #CES2016

LG to unveil smart home hub at CES 2016

LG Electronics (LG) will unveil its newest addition to its Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, the LG Smart ThinQ Hub, at CES 2016.

The LG Smart ThinQ Hub serves as a gateway to smart sensors and connected appliances in the home while also displaying reminders from personal calendars and streaming music from its built-in speaker. The Smart ThinQ Hub features a 3.5" colour LCD display and connects to a smartphone app to facilitate two-way communication with smart appliances and smart sensors in the home.

The Smart ThinQ Hub monitors, controls and collects information from home appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, ovens, robotic vacuum cleaners, air conditioners and a variety of sensors. Data is displayed in the form of notifications on the LCD screen or announced through its speaker of the LG Smart ThinQ Hub, so that it acts as the central hub of the smart home. This allows users to communicate via a single device instead of a separate smartphone app for each smart-enabled product. The product can also stream music.

The Smart ThinQ Hub is compatible with a number of devices from other manufacturers and service providers that support the AllJoyn Alliance open source framework in the form of smart home packages which will soon become available for purchase. The Energy Package consists of the Smart ThinQ Hub as well as smart lighting and an energy measurement sensor. The Safety Package will include the Smart ThinQ Hub, a Lowe's Iris motion sensor, a contact sensor and water leak sensor.

"The LG Smart ThinQ Hub is just another example of the open approach we believe is the future of the smart home," said Seong-jin Jo, President and CEO of the LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solutions Company. "An open platform and strong partnerships with industry leaders are what will make smart home technology more accessible and more convenient to consumers. And at the end of the day, that is what our smart home strategy is all about."

Interested?

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about LG's Smart TV launch at CES

Hashtag: #CES2016

Red Hat OpenShift Enterprise 3.1 enters GA, public previews available for Red Hat Atomic Enterprise Platform

Red Hat has announced the general availability of OpenShift Enterprise 3.1 and the official public preview availability of Red Hat Atomic Enterprise Platform, which was announced this month. Each of these offerings enable the use of Docker-formatted Linux containers to create microservices-based applications and modernise traditional workloads.

OpenShift Enterprise 3.1 delivers new Red Hat JBoss Middleware services, advanced management functionality provided by Red Hat CloudForms and enhanced application lifecycle management for containers implemented on OpenShift’s enterprise-grade container infrastructure. Additionally, updates to integrated Docker and Kubernetes capabilities augment the developer and platform administrator experience.

Available as a public preview, Red Hat Atomic Enterprise Platform includes a runtime and packaging format powered by Docker, orchestration and cluster services built on Kubernetes and new networking and storage plug-ins for scalable, multi-host container networking. As enterprises expand the footprint of their container infrastructure, registry services in Red Hat Atomic Enterprise Platform allow for more secure repository and management for sharing and reusing container images.

The company recognises that technological innovation in containers is not enough, citing an April 2015 study by Forrester Consulting, commissioned by Red Hat, that notes that 53% of the 194 global IT operations, application development and architecture professionals polled call out security as one of the top three current challenges experienced by their organisations in their use of containers.

Red Hat is working to improve Linux container security through various initiatives. OpenShift Enterprise 3.1 and Red Hat Atomic Enterprise Platform both include several hardened security features that leverage Red Hat’s certified container ecosystem. Additionally, the company recently announced a collaboration with Black Duck around more secure containers. 

Interested?

Get the public preview of Red Hat Atomic Enterprise Platform

Data consolidation goes mainstream in Asia Pacific

Source: Pivotal infographic. How businesses rate themselves in data readiness in Asia Pacific.

Pivotal's survey, Data Technology Adoption and Maturity in Asia Pacific, has revealed that consolidation across data silos is now mainstream and a key business priority for enterprises as they move ahead in 2016. The emphasis on data consolidation highlights the growing maturity for data management and the start of a change process across organisations in Asia Pacific to modernise, enabling the enterprise to reap the benefits of cross-business unit access/analysis and thus become more agile, efficient and resilient, the company said.

More than half the respondents (51%), comprising customers and partners across five countries in Asia Pacific, indicated they have already adopted data technologies for cross-business unit agility and intelligence. Asia Pacific businesses also show high levels of confidence in terms of adoption and implementation of data technologies. While 39% of businesses still say that their organisations fall short in terms of data readiness, nine in 10 businesses showed confidence in their organisations catching up by 2017. In addition, 58% of respondents indicated they expect their organisation to be more than 90% data-ready within two years.

However, respondents indicated there are still challenges in implementing and deploying data technologies:

• Budgetary concerns (22%) and issues with legacy data infrastructure (22%) were listed as top barriers for data technology adoption amongst Asia Pacific organisations, followed by IT complexity (17%)

• In reducing barriers to adoption, respondents indicated clearly defined co-existing strategy with legacy systems (25%) and open-source technologies (22%) as useful

• Nearly one in five (18%) also indicated relevant skills training as another key method to encourage technology implementation

Source: Pivotal infographic. Business imperatives for success.

Said Jason Jackson, Field CTO and Director, Pivotal Asia Pacific and Japan: “In the face of digital disruption, transforming into a data-driven organisation is no longer a choice. Organisations now need to look at transitioning from siloed approaches of managing data assets to consolidating their data across the enterprise in an agile and secure manner to keep up with the speed of business.

"Organisations are increasingly pressured to embrace software as a core competency as they make the transition towards a cloud-native environment to differentiate themselves and capture new opportunities in a mobile-cloud era. A truly data-driven culture where business divisions across the enterprise have access to growing databases and can unlock the full value of their data will enable these organisations to become the leaders of tomorrow.”

Magellan's new DashCam Navigators offer enhanced intelligence for driving support

Source: Magellan. The RoadMate RMT-LM, a CES 2016 Innovation Awards Honoree in the Vehicle Intelligence category, includes dual HD cameras for a 340 degree field of view. It also includes a host of advanced navigation features and location based content for a complete all-in-one solution. 

Magellan will introduce new DashCam Navigators at CES 2016. Combining Magellan's navigation and video recording capabilities, the three new PND DashCam devices are designed for safety-conscious drivers who want to record traffic incidents, as well as scenic and unusual events.

"Our new DashCam Navigators give users flexibility, peace of mind, and the confidence gained from using dependable Magellan engineering," commented Stig Pedersen, Magellan AVP of product management. "Plus, each model comes with well-known Magellan navigation features such as landmark guidance, junction view, parking mode and red light and speed camera warnings from PhantomALERT for improved driver safety."

The RoadMate 6630T-LM features a 5" glass capacitive touch panel while the RoadMate 7630T-LM has a 7" panel for clear maps and directional images with high-definition video viewing and improved touch sensitivity. A fully-integrated video recording function allows for easy recording, viewing, and deleting of 1080p Full HD video. 

Other capabilities include alerts for lane departures and following the car ahead too closely; impact event recording, and a collision mode which activates the camera and records video when the an impact to an unattended vehicle is detected. A 122° wide-angle lens offers an enhanced peripheral view.

The flagship model for the family, the RoadMate 7670T-LM is a CES 2016 Innovation Awards Honoree in the Vehicle Intelligence category. In addition to all of the features above, the RoadMate 7670T-LM also includes dual HD cameras for a 340° field of view, and a rotating magnetic mount. 

Source: Magellan. The Magellan MiVue 420 features lane departure and collision avoidance warnings, ultra high definition recording, and a wide angle lens that increases driver peace of mind and safety.

Magellan is also expanding its lineup of MiVue DashCam devices at CES 2016. Four new affordable DashCam devices will be launched: the MiVue 320, MiVue 420, MiVue 430 and MiVue 450D.

"Our four new models are designed with superior image quality, large storage capacity and extended battery life," said Pedersen. "Plus, select new models have new features such as lane departure and collision avoidance warnings, dual cameras and wide angle lenses that increase driver peace of mind and safety."

Interested?

The new Magellan RoadMate DashCam Navigators product line will be available online at www.magellangps.com in Q216 with manufacturer's suggested retail pricing starting at US$179.99. The new MiVue DashCam product line will be available online in Q2 2016 with suggested retail pricing starting at US$109.99.

Hashtag: #CES2016

Qualcomm seals 3G and 4G Chinese patent licence agreements with K-Touch and Haier

Qualcomm has signed 3G and 4G Chinese patent license agreements with Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment Co., (Tianyu) and Haier. Both agreements involve Qualcomm granting the other party a royalty-bearing patent license to manufacture and sell 3G WCDMA and CDMA2000 (including EV-DO), and 4G LTE (including "3-mode" GSM, TD-SCDMA and LTE-TDD) subscriber units for use in China.

The royalties payable by Tianyu and Haier are consistent with the terms of the rectification plan submitted by Qualcomm to China's National Reform and Development Commission.

"Qualcomm is pleased to support the growth of Chinese companies such as Tianyu as part of our long-term collaboration with China's mobile industry," said Eric Reifschneider, SVP and GM of Qualcomm Technology Licensing for Qualcomm. "This new agreement enables Tianyu to develop, manufacture and sell 3G and 4G devices, greatly enhancing their competitive position in the wireless landscape."


"Tianyu recognises Qualcomm as a global technology leader and innovator, and respects the value of the license we have obtained to Qualcomm's Chinese wireless intellectual property rights (IPRs)," said Madam Rong Xiuli, CEO of Tianyu. "We are pleased to sign this license agreement because it provides us with the opportunity to improve and expand our product offerings in China and certain overseas markets, empowering our users with greater access to advanced wireless services and information."

"Haier is focused on creating innovative technologies, products and services that will help shape the future, as well as enhance the lives of our customers," said Cao Teng, GM of Qingdao Haier Telecom Co.. "Haier values and respects Qualcomm's intellectual property, which was created as a result of its extensive research and development efforts. The licensing agreement with Qualcomm supports our vision by helping us to deliver products embedded with leading 3G and 4G connectivity to provide the same convenient and personalised connected experience that consumers have come to expect from a smartphone."


"China's mobile ecosystem is flourishing, benefiting Chinese companies, employees and consumers alike," said Reifschneider. "Qualcomm is pleased to have helped Chinese companies for more than a decade to establish themselves among the top manufacturers in the mobile industry. Our agreement with Haier is an example of our ongoing commitment to support the growth of Chinese companies and the development of wireless networks, devices and applications."

Huntkey to showcase charging solutions at CES 2016

Source: Huntkey. A Huntkey charging station.

Huntkey, a power supply manufacturer in China, will be showcasing new products at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, from January 6 to 9 2016. At CES 2016, Huntkey will present the results of its lastest R&D efforts, including the new Power Your Life and Type C concept products.

The Huntkey Power Your Life concept family demonstrates Huntkey's approach to developing user-centric innovations in modern life. It includes home appliance power system solutions, tea and coffee machines, the X-TREME Series power supply units (PSUs), the MVP (PSUs), and industrial power supplies for security surveillance. 

A charging table at the Huntkey's booth will provide free mobile charging services. The charging station offers power for up to 36 electronic devices.

Hashtag: #CES2016

Setting up an ecosystem for nanotechnology education in GCC

The Second Gulf Forum on Nanotechnology Awareness concluded at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Oman with a number of recommendations, such as the importance of including science and nanotechnology in the curriculum, the Oman News Agency has reported.

Other recommendations included working with the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States in the adoption of programmes and initiatives that support nanotechnology in the educational framework, as well as localisation and standardisation of concepts and terms that deal with nanoscience and nanotechnology at the level of GCC countries.

The event, which was organised by the Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science (ONCECS) in collaboration with the International Organization for Leisure Investment in Technology and Science / Milst / under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamdan al-Toobi, Advisor of the Ministry of Education, also recommended related training for teachers.

posted from Bloggeroid

Meet the Asian teams in the Atos IT Challenge 2016 shortlist

Atos, an international digital services provider, has revealed that a significant proportion of the 15 shortlisted teams in its IT Challenge – the first ever international student technology competition that is now in its fifth year - come from Asia.

Source: Atos IT Challenge website.

This year’s theme invites students to tackle one of the biggest conundrums of the 21st century - how to manage our own personal data on-line and protect our right to be forgotten*, while benefitting from all that the digital world offers.

Teams from 19 countries submitted ideas such as tools for monitoring, online profile management for individuals and corporates through to solutions to control when, how and by whom your data can be accessed.

Herbie Leung, CEO Asia Pacific said: “Atos IT Challenge has been a unique platform for us to gather ideas that fuel innovation for the future. This year’s Challenge is proving to be just that extra special as we tackle data and identity protection online. Of the total of 15 shortlisted teams, Asia Pacific region itself has an impressive five vying for the top three spots. I am looking forward to seeing how the shortlisted teams turn their ideas into proofs of concepts over the next few months and wish them all the best.”

All 15 shortlisted teams were chosen by a jury made up of members of the Atos Executive Committee and the Atos Scientific Community - a global network of around 100 of the best business technologists within Atos. In the next phase, each team will be appointed a mentor to work with them to provide guidance and advice on how to build a proof of concept that they will be asked to present in May 2016. At this stage three finalists will be chosen and the winner will be announced in June. The five shortlisted teams representing APAC are:

Malaysia

Go n Gone is an idea from a team at the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation to delete all personal data after two years. It also includes filtering of, for example, swear words, to help prevent cyber-bullying.

Thailand

Mr Hide Hawk is an idea from Stamford International University to delete personal details from several websites using just one search and via their Google account

South Korea

I'm is an app put forward by a team at the Dankook University that will enable personal data to be saved in the user’s mobile device. When the corporation wants to access the data, “I’m” informs the user to either approve or deny access.

POP (protection of privacy) is an app from a team at Soongsil University that will use rights management software to search what an individual has posted - photos, videos or blogs - and then help them delete or change it, if needed.

Data Vaccine is an app proposed by a team at the Dankook University that enables individuals to have control over their own data and to ensure effective protection of personal data.

Other teams include India's MEMORIES,  a hybrid app proposed by Savitribai Phule Pune University to erase online "memories" and to keep "memories" private.

For the first time the winner and runners up will receive cash prizes - €10,000, €5,000 and €3,000 respectively - to help bring their app to market, along with gaining support from Atos top executives. All participants in the IT Challenge will be invited to apply for an internship to work as part of the Atos organisation.

The IT Challenge forms part of the Atos Wellbeing@work initiative and supports its objective to encourage and develop talent. It was set up in 2012 to foster and encourage innovation in the future generation of IT professionals.

Teams from around 100 of the most prestigious universities in the world have participated in the Atos IT Challenge. The IT Challenge has uncovered winning ideas for the Olympic Games, connected cars and connected living. These include an app that suggests the best speed for phased traffic lights to reduce car emissions, an app to plan your day of sport and sightseeing during the Olympics and an app to find a seat on a crowded train.

Interested?

Register interest in future challenges

Browse the work of shortlisted teams. Finalists will be announced May 2016.

Hashtags: #ITChallenge, #TheRightToBeForgotten

*Under certain conditions, the right to be forgotten gives individuals the right to request to have their data completely deleted by an information society service provider.

posted from Bloggeroid

Global mobile education market to be worth over US$37 billion by 2020

Technavio has updated its market research on education in a new report about the global m-education market. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21% between 2016 and 2020 and worth over US$37 billion by the end of the forecast period owing to the proliferation of mobile devices like tablets and smartphones and a growing number of educational apps and platforms designed for the devices.

“Game-based learning is a new trend gaining popularity in the m-education market in recent times. This learning method aims to impart knowledge through interactive sessions, and allows students to master the games for better comprehension of a topic. The repetitive nature of these games encourages individuals to learn specific skills while playing. Several smartphone manufacturers are offering apps and games incorporated with various learning elements, encouraging students for self-paced learning,” says Jhansi Mary, Lead Analyst, Education, Technavio Research.

Education apps are the key driver for the growth of the mobile education market, Technavio said, as they facilitate better learning for students and help educators to manage student and administrative data. 

Key vendors mentioned in the report include Adobe, Blackboard, Desire2Learn, LearnCast, and WizIQ. Technavio notes that the market is highly competitive and primarily dominated by large players like Adobe and Blackboard, restricting the entry of new players. The high cost of setting up an m-education infrastructure is another obstacle.

The company separately released a report on the global gamification market, which it estimates will generate revenues of US$7 billion between 2015 and 2019 - a CAGR of 48% by 2019. More companies are benefiting from investing in employee-engaging gamification techniques, Technavio said, with the ultimate aim of improving customer interaction.

“The major trends that the gamification market is witnessing are content sharing, collaboration and socialisation. Organisations are increasingly shifting towards networking sites and social media as these new platforms give instant feedback from the customers. The integration of social networks with gamification helps customers to engage in a real time conversation, which will boost the growth of the gamification market in the years to come,” says Soumya Mutsuddi, Lead Analyst, Media & Entertainment, Technavio Research.

Technavio has estimated that the enterprise-driven applications segment will account for approximately 68% of the total revenue generated during the forecast period, driven by increased awareness of gamification products and their benefits.

Major vendors in the global gamification market include Badgeville, Big Door Media, Bunchball, and Gigya. Technavio notes that the market is still nascent and so offers tremendous growth opportunities, but also much scope to improve on products.

Interested?

Buy the Global m-Education Market 2016-2020 report or the Global Gamification Market 2015-2019 report

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about what Technavio thinks of massively open online courses (MOOCs)

CINEMOOD to crowdfund next version of portable projector and playback device

Source: CINEMOOD.

CINEMOOD, a startup about to launch an Indiegogo campaign, has developed a handheld, mini-projector that embraces the Internet of Things through its cloud-connected projector, which is preloaded with kid-friendly content.

ToonBox, an international animation studio, is already one of CINEMOOD's content partners, and CINEMOOD is currently in negotiations with numerous others major content libraries.

According to the company, the CINEMOOD projector can display multiple types of media, including video (MP4, AVI, others), audio (MP3), illustrated books (PDF) and images (JPEG, PNG). An Android mobile app extends CINEMOOD's features. 

"CINEMOOD's team believes in the magic of everyday moments and that in today's ever-changing world that divides generations into digital natives and immigrants, we're creating a place where they all can get together and create beautiful memories," says Mike Bukhovtsev, founder of the CINEMOOD project. 

Interested?

CINEMOOD will present a preview of its beta Version 2 device at The International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas from January 6 to 9, 2016. CINEMOOD's projector delivers content as well. Besides the preloaded content, user content can be downloaded via USB. 

The next version will be launched following the Indiegogo campaign in March, will also include: Shadow Theater, a Gaming Gyroscope and extended compatibility with smartphones (iOS and Android) that allows parental control and the ability to easily download content via subscription. 

Hashtag: #CES2016

AU Optronics launches AUO Water 2020 -- Water Resource Development Blueprint

AU Optronics (AUO) has announced that its process water full-recycling system, the first of its kind developed in Taiwan*, has been launched at the company's Lungtan site. Process water can be condensed and reduced by 98%, with zero liquid discharge realised with evaporation.

AUO started the research and development of process water recycling in 2010, and had worked with Industrial Technology Research Institute of Taiwan (ITRI) for a year on some of the technologies involved. AUO subsequently proposed its self-designed system and construction plan, and initiated the three-year construction of process water full-recycling system in 2013. The energy-efficient process water full-recycling system at AUO's Lungtan site uses membrane bioreactor technologies, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis reversal, and an evaporator during the various phases of water recycling and reusing to achieve zero liquid discharge. 

AUO also pledged that by year 2020, it will achieve the goals, of water reduction, water creation and Water replenishment. In 2015, the total volume of process water recycled at all sites in Taiwan amounted to 112 million cubic tons, equivalent to the annual water consumption of 373,300 households*. Water creation refers to 10,000 tons of reclaimed water used daily by AUO's Taichung site, which echoes the national water resource policy and significantly increases autonomy in water supply. Water replenishment will be achieved based on Lungtan's zero liquid discharge solution. Additionally, TFT-LCD production water intensity is to be reduced by 30%.

"Under the increasingly extreme weather conditions, risks caused by water shortage present challenge and crises. However, through technological advancements in green and water resource management, AUO continues to create new values and opportunities on the path to sustainability. For instance, we were the first to have engaged in the research of process water full-recycling in 2010**. The system successfully operated in the end of this year, proving that it not impossible to strike a balance between environmental and economic development. Next, through the declaration of the three goals of (the) AUO Water 2020 -- Water Resource Development Blueprint, AUO is committed to safeguarding the water resource on a proactive and long-term basis," said Paul SL Peng, AUO's Chairman & Chief Executive Officer.

AUO also declared today the opening of AUO GreenArk at Lungtan site, which adopts AUO's solar modules and storage system to meet low carbon green concept. It is hoped that through the showcase and guided tours***, the public can better understand AUO's innovative water recycling technologies and water-related knowledge, promoting sustainability.

Interested?

Register for the guided tour at AUO GreenArk (in Chinese only)

*According to Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs, in 2015 the average water consumption per person per day amounted to 274 litres, and each household accounted for three individuals.

**Based on the available market research information as of December 29, 2015.

Scale-1 Portal launches portable virtual reality device for the home

Scale-1 Portal, a projection-based virtual reality solutions provider, has launched SCALee, a portable virtual reality media centre for the consumer market, to be demonstrated at CES 2016.

SCALee transforms any existing wall into an immersive universe where players can interact naturally in 1:1 scale games and applications. "This is a new form of virtual reality technology, which allows several people to comfortably enjoy the immersive experience in their living room, with no need for any headset," explains Julien Baessens, CTO of Scale-1 Portal. SCALee includes a Windows 10-based computer, so that its 3 m wide projected screen can be used as a media centre, to browse the Internet or play standard games.

SCALee comes built-in with Future Runner, an obstacle and battle race game in a futuristic environment. More games and experiences are being developed, and a software development kit is available so that third-party developers can add their own contents to the platform.

Interested?

SCALee will be released in the last quarter of 2016, while a few exclusive preorders through a dedicated crowdfunding campaign to be taken in January and shipped starting February.

View the associated video

Hashtag: #CES2016

Qihoo picks Senior VP for COO

Qihoo 360 Technology, a major Internet company in China, has appointed Ms Jie Chen as Chief Operating Officer, primarily responsible for the company's general operations, effective immediately. Chen will report to Hongyi Zhou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Qihoo 360.

"Ms Chen is a trusted leader and has demonstrated exceptional commitments and capabilities over the past years," commented Zhou. "I have tremendous confidence in her ability to optimise our businesses and leverage our collective strengths to better serve our customers and clients and to drive Qihoo 360 to the long-term success."

Chen joined the company in March 2006 and has been SVP since 2014, taking leadership roles in various functions, including the PC, mobile and Internet of Things business operations. Prior to Qihoo Chen was the Deputy Chief Editor and a Director at Yahoo! China, where she was responsible for website content production and management. Chen has also been an Editor at Sohu.com and at Sina. 

Chen received her bachelor's degree in investment economics from the Beijing-based Central University of Finance and Economics in 1999.

Modular UPS systems taking over the data centre

Technavio has forecast a CAGR of around 11% between 2016 and 2020 for the global modular uninterruptible power supply (UPS) market, which is driven mainly by new data centre infrastructure. Data centres account for 26% of total market demand.  

The modular systems are easier to install and maintain than traditional UPS systems. The Asia Pacific (APAC) region is expected to emerge as the fastest growing region in the modular UPS market during the forecast period, fuelled by demand from data centres, telecom tower installations, and healthcare infrastructure. 

"Vendors are coming up with lightweight UPS (systems) with reduced sizes, which can accommodate multiple modules in a single UPS system. Also, the power consumption of this (type of) UPS is lower, hence encouraging enterprises to prefer it during power crises,” says Anju Ajaykumar, Lead Analyst, Heavy Industry, Technavio Research.

Major vendors mentioned in the report include Eaton, Emerson Network Power, and the Schneider-led APC. Technavio notes that the onus is on existing vendors to differentiate themselves from private labels entering the market.

Interested?

Buy the Global Modular UPS Market 2016-2020 report.

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank releases mobile app in conjunction with DFRE partnership

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), a financial services group based in Abu Dhabi, has announced that it has become a Strategic Partner of the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), to sponsor and support key festivals and events during 2016.

Through the sponsorship, ADIB will be the exclusive banking partner for key festivals and events throughout the year 2016, starting with the world's longest running festival of its kind, the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) in January through Dubai Food Festival, Dubai Summer Surprises, Ramadan in Dubai, Eid in Dubai and Dubai Motor Festival.

During the 32-day DSF, which commences on 1st January, 2016, ADIB will, for the first time ever build and power the Dubai Festivals mobile app which will allow visitors to find the best DSF offers on the go. Visitors can view the latest DSF offers by stores, brands and mall location and can personalise the app by adding their preferences. App users can also win prizes such as iPhones, PlayStations and shopping vouchers worth thousands.

Sarvesh Sarup, Global Head of Retail Banking, ADIB, said: "This is our flagship sponsorship for the year 2016 across the UAE and we are honoured to partner with and support Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment. Dubai's events have become an integral part of the international events calendar thanks to the global standards adopted by the organisers. We plan to bring new and innovative products and services to visitors and our customers attending the festivals. 

"And as part of our partnership with Dubai Festivals, and in line with our efforts to align to the smart initiatives of the UAE government, we are proud to introduce the Dubai Festivals' first ever mobile application which offers customers and visitors a one stop source of information for all promotions during the festivals. This partnership is part of our commitment to further develop our presence in Dubai while leveraging our positioning as a banking partner of choice for all customer segments across the UAE.''

Saeed Mohammed Mesam Al Falasi, Executive Director - Retail and Strategic Alliances, DFRE, said: "We are pleased to welcome ADIB as our new Strategic Partner, a development that would not only add value to the DSF offerings in 2016 but also further enhance the wider collaborative relationship that DFRE has with the private sector. Over the past two decades DSF has evolved into a family-friendly destination offering memorable and rewarding moments, and as a renowned bank, ADIB's participation in DSF will play an important part in making the festival the world's best shopping experience."

ADIB has the third largest distribution network among UAE banks, with 88 branches and more than 750 ATMs and cash deposit machines.

Epson releases industrial colour label printer with PrecisionCore Print Chip Technology

Source: Epson. The new ColorWorks C7510G label
printer.

Epson, a digital imaging and printing solutions provider, announced the launch of Epson’s first industrial colour label printer with the PrecisionCore Print Chip Technology today. The on-demand ColorWorks C7510G label printer enables high-speed printing of superior quality colour labels at 600dpi resolution, while bringing enhanced cost efficiency to high volume label printing.

Ideal for a wide variety of retail and industrial applications from product packaging to track-and-trace label applications, for industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and retail, the C7510G is the fastest printing speed in its class with swift print speeds of up to 300mm/s.

With the ColorWorks C7510G, coloured labels can be printed in a single step, eliminating the need to maintain a high inventory of preprinted colour labels. The printer can print labels of up to 4.1" wide, and is well-suited for high-mix and mid- to high-volume label production. Patented PrecisionCore technology, Epson’s most advanced printhead architecture, ensures outstanding colour, precision and performance to deliver precise, vibrant and consistent text, graphics and barcodes. Nozzle verification technology detects and revives blocked nozzles, ensuring printouts of consistent quality.

The Colorworks C7510G is ideal for a mixed variety of customisable prints and colours within a print job. On-demand colour printing brings flexibility in allowing for changes in design, and can help reduce label creation errors and charges. The C7510G label printer uses Epson’s UltraChrome DL inks, ensuring that printouts are quick-drying, long-lasting and crisp across a range of media including glossy paper. The C7510G used in combination with certified media delivers printouts are smudge-, smear-, and fade-resistant, which is ideal for Globally Harmonised System (GHS) compliance labelling in the chemical industry.

Individual ink cartridge replacement helps to ensure no wastage of ink to maximise cost savings. The C7510G high capacity ink cartridges results in lower print costs compared to laser and thermal transfer printers, and enables continuous printing with reduced production downtime.

“We have brought our cutting-edge PrecisionCore technology to the label printing industry with the launch of the ColorWorks C7510G. This revolutionary label printer brings a new level of flexibility and customisation to the industrial printing process with its precision, colour and speed that is unrivalled in its class, while bringing cost savings on inks. We will continue to bring new innovations that will enhance packaging and track-and-trace applications for businesses across sectors,” said Tan May Lin, General Manager (Sales Division), Epson Singapore.

Interested?

The printer is available at Epson stockists in Singapore for S$11,025 (including GST).

Trend Micro receives Security Innovation of the Year 2015 by the Cloud Security Alliance

Source: Trend Micro. Trend Micro has been awarded Security
Innovation of Year 2015 by Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) APAC.

Trend Micro, a global security software and solutions provider, has been awarded Security Innovation of Year 2015 by Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) APAC, which recognises the best in the technology industry and rewards the leading organisations for innovation and performance in the cloud sector. Trend Micro was ranked top on the merits of its approach to cloud security.

“As a pioneer in security technology and service innovation, we have been staying close to it as a core strength driving our success,” said Dhanya Thakkar, Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Trend Micro. “Innovation plays an especially important role today in the midst of rapid digital transformation, when the cybersecurity landscape is being fast reshaped. Each shift in the way people communicate and conduct business online has been and will continue introducing new security challenges. To protect enterprises against threats rising from emerging platforms like the cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, we must continually invest in research and innovating our core technologies.”

Continuous and customer-centric innovation has led to Trend Micro’s launch of Deep Security, which won the Best Cloud Security Solution at the Cloud Asia Forum. The company is also known for Instant-On Cloud Security for Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, VMWare vCloud Air and other cloud providers, along with new solutions spanning across mobile device management, mobile app reputation technology, data encryption, advanced threat detection and protection, and optimised security for virtualisation and cloud environments.

Trend Micro’s innovation focus is also reflected in its business strategies. Trend Micro recently inked a global agreement to expand its strategic alliance with VMware, and integrated Deep Security into the Microsoft Azure Security Center.

IDC makes 2016 cloud predictions for Asia Pacific

IDC Asia/Pacific announced its top predictions for cloud services and highlights how adoption of cloud is continuously evolving in the region - becoming the core enabler of the digital transformation of Asia Pacific businesses. Furthermore, IDC predicts that by the end of 2018, 40% of IT spend across hardware, software and services will be for cloud oriented technologies, and by 2020, 45%-50% of all spend will be for cloud delivered models.

Hybrid clouds
“In fact, 2016 will be a big year for solutions built on hybrid cloud architectures with 65% of Asia Pacific enterprises to commit for its implementation,” said Chris Morris, Vice President, Cloud and Services, IDC Asia/Pacific.

IDC believes that the big drivers for increased implementation of hybrid clouds are IT’s continuing quest for optimised infrastructure, and the ability of solution builders to source application and infrastructure components from multiple providers to construct a hybrid cloud-based solution.

“With increasing cloud spending, many enterprises will have begun use of hybrid solutions without IT’s direct involvement. With the business unit managers increasingly buying their own cloud solutions, hybrid cloud architectures can proliferate, and sometimes not be aligned with the enterprise architecture,” Morris cautioned.

Workload optimisation

By 2017, 50% of enterprise IT organisations building hybrid clouds will purchase new or updated workload-centric cloud management solutions.

"As the use of cloud services matures and broadens, the emphasis for enterprise IT has moved from technology management to service management and the optimisation of workloads. The impact of digital transformation projects on the service delivery infrastructure necessitates that CIOs re-architect their delivery processes to ensure the IT environment is flexible and agile, yet secure and resilient,” added Mayur Sahni, Senior Research Manager for Cloud and Service, IDC Asia/Pacific.

Industry clouds
By 2019, industry cloud creation will be viewed as the top market entry strategy for both technology providers and industrial companies alike, as IT leaders’ industry domain experts join to tear down traditional barriers to entry.

Public data and analytics
By 2018, cloud becomes a preferred delivery mechanism for public data, information, and analytics, increasing public information consumption by 150% and paving the way for thousands of new industry applications.

Diversified models
By 2020, 60% of companies' IT assets are off-site in colocation, hosting, and cloud datacenters while ¼ of IT staff are actually employees of third-party service providers. By 2017, there will be a 15% shift of IT budget away from traditional in-house IT delivery as organisations use more third party service providers to fill cloud-related skills gaps.

Open becomes mandatory
By 2017, over 60% of enterprises will embrace open source and open application programming interfaces (APIs) as the underpinning for cloud integration strategies.

DevOps delivery
By 2018, over 60% of new apps will use cloud-enabled continuous delivery and cloud-native application architectures to enable faster innovation and business agility.

East meets West
2018, 25% of global enterprises will have service providers from Asia Pacific as part of their cloud ecosystem.

Interested?

IDC Asia/Pacific is hosting a free webcast, Hybrid Cloud: Mastering the Raw Material of Digital Transformation on January 20, 2016. Register

IPv6 adoption rates poised to increase: Akamai

Akamai Technologies, the global player in content delivery network (CDN) services, has released its Third Quarter, 2015 State of the Internet Report*. Based on data gathered from the Akamai Intelligent Platform, the report provides insight into key global statistics such as connection speeds, broadband adoption metrics, notable Internet disruptions, IPv4 exhaustion and IPv6 implementation.

“While we did observe an increase in the number of unique IPv4 addresses connecting to Akamai, the third quarter of 2015 saw the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for North America completely exhaust its available inventory of IPv4 address space,” noted David Belson, Editor of the State of the Internet Report. “The continued depletion of IPv4 space, in both North America and around the world, should further spur organisations to expand or accelerate their own IPv6 adoption, particularly as the cost of obtaining IPv4 address space may rise as scarcity increases.”

Source:  Akamai’s Third Quarter, 2015 State of the Internet Report

Highlights from Akamai’s Third Quarter, 2015 State of the Internet Report:

Global connectivity

• Global average connection speed increased slightly (0.2%) to 5.1 Mbps from the second quarter, accounting for a 14% increase year-over-year. South Korea had the top average connection speed at 20.5 Mbps, despite a year-over-year drop of 19% since the third quarter of 2014.
• After a 12% quarterly increase in the second quarter, the global average peak connection speed declined 0.9% to 32.2 Mbps in the third quarter. This accounts for 30% year-over-year growth.
• Singapore (135.4 Mbps) and Macau (73.7 Mbps) saw double-digit quarterly gains at 25% and 18%, respectively. Singapore also retained its position as the country/region with the highest average peak connection speed.
• Globally, 5.2% of unique IP addresses connected to Akamai at average speeds of at least 25 Mbps, a 6.3% increase over the previous quarter. Year-over-year, global 25 Mbps adoption increased by 15%, in contrast to the 0.5% yearly decrease seen in the second quarter.
• Three of the top 10 countries/regions – South Korea (24% adoption), Hong Kong (14% adoption), and Japan (13% adoption) – saw yearly declines, losing 37%, 15%, and 2.5%, respectively.
• The global percentage of unique IP addresses connecting to Akamai that met the 4 Mbps broadband speed threshold increased 2.7% to 65%. Year-over-year growth was 9.8%.
• In the third quarter of 2015, 27% of unique IP addresses across the world connected to Akamai at average speeds above 10 Mbps, an increase of 2.4% over the previous quarter. Year-over-year, this was a 19% increase.
• 15% percent of the unique global IP addresses connected to Akamai at average “4K-ready” connection speeds of 15 Mbps or above, up 5.3% from the second quarter. Year-over-year, the global 15 Mbps adoption rate grew 21% with seven of the top 10 countries/regions seeing gains. 

IPv4 and IPv6 

• Partially offsetting the second-quarter drop, the number of unique, worldwide IPv4 addresses connecting to Akamai increased by about 4.8 million in the third quarter.
• On a global basis, close to 60% of the countries/regions saw a quarter-over-quarter increase in unique IPv4 address counts in the third quarter, compared with roughly half in the second quarter
• Forty-three countries/regions saw IPv4 address counts grow 10% or more, while 27 saw counts decline 10% or more as compared with the previous quarter.
• Nine of the top 20 providers had at least one in four content requests to Akamai via IPv6, down from 11 in the second quarter. However, all of the top 20 – up from 17 in the previous quarter – had at least 10% of their requests to Akamai occur over IPv6.

Interested?

Data and graphics from the Third Quarter, 2015 State of the Internet Report can be found on the Akamai State of the Internet site and through the Akamai State of the Internet app for iOS and Android devices. State of the Internet Report-related discussions are also taking place on the Akamai Community.

*Each quarter, Akamai publishes a State of the Internet report. This report includes data gathered from across the Akamai Intelligent Platform about attack traffic, broadband adoption, mobile connectivity and other relevant topics concerning the Internet and its usage, as well as trends seen in this data over time. For additional information on the metrics in the report and how they are analysed, please visit http://akamai.me/sotimetrics. 

Perx successfully closes Series A funding, announces refreshed vision

Source: Perx. Gong.

Perx, the customer engagement and loyalty platform provider, has announced a Series A funding round led by Golden Gate Ventures, which will drive a new vision for the company. The single-digit million dollar investment is backed by co-investors like Eduardo Saverin, , Facebook Co-Founder, Perx CEO Anna Gong, CTO Rob Roach, as well as contributions from other existing shareholders.

Having had four years of experience in innovating, developing and managing its mobile loyalty and rewards app, Perx understands that businesses today need to make informed and impactful decisions, accelerate time to market, reduce risk and remove hassles in creating or managing acquisition and engagement priorities. With the Perx loyalty app already boasting over 400,000 registered users, 5 million monthly app impressions and partnerships with more than 200 merchants in Singapore alone, Perx says it can do more to help companies generate unrealised revenue streams.

Perx is now working towards becoming the lead solution architect to enable enterprises, developers and other solutions providers to seamlessly manage all of their end-to-end customer engagement processes—from marketing analytics and user experience to customer data analytics.

“Perx has grown remarkably in the last years and we have learnt so much in the process. We are one of the fastest growing companies in our category and we realised we were sitting on great technology that will benefit an even wider market,” shared Gong. "Recognising the value and importance of intelligent customer engagement and data analytics in today’s market, we are committed to shaping Perx as the hub connecting consumers and businesses.”

Added Roach: “The existing Perx app in Singapore is a proof case of our abilities. We are now making the platform behind it scalable and available to app developers and enterprises as a plug-in solution to integrate customer engagement and rewards management as-a-service.”

“Perx is redefining the way mobile marketing and loyalty platforms work and leading the future of customer engagement analytics. We are confident the team will satisfy the CRM needs of other businesses with their proven track record and passion in this new strategic direction,” said Jeffrey Paine, Founding Partner of Golden Gate Ventures.

“I have always advocated the relevance of customer engagement and significance of big data in today’s business discussions. Perx has demonstrated remarkable growth and widespread adoption in the last years, and more importantly, served as the technological bridge between businesses and consumers, clearly leading the market in CRM,” said Saverin. "They are moving in the right direction with this new vision, and I believe Perx will be the game changer in the customer engagement arena.”

Xiaoice signed on as a trainee weather anchor at Dragon TV

Source: Microsoft.

Xiaoice (微軟小冰), artificially intelligent software that can chat via WeChat, Weibo, and JD.com, has begun a trainee anchorship at Morning News, a live morning programme on Dragon TV. Microsoft Applications & Services Group East Asia and Shanghai Media Group (SMG) TV News Center announced that Xiaoice will host daily weather forecasts as of December 22.

During the brief ceremony following the live broadcast, Jiongming Song, Director of SMG TV News Center, granted her a letter of appointment as a trainee moderator to Dr Yongdong Wang, the creator of Xiaoice and Managing Director of Microsoft Applications & Services Group East Asia.

Xiaoice is the first artificial intelligence (AI) robot that has officially taken up such an occupation, making Morning News the first live TV programme around the world that has been integrated with AI technologies. 

Both companies had to enhance Xiaoice for the new assignment, getting the text-to-speech (TTS) capabilities closer to the human voice, for example. Xiaoice currently scores 4.32 in linguistic naturalness, against a human voice at 4.76. Based on the cloud and big data, Xiaoice will deploy deep learning in weather forecasting to interact with live scenes for the broadcasts, and through Microsoft's unique emotional computing technologies, can offer instant comments based on weather forecast data. 

"Although human anchors can't be completely replaced by Xiaoice in the near term, Xiaoice and human anchors will well supplement each other as Xiaoice's capabilities in deep learning, Internet big data analysis, instant large-scale online and offline concurrent interactions are exceptional," said Song. "Our hope is that similar AI technology will be applied to more SMG programmes and get well accepted by the public."

"Xiaoice is a critical AI product for Microsoft and she has been first launched in China and Japan," Dr Wang said, "As is well known, Microsoft has been carrying out the frontier researches in artificial intelligence for multiple years, and we are well equipped with the world's leading technology research and development capabilities, product framework and artificial intelligence brands. Under the current circumstances, we will pay more attention to practicality by developing AI products available to everyone rather than just put forward mere sci-tech concepts."

Interested?

Read the Bing blog post introducing Xiaoice

Darktrace goes from one employee to 25 in eight APAC countries in 2015

Darktrace has now seen its Enterprise Immune System technology adopted by more than 250 organisations across the world. The company, valued at more than US$100 million following US$22.5 million in Series B funding from venture capital firm Summit Partners in July, says new customers include "one of the world’s leading games and interactive entertainment companies headquartered in Asia Pacific (APAC)".

The company expanded operations in APAC beyond Singapore and Japan to include Australia, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand and South Korea, and said it currently serves more than 80 organisations in the region. 

“2015 has been an exciting year for us in the APAC region,” said Sanjay Aurora, Managing Director, Darktrace APAC. “We started and scaled the regional business from ground up, going from one employee in our regional headquarters in Singapore to 25 employees in eight countries in the space of nine months. Just last week, Kyocera Communication Systems, an IT service provider subsidiary of Kyocera, a multinational electronics and ceramics manufacturer headquartered in Kyoto; a New Zealand based bank with more than 20 branches nationwide; and a global energy and commodities trading company came on board as regional customers. As we continue to demonstrate our Immune System technology’s strong proof of value, we expect our regional footprint to continue on a similar growth trajectory in the months ahead.”

Added Nicole Eagan, CEO, Darktrace: “As governments across the world make cyber security a top priority, growing adoption, industry recognition and involvement in trade missions are endorsements of our achievements in the field, which contribute to and align with public and private sector goals of incorporating new technologies to improve the state of the world. In 2016, we look forward to further enhancing our Immune System technology and helping to protect more organisations in today’s fast-moving and sophisticated online threat environment.” 

 
Darktrace’s Enterprise Immune System appliance incorporates mathematics and machine-learning technology from the University of Cambridge to analyse network, device and user behaviour and detect anomalous activity within organisations’ networks in real-time.