OCTOBER 2 0 2 0
NEWS
Palo Alto Networks and Europol expand collaboration efforts on cybercrime to build a more secure future
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How Digital Security Leaders Can Secure Against an Evolved Threat Landscape
Infor Delivers Coleman AI Platform
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the best prescription for security
EDITOR‘S NOTE
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ith the current economic state due to the damaging effects of the COVID-19 outbreak across the world, it is no surprise that the sales in the automotive industry is considerably declining. After all, unemployment rates are at an all-time high and travel is practically limited to combat the spread of the deadly disease. Numerous countries had experienced contraction in their sales for the first quarter of 2020, with China recording a fall of 18.6% year-on-year in January and 79.1% in February. The decrease in sales have also been recorded in the US, Southeast Asia, and Europe. The overall outlook for the year doesn’t look too well, too, as London-based information provider IHS Markit suggested that there will be a drop of 22% in light vehicle sales globally, totaling to over 70 million units. The good news is that while the sales in the first few months of the year declined, some countries are already bouncing back. China, for instance, has recorded over 4% increase in car sales in April, marking its first increase in 22 months. Automotive manufacturing countries like Mexico and
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Covid-19 Impact on the Automotive Industry Indonesia are already resuming factory operations, albeit the limited production capacity. There are also indications that social distancing and health concerns are actually helping spike up car sales. This is due to the fact that most of the younger generation are beginning to prefer private transportation instead of public ones in a bid to avoid contracting the virus. Google’s search data for April has suggested increase in car purchasing options, as well, primarily in the US and Europe. Although this does not necessarily mean increased buyers, it shows the considerable change in the opinion of consumers. Commuters have also stated in a survey that they will begin to lessen using ride-hailing services in a bid to reduce the risk.
* For any inquiries, please contact Mr. Rohan Suares Address: LG Electronics Gulf, P.O Box 61445, Dubai, U.A.E, Tel. # +971 52 710 0999, Email: rohan.suares@lge.com
CON TENTS
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Co Ban Kiat: Celebrating 100 Years of Providing World Class Hardware Solutions
7 Dynamic Tips to Protect Your Business from Potential WideScale Effect of COVID-19
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LG Launches Dual Vane Cassette that delivers better Air Flow
Classroom of the Future is Advance Blended Learning
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Covid-19 Impact on the Automotive Industry
Online Distance Learning is the Safest Solution During Covid-19
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Palo Alto Networks and Europol expand collaboration efforts on cybercrime to build a more secure future
Re-Engineering Customer Service in a in Post Covid-19 World
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How Digital Security Leaders Can Secure Against an Evolved Threat Landscape
Emrill collaborates with Dubai Chamber to reduce and recycle
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Infor Delivers Coleman AI Platform
GCC chemical industry achieves revenue of USD 84.1 billion
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F E AT U R E S T O RY
Co Ban Kiat: Celebrating 100 Years of Providing World Class Hardware Solutions
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o Ban Kiat Hardware Inc. has remained steadfast in sharing its genius innovations and technological solutions to multitudes of people in need, effectively entrenching itself as one of the largest purveyors of hardware, tools, small appliances, and machinery in the Philippines. As CBK Hardware nears its century-long existence, it is worth noting that before prospering into the hardware giant it is today, the brand began on a humble journey. Like any trailblazing business in any industry, the journey to a position of global leadership is not without its peaks and valleys.
The Rich History of CBK Hardware Co Ban Kiat Hardware Inc. was founded in 1920 in the heart of Binondo, Manila’s own Chinatown, due to the business acquisition efforts of the Cobankiat family patriarch. After the Wholesale buy and sell hardware business was fully acquired by the family in 1924, the business prospered for another 15 years. From its peak performance, the brand entered its first valley in the form of the devastating World War II. Fortunately, the family and their business bounced back in 1945 and re-established their headquarters in Binondo 4 years later.
the birth of Hardware Workshop stores inside SM Supermalls. Johnny Cobankiat’s other notable accomplishments include the inauguration of Coby’s Design Center as a means to answer the increasing demand of high-end architectural hardware products and the accretion and introduction of Ace Hardware USA in the country on 1997, with CBK Hardware Inc. as one of its suppliers.
In 1952, CBK Hardware was incorporated and from that day on an endless market expansion effort was made. The business began dealing in and distributing traditional hardware, a wide array of appliances, and any tool that promoted ease of life.
In 2003, the company continued to be the leading supplier in all major retail hardware stores such as Wilcon Depot, All Home, D.I.Y Hardware, Citi Hardware, and MC Home Depot, to name a few. Mayapa Wood Products and Interior Solutions, Chubbsafes, and Lincoln Electric have also recently added to its growing world-class brand portfolio. Needless to say, these procurements will not be CBK Hardware’s last set of acquisitions.
Business prospered further and in 1990, Johnny Cobankiat introduced the retail concept for 8hardware products in the country which led to
CBK Hardware Inc. acquired Mayapa Wood Products and Interior Solutions in 2013, joining the ever-extending family and business network.
It is proud to be the most innovative manufacturer of quality wood products and interior solutions in the Philippines today. In its vision to provide word-class hardware solutions, CBK Hardware added global brands including Chubbsafes and Lincoln Electric. Truly, CBK chooses only the best brand and quality products to serve. Needless to say, these procurements will not be CBK Hardware’s last set of acquisitions. 2015 marked the start of CBK’s corporate social responsibility efforts. In their vision to give back to the Filipino community and engage in ethically-oriented practices, Co Ban Kiat Hardware began undertaking efforts of philanthropy, activism, and charity. Supported by their employees and partners, numerous non-government organizations and foundations received monetary aid, product donations, and services from the company.
As of yet, CBK Hardware has gone nowhere else but upward in its journey to supply the country with world-class, life-improving technological and hardware solutions. And what are these world-class, lifeimproving technological and hardware solutions?
CBK Hardware Today: Projects and Industries These are the countless hardware and home improvement products and services CBK Hardware utilizes to realize market leadership in every market segment. CBK Hardware has dipped its toes in different business units to cater to multiple industries, such as building materials, hardware, wholesale and retail, oil and gas, HVACR, electrical, power generation, construction, mining, machinery, equipment, utilities, telecommunications, automotives, and
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manufacturing, to name a few. Out of all of these areas of expertise, the retail, construction, industrial, and ecommerce sectors are Co Ban Kiat Hardware Inc.’s fortes. For wholesale and retail business segment, CBK Hardware supplies to over 2000 partner wholesale and retail stores nationwide, which includes D.I.Y stores, roadshops, depots, and much more for 68 brands and over 6,000 SKUs. For industrial, the brand has both ensconced strong distribution channels in innumerable business sectors and boasts an expansive list of automotive, hospitality, service, and other industry clientele who all trust in 12
the brand to supply them with superb improvement solutions. In the area of construction, the brand has been one of if not the most trusted partners of hardware suppliers of distinguished real estate developers and construction companies nationwide. Lastly, CBK Hardware Inc. has been looking to the future in the area of ecommerce, priding itself to be the first hardware distributor to aggressively offer products online through websites, partner ecommerce platforms, and social media accounts. Truly, CBK Hardware Inc. has come a long way and, fortunately for them, there is still a long, long way to go.
Together in Excellence: Brand Portfolio CBK Hardware Inc.’s product portfolio has lengthened and evolved over the years since its establishment in 1920. Currently, the brand is one of the country’s leading suppliers of the top-of-the-line hardware and home improvement materials to a long list of brands. CBK Hardware Inc. is constantly putting its nose on the grindstone and burning the midnight oil, invigorated by its vision to be the largest network supplier of the biggest brands in the world in the hardware industry. Its employees are the backbone of the company as they endlessly source the best products to supply its customers. With 68 trusted global brands of building materials, electrical,
houseware, power equipment, outdoor, plumbing, hand and power tools, CBK Hardware Inc. has been steadily paving the way to a brighter future for the Philippines and the world. They have served over 1,500 industrial and commercial organizations with over 6,000 hardware products to choose from. They have satisfied over 1,600 roadshop customers, partnered with over 600 home building specialty stores nationwide. CBK Hardware has distributed items that have aided in erecting over 50 premium 5-star hotels, residential condominiums, and secure office buildings. In their 100 years, CBK Hardware Inc. has accumulated an extensive list of global brands. They have been distributing brands such as Baldwin, Chubbsafes, DeWalt Power Tools, Dormakaba, Facom, Fairbanks Scales, 13
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Lincoln Electric, Nilfisk Professional Cleaning Equipment, Pelican, Proto, Ridgid, Shop-Vac Vacuums, Stanley Hand Tools, Toho, Viper Cleaning Equipment, Westinghouse, Yale Locks, and more. These brands are all being smoothly distributed to customers who want to get more bang for their buck when it comes to home and facility improvement, safety and security, D.I.Y projects, energy conservation, cleaning and disinfection, and the like. Supplied and shared out by CBK Hardware Inc., these brands are truly together in excellence.
Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts Business in the hardware industry is not the only way the brand is helping the world become a better place. CBK Hardware Inc.
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is also partaking in multiple advocacies, philanthropic endeavors, humanitarianism, and charity work, because those in the company are wholeheartedly committed to contributing towards the growth of society and the environment. Hundreds if not thousands of people from different walks of life have benefited from CBK Hardware Inc.’s initiatives, from the intensive CSR programs to the hardware donations for the improvement of living facilities. Stomachs have also been fed in the conducted feeding programs. The goodwill of CBK Hardware Inc., was also gifted to the neglected children and elders residing at different charitable institutions. Another CSR campaign entitled Pailaw ni Juanita was also dedicated to Mrs. Juanita Co, the company’s shining beacon of hope who
shared her blessings by giving out large amounts of flashlights by teaming up with different NGOs known for their advocacies in livelihood, peace, order, and education. Through a fruitful partnership with ABSCBN’s Mission Possible, CBK Hardware Inc. has also provided state-of-the-art hardware solutions to a near endless quantity of customers as well as the neediest. This showcase of livelihood was able to transform the lives of 5 case studies in little ways by donating quality power and hand tools that have helped increase income generation. CBK Hardware is also an active supporter of Brigada Eskwela, a school preparation program for the upcoming academic year by donating hardware materials and engaging their employees in constructing, painting, and cleaning the different areas of each selected educational institution.
Environmental conservation is also an area in which CBK Hardware Inc. volunteers. Recently, those in the company have implemented many clean-up drives such as the one in the coastline of the Las PiñasParañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) in partnership with Haribon Foundation last August 11. #WithCBKweCanHELP Donation Drive has also been created In response to the increasing number of individuals who are in dire need of help due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This donation drive’s proceeds have been donated to children and elderly in chosen institutions. Other drives include the 100 Donation Drive which is a 10-month long CSR project that aims to help 100 organizations.
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Where to Buy? To the Next 100 Years With all of these financial and tool donation drives, feeding programs, partnerships with humanitarian organizations, and other forms of noble CSR efforts, CBK Hardware Inc. is building the community and fostering an environment of togetherness. While their tools and appliances certainly do help in improving the home situation, charity and philanthropic endeavors such as these are what can improve the overall life situation of both the givers and the receivers. As the company enters a new century, there will be even more local and global brands to acquire and form a partnership with, more ways to help out and give back to the community that deserves the utmost care, more homes and buildings to improve using the many tools and appliances the brand has in its disposal, and more individuals to help in any way. In the same way the brand was ever-present in the last century, so too will CBK Hardware Inc. be present, proactive, and professional in the next. With endless brands to befriend, CSR efforts to initiate, facilities to improve and establish, and people to help, CBK Hardware will always lend a helping hand.
Co Ban Kiat Hardware Inc. for nearly 100 years is the trusted distributor of home improvement and hardware items in the Philippines Let’s shop wisely. #StayAtHome and order online at your convenience. Visit us in the following sites and enjoy deals, discounts, and more! Website: https://www.cbkhardware. com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ cbkhardware/ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ cbkhardware Join our Fast Growing Viber Community http://%20https//bit. ly/3ebeCXU Co Ban Kiat Hardware Inc. is the largest authorized distributor of the best industrial hardware solution brands in the Philippines. To shop online, visit https://www.cbkhardware.com/
Co Ban Kiat Hardware, Inc.
Ground Floor, Cobankiat Building II, 231 Juan Luna St. Binondo Manila, Philippines. Phone +632 8243-1931 Phone +632 8243-5263 Phone +632 8894-6561 Email info@cobankiat.com.ph ; ind@cobankiat.com.ph
Coby's Designer Center
Unit 467 level 4 Shangri-La Plaza Edsa Corner Shaw Boulevard Mandaluyong City, Philippines Phone +632 86364895
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About CBK Hardware For almost a hundred years, a family’s surname has become synonymous to the country’s biggest hardware supply company. Co Ban Kiat Hardware Incorporated, of the Cobankiat family has a regular client network of more than 1,500 industrial organizations; 1,600 traditional community hardware stores, and 584 home building specialty chain of stores across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. This ever-growing conglomerate traces its humble roots to Manila Chinatown, as a pioneer enterprise started by family’s patriarch, Mr. Cobankiat in 1920. Despite the ruins of World War II, the business goes back to its feet in 1948, rebuilding a storefront from the very same spot where it was known for three decades. This ever-growing conglomerate traces its humble roots to Manila Chinatown, as a pioneer enterprise started by family’s patriarch, Mr. Cobankiat in 1920. Despite the ruins of World War II, the business goes back to its feet in 1948, rebuilding a storefront from the very same spot where it was known for three decades.
While the Filipinos continue to rebuild their lives post war, CBK Hardware sees the opportunity to introduce the retail concept once unheard for in hardware industry. The Hardware Workshop Store is the fruit if this endeavor. CBK Hardware further cemented its legendary distribution channel with the creation of Coby’ Design Center in Edsa Shangi La in 1996, a specialty store that caters to discriminating taste of modern Filipinos. In 1997, Mr. Johnny Cobankiat, the 4th generation Cobankiat leader, set another milestone for the company when he brings a franchise of Ace Hardware USA to the Philippines, and signs up CBK Hardware as one of its major suppliers. This further expanded into delivering quality world class products nearer to families of Filipino overseas workers in the countryside. A century’s excellence can quickly pass, and guided by the vision to be the largest network supplier of the biggest global brands in the hardware industry, CBK Hardware resolve to source the best products to supply its customers anytime and every time.
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F E AT U R E S T O RY
LG LAUNCHES DUAL VANE CASSETTE THAT DELIVERS BETTER AIR FLOW Innovative Eight Vanes Offer Six Different Airflow Modes for Diverse Environments
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s a leader in the HVAC industry, LG Electronics (LG) has launched Dual Vane Cassette, a 4 way ceiling mounted cassette equipped with a dual vane on each side. With dual vanes, the new cassette adjusts air flow precisely to provide pleasant air flow, regardless of spaces. Since the conventional 4 Way Cassette is equipped with a single vane on each side, it is not able to adjust air flow scrupulously. However, Dual Vane Cassette is equipped with eight vanes in total and generates better air flow with six different modes. The new cassette is suitable for commercial facilities such as offices, hospitals, cafes and schools as the innovative capability of Dual Vane Cassette gets rid of the discomfort that users may feel when exposed to indoor air conditions for a prolonged period of time.
Six Different Modes to Optimize Air Flow Each mode of the Dual Vane Cassette offers different air flow optimized for particular spaces. First, Smart Mode adjusts air flow on its own to keep the ideal temperature all the time, which is suitable for offices. The Up/Down Swing precisely controls the direction of the wind to enhance comfort, making it a desirable function for cafĂŠs. Indirect Wind controls angles of air flow and fits best for hospitals with patients who need quality air environments. Furthermore, places with a high ceiling can leverage Direct Wind while schools can use Refresh Mode which affects brain waves. Lastly, shops can apply Power Cooling / Power Heating for fast cooling and heating as well as saving energy. 24
Powerful Performance with Low Noise Impact Offering six different modes is not the only advantage of Dual Vane Cassette. Its Full 3D Fan decreases air resistance while making high air flow and low noise (45dB(A)). Also, the size of the inlet is increased by 33% and the outlet doubled its size. Bigger inlet and outlet allow for faster cooling and heating air flow. In other words, it is highly efficient at a low sound level. Advanced Capability with Smart Sensors
• Smart Mode (Office): Smart Mode adjusts air flow on its own to keep a room pleasant all the time. After reaching the set temperature, it turns away from the touch. Thus, it is suitable for offices. • Refresh Mode (Classroom): Refresh Mode induces change of brain waves through the changes in temperature, air flow and flow direction by using eight vanes. Thus, it is best used in classrooms.
Not only does dual vane improve performance, but it also becomes smart with intelligent sensors. A thermopile sensor reads floor and ceiling temperature to calculate the most pleasant room temperature for users. Also, a human detection sensor finds users to provide their favorite air flow. It sends cool air flow to places where users are located and indirect air flow to places where there are no users. Moreover, by detecting the absence of users, it switches on and off for a maximum of 54% power saving. Furthermore, Dual Vane Cassette 5 guarantees 99% sterilization with a powerful five-step air cleaning system. These sensors are varied over models. Mr. Suraj Kumar, Technical Manager-Air Solutions said, “The Dual Vane Cassette will help businesses find efficient air system solutions when considering the function by spaces. LG will continue to develop various products best optimized for diverse spaces.” Six different modes: • Indirect Wind (Hospital): Indirect Wind adjusts angles to provide and maintain the most pleasant temperature. Thus, it is recommended for hospitals. • Direct Wind (Lobby): Direct Wind delivers the air blow up to 5m from the unit. Thus, it is suitable for spaces with high ceiling such as lobby. • Power Cooling & Power Heating (Shop): Power mode provides powerful cool air so that reach time for set temperature is shortened by 40% while saving energy. Thus, it is optimized for shops which require quick air conditioning. • Up/Down Swing (Café): Up/Down Swing provides pleasant environment while using eight vanes. Thus, it is recommended for places such as cafes.
About LG Electronics Air Solution Business Unit LG Electronics’ Air Solution Business Unit is a global leader in HVAC and energy solutions with a comprehensive portfolio of proven expertise and performance. Launching Korea’s first residential air conditioner in 1968, LG has paved the way for total HVAC solutions over the last five decades through strategic utilization of advanced technologies. With a wellestablished production base and industryleading capacity, the company provides effective HVAC solutions for both the commercial and residential sectors. Its wide range of cutting-edge systems for heating, ventilation and air conditioning truly represent LG’s initiative in offering the most optimized solutions for a variety of uses. Pursuant to its mission of “Innovation for a Better Life,” the company offers solutions boasting high energy efficiency and reliability based on its state-of-the-art knowhow and technologies to ensure the most optimal environment for users. For more information, please visit www.LG.com.
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When China recorded its first case of COVID-19 way back in December, the country experienced a massive drop in its automotive market. Light vehicle sales fell by 18.6% year-on-year (y-o-y) in January, followed by the country’s biggest-ever decline in February with its y-o-y contracting by a little over 79%.
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The economic fallout then continued as the outbreak spread worldwide. Come March, the European Union’s light vehicle market recorded a y-o-y contraction of 44%, while the Association of South East Asian Nation’s contracted by 40%. In April, the US experienced a decline on the new passenger vehicle sales, 46% lower than that of the same period last year. These falls in sales can likely be attributed to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in unemployment rate also translated to a considerable decrease in consumer spending. When it comes to the overall outlook for the year, London-based information provider IHS Markit forecasted that light vehicle sales globally will drop by 22% for 2020, marking a total of over 70 million units. Evidently, the fall in global demand for vehicles during the first quarter of 2020 had significantly affected vehicle-producing countries. This became a crucial problem for emerging markets, such as Thailand, Indonesia, Morocco, and Mexico, all of which house huge automotive manufacturing industries. 30
For instance, Latin America’s top auto manufacturers, Brazil and Mexico, experienced a decrease in production by 99% y-o-y in April. Instead of the typical over 500,000 vehicles, the two countries were building 5600 vehicles between them only. In Thailand, April’s y-o-y production contracted by 84%. In the latter part of May, Nissan announced its plan to cut their production globally by 20%. Plants in both Spain and Indonesia will be closed, and some of their operations will be transferred to Thailand. This sharp drop come as a result of factories closing due to health concerns and demands declining globally. Moreover, some companies had to stop production entirely as the supply of raw parts and materials from China were too delayed. If an extended downturn in the automotive industry across the globe happens, some of these automotive manufacturing countries will likely feel a massive economic pain. Thankfully, while sales activity considerably declined in the wake of the novel coronavirus, a few countries are already recording a rebound in their respective automotive industries. There are also suggestions that the current situation could actually increase the demand in vehicle.
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Thankfully, while sales activity considerably declined in the wake of the novel coronavirus, a few countries are already recording a rebound in their respective automotive industries.
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Since most businesses are reducing their output and allowing their employees to work from home, they are beginning to invest in renewables as this is a much more cost-effective solution for a low-demand business.
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China, the biggest automotive market in the world, for instance, experienced a 4.4% y-o-y increase in sales in April after recording double-digit declines in vehicle sales from January to March. Remarkably, this increase was the country’s first ever in 22 months. Mexico, on the other hand, began to resume factory operations in mid-May, with giant manufacturers like Honda, Nissan, and Toyota rebooting their productions in the country. In Indonesia, operations are set to continue in early June although production lines will initially run at 50% capacity. The turnaround can be likely attributed to the lifting of lockdown measures after three months of inactivity in the country. Other consumer preferences contributed to the increases, as well. This trend can be compared to the SARS outbreak in China in the early 2000s when people tend to avoid public transportation in fear of catching the virus. In turn, the demand for vehicles dramatically rose. 42
Remarkably, April’s Google search data revealed that there has been an increase in searches for car purchasing options both in Europe and the US. Although such searches will not all translate to actual purchases, they still pose a shift in consumer opinion. Most of those interested in purchasing vehicles are from the younger people. In fact, 45% of people under 35 mentioned that they were considering to buy a car this year as discovered by an April survey conducted by French consulting agency Capgemini. This is considerably higher than the overall average of 35%. The survey, where 11 countries, including the US, Germany, China, India, and the UK, participated, also revealed that half of this age group preferred to take their own car more often and take public transport less in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Over 40% also said that they will lessen the use of ride-hailing services due to concerns on health and safety. - End 43
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Palo Alto Networks and Europol expand collaboration efforts on cybercrime to build a more secure future
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alo Alto Networks and Europol have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that expands their collaboration efforts to tackle cybercrime activity and improve security for citizens, businesses and governments across the EU. The agreement, which builds on Palo Alto Networks’ extensive work with Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) over the last three years, will include exchanging threat intelligence data and details of cybercrime trends, as well as technical expertise and best practices.
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Central to the effort is the exchange of cyberthreat research from Palo Alto Networks Unit 42, the company’s threat intelligence team. Its analysts work to uncover and document new adversary behaviours, malware families and attack campaigns around the world. Unit 42 also helps organisations defend themselves from the latest cyberthreats by sharing playbooks with insight into the various tools, techniques and procedures threat actors employ.
Palo Alto Networks has been actively partnering with Europol as a member of EC3’s Internet Security Industry Advisory Group since early 2017. Through this group, the company participates in regular meetings with Europol investigators to discuss security challenges related to cybercrime trends and share insight on tackling them. Those involved also coordinate on running joint prevention and awareness campaigns. Greg Day, vice president and chief security officer, EMEA, Palo Alto Networks, commented: “Cyberthreats aren’t bound by borders, so we can’t afford to be siloed when it comes to tackling them either. International cooperation like this is important because we can have far more impact by working together. “We are striving to build a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before, so we look forward to working even more closely with Europol over the coming years to aid investigations and enforcement efforts to achieve this goal.”
The Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, Steven Wilson, added: “The close collaboration between law enforcement and the global industry is crucial for countering effectively the increasing threat that criminals pose to the safety of cyberspace. We are confident that working together with the leading companies in the cyber world will significantly enrich the toolbox of the global coalition against cybercrime. This kind of cooperation is the most effective way to protect citizens’ and businesses’ digital lives.” Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 28 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. With over 1,400 staff members, Europol uses state-of-the-art tools to support some 40,000 international investigations each year, serving as a centre for law enforcement cooperation, analytical expertise and criminal intelligence.
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How Digital Security Leaders Can Secure Against an Evolved Threat Landscape As digital becomes intrinsic to an organization, position security and risk as a core business value Days before last year’s Prime Day, one of Amazon’s highestperforming global shopping sales, customers in the U.S. and Japan experienced a malicious phishing attack. They received a pdf file that redirected them to a phishing site, tricking users into sharing personal data — including payment and contact details. The incident stirred new conversations around cybersecurity and how chief information security officers (CISOs) can combat cyberattacks. Smarter With Gartner reached out to analysts presenting at the event to ask how security and its position in the business has evolved in light of the vehemence of malicious attacks.
Complexity of projects and new talent The complexity of security projects is increasing across all markets due to the mature nature of security threats and the risks involved. Because traditional organizations are not accustomed to investing in people and skills development 50
in the information security process, investments in developing expertise in security and risk management continue to be inadequate. Security leaders should focus on hiring new talent to fill the existing skills gap or invest robustly in development on junior resources toward specialization. Security generalists cannot address the wide spectrum of risks efficiently in the current risk landscape. Today’s threat environment calls for dedicated and focused experts who can tackle specific attacks in time and minimize the risks. Another thing that security leaders must consider is that investment in talent is not a one-off initiative. It is a
continuing process and must be followed through periodical trainings and live workshops.
Reduce risks and improve business agility Risk management leaders should focus on security projects that optimize business operations and reduce risk in a measurable and meaningful way. They should also work toward establishing and maintaining strong lines of communication with business leaders to validate risk appetite and risk tolerance. One common mistake that security and risk management leaders have been making is to focus only on risk reduction. However, Gartner advises that they should broaden
their focus and explore how security projects contribute to business process optimization. Security can become an integral part of the organization’s culture only when it contributes to business growth and is not an impediment to business agility.
Fill the skills gap and foster privatepublic partnerships to strengthen privacy laws Issues like lack of basic controls, lack of informal security processes and broken accountabilities, to name a few, continue to contribute to augmenting risks. More evolved and efficient security solutions exist; however, they have failed to deliver. The changing landscape of cloud should be on the CISO’s radar. The move to cloud keeps rising, which brings opportunities and challenges. CISOs in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) were hesitant to adopt a cloud-first strategy due to privacy and security concerns. Although Tier 1 CSPs have addressed these arguments, visibility of cloud security is still a major concern. “The frequency of executive reporting has doubled in the past year, and regulatory
agencies are continuing to push executive management to be held liable.” Skills shortage continues to be a problem for global CISOs as well as GCC CISOs. Security leaders will need to be more proactive in that area through training, development, taking advantage of gamification and alternative means to upskilling their function. Additionally, the visibility of senior security and risk management roles are at an all-time high, particularly in the GCC. In the GCC, the frequency of executive reporting has doubled in the past year, and regulatory agencies are continuing to push executive management to be held liable for incidents. This is forcing many CISOs to improve their communication with the board of directors to foster a culture of security. Lastly, privacy continues to spur a strong debate between public and private sectors in the GCC. GDPR has opened the GCC up to scrutiny. More GCC governments have started to adopt data protection laws that seek to protect consumer information and other personally identifiable information. This presents large capacity and resource challenges to organizations as they begin to understand the complex landscape of privacy 51
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Infor Delivers Coleman AI Platform Platform helps enterprises fully operationalize AI quickly and is key building block of Infor’s Intelligent CloudSuite Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry, has announced the general availability (GA) of its Infor Coleman AI (Artificial Intelligence) Platform for embedded machine learning models. The platform provides the speed, repeatability and personalization needed for enterprises to fully operationalize AI – and it serves as a key building block for Infor’s Intelligent CloudSuite. Today’s enterprise AI environment is characterized by a myriad of developercentric tools, which are designed primarily for experimental projects. With these tools, it is difficult to implement complete projects — and services quality and speed are painfully slow. As a result, the practical use of AI and machine learning in the enterprise remains low. With the Infor Coleman AI Platform, enterprises can take advantage of industry-specific starter packs (templates) to accelerate development of repeatable big data, machine learningbased AI projects. These templates are highly personalized and tailored to specific customer data and usage patterns. Further, they are designed for use by “citizen developers,” who don’t need extensive data modeling skills. When combined with Infor OS (Operating Service), enterprises can simplify and speed up the entire implementation process — giving them the ability to roll out complete, production AI projects in less than six weeks. Infor OS is a cloud operating service designed to bring business processes and AI together and offer operational insights that were never accessible to a business before.
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Through its Infor Coleman AI Platform and Infor OS, Infor delivers the Intelligent CloudSuite, a complete solution to automate, anticipate, predict and inform. This gives enterprise customers the business insights they need, when they need them. Flint Hills Resources, which produces a diverse range of fuels and ingredient products for many household goods, is starting to use the Infor Coleman AI Platform to better manage its inventory by relating predictive maintenance on its refining and manufacturing equipment to
better cost-effective stocking patterns — all the way down to the part and component level.
management, transportation routing, and predictive maintenance.
Chris Dahl, CIO of Flint Hills Resources, said, “The combination of the Infor Coleman AI Platform and Infor EAM (Enterprise Asset Management) can give us better insights into our asset health and help transform the way we do maintenance at our facilities.”
The Infor Coleman AI Platform represents a giant leap forward for AI at scale — incorporating deep reservoirs of network data to help serve the needs of human workers and to help make connected devices smarter.
Jonathan Wood, General Manager, Middle East & Africa, Infor, said, “With other solutions, you have to figure out how to use AI with a multitude of other technologies. We bring an enterprise AI ensemble together in a single platform — through which we can provide a complete Intelligent CloudSuite.” In addition, Wood said, “the Infor Coleman AI Platform is unique in that it is designed specifically for business users and is built upon a foundation of industry-specific data. At any given moment, it can help with executing tasks and recommending next-best sales offers, or predicting maintenance issues and adjusting production schedules accordingly.”
The platform is specifically designed for nontechnical, business users and is built upon a foundation of industry-specific data, and it also provides the extensive tooling needed for a well-established machine learning practice. The Infor Coleman AI Platform modeling environment is “digestible,” in that it doesn’t require as complex a skillset as other AI tooling, nor is it designed to require an exhaustive service engagement. Customers can better understand, relate, and trust the output, given the focus on user experience and embedded connectivity to the entire applicable enterprise suite.
The Infor Coleman AI Platform value proposition
Organizations can work to gain a competitive advantage by creating models from their proprietary data and experiences, and the Infor Coleman AI Platform enables them to pass along advantages, up and down stream, using their AI insights.
The Infor Coleman AI Platform is a pervasive machine learning platform that operates below an application’s surface. It mines data and uses powerful machine learning to help improve processes such as inventory
The Infor Coleman AI Platform is named after the inspiring physicist and mathematician Katherine Coleman Johnson, whose trailblazing work at NASA helped humans land on the moon. 55
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7 Dynamic Tips to Protect Your Business from Potential Wide-Scale Effect of COVID-19
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ur unseen enemy is causing much harm than we could imagine. The health sector is not the only one affected in this global outbreak of COVID-19. Now that is officially a pandemic, its next biggest victim would be the world economy. As a matter of fact, it is already starting in most countries now - and the micro, small and medium enterprises are the highly affected ones. If you are a struggling micro or small business owner, this can help you. Below are a number of dynamic ways to protect your business from
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the potential economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.
Establish your brand through social media Social media is the way to go during this time of crisis that strongly requires physical distancing and quarantines. Keep your business alive by letting your consistent customers know that you are still up and running, at the same time, invite new customers in. Since social media is where most people are during this season, it is a great channel to market your business continuity online.
Go in for an ecommerce website Although the social media is a great platform to advertise, it is not an advisable means to actually sell your products and services, as well as track all your orders seamlessly. A website can aid in all these and more - you can even customise some of the features to suit your needs. A stable and reliable web hosting and builder can make your transition towards the World Wide Web more manageable and adjustments are somehow painless.
Keep your cash flow running Besides all the production/procurement and marketing efforts, you also have to make sure that your cash flow is actively running. This means continuous tracking and accounting all expenses while striving to push earnings in. Through this, you can still declare ‘business as usual’.
Start cutting unnecessary costs as early as now One of the best practices in terms of keeping your cash flow active, especially during a crisis is through cutting costs early on. Keep that best practice and begin reducing as much expenses as you can possibly get and try to operate within your means.
Preserve steady customers Connect to your old customers and show how valuable they are to you. If you still can, provide some discounts or V.I.P. promos for them too.
Find a reliable way to deliver what you offer
Boost your marketing efforts online Although it is very tempting to cut all marketing costs in this season of economic threat, you shouldn’t. You can trim some things on the promotion aspects and just use more creativity to compensate. But never ever completely let marketing die down. You can always find more thrifty yet creative ways to do this, especially online. Critical times require swift and cautious actions. So try to make the above-mentioned suggestions count.
In order to continue operation, you must have the means to deliver your products or services. Therefore, search for a dependable one to assist you. 59
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Classroom of the Future is Advance Blended Learning
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P Inc. announced ‘Classroom of the Future’ – an integrated solution for education providers, consisting of HP’s PC hardware and a suite of digital pedagogy enabling software. This will help drive access to quality education, using technology to create a more effective learning environment and enable better learning outcomes in the new era of blended learning accelerated by COVID-19. The ‘Classroom of the Future’ solution offers smart, education-focused hardware coupled with cutting-edge software to support new teaching methodologies and empower all the key stakeholders in the classroom. These are bundled through HP’s specially designed Education Edition products, such as the HP ProBook x360 notebook, which is lightweight but rugged with long battery life and comes with collaboration and creation tools through Classera, advanced security and
monitoring technology through TechPulse, as well as a classroom management software Classroom Manager. With a sudden shift to remote learning, technology and digital tools are no longer just a component of learning but have become an essential enabler of it. For the last few years, blended learning strategies have been recognized for optimizing interaction among classroom stakeholders, promoting effective learning by combining the best features of physical and online education. With schools and universities opening in September by adopting a hybrid model with online and on-campus elements for the next academic year, technology to support blended learning has grown in importance. Mayank Dhingra Senior Education Business Lead, HP Inc., said, “Educators across the globe are under immense pressure to quickly pivot the way they teach, as they transition to online learning models. Not only do they need the right devices, they need expert guidance
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on all aspects of the move to digital learning – from IT consultancy, to digital learning courses, and more. While blended learning has been discussed for some time, the role technology plays in education has never been more pertinent than it is today. “With the ‘Classroom of the Future’ solution, HP is not only reinventing the classroom but is also using technology to reshape learning environments, thus enabling better learning outcomes through such initiatives,” he added. Mohammad Almadani, CEO of Classera, said, “Undoubtedly the world is navigating through unchartered territory. The education sector has been over proportionately impacted by the pandemic. Yet it provides an opportunity to rethink our educational system and accelerate a transition towards the ‘Classroom of the Future’. Partnering with HP on this education solution allows us to bring together world-class technology with our expert programs for the benefit of thousands of pupils and students.” The ‘Classroom of the Future’ solution ensures a virtuous pedagogy loop by empowering all the key stakeholders in the classroom with:
• Student Centricity: Classera’s learning software is an essential tool that engages young students through interactive and digitized learning environment. All available content has been designed specifically to cater for students’ learning needs, tailored to their age groups. • Teacher Empowerment: HP’s ‘Classroom Manager’ allows teachers to create a digital learning environment for students, while tracking progress in real time, monitoring student activities and evaluating individual and group performances. The teacher can restrict website access by lesson, class, and date. • IT Governance: ‘TechPulse’ is a diagnostics tool that is used for predictive analytics for IT support, management, security, and planning. The software is designed to maximize device performance, ensure security compliance, and optimize device allocation. The ‘Classroom of the Future’ is a part of HP’s commitment to enabling better learning outcomes for 100 million people globally by 2025. In addition to this new solution, HP has a series of educational programs such as Campus of the Future, HP Learning Studios and HP LIFE that accelerate blended learning. 63
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Online Distance Learning is the Safest Solution During Covid-19
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s many as 250 million children across Africa are currently unable to access primary and secondary schools as a result of COVID-19-related closures. Analysts have shared concerns that this may create a lost generation of learners, causing many children to leave school prematurely. Avaya (NYSE: AVYA), a global leader in solutions to enhance and simplify communications and collaboration, is helping to stem this loss across the continent by enabling students to stay on track with their studies using Avaya Spaces™.
meeting and team collaboration features they needed to keep students learning and curriculums on track. With Avaya Spaces, African schools such as Icon International School in Ghana, Charter College in South Africa, and Waldorf Woodlands in Kenya, have kept students safely engaged in their education by using the Online Distance Learning app and computer hardware to create virtual classrooms that can be accessed securely from anywhere on any device.
Avaya Spaces, the all-in-one video collaboration app for the digital workplace, changes the way works gets done. It helps bring together distributed groups of people instantly with immersive work spaces where they can message, meet, share content and manage tasks from a browser or mobile device, and provides an easy, secure and effective way to collaborate in the cloud.
Analysts and researchers have noted the importance of easy-to-use collaboration tools for Online Distance Learning education institutions to maintain their connections with students, to support bright futures in the face of today’s challenges. “Investing in training and education is the best way to secure the future prosperity of the African region,” said Adrian Ho, Practise Leader, Enterprise Advanced Digital Services, Omdia.
Earlier this year, Avaya Spaces Online Distance Learning was offered for free to educational institutions worldwide, giving them all the
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made its struggles more challenging. Harnessing technologies like Avaya Spaces will help
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apps, but now everything is held within an easyto-access online space. With Avaya Spaces, we are able to create a rich and academically stimulating environment that students can access from the safety and comfort of their own homes.” In South Africa, Charter College International High School moved classrooms online with Avaya Spaces to enable continued learning amid a shutdown of schools across the country. Working with Avaya, Charter College deployed business licenses for its teachers and staff – bridge the training and educational gaps of the enough to support over 1,000 student users future workforce in Africa, allowing the region to in virtual classrooms via laptops and internet be globally competitive.” capability. “The crisis has forced educators across Africa and around the world to adapt in order to avoid losing educational progress made throughout the first half of the academic year,” said Nidal Abou-Ltaif, President, Avaya International. “With our Avaya Spaces offer, we have helped teachers and students continue to focus on Online Distance Learning education, and we’re proud to have played a small part in seeing off worries of a lost generation of learners.” Icon International School, a leading Ghanaian institution that caters to learners from multiple grade levels, is one such school that has turned to Online Distance Learning technology to ensure the continued delivery of education for its students.
“We join a growing number of educational institutions worldwide who have had to temporarily cancel in-person classes, but we’ve worked extremely quickly to move lessons online and ensure that our students are still being provided with a top Online Distance Learning education,” said Alison Dodge, Principal at Charter College International High School. Despite South African schools now being officially open, Charter College will continue using Avaya Spaces to keep students and teachers engaged and collaborating – and can maintain a continuity of education if classes shut again. The right computer, network and software are key to make this a success.
Initially getting by with various freemium consumer apps, the school eventually put in place a comprehensive remote learning program for students using Avaya Spaces. The cloud-based video and collaboration app enables Icon to seamlessly deliver a Montessori-style education across geographies.
“Our first priority is the safety of our students. During a global pandemic, our goal is to provide continuity of their classes while ensuring we’re following the most up-to-date health advice from government bodies. Avaya Spaces has already proven indispensable with its task management features, and it provides us with a viable remote learning option if we ever need to temporarily shut the school again,” Dodge added.
“With Avaya Spaces, teachers are able to attend to the individual needs of every learner,” said Elizabeth Owusu-Bennoah, Proprietress, Icon International School. “We have found the task management features particularly effective, as they enable us to plan, type out assignments from our tablets or laptops, and follow up on them all within the same app. Previously, there was a lot of copying and pasting between various different 67
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Re-Engineering Customer Service in a in Post Covid-19 World How customer service looks like in a post covid-19 era We live in very ambitious and driven countries underpinned by strong leadership. Majority of governments around the world are very clear that delivering the best government services in the world for its citizens is central to its future; and we see this embedded in their stated respective visions. Although many government services in the APAC region have traditionally been kept in-house, given the current economic climate and drive for more efficiency, we are now supporting governments in APAC, as we do worldwide, to deliver an improved level of citizen satisfaction and enhanced experience, but in a more cost effective way. One of the previous blockages to outsourcing these services has focused on data sensitivity and/or the complexity of the cases trying to be resolved – whether it be about employment and skills, pensions, health or justice. These processes often come with documentation, enrollment standards, eligibility criteria and more – often leading to
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citizen confusion, frustration from delays and data inaccuracy into systems. Whilst naturally the outcome is the main priority (i.e completing the process in a post covid-19 era), the journey each citizen goes through to get to this point is unique and it has to be excellent for each of them.
Citizens at the heart of the experience To really succeed with complex case management, the focus has to be on the citizen and their experience. We must perform the transactions required with high trust, reduced time and ease of access: yes with a cost efficient process, but by starting on designing the process, systems and training, we can focus on the customer experience first. As we look towards a post COVID-19 world, we ask can delivering best-in-class services become a challenge in the wake of governments driving to make further reductions in cost and seeking more financial efficiencies?As economies look to recover as quickly as possible from the coronavirus pandemic, citizens will want even more convenient, high quality services that they can access at any point of the day remotely.
We need to look at how the demand can be serviced simultaneously, whilst tackling the drive for generating cost savings in tandem.
Every citizen is unique in post covid-19 era With every citizen being different, there is a need to be able to have the right type of technologies and processes in place to cater to what each person is most comfortable with. Some people may prefer pen and paper and more digitally savvy people may be very comfortable with using their smartphones. So, there is a need to have an innovative case management programme and associated systems/platforms that provide omnichannel access to efficient services. At the same time, there also needs to be an ability to tailor interactions to each citizen’s preferences. This has driven and continues to drive huge technical innovation from AI chatbots to human-like intelligent voice response. That said, nothing will ever replace the need for high quality human interaction, especially when dealing with secure and sensitive government services which can be highly personal, emotive or complex.
The highly-trained human element in post covid-19 era Traditionally, the region has seen contact centres being built around lowering the cost and driving efficiency by accepting a lower quality of interaction, training and more – either offshoring abroad or even on shore. However, people are not willing to accept that anymore, particularly in a post-COVID world, we expect people to become even less accepting of the low-cost, low-quality contact centre model. Couple this with the upcoming need to outsource even more complicated and sensitive government services and there is a new need for a sophisticated, highly trained and qualified human service amidst the prevalent digitisation of government services. The sweet spot comes where technology is seamlessly blended with that high quality human element. It is in striking a careful balance between the deployment of leading-edge technology in a post covid-19 world and the provision of smooth access to interaction with highly-trained humans, that we can find provide
the increased efficiency and cost savings governments are striving for. And this goes hand-in-hand with the personal, trusted, swift service that citizens of today are demanding.
Citizen Service in action in a post covid-19 era One example of this is the Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as ObamaCare) service that we deliver for the US government, where we give advice, establish eligibility and connect citizens to suitable medical insurance. In the first two years (from 2013) we needed almost 5,000 people to deliver the service. Year on year, with our selfdriven continuous improvement programme, focused on the deployment of a wide range of the latest technology, we now only need around 2,100 people to be able to do that work. Not only is our workforce now smaller (and so the cost to government), but the quality of the service and citizen satisfaction measures are all much higher. This is even whilst we are dealing with a higher volume of transactions per month than we did in 2013, with previously more than double the staff. Broadly then, with Intelligent Automation, we are not replacing the knowledge worker in a post covid-19 world, but we are reducing the amount of time they are needed for within the case handling flow. This means when human intervention does occur, the knowledge worker is a highly competentindividual and has the tools to rapidly and accurately help the individual through what can often be complex process (whether courts to immigration, taxes to healthcare). The “new normal” we will see as we emerge from this global pandemic gives rise to the potential for a focus on elements which drive economic recovery such as a stronger, fresh approach to supporting jobs, skills development and enterprise support. Regardless of its service focus, it will certainly only give more urgency to deliver the promised government service changes, including its outsourcing to the private sector to enhance value for money and leave citizens happier than ever with their government.
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Emrill collaborates with Dubai Chamber to reduce and recycle
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eading UAE facilities management company, Emrill, has joined forces with Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry to reduce waste in the emirate. As part of its Let’s Reduce and Recycle campaign, Dubai Chamber invited schools, universities and colleges, private and public sector organisations, families and individuals to collaborate in diverting waste away from landfills and raise awareness about the importance of waste segregation and recycling. In 2018, the UAE ranked as one of the world’s biggest waste producers according to World Bank data. Dubai Municipality estimates the average person in the UAE produces a total of 2.5kg of waste every day. Of this, 77 per cent ends up in landfills according to UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment estimates. One of the key aims of UAE Vision 2021 is to implement green growth plans for the long term sustainable development of the country. Aligned to the national agenda, Dubai has committed to diverting 75 per cent of waste away from landfills, focusing instead on waste reduction, segregation and collection to recover and recycle waste. Additionally, Expo 2020 Dubai has further committed to diverting 85 per cent of waste away from landfills. This ambitious target is part of its bid to be the greenest expo ever. As part of the campaign, which took place 74
as part of Dubai Chamber Sustainability Week 2019, Emrill is promoting a zero-waste lifestyle, asking employees to participate by collecting clothes, paper, plastic bottles and e-waste. In the collection period between November 7–26, 2019, Emrill collected a total of 280 bottles, 51kg of paper, 115kg of clothes and 689kg of e-waste, including 28 printers and two desktops. During the campaign, Emrill also ran an internal marketing campaign, encouraging employees and their families to be more mindful about waste and consciously take steps to reuse and recycle. Stuart Harrison, Emrill’s CEO, said of the campaign: “It’s been a pleasure to get involved in the Let’s Reduce and Recycle campaign. Emrill is committed to sustainability and we welcomed the opportunity to do a little bit more for such a worthy cause. Over the past year, we have launched a sustainable vegetable
garden and embarked on a water conservation programme, using condensation water to clean car parks. This initiative alone has saved over 35,000 litres of water.
friends and family, creating a ripple effect. If we all take steps to reduce waste and become more sustainable, we can have a major collective impact.
“We have also actively sought to reduce landfill waste in the communities we manage. For example, by fitting fabricated detachable algae skimmers to our maintenance pedal boats, we were able to push algae from the centre of the lakes to shore, expediting the removal process and allowing the regular scheduling of cleaning work regardless of weather conditions. This solution has enabled us to reduce algae waste by 25 per cent and total waste volume by 31 per cent.”
“Our campaign reached 7,500 employees and generated real involvement from our team members, customers, supply chain and stakeholders.” All materials were collected by authorised waste management and recycling companies.
Emrill embraces initiatives that highlight the difference every person can make in the pursuit of increased sustainability and the battle against climate change. Fasiulla Shariff, Emrill’s integrated management system manager led the internal campaign. He said: “Initiatives of this type change the mindset of our people. They then go home and share this information with their
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GCC chemical industry achieves revenue of USD 84.1 billion ‘GPCA Pulse of the Chemical Industry Report’ featuring the key achievements of the region’s chemical industry was released at the 14th Annual GPCA Forum
• Saudi Arabia is among world’s top 10 exporters of chemicals • Against the backdrop of positive price trends in fertilizer and polymer products, revenue in the UAE increased by 28.4% • Oman’s chemical sector has the highest contribution to GDP among the GCC countries, with 5.1% in 2018, which is double that of the region • Bahrain’s chemical sector achieved record revenue growth in 2018 of 39% • Chemical revenue in Kuwait has increased by 32% in 2018 The Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), the voice of the chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf, has highlighted the growth and success of the chemical industry in the Arabian Gulf following the release of ‘GPCA Pulse of the Chemical Industry Report’ today at the 14th Annual GPCA Forum, which took place from December 3-5, 2019 at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. The report highlights chemical production, export, sales, job creation and 78
investments made in the Arabian Gulf in 2018. This year, the forum themed ‘Winning through Strategic Partnerships’ was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhi, Oman’s Minister of Oil and Gas. It included a prestigious speaker line-up that consisted of senior industry leaders, representing some of the world’s largest chemical firms. The report outlined that the GCC chemical industry achieved a revenue of USD 84.1 billion in 2018, with production capacity reaching 174.8 million tons, signaling an increase of 2.8% in terms of contribution to the regional GDP. Due to the increased demand of chemicals by the GCC producers across the globe, the production capacity of the GCC chemical industry was also added by 13.3. million tons in 2018. The report has revealed that Oman’s chemical sector has the highest contribution to GDP among the GCC countries, with 5.1% in 2018, double the figure in the region. This achievement is attributable in part to the manufacturing sector being inscribed within the top five sectors identified by Oman’s National Program for Diversification. Saudi Arabia has maintained its exceptional
standing in 2018, retaining its spot in the top ten exporters of chemicals today globally. It is also the region’s powerhouse, with the largest volume output and chemical sales revenue. In 2018, Saudi producers generated USD 62 billion in revenue. The Saudi chemical industry is also a champion in terms of portfolio diversification, with GPCA member companies in Saudi Arabia producing as many as 126 products with a total capacity of 119.2 million tons. Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General, GPCA, commented, “The chemical industry in the GCC is consistently scaling new heights in terms of production, portfolio diversification and job creation. Such success is driven by visionary regional leadership which is driving economic diversification initiatives that are focused on developing the non-oil sector. This is supported by several government initiatives such as Oman’s National Program for Diversification. Saudi Vision 2030 is also playing a role in supporting economic diversification. As it pertains to the UAE, the chemical sector is situated mostly in Abu Dhabi, where the industry is developed in line with Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030, which in turn is creating new employment opportunities.” He further added, “The employment in the GCC chemical industry increased by 157,000 in 2018 with the UAE being the second largest employer gaining approximately 18% market share in regional employment in the chemical sector.”Against the backdrop of the positive price trends in fertilizer and polymer products, revenue trends in the UAE have increased by 28.4%. The petrochemicals sector in the UAE was characterized by rapid development, with 77% of the current production capacity being launched in the last decade (20082018). In 2018, the UAE chemicals output was 14.5
million tons, with basic chemicals representing one third (33%), followed by polymers (28%) and fertilizers (30%). Bahrain’s chemical sector achieved the highest revenue growth of 39% in 2018, attributed primarily to higher revenue from fertilizer products. Bahrain’s production capacity reached 1.4 million tons and achieved a revenue of USD 327 million in 2018. Kuwait achieved the second highest chemical revenue growth of 32% in 2018. With industrial expansion being a top priority as part of the long-term development priorities in Kuwait’s 2035 strategy, this achievement further cements its position as a global center for petrochemical production. Following Oman, with 4.1% in 2018, Qatar’s chemical sector has the second highest contribution to the GDP among the GCC countries. The production capacity reached 19.1 million tons and achieved chemical revenue of USD 7.3 billion, an increase by 14% in 2018. The fertilizers represent 51% of Qatar’s share in the country’s total production capacity, highest in the country so far. 79
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Event Info Power Purchase Agreement
7 – 10 June 2020, Dubai 19 – 22 October 2020, Singapore www.infocusinternational.com/ppa
Overview There are many moving pieces affecting the future of electric power development in emerging market. Unlike the past Independent Power Project models, which featured standardised take-or-pay contracts – today’s market demands more innovative incentives to ensure better availability, better performance, as well as more attractive and sustainable mixtures of fuel sources. Economies throughout developing countries urgently need to master the key tools, models, and lessons learned for transforming and strengthening today’s electricity sector. These include the latest models in negotiating Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), in designing and managing new competitive power markets, as well as attracting the right mix of renewable energy sources. This 4-day comprehensive workshop gives you clear explanations of the new models of PPA risk allocation, of designing and managing competitive power markets, attracting private investments in renewable energy, through a series of real case examples of contracts and markets. Case Studies will include real examples from Africa, Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America. Furthermore, cases stimulate independent thinking and discussion among participants. Benefits of Attending • LEARN about all the essentials of different PPAs • NEGOTIATE fair and sustainable PPAs • STRUCTURE successful PPAs based upon your own company’s risk profile and risk allocation needs • EXPOSE to the frontiers of international experience in IPP development • LEARN theory and practice of pricing and tariff design • ANALYSE the relationship between Public, Private, and Government sector • PERFORM a policy and risk analysis of PPA contracts • EXPLORE a PPA relationship with EPC, O&M, Fuel Supply, and Interconnect Agreement • GAIN the tools and models in directing your country’s electricity transformation and market design plans • IMPROVE your awareness of the common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid in today’s private power investments
• LEAD successful power project finance transactions • IDENTIFY how financial derivatives can be used as an effective hedge of financial and electricity market based risks
Teaching Methodology The agenda will combine presented materials with plenty of opportunity for Q&A, interactive discussions, and the use of quantitative models to illustrate key learning points. Current market examples and data are utilised wherever helpful. Course Certificate Upon the successful completion of this course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion bearing the signatures from both the Course Director and the Course Organiser. This Certificate will testify your endeavour and serve towards your professional advancement. To Register/Enquire on this course, please contact:
Abigail Harris
Infocus International Tel: +65 6325 0215 Email: abigail@infocusinternational.com Website: www.infocusinternational.com/ppa
4 day course
“Excellent! There are many interesting topics which cover almost all relevant issues in electricity market, such as market reform and PPA negotiation. And the speaker is simply great.” Head of PPA Section, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
Power Purchase Agreement Structuring successful Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), managing competitive electricity markets & attracting merchant power investments
Book 3 persons and save
$400
7 – 10 June 2020, Dubai 19 – 22 October 2020, Singapore
per person
Benefits of Attending
Who Should Attend
■ LEARN about all the essentials of different PPAs ■ NEGOTIATE fair and sustainable PPAs ■ STRUCTURE successful PPAs based upon your own company’s risk profile and risk allocation needs ■ EXPOSE to the frontiers of international experience in IPP development ■ LEARN theory and practice of pricing and tariff design ■ ANALYSE the relationship between Public, Private, and Government sector ■ PERFORM a policy and risk analysis of PPA contracts ■ EXPLORE a PPA relationship with EPC, O&M, Fuel Supply, and Interconnect Agreement ■ GAIN the tools and models in directing your country’s electricity transformation and market design plans ■ IMPROVE your awareness of the common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid in today’s private power investments ■ LEAD successful power project finance transactions ■ IDENTIFY how financial derivatives can be used as an effective hedge of financial and electricity market based risks
■ Contract / Agreement Negotiators ■ Legal / Regulation / Compliance / Policy Analysts ■ Business Development Managers ■ Commercial Managers ■ Finance Controllers / Treasurers ■ Corporate Planners ■ Business & Accounting Analysts ■ Sales & Trading Managers ■ Structured / Project Finance Analysts ■ Economists / Investors ■ Chairman / CEO / Directors From sectors: ■ Electric Regulators & Ministries ■ Power & Utility Companies ■ IPP Developers ■ Banks / Investors ■ Energy Fuel Suppliers (Oil, Gas, Coal and Renewables) ■ Law Firms & Consultancy
Supported by: OFFSHORE MAGAZINE
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E: abigail@infocusinternational.com
www.infocusinternational.com/ppa
Event Info Electricity Economics in Changing Electricity Markets 16 – 18 November 2020, Singapore www.infocusinternational.com/electricityeconomics
Overview
Are you ready for the new challenges & opportunities as power markets around the world evolve? This is an essential core knowledge course for those involved in the business or regulation of the power industry. It leads you through a clear, accessible and thorough examination of the economics of power generation, from power plant cost influences to end-customer prices. It contextualises this analysis with key consideration of industry drivers and trends, including increasingly liberalised and competitive markets, evolving policy support and management frameworks, the growth and integration of renewable power sources, and the restructuring of power systems towards more decentralised operations. A highly interactive presentation style allows for plenty of Q&A and time to discuss the issues from multiple stakeholder perspectives; including power plant owners, investors, policymakers and energy customers. This course is an essential primer for those seeking to navigate successful business routes through transitioning electricity systems. Benefits of Attending • Clear, independent and businessfocused introduction • Language designed for non-experts; particularly senior executives, policymakers & investment decision-makers • Core knowledge building, including up-to-the-minute examples from markets around the world • Interactive discussion of key market and economic variables • Quantification of key issues using simple numerical calculations, real data and Excel-based tools We will examine these key questions: • Which variables drive the economics of electricity generation? • How do generation costs combine with other factors to produce end-use electricity prices? • How are current technology & system trends impacting electricity costs and prices? • What are policymakers doing to keep costs down? • Who are the key stakeholders and influencers on electricity economics? • What are the value-chain impacts of market Liberalisation and Competition? • How are solar and wind power (and other low-carbon options) changing market environments? • and many more!
Who Should Attend: • Power generators, utilities and IPPs • Investors, including commercial and development banks, venture capital and private equity • Policymakers and policy advisors • Transmission / Distribution system operators (grid) • Power system vendors & EPC contractors • Large electricity users • Commercial services suppliers (law, insurance etc.) Teaching Methodology The agenda will combine presented materials with plenty of opportunity for Q&A, interactive discussions, and the use of quantitative models to illustrate key learning points. Current market examples and data are utilised wherever helpful. Course Certificate Upon the successful completion of this course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion bearing the signatures from both the Course Director and the Course Organiser. This Certificate will testify your endeavour and serve towards your professional advancement. To Register/Enquire on this course, please contact:
Abigail Harris
Infocus International Tel: +65 6325 0215 Email: abigail@infocusinternational.com Website: www.infocusinternational.com/electricityeconomics
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND “I enjoyed the course with lots of demonstrations and case studies. The facilitator was just marvellous, up to the game. It was a value for money workshop.” Shadric Namalomba, Director of Finance, Electricity Generation Company Malawi
Electricity Economics
in Changing Electricity Markets The new economics of power markets in a low-carbon world
16 – 18 November 2020, Singapore Book 3 persons and save
$300 each
Benefits of Attending ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Clear, independent and business-focused introduction Language designed for non-experts; particularly senior executives, policymakers & investment decision-makers Core knowledge building, including up-to-the-minute examples from markets around the world Interactive discussion of key market and economic variables Quantification of key issues using simple numerical calculations, real data and Excel-based tools
We will examine these key questions: ■ Which variables drive the economics of electricity generation? ■ How do generation costs combine with other factors to produce end-use electricity prices? ■ How are current technology & system trends impacting electricity costs and prices? ■ What are policymakers doing to keep costs down? ■ Who are the key stakeholders and influencers on electricity economics? ■ What are the value-chain impacts of market liberalisation and competition? ■ How are solar and wind power (and other low-carbon options) changing market environments? ■ and many more!
Who Should Attend ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Power generators, utilities and IPPs Investors, including commercial and development banks, venture capital and private equity Policymakers and policy advisors Transmission / Distribution system operators (grid) Power system vendors & EPC contractors Large electricity users Commercial services suppliers (law, insurance etc.)
Supported by: OFFSHORE MAGAZINE
ENERGY INSIGHT
E: abigail@infocusinternational.com
www.infocusinternational.com/electricityeconomics
Event Info Gas & LNG Markets, Contracts & Pricing 16 – 20 March 2020, Singapore 28 Sep – 2 Oct 2020, Port of Spain 23 – 27 Nov 2020, Singapore www.infocusinternational.com/gaslng
Overview Due to the complex geopolitical nature of gas/ LNG sourcing and long term nature of gas transactions between buyers and sellers, it is commercially prudent for those involved in thisprocess to know the global gas & LNG supply & markets condition, available methodologies for price determination, contract structure and negotiation techniques. Any misjudgement in any of these areas could result in wrong sourcing decisions, significant adverse financial consequences and legal liabilities. This course has, therefore, been designed to enable the professionals in the gas sector and gas advisory services to make right sourcing decision, construct gas/LNG contracts and negotiate from a position of strength and knowledge in order to gain a competitive edge in the process. Course Highlights • Global gas/LNG market and market structure in Asia Pacific, Africa, Middle East, Europe and USA regions • Current gas/LNG outlook and trends • Contract terminology and construction operational, commercial and legal basis of gas, LNG and Gas Transportation Contracts • Principles of gas/LNG Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA/SPA), Gas Transportation Agreement (GTA) and Regasification Agreements • Gas/LNG pricing principles, current practice and price indexation in competitive gas markets • Contracting and negotiation - proven techniques Benefits of Attending • Background knowledge to framework to facilitate gas/LNG commercial decisions • Understanding current trends of the gas organisation structure • Knowledge of the underlying rationale for gas contract terms and conditions • Learn to construct gas, LNG and gas transportation contracts and negotiate them • Understanding of techniques of gas/LNG price setting in competitive markets • Awareness of operation of trading hubs, spot and arbitrage • Holistic understanding of what is required to put a new supply chain in place Who Should Attend Energy professionals including but not limited to:
• Purchasing/Supply Chain • Legal/Contracts Negotiation • Commercial • Finance/Pricing • Marketing • Trading • Sales/Business Development • Project Finance • Corporate Planning From Sectors: • Natural gas E&P • Gas/LNG trade, shipping, transmission, distribution • Government agencies • Gas based power generation • Gas/LNG related project finance, asset management, hedge funds, equity/fixed income • Gas pipeline and high pressure transportation Course Certificate Upon the successful completion of this course, you will receive a Certificate of Completion bearing the signatures from both the Course Director and the Course Organiser. This Certificate will testify your endeavour and serve towards your professional advancement. To Register/Enquire on this course, please contact:
Weslyn Lee
Infocus International Group Tel: +65 6325 0274 Email: abigail@infocusinternational.com Website: www.infocusinternational.com/gaslng
5 day course “The best gas / LNG course I have ever attended. I will gladly recommend it to anyone.” by past participant, Chevron
GAS & LNG
MARKETS, CONTRACTS & PRICING A comprehensive all-in-one course addressing all key elements for successful gas & LNG business strategies
16 – 20 Mar 2020 Singapore 28 Sep – 2 Oct 2020 Port of Spain 23 – 27 Nov 2020 Singapore
Course Highlights ■ Global gas/LNG market and market structure in Asia Pacific, Africa, Middle East, Europe and USA regions ■ Current gas/LNG outlook and trends ■ Contract terminology and construction - operational, commercial and legal basis of gas, LNG and Gas Transportation Contracts ■ Principles of gas/LNG Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA/SPA), Gas Transportation Agreement (GTA) and Regasification Agreements ■ Gas/LNG pricing principles, current practice and price indexation in competitive gas markets ■ Contracting and negotiation - proven techniques
Benefits of Attending ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Background knowledge to framework to facilitate gas/LNG commercial decisions Understanding current trends of the gas organisation structure Knowledge of the underlying rationale for gas contract terms and conditions Learn to construct gas, LNG and gas transportation contracts and negotiate them Understanding of techniques of gas/LNG price setting in competitive markets Awareness of operation of trading hubs, spot and arbitrage Holistic understanding of what is required to put a new supply chain in place
Book 3 persons and save
$600 each
Supported by: OFFSHORE MAGAZINE
ENERGY INSIGHT
E: abigail@infocusinternational.com
www.infocusinternational.com/gaslng
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