Cybersecurity News in Asia

BEIJING, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — China is ready to work with countries around the world to promote more robust, greener and healthier global development, said Chinese President Xi Jinping in a congratulatory letter to a forum on global development held in Beijing on Monday. 

The world is facing drastic changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, and the global economic recovery is weak and sluggish, Xi said.

The development gap between the North and the South is widening, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and changes, he said, adding that promoting global development has become a major subject faced by mankind. 

Therefore, China proposed the Global Development Initiative, Xi said. China is ready to make joint efforts with countries around the world to follow a people-centered approach, stay committed to benefits for all, and prioritize development on the international agenda, said the Chinese president. 

He stressed China’s readiness to work with other countries in promoting innovation-driven development and harmony between man and nature, accelerating the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and pursuing more robust, greener and healthier global development. 

The Global Development Initiative was put forward by the Chinese president in September last year at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. 

The forum, named “Global Development: Common Mission and Contributions” Think Tank and Media Forum, was held by the State Council Information Office, co-hosted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Development Research Center of the State Council and the China Media Group. 

Link: https://youtu.be/wCor-gxxSn8 

Resilient Business Performance amid Macro Uncertainties

Revenue Increased by 16.4% YoY to HK$4,184.8 million

Net Profit Increased by 3.5% YoY to HK$84.2 million

Financial Highlights

HONG KONG, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — A leading technology, brand, and manufacturing company and an enabler of smart and sustainable living, Computime Group Limited (the “Company” or “Computime”, together with its subsidiaries, collectively the “Group”; stock code: 320.HK) is pleased to announce its annual results for the year ended 31 March 2022 (the “Year”).

Results Overview

The Group performed admirably despite severe supply chain disruption as well as the surge in commodities prices as a result of COVID-19 resurgence. Benefiting from the resilient business performance and sales growth across both of the Group’s operating segments, revenue for the Year increased by 16.4% year-on-year (“YoY”) to approximately HK$4,184.8 million (FY2021: HK$3,596.7 million). The Group also took active measures to manage its rising raw material price and production cost, with gross profit margin maintained at 12.8% (FY2021: 13.0%), and gross profit increased to approximately HK$537.3 million (FY2021: HK$465.8 million). Along with stringent cost control measures, profit for the year attributable to owners of the Company recorded a steady increase of approximately 3.5% YoY, from approximately HK$81.4 million last year to HK$84.2 million this year. As an appreciation for shareholders’ support, the Group also proposed a final dividend of HK4.75 cents per ordinary share (FY2021: HK$5.95 cents).

Overall, the Group responded swiftly to market changes and managed to alleviate the worst of the impacts. The satisfactory financial performance during the Year has reflected its operational resilience, increasing market share, and expanding client portfolio and order book in a highly complicated market.

Segment Review

During the Year, the Group continued its commitment to advancing smart and sustainable living through its two key operating segments, namely the Smart Solutions (“SS”) segment and Contract Manufacturing Services (“CMS”) segment, providing premium products and value-added solutions to its international customers.

Revenue for the SS segment was approximately HK$1,281.4 million (FY2021: HK$1,092.3 million), representing an increase of 17.3% YoY, mainly due to the increase of orders attributable to the growing awareness of household energy-saving among consumers. As for the CMS segment, the Group recorded a segment revenue of approximately HK$2,903.5 million (FY2021: HK$2,504.4 million), a YoY increase of 15.9%, attributable to the strong order demand from customers across the entire Year.

Its branded business, Salus Controls, also delivered a strong performance in the Year despite intensifying market competition.

Operational Highlights

FY2022 marked a landmark Year in Computime’s transformation to universalize smart and sustainable living through technologies, products, and manufacturing solutions.

In particular, the Group has taken a significant step towards sustainability by purchasing an additional 62.9998% interest in Braeburn Systems LLC (“Braeburn”), an American branded technology and product company focusing on energy-saving technologies and smart HVAC controls, at a consideration of US$10.3 million. Upon closing, the Group had an accumulated total of 90% of membership interests in Braeburn. Given its unique positioning and capability, the investment is expected to broaden the Group’s client reach and product portfolio, increase its regional market penetration, drive economies of scale, and, most importantly, strengthen its Software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) and Platform-as-a-service (“PaaS”) capability so that it can provide customers with better solutions and user experience. These, in turn, should boost margins and provide business visibility and sustainability in the long run.

To satisfy the growing order demand while supporting its servicing and geographical development, the Group has also put significant effort into diversifying and expanding its global manufacturing footprint. In addition to its China presence, the Group has steadily grown to the Asia Pacific with sites in Malaysia and Vietnam. During the Year, the Group also established its first manufacturing plant in Mexico and laid the foundation for the development of a Center of Excellence (an engineering center) in Romania.

Mr. AUYANG Pak Hong Bernard – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Computime Group Limited, said, “Despite market headwinds, we are delighted to see Computime moving assuredly towards a technology, brand, and manufacturing company as well as a smart and sustainable living enabler. Looking ahead, the Group will continue to invest in new technologies and platforms, including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, AIoT, robotics, cloud computing, and more, in order to develop smarter, more environmental-friendly, and interconnected solutions for our branded partners and end customers. We will also maintain our sharp focus on our core, surrounding our business, people, mindset, and innovation, so that we can create greater and sustainable values for our stakeholders.”

About Computime Group Limited

Computime Group Limited is a leading smart and sustainable living enabler, offering customized, turnkey design and manufacturing solutions to its established and diversified list of clients. Through its bespoke IP, strong research and development capabilities, as well as established brands, technology, and manufacturing platforms, the Group has also launched its own line of proprietary products under the brand SALUS in the European and North American markets.

XIAMEN, China, July 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Qudian Inc. (“Qudian” or the “Company”) (NYSE: QD), a consumer-oriented technology company in China, today announced that it has completed the previously disclosed optional repurchase of its 1.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (CUSIP No. 747798AB2) (the “Notes”). The repurchase right expired at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, on Thursday, June 30, 2022. Based on information from Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas as the paying agent for the Notes, all of the outstanding Notes, or US$47.5 million in aggregate principal amount, were surrendered on a valid basis and not withdrawn prior to the expiration of the repurchase right. Accordingly, the aggregate cash purchase price of the Notes was US$47.5 million. The Company has accepted all the surrendered Notes for repurchase and forwarded cash in payment for the total amount to the paying agent for distribution to the applicable holders. As a result, there are no outstanding Notes as of the date hereof.

About Qudian Inc.

Qudian Inc. (“Qudian”) is a consumer-oriented technology company in China. The Company historically focused on providing credit solutions to consumers. The Company is exploring innovative consumer products and services to satisfy Chinese consumers’ fundamental and daily needs by leveraging its technology capabilities. In March 2022, it launched a ready-to-cook meal business catering to working-class consumers in China.

For more information, please visit https://ir.qudian.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, the expectation of its collection efficiency and delinquency contains forward-looking statements. Qudian may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Qudian’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Qudian’s goal and strategies; Qudian’s expansion plans; Qudian’s future business development, financial condition and results of operations; Qudian’s expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, its products; Qudian’s expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with customers, business partners and other parties it collaborates with; general economic and business conditions; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Qudian’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Qudian does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

Qudian Inc.
IR team
Tel: +86-592-596-8208
E-mail: ir@qudian.com 

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677
E-mail: qudian@tpg-ir.com

In the United States:

The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: qudian@tpg-ir.com

SEOUL, South Korea, July 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Penta Security, a leader in the enterprise cybersecurity industry in South Korea, showcased its award-winning web application firewall WAPPLES and iSIGN+ at the Vietnam Security Summit 2022. Hosted by the Ministry of Information and Communications and co-organized by IEC, this year’s event offered visitors the opportunity to engage with Penta Security’s product offerings on-site. 

As one of the sponsors of this event, Penta Security exhibited its web and authentication security solutions as part of introducing the revamped enterprise cybersecurity solution package. “Our products are widely used by companies that require comprehensive coverage for all attack patterns on known and zero-day vulnerabilities with an easier and faster installation process,” said DS Kim, CSO of Penta Security. “Marking our 25th anniversary in the industry, we believe that setting new standards for a robust enterprise cybersecurity environment is key to meeting the challenges ahead.”

Given that businesses in healthcare and financial services industries must comply with data privacy regulations that mandate identity and access management, Penta Security emphasizes the importance of deploying an all-in-one secure authentication solution like iSIGN+ to help businesses reduce the number of attacks by allowing limited access to employees with one set of credentials. Moreover, increased cyber attacks targeting web applications highlight how crucial it is to secure paths to the network in advance. 

Penta Security maintains that building a proper enterprise cybersecurity architecture from the start is the only way to eliminate risk factors and stay on top of cyber attack trends in the digital transformation period. In an upcoming seminar in Jakarta, Penta Security will be focusing on explaining ways to overcome rapidly changing security challenges by conducting a cyber-resilience assessment customized to each business. For more information, please contact global@pentasecurity.com. 

About Penta Security

A global leader in web, data, and IoT security with 25 years of expertise in powering secured connections, Penta Security is the top cybersecurity vendor in Asia, as recognized by Frost & Sullivan. Its web application firewall WAPPLES has been the market leader in the Korean market for 13 consecutive years since 2009 and later dominated the entire Asia-Pacific region by obtaining the largest market share since 2016. Since then, it has gained a presence in Europe, the Middle East, and North America. For more information on Penta Security, visit pentasecurity.com. For partnership inquiries, email info@pentasecurity.com. 

BEIJING, July 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Thursday visited the Xiqu Center in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, a venue for the art of Chinese traditional theater. 

She watched rehearsals of Cantonese opera performances and a Hong Kong orchestra at the opera house and spoke highly of the performances, calling the show a display of the charm of Chinese culture. 

During her visit, Peng also talked with young volunteers who were making traditional paper artworks. She encouraged Hong Kong’s younger generation to have an in-depth understanding of fine traditional Chinese culture and inherit and promote the culture.

Peng together with Xi left Hong Kong Friday after a two-day trip there for a meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWiOKkXZM8s

HSINCHU, July 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — In late 2021, ARTERY released its high performance AT32F435/437 MCU. Thanks to its rich on-chip resources, ultra-high integration and cost-effectiveness, the device has drawn the attention from an increasing number of engineers and microcontroller enthusiasts, gaining popularity among users since then. To offer a better experience to users, ARTERY has recently introduced AT-SURF-F437 evaluation board that is built around AT32F437ZMT7 microcontroller, which is designed to help users explore the outstanding features of ARM® Cortex®-M4 32-bit AT32F437 MCU and experience easy prototyping development. (Figure1)

Full-featured evaluation board

The AT-SURF-F437 is a full-featured evaluation board that integrates a wide range of functional components and transceivers, which are used to support rich peripherals and interfaces of AT32F437 to help expedite application development.

The AT-SURF-F437, based on AT32F437ZMT7 chip, incorporates SDARM, QSPI Flash and RAM, and an extensive range of peripherals including three LEDs, two USB micro-B and type A connectors, Ethernet RJ45 connector, digital camera module, microphone and audio input/output module, and microSD card interface. In addition, the board offers various communication interfaces such as RS-232, RS-485 and two CAN controllers, as well as 3.5-inch TFT-LCD touch screen. All this permits better user experience and helps users get a good picture of the power brought by the AT32F437 MCU.

High performance microcontroller

The AT-SURF-F437 is built around AT32F437ZMT7 microcontroller. The microcontroller, based on the industry-leading 55nm process, is powered by the high performance ARM® Cortex®-M4 core operating a frequency of up to 288 MHz. It embeds high-speed memories including up to 4032KB of Flash memory and up to 512KB of SRAM. The device also features a single-precision floating point unit (FPU) and digital signal processor (DSP). The AT-SURF-F437 evaluation board is designed to help users better experience these advantages which make the AT32F437 stand out among the application market.

2-in-1 product development platform

The AT-SURF-F437 comes with an embedded debugging/programming tool (AT-Link-EZ), allowing the simplicity of development, without the need of extra development tools.

The AT-Link-EZ is equipped with a micro USB port (linked to computer), multiple LEDs (indicating working status), communication interfaces (SWD, SWO, serial interface, NRST and BOOT0), power supply interfaces (3V3 and 5V). This tool, in conjunction with AT-SURF-F437, serves as a 2-in-1 embedded control platform that provides innovative solutions for applications.

Multi-function audio/video processing capability

The AT-SURF-F437 offers a digital camera module, microphone and audio input and output module.

For audio processing, the board supports two full-duplex I²S to be connected with the audio codec WM8988 (U11). It also has a power amplifier (on the back of the circuit board) to drive the speaker, 3.5mm LINE_OUT, microphone and 3.5mm LINE_IN input.

For image processing, it is based on a 3.5-inch 320×480 TFT-LCD capacitive touch screen (Figure2) that transmits image data in real time; The camera module is connected to the AT32F437ZMT7 via a digital camera module interface (CN3).

To help users get quick start with our board, a comprehensive set of documentation or development tools including user manual, design guideline and SDK have been made available from ARTERY official website. Our evaluation board kit is officially on sale for all users now. The package contains evaluation board, LCD, camera and USB cable (Figure3).

To purchase, please contact ARTERY sales (sales_artery@arterytek.com) or distributors.

Industry’s first AI- and cloud-delivered, automation-driven metro networking solution delivers highest independently-rated power efficiency, dramatic TCO reduction and industry-leading performance

HONG KONG  , July 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR), a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, today announced the innovation that will power its vision and strategy for Cloud Metro – a new category of solutions for service providers, optimized for metro transformation and sustainable business growth. Traditional “retro” metro networks are device-centric and are buckling under the extreme scale, agility and experience demands that widespread digital transformation and the advent of 5G services are bringing.

Today’s announcement focuses on enabling sustainable business growth, with a series of high-performance networking systems, powered by AI-enabled, cloud-delivered automation, specifically designed to build next generation Cloud Metro infrastructure. These systems will deliver significantly-reduced natural resource consumption capabilities to help sustain the planet, improved tools and simplified working methods to help sustain over-pressured operations teams, along with embedded service assurance and security capabilities to optimize service experience, all while enabling service providers to sustain profitable business growth.

Juniper’s new Cloud Metro systems uniquely feature industry-leading energy-efficient, adaptive power designs as their foundational principle, enabling unused features and Packet Forwarding Engines (PFEs) to be automatically switched off when not in use. The removable modular power shelf design reduces e-waste and extends system lifetimes by  accommodating up to 48 times bandwidth growth within the same chassis. It is certified as Titanium grade by CLEAResult^® in its 80 Plus program, the first and only metro networking device power module to accomplish such a rating.

The future-proofed scale, capacity, performance and smart features of Juniper’s Cloud Metro portfolio replace the traditional 3-5 year ‘rip-and-replace’ network lifecycles with 7-12 year lifecycles. Pay-as-you-go models and a breadth of interface options allow service providers to flex their investment economically in line with demand.

Juniper’s advanced use of AI and cloud-delivered automation equips service providers to simplify day-to-day workflows, deploy services faster (with device onboarding taking just minutes instead of hours), reduce trouble tickets and accelerate time-to-service (and therefore revenue) restoration. This significantly improves productivity, empowering network engineers and operators to accomplish more, which is critical for employee satisfaction and retention.

The new solutions also deliver up to 71 percent lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by leveraging the latest generation of silicon, industry-leading system design and AI-enabled Device Onboarding-as-a-Service. Zero Trust security is built-in rather than bolted-on, while active service assurance is embedded to deliver proactive service testing, monitoring and remediation.

Solution News Overview:

• Juniper Paragon™ Automation as a Service ¹ is the industry’s only AI-enabled, cloud-delivered automation portfolio for metro networks, delivering immediate time-to-service value from months to minutes and reduced Mean Time to Know (MTTK) and Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR). 
• Juniper AI-Enabled Device Onboarding-as-a-Service is the first-use case to be launched leveraging Juniper Paragon Automation as a Service, driving real business outcomes by significantly reducing device onboarding times.
• Juniper Networks™ ACX7000 Family² products are sustainable, high-performance systems leveraging unique design and adaptive power innovations that deliver up to 77 percent lower power consumption, up to 64 percent better space efficiencies and 4-7 years longer system lifetime than leading competitive products available today. The portfolio also delivers the industry’s fastest router line card, highest 400GE density and fabric capacity per slot, up to 21.6 Tbps with 54x400GE ports, ready for 800G and beyond. 
• Juniper Paragon Active Assurance³ test agents are embedded in JUNOS^® OS Evolved, available in all ACX7000 models. This turns the cloud metro network into a distributed sensor for assuring user experience proactively which removes the need for additional, standalone probe hardware to be deployed. Additionally, with the new capability of emulating 5G UE/gNB, service providers can now simulate traffic for both the control plane and user plane, ensuring each 5G network slice meets expected SLA.
• Zero Trust Security⁴ principles and the threat detection, analysis and prevention fundamentals of Juniper’s Connected Security portfolio have been applied throughout the Juniper Cloud Metro solution. Unique cryptographic digital identities are implemented with the Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) across the Cloud Metro IP services fabric, enabling device attestation and RFC-compliant secure zero-touch provisioning (sZTP). In addition, file encryption and MACsec are implemented to protect data at rest and data in transit. This holistic approach to trust is further enhanced by Paragon’s ability to automatically validate the security deployment and operation across a network of ACX 7000 devices.
• Juniper Networks 400G ZR/ZR+ optics⁵ co-developed to reduce service provider costs by consolidating IP and optical layers with coherent pluggable optics, which eliminates an entire layer of DWDM transponder terminals by integrating 400G ZR/ZR+ Digital Coherent Optics (DCO). These optics fully comply with industry specifications from OpenZR+ and OIF.

Supporting Quotes

“In a world of “retro metros”, Juniper’s new Cloud Metro solution stands apart. Our cloud-delivered Paragon Automation-as-a-Service promises immediate productivity increases for service providers. Instead of building complex, time-consuming “DIY” automation solutions, they are empowered to focus on assuring service experiences for their customers. By extending our proven AI solution to the service provider WAN, we can improve productivity for customer operations teams by dramatically reducing trouble tickets and increasing network availability. And our extended ACX7000 Family delivers the most secure, assured, scalable and intelligent Cloud Metro portfolio on the market. This is the answer to service provider needs for a sustainable future for their profits, their people and the planet.”

–  Brendan Gibbs, Senior Vice President of Automated WAN Solutions, Juniper Networks

“Digital transformation is moving into its next phase which is all about transforming operational technology (OT) and driving the distributed delivery of new applications and use cases based on emerging technologies such as AI and AR. The metro edge is key to supporting the massive data, real-time performance and sustainability demands that this new era of OT transformation is bringing. This important industry shift requires the re-imagining and re-engineering of the metro network and Juniper is showing leadership here in its Cloud Metro portfolio. Service providers that want to deliver reliable, secure and high-performing services at the metro edge with a sustainable business model should pay close attention.”

–  Caroline Chappell, Research Director, Cloud Practice, Analysys Mason

“Our metro connectivity services across more than 260 major cities around the world meet our customers’ need for secure, scalable and high-performance networking. We experience continuous demand for secure connectivity and expect to see double-digit traffic growth on our network, as we continue to provide the great experience our customers require. We’re long-term supporters of Juniper’s vision for high-performance, scalable IP networking and are excited to see the significant enhancements and innovation featured in their Cloud Metro portfolio that can bring more benefits for our customers in the future.”

–  Don MacNeil, Chief Operating Officer, GTT Communications

“We are excited that the partnership between Broadcom and Juniper has delivered such a comprehensive portfolio of WAN routing platforms, all based on our leading Jericho and Qumran silicon. This announcement is especially compelling as it showcases Broadcom’s Jericho 2c+ silicon enabling a 50 percent increase to the industry’s highest-density 400G routing line card in a modular chassis. With market-leading 54 ports of 400G per slot at 21.6Tbps, this performance underscores the unmatched scalability and power efficiency of the product offering. We are thankful for our engineering teams.”

–  Ram Velaga, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Core Switching Group, Broadcom

Solution Availability

¹AI-enabled Paragon Automation-as-a-Service – available 1H23

²ACX7000 Family:

• ACX7100-32C, ACX7100-48L, ACX7509 – available now
• ACX7024 – orderable now, available Q3’22
• ACX7908, ACX7348 – orderable 1H’23

³Juniper embedded Paragon Active Assurance – available 2H’22

⁴ Built-in zero trust security with SaaS-based network trust attestation – available 1H’23

⁵Juniper 400G ZR/ZR+ optics – orderable & available Q3’22

 Additional Resources

Cloud Metro Solution Page
Blog: Cloud Metro: Reimagining Metro Networks for Sustainable Business Growth
Blog: Welcome to the Future of Network Automation: Juniper Paragon Automation-as-a-Service
Blog: Reimagining Metro Architectures for the Experience-First Era
Blog: Balancing Design Choices for Sustainable Growth: Juniper ACX7000 Family
ACX7000 Family Datasheet
Solution Brief: Juniper Cloud Metro as the Experience Sensor
Solution Brief: AI-Enabled Device Onboarding as a Service
Demo: Paragon Automation as a Service Device Onboarding

About Juniper Networks 

Juniper Networks is dedicated to dramatically simplifying network operations and driving superior experiences for end users. Our solutions deliver industry-leading insight, automation, security and AI to drive real business results. We believe that powering connections will bring us closer together while empowering us all to solve the world’s greatest challenges of well-being, sustainability and equality. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net) or connect with Juniper on Twitter,  LinkedIn and Facebook. 

Juniper Networks, the Juniper Networks logo, Juniper, Junos, and other trademarks listed here are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. 

Statement of Product Direction

The information on this page may contain Juniper’s development and plans for future products, features, or enhancements (“SOPD Information”). SOPD Information is subject to change at any time, without notice. Juniper provides no assurances, and assumes no responsibility, that future products, features, or enhancements will be introduced. In no event should any purchase decision be based upon reliance of timeframes or specifics outlined as part of SOPD Information, because Juniper may delay or never introduce the future products, features, or enhancements.

Any SOPD Information within, or referenced or obtained from, this website by any person does not give rise to any reliance claim, or any estoppel, against Juniper in connection with, or arising out of, any representations set forth in the SOPD Information.  Juniper is not liable for any loss or damage (howsoever incurred) by any person in connection with, or arising out of, any representations set forth in the SOPD Information.

BEIJING, July 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — SmartX has released CloudTower 2.0, a central management platform for multiple clusters across data centers. CloudTower is a crucial member of the SmartX HCI product portfolio, providing visibility and easy management across all HCI clusters. With new features including cross-cluster VM migration, content library, VM user view, access control and security settings, and an optimized interface, CloudTower 2.0 has improved the efficiency, security, and user experience for operations and maintenance.

In addition, the optimized interface and VM user view are also included in the community edition of CloudTower, as part of the SmartX HCI Kit Community Edition.

Below are the details of the new features.

This feature supports the unified management of multiple clusters and cross-cluster sharing of virtual machine templates and ISO images. Users could create virtual machine templates and upload ISO images in one cluster and get access to all of them on any other clusters managed by CloudTower, reducing repetitive tasks.

This feature supports VM migration across clusters through hot migration, cold migration and staged migration. 1) Hot migration: allows users to migrate powered-on VMs without any interruption in services. It requires a directly connected network among clusters. 2) Cold migration: allows users to migrate powered-off VMs. A directly connected network is not necessary as data can be transmitted through CloudTower. 3) Staged migration: allows users to migrate full data without compromising VMs’ availability.

With VM user view, IT administrators could efficiently distribute VMs to users and allow users to use and manage VMs independently. Users could directly manage VMs’ downtime through CloudTower and access clients’ operational systems through the VNC panel.

This feature allows users to reinforce O&M security by restricting the access and login to CloudTower through the settings of Access Restriction, Session Timeout, Password Security and Custom Role.

Allows administrators to flexibly customize the interface through “dragging to customize the width of the resource navigator” and “customizing frequently-used function tabs in the cluster module”.

Increases management efficiency through “adding frequently used O&M functions such as Monitoring, Log, Snapshot Plan, etc., on each cluster’s management panel” and “adding Alert Email Notification and Recycle Bin Rule in each of their modules for an easy setting”.

BEIJING, July 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Xinghuo Blockchain Infrastructure and Facility (Xinghuo BIF) and Zetrix have jointly announced the introduction of Blockchain-based Identifiers (BID) / Verifiable Credentials (VC) and Blockchain-based E-signing services to international markets, a major milestone in enabling cross-border business with China on the blockchain. 

Xinghuo BIF is a China initiated international blockchain infrastructure supported by all levels of the Chinese Government while MY E.G. Services Bhd (“MYEG”), via its Zetrix blockchain, runs the International Supernode of Xinghuo BIF to connect entities outside China to the Xinghuo BIF.  Xinghuo BIF presently resolves 94mil identifiers daily, placing it as the most actively used platform and validates this use case in real world applications.

The BID, an official DID method listed in the DID Specification Registry of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), is a new approach to realize decentralized identity based on Xinghuo BIF. The initial phase of the BID rollout will include the introduction of Chinese-related credentials, agreements and the corresponding legal frameworks that would serve as the foundation for the establishment of such agreements. Zetrix will connect Chinese parties signing on the domestic Xinghuo BIF network with their international counterparts signing on the Zetrix network.

The BID service is an extension of the existing Xinghuo BID and Xinghuo Blockchain-based E-Signing services that was officially deployed in February 2022. On 12th October 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding between China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) and Malaysia-based MYEG, which established the Zetrix chain, announced the strategic cooperation framework between Xinghuo BIF and Zetrix as the international infrastructure to connect China’s Xinghuo network to international markets.

“BID and Verifiable Credential form a critical foundation for the digitalisation of trade and services. Beyond the process and trade efficiencies that we envision, this will also counteract the threats of counterfeiting,” said Dr. Jin Jian, president of Institute of Industrial Internet and Internet of Things Institute (IIIIoT), CAICT

“BIDs and VCs are critical building blocks of more interconnected Web 3. They are the foundational tools that decentralised apps can call upon to deliver a myriad of new services that would unleash the full potential of blockchain platforms.  No other blockchain platform currently provide these services at a scale that matches Xinghuo – Zetrix and we are excited to be the global industry leaders in this real world usecase,” said TS Wong, Group Managing Director of MYEG.

Zetrix has engaged credential issuers and certification authorities to ensure the information registered are true to fact, and continues to engage with more stakeholders in strengthening the integrity of this vital facility. Further information is available at zetrix.com.

The missing layer of the Internet

Blockchain Identity has often been referred to as the missing layer of the Internet, though typically this has resulted in there being multiple identifiers for every user, which often times are temporary or not tied to the real-world identity of users.

Now, through the Xinghuo-Zetrix collaboration, this fundamental layer and its design would give direct control and ownership to its users, a key differentiating factor that will enable a new wave of Web 3 digital processes and transactions.

Zetrix DID solution, which conforms to the Xinghuo Blockchain-based Identifier (BID), will power an on-chain signing service to enable users to transact with certainty and verified identities.

The resultant Zetrix Blockchain-based E-signing Service provides:

1. Support for multiple signing templates and user-defined transactions,
2. Verification of an individual’s or product’s documents/credentials, and
3. Inquiry of documents or credentials

Organisations can use this service by keying in information and signing using their BID to issue certificates/credentials on the Zetrix blockchain. Users in China and elsewhere with access can search relevant information quickly through the BID identifier resolution service and vice versa.

The Zetrix Blockchain-based E-signing Service carries out signing management throughout the life cycle, maintains operations records and the extraction ability to meet the demand for inquiry and examination. Most importantly, these documents are legally binding if applicable to China laws.

This will in turn improve the efficiency of transactions and agreements across borders for various kinds of use cases. By supporting single-party and multi-party transactions, the service will be able to meet the demands of clients in many contexts including B2B and B2G.

Verifiable Credentials

The Xinghuo-Zetrix blockchain certificate service demonstrates that users can inquire the authenticity of any certificate or credentials. It ranges from Government issued credentials like official residency, to provenance of goods, to the adherence of international standards by enterprises.

Users can authenticate certificates online, instead of relying on traditional ways of issuing paper documents for proof. These credentials can then be independently verified using the issuer’s public BID.  In addition, digital credentials may incorporate smart features, i.e. programming logic.

The combination of the BIDs and Verifiable Credential services will enable a host of varied use cases, from simple issuance of certificates to smart product authenticity documents with ownership history and programmable government issued credentials.

As an ongoing concern, Zetrix will design more templates of signing occasions, extension environments, and API integration, providing safe and efficient identification services for all industries.

About Zetrix

Zetrix is a layer-1 public blockchain that facilitates smart contracts and delivers privacy, security, and scalability. The cryptographic infrastructure in Zetrix can be introduced in multiple industries to connect governments, businesses, and their people to a global blockchain-based economy.

The cross-border and cross-chain integrations with Xinghuo BIF enables Zetrix to serve as a blockchain gateway that facilitates trade and commerce globally by deploying critical building blocks for Web3 services.

About Xinghuo BIF

With the special support of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Xinghuo BIF is one of the largest blockchain infrastructure supported by all levels of the Chinese government led by China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT). As the foundation of digital economy, Xinghuo BIF is equipped with the interoperability of providing public identifier services across different industries and regions based on permissioned public blockchain and decentralized identifiers, enabling industrial digitalization and data valuation.

SHENYANG, China, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Neusoft Corporation (Neusoft, SSE:600718) has recently released its milestone product in the automotive electronics field, OneCoreGo3.0. As a navigation solution aiming for the global market, the product has integrated Neusoft’s more than 30 years of mass production and overseas project experience in the professional navigation field. It will provide strong support for the global sales and service of automobile brands, and serve global users with its advanced navigation technology.

Compared with its previous versions, OneCoreGo3.0, with openness, flexibility and a high degree of expansibility, further integrates its technical capabilities such as high-precision map rendering, virtual and real image fusion, big data analysis and processing, and multi-ecological cloud services. It brings innovative changes by realizing the expansion of important functional modules such as Lane-level Navigation, AR Navigation and AI Navigation.

Neusoft has been in the global automobile industry since establishment, and after more than 30 years of development, it has grown into an important partner for automobile enterprises that seek innovation in an era of software-empowered automobiles. Over the years, Neusoft has built a global product R&D and delivery network centered in China, Germany, the United States, Japan and Malaysia.

In the global navigation field, Neusoft is dedicated to creating smarter and more active differentiated navigation products for automobile enterprises and users. Meanwhile, it hones the details according to user preferences that vary in different regions, which greatly reduces the costs for auto manufacturers to expand new markets and fully supports them to develop international markets. Supporting more than 20 languages, Neusoft’s global navigation products have been chosen by more than 50 well-known automobile brands, assembled in more than 100 car models and applied in more than 120 countries.

The launch of OneCoreGo3.0 marks the comprehensive upgrade of Neusoft’s smart and eco-friendly global navigation solution, and the product is another innovative technological achievement made by Neusoft which realizes the globalized service. Facing the major trend of software-empowered automobiles, Neusoft will continue to explore and make breakthroughs in various sub-sectors, and contribute to the transformation of the global automobile industry.