Thursday, August 27, 2015

ZTE Supports Smartfren Launch 4G LTE-Advanced Service in Indonesia

New 4G LTE-Advanced network covers 22 major cities nationwide 22 cities as Smartfren becomes first Indonesian carrier to operate both hybrid TDD/FDD LTE and CDMA networks

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Wednesday, August 26th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, is pleased to help PT Smartfren Telecom launch 4G LTE-Advanced network in Indonesia, giving users access to the highest-performance mobile broadband services.

The new 4G LTE-Advanced, which supports both the FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE standards, was launched commercially by Smartfren in Jakarta on 19 August, and coverage areas already include the 22 major cities of Indonesia. The new network deploys ZTE’s market-leading 4G LTE solutions including eNB (evolved node B), Cloud Radio and eHRPD to deliver the best user experience to subscribers.

“The nationwide launch of our 4G LTE-Advanced service follows successful trials and the June launch of our Andromax range of LTE Smartphone and portable WiFi devices. We believe that 4G LTE-Advanced technology will open many opportunities for our customers and further accelerate the Information and Communication Technology Industry as a backbone for Indonesian economic growth. 4G LTE-Advanced will enable our customers to enjoy improved multimedia streaming, online games, cloud storage and video conferencing. Smartfren is committed to bring the best of 4G LTE technology to Indonesia to deliver not only higher speeds but a more stable and reliable 4G LTE experience,” said Smartfren Chief Executive Officer Paul Hodges.

“Smartfren just launched the widest LTE Advanced Service in Indonesia. We leverage both TDD and FDD technologies to get best of both technologies: high capacity and throughput on TDD at 2300 MHz and large coverage with FDD at 850 Mhz. With this combination, we can offer the best broadband experience. We have chosen ZTE for this deployment due to our long time relationship and their leadership with TDD networks," said Smartfren Chief Technology Officer Christian Daigneault.

"We are glad to partner with Smartfren to roll out their 4G LTE Advanced network in Indonesia," said Shi Lirong, President of ZTE Corporation, "We are fully committed to delivering a state-of-the-art LTE ecosystem, which will help Smartfren offer the best mobile broadband services to their customers. This alliance has allowed ZTE to further cement our position as the partner of choice for telecom operators in the country in developing and maintaining their LTE ecosystem. This partnership also fits into our long term vision of developing a sustainable LTE network in Indonesia."

With ZTE's powerful Universal Subscriber Profile Platform (USPP), Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), and Online Charging System (OCS) products, the core NEs of both CDMA and LTE networks are highly integrated to provide a unified user database and policy control and charging policies, allowing the LTE network to be deployed rapidly, facilitating maintenance and operation of 3G and 4G networks in the future, and lowering operational costs. Smartfren can take advantage of the sophisticated OCS system to launch flexible tariff packages in the market to attract upscale users with an urgent need for mobile broadband services.

By the end of June, ZTE has concluded 185 4G LTE/EPC commercial contracts globally, partnering with the world’s biggest operators including Bharti Airtel, China Mobile, China Telecom, Hutchison, Softbank, Telenor, TeliaSonera, Vodafone, VimpelCom, MTN and Telefonica.

About ZTE

ZTE is a provider of advanced telecommunications systems, mobile devices, and enterprise technology solutions to consumers, carriers, companies and public sector customers. As part of ZTE’s M-ICT strategy, the company is committed to provide customers with integrated end-to-end innovations to deliver excellence and value as the telecommunications and information technology sectors converge. Listed in the stock exchanges of Hong Kong and Shenzhen (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), ZTE’s products and services are sold to over 500 operators in more than 160 countries. ZTE commits 10 per cent of its annual revenue to research and development and has leadership roles in international standard-setting organizations. ZTE is committed to corporate social responsibility and is a member of the UN Global Compact. For more information, please visit www.zte.com.cn.

About PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk.

PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk (IDX:FREN) is one of Indonesia’s premier telecommunications service providers. Commencing operations in 2002, Smartfren was the first mobile operator in the world to launch CDMA EV-DO Rev.B technology in 2011. Smartfren meets the needs of Indonesian consumers offering a wide range of mobile products including voice and data services, enterprise solutions and other Value Added Services. At Q2 2015, Smartfren’s customer base was 11.9M. In Q3 2015, Smartfren launched the first nationwide 4G LTE-Advanced service, providing customers with the widest 4G LTE network coverage in Indonesia.

Smartfren is a member of Sinarmas. Further information can be found at www.smartfren.com

LTE-Advanced is a mobile communications standard and a major enhancement of the Long Term Evolution (LTE) developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). One of the main enhancements of LTE-Advanced is Carrier Aggregation which is the capability to aggregate two or more radio channels to obtain faster speeds.

Contacts

ZTE Corporation

Margrete Ma, +86 755 26775207

ma.gaili@zte.com.cn



Edelman PR

Mark Lee / Daisy Yu, +852 2837 4756 / +852 2837 4796

mark.lee@edelman.com / daisy.yu@edelman.com







Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/15549/en

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Adare Pharmaceuticals Appoints Joseph Del Buono as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer

PRINCETON, N.J - Wednesday, August 26th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Adare Pharmaceuticals, Inc., formerly Aptalis Pharmaceutical Technologies, announced today that Joseph (Joe) Del Buono has joined the Company as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer. He will be based at the Company’s headquarters in Princeton, NJ.

“We are pleased to have Joe join our team as our CFO. His extensive background in pharmaceutical finance will bring enormous benefits to our organization as we implement our growth plans,” said John Fraher, President and CEO of Adare Pharmaceuticals.

Mr. Del Buono will help drive Adare’s growth by building out the finance function and establishing the financial infrastructure to support the Company’s multinational operations. He will also provide financial oversight and guidance on Adare's operations and growth opportunities.

Mr. Del Buono has almost 20 years of finance experience within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. He comes to Adare from Aphena Pharma Solutions where he served as Corporate Vice President, Chief Financial Officer since 2011. Previously, he held a number of senior finance positions for Alpharma/King Pharmaceuticals, Sun Chemical and Schering-Plough. He began his career in the audit and business advisory practice of Arthur Andersen & Co.

Mr. Del Buono holds a BA in Accounting from Rutgers University and is a CPA.

About Adare Pharmaceuticals

Adare Pharmaceuticals provides enhanced medicines, creating new possibilities for improved patient health. For decades, the company has solved complex formulation, manufacturing and commercialization challenges, resulting in transformational medicines that deliver value to all its stakeholders. Adare Pharmaceuticals has a global presence with R&D, manufacturing and commercial operations in the Unites States, Europe and Canada. For more information, visit www.adarepharma.com.

Contacts

Cohn & Wolfe

Meghan Flanagan, 212-798-9863

meghan.flanagan@cohnwolfe.com

Scepter Partners Forms Dedicated Merchant Bank for Sovereign Investors and Family Offices

NEW YORK - Tuesday, August 25th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Scepter Partners, a standing syndicate of sovereign investors and ultra-high net worth families, announced today the formation of its core merchant banking division with veteran investment banker Anthony J. Steains and his former Blackstone Advisory Partners Asia team. Mr. Steains will lead all merchant banking activities of Scepter, which will consist of syndication, structuring and execution.

The formation of Scepter’s merchant banking division creates one of the most experienced merchant banking specialists focused on family offices and sovereign wealth. The team led by Mr. Steains has directly advised on many landmark transactions and is one of the most experienced M&A teams in Asian industrials and natural resources. Scepter will announce a series of vehicles in the coming months around its focus to acquire high quality large cap assets in natural resources, infrastructure and real estate.

About Scepter

Headquartered in Bermuda with offices in New York, London, and Beijing, Scepter is a standing syndicate of ruling families, ultra-high net worth industrialists and sovereign wealth funds led by Chairman and CEO Rayo Withanage. Scepter’s core stakeholders have committed over $14 billion in discretionary assets to underwrite and execute large cap transactions for participation by some of the largest direct investors in the world. For more information, please visit www.scepterpartners.com.

Neither Scepter Partners nor its merchant banking division are authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority to carry on an investment business, licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission or authorized/licensed by any financial services regulatory body. Nothing in this announcement is intended to be, or should be construed as an invitation, offer or inducement to any person to engage in any investment activity.

Contacts

Scepter Partners

Jonathan Morris, +1 212 991 8332

morris@scepterpartners.com









Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/15535/en

Scepter Partners Forms Dedicated Merchant Bank for Sovereign Investors and Family Offices

NEW YORK - Tuesday, August 25th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Scepter Partners, a standing syndicate of sovereign investors and ultra-high net worth families, announced today the formation of its core merchant banking division with veteran investment banker Anthony J. Steains and his former Blackstone Advisory Partners Asia team. Mr. Steains will lead all merchant banking activities of Scepter, which will consist of syndication, structuring and execution.

The formation of Scepter’s merchant banking division creates one of the most experienced merchant banking specialists focused on family offices and sovereign wealth. The team led by Mr. Steains has directly advised on many landmark transactions and is one of the most experienced M&A teams in Asian industrials and natural resources. Scepter will announce a series of vehicles in the coming months around its focus to acquire high quality large cap assets in natural resources, infrastructure and real estate.

About Scepter

Headquartered in Bermuda with offices in New York, London, and Beijing, Scepter is a standing syndicate of ruling families, ultra-high net worth industrialists and sovereign wealth funds led by Chairman and CEO Rayo Withanage. Scepter’s core stakeholders have committed over $14 billion in discretionary assets to underwrite and execute large cap transactions for participation by some of the largest direct investors in the world. For more information, please visit www.scepterpartners.com.

Neither Scepter Partners nor its merchant banking division are authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority to carry on an investment business, licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission or authorized/licensed by any financial services regulatory body. Nothing in this announcement is intended to be, or should be construed as an invitation, offer or inducement to any person to engage in any investment activity.

Contacts

Scepter Partners

Jonathan Morris, +1 212 991 8332

morris@scepterpartners.com









Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/15535/en

Al Menhali and Badran Sign “Fazaa” Initiative Membership

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Monday, August 24th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

Major General Mohammed bin Al Awadhi Al Menhali, Assistant Undersecretary of Resources and Support Services, and Major General Khalil Dawood Badran, Director General of Finance and Services at the Abu Dhabi Police, signed on to the “Fazaa” initiative. The initiative supports the vision and mission of the Social Solidarity Fund to support the employees of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and develop their community.

The signing ceremony, which was held at the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, is part of the month-long tour that commenced this week. The ceremony was initiated by the Fazaa Management and was held to introduce the initiative to the MoI personnel and encourage them to join. 

Major General Al Menhali emphasized that “Fazaa” is an ambitious program that offers excellent and leading services for the Ministry’s employees. Furthermore, he praised the directives of the higher police leadership to launch this program with a view of offering the finest services and advantages for its staff members and their families by catering to their needs and facilitating their livelihood.  This gesture stems from the strong belief in their valuable role, and in recognition of the Ministry’s responsibility towards the public and its staff members.

Major Ahmed bu Haroun, Deputy Director General of the Social Solidarity Fund and “Fazaa” Project Manager, briefed the attendees on the initiative. “The project provides a wide and unique range of services designed to support the MoI’s employees so as to increasingly enhance economic and social cooperation - thus ensuring the welfare of the public. It also aims to create additional incentives and opportunities to delight the MoI’s staff members and their families,” he said.

According to the “Fazaa” Project Manager, the “Fazaa” initiative provides numerous advantages and exclusive services that include no interest loan schemes with repayment facilities, discount programs and unique promotions, personal accident insurance, competitive auto insurance prices, rent-to-own car leasing services, discounted rental car rates, and medical care.

Major bu Haroun also addressed the “Amaken” service recently launched by the “Fazaa” initiative. This service aims to assist members in selecting the best local and international holiday destinations at competitive prices. “The travel fees can be paid in three monthly installments; allowing members to enjoy their vacation, avoid borrowing, and use credit cards to cover their expenses,” said bu Haroun.

He noted that the no interest loan can amount up to Dhs100,000 and be paid in monthly installments for up to 24 months. “The platinum cardholders can only benefit from this service. In order to qualify for this loan, the staff members must have five years of service,” bu Haroun said.

The presentation took place at the Forensic Evidence Hall at the Abu Dhabi Police, where membership application forms were distributed to the attendees of the Abu Dhabi Police staff members. Moreover, the attendees listened to an explanation about the advantages and competitive prices offered by the gold, silver, and platinum cards in hotels and on travels.

Towards the end of the presentation, Major bu Haroun encouraged the Ministry of Interior’s staff members to upgrade their silver membership to the gold or platinum membership. He said this feature will be optional for all staff members, and can be completed by filling out the upgrade application form available on the Fazaa website at http://www.fazaa.ae/upgrade.  He also indicated that the sum of Dh50 is currently being deducted from all staff members; this sum can be upgraded or redeemed at the discretion of the Ministry’s employees.

For more information about:

The Ministry of Interior, please click HERE

Abu Dhabi Police, please click HERE

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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department

Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media

Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317

E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com









Permalink: http://me-newswire.net/news/15526/en

Visa Checkout Expands Global Availability with New Merchants and Issuers

Banks in China and United Arab Emirates offer Visa Checkout to their customers for easy and secure cross-border shopping

SAN FRANCISCO - Tuesday, August 25th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) today announced continued global success of Visa Checkout, the online check out service that allows shoppers to pay with their cards online and on any device, with just a few clicks. In recent months, no less than thirty-three new merchants, ranging from Best Buy and Under Armour to Barnes & Noble and Taco Bell, have signed on to offer Visa Checkout.

The rapidly expanding list of merchants will continue to make it easier for consumers to buy everything they need online, on any device, using Visa Checkout. The newly signed merchant partners by country include:

    United States: Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Noble College, Cle de Peau Beaute, delivery.com, EllenShop.com, JustFab, LivingSocial, Shiseido, ShoeDazzle, Shutterfly, Sport Chalet Mobile, StudentUniverse, Under Armour, Taco Bell, Title Nine and zulily
    Australia: Event Cinemas, Village Cinemas, Hoyts, Moshtix, The Roses Only Group and Ticketek
    Canada: Grand & Toy and Heart and Stroke Foundation
    Colombia: Archies, Agrocampo, BabyMarket, Carulla.com, Exito.com, Falabella.com, Myriam Camhi and Unicef (due to technology partner IATAI integrating Visa Checkout)

“At Barnes & Noble College, we are all about delivering the ultimate experience to our students and other customers, and that includes offering choice and convenience in their payment options,” said Lisa Malat, vice president, operations, and chief marketing officer of Barnes & Noble College, which serves over 5.3 million students and faculty members, and operates 724 campus stores nationwide. “Our partnership with Visa Checkout offers exactly that, making the purchasing process simpler for students, while offering them opportunities to save money through discounts on back-to-campus purchases. We’re very excited to be partnering with Visa Checkout to bring this strong value proposition to our students.”

In addition to the range of new, global merchants, more issuers around the world are also offering Visa Checkout to their customers to enable fast, secure online shopping from anywhere. This is especially true in China and United Arab Emirates, where consumer demand for overseas goods continues to grow, and issuer partners now include:

    China: China Merchants Bank, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, China Everbright Bank, Bank of Guangzhou, and The Card Center, China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd.
    United Arab Emirates: Mashreq, Emirates NBD, Majid Al Futtaim Finance, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank

As of August 10, 2015, China Merchants Bank (CMB) and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB) are the first two issuers in the world who have launched Visa Checkout’s mobile app inline provisioning within their banking apps, providing their customers with an easy way to enroll in Visa Checkout for shopping online at overseas merchants.

“It’s great to see banks like CMB and SPDB bringing best-in-class enrollment experiences to their customers in China who are eager to shop overseas,” said Senior Vice President of Visa’s Digital Solutions, Sam Shrauger, who recently outlined Visa’s Checkout strategy in a pymnts.com article. “As more merchants and issuers integrate Visa Checkout, the number of consumers seeing the benefit of a faster online checkout experience also grows. We’re starting to see the network effect kick-in.”

Co-Marketing Success Stories

Visa Checkout’s early success is due not only to its international expansion, but also to a series of successful co-marketing campaigns that have helped drive consumer usage while bringing new value to our innovative partners’ brands. For example, during a recent co-marketing campaign with Visa Checkout, Gymboree observed that nearly half (43 percent) of customers using Visa Checkout to make a purchase were net new customers to their Gymboree site.

To kick-off the fall, Visa Checkout will partner with The Ellen DeGeneres Show for the season 13 premiere week. Viewers will see Visa Checkout and key merchant partners in and around Ellen’s exciting premiere week, both in Los Angeles and New York City.

Visa Checkout will launch several new global co-marketing campaigns with merchants this fall, ranging from consumer promotions to social media campaigns and sponsorship marketing. Merchants that have previously partnered in successful promotional campaigns include Dunkin’ Donuts, Fandango, Gymboree, Pizza Hut, Virgin America, Williams-Sonoma and zulily in the U.S., Cineplex Theatres and Indigo Books & Music in Canada and Freedom Pizza in the United Arab Emirates.

Growth by the Numbers

The expanded list announced today brings the number of merchants offering Visa Checkout to nearly a quarter million globally, while financial institution partners have grown to over 330.

    In just the last two months alone, Visa Checkout saw a surge of activity, with an average monthly enrollment growth rate of over 30 percent in June and July 2015.
    Only one year after launching, the service has more than six million registered users, and has seen registered user sign ups increase by more than 92 percent since the beginning of 2015.

“Consumers expect to get what they want, when they want it in digital commerce channels and eliminating friction in the buying experience is a big part of that,” said Thad Peterson, Senior Analyst at Aite Group. “Shopping cart abandonment has been a big problem for merchants and providing a secure and seamless shopping experience increases sales. It’s essential that merchants provide customers with the tools to make shopping and buying fast and easy—and Visa Checkout does just that.”

Visa Checkout: The Easier Way to Check Out

Visa Checkout is an online service from Visa that allows consumers to securely store their shipping and payment information without ever having to re-enter the information when shopping online. With Visa Checkout, consumers can simply enter their username and password, and click a button to complete the purchase.

Since its launch less than a year ago, more than six million customers have signed up for Visa Checkout accounts. Nearly a quarterly million large and small merchants and over 330 financial institution partners now offer Visa Checkout globally. These represent some of the biggest retailers on the internet, including Staples, Rakuten, Neiman Marcus, Gap, Pizza Hut, Orbitz, and Virgin America.

Visa Checkout is available in 16 countries around the world. These are: Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

About Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world’s most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — that is capable of handling more than 56,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit usa.visa.com/about-visa, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.

Contacts

Press Only

Visa Inc.

Sheerin Salimi, +1 415-805-5923

shesalim@visa.com

globalmedia@visa.com









Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/15532/en

TP-LINK Hosts KSA Partner Seminar

SOHO and SMB Networking Vendor Hails Event a Success and Rewards Top Distributors and Partners

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, August 26th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

TP-LINK Technologies Co Ltd, a global provider of SOHO and SMB networking products and wireless LAN solutions, has announced that the recent partner seminar hosted in KSA was a success.

According to the company, which manufactures a broad range of products to consumers and small businesses, including Wireless solutions, ADSL, Routers, Switches, IP Cameras, Powerline Adapters, Print Servers, Media Converters and Network Adapters, the partner seminar was held to address several channel issues for resellers serving the KSA market.

TP-LINK said it also used the partner event to reward top performing distributors for 2014 in the KSA for achieving exceptional performance.

Conrad Yang, Country Manager, KSA TP-LINK Middle East, said the company used the partner event to introduce TP-LINK to existing and new partner recruits in the KSA market as well as share details about the company’s manufacturing capacity including the factory size in China and quality control procedures that ensure products delivered in the market adhere to stringent manufacturing processes.

Yang added that the seminar was important because it also gave channel partners the opportunity to preview the new coming products for the rest of the year. “As we move to build TP-LINK as a global business and brand, it was vital for us to give updates to KSA partners on the products we will be bringing to that market,” he said.

He added that aside from previewing new products that will be released in the market, TP-LINK also used the seminar to reward Platinum, Gold and Silver partners for growing the business and market share in 2014 in the KSA market.

“We have been working closely with our distributors and channel partners to make sure our products are readily available in the KSA market,” he said. “It is very important for us to be able to meet with our partners to discuss issues that affect the business.”

Yang said as the company has started to develop the channel business in KSA, it’s critical that partners are helped to raise awareness of the products and increase brand visibility. “We will continue to hold regular updates for the Saudi channel as a way of increasing and improving communication between TP-LINK, partners and their end user customers,” he added.

About TP-LINK

TP-LINK is a global provider of SOHO & SMB networking products and the World's No.1 provider of WLAN products, with products available in over 120 countries to tens of millions customers. Committed to intensive R&D, efficient production and strict quality management, TP-LINK continues to provide award-winning networking products in Wireless, ADSL, Routers, Switches, IP Cameras, Powerline Adapters, Print Servers, Media Converters and Network Adapters for Global end-users.

Based on the confidence of tens of millions of customers, TP-LINK is now growing to become one of the most competitive providers of networking products with aspirations to become the No.1 networking brand in the world and striving for a larger global market share, while further advancing in the world of networking to better serve our most valued customers with products that make their lives easier.

Contacts

TP-LINK MIDDLE EAST FZE 

Dia Hamdan

Regional Marketing Manager

Tel: +971 4 396 6356 Fax: +971 4 3795721

E-mail: dia.hamdan@tp-link.com Web: www.tp-link.com



Sadaf Mazhar

Marketing Executive

Tel: +971 4 396 6356 Fax: +971 4 3795721

E-mail: sadaf.mazhar@tp-link.com Web: www.tp-link.com







Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/news/15547/en