Category: MENA

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Zoom Scheduler, now generally available, allows users to align calendars with clients and contacts quickly and easily

Zoom extends free signup period for Zoom Scheduler to July 20

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom announced general availability for its new Zoom Scheduler tool and the extension of the free signup period. Zoom Scheduler makes finding the perfect meeting time easier by sharing availability for others to conveniently book appointments.

“We heard again and again from our customers that they were looking for a convenient way to book appointments without leaving the Zoom platform,” said Joseph Chong, Head of Product, Solutions, and Industry Marketing, Zoom. “With Zoom Scheduler, they can. Based on positive feedback, we will be offering Zoom Scheduler for free for anyone to try for one more month.”

Zoom is known for simplifying collaboration tools, and its latest product has taken on everyone’s least favorite meeting task: aligning calendars. Sharing availability windows back and forth manually takes up valuable time and adds more friction to a workday. Meeting with potential customers or clients often compounds this problem, as external participants lack visibility into one another’s calendars. Zoom Scheduler allows hosts to generate windows of availability that others can use to book appointments. With Zoom Scheduler, users will be able to grow their businesses faster and get more done so they can spend more time on what matters: preparing for the meeting or taking a break.

Get together with Zoom Scheduler

Now generally available, Zoom Scheduler places a meeting on the host’s calendar with a Zoom Meetings link already included, saving both participants time. Hosts can use their preferred calendar: Zoom Scheduler works seamlessly with Zoom Meetings and Zoom Mail and Calendar and integrates with both Google Calendar and Microsoft 365.

Features of Zoom Scheduler include:

  • Ability to schedule one-on-one meetings or one-to-many group meetings and specify how many people can attend any available slot.
  • Choose recurring availability or custom availability for one-off meetings.
  • Generate slots of availability when any or all team members are available.
  • Automate and customize email notifications.
  • Collect preferred information during the attendee booking process.

Beta customers love how Zoom Scheduler saves time and consolidates meeting scheduling where it makes the most sense: in the middle of the communication platform they know and love.

“Zoom Scheduler offers an easy, no-effort integration with the rest of the Zoom platform,” said Gabe Moronta, Visla. “It has all the features, settings, and capability I need.”

Zoom Scheduler integrates with Zoom Calendar, which has become a resource for meetings both before and after. Zoom Calendar offers a sidebar view alongside the Zoom desktop client, so attendees can maximize their time by seeing if others have joined the meeting yet. After the meeting, shared files live in the Calendar invite for future reference.

Free and paid Zoom users can try out Zoom Scheduler for free anytime before July 19, 2023. On July 20, 2023, Scheduler will be available as an add-on for purchase for $5.99/month per user on Zoom’s website (add to any existing legacy Zoom plan or Zoom One plan), and will be included in the Zoom One Business Plus and Enterprise Plus plans.

About Zoom
Zoom is an all-in-one intelligent collaboration platform that makes connecting easier, more immersive, and more dynamic for businesses and individuals. Zoom technology puts people at the center, enabling meaningful connections, facilitating modern collaboration, and driving human innovation through solutions like team chat, phone, meetings, omnichannel cloud contact center, smart recordings, whiteboard, and more, in one offering. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more info at zoom.com.

Zoom Public Relations
Lacretia Taylor
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8862086

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Curia Expands Cell Line Development Offering with CHOZN Platform

Curia signs license agreement with MilliporeSigma to support production of proteins and antibodies

ALBANY, N.Y., June 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Curia, a leading contract research, development and manufacturing organization, today announced it has signed a licensing agreement with MilliporeSigma, the North American Life Sciences Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, that enables Curia and its clients to use the CHOZN® GS-/- cell line for production of therapeutic proteins and antibodies. Following the agreement, the CHOZN GS-/- cell line has been integrated into Curia’s cell line development workflow and is immediately available to Curia customers.

CHOZN® platform is a Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) mammalian cell expression system that allows for faster, simpler selection and scale-up of high-producing clones for production of biologics and therapeutic recombinant proteins. It includes high-performing CHO cell lines, paired media and feeds, optimized expression vectors and robust protocols. The glutamine synthetase GS knockout (GS-/-) cell line of the CHOZN platform is specially designed to help streamline selection, identification and scale-up of high-producing clones ideal for GMP manufacturing of recombinant protein drugs.

“We continue to strengthen our biologics development offerings from discovery through clinical manufacturing,” said Christopher Conway, President R&D, Curia. “The CHOZN GS-/- cell line platform adds a widely accepted and commercially viable cell line to our capabilities. Our integrated offering accelerates therapeutic protein and antibody production and offers seamless tech transfer for optimal flexibility.”

Curia’s protein and antibody development experts offer a track record of accelerating progress, with a timeline in as little as 12 months from cell line development to phase I drug substance, depending on the manufacturability of the candidates.

The addition of the CHOZN platform strengthens Curia’s offerings as a complement to its existing proprietary CHO cell line, providing customers with a highly versatile and broadly applicable solution.

About Curia
Curia is a leading contract research, development, and manufacturing organization providing products and services from R&D through commercial manufacturing to pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers. Curia’s nearly 4,000 employees at 29 locations across the U.S., Europe, and Asia help its customers advance from curiosity to cure. Learn more at CuriaGlobal.com.

Curia Contact Information:
Viana Bhagan
+1 518 512 2111
corporatecommunications@CuriaGlobal.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8859845

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The top 5 places to do business in 2023 according to the World Citizenship Report: CS Global Partners

London, June 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Access to opportunity is one of the most desirable qualities that any jurisdiction can offer.

This year, the 2023 World Citizenship Report measured 188 countries in the world, looking at what these nations have to offer High Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) and the mass affluent who are continually looking past their home borders for better opportunities.

One key motivator that was measured in the report was Economic Opportunity, which measures the overall ability of a nation to extend wealth, material comfort, and other key benefits of a strong economy to all of its citizens.

Greater access to improved business environments and employment opportunities allows individuals to participate in the economy while achieving their goals of securing their financial futures and raising the standard of living for themselves and their families. But it doesn’t end there. Apart from the supplementary benefits of social mobility, a reduction in income disparity, and greater capital formation, having the freedom to pursue key financial goals leads to significant investment in an individual’s own well-being, their families, and their communities, which, more often, is accompanied by a greater sense of purpose.

Not only have global mass affluent individuals shown to be willing to travel to access more powerful economies globally, but they also desire supportive business environments which enable them to fully realise their entrepreneurial potential.

A shift in economic growth from the West to emerging markets over the past few decades has led to new business hubs worldwide. Regions such as Asia, the Middle East, and South America have seen rapid economic growth, coupled with improved infrastructure and, in some cases, lighter regulation.

Entrepreneurs the world over are capitalizing on this, often by going through the citizenship by investment (CBI) route of a country that allows access to profitable business opportunities in booming markets across the globe.

The World Citizenship Report looks at the top business hubs globally, among other motivators for individuals looking to widen their prospects. Other motivators explored by the World Citizenship Report are Safety and Security, Quality of Life, Global Mobility, and Financial Freedom. The World Citizenship Report is based on research by London-headquartered leading government advisory and marketing firm CS Global Partners.

So which countries are the world’s most sought-after business hubs in 2023? 

5. Switzerland and Japan

Switzerland and Japan both tied at fifth place, ranking at 82.3 in the Economic Opportunity pillar.

Switzerland, the 20th biggest economy in the world, is a well-known financial hub and a great place to invest thanks to its stable economy and strong business culture. The country is also known for its innovation and flourishing start-ups in the major cities.

In addition to its positive economic outlook, Japan is noted for its internal stability. The nation is considered one of the most politically stable countries in the world, as well as one of the safest to travel in for work or business. Japan’s economy has gained momentum in 2023 with surveys of business activity indicating that the economy is growing.

4. Netherlands

Taking fourth place, the Netherlands scored 82.4 and the country continues to be a good place to start a business. Considered as the gateway to Europe, the Netherlands has a stable business climate where ambitious companies can tap into innovation ecosystems to accelerate their businesses.

3. Hong Kong (SAR) China

In third place with a score of 83.1 is Hong Kong. The country has a free-enterprise, free-trade economy and the government has traditionally adopted a policy of non-intervention in the private sector, while at the same time providing the territory with a modern and sophisticated commercial infrastructure and a sound legal and administrative framework.

2. United States of America

In second place is the United States of America. As one of the most recognised economies in the world, the USA offers a lucrative open market that is a powerful growth engine for companies of all sizes. Coupled with a predictable and stable political and judicial system where intellectual property is protected, the USA is a great place for business investment of any kind.

The country scored 83.7 in this year’s World Citizenship Report.

1. Singapore
Singapore was crowned as the best place to do business this year with a score of 84.8. Singapore has a conducive environment for business given its regulatory environment, stable and efficient infrastructure to support starting a business, access to financial intermediation and services, and enforcement of contracts. The economy makes it easy for domestic and international businesses to make their mark in the global arena.

Chantal Mabanga
CS Global Partners
+44 (0) 207 318 4343
Chantal.Mabanga@csglobalpartners.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8861047

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Floship Becomes Second Recipient of Investment from FedEx Innovation Lab

The investment marks a significant milestone and signals a new era in the development of the future of global circular e-commerce fulfillment services.

HONG KONG, June 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading global circular supply chain solutions provider, Floship, has announced today that it has received an investment from FedEx Innovation Lab (FIL). This investment by FIL will strengthen Floship’s capabilities to extend its service offering to new markets. Floship is poised to collaborate with FedEx to build an end-to-end digitalized fulfillment and return solution that will create smart logistics for all.

This partnership will give FedEx e-commerce customers access to Floship’s global network of warehouses and powerful logistics platform’s capabilities to streamline their e-commerce fulfillment operations. At the same time, Floship’s customers will be able to leverage FedEx global networks as well as a full range of FedEx extensive transportation options to optimize their operations.

FedEx Innovation Lab makes early-stage investments in rising start-ups to bring additional value in terms of capabilities and speed to market to start-up firms through the FedEx global network, resources, and customer base.

Josh Tsui, CEO of Floship, commented on the investment, “It’s an honor for Floship to be collaborating with FedEx. This is a significant milestone in Floship’s journey to becoming the leading circular supply chain and fulfillment solution provider worldwide. It is a testament to our e-commerce clients about the future strategic direction of Floship and enhancements to our service offering,” said Tsui.

About Floship

Floship’s global circular supply chain ecosystem solutions cover all aspects of the global supply chain, ensuring minimal operation effort for e-commerce businesses, and allowing business owners to concentrate on driving growth with investment flexibility while gaining peace of mind.

Learn more at www.floship.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

For more information about Floship, please contact:

James Linacre, PR & Communications Lead

Phone: (+852) 5333 9420

Email: [email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8860144

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New solutions urgently needed to tackle smoking worldwide: experts to convene in Poland at the Global Forum on Nicotine

GFN23

Tobacco harm reduction can hasten an end to smoking-related death and disease. Copyright-free photo by Mathew MacQuarrie on Unsplash.

WARSAW, Poland, June 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — International public health specialists, scientists, doctors, regulators, consumers and manufacturers are convening this week in the Polish capital to discuss new ways of tackling global smoking-related death and disease. Over four days, 70 speakers and hundreds of delegates at the tenth annual Global Forum on Nicotine (21 – 24 June) will focus on tobacco harm reduction, which encourages adults who cannot quit smoking to switch to safer nicotine products.

Despite decades of tobacco control efforts, a billion people still smoke worldwide, with eight million smoking-related deaths each year. Four in five smokers live in low- and middle-income countries, least able to cope with the resulting burden of disease, and smoking is a major cause of health inequalities in higher income countries. The thousands of toxins released when tobacco burns cause smoking-related diseases, not nicotine, which is a comparatively low-risk substance.

Vapes (e-cigarettes), pasteurised snus, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products enable people to use nicotine without burning tobacco, significantly reducing health risks compared to continued smoking. Global estimates suggest 112 million people use these products, despite inconsistent regulation and outright prohibition in some countries. Smoking prevalence is falling faster where these products are available and appropriately regulated, such as in the UK, Sweden, Japan and New Zealand.

GFN23 will tackle the opportunities and challenges of tobacco harm reduction, including the development of regulatory systems that enable adult smokers to access safer products, while reducing youth uptake. Open to all, free live-streamed sessions from the event, translated from English to Spanish and Russian, will cover the last decade of science around safer nicotine products and their efficacy in smoking cessation, the environmental impact of safer products in comparison to combustible cigarettes and the detrimental impact of moral stances and ideology on science and regulation.

While it supports harm reduction for HIV/AIDS prevention and substance use, the World Health Organization opposes harm reduction for tobacco. Ibero-American experts at GFN23 will discuss the upcoming WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control COP10 in Panama this November, where decisions on the future of safer nicotine products may have grave implications for global public health.

Ahead of GFN23, Gerry Stimson, Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London and the event’s co-founder, called for international tobacco control leaders to adopt rational and pragmatic approaches that prioritise saving lives: “Ideology must be set aside and people must be supported to quit by all available means.”

The Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN) is the only international conference to focus on the role of safer nicotine products that help people switch from smoking, in an approach called tobacco harm reduction. Find out more and register to watch online sessions free at https://gfn.events/

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/feaca847-b6e8-4140-9da8-e5658737df26

Ruth Goldsmith, GFN23 Communications Lead
[email protected]
https://gfn.events/

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000825970

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Hitachi Energy wins order for first subsea electricity interconnection between France and Spain

HVDC link improves the security and quality of power in the region, advancing the integration of emission-free energy

Zurich, Switzerland, June 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all, today announced it won an order from Electricity Interconnection France-Spain (Inelfe), the joint venture bringing together operators of the Spanish (Red Eléctrica) and French (RTE) electricity transmission networks, in charge of the construction and commissioning of all cross-border connections between both countries, to supply four high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter stations to interconnect France and Spain via a subsea cable across the Biscay Gulf.

The Biscay Gulf interconnection, labeled as project of common interest (PCI) at the European level, will consist of two HVDC links, with a converter station at each end of both systems. Combined, the links will efficiently supply a total of 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity at 400 kilovolts (kV) over 400 kilometers (km). Providing the equivalent of the power consumption of more than two million households1, the links will improve the safety, stability, and quality of the electricity supply between the two countries. It will advance the integration of emission-free electricity and create a more efficient system to generate savings that benefit consumers and the rest of Europe.2 Most of the link will be underwater, but a short section of the link cable route will return to land to avoid the deep Capbreton Canyon.

“Cross border, and often subsea, interconnections are vital to Europe’s increasingly interconnected grid,” said Niklas Persson, Managing Director at Hitachi Energy’s Grid Integration business. “Through our pioneering HVDC technology, we enable Inelfe to accelerate the two countries’ sustainability goals, improving the safety, stability, and quality of electricity supply between France and Spain and the rest of Europe.”

Inelfe (Interconexión Eléctrica Francia-España or Electricity Interconnection France-Spain) was set up following the 2008 Zaragoza Agreement, between the governments of Spain and France, with the mission to enhance the exchange of electricity between the two countries. The resulting infrastructure doubled the interconnection capacity between France and Spain from 1,400 MW to 2,800 MW today. With the Biscay Gulf interconnection, the capacity to exchange power will soon reach 5,000 MW.3

In line with its Purpose to champion the urgency of a clean energy transition through innovation and collaboration, Hitachi Energy is collaborating with VINCI, an industry leader in energy and construction. Together the two companies will provide an advanced solution for the Biscay Gulf project by delivering the engineering and power technologies and the construction of the converter stations. The collaboration with VINCI will leverage the core competencies of the two companies to deliver a best-in-class solution for the project.

Note to editors:
Hitachi Energy’s HVDC solution combines world-leading expertise in HVDC converter valves; the MACH™ digital control platform4, converter power transformers and high-voltage switchgear; as well as system studies, design and engineering, supply, installation supervision and commissioning.

HVDC Light® is a voltage source converter technology developed by Hitachi Energy, which was launched over 25 years ago. It is the preferred technology for many grid applications, including interconnecting countries, integrating renewables and “power-from-shore” connections to offshore production facilities. HVDC Light’s defining features include uniquely compact converter stations and exceptionally low electrical losses.

Hitachi Energy pioneered commercial HVDC technology almost 70 years ago and has delivered more than half of the world’s HVDC projects.

1 https://www.odyssee-mure.eu/publications/efficiency-by-sector/households/electricity-consumption-dwelling.html
2 https://www.inelfe.eu/en/projects/bay-biscay
3 https://www.inelfe.eu/en/about-inelfe
4 Modular Advanced Control for HVDC (MACH™)

HVDC website:
https://www.hitachienergy.com/offering/product-and-system/hvdc

About Hitachi Energy
Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 40,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of over $10 billion USD.
https://www.hitachienergy.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy
https://twitter.com/HitachiEnergy

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers’ and society’s challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the business structure of “Digital Systems & Services” – supporting our customers’ digital transformation; “Green Energy & Mobility” – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and “Connective Industries” – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022 (ended March 31, 2023) totaled 10,881.1 billion yen, with 696 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi.com.

Attachments

Jocelyn Chang
Hitachi Energy
jocelyn.chang@hitachienergy.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8858785