Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • A Battle of 2 of Singapore’s Largest Real Estate Investment Trusts

    A Battle of 2 of Singapore’s Largest Real Estate Investment Trusts

    Singapore’s stock market is gaining popularity as a centre for real estate investment trusts.

    The first REIT here appeared some time back in 2002. But even in recent years, Singapore has seen the listing of some huge billion-dollar REITs such as Frasers Logistics and Industrial Trust.

    In this piece, I want to take a look at two of the largest REITs listed here in Singapore and compare them. Meet the contenders, CapitaLand Mall Trust and Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust.

    Asset class

    The most obvious difference between the two REITs is their area of focus. CapitaLand Mall Trust, as its name suggests, focuses on retail properties (it dabbles a little in some commercial assets as well).

    Ascendas REIT on the other hand, deals with industrial properties such as business & science parks, factories, data centres and more.

    Going international

    Another area of divergence between the two is their geographical focus.

    Ascendas REIT has invested in overseas properties over the years and now has assets in China and Australia. It seems the trust would continue to pursue international investments going forward. Today, Australia and China contribute roughly 11% and 2%, respectively, to the REIT’s overall portfolio value. The rest comes from Singapore.

    CapitaLand Mall Trust, on the other hand, only owns properties in Singapore. That said, it also has a 14.55% stake in CapitaLand Retail China Trust, which invests in retail properties in the Greater China region.

    Both CapitaLand Mall Trust and CapitaLand Retail China Trust are sponsored by the local real estate giant CapitaLand Limited.

    CapitaLand has stakes in other REITs and even private property funds that invest outside Singapore. This means that CapitaLand Mall Trust would most likely not invest directly in international markets since its sponsor would be heading any overseas venture.

    A long history

    Now, CapitaLand Mall Trust and Ascendas REIT do have things in common.

    They mostly have assets located in Singapore; they have market capitalisations of around S$7.0 billion each; and they both were listed in 2002 and so have long histories of growth as a listed REIT.

    Since their IPOs, CapitaLand Mall Trust and Ascendas REIT have generated total returns (where gains from reinvested dividends are factored in) of more than 420% and 554%, respectively.

    Summary

    Both Ascendas REIT and CapitaLand Mall Trust have proven themselves in the market by providing strong returns for their unitholders. But, the two trusts have significant differences related to their asset classes and growth strategies. This thus results in different risk profiles and that’s something investors would have to keep in mind.

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  • How brands are using VR to improve customer experience in China

    How brands are using VR to improve customer experience in China

    Tech-enhanced customer experiences have always had a very receptive audience in China, and as a result, VR technologies are being widely embraced by both brands and platforms.

    China has the world’s biggest ecommerce market and by 2020, it will dominate the retail sector also, according to PwC. The sheer size of the country’s retail consumer market is one reason why the rest of the world sits up and takes notice when China adopts new technologies in this sector.

    And while the rest of us have been dipping our toes in the VR pool, trying out Oculus Rift headsets at trade shows and testing the low-tech, low-cost Google Cardboard on the relatively limited VR apps available via smartphone, China has been forging ahead with this new technology, putting it to practical use and building a market for virtual retail experiences.

    It’s no coincidence that China’s big three Internet platforms (Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu) have all invested significantly in VR, in what is expected to become a market worth $8.5 billion by 2020. these figures suggest that VR is no mere novelty to the businesses that shape the country’s economy.

    Alibaba

    Alibaba’s Buy+, launched last month, is a virtual reality shopping programme, which allows users to choose clothes and accessories via the headset, assisted by a virtual shopping assistant. It will give Alibaba’s 400 million users access to a VR shopping experience with 3D renderings for hundreds of products, and will eventually allow retailers to create their own VR stores.

    China_VR_Alibaba_Buy+_Alizila_600

    *Source: Alizila

    While it’s still in concept mode, Alibaba anticipates that the technology will become as central to the shopping experience as smartphones are today, picking up on and exploiting consumers’ appetite for ever-evolving and exciting experiences.

    Tencent

    Tencent has taken a different approach in its quest to dominate the VR market by launching its own operating system (Tencent OS) and VR console project – the miniStation. Tencent is focused on China’s gaming community to kick start user interest, and plans to integrate all of its services and apps into the platform, including WeChat and QQ. This will undoubtedly open up all kinds of opportunities for retailers to engage with customers in entirely new ways.

    China_VR_Tencent_miniStation_600

    *Source: Tencent’s miniStation for QQ and WeChat.

    As these ecommerce giants lay the foundations for a vibrant and viable VR market, physical retailers also have their sights set on the growing interest in this technology and how it can work for them.

    Suning + Gome

    For example, Chinese electronic retailers Suning Commerce Group and Gome Electrical Appliances Holding Ltd have done a deal with HTC to set up around 10,000 VR experience sites across China by the end of this year, including virtual rollercoasters and other adventurous in-store experiences.

    OnePlus

    Another example is smartphone manufacturer OnePlus. It developed a VR space station to launch its latest handset. As part of the campaign, 60,000 people were ‘beamed up’ to the space station where they learnt about the phone and its features. Within six hours, the conversion rate was an impressive 30%, giving a very promising return on investment.

    Takeaways

    What these pioneering retailers and retail platforms have learned is that VR has a number of advantages as an experience mechanism:

    • It allows them to showcase multiple products in a very cost-effective way – around 80% of the cost of building a traditional, brick-and-mortar showroom

    • There’s no physical limit to what VR can do – it’s possible to develop truly innovative and extraordinary experiences which would usually be out of reach. Going into space, on a rollercoaster, under the sea or any one of an almost endless list of scenarios can be developed and delivered to customers

    • There’s a huge appetite for VR experiences in China – according to industry analysts Canalys, the country will account for 40% of all VR headset shipments this year, and people are queuing up to try out local offerings from DeePoon, Pico, Pimax, Idealens and, most recently, Xiaomi.

    China_VR_DeePoon_600

    *Source: DeePoon homepage.

    As the market continues to develop, industry insiders say VR in China is reaching a game-changing tipping point. Yang Tao, general manager of Beijing-based VR startup SweetTech, told the China Daily in March: “The market feels like it did on the eve of the first iPhone when it was unveiled in 2007”. Given what happened to the smartphone market in the years since then, this is something retailers can’t afford to ignore.

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  • Hong Kong retail sales plunge for 17th month in a row

    Hong Kong retail sales plunge for 17th month in a row

    HK retail sales 07 16

    Things are not exactly looking up.

    The bad news continues for Hong Kong’s downtown duty free and travel retailers such as DFS as the latest retail sales statistics show another month-on-month decline.

    July government data provisionally indicate that the value of total retail sales in July fell by -7.7% to $34.6bn/$4.46bn, compared with July 2015. This means that for the first seven months of 2016, the value of total retail sales decreased by -10.1% compared with the same period in 2015.

    The trend in department stores was slightly better: in July they fell by -6.9% and by -8.7% in the first seven months of the year.

    The graph above shows the rate of change on a monthly basis for all retail sales in Hong Kong and it suggests that since the second quarter of 2015 there has been continuous downward, negative pressure on sales [the spikes reflect the timings of Chinese New Year].

    HIGH-VALUE ITEMS HAMMERED

    By those product categories most relevant to duty free, the figures showed a very mixed performance in July. Value sales of jewellery, watches and clocks, and ‘valuable gifts’ took a beating, decreasing by -26.2% as did electrical goods and photographic equipment (-21.8%), while footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories held their ground at (-1.1%).

    The tourism trend this year looks worse than in 2015 which is a worry.

    The overall negative trend has been attributed to the depressed tourist traffic coming to Hong Kong, particularly from China. While the July figures are not yet available, in the half-year to June visitor arrivals fell by -7.4% to 27.16m, with mainland Chinese traffic falling by over -10%.

    This follows an inbound decline of -2.9% to 59.3m in 2015, but a spending decline of -7.5% to HK$332.3bn. Of the 59.3m, Mainland China continued to be the largest visitor source market accounting for 77% of total arrivals.

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  • KinerjaPay Launched “I Love Indonesia” Campaign

    KinerjaPay Launched “I Love Indonesia” Campaign

    KinerjaPay launched “I Love Indonesia” Campaign to promote selected premium local products in its marketplace. This campaign is also to celebrate Indonesia’s 71st Independence Day anniversary on 17 August 2016. It is also designed to increase people’s love for domestic products and stimulate domestic consumption.

    Indonesia is a country of big numbers and big opportunity. With 252 million inhabitants it is the world’s fourth most populous country and the largest in south east Asia. Indonesia has 18,307 islands, over 742 different languages and a middle class larger than the population of Malaysia or Australia. Currently the 16th largest economy in the world, it is projected to be the seventh largest economy in the world by 2030. Catching the hype and realizing that a young population embracing the Internet faster than ever before. Mr. Sofyan Djalil as the Indonesia State Enterprise Minister once said he supported any form of program that boost love for the country’s products. “So far, people are not aware that the quality of Indonesian products is already good. I appeal to all state-owned companies to really take the opportunity, provide funds and put up the logo in their ads. They must do whatever they can to make the campaign effective,” he said.

    On the other hand, this campaign also means to promote national products abroad. In making an effective on this goal, The Company is also collaborating with overseas partners such as in Singapore to assist SMEs to expand their businesses internationally especially in South East Asia (SEA). The idea is to leverage strategic values and locations of Indonesia and Singapore, running many regular and ad-hoc events such as monthly networking events, trainings, site visits, and trade exhibitions.

    Mr. Deny Rahardjo, CEO for PT KinerjaPay Indonesia stated “We are very excited and optimist on the success of this campaign to promote Indonesia’s selected local prominent and unique merchants such as Batik, Indonesian coffee bean and handcrafted products. There are currently already more than 418 premium products and 14 prominent merchants have agreed to join the campaign that is planned to run until end of 2016. We do hope that this will bring positive impact towards local economy while promoting KinerjaPay as brand of trust.”

    Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may contain forward-looking statements, about KPAY’s expectations, beliefs or intentions regarding, among other things, its product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies or prospects. In addition, from time to time, KPAY or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “should” or “anticipate” or their negatives or other variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. These forward-looking statements may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made by KPAY with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of KPAY’s authorized executive officers.

    Forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results as of the date they are made. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause KPAY’s actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause KPAY ‘s actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the factors summarized in KPAY ‘s filings with the SEC. In addition, KPAY operates in an industry sector where securities values are highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond its control.

    KPAY does not undertake any obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Please see the risk factors associated with an investment in our securities which are included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2016.

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  • Blackmores spreads wings in Indonesia

    Blackmores spreads wings in Indonesia

    Blackmores chief executive Christine Holgate is in Jakarta today to launch the company’s expansion into the Indonesian market.

    The Sydney-based vitamin and supplements company has been operating in China, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand for some years but has held back from the Indonesian market as it searched for the right partner.

    It has now partnered in a joint venture with Indonesia’s Kalbe Farma, one of the largest health care companies in South East Asia.

    “We will be launching with eight products and have 25 products by the end of the year,” Ms Holgate said yesterday.

    “It is quite a complex registration process in Indonesia compared with Australia. But we are used to the different Asian markets where it can take six months to a year to get registered.”

    She said Blackmores had chosen to partner with Kalbe as it was a major supplier of the nutritional supplements market in Indonesia.

    “It’s a market worth around $2 billion in Indonesia and it’s growing really fast,” she said.

    “The country has one of the fastest growing middle classes in the world and it’s predicted to be the third biggest economy in the world by 2030,” she said.

    She said Indonesians were increasingly interested in more Western versions of natural health products. She said Kalbe had a strong “common shared sense of purpose” with Blackmores including having an institute to train people in natural health care products.

    She said Blackmores would be able to leverage Kalbe’s training processes and its strong representation in shopping centres throughout Indonesia where it has health centres giving advice on natural health products.

    Ms Holgate has been in Indonesia for the past week at the Australian-Indonesian dialogue which is aimed at boosting trade between Australia and Indonesia. Federal Trade Minister Steve Ciobo has been negotiating a free trade agreement with Indonesia, reviving a process which stalled in 2013.

    Ms Holgate said only 2 per cent of Australia’s trade was done with Indonesia and added there were business opportunities in areas such as health, education and financial services. She said Australian companies needed to negotiate partnerships with Indonesian companies to expand into the market.

    Blackmores’ business in Indonesia was “not going to be a huge overnight.”“But you need to plant seeds to grow trees and this is an important next step in our history of growing in Asia.”

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  • Audi recalls A8 models in South Korea due to stalling problem

    Audi recalls A8 models in South Korea due to stalling problem

    Audi is recalling 1,534 A8 cars in South Korea due to a stalling problem, the transport ministry said on Wednesday, adding it was the first country where the German carmaker was recalling the model for such a defect.

    The Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) division will expand the recall to the United States and other countries, South Korea said, in what would be a further blow to the German company reeling from its emissions-test cheating scandal.

    An Audi Volkswagen Korea spokeswoman confirmed it was the first recall for such a defect but said she was not aware of any plans to expand the recall to other countries.

    South Korea, a major market for the A8, has sought to punish Volkswagen aggressively following the scandal, suspending sales of some Volkswagen, Audi and Bentley cars for allegedly forging documents on emissions or noise-level tests.

    The ministry said it had found a design problem in a coolant control valve, which was causing the affected models to stall. This is a “serious defect which hampers safe driving,” the ministry said in a statement.

    An Audi spokesman in Germany said a magnetic valve near the car’s gearbox needed to be replaced and that there had been no other recalls in other countries so far.

    The model in question is the A8 4.2 FSI Quattro produced between July 2010 and April 2012.

  • Ford to recall 91,000 cars worldwide to fix fuel-pump issue

    Ford to recall 91,000 cars worldwide to fix fuel-pump issue

    Ford Motors said on Wednesday it was recalling about 91,000 vehicles worldwide to replace faulty fuel-pump parts that could potentially cause a car to stall without warning.

    Ford said it would replace fuel-pump control modules in about 88,151 vehicles, including certain of its 2013-15 model year Ford Taurus sedans, Ford Flex crossover utility vehicles, Lincoln MKS sedans, Lincoln MKT SUVs and Ford Police Interceptor sedans. (ford.to/2bOOxjg)

    The company also said it would recall about 2,472 Ford Transit vans to replace fuel-injection pumps in certain models manufactured in the year 2015-16.

    The carmaker said it was additionally recalling 23,150 Ford Escape SUVs of 2017 model year to update power-window software.

    Ford said is was not aware of any accidents or injuries associated with the issues.

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  • Bank Indonesia still has chance to slacken its monetary policy

    Bank Indonesia still has chance to slacken its monetary policy

    Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Agus Martowardojo said the central bank still likely has a chance to relax its monetary policy in the second half of this year.

    “Seeing the condition in August, we can say that there is still a chance to slacken monetary policy but whether it will be carried out next September or October will depend on the data” the central bank governor said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

    BIs board of governors meeting on August 18-19 decided to maintain its 7-Day Reverse Repo Rate (BI 7-day RR Rate) at 5.25 percent with a deposit facility (DF) interest rate of 4.5 percent and lending facility (LF) being lowered by 100 basis points from 7.0 percent to 6.0 percent.

    BI began introducing the 7-Day RR Rate last April. At the BIs board of governors meeting on April 21, 2016, the BI Rate was fixed at 6.75 percent and the BI Repo Rate at 5.50

    Besides this, the BI also maintained a symmetrical and narrow interest rate corridor where the lower limit of DF Rate is set 75 basis points below the 7-Day RR rate and the upper limit of LF Rate is set 75 basis points above the 7-Day RR Rate.

    The decision is in line with the efforts to maintain the macroeconomic stability by continuously preserving the momentum of domestic economic growth amid weakening global economic performance.

    With macroeconomic stability, controlled inflation at targeted range, good current transaction deficit and stable currency rate, room for monetary relaxation is still open.

    The BI also continues to take abreast of short-term domestic global economic development, particularly the possibility for the Fed to raise its Fund Rate. “We wilL see it in September there will be flight to quality with regard to reports on the improvement of the United States economy.”

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  • DHL Introduces Multimodel Mongolian Connection

    DHL Introduces Multimodel Mongolian Connection

    DHL Global Forwarding has launched road and multimodal freight services linking Mongolia to Europe and the US.

    The new road connection to continental Europe has a transit time of less than 20 days and passes through Russia and Belarus. It supports different business sizes by offering both full truck load and less-than-truck load options.

    “Mongolia’s economy is rebounding from the mining downturn, further building on its status as the world’s second-largest cashmere producer and a food and agricultural export hub,” said Kelvin Leung, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific. “With Mongolian businesses gaining a growing slice of global market share, supported by an increasingly solid network of regional free trade agreements, Mongolia’s dominant trading partners also stand to gain from increases in domestic consumption of foreign goods.”

    The new service is aimed at the movement of goods such as furniture, medicines wine into Mongolia, and exports such as mining spare parts, cashmere products and all-terrain bikes.

    The new multimodal connection with the US offers full container load and less-than-container load options. With a transit time of as few as 18 days, it passes from the US by air to South Korea, by ocean to China and then by rail and road to Mongolia.

    “The new road freight and multimodal services provide both small businesses and large enterprises with an especially cost-effective and timely way of testing demand and establishing consistent trade between both markets,” said Charles Kaufmann, CEO of North Asia and head of value-added services at DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific. “As the only international logistics provider with a local presence in Mongolia, DHL enables overseas exporters to gain a head-start in accessing the ‘Wolf Economy’ as it continues its path to the front of the pack.”

    Goods expected to be transported into Mongolia include watches, coffee machines and motorcycles, while exports include aviation spare parts, camel wool and rally cars, according to DHL.

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  • Toll, Specialty Fashion build retail distribution centre

    Toll, Specialty Fashion build retail distribution centre

    Toll Group has unveiled its plans to build a state-of-the-art retail distribution centre in collaboration with apparel retailer, Specialty Fashion Group.  The 32,000 square metre distribution centre will be built by Logos Group Australia at the Prestons Logistics Estate, Sydney.

    Fitted with advanced automation technologies to enable fast and efficient distribution to customers, the facility will be one of the first in Australia specifically designed to cater for the growing retail eCommerce market.

    Toll has worked closely with Specialty Fashion Group to design a distribution centre that will meet the demands of the retailer’s recent growth, and support its continual focus on improving omni-channel delivery including online and ‘click and collect’ ordering.

    The Prestons facility will enable Specialty Fashion Group to get products to stores and customers faster than ever before.

    In a ground breaking ceremony at the site, Toll’s Managing Director, Brian Kruger, and Specialty Fashion Group CEO, Gary Perlstein, turned soil to mark the start of construction.

    Brian Kruger said “We are excited to announce our plans for this innovative distribution centre – an Australian first in automation for eCommerce processing and distribution.

    “Our aim at Toll is to connect people and products, and we look forward to working with Specialty Fashion Group to enable a fast, efficient and cost effective supply chain for its customers.”

    Gary Perlstein said “Currently, Specialty Fashion Group sells a garment a second in Australia. We have worked with Toll to create a supply chain solution that enables our omni-channel strategy across all brands for a streamlined and memorable customer experience.”

    Toll has designed the facility to include several leading automation technologies including a multi-shuttle tote storage system, goods-to-person pick stations, automated and ergonomic eCommerce processing stations, automatic carton optimisation machines and a tier one warehouse management system.

    These technologies will enable the site to manage high volumes efficiently and quickly, despatching products for faster delivery and reducing overall costs per unit.

    The facility will employ around 120 warehouse operators and is expected to despatch more than 90 million units annually. Construction is expected to be completed in October 2017.

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  • Governement Aims to Protect Fintech Customers

    Governement Aims to Protect Fintech Customers

    Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution wants to have an agency that protects customers of (financial technology/fintech) companies. The agency will also monitor and supervise fintech businesses to make sure they comply with existing laws and regulations.

    The agency, he said, will work in similar ways to the Central Securities Depository (KSEI) and the Clearing and Guarantee Corporation (KPEI) in supervising capital market transactions.

    “In the case of contract breaches, consumers must not incur losses. There must be an agency that covers the loss, he said at the Indonesia Fintech Festival, Tuesday, August 30.

    He said that the fintech industry offers an opportunity for entrepreneurs and the financial services sector. But fintechs have their negative impacts and risks as well, that’s why the OJK and Bank Indonesia (BI) must regulate the industry for the protection of its customers.

    BI Governor Agus Martowardojo supports the development of fintechs, saying it is an industry that allows faster, more efficient services for the financial industry in terms of payment system.

    Agus said he has three hopes for the fintech industry. First, for international fintechs to register as an Indonesian entity. Second, to have all payments denominated in rupiah, and third is for the industry to save their funds in the national banking system.

    President Joko Widodo, who attended the Fintech Festival, said that the business is a golden opportunity for people living in remote areas. Widodo believes that better access to financial services will crunch income gap.

    “I invite fintech businesses to innovate and spawn new breakthroughs in the use of digital technology that will fast-track financial inclusivity,” he said.

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  • Southco chooses DHL as sole global logistics provider

    Southco chooses DHL as sole global logistics provider

    DHL Global Forwarding announced that   Southco, a global source for engineered access hardware solutions, has chosen DHL once again as its sole global logistics provider.

    The company renewed their existing contract with DHL for another four years for a combination of air, ocean, domestic and customs brokerage services on various trade lanes.

    Southco currently uses DHL Global Forwarding to ship a variety of its latches, hinges and engineered access hardware products between its 17 engineering and manufacturing locations in the Americas,Europe and Asia Pacific .

    DHL transports Southco’s access hardware products via ocean freight and via DHL’s Less-Than-Container Load (LCL) solution. In Europe , the company uses DHL’s road freight to move its finished products from its manufacturing plant in the United Kingdom to continental Europe .

    “With their focus on delivering customized engineering solutions for applications in industries such as automotive, aerospace, mass transit and off-highway/construction, timely delivery and efficient supply chain management is critical to Southco and its customers. Their renewal of the DHL contract for another four years is testament to their confidence in our track record of delivering to their expectations. Our experienced team will continue to optimize their supply chain between South China and the U.S.,” said Piak-Hwee Tan , Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.

    “The relationship we have developed with DHL has been crucial to the success of our manufacturing facilities maintaining a continuous production flow, allowing us to get our products to market faster,” said Paul Smith , director, Global Supply Chain, Southco, Inc.

    “With DHL Global Forwarding’s presence in the markets where we operate, it has helped us minimize or avoid unnecessary disruptions to our supply chain during any type of natural disaster or major event. DHL Global Forwarding also provides us with a global point of contact along with regional points of contacts in all regions where Southco operates, providing us day-to-day updates of our shipments and how we perform against our key performance indicators.”

    Southco has more than 100 years’ experience in helping its customers overcome engineering challenges, with a focus on differentiating the engineered “touch points” of their products to ultimately improve the end user experience.

    DHL Global Forwarding has more than 200 years helping its customers meet their needs, including those in the engineering and manufacturing industry with its warehousing, order fulfillment, sub-assembly and transportation management, among other core services.

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  • Singapore students win FedEx challenge

    Singapore students win FedEx challenge

    A team of student entrepreneurs from Singapore have been crowned winners of the FedEx Express/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge (FedEx/JA ITC) Asia Pacific Finals in Hong Kong.

    Challenged to come up with an idea for a travel security product or service for the U.K., team Kung Fu Pandas – made up of Colin Chee and Tan Jie Ying – impressed the judges with their product “RobStop”, a convertible bag with slash-proof body panels made of stainless steel mesh that can help to thwart pickpockets and protect all important personal belongings while travelling.

    In total, 48 students from eight Asia-Pacific markets (Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) took part in this year’s contest.

    “We came up with an idea that we thought would work and that we believed in, but some of the other team’s proposals were really outstanding, so we didn’t expect to be the winners,” said Colin Chee and Tan Jie Ying of Kung Fu Pandas.

    “Taking part in the contest has been a really eye-opening experience, and it’s made us realize that, with some planning, research and a good idea, it’s surprisingly easy to set up a business in real life.”

    Evelyn Tsui and Tanya Tam of team DOTS from Hong Kong took second place in the contest with their idea of “Secure Egg”, a compact portable device that helps elderly travelers in emergency situations by enabling them to connect to their families or even the police at the push of a button.

    Team LOHAS, also from Hong Kong, came third. Team members Michelle Ng and Vanessa Kwang devised “KidSafe”, a children’s backpack that tracks children’s whereabouts. Once the backpack leaves the “safety zone” set by parents, the parents receive an automatic alert.

    “Modern technology makes international markets more accessible to even the smallest business than ever before,” said Karen Reddington, president, FedEx Express Asia Pacific.

    “I’m delighted that, by supporting FedEx Express/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge, we are helping to develop and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to recognize the opportunities for themselves. The program has grown considerably in both size and stature over the last 10 years, which is a testament of a huge success that FedEx is proud to be associated with.”

    “It is remarkable that FedEx/JA ITC has now been running for 10 years and we are very proud that it has not only endured, but actually grown considerably,” said Vivian Lau, president, JA Asia Pacific.

    “Our goal for the program was always to inspire young people to think big in what they can achieve in the world of business, and to enable them by equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills through challenges that were as close to real life as possible. The feedback of previous years tells us that participants really benefited from the program, and we will work to ensure it remains equally valuable in the years to come.”

  • Zebra expands global ISV strategy

    Zebra expands global ISV strategy

    Zebra Technologies Corporation announced a global independent software vendor (ISV) initiative designed to increase collaboration and expand engagement with the wider developer community.

    New independent software vendor initiatives to expand solutions that help customers make smarter decisions with real-time visibility.

    Zebra also announced the appointment of James Pemberton as the global lead of this initiative, which will help our customers make smarter decisions with products, software and services that build visibility that’s visionary.

    The new initiative will increase market penetration with ISV partners and enable enterprise application development through a revamped developer community portal. Zebra’s global ISV program reflects the global nature of software businesses. Partners can join in multiple regions simultaneously; they can register and be recognized for projects globally.

    Zebra offers powerful, go-to-market tools to promote ISV partners’ apps, such as AppGallery, an online and mobile Android app-distribution and management platform. AppGallery is pre-installed on Zebra’s enterprise Android devices, including a global demo capability and virtual shop-window for ISV Partners’ apps.

    Key facts

    • The new program includes global Influence Rewards. These recognize and reward ISVs who influence customers – through their software – to buy Zebra products anywhere globally. They receive free demo kits and financial rewards for registering projects.
    • Zebra’s active developer outreach campaign includes engagement at events such as Andevcon, AppsWorld and DroidCon. Plans are also underway for Zebra’s own global enterprise developer event series, “AppForum2017”.
    • Pemberton’s work with teams across Zebra will create a common approach for ISVs to be more integrated in product development that feeds into Zebra’s enterprise asset intelligence solutions and go-to-market activities.
    • Since 2005, Pemberton has focused on developing, improving, marketing and managing the EMEA ISV program at Symbol Technologies, Motorola Solutions and Zebra. He previously worked in several retail and e-commerce software companies.

    Bill Cate, Vice President, Channel Strategy and Operations, Zebra, said: “The launch of this initiative demonstrates Zebra’s commitment to the channel and clear recognition of the importance of the ISV partner and develop communities. James’ proven dedication to building strategic relationships with these important groups is key to leading Zebra’s renewed efforts to further engage them in building solutions that help our customers know more about their business.”
    James Pemberton, Global ISV Strategy Director, Zebra, said: “Innovation driven by the ISV partner and developer communities strategically aligns with the industry leading product portfolio Zebra offers to its customers, and we are poised to successfully reach more developers focused on enterprise projects than ever before. I’m excited to see this developer outreach and our ISV partner collaboration yield new opportunities, profitability and simplicity to benefit all parties involved.”

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  • Xiamen Airlines takes on board EzyCustoms

    Xiamen Airlines takes on board EzyCustoms

    Global Logistics System (HK) Co., Ltd (“GLS”) welcomes Xiamen Airlines to the EzyCustoms service after the successful implementation of this single platform with multi-Customs integration.

    Xiamen Airlines is extending its network to Canada from July 2016.  The airline is looking for a reliable partner that provides a solution to enable its full compliance with the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) Advance Commercial Information (ACI) requirements.

    The ACI programme requires air carriers to electronically transmit air conveyance and cargo information (including supplementary cargo reports where applicable) to the CBSA prior to the arrival in Canada. This requirement allows the CBSA to effectively identify threats to Canada’s health, safety, and security prior to the arrival of cargo and conveyance in Canada.

    EzyCustoms is a one stop web-based multi-Customs clearance platform that fully compliant with the diverse ACI requirements.  It complies with different Customs authorities including: the European Union (EU) Customs, the US AAMS and the ACE (scheduled to start by the end of 2016), the Canada CBSA, as well as the other customs authorities in India, Bangladesh and the Philippines.  At present, a number of China carriers are clients to EzyCustoms service.

    Tony Sham, CEO of Global Logistics System (HK) Co., Ltd said: “GLS is pleased to welcome Xiamen Airlines joining the EzyCustoms community. As an experienced and expert service provider in the industry, we are grateful to be appointed by Xiamen Airlines to fulfil the application, registration and the certification with CBSA.  We look forward to seeing EzyCustoms performs proficiently in the airline’s operations, and to extending our other EzySuite service to Xiamen Airlines in the near future.”

    Yang Gaorong, General Manager of Cargo at Xiamen Airlines said: “Thanks to the GLS support to the implementation of EzyCustoms in Xiamen Airlines.  As EzyCustoms not only fully complies with the ACI requirements in Canada, but also with customs authorities in the other regions around the world, we are better placed with quality assurance while the airline continues to grow.  In addition, we choose to co-operate with GLS as we share the same language and time zone, we can obtain support swiftly.”

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