Türk Telekom and Argela Announce World’s First Dynamically Programmable RAN Slicing Demonstration in a Commercial Network

Argela and Türk Telekom announce that they have successfully realized world’s first RAN slicing demonstration in a commercial LTE-A network. This will enable Türk Telekom to develop innovative business applications for 5G technologies.

Türk Telekom, Turkey’s leading communication and entertainment technologies provider, and Argela, a leading provider of telecommunications solutions for mobile and fixed operators as well as government and public safety, jointly announced today that ProgRAN, Argela’s innovative, fully programmable radio access network (RAN) architecture allowing for dynamic RAN slicing has been successfully incorporated into Türk Telekom’s commercial LTE-A network. The limited deployment covers an enterprise area in Istanbul’s commercial center, Maslak. There are plans on extending the demonstration to a second location in Turkey’s capital, Ankara in the near future.

“The cellular networks of today increasingly need to provide support for a wide range of use cases, potentially each with very different quality of service requirements,” said Firat Yaman Er, Chief Strategy and Business Planning Officer at Türk Telekom. “For economies of scale, it is imperative to develop a single, highly programmable network that can meet the diverse requirements of all these applications, and ensure that the network remains profitable for the operator. 5G aims to use network slices for this purpose. At Türk Telekom, we are excited to have realized the world’s first commercial deployment of RAN slicing. This will allow us to experiment with a fundamental 5G technology and innovate business solutions around it.”

“5G needs to be built in a flexible way so that capacity and coverage are allocated in virtual RAN slices to dynamically meet the demands of each potential use case,” said Bülent Kaytaz, Argela CEO. “A RAN architecture built on the pillars of software-defined networking and network virtualization is necessary to effectively use the limited wireless resources amongst increasingly diverse use cases. At Argela we have developed ProgRAN with 5G in mind, but also made sure that it is operational on today’s LTE networks so operators do not have to wait until 2020 to start using the network slicing technology. We are thrilled to see it in action on Türk Telekom’s commercial LTE-A network.

“ProgRAN’s dynamic RAN slicing capability carries the potential to link network services to new commercial opportunities for operators,” Kaytaz added. “ProgRAN allows RAN to programmatically adapt itself to different service requirements and customer experience needs. This means that an operator will be able to offer network functions to many different industries, such as IoT, healthcare or automative, using a RAN-As-A-Service business model.”

Argela’s ProgRAN provides a dynamically programmable RAN architecture. Its SDN-based programmability feature allows creation, modification, or termination of RAN slices in real-time, where each slice utilizes its own RAN control functions and governs its own wireless resources, allowing operators to quickly innovate new revenue generating services using the platform. Such potential services include massive IoT connectivity, mission-critical services, multimedia applications, MVNOs, Public Safety Networks, time and geography-limited resource reservations for public or private events, as well as dynamic RAN sharing.

“For each use case, ProgRAN dynamically creates a new RAN slice using a so-called profile definition,” explained Dr. M. Oguz Sunay, CTO at Argela-USA. “The ProgRAN profile specifies the size of the RAN slice, the identities of the eNodeBs and devices that are affected, the time duration for the slice as well as the desired RAN control functionalities to achieve the desired service quality. A ProgRAN-enabled network can have multiple such active profiles on the same or different parts of the network at a given time.”

“ProgRAN does not need a complete re-haul of an operator's existing infrastructure. An operator may deploy ProgRAN capable base stations, or small cells, only in the geography where they feel such dynamic programmability is profitable. In such a deployment, ProgRAN seamlessly works with the rest of the network. This is demonstrated in Turk Telekom's initial deployment of ProgRAN,” Dr. Sunay added.

A C-RAN implementation of ProgRAN is also available. Türk Telekom and Argela plan on extending their RAN slicing demonstration to include C-RAN platforms in the near future. Argela’s ProgRAN will be demonstrated at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 27-March 2, 2017. Argela’s other innovative solutions will also be on display.

London, UK, 15th Dec 16 – LS telcom UK Ltd with its partners WHP Telecoms Ltd and InterDigital Europe Ltd have written a report on behalf of the National Infrastructure Commission, which examined the potential to enable existing telecommunications infrastructure for future networks. The report was published yesterday, 14th December 2016, alongside the NIC’s own report on 5G infrastructure, which has made some key recommendations to Government on investment in telecommunications infrastructure.

The report assessed both the fixed and mobile telecommunications infrastructure deployed in the UK today with a view to enable future high-speed connectivity nationwide.

The study focused, in particular, on the nationwide road and rail telecoms infrastructure to determine whether the available fixed fibre capacity could potentially be used for providing high-speed wireless connectivity to road users and rail passengers. The study determined the gaps in the required number of sites needed to fulfil the network performance targets and estimated the capital cost of the equipment deployments.

The study also considered the impact on network densification in urban areas, which would be needed for the future enhanced mobile broadband services of 5G. It further mentioned the need to fix the coverage gaps in rural areas in order to meet the overall 5G Vision.

Some of the major challenges in deploying higher capable infrastructure were identified in the report including how access to fixed non-telecoms infrastructure and more fibre at these locations would be needed.

A spokesperson from the NIC said, “We chose LS telcom for their extensive experience and expertise in assessing telecommunications infrastructure and spectrum demand. Their study made a significant contribution to the evidence base underpinning our report, which provides advice to the government on 5G infrastructure challenges. LS telcom’s work provides important input to informed decision-making on 5G infrastructure in the UK.”

Award recognizes most innovative businesses on the continent in a diverse range of industries, including engineering, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and transport

SINT-NIKLAAS, Belgium, 15 December 2016. Newtec – a specialist in designing, developing and manufacturing equipment and technologies for satellite communications – today announced it has been awarded the title “National Champion for Belgium” in the European Business Awards 2016, which honor innovative businesses in numerous industries, including engineering, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and transport.

Advertised as Europe’s largest business competition, the award, now in its 10th year, is supported by business leaders, academics and political representatives from across Europe. This year, more than 33,000 businesses from 34 countries were involved.

Among those was Newtec which had its role in the satellite industry recognized in the “Award for Customer Focus” category for Belgium. With a 31-year history, the company has created a number of technologies and products, with the latest system being its Newtec Dialog® multiservice platform which helps customers become more profitable. Also highlighted was Newtec’s contribution to the latest satellite communication standard, DVB-S2X, its globally-recognized training program and strong relationship with the European Space Agency (ESA) which means innovation is at the heart of the company.

“We are delighted to have been named National Champion for Belgium in the European Business Awards, which have a long history of promoting success, innovation and ethics in the European business community,” said Newtec’s Chief Operating Officer Sander Boom. “Like any business, our customers are at the heart of what we do and we are continually looking to enlarge our skillset to ensure we have the broad application expertise required to support our customers with their service offering. As such, it is a particular source of pride to have been recognized in the Customer Focus category.”

The European Business Awards judges also highlighted Newtec’s annual customer survey, it’s customer experience feedback gathering and its manufacturing center in Erpe-Mere, Belgium, which received a “Factory of the Future” award recognizing its environmental strategy. In addition, it was noted that Newtec also contributes to Belgium’s economy, with the company recently boosting the number of people it employs in the region by more than 10 per cent.

Looking forward to 2017, Newtec expects to see further growth with demand for High Throughput Satellites, multiservice infrastructures and services in high value markets. Newtec will continue enlarging the addressable markets for its customers to stay profitable.

Adrian Tripp, CEO of the European Business Awards said: “Congratulations to Newtec, which has been selected to represent its country as National Champions. Newtec is central to the success of Europe’s strong business community and has shown the core principles we look for of innovation, ethics and success.”

Following its success in Belgium, Newtec will now be put forward to compete against winners of the same category from other countries for the global champion title.

Celebrating Star Wars: Make a fan film with free HitFilm video editing & VFX software

NORWICH, UK, December 15th, 2016 - To celebrate the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the power of their free video editing & VFX software HitFilm 4 Express, FXHOME (hitfilm.com) have today launched their Star Wars-style fan film, Rebellion, complete with free video tutorials and project files to enable filmmakers to make their own Star Wars inspired content at home. From learning how to clone Stormtroopers to designing blaster effects - HitFilm’s latest project gives filmmakers worldwide the ability to create Hollywood-level visual effects using powerful software, completely free.

“Our company was built on lightsaber-style effects and our love of the Star Wars universe,” says Josh Davies, Founder and CEO of FXHOME. “We don’t want emerging filmmakers and creators to be prevented from making awesome content because they can’t afford expensive ‘professional’ software. So we’ve made our powerful editing & VFX software completely free and we’re giving everyone free tutorials and project files so that they can create their own Star Wars fan film, at home.”

HitFilm 4 Express (hitfilm.com/express) launched in April 2016 and is the only all-in-one editing and professional visual effects software to be backed up with a vast range of tutorials and unparalleled support. Available for free, HitFilm 4 Express has been designed from the ground up to run on almost any computer; from consumer laptops to hardcore gaming rigs. Its powerful technology gives the next generation of filmmakers the ability to make bigger and better content than ever before.

HitFilm 4 Express is the most flexible tool available for free in the video software market; as well as a powerful editor, it also includes professional animation tools, speed controls and over 150 effects such as lightning, smoke and explosions. Now with almost 900,000 users, HitFilm 4 Express has everything a creator needs to get started and also offers flexibility through a useful set of optional expansion packs with additional powerful features and effects.

HitFilm 4 Express is available to download immediately from hitfilm.com/express.

Created in partnership with Emmy Award winning production company Ember Films (emberfilms.co.uk), Rebellion is available to watch for free at hitfilm.com/express/rebellion.

Leading investors in the cloud and data centre space gather at the 10th Broadgroup Finance and Investment Forum to unearth the next great UK technology company

London, 15 December 2016 - As part of its 10th year celebrations leading investors will congregate at The Finance and Investment Forum (FIF) London for a special showcase for start-ups with a brief to unearth the next great UK technology company.

“The data centre industry is entering a new era in its development from where the next great UK company could potentially revolutionise the global market,” said Phillip Low, Chairmen of Broadgroup. “Modern business models have changed the perception of IT from a necessity to being a business differentiator and whether it’s in IT infrastructure, where previous limitations in hardware are being removed by the versatility of software or the adoption of software-based infrastructure replacing hardware to support hybrid environments there are myriad opportunities for the most innovative start-ups to open the cloud to the whole enterprise market.”

There will also feature a greater emphasis on finding ways to help innovative companies develop and grow for longer in the UK. On the threat of start-ups being acquired by foreign investors, Low said, “British tech start-ups are thriving, but too many have been snapped up by bigger companies before the UK economy has been able to absorb the success of their growth.”

“While the UK Government has announced plans to ameliorate the exodus in its recent Autumn Statement, through the injection of 400 million, through the British Business Bank, into venture capital funds that invest in growing innovative companies to encourage and help tech start-ups to grow to scale here, the investors that we’ve engaged have the long-term goal of building great companies that will last,” continued Low.

The FIF London event will allow the selected start-ups to meet with an engaged and high level audience of investors and finance experts, real estate investors, pension funds, private equity players, hedge funds, and VCs all keen to diversify and exploit growth in the cloud.

FIF London provides the ideal platform for budding cloud, data centre and hosting start-ups to connect with the right people to move their projects forward dramatically. The event is widely regarded as the place to take the temperature of the UK and global market while offering insights on future opportunities.

Attendees will focus on M&A, existing investments in the data centre and cloud space, new players seeking investment and acquisition opportunities, companies seeking disposal of assets, brokerage opportunities, IPOs, and professional service tendering.

FIF London which will take place on January 26rd 2017 in the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square will discuss the past, present and future of the industry. A prestige dinner will also be hosted on the evening of the conference with a special guest speaker.

It is the only European event dedicated to investment in the data centre/co-location, hosting and IaaS sector. In the decade since the inaugural event in 2007 FIF London has grown to be the defining deal making forum within the space with senior attendees from CFOs and CEOs from the sector, to leading investors and advisors.

This highly regarded event will showcase speakers from Africa, Asia and the US along with pitches from innovative start-ups, executive 1-1 meetings and analyst insight. With private equity firms, investment funds, banks and legal counsel all in attendance FIF London 2017 is set to take the temperature of the UK and global market while offering insights on future opportunities. Providing rare exposure to key investors and influencers, FIF London provides high level analysis of the market for IT infrastructure assets and unparalleled networking among the representatives attending.

The Finance & Investment Forum 2017
London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square
Grosvenor Square
London
W1K 6JP

Nuxeo Drives Digital Transformation with the Latest Release of the Hyperscale Digital Asset Platform

Nuxeo Platform LTS 2016 Enables Enterprises to Unlock the Full Value of Digital Assets to Create New Revenue Streams and Business Models

NEW YORK, December 15, 2016 - Nuxeo, developer of a leading Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, today announced the immediate availability of Nuxeo Platform LTS 2016. The latest release of the Nuxeo Hyperscale Digital Asset Platform helps enterprises realize the full potential of every digital asset. Organizations can create new revenue streams and business models, and continuously innovate ahead of the market - at massive scale, while maximizing the value of their existing systems and processes.

“Many enterprise organizations struggle to turn data into valuable digital assets,” said Eric Barroca, CEO, Nuxeo. “Nuxeo Platform LTS 2016 allows our customers to realize the full value of those digital assets, even if they are complex or scattered across the organization. As a result, Nuxeo enables organizations to transform to new business models, protect IP, or drive digital business growth. Thanks to a new Web UI, advanced DAM capabilities, unmatched performance, and many other new features, our customers can achieve incredible digital transformation success.”

Nuxeo Platform LTS 2016 features a completely rebuilt user interface, focusing on user productivity and ease of use with a configurable search-based navigation, task-oriented UI, and user-centric workflows. This new user interface allows more efficient workflows and puts search at the center of user actions. It enhances user productivity with direct access to previously visited documents, collections, easy browsing of search results, always-available instant search. This new UI, following the platform’s general technical paradigm, is fully customizable and built on strong technical foundations: Web Components with Polymer, modern Javascript and HTML5.

Designed for complex, evolving digital assets
Today’s complex digital assets are core to successful digital transformations, and need to be dynamic and flexible as the business evolves and needs change. Nuxeo Platform LTS 2016 offers key features to help enterprises to create new revenue streams and move beyond simple media file storage, by uncovering the full value of all of enterprise content:
• Automatic image recognition with Nuxeo Vision
• Preview of 3D assets
• Advanced transform operations on videos
• Automated PDF production to validate and embed them directly into workflows
• Collaboration beyond the organization with Instant Share

Delivers a multiplier effect by embedding digital assets into existing systems and devices
Legacy ECM is about simply storing creatives, viewing content on mobile, and file collaboration. But content-centric applications must also enable employees to work from anywhere, in the applications where they are most productive and minimize disruptive rip-and-replace efforts, while maintaining high levels of security and compliance with native integrations. Nuxeo Platform LTS 2016 provides deep integration with in-place IT systems and mobile devices:
• The Nuxeo iOS and Android mobile app provides access to all Nuxeo repository content on the go
• Connector to Salesforce.com
• Connector to Adobe CC
• Integration with Enterprise File Sync and Share -EFSS- systems (like Google Drive, Box and Dropbox)
• Improved bidirectional Desktop Sync of content

Provides a complete set of developer tools to continuously innovate
With business models in constant flux, Nuxeo Platform LTS 2016 leverages different tools for its customers to test, develop, and deploy content-centric applications more quickly move businesses forward:
• Nuxeo Edge Cache removes the need to download the same file again and again at a given site when several users want to access the same content, making it a great addition to large cloud deployments or for customers with multiple remote sites. Organizations can reduce download time up to 95% and bandwidth consumption up to 90% while keeping digital assets safe at all times even when cached.
• 60 fully functional UI widgets, Web Components-based Nuxeo Elements, to quickly build modern and custom web applications
• Branch Management in Nuxeo Studio to handle multi-site complex projects customization by global teams
• Unified API for all client libraries

Always ready for the most demanding environments
With the explosion of content types and volume, the ability to quickly find content and scale is critical to any organization. Enterprise content management applications must be fast and hyperscale to be future-proof. To address these demands, LTS 2016 also includes:
• MongoDB persistence engine improvements that allow the Nuxeo Platform to reach even higher levels of performance. Using MongoDB as a data storage backend allows ultra performant application deployments for giant and complex data models, with many concurrent read/writes or geographically distributed systems with integrated failover. NoSQL database integration has been a strategic Nuxeo initiative for the last two years.
•  The Marklogic persistence engine is now also available featuring transactions, clustering, high availability and replication
•  Nuxeo Platform now integrates with Elasticsearch 2.x, offering new search and aggregation possibilities for stored content

Poor English language skills would discourage consumers from buying online, according to YouGov research

WAKEFIELD, MA and MAIDENHEAD, UK – December 15, 2016 –[/b] SDL (LSE: SDL) today announced the results of research conducted by YouGov looking at how British consumers communicate and engage with independent international online retailers[1].

Commissioned by SDL, the research suggests that independent international sellers risk missing out on potentially lucrative Christmas sales with a third (33%) of British consumers, who have previously directly communicated with an international seller, admitting they would be discouraged from buying an item if a retailer had poor English skills when communicating with them.

The research, which surveyed 2,000 British consumers, also highlights the important correlation between language and consumer trust with a fifth (20%) of Brits claiming they wouldn’t trust an international seller that used poor English language.

“Trust in a retailer is one of the biggest factors in consumers’ decision to buy,” explains Thomas Labarthe, EVP Business and Corporate Development at SDL. “From the moment they visit your website consumers demand an outstanding service. And if language causes a lack of clarity or confusion, most consumers will simply click away – often never coming back.”

Almost one in ten (9%) consumers who have directly communicated with an international seller have abandoned an online sale altogether because of the retailer’s inability to communicate adequately in English – most likely resulting in lost revenue in a highly competitive online market.
 
“With Christmas and the Festive season around the corner, now is the time for retailers – particularly those with international ambitions – to grow their market share,” explains Labarthe. “Around £26 billion was spent online last Christmas, and if retailers want to improve on last year’s success they will need to be clear in the way they communicate, and engage, with consumers.”

Under a quarter (23%) of those surveyed claim to be regularly impressed by online sellers’ language.

Powerful digital experiences – backed by clear and consistent use of language – can make all the difference in a consumer’s decision to buy. To help organisations make the most of the Festive sales this year and beyond, SDL offers five top tips for retailers looking to overcome the challenge of selling in international markets (see Notes to Editor).

To find out how you can sell more successfully in international markets, click here http://blog.sdl.com/digital-experience/5-tips-for-selling-in-international-markets to read our blog, or visit our website to learn more about SDL Managed Translation.

**Notes to editor**
• All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,028 adults, of which 637 had previously directly communicated with an independent international retailer. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th - 14th November 2016. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

[1]Independent international online retailers/sellers were defined in the survey as people or businesses who sell items via international online retailers (e.g. Alibaba), and are operating from outside of the UK, in countries where English isn't the main language.

LAN-hosted event draws attendees from leading industry names

Tauxigny, France, December 15, 2016: Major companies from across the globe gathered at LAN’s Digital Applications Laboratory in Tauxigny for the first XGS-PON Interop Plugfest, co-organized by the Full Service Access Network (FSAN) Group and the Broadband Forum.

XGS-PON is based on the ITU-T’s latest Recommendation (ITU-T G.9807.1), providing a symmetrical 10Gbit/s capability over a legacy fiber infrastructure that can co-exist with G-PON which is now dominating Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployments worldwide.

The event saw involvement from leading industry names: Huawei, Nokia, ZTE, ADTRAN, Broadcom, Calix, Econet, MT2 and Sagemcom, with more than 30 engineers attending with the aim of testing implementation and interoperability.

For the Broadband Forum, this Plugfest extends its work in the field of PON interoperability, building on its G-PON and XG-PON ONU Certification program, as an answer to the industry’s increasing need to secure both maturity of the ITU-T Recommendations and provide a migration path to operators looking for next generation PONs.

“We’re really pleased with the success of the Plugfest, in particular the number of engineers in attendance from an impressive breadth of companies,” said Robin Mersh, Broadband Forum CEO. “As networks converge and technologies become increasingly dependent on each other to deliver a high-quality service, interoperability is essential. Working with LAN and FSAN on events such as the Plugfest is absolutely crucial to the Broadband Forum as we continue to look at the next generation of fiber access and build upon the success of our G-PON BBF.247 Certification program.”

Philippe Lucas, SVP Strategy, Architecture & Standardization from Orange, said: “Orange is very pleased that the industry has been able to provide implementations in such a short time frame between the start of the standardization and the first Plugfest. “XGS-PON offers an evolution path within the PON infrastructure and covers a number of anticipated use cases beyond GPON. Interoperability Plugfests are considered a major achievement in assessing technology maturity, and that helps to bring confidence to operators before they consider any significant deployments.”

Thierry Doligez, Director of LAN, added: “This Plugfest was one of our most successful events, involving the best of PON expertise from leading OLT, ONU, chipset and test tools manufacturers. During this very intensive week of tests, we observed significant positive results on interoperability between participants' solutions, which confirms the dynamism and the potential of this new XGS-PON technology.”

For more information on the Broadband Forum’s testing and certification, including BBF.247, visit the Broadband Forum website at www.broadband-forum.org.

Computop and AsiaPay Partner to Enable Retailers to Safely and Effectively Conduct E-Commerce in Asia-Pacific

Bamberg and Hong Kong – December 15, 2016 – Computop, a leading payment service provider, and AsiaPay, one of Asia-Pacific’s most distinguished payment service providers, today announced their new strategic partnership. The relationship enables retailers to securely process payments in Asia-Pacific through Computop’s Paygate payment gateway using the payment methods that consumers in the region prefer and trust, helping to positively impact sales and the overall customer experience.

A recent e-Marketer report noted that Asia-Pacific will remain the world’s largest retail e-commerce market, with sales expected to top $1 trillion in 2016 and more than double to $2.725 trillion by 2020. Findings also noted that the region will see the fastest rise in retail e-commerce sales, increasing 31.5% this year. In addition, according to a study by Kantar TNS, Asia-Pacific is leading the world in mobile payment with over half (53%) of connected consumers using their mobile phones to pay for goods or services at the point-of-sale via apps. As such, the Computop and AsiaPay partnership enables retailers to capitalize on the growth opportunity that Asia-Pacific presents.

“Expanding business into foreign markets may seem daunting, but working with companies that have a strong foothold in those regions and that understand the payment behaviors and preferences of consumers in those countries is key to retailer success,” said Ralf Gladis, CEO of Computop. “Through our partnership with AsiaPay, Computop is able to provide merchant customers with the opportunity to take advantage of Asia-Pacific consumers’ appetite for e-commerce. With Computop Paygate integrated with AsiaPay, retailers benefit from the secure payment options that southeast Asian consumers expect and trust.”

“We are very honoured to be a strategic partner of Computop,” said Joseph Chan, CEO of AsiaPay. “Our company has more than 16 years of experience in credit card processing and international business service, giving us a solid position as a premier e-Payment player in the region. Furthermore, we have a keen understanding of merchants’ payment requirements in the fast-paced e-commerce business environment. We believe that a strategic cooperation with Computop can help merchants improve their processing efficiency, thereby contributing to their business growth as well as support their global endeavor,” he added.

Founded in 2000, AsiaPay offers secure and cost-effective electronic payment processing solutions and services to banks and e-businesses globally. The company offers a variety of card payments, online bank transfers, e- wallets and cash payments across over 16 countries, including Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It is a certified international 3-D secure vendor for VISA, MasterCard, American Express and JCB.

Computop Paygate is a PCI-certified omnichannel payment platform that provides retailers with secure payment solutions and efficient fraud prevention for international markets. Computop integrated AsiaPay into Paygate to offer merchants a wide range of payment methods in the Asia-Pacific region to support their cross-border and global commerce efforts. Payment methods available on Paygate include Alipay, American Express, JCB, Tenpay and WeChat, along with many other widely-accepted payment options that consumers in these countries use.

CMS Distribution continues to expand its leadership team with appointment of Niall Wall

Niall Wall joins the board of Europe’s leading IT specialist distributr

London, 15th December 2016: CMS Distribution, Europe’s leading IT specialist distributor, today announced the appointment of Niall Wall as Non-Executive Director.

Niall brings with him a wealth of leadership experience from various CEO positions held at Ardagh Group, Sterile Waste Group and Tipperary Crystal. He recently retired from his position as Group Chief Executive at Ardagh, one of Ireland’s largest companies, operating in 26 countries with €8bn revenue. Wall remains a major shareholder at Ardagh Group and will join as Non-Executive Director at CMS Distribution’s parent company, Storit Limited.

"I am delighted to join the board as I believe CMS Distribution is at a very exciting stage of its evolution in a very, very exciting industry" said Wall.

Frank Salmon, CEO of CMS Distribution commented: “I am very excited to end the year with the appointment of Niall Wall, another highlight for 2016. This has been a fantastic year for CMS Distribution, we have completed our 3rd acquisition and integration, expanded into Benelux and Scandinavia and are now excited to have Niall on the board of Storit to support us with our ambitious growth plans.”

21net and ENGIE Ineo Collaborate to Bring WiFi Connectivity to the SNCF TGV Fleet in France

December 15, 2016 – High-speed WiFi service was officially launched today on the Paris-Lyon TGV line. These are the first trains equipped with this system, specifically designed and optimized for high-speed railways. The wireless connectivity solution on the TGV is provided by 21net and ENGIE Ineo. Earlier in 2016, SNCF awarded the project to these companies to equip the entire TGV fleet with high-speed Internet connectivity by the end of 2017, including 300 trains and 2400 coaches. The fleet will be equipped with the latest generation of 21net connectivity products and solutions to deliver high-speed Internet onboard.

“Faced with the technical challenges and an ambitious deployment schedule, we selected 21net and ENGIE Ineo as they were flexible, responsive and complementary to each other which is a major advantage in a project this complex,” said Amandine Le Saux, head of WiFi Onboard Program at Voyages SNCF.

Yann Rolland, CEO of ENGIE Ineo: "Our teams worked tirelessly to provide the SNCF and TGV passengers with a highly optimized Internet onboard solution. This proves that our know-how in the transport industry can be a strong support to the current and future needs of SNCF."

"This commitment demonstrates the technical acumen of our teams and our ability to deliver the best onboard connectivity. We leveraged our long experience in high-speed train environments for this engagement," said Philippe Catherine, CEO of 21net. “Our partnership is very complementary and this synergy ensures that the TGV fleet will be well serviced for years to come."

The solution is based on a flexible and open platform that enables the integration of value-added content and services, and also offers high-speed WiFi onboard by dynamically using bandwidth from 3G and 4G cellular networks. 21net provides the complete solution design, software and hardware components as well as end-to-end system supervision. ENGIE Ineo takes responsibility for project management, industrialization, installation of the solution, supervision and remote maintenance of the systems.

Geneva, Switzerland, 15 December 2016 – The amount of global e-waste — discarded electrical and electronic equipment — reached nearly 42 million tons in 2014. By next year it is predicted that the world will produce approximately 50 million metric tonnes of e waste/year, according to a study conducted by a partnership of United Nations organizations, industry, governments and scientists.

In an effort to increase consumer convenience and reduce e-waste, the IEC is now enabling a smart charging solution that allows chargers to be re-used for many different consumer portable devices. The IEC has published new International Charging Interoperability Standards that open the way for a new generation of smart and eco-friendly charging solutions that can be used in every country in the world.

Chargers for products ranging from smartphones to high power devices such as notebook computers, will not only be compatible with the same types of devices from different manufacturers, they will also be able to charge a wide range of other kinds of electronics. Consumers will be able to use their notebook charger to charge a tablet or a smartphone or any other portable consumer electronic device. Likewise, if need be, a smartphone or tablet charger can be used to give a boost to a notebook, albeit at a slower rate.

This new smart charging approach relies on a standardized charging interface defined by the following new IEC International Standards:

• IEC 62680-1-3 and 62680-2, based on the latest USB Type-C™ and USB Power Delivery specifications. These Standards specify the common technologies needed to support charging of devices up to 100 watts
• IEC 63002: Identification and communication interoperability method for external power supplies used with portable computing devices defines interoperability guidelines for chargers and devices that implement the latest USB technologies. In particular, it defines the data parameters for communicating power adapter characteristics and capabilities.

Global market adoption of these International Standards is expected to significantly increase charger re-usability well beyond smartphones and other low power devices, which were enabled by legacy USB technologies and related IEC International Standards IEC 62680-1-1, IEC 62680-2 and IEC 62684. 

The standardization of this smart charging interface is supported by global industry as the best approach to enable broad re-usability of different chargers with different products. It ensures charging reliability and provides the flexibility needed for future innovations.

Chargers can be designed to optimally match the power and functional requirements of the target product while being able to charge many other products as well. Devices will be able to communicate with the smart charger to accurately identify its capabilities before safely drawing power. The expected broad adoption by industry will exponentially increase interoperability, compatibility and re-usability of chargers and as a result significantly increasing consumer convenience while contributing to global e-waste reduction.

Says Frans Vreeswijk, IEC General Secretary and CEO: “The IEC continues to be committed to reducing e-waste for developed and developing countries alike. These important new IEC International Interoperability Standards will further advance global environmental goals by substantially increasing the re-usability of chargers for consumer electronics and ICT devices.”

Says Shin Eguchi, Technical Area Manager TC 100/TA 14: “This innovative charging solution is the result of unprecedented global cooperation and industry participation. Its broad adoption will truly benefit consumers world-wide.”

Says Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF President and COO: “The continued cooperation between IEC and USB-IF on IEC 63002, that supports USB Type-C and USB Power Delivery specifications, aligns with USB-IF’s belief that consumer satisfaction, product functionality and reducing e-waste are paramount. USB-IF is supportive of this significant step towards a new generation of interoperable, smart chargers.”

Rajant Appoints Geoff Smith Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing to Drive Global Expansion

Move Comes as Company Adds Other New Employees, Opens Two Facilities to Manage Growth

PHILADELPHIA – December 14, 2016 – In order to meet the company’s growth trajectory, Rajant, the pioneer of innovative mobile mesh technology for private wireless networks, announced today the hiring of Geoff Smith as Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, and Bernard Taliaferro as Channel Director. The company also opened facilities in Arizona and Kentucky, and added 20 employees overall.

Rajant makes mobile, scalable and highly reliable kinetic wireless mesh network technology, which provides a make-before-break always connected communications network so critical applications like Kinetic Autonomous Networking are always available. Its Kinetic Autonomous Networking delivers intelligent path selection to ensure the best conditions for V2V (vehicle to vehicle) and V2X (vehicle to everything) communications, and maximizes industrial IoT (Internet of Things) initiatives around Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV).

Smith has more than 25 years of experience designing, managing, marketing and selling innovative communication solutions. Most recently, he served as Managing Director of Wave Mobile Solutions, a pioneer in outdoor wireless communications specializing in (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) radios. Previously, he held executive positions at Proxim Wireless, including Vice President of Sales, Marketing and R&D. He also has held management roles at Agere Systems, Lucent Technologies and AT&T Bell Labs. At Rajant, he will be responsible for driving the company’s global expansion and sales initiative.

“Rajant is changing the way the world utilizes mobile infrastructure today, and I’m looking forward toward building upon that success,” Smith said. “The world is moving autonomously, including autonomous cars, trucks, drones, robots, mining equipment and vehicles, and Rajants Kinetic Mesh Technology is already the proven standard supporting all of these mobile applications. In my new role, I will work with our talented sales and engineering teams to ensure that partners and end-user companies understand the breadth of Rajant solutions that can help them achieve their strategic advantages.”

Rajant’s technology includes portable radios that connect people into this autonomous infrastructure to control and communicate, and extends the applications to Military, Police, Fire, EMS and industrial warehouse automation.

“The appointments of Geoff and Bernard bolster our team and our global growth initiative,” said Bob Schena, Chairman and CEO of Rajant. “More and more organizations are demanding mesh technology that better handles the shortcomings associated with traditional WiFi technology. Our ability to support a myriad of applications and mobility simultaneously is resonating with influencers who are looking for increased productivity, insights and results from their communications networks.”

Taliaferro has more than 20 years of experience in the wireless industry and in fostering strong distributor, integrator and reseller relationships. At Rajant, he is responsible for developing and executing the indirect channel go-to-market strategy as well as managing relationships with distributors and integrators to facilitate solution-selling across vertical markets. Prior to Rajant, Taliaferro was Head of Distributor Management at Ericsson, Channel Manager at BelAir Networks, and Regional Technical Manager at Motorola. 
 
Additional highlights of Rajant operations and channel growth include:

• A new Arizona facility housing an Information Assurance team with deep experience in cryptography to meet the increasing security requirements of communications networks, especially around defense, electronic commerce, and industrial IoT applications
• A new manufacturing operation in Morehead, Ky., supporting development efforts for applications in sports and entertainment and public safety sectors
• Expansion of activities and focus around drones and automation to align with growing demands of Rajant’s existing customer base, including oil & gas, mining, military, government, public safety, transportation and telecom companies

For years, Rajant’s scalable and highly reliable kinetic wireless mesh network technology has been recognized as a leader in mission-critical communications. 

ClusterSeven Named Best-of-breed Solution for Data Integrity and Control in 2016 Chartis FinTech Quadrant™

ClusterSeven the only EUC management solution provider in the best-of-breed category

London, U.K., 14 December 2016 – ClusterSeven, the leading provider of strategic software for End User Computing (EUC) management, today announced that Chartis, a research provider on global market for risk technology, has named its EUC governance platform as ‘best-of-breed’ in its 2016 FinTech Quadrant for data integrity and control solutions in financial services. ClusterSeven is the only EUC management solutions provider included in the best-of-breed category in the Quadrant.

Chartis describes best-of-breed solutions as having best-in-class point solution capabilities, depth of functionality, a growing client base, superior sales and marketing execution and a clear strategy for sustainable profitable growth. Crucially, best-of-breed solution providers demonstrate a healthy rate of investment in R&D, and have specific product or go-to-market capabilities that give them a competitive advantage.

ClusterSeven solution’s key differentiators as emphasised by Chartis include speed of deployment, offering visibility and control, supporting rapid evolution, detecting and escalating anomalies in unstructured data to reduce manual checks, automation and EUC management.

Peyman Mestchian, Managing Partner, Chartis, said, “While many vendors offer some form of EUC management capability, the ClusterSeven solution delivers transparency of all EUC activity to substantial depth across multiple corporate financial and regulatory processes. This is a key differentiator.”

Additionally, Chartis especially highlighted ClusterSeven’s functionality from a regulatory perspective, stating, “ClusterSeven functionality is particularly associated with new or unusual data integrity and control processes, typically associated with new regulatory demands (such as BCBS 239 or stress testing), or processes tied to legacy architecture or customer-specific requirements that cannot easily be met by third-party solutions.”

“Data integrity and quality is fundamental to regulatory commitments of course, but also for the more strategic aspects of business,” commented Chris Gomersall, CEO of ClusterSeven. “The ClusterSeven platform is designed to deliver visibility and control of organisations’ entire EUC landscape to minimise financial, operational, regulatory and reputational risk. We are delighted with our positioning in the quadrant and for the ‘shout out’ by Chartis.”

The full 2016 Data Integrity and Control in Financial Services Report by Chartis is available here: http://www.chartis-research.com/research/reports/data-integrity-and-control-solutions-in-financial-services-2016