Friday, June 28, 2019

L’Oréal Rewards Social Initiatives Led by Dermatologists at World Congress of Dermatology in Milan



MILAN -Friday 28 June 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]

International Awards for Social Responsibility in Dermatology 2019

“Caring to Inspire Skin Confidence”

Download the Press Release – Download the Press Kit

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In partnership with the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) and the 24th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD), L’Oréal announced the laureates of the third International Awards for Social Responsibility in Dermatology: “Caring to Inspire Skin Confidence”.

This aims to reward social initiatives led by dermatologists, improving patients’ physical and psychological well-being, self-esteem, social integration and skin health, and enabling patients to re-engage socially.

Brigitte Liberman, President of L’Oréal’s Active Cosmetics Division, said: “Social responsibility is a priority for L’Oréal and we are proud to partner with the ILDS and the WCD to reward iconic dermatologists having positive actions on people’s lives”.
Professor Harvey Lui, President of the ILDS, added: “Beyond the day-to-day activities of dermatologists in managing patients with skin issues, there is a vital social role, which is exemplified through our partnership for these awards and lies at the heart of the ILDS philosophy to promote skin health for the world.”

A total of 123 projects across the world were evaluated by a panel of experts. Dermatological projects fulfilling at least one of the following three categories were accepted for assessment:
– Prevention and education on skin health;
– Improved quality of life and self-esteem for people facing skin issues;
– Access to care, coverage and surgery.

An independent jury of dermatologists representing the ILDS selected the top five projects (see list below and in our Press Kit). Professor Giovanni Pellacani, President of WCD and jury member, said: “We are very pleased to give the awards in front of the dermatological community in the context of the World Congress of Dermatology.”

International Awards for Social Responsibility in Dermatology 2019
“Caring to Inspire Skin Confidence”

For Africa & Middle East: Prof. Dalia Gamal Aly & Dr. Ragia Hany Weshahy from Egypt
For a Better Life after Burns.

For Asia: Dr. Sabina Bhattarai from Nepal
Dermatology Patient Care in Rural Nepal: Reaching the Unreached

For Europe: Prof. Kathrin Giehl from Germany
Besonderhaut – Initiative for Children with Rare and Genetic Skin Diseases

For North America: Dr. Mark Holzberg from the United States
Volunteer Dermatologist Dermatology Clinic for Atlanta’s Homeless at the Mercy Care Clinic at the Gateway Center

For South & Central America: Dr. Carolina Reato Marçon from Brazil
Pró-Albino Program: Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Actinic Skin Damage, Emotional Support and Social Inclusion in Albinism

For videos of the 2019 awarded projects: http://www.inspireskinconfidence.com

To discover more on the initiative and the other top projects per region coming from Lebanon, Nigeria, Philippines, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Canada, Mexico and Argentina: click on the press kit.

About L’Oréal For more information: http://mediaroom.loreal.com/en/

About the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) For more information: http://ilds.org/

About the World Congress of Dermatology (WCD https://www.wcd2019milan.org/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190620005230/en/

Contacts

L’ORÉAL (switchboard: +33 1.47.56.70.00)

Individual shareholders and market authorities
Jean Régis CAROF
Tel: +33 147 56 83 02
jean-regis.carof@loreal.com

Financial analysts and institutional investors
Françoise LAUVIN
Tel: +33 147 56 86 82
francoise.lauvin@loreal.com

Journalists
Polina HUARD
Tel: +33 147 56 87 88
polina.huard@loreal.com

Bertrand CHUBERRE
Tel: +33 149 64 31 74
bertrand.chuberre@loreal.com

Contacts ILDS
Joanna GROVES
Tel: +44 7962 054173
jgroves@ilds.org

Contacts WCD
Antonella NALLI
Tel: +39 348 706 1460
wcd2019media@thetriumph.com


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Takeda Selects Five New Partnerships for Annual Global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program, Supporting Disease Prevention to Improve Health in Developing and Emerging Countries

OSAKA, Japan -Friday 28 June 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]

Takeda’s founding mission to serve patients, wherever they are, drives its increased commitments to disease prevention, capacity building, and access to healthcare in developing and emerging countries, in partnership with the global community.
Through its annual Global CSR Program, approximately 20,000 employees worldwide cast their votes, selecting City Cancer Challenge, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), SeriousFun Children’s Network, UNICEF, and the UN Foundation as 2019 partners.
With these programs, Takeda's contributions through its unique Global CSR Program total 10.5 billion yen for a total of 14 programs since its 2016 launch.
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TOKYO:4502/NYSE:TAK) (“Takeda”) today announced the addition of five partners to its Global CSR Program for 2019, which contributes to the long-term health of people through disease prevention and capacity building in developing and emerging countries. Approximately 20,000 employees worldwide cast their votes, selecting five new, large-scale programs run, respectively, by City Cancer Challenge, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), SeriousFun Children’s Network, UNICEF, and the UN Foundation. All five programs are being launched by the aforementioned organizations in partnership with Takeda. This year, Takeda has increased its commitment to 4.6 billion yen to accelerate change for tackling some of the biggest global challenges.

Takeda's Global CSR Program, its flagship CSR activity, makes multi-year commitments in partnership with key global stakeholders. The Program is rooted in the company’s patient-centricity and dedication to disease prevention and the improvement of access to healthcare that transforms people's lives in developing and emerging countries. Since its launch in 2016, Global CSR Program partnerships have been delivering tangible results, contributing significantly to global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).* Results range from expanding patient’s access to quality diagnosis and treatment, including immunization, in disease-endemic countries to training health workers and strengthening health systems worldwide.

"We look forward to helping change more lives for the better, working closely with these creative, high-impact organizations to accelerate progress toward the SDGs," said Haruhiko Hirate, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Officer. "We know that long-term commitments matter, and currently have nine programs in operation, running between 3 and 10 years. Each program is carefully selected by employees in our 80 countries of operation. It means a lot to all of us that Takeda is contributing to the health of people in communities across the globe."

As a pharmaceutical company that is committed to improving people’s lives, Takeda strives for Better Health and a Brighter Future for people worldwide through leading innovation in medicine. Its vision is of a world with accessible healthcare for all, where prevention measures are exponentially advanced and billions are freed of disease. Takeda is committed to achieving the SDGs together with the global community.

In addition to the following 14 programs, Takeda also supports public-private partnerships that aim to improve health worldwide, together with the Government of Japan, such as The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Global Heath Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund, and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Program Outlines and Partner Organizations in FY2019



Partner

Program Outline

Area

Period

Budget (yen)

1

SeriousFun Children’s Network

Transforming the Lives of Children with Serious Illness and Their Families

United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean

5 years

1 billion

2

DNDi

Global Access Program for the Most Neglected Patients

16 countries across Africa, Asia, and South America

5 years

1 billion

3

City Cancer Challenge

City Health Financing Lab

Global

5 years

1 billion

4

UN Foundation

Immunization and Universal Health Coverage

Sub-Saharan Africa

5 years

550 million

5

UNICEF

Investment in Innovation and Frontier Technology

Global

5 years

1 billion

The following nine programs which were selected by Takeda employees in FY2016, FY2017, and FY2018 respectively are making good progress.

Program Outlines and Partner Organizations in FY2018



Partner

Program Outline

Area

Period

Budget (yen)

1

Last Mile Health

A Health Worker for Everyone, Everywhere

Global

3 years

400 million

2

Seed Global Health

Training 5,000 Health Professionals in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

5 years

500 million

3

UNICEF

Health System Strengthening in Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola, Guinea, and Togo

5 years

500 million

Program Outlines and Partner Organizations in FY2017



Partner

Program Outline

Area

Period

Budget (yen)

1

UNICEF

"The First 1000 Days": Health and Nutrition Program

Benin, Madagascar, and Rwanda

5 years

1 billion

2

Plan International

Holistic Support Program for Refugees of South Sudan and Syria

Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, and Ethiopia

5 years

1 billion

3

JOICFP

Protecting the Lives of Pregnant Women in Africa

Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia

5 years

750 million

Program Outlines and Partner Organizations in FY2016



Partner

Program Outline

Area

Period

Budget (yen)

1

UN Foundation

Global Measles Vaccination for Children

Approximately 40 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America

10 years

1 billion

2

World Vision

Community Health Workers Training for Maternal and Child Health

India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan

5 years

500 million

3

Save the Children

Maternal and Newborn Health for Ethnic Minorities

Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos

5 years

250 million

* Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): On September 25th 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations adopted a set of 17 goals, comprising 169 targets, for sustainable development.

Partner Organizations and Program Outlines

1. SeriousFun Children’s Network: Transforming the Lives of Children with Serious Illness and Their Families
- Outline: This program aims to develop and expand new and innovative programming for the global Network of specialized medical camps and programs that deliver life-changing experiences to children with serious illnesses and their families; carry out research and evaluation efforts to track the impact of camp on the lives of children and families and further improve programs to meet their needs; and build medical capacity throughout the Network.
- Areas: United States, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean
- Period: 5 years
- Budget: 1 billion yen

2. DNDi: Global Access Program for the Most Neglected Patients
- Outline: This program aims to expand neglected patient’s access to quality diagnosis and treatment in disease-endemic countries, including in peripheral settings, and consequently prevent disease progression while saving lives. DNDi targets five Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs): sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis and mycetoma that are characterized by significant morbidity and/or mortality and have been prioritized due to the current limited availability and accessibility of effective diagnostics and treatment.
- Areas: 16 countries across Africa, Asia, and South America
- Period: 5 years
- Budget: 1 billion yen

3. City Cancer Challenge: City Health Financing Lab
- Outline: City Cancer Challenge’s participatory, inclusive approach brings together private sector, civil society, and governments to advance quality cancer care and treatment, and strengthen health systems. By supporting 10 cities with the design, planning, and implementation of sustainable cancer solutions, City Cancer Challenge will impact 80 million people by 2023.
- Areas: Global
- Period: 5 years
- Budget: 1 billion yen

4. UN Foundation: Immunization and Universal Health Coverage
- Outline: Takeda and Shot@Life’s partnership aims to strengthen health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa through improved disease surveillance and data utilization enabling effective immunization planning and outbreak response. Stronger immunization programs will reach more children, strengthening primary health care and bringing these countries closer to achieving universal health coverage.
- Areas: Sub-Saharan Africa
- Period: 5 years
- Budget: 550 million yen

5. UNICEF: Investment in Innovation and Frontier Technology
- Outline: This program will invest in 25 health-focused and drone startups to develop, realize, and scale cutting-edge solutions for children, as well as scale artificial intelligence-based epidemiological modeling to predict and help prevent infectious disease outbreaks in 3 countries.
- Areas: Global
- Period: 5 years
- Budget: 1 billion yen

About SeriousFun Children’s Network

SeriousFun Children's Network is a global community of 30 camps and programs serving children with serious illnesses and their families, always free of charge. The Network is the leader in the field of medical specialty camps, delivering more than one million life-changing experiences to children and families from more than 50 countries. Each member camp is an independent, not-for-profit organization dependent upon private funding to serve all children at no cost to their families. To learn more about SeriousFun, visit www.seriousfunnetwork.org.

About DNDi

A not-for-profit research and development organization, DNDi works to deliver new treatments for neglected diseases, including leishmaniasis, filarial infections, human African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, and mycetoma, and for neglected patients, including pediatric HIV patients and people living with hepatitis C virus who cannot access treatment due to high costs. DNDi has delivered eight new treatments to date, including new drug combinations for visceral leishmaniasis, two fixed-dose antimalarials, and DNDi’s first successfully developed new chemical entity, fexinidazole, approved in 2018 for the treatment of both stages of sleeping sickness. www.dndi.org

About City Cancer Challenge

City Cancer Challenge’s mission is to create a global community of cities and partners working together to design, plan and implement cancer solutions to save lives. Our aim is to improve access to quality cancer care in countries around the world by transforming the way stakeholders at the city, regional, and national levels collectively design, plan, and implement local cancer solutions. The approach is built on the core principle that cities can drive impact at national level by crafting data-driven solutions with the support of a network of global, regional, and local partners that reflect an understanding of the unique local context. https://citycancerchallenge.org/

About UN Foundation

In our interconnected world, our shared future rests upon our ability to act together with common purpose. The United Nations was created to strengthen the bonds of international cooperation around shared interests and values. It is the one place where all countries and citizens can unite behind collective action to address our greatest challenges and deliver a better world for all. The UN Foundation supports the UN’s ability to tackle these challenges and harness opportunities for the benefit of all humanity. As we head deeper into the 21st century, this task is more urgent than ever. We work by building communities and incubating initiatives to support the UN and its priority issues, including achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). https://shotatlife.org/

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
Follow UNICEF on Twitter and Facebook

About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TOKYO:4502/NYSE:TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to patients by translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Gastroenterology (GI), Rare Diseases, and Neuroscience. We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries and regions.
For more information, visit www.takeda.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190627005335/en/

Contacts
Media Contacts:
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
Kazumi Kobayashi
kazumi.kobayashi@takeda.com
+81 (0) 3-3278-2095




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U.S. Food and Drug Administration Supports Principles of Open Sharing of Data



IRVINE, Calif. -Friday 28 June 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, supports the principle of openly sharing data through efforts like the Patient Safety Movement Foundation’s Open Data Pledge. Creating a healthcare system that embraces data liquidity will help empower patients to actively engage in the development and evaluation of medical devices, enable medical device surveillance to help identify and prevent adverse events from occurring, and enrich the understanding of the benefits and risks of technology utilization.

By signing the Patient Safety Movement’s Open Data Pledge, leaders in the healthcare technology industry commit to openly sharing non-proprietary data output from their devices and systems without interference or cost. When the data is pulled together into algorithms, it can then be used to reduce preventable patient harm and deaths.

“We are grateful for FDA’s recognition of our work and thank the nearly 100 enlightened companies that have signed the Open Data Pledge. Patient harm can be avoided with predictive algorithms and decision support using data from the myriad of products that touch the patient,” stated Joe Kiani, Founder of Patient Safety Movement Foundation.

About Patient Safety Movement

More than 200,000 people die every year in U.S. hospitals and 4.8 million worldwide in ways that could have been prevented. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation is a global non-profit which creates free tools for patients and hospitals. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation was established through the support of the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation, and Competition in Healthcare to reduce that number of preventable deaths to ZERO. Improving patient safety will require a collaborative effort from all stakeholders, including patients, healthcare providers, medical technology companies, government, employers, and private payers. The Patient Safety Movement Foundation works with all stakeholders to address the problems with actionable solutions for patient safety. The Foundation also convenes the World Patient Safety, Science & Technology Summit. The Summit brings together some of the world’s best minds for thought-provoking discussions and new ideas to challenge the status quo. By presenting specific, high-impact solutions to meet patient safety challenges, called Actionable Patient Safety Solutions, encouraging medical technology companies to share the data their products are purchased for, and asking hospitals to make commitments to implement Actionable Patient Safety Solutions, the Patient Safety Movement Foundation is working toward ZERO preventable deaths. Visit patientsafetymovement.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190627005244/en/

Contacts

David Kodama
Cook + Schmid
dkodama@cookandschmid.com
619-814-2370 x17


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Standard & Poor’s Reaffirms IGI’s A- Rating With Stable Outlook

LONDON-Thursday 27 June 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings has confirmed the financial strength rating of A- with a stable outlook for International General Insurance (IGI), the global specialist commercial insurer and reinsurer.

IGI also had its long-term issuer credit rating of A- reaffirmed by S&P. Both ratings remain unchanged from 2018.

“We are delighted to have our A-/Stable rating confirmed,” said Wasef Jabsheh, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at IGI. “IGI works hard to maintain a truly global company, with strong results, excellent management and sensible underwriting, matched with an increased adoption of technology and innovation.”

In March, IGI reported a solid set of full-year results for 2018. The company saw gross written premium (GWP) rise by 9.5% to US $301.56 million in 2018, compared to US $275.3 million the year before. The Group also announced a 237% increase in net profit to US$ 26.47 million from US $7.86 million as at 31 December 2017. The combined operating ratio was 88.97%, down from last year’s figure of 103.08%.



Issued by Rein4ce on behalf of International General Insurance Holding Limited.

About IGI:

International General Insurance Holdings Limited is registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) with operations in Bermuda, Jordan, UAE, Malaysia, Morocco and a wholly owned subsidiary in the U.K.

IGI Bermuda is a class 3B (re)insurer regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA). This subsidiary is the principal underwriting entity for the Group. The Group also has a branch in Labuan, Malaysia, registered as a second-tier offshore reinsurer.

Both IGI Bermuda and IGI UK are rated A- with a stable outlook by Standard & Poor’s and A- (Excellent) with a positive outlook by A.M Best Company.

IGI Group of companies underwrites a worldwide portfolio of energy, property, engineering, casualty, legal expenses, directors and officers, financial institutions, general aviation, ports & terminals, marine liability, political violence, forestry and reinsurance treaty business.

International General Insurance Holdings Limited had assets in excess of US$ 907 million as at 31 December 2018.

For more information, please visit www.iginsure.com or email info@iginsure.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190626005309/en/

Contacts
For further information, call Sarah Hills on +44 (0)7718 882011 or email sarah.hills@rein4ce.co.uk.

Aaida Abu Jaber, PR & Marketing Manager, IGI
T: +96265662082 Ext. 311
M: +962770415540
Email: Aaida.AbuJaber@iginsure.com

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Mass Deployments of IoT Solutions Transforming China, Says GSMA

Chinese Mobile Operators Leading Global Roll-out of Mobile IoT Based Solutions Using Mobile Networks; China is the World’s Largest IoT Market With Nearly 1 Billion Connections

SHANGHAI-Thursday 27 June 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Chinese mobile operators are leading the world in the deployment of transformative Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, the GSMA announced today. By connecting the estimated 960 million1 devices via cellular networks, the country is realising the value of the IoT and transforming society through mass market deployments of smart home, smart industry and smart city solutions. According to GSMA Intelligence, China is the world’s largest IoT market with 64 per cent of the 1.5 billion global cellular connections including the rapidly growing Mobile IoT licensed LPWA technologies2.

“Backed by proactive government support, China is now at the forefront in the development and mass deployment of innovative and transformative IoT based solutions based on Mobile IoT technology,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer, GSMA. “These new technologies are being implemented across multiple different vertical sectors fundamentally altering the way we live and work, delivering real-time information and making our cities smarter and our lives easier and more productive.”

Mass Mobile IoT Deployments

There are a wide variety of different examples of large scale deployments in China across a number of different sectors. For example, Sunsea AIoT with partner, China Telecom has installed over 500,000 NB-IoT sensors covering over 37km in the Jing’an District, turning the area into a truly smart community. The devices monitor fire hydrant water pressure sensors as well as gas and smoke detectors and environmental monitors. Connected manhole covers also monitor gases and underground assets. An integrated platform centralizes, monitors and analyses the data to help with real-time improvements. China Mobile has installed over 100,000 NB-IoT intelligent fire alarm systems including fire alarms, temperature sensors, smoke and gas detectors across China; China Unicom has installed over 25,000 gas and water meters utilising an NB-IoT solution that combines the IoT with big data to make energy management more intelligent.

Internet of Things Programme at MWC Shanghai 2019

The GSMA’s Internet of Things programme is hosting a number of activities including workshops and seminars at this year’s MWC Shanghai 2019. This includes the GSMA Future IoT Convention, which brings experts from governments, mobile operators and enterprises to demonstrate and discuss the latest developments in IoT, 5G and big data. They will also host the interactive GSMA Mobile IoT Developer Day to help companies start building devices and get to market using NB-IoT technology. The IoT programme will also have a number of interactive demonstrations at the GSMA Innovation City in Hall 5 showcasing the latest innovative solutions in mobile. For further details or to register for these activities, please go to: https://www.gsma.com/iot/iot-at-mwcs19/

Connected China Spotlights Cost Effective Mobile IoT Technologies

Located in Hall E7 in 4YFN, Connected China will put the spotlight on three key IoT vertical markets; Smart Industry, Smart Cities and Smart Home. Chinese operators and industry players, including Ericsson and Huawei, will partner with innovative developers and start-ups to demonstrate a range of cost effective consumer IoT solutions ranging from door locks, facial skincare diagnostics, pet tracking, gas sensing to fire alarms, and much more. For more information about Connected China, visit: www.gsma.com/iot/connected-china-at-mwc19-shanghai/.

Get Involved at MWC19 Shanghai

Follow developments and updates on MWC19 Shanghai through our social media channels – follow us on Twitter at @GSMA and use #MWC19, get regular updates through our LinkedIn Showcase Page at www.linkedin.com/showcase/mwcshanghai/, and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mwcshanghai. In China, you can follow us on Sina Weibo http://weibo.com/mwcshanghai or search “GSMA_MWCS” in WeChat.

Notes to Editors

1.) Q419 (GSMA Intelligence)

2.) Q419 (GSMA Intelligence)

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators with nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190626005572/en/

Contacts

Media:
For the GSMA
April Tsui
+852 2533 9956
atsui@webershandwick.com

Beau Bass
+44 750 444 2916
beau.bass@webershandwick.com

MWC19 Shanghai Press Office
press@mwcshanghai.com


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Gemalto Instant Connect Signals New Era in Effortless Mobile Connectivity for Consumer eSIM-equipped Devices

PARIS LA DÉFENSE -Thursday 27 June 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]

    Thales launches its new solution, Gemalto Instant Connect, a true out-of-the-box mobile subscription experience for eSIM-equipped devices.

    Users can now benefit from an automatic connection to a mobile network without the need of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

    OEMs and mobile operators will reduce costs and gain time as this new solution simplifies logistics, manufacturing and processes.

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Thales announces the launch of Gemalto Instant Connect, a pioneering connectivity solution to simplify the connection of eSIM-enabled devices on a mobile network. While users are spared the inconvenience of establishing a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection to kick-start their mobile experience, OEMs and mobile operators can now provision devices with mobile connectivity at their first use, and not during manufacturing, saving both time and cost.

Connected PCs and laptops will be the first devices to integrate this faster and more efficient approach to out-of-the-box connectivity for eSIMs. Going forwards, a wide array of OEMs and mobile operators stand to benefit from the solution, which is fully compliant with the latest GSMA Remote SIM Provisioning specifications. Between 2018 and 2022, an estimated 2.3 billion eSIM-compliant consumer devices will be shipped worldwide1.

To date, eSIM-equipped devices have had to rely on some form of primary connectivity before they are able to activate a full mobile subscription, either via a Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or other temporary connections. These solutions were naturally inconvenient for either customers or manufacturers.

In contrast, Gemalto Instant Connect leverages a revolutionary connectivity mechanism which allows mobile operators to remotely and automatically provide a mobile subscription to any genuinely offline eSIM-enabled device. Users can now activate their device in the same way as they are used to with conventional smartphone SIM cards. OEMs can in turn simplify their supply chain and shorten production time. This solution is compliant with existing remote eSIM management solutions, such as Subscription Management Discovery Service2.

“Qualcomm is excited to see the Gemalto Instant Connect solution eSIM and its potential to simplify eSIM sourcing for OEMs and the ability to quickly connect Snapdragon powered Always connected PCs and other devices for consumers and enterprise.”
Miguel Nunes, Sr. Director Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies3

“PCs with LTE connectivity improve a user’s experience by giving them productivity wherever they are, and we have a longstanding relationship with Thales to help realize this goal. Extending this collaboration will enable easy integration of truly instantaneous mobile connectivity into all Windows PCs. We look forward to the first wave of devices incorporating Instant Connect technology accelerating this exciting transformation.”
Shai Guday, Partner Group Program Manager, Microsoft Corp

“We’re excited to be supporting the innovation behind the Gemalto Instant Connect solution today, as we’ve been a front-runner in the industry for nearly four years already, offering eSIM based secure cellular connectivity for laptops and tablets worldwide. Consumers will discover Ubigi4, their personal instant-on connectivity service, brought to them by Transatel!”
Jacques Bonifay, CEO, Transatel a member company of NTT group

“By sparing OEMs and operators the need to pre-load a bootstrap, and users the hassle of having Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection when they first turn on their new device, Gemalto Instant Connect sweeps aside the final obstacles to seamless mobile subscription activation via an eSIM. As a result, it is even easier to seed consumer markets with devices characterized by their effortless mobile connectivity.”
Emmanuel Unguran, EVP Mobile Connectivity Solutions, Thales

Note to editors

Gemalto solutions are at the heart of modern life, from payment to enterprise security and the internet of things. Gemalto’s technologies and services authenticate people, transactions and objects, encrypt data and create value for software – enabling businesses and governments to deliver secure digital services for billions of individuals and things.

About Thales

The people we all rely on to make the world go round – they rely on Thales. Our customers come to us with big ambitions: to make life better, to keep us safer. Combining a unique diversity of expertise, talents and cultures, our architects design and deliver extraordinary high technology solutions. Solutions that make tomorrow possible, today. From the bottom of the oceans to the depth of space and cyberspace, we help our customers think smarter and act faster - mastering ever greater complexity and every decisive moment along the way. With 80,000 employees in 68 countries, Thales reported sales of €19 billion in 2018.

PLEASE VISIT

Thales Group
Digital Security
Download HD photos

1 Source: ABI Research – April 2019.
2 Based on GSMA's "Root Discovery Service" concept, Subscription Management Discovery Service (SM-DS) aims at enhancing the eSIM connectivity activation for consumer devices.
3 Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc and/or its subsidiaries.
4 Ubigi is a trademark of Transatel S.A.S.

View this news release online at: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190626005748/en

Contacts

PRESS
Thales, Media Relations
Security
Constance Arnoux
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SES Successfully Renews EUR 1.2 Billion Credit Facility

New 5-year facility strengthens SES’ liquidity profile while the strong bank interest received underscores the attraction of SES as a strong investment grade company.

LUXEMBOURG -Thursday 27 June 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SES S.A. is pleased to announce the successful renewal of the company’s EUR 1,200,000,000 Committed Revolving Credit Facility.

Following strong support from existing lenders, the facility was considerably oversubscribed having received a high level of early bird commitments from a number of banks.

The facility is for general corporate purposes and has been structured as a 5-year, multi-currency revolving credit facility with an option to extend until 2026 (5+1+1). The margin for the new facility is 40 basis points (for a Baa2/BBB rating) above EURIBOR and is 5 basis points inside the pricing of the former syndicated and committed credit facility closed in January 2014.

Andrew Browne, Chief Financial Officer of SES, commented: “This financing further strengthens our liquidity profile and has been secured at improved terms. I am particularly pleased with the strong level of support received from existing lenders which highlights SES’ strong investment grade credit fundamentals and demonstrates our continuing and ongoing ability to secure funding on attractive terms”.

The Syndicate is comprised of 19 banks
AGRICULTURAL BANK OF CHINA LUXEMBOURG BRANCH, BANK OF CHINA LIMITED, LUXEMBOURG BRANCH, BANCO BILBAO VIZCAYA ARGENTARIA, S.A., LONDON BRANCH, BANQUE ET CAISSE D'EPARGNE DE L'ETAT, LUXEMBOURG, BNP PARIBAS FORTIS SA/NV, COMMERZBANK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, LUXEMBURG BRANCH, DEUTSCHE BANK LUXEMBOURG S.A., GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, LANDESBANK HESSEN-THÜRINGEN GIROZENTRALE, HSBC BANK PLC, ING LUXEMBOURG S.A., INTESA SANPAOLO BANK LUXEMBOURG S.A. – AMSTERDAM BRANCH, J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES PLC, LANDESBANK BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, MIZUHO BANK EUROPE N.V., MUFG BANK, LTD., NATWEST MARKETS PLC, SUMITOMO MITSUI BANKING CORPORATION, SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE
and was coordinated by
BNP PARIBAS, COMMERZBANK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT LUXEMBURG BRANCH, MIZUHO BANK EUROPE N.V., SOCIETE GENERALE

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About SES

SES is the world’s leading satellite operator with over 70 satellites in two different orbits, Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). It provides a diverse range of customers with global video distribution and data connectivity services through two business units: SES Video and SES Networks. SES Video reaches over 355 million TV homes, through Direct-to-Home (DTH) platforms and cable, terrestrial, and IPTV networks globally. The SES Video portfolio includes MX1, a leading media service provider offering a full suite of innovative services for both linear and digital distribution, and the ASTRA satellite system, which has the largest DTH television reach in Europe. SES Networks provides global managed data services, connecting people in a variety of sectors including telecommunications, maritime, aeronautical, and energy, as well as governments and institutions across the world. The SES Networks portfolio includes GovSat, a 50/50 public-private partnership between SES and the Luxembourg government, and O3b, the only non-geostationary system delivering fibre-like broadband services today. Further information is available at: www.ses.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190626005846/en/

Contacts

Richard Whiteing
Investor Relations
Tel. +352 710 725 261
Richard.Whiteing@ses.com

Suzanne Ong
Public Relations
Tel. +352 710 725 500
suzanne.ong@ses.com


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