Rimini Street Celebrates 15 Years of Delivering Client Success

 Company’s award-winning support model delivered to more than 3,500 clients to date, enabling savings of nearly $5 billion in total maintenance costs



LAS VEGAS-Tuesday 29 September 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), a global provider of business software products and services, the leading third-party support provider for Oracle and SAP software products and a Salesforce partner, today announced that September marks the 15th anniversary of the Company’s founding in 2005 to redefine the enterprise software support market. The Company set out to deliver a premium, ultra-responsive support model, and bring choice and value to software licensees around the world. Since its inception, Rimini Street has continually set the premium standard on what Oracle and SAP licensees should expect from their support experience. The Company is responsible for delivering a long history of innovative “firsts” for the enterprise software support market, including guaranteed ultra-responsive SLA’s, support for customizations at no additional cost, support for at least 15 years without required upgrades or updates and saving clients nearly $5 billion in total maintenance and support costs.

15 Years of Innovation and Client Success

Rimini Street entered the market in 2005 offering a disruptive 50% savings compared to the software vendor’s annual support fee and a better, more comprehensive support model. In addition to receiving a premium support experience, every Rimini Street client is guaranteed support on their current platform for a minimum of 15 years from the time that they switched support providers, regardless of the software release they are currently running. Software licensees are no longer required to implement updates, upgrade their system, or perform a full migration to a new platform to be able to receive full support. Unneeded upgrades and migrations are a time-consuming, costly and highly disruptive process and switching to Rimini Street improves the operational efficiencies of both the enterprise software system and the IT organization, allowing the client’s internal support teams to focus on priority projects that support competitive advantage and growth.

To date, the Company has helped more than 3,500 clients solve their enterprise software roadmap and support challenges, enabling them to save up to 90% in total maintenance costs and giving them funding for their business transformation needs. Rimini Street has helped IT departments across the globe become valuable, strategic partners to their business, rather than be viewed as a cost center.

“We switched our enterprise software support to Rimini Street in 2015 and have not looked back. The Company has closely partnered with our organization, and on more than one occasion delivered on our needs beyond what we were expecting,” said Ron Abreu, director, Global IT, SWM International. “The combination of their responsive service and cost savings was important to us. To date we have been able to extend the life expectancy of our legacy systems and reduce our total cost of ownership. Switching to Rimini Street Support was an important part of this success.”

People, Process and Technology Innovation Drive Award-Winning Support Model

Rimini Street’s unique, award-winning enterprise software support model puts its highly experienced engineers, with an average of 15 years’ experience in the client’s specific software system, on the front lines with clients ensuring a personalized, ultra-responsive approach to all support cases. The Company fosters a client-obsessed culture which prioritizes client-centric KPIs to ensure that everyone across the service delivery organization is working together toward a common goal. Rimini Street continues to regularly achieve an average client satisfaction rating of 4.8 out of 5.0, where 5.0 is “excellent,” and in the second quarter of 2020, the Company delivered more than 104,000 case update communications to its clients on time. In addition, Rimini Street was the first third-party support provider to deliver SLAs based on client update communications, as well as for response times. Recently the Company further enhanced its industry-leading SLA for all clients with a 10-minute guaranteed response time for critical Priority 1 cases and a 15-minute response time for all Priority 2 cases.

“Our experience with Rimini Street over the seven plus years of our support partnership has been their continual commitment to going above and beyond to deliver value back to our organization – something that we never experienced with the original software vendor,” said Dennis Ratliff, IT Applications/Development, Viking Range. “Not only have we been a client for the last seven years, but we have also had the same Primary Support Engineer during this time, and we appreciate the longevity and personal connection we have established with the Company as a result. In addition, we have saved numerous IT personnel hours over the years courtesy of our Rimini Street support team who are dedicated to helping us find a solution, even when the issue is not part of our ERP system. They are truly a trusted advisor and partner.”

Rimini Street has won numerous industry awards for delivering excellence and innovation in customer service – 24 awards for customer service in 2019 alone – largely due to its combined approach of putting proven, experienced engineers on the front lines, its strength in processes that are also ISO 9001 and ISO 27001-compliant, and the Company’s patented and patent pending purpose-built support solutions and technologies. The Company recently won two awards for innovation and achievement in customer success with its patent pending Rimini Street Artificial Intelligence Support Applications (AI Applications), which has already reduced software case resolution time for clients by 23%. The AI Applications are a result of the Company’s continued investment in optimizing support processes and ensuring global service delivery outcomes at scale.

Building Trusted Partnerships

All Rimini Street clients benefit from an assigned senior Primary Support Engineer (PSE), who is backed by a team of functional and technical experts that form specialized teams as needed to resolve complex client cases, available to the client 24/7/365. The Company has nearly 700 professionals in its Global Service Delivery organization, based in 17 countries serving clients around the world, including 200 full-time employees on its Tax, Legal and Regulatory Compliance team. Support engineers have specific application and technology experience that enables the Company to overlap skillsets to ensure optimal, global resource assignments.

Third-Party Enterprise Software Support Market is Now Mainstream

According to a Gartner research note, the third-party enterprise software support market is expected to grow from $351 million in 2019 to $1.05 billion by 2023 – a 200% increase.1 And according to a recent Valoir report, “The third-party support market is becoming mainstream. What was once considered a cost-cutting tactic for IT leaders has become a strategic tool for effective application IT portfolio management, enabling companies to reduce risk and support greater innovation.”2 Rimini Street is the leader in the third-party enterprise software support space with more than an 80% worldwide market share, as evidenced by the Company’s 2019 fiscal year revenue of $281.1 million in comparison to Gartner’s total revenue of $351 million market in 2019, and its active and to date client count, number of full-time employees and breadth of product support portfolio. The Valoir report also cites Rimini Street’s depth of knowledge about SAP and Oracle applications, modules and databases as well as its expertise in tax, legal and regulatory updates, and a large, global engineering team that can work a case 24/7/365 with its “Follow the Sun” support model.

The Rimini Street Foundation

In 2015, Rimini Street launched the Rimini Street Foundation, a reflection of the values, hearts and passion of the Company and its employees. A program funded entirely by Rimini Street, the Foundation shares Rimini Street’s success with charitable organizations around the world via financial donations, employee volunteer hours and/or donations in kind. The program mantra is “The More we Grow, the More we Can Give” and to date, the Foundation has provided financial aid to more than 100 charities across six continents and contributed thousands of employee volunteer hours.

“When we founded Rimini Street, it was with a single mission in mind – to redefine the enterprise software support industry by delivering a higher quality, better value option than what the industry was getting from the software vendors,” said Seth A. Ravin, Rimini Street co-founder, CEO and chairman of the board. “Over our 15 years, we have celebrated many significant milestones and have grown and changed as an organization. However, one thing has never changed – our passionate, unwavering commitment to our clients. We built Rimini Street on a commitment to service excellence and delivery of the best support experience available to enterprise software licensees. It’s all about our clients, and we look forward to achieving another 15 years of growth and success by helping our clients grow, prosper and achieve success.”

About Rimini Street, Inc.

Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI) is a global provider of enterprise software products and services, the leading third-party support provider for Oracle and SAP software products and a Salesforce partner. The Company offers premium, ultra-responsive and integrated application management and support services that enable enterprise software licensees to save significant costs, free up resources for innovation and achieve better business outcomes. To date, more than 3,500 Fortune 500, Fortune Global 100, midmarket, public sector and other organizations from a broad range of industries have relied on Rimini Street as their trusted application enterprise software products and services provider. To learn more, please visit http://www.riministreet.com, follow @riministreet on Twitter and find Rimini Street on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this communication are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “may,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “continue,” “future,” “will,” “expect,” “outlook” or other similar words, phrases or expressions. All statements pertaining to Rimini Street’s expectations regarding the expected use of proceeds from the offering described in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties regarding Rimini Street’s business, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the duration of and economic, operational and financial impacts on Rimini Street’s business of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the actions taken by governmental authorities, clients or others in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; catastrophic events that disrupt Rimini Street’s business or that of its current and prospective clients, changes in the business environment in which Rimini Street operates, including inflation and interest rates, and general financial, economic, regulatory and political conditions affecting the industry in which Rimini Street operates; adverse developments in pending litigation or in the government inquiry or any new litigation; Rimini Street’s need and ability to raise additional equity or debt financing on favorable terms and Rimini Street’s ability to generate cash flows from operations to help fund increased investment in Rimini Street’s growth initiatives; the sufficiency of Rimini Street’s cash and cash equivalents to meet its liquidity requirements; the terms and impact of Rimini Street’s outstanding 13.00% Series A Preferred Stock; changes in taxes, laws and regulations; competitive product and pricing activity; difficulties of managing growth profitably; the customer adoption of Rimini Street’s recently introduced products and services, including its Application Management Services (AMS), Rimini Street Advanced Database Security, and services for Salesforce Sales Cloud and Service Cloud products, in addition to other products and services Rimini Street expects to introduce in the near future; the loss of one or more members of Rimini Street’s management team; uncertainty as to the long-term value of Rimini Street’s equity securities; and those risks discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Rimini Street’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 5, 2020 and in the prospectus supplement dated August 14, 2020 relating to the underwritten public offering of Rimini Street’s common stock that closed on August 18, 2020 and as updated from time to time by other filings by Rimini Street with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, forward-looking statements provide Rimini Street’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. Rimini Street anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Rimini Street’s assessments to change. However, while Rimini Street may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Rimini Street specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Rimini Street’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication.

© 2020 Rimini Street, Inc. All rights reserved. “Rimini Street” is a registered trademark of Rimini Street, Inc. in the United States and other countries, and Rimini Street, the Rimini Street logo, and combinations thereof, and other marks marked by TM are trademarks of Rimini Street, Inc. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners, and unless otherwise specified, Rimini Street claims no affiliation, endorsement, or association with any such trademark holder or other companies referenced herein.

 

1 Gartner, “Predicts 2020: Negotiate Software and Cloud Contracts to Manage Marketplace Growth and Reduce Legacy Costs,” Jo Liversidge, Frances Karamouzis, et al., December 18, 2019.

2 “Third-Party Support Goes Mainstream,” a Valoir Report, May 2020.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200928005241/en/

Contacts

Michelle McGlocklin
Rimini Street, Inc.
+1 925 523-8414
mmcglocklin@riministreet.com

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Savonix and Fujitsu Connected Technologies Limited Partner to Introduce Savonix Mobile App on Raku-Raku Smartphone F-42A

  Digital Cognitive Testing App Allows Users to Take Charge of Their Brain Health

SAN FRANCISCO-Tuesday 29 September 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Savonix, a global leader in digital cognitive health testing, and Fujitsu Connected Technologies Limited (FCNT), one of the major smartphone manufacturers in Japan, unveiled Savonix Mobile–a digital cognitive testing app–on the Raku-Raku Smartphone F-42A.

More than 4.6 million people in Japan are suffering from some form of dementia, with the total expected to soar to about 7.3 million people – or one in five Japanese aged 65 or over – by 2025. Japan’s government last year announced aims to reduce dementia cases by 6 percent in those aged 70 and older over the next six years.

Savonix Mobile, pre-installed on the Raku-Raku Smartphone F-42A, will allow users to test their cognition across eight brain functions such as executive function, working memory, and impulse control. Users will immediately receive test results within the app and will be able to take action to manage their cognitive health. Savonix Mobile detects mild cognitive impairment 93 percent of the time. For this reason, testing cognition is a good way to monitor your brain health over time. Recent studies presented at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in July showed that up to 40 percent of dementias may be prevented by changing health habits such as diet, smoking, alcohol use, and sleep. Understanding your lifestyle risks can help you make smarter choices about brain health.

The Raku-Raku Smartphone will also house a pedometer and other important healthcare pre-installed applications to support and manage the user’s health.

“We’re excited about our partnership with FCNT as it will put easy and accurate cognitive testing into the hands of people who need it. This is impactful and aligns with how Japan and Japanese companies like FCNT are leading globally on the prevention of dementia,” said Savonix Founder and CEO Dr. Mylea Charvat. “Our digital cognitive assessment platform enables people to assess and monitor their brain health regularly and to incorporate lifestyle advice to improve brain wellness.”

“It is our great pleasure to have our Raku-Raku Smartphone F-42A equipped with the Savonix Mobile App,” said Katsumi Takada, President & Representative Director at FCNT. “This adoption enables services that support maintaining brain health and reducing the risk of dementia for users. We expect that this will make people more conscious about their health and help them lead a healthier life.”

About Savonix

A global leader in cognitive health, Savonix delivers the only neuropsychology platform in the market. Savonix provides digital cognitive health solutions and empowers healthcare providers, payers, and researchers to evaluate and leverage results to improve health and treatment outcomes. Developed by clinical neuropsychologists and digital health technology experts, the Savonix Cognitive Assessment is an accurate, accessible, and affordable tool available for download on all mobile devices. To learn more about Savonix, visit Savonix.com.

About Fujitsu Connected Technologies

Fujitsu Connected Technologies Limited was established in February 2016 through the spinoff of Fujitsu Limited’s mobile phone business. To create a future where people live their lives fully with peace of mind, FCNT connects people, things, and services in a more comfortable way with transcendental ideas and advanced technologies. FCNT has led the way in its integration of healthcare technologies into mobile phones since they introduced the world's first mobile phone with a pedometer in 2003. For more details, please visit https://www.fujitsu.com/jp/group/fcnt/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200929005016/en/

Contacts

Savonix
Reynald Hiole
+1 415.919.7421
rhiole@savonix.com

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Boehringer Ingelheim invests to further develop the pet care market in China

 • Boehringer Ingelheim has acquired an equity stake in New Ruipeng Group (NRP Group) which operates digital and clinical pet services across China

• The partnership with NRP Group aims to expand health solutions, quality advice and professional care to the growing number of pets and pet owners in China

INGELHEIM, Germany-Tuesday 29 September 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Boehringer Ingelheim has acquired an equity stake in China-based New Ruipeng Group (NRP Group). NRP Group is a fast-growing business that offers veterinary care, e-commerce and many other services to pet owners and the broader animal health market across China.

“Improving the health of animals and humans is what drives us in Boehringer Ingelheim. Strong collaborations and partnerships have always been key to achieving this goal,” commented Jean Scheftsik de Szolnok, Member of the Board of Managing Directors with responsibility for Animal Health. “Together with NRP Group and other partners we are looking forward to serving pet owners in China and contributing with our knowledge in areas such as disease understanding or training and education.”

China’s pet market is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. The number of pets is continuously rising as they play an increasingly significant role in people’s lives, and pet owners are looking for integrated online and offline products, services and information.

“We are committed to expanding our active role in this dynamic and fast-paced market. Along with NRP Group and our other partners, we believe we can advance animal health care in China to the benefit of our customers, our employees, our businesses, and most importantly, the pets,” shared David Gocken, Head of Animal Health for The Chinese Markets, Boehringer Ingelheim.

Through collaboration and knowledge sharing, the aim of the partnership with NRP Group is to offer better solutions, quality advice and professional care to the growing number of pets and pet owners across China.

This is an exciting milestone for the company’s business development in China. Boehringer Ingelheim will continue to invest in China and make its contributions to people’s aspirations for integrated and innovative solutions for their pets.

Boehringer Ingelheim remains fully committed to its current and future business partners, such as other clinics, veterinarians, distributors and animal health companies, and to expanding business opportunities with them. Both companies will continue to work independently according to their respective business models.

Through this investment, Boehringer Ingelheim joins a group of Chinese and overseas investors in NRP Group, including Tencent Holdings Ltd., a Chinese multinational technology company.

Please click on the link for ‘Notes to Editors’ and ‘References’: 

https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/partnership-further-develop-pet-market-china

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200929005482/en/

Contacts

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Communication

Tereza Urbankova

552 16 Ingelheim, Germany

Phone: +49 6132 77 184817

Email: press@boehringer-ingelheim.com

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PDI Releases International Cloud-Based Logistics Solution for the Fuel Supply Chain

 

Global software company’s next-generation solution reduces complexity and increases visibility for haulers

ATLANTA-Tuesday 29 September 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PDI (www.pdisoftware.com), a global provider of enterprise software solutions to the convenience retail, wholesale petroleum and logistics industries, announced the release of PDI Logistics Cloud international. The company’s holistic logistics software was specifically designed for the fuel supply chain and helps fuel retail, mineral oil, wholesale and hauler companies gain the end-to-end visibility they need to optimize their operations.

Logistics Cloud builds on PDI’s heritage of bringing innovative products to the market and enables digital transformation by leveraging the latest technology. Its use of Big Data, IoT, and sophisticated algorithms enable better compartment allocation, automation and forecasting. The software’s robust capabilities—including advanced planning and dispatching, mobile tools, forecasting, telematics, compliance, and analytics—allows businesses to scale, future-proof their operations, and quickly adapt to dynamic market conditions.

The solution will allow customers to do the following:

Reduce stockouts and returns

Decrease on-site stock levels

Optimize delivery routes to make fewer trips

Increase payload usage

Manage more sites per dispatcher

“Customers in this industry have faced complexity and lacked advanced technology for far too long,” said Sid Gaitonde, senior vice president and general manager, Logistics Solutions, PDI. “We leveraged over three decades of industry experience and collaborated with leading oil companies and haulers around the world to develop PDI Logistics Cloud. We’re pleased to be the partner they can count on, no matter where they are in the world.”

More than 9,000 trucks use PDI’s logistics solutions to deliver over 367 billion liters of fuel to their destinations every year. PDI plans to introduce its latest logistics offering to fuel supply chain companies outside of the EMEA region early next year.

For more information about PDI Logistics Cloud, visit www.pdisoftware.com/pdi-logistics-cloud/.

About PDI

Professional Datasolutions, Inc. (PDI) helps convenience retailers and petroleum wholesalers thrive through digital transformation and enterprise software that enables them to grow topline revenue, optimize operations and unify their business across the entire value chain. Over 1,500 customers in more than 200,000 locations worldwide count on our leading ERP, logistics, fuel pricing and marketing cloud solutions to provide insights that increase volume, margin and customer loyalty. PDI owns and operates the Fuel Rewards® loyalty program that is consistently ranked as a top-performing fuel savings program year after year. For more than 35 years, our comprehensive suite of solutions and unmatched expertise have helped customers of any size reimagine their enterprise and deliver exceptional customer experiences. For more information about PDI, visit www.pdisoftware.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200928005042/en/

Contacts

Cederick Johnson, PDI

+1 254.410.7600 I cjohnson@pdisoftware.com

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Taulia’s Darcy Douglas Named One of the Top Women in Supply Chain

  Featured in Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s annual list of the top female leaders in the industry



SAN FRANCISCO-Thursday 24 September 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Taulia, the leader in working capital technology solutions, has today announced Darcy Douglas, VP of Professional Services, has been listed as a recipient of Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s first Women in Supply Chain award. The award recognizes female leaders in the supply chain industry who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their respective roles and also supporting other women to develop their careers and skills.

Darcy has been at Taulia for ten years and her leadership has helped the company grow from a small start-up to an established market leader in the supply chain finance industry. During her time at Taulia, Darcy has spearheaded the creation of three leadership and professional development programs that help Taulians boost their skills and enhance their careers. Specifically, Darcy created the Leadership Initiative for Taulia (LIFT) program for women, which includes a mentoring program, education classes, and other activities, to inspire development and leadership.

“Darcy’s leadership has significantly contributed to the success and growth of Taulia. During her time at Taulia, she has placed an emphasis on empowering women, helping them to get the most out of their careers. The LIFT program was so successful in developing female leadership that it has now been extended across the company to everyone, we look forward to seeing what she accomplishes next,” states Cedric Bru, CEO, Taulia.

“Helping to build a culture that supports women’s success in their professional careers is super important to me. As we continue to grow globally, I want to continue helping women gain leadership skills and professional skills that will enable them to do whatever they set out to do,” states Darcy Douglas, VP of Professional Services, Taulia.

Supply & Demand Chain Executive received over 200 entries for the Women in Supply Chain award and the full list of winners can be found on their website.

About Taulia

Taulia is a leading provider of working capital technology solutions headquartered in San Francisco, California. Through a unique combination of its technology platform, people and process, Taulia helps companies access the value tied up in their supply chain by transitioning from inefficient and often manual working capital management practices into technology-led, working capital optimization strategies. Taulia’s vision is to create a world where every business thrives by enabling buyers and suppliers to choose when to pay and get paid. A network of 2 million businesses use Taulia’s technology and the company processes over $510 billion every year. Taulia is trusted by the world’s largest companies including Airbus, AstraZeneca, Nissan, and Vodafone. For more information, please visit www.taulia.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200923005796/en/

Contacts

Mary Arrizza
Marketing Communications Associate
mary.arrizza@taulia.com

 


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U.S. MRTP Authorization Pathway Explored in PMI’s Latest Scientific Update

 LAUSANNE, Switzerland-Monday 28 September 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Philip Morris International (PMI) (NYSE: PM) has released the 11th edition of its Scientific Update, a regularly issued publication on its research efforts to develop and scientifically assess a range of smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes.

The latest edition features an overview of the historic decision made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize the marketing of the IQOS Tobacco Heating System with reduced exposure information. The Scientific Update explains the various MRTP decisions under U.S. law; the steps, processes, and timeline PMI undertook; and the ongoing post-market surveillance and studies that will monitor the impact of the orders on consumer perceptions, behavior, and health.

“The FDA undertook a scientific and regulatory evaluation of IQOS and determined that it is ‘appropriate for the promotion of public health’” said Dr. Gizelle Baker, director of Global Scientific Engagement at PMI. “In this edition of our Scientific Update, we describe how the regulatory process worked for PMI, what scientific evidence the FDA considered, and the decisions the FDA made.”

After more than three years of scientific and regulatory review of the application, the FDA concluded: “Scientific studies have shown that switching completely from conventional cigarettes to the IQOS system significantly reduces your body's exposure to harmful or potentially harmful chemicals.”

This issue of the Scientific Update also examines the ABOUT Toolbox—a robust portfolio of self-report instruments—created by PMI to evaluate and assess the public health impact of tobacco harm reduction strategies on consumer perceptions and behavior. The ABOUT Toolbox team describes the new Health and Functioning instrument, which measures the perceived health status of adult smokers who switch to smoke-free products. They explain how the framework was prepared, developed, and validated, and detail the information it can provide to public health and regulatory communities.

The update also includes information on scientific events at which PMI has presented, as well as a compendium of PMI’s peer-reviewed publications and independent research into smoke-free products.

The Scientific Update can be found at https://www.pmiscience.com/whats-new/scientific-update-11.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the United States. PMI ships a version of its smoke-free devices and consumables authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Altria Group, Inc. for sale in the United States under license. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

Contacts

David Fraser

Philip Morris International

T. +41 (0)79 843 8603

E. david.fraser@pmi.com

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Zynga Launches Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells Worldwide

  The only Match-3 puzzle game set within the original Harry Potter books and films brings magical puzzle gameplay to mobile devices



SAN FRANCISCO-Wednesday 23 September 2020 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA), a global leader in interactive entertainment, announced that its magical Match-3 mobile game Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells has officially launched and begun rolling out to territories worldwide. Officially licensed from Warner Bros. Games and published under the Portkey Games label, the game is available for free download on Android and iOS devices, as well as on Amazon Kindle and Facebook.

“When the Harry Potter series first came to theatres, it was one of those rare moments when everyone was reading the same book, talking about the same film and coming together around a shared experience,” said Yaron Leyvand, Senior Vice President of Games at Zynga. “Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells honours fans' connection to the series with a mobile game infused with the standout moments and delightful Wizarding World flourishes that have captivated a global following. The feedback from soft-launch has been outstanding, and we can’t wait for fans around the world to play.”

“Mobile games have never been more popular or more important to people than they are right now. People are playing games for entertainment, relaxation, and as an accessible source of comfort and connection,” said Bernard Kim, President of Publishing at Zynga. “With Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, fans will immerse themselves in the magic, puzzles, and wonder of the series and create Clubs to collaborate and connect with others fans of Wizarding World.”

In Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, players enter a Match-3 adventure brimming with the spells, humour, colour and characters of the Harry Potter series. Featuring the soundtrack and voiceover recordings from the original Harry Potter films, fans follow an authentic, mobile retelling of Harry’s journey through the Wizarding World. Earning spells and special boosts as they advance, players solve Match-3 puzzles populated with hopping Chocolate Frogs, fluttering Winged Keys, battling wizard chess pieces, and other unexpected obstacles and objects. Between colourful puzzles, players will be treated to iconic moments from the narrative, such as Harry’s journey on the Hogwarts Express, Hagrid’s magical creatures and Hermione casting the Wingardium Leviosa spell.

Building their magical aptitude, players earn spells, powerups, and experience points as they progress through the game to level up their skills and in-game personas. Players can also earn powerful rewards by completing Daily Events that reference a multitude of moments from the Harry Potter series. In the spirit of the camaraderie and friendly competition of Hogwarts, players can join or form clubs with other fans to socialise, collaborate on puzzle strategies, share lives and vie for prizes in exclusive Club Events.

For the next seven days, players who download the game for their Android or iOS device will instantly receive the Welcome Bundle, containing in-game gold, extra lives and special Quidditch Goggles to customize their avatars.

Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is playable for iOS and Android devices worldwide, as well as on Amazon Kindle and Facebook. For more details, visit the game’s website at www.harrypotterpuzzlesandspells.com. For more information and to connect with other fans, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

For supporting still and video assets, visit: http://bit.ly/HPPuzzlesSpells_WWL

About Zynga

Zynga is a global leader in interactive entertainment with a mission to connect the world through games. To date, more than one billion people have played Zynga’s franchises including CSR RacingTM, Empires & PuzzlesTM, Merge Dragons!TM, Merge Magic!TM, Toon Blast™, Toy Blast™, Words With FriendsTM and Zynga PokerTM. Zynga’s games are available in more than 150 countries and are playable across social platforms and mobile devices worldwide. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with locations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, India, Turkey and Finland. For more information, visit www.zynga.com or follow Zynga on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or the Zynga blog.

About Warner Bros. Games

Warner Bros. Games, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc., is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile and PC-based gaming for both internal and third-party game titles. Additional information about Warner Bros. Games can be found at https://www.wbgames.com/.

About Portkey Games

Portkey Games, from Warner Bros. Games, is the games label dedicated to creating new Wizarding World mobile and videogame experiences that place the player at the center of their own adventure, inspired by J.K. Rowling’s original stories. Portkey Games offers players the opportunity to make their own narrative choices and engage with the Wizarding World setting to create new and unique experiences. The label was created to bring gamers and fans new gaming experiences that allow them to delve into the magic of the Wizarding World in immersive ways where they can define their own Wizarding World story.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, the name, gameplay details, game features, and a limited-time promotion in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “outlook,” “projected,” “planned,” “intends,” “will,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “target,” “expect,” and statements in the future tense are generally forward-looking. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update such statements. More information about these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions is or will be described in greater detail in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), copies of which may be obtained by visiting our Investor Relations website at http://investor.zynga.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

WIZARDING WORLD, HARRY POTTER Publishing Rights © J.K. Rowling. HARRY POTTER: PUZZLES & SPELLS, PORTKEY GAMES, WIZARDING WORLD and HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia © and ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. ™ Zynga Inc. All Rights Reserved.

WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s20)

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200923005144/en/

Contacts

Dana Whitney
dwhitney@zynga.com



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