Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:01 AM on Monday, January 7th, 2019
The heartbeat of cardiovascular medicine and telemedicine
Specializing in the software engineering of computer based
electrocardiogram (heart monitoring) management and reporting software
Software permits physician interpretations of ECGs and supports private and public payer fee-for-service billings
ECGs are electrical recordings of the heart and performing an ECG is one of the most common diagnostic tests performed
Successfully launched technologies that enable the use of new
medical devices and communication portals utilizing internet and
cellular based technologies for the recording, transmission and viewing
of ECGs
Recent Highlights
CardioComm Solutions’ HeartCheck(TM) CardiBeat and Smart Phone App Enter Final Stage of FDA 510(k) Review Read More
Market Release of HeartCheck(TM) CardiBeat and GEMS(TM) Mobile Application Set For Early 2019
Completed its response to the USA Food and Drug Administration for
additional information following the Company’s filing of its premarket
notification 510(k)
Class II medical device clearance application for the HeartCheck™ CardiBeat and GEMS™ Mobile Application
HeartCheck™ CardiBeat is the second of several planned Bluetooth-enabled ECG recording devices to be marketed by the Company
Launched 12-Lead ECG Smart Wearable Garment Monitoring Solution Read More
Announced joint partnership sales plans for the commercial launch of
its newest software release designed to support an innovative and easy
to use wireless, 12 lead ECG, vital signs, arrhythmia and ischemia
monitoring wearable smart garment manufactured by Israel-based
HealthWatch Technologies Ltd.
Company to Receive Royalty Payments from Biotricity Read More
Confirmed progress on a royalty licencing agreement with Biotricty Inc.
Royalty payment phase became active following confirmation that all
necessary clearance and software development pre-conditions have been
achieved
Royalty fees are due from the use of the ECG software Cardiocomm
developed, or any derivative products, on a per patient monitored basis
First Company to Receive Approval for ECG Product Sales Direct to Consumers Read More
CardioComm was the first company to be approved to sell an ECG
product directly to consumers in North America as evidenced by OTC Class
II medical device clearances by both the United States Food and Drug
Adminstration and Health Canada in 2012
HeartCheck ECG PEN is currently available for OTC sales on the shelves of Canadian pharmacy chain Shoppers Drug Mart.
Completed HeartCheck(TM) Clinical Validation for Long-Term,
Self-Managed, Remote Monitoring of Atrial Fibrillation Patients
Post-Ablation Read More
Moved into routine clinical use following completion of a long-term, remote arrhythmia monitoring pilot in high risk patients.
PACE cardiologists have been prescribing use of the HeartCheck™ ECG
PEN and ECG Handheld Monitor to their patients to provide up to one year
of enhanced remote patient monitoring for arrhythmias in addition to
use of conventional but term-limited Holter and event monitoring.
Products
HeartCheck™ Pen
The HeartCheck™ PEN handheld ECG device is the only device of its kind cleared by the FDA for consumer use.
✓ Monitor For Arrhythmias Anywhere ✓ Web Access to a Qualified Physician ✓ No Prescription Required
The pocket-sized PEN allows you to take heart readings from anywhere, the moment symptoms appear.
The HeartCheck™ ECG Device
The FDA-cleared HeartCheck™ ECG device is portable, easy to use and can store up to 200 thirty second ECG readings.
Whether at home, the gym or at the office, the HeartCheck™ ECG Device
with SMART Monitoring can help detect and monitor arrhythmias from
wherever you are.
Features & Benefits ✓ SMART Monitoring ECG Interpretations ✓ Cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ✓ Easy to use ✓ Accurate heart readings in only 30 seconds ✓ Store up to 200 ECGs
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:40 AM on Monday, January 7th, 2019
Announced today that it has been awarded a contract for a 900 kW plasma torch system for more than CAD $1MM.
This contract was won in a competitive bid put out by RISE Energy Technology Center AB of Sweden
MONTREAL, Jan. 07, 2019 — PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (http://pyrogenesis.com) (TSX-V: PYR) (OTCQB: PYRNF), a TSX Venture 50® high-tech company, (the “Company”, the “Corporation†or “PyroGenesis”) a Company that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma atomized metal powder, plasma waste-to-energy systems and plasma torch products, is pleased to announce today that it has been awarded a contract for a 900 kW plasma torch system for more than CAD $1MM. This contract was won in a competitive bid put out by RISE Energy Technology Center AB of Sweden (the “Client†or “RISEâ€).
The invitation to participate was announced on November 11th, 2018
and the deadline for submitting applications was December 12th, 2018.
Technical and commercial discussions took place in Sweden December
18-21st, 2018. The competition was narrowed down to two other companies
besides PyroGenesis. The 10-day standstill period, in which participants
could contest the decision based on procedure, expired January 2nd,
2019, and as such the contract was awarded to PyroGenesis. The Client
and PyroGenesis are now in the process of finalizing contract terms. The
torch is scheduled to be delivered by Q3 2019.
Mr. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis, provides further information in the following Q&A format:
Q. You announcedtoday a 900KW torch systemsale. What doesthis mean for theCompanyexactly?
A. This is a giant step forward for PyroGenesis and its torch sale strategy, for three reasons.
First, we won this contract against stiff competition. One was a
European powerhouse, and the other was a local company. Being the only
non-European competitor did not help either. We were determined to win
this contract, and not sacrifice our margins, and we did.
Second, as you know, we are plasma torch experts, and have sold
plasma torches in the past. Our main lines of business typically use
torches between 10-550 kW so that is what we typically sell as well.
However, there is a significant market for high powered plasma torches (
~ 1 MW range), and one we have targeted for some time now.
Notwithstanding the fact that our businesses do not use 1 MW torches, we
developed this capability in-house, with support from the Canadian
National Research Council, with our eyes set on addressing this market.
This announcement today is the first step in that direction.
Third, we announced on October 26, 2017 that we were granted two US
patents, one of which was a torch patent targeting this exact
application.
Q.Andwhatapplication is that?
A. Iron ore pelletization.
It is a process in which fossil fuel burners are typically used in
abundance. Fossil fuel burners are naturally bad for the environment in
that they generate greenhouse gases. Amongst its many advantages,
PyroGenesis’ Plasma torches do not.
We are extremely happy to be working with RISE on this project as we
share many of their views and values. Sweden is committed to becoming a
zero-carbon dioxide emission society and, as such, is developing fossil
free technologies across all sectors. This contract is aimed at
developing fossil-free energy-mining-iron-steel value chains and thereby
provide a basis for governance and industrial strategies for
transformative change across all of Sweden.
We are proud to be part of this initiative by providing our patented torch technology (US patent #9,752,206 entitled Plasma heated furnace for iron ore pellet induration) as a basis for this change.
Q. When do you thinkyou will conclude the contract?
A. Within the next six weeks.
Q. Anyrisk itwon’t be signed?
A. There are always risks, but we are highly confident it will be signed. Maybe even sooner than what we expect.
Q.Lastbutnotleast,what is yourgoalfor this market?
A. We have one of the largest
concentrations of plasma expertise under one roof. We make some of the
most unique plasma torches in the world. We run torches on air, oxygen,
argon, helium, and even water which is quite uncommon. Our torches are
compact, lightweight, easy to operate, fully-automated, with high levels
of safety, and impressive reliability. PyroGenesis torches can operate
for extremely long periods without maintenance, and they can easily
restart without manual intervention.
Winning this public tender not only speaks to our capability of
meeting existing needs, but also to our ability to develop new plasma
torches for unique and demanding situations.
We have effectively expanded our plasma torch offerings to now
include high powered plasma torches and, as such, we expect to very
quickly become a significant player in this market segment.
PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a TSX Venture 50® high-tech company, is the world leader in the design, development, manufacture and commercialization of advanced plasma processes and products. We provide engineering and manufacturing expertise, cutting-edge contract research, as well as turnkey process equipment packages to the defense, metallurgical, mining, advanced materials (including 3D printing), oil & gas, and environmental industries. With a team of experienced engineers, scientists and technicians working out of our Montreal office and our 3,800 m2 manufacturing facility, PyroGenesis maintains its competitive advantage by remaining at the forefront of technology development and commercialization. Our core competencies allow PyroGenesis to lead the way in providing innovative plasma torches, plasma waste processes, high-temperature metallurgical processes, and engineering services to the global marketplace. Our operations are ISO 9001:2015 certified, and have been since 1997. PyroGenesis is a publicly-traded Canadian Corporation on the TSX Venture Exchange (Ticker Symbol: PYR) and on the OTCQB Marketplace. For more information, please visit www.pyrogenesis.com
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements,
including, without limitation, statements containing the words “may”,
“plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”,
“expect”, “in the process” and other similar expressions which
constitute “forward- looking information” within the meaning of
applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the
Corporation’s current expectation and assumptions and are subject to a
number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited
to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the
market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the
capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research
and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new
product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory
approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the
Corporation with respect to future events and are subject to certain
risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in
the Corporation’s ongoing filings with the securities regulatory
authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com,oratwww.otcmarkets.com.Actualresults,events,and
performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Corporation
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-
looking statements either as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Neither
the TSX Venture Exchange, its Regulation Services Provider (as that term
is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the OTCQB
accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press
release.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:46 PM on Friday, January 4th, 2019
SPONSOR: Esports
Entertainment $GMBL Connecting global leading educators to the mass
population of India. BetterU Education has ability to reach 100 MILLION
potential learners each week. Click here for more information
Mobile esports on the rise
These days, you can pick up your mobile phone and play against other people in real time – all you need is a decent internet connection.
This is a major part of why mobile esports is on the rise and why many predict it will take off in a huge way in the not-so-distant future.
2018 is
over, and nobody will deny that it was a ridiculous year for the esports
industry. Celebrity investors, new competitions, almost-unbelievable
organisation valuations, and a plethora of incredible game play have all
made it a year to remember, but what’s to be expected in 2019?
Here at
Esports Insider we cover the business side of esports so, naturally, our
predictions will be based on such. Of course, we’d love to speculate on
how Astralis will fare in CS:GO in the new year and whether the FGC
will ever stop squabbling or not, but business is what we live and
breathe.
Let’s get into our five predictions for the esports industry in 2019!
Overwatch League troubles?
Activision Blizzard has brought in eight new investors to own expansion teams in the Overwatch League at $30-60 million a piece,
but things aren’t perfect. A vocal portion of esports fans think the
game is too hectic to follow (which could well make the game less
accessible to new viewers), average viewership – excluding China and
potential bots – declined steadily over the course of the inaugural
season, and the developer is fully in control of everything that happens
in the competition which is a scary prospect.
Overwatch League
A slew of
inappropriate behaviour and, subsequently, suspensions were present in
the first season of the premier Overwatch competition, which isn’t
attractive to sponsors. The OWL has acquired a roster of prominent
sponsors and secured a ludicrous amount of money at the same time – but
what happens if they decide to drop out? How easy will it be to acquire
new sponsors if everything isn’t as great as it’s being portrayed?
The second season of the Overwatch League
kicks off on February 14th, and we feel as if it’ll be pivotal. If the
aforementioned problems are addressed as much as possible and faith in
the game is restored in those who have become disillusioned in it, then
things could be OK for the foreseeable future. If not, then franchise
owners could well start to feel a little iffy about the future of their
trusty investments.
Battle Royale remains relevant
2018 was
undoubtedly the year of the Battle Royale genre. With PlayerUnknown’s
Battlegrounds and Fortnite both having their fair share of the limelight
in terms of player base and viewing figures, the genre was truly put on
the map in a casual basis; it’s had a harder time from a competitive
viewpoint, however. From H1Z1 Pro League coming and going,
PUBG’s dwindling popularity, and Epic Games’ questionable esports
efforts, there’s plenty of room for the genre to grow when competition
is involved.
We
predict that Battle Royale titles will continue to thrive in 2019 – with
games similar to Call of Duty’s Blackout being released and making a
wave in the market, albeit briefly – but people will still argue over
the genre’s status as a legitimate competitive format. PUBG Corp. is launching six Pro Leagues with three additional pro circuits and Epic Games still has millions of dollars to give out over the course of the year, so it’s an interesting time for the industry.
Traditional sports clubs continue to invest
Over the
last couple of years there have been a number of trends in the esports
industry, many of which aren’t as significant as traditional sports
clubs and their involvements in video games. Whether it’s straight-up
acquiring majority shares in organisations (such as OpTic Gaming and compLexity Gaming), investing and partnering with local companies (Pittsburgh Knights and the Pittsburgh Steelers, most recently),
or entering the scene through a safe route (football teams expanding
into FIFA, for example), there’s been an abundance of instances in
recent times.
Pittsburgh Knights joins forces with Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s hard
to imagine this will slow down. With that being said, if a bunch of
clubs that have already invested decide to back out of esports now as is
hasn’t been immediately fruitful monetarily, then it may heed a warning
for those looking for a quick cash-grab. This isn’t a bad thing for the
esports industry at all, though. In 2019, we expect to see more and
more crossover between traditional sports and esports when it comes to
ownership of organisations and teams.
Mobile esports on the rise
These
days, you can pick up your mobile phone and play against other people in
real time – all you need is a decent internet connection. This is a
major part of why mobile esports is on the rise and why many predict it
will take off in a huge way in the not-so-distant future.
When we attended the Clash Royale League World Finals
in Tokyo, Japan, we saw a potential glimpse into the future. Not too
different from esports as we currently know it, the arena was filled
with impassioned fans that were happy to pay to see the best players in
the world compete.
Accessibility
is a huge factor in the attractiveness of mobile esports, but titles
such as Clash Royale have proven that mobile games don’t need to merely
be a portable version of PC titles. MOBAs such as Dota 2 and League of
Legends are undeniably popular and so it’s understandable that mobile
versions of the genre are flooding the scene, but originality may well
trump all. We truly think we’ll find out more in regards to this theory
in 2019.
Course corrections
Even as valuations for organisations and companies continue to rise, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing in 2018. Echo Fox announced that it would undergo an organisational restructure
in October to better position itself for profitable and sustainability
in the future – releasing its Call of Duty and Gears of War rosters, as
well as fighting game competitors and other select players.
On a bigger scale, Infinite Esports and Entertainment – the parent company of OpTic Gaming, Obey Alliance, the now-defunct Allegiance and a host of supporting companies – released a whole host of staff members
around the same time as Echo Fox. Growing too fast was where blame was
placed, following a rapid expansion and a suite of acquisitions
following the majority share sale of OpTic Gaming in November 2017.
We
wouldn’t be surprised to see this happen at other prominent companies
and organisations in the upcoming year, too. Spend is ridiculously high
when you occupy spots in League of Legends and the Overwatch League,
player demands are ever-growing, and contract buyouts are nearing
unfathomable heights. Sometimes you have to take a step backwards to
move forward in a stronger state, and it should be expected as the
industry edges towards a potential bubble.
3 Reasons Why India Will Be A Leader in the EdTech Industry in the 21st Century
According to a joint report by KPMG and Google, the online education industry is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 8 times to become a $1.96B industry by 2021
Five categories of education in India have been cited as the ones with great potential for considerable online adoption
According to a joint report
by KPMG and Google, the online education industry is expected to grow
at a healthy rate of 8 times to become a $1.96B industry by 2021. Five
categories of education in India have been cited as the ones with great
potential for considerable online adoption. These include primary and
secondary supplemental education, test preparation, reskilling and
online certification, higher education, and language and casual
learning.
The important question here is – what’s driving the considerable
growth of education technology in India? Well, the following are the 3
key reasons why India will be a leader in EdTech in the 21st century:
E-learning Boost via the Digital India Initiative
With an aim to transform the country into a digitally empowered
society, the Indian government launched The Digital India Initiative.
This was a huge move that had a substantial impact on the country’s
technology industry, bringing a wave of revolution in every aspect. The education sector is one of the sectors that are benefiting from this initiative.
To boost e-education, all schools and universities are set to be
connected with broadband and free Wi-Fi. Also to be put in place is a
Digital Literacy Program, as well as the development of pilot Massive
Online Open Courses. Once the goals of the Digital India Initiative are
realized, India will certainly be ahead in the EdTech game.
Vast User Base of Mobile Device Use
There are more than 850 million mobile phone subscribers in India.
According to a report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India
(IAMAI), mobile internet is largely used by youngsters. With an increase
rate of over 10M users a month, there’s no doubt that mobile devices
are the classrooms of tomorrow. Current user base for e-learning
predominantly consists of school students and working professionals.
Not only are Indians realizing the potential for mobile learning, but
major technology and publishing companies are also increasingly
becoming aware of the potential of the education services delivered
through mobile services. So, it’s only a matter of time and there will
be a gold rush into the Indian mobile education market that will put the
country at the top as far as EdTech is concerned.
Low Cost Alternative to Offline Learning
Even though the average tuition for online courses varies from one
program to another, it’s clear like night and day that online courses
are much cheaper compared to the ones offered in classroom settings.
Online skill enhancement courses are estimated to be about 53% cheaper
compared to offline alternatives. Larger student base and lower
infrastructure cost help leverage on the economies of scale, thus the
reduced costs via the online channel.
It’s apparent that the EdTech industry in India is one of the
blooming sectors with a lot to offer to stakeholders. There’s no doubt
that edtech will undergo an evolution and set the stage for the
momentous growth that will be witnessed in the forthcoming years not
just in India, but all around the world.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 12:54 PM on Friday, January 4th, 2019
PEEK: TSX-V
WHAT IS PEEKS?
Peeks
is a live streaming platform where people can interact and transact in
real time by sending cash tips as appreciation for content and or
selling goods and services to their live viewers.
HIGHLIGHTS
Platform generated gross revenue of $2.1 million during Q2 2019, up from $1.3 million during Q2 2018;
User
sessions were 6.50 million for the three months ended August 31, 2018,
as compared to 4.63 million for the three months ended August 31, 2017
(and as compared to 6.20 million for the three months ended May 31,
2018).
The Shifting landscape
Digital marketing spend is projected to grow from $57.3B USD in 2014 to $103.4B USD in 2019
Viewers spend 8x longer with live video than on demand: 42.8 min vs. 5.1 min      Â
Live video is outpacing growth of other types of online video with 113% increase in add growth yearly  Â
100,000,000 internet users watch online video everyday
By 2019 online video will be responsible for 80% of global internet traffic.
In the U.S. online video will be responsible for 85% of domestic US traffic
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:09 AM on Friday, January 4th, 2019
Announced the appointment of Alan Alden to the Board of Directors
Mr. Alden has been a specialist in advising remote gaming companies located in Malta since 2000, when he advised the first remote gaming companies as the Senior Manager of Enterprise Risk Services at Deloitte & Touche (Malta)
BIRKIRKARA, Malta, Jan. 04, 2019 — Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. (GMBL:OTCQB) (or the “Company”), a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming, is pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Alden to the Board of Directors.
Mr. Alden has been a specialist in advising remote gaming companies
located in Malta since 2000, when he advised the first remote gaming
companies as the Senior Manager of Enterprise Risk Services at Deloitte
& Touche (Malta). In 2006 Alan set up Kyte Consultants Ltd, a
company that specialised in the remote gaming and payment card sectors,
to assist companies located in Malta. In 2009, Alan became a founding
director in Contact Advisory Services Ltd, a licensed Company Service
Provider (CSP) that offers a complete service to its customers, from
company incorporation, to licensing for gaming and financial
institutions.
Since 2010, Alan has served as the General Secretary of the Malta
Remote Gaming Council. Alan is a certified CISSP and CISA. Alan was also
the founding President of the ISACA Malta Chapter between 2005 -2008.
In 2015, Alan became a Part Time Lecturer on IT Auditing at the
University of Malta.
Mr. Alden stated, “I am very pleased to have been offered this
opportunity by Esports Entertainment Group, as they are an ambitious
company with vision, a solid strategy and an exciting and unique product
offering. I look forward to working with the team and hope I am able to
assist them in achieving their objectives.â€
Grant Johnson, CEO of Esports Entertainment Group stated, “Alan’s
experience in finance, Gambling and regulatory matters make him uniquely
qualified as a board member for our company. We are excited to have him
join our Board, as he will be a major asset in our future plans.â€
ABOUT VIE.GG
vie.gg
offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed,
regulated and secured platform to the global esports audience, excluding
jurisdictions that prohibit online gambling. vie.gg features wagering on the following esports games:
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO)
League of Legends
Dota 2
Call of Duty
Overwatch
PUBG
Hearthstone
StarCraft II
This press release is available on our Online Investor Relations
Community for shareholders and potential shareholders to ask questions,
receive answers and collaborate with management in a fully moderated
forum at https://agoracom.com/ir/EsportsEntertainmentGroup
Redchip investor relations Esports Entertainment Group Investor Page: http://www.gmblinfo.com
Esports Entertainment Group, Inc. is a licensed online gambling company with a specific focus on esports wagering and 18+ gaming. Esports Entertainment offers bet exchange style wagering on esports events in a licensed, regulated and secure platform to the global esports audience at vie.gg. In addition, Esports Entertainment intends to offer users from around the world the ability to participate in multi-player mobile and PC video game tournaments for cash prizes. Esports Entertainment is led by a team of industry professionals and technical experts from the online gambling and the video game industries, and esports. The Company holds licenses to conduct online gambling and 18+ gaming on a global basis in Curacao, Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada. The Company maintains offices in Antigua, Curacao and Warsaw, Poland. Esports Entertainment common stock is listed on the OTCQB under the symbol GMBL. For more information visit www.esportsentertainmentgroup.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS The
information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These
statements relate to future events or to our future financial
performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity,
performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future
results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or
implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases,
beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect
actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any
forward-looking statement reflects our current views with respect to
future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and
assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth
strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or
revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the
reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated
in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes
available in the future. The safe harbor for forward-looking statements
contained in the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 protects
companies from liability for their forward-looking statements if they
comply with the requirements of the Act.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:01 AM on Friday, January 4th, 2019
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS
COMPLETED SALE OF FIVE STAR-A.D.S SYSTEMS TO ALMASRIA UNIVERSAL AIRLINES
Announced that AlMasria Universal Airlines of Egypt has decided to
proceed with the installation and activation of the STAR-A.D.S.® System
across all five (5) of its current aircraft fleet, which includes A-320,
A-321, A330 and B737 aircraft.
BOMBARDER JOINT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Joint research and development program with Bombardier and other
industrials and universities of Canada is progressing very positively.
The STAR-A.D.S. ® system which is at the heart of the program, after
having been validated and extensively used by the aircraft
manufacturer, has now been transferred to another flight test vehicle to
complete the flight testing and the data collection.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES APPLICATIONS
Star’s Land System Aided Medical Monitoring system for ground
ambulance applications has undergone a series of demonstrations by a
care organization in North America.
Its airborne parent system, the In-Flight System Aided Medical
Monitoring system (STAR-ISAMM™â€), has now been demonstrated to several
stakeholders of the commercial and civil air ambulance market.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:55 AM on Friday, January 4th, 2019
SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital Inc. (IDK:CSE) Led by
legendary financier, Sheldon Inwentash, ThreeD is a Canadian-based
venture capital firm that only invests in best of breed small-cap
companies which are both defensible and mass scalable. More than just
lip service, Inwentash has financed many of Canada’s biggest small-cap
exits. Click Here For More Information.
—————–
Falling Crypto Prices Aren’t Stopping Real Blockchain Progress
While public exchanges have been consolidating their hold on the market, private blockchains are getting to work by delivering real business value for enterprises.
Paul Brody is EY’s global innovation leader for blockchain. The views expressed are his own.
The following is an exclusive contribution to CoinDesk’s 2018 Year in Review.
Plunging cryptocurrency values in 2018 and the collapse of the
money-for-nothing white paper market in initial coin offerings (ICOs)
took much of the focus last year for many people when it came to
blockchain mindshare.
All of that marketplace drama, however, concealed an enormous amount
of real progress for the technology that will, slowly but surely, lay
the foundation for a robust revival of the blockchain markets in the
future.
Over the last year, the market did provide lots of drama related to
ICOs. Nearly a quarter of all the ICOs from 2017 lost most of their
value, and the market as a whole declined by nearly two- thirds.
The first half of 2018 was no better. There were nearly 1,000 ICOs
every month, but only 5% of them raised more than $1 million – with one,
EOS, raising around $4 billion.
Not only did the bulk of the money raised go to a very small number
of the ICOs, but nearly every aspect of the world of blockchain also
became more consolidated and, dare I say, centralized, in 2018 – rather
counterintuitive for blockchain, since decentralization is at its core.
Public blockchains consolidate
According to a study
by EY that examined the ICOs’ progress and investment
returns, ethereum, which is the dominant platform and shows the highest
activity among developers and on social media, became even more
dominant, with more than 95% of all ICOs and funds raised.
The market for exchanges consolidated rapidly as well, with 73% of
daily trading volume in the first half of the year taken by the top 10
exchanges. Though the full-year numbers are yet to be updated, that
trend seems set to continue.
The biggest exchanges are consolidating their positions in part by
rapidly maturing their processes and approach to regulatory compliance.
Know-your-customer procedures are being tightened and many of the big
exchanges are, or soon will be, audited by some of the major financial
services organizations (EY included). These same exchanges have been
beefing up their security as well, with fewer large-scale thefts in 2018
than in 2017.
Another big trend last year in the world of public blockchains was
the surge in popularity of stablecoins of all kinds, mostly based on
fiat currencies. While stablecoins offer some advantages, including
stability, they do raise the single most important question remaining
for public blockchains: why are they useful?
Parking money in a stablecoin is beneficial if it’s between
investments or purchases as a way to avoid volatility, but it’s not a
very good investment in and of itself. The purpose of capital markets is
to allocate capital to productive uses and, at least for the moment,
that doesn’t seem to be happening. For public blockchains in 2019, this
is the single most important question.
Private blockchains deliver
While public exchanges have been consolidating their hold on the
market, private blockchains are getting to work by delivering real
business value for enterprises. At EY, a number of systems entered
production status, including our software licensing solution with Microsoft and a maritime insurance joint venture with Maersk and Guardtime.
Looking at the enterprise space, there are three key learnings from the work with blockchain in 2018.
First and foremost, the biggest rule in blockchain seems to be: “If
it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.†Over and over again, when companies are
working on projects where blockchain seemed to be an excellent fit, they
did not move forward because they already found a solution to their
problem. Despite the fact that blockchain in nearly every case would be
better, that isn’t necessarily enough to justify replacing already
existing processes, given the cost and risk.
Second, and very closely related to the first learning, is the
primacy of solving real problems. While chief innovation officers
sometimes love to do blockchain proofs of concept, the technology is far
past that. It’s all about the focus on productizing and solving
solutions for line-of-business executives — with real ROI. If one can,
with confidence, point to an ROI from a solution, then there’s no need
to worry about which blockchain platform or future comes to pass. There
is a return from this investment, no matter what.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it is clear that companies are
prioritizing operations before finance. While tracking products and
assets as they move through the supply chain is useful, there are a lot
of financial services that could add value, from the very simple
approach “payment upon delivery,†to complex services like factoring
receivables and trade finance.
However, in most cases, companies want to achieve confidence in their
operational systems before closing the loop with payments and financial
services, a challenge they will start to take up at the start of 2019.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:34 PM on Thursday, January 3rd, 2019
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Google and KPMG estimates India’s online education industry to grow eight-fold to reach $1.96 billion by 2021
Growing EdTech Market in India: Key Catalyst
India is witnessing demographic dividends, implying more and more
people, students and professionals alike are undertaking smart courses
in order to improve knowledge base to gain a competitive edge in their
careers.
This phenomenon has convinced analysts of the immense growth prospects of the burgeoning EdTech industry in India.
Reducing internet costs and increasing internet penetration in the
country are other notable factors favoring the growth prospects of
EdTech industry.
In fact, a research report
from Google and KPMG estimates India’s online education industry to
grow eight-fold to reach $1.96 billion by 2021. Further, the study
projects paid users in EdTech to grow six times from 1.6 million in 2016
to 9.6 million in 2021.
MicrosoftMSFT has introduced Surface Go tablet in India exclusively through Bengaluru, India-based e-commerce company, Flipkart. Recently, the company commenced shipping of the device, with prices ranging from INR 38,599 to INR 50,999.
The different variants of the new tablet series come with storage
capacity of 64 GB and 128 GB, with 4 GB and 8 GB RAM, respectively.
Notably, Surface Go was introduced by Microsoft in a bid to explore
the low-priced tablet market to take on Apple’s budget iPads, and
Alphabet’s lower-priced Chromebook.
The company had unveiled Surface Go device around Jul 10, 2018 which
was made available in early August, with prices ranging from $399 to
$549 in the United States.
We believe that availability of Surface Go in India will position the
company well to capitalize on the emerging EdTech market. Furthermore,
the enhanced security and performance features hold promise in the
growing enterprise market in the country.
Microsoft is likely to benefit from the competitive pricing of its
Surface Go device. The latest Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 with 64 GB capacity
is priced approximately at INR 57,900.
In the words of Country General Manager, Consumer & Devices at
Microsoft India, Priyadarshi Mohapatra, “Globally and in India, it’s
encouraging to see the rapidly growing Surface community in both
consumer and enterprise.”
Enhanced Security & Performance Features Hold Key
The compact Surface Go features a 10-inch screen and weighs 522 grams
(or 1.15 pounds), lighter than its prevailing Surface counterparts.
Further, the latest series is equipped with Intel’s INTC processor and graphic chips.
Additionally, the device has a decent nine hour battery life and canfunction with optional keyboard, mouse and Surface Pen 2.
Surface Go’s Windows Hello facial recognition option feature for logging-in and Windows 10 S mode, makes it a compelling option.
In a bid to enhance security and performance, users can utilize Microsoft Store appsincluding Microsoft Edge to browse safely.
Enterprises may avail Windows 10 Proto safeguard business
infrastructure with robust security features. Windows Autopilot enables
users to configure Surface Go from the cloud, in turn simplifying the IT
processes a great deal.
Growing EdTech Market in India: Key Catalyst
India is witnessing demographic dividends, implying more and more
people, students and professionals alike are undertaking smart courses
in order to improve knowledge base to gain a competitive edge in their
careers. This phenomenon has convinced analysts of the immense growth
prospects of the burgeoning EdTech industry in India.
Reducing internet costs and increasing internet penetration in the
country are other notable factors favoring the growth prospects of
EdTech industry.
In fact, a research report from Google and KPMG estimates India’s
online education industry to grow eight-fold to reach $1.96 billion by
2021. Further, the study projects paid users in EdTech to grow six times
from 1.6 million in 2016 to 9.6 million in 2021.
Enemy’s Enemy an Ally?
One important point to note in this latest development is that
Microsoft selected Flipkart’s e-commerce platform to launch Surface Go
in India. Notably, Amazon AMZN and Flipkart are the two major players in Indian e-commerce market. Additionally, Walmart WMTacquired a 77% stake in Flipkart.
Microsoft Azure directly competes with Amazon’s cloud platform Amazon
Web Services (“AWS”) in the cloud market. Walmart which competes with
Amazon in the retail and e-commerce market has selected Azure cloud platform.
When we join the loose ends, it makes sense to say that “my enemy’s enemy is my friend.”
Our Take
Microsoft is well poised to benefit from robust adoption of Surface
Go on the back of improving EdTech and enterprise scenario in India.
We believe the availability of Surface Go will aid the company in
bolstering competitive strength in the direct consumer market, primarily
in EdTech market in India.
Notably, Surface revenues increased 14% (same at cc) in first-quarter
fiscal 2019 on a year-over-year basis on the back of strong performance
of the latest editions – Surface Book 2 and Surface Go.
Moreover, Microsoft Surface series of devices have registered
considerable double-digit growth in India in this year, as per
Priyadarshi Mohapatra’s statement to IANS. The incremental sales from
India will eventually benefit the top line.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:31 PM on Thursday, January 3rd, 2019
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Blackwater founder launches fund to invest in electric car battery metals
Blackwater founder Erik Prince aims to raise as much as $500 million to invest in metals needed for making the batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs), the Financial Times reports.
Fund will focus mainly on cobalt, copper and lithium assets
Erik Prince, the founder of controversial U.S. private security firm Blackwater and an informal campaign adviser to President Donald Trump, is looking to raise as much as $500m to invest in metals used in the batteries that power electric cars. (Image courtesy of Miller Center | Flickr.)
Blackwater founder Erik Prince aims to raise as much as $500 million
to invest in metals needed for making the batteries that power electric
vehicles (EVs), the Financial Times reports.
Prince, who besides starting the controversial private security
company is known for have been an informal campaign adviser to US
President Donald Trump, said the fund will bring unexplored deposits
into production and then sell them to large miners after four to five
years.
The fund will focus mainly on cobalt, copper and lithium assets located mainly in Africa and Asia, Prince told FT.com.
“For all the talk of our virtual world, the innovation, you can’t
build these vehicles without minerals that come from generally weird,
hard-to-access places,†he said.
Metals such as cobalt, lithium, nickel and copper have seen demand soar in recent years as the shift away from
cars powered by fossil fuels gains momentum and mining companies are
investing billions of dollars into developing deposits of those key
commodities.
Experts expect the need for the commodity from battery makers alone to jump 650% by 2027, while overall demand is forecast to rise more than threefold in the next nine years.
Prices, however, are projected to drop in the early 2020s as a result
of an ever-rising number of projects expected to come online.
Prince sold Blackwater in 2010, after it was hit with a series of
lawsuits. Since then, he’s been running Frontier Services Group, which
provides integrated security, logistics and insurance services in
frontier markets and is backed by Hong Kong investor Chun Shun Ko and
China’s CITIC Group.
Frontier has also invested in a bauxite mine in Guinea, and identified a copper and cobalt deposit in the Congo.
Prince’s sister Elisabeth Dee DeVos is Trump’s education secretary.
