Month: August 2021

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Laserfiche Announces Spark EMEA, an Event for Business Leaders and Technologists Navigating the Future of Work

LONDON, Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Laserfiche  announced today that registration is now open for Laserfiche Spark EMEA, a live video webcast showcasing product insights and strategies for driving enterprise-wide digital transformation. The leading SaaS provider of intelligent content management and business process automation is hosting a virtual event under the theme of “Ready to Reimagine,” and invites attendees to explore how organisations throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa can implement Laserfiche to transform and modernise operations. The free broadcast will air 1st September 2021.

Laserfishe Logo

“The COVID-19 crisis has re-prioritised digital transformation, compacting years of change in just several months,” said Laserfiche President Karl Chan. “Digital adoption has accelerated in every area of the enterprise, from internal operations and supply chain interaction to the customer experience. We are excited to engage with the Laserfiche EMEA community to share knowledge and experiences in using Laserfiche solutions to recover, rebuild and reimagine the enterprise.”

Laserfiche Spark EMEA will cover topics designed to equip business leaders and technologists with the knowledge necessary for the increasingly complex and rapidly changing business landscape:

  • Maintain GDPR Compliance with Confidence: GDPR has immense influence over how today’s businesses and organisations around the world manage information. Learn from Reynold Leming, chair of the Information and Records Management Society, about how you can bolster compliance efforts using Laserfiche.
  • Why the Time is Right for Cloud: Discover how your organisation can thrive with the flexibility and resiliency provided by cloud technology.
  • What You Need to Know About Hybrid: Learn why today’s organisations are integrating all kinds of cloud services into their digital ecosystem.

“As employee and customer expectations reshape the future of work, we are committed to providing enterprises with the solutions and tools to navigate new business environments,” said Laserfiche UK Business Manager Attar Naderi. “Laserfiche Spark offers members of our EMEA community insights and best practices tailored to regionally-specific experiences, with solutions that align with long-term strategies and enhance organisational agility.”

In addition to resources such as best practices, digital guides, action plans and frameworks, Laserfiche Spark attendees will also gain complimentary access to certification courses, fostering ongoing education about Laserfiche and the strategies needed to succeed in today’s increasingly digital, connected, and fast-changing workplace.

For more information and to register for Laserfiche Spark EMEA session, click here.

Notes to Editors

About Laserfiche

Laserfiche is the leading SaaS provider of intelligent content management and business process automation. Through powerful workflows, electronic forms, document management and analytics, the Laserfiche® platform accelerates how business gets done, enabling leaders to focus on growth across the enterprise.

Laserfiche pioneered the paperless office with enterprise content management. Today, Laserfiche’s cloud-first development approach incorporates innovations in machine learning and AI to enable organizations in more than 80 countries to transform into digital businesses. Customers in every industry — including government, education, financial services, healthcare and manufacturing — use Laserfiche to boost productivity, scale their business and deliver digital-first customer experiences.

Laserfiche employees in offices around the world are committed to the company’s vision of empowering customers and inspiring people to reimagine how technology can transform lives.

Connect with Laserfiche:

Laserfiche Blog | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

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‫البنك العربي الوطني ينجز 2 مليون طلب، مما يوفر 40,000 ساعة من العمل اليدوي، مع منصة التشغيل الروبوتي للعمليات السحابية الأصلية من شركة Automation Anywhere

أدت أتمتة العمليات المصرفية التي تعمل بتقنية التشغيل الروبوتي للعمليات إلى تحسين متطلبات الامتثال والإنتاجية وخفض تكاليف التشغيل لأحد أكبر البنوك في الشرق الأوسط.

دبي، الإمارات العربية المتحدة, 24 أغسطس 2021 /PRNewswire/ — أعلنت شركة Automation Anywhere، أحد الشركات الرائدة عالميًا في تقنية Robotic Process Automation (RPA – التشغيل الروبوتي للعمليات)، مؤخرًا تعونها مع Arab National Bank (ANB – البنك العربي الوطني) لأتمتة تنفيذ عمليات البنك.

 تأسس البنك العربي الوطني (ANB) عام 1979، وهو شركة مساهمة سعودية مدرجة في البورصة ويصنف ضمن أكبر 15 بنكًا في الشرق الأوسط. يقع مقره الرئيسي في مدينة الرياض.

بدعم من شريك Automation Anywhere، وهي شركة Orion Valley، طبّق البنك العربي الوطني بأتمتة 35 عملية عمل يدوية متكررة داخل البنك باستخدام Automation 360، منصة التشغيل الروبوتي للعمليات المدعومة بالذكاء الاصطناعي الوحيدة في العالم. ينفذ الآن أكثر من 100 روبوت برمجي مهام داخل أقسام البنك من العمليات والامتثال والموارد البشرية وغيرها من الأقسام.

كما صرح عايض الزهراني، مدير العمليات التنفيذي في البنك العربي الوطني: “تعمل تقنية Automation Anywhere على تمكين مستقبل الأعمال المصرفية، من خلال السماح للمؤسسات المالية مثل مؤسستنا بتحقيق وفورات كبيرة في التكاليف، مع توفير مستويات أعلى من الإنتاجية والكفاءات. لقد نجحنا في ترحيل أكثر من 100 روبوت إلى منصة Automation 360، دون أي توقف تقريبًا، وبالتالي توفير ما يقدر بـ 40,000 ساعة من العمل اليدوي”.

يرغب البنك العربي الوطني في مواصلة تبسيط العمليات الروتينية وتحسين جودة العمل وتقليل تكاليف التشغيل المرتبطة بها. ويوفر نشر الأتمتة الذكية طريقة لتحقيق هذه الأهداف.

كما صرح ميلان شيث، نائب الرئيس التنفيذي، لمنطقة الهند والشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا في Automation Anywhere: “تحتاج البنوك والمؤسسات المالية الأخرى اليوم إلى الحفاظ على قدرتها التنافسية ولكن يجب أيضًا أن تلبي العديد من لوائح الصناعة التي تتضمن عمليات تستغرق وقتًا طويلاً للغاية وتتطلب موارد بشرية مخصصة. وفي صميم عملها، يمكن للأتمتة الذكية أتمتة العمليات التجارية العادية والمتكررة، والسماح للبنوك بالتحكم في تكاليف الامتثال، وتحسين ملفات تعريف المخاطر، وإعادة تركيز جهود موظفيها نحو الابتكار”.

يخطط البنك العربي الوطني لمواصلة تنفيذ برامج روبوت إضافية لزيادة تبسيط عمليات البنك من أجل الاستفادة من الكفاءات الإضافية الناتجة عن ذلك.

نبذة عن شركة Automation Anywhere
 Automation Anywhere هي شركة عالمية رائدة في مجال أتمتة العمليات الروبوتية، حيث تمكّن العملاء من أتمتة العمليات التجارية الشاملة باستخدام روبوتات برمجية ذكية. يؤدي العمال الرقميون المدعومون بالذكاء الاصطناعي الذين يؤدون المهام المتكررة واليدوية إلى مكاسب إنتاجية هائلة، وتحسين تجربة العملاء وزيادة مشاركة الموظفين. تقدم الشركة منصة التشغيل الآلي الوحيدة في العالم التي تعتمد على السحابة المحلية والإنترنت والتي تجمع بين التشغيل الروبوتي للعمليات والذكاء الاصطناعي والتعلم الآلي والتحليلات، مما يحقق انخفاضًا كبيرًا في إجمالي تكلفة الملكية (TCO)، وارتفاع معدل الأمان، وتسريع قابلية التوسع لتفوق المنصات المتجانسة القديمة. ويعد Bot Store الخاص بالشركة أول وأكبر سوق في العالم يضم أكثر من 1,200 حل من حلول التشغيل الآلي الذكي المعدة مسبقًا. وقد نشرت شركة Automation Anywhere ما يقرب من 3 ملايين روبوتًا لدعم بعض الشركات الكبرى في العالم من جميع القطاعات في أكثر من 90 بلدًا. للمزيد من المعلومات، يمكنك زيارة www.automationanywhere.com.

تعد شركة Automation Anywhere علامة تجارية أو خدمية أو علامة تجارية أو خدمية مسجلة لصالح شركة Automation Anywhere، في الولايات المتحدة وبلدان أخرى.

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Volunteers Tackle COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in South Africa

Despite?COVID-19 vaccine being available to all South African adults, uptake remains low with just 20% of adults having received a first dose.?

The Muslim Association of South Africa is one of many groups combatting vaccine hesitancy by delivering shots to doorsteps.?

Dawn Crotz received her Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from a paramedic in the comfort of her south Johannesburg home.

While the vaccine has been available to the 64-year-old since April, Crotz said rumors about the side effects made her hesitate. But the reality of the deadly virus changed her mind.

“I decided to get it because I saw my daughter-in-law's father got so sick he passed away," Crotz said. "And then I thought I might also get it. I take a flu vaccine every year. I go in and I buy it and they give it to me. And then I thought, ‘No, let me do this also.’”

With South Africa’s COVID-19 death toll surpassing 79,000, volunteer health workers are scrambling to quell people’s vaccine fears.

The country’s Muslim association launched an at-home vaccination program to provide individual attention to allay concerns and to remove the barriers of traveling to a clinic.

Muhammad Varachia is one of the paramedics delivering at-home vaccine.

“I think it's just a misconception, people reading on social media, people hearing from different people that is bad for you, that it’s man-made," Varachia said. "How can we create a vaccine in a year, etc, etc. So, there's a lot of hesitancy that we've come across, but we put their fears to bed.”

Another problem is access to transportation and basic information about how one can get the vaccine, especially among the elderly.

“The registration for vaccines are electronic," Varachia said. "And even though you can also register at sites, you need to know where the sites are, before you can show up there.”

For some people, like 22-year-old Kurt Fischer who is quadriplegic, getting to a vaccination site is difficult both physically and mentally.

While the rest of his family had been vaccinated, his father, Kevin Fischer, said having an at-home option for his son was a game changer.

“I would have sacrificed not having it to give him my shot, if possible, that he’s, he’s first," Fischer said. "The familiarity of being able to be in his house is a big benefit, that there's no stress of going to a foreign venue.”

Experts said volunteer efforts are closing the gap in vaccinating more people, especially those most vulnerable.

President Cyril Ramaphosa applauded the country’s youth on Monday for rushing to sites as vaccines were made available to those as young as 18.

But experts warn that fears and other barriers still need to be addressed, or the latest uptick could fizzle out as it did among older age groups.

Source: Voice of America

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Jailed Chadian President Habre Dies in Senegal

Former Chadian president Hissene Habre, who was serving a life term in Senegal for war crimes and crimes against humanity, has died, Senegalese Justice Minister Malick Sall said Tuesday. He was 79.

"Habre is in his Lord's hands," Sall told the television channel TFM.

The Chadian consulate said he had died of Covid-19.

Habre, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at an African Union-backed trial in the Senegalese capital Dakar in 2016.

He seized power in Chad in 1982, but fled to Senegal in 1990 after he was in turn overthrown.

Habre's rule was marked by brutal crackdowns on dissent, including alleged torture and executions of opponents.

Some 40,000 people are estimated to have been killed under his leadership of the semi-desert country.

In exile in Dakar, Habre lived a quiet life in an upmarket suburb with his wife and children.

But the former dictator -- who was dubbed "Africa's Pinochet" -- was finally arrested in 2013 and tried by a special tribunal set up by the AU under a deal with Senegal.

Habre began serving his life sentence in the Cap Manuel penitentiary in Dakar.

His supporters voiced concerned for his health and pushed for more lenient detention conditions given his advanced age.

Last year, a Senegalese judge granted him a two-month furlough designed to shield him from coronavirus.

Groups representing Habre's victims recognised his right to be treated humanely, but fiercely resisted preferential treatment for the former dictator.

'Pitiless'

Reed Brody, a lawyer who represented Habre's victims, said in a statement on Tuesday that he had been calling "for months" for the former dictator to be vaccinated against Covid.

AFP was unable to independently verify whether Habre had received a jab.

Brody was nonetheless withering about Habre's legacy, saying he would "go down in history as one of the world's most pitiless dictators."

Habre "slaughtered his own people to seize and maintain power... burned down entire villages, sent women to serve as sexual slaves for his troops and built clandestine dungeons to inflict torture on his enemies,” Brody said.

Habre's conviction in 2016 was seen as a turning point for pursuing rights abusers in Africa, where the International Criminal Court (ICC), located in The Hague, was becoming increasingly unpopular.

The former dictator was ordered to pay up to 30,000 euros ($33,000) to each victim who suffered rape, arbitrary detention and imprisonment during his rule, as well as to their relatives.

Source: Voice of America

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Mogadishu Suicide Bombing Kills 2, Injures 5

At least two people were killed and five wounded Thursday after a suicide bomber detonated a device inside a cafe in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, police and witnesses said.

The suicide bomber targeted a tea shop near a crowded junction in northern Mogadishu, which was reportedly frequented by members of the Somali security forces as well as civilians.

The al-Qaida-linked group Al-Shabab claimed the attack through their Shahada News Agency, according to the U.S. monitoring group SITE.

The early-evening attack, which sent debris flying outside, killed two members of the security forces and injured five people, said Mohamed Ali, a traffic policeman who was at the scene.

"Pieces of metal and destroyed plastic seats were strewn around the whole area," said Abdukadir Sagaalle, who witnessed the aftermath.

Al-Shabab, which is fighting to overthrow Somalia's internationally backed government, regularly attacks government and civilian targets in Mogadishu.

Last month, the jihadists claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on a crowded tea shop in Mogadishu that killed at least 10 people and wounded dozens.

The group controlled Somalia's capital until 2011, when it was pushed out by African Union troops, but still holds territory in the countryside.

Source: Voice of America

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All-Female Vegan Rangers Leading Anti-Poaching in Zimbabwe

The impact of the pandemic has increased wildlife poaching around Zimbabwe’s national parks, as people who lost their jobs hunt the animals for food. To help protect the animals, anti-poaching organizations have been formed, including a squad of vegan, women rangers.

Those are recruits of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation on a drill near Mana Pools National Park, about 300 kilometers north of Harare.

Nyaradzo Auxillia Hoto has been part of this group, known as Akashinga, the Brave Ones, since it started in 2017 to fight poaching here. The 29-year-old Hoto says she does not fear poachers or wildlife.

“I am not even afraid. At first, yeah, I was a bit afraid. But now we have been taught on animal behavior and also because of time I have spent in the bush now I have experience of how to handle animals. Whenever I experience even a lion, I won’t be scared. But I would like to study more and to know more about the animals, especially the one I am protecting,” she said.

The women are well-armed, and if they encounter poachers, they detain them, and turn them over to police for prosecution.

Damien Mander, an Australian national and an Iraq war veteran, formed the Akashinga project. He says anti-poaching patrols will help preserve Africa’s wildlife, which has been under steady assault from poachers for decades.

"It was a trial in the beginning on one reserve in northern Zimbabwe, we started with 16 women protecting 90,000 acres. We now got 240 staff as part of this program. We now have eight reserves that we patrol. We are on target to have 1,000 staff by 2026," he said.

Tinashe Farawo, spokesman of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, says the efforts of such conservation groups are helping to fight poaching in this wildlife-rich country.

"These people have been provided the much-needed resources like patrol, in terms of anti-poaching law enforcement. The same partners some give us vehicles for patrol, some give us fuel, so that we are visible on the ground, our law enforcement is always intact, our rangers are always equipped. Those are some of the problems we always face: that our national parks are in extreme weather conditions. So they need tents, sleeping bags, uniforms, boots. All those things if you put them together it means we can do wonders. Because of these activities and partnerships, we are visible on the ground and less of poaching incidences are recorded in our national parks," said Farawo.

With more rangers coming on board, Zimbabwe hopes to eliminate poaching in its entirety, and ensure the safety of wildlife roaming the national parks.

Source: Voice of America

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Vinamilk ramps up R&D efforts to win big globally

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Aug. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Vietnam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk) is accelerating R&D efforts to create innovative products enriched with local flavours to satisfy global customers’ diverse tastes.

With its strategic investment in product development, international expansion, and commitment to sustainability, Vinamilk has become the only Vietnamese dairy company in the Top 50 global dairy producers in 2021, ranked 36th.

Vinamilk’s local touch earns international trust

Vinamilk's innovative products enriched with local flavours

Vinamilk’s R&D efforts have developed customized products tailored to the Asian, African and Middle East markets, despite the challenge of limited research data in some regions.

Starting with only one infant cereal SKU, the company has since successfully developed and established 66 SKUs in multiple markets. One of Vinamilk’s successful innovative products is the Vinamilk Ridielac infant cereal with banana & date flavour. Launched in the Middle East market 5 years ago, this infant cereal with a twist of distinctive local flavour has been widely received, underpinning the subsequent penetration into the North African region upon the shared sentiment towards this delicacy.

The dairy giant has also enriched its African products with vitamin A and minerals to help tackle the challenge of vitamin A deficiency. This problem has left 42.4% of sub-Saharan African children with an increased risk of childhood mortality.

In the Middle East, which makes up 80% of Vinamilk’s export revenue, the brand’s localised Ridielac product is a favourite among locals, especially for the variety in flavours that has enabled consumers to switch regularly for their babies’ daily diet.

In Asia, Vinamilk has introduced sweetened condensed coconut milk in Japan to address demands for plant-based milk, while catering to local consumers with milk allergy.

“Our long-term relationship with Vinamilk was built upon accurate and flexible export services and high-quality products meeting all Japanese standards. We found the newly developed Condensed Coconut Milk impressive, and hold very high expectation that it will perform well in this market,” said Mr. Jun Hamada, Vinamilk’s Japanese partner.

The sustaining business strategy that results in growth despite COVID-19

Vinamilk's R&D department contributes significantly to the success of exported products

Vinamilk’s overseas success significantly contributed by solid R&D team of highly qualified personnel with deep knowledge on food regulations in the export markets, together with continuous investment in global cooperation.

Along with local partners including domestic and international nutrition research institute cooperation, Vinamilk provides nutritional values that best fit the local market.

Since 1998, Vinamilk has recorded significant growth of export markets, exported product categories and SKUs. Overseas business currently accounts for 15 percent of Vinamilk’s total revenue.

With its business strategy and sustainable focus, Vinamilk grew steadily in the 1st half of 2021 despite COVID-19 challenges, boasting an export revenue of VND 2,772 billion (US$ 121.5 million), up 13.1% YoY.

Vinamilk continues to make significant investment for global expansion

Vinamilk's Export Business Overview

Looking forward, Vinamilk aims further its global reach to serve more international markets. The company has announced a joint venture with Del Monte – a leading producer and distributor of F&B products in Philippines. The strategy to invest extensively in the dairy industry and offer Filipino consumers healthy dairy and beverage products that fit their tastes at reasonable prices. The joint venture’s products are expected to reach Filipino consumers in September 2021.

Vinamilk has three factories in the US, New Zealand, and Cambodia and a dairy farm complex in Laos. The first constructional phase of the farm complex which has a capacity of 8,000 cow heads that produces approximately 44,000 tons of milk each year, is expected to be put into operation in the 1st quarter of 2022.

About Vinamilk

Founded in 1976, Vinamilk currently owns 16 factories and 13 farms in Vietnam and overseas. The company possesses strong R&D competencies with highly competent human resources and well-equipped, modern laboratories with VILAS — ISO/IEC 17025 certification.

Media:

Ms. Pham Hong Hanh
+84-28-54-155-555
phhanh@vinamilk.com.vn

International Business:

Mr. Vo Trung Hieu
+84-28-54-155-555(Ext.102102)
vthieu@vinamilk.com.vn

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US Blacklists Eritrean Official Over Human Rights Abuse in Ethiopia’s Tigray

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on an Eritrean official it accused of being engaged in serious human rights abuse in the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region, where thousands have been killed and over 2 million displaced.

The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it had blacklisted Filipos Woldeyohannes, the chief of staff of the Eritrean Defense Forces, accusing the forces of being responsible for massacres, sexual assaults and purposely shooting civilians in the streets, among other human rights abuses.

The United States has repeatedly called for Eritrean troops to withdraw from Tigray.

"Today’s action demonstrates the United States’ commitment to imposing costs on those responsible for these despicable acts, which worsen a conflict that has led to tremendous suffering by Ethiopians," Andrea Gacki, director of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, said in the statement.

"We urge Eritrea to immediately and permanently withdraw its forces from Ethiopia, and urge the parties to the conflict to begin ceasefire negotiations and end human rights abuses," Gacki added.

Eritrea's Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel did not return calls and text messages seeking comment.

War broke out in November between the federal army and forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) that controls the region.

The government declared victory at the end of that month, after seizing the regional capital Mekelle. But the TPLF kept fighting and at the end of June retook Mekelle and most of Tigray after government soldiers withdrew.

Source: Voice of America

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US Sanctions Eritrean Defense Official Over Ethiopia’s Tigray Conflict

The United States imposed sanctions Monday on a top Eritrean defense official, citing Eritrea’s actions during the conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

The Treasury Department said in a statement that it is sanctioning Filipos Woldeyohannes, the chief of staff of the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF), accusing the forces of carrying out abuses in Tigray.

The Treasury Department said the EDF engaged in “despicable acts” in Tigray, including "massacres, looting and sexual assaults."

"The EDF have purposely shot civilians in the street and carried out systematic house-to-house searches, executing men and boys, and have forcibly evicted Tigrayan families from their residences and taken over their houses and property," it said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a separate statement Monday, "The United States will continue to identify and pursue action against those involved in serious human rights abuse in Ethiopia and prolonging the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis."

The Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the U.S. allegations, calling them "utterly baseless."

"Eritrea calls on the U.S. administration to bring the case to an independent adjudication if it indeed has facts to prove its false allegations," the ministry said in a statement.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray last November, saying it was a response to attacks on federal army camps by forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

Both Ethiopia and Eritrea denied for months that Eritrean troops were also in the region. Eritrea later acknowledged their presence, but denied they were involved in human rights abuses.

Tigrayan forces retook the regional capital Mekele in June, forcing a withdrawal of some Eritrean troops from the region. However, Blinken said in his statement Monday, “the United States is concerned that large numbers of EDF have reentered Ethiopia, after withdrawing in June.”

The United Nations says the fighting in Tigray has killed thousands of people and put hundreds of thousands of people in danger of famine.

Source: Voice of America

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Six Out of 136 Abducted Islamic Students Die in North-Central Nigeria

Six of the 136 students kidnapped from an Islamic school in the north-central Nigerian state of Niger have died of illness, the school principal told Reuters on Monday.

The abductors have demanded a ransom to release the students, kidnapped in May after an armed gang on motorcycles attacked the school in the town of Tegina.

Criminal gangs carrying out kidnappings for ransom are blamed for a series of raids on boarding schools in northern Nigeria in which more than 1,000 students have been abducted since December.

The principal, Abubakar Garba Alhasan, said the kidnappers had called to say the children died from sickness and to urge that the ransom demand be met.

Abubakar Adam, whose seven children are held by the gang, said the abductors called the principal to demand a ransom.

Kidnappers on Sunday released 15 more students taken last month from a Baptist school in northwest Nigeria, after parents paid an undisclosed ransom to free them.

President Muhammadu Buhari in February called on state governments to stop paying kidnappers, and Kaduna Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai publicly refuses to pay. Desperate parents and communities often raise and pay ransoms themselves.

Source: Voice of America