Software intelligence company Dynatrace, today announced that global information services firm Experian has selected Dynatrace’s AI-powered, software intelligence platform to enhance service excellence and to meet the challenges of their increasingly complex enterprise cloud environment.  Experian will be using Dynatrace® as part of its strategy to continue to consolidate down to a limited set of strategic IT platforms, enabling them to continue to evolve the service delivery through simplified, automated cloud operations.

“When a customer walks into purchase goods from a department store or applies online for credit, Experian’s data service needs to be delivered with speed and accuracy.  We simply can’t slowdown or interrupt the customer experience. That’s why we selected Dynatrace as it will help us enhance service delivery and improve IT productivity through automated IT Operations,” said Jonathan Hayes, VP of Global IT Service Excellence at Experian.

The Dynatrace® platform will sit at the core of the Experian IT Operations architecture, where it will auto-discover and monitor business critical applications, processes, services and hosts within Experian’s IT ecosystem, along with their inter dependencies, to create a continuously updated, real time service map. Its AI capabilities will deliver precise and actionable root cause analysis of potential performance issues, which will allow the Experian team to work on fast remediations, including auto ‘non-human’ remediations. 

“The AI paves the way for autonomous operations, enabling us to create auto-remediation workflows that remove the need for human intervention in the resolution of recurring problems,” said David Shepherd, Service Delivery Manager, Global IT Service Excellence at Experian.

The deep configuration management database (CMDB) integration capabilities in Dynatrace will be invaluable in enabling Experian to manage its highly dynamic application infrastructure by automating the detection of IT service components and dependencies, then synchronizing that with ServiceNow®. This allows the CMDB to be maintained in real-time, with far greater simplicity, accuracy and richer detail than can be achieved with more traditional approaches.

“We are consolidating down to a few strategic IT platforms with Dynatrace and ServiceNow® at the core to improve productivity through automated processes. Over time Dynatrace will displace several legacy monitoring tools and enable automated deployments,” Shepherd continued. “With our continued move to monitoring as a service and the increasing use of cloud and containers, we needed a broader solution that allows us to move from manual to automated processes. We looked at a couple of alternatives, but Dynatrace’s software intelligence platform won out because it’s cloud first, simple to deploy approach that does a lot of the automation for you.”

“Clearly it’s best of breed in terms of technology. But more important is our relationship; there is a true sense of partnership, with Dynatrace constantly suggesting ideas, listening to us and delivering innovation to ensure we continue to build on our success. That’s why I’m so excited to see what we can achieve with the new software intelligence platform,” Hayes concluded.

Augmentum Fintech plc (LSE: AUGM) (“Augmentum” or the “Company”), one of Europe’s leading fintech venture capital investors, announces an investment of £5.3 million in UK based fast-growing mobile-only current account provider Monese.

Augmentum is participating in this £46 million Series B fundraising alongside Kinnevik, PayPal and Avios, all of whom are investing in Monese for the first time.

Monese (www.monese.com) launched in September 2015 as the first mobile-only current account in the UK and serves the increasingly mobile European labour market. The majority of its nearly 600,000 customers use Monese as their primary bank account, with 75% of all incoming funds being regular salary payments.

The new funds are being raised by Monese for product development and international expansion, including building-out both the London and Tallinn offices, as well as opening a new office in Portugal as a base for development across Southern Europe.

Tim Levene, CEO of Augmentum Fintech, said: “We look for firms that can disrupt and take market share, and not only is Monese able to do that, it is also able to move fast. Launched only four years ago it is already active in 20 countries which demonstrates the demand for its product from the increasingly mobile European workforce. We believe that this is a market which will continue to grow”.

Customers travelling with Singapore Airlines (SIA) can now have the added flexibility of saving their mobile boarding pass on Google Pay, the digital wallet platform and online payment system developed by Google. 

Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) has launched the Zurich Innovation World Championship, its new global competition to collaborate with the brightest and best start-ups and entrepreneurs in the insurtech space.

Alternative Investment Fund Manager Olymp Capital (AIF) today announces the launch of the first European investment fund to cover the entire blockchain and crypto asset ecosystem. The fund, managed by Olymp Capital, will include blockchain-related Private Equity, Initial Coin Offering (ICO) activity and a fund-of-fund activity centred on crypto hedge funds. The fund accepts investment both in fiat and crypto currencies (eg bitcoin, ether). 

The Olymp Capital leadership team is led by experts in both traditional finance and in the blockchain ecosystem who have drawn on the best features of traditional venture capital, updated for the world of crypto investment. They include serial technology entrepreneur Christophe de Courson as CEO and Paul Bougnoux, co-founder of leading French corporate finance advisory firm Largillière Finance, as Chairman. 

In 2017 the ICO market raised $5.9bn whereas $13.7bn had already been raised by end of June 2018. But while the ICO market is booming, it is difficult for investors to access the best deals; investors typically hear about an ICO via social or other media when it is already too late to invest. Tellingly in the first six months of 2018, average returns for ICOs stood at -55%, but the 5 best ICOs had a +1,100% return.

Olymp Capital’s role is to provide the link between investors and the ICO market to aid discovery of those premium ICO investment propositions. The Olymp network allows the fund managers to identify and screen the best entrepreneurs and companies which are about to launch ICOs in a way that individual crypto investors are unable to match. 

Olymp Capital has established privileged partnerships with Fundstrat Global Advisors, the first crypto assets analysis company, based in New York and founded by Thomas Lee, ex-Chief Equity Strategist of J.P. Morgan and with John Bai, ex-Head of Equity Sales Asia & US at Mizuho Securities, and technological research institute SystemX, a French government-backed accelerator, focused on digital transformation. These partnerships are supplemented by a worldwide network which Olymp Capital has established, including associates in Luxembourg, Paris, New York, San Francisco, and Singapore, which will enable the fund managers to identify the best opportunities in order to create an international ecosystem by investing in selected ones.

Unlike other funds, which launch an ICO in order to collect crypto-currencies, Olymp’s corporate wallet account allows it to collect payments in cryptocurrencies. This offers a significant advantage in ICO investments and removes the need to convert fiat currency to bitcoin or ether for their investments.

“We have built an international group of advisors, composed of recognized experts in complementary sectors – finance and investment, blockchain and crypto assets, and compliance and regulation – to assist our management team based in Luxembourg,” said Paul Bougnoux, chairman of Olymp Capital. “We believe we have the strongest network within the blockchain space in the EU.”

Christophe de Courson, CEO and co-founder of Olymp Capital commented: “This new fund is the only one in Europe that is able to invest directly in tokens. Investors benefit from a unique deal flow, managed by Olymp Capital and offering a fully diversified portfolio in blockchain and crypto asset accessed via a more cost effective single investment vehicle. With first mover advantage, Olymp Capital is set to be the European leader in investments in the new digital asset class.”

Clickatell (www.Clickatell.com/products/transact), an authorized WhatsApp Business Solution provider, is proud to announce that United Bank for Africa (UBA) will be going live with their Chat Banking solution – Leo on WhatsApp.

In a first for Nigeria, customers can now conduct their favorite banking activities in a secure and convenient manner, by communicating with their bank in a verified WhatsApp chat. This capability is made possible through Clickatell Transact’s. Control platform integrated with the WhatsApp Business API.

The .Control platform for Chat Banking allows banks to roll out commonly used banking activities like checking balances, money transfer and purchasing digital products and services across popular communication channels like USSD and now WhatsApp. The platform offers flexibility, reliability, fraud and risk management for banks and a convenient on demand banking capability for consumers wherever they are.

Nigeria is recognized as ground zero for global financial inclusion with a rapid accelerating move from the informal economy to the formal sector. A Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) survey, “EFInA Access to Financial Services 2016 Survey”, assessed that 48.6%, or 46.9 million Nigerians, of the adult population are now formally served by banks or similar. The introduction of Chat Banking from Clickatell is accelerating the banking adoption curve by eliminating the business and operational overhead required to roll out convenience banking across popular communication channels and in different countries.

The ground-breaking banking platform launches in Nigeria with UBA. Consumers will be able to conduct their banking activities on WhatsApp and USSD with additional channels slated for 2019. Clickatell Transact is proud to be a market leader with the launch of this innovative solution, aimed at improving consumer experience, creating financial inclusion and amplifying technological advancement in the banking industry.

Speaking about the launch of Leo on WhatsApp, Kennedy Uzoka, Group Managing Director, said: “Our customers are at the heart of our business and we as a bank, are never relenting in matching our words with equal action.  In today’s fast paced world with demands for quick responses, our aim is to make banking seamless and effortless for our millions of existing and potential customers.”

Also speaking on the launch of Leo on WhatsApp, Group Head of UBA’s Online Banking, Mr Austine Abolusoro, stated “United Bank for Africa is a technology-driven institution with vast knowledge in the business that we do and Leo, being a tested dependable and intelligent personality, will replicate on WhatsApp, the success it has experienced on the Facebook Messenger platform.  It is a solution that is from the customer’s standpoint, easy to use by anyone regardless of your demography.”

“Clickatell’s mission is to help its clients be on the forefront with not just innovative services, but also operationally reliable and scalable products which offers convenient services for their customers. With the introduction of our .Control platform and integration with WhatsApp we are firmly supporting our clients putting their consumers first” said Jeppe Dorff, Managing Director & Executive Vice President of Clickatell’s Transact division.

“It’s been an exceptional journey with our clients and it’s clear that they are committed to providing the best experience for their customers anywhere, anytime. We are building on the exceptional momentum we have seen in Africa and have an exciting roster of banks going live with the Transact platform across Africa in the coming quarters”, Mr. Dorff added.

Reference is made to the joint press release by Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) and Gemalto (Euronext Amsterdam and Paris: GTO) dated 27 March 2018 in relation to the launch of the recommended all-cash offer by Thales for all the issued and outstanding shares of Gemalto (the "Offer"), the publication of the Offer Document, and the joint press release of Thales and Gemalto dated 10 August 2018 in relation to the further extension of the Acceptance Period. Terms not defined in this press release will have the meaning as set forth in the Offer Document.

Thales and Gemalto today announce that they have received Regulatory Clearance from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Together with the antitrust clearances obtained in China, Israel and Turkey, and clearances relating to foreign investments in Australia and Canada, Thales and Gemalto have obtained 6 of the required 14 Regulatory Clearances.

Thales and Gemalto continue to work constructively with the competent antitrust authorities to obtain the remaining Regulatory Clearances in Australia, for the European Union, in Mexico, in New Zealand, in Russia, in South Africa and in the United States. In addition, Thales and Gemalto are seeking Regulatory Clearance relating to foreign investments from the competent authority in Russia.

As expected, the transaction should close shortly after all of the Regulatory Clearances have been secured which should occur before the end of 2018.

Further announcements will be made if and when a Regulatory Clearance has been obtained or the Offer Condition with respect to Regulatory Clearances is satisfied, waived or has become incapable of being satisfied, or as otherwise required by applicable law. As announced on 10 August 2018, the Acceptance Period has been further extended by Thales in accordance with an exemption granted by the Dutch financial markets authority (AFM) and will end two weeks after the fulfilment of the Offer Condition with respect to Regulatory Clearances or the waiver thereof (but no later than the Long Stop Date).

As the Universal Postal Union meets to decide the secret rates each country must pay for cross border deliveries, international parcels expert ParcelHero says China must be forced to pay its fair share.

The international parcel delivery specialist ParcelHero says every year hundreds of British traders are going bust as they can’t compete with ultra-cheap Chinese imports, whose postal costs are subsidised by the UK and US postal services, thanks to secret rates arranged by the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

Under UPU rates it currently cost less to send a book from Beijing to Birmingham by post than it does to send the same tome from Bromsgrove to Birmingham. This week the UPU is holding an Extraordinary Congress in Addis Ababa to thrash out the question of cross border international delivery charges; and the courier comparison site ParcelHero says China must be forced to pay a fair rate for shipments to the UK.

ParcelHero’s Head of Customer Research, David Jinks MILT, says: ‘Countries such as the UK and America pay top dollar when each nations’ postal organisations divide revenues and costs from International Mail up to 2kg; but China pays significantly less. The exact rates are kept secret, but we know packages can be sent to the UK for less than 1/2p. This means British online retailers are put at a huge disadvantage because our delivery costs are so much higher.’

Claims David: ‘A Chinese trader selling earrings, for example, to a UK customer can send his parcel by China Post to a British address for substantially less than the cost of the stamp needed for a British seller to send the same items to the same address from within the UK.’ 

Adds David ‘In fact, the UPU subsidies allow Chinese retailers to mail goods in bulk on a per kilo rate. Our research revealed that in 2017 the cost of a 1kg bulk mailing by China Post to the US was around $1. UK rates are likely to be broadly similar, which means a 1kg bulk mailing to Britain would cost around 80p. So Chinese traders could send 200 5g earrings at a cost of just 80p - that’s 0.0039p per item.’ 

Explains David: ‘It would cost a UK Retailer £0.58 per letter or £116.00 for all 200 items to send them within the UK. Small wonder it’s estimated that this is costing the UK’s postal service tens of millions of pounds every year; and putting UK e-commerce sellers at a huge disadvantage.’

Explains David: ’It’s believed at the beginning of this year these secret rates went up by 13%. But that still is a huge difference. Why does China Post pay so little? Because, while the UK is classed as having a fully developed postal system and is in Group 1 under the UPU’s arcane ratings systems, China is described as a Group 3 ‘Transitional’ country, along with the likes of Botswana, Kazakhstan and Gabon. So China gets away with paying far less than the Target price most countries pay. But China is now the world’s second largest economy; so clearly this classification needs urgent revision.’

Says David: ‘In the US, where it’s estimated the United States Postal Service is losing $1 on every China Post shipment into the country, President Trump is saying “enough is enough”. He is threatening to impose unilateral postal rates on countries such as China if the UPU doesn’t agree new dues at this week’s Congress. While ParcelHero strongly opposes any protectionist extra costs at borders, it is certainly true that UK traders and couriers are at a significant postal price disadvantage. Small wonder China now has gobbled 42% of all global e-commerce.’

Notes David: ‘The first news out of the UPU Extraordinary Congress is that member countries have apparently “...overcome differences in regions, countries and levels of development to achieve consensus.”  We hope this is true and that the meeting will conclude with an agreement China pays its full share of international mailing costs.’