Porsche significantly increases deliveries in the first quarter

Stuttgart. In the first three months of 2021, Porsche handed over 71,986 vehicles to customers worldwide. The number of deliveries therefore increased significantly by 36 per cent compared with the previous year. The sports car manufacturer achieved double-digit growth in all sales regions. “We are extremely pleased that the community of Porsche customers continues to grow all over the world,” says Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “Established models have supported this excellent result along with the latest additions to our product range, above all the new model variants of the all-electric Taycan. Thanks to the great appeal of our brand and a consistent sustainability strategy, we can look back on a very positive start to the year.”

Macan and Cayenne particularly in demand
Among the various models, the Macan was most in demand, with 22,458 units delivered in the first quarter. The Cayenne followed in second place with 19,533 vehicles. 9,133 customers took delivery of the sports car icon 911. The first all-electric sports car from Porsche was equally popular: 9,072 Taycan cars were delivered in the first three months of the year. The mid-engine sports cars also remain popular: 6,190 units of the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman were delivered. The Panamera was handed over to 5,600 customers.

Increased demand in all sales regions
China remains Porsche’s largest single market. In the first quarter of 2021, the sports car manufacturer delivered 21,991 vehicles there – 56 per cent more than in the same period last year. The overall positive development in Asia-Pacific, Africa and Middle East also continued – with 32,129 deliveries and an increase of 46 per cent. In the US, Porsche also significantly increased the number of vehicles handed over to customers: 17,368 sports cars were delivered, representing an increase of 45 per cent. In Europe, the figure was 19,389 – an increase of 16 per cent. The home market Germany contributed to this with 5,957 vehicles handed over to customers and an increase of 14 per cent.

The demand in the first quarter confirms the sports car manufacturer’s optimistic outlook for 2021 as a whole. “Order bookings also continue to develop very well. We will fulfill the dreams of many more customers with our sports cars in the coming months,” says Detlev von Platen.

Porsche AG                                                   Deliveries	January - March
	2020	2021	Difference
Worldwide	53,125	71,986	+36%
Europe	16,787	19,389	+16%
Germany	5,214	5,957	+14%
America	14,307	20,468	+43%
US	11,994	17,368	+45%
Asia-Pacific, Africa and Middle East	22,031	32,129	+46%
China	14,098	21,991	+56%

Further information, film and photo material in the Porsche Newsroom: newsroom.porsche.com

About AAS Auto Service
AAS Auto Service (AAS), the sole authorised importer and distributor of Porsche cars in Thailand, operates from four world-class Porsche sales locations across Bangkok. It is an accredited Porsche Classic Partner, the only one in the Porsche Asia Pacific region. Having ten Porsche Certified Gold Technicians and nine Porsche Certified Silver Technicians underlines the strong technical and Aftersales competency of AAS, which has been recognised over the last few years with the global Porsche Service Excellence Award. Over 30 years, AAS continues to practice the company policy “AAS Looking After You and Your Car”, in order to achieve the mission of “AAS The Name You Can Trust”.

For more information please contact:
AAS Auto Service Co., Ltd. visit us at https://dealer.porsche.com/thailand
Porsche Centre Bangkok Vibhavadi Rangsit Rd. Tel. 02-522-6655
Porsche Centre Pattanakarn Tel. 02-369-1111
Porsche City Showroom Siam Paragon FL. 2 Tel. 02-610-9911 Porsche Studio Bangkok ICONSIAM FL. 1 Tel. 02-288-0911

NEW FERRARI LIMITED-EDITION V12: THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN

• The first official photographs of the special version of the 812 Superfast were made available today
• The model’s name and further technical information will be revealed on May 5 during a live-streamed event on Ferrari’s social media channels
• The ultimate expression of Ferrari DNA: exclusivity, a racing soul and the pinnacle of automotive innovation
• Naturally-aspirated V12 unleashes 830 cv at 9,500 rpm for a sensation of endless power and performance

Maranello, April 21 2021 – The first official images of Ferrari’s latest limited-edition special series have been published in the build-up to its world première, which will be broadcast live on the Maranello marque’s social media channels on May 5 at 14:30 CEST.

The new model is the ultimate expression of Ferrari’s concept of an extreme front-engined berlinetta, honing the characteristics of the critically-acclaimed 812 Superfast to a level never seen before. The result is a car that encapsulates and epitomises the company’s 70-plus years of experience on the world’s circuits, drawing on its thoroughbred sports car DNA to deliver a perfect marriage of performance, form, and function. Aimed at Ferrari’s most passionate collectors and connoisseurs, it features numerous uncompromising engineering solutions to guarantee peerless driving pleasure.

As is the case with all Ferrari’s cars, the most striking feature lies at its very heart: in this instance the latest evolution of Maranello’s legendary 65° V12 engine, which reaches the highest output of any Ferrari road-car engine – 830 cv – and revs to 9,500 rpm, again the highest of any Ferrari ICE. The use of state-of-the-art materials, the redesign of many of the engine’s key components, a new valve timing mechanism and a new exhaust system are just some of the technical solutions that allow the most noble of Ferrari engines to deliver performance levels that are unprecedented in the V12 segment.

The pure yet brutal power unleashed by the powertrain is paired with class-leading vehicle dynamics controls to ensure that the performance can be fully exploited and to guarantee maximum fun behind the wheel. Most distinctive of these solutions is the adoption of independent steering on all four wheels. This extends the feeling of agility and precision when cornering as well as providing unparalleled responsiveness to steering inputs. Another noteworthy engineering achievement is the development work undertaken to reduce the car’s overall weight compared to the 812 Superfast. This was achieved in particular by extensive use of carbon fibre, both on the exterior and in the cockpit. Lastly, the new model premieres version 7.0 of the renowned Side Slip Control vehicle dynamics system.

One of the most striking aspects of this new model is how in-depth aerodynamic research has altered the car’s lines. Working in close synergy with the Ferrari Styling Centre, the aerodynamicists have adopted solutions that are extreme in form featuring profiles that are unprecedented for a road-legal car. The aerodynamic redesign of the whole car was aimed at maximising downforce levels: from the new front air intakes, rear diffuser and exhaust configuration to the patented design of the rear screen – which now hosts vortex generators – every modification is a faithful expression of Ferrari’s core belief that form must always follow function.

From a design point of view, this new special series has a strong personality all of its own that differentiates it significantly from the 812 Superfast on which it is based: this was achieved by choosing styling themes that further enhance the architectural design and dynamism of the 812 Superfast, pushing its sporty vocation to new extremes.

One example of this is the decision to replace the glass rear screen with a single-piece aluminium structure. The vortex generators it sports improve the car’s aerodynamic efficiency, but the design solution chosen, which is fully integrated with the roof, simultaneously creates a backbone effect that underscores the car’s sculptural forms.

Together with the carbon-fibre blade that traverses the bonnet, this motif changes the overall perception of the car’s volumes: the bonnet seems shorter, emphasising the width of the car, and the tail now has a more powerful, fastback look, thus making it appear more compact and competition-like despite it sharing the 812 Superfast’s silhouette, proportions and formal balance. Even the rear spoiler now looks more imposing: it is higher but the specific design treatment used also makes the tail look very wide, almost horizontal.

The interior architecture very much reflects that of the 812 Superfast, retaining the main dash and door panel interfaces and volumes, including the signature diapason motif. Along with other elements of the interior, the door panel has been redesigned to reduce weight and, combined with the introduction of the H-gate theme on the tunnel, this lends the cockpit a sportier, more modern edge that reflects the car’s racing spirit.

ASICS Launches Sound Mind Sound Body Brand Film to uplift the World Through Sport

As the world collectively overcomes the Covid-19 crisis while also facing the risk of a mental health pandemic, ASICS today announces its renewed commitment to use the power of sport to uplift the world through its Sound Mind, Sound Body™ campaign. In 2021 and beyond, ASICS aims to support more people in experiencing the transformative power of sport, not just in the body but also in the mind. Through research and innovation, and by supporting projects that get people moving to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, ASICS is committed to moving the body and the mind in an ambitious path to champion holistic wellness in 2021.

Moving Minds Since 1949
ASICS, an acronym of the Latin phrase Anima Sana In Corpore Sano or a Sound Mind in a Sound Body, has always believed in the positive impact of exercise on the mind. ASICS’ founder, Kihachiro Onitsuka, saw that sport had the ability to bring hope and lift spirits in post-war Japan. Today, ASICS’ founding philosophy is perhaps more relevant than ever before, which is why the company is returning to its roots and placing “Sound Mind, Sound Body™” at the core of its business.

Moving Minds Through Research and Innovation
In 2021, ASICS will undertake a landmark research project that explores in depth the positive impact of sport on mental wellbeing. The extensive study will use cutting-edge biometric technology to capture the true impact of sport on the minds of thousands of participants around the world. Involving a group of everyday athletes and elite ASICS athletes including British Olympic runner and European Triathlon Champion Beth Potter, and tennis players Gaël Monfils and Iga Świątek, the results of an initial feasibility study released today show that after a short amount of physical activity, the everyday athletes experienced an overall emotional uplift, including up to a 29% improvement in their ability to cope with stress and up to an 18% increase in their relaxation levels. They also reported a significant drop in negative emotions like frustration (up to 135%) and were up to 28% less prone to making rash decisions and reacting negatively to challenges or disruption. ASICS is committed to using the findings of this research to develop future innovation.

Moving Minds in 2021 - Launch of Sound Mind, Sound Body Film
In the midst of a global pandemic, it is timely for ASICS to re-instate their commitment to uplifting the body and mind through sport. ASICS will launch a short film titled Sound Mind, Sound Body – a hero film which brings to life the transformative power of sport, not just on the body but also the mind. The short film features a group of elite athletes and personalities from South East Asia – Patpasit Na Songkhla, actor, model and avid volleyball player, On-uma Chattha, sprinter and SEA games medalist from Thailand, Christian Didier Chin, professional tennis player from Malaysia, Liang Xiaoyu, Olympic shuttler from Singapore, Nguyen Van Lai, SEA Games running champion from Vietnam and Lovi Poe, celebrity actress and fitness enthusiast from Philippines.

The film captures the journey of 6 individuals who are respected athletes and personalities in their own right, opening with commentary on modern living in today’s fast paced world, where individuals feel like they are pulled in all directions due to stress from resistance, expectations, competition and doubt.

The 6 athletes and personalities seek to quell the noise from the outside world by channeling their energy into sports and physical movement. Through sports, they manage to find a steady rhythm, form communities they can trust and find a balance, to center their core and find inner peace, in order to continue living their life to the fullest. They reach a breakthrough moment, where they realise the effects of sports on their physical and mental well-being, helping them to achieve a sound body and sound mind.

The hero film is accompanied by six short films that tell the individual stories of the chosen athletes and personalities. A powerful unity of elite individuals from around the South East Asian region, each film provides a snippet of how sports has positively changed their lives, a true testimony of the power of sports used to achieve a sound mind and sound body.

ASICS extends the invitation in their mission to encourage people to start their journey towards a sound mind in a sound body with the film’s official launch on 22 April. Take this as an invitation to move your body and mind. For more information: https://www.asics.com/th/th-th/mk/soundmindsoundbody

For more information about ASICS visit:
Facebook: ASICS (https://www.facebook.com/ASICSThailand)
Instagram: @ASICSTH (https://www.instagram.com/asicsth/)
LINE Official @ASICSTH

#ASICSTH #SoundMindSoundBody @ASICSTH

RAZER ESTABLISHES USD50 MILLION ‘RAZER GREEN FUND’ TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABILITY STARTUPS

The fund’s first investment goes to BAMBOOLOO, one of the world’s first sustainable bamboo toilet paper brands.

Bangkok, Thailand – Razer™, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers (Hong Kong Stock Code: 1337), today announced the launch of its new USD50 million Razer Green Fund and a seed investment into The Nurturing Co. Pte. Ltd. (“The Nurturing Co”), an award-winning sustainable products startup. The organization is most notable for creating BAMBOOLOO, one of the world’s first single-use plastic-free, bamboo toilet paper and home care brands.

In March 2021, Razer outlined a 10-year sustainability roadmap as part of its #GoGreenWithRazer initiative, which detailed four key verticals of Razer’s commitment to preserve nature and protect the environment, including using 100% Renewable Energy by 2025 and achieving 100% Carbon Neutrality by 2030. Within this 10-year plan, Razer also announced multiple initiatives under the Green Community vertical, to educate and rally gamers worldwide to contribute to green causes. This includes the hugely successful Sneki Snek Campaign in partnership with Conservation International to protect 1 million trees, and the limited-edition Kanagawa Wave Apparel Collection made from recovered marine plastics.

Supporting sustainability startups through the Razer Green Fund

In celebration of Earth Day, and in line with Razer’s 10-year sustainability roadmap, Razer has set aside a USD50 million war chest to support and invest in environmental and sustainability startups. The Razer Green Fund will be managed by zVentures, Razer’s corporate ventures arm, and will be an integral part of Razer’s strategic investment activities.

Falling under the Green Investments vertical, the Razer Green Fund will seek to foster a green mindset amongst Razer’s community of youth, millennials, and Gen Z via selective strategic investments. These investments aim to accelerate sustainability companies, with a focus on renewable energy, carbon and plastic management. Through the Razer Green Fund, startups can confidently deliver innovative technology that would help shape the world for future generations.

“Since the announcement of our 10-year sustainability roadmap, Razer has been inundated with requests on how startups can accelerate their own green initiatives,” said Patricia Liu, Chief of Staff at Razer. “The Razer Green Fund was set up to empower start-ups with positive intentions to further their ambitions.”

Razer partners with BAMBOOLOO

To kick off its new Green Fund initiative, Razer has completed a seed investment into The Nurturing Co. through zVentures. The partnership will enable BAMBOOLOO (The Nurturing Co.'s sustainable toilet paper brand) to implement and supply bamboo toilet paper in some of Razer's global offices, including the new, soon to open Southeast Asian Headquarters and Malaysia office, as part of Razer's Green Organization plan to ensure that all of Razer’s office operations will be 100% carbon neutral.

Bamboo pulp has proven to be the sustainable choice for toilet papers. In addition to its growth speed, bamboo pulp requires 90% less water and 70% less carbon to produce as compared to wood pulp. By shifting to bamboo toilet paper, a family of four can save over 30,000 liters of water in a year. BAMBOOLOO helps consumers switch out of wood pulp paper products by offering bamboo-based toilet papers and other home care products.

“BAMBOOLOO truly embodies our mission to preserve the earth for future generations,” said Liu. “We are confident that this investment will set a strong precedence for budding conservation startups to follow.”

“The Nurturing Co. is excited to welcome Razer as a strategic investor. The immediate matching of possibilities and a desire to help make a positive impact around the world is encouraging and we are excited to have Razer onboarded,” said David Ward, CEO and Founder at The Nurturing Co. “Together with Razer, The Nurturing Co. will bring our BAMBOOLOO range of sustainable, less impacting products to an even wider number of consumers across the world.”

Razer will continue working together with The Nurturing Co. to leverage Razer’s ecosystem and scale up their businesses. Razer will also continue investing in other promising sustainability startups with a focus on renewable energy, carbon, plastic management, and sustainable forestry. Interested parties can reach out via https://www.zvntrs.com/#contact.

For more information on zVentures, please visit https://www.zvntrs.com.
For more information on BAMBOOLOO, please visit http://www.lovebambooloo.com.
For more information on Razer’s #GoGreenWithRazer initiative, please visit https://www.razer.com/go-green.

ABOUT RAZER
Razer™ is the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers.

The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world’s largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services.

Razer’s award-winning hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals and Blade gaming laptops.

Razer’s software platform, with over 125 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma RGB (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system supporting thousands of devices and hundreds of games/apps), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher).

Razer also offers payment services for gamers, youth, millennials and Gen Z. Razer Gold is one of the world’s largest game payment services, and Razer Fintech provides fintech services in emerging markets. Founded in 2005 and dual-headquartered in Irvine (California) and Singapore, Razer has 17 offices worldwide and is recognized as the leading brand for gamers in the USA, Europe and China. Razer is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 1337).

SCB ANNOUNCED FIRST-QUARTER PROFIT OF BAHT 10.1 BILLION

Bangkok: Siam Commercial Bank and its subsidiaries reported consolidated net profit (based on unreviewed financial statements) of Baht 10.1 billion for the first quarter of 2021. Net profit grew 9.0% yoy and 103.2% qoq while pre-provision operating profit increased 6.6% yoy to Baht 22.7 billion mainly due to the strength of non-interest income businesses and the Bank’s commitment to disciplined cost management.

Net interest income declined 9.3% yoy to Baht 23.4 billion because of yield compression in the current low interest rate environment despite 8.7% yoy loan growth and lower funding costs.

Non-interest income increased 21.2% yoy to Baht 14.4 billion. Growth in non-interest income was driven by strong revenue from the bancassurance and wealth management businesses as well as mark-to-market gains on the Bank’s and its subsidiary’s investment portfolios.

Expenses declined 7.9% yoy to Baht 15.1 billion due to the Bank’s effective cost control and lower cost-to-serve from digital channel migration. As a result, cost-to-income ratio improved significantly this quarter to 40% from 44% in the previous year.

The Bank set aside Baht 10.0 billion of provisions in the first quarter which were lower than the peak level last year but still remained elevated given the economic uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Non-performing loan ratio increased to 3.79% at the end of March 2021 from 3.68% at the end of December 2020. The increase in NPLs reflected the Bank’s conservative approach to NPL management through proactive qualitative loan downgrade and long-term value preservation workout strategy. Nonetheless, NPL coverage remained high at 139.6% in conjunction with a strong capital adequacy ratio at 18.2%.

Arthid Nanthawithaya, Chairman of the Executive Committee and CEO, stated: 

“The Bank’s strong operating performance in the first quarter shows the resilience of our core businesses and our competitive advantage derived from digital and technology capabilities. Effective cost discipline and prudent risk management also prove vital in helping us successfully navigate through this uncertain time while assisting affected customers with targeted relief programs. Despite the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Thailand, the Bank’s balance sheet remains strong to support the affected customers and delayed economic recovery. Nevertheless, the current challenges make it even more important for the Bank to focus on enhancing organization agility, investing in new technology and infrastructure, and expanding our digital capabilities and ecosystems through strategic partnership.”

 

Krungsri reports net profit of 6,505 million baht in first quarter 2021, underlining Krungsri’s strength and resiliency in support of customers and economic rehabilitation

Bangkok (20 April 2021) – Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya PCL and its business units) posts
a first-quarter net profit of 6,505 million baht, underscoring 1.63% growth in commercial credits, comprising corporate and SME loans. And, despite the challenging operating environment, accentuating Krungsri’s prudential risk management, the Bank’s asset quality continued to remain strong, with the NPL ratio registering 1.99%, and the solid coverage ratio at 175.0%.

Key highlights of Krungsri’s consolidated first-quarter performance:

• Net profit: Recorded at 6,505 million baht, representing a notable increase of 92.2% over-quarter or 3,120 million baht, driven largely by an absence of an additional management overlay reserved in the prior quarter. Compared to 1Q/20, the net profit decreased by 7.5% or 528 million baht, mainly due to a decrease in net interest income.
• Loan growth: Increased by 0.3% or 6,365 million baht over-quarter. Commercial credits, comprising SME and corporate loans, grew at 1.63%, while retail loans contracted by 1.0%, resulting from the seasonal repayment and protracted tepid consumers’ confidence.
• Deposit growth: Increased by 2.9% or 53,959 million baht over-quarter, largely driven by savings deposits.
• Net interest margin (NIM): Recorded at 3.07%, compared to 3.14% in the previous quarter.
• Non-interest income: Decreased by 256 million baht or 2.9% over-quarter, mainly resulting from a decrease in net fees and service income from higher seasonal retail business volumes observed in the previous quarter.
• Cost to income ratio: Resonating with the Bank’s ongoing productivity enhancement and expense management, Krungsri’s cost to income ratio improved meaningfully to 43.8%, compared to 46.5% in 4Q/20.
• Non-performing loan (NPL) ratio: Improved to 1.99%, compared to 2.00% at the end of December 2020.
• Coverage ratio: Remained high at 175.0%, compared to 175.1% at the end of December 2020.
• Capital adequacy ratio (Bank only): Recorded at 17.85%, compared to 17.92% at the end of December 2020.

Krungsri President and Chief Executive Officer Mr. Seiichiro Akita, said “Governed by Krungsri’s prudential priority amid ongoing challenges, our commercial loans portfolio continued to grow at a rate of 1.63% for the first quarter of 2021, attributed to liquidity and credit provisions to both corporate and SME customers in support for business and economic rehabilitation.”

“Notwithstanding the resurgence of new wave of coronavirus pandemic in early April 2021, the Thai economic recovery momentum in 1Q/21 continued to be supported by the expansion in exports, together with the economic stimulus measures to boost domestic spending. This resurgence posts significant risks to the domestic economy and tourism sector recovery. Krungsri thus recently revised 2021 GDP growth forecast to 2.2% from 2.5%.”

“Amid the uncertainties surrounding the Thai banking sector and economy caused by the pandemic, Krungsri will continue our vital role as a responsible financial service provider, focusing on the year’s priorities, namely, reigniting the economy, and supporting the recovery of our customers, both corporate and SME, as well as the greater Thai society at large. We are also accelerating digitalization in our operations for greater efficiency and productivity, while continuing to enhance the customer experience.”

As of 31 March 2021, Krungsri, Thailand’s fifth largest bank in terms of assets, loans and deposits, and one of Thailand’s five Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), reported 1.84 trillion baht in loans, 1.89 trillion baht in deposits, and 2.7 trillion baht in total assets. The Bank’s capital (Bank only) was strong at 276 billion baht, equivalent to 17.85% of risk-weighted assets, with 12.80% in common equity tier 1 capital.

About Krungsri
Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya PCL and its group companies) is the fifth largest financial group in Thailand in terms of assets, loans, and deposits, and one of Thailand’s five Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) with 76 years of history in the country. Krungsri is a strategic member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), Japan’s largest financial group and one of the world’s largest financial organizations. Krungsri provides a comprehensive range of banking, consumer finance, investment, asset management, and other financial products and services to individual consumers, SMEs, and large corporations through 665 domestic branches (626 Banking Branches and 39 Auto Business Branches) and over 32,216 service outlets nationwide. The Krungsri Group is the largest card issuer in Thailand with 9.5 million credit cards, sales finance, and personal loan accounts in its portfolio; a major automobile financing service provider (Krungsri Auto); one of the fastest growing asset management companies (Krungsri Asset Management); and a pioneer in microfinance (Ngern Tid Lor).

Krungsri is strongly committed to the highest level of integrity in conducting its business. All Krungsri Group companies have been awarded accreditation from the Private Sector Collective Action Coalition Against Corruption (CAC) in collaboration with industry peers and stakeholders on a zero tolerance approach to corruption.

About MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.) 

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) is one of the world’s leading financial groups. Headquartered in Tokyo with over 360 years of history, MUFG is a global network with over 2,700 offices in more than 50 markets. The Group has over 180,000 employees, and offers services including commercial banking, trust banking, securities, credit cards, consumer finance, asset management, and leasing. The Group aims to “be the world’s most trusted financial group” through close collaboration among our operating companies and flexibly respond to all of the financial needs of our customers, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world. MUFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York stock exchanges. For more information, visit https://www.mufg.jp/english.

Aruba Accelerates Digital Transformation from Edge-to-Cloud on Microsoft Azure

New Solutions Simplify IoT Device Connectivity and Bring Aruba ESP to Microsoft Azure

Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company (NYSE: HPE), in collaboration with Microsoft, announced two new solutions that enable organizations to accelerate their digital transformation from edge-to-cloud by delivering deeper integration between Aruba ESP (Edge Services Platform) and Microsoft Azure. Announced at Microsoft Ignite 2021, the first solution is Aruba IoT Transport for Azure, a service that enables IoT devices connected to Aruba access points (APs) and controllers to bi-directionally communicate with the Azure IoT Hub. In addition, Aruba announced the introduction of the Aruba Central cloud management platform hosted on Azure, bringing Aruba’s enterprise-grade cloud networking solution, with more than 1 million devices already under management, to Azure.

Expressway for IoT Data

IoT devices are the eyes and ears of any smart facility. When powered by a secure, cloud-native infrastructure, the value of the data they collect increases exponentially, especially when the infrastructure has the ability to provide data that interacts seamlessly with business and facility applications. The better instrumented a facility is with IoT devices, the more hyper-aware it becomes, thus yielding better, richer insights, which can then be utilized across the infrastructure in support of business objectives.

Yet, securely and economically implementing IoT monitoring and control of devices across a site can be challenging. The breadth of data and its sources, the interface with legacy IoT devices that use non-interoperable protocols, securing the data path, and the prohibitive cost of implementation are just a few of the hurdles that organizations may encounter when embarking on a facility modernization project.

Working closely with Microsoft, Aruba developed the Aruba IoT Transport for Azure service – the first of its kind for general purpose applications – to address these challenges. The Aruba IoT Transport for Azure multiplies the power of Aruba ESP by seamlessly enabling the secure, bi-directional movement of data from IoT devices connected to Aruba APs and controllers, enabling customers to take advantage of the vast array of services and applications available in Azure. Aruba IoT Transport for Azure eliminates the need for an intermediate gateway, server, or application, thus reducing processing latency. Additionally, the solution allows customers to run IoT systems and services over their existing Aruba infrastructure, thus reducing the time, cost and risk of developing homegrown or customized solutions. This frees customers to focus on instrumenting facilities, achieving hyperawareness, and deriving deeper insights from their business processes.

Security is always front-and-center when it comes to IoT because many IoT devices are fundamentally untrustworthy. The Aruba IoT Transport for Azure was designed from the grounds up with security as a cornerstone. Flexible, built-in credential management and authentication policies protect against security threats on both the northbound data plane and southbound control planes.

Enterprise-grade Cloud Networking for Azure

Technology research firm IDC states that by 2022, 50 percent of infrastructure deployed will be in critical edge locations, and by 2024, over 75 percent of infrastructure in edge locations will be consumed or operated via an as a service model.1 Yet, managing distributed infrastructure as a service requires an extensible, secure, and massively scalable platform. Aruba ESP combines unified infrastructure for IT, IoT, and operational technology (OT) devices, a Zero Trust security framework, and AIOps to deliver an automated, cloud-native platform that continuously analyzes data across domains to predict and resolve issues at the network edge.

A critical element of Aruba ESP, Aruba Central is a cloud-native service designed to unify management of campus, branch, remote and data center networks. Aruba Central on Azure will allow IT administrators to manage and optimize the network from a single point of control.

“Edge networking and IoT have had a profoundly positive impact on businesses, however, their recent convergence has surfaced interoperability challenges across platforms, applications, and systems,” said Michael Tennefoss, vice president of IoT and Strategic Partnerships at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. “Simplifying the integration of edge IoT and cloud services using the advanced cloud capabilities of Aruba ESP with the extensibility and power of Microsoft Azure overcomes these challenges. And it does so without sacrificing security, manageability, or reliability. The ubiquity of Azure, and its 99.99 percent regional availability, makes the solution attractive to customers worldwide that want better informed decisions and continuous process improvements.”

"IoT helps organizations make more intelligent decisions—so they can be more efficient, more resilient, and provide better experiences to customers and employees,” said Sam George, corporate vice president of Azure IoT at Microsoft. “Our collaboration with Aruba simplifies the process for IT Administrators who are adding IoT devices to their traditional enterprise environments, allowing them to use their existing Aruba network to connect devices to Microsoft Azure IoT Hub in a bi-directionally secured way. It’s a cost-effective, seamless path to powerful transformation.”

Aruba IoT Transport for Azure and Aruba Central on Azure will be available in Spring 2021. For more information on Aruba solutions for Microsoft, please visit https://www.arubanetworks.com/partners/microsoft-solutions/.

¹ IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Datacenter 2020 Predictions, Doc # US44747919, October 2019

Additional resources:

• Blog: Ride the Edge-to-Cloud Express with Aruba IoT Transport for Microsoft Azure
• Blog: How to Advance Strategic Business Goals with IoT
• White paper: Designing hyper-aware smart buildings
• White paper: Designing hyper-aware industrial facilities

About Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, is the global leader in secure, intelligent edge-to-cloud networking solutions that use AI to automate the network, while harnessing data to drive powerful business outcomes. With Aruba ESP (Edge Services Platform) and as-a-service options, Aruba takes a cloud-native approach to helping customers meet their connectivity, security, and financial requirements across campus, branch, data center, and remote worker environments, covering all aspects of wired, wireless LAN, and wide area networking (WAN).

To learn more, visit Aruba at www.arubanetworks.com. For real-time news updates, follow Aruba on Twitter and Facebook, and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products, visit the Airheads Community at community.arubanetworks.com.

Slumber Party Hostels fourth largest globally

Bangkok, Thailand - Collective Hospitality (CH), the owner and operator of Slumber Party Hostels (SHG), Path and Socialtel brands, has successfully acquired Bodega Hostels to become the largest hostel company in South East Asia and fourth largest globally, with 25 properties and more than 2,500 beds across Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia.

Established in 2012, SHG’s business model is based on providing the 18 to 35year old adventure traveler with a ‘one-stop-travel’ experience that features design-lead hostel facilities, local tour operation and management, and events held in their restaurants and bars. SHG has organically grown and expanded regionally, and with the recent Bodega Hostels acquisition, the company now totals 25 properties in Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia.

Bodega Hostels was established in 2013 and operates nine hostels in key tourist markets including two in Bangkok - Khaosan and Sukhumvit Road, two in Chiang Mai – Old Town and Thapae, and one each in Koh Phangan, Mae Hong Son, Phuket, Ao Nang and Siem Reap.

“This acquisition was a strategic move aimed at growing our market share and expanding the expertise in our workforce by bringing skilled team members into the company” said Mr. Edmund Lowman, Founder of SHG and CEO of Collective Hospitality, adding “SHG itself has also acquired five new properties in Koh Tao, Koh Phangan, Koh Phi Phi and two in Indonesia – Lombok and Bali”.

The COVID-19 crisis has brought the world to a standstill - with the global Travel and Tourism industry bearing the brunt of this in the past 12 months - however, Collective Hospitality has identified key business expansion opportunities in light of the pandemic. The company stated that its robust and experience-focused business model has a successful track record and regularly outperforms competitors,

“Implementation of our business model will add value to the newly acquired assets through diversification of revenue streams, development of brand presence and centralized strategic support,” said Mr. Lowman, adding, ”As the bruised travel industry awaits vaccine distribution, a quick rebound in demand is likely to happen. For Asia, a gradual but full recovery is expected to happen leading to strong capital appreciation in the coming 3-5 years”.

Despite the economic hardship, SHG has still been able to grow the organisation with opportunities and milestones on the horizon, most prominently, announcing the construction completion of their flagship Socialtel property. Socialtel is a 130 room property constructed on Koh Samui and features a Beach Club, Speakeasy, IV Bar and a Co-working Space, as well as a number of other unique features and facilities.

Collective Hospitality is pursuing leasing and management opportunities in the Asian region to help operators and owners put money in their pockets today. Areas of expansion include Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia, to add to its umbrella of strongly managed brands and assets and to further expand its portfolio and reach to meet consumer demand.