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Health Care

Zebra Medical Vision Launches the Most Comprehensive Medical Imaging Research Platform Globally

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SHEFAYIM, Israel, April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ —

Completes $8m seed round led by Khosla Ventures to accelerate the creation of imaging insights tools for HMOs and ACOs

Zebra Medical Vision launched a closed beta of its Medical Imaging Research platform and announced funding of $8 million led by Khosla Ventures, with participating parties DeepFork Capital and Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) CEO Marc Benioff. The company’s solution enables researchers to quickly develop imaging algorithms and insights based on large scale datasets and advanced processing power. Zebra’s commercialization pipeline will then expedite clinical application of imaging research products.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150405/196595)

With a billion people joining the middle class by 2020, and an aging global population, the demand for medical imaging is rapidly increasing. Fast, accurate diagnosis is paramount, and is getting increasingly difficult to achieve with existing Radiology resources. Medical Imaging storage has grown tenfold since 2005 according to a Frost&Sullivan report and continues to grow with more advanced modalities. Therefore there is an acute need for accurate automated tools to enable high quality diagnostic insights at scale.

“Advances in machine learning and computer vision have made it possible to create diagnostic quality algorithms based on big data, that surpass current reading accuracy rates. Such algorithms will reduce false positives, identify false negatives, provide earlier diagnosis of cancer or other diseases and unlock incidental findings hidden in the vast amounts of imaging data that resides within archives of health providers,” said Elad Benjamin, Zebra Medical CEO and former General Manager of the Carestream Healthcare Information Solutions group.

“I have frequently commented that technology will reinvent healthcare as we know it,” said Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures. “Zebra is combining the power of machine learning, computer vision and big data to do just that in medical imaging – creating a sandbox through which imaging innovation can occur and be delivered to patients. We are proud to back such a team and an ambitious endeavor and look forward to seeing the outcomes of the platform.”

Zebra’s platform offers a cloud-based, fully hosted research and development environment. This includes access to large datasets of structured, de-identified studies, storage, state-of-the-art GPU computing power and support for a multitude of research tools. The platform also enables research groups to collaborate and create joint tools.

“Zebra is the only platform today that offers such seamless access to both the tools and the needed datasets and research environment – and at such a large scale,” said Professor Gabriel Krestin, Professor of Radiology, Chair of Radiology at Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam and past President of the European Society of Radiology. “This will finally enable providers to bring medical imaging into the fold of large scale clinical analysis and population management.”

The Zebra platform is initially being launched to select research groups. Researchers and machine learning practitioners can apply for an invite here. ACOs and HMOs are welcome to participate and learn how can better imaging insights improve care and reduce costs.

About Zebra Medical Vision Ltd  

Zebra Medical Vision has set out to create the world’s largest medical imaging insights platform. We believe that by providing machine-learning researchers the needed tools and datasets we can accelerate development of advanced decision support tools and diagnosis needed to serve the worlds population. Headquartered in Kibutz Shfayim Israel, the Company was founded in 2014 by Co-Founders Eyal Toledano, Eyal Gura and Elad Benjamin.  

More info at http://www.zebra-med.com

Contact:
Elad Benjamin  
info@zebra-med.com

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Shanda Games Limited Enters into Definitive Merger Agreement for Going Private Transaction

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HONG KONG, April 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Shanda Games Limited (NASDAQ: GAME) (“Shanda Games” or the “Company”), a leading online game developer, operator and publisher in China, announced today that it had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Agreement”) with Capitalhold Limited (“Parent”) and Capitalcorp Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”).

Pursuant to the Agreement, Parent will acquire the Company for cash consideration equal to US$3.55 per ordinary share of the Company (each, an “Ordinary Share”) and US$7.10 per American Depositary Share of the Company, each representing two Class A Ordinary Shares (each, an “ADS”), in a transaction valuing the Company at approximately US$1.9 billion. This price represents a premium of 46.5% and 53.8%, respectively, over the Company’s 30- and 60-trading day volume-weighted average price as quoted by NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) on January 24, 2014, the last trading date immediately prior to the Company’s announcement on January 27, 2014 that it had received a “going private” proposal.

The consideration to be paid to holders of Ordinary Shares and ADSs pursuant to the Agreement also represents an increase of approximately 2.9% from the original US$3.45 per Ordinary Share and US$6.90 per ADS offer price included in the January 27, 2014 “going private” proposal.

Immediately following consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Agreement, Parent will be beneficially owned by a consortium (the “Buyer Group”) comprising (i) Ningxia Yilida Capital Investment Limited Partnership, a limited partnership formed under the laws of the People’s Republic of China and an affiliate of the Company’s acting CEO, Mr. Yingfeng Zhang, (ii) Ningxia Zhongyincashmere International Group Co., Ltd. (“Ningxia”), a company formed under the laws of the People’s Republic of China, (iii) Orient Hongtai (Hong Kong) Limited, a company incorporated and existing under the laws of Hong Kong (“Orient Hongtai”), (iv) Orient Hongzhi (Hong Kong) Limited (“Orient Hongzhi”), a company incorporated and existing under the laws of Hong Kong and an affiliate of Orient Hongtai, (v) Hao Ding International Limited (“Hao Ding”), a company established under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, (vi) Ningxia Zhengjun Equity Investment Partnership Enterprise (Limited Partnership) (“Zhengjun Investment”), a limited partnership organized and existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China and an affiliate of Mr. Yingfeng Zhang, (vii) Ningxia Silkroad Equity Investment Partnership Enterprise (Limited Partnership) (“Ningxia Silkroad”), a limited partnership organized and existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China and an affiliate of Ningxia, and (viii) Ningxia Zhongrong Legend Equity Investment Partnership Enterprise (Limited Partnership) (“Zhongrong Legend”), a limited partnership organized and existing under the laws of the People’s Republic of China and an affiliate of Ningxia. Merger Sub is a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. As of the date of the Agreement, the Buyer Group collectively beneficially owns approximately 75.7% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 90.7% of the total number of votes represented by the Company’s issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares.

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the “Merger”), and each of the Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger (including Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs) will be cancelled in consideration for the right to receive US$3.55 per Ordinary Share or US$7.10 per ADS, in each case, in cash, without interest and net of any applicable withholding taxes, except for (i) 48,759,187 Class B Ordinary Shares held by Yili Shengda Investment Holdings (Hong Kong) Company Limited, an affiliate of Mr. Yingfeng Zhang, 48,759,187 Class B Ordinary Shares held by Zhongrong Shengda Investment Holdings (Hong Kong) Company Limited, an affiliate of Ningxia, 80,577,828 Class A Ordinary Shares held by Zhongrong Investment Holdings (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., an affiliate of Ningxia, 61,776,334 Class A Ordinary Shares held by Orient Hongtai, 61,776,335 Class A Ordinary Shares held by Orient Hongzhi, 107,438,129 Class A Ordinary Shares held by Hao Ding and any Ordinary Shares held by Parent, the Company or any of their subsidiaries immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger, each of which will be cancelled without payment of any consideration or distribution therefor, and (ii) Ordinary Shares owned by holders who have validly exercised and not effectively withdrawn or lost their rights to dissent from the Merger pursuant to Section 238 of the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands, which Ordinary Shares will be cancelled at the effective time of the Merger for the right to receive the fair value of such Ordinary Shares determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 238 of the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands.

The Buyer Group intends to fund the transaction through cash contributions from Zhengjun Investment, Ningxia Silkroad, Zhongrong Legend (collectively, the “Sponsors”) or their affiliates pursuant to equity commitment letters entered into between Parent and each Sponsor. The Sponsors have also entered into limited guarantees in favor of the Company pursuant to which they have agreed to guarantee certain obligations of Parent and Merger Sub under the Agreement.

The Company’s Board of Directors, acting upon the unanimous recommendation of the special committee of independent directors formed by the Board of Directors (the “Special Committee”), unanimously approved the Agreement, the plan of merger required to be filed with the Registrar of Companies of the Cayman Islands in connection with the Merger and the transactions contemplated thereby (the “Transactions”), including the Merger, and resolved to recommend that the Company’s shareholders vote to approve the Agreement and the Transactions, including the Merger. The Special Committee, which is composed solely of independent directors who are unaffiliated with Parent, Merger Sub, any member of the Buyer Group or management of the Company, exclusively negotiated the terms of the Agreement with the Buyer Group with the assistance of its independent financial and legal advisors.

The Merger, which is currently expected to close in the second half of 2015, is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval by an affirmative vote of shareholders holding two-thirds or more of the votes represented by the Ordinary Shares (including Ordinary Shares represented by ADSs) present and voting in person or by proxy as a single class at the extraordinary general meeting, which will be convened to consider the approval of the Agreement and the Transactions, including the Merger. The Buyer Group beneficially owns sufficient Ordinary Shares to approve the Agreement and the Transactions, including the Merger, and has agreed to vote in favor of such approval. If completed, the Transactions will result in the Company becoming a privately-held company and its ADSs will no longer be listed on NASDAQ.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch is serving as financial advisor to the Special Committee, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is serving as U.S. legal advisor to the Special Committee, Haiwen & Partners is serving as PRC legal advisor to the Special Committee and Walkers Global is serving as Cayman Islands legal advisor to the Special Committee. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld is serving as legal advisor to Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is serving as U.S. legal advisor to the Company and Global Law Office is serving as PRC legal advisor to the Company.

Southwest Securities Co., Ltd. is serving as financial advisor to the Buyer Group and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. is serving as U.S. legal advisor to the Buyer Group.

Additional Information about the Transactions

The Company will furnish to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a report on Form 6-K regarding the Transactions, which will include as an exhibit thereto the Agreement. All parties desiring details regarding the Transactions are urged to review these documents, which are available at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov).

In connection with the Transactions, the Company will prepare and distribute a proxy statement to its shareholders. In addition, certain participants in the Transactions will prepare and distribute to the Company’s shareholders a Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement. These documents will be filed with or furnished to the SEC. INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY THESE MATERIALS AND OTHER MATERIALS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, AS THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY, THE TRANSACTIONS AND RELATED MATTERS. In addition to receiving the proxy statement and Schedule13E-3 transaction statement, shareholders also will be able to obtain these documents, as well as other filings containing information about the Company, the Transactions and related matters, without charge, from the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov) or at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. In addition, these documents can be obtained, without charge, by contacting the Company at the following address and/or phone number:

Shanda Games Limited:
No. 1 Office Building
No. 690 Bibo Road
Pudong New Area
Shanghai 201203
The People’s Republic of China
Phone: +86-21-5050-4740

The Company and certain of its directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be “participants” in the solicitation of proxies from our shareholders with respect to the Transactions. Information regarding the persons who may be considered “participants” in the solicitation of proxies will be set forth in the proxy statement and Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement relating to the Transactions when they are filed with the SEC. Information regarding certain of these persons and their beneficial ownership of the Company’s Ordinary Shares as of March 31, 2014 is also set forth in the Company’s Form 20-F, which was filed with the SEC on April 29, 2014. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants will be included in the proxy statement and Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement and the other relevant documents filed with the SEC when they become available.

This announcement is neither a solicitation of proxy, an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities and it is not a substitute for any proxy statement or other filings that may be made with the SEC should the Transactions proceed.

Cautionary Statement concerning Forward Looking Statements

This news release may include certain statements that are not descriptions of historical facts, but are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any such statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties as to how the Company’s shareholders will vote at the meeting of shareholders, the possibility that competing offers will be made, the possibility that various closing conditions to the Merger may not be satisfied or waived and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, as well as the Schedule 13E-3 transaction statement and the proxy statement to be filed by the Company in connection with the Merger. Shanda Games does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

About Shanda Games

Shanda Games Limited (NASDAQ: GAME) is a leading online game developer, operator and publisher in China. Shanda Games offers a diversified game portfolio, which includes some of the most popular massively multiplayer online (MMO) games and mobile games in China and in overseas markets, targeting a large and diverse community of users. Shanda Games manages and operates online games that are developed in-house, co-developed with world-leading game developers, acquired through investments or licensed from third parties. For more information about Shanda Games, please visit http://www.ShandaGames.com.

Contact

Shanda Games Limited
Ellen Chiu, Investor Relations Director
Maggie Zhou, Investor Relations Associate Director
Phone: +86-21-5050-4740 (Shanghai)
Email: IR@ShandaGames.com

Christensen:
Christian Arnell
Phone: +86-10-5900-1548 (China)
Email: carnell@ChristensenIR.com

Linda Bergkamp
Phone: +1-480-614-3004 (U.S.A.)
Email: lbergkamp@ChristensenIR.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shanda-games-limited-enters-into-definitive-merger-agreement-for-going-private-transaction-300060834.html

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Clash of Kings to Hit the Google Play Top Free Chart Worldwide

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NEW YORK and BERLIN, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Following on from the months of domination by Clash of Kings in the worldwide highest grossing apps top 10, and weeks as the most downloaded app in Germany, Google Play has recognized the game in the top free chart worldwide.

App discovery is still a big issue in the mobile app industry, and one thing to understand is that no amount of marketing, advertising and promotion is going to make a bad app popular. The first step in promoting an app is to build one that is worth promoting. Built based on market research and iterate improvements, Clash of Kings has great features, an intuitive UI and is faster than competitor apps. These advantages make the game more competitive than other hit games.

It is critical to understand the value a top ranking game will bring a company because this could affect the top grossing chart of 2014 completely. What can reaching those top spots actually do for Clash of Kings? “We want Clash of Kings to dominate Google Play‘s list of most downloaded apps in 2015,” said the company. “Our game is freemium with good retention rates and monetized with virtual goods. With hard work growing our DAUs and maintaining stickiness to create a high proportion of true fans, our game could eventually hold the top spot in popularity among mobile users worldwide.”

However, the exact details of the ranking algorithm are a closely guarded secret, and it could be interesting to see how Elex Inc. will compete with the thousands of other developers all trying to rank their apps among a small, finite number of positions at the top.

“From eight years of experience in game development and publishing, we have a great understanding of some factors that contribute to how a game ranks,” said the company. “We’ve made Clash of Kings social, freemium and localized to create a low barrier to entry for anyone to play worldwide.”

Clash of Kings is a real-time strategy game where players build an empire and defend it. To play Clash of Kings for free, for Android click here, for iOS click here, and for PC click here.

Contact:
Hyde Hao
Phone Number: +86 (0)10 82800116
Email: haoxiuwu@elex-tech.com

Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150331/195595

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clash-of-kings-to-hit-the-google-play-top-free-chart-worldwide-300059145.html

Health Care

Capita Healthcare Decisions Partner With Medibank to Deliver Safe, Consistent Health Advice for Australians

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BASINGSTOKE, UK, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Capita announces a partnership with Medibank, a healthcare company providing private health insurance and health solutions to almost 3.9 million people throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150402/736790

As part of a wider relationship, Capita will provide Medibank with its market leading TeleGuides content set, which Medibank have localised for the Australian market. The localisation of the content means Medibank can offer the population tailored, appropriate care advice – facilitating access to the best health advice for service users wherever they may be located.

This will support a team of clinicians to deliver safe, consistent health advice to service users.

The clinical content provided by Capita has been through a robust clinical governance process, and Capita have experience of over 85 million patient encounters worldwide without clinical incident – including powering the NHSDirect helpline in the UK.

The content is written and customised through Capita’s Decision Management Software (DMS) composer. This allows users to both create clinical content and decision pathways, and to present them either by phone, face to face, or on the web and mobile. Users can create and edit content quickly, giving the ability to safely and efficiently implement new and innovative solutions that reflect the latest clinical practice. The highly scalable software has the capability to integrate with any other technology, such as CRM systems, through the open application programming interface (API).  

Richard Atkins, general manager, international, comments on the new partnership:

“Capita Healthcare Decisions has had a presence in Australasia for a number of years. However, the opportunity to now partner with Medibank across the region and into Asia on multi-national, multi-channel decision support services is really exciting. Bringing together our market leading software and clinical content together with Medibank’s longstanding track record in delivering a range of clinical services provides a catalyst for new health models of care for citizens in the region.”

Dermot Roche, Medibank general manager of telephone, online & population health said:

“The new partnership with Capita will add to Medibank’s reputation of providing innovative health solutions to both the members of Medibank and the broader Australian population who access health advice when they need it most.  

“We are delighted to partner with Capita and look forward to working with them to deliver appropriate, safe and efficient healthcare advice to Australians,” said Mr Roche.

Note to editors:      

About Capita’s Healthcare Decisions business (formerly Clinical Solutions)      

We transform healthcare decision making.

Our solutions support healthcare providers to make better decisions about their patients, and empower individuals to make better decisions about their own health and wellbeing. Over the past 16 years, our decision support software applications have been used by some of the world’s leading healthcare providers to power over 85m patient transactions. Capita Healthcare Decisions brings together clinical expertise and Silicon Valley innovation to power decision support which delivers more for less and is underpinned by three principles: safe, connected, useful.  For more information go to http://www.capitahealthcaredecisions.com.

Media enquiries:     

Katy Stoneham
Marketing Manager
Capita Healthcare Decisions
Email: katy.stoneham@capita.co.uk

Emily Fear-Gook
Medibank Media and Communications Adviser
Email: Emily.fear-gook@medibank.com.au

Health Care

HAMBS Selects Forum Systems as Cornerstone of Infrastructure Modernization Initiative

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— Creator and Provider of the Hospital and Medical Benefits System Picks Forum Sentry API Gateway to Ensure Agile, Secure Access for its Customers and Partners

BOSTON, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Forum Systems Inc. today announced that HAMBS, a provider of software development and hosting services to Australia’s private health insurance industry, has selected the company’s industry-leading API security gateway, Forum Sentry, to ensure agile, secure access to its application and services, and better serve its customers and partners.

Founded in 1991, HAMBS is the creator and provider of the HAMBS (Hospital and Medical Benefits System) application, Australia’s top health insurance software application. Currently used by 23 health insurance funds, the state-of-the-art HAMBS application enables private health fund organizations to effectively manage their core businesses while maintaining legislative and regulatory compliance requirements.

Similar to many enterprise organizations, HAMBS has seen a rapid growth in the number of apps and services that customers and partners need to access. Many of these applications utilize different authentication and authorization methods, making access even more complex. With Forum Sentry, HAMBS was able to achieve API access that is both agile and secure.

As part of an infrastructure modernization initiative, HAMBS sought to securely expose its APIs to private health insurance funds, third parties and internal clients. Given the sensitive nature of the information being accessed, data security was of paramount importance. HAMBS not only required a secure solution, but also one that could easily integrate with new and legacy apps.

After evaluating several industry offerings, HAMBS initiated a proof of concept with the Forum Sentry API Gateway and one other gateway provider. With its robust security architecture and support of multiple authentication and authorization methods, including Basic Auth and OAuth 2.0, Forum Sentry quickly separated itself from the competition.

“Forum Systems’ security-first approach was a huge factor in our decision to go with Forum Sentry. It truly outperformed all of our evaluation criteria,” said Derek Grocke, Service Delivery Manager at HAMBS. “Additionally, Forum Sentry provided the SOAP-to-REST conversion we needed to enable RESTful apps to communicate with our existing SOAP infrastructure. Needless to say, it didn’t take long for us to conclude that Forum Systems was the best solution for our API security needs.”

Architected for deployment at the network edge, Forum Sentry is the only API gateway to achieve FIPS 140-2 and Network Device Protection Profile (NDPP) compliance. Performing complex access control decisions and enforcement, Forum Sentry acts as both an authorization server and a resource server authenticating inbound credentials with a custom internal database schema; federating these credentials via OAuth tokens for SSO; and delegating authentication to other services and APIs. Delivering secure, seamless integration across channels, applications and infrastructure, Forum Sentry is backed by world-class customer service and support.

“Forum Systems’ support is second to none,” noted John Ginn, System Architect at HAMBS. “They quickly had us up and running and promptly handled all of our requests.”

Another hallmark of Forum Systems is its no-code approach to provisioning and deploying policies. With a simple point-and-click interface, Forum Sentry enabled HAMBS to quickly expose new APIs and build a policy platform that is easy to maintain and extend.

“Serving as the cornerstone of HAMBS’ security architecture modernization efforts, Forum Sentry helps the organization preserve precious time and resources, providing it with the agile, secure infrastructure required to create more applications and better serve their customers and partners,” said Mamoon Yunus, CEO of Forum Systems. “We’re excited to be chosen by the de facto healthcare IT innovator in Australia and look forward to collaborating on their next deployment milestones.”

Additional Resources

About HAMBS

HAMBS provides a wide range of software development and hosting services to Australia’s private health insurance industry. Established in 1991, HAMBS was formed when the then users of the HAMBS application purchased the intellectual property from the original developer of the software. At that time, there were three HAMBS employees looking after 20 member funds.

In a rapidly growing industry with increased regulation, technological advances and in an increased competitive environment, HAMBS continues to grow and expand on the services available to its customers. Today, HAMBS has more than 70 professional staff servicing 23 health funds nationwide, including the hosting of the application and network services for 19 funds. For more information, please visit www.hambs.com.au.

About Forum Systems

Forum Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Crosscheck Networks, Inc., is the innovation leader in API and cloud gateway technology. The industry’s most comprehensive solution for centralized security, identity and governance for SOA, REST and mobile communications, Forum Sentry enables comprehensive threat mitigation and trust enablement, providing enterprises and government organizations worldwide with the foundation for achieving Secure Service Mediation. Processing more than 10 billion transactions per day worldwide, the NDPP-, FIPS- and DoD-certified Forum Sentry API Security Gateway delivers unparalleled protection against HTML-, XML-, SOAP- and REST-based vulnerabilities. Notably, Forum Systems products provide simplified integration and task processing with over 100 built-in, standards-based processing tasks. For more information, please visit www.forumsys.com.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Health Care

Frost & Sullivan Uncovers How Healthcare Providers Can Achieve Better and More Cost-Effective Care Using IT Solutions

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— The healthcare industry can offer efficient customer care and communication through the use of cloud-based data storage solutions.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The Affordable Care Act along with the intense pressure to reduce healthcare costs has affected the state of the healthcare system, leaving an open door of opportunity for the IT Industry. Healthcare reform is driving a shift towards Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), wherein the industry will adopt an outcome-based versus procedure-based focus and reimbursement model.

ACOs are investing in products and technologies to meet the healthcare industry’s needs through various kinds of partnerships. There are substantial opportunities in mHealth, as patients increasingly use mobile apps to access and send information on their health, make appointments, and communicate with their healthcare provider, as well as track their wellness and fitness.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, The Future of IT in the Healthcare Industry in North America, Latin America, and Europe, finds that integrated delivery network (IDN) providers must continue to invest in IT solutions and infrastructure to meet the needs of delivery practices and information utilization.

For complimentary access to more information on this research, please visit: http://bit.ly/1CCMg2t

“By providing use cases and demonstrating ROI, the IT industry can expand the scaled use of mobile and remote technology solutions as part of care delivery and patient/provider workflows,” said Frost & Sullivan Customer Research Director Tonya Fowler. “IT solutions can have a huge impact on the bottom line by enabling shared information across an organization.”

The traditional paradigm of patient-centric care is gradually giving way to member engagement and empowerment, which in turn, has opened up opportunities for healthcare providers in the untapped health and wellness sector. Many competitors have already begun to lay the ground work with investments in staff, resources, and targeted acquisitions.

Meanwhile, device manufacturers seek to retain clients with cutting-edge customer care technologies that generate timely and effective results. The big data trend is pivotal and numerous IT vendors have responded by developing cloud-based solutions for the healthcare industry.

The amount of big data needed to provide better and more cost-effective care is best handled in the cloud. The capacity, flexibility, and pricing models presented by cloud service providers resonate well with the healthcare industry.

“Furthermore, the adoption of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant cloud solutions for data storage and archiving is expanding. Applications in the cloud that support collaboration as well as anytime, anywhere, and any-device needs are growing quickly,” noted Fowler. “Niche healthcare cloud service providers will emerge as top contenders in the market, followed by cloud computing vendors that design solutions for healthcare.”

The Future of IT in the Healthcare Industry in North America, Latin America, and Europe is part of the Vertical Markets in ICT (http://www.ict.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan’s related studies include: Big Data Study 2014, Healthcare IT Trends in Brazil, Top 10 ICT Trends for Africa in 2015, 2014 Latin America Cloud Computing Market, and Profiling the Back Office Workforce Optimization Market. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.

Our “Growth Partnership” supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

  • The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.
  • The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

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The Future of IT in the Healthcare Industry in North America, Latin America, and Europe
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Contact: 
Clarissa Castaneda 
Corporate Communications – North America 
P: +1.210.477.8481 
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E: clarissa.castaneda@frost.com

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Frost & Sullivan Commends Belden’s Comprehensive Portfolio of Connectivity and Networking Products for Signal Transmission

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– Belden’s emphasis on continuous product versatility, technology and functionalities will entrench its position in the global market

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Based on its recent analysis of the industrial physical infrastructure Ethernet market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Belden Inc. with the 2015 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Line Strategy Leadership. Belden’s 100-year legacy of proven technical excellence and continuous R&D gives the company a clear strategic edge in the evolving Ethernet market.

Belden receives the 2015 Frost & Sullivan Global Industrial Physical Infrastructure Ethernet Product Line Strategy Leadership Award

Belden receives the 2015 Frost & Sullivan Global Industrial Physical Infrastructure Ethernet Product Line Strategy Leadership Award

Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150327/194981

In less than 10 years, through a series of strategic acquisitions, Belden has evolved from a supplier of copper cable products to a provider of leading signal transmission solutions. This was based on a deliberate strategy to shape and advance its product portfolio through organic and inorganic growth in order to take leadership positions in its key markets. The list of its acquisitions on its path to market leadership includes:

  • Hirschmann Automation and Control, a leading supplier of industrial Ethernet switches and routers;
  • Lumberg Automation, a niche firm with expertise in compact Ethernet packaging and connectivity;
  • GarrettCom, an industrial Ethernet switch supplier;
  • Tofino Security, a leader in industrial security appliances;
  • Poliron, a technology and Brazilian industrial cable specialist;
  • ProSoft Technology, a leading developer of industrial communication solutions for automation and control applications; and
  • Tripwire, a leader in advanced cyber threat detection solutions.

Belden’s industrial cable division was the starting point in its journey toward becoming a global signal transmission solution provider. Its offerings include industrial data solutions that support industrial Ethernet and bus networks, as well as EIA-485 applications, instrumentation and control cables; armored cables; flexible automation cables; pan/tilt/zoom CCTV camera cables; fire alarm cables; sound (paging) cables; and switches.

“Belden has end-to-end physical infrastructure solutions to address existing networking challenges, as well as deliver the bandwidth and scalability required for future applications,” said Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Deepak Achuthashankar. “Its portfolio extends from industrial networking, industrial cable, industrial connectivity, machine control solutions (MCS), and enterprise connectivity to infrastructure-related applications. The acquisition of Tripwire was the latest step in Belden’s product leadership strategy.”

One of Belden’s main areas of focus is industrial IT. In this market, Belden sells wired and wireless switches and routers, both hardware and software products, and has been the leader in adoption of Ethernet in the industrial market, while supporting a broad range of legacy protocols. Additionally, it emphasizes security as end users have begun to realize that industrial facilities and environments are subjected to the same degree of security threats as in the commercial space. Belden has particularly emphasized investments in wireless, security and embedded technologies as critical enablers for the Internet of Industrial Things (IoIT).

Belden’s development processes are finely tuned to support mission-critical applications and tailored to the unique needs of industrial customers, specifically maximized network uptime and ease of product installation and use. Furthermore, its product lines are compatible with those of any automation company; this has been made possible by its impressive in-house technical knowledge base and relentless focus on customer intimacy.

Belden also offers a variety of world-class networking services. The core components of its network services are on-site technical consultation that includes network planning, design, configuration and installation, as well as trouble-shooting, maintenance and assistance with future upgrades. This is supplemented by world-class, post-sales support.

Krishna Srinivasan, global president and managing partner of Frost & Sullivan, said, “Belden has done a remarkably good job of serving the full range of product needs of its target customers. Belden has optimized its product line by integrating all the key price, performance and feature points required in the industrial physical infrastructure Ethernet market.”

Belden is not just a supplier of signal transmission products, but a true strategic business partner delivering solutions that make end-user facilities perform more efficiently and profitably. Its global presence places it in close proximity to most of its customers and partners.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a comprehensive product line that caters to the breadth of the market it serves. The award recognizes the extent to which the product line meets customer base demands, the overall impact it has in terms of customer value, as well as increased market share.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Belden
Belden Inc., a global leader in high-quality, end-to-end signal transmission solutions, delivers a comprehensive product portfolio designed to meet the mission-critical network infrastructure needs of industrial, enterprise and broadcast markets. With innovative solutions targeted at reliable and secure transmission of rapidly growing amounts of data, audio and video needed for today’s applications, Belden is at the center of the global transformation to a connected world. Founded in 1902, the company is headquartered in St. Louis and has manufacturing capabilities in North and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit us at www.belden.com; follow us on Twitter @BeldenInc.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.

Our “Growth Partnership” supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

  • The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.
  • The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact Us:     Start the discussion

Join Us:           Join our community

Subscribe:       Newsletter on “the next big thing”

Register:         Gain access to visionary innovation

Contact:

Mireya Espinoza
P: +1-210-247-3870
F: +1-210-348-1003
E: mireya.espinoza@frost.com

Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150328/8521501992

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Game Power 7 Recognised for Visionary Innovation Leadership Award by Frost & Sullivan

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Game Power 7 was recently recognised with the Frost & Sullivan 2015 Visionary Innovation Leadership Award for Digital Game Publishing in the Middle East (ME), at the annual Growth, Innovation and Leadership (GIL) 2015: Middle East held in Dubai last month. Game Power 7 has reinvented the gaming landscape in the MENA by developing and publishing the MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) and the MMO role-playing games (MMORPG) technology, which remoulds the key attributes of games including the storyline, concepts, characters, traditions, etc. to suit cultural sensibilities of approximately 70 Million online gaming enthusiasts.

Mr. Fadi Mujahid, CEO, Game Power 7, said, “The essence of game ‘culturalization’ aids to connect with the Arabic youth directly and, thereby, facilitates profound engagement with them. We emphasise on player satisfaction and customer loyalty as the two fundamental pillars for success of the company in the online gaming arena in the coming years.”

From designing the wardrobe to modifying characters, Game Power 7 ensures that players get a feeling of being at home rather than experiencing alienation due to influence of other cultures in the virtual world. This has led to the company witnessing an exponential growth in the number of online Arabic gamers connecting to experience the unique and innovative games developed by Game Power 7. Looking at the popularity of the mobile gaming segment, and backed by an e-payment network that covers more than 19 countries the company is coming up with free mobile games on both Android and iOS platforms in Arabic language. With over one million registered gamers, Game Power 7 believes that the market potential exceeds 25 million gamers with estimated revenue of USD 500 Million Dollars annually. The company has achieved a seven digits total profit during the past five years while maintaining an annual profit growth of 10 per cent.

“It takes a spirited initiative and relentless efforts to offer gamers something new and original from time to time. GamePower7 has been doing exactly that since 2007 by being the first Arab gaming company to develop and publish online Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) Games, MMO Role Playing Games (MMORPG) and also launch online game ‘culturalization’. The Arabic online gaming market is witnessing an exponential growth and being the pioneers in online Arabic gaming gives GamePower7 a strong advantage over its competitors,” said Satyajit Lele, Research Analyst, Best Practices Team, Frost & Sullivan.

Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Awards recognises companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices.

About Game Power 7:
The company was founded in 2007 as the first leading Arabic company in the field of online and mobile gaming. As a subsidiary company of Global New Age Media Group, Game Power7 presented innovative products based on localising games from different cultures to fit the Arabic culture, tradition, and local values. Relying on local talents, the company released a variety of exceptional games starting with the most popular in 2008 Arabic Rapplez, which was the first online Arabic game. The game population exceeded one million players. Game Power 7 has operation centres in three Arab countries, while the headquarters are located in Dubai. As part of the belief in the importance of community management, the company established a Culturalization and Cultural Content Department and Community Management QA Department. As part of the company’s integrated corporate social responsibility vision, the company supports several social programmes for the youth and local communities.

For more information on game Power 7, please visit: http://www.gamepower7.com

About Frost & Sullivan:
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.

Our “Growth Partnership” supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

  • The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation, and implementation.
  • The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact Us: Start the discussion

Join Us: Join our community

Subscribe: Newsletter on “the next big thing”

Register: Gain access to visionary innovation

Media Contacts: For Game Power 7

Ruhaim Sawan
Phone: +971-4-3902777
Email: r.sawan@gamepower7.com

Media Contact: Frost & Sullivan

Paroma Bhattacharya
Corporate Communications — Middle East and North Africa
P: +91-22-6607-2047
F: +91-22-2832-4713
E: paromab@frost.com

Ravinder Kaur
Corporate Communications — South Asia
M: +91-99401-41714
P: +91-44-6681-4413
E: ravinder.kaur@frost.com
www.frost.com

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The9 Limited Files Annual Report on Form 20-F for Fiscal Year 2014

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SHANGHAI, March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The9 Limited (NASDAQ: NCTY) (“The9”), an online game developer and operator, announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 with the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission on March 26, 2014. The annual report, which contains its audited financial statements, can be accessed on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov as well as on the Company’s investor relations website: http://www.the9.com/en/ . Shareholders may receive a hard copy of the annual report free of charge upon request.

About The9

The9 Limited is an online game developer and operator in China. The9 develops and operates, directly or through its affiliates, its proprietary MMO, web and mobile games including Firefall, TianTianWanDiaoChan and Dao Feng. In 2010, The9 established its wireless business unit to focus on mobile internet business. In 2013, The9 formed a joint venture with Shanghai ZTE to develop and operate home entertainment set top box business.

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Phyllis Sai
Manager, Investor Relations
The9 Limited
Tel: +86 (21) 5172-9990
Email: IR@corp.the9.com
Website: http://www.corp.the9.com/

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the9-limited-files-annual-report-on-form-20-f-for-fiscal-year-2014-300057426.html

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(ISC)2 Opens Nominations for 9th Asia-Pacific Information Security Leadership Achievements (ISLA) Program

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HONG KONG, March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — (ISC)²® (“ISC-squared”), the largest not-for-profit membership body of certified information and software security professionals worldwide, with over 100,000 members, announced today it is now accepting nominations for its Asia-Pacific Information Security Leadership Achievements Program (Asia-Pacific ISLA™). (ISC)² officials and advisory council members will honor the 2015 Asia-Pacific ISLA honorees at a gala dinner, held on the evening of July 29, 2015, in conjunction with (ISC)² Security Congress APAC 2015 http://www.informationsecurityasia.com/ at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, Philippines.

The Asia-Pacific ISLA www.isc2.org/isla program, which is in co-operation with the (ISC)² Asia-Pacific Advisory Council, was established in 2007 as part of (ISC)²’s effort to recognize the ongoing commitment by information and software security leaders in Asia-Pacific to build a highly qualified and ethical information and software security workforce. Asia-Pacific ISLA recognition is independent of professional certification. Professionals can be nominated in three categories: Senior Information Security Professional; Managerial Professional for an Information Security Project; and Information Security Practitioner. 

“Over the years, with the Asia-Pacific ISLA program, we have been successful in raising the awareness of the importance of information and software security in our community,” said Clayton Jones, managing director, Asia-Pacific (ISC)². “We are also pleased to see the Asia-Pacific ISLA as a means to give momentum to the recognition from the community at large to appreciate the unsung professionals that secure our cyber world day in and day out.”

A nominations review committee comprised of senior information security experts from the industry in Asia-Pacific will review and select honorees from the three categories based upon the selection criteria and eligibility requirements. A Community Service Star will be handpicked by the review committee to recognize an individual who contributed to broaden security awareness in his or her community within the last 12 months.

“It was truly an honor to be selected as a showcased honoree in the category of Senior Information Security Professional last year. I highly recommend that information and software security professionals get involved in this prestigious recognition program,” said Dr. Daisuke Inoue, Director of Cybersecurity Laboratory, Network Security Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan. “I enjoyed last year’s gala dinner as it was a highlight of my career and it also provided me with an opportunity to meet with the peers from the region and beyond in the industry.”

To nominate a candidate for an Asia-Pacific ISLA, please go to http://bit.ly/1xhH6bV and complete the submission form. The submission deadline for nominations is May 8, 2015.

About (ISC)²®
Formed in 1989, (ISC)² is the largest not-for-profit membership body of certified information and software security professionals worldwide, with over 100,000 members in more than 160 countries. Globally recognized as the Gold Standard, (ISC)² issues the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) and related concentrations, as well as the Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP®), the Certified Cyber Forensics Professional (CCFP®), Certified Authorization Professional (CAP®), HealthCare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPPSM), and Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP®) credentials to qualifying candidates. (ISC)²’s certifications are among the first information technology credentials to meet the stringent requirements of ISO/IEC Standard 17024, a global benchmark for assessing and certifying personnel. (ISC)² also offers education programs and services based on its CBK®, a compendium of information and software security topics. More information is available at www.isc2.org. 

© 2015, (ISC)² Inc., (ISC)², CISSP, ISSAP, ISSMP, ISSEP, CCFP, CSSLP, CAP, SSCP and CBK are registered marks, and HCISPP is service mark, of (ISC)², Inc.

Kitty Chung 
(ISC)2 Asia-Pacific 
+852–28506989 
kchung@isc2.org