March 28, 2023

Anaqua Provides Platform for Intellectual Property Management to Fujitsu

BOSTON, March 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading innovation and intellectual property (IP) management technology provider, today announced that information and communications technology company Fujitsu has adopted Anaqua’s AQX platform to optimize the digital management of the company’s IP portfolios.

Anaqua will provide its AQX platform to Fujitsu to seamlessly connect and enhance global collaboration among R&D sites, IP departments, and outside counsel, bringing increased efficiency to the development of IP and management of the innovation lifecycle. AQX will also help empower Fujitsu in the timely execution of their global IP strategy through the establishment of a more data-driven approach to developing and maintaining an IP portfolio that best supports the broader business. In addition, through Anaqua’s cloud hosting services and commitment to security, certification processes, and compliance programming, the AQX platform will deliver a robust security environment for Fujitsu.

“We believe that the AQX IP management system, which is a global cloud service, will enable us to standardize and further enhance efficiency of IP operations, replacing our previous on-premise legacy system,” said Kanna Kimura, Director of the Cloud Services Management Department of the Digital System Platform Division of Fujitsu Limited.

Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua, said: “Anaqua will provide the best support for the management and protection of Fujitsu’s IP assets, which are critical in delivering the company’s goal of making a more sustainable world through the power of innovation.”

About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services for corporations and law firms. Its IP management software solutions, AQX and PATTSY WAVE, both offer best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech-enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision-making, and streamline IP operations, tailored to each segment’s need. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua’s solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company’s global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or on LinkedIn.

Company Contact:
Amanda Hollis
Director, Communications
Anaqua
617-375-2626
ahollis@Anaqua.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8794452

March 28, 2023

Lantronix Announces New X300 Compact Cellular IoT Gateway Solution, Ideal for Mission-Critical Applications

Monitor and manage globally distributed assets with Lantronix’s X300 IoT Gateway Solution, which includes hardware, cloud-based device management, cellular connectivity, advanced security and tech support

X300 IoT Gateway

New X300 Compact Cellular IoT Gateway

IRVINE, Calif., March 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lantronix Inc. (NASDAQ: LTRX), a global provider of secure turnkey solutions for the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and the Intelligent IT market, today announced its new X300 Compact Gateway IoT Solution. Ideal for secure mission-critical applications, the new X300 Cellular Compact IoT Gateway Solution combines Lantronix’s IoT gateway hardware with a premium services subscription, including centralized device management, integrated cellular data, enhanced device security and expert technical support in an all-in-one package.

“At Lantronix, we are committed to providing our customers with turnkey IoT solutions that efficiently solve their connectivity and remote device management challenges while offering expert technical support to ensure a successful deployment,” said Paul Pickle, CEO of Lantronix. “With the new X300 Compact Gateway IoT Solution, our customers can rest assured that they have a reliable, easy-to-manage solution, achieving maximum uptime and data security for mission-critical applications.”

According to Berg insights, more than 4.5 million cellular IoT gateways were shipped globally during 2021, a 23 percent increase, at a total market value of approximately $1.15 billion as annual sales grew at a rate of 14 percent as demand recovered following the COVID-19 pandemic. Annual revenues from the sales of cellular IoT gateways is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 percent to reach $2.18 billion by 2026.

The X300 Compact Gateway IoT Solution includes:

X300 Gateway, a compact (79mm X 79mm) IoT industrial gateway with suitable hardware interfaces, including a Multi-mode Serial port, an Ethernet LAN port, Wi-Fi® 5, Bluetooth/BLE and Worldwide cellular options, enabling the connection of any type of industrial machine and sensor with any type of network.
Services included in the first-year subscription:
- Free upgrade to ConsoleFlow premium cloud-based device management with analytics
- Connectivity Services global, convenient and scalable cellular data plans
- Free upgrade to LEVEL 2 Services prompt expert technical support and warranty with advanced hardware replacement
- Lantronix InfiniShield built-in security, including a Secure Element (SE) chip to enable secure boot, secure equipment access and secure communications and to prevent unauthorized access of confidential information

The new X300 Gateway IoT Solution will be displayed at ISC West in Las Vegas from March 28–31, 2023, in the Lantronix booth, Number 2097. For more information on this all-in-one package, visit https://www.lantronix.com/products/x300-series/

About Lantronix

Lantronix Inc. is a global provider of secure turnkey solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) and Remote Environment Management (REM), offering Software as a Service (SaaS), connectivity services, engineering services and intelligent hardware.

Lantronix enables its customers to accelerate time to market and increase operational up-time and efficiency by providing reliable, secure and connected Intelligent Edge IoT and Remote Management Gateway solutions.

Lantronix’s products and services dramatically simplify the creation, development, deployment and management of IoT and IT projects across Robotics, Automotive, Wearables, Video Conferencing, Industrial, Medical, Logistics, Smart Cities, Security, Retail, Branch Office, Server Room and Datacenter applications. For more information, visit the Lantronix website.

Learn more at the Lantronix blog, which features industry discussion and updates. Follow Lantronix on Twitter, view our YouTube video library or connect with us on LinkedIn.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Any statements set forth in this news release that are not entirely historical and factual in nature, including without limitation statements related to our solutions, technologies and products. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, future business, financial condition, or performance to differ materially from our historical results or those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statement contained in this news release. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, such factors as the effects of negative or worsening regional and worldwide economic conditions or market instability on our business, including effects on purchasing decisions by our customers; the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on our employees, supply and distribution chains, and the global economy; cybersecurity risks; changes in applicable U.S. and foreign government laws, regulations, and tariffs; our ability to successfully implement our acquisitions strategy or integrate acquired companies; difficulties and costs of protecting patents and other proprietary rights; the level of our indebtedness, our ability to service our indebtedness and the restrictions in our debt agreements; and any additional factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on Aug. 29, 2022, including in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part I of such report, as well as in our other public filings with the SEC. Additional risk factors may be identified from time to time in our future filings. The forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date hereof, and we do not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Lantronix Media Contact:
Gail Kathryn Miller
Corporate Marketing &
Communications Manager
media@lantronix.com
949-212-0960

Lantronix Analyst and Investor Contact:
Jeremy Whitaker
Chief Financial Officer
investors@lantronix.com
949-450-7241

Lantronix Sales:
sales@lantronix.com
Americas +1 (800) 422-7055 (US and Canada) or +1 949-453-3990
Europe, Middle East and Africa +31 (0)76 52 36 744
Asia Pacific + 852 3428-2338
China + 86 21-6237-8868
Japan +81 (0) 50-1354-6201
India +91 994-551-2488

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/891ce64a-0d25-4f9e-add8-2538d7b31006

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8796263

March 28, 2023

KALRO Unveils Improved Chicken Breeds

The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) has unveiled a superior indigenous chicken breed that is highly resistant to common diseases. The new KALRO improved KC3 breed is an upgrade of KC1 and KC2 chicken whose research over two decades ago indicated that it had the tolerant capacity when cross bred with other genetically improved varieties to produce economically positive results. Preliminary results indicated that the new improved indigenous chicken was expected to boost egg production with the ability to lay between 220-280 eggs per annually compared to about 80-100 eggs that wwas the case before the upgrade. KALRO Director- General Dr. Eliud Kireger told journalist at Kakamega that the high demand for one day old chicks in the country was a challenge forcing the institution to diversify outlets in other counties to bridge the deficit. In a speech read on his behalf by the KALRO Director in charge of livestock systems Dr. Samwel Mbuku, the Director General said a new 2000 bird capacity breeding and multiplication was established at the Kakamega centre to meet the national daily demand of over 2 million one day old chicks. He said an additional 19,000-egg capacity hatchery, with a capacity to supply at least 34,000-day-old chicks’ montly, up from 3,000 was put in place to boost production. ‘Currently, our annual production of day-old chicks stands at 600,000 compared to a national demand of over 2 million chicks per year’ he said. ‘We are proud to have a new 2000 bird capacity breeding and multiplication house constructed at a cost of 5 million shillings with joint funding from the European Union and the Government of Kenya through Climate Smart Agricultural Productivity Project (AgriFI CS)’ added Dr. Kireger. The Principal Secretary State Department for Livestock Harry Kimutai said Poultry is one of the most important enterprises in rural poor households’ food and nutrition security. ‘Apart from poultry meat, 1,716 million eggs from poultry are also produced annually valued at 10.3billion shillings’. ‘The industry has fairly well-developed inputs and services provision along the value chain’ he added. The PS, in a speech read on his behalf by director of administration in the ministry Joseph Chepchieng, however, expressed concern over importation of raw eggs from neighbouring countries blaming it on underdeveloped markets and unstructured marketing systems that impact negatively on the industry leading to its underperformance. ‘Indigenous chicken is an integral part of rural farming systems where it provides food and nutrition security as well as income to resource-poor smallholders, where options for generating income are limited’ he said. The PS hailed KALRO for conducting research on the development of technologies, innovations, and management practises to improve productivity of indigenous chicken. KALRO poultry researcher Dr. Anne Wachira said in response to the unique consumer demands in the Western region for a brown improved chicken, they introduced a brown variant, the KC3, as opposed to black KC 1 ‘This brown variant has similar production characteristics to KC1 and KC2, with the main difference being the colour of the bird following concerns by farmers inWestern and other regions about the colour’ she added KALRO’s Non-Ruminant Research Centres in Kakamega and Naivasha are selling day old chicks at Sh100 while a tray of 30 fertile eggs go for Sh1000. Breeding cocks are sold at sh1200. Speaking at the function, the KALRO National Project Coordinator George Keya said the organisation has received a total funding of 800 million shillings, with 650 million shillings and 150 million from European Union (EU) and Kenya Government to undertake various researches across all the KALRO institutes across the country.

Source: Kenya News Agency

March 28, 2023

Nakuru Ready To Host World Safari Rally Championships

Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has assured that the county was fully prepared to host the World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally that is coming to the country for the third time in a row. Governor Kihika said the county was ready to play its role in boosting domestic tourism, more so at a time when the country is recovering from economic aftershocks of the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that this year’s event was historical as it also marks 70 years since the WRC was first launched in the country. ‘The WRC is part of our heritage and we are ready to hold a memorable Safari Rally this year,’ Ms Kihika said. Last year the county signed a pact to keep the event in the World Rally Championship calendar until 2026. This year it is scheduled between June 22 and June 25. While noting that her administration was committed to promoting sports tourism Ms Kihika observed that Nakuru was once the spiritual home of sports and Langa Langa circuit, which she said was famous for bike and single-seater car races while the Rift Valley Motorsports Club at Solai and Mai Mahiu circuits still host kart racing, predominantly for young people. The fame of sports in Nakuru, Kihika noted, extends beyond motorsport with Nakuru Boxing Club said to have produced legends like Philip Waruinge, 1972 Olympics Silver Medallist and first Kenyan to turn professional, his brother Sammy Mbogua and 1978 World Amateur Boxing Championships winner Steve Muchoki. The Governor hailed the organizers of the Safari Rally for the selection of spectators’ stages which she said will help showcase to local and international visitors’ spectacular sites where they could also get to sample Naivasha’s hospitality and experience the Kenya safari as they troop to different spectator points. In a speech delivered on her behalf by County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of Trade, Tourism and Cooperatives Mr Stephen Kuria, the Governor underscored the importance of the approved rallying routes, saying the rally drivers will have a great experience driving in the wild and sometimes having to stop to give way to wild animals. She said the county government will continue to upgrade the necessary infrastructure to enhance visitors’ experience along all the rally routes. The tourism CECM revealed that besides the WRC the county was set to host the Love Festival in September in Naivasha adding that hospitality industry stakeholders should leverage on the two events, expected to attract thousands of international and local visitors to boost the industry. CECM Kuria said Kenya is privileged and proud to host this event which is one of the Only 13 such world events that take place on the globe and will be watched by over two billion people worldwide which is incredible branding for the country. ‘We want to give a Kenyan flavour to this international event by introducing hustler bazaars to help Kenyans interact with the rally drivers as they make some money by selling Kenyan products.’ Mr Kuria said the County was working with the national Government in setting up special points for streaming the rally live throughout the country to help every Kenyan have a piece of the rally. The CECM was satisfied at the service venue in Naivasha and said they were working with the Transport Ministry to ensure traffic on the rally routes will be managed better than last year and observed that they had learnt vital lessons from last year’s event. Nakuru County Tourism Association Chairman David Mwangi noted that hosting of events of WRC Safari Rally calibre was a source of direct investment as well as a source of additional income for tourism. He said that direct investments in Naivasha will be accrued from hotels, leisure, fuel consumption, transport facilities, temporary employment and much more. Mr Mwangi pointed out that many hotels were still under construction in Naivasha at present as investors target more domestic and international tourists after the world governing body, FIA, extended the hosting of the WRC status event in Kenya to 2026. The organizers of the World Rally Championships (WRC) Safari Rally are expected to spend Sh5 billion on the event, with businesses set to reap big as drivers and more fans flock toNaivasha, in Nakuru County. Veteran Kenyan rally drivers such as Carl Tundo who is the chair of the organizing committee, Phenius Kimanthi who is also the chair of the Kenya motorsport Association and famous female rally drivers Pauline Sheghu will also be taking part in this year`s event. The Safari Rally was first held in 1953, as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1960 it was renamed the East African Safari Rally and kept that name until 1974, when it became the Kenya Safari Rally. It then evolved to the current modern-day WRC. Safari is currently the most popular event on the WRC calendar alongside the 1000 Lakes of Finland and Monte Carlo.

Source: Kenya News Agency

March 28, 2023

KRA Gains More From Gaming And Betting Collections

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) today conducted a sensitisation forum on betting tax which aims to provide detailed insights and create awareness on betting tax, its impact on revenue mobilisation, integration with betting firms and compliance. The KRA’s Chief Manager Domestic Taxes Department Miriam Sila stated that the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) regulates the betting and gaming sector while working with other multi agencies to check on compliance of the companies. She disclosed that there are over one hundred and seventy firms licensed to operate in the country. ‘There are over fifty licensed Casinos in Kenya, most of which are in major cities. Blackjack, Roulette and Poker are among the most popular table games in Kenya,’ added Sila. Sila stated that the betting companies are required to register for tax through the iTax system which is a fully integrated and automated web-based system. The system allows taxpayers to register for various tax obligations and update their PIN registration details, file returns for various tax obligations, make status enquires with real-time monitoring of their ledger/account income and apply for waiver of penalties and interests. ‘The taxman boasts a gross turnover of Ksh50 billion. KRA has linked its systems with sixteen sports gaming firms and hopes to additionally merge with 20 more companies which will be equivalent to a 96 percent stake in the market,’ stated Sila. Sila affirmed that betting companies now remit taxes daily and are allocated to account managers who follow up on the payment by logging in each companies Payment Registration Number (PRN). She revealed that in the financial year 2021/2022, the taxman collected Sh21 billion, the highest amount recorded yet since the collection of betting and gaming tax. The Chief Manager said that KRA has estimated a target collection of Sh24 billion and that so far, the firm has collected Ksh15. 8 billion from betting, lottery and gaming. Sila added that Gaming is popular among the youth thus the proceeds received from withholding taxes are paid to sports, arts and social development fund which fund activities undertaken by youths. She noted that there are various challenges in the industry including coordination with BCLB whose work is still manual, balancing tax collection and protection of the youth through harmful gambling activities and lobbying power from the sector players to change laws. Sila said the industry has come up with strategies to ensure compliance within such as conducting tax payer engagement to educate them on any new tax laws, liaising closely with internal departments for intelligence gathering and data sharing from the regulator (BCLB) and other agencies to enhance motoring.

Source: Kenya News Agency

March 28, 2023

Some 40 Million Quintals of Wheat Under Harvest: PM Abiy Ahmed

Some 40 million quintals of additional wheat is being harvested in the Summer Wheat production activities across Ethiopia, Prime Minster, Abiy Ahmed said.

Responding to questions raised during the 11th regular session of the House of People’s Representative today, the premier said over a million hectares of land was covered by wheat seed.

During the main season the nation has produced bumper wheat production more than expected, he said.

The ongoing harvest will significantly increase the wheat produce in the market and also to export, the prime minister added.

According to him, due to the bumper harvest, for the first time Ethiopia didn’t import wheat from abroad.

It is to be recalled that PM Abiy himself has presided over the national wheat export launch program last month.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

March 28, 2023

The Financial Sector Showing Healthy Growth, Says PM Abiy

The performance of the financial sector in Ethiopia has been showing positive growth over the past six months, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated.

Presenting his government six month performance report to the House of Peoples’ Representative today, the premier stated that the total loans provided by banks over the past six months has reached 172 billion Birr.

The banks have also collected a total of 311 billion Birr during the stated period showing a 100 percent growth compared to same period last year, he said.

According to him, 90 percent of the total loan was extended to the private sector in the country which is very important as it expedites the ongoing development efforts of the nation.

The agricultural sector projects have received some 92 billion Birr loan during the stated period which shows a 29 percent increment compared to the same period last year, the PM added.

The loan provided to the agriculture sector is very encouraging though it has to be further strengthened in the future, he stressed.

Abiy also said that the financial sector has provided 39 billion Birr loans to Small and medium enterprises which is 36 percent bigger than the previous year same period.

The financial support provided to the small and medium enterprises will pave ways to creating more jobs to the citizens, the PM added.

The overall situation of financial sector in Ethiopia is health and showing encouraging growth. However, more caution is required for the financial sector as the sector at the global level has suddenly been showing failure, the Prime Minister pointed out.

However, the premier stressed the need to take more cautions on the overall situation of the financial sector by taking lesson from the failure of western banks.

In this regard, he urged the National Bank of Ethiopia and Finance Ministry to properly carry out their oversight activities as the health banks play key role in the national economy of the country.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency