MEMPHIS, Tenn.-Saturday, January 27th 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- FedEx Corporation is announcing three major programs today following the recently enacted U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

1) Over $200 million in increased compensation, about two-thirds of which will go to hourly team members by advancing 2018 annual pay increases by six months to April 1st from the normal October date. The remainder will fund increases in performance-based incentive plans for salaried personnel.

2) A voluntary contribution of $1.5 billion to the FedEx pension plan to ensure it remains one of the best funded retirement programs in the country.

3) Investing $1.5 billion to significantly expand the FedEx Express Indianapolis hub over the next seven years. The Memphis SuperHub will also be modernized and enlarged in a major program the details of which will be announced later this spring.

FedEx believes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will likely increase GDP and ... Read more »

LAUSANNE, Switzerland -Monday, January 29th 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

    First-ever consideration of a heated tobacco product, IQOS, by FDA Advisory Committee
    Committee, FDA, and PMI experts discuss comprehensive scientific approach and data set
    FDA’s careful review of PMI’s Modified Risk Tobacco Product applications for IQOS continues

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On January 24 and 25, experts from Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) and Philip Morris USA Inc. presented to the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) before the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The meeting was part of the FDA’s review of PMI’s request to commercialize IQOS in the US as a “Modified Risk Tobacco Product”. U.S. law and policy recognize product innovation as important to the 40 million American men and women who smoke.

To advise the Agency on PMI’s applications ... Read more »

CHICAGO-Saturday, January 27th 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hallstar, a global specialty chemical company, recently announced the addition of Damian Marshall and Varun Mathur to its officer team. Marshall and Mathur have 25 years of Hallstar experience between them, and have both served in General Manager roles since 2016. Their promotions to vice president were made official by a vote of Hallstar’s directors at a January 2018 board meeting.

CEO John Paro expressed strong confidence in Hallstar’s newest vice presidents. “As general managers of our two primary business segments, Damian and Varun have already proven their leadership abilities, depth of knowledge, and commitment to the success of their teams.”

Paro added, “Of equal importance, they positively impact our organizational culture by consistently demonstrating Hallstar’s core values – Passionate About People, Ethical, Results-Driven, and Continuousl ... Read more »

TOKYO-Monday, January 29th 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Toshiba Tec Corporation (TOKYO:6588) announces that its e-STUDIO3508LP has earned Keypoint Intelligence - Buyers Lab's Outstanding Achievement in Innovation award. The e-STUDIO3508LP is Toshiba’s hybrid multifunction peripheral (MFP) which prints regular black prints as well as erasable blue prints within one device.

Keypoint Intelligence - Buyers Lab presents its Outstanding Achievement award to acknowledge the products or capabilities that stand out for a breakthrough in technology, a unique feature or other noteworthy innovation that moves that class of product forward.

“For any organization committed to maintaining a ‘green’ work ethos, Toshiba’s latest generation model, the e-STUDIO3508LP, is worth a look,” said George Mikolay, Associate Director of Copiers/Production for Keypoint Intelligence - Buyers Lab. “The ability to print and erase conte ... Read more »

Kuala Lumpur set to be first overseas city to implement smart city solution

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia-Monday, January 29th 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, today announced the launch of its Malaysia City Brain initiative in collaboration with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the country’s digital economy development agency, and Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), the city council in the capital, at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.

The Malaysia City Brain initiative is a significant milestone because it’s the first time for the City Brain solution to be adopted overseas. It is developed on Alibaba Cloud’s robust cloud computing infrastructure and will support Malaysia’s digital transformation with cloud technology and artificial intelligence.

Powered by Alibaba Cloud’s large-scale computing engine Apsara, Malaysia City Brain offers a comprehensi ... Read more »

 - Expanding our control business in the midstream oil and gas market - 

TOKYO-Monday, January 29th 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Yokogawa Electric Corporation (TOKYO:6841) announces that its subsidiary, Yokogawa Middle East & Africa B.S.C.(c), has received an order from the state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO), operator of the country’s national gas grid, to supply a gas pipeline management and control system.

GASCO is in the business of transmitting and processing natural gas. The company is currently engaged in a project to replace the management and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems at two central grid control centers that manage and control the flow of gas through a 7,000 km network of gas trunklines, a critical component of Egypt’s infrastructure.

This order is for a Yokogawa Enterprise Pipeline Management Solution (EPMS), a suite of applications that manage functions such as ... Read more »