Laos, UNDP hold a review meeting

Following one year of implementation, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and UNDP held a country programme review meeting in Vientiane on Mar 2.

The meeting highlighted the main results of the implementation so far and identified challenges and lessons learned.

Chaired by Vice Minister of Planning and Investment Phonevanh Outhavong, the meeting was attended by more than 100 participants both in-person and online representing various stakeholders and the partners from the government, development partners, non-profit associations, international non-governmental organizations, and other UN agencies.

Ms. Phonevanh Outhavong stated, ‘This annual review meeting is crucial considering 2022, the first year of implementation of the country programme. This meeting provides an opportunity for us to discuss and exchange knowledge on the project implementation, especially the challenges and what we have learned so far in the past year’.

Ms Ricarda Rieger stressed that ‘UNDP’s comparative advantage lies in capacity development to address an ever-increasing complex world, need for flexibility amidst the increasing complexity of development challenges. Adaptability, fast adjustment will be required to overcome adversities’.

UNDP in Laos focuses on three strategic development areas, such as inclusive prosperity, environment, climate change and resilience, and governance and Rule of Law.

In 2022 UNDP published its flagship report, the 6th National Human Development Report (NHDR) focusing on ‘youth as Drivers for sustainable Development. UNDP has partnered with other UN entities to support government on the formulation of the first ever financing Strategy of the 9th National Socio-economic Development Plan (NSEDP). Together with UXO Lao, UNDP has cleared 479 ha of high priority areas clearing contaminated lands for more productive use.

UNDP’s financial and technical support has resulted in reforestation of approximately 11,000 ha of land, investment checklist, one-stop service and 8 investment profiles being developed to attract quality investment and 12,000 villages being involved in the co-management of natural resources.

Standard operating procedures (SOP) for the justice Sector to end violence against women (EVAW) were developed in a highly consultative manner, taking Lao realities into consideration. In 2022 UNDP also assisted eleven organizations of persons with disabilities (PwD) in drafting the first-ever Parallel Report and Action Plan under the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) collecting lived experiences providing 78 concrete recommendations to the UN CRPD committee.

The first year of the implementation has also generated lessons learned. The government and UNDP are committed to taking the lesson into account while continuing the implementation to achieve the development goals set under Country Programme Document 2022-2026.

Following the event, the results of the meeting will be presented to the Prime Minister and be fed into the implementation guidance of the 9th NSEDP and 2030 Agenda effectively.

Source: Lao News Agency

DPM receives BRED Group delegation

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith received on Wednesday, Mar 1, a courtesy call from a delegation of BRED Group led by its CEO Olivier Klein.

BRED Group is a French banking group which has international operations and subsidiaries in many countries including the Lao PDR.

Expressing welcome to the delegation, the Deputy Prime Minister said that the visit of the BRED Group delegation contributed to strengthening the relations and cooperation between Laos and France, especially on finance-banking and trade-investment.

He informed the guests about the outstanding achievements in socio-economic development in Laos especially its green and clean economic development efforts and Laos’ policy on trade and investment promotion.

He asked the French delegation to continue to promote the investment of French companies in doing medium and small businesses, cultural and natural tourism in the Lao PDR.

The host also informed the guests about Laos’ preparation for ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024.

In reply, Olivier appreciated Laos’ achievements in its national development and its plan to graduate from the least developed country status in 2026.

He affirmed that BRED Group will continue to contribute to promoting bilateral cooperation on trade-investment with the Lao PDR, especially on the promotion of medium and small enterprises, interbank cooperation, and tourism in Laos in the future.

Source: Lao News Agency

ECR 2023 in Vienna, Esaote presents new ultrasound system: MyLab X90

ECR 2023 in Vienna, Esaote presents new ultrasound system: MyLab X90

The ceremony took place at Esaote Booth, where it is possible to deepen features and performances of the new system throughout the duration of the Congress.

VIENNA, Austria, March 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LaPresse – Esaote, a leading Italian company in ultrasound, dedicated MRI and healthcare IT, unveiled today the new MyLab™X90 premium ultrasound system, with a ceremony dedicated to the European Society of Radiology, on the occasion of ECR 2023 in Vienna.

“MyLab™X90 provides premium performance and it is designed to maximize diagnostic confidence and streamline workflows through automation,” said Guillaume Gauthier, Global Product Marketing Manager Esaote. “Artificial intelligence is at the heart of the system. Our Augmented Insight™ includes A.I.- powered solutions with a multidisciplinary clinical approach.”

“MyLab™X90 was designed according to an operator-centric approach, to provide an unparalleled user experience,” stated Florence Labb, Global Customer Marketing Manager Esaote. “Our target is making complex processes simpler and advanced technologies readily available in everyday clinical practice. With MyLab™X90, healthcare professionals can expect a truly transformative experience in this respect.”

Technology-wise, MyLab™X90 offers premium-level components such as ClearWave architecture, XCrystal probes and an eLed monitor. MyLab X90 is the result of strategic developments and international multidisciplinary teams focused on innovation and enriches the range of ultrasound systems Esaote offers.

The ceremony took place at Esaote Booth, where it is possible to deepen features and performances of the new system throughout the duration of the Congress.

For more information:
Press Office LaPresse ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/92cc9559-bfc0-49ba-85dc-ce5210dc4cc1

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8779521

Fortinet Introduces New Specialized Cybersecurity Products and Professional Services for Operational Technology Environments

New and enhanced OT security offerings extend the capabilities of the Fortinet Security Fabric, reinforcing Fortinet’s commitment to reducing cybersecurity risk for cyber-physical and industrial control systems

SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Operational Technology Security Summit 2023

John Maddison, EVP of Products and CMO at Fortinet
“Operational technology environments are more connected to the cloud and their supply chains than ever before, which has created a huge opportunity for cyber attackers. Traditional information security products are not well suited for cyber-physical security. The Fortinet Security Fabric for OT is specifically designed for operational technology, and we’re pleased to introduce additional cyber-physical security capabilities to protect these environments.”

News Summary
Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced new and enhanced products and services for operational technology (OT) environments as an expansion of the Fortinet Security Fabric for OT. Fortinet enables organizations to build a platform of integrated solutions to effectively mitigate cyber risk across OT and IT environments.

The State of OT Security
As more industrial environments increase connectivity with external and internal applications, devices, and corporate IT networks, the attack surface grows exponentially, exposing critical OT assets to increasingly advanced and destructive threats. The 2022 Fortinet State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report found that 93% of organizations had one or more security intrusions in the past year, with 61% of intrusions affecting OT systems. Security breaches have the potential to disrupt critical infrastructure, resources, and services that support everything from local communities to entire nations. Organizations must prioritize securing their OT environments by integrating tools and practices to help alleviate security risks that may arise from lack of visibility and real-time response.

Securing OT Environments with the Fortinet Security Fabric for OT
Highlighting its commitment to OT security, Fortinet has released new and enhanced products and services to help organizations better protect their OT environments. Fortinet’s OT solutions are natively integrated across the Fortinet Security Fabric to seamlessly enable IT/OT convergence and connectivity. This helps improve visibility and real-time response across the entire attack surface and empowers security operations center (SOC) teams to become more efficient and effective in their time to respond across factories, plants, remote locations, and vehicles.

New specialized products include:

  • FortiGate 70F Rugged Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) is the latest addition to Fortinet’s rugged portfolio designed for harsh environments and features a new compact design with converged networking and security capabilities on a single processor. The 70F has FortiGuard AI-powered enterprise-grade security services and delivers complete coverage for content, web and device security with dedicated OT and IoT services that are natively integrated with SD-WAN, universal zero trust network access (ZTNA), and LAN edge controllers. 5G support is also available through an integration with FortiExtender.
  • FortiDeceptor, Fortinet’s deception technology for early breach detection and attack isolation, is now available as an industrially hardened rugged appliance – the FortiDeceptor Rugged 100G – for harsh industrial environments. FortiDeceptor (both appliance and VM) also provides new OT/IoT/IT decoys to support diverse environments. To combat emerging threats and vulnerabilities, FortiDeceptor also now enables on-demand creation of deception decoys based on newly discovered vulnerabilities, or suspicious activity, providing automated, dynamic protection across OT/IoT/IT environments.
  • FortiPAM Privileged Access Management for Secure Remote Access offers enterprise-grade privileged access management for both IT and OT ecosystems. It includes secure remote access to critical assets regulated and monitored through workflow-based access approvals and session video recording. FortiPAM also supports secure file exchange and a password vault to manage all credentials and keep them secret. It supports integration with FortiClient, FortiAuthenticator, and FortiToken to enable ZTNA, single sign-on, and multi-factor authentication.

New enhancements providing SOC teams with faster time to response in OT and IT environments include:

  • FortiSIEM unified security analytics dashboards now include event correlation and mapping of security events to the Purdue Model. It also includes built-in parsers for OT security solutions, a MITRE ATT&CK for ICS (industrial control system) dashboard for OT-specific threat analysis, and support for data-diode technologies.
  • FortiSOAR now offers features to reduce alert fatigue and enable security automation and orchestration across IT and OT environments. Features include IT/OT dashboards mapped to the Purdue Model hierarchy, OT-specific playbooks for threat remediation, MITRE ATT&CK for ICS for threat analysis, and enhanced integration and connectors for OT threat intelligence.
  • FortiGuard Industrial Security Service now includes more than 2,000 application control signatures for OT applications and protocols that support deep packet inspection. The service also includes intrusion prevention signatures for over 500 known ICS vulnerabilities, so vulnerable assets can be virtually patched using FortiGate’s next-generation intrusion prevention system.

New OT specialized assessments and readiness services to stay ahead of threats include:

  • Fortinet Cyber Threat Assessment Program (CTAP) for OT validates OT network security effectiveness, application flows, and includes expert guidance, enabling organizations to improve the security posture of their OT environments.
  • OT Tabletop Exercises for OT Security Teams are led by FortiGuard Incident Response team facilitators with expertise in threat analysis, mitigation, and incident response. The exercises help OT security teams identify security gaps through a series of real-world OT attack scenarios to test an organization’s incident response plan.

An Integrated Approach to OT Security
Today’s announcement builds on Fortinet’s long-time support for OT customers with solutions specifically designed for cyber-physical security as part of the Fortinet Security Fabric for OT. This includes more than 500 technology integrations with over 300 Fabric-Ready Technology Alliance partners, FortiGuard Labs threat intelligence, and enhanced security operations management as organizations expand their IT/OT network operations center (NOC) and SOC capabilities.

Join Fortinet at the Operational Technology Security Summit
Explore the convergence of cybersecurity across IT and OT networks from the production facility to the board room at the Operational Technology Security Summit, a virtual event happening on March 1, 2023 from 8:30am – 11:30am PT. Register now to learn how to reduce operational risk and increase network and cybersecurity resiliency.

Additional Resources

About Fortinet
Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere you need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet’s solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

FTNT-O

Copyright © 2023 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCWP, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMoM, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPlanner, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM and FortiXDR. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

Media Contact: Investor Contact: Analyst Contact:
Michelle Zimmermann
Fortinet, Inc.
408-235-7700
pr@fortinet.com
Peter Salkowski
Fortinet, Inc.
408-331-4595
psalkowski@fortinet.com
Brian Greenberg
Fortinet, Inc.
408-235-7700
analystrelations@fortinet.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8778979

Colliers named one of the top three commercial real estate brands

Ranking reflects continued strength of global brand, platform and leadership

TORONTO, March 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading diversified professional services and investment management company Colliers (NASDAQ, TSX: CIGI) has been named one of the top three global brands in commercial real estate by The Lipsey Company for the sixth consecutive year.

“Backed by our enterprising culture and growth mindset, we are proud to be recognized as leaders in the industry by both industry professionals and clients,” said Becky Finley, Chief Brand & People Officer | Global. “We are committed to investing in relationships and will continue to seek out opportunities to build for our future as we accelerate success for our clients and investors.”

The Lipsey Company is an international leader in training and consulting for the commercial real estate industry. Now in its 22nd year as the industry standard for commercial real estate brand recognition, the survey uses a combination of voting, focus groups, and interviews to establish its rankings. View the full 2023 survey results here.

About Colliers
Colliers (NASDAQ, TSX: CIGI) is a leading diversified professional services and investment management company. With operations in 65 countries, our 18,000 enterprising professionals work collaboratively to provide expert real estate and investment advice to clients. For more than 28 years, our experienced leadership with significant inside ownership has delivered compound annual investment returns of approximately 20% for shareholders. With annual revenues of $4.5 billion and $98 billion of assets under management, Colliers maximizes the potential of property and real assets to accelerate the success of our clients, our investors and our people. Learn more at corporate.colliers.com, Twitter @Colliers or LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Andrea Cheung
Senior Manager, Global Integrated Communications
Andrea.cheung@colliers.com
416-324-6402

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8779079

Philips highlights AI-powered integrated diagnostic approach at ECR 2023

 

March 1, 2023

Fully interoperable smart imaging systems and informatics solutions connect teams in radiology, oncology, cardiology and pathology to enhance clinical confidence and advance precision in diagnosis and treatment

Vienna, Austria and Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced its radiology portfolio of smart connected imaging systems and vendor-neutral integrated radiology workflow solutions featured at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) international meeting (March 1-5, Vienna, Austria). Visitors to Philips @The Blue Level at ECR, the largest exposition space at the Congress, will experience how Philips’ AI-powered technology turns data into actionable insights to increase diagnostic confidence and improve clinical outcomes, enhancing patient and staff experience, driving operational efficiency, and helping lower the cost of care.

“At this year’s ECR, together with our customer partners, Philips will demonstrate how our latest AI-powered integrated smart diagnostic systems and informatics solutions can help reduce clinical complexity and drive operational efficiency to address workforce shortages and staff burnout, all while optimizing the right care pathway for patients,” said Bert van Meurs, Chief Business Leader of Image Guided Therapy and Precision Diagnosis at Philips. “With our AI-enabled technology, we can automate and accelerate routine tasks to generate patient-centric insights from large volumes of data to help improve productivity and enhance patient outcomes. Underpinning each of our innovations at ECR is Philips’ commitment to delivering sustainable, resilient diagnostic solutions that help hospitals receive ongoing value from their investments.”

Smart connected imaging systems powered by leading clinical and AI technology
Philips will showcase its latest innovations connecting radiology, cardiology, pathology and oncology across MR, CT, diagnostic X-ray and ultrasound, including MR SmartSpeed, the next-generation imaging technology that leverages Philips’ state-of-the-art speed engine and an award-winning Artificial Intelligence (AI) [1] reconstruction technology that boosts speed and image quality. In partnership with Leiden University Medical Center (Leiden, The Netherlands) Philips is innovating with AI to further speed up and improve MR examinations, with the aim to reduce scan times to less than five minutes and to reconstruct detailed MR images despite patient or internal organ movement. The approach is already showing promising results in leading hospitals worldwide.

“In systematic research studies, we have seen strong evidence of the ability of SmartSpeed to significantly accelerate acquisition times for knee and spine examinations without compromising image quality, with scan times that can be reduced up to 64% for certain sequences,” said Dr. Andra-Iza Iuga, Department of Radiology at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany.  “Since musculoskeletal (MSK) exams make up a large part of all MR procedures, these acceleration benefits have the potential to result in significant operational cost reductions and we are currently successfully implementing the results of our research studies into our clinical routine.”

Integrated radiology workflow solutions driving operational efficiency
Optimizing clinical workflows can help eliminate waste and allow hospitals to use their resources more efficiently, which translates into improved patient flow and delivery of higher quality care to patients. At ECR, Philips will spotlight its advanced technology to simplify and connect workflows to help reduce variability and staff workload, drive operational efficiency, and enhance the patient experience.

For more information on Philips’ fully integrated radiology portfolio of imaging and informatics solutions being featured at ECR, visit the Philips ECR Press Backgrounder. Read more about Philips’ partnerships with public and private customers, peers, and industry-leading global organizations to help reduce the environmental impact of radiology.

Join Philips in person at the Blue Level at ECR, or virtually via the Philips interactive online radiology experience and follow @PhilipsLiveFrom for #ECR2023 updates throughout the event.

[1] According to the definition of AI from the EU High-Level Expert Group.

For further information, please contact:

Kathy O’Reilly
Philips Global Press Office
Tel.:+1 978 221 8919
E-Mail: kathy.oreilly@philips.com
Twitter: @kathyoreilly

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2022 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

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