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HTHK Brings Sky-to-Earth Connectivity and Roam-like-Home Experiences

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11 July Launch of Satellite Communications Value-added Service with Pre-registration Commencing 1 July

New concept 5G Data Roam-like-Home monthly plans for data sharing in Hong Kong, mainland China and Macau

Starting from a monthly fee of $19, the satellite communications value-added service (VAS) will be officially launched on 11 July, with pre-registration beginning on 1 July.To meet the growing need of customers heading north for spending, HTHK also presents the 5G Data Roam-like-Home monthly plans, starting from a monthly fee of $158, for free mix-and-match of data usage in Hong Kong, mainland China and Macau at no extra charge.Travel in style with the last four digits of a Hong Kong mobile number paired with those of a mainland China mobile number as part of HTHK’s upgraded 1-Card-2-Number service.  

HONG KONG, July 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong) Limited (HTHK) announced the launch of its direct-to-handset satellite communications value-added service (VAS) by the consumer brand “3” and the premium brand “SUPREME”.  Pre-registration began on 1 July. Compatible handsets or mobile devices are required to deploy the service.

HTHK also launched the 5G Data Roam-like-Home monthly plans for three destinations, together with the upgraded 1-Card-2-Number service, bringing a new mobile experience to users heading north, without extra roaming charges. 

Precise deployment of sky-to-earth connectivity drives competitive advantages

Earlier this year, China Telecom unveiled its direct-to-phone satellite connectivity service in Hong Kong, powered by the Tiantong-1 satellite system. With the new VAS, customers of 3 and SUPREME can make and receive satellite calls and text by using compatible smartphones and mobile devices. Users can stay connected via satellite communications even in remote areas, whether deep in the mountains or on the sea. Other than Huawei’s recently launched new satellite smartphone, it is HTHK’s plan to introduce other compatible mobile devices as soon as they are available later this year.

Kenny Koo, Executive Director and CEO of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Limited, said: “As a leading local digital operator committed to innovation, we collaborate with top-notch partners to provide customers with remarkable services. Our new satellite communications VAS complements our 5G services, enabling a seamless network experience even in remote areas, demonstrating our leadership in technology.”

Launch of VAS on 11 July with pre-registration starting 1 July

The satellite communications VAS will be launched on 11 July. Plans start from a monthly fee of $19, with options for more data entitlement. Details are:

Basic
Monthly Fee

Optional VAS Bundle

Service fee

$19 /month

$95 /month

$300 /month

$450 /month

$1,500/year

Contract
period

24 months

31 days

12 months

Include
satellite
calls^ / SMS
(local)

2 mins

10 mins

+ 5 SMS

50 mins

+ 5 SMS

100 mins

+ 5 SMS

300 mins

+ 100 SMS

Thereafter
charges

Voice calls: $15/ minSending SMS: $9 eachReceiving SMS:  FreeMaking calls and sending SMS to non-HK numbers: extra IDD
service charge and International SMS charge

^The satellite communications plans include both receiving calls and making calls to Hong Kong.

New 5G data concept: “Roam like home” across three destinations

It was quite a hassle to get roaming data ready when travelling to the mainland for leisure in the past. With the new 5G Data Roam-like-Home monthly plans in place, customers can now conveniently use their data in Hong Kong, mainland China and Macau without paying extra roaming charges. They can even access all three major networks in mainland China, enjoying the most comprehensive coverage. From now on, travelling across the mainland can be enjoyed with a data service experience just like being in Hong Kong.

Travel in style with upgraded 1-Card-2-Number service and number pairing

Having a mainland China mobile number is necessary for uninterrupted communications when travelling in the mainland. 3 and SUPREME’s upgraded 1-Card-2-Number service, starting from a monthly fee of just $28, enables customers to use a mainland China phone number to send SMS and make calls to the mainland even while in Hong Kong.

The upgraded 1-card-2-number plan now offers a VoLTE HD voice experience as a new feature. The plan also comes with 20 minutes of free voice calls to mainland China every month. Furthermore, the new “dial number auto correct” function makes it simple and convenient to call mainland China mobile phone numbers or any Hong Kong mobile phone numbers in mainland China, without having to enter country or city codes.

3 and SUPREME have also launched a “number pairing”* service to help customers match a mainland China phone number with the same last four digits as their Hong Kong number. With this new feature, customers can easily share the last four digits of their mobile number for convenient use in mainland China, such as hailing a ride or booking a restaurant.

The 5G Data Roam-like-Home monthly plan starts from $158, including data of 30GB or more shared across mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Customers opting for the upgraded 1-Card-2-Number for 24 months can enjoy a 12-month service fee waiver, making it more convenient for them to travel in mainland China.

Monthly
Fee

Mainland China-Hong
Kong-Macau Shared
Data

Upgraded 1-Card-2-
Number

Contract
Period

$158

30GB

Free for 12 months*

24 months

$188

50GB

Customers subscribing to the 5G Data Roam-like-Home monthly plans with purchase of the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra before 11 July will receive a 12-month service fee waiver on the upgraded 1-Card-2-Number service and the satellite communications VAS. This promotion offers a total savings of around HK$1,500, enabling customers to enjoy the latest mobile communications experience.

*Subject to the availability of mainland China mobile phone numbers.

About Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong) Limited

Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong) Limited (“HTHK”), a leading mobile operator in Hong Kong, offers diverse and advanced mobile telecoms services under the SUPREME, 3 Hong Kong, SoSIM and MO+ brands, addressing different needs of the consumer market. HTHK is also dedicated to developing business and enterprise solutions under the 3Business brand in the corporate market spanning mobile commerce, information technology, smart city, the Internet of Things and big data. HTHK channels the latest technologies into innovations that set market trends and steer industry development.

HTHK is the mobile division of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Limited (stock code: 215), a group member of CK Hutchison Holdings (stock code: 1).  For more information on HTHK, visit www.hthkh.com.

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SOURCE Hutchison Telecom

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Shoplazza Launches the World’s First AI-Native Commerce Operating System with a Unified Suite of AI Agents

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TORONTO, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Shoplazza, a leading global commerce platform, announced the launch of the world’s first AI native commerce operating system recently, along with a unified suite of AI agents designed to execute across the entire ecommerce lifecycle. The release marks a major step forward in the company’s evolution from a traditional software platform to an AI-driven commerce infrastructure built for global scale.

At the core of the system is Shoplazza AI Store Builder, an intelligent agent that fundamentally changes how online stores are created. Instead of configuring tools manually, merchants can now generate fully functional, ready to sell storefronts through simple natural language input. By interpreting product information, target markets, and customer profiles, the system automatically builds site architecture, generates localized content, and provides initial go to market recommendations. What once required weeks of setup can now be completed in minutes, with a complete store and launch ready foundation.

Shoplazza also introduced LazzaStudio, an AI powered visual creation agent that streamlines how merchants produce content at scale. From product imagery to marketing creatives and campaign visuals, LazzaStudio transforms traditionally complex production workflows into a prompt driven process. With built in brand learning capabilities, the system generates consistent, high quality assets tailored for global audiences, enabling merchants to deploy content seamlessly across storefronts and advertising channels while significantly reducing production time and cost.

To complete the growth loop, Shoplazza launched AdValet, an AI advertising agent that automates campaign execution end to end. AdValet translates product data and market signals into audience targeting, creative generation, media planning, and campaign deployment. During live campaigns, it continuously monitors performance and dynamically optimizes outcomes through real time feedback and model iteration. This shifts advertising from manual, experience based trial and error to a system of continuous, AI-driven performance optimization.

These agents operate together within Shoplazza’s AI-native commerce operating system, where merchant intent is translated directly into coordinated execution. By unifying store creation, content production, and marketing into a single system, Shoplazza replaces fragmented workflows with an integrated layer of automation that enables faster, more predictable growth.

Shoplazza currently supports more than 650,000 merchants worldwide. With its AI-native architecture, the platform brings together previously disconnected capabilities into a single intelligent system, delivering improvements in efficiency, scalability, and operational reliability for businesses operating in increasingly complex global markets.

Looking ahead, Shoplazza will introduce Athena very soon, an AI admin agent designed to extend automation into day to day business management. Covering areas such as product management, order processing, analytics, and content operations, Athena allows merchants to interact with the system conversationally while orchestrating multiple agents in the background. This will complete a fully connected agent ecosystem spanning store creation, creative production, marketing execution, and ongoing operations.

“Commerce has reached a point where adding more tools no longer solves the problem,” said Jeff Li, Founder and CEO of Shoplazza. “What merchants need is a system that can understand intent and execute across the entire business. That is what we are building with our AI native commerce operating system. It is not just about making things easier. It is about making outcomes more predictable, scalable, and aligned with how modern commerce actually operates.”

About Shoplazza

Shoplazza is a global AI-native commerce operating system that enables brands to build, launch, and scale their online businesses. Built on an AI agent-native framework, Shoplazza integrates storefronts, marketing, payments, and operational workflows into a unified system designed to support scalable, long-term growth across global markets. Learn more at https://www.shoplazza.com/.

 

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SOURCE Shoplazza

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Pricer and JRTech Solutions sign 51 MUSD digital store transformation deal with Sobeys in Canada

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MONTREAL, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – Pricer AB, a global leader in digital shelf-edge solutions, announces that its Canadian partner JRTech Solutions has signed a major agreement with Sobeys, one of Canada’s leading supermarket chains. The contract includes the deployment of Pricer’s latest electronic shelf label (ESL) technology and the cloud-based platform Pricer Plaza across an estimated 300–350 stores.

The agreement covers the supply of multicolor electronic shelf labels and the necessary store infrastructure, with a total hardware and infrastructure value of approximately 51 MUSD (excluding Pricer Plaza). The deployment is scheduled for an 18-month period starting in May 2026.

“We are very grateful for the trust and that Sobeys has once again chosen Pricer as its long-term strategic partner,” says Mats Arnehall, Chief Growth Officer at Pricer. “This deal confirms our leading position in the North American market and the value of our high-performance system in high-density retail environments. Our scalable cloud platform, Pricer Plaza, will be the intelligence behind every label, enabling Sobeys to act faster and work smarter.”

“After years of close collaboration and shared success, we’re proud to grow our partnership with Sobeys even further with an expanded rollout,” says Diego Mazzone, President and CEO of JRTech Solutions. “That momentum is driven by our ability to consistently deliver reliable, high-quality solutions in complex retail environments. Together, we are positioning our digital smart labels at the heart of a broader digital transformation, driving operational excellence, unlocking real-time intelligence, and creating meaningful value for both Sobeys and their customers.”

Orders will be included in Pricer’s order intake as they are received.

About JRTech Solutions
JRTech Solutions Inc. is the leading North American turnkey Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) provider and the largest worldwide distributor of Pricer ESLs, involved in over 2,000 store installations since 2008. JRTech Solutions is the exclusive Canadian provider of AI-powered inventory scanning robotics powered by Brain Corp for automated inventory management.
For further information: www.jrtechsolutions.com

About Pricer
Pricer is a pioneer and partner for in-store communication and digitalization in the rapidly evolving retail tech landscape. As a global technology leader, we empower leading retailers worldwide to shape effortless and inspiring shopping experiences that fundamentally change buying behaviors, boost sales, and drive operational efficiency. Leveraging cutting-edge innovation, we deliver scalable, high-performing solutions that easily integrate with existing systems, are energy-efficient, and user-friendly. Founded in Sweden in 1991 and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, Pricer has delivered over 380 million electronic shelf labels in more than 28,000 stores across more than 80 countries.
For further information, please visit www.pricer.com

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SOURCE JRTECH SOLUTIONS INC.

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Mitate Zepto Technica Joins JST’s Next-generation Edge AI Semiconductor R&D Program as Social Implementation Partner

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– MZT to Lead Product Commercialization through Its Genome-analysis Accelerator “RASEN” –

TOKYO, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mitate Zepto Technica, Inc. (hereinafter “MZT”), based in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, announced on April 20 that it has joined the national research initiative “Next-Generation Edge AI Semiconductor Research and Development Program” promoted by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). MZT participates as a designated social implementation and commercialization partner for the research theme “Accelerating Edge Intelligence for AI for Science” (Principal Investigator: Makoto Taiji, Program Director, TRIP Headquarters, RIKEN).

Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202604167540-O1-5Sz6I68Q 

This research theme aims to achieve advanced computational infrastructure through the integration of AI technology and next-generation edge semiconductors, with genome analysis as one of its key application domains. MZT participates as an organization responsible for the productization and social implementation of research outcomes through its proprietary genome-analysis accelerator “RASEN.”

Background

Since its founding in 2020, MZT has pursued a distinctive approach to genome analysis: purpose-built ASIC acceleration. Following technology validation through joint research with Tohoku University and other partners, MZT now participates as an R&D institution responsible for social implementation under this research theme.

MZT’s Role in the Program

Within this research theme, MZT will integrate AI research outcomes from RIKEN and Tohoku University into the RASEN architecture, and lead the R&D work toward social implementation through ASIC development and productization. As the industrial partner bridging research and real-world deployment, the company targets social implementation by 2029.

Program Overview

Research theme: Accelerating edge intelligence for AI for science
Promoting agency: Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
Principal investigator: Makoto Taiji, Program Director, TRIP Headquarters, RIKEN
Participating institutions: RIKEN, Tohoku University, Keio University, Mitate Zepto Technica
MZT’s participation start: April 2026 (FY2026)
JST program period: FY2025 onwards

Comment from Keisuke Harashima, President & CEO, Mitate Zepto Technica:
“It is a tremendous honor that we can lead the social implementation of this research theme through the acceleration of genome analysis via dedicated semiconductors — a challenge we have pursued since MZT’s founding. RASEN is at exactly the right inflection point, transitioning from research to real-world deployment. We will use this participation to accelerate commercialization across healthcare, drug discovery, and research infrastructure.”

About RASEN

RASEN is MZT’s proprietary genome-analysis accelerator under development, built on a purpose-designed ASIC architecture. In internal validation, RASEN has demonstrated the ability to complete whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis in approximately 5 minutes on a standard workstation — without the need for supercomputers or high-performance computing infrastructure. In independent validation studies conducted with Tohoku University, RASEN achieved 99.8% concordance with conventional analysis methods across 12 samples, confirming that its speed advantage does not come at the cost of accuracy.

About Mitate Zepto Technica

Mitate Zepto Technica is a Japanese deep-tech startup developing purpose-built semiconductor solutions for genome analysis. By harnessing cutting-edge chip technology, MZT aims to deliver transformative speed improvements in genomic computation –contributing to the resolution of global challenges in healthcare, food security, and energy through its proprietary products.

Website: https://mitatezeptotechnica.com/en/company/ 

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SOURCE Mitate Zepto Technica, Inc.

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