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Asia’s Transformative Era: Unveiling the “Asian Dream” through New Study “Truth About Ascending Asia”

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SINGAPORE, Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — McCann Worldgroup has launched its latest insights study, the Truth about Ascending Asia, at an event held at Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum. Over 70 clients, partners and media joined the advertising network to hear from guest speakers including Google, L’Oréal and Mastercard.

This groundbreaking new report highlights how Asia is poised to enter a transformative era, characterised by the emergence of a distinct “Asian Dream.” This concept is defined by the convergence of socio-economic shifts, technological advancements, and cultural evolution, providing a compelling alternative to traditional American and European ideals.

The study encapsulates insights from over 12,000 individuals across 12 diverse markets, 44 expert interviews, and more than 100 hours of social listening, examines the attitudes, aspirations, and values of Asian consumers in an age of rapid change*.

Key Highlights:

1. Optimism Amidst Global Challenges:
The rise of Asia unfolds against a backdrop of global turmoil, including climate change, growing inequality, and geopolitical tensions. However, the study reveals an optimistic perspective among Asians:

Only 41% believe they will need to leave Asia for a better life, in stark contrast to the 85% who feel that their everyday life will be significantly better in the next decade.83% of respondents anticipate a more peaceful life in Asia compared to the West, indicating a belief in the region’s stability and potential.

2. Defining the Asian Dream:
The “Asian Dream” is described as a vision woven with principles of equity, stability, and leadership. The report identifies three pillars:

Commensurate (All-in Equity): Among respondents, economic equality between rich and poor is ranked as the most crucial element for Asia’s future, with geopolitical equality between Asia and the West considered second. Notably, 70% agree that if feminism means equal rights for all, then they identify as feminists.Composure (Equilibrium in Society and Nature): A significant 82% prioritise social stability over individual expression, and an impressive 96% believe that organisations should be legally mandated to protect the environment.Captaincy (Commercial and Thought Leadership): A striking 92% believe Asian brands will become more influential globally, while 76% feel that Asian societies are better equipped to handle the stresses of modern life than their Western counterparts.

3. The Role of Brands:
Brands are no longer passive players; they are viewed as crucial contributors to societal improvement. Key findings reflect a strong demand for brands to:

Take an active role in enhancing everyday life, with 96% of respondents agreeing brands must do more.Engage in social issues, as 86% believe brands should have a voice on important topics.

4. Catalysing Neo-Collectivism:
A fresh form of collectivism is emerging in Asia, blending traditional communal values of family and country with newer markers of identity around local, work and city communities. The study reveals opportunities for mobilizing bigger collects finding that 83% of Asians desire an ‘Asian Union’.

5. Innovating Human Technology:
With a “Tech-First” mindset, Asia is at the forefront of technological advancements in mobile technology, e-commerce, robotics, and fintech. A notable 28% of respondents choose to be governed by tech giants like Google instead of political organisations. There is widespread belief (67%) that the benefits of technology outweigh its risks, although 56% of respondents express fear about a future dominated by robots.

6. Celebrating Cultural Affluence:
Asia’s rich cultural diversity is recognised as its greatest asset, with 92% of respondents believing this diversity should be celebrated more. The report showcases cultural phenomena, such as Korean “Mukbang” eating shows, which have gained global traction, demonstrating the appetite for cross-cultural engagement. Additionally, brands drawing from Asia’s deep cultural heritage, like Alo Yoga and emerging designers blending traditional Asian styles with modern aesthetics, illustrate the impact of cultural richness in branding.

7. Honouring Conscious Practices:
Sustainability is deeply ingrained in Asian philosophies, with 37% believing companies are responsible for reversing climate change. The demand for sustainable practices ranks as the number one influencing factor in product choices among consumers, surpassing other attributes such as organic or high-tech features. Brands are called to view sustainability not as a peripheral initiative but as a fundamental value.

Shilpa Sinha, APAC Chief Strategy Officer, McCann Worldgroup, commented: “While Asian societies are still navigating the challenges of inequality, instability and insufficiencies, the study reinforces the faith of Asian people in a future that’s better and brighter. The Asian Dream founded on the tenets of equity, equilibrium and exceptionalism is not just a theoretical framework of the region’s hopes & aspirations, it is a tangible guiding map for companies and brands to create enduring impact.”

Ghassan Harfouche, President, McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific remarked: “For over 60 years, McCann Worldgroup has been advising clients across Asia Pacific and for over 15 years we’ve been investing in macro truth studies for the region. This research on the world’s most dynamic and diverse region, shows our commitment to understanding what drives business success in Asia and in partnering with our clients to help build enduring and innovation-led brands.”

View executive summary here.

*Our Methodology 
McCann Worldgroup’s Truth Central, the company’s global intelligence unit, conducted this large-scale quantitative study surveying more than 12,000 people in 12 Asian markets- mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. Additionally, 44 business leaders, futurists, academics, and culture tastemakers were interviewed across these markets. 

About McCann Worldgroup
McCann Worldgroup, part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), is a leading global creative solutions company. The company is united across 100+ countries by a mission to build enduring brands together. McCann Worldgroup was named Network for the Year by the Andys in 2024 and Network of the Year by the EPICA Awards for the sixth time. The core McCann Worldgroup network is comprised of McCann, MRM, CRAFT, and FutureBrand, and partners with Momentum Worldwide, Weber Shandwick and UM to deliver solutions across the entire marketing spectrum.

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v4c Promotes Michael Gibson to Chief Executive Officer

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38 minutes ago

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October 20, 2026

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Promotion follows 765% year-over-year revenue growth, investment from Databricks Ventures, and recognition as the 2026 Databricks C&SI Emerging Partner of the Year as v4c continues to expand its world-class Databricks practice

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — v4c.ai, a strategic boutique pure-play Databricks services partner, today announced the promotion of Michael Gibson from Chief Revenue Officer to Chief Executive Officer. Gibson’s appointment builds on his leadership in scaling v4c’s global sales organization and expands his responsibilities to leadership across the business as the company continues to strengthen its market-leading position in the Databricks ecosystem.

As Chief Revenue Officer, Gibson helped scale v4c’s global sales organization during a period of 765% year-over-year revenue growth and a 350% increase in its worldwide client base. Central to that expansion has been his focus on aligning v4c’s go-to-market strategy with Databricks, building relationships across its field organization, and connecting enterprise customers with the expertise needed to advance their Databricks initiatives.

Gibson brings experience on both sides of the enterprise technology relationship: building sales teams within a global software organization and leading growth within technology services. Having been a driving force behind v4c’s success, he will build on that foundation with broader responsibility for the company’s continued growth and evolution. As CEO, he will work closely with the Board to define v4c’s strategy and vision, uniting leaders across all functions to translate that direction into company-wide execution. His focus will span business performance, leadership development, and a culture of collaboration and accountability, while advancing customer success and delivery excellence as v4c enters its next chapter in the Databricks ecosystem.

“Mike has been a key driving force behind v4c’s meteoric rise, translating our vision into a pace of growth that we believe is unprecedented in the Databricks ecosystem,” said Vijay Rao, Founder and Board Member of v4c. “He has built an organization that earns the confidence of Databricks leaders and field teams, wins the trust of enterprise customers, and turns those relationships into shared success. His understanding of where Databricks is going—and how v4c can help our mutual customers get there—will be critical as we continue to expand our capabilities within the ecosystem. The Board is confident that Mike is the right leader to build on this momentum and advance our vision of becoming the world’s best Databricks SI.”

Previously, Gibson served as Senior Area Vice President at MuleSoft, where he led nationwide sales teams serving enterprise customers across banking, retail, consumer goods, and manufacturing. His leadership and performance earned him multiple MuleSoft Owner’s Awards for management and culture building, two AVP of the Year honors, and Chairman’s Club recognition. His tenure spanned the company’s initial public offering and subsequent acquisition by Salesforce, giving him firsthand experience navigating rapid growth and organizational change. That experience also shaped his understanding of how platform providers and services partners work together to earn customer trust, support complex technology decisions, and expand enterprise adoption.

Gibson transitions into the CEO role following two major milestones in v4c’s relationship with Databricks: an investment from Databricks Ventures and recognition as the 2026 Databricks C&SI Emerging Partner of the Year. Together, these milestones reinforce the strategic alignment between the organizations and provide a foundation for further investment in Databricks expertise, joint field engagement, and global delivery capabilities.

“I’m proud of what this team has built and grateful to Vijay, Venkat and the Board for the opportunity to lead v4c,” said Gibson. “Databricks is at the heart of our go-to-market, and our vision is to become the world’s best Databricks SI partner. That means earning the confidence of Databricks teams in every market we serve and delivering for the customers who trust us with their data and AI priorities. As CEO, I’ll focus on deepening those relationships and investing in the people and capabilities that make v4c a partner Databricks can count on as we grow together.”

In this new role, Gibson will lead v4c’s global strategy and execution, deepening strategic alignment with Databricks and guiding investments in the people and capabilities behind the company’s growth. His leadership will focus on scaling the business while preserving its culture, advancing delivery excellence, and strengthening the trust v4c has earned with customers and partners.

About v4c

v4c.ai is a premier IT services consultancy specializing in Databricks, helping organizations modernize their data platforms and build enterprise AI capabilities. As a Databricks Ventures portfolio company and the 2026 Databricks C&SI Emerging Partner of the Year, v4c brings expertise across data engineering, AI strategy and governance, generative AI, and machine learning. Learn more at www.v4c.ai.

Media Contact

Savannah Cole
press@v4c.ai

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SOURCE v4c.ai

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Synteq Launches Apps & Serverless Functions in Developer Platform Expansion

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38 minutes ago

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October 20, 2026

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Synteq brings managed application hosting and serverless compute to its own infrastructure and network, so developers can run their code alongside their VPS instances, GPUs, and storage.

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Synteq today announced the launch of Apps and Serverless Functions, two managed products that let developers deploy applications and code without provisioning or operating servers. The launch is the first release in Synteq’s expansion into developer tools and platform services.

Apps run web services, APIs, and workers directly from source. Users can point Synteq at a GitHub repository or run a single CLI command, and the platform detects the language, builds the image, deploys it, and serves it over HTTPS on a Synteq subdomain or custom domain. Every app runs in its own isolated microVM with dedicated CPU, memory, and network. Deployments use readiness checks and zero-downtime rolling updates with one-command rollback. Live logs, per-replica metrics, and request data live in the Synteq Cloud, where custom domains, automatic HTTPS, and first-class secrets are built in.

Serverless Functions run individual handlers on demand, each invocation isolated in its own microVM. They support Node.js and Python runtimes, can be triggered by HTTP or cron, and deploy from the web editor, CLI, or GitHub.

Apps and Functions run on the same hardware and network as Synteq’s VPS, GPU servers, and block storage, so customers can put their application layer in the same location as the infrastructure it depends on.

“Great infrastructure is only half of a great product. The other half is how it feels to use,” said Ben Haupt, Director of Growth & Product at Synteq. “Functions let teams run scheduled jobs, webhooks, and automation right next to their existing Synteq servers, with every invocation isolated. Apps give developers a git-push path to production. Building a platform that’s easy for developers to operate is at the core of our roadmap, and this is the first step.”

“Our customers already trust us with their most demanding workloads, but have been asking for a broader product ecosystem to migrate their full workloads away from other providers,” said Eric Yingling, Chief Executive Officer of Synteq. “Apps and Functions give developers one place to ship everything, from a weekend project to the production API at the core of their business.”

Launch highlights

Deploy from source: GitHub, direct upload, or a single CLI command, with automatic builds and Dockerfile supportServerless Functions: run scheduled jobs, webhooks, and automation on demand, with no servers to manageFull tenant isolation: every app and function invocation runs in its own Firecracker microVMBudget-bound autoscaling: apps scale with demand up to a spending limit you setLocations at launch: Dallas (DFW) and Chicago (CHI)99.99% uptime SLA

Apps and Functions are available today in Dallas and Chicago and are managed from the same API, CLI, and Synteq Cloud control plane customers already use for GPU servers, virtual machines, and block storage.

In the coming months, Synteq plans to add Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), floating IPs, load balancers, and cloud firewalls to its platform. Apps will also gain SSO and password protection for preview environments. VPC support will let Apps and Functions connect privately to customers’ existing Synteq servers and storage.

About Synteq

Synteq delivers GPU compute, bare metal, and virtualized infrastructure to enterprises, researchers, and developers worldwide, operating its own network (AS400304) and infrastructure footprint across multiple sites. Synteq combines enterprise-grade infrastructure with exceptional price-performance compute, storage and virtualization. Learn more at synteq.com.

Media Contact: pr@synteq.com, https://www.synteq.com

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SOURCE Synteq Digital

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NC AI Officially Releases VARCO Sound, the Generative AI Sound Production Service

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38 minutes ago

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October 20, 2026

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Text, image, and video inputs generate audio and enable detailed modification through “Multitrack” Special release promotion offers 50% discount on the first month’s subscription fee and bonus points Conversational AI “Sound Agent” uses natural language processing, allowing intuitive and accurate arrangements Desktop application and Unity plugin allow seamless integration with existing workflows

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Create and arrange a variety of sounds for a single scene with VARCO Sound, the multitrack AI sound generator.

Multimodal AI company NC AI announced the official release of its generative AI platform, VARCO Sound, on the 20th. Users can easily generate and edit scene-appropriate audio using text, images, and videos. VARCO Sound is designed to help developers and producers who are unfamiliar with sound design bring their creative ideas to life with high-quality soundtracks.

Users can also access the web version of VARCO Sound by signing up on the official website.

NC AI also announced a promotion for VARCO Sound and the AI 3D generator VARCO 3D, running until Nov. 30 following the release. The offer supports continued creation by making AI-based content generation tools more accessible and is available to both new members and existing members who have been using the free version.

Users who make their first purchase during the promotion can receive a 50% discount on the first month of their subscription. Additional bonus points will also be provided, with higher-tier subscriptions receiving even more points. This offer is available once per account for VARCO Sound and VARCO 3D each.

Events will also be held in the official VARCO Discord community. Users who join through the dedicated links provided in each service announcement can enjoy one month of free access to the VARCO 3D Plus plan or the VARCO Sound Lite plan. The first 100 users to join the community will receive the exclusive “VARCO OG” title. In addition, the top five users who share game assets created with VARCO 3D in the community will be selected to receive service credits and titles. Event periods and participation details are available in the Discord announcements for each service

VARCO Sound is a comprehensive platform that allows users to generate and fine-tune audio tracks for content such as games, videos, and animations. Users can describe the desired audio through text or upload an image or video, and the AI analyzes the input to generate scene-appropriate Foley sounds, sound effects, ambient audio, and more.

The tool’s most unique feature is its ability to provide separate tracks for each audio source rather than a single audio file. Users can check each track individually, adjust its volume, or replace specific sound effects to further polish the result and better realize their creative vision.

In addition, the “Variation” feature allows users to build on their existing work. Users can upload an original sample to generate variations while preserving its texture and nuance. This substantially reduces the time required to refine ideas and develop prototypes.

The entire generation and editing process can be conducted through natural language using the conversational AI “Sound Agent.” A simple description of the desired outcome is analyzed by the AI agent, which automatically applies the appropriate features, lowering the entry barrier for new users.

Furthermore, VARCO Sound comes with an automatic volume mixer feature that prevents sounds from clashing when multiple tracks are played simultaneously. The AI examines and adjusts the volume balance between different tracks so that no sound is too loud or too quiet.

Currently, the maximum length of an audio file that can be generated is 60 seconds, and NC AI plans to continue improving the tool’s performance to support video inputs of up to 120 seconds.

NC AI has also released a desktop application and a Unity plugin that allows the tool to seamlessly integrate into the existing workflows of creators. Assets created through the desktop application can be dragged and dropped into other DAWs for immediate use. A personalized library search feature based on natural language and audio will be added in the future to further streamline each user’s workflow.

Moreover, the Unity plugin was selected as a Unity Verified Solution, demonstrating its performance and compatibility. The plugin allows game developers to stay within the Unity engine while creating audio tracks using just text and images and immediately apply them to their projects using the built-in editing tools.

NC AI’s CEO Yeonsoo Lee said, “VARCO Sound has evolved into an ‘AI platform designed for professional needs’ that boosts creators’ efficiency without disrupting their existing workflows.” Yeonsoo Lee added, “We will establish a new paradigm in the global audio creation ecosystem through continuous technological advancement and seamless integration with a wide range of external platforms.”

About NC AI

NC AI leverages over a decade of game AI expertise to develop advanced multimodal and Physical

AI solutions for digital content and industrial sectors. Under its proprietary VARCO brand, the company delivers generative AI tools spanning text, audio, and 3D assets. Under the VAETKI brand, NC AI expanding into Physical AI including Digital Twins, World Models, and Robot Foundation Models (RFM). NC AI applies virtual simulation and reinforcement learning to mission-critical industries like defense and smart manufacturing, seamlessly connecting digital intelligence to physical execution.

NC AI Official Website and Social Media

| Websites   Company Website: https://nc-ai.com/  
                    Official LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nc-ai/
                    Official Blog: https://medium.com/nc-ai
                    Official Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/ncai_official/
                    Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nc_ai/  
                    Official Discord: https://discord.gg/uTBqazNuKr 

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SOURCE NC AI

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