Connect with us

Technology

SIGMA LITHIUM APPOINTS CIO FROM PROMINENT SAUDI ARABIAN INDUSTRIAL CONGLOMERATE AS NEW INDEPENDENT BOARD MEMBER; TO RELEASE FY2024 RESULTS ON MARCH 31, 2025

Published

on

SÃO PAULO, March 13, 2025 /CNW/ — Sigma Lithium Corporation (TSXV/NASDAQ: SGML, BVMF: S2GM34) (“Sigma Lithium” or the “Company”), a leading global lithium producer dedicated to powering the next generation of electric vehicles with socially and environmentally sustainable lithium concentrate announces the appointment of Junaid Jafar, as a new independent member of the Board of Directors, effective today. He  has the prominent role of Chief Investment Officer at Al Muhaidib Investment Office, which is the family office of Al Muhaidib Group, one of the largest private conglomerates in the Middle East (the “Conglomerate”) headquartered in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

The holdings of the Conglomerate include direct and indirect investments (thorugh Vision Invest) in companies such as ACWA Power (KSA’s largest private sector power & water entity, in partnership with PIF), Saudi Tabreed, Data Volt, Miahona, Riyadh Cables, Savola Group and Masdar.

Mr. Jafar oversees capital allocation across private and public markets and manages a portfolio of leading global private equity, private credit, infrastructure and venture capital managers. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Seedra Ventures, one of the leading venture funds in KSA focused on fintech. His extensive board experience in both large industrial companies, as well as venture capital, shall bring valuable perspectives and strategic insights, which will significantly contribute to our Board’s effectiveness in the execution of growth strategy to supply into the continuous increase of lithium demand.

Mr. Jafar’s professional expertise spans direct investments across private equity, private credit globally and throughout the Middle East. With nearly 30 years in investment management, he has previously worked at J.P. Morgan, Fitch Ratings and Janus Henderson in London, as well as at Emerging Markets Partnership and Tadhamon Capital in Bahrain. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England & Wales (ICAEW) and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Middlebury College in Vermont, USA.

“We are honored and enthusiastic to welcome Mr. Jafar as an independent director to our Board,” said Ana Cabral, CEO and Co-Chairperson of Sigma Lithium. “He is a prominent Middle Eastern business leader who will bring to our Board a wealth of capital allocation experience in base industries, creating the perfect mix of expertise to steward the Company. We are undergoing a transformational period as we leap forward to become one of the major integrated industrial-mineral lithium oxide global companies, simultaneously building our secong Greentech Industrial Plant to double production capacity by the fourth quarter of 2025, while entering the planning stages of the construction for our third Greentech industrial production line, in back-to-back sequence.”

Marcelo Paiva, Co-Chairperson of Sigma Lithium, added, “We believe that Mr. Jafar’s experiences will be instrumental in supporting the Company as we execute multiple strategic initiatives, including expanding our global commercial presence and fostering partnerships and alliances to create continued value for our shareholders. His skills are highly complementary to our Board’s, bringing a geographically diverse strategic perspective from the Middle East—the epicenter of the global energy industry, coupled with key board roles at some of the leading companies involved in executing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Plan, with the focus on energy transition and sustainable development as strategic priorities. We look forward to the significant contribution he will bring to our Board.”

Mr. Jafar joins the board in place of Mr. Bechara Azar, who is stepping down for personal reasons. “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Mr. Azar for his significant contribution and unwavering commitment to his role on the Board of Sigma during the last 20 months, a period during which Sigma has been completely transformed from a junior miner in early stages of commissioning to one of the largest industrial lithium producers globally. We are extremely grateful for his dedication to the role and service to the board”, said Ana Cabral, CEO and Co-Chairperson of Sigma Lithium. 

RELEASE OF FULL YEAR 2024 AUDITED FINANCIAL RESULTS
Sigma Lithium announces that it will release its audited financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2024 before the market opens on Monday, March 31, 2025.

The Company will host a conference call to discuss these results on Monday, March 31, 2025, at 8:00 AM ET.

To participate in the call, click here to register.To listen to the live webcast, click here to join the webcast.

Sigma Lithium’s earnings press release, investor presentation, annual filings and links to the conference calls will be available on the Company’s Investor Relations website, ir.sigmalithiumresources.com. A webcast replay will also be available following the conclusion of the event.

ABOUT SIGMA LITHIUM
Sigma Lithium (TSXV/NASDAQ: SGML, BVMF: S2GM34) is a leading global lithium producer dedicated to powering the next generation of electric vehicle batteries with carbon neutral, socially and environmentally sustainable chemical-grade lithium concentrate.

Sigma Lithium operates the world’s fifth largest industrial-mineral complexes for lithium oxide materials and one of the world’s largest lithium producers. The Company operates at the forefront of environmental and social sustainability in the EV battery materials supply chain at its Grota do Cirilo Operation in Brazil, where Sigma produces Quintuple Zero Green Lithium: net zero carbon lithium, produced with zero dirty power, zero potable water, zero toxic chemicals and zero tailings’ dams.

The Company produces 270,000t of lithium oxide concentrate (approximately 38,000t to 40,000t of LCE) annually at its state-of-the-art Greentech Industrial Lithium plant. The Company is currently building a second Greentech Industrial Plant that is expected to double capacity to 520,000 tonnes of lithium oxide (equivalent to approximately 77,000t to 80,000t of LCE).

For more information about Sigma Lithium, visit our website. 

Sigma Lithium

LinkedIn: Sigma Lithium
Instagram: @sigmalithium
Twitter: @SigmaLithium

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sigma-lithium-appoints-cio-from-prominent-saudi-arabian-industrial-conglomerate-as-new-independent-board-member-to-release-fy2024-results-on-march-31-2025-302401436.html

SOURCE Sigma Lithium Corporation

Continue Reading

Technology

AudioCodes Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results

Published

on

By

OR YEHUDA, Israel, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 

Third Quarter Highlights

Quarterly revenues increased by 4.2% year-over-year to $64.1 million;Quarterly services revenues increased by 19.9% year-over-year to $37.1 million;GAAP results:
– Quarterly GAAP gross margin was 65.7%;
– Quarterly GAAP operating margin was 5.3%;
– Quarterly GAAP net income was $3.6 million, or $0.15 per diluted share;Non-GAAP results:
– Quarterly Non-GAAP gross margin was 65.8%;
– Quarterly Non-GAAP operating margin was 7.4%;
– Quarterly Non-GAAP net income was $4.0 million, or $0.16 per diluted share;Net cash provided by operating activities was $4.1 million for the quarter;AudioCodes repurchased 1,517,568 of its ordinary shares during the quarter at an aggregate cost of $15.1 million.

Details

AudioCodes (NASDAQ: AUDC) (the “Company”), a global leader in enterprise voice and VoiceAI business solutions, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026.

Revenues for the third quarter of 2026 were $64.1 million compared to $61.5 million for the third quarter of 2025.

Net income was $3.6 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2026 compared to net income of $2.7 million, or $0.10 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2025.

On a non-GAAP basis, net income was $4.0 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2026 compared to $4.9 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2025.

Non-GAAP net income excludes: (i) share-based compensation expenses; (ii) amortization expenses related to intangible assets; and (iii) financial income (expenses) related to exchange rate differences in connection with revaluation of assets and liabilities in non-dollar denominated currencies. Non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating margin exclude: (i) share-based compensation expenses and (ii) amortization expenses related to intangible assets. Reconciliations of the non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures are provided in the tables that accompany the condensed consolidated financial statements contained in this press release.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $4.1 million for the third quarter of 2026. Cash and cash equivalents, short-term bank deposits, short-term marketable securities, and long-term financial investments were $47.1 million as of September 30, 2026, compared to $75.7 million as of December 31, 2025. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents, short-term bank deposits, short-term marketable securities, and long-term financial investments was primarily the result of the use of cash for the continued repurchase of the Company’s ordinary shares pursuant to its share repurchase program and the payment of a cash dividend during each of the first and third quarters of 2026. This was partially offset by cash generated from operating activities.

“I am pleased to report strong financial results and continued business momentum for the third-quarter 2026. Our solid financial results demonstrate progress in our strategic transformation of AudioCodes into a voice AI-driven cloud software and services company,” said Shabtai Adlersberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of AudioCodes.

“Third-quarter results were driven by continued momentum in our two key growth pillars: the Live suite of managed services for UCaaS and CX, and our VoiceAI business. Combined annual recurring revenue (ARR) for these segments reached $87 million, up 16% year over year. Our Microsoft Teams business continued to grow with sustained momentum, growing 4% year over year.

“Our UCaaS and CX connectivity business, which now accounts for more than 85% of our overall business, has remained resilient, with a promising outlook for 2027.

“Building on revenue growth earlier this year, our VoiceAI business grew 50% in the first three quarters of 2026 year-over-year, reflecting strong, broad-based demand across the portfolio. During the quarter, VoiceAI Connect and Live Hub continued to achieve record bookings, supported by a growing pipeline, new customer wins, and significant expansion among existing customers. Revenue from Voca CIC, our Microsoft Teams-certified contact center solution, grew more than 40% year over year during the quarter. Meeting Insights and Mia Edge, our enterprise-grade meeting intelligence solutions for cloud and on-premises environments, also gained traction, with revenue growing more than 100% during this quarter compared with the same period a year earlier. 

“Overall, we achieved our operational and financial targets for the third quarter period. The ongoing investments in Live services and VoiceAI have significantly contributed to our success and position us favorably for continued healthy top-line growth throughout the rest of 2026 and 2027,” concluded Mr. Adlersberg. 

Share Buy Back Program and Cash Dividend

On August 4, 2026, the Company declared a cash dividend of 20 cents per share. The dividend, in the aggregate amount of approximately $4.8 million, was paid on September 3, 2026, to all of the Company’s shareholders of record on August 19, 2026.

In September 2026, the Company received court approval in Israel to purchase up to an aggregate amount of $30 million of ordinary shares. The court approval also permits AudioCodes to declare a dividend out of any part of this amount. The approval is valid through March 9, 2027.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2026, the Company acquired 1,517,568 of its ordinary shares under its share repurchase program for a total consideration of $15.1 million.

As of September 30, 2026, the Company had $26.7 million available under this approval for the repurchase of shares and/or declaration of cash dividends.

As of September 30, 2026, the total outstanding shares of the Company were 23,296,828.

Conference Call & Web Cast Information

AudioCodes will conduct a conference call at 8:30 A.M., Eastern Time today to discuss the Company’s third quarter of 2026 operating performance, financial results and outlook. Interested parties may participate in the conference call by dialing one of the following numbers:

United States Participants: 888–506-0062

International Participants: +1 (973) 528-0011

The conference call will also be simultaneously webcast. Investors are invited to listen to the call live via webcast at the AudioCodes investor website at http://www.audiocodes.com/investors-lobby.

Follow AudioCodes’ social media channels:

AudioCodes invites you to join our online community and follow us on: AudioCodes Voice Blog, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and YouTube.

About AudioCodes

AudioCodes Ltd. (NASDAQ: AUDC) (TASE: AUDC) is a global leader in enterprise voice and VoiceAI business solutions. We help organizations unlock the full value of voice, transforming every conversation, whether human or AI, into a strategic asset that drives better business outcomes. Our portfolio spans voice connectivity, unified communications and contact center integration, and next-generation voice AI applications that enhance collaboration, automate workflows and deliver real-time insights. With over 30 years of global experience and trusted by 65 of the Fortune 100, AudioCodes powers the intelligent enterprise, connecting people, platforms and data to move business forward.

For more information on AudioCodes, visit http://www.audiocodes.com.

Statements concerning AudioCodes’ business outlook or future economic performance, product introductions and plans and objectives related thereto, and statements concerning assumptions made or expectations as to any future events, conditions, performance or other matters, are “forward-looking statements” as the term is defined under U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in such statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to, the following: the effect of global economic conditions in general and conditions in AudioCodes’ industry and target markets in particular, including governmental undertakings to address such conditions; shifts in supply and demand; market acceptance of new products and the demand for existing products; the impact of competitive products and pricing on AudioCodes’ and its customers’ products and markets; timely product and technology development, upgrades, the advent of artificial intelligence, and the ability to manage changes in market conditions and evolving regulatory regimes, as applicable; possible need for additional financing; the ability to satisfy covenants in AudioCodes’ financing agreements; possible impacts and disruptions from AudioCodes’ acquisitions, including the ability of AudioCodes to successfully integrate the products and operations of acquired companies into AudioCodes’ business; possible adverse impacts attributable to any pandemic or other public health crisis on our business and results of operations; the effects of the current and any future hostilities involving Israel, including in the regions in which we or our counterparties operate, which may affect our operations and may limit our ability to produce and sell our solutions; any disruption in our operations by the obligations of our personnel to perform military service as a result of current or future military actions involving Israel; and any other factors described in AudioCodes’ filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. AudioCodes assumes no obligation to update the information in this release.

©2026 AudioCodes Ltd. All rights reserved. AudioCodes, AC, HD VoIP, HD VoIP Sounds Better, IPmedia, Mediant, MediaPack, What’s Inside Matters, OSN, SmartTAP, User Management Pack, VMAS, VoIPerfect, VoIPerfectHD, Your Gateway To VoIP, 3GX, AudioCodes One Voice, AudioCodes Meeting Insights, and AudioCodes Room Experience are trademarks or registered trademarks of AudioCodes Limited. All other products or trademarks are property of their respective owners. Product specifications are subject to change without notice.

 

AUDIOCODES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

U.S. dollars in thousands 

September 30,

December 31,

2026

2025

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS:

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 41,991

$ 45,282

Short-term bank deposits

252

239

Short-term marketable securities

2,520

27,350

Trade receivables, net

64,553

67,358

Other receivables and prepaid expenses

13,357

19,064

Inventories

24,926

22,032

Total current assets

147,599

181,325

LONG-TERM ASSETS:

Long-term Trade receivables

$ 12,150

$ 13,065

Long-term financial investments

2,372

2,790

Deferred tax assets

6,501

7,773

Operating lease right-of-use assets

30,491

30,077

Severance pay funds

22,227

21,163

Total long-term assets

73,741

74,868

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET

29,679

29,248

GOODWILL, INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND OTHER, NET

40,054

37,579

Total assets

$ 291,073

$ 323,020

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

CURRENT LIABILITIES:

Trade payables

$ 10,849

$ 6,416

Other payables and accrued expenses

29,584

30,284

Deferred revenues

40,017

38,243

Short-term operating lease liabilities

7,122

6,635

Total current liabilities

87,572

81,578

LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:

Accrued severance pay

$ 18,609

$ 18,278

Deferred revenues and other liabilities

25,414

20,517

Long-term operating lease liabilities

32,084

31,348

Total long-term liabilities

76,107

70,143

Total shareholders’ equity

127,394

171,299

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

$ 291,073

$ 323,020

 

AUDIOCODES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

U.S. dollars in thousands, except per share data

 Nine months ended

Three months ended

 September 30,

September 30,

2026

2025

2026

2025

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Revenues:

Products

$ 83,545

$ 86,896

$ 27,037

$ 30,606

Services

105,700

96,103

37,107

30,941

Total Revenues

189,245

182,999

64,144

61,547

Cost of revenues:

Products

30,667

33,086

10,507

11,150

Services

33,958

31,370

11,503

10,112

Total Cost of revenues

64,625

64,456

22,010

21,262

Gross profit

124,620

118,543

42,134

40,285

Operating expenses:

Research and development, net

40,801

39,087

13,447

13,188

Selling and marketing

61,867

57,318

21,203

18,942

General and administrative

12,018

11,832

4,112

4,094

Total operating expenses

114,686

108,237

38,762

36,224

Operating income

9,934

10,306

3,372

4,061

Financial income (expenses), net

(898)

586

1,243

64

Income before taxes on income

9,036

10,892

4,615

4,125

Taxes on income, net

(2,968)

(3,838)

(977)

(1,393)

Net income

$ 6,068

$ 7,054

$ 3,638

$ 2,732

Basic net earnings per share

$ 0.24

$ 0.24

$ 0.15

$ 0.10

Diluted net earnings per share

$ 0.24

$ 0.24

$ 0.15

$ 0.10

Weighted average number of shares used in
computing basic net earnings per share (in
thousands)

25,197

28,858

23,939

28,169

Weighted average number of shares used in
computing diluted net earnings per share (in
thousands)

25,716

29,356

24,504

28,672

 

AUDIOCODES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP RESULTS

U.S. dollars in thousands, except per share data

Nine months ended

Three months ended

September 30,

September 30,

2026

2025

2026

2025

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Gross profit

$ 124,620

$ 118,543

$ 42,134

$ 40,285

Gross margin

65.9 %

64.8 %

65.7 %

65.5 %

Share-based compensation (1)

215

319

62

94

Amortization expenses (2)

–

366

–

122

Non-GAAP gross profit

124,835

119,228

42,196

40,501

Non-GAAP gross margin

66.0 %

65.2 %

65.8 %

65.8 %

Operating income

$ 9,934

$ 10,306

$ 3,372

$ 4,061

Operating margin

5.2 %

5.6 %

5.3 %

6.6 %

Share-based compensation (1)

4,193

4,901

1,382

1,625

Amortization expenses (2)

19

399

–

133

Non-GAAP operating income

14,146

15,606

4,754

5,819

Non-GAAP operating margin

7.5 %

8.5 %

7.4 %

9.5 %

Net income

$ 6,068

$ 7,054

$ 3,638

$ 2,732

Net earnings per share

$ 0.24

$ 0.24

$ 0.15

$ 0.10

Share-based compensation (1)

4,193

4,901

1,382

1,625

Amortization expenses (2)

19

399

–

133

Exchange rate differences (3)

1,329

1,310

(1,059)

392

Non-GAAP net income

$ 11,609

$ 13,664

$ 3,961

$ 4,882

Non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share

$ 0.44

$ 0.45

$ 0.16

$ 0.17

Weighted average number of shares used in computing
Non-GAAP diluted net earnings per share (in thousands)

26,447

30,094

25,191

29,437


(1) Share-based compensation expenses related to options and restricted share units granted to employees and others.
(2) Amortization expenses related to intangible assets.
(3) Financial income (expenses) related to exchange rate differences in connection with revaluation of assets and 
liabilities in non-dollar denominated currencies.

Note: Non-GAAP measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the results prepared in accordance with GAAP. The Company believes that non-GAAP information is useful because it can enhance the understanding of its ongoing economic performance and therefore uses internally this non-GAAP information to evaluate and manage its operations. The Company has chosen to provide this information to investors to enable them to perform comparisons of operating results in a manner similar to how the Company analyzes its operating results and because many comparable companies report this type of information.
The non-GAAP measures used by the Company may not be comparable to similarly titled non-GAAP measures used by other companies.

 

AUDIOCODES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

U.S. dollars in thousands

Nine months ended

Three months ended

September 30,

September 30,

2026

2025

2026

2025

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income

$ 6,068

$ 7,054

$ 3,638

$ 2,732

Adjustments required to reconcile net income to net
cash provided by operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

3,386

3,096

1,174

1,183

Amortization of marketable securities premiums and
accretion of discounts, net

136

312

14

115

Decrease (increase) in accrued severance pay, net

(733)

(714)

342

(790)

Share-based compensation expenses

4,193

4,901

1,382

1,625

Decrease in deferred tax assets, net

1,206

708

516

401

Cash financial loss (income), net

571

37

164

15

Decrease in operating lease right-of-use assets

3,649

3,292

1,386

1,093

Decrease (increase) in operating lease liabilities

(2,840)

(133)

(2,466)

(555)

Decrease (increase) in trade receivables, net

3,720

(10,373)

(3,041)

(7,237)

Decrease (increase) in other receivables and prepaid
expenses

3,213

(6,464)

2,730

(2,020)

Decrease (increase) in inventories

(3,054)

7,261

(1,188)

2,285

Increase in trade payables

4,161

2,761

1,278

2,674

Decrease (increase) in other payables and accrued
expenses

(8,170)

7,027

(4,020)

277

Increase in deferred revenues

7,491

6,471

2,171

2,256

Net cash provided by operating activities

22,997

25,236

4,080

4,054

Cash flows from investing activities:

Proceeds from short-term deposits

(13)

(23)

3

(5)

Proceeds from financial investments

134

243

12

65

Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities

24,827

5,200

7,450

2,000

Purchase of financial investments

(135)

(442)

–

–

Purchase of property and equipment

(3,355)

(4,830)

(1,059)

(1,571)

Net cash provided by investing activities

21,458

148

6,406

489

 

AUDIOCODES LTD. AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

U.S. dollars in thousands

Nine months ended

Three months ended

September 30,

September 30,

2026

2025

2026

2025

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Purchase of treasury shares

(37,669)

(24,514)

(15,121)

(12,696)

Cash dividends paid to shareholders

(10,077)

(10,934)

(4,788)

(5,608)

Proceeds from issuance of shares upon exercise of options

–

240

–

67

Net cash used in financing activities

(47,746)

(35,208)

(19,909)

(18,237)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

(3,291)

(9,824)

(9,423)

(13,694)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

45,282

58,749

51,414

62,619

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$ 41,991

$ 48,925

$ 41,991

$ 48,925

Company Contact

Niran Baruch, 
Chief Financial Officer 
AudioCodes
Tel: +972-3-976-4000
niran.baruch@audiocodes.com 

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/audiocodes-reports-third-quarter-2026-results-302928926.html

SOURCE AudioCodes

Continue Reading

Technology

AWS launches “Semarak AI Malaysia”, a national program to bring AI tools to government officers, students, and local software companies

Published

on

By

AWS is investing to put Amazon Quick, the AI built for work, in the hands of up to 445,000 government officers — supporting Malaysia’s nation-building agenda by giving public-sector teams practical, hands-on experience applying agentic AI to everyday workGovTech Malaysia launches GovHub, powered by Kiro, for developers to bring engineering rigor to agentic development, starting with a 500-developer pilot in 2026, with a goal to reach 4,000 by 2028Over 3,000 polytechnic students and lecturers set a national record by building agentic AI solutions in Malaysia’s largest AI competition using Kiro, AWS’s engineering agent

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com, Inc. company (NASDAQ: AMZN), today launched “Semarak AI Malaysia” at AWS Cloud and AI Day Kuala Lumpur, a flagship national program that equips Malaysia’s government officers, students, software companies, and communities with the AI tools and skills to build their own solutions.

Semarak AI Malaysia is organized around three pillars: AI Negara for the public sector, AI Ekonomi for businesses, and AI Rakyat for communities. Semarak AI Malaysia focuses on the step after initial AI adoption: equipping more Malaysians with the access and skills to build with AI themselves.

“For Malaysia to lead in the regional AI economy, we need a workforce and a software industry that can build, not just consume, AI technology. Through Semarak AI Malaysia, AWS is building on its MYR29.2 billion commitment to Malaysia to turn that ambition into reality. This program starts with our civil servants and students, and extends to our software companies so they can develop AI solutions that serve Malaysian businesses and compete across the region,” said YB Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry.

AI Negara: Equipping government officers to build AI services that drive better citizen outcomes
GovTech Malaysia, Ministry of Digital (Kementerian Digital), is launching GovHub, powered by Kiro, through JDN’s AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) platform. The phase one pilot starts with 500 developers in 2026, with a goal to onboard 4,000 developers by 2028. Kiro uses spec-driven development to turn developers’ prompts into structured specifications for requirements, design, and implementation — giving AI all the context it needs before writing a line of code, so developers build what they want in fewer tries. To complement the tools knowledge workers use to build, AWS is investing to put Amazon Quick, the AI built for work, in the hands of up to 445,000 government officers; also through JDN’s AIaaS platform. Officers can use Quick to tackle higher-order tasks such as analyzing procurement data, synthesizing policy research across agencies, and surfacing patterns in large datasets.

AI Ekonomi: Giving Malaysian businesses the AI tools to compete and grow
Since the AWS Asia Pacific (Kuala Lumpur) Region launched in 2024, software companies in Malaysia building on AWS have grown their cloud and AI workloads by an average of approximately 30% between 2024-2025. These companies build the industry-specific applications that banks, retailers, manufacturers, hotels, logistics firms, and public agencies run every day. Malaysia-based software company MOCHI Technologies, for example, is building on AWS to help more than 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises manage marketing, customer relationships, HR, and operations through a single AI-native platform. Supporting the growth of companies like MOCHI is central to the Semarak AI Malaysia program.

The Sarawak SaaS Accelerator (SaSAR), a collaboration between AWS and the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), is designed to grow this pipeline of software companies in Malaysia. The program works with software companies to build AI products on AWS while SDEC matches them with Sarawak businesses looking to adopt AI solutions. The pilot cohort graduated over 20 software companies representing high-growth sectors in the Sarawakian economy spanning agriculture, automotive, and medical. Graduates received AWS cloud credits and technical mentorship from AWS, business-building guidance from SDEC, and have since established collaborations with government agencies, energy providers, and enterprise partners across Sarawak to drive adoption of their AI products. One early proof of concept involves an AI-enabled software testing solution designed to help organizations test and validate applications, including mobile applications, across various industries. The solution is undergoing validation with pilot users to refine its capabilities ahead of wider deployment.

Recognizing that local partners are crucial to deepen AI adoption at scale, AWS is also working with GD XCHANGE, the solutions arm of last-mile logistics provider GDEX, and AWS distributor VSTECS, to put AI tools directly into the hands of the thousands of SMEs GDEX already serves across e-commerce, retail, and manufacturing. Through the program, eligible SMEs receive six months of complimentary access to Quick and Kiro following an AI readiness assessment, equipping them with AI assistants for everyday business tasks. The collaboration aims to onboard 10,000 SMEs by 2028. One retail SME is already using Quick and Kiro to automate competitor-price tracking and demand forecasting, responding to market shifts in hours instead of weeks.

AI Rakyat: Building AI skills in Malaysian communities
AWS is strengthening Malaysia’s AI talent pipeline at the polytechnic and community college level, building on a collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE)’s Jabatan Pendidikan Politeknik dan Kolej Komuniti (JPPKK). Over 3,000 students and lecturers from polytechnics and community colleges nationwide set a new national milestone in the Malaysia Book of Records for the largest participation in an agentic AI competition through the POLYCC Agentic AI League 2026. Kiro was selected as the competition’s primary coding tool, enabling students with no programming background to engage with agentic AI concepts in natural language. AWS has also adopted its first school in Malaysia under the government’s Sekolah Angkat MADANI program: Sekolah Kebangsaan Datuk Keramat (1) in Kuala Lumpur. AWS will upgrade the school’s digital and STEM facilities, train teachers to deliver coding and robotics lessons, and run hands-on activities in drone technology and digital safety for students.

“When the public sector leads in building with AI, it becomes the lighthouse for the rest of the country. That’s what Semarak AI Malaysia is designed to do; equip civil servants, software companies, and students with the tools to build their own AI solutions. Every ministry, every developer, and every student who builds with AI raises the bar for what’s next.” said Hussein Mohd Ali, Country Manager, Malaysia, AWS.

About Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is guided by customer obsession, pace of innovation, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. By democratizing technology for nearly two decades and making cloud computing and generative AI accessible to organizations of every size and industry, AWS has built one of the fastest-growing enterprise technology businesses in history. Millions of customers trust AWS to accelerate innovation, transform their businesses, and shape the future. With the most comprehensive AI capabilities and global infrastructure footprint, AWS empowers builders to turn big ideas into reality. Learn more at aws.amazon.com and follow @AWSNewsroom.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aws-launches-semarak-ai-malaysia-a-national-program-to-bring-ai-tools-to-government-officers-students-and-local-software-companies-302928951.html

SOURCE Amazon Web Services

Continue Reading

Technology

Corero Network Security Accelerates International Growth with Strategic Investment in Regional Leadership and Partnerships

Published

on

By

New leadership appointments strengthen EMEA and APAC operations as Corero builds on commercial momentum and industry recognition.

LONDON, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Corero Network Security (AIM: CNS) (OTCQX: DDOSF), the distributed denial of service (“DDoS”) protection specialists and champion of adaptive, real-time service availability, today announced continued investment in its European and international operations, expanding regional leadership, technical expertise, and channel resources to accelerate partner-led growth across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

As part of this expansion, Corero appointed Michael Woduschegg as General Manager and Field CTO, EMEA/APAC, bringing extensive industry experience and technical leadership. Corero will also add a Director of EMEA Channels in December to strengthen partner relationships and accelerate regional go-to-market initiatives.

“International growth requires more than entering new markets. It requires investing in the people, expertise, and partnerships that make sustainable success possible,” said Carl Herberger, Chief Executive Officer at Corero Network Security. “By strengthening local leadership and technical resources, we’re positioning Corero and our partners to capitalize on growing demand for cyber resiliency and real-time DDoS protection.”

Corero’s expansion is backed by strong performance and partner success. Q3 2026 order intake grew 50% year-over-year, fueled by channel-led wins across Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. That partner success also earned Corero and UK Servers, a provider of high-speed dedicated servers, colocation, cloud solutions and high availability cloud internet services, a finalist spot in the Best Technology Partnership category at the 2026 ISPA UK Awards.

“Our partners are central to Corero’s growth, and we’re committed to reinvesting in their success,” said Michelle Ragusa-McBain, Global Channel Chief at Corero Network Security. “Michael’s appointment and new EMEA channel leadership strengthen the support we provide, from technical enablement to joint go-to-market initiatives. When our partners grow, Corero grows.”

Corero will continue expanding strategic alliances, strengthening regional partnerships, and investing in sales and technical resources to support sustainable international growth.

About Corero Network Security

Corero Network Security is a leading provider of DDoS protection solutions, specializing in automatic detection and protection solutions with network visibility, analytics, and reporting tools. Corero’s technology protects against external and internal DDoS threats in complex edge and subscriber environments, ensuring internet service availability. With operational centers in Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA, and Edinburgh, UK, Corero is headquartered in London and listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market (ticker: CNS) and the US OTCQX Market (OTCQX: DDOSF).

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/corero-network-security-accelerates-international-growth-with-strategic-investment-in-regional-leadership-and-partnerships-302928246.html

Continue Reading

Trending