Technology

ekko and Optty partner to make sustainable payments a global standard

Published

1 year ago

March 18, 2025

SINGAPORE, March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Optty, a B Corp-certified global payments infrastructure platform, and ekko, a sustainability platform for banks and payments companies, are partnering to make it easier for businesses to offer sustainable payment tools at scale. This collaboration enables financial institutions and their clients — across sectors like retail, mobility, or travel — to include carbon tracking into their payment experience. Consumers can see the impact of their purchases on climate and nature, and take action by supporting certified environmental projects.

Consumer demand for transparency and informed spending choices is rising. A GlobeScan survey found that 63% of consumers in 2023 viewed climate change as a serious issue (up from 49% in 2003), and 72% would like more information on how companies are making their products better for the environment (source). This growing awareness highlights the urgency for large scale sustainable solutions, which is why ekko and Optty are partnering to bring sustainability knowledge and action to users worldwide, seamlessly embedded in everyday payments.

Through Optty’s global payment infrastructure platform, which provides access to local payment methods in over 140 countries worldwide, merchants can now add ekko’s real-time sustainability tools alongside their existing payments methods. All that is needed is a simple one-click activation to switch on the service, which can be done in minutes. This partnership could redefine payments: through Optty’s expansive partner network of schemes, gateways, PSPs and acquirers, carbon footprint insights will be made widely available at checkout. Consumers will also have the option to support leading environmental organisations through micro-donations, making sustainability a simple, seamless part of everyday shopping.

The product is now being rolled out with merchants globally, and already integrated into a growing number of payment journeys, giving consumers a seamless way to shop in line with their values.

Oli Cook, CEO and co-founder of ekko, said:

“This partnership is a huge moment for the future of payments. Consumers want to make more sustainable choices, and businesses are looking for ways to support them, they want to meet that demand. By working with Optty, we’re making it easier than ever for companies to offer carbon footprint tracking and the option to compensate for it, without extra complexity or disruption. Together, we’re turning everyday actions into positive impact.”

Steven Ritchie, Interim CEO of Optty, added:

“Optty was built to simplify payments and give merchants more control, flexibility, and choice over how they integrate and accept payments; Sustainability is a natural extension of that evolution. By partnering with ekko, we’re enabling businesses to embed a powerful, climate-conscious payment solution that enhances customer engagement while supporting the planet and driving real impact. As a B Corp-certified company committed to cutting-edge financial technology and responsible commerce, we’re proud to be leading the charge in making sustainable payments the new standard.”

With ekko and Optty working together, businesses of all sizes, all across the world, can now offer a simple, effective way to embed sustainability into payments, without disrupting their existing setup.

For more information about ekko and Optty’s partnership, visit ekko.earth or optty.com.

– ENDS –

About ekko:

ekko provides a sustainability-focused tech platform for banks and payment providers, enabling them to offer their customers real-time carbon tracking to understand the environmental footprint of their purchases, and the ability to make micro-donations to leading environmental organisations like Tusk, RSPB, and Conservation International.

Integrated into everyday payment activities, ekko makes positive climate action accessible, impactful, and rewarding. Trusted by global brands like Volt, Primis, and Stubben Edge, ekko seamlessly fits into existing payment systems, making climate-conscious spending effortless.

For more information, visit www.ekko.earth, or connect with us on LinkedIn.

About Optty:

Optty is a global payments infrastructure platform for PSPs, gateways, acquirers and orchestrators that provides immediate access to 135+ payment partners in 140 countries and 120 currencies via a single integration. Optty empowers partners to provide payment innovation at scale for their merchants, enabling them to add local payment methods across nine payment types. Optty’s simplified API integration, requires no further development for any payment methods to be enabled, saving thousands of development hours for partners and merchants alike. Providing a 3 level hierarchy structure for partners out-of-the-box allows transparency and control across the integration for merchants with key features of reporting, onboarding, transaction monitoring and customisable checkout widgets all available for partners and merchants to create a superior experience for their consumers.

Optty powers limitless ways to pay with unrivalled simplicity.

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Technology

From China Mobile’s Call Upgrade to the Commercial Launch of “Calling + AI” by Leading Operators: AI Is Reshaping the Value of Native Calling

Published

1 hour ago

July 25, 2026

BEIJING, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On June 15, 2026, China Mobile announced a comprehensive upgrade to its traditional calling services, ushering in a next-generation calling experience defined by HD, intelligence, and security. This milestone not only marks a major leap in telecommunication innovation but also reflects a global, inevitable shift: the transformation of basic communication into intelligent, inclusive services.

Breaking Experience Barriers and Redefining the Paradigm of Basic Calling

Overcoming the limitations of traditional, voice-only interactions, China Mobile has leveraged its mature VoLTE/VoNR network foundation to deeply integrate AI models with HD audio and video capabilities. Without requiring users to change their phones or SIM cards, seven core AI functions are now seamlessly embedded into the native dialer interface.

These upgrades include Live Captions bridge communication gaps for the elderly and hearing-impaired; HD video calls and AI noise reduction create a crystal-clear, immersive calling experience; AI anti-fraud intercepts high-risk calls in real time to safeguard users’ assets. Furthermore, the introduction of Data Channel (DC) technology and visual call menus transforms standard calls into agile, interactive service windows, enabling multi-party collaboration and seamless business transactions directly within the call. Through this initiative, China Mobile has successfully evolved traditional calls from a mere voice pipeline into a secure, integrated information hub.

“Calling + AI” Becomes a Strategic Consensus Among Global Leading Operators

From a global perspective, China Mobile’s call upgrade is not an isolated milestone, but a microcosm of the global telecommunications industry’s broader transformation. Throughout 2026, major operators worldwide are accelerating the commercial deployment of “Calling + AI” solutions:

Deutsche Telekom launched Magenta AI, leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance calling across all scenarios;T-Mobile US introduced a network-side, real-time translation service covering over 80 languages, effectively breaking down cross-border communication barriers;Saudi stc rolled out English-Arabic bilingual simultaneous interpretation, which has now entered large-scale commercial trials;South Korea’s LG U+ launched its ixi-O intelligent calling assistant, shifting the user experience from passive responses to proactive smart interactions and earning three prestigious GLOMO industry awards.

The synchronized efforts of these global leaders confirm that basic calling services have officially entered a new era of AI integration. Deeply empowered by artificial intelligence, “Calling + AI” has become the definitive blueprint for the intelligent transformation of the global telecommunications industry. As operators continue to refine these native capabilities, the traditional voice network is poised to reclaim its position as the most secure, ubiquitous, and valuable entry point in the AI era.

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SOURCE China Mobile

Technology

Trip.com Group Sincerely Accepts Administrative Penalty Decision Issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China

Published

4 hours ago

July 25, 2026

SINGAPORE, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trip.com Group Limited (Nasdaq: TCOM; HKEX: 9961) today announced that it has received the administrative penalty decision issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People’s Republic of China.

Trip.com Group sincerely accepts the decision and will adopt rectification measures in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to implement the decision’s requirements. The Company will strengthen its long-term governance mechanisms and strive to contribute to the sustainable development of the travel industry.

Trip.com Group’s management team will host a conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on July 27, 2026 (or 8:00 PM Hong Kong Time on July 27, 2026).

The conference call will be available on Webcast live at: http://investors.trip.com.

All participants must pre-register to join this conference call using the participant registration link below:
https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIb78e08d8f18340c4882a7e4ab961906b.

Upon registration, each participant will receive details for this conference call, including dial-in numbers and a unique access PIN. To join the conference, please dial the number provided, enter your PIN, and you will join the conference instantly.

For further information, please contact:
Investor Relations
Trip.com Group Limited
Email: iremail@trip.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tripcom-group-sincerely-accepts-administrative-penalty-decision-issued-by-the-state-administration-for-market-regulation-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china-302834599.html

SOURCE Trip.com Group Limited

Technology

NAVER Partners with Brookfield and NVIDIA to Expand Korea’s National AI Factory Infrastructure Buildout

Published

6 hours ago

July 25, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NAVER, Brookfield and NVIDIA announced an expansion of Korea’s sovereign AI factory infrastructure. New investments will increase the initial NVIDIA DSX™ AI factory deployment from 55 megawatts to 200 megawatts.

Announced during Korea President Jae Myung Lee’s AI Summit visit to San Francisco, the planned 200-megawatt expansion will be built with the NVIDIA DSX platform at NAVER’s GAK Sejong hyperscale data center in Sejong, South Korea. The expanded infrastructure will provide Korea- and U.S.- based AI innovators with access to production-scale AI compute for building next-generation models, agents and AI-powered services.

Under the terms of the agreements, Brookfield will fund up to $9 billion as the exclusive capital partner, NVIDIA will invest $1 billion and NAVER will fund the remaining amount to finance the $10 billion project.

This builds on NAVER’s June announcement to extend its GAK Sejong data center with NVIDIA DSX, with a long-term path to gigawatt-scale sovereign AI infrastructure serving Korea’s enterprises, industries, government organizations and global AI cloud customers. Combining Brookfield’s capital with NVIDIA’s computing platform, the investment supports NAVER’s AI factory deployment.

“NVIDIA’s strategic investment and our infrastructure supply agreement with Brookfield have propelled NAVER’s vision for the AI Factory business into a robust execution phase,” said Haejin Lee, Founder and Chairman of NAVER. “Leveraging the solid partnerships with our global partners, we will drive technological innovation, foster a sovereign AI ecosystem, and spearhead efforts to strengthen South Korea’s AI competitiveness.”

AI Factory Expansion and Open Model Collaboration to Fuel AI Innovators

NAVER, as an NVIDIA Cloud Partner, provides deep expertise in operating hyperscale infrastructure powered by the full-stack NVIDIA AI platform. The 200-megawatt AI factory, featuring NVIDIA Vera Rubin and Blackwell platforms, will establish a dedicated resource pool for emerging AI companies, providing the compute, software and support needed to develop and deploy competitive AI models and applications at scale.

This expanded infrastructure also builds on NAVER and NVIDIA’s collaboration on open model development for agentic and physical AI. NAVER is advancing its HyperCLOVA X models to be based on NVIDIA Nemotron™ 3 Ultra open models with its proprietary data and training expertise. NAVER is also the first Korean company to join the NVIDIA Nemotron Coalition, contributing to open model development across pretraining, post-training and reinforcement learning.

NAVER plans to launch an AI agent platform in Korea in the second half of the year, powered by NVIDIA Agent Toolkit software including NVIDIA NemoClaw™ blueprints. NAVER is also developing a Seoul World Model using proprietary urban street-view and spatial modeling data, built on NVIDIA Cosmos™ world foundation models.

About NAVER

Founded in 1999, NAVER is Korea’s largest Internet company and one of the world’s top tech companies. Leading cutting-edge technologies, NAVER operates the No.1 search engine in Korea and holds various business portfolios encompassing commerce, fintech, cloud, AI and robotics.

NAVER recorded sales of KRW 12.04 trillion (USD 8.18 billion) in 2025. TEAM NAVER continues to enhance its business portfolio and expand its global presence across Japan, North America, and Europe, while pursuing innovation through continuous research and development in future technologies.

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SOURCE NAVER