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Intercept Music Celebrates Indie Label Successes and Announces New Hire

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Intercept Music, a company that specializes in music marketing and distribution, has witnessed unheralded success with independent labels leveraging the Intercept technology system to expand their streams and profits. Showcasing success stories like Shawn Mickelonis, COO at Afimi Music and Viral New Wave label head and artist, AYO SK3TCH, founder and chairman, Ralph Tashjian and CEO, Tod Turner, recently announced new hire Jesse Flores as their Vice President of Artist and Label Partnerships to further fuel their indie label stronghold.

Jesse Flores’ industry experience spans decades with strategic vision and passion for artist empowerment. His mission to impact the evolving landscape of music distribution and development stems from expertise honed as the former Senior Director of Label and Business Development at Virgin Music Group, Vice President of Business Development at Lyric Financial, leadership roles at EMI/Capitol Music Group, spearheading artist acquisitions and generating over $20 million, and tenures at Universal Music Group and PolyGram Group Distribution.

“I am thrilled to join Intercept Music on our mission to revolutionize the independent music landscape. Throughout my career I’ve been passionate about working with the indie artist and label community. I look forward to leveraging my expertise to drive impactful partnerships for years to come,” expresses Jesse Flores, Vice President of Artist and Label Partnerships for Intercept Music.

Indie artist AYO SK3TCH first approached Intercept Music in 2024 with a vision that has evolved into his own label, Viral New Wave, bringing over 200 artists to his label and generating nearly 100 million streams in his first year. With signature acts that include YungCeoDaPlug, 199X, Inas X and himself, SK3TCH feels Intercept Music technology has securely positioned Viral New Wave for industry expansion in alignment with the likes of Alamo Records, Quality Control Music (QC) and Roc Nation.

“Viral New Wave has greatly benefitted from the technology and support that Intercept Music provides. Running my own label as an artist puts me in a unique position. I get to work with Ralph and Tod under both banners and experience firsthand how I’m providing my own artists with reliable resources for boosting their music and careers. And it’s not just the tech savvy behind Intercept, but also their staffing that’s reliable and easy to reach at every stage of the game,” expresses AYO SK3TCH, artist and owner at Viral New Wave.

Afimi Music’s Shawn Mickelonis, Chief Operations Officer and CEO, Kalief Grant, who have experience with major labels like Universal Music Group and Def Jam Records, have been with Intercept since 2022. Both readily acknowledge that Intercept Music’s masterful technology has enabled tailored marketing services unique to the needs of each of their artists. With five legacy acts under their banner, Canibus, Kali Ranks, Stephanie Adler, Afm Jynx and G-Mack, the tangible proof is in over a billion streams garnered.

“We believe in the development of our artists, guiding them to embrace ethics, humility, loyalty, and education within the music industry. Our goal is to ensure they can capitalize on their artistry and are given the tools and opportunities to create great, profitable, and enduring music. Intercept’s technology and management tools not only provide us with the same high-quality marketing and distribution services as the major labels, but they mirror our beliefs. Our partnership with Intercept has allowed us to stay independent while gaining direct distribution through them and major players. It’s been a productive balance, offering more reach without losing our autonomy,” cites Shawn Mickelonis, COO for Afimi Music.

About Intercept Music Inc.

Intercept Music empowers independent artists and labels with innovative entertainment technology. The company provides cutting-edge tools and services for premium distribution, dynamic social media, targeted marketing, impactful merchandising, and customizable promotional services. Intercept’s exclusive and innovative software grants artists access to a wealth of AI-powered features, enabling them to use predictive marketing to optimize their promotional efforts and directly connect with their target audiences. Designed specifically for the booming independent music sector, Intercept Music helps artists grow their audiences and generate revenue.

Discover more at interceptmusic.com and visit Intercept Music on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Media Contact: Makeda Smith / Jazzmyne Public Relations / 392695@email4pr.com / 661-212-7655

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SOURCE Intercept Music

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Vodafone Business and Geely Technology Europe Extend Partnership to Drive Vehicle Innovation

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SINGAPORE and LONDON, June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vodafone Business and Geely Technology Europe (GTEU), the European R&D organisation within Geely Auto Group, have extended their partnership to include Internet in the Car, Mobile Private Networks, and Cloud Connect solutions.

The Internet in the Car service from Vodafone Business supports capabilities such as diagnostics and over-the-air software updates, while Cloud Connect ensures secure data transfer between vehicles and cloud systems. This means Geely can monitor vehicle’s performance and support improvements to the driver experience.

In addition, Vodafone provides secure and reliable connectivity across Geely Technology Europe’s operations in Germany and Sweden, as well as with its pan-European sales teams.  

GTEU plays a key role in developing the vehicle architectures, digital platforms, and intelligent systems. These provide customers with highly responsive integrated in-car internet and digital services such as dynamic EV charging planning and 3D lane guidance. Central to this is equipping vehicles with the latest software, data, and connected services. 

Moving beyond simple transport solutions
Giovanni Lanfranchi, CEO at Geely Technology Europe, said: “We’ve moved beyond simple transport solutions. Today, vehicles can be continuously improved through software, with data and connectivity enabling a more responsive and personalised user experience over time.”

Vodafone Business’ vehicle services support GTEU in responding to customer insights, continuously enhancing its vehicles long after they leave the showroom. One example is Zeekr Navigation, where secure, always‑on connectivity enables instant in‑vehicle customer feedback. This shortens development cycles and improves GTEU’s ability to identify issues and deploy improvements rapidly.

Fanan Henriques, Vodafone Business Product and International Business Director of Vodafone Business, added: “As the adoption rate of electric vehicles continues to grow, the opportunities to enhance their safety, efficiency and the user experience through digital connectivity are significant. We’re supporting Geely’s growth in vehicle sales across Europe and its operations with a secure, multi-service digital infrastructure.” 

98% of vehicles connected
Vodafone Business is providing solutions tailored to international cybersecurity, data protection, and regulatory compliance needs, while enabling Geely to scale rapidly across regions by leveraging Vodafone’s extensive global network. For example, Vodafone Internet in the Car service combines Vodafone’s global managed IoT connectivity platform, which currently has over 240 million connections worldwide, with local internet service providers. 

By 2030, it’s expected that more than 98% of new passenger vehicles sold will be connected. Vodafone Business, working with Geely, is ready to help drive this expansion.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/vodafone-business-and-geely-technology-europe-extend-partnership-to-drive-vehicle-innovation-302789925.html

SOURCE Vodafone Business and Geely Technology Europe

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Beijing Review: Wisdom Without Borders: People are born with different talents, but knowledge grows only through learning

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BEIJING, June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — “People are born with different talents, but knowledge grows only through learning.” The quote comes from Lunheng, a work written by Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) thinker Wang Chong. It means that although people differ in terms of natural gifts, their knowledge of the world and the skills they build are all shaped through learning.

 

A society that values learning is bound to be energetic and pioneering, and reading is one of the most important paths to learning. People everywhere have valued reading since ancient times–and China is no exception. From Su Qin of the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.), who kept himself awake while studying by pricking his thigh with an awl, to Kuang Heng of the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 25) , who, unable to afford candles, famously chiseled a hole through a wall to borrow light from his neighbor’s candle to read at night, and Che Yin of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), who read by the glow of fireflies gathered in a silk bag, these well-known tales of reading have continued to inspire generations.

Since the launch of its reform and opening-up policy in 1978, China has stepped up its efforts to boost interest in reading, and build a learning society. Since the new era began in 2012, this nationwide reading drive has evolved from a broad social call into a national strategy. Since 2014, the phrase “fostering a love of reading among the public” has been included in the annual government work report for 13 consecutive years. The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) also calls for further promoting reading initiatives nationwide to foster a reading culture across all segments of society.

Libraries, community reading rooms, rural bookhouses and other public reading spaces have spread across both the urban and rural landscapes. Brick-and-mortar bookstores, specialty bookshops and cultural salons have created immersive settings for more engaged reading.

In the digital age, reading has gone from turning pages to tapping through entire libraries on a screen. Technology is making reading not just easier, but more enjoyable.

The overall reading rate among China’s adult citizens reached 82.3 percent in 2025. On average, each adult read 8.39 printed and e-books combined that year.

On February 1, 2026, the Central Government’s regulations on public reading promotion officially took effect, marking the transition of China’s national reading drive from policy guidance to legally binding mandate. The fourth week of April each year has now been designated as National Reading Week. From April 20 to 26, 2026, China celebrates its first National Reading Week, which coincides with the 31st World Book Day on April 23. Across the country, reading events are in full swing.

Today, knowledge is advancing at a much faster pace, while people are taking on increasingly specialized roles in society. New technologies and industries, from AI to the metaverse, are evolving at great speeds.

Together, these factors have not only opened up a broad stage for young people to showcase their talent, but also placed unprecedented demands on their knowledge base and innovative capacity. Only through sustained reading and learning can they keep pace with the times and ride the wave of change.

By reading and learning, people can enrich their minds, strengthen their character and broaden their horizons, which will help them keep up in a rapidly changing world.

In reading, we cultivate wisdom. In learning, we sharpen our abilities. To carve out a successful path in life–that should be the shared pursuit of all those seeking to better themselves through reading and learning.

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SOURCE Beijing Review

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BDx Data Centers Secures Indonesia’s Largest Data Center Power Commitment at 1.2 GW, Strengthening Strategic Partnership with PLN Across National AI Infrastructure Platform

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Landmark 788 MVA allocation for CGK4 Jatiluhur, major capacity energization at CGK3A South Jakarta, and strategic grid expansion at CGK5 Suryacipta position BDx Indonesia as the nation’s largest operator-neutral AI and digital infrastructure platform

SINGAPORE and JAKARTA, Indonesia, June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — BDx Data Centers (BDx) announced a series of transformative power milestones achieved in a strategic partnership with PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) (PLN), significantly expanding Indonesia’s AI and hyperscale infrastructure capacity.

These milestones include:

Securing 788 MVA of contracted grid power for BDx’s flagship CGK4 AI Campus in Jatiluhur, West JavaSuccessfully energizing CGK3A in Cilandak, South Jakarta, with a substantial power capacity expansion to ~60 MVAAdvancing high-voltage grid infrastructure at CGK5 in Suryacipta, West Java, with up to 385 MVA of secured power capacity.

Together, these developments bring BDx Indonesia’s total secured power portfolio to 1.2 GW – representing the single largest power commitment secured by any data center operator in Indonesia. This milestone reinforces BDx’s leadership in building Indonesia’s sovereign AI, cloud, and digital economy infrastructure, while deepening its long-term strategic relationship with PLN.

Agus Hartono Wijaya, CEO of BDx Indonesia said “Reliable and scalable power is foundational to Indonesia’s AI and digital infrastructure development. PLN’s professionalism and execution have been critical in enabling the expansion of our capacity across Jakarta and West Java. This collaboration supports the build‑out of resilient, AI‑ready infrastructure that can meet long‑term demand from enterprise, hyperscale, and sovereign workloads.”

Adi Priyanto, Director Retail & Commerce of PLN said “PLN remains committed to supporting strategic digital industries through reliable and scalable power infrastructure. Our collaboration with BDx reflects PLN’s role in enabling Indonesia’s AI and digital economy to grow in a resilient and sustainable manner.”

“Indonesia’s accelerating demand for AI and digital services requires close coordination between infrastructure providers and the national power ecosystem,” said Martindar Jalu Respati, Senior Manager, Commercial & Customer Management, PLN West Java Distribution Main Unit. “PLN is proud to support the development of large-scale, high-reliability digital infrastructure that strengthens Indonesia’s competitiveness as a regional technology and AI hub.”

BDx’s Indonesia portfolio represents the most advanced AI infrastructure ecosystem in Southeast Asia. CGK4, Indonesia’s first NVIDIA DGX-Ready-certified campus, delivering up to 650 MW of renewable-aligned capacity — already supporting H100-class GPU deployments for AI training and sovereign cloud workloads. CGK3 brings liquid-cooled, high-density compute to Jakarta, purpose-built for next-generation AI platforms including NVIDIA GB200. CGK5, at 300 MW, extends BDx’s hyperscale footprint and, together with CGK4, CK5, anchors Indonesia’s sovereign AI digital infrastructure.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/bdx-data-centers-secures-indonesias-largest-data-center-power-commitment-at-1-2-gw-strengthening-strategic-partnership-with-pln-across-national-ai-infrastructure-platform-302789946.html

SOURCE BDx Data Centers (BDx)

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