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2025 Will See Increased QR Code Payments but Payment Card IC ASPs Will Not Return to Pre-Covid Levels

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ABI Research’s 5th annual Trend Report identifies the key Digital Payment Technologies trend that will come to fruition —and the 1 that won’t—in 2025

NEW YORK, Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — As 2025 kicks off, predictions abound on the technology innovations expected in the year ahead. In its new whitepaper, 101 Technology Trends That Will—and Won’t—Shape 2025, analysts from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research. ABI Research analysts identify 54 trends that will shape the technology market and 47 others that, although attracting vast amounts of speculation and commentary, are less likely to move the needle over the next twelve months. In the Digital Payment Technologies space, 2025 will see increased QR code payment acceptance but little growth for payment card IC ASPs.

“2024 has been marked by challenges, from global conflicts and inflationary pressures to political uncertainty. These factors have strained enterprise and consumer spending, leading to market inertia, short-term technology investments, sidelined capital, and the exposure of vulnerable suppliers,” says Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research. “From a technology perspective, many industries and end markets are in that awkward stage of technology adoption where they are formulating implementation strategies, assessing solutions and partners, and trying to see if they have the resources needed to roll out solutions at scale. This is a particularly sensitive time, which tends to suggest 2025 will have tech implementers and end users on the brink of a period of a massive technology shift as they work through these issues.”

What Will Happen in 2025:

QR code payment acceptance will continue to increase with use cases expanding
Although QR code payment acceptance is prevalent in countries such as China and growing in emerging digital payment markets, including in India, use cases and potential growth areas are not limited to these countries. Significant and continued investments by vendors, including PayPal, Stripe, and SumUp, are setting the foundation for increased adoption in other mature and established economies with use cases expanding. Although QR codes are already being used by many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and pop-up retail businesses, 2025 will mark the year when the technology begins to shift from one niche to partial mainstream.

What Won’t Happen in 2025:

Payment card IC ASPs will not return to pre-COVID-19 levels
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, chipset pricing has been on a continual rise, driven by increased pricing in myriad manufacturing areas, including energy, raw material, transit pricing, and inflation, driving up wages. The chip shortage further compounded this, and according to ABI Research, the Average Selling Price (ASP) for a payment card Integrated Circuit (IC) increased by approximately +30% between 2020 and 2023. However, despite pricing pressures returning, the cost of payment ICs is some years away from matching pre-COVID-19 levels. Although 2025 will mark another year of pricing deprecation, it will not be until around 2028 when pricing is expected to drop to levels similar to those achieved in 2019 steadily.

For more trends that will and won’t happen in 2025, download the whitepaper, 101 Technology Trends That Will—and Won’t—Shape 2025.

About ABI Research

ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology solution providers and end-market companies. We serve as the bridge that seamlessly connects these two segments by providing exclusive research and expert guidance to drive successful technology implementations and deliver strategies proven to attract and retain customers.

ABI Research是一家全球性的技术情报公司,拥有得天独厚的优势,充当终端市场公司和技术解决方案提供商之间的桥梁,通过提供独家研究和专业性指导,推动成功的技术实施和提供经证明可吸引和留住客户的战略,无缝连接这两大主体。

For more information about ABI Research’s services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com.

Contact Info: 

Global                                                             
Deborah Petrara                                                           
Tel: +1.516.624.2558                                                   
pr@abiresearch.com     

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SOURCE ABI Research

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China-Europe Youth Exchange Campaign: When Fashion Meets Football — A Green Pitch Appointment for Cross-Cultural Dialogue

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BEIJING, July 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On July 18, in Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province, China, the much-anticipated Guizhou Village Super League staged several thrilling grassroots football matches, accompanied by a one-of-a-kind football culture creative showcase.

The showcase, themed Common Love, blended fashion runway elements with local music and dance, presenting 16 distinctive football-themed jersey designs. These featured Italian architectural graffiti, Brazilian color blocks, as well as motifs of the Great Wall, pandas, Chinese auspicious clouds, and ethnic patterns. The outfits were modeled by over 20 young people from diverse walks of life in Guizhou, while the designs themselves were contributed by more than 100 youth participants from over 20 countries and regions during the China-Europe Youth Exchange Campaign: When Fashion Meets Football.

Launched by the China Media Group, European and Latin American Languages Programming Center, the campaign took football as a shared global language. Through youth creative workshops and interactive exchanges, it encouraged young people worldwide to harness AIGC tools to design football jersey patterns, thereby deepening mutual understanding and strengthening friendship.

This initiative drew enthusiastic participation from youth across the globe, who engaged in online dialogues on sports culture and AI-driven creativity. Experts such as Ana Vasques, Executive President, IETI Artificial Intelligence & Creative Design branch; Giulio Cuomo, Professor of Video Production and AI at Accademia Italiana; and Dr. Zhang Youyu, Distinguished Research Fellow at Peking University, shared their insights based on the campaign’s outcomes. They emphasized that football has long transcended the realm of sport, evolving into a cultural symbol that embodies diverse civilizations. Meanwhile, the innovative application of artificial intelligence is opening new pathways for cross-cultural dialogue among global youth.

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhzZPHPk8IA

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/3006669/20260719205937_131_59.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/china-europe-youth-exchange-campaign-when-fashion-meets-football–a-green-pitch-appointment-for-cross-cultural-dialogue-302829189.html

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Singtel Receives Four Frost & Sullivan 2026 Recognitions for Leadership in Enterprise Connectivity, Cybersecurity, and Digital Transformation

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The recognitions highlight Singtel’s leadership in secure connectivity, network transformation, IoT innovation, and cybersecurity, delivering customer value through intelligent digital infrastructure and AI-enabled enterprise services.

SAN ANTONIO, July 20, 2026 /CNW/ — Frost & Sullivan is pleased to honor Singtel with the 2026 Southeast Asia IoT Connectivity Service Provider Company of the Year, 2026 Singapore Network Transformation Customer Value Leadership, 2026 Singapore Cybersecurity Services Company of the Year, and 2026 Singapore SD-WAN and SASE Service Provider Company of the Year recognitions. These acknowledgements reflect Singtel’s outstanding achievements in delivering secure, intelligent, and scalable digital infrastructure that enables enterprises to modernize operations, simplify complexity, and accelerate digital transformation across Singapore and Southeast Asia. They underscore the company’s consistent leadership in strategy execution, customer value creation, and innovation across enterprise connectivity, cybersecurity, software-defined networking, and IoT connectivity services.

Frost & Sullivan evaluates companies through a rigorous benchmarking process across two core dimensions: strategy effectiveness and strategy execution. Singtel excelled in both, demonstrating its ability to anticipate evolving enterprise requirements while consistently translating long-term vision into measurable customer outcomes. Through platforms such as Singtel CUBΣ (CUBE) and its multidomestic IoT connectivity architecture, the company continues to unify networking, cybersecurity, automation, and AI-driven intelligence into integrated solutions that address the growing complexity of hybrid, multicloud, and connected environments. “Singtel has established itself as a benchmark for enterprise digital infrastructure by converging connectivity, cybersecurity, network intelligence, and IoT orchestration into a unified, customer-centric ecosystem. Its disciplined execution, platform-led innovation, and commitment to simplifying complex enterprise environments continue to strengthen operational resilience and deliver sustained value for organizations across the region,” said Kenny Yeo, Director at Frost & Sullivan.

Guided by a long-term strategy focused on digital innovation, intelligent infrastructure, and customer-centric transformation, Singtel has moved well-beyond traditional telecommunications to a trusted technology partner for enterprises navigating increasingly connected and data-driven environments. Its strategic investments in AI-enabled operations, cloud-native platforms, secure connectivity, and ecosystem partnerships enable organizations to modernize critical infrastructure while maintaining the flexibility to support future business growth.

The company’s strategic agility and sustained investment in integrated digital platforms have enabled it to scale innovative services across local, regional, and global enterprise environments. Innovation remains central to Singtel’s approach through solutions including the CUBΣ connected intelligence platform, multidomestic IoT connectivity powered by eSIM orchestration, managed cybersecurity services, AI-driven network automation, and network-as-a-service capabilities. These solutions simplify network and security management, strengthen cyber resilience, improve operational visibility, and provide enterprises with scalable, secure, and high-performing connectivity across cloud, edge, IoT, and hybrid infrastructures.

By streamlining service delivery through intelligent automation, centralized orchestration, proactive monitoring, and flexible managed and co-managed service models, Singtel continues to help organizations reduce operational complexity while improving service reliability and business agility. Its ability to integrate best-of-breed technologies in a unified operational framework, combined with strong regional network ownership and localized expertise, enables customers to confidently scale digital initiatives while maintaining security, governance, and operational excellence.

Frost & Sullivan commends Singtel for setting a high standard in competitive strategy, execution, and customer value across multiple technology domains. By combining intelligent networking, secure digital infrastructure, AI-enabled operations, and cross-border IoT capabilities in an integrated platform strategy, the company is shaping the future of enterprise connectivity while helping organizations build resilient, future-ready digital ecosystems.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents its Company of the Year and Customer Value Leadership recognitions to organizations that demonstrate outstanding strategy development and implementation, resulting in measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, competitive positioning, and business performance. These recognitions honor forward-thinking companies that continuously raise industry standards through innovation, operational excellence, and long-term value creation.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Recognition
Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Recognitions honor companies across regional and global markets that exhibit exceptional achievement and consistent excellence in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer experience, and strategic product development. Each recognition is the result of a rigorous analytical process in which Frost & Sullivan industry experts benchmark performance through comprehensive interviews, deep-dive analysis, and extensive secondary research. The goal is to identify true best-in-class organizations that are driving transformative growth and setting new industry standards.
Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:
Tarini Singh
E: Tarini.Singh@frost.com

 

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SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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Foreign entrepreneurs find business opportunities and a home in Yiwu

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BEIJING, July 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A report from People’s Daily:

Yiwu, a city in east China’s Zhejiang province, is neither a coastal hub nor a border town. Yet it has built a trade network that reaches across the globe. Today, the city is home to more than 10,000 foreign-invested businesses and around 38,000 foreign merchants who live and work there.

People’s Daily reporters recently visited Yiwu to meet foreign entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses and settled down in the city. They shared stories of growing alongside Yiwu and becoming part of its remarkable transformation.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without Yiwu,” said Senegalese businessman Sourakhata Tirera, a sentiment he often expresses. He first came to Yiwu in 2003 to source hardware products and was immediately impressed by the Yiwu International Trade Market. He noted, “If you can’t find something here, it’s probably because you haven’t searched carefully enough.”

In 2007, Tirera opened a foreign trade agency in Yiwu. In 2012, leveraging Yiwu’s comprehensive foreign trade pilot reform project, he established a wholly foreign-owned trading company. Today, his company ships 200 to 300 containers every month, dealing in more than 1,000 product categories and providing one-stop sourcing services for clients across Africa.

“Everyone is fascinated by Yiwu because it’s a place full of opportunities. Things that once seemed impossible can become reality here,” Tirera told People’s Daily after he finished receiving a trade delegation from Gabon.

Yemeni businessman Maged Mohammed Ali Al-Huraibi came to Yiwu alone in 2008 to pursue his entrepreneurial dream and founded a cosmetics trading company. In 2024, Yiwu launched a one-stop entrepreneurship service for foreign talent, offering factory leasing, policy consultation, and talent recruitment. Seizing the opportunity, Al-Huraibi invested in a cosmetics factory early that year, successfully transitioning from trader to manufacturer.

“Yiwu made my entrepreneurial dream come true. Now I want to bring cosmetics made in Yiwu to even more countries and regions around the world,” Al-Huraibi said.

Yiwu’s success is not simply about gathering products. More importantly, it comes from the city’s ability to create what the market needs — pioneering new approaches where none exist and forging new paths through continuous exploration.

Nepalese businessman Khadka Raj Kumar first came to Yiwu in 2002. In 2011, Yiwu pioneered a dual-track system for representative offices and foreign-invested business entities, addressing challenges related to residency, employment and business operations for foreign entrepreneurs. The following year, Kumar established his own trading company in Yiwu and later bought a home there.

In 2013, Yiwu established China’s first people’s mediation committee dedicated to foreign-related disputes, inviting foreign businesspeople to serve as mediation processes. Kumar has served in this role since 2017 and has participated in resolving more than 150 foreign-related disputes.

“In Yiwu, we’re not outsiders — we’re part of the local community,” he said.

As Yiwu’s sixth-generation marketplace, the Yiwu Global Digital Trade Center marks the city’s transition from traditional trade to a digital trade ecosystem.

Pakistani businessman Sheikh Jamil, who has operated in Yiwu for 21 years, has witnessed this transformation firsthand. According to him, more and more business is now conducted online. With the help of AI, he can quickly generate product solutions tailored to different market demands. “I can do business with the whole world without leaving my office,” he said.

Yemeni businessman Hasan Mohammed entered Yiwu’s cosmetics business as a distributor a decade ago. In 2018, he registered his own cosmetics brand in Saudi Arabia. With its products registered in Saudi Arabia, manufactured in China and sold worldwide, his business model delivers both high-quality products and a strong competitive edge.

“Yiwu is more like an ecosystem where ideas can quickly become reality. It offers not only opportunities, but also the potential for continuous growth,” said Mohammed.

For Brazilian businesswoman Ana Garcia, Yiwu’s transformation from “Made in Yiwu” to “Created in Yiwu” has been fueled by broad support in branding, digital innovation and global expansion. She founded a business consultancy that helps overseas clients identify market opportunities and sourcing needs, connect with qualified suppliers, and manage every step of the supply chain — from product selection and quality inspection to logistics and customs clearance.

Yiwu belongs not only to China, but also to the world. Together with entrepreneurs from around the globe, the city will continue turning the impossible into the possible, further burnishing its reputation as the “world’s supermarket” and ensuring that products created in Yiwu benefit people in more countries.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/foreign-entrepreneurs-find-business-opportunities-and-a-home-in-yiwu-302829158.html

SOURCE People’s Daily

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