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IBM Partners with OpenAI to Accelerate Secure AI Deployment for Enterprises Across Core Operations

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Joint go-to-market partnership embeds OpenAI frontier models like GPT-5.6 and other products into IBM Consulting’s AI delivery platform and assets to help organizations modernize applications and strengthen security 
 Specialized IBM forward-deployed units trained through the OpenAI Partner Network will help organizations convert legacy workflows into AI-ready operations
 IBM launches a dedicated OpenAI Practice with thousands of consultants and engineers trained on advanced OpenAI Partner Network certifications 

ARMONK, N.Y., Aug. 13, 2026 /CNW/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI to help enterprises deliver business outcomes by deploying AI at scale across core business operations and complex workflows, while strengthening cyber defense and resilience through programs like OpenAI Daybreak. The partnership includes joint-go-to market initiatives and creating industry-specific solutions for financial services, government, telecommunications, and retail, as well as key enterprise domains such as finance, procurement, customer operations, and HR.

The partnership embeds OpenAI frontier models like GPT-5.6 and products like Codex and ChatGPT Work into IBM Consulting Advantage, IBM’s AI platform for delivering consulting services to clients, combining AI agents, industry assets, and cybersecurity capabilities to help organizations securely deploy AI at scale, drive business outcomes, and create new commercial models.

IBM will bring forward-deployed units of highly specialized engineers and consultants trained through the OpenAI Partner Network to work directly with clients to accelerate AI implementation across complex business workflows and highly regulated environments. IBM will also launch a dedicated OpenAI Practice, with thousands of consultants and engineers obtaining expert-level certifications under the OpenAI Partner Network.

Together, IBM and OpenAI aim to help organizations tackle one of the biggest barriers to scaling AI – turning decades of fragmented processes, legacy systems, and operational complexity into AI-driven operations that can be deployed even more safely and securely.

The partnership will focus on three key areas: 

Transforming legacy operations into AI-ready workflows
IBM will embed OpenAI frontier models like GPT-5.6 and products like Codex and ChatGPT Work into IBM Consulting Advantage, to help organizations integrate AI into daily processes with business context and redesign workflows across finance, procurement, customer operations, and HR. The capabilities within IBM Consulting Advantage can analyze operating procedures and workflows to identify inefficiencies and help teams automate and streamline work using AI. 
 Application modernization and product development
The companies plan to help clients modernize legacy applications and accelerate software development by bringing together OpenAI Codex and ChatGPT Work with IBM’s industry, technology and domain expertise, including integration with IBM Consulting Advantage. The collaboration is designed to help organizations simplify engineering processes and speed the delivery of new digital products and services.
 Cybersecurity and AI risk management
IBM and OpenAI will expand their collaboration on cybersecurity following IBM’s participation in the OpenAI Daybreak Cyber Partner Program by combining OpenAI frontier AI capabilities with IBM Autonomous Security — a multi-agent-powered service designed to deliver coordinated decision-making, response, and intelligence at machine speed. As AI-powered attacks grow more sophisticated, the partnership will help clients manage both cyber and AI model risk, including application-layer vulnerabilities, governance gaps, and operational risks that limits AI adoption.

“While enterprises are rapidly investing in AI, they are looking for practical ways to apply it across their core operations to deliver measurable business outcomes and create new commercial models,” said Andy Baldwin, Global Senior Vice President, IBM Consulting. “The challenge is not access to AI technologies — it’s integrating AI securely and at scale into complex enterprise environments and workflows. By embedding OpenAI’s technology with IBM Consulting’s AI assets, industry solutions, and cybersecurity capabilities, we can help clients accelerate secure, AI deployments at scale.”

“The organizations pulling ahead with AI are the ones turning it into a trusted part of how their business operates,” said Denise Dresser, Chief Revenue Officer at OpenAI. “IBM Consulting and OpenAI are helping organizations make that shift, combining deep transformation expertise to deploy AI that is secure, operational, and aligned with real business priorities.”

As part of the collaboration, IBM will join OpenAI’s Elite partner tier, reflecting the companies’ shared focus on delivering secure, enterprise-ready AI at scale. 

Statements regarding IBM’s and OpenAI’s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice, and represent goals and objectives only.

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media Contact

Elizabeth.Brophy
elizabeth.brophy@ibm.com 

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Beyond Seoul: Wego and Korea Tourism Organization Bring More of Korea Within Reach of MENA Travellers

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DUBAI, UAE, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wego, the number one travel app and the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), is joining forces with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) on a new phase of their collaboration, inviting travellers across the region to look beyond Korea’s best-known attractions and discover the different experiences that make the country worth exploring.

From the neighbourhoods that have become familiar through Korean dramas to the food markets, coastal cities and historic towns that offer a different perspective on the country, Korea has many sides to discover. The campaign will connect these interests with practical travel inspiration, helping MENA travellers explore destinations and experiences that suit their preferences.

At the heart of the collaboration is a simple idea: a trip to Korea does not have to follow a single itinerary. Visitors drawn by Korean entertainment and contemporary culture can explore Seoul’s creative districts, cafés and shopping streets, while those interested in history can discover the palaces of the capital or travel to Gyeongju, known for its remarkable Silla-era heritage. Busan offers a different pace through its coastal neighbourhoods, beaches and seafood markets, while Jeju Island provides opportunities to explore volcanic landscapes and scenic walking trails.

Mamoun Hmidan, Chief Business Officer at Wego, said: “Korea has become an increasingly appealing destination for travellers, thanks to its diverse tourism experiences and the global popularity of its culture. Through our partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization, we aim to introduce travellers across the Middle East and North Africa to new sides of the country, encouraging them to explore destinations and experiences beyond the traditional tourist attractions. Working with KTO allows us to combine destination knowledge with the travel choices available on Wego and make more of Korea visible to travellers across MENA.”

Rather than focusing on individual attractions alone, Wego and KTO will bring these experiences together through destination-focused digital campaigns, editorial storytelling and travel planning content tailored to audiences across MENA. Wego will also help travellers explore flight and accommodation options, making it easier to compare possibilities as they plan their journeys.

Sae-hyeong Son, Regional Director, Korea Tourism Organization Dubai Office, commented: “For many travellers, their first connection with Korea comes through its food, music, television or beauty culture. We want to build on that familiarity by introducing the places, traditions and everyday experiences that give Korea its character. Through our continued collaboration with Wego, we can present a wider picture of the country to audiences across the Middle East and North Africa, encouraging them to explore different regions and discover experiences that feel personal to them.”

Korea’s changing seasons offer further opportunities to experience the country in different ways. Autumn brings colourful landscapes and opportunities for outdoor exploration, while winter introduces mountain retreats, snow activities and seasonal city experiences. The Korea Grand Sale, scheduled from 23 December 2026 to 13 February 2027, will also offer international visitors shopping, cultural and travel-related benefits across participating businesses.

Spring brings another side of Korea, with cherry blossoms transforming parks and historic settings, while warmer months offer opportunities to explore coastal destinations and the country’s islands. This seasonal variety gives travellers flexibility to plan around the experiences they value most.

The campaign will bring together KTO’s destination expertise and Wego’s regional reach, creating more opportunities for travellers to discover Korea’s diversity and plan journeys that extend beyond its most familiar landmarks.

 About Wego 

Wego is the number one travel app and the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Combining a dynamic travel marketplace with on-platform bookings, Wego enables travelers to easily search, compare, and book flights and hotels across hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agencies. Beyond its B2C marketplace, Wego also operates WegoPro, a next-generation business travel platform, and WegoBeds, a MENA-focused bedbank. The company is dual headquartered in Singapore and Dubai with offices in Bangalore and Mumbai.

For more information, visit www.wego.com.

 

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Futu Celebrates Its 14th Anniversary with “FUTU NEXT” Initiative Launch

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Commits HK$300 Million to Support Hong Kong’s Youth and Initiates the “FUTU NEXT” Foundation

HONG KONG, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Futu Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: FUTU) (“Futu” or the “Company”), a leading tech-driven digital broker and wealth management platform, today announced the official launch of “FUTU NEXT” Initiative, a comprehensive, future-oriented social impact strategy, on the occasion of the Company’s 14th anniversary. Over the next five years, Futu will commit HK$300 million in cash, alongside dedicated training and employment resources, to support scientific research innovation and talent development across Hong Kong universities, creating expanded internship and career opportunities for young people.

The name “FUTU NEXT” encapsulates the Company’s strategic roadmap for the future and its long-term commitment to Hong Kong’s next generation: Nurture talent; Empower growth with resources and opportunities; eXplore new frontiers; and Transform innovative concepts into tangible societal value. The Chinese name Kai Yuen(”啟源”), reflects a simple wish: to inspire young minds and bring talented people together. It marks the opening of an exciting new chapter for Futu while reinforcing the belief that talent is the driving force behind continuous innovation in the fintech industry.

Aligning with HKSAR’s Core Focus on Youth Development, Phase One of “FUTU NEXT” Reaches Collaboration Intent with HKU

The “FUTU NEXT” initiative actively aligns with the HKSAR Government’s First Five-Year Plan and the strategic priorities set forth in the latest Policy Address, which place youth development at the core of Hong Kong’s ambition to reinforce its status as an international financial and innovation and technology hub. Deeply rooted in Hong Kong, Futu recognizes that our future is closely intertwined with the city’s prosperity. By adopting a youth-centric approach, Futu aims to empower academic research, support student aspirations, and contribute corporate strength to building Hong Kong into a global magnet for top-tier talent.

As the first milestone under “FUTU NEXT”, Futu has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Intended Collaboration with The University of Hong Kong (HKU) to establish a strategic partnership spanning three key pillars: Industry-University-Research integration, education and talent development, and employment support. Under the partnership, Futu and HKU will advance research in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary fields, including quantum computing, AI and trusted AI agents, and FinTech, while donating to establish scholarships to recognize outstanding students. Furthermore, Futu will foster student innovation and entrepreneurship by providing expanded internship and career opportunities, empowering young talent to validate their ideas and gain hands-on experience in real-world business scenarios.

Futu plans to expand this collaborative framework to more top-tier universities and leading institutions in Hong Kong over the next five years.

Establishing the “FUTU NEXT Foundation”, Extending its Giving from Campus to Community

To extend its impact into the broader community, Futu has marked its 14th anniversary by making a long-term civic commitment: the Company has officially initiated preparations to establish an independent FUTU NEXT Foundation. Looking beyond university campuses, the Foundation will serve as an independent, professional platform dedicated to the wider social ecosystem. Its mandate will encompass supporting youth innovation, cross-disciplinary tech R&D, aiding underprivileged groups, and advancing sustainable, inclusive social development—representing Futu’s enduring blueprint for giving back to Hong Kong.

Mr. Leaf Hua Li, Futu’s Founder, Chairman, CEO & Chairman of the Technology Committee, said: “Futu has been fortunate to be part of Hong Kong’s fintech development. We started in Hong Kong 14 years ago with a small team, a modest office and lines of code. Today, we serve tens of millions of users around the world. This city gave us room to grow and opened up opportunities for us. The HKSAR Government published Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan. The 2026 Policy Address also set out an integrated approach to education, science and technology, and talent development, alongside support for young people’s growth and employment. This long-term vision strengthens my belief that Hong Kong’s future depends on the creativity of each new generation.”

He added: “Attracting talented people matters. Helping them develop matters just as much. Starting with our university campuses, we want to turn our confidence in Hong Kong’s future into practical support for research, talent development and opportunities to learn through experience. Meanwhile, a Company’s growth depends on the society around it. As we continue to improve our technology and products, we also want to put the resources and capabilities we have built to broader use for the benefit of society. This is a commitment we intend to honour over the long term.”

About Futu Holdings Limited

Futu Holdings Limited (“Futu”) (Nasdaq: FUTU) is an advanced fintech company transforming the investing experience by offering fully digital financial services in multiple markets. Futu was listed on Nasdaq on March 8, 2019. Futu offers market data, financial news, interactive social features, and investor education on its proprietary one-stop digital platforms Futubull and Moomoo. Its subsidiaries provide clients with investing services including trading and clearing services for United States, Hong Kong SAR, China Connect, Singaporean, Australian, Japanese, Canadian, Malaysian and Korean stocks, margin financing and securities lending, crypto trading, and wealth management.

By creating an ecosystem centered around its users, Futu provides connectivity to users, investors, analysts, media, companies, and institutions. Futu also provides Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) solutions, initial public offering (IPO) distribution, and investor relations (IR) and public relations (PR) services through its institutional and corporate services brand, becoming the go-to partner of many well-known companies. Since its launch in 2019, Futu Money Plus has been working to build an all-in-one global asset allocation platform. Through cooperation with top fund houses worldwide, it provides clients with a wide range of best-performing funds to enable global asset allocations. Futu Trustee provides one-stop wealth management solutions for corporate clients and high-net-worth individuals and families, and revolutionizes service delivery for ESOP Trust Administration, Family Trust, and Family Office through technology.  For more information about Futu, please visit its official website www.futuholdings.com.

For media enquiries, please contact
media@futuhk.com

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TuyaOpen Adds Support for Silicon Labs SiWx917 Low-Power Wi-Fi SoC

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SDK integration and AI-assisted development tools provide a starting point for connected product innovation

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) and Tuya Smart (NYSE: TUYA, HKSE: 2391) today announced support for Silicon Labs’ SiWx917 wireless system-on-chip (SoC) in TuyaOpen, Tuya’s open-source development framework. The integration gives developers using TuyaOpen a low-power Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE hardware option for connected devices.

The SiWx917 platform integration is available through Tuya’s open-source repositories. Alongside the TuyaOpen IDE, it provides developers with a path to evaluate connected product concepts, including connected toys and devices that use cloud-based AI services. The IDE offers AI-assisted coding capabilities that can help developers create and refine application code within the TuyaOpen framework.

“SiWx917 combines low-power multi-protocol wireless connectivity, application processing and hardware-based security in a single chip,” said Irvind Ghai, Vice President of Wi-Fi at Silicon Labs. “Support in TuyaOpen makes those capabilities available to developers building products for the Tuya ecosystem.”

News at a Glance

The TuyaOpen SDK support for Silicon Labs’ SiWx917 low-power Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE SoC.Developers gain another low-power hardware option and access to TuyaOpen’s cross-platform framework and AI-assisted development workflow.Platform code and support for the Silicon Labs BRD2605A and Sekorm SiWx917 AI development kits provide a starting point for evaluation.

Hardware and Development Support
SiWx917 combines Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE connectivity with an Arm Cortex-M4 application processor, hardware-based security and power management. Its integrated architecture can help developers reduce the number of components needed for wireless connectivity and application processing.

The TuyaOpen integration includes support for the Silicon Labs BRD2605A SiWx917 Development Kit and the Sekorm SiWx917 AI Development Kit. These boards provide hardware for prototyping and evaluating applications using the SDK.

AI-Assisted Development in the TuyaOpen Ecosystem
TuyaOpen provides a C/C++ software framework and a hardware abstraction layer designed to separate application code from chip-specific functions. Its associated TuyaOpen IDE brings project setup, compilation, device programming and serial log debugging into one development environment.

The TuyaOpen IDE also offers AI-assisted development capabilities, including natural-language assistance for generating and adapting application code. TuyaOpen’s broader ecosystem connects device development with cloud-based services and multimodal AI offerings. These ecosystem capabilities can help developers explore AI-enabled connected products while using SiWx917 as a supported hardware target. Availability of individual IDE and AI functions may depend on the selected workflow and platform configuration.

“Adding SiWx917 support gives TuyaOpen developers another hardware option for connected product development,” said Hsuan Han Lai, Head of TuyaOpen at Tuya Smart. “The SDK integration and supported development boards provide a starting point for evaluating designs that use low-power Wi-Fi connectivity and AI-assisted development tools.”

Availability
The TuyaOpen SDK and SiWx917 platform integration are available through the following open-source repositories. Documentation and development resources are available at the links below.

TuyaOpen SDK: https://github.com/tuya/TuyaOpen SiWx917 platform integration: https://github.com/tuya/TuyaOpen-SiliconLabs TuyaOpen IDE: https://tuyaopen.ai/tuyaopen-ide Silicon Labs BRD2605A Development Kit: https://www.silabs.com/development-tools/wireless/wi-fi/siwx917-dk2605a-wifi-6-bluetooth-le-soc-dev-kit 

Availability and ordering information for the Sekorm SiWx917 AI Development Kit will be provided by Sekorm.

About Tuya Smart
Tuya Inc. (NYSE: TUYA; HKEX: 2391) is a leading global AI cloud platform service provider dedicated to bringing AI into everyday life. Through its TuyaOpen open-source development framework and universal AI Agent engines, including the AI Agent development platform, Tuya integrates multimodal AI capabilities to lower barriers for AI development, efficiently advancing the realization of AI-driven lifestyles and accelerating AI integration with the physical world. Tuya offers innovative physical AI solutions for smart devices, commercial applications, and industry developers through its cloud computing and spatial intelligence capabilities. It also provides a complete, open, and neutral global AIoT ecosystem.

As of June 30, 2026, the Tuya AI Developer Platform had over 2,092,000 registered AI developers from more than 200 countries and regions.

About Silicon Labs
Silicon Labs (NASDAQ: SLAB) is the leading innovator in low-power connectivity, building embedded technology that connects devices and improves lives. Merging cutting-edge technology into the world’s most highly integrated SoCs, Silicon Labs provides device makers with the solutions, support, and ecosystems needed to create advanced edge connectivity applications. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Silicon Labs has operations in over sixteen countries and is the trusted partner for innovative solutions in smart home, industrial IoT, and smart cities markets. Learn more at https://www.silabs.com. 

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