Market Newsdesk

STUTTGART, Germany, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ —

• Mercedes-Benz AG is fulfilling its responsibility as part of the sustainability offensive and is relying on sustainable supply chains for its electric vehicle fleet. Respect and protection of human rights and of the environment have the highest priority.
• Sourcing of cobalt and lithium exclusively from certified mines makes Mercedes-Benz AG a pioneer for the first cross-industry mining standard “Standard for Responsible Mining” of the “Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance”.
• Countries of origin viewed as high-risk are deliberately not generally excluded as sources of supply in accordance with the principle of using leverage before withdrawing.
• In the coming generations of battery cells, Mercedes-Benz is already reducing the cobalt content to less than ten percent and intends to dispense with materials such as cobalt entirely through post-lithium-ion technologies with new material compositions. 

The Mercedes-Benz electric offensive is a key component of the strategic focus “Ambition2039” and a prerequisite on the way to carbon neutrality. Responsibly mined and processed raw materials provide the foundation for a sustainable Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle fleet. Respect and protection of human rights and of the environment, all the way from the mine to the finished product, are decisive in this respect. Currently, the focus is particularly on the battery raw materials cobalt and lithium.

Mercedes-Benz is taking a comprehensive approach across the whole battery technology chain – from research and development to series production. The cell is at the very heart of the battery and mastering its chemistry is therefore critical. “Mercedes-Benz’s clear development goal is to significantly increase the range of future batteries through advances in energy density, to advance the production maturity of future battery technologies, to significantly reduce charging times, and to further reduce the use of critical materials. In the coming generations of battery cells, the cobalt content is already being reduced to less than ten percent. In the future, we want to use post-lithium-ion technologies with new material compositions to completely dispense with materials such as cobalt. The further optimization of recyclability and its implementation at Mercedes-Benz is also part of the holistic battery strategy,” says Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG; responsible for Daimler Group Research and
Mercedes-Benz Cars COO.

Mercedes-Benz AG is taking a pioneering role with a comprehensive approach that promotes the socially acceptable and environmentally sound extraction of cobalt and lithium. The company insists on the use of strong standards for sustainability, making the industry-wide recognized “Standard for Responsible Mining” of the “Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance” (IRMA) one of the key criteria for supplier decisions and supplier contracts within raw material supply chains. The standard is in the early stage of adoption by the industry, a process Daimler seeks to accelerate. In the company’s contracts, partners will need to commit to working within their own supply chain to source exclusively from raw material suppliers who are audited in accordance with the IRMA mining standard. The supply chains will in the future also be regularly monitored. 

Countries of origin viewed as high-risk are deliberately not generally excluded as sources of supply. Instead, the approach taken here aims to improve the local situation for the people working there and to strengthen their rights. By doing so, Mercedes-Benz AG is following the recommendation of non-governmental organizations, governments and other relevant interest groups not to withdraw from high-risk countries.

In accordance with the principle of using leverage before withdrawing, the aim is to encourage the local economy while at the same time ensuring that higher standards in relation to the protection of human rights are established.

“We have had the supply chains for our Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle fleet audited in line with OECD guidance, all the way back to the mine, even though we don’t source cobalt directly ourselves. Based on the insights gained, we will instruct our battery suppliers to only source cobalt and lithium from certified mining sites in the future. With this, we even go a step further and will ensure our sourcing is from mining sites compliant with the mining standard of the ‘Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance’. This way, in addition to child labor and a range of other social concerns, environmental risks in the mining of raw materials can also be minimized. By doing so, we are paving the way for clean raw materials, from which other participants in the market can also benefit,” said Markus Schäfer. “Going forward, we will only work with suppliers who agree to comply with these requirements.”

“Our aspiration is very clear: we want our products to contain only raw materials that have been mined and produced without human rights violations. This is one of the core elements of our sustainable business strategy. This way, we are putting an important element of our Human Rights Respect System into practice and are shaping the path to electric drive systems in a sustainable way,” said Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz, responsible for Integrity and Legal Affairs.
“If there are any indications of risk, we take another, closer look at the supply chain. This involves us going beyond the direct suppliers and creating transparency, if necessary all the way back to the mine.”

Cobalt supply chains: stringent selection process

Already in 2018, Mercedes-Benz commissioned the auditing and advisory firm RCS Global to establish transparency over the complex cobalt supply chains behind battery cells and to audit these at every stage in accordance with OECD Due Diligence. More than 120 suppliers were identified and 60 audits were conducted after a corresponding risk assessment. As things stand at present, there are currently no cobalt mines certified in accordance with IRMA’s Standard for Responsible Mining. Cobalt is one of the raw materials in batteries that is subject to intense criticism in terms of human rights. Mercedes-Benz is therefore working with IRMA and RCS Global on a step-by-step approach for dealing with particularly challenging local situations. This approach will be taken with a limited number of cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, auditing them against a series of specific sets of requirements in the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining. In addition to the human rights aspects, the environmentally friendly mining of raw materials and other key aspects relating to the consequences of industrial mining are examined. In the medium term, this approach aims on the one hand to formulate realistic expectations of the mining suppliers, while pressing for increasingly responsible practices in order to meet Daimler’s requirements for sustainable supply chains. The long-term objective is a clear commitment to a process of continuous improvement. Included in this are transitional periods for the achievement of different levels of performance for an IRMA certification.

Lithium: IRMA mining standard also mandatory for suppliers

With regard to lithium, Mercedes-Benz is also working to ensure that the raw material is sustainably extracted and that the IRMA mining standard will be enshrined in the supply contracts. In order to improve the situation in the mining areas at the same time, Daimler AG is in contact with development agencies and non-governmental organizations for possible projects on site.

Sustainability in Mercedes-Benz Procurement

Sustainability is a central pillar of the Mercedes-Benz purchasing strategy. On Mercedes-Benz’s way to CO₂-neutrality within the framework of “Ambition2039”, the focus is on the reduction of CO₂ emissions as well as on respecting and safeguarding human rights and the responsible use of resources along the entire supply chain. The new standards for the responsible procurement of raw materials apply only in the first step for cobalt and lithium. Daimler AG takes a systematic approach to counteracting human rights violations early and actively: A strategic approach to respecting human rights, the Human Rights Respect System has been developed both for its own entities and for its supply chains. As an important measure, the company has identified potential risk raw materials. The aim is to gradually make the supply chains for these potential risk raw materials transparent and to take risk-based measures. In the next step, it is planned to extend the procedure to other raw materials, initially to other battery raw materials.

About IRMA

With the “Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance” (IRMA), there is now for the first time a multi-stakeholder standard for industrial mining, developed in a process of intensive discussion with industry, civil society, communities and labour unions. More than 100 experts and not-for-profit organisations were involved in defining the IRMA “Standard for Responsible Mining”. After more than a decade of development, the Standard was released in 2018 and independent auditing of mines began in 2019. Through its membership of IRMA, Daimler AG supports implementation of this high-bar standard, with the company’s medium-term objective being to support access to certified raw materials for all players in the market. The Standard for Responsible Mining is a comprehensive standard that encompasses the four elements of Business Integrity, Planning for Positive Legacies, Social Responsibility and Environmental Responsibility, and addresses a wide range of aspects such as Legal Compliance, Resettlement, Community health and safety, Waste and materials management. Further information can be found here: www.responsiblemining.net

About RCS Global

RCS Global is a leading responsible sourcing assurance and advisory company, supporting industry and individual companies at all tiers of the global value chain to identify, assess and manage, environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in their supply chains. Partners include automotive and consumer electronics groups, battery manufacturers and trading companies around the world. Further information can be found here: www.rcsglobal.com

Further information on the subject of sustainability in the supply chain may be found at:

Strong for human rights – Daimler goes on the offensive for a sustainable raw material supply chain


Next step in the offensive “Strong for human rights”: Mercedes-Benz Cars enhances sustainability activities for the paint raw material Glimmer

Daimler intensifies activities for a sustainable raw material supply chain and joins further initiatives


Education to counter child labor – Daimler supports a social project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with over one million euros

Daimler is committed to combating child labor: education projects in India and the Congo – joining another initiative

Mercedes-Benz AG at a glance
Mercedes-Benz AG is responsible for the global business of Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans with over 173,000 employees worldwide. Ola Källenius is Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG. The company focuses on the development, production and sales of passenger cars, vans and services. Furthermore, the company aspires to be leading in the fields of connectivity, automated driving and alternative drives with its forward-looking innovations. The product portfolio comprises the Mercedes-Benz brand with the sub-brands Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes me – as well as the smart brand, and the EQ product and technology brand for electric mobility. Mercedes-Benz AG is one of the largest manufacturers of premium passenger cars. In 2019 it sold nearly 2.4 million cars and more than 438,000 vans. In its two business divisions, Mercedes-Benz AG is continually expanding its worldwide production network with over 40 production sites on four continents, while aligning itself to meet the requirements of electric mobility. At the same time, the company is developing its global battery production network on three continents. Sustainable actions play a decisive role in both business divisions. To the company, sustainability means creating value for all stakeholders on a lasting basis: customers, employees, investors, business partners and the society as a whole. The basis for this is the sustainable business strategy of Daimler in which the company takes responsibility for the economic, ecological and social effects of its business activities and looks at the entire value chain.

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SOURCE Daimler North America – Corporate Communications

REHOVOT, Israel, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Nova (Nasdaq: NVMI) today announced financial results for the third quarter 2020, the period ended September 30, 2020.

Business Highlights:

• Record quarterly revenue of $69.5 million, up 32% year-over-year
• GAAP net income of $13.9 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, up 60% year-over-year on a per-share basis
• Non-GAAP net income of $16.5 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, up 43% year-over-year on a per-share basis
• Record quarterly optical standalone revenues, driven by growing demand for Nova’s unique dimensional metrology solutions
• In October, completed a private offering of $200 million of 0% convertible senior notes due 2025

 

 

Management Comments

“Nova’s outstanding financial results for the quarter exceeded our previous expectations and guidance. These results demonstrate the resilience of our operational model and the strategic value we bring to our customers while they continue developing their next generation technology nodes,” commented Eitan Oppenhaim, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Following our strong operational execution in 2020, we remain confident in our strategy and the value we create, which provide us a solid base to deliver our long-term growth objectives.”

2020 Fourth Quarter Financial Outlook

Management provided an outlook for the fourth quarter, the period ending December 31, 2020. Based on current estimates, management expects:

• $66 million to $73 million in revenue
• $0.32 to $0.43 in diluted GAAP EPS
• $0.45 to $0.56 in diluted non-GAAP EPS

2020 Third Quarter Results

Total revenues for the third quarter of 2020 were $69.5 million, an increase of 11.0% compared with the second quarter of 2020 and an increase of 32.3% compared with the third quarter of 2019.

Gross margin for the third quarter of 2020 was 57.1%, compared with a gross margin of 58.5% in the second quarter of 2020, and compared with a gross margin of 52.4% in the third quarter of 2019.

Operating expenses in the third quarter of 2020 were $24.1 million, compared with $26.3 million in the second quarter of 2020 and compared with $21.0 million in the third quarter of 2019.

On a GAAP basis, the Company reported net income of $13.9 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2020. This is compared with net income of $8.7 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2020, and compared with net income of $8.6 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2019.

On a non-GAAP basis, which excludes amortization of acquired intangible assets, stock-based compensation expenses, one-time expense related to a transaction made by a financial institution without Company authorization, facilities transition costs, revaluation of long-term liabilities and tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments, the Company reported net income of $16.5 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2020. This is compared with net income of $13.8 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2020, and compared with net income of $11.5 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2019.

Conference Call Information

Nova will host a conference call today, November 12, 2020, at 9 a.m. Eastern Time, to discuss the financial results and outlook. To attend the conference call, please dial one of the following teleconferencing numbers. Please begin by placing your calls five minutes before the conference call commences. If you are unable to connect using the toll-free numbers, please try the international dial-in number.

U.S. TOLL-FREE Dial-in Number: 1-888-394-8218
ISRAEL TOLL-FREE Dial-in Number: 1-809-212-883
INTERNATIONAL Dial-in Number: 1-323-701-0225

At:

9 a.m. Eastern Time

6 a.m. Pacific Time

4 p.m. Israel Time
Please reference conference ID: 1420148

The conference call will also be webcast live from a link on Nova’s website at https://www.novami.com/investors/events/.

A replay of the conference call will be available from November 12, 2020 at 12 p.m. Eastern Time to November 19, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. To access the replay, please dial one of the following numbers:

Replay Dial-in TOLL-FREE: 1-844-512-2921
Replay Dial-in TOLL/INTERNATIONAL: 1-412-317-6671
Replay Pin Number: 1420148

A replay will also be available for 90 days on Nova’s website at https://www.novami.com/investors/events/.

About Nova: Nova is a leading innovator and key provider of metrology solutions for advanced process control used in semiconductor manufacturing. Nova delivers continuous innovation by providing state-of-the-art high-performance metrology solutions for effective process control throughout the semiconductor fabrication lifecycle. Nova’s product portfolio, which combines high-precision hardware and cutting-edge software, provides its customers with deep insight into the development and production of the most advanced semiconductor devices. Nova’s unique capability to deliver innovative x-ray and optical solutions enables its customers to improve performance, enhance product yields and accelerate time to market. Nova acts as a partner to semiconductor manufacturers from its offices around the world. Additional information may be found at www.novami.com.

Nova is traded on the NASDAQ & TASE under the symbol NVMI.

This press release provides financial measures that exclude amortization of acquired intangible assets, stock-based compensation expenses, expense related to a transaction made by a financial institution without Company authorization, facilities transition costs, revaluation of long-term liabilities, tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments and amortization of debt discount and issuance costs, as applicable, and are therefore not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding Nova’s performance because they reflect our operational results and enhance management’s and investors’ ability to evaluate Nova’s performance before charges or benefits considered by management to be outside Nova’s ongoing operating results. The presentation of this non-GAAP financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. Management believes that it is in the best interest of its investors to provide financial information that will facilitate comparison of both historical and future results and allow greater transparency to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision making. A reconciliation of each GAAP to non-GAAP financial measure discussed in this press release is contained in the accompanying financial tables..

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 relating to future events or our future performance, such as statements regarding, but are not limited to, anticipated growth opportunities and projections about our business and its future revenues, expenses and profitability. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Factors that may affect our results, performance, circumstances or achievements include, but are not limited to, the following: our dependency on three product lines; our dependency on a small number of large customers and small number of suppliers; the highly cyclical and competitive nature of the markets we target and we operate in; our inability to reduce spending during a slowdown in the semiconductor industry; our ability to respond effectively on a timely basis to rapid technological changes; our dependency on PEMs; risks related to exclusivity obligations and non-limited liability that may be included in our commercial agreements and arrangements; our ability to retain our competitive position despite the ongoing consolidation in our industry; risks related to our dependence on our manufacturing facilities; risks related to changes in our order backlog; risks related to efforts to complete and integrate current and/or future acquisitions; risks related to worldwide financial and economic instabilities, including the implications of the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; risks related to our intellectual property; new product offerings from our competitors; unanticipated manufacturing or supply problems; risks related to government programs we participate in; risks related to taxation; changes in customer demand for our products; risks related to currency fluctuations; risks related to technology security threats, including data breaches, cyberattacks and system disruptions, and changes in privacy laws; risks related to acquisitions we may pursue and risks related to our operations in Israel. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties summarized under the heading “Risk Factors” in Nova’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 12, 2020. These factors are updated from time to time through the filing of reports and registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Nova Measuring Instruments Ltd. does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Stock-based compensation expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2020 included in – Cost of revenues products – 259; Cost of revenues services – 155; Research and development expenses, net – 713; Sales and marketing expenses – 409; General and administrative expenses – 410

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SOURCE Nova

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Insignia Capital Group today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Truco Enterprises (“Truco” or the “Company”), a leading maker of tortilla chips, salsa and queso sold under the On The Border® (“OTB”) brand, to Utz Brands (NYSE: UTZ) for a total purchase price of $480 million. The deal is expected to close in December 2020 and is subject to customary closing conditions including the receipt of regulatory approvals.

Insignia Capital Group invested in Truco in 2014 to help the Company expand its distribution footprint and launch new product innovation. Together, Insignia and Truco made significant investments in sales and R&D that tripled adjusted EBITDA over the past six years. “It has been a true pleasure partnering with the Truco team to generate this exceptional outcome for all of the Company’s stakeholders,” said David Lowe, CEO of Insignia Capital Group.  “We believe Utz will be an exceptional steward of the brand as Truco executes on its next phase of growth.”

“The Truco team is thrilled to be joining the Utz family of brands, and we are thankful to our partners at Insignia Capital for all of their support”, said Truco CEO Shane Chambers.  “On The Border is now one of the fastest growing Tortilla chip brands and the fastest growing dip brand in the category.  Utz will be able to leverage its world class Direct Store Delivery network to help expand our brand into new markets.  As a result, more consumers across the U.S will have access to our delicious, high quality tortilla chips and dips.  I’m looking forward to working with Dylan and the rest of the Utz senior management team to continue our excellent growth trajectory.”

Harris Williams & Co. is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as legal counsel to Truco Enterprises and Insignia Capital Group. Goldman Sachs is acting as lead financial advisor to Utz Brands, Bank of America is acting as financial advisor, and Cozen O’Connor is serving as legal counsel to Utz Brands, Inc.

About Truco Enterprises
Truco is a leading developer and marketer of tortilla chips, salsa, and queso under the On The Border® brand. The Company’s products are sold nationally through grocery retailers, club stores, and mass merchandisers. Truco Enterprises is the exclusive licensee of the On The Border brand for food products sold through retail. For more information, please visit www.ontheborderchips.com. Truco Enterprises is a portfolio company of Insignia Capital Group.

About Insignia Capital Group
Insignia Capital Group is a San Francisco Bay Area private equity firm focused on middle-market companies. Insignia partners with company founders and management teams to help drive growth and achieve true business potential. The firm’s principals have significant experience building businesses across the consumer and business services sectors.  For more information, visit www.insigniacap.com.

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SOURCE Insignia Capital Group; Truco Enterprises

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2020 /CNW/ – Trading resumes in:

Company: Dye & Durham Limited

TSX Symbol: DND

All Issues: Yes

Resumption (ET): 8:00 AM

IIROC can make a decision to impose a temporary suspension (halt) of trading in a security of a publicly-listed company. Trading halts are implemented to ensure a fair and orderly market. IIROC is the national self-regulatory organization which oversees all investment dealers and trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces in Canada.

SOURCE Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) – Halts/Resumptions

TOKYO, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704;TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today announced earnings results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2020, ending September 30, 2020.

The third quarter of 2020 further confirmed the steady increase in digital transformation efforts across consumer, small & medium business and enterprise segments, validating Trend Micro’s strategy and investment in cloud and hybrid cloud security and its focus on delivering rapid innovation via Security-as-a-Service (SaaS). Customers’ need to secure cloud-based applications and infrastructure has resulted in a 74% increase of SaaS-based deployed instances.  

“With the majority of enterprises accelerating their digital transformation to remain competitive in a fast-paced global economy, or shifting to remote work as a result of Covid-19, the attack areas for cybercriminals expand daily. More than ever companies are looking for trusted help with cloud security initiatives. Trend Micro has continued to showcase its dedication and innovation in cloud that began over a decade ago, and we’re pleased to see rapid adoption of our new cloud security services platform amongst customers in both AWS and Azure environments,” said Eva Chen, co-founder and chief executive officer for Trend Micro. “We also recognize the importance of gaining visibility across the extended enterprise that now includes the cloud, and enabling customers to detect and respond to threats faster than ever. With our latest XDR and Managed XDR offerings, we are harnessing the power of the cloud to deliver meaningful and actionable insights so that customers can act quickly and remain resilient.”

For this quarter, Trend Micro posted consolidated net sales of 43,217 million Yen (or US $406 million, 106.22 JPY = 1USD). The company posted operating income of 7,488 million Yen (or US $70 million) and net income attributable to owners of the parent of 3,855 million Yen (or US $36 million) for the quarter.

Key business updates in Q3

Clear leadership and product innovation in cloud security:

Trend Micro kicked-off the quarter announcing its Trend Micro Cloud One™ – Conformity offering is now available to Azure customers, helping global organizations tackle misconfigurations, compliance challenges and cyber-risks in the cloud. The company also achieved the CIS Microsoft Azure Foundation Security Benchmark. Trend Micro Cloud One – Conformity identifies around 230 million cloud misconfigurations for its global Azure and AWS customers every single day.

Trend Micro continues to enhance and improve its leading cloud solutions, unveiling enhanced agility and automation in cloud security through integrations with Amazon Web Services (AWS). As a result, Trend Micro delivers flexible and scalable all-in-one security that helps DevOps engineers securely build and innovate as they migrate to and build in the cloud.

Trend Micro announced that its hybrid cloud security offerings have received the AWS Outposts Ready designation, part of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Service Ready Program. This designation recognizes that Trend Micro has demonstrated successful integration with AWS Outposts deployments. Achieving the AWS Outposts Ready designation differentiates Trend Micro as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member with products fully tested on AWS Outposts.

Expanding on a strategic relationship from last year, this quarter Trend Micro announced plans for a new, co-developed solution with Snyk, the leader in developer-first open source security. The joint solution will help security teams manage the risk of open source vulnerabilities from the moment open source code is introduced without interrupting the software delivery process. It will be available as part of the Trend Micro Cloud One platform.

In terms of its groundbreaking research, Trend Micro released “Commodified Cybercrime Infrastructure: Exploring the Underground Services Market for Cybercriminals.” This research stated organizations’ on-premise and cloud-based servers are compromised, abused and rented out as part of a sophisticated criminal monetization lifecycle.

Leader
in
Extended
 Detection and Response:
Trend Micro shared the significant business value driven by cloud-powered XDR and Managed XDR offerings, which optimize threat detection and response across all critical vectors. Trend Micro’s XDR solution is both a SaaS-based offering as well as a managed service with the “X” referring to the most extensive sets of data from more protection points, which is critical to find hidden threats. Trend Micro was recently named a Leader in enterprise detection and response by Forrester and achieved the highest initial detection in the MITRE ATT&CK® Framework.

The availability of Worry-Free XDR: a new version of its industry leading XDR platform designed to extend the power of correlated detection and response beyond the endpoint for smaller businesses, was also announced this quarter. This unmatched channel offering is available now as a standalone or managed solution tailored for small and medium businesses (SMBs).

Corporate initiatives to boost organizations’ cybersecurity talent:

Trend Micro also announced its 6^th annual Capture the Flag (CTF) Competition, which provides hands on experience to nurture the talent of more cybersecurity professionals. The Trend Micro CTF 2020 – Raimund Genes Cup will be run as a fully online event for the first time, including virtual qualifying and final rounds. This year, the event will include challenges in reverse engineering, forensics/exploitation, open source intelligence (OSINT), mobile, IoT, machine learning, and radio-frequency (RF) systems. RF is featured for the first time after a highly successful engagement with the cybersecurity community in separate Capture the Signal events over the past two years.

Trend Micro announced a new initiative in its long-running effort to close the diversity and talent gap in the technology industry. The company has extended its partnership with Girls in Tech, a global nonprofit bringing the world together through education and experiences. As part of this expanded partnership with Girls in Tech, Trend Micro developed a new Cybersecurity Fundamentals course for the non-profit.

Executive and Enterprise Industry Recognition:
This quarter Trend Micro was recognized with multiple awards for both its leadership team and its dedication to the vulnerability market.

• 
  CRN
  ®, named Trend Micro co-founder and CEO Eva Chen to its 2020 list of Top 100 Executives.
• Eva Chen was also recognized as one of the most influential women in the cybersecurity industry on Cyber Defense Magazine‘s Top 100 Women in Cybersecurity for 2020 list.
• A new report by Omdia, “Quantifying the Public Vulnerability Market,” found that Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) disclosed the most vulnerabilities in 2019. This independent research group analyzed disclosures from 11 vulnerability research vendors, with the ZDI maintaining its position as the world’s largest vendor-agnostic bug bounty program for the 10th year in a row.

This quarter marked the 15-year celebration of the ZDI program. Since its inception in 2005, the ZDI has reported more than 7,500 flaws to affected vendors by financially incentivizing the security research community to find bugs before malicious third parties potentially discover them. ZDI has also paid more than $25 million to over 10,000 researchers globally during that time.

Maintaining Leadership in IIoT & Delivering World Leading Research:
In addition to its growing cloud momentum, Trend Micro also continued its Industrial IoT research including the new report “Caught in the Crossfire: Defending Devices From Battling Botnets” warning consumers of a major new wave of attacks attempting to compromise their home routers for use in IoT botnets. The report urges users to take action to stop their devices from enabling this criminal activity.

Trend Micro also announced new research, “Unveiling the Hidden Risks of Industrial Automation Programming” focused on design flaws in legacy languages and released new secure coding guidelines. These are designed to help Industry 4.0 developers greatly reduce the software attack surface, and therefore decrease business disruption in operational technology (OT) environments.

This quarter the company also revealed “Lost in Translation: When Industrial Protocol Translation goes Wrong,” reporting a new class of security vulnerabilities in protocol gateway devices that could expose Industry 4.0 environments to critical attacks. Also known as protocol translators, protocol gateways allow machinery, sensors, actuators and computers that operate in industrial facilities to talk to each other and to IT systems that are increasingly connected to such environments.

As part of its annual mid-year roundup report, Trend Micro also revealed COVID-19 related threats as the single largest type of threat in the first half of the year. In just six months, Trend Micro blocked 8.8 million COVID-19 related threats, nearly 92% of which were email-based.

New patents filed:
Trend Micro was awarded the following patents in Q3 2020:

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements that are made in this release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Many important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These factors include:

• Difficulties in addressing new threats and other computer security problems
• Timing of new product introductions and lack of market acceptance for new
• products
• The level of continuing demand for, and timing of sales of, existing products
• Rapid technological change within the security software industry
• Changes in customer needs for security software
• Existing products and new product introductions by competitors and pricing of
• those products
• Declining prices for products and services
• The effect of future acquisitions on our financial condition and results of operations
• The effect of adverse economic trends on principal markets
• The effect of foreign exchange fluctuations on our results of operations
• An increase in the incidence of product returns
• The potential lack of attractive investment targets and
• Difficulties in successfully executing our investment strategy
• New and potentially unforeseen risks and liabilities associated with the internet of
• things, the use of artificial intelligence in our products and services, and other
• emerging technologies

About Trend Micro
Trend Micro, a global leader in cybersecurity, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Leveraging over 30 years of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro enables resilience for businesses, governments, and consumers with connected solutions across cloud workloads, endpoints, email, IIoT, and networks. Our XGen™ security strategy powers our solutions with a cross-generational blend of threat-defense techniques that are optimized for key environments and leverage shared threat intelligence for better, faster protection. With over 6,700 employees in 65 countries, and the world’s most advanced global threat research and intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com

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SOURCE Trend Micro Incorporated

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — This year has given us all an appreciation for the brands and products that consumers can depend on. If you’re looking for appliances that help you knock more off your to-do list, we found the perfect laundry pair. Whirlpool brand designs innovative products that help consumers manage everyday chores with ease, while providing great value, excellent performance and reliability. These attributes have been recognized by J.D. Power, who has awarded Whirlpool brand the top-ranking scores across four categories for its front-load washing machines:

• Ease of use
• Performance and Reliability
• Warranty
• Price

The combination of these qualities has earned Whirlpool brand front-load washers the highest rank for customer satisfaction in the J.D. Power 2020 Laundry Appliances Satisfaction Study, now in its 16th year. 

“At Whirlpool brand, we know our appliances deliver high-performance, reliable, easy to use features that are cost-effective, because we work really hard to ensure they do,” said Nelly Martinez, senior brand manager for Whirlpool brand. “When that message is reinforced independently by J.D. Power, a trusted leader in tracking consumer preferences, it’s an honor and a testament to the innovation we put behind our products.” Ms. Martinez goes on to say, “Making a difference in people’s lives by creating trustworthy laundry appliances is a great source of pride to us at Whirlpool brand. It’s what we thrive on, and we’re proud to see that our achievements are acknowledged by J.D. Power and consumers alike.”

As the trusted symbol of the Voice of the Customer, the J.D. Power customer satisfaction awards ensure that the highest-performing brands and products stand out in a crowd. The 2020 Laundry Appliance Satisfaction Study is based on more than 2,000 evaluations from customers who purchased laundry washers and more than 1,600 evaluations from customers who purchased laundry dryers during the past 12 months. The study was fielded from January through March 2020.

To learn more about Whirlpool’s award-winning lineup of front load washing machines and to shop the latest innovations, visit https://www.whirlpool.com/laundry/front-load-washer-set.html

*Recognition is in a tie with another appliance.

About Whirlpool Brand (NYSE: WHR)
For more than one hundred years, Whirlpool brand has been inspired by how people care for their families. Whirlpool brand is designing home appliances that are focused on improving how families give and get the care they need with the latest technologies and innovations – whether that means most flexible refrigerator storage for all types of family needs, induction technology for efficient cooking and easier cleaning, or laundry pairs that sense and adapt to clothes with the latest in connected technologies. Whirlpool brand created and continues outpacing goals of its Care Counts™ Laundry Program, through which the brand is committed to helping create educational equality by installing washers and dryers in schools to help remove one small but important barrier to attendance – access to clean clothes. Whirlpool brand is part of Whirlpool Corporation, the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances. For more information on Whirlpool, please visit whirlpool.com/everydaycare or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/whirlpoolusa or Twitter at @WhirlpoolUSA. Additional information about the company can be found at whirlpoolcorp.com.

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SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation