CaribPR Wire

TORONTO and LIMA, Peru, March 1, 2019 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Scotiabank announced today it has successfully completed the acquisition of 51% of the controlling interest of Banco Cencosud after receiving regulatory approval from Peruvian authorities. Scotiabank and Banco Cencosud will jointly manage the credit card operations and offer other products and services to customers in partnership for 15 years. Scotiabank and Cencosud have similar agreements in Chile and Colombia. With the closing of this acquisition, Scotiabank has become Peru’s second largest credit card issuer.

“Partnering with Cencosud has been a rewarding process in which we have begun to leverage the potential of the consumer finance business”, said Miguel Uccelli, CEO & Country Head of Scotiabank Peru.” With this acquisition we have completed one more phase in our strategy to strengthen our consumer financing and credit card business in Peru, which aligns with our global vision to increase scale in the countries of the Pacific Alliance; Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru”, he concluded.

“Our objective is to leverage the teams from Banco Cencosud and Scotiabank to build an improved experience for all our customers”, said Carlos Morante, CEO of Banco Cencosud, and who will be in charge of the operation under the new name of CAJA CAT PERÚ. “Our customers will continue to enjoy the products they have with us, under the same conditions, but with greater support. We will continue operating separately, taking into account the special features of each business and we will continue to work with our current team of employees”, he said. Morante indicated that no customer has to change their credit cards or other products, “Everything remains the same”, he concluded.

Cencosud Peru owns the second-largest supermarket and the fourth-largest department store chain in the country. Cencosud has operated in Peru since 2007 through the Wong supermarket brand Metro supermarket and Paris department stores. It is also the owner of various shopping malls.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada’s international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our more than 25 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 98,000 employees¹ and assets of over $1 trillion (as at January 31, 2019), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

¹Employees are reported on a full-time equivalent basis.

LIMA, Peru and SMITHS FALLS, Ontario, Jan. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ – Canopy Growth Corporation (TSX: WEED) (NYSE: CGC) (the “Company” or “Canopy Growth”), through its Latin American-focused subsidiary, Canopy LATAM Corporation (”Canopy LATAM”), is proud to introduce Spectrum Cannabis Peru S.A.C. (”Spectrum Cannabis Peru”), the newest member of the growing global Spectrum Cannabis family.

Spectrum Cannabis Peru will operate as part of the Canopy LATAM network and with Peru poised to introduce new regulations for the use of medical cannabis, this new in-market entity is uniquely positioned to support the opening of the Peruvian market while leveraging Canopy Growth’s global expertise in patient and physician education, as well as in medical cannabis production.

This announcement directly supports Canopy Growth’s strategy of securing first mover advantage to realize the opportunities generated by evolving cannabis regulations across the region and the world. Until regulations are published supporting patient access to medical cannabis, Spectrum Cannabis Peru will focus on advancing education activities, including working closely with the medical community to foster greater understanding of the potential uses of medical cannabis while reducing stigma.

Supporting education, regulation, and patient access for medical cannabis across Latin America

While in Lima to participate in the launch of Spectrum Cannabis Peru, Dr. Mark Ware, Canopy Growth’s Chief Medical Officer, is advancing the Company’s commitment to education through participation in a range of medical cannabis-focused events for physicians, healthcare professionals, and cannabis-focused patient groups.

This includes addressing healthcare professionals currently attending an introductory course on cannabis held by the medical college of Peru (”Colegio Medico del Peru”), as well as delivering an address and participating in the First Meeting of American Professional Experts working with Phytocannabinoids (”1° Encuentro Americano De Professionales Expertos En Fitocannabioides”) held in Lima from January 10 to 11.

The conference will also see Dr. Ware, in his capacity as a family physician focused on pain management, participate in the signing of the Lima Declaration on the medical use of cannabis. This physician-led declaration encourages governments, regulators, and health authorities throughout the region to ensure patient access and scientific research are the cornerstones of all Latin America medical cannabis laws.

Further, the declaration promotes collaboration across the region, and calls on healthcare professionals to contribute to informed access for cannabis-based medicines while asking patients to advocate and defend their right to such treatments.

A leap forward for sustainable regional production through Spectrum Cannabis Colombia

As previously announced, production operations are advancing at the Company’s farm in Colombia, with initial cultivation having started in late 2018. In line with the plan for sustainable regional production based in the country, the Company is pleased to report that licenses have now been received for the production of cannabis in all 126 hectares (13.6 million sq. ft.) of suitable growing area at the farm.

This is an increase from the previously licensed 42 hectares (4.5 million sq. ft.) of production area and to the Company’s knowledge, the wholly owned farm now represents one of the largest fully licensed cannabis production facilities in the world. This also positions Canopy Growth to meet the emerging regional supply demands as a number of countries across Latin America update their regulations and in so doing, open their markets for the import and sale of Spectrum Cannabis’ high-quality cannabis-based medical products.

Continued development of Canopy LATAM and local in-market entities

As regulations across the region continue to evolve at a rapid pace, Canopy Growth is well positioned to seize these new opportunities through its subsidiary Canopy LATAM, and the in-market entities that work collectively as part of the Company’s LATAM structure. A full leadership team is now in place at both the regional and local level to guide these activities and draws on extensive experience from leading organizations in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and consulting industries.

With a fully licensed production site in Colombia, newly launched operations in Peru, a rapidly evolving landscape in Mexico, and clinical trials underway in Chile, Canopy LATAM and Canopy Growth are uniquely positioned to realize the significant opportunities across Latin America with the ultimate goal of serving patients through education and high quality, reliable, medical cannabis products.

Quotes from leadership

“We’re proud to welcome Peru to the growing family of Spectrum Cannabis countries and to have the chance to serve Peruvian patients and healthcare professionals in the future,” said Mark Zekulin, President and Co-CEO, Canopy Growth. “Canopy Growth is a global leader in providing safe, regulated, medical cannabis and by leveraging our experience together with local expertise, we look forward to helping build a responsible Peruvian cannabis industry today and into the future.”

“The landscape for medical cannabis continues to evolve rapidly in Latin America and Peru is poised to take a leading role with the introduction of new regulations which we hope will prioritize patient access”, said Antonio Droghetti, Managing Director, Canopy LATAM. “Launching Peruvian operations enhances our ability to engage with regulators, healthcare professionals, and patients to ensure they have the information they need while also preparing for the future sale of medical cannabis products across the country.”

“With the full licensing of our 126-hectare farm, Spectrum Cannabis Colombia and Canopy Growth have demonstrated yet again our ability to execute and prepare for the rapidly rising demand that exists for medical cannabis”, said Bibiana Rojas, Country Managing Director, Spectrum Cannabis Colombia. “Our ambitious goal of sustainable regional production for medical cannabis is one step closer in Latin America and we’re proud to play a role in increasing the total potential production of Canopy Growth as it builds markets internationally.”

About Canopy Growth Corporation
Canopy Growth is a world-leading diversified cannabis and hemp company, offering distinct brands and curated cannabis varieties in dried, oil and Softgel capsule forms. Canopy Growth offers the world’s only medically approved vaporizers through the Company’s subsidiary, Storz & Bickel GMbH & Co. KG. From product and process innovation to market execution, Canopy Growth is driven by a passion for leadership and a commitment to building a world-class cannabis company one product, site and country at a time. The Company has operations in 13 countries across five continents. The Company is proudly dedicated to educating healthcare practitioners, conducting robust clinical research, and furthering the public’s understanding of cannabis, and through its wholly owned subsidiary, Canopy Health Innovations (”Canopy Health”), has devoted millions of dollars toward cutting edge, commercializable research and IP development. Canopy Growth works with the Beckley Foundation and has launched Beckley Canopy Therapeutics to research and develop clinically validated cannabis-based medicines, with a strong focus on intellectual property protection. Canopy Growth acquired assets of leading hemp research company, ebbu, Inc. (”ebbu”). Intellectual Property (”IP”) and R&D advancements achieved by ebbu’s team apply directly to Canopy Growth’s hemp and THC-rich cannabis genetic breeding program and its cannabis-infused beverage capabilities. Through partly owned subsidiary Canopy Rivers Corporation, the Company is providing resources and investment to new market entrants and building a portfolio of stable investments in the sector. From our historic public listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange to our continued international expansion, pride in advancing shareholder value through leadership is engrained in all we do at Canopy Growth. Canopy Growth has established partnerships with leading sector names including cannabis icon Snoop Dogg, breeding legends DNA Genetics and Green House seeds, Battelle, the world’s largest nonprofit research and development organization, and Fortune 500 alcohol leader Constellation Brands, to name but a few. Canopy Growth operates ten licensed cannabis production sites with over 4.3 million square feet of production capacity, including over 500,000 square feet of GMP certified production space. The Company operates Tweed retail stores in Newfoundland and Manitoba and has entered into supply agreements with every Canadian province and territory. For more information visit www.canopygrowth.com.

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Canopy Growth or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release. Examples of such statements include statements with respect to international operations in the LATAM region. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the Company’s ability to satisfy provincial sales contracts or provinces purchasing all cannabis allocated to them, and such risks contained in the Company’s annual information form dated June 27, 2018 and filed with Canadian securities regulators available on the Company’s issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information or forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws.

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TORONTO, Nov. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Scotiabank is proud to have been named 2018 Bank of the Year by LatinFinance for excellence in retail, commercial and investment banking services for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Scotiabank is the first Canadian bank to ever receive the Bank of the Year award from LatinFinance. The Bank was recognized for its, “overall strategy, volume and diversity of transactions; innovation and foresight; execution quality and success of transactions; role in particularly complex, innovative or large deals over the years; and quantity of transactions worked on over the year, and compared to previous years,” according to LatinFinance.

“We are honoured to have been recognized by LatinFinance as the 2018 Bank of the Year and would like to thank our customers for their loyalty and our employees for their hard work and dedication to providing an excellent customer experience,” said Ignacio (Nacho) Deschamps, Group Head of International Banking and Digital Transformation at Scotiabank. “This award recognizes Scotiabank for our long history in Latin America as well as our new acquisitions that add scale in the important markets we serve, especially in the Pacific Alliance countries.”

The Bank of the Year is chosen by an editorial panel that reviews financial data and research, considers quantitative and qualitative factors, and weighs analyst opinion. Winners will be honoured at an Awards Ceremony in New York City on December 4, 2018 to celebrate LatinFinance’s 30th anniversary.

LatinFinance is the leading source of intelligence on the financial markets and economies of Latin America and the Caribbean, and has covered banking and capital markets in the region for more than 25 years. It also provides detailed transaction pipelines, underwriting and advisory league tables, polls and awards.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada’s international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our 25 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 96,000 employees and assets of $947 billion (as at July 31, 2018), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

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CaribPR Wire, NASSAU, The Bahamas, Feb. 15, 2018: Cloud Carib, a provider of managed cloud and ICT services to businesses and governments in the Caribbean and Latin American region, completed its most successful year to date in December. The company, which launched in 2011, attracted a record number of new clients in 2017 led by organizations seeking cloud technology expertise and help understanding the risks and regulations to leverage cloud and accelerate digital transformation.

“The Caribbean and Latin America are ripe for digital transformation and technology innovation,” says Scott MacKenzie, CEO at Cloud Carib. “Technology is advancing at an exponential rate and both the public and private sector cannot keep up. Everyone is struggling to maintain the status quo, but realizing that standing still is no longer an option as the world rapidly evolves. Citizens and consumers are suffering from inaction and leading governments and organizations are finally embracing what is possible. We are on a mission to help organizations securely move their data and applications to the region’s premier cloud for added performance, availability and cost savings.”

Some noteworthy Cloud Carib milestones from 2017 include:

• Doubled revenue year-over-year
• Added over 40 new regional ICT jobs, with plans to add an additional 60 in 2018
• Added a record number of new clients, including leading financial services organizations and governments in the region
• Introduced Carib365, which allows Cloud Carib to keep client data in the Caribbean region – outside the US and Europe – thereby ensuring data privacy
• Announced service extensions into Panama, Barbados and Jamaica, and additional regional sites planned for Trinidad and Tobago, the Cayman Islands, and other Central and Latin American countries
• Opened the only 24×7 Command and Control Centre (C3) dedicated to managed cloud services within the Caribbean and Latin America, offering round-the-clock cloud support and service monitoring
• Achieved Gold Partner status with Palo Alto Networks, a leading next-generation security company
• Received the Cisco Collaboration Partner of the Year for Architectural Excellence in the Americas and CANSAC regions
• Became the first Red Hat Certified Cloud Solutions Provider (CCSP) in the Caribbean and Latin American regions
• Appointed Scott MacKenzie to CEO

“We’ve experienced significant growth over the last year as we continue to educate the market on the benefits of cloud infrastructure and technology services,” says MacKenzie. “We expect this growth to continue as we look to expand into Central and Latin America and other areas throughout the Caribbean over the next year.”

About Cloud Carib
Cloud Carib is the regions premier provider of managed cloud services founded upon the principles of delivering quality, agility, and value for every client. Solutions range from complex bespoke dedicated private cloud offerings to hybrid cloud services. Every solution provides clients with controlled costs, unrivaled levels of service, and unparalleled levels of data protection and privacy – when and where privacy matters.

For more information, please visit www.cloudcarib.com.

Cloud Carib logra un crecimiento récord a medida que las empresas del Caribe y Latinoamérica y los organismos gubernamentales buscan la transformación digital

CaribPR Wire, NASSAU, Las Bahamas, Feb. 15, 2018: Cloud Carib, un proveedor de servicios gestionados en la nube y TIC para empresas y gobiernos en la región del Caribe y Latinoamérica cerró en diciembre su año más exitoso hasta la fecha. La compañía, que fue lanzada en 2011, atrajo un número récord de nuevos clientes en 2017 liderados por organizaciones que buscan experiencia en tecnología en la nube y asistencia para comprender los riesgos y las regulaciones a fin de aprovechar la nube y acelerar la transformación digital.

“El Caribe y Latinoamérica están listos para la transformación digital y la innovación tecnológica”, afirma Scott MacKenzie, director general de Cloud Carib. “La tecnología avanza a un ritmo exponencial y ni el sector público ni el privado pueden mantener el ritmo. Todos luchan por mantener el status quo y se dan cuenta de que quedarse inactivos ya no es una opción dado que el mundo evoluciona con rapidez. Los ciudadanos y los consumidores sufren de inacción y los principales gobiernos y organizaciones finalmente están adoptando lo que es posible. Nuestra misión es ayudar a las organizaciones a trasladar de manera segura sus datos y aplicaciones a la nube principal de la región para obtener un mayor rendimiento, disponibilidad y ahorro de costos”.

Entre algunos logros significativos de Cloud Carib en 2017 se incluyen:

• Ingresos duplicados año tras año
• Se agregaron más de 40 nuevos empleos regionales en TIC, con planes para agregar otros 60 más en 2018.
• Se ha agregado un número récord de nuevos clientes, incluidas las principales organizaciones de servicios financieros y los gobiernos de la región.
• Se introdujo Carib365, que permite a Cloud Carib mantener los datos de los clientes en la región del Caribe, fuera de EE. UU. y Europa, garantizando así la privacidad de los datos.
• Se anunciaron ampliaciones de servicios en Panamá, Barbados y Jamaica, y se planificaron sitios regionales adicionales para Trinidad y Tobago, las Islas Caimán y otros países de América Central y Lationamérica.
• Se inauguró el único Centro de Comando y Control (C3) 24×7 dedicado a servicios gestionados en la nube en el Caribe y Latinoamérica, ofreciendo soporte en la nube y monitoreo del servicio las 24 horas del día.
• Se alcanzó el nivel Gold Partner con Palo Alto Networks, una compañía líder de seguridad de última generación.
• Se recibió el Collaboration Partner of the Year for Architectural Excellence (Socio colaborador del año para la excelencia arquitectónica) de Cisco en América y la región de CANSAC.
• Se convirtió en el primer proveedor de soluciones en la nube certificado (CCSP, por sus siglas en inglés) por Red Hat en las regiones del Caribe y Latinoamérica.
• Se nombró a Scott MacKenzie como director general.

“Hemos experimentado un crecimiento significativo en el último año a medida que continuamos educando al mercado sobre los beneficios de la infraestructura en la nube y los servicios de tecnologías”, declara MacKenzie. “Esperamos que este crecimiento continúe mientras esperamos expandirnos a América Central y Latinoamérica, así como a otras áreas del Caribe durante el próximo año”.

Acerca de Cloud Carib
Cloud Carib es el principal proveedor regional de servicios gestionados en la nube, fundado sobre los principios de ofrecer calidad, agilidad y valor a cada cliente. Las soluciones van desde ofertas complejas personalizadas de nube privada hasta servicios de nube híbridos. Cada solución ofrece a los clientes costos controlados, niveles de servicio inigualables y niveles incomparables de protección de datos y privacidad, cuando y donde la privacidad es importante.

Para obtener más información, visite www.cloudcarib.com.

CaribPR Wire, MIAMI, Jan. 26, 2018: C&W Business announced today that it has attained the Cisco Cloud and Managed Services Partner (CMSP) Master certification for the Caribbean and Latin American region, joining an elite group of Cisco® partners worldwide.  C&W is the first provider operating in the region to achieve this distinction.

The Cloud and Managed Services Partner Master designation is for partners who sell and deliver Cisco powered products enabled by a world-class network operation center responsible for delivering, monitoring and pro-active management and maintenance services. Cisco powered product offers are best-in-class, flexible, and scalable cloud and managed services that are designed to help customers to expand their reach, enhance their customer experience and capitalize on emerging opportunities. The customer benefits from superior levels of service, security, and 24-hour support from Cisco partners who undergo rigorous certification and a third-party audit of their solutions.

Following several years of significant investment, C&W Business has become the region’s premier hosted solutions and ITaaS provider, with world-class Tier III/IV facilities located in Bogota (2), Panama, Miami, Cayman, and Curacao, all inter-connected via our unmatched subsea fiber network (50,000 km and growing) reaching over 40 markets. C&W Business is globally recognized by Gartner which has named C&W Business to its coveted “Magic Quadrant” for the last 3 years and Ovum ranks C&W #4 globally for our Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) solutions.

To attain the CMSP Master designation, C&W Business went through a rigorous vetting process by Cisco which included showing a network operation center capable of servicing multiple ‘referenceable’ customers as well as passing an independent third-party audit of capabilities. As a Cisco Managed Services Master Partner, C&W Business also had to demonstrate that it has established managed service ITIL processes, practices, and has tools in place to support Cisco advanced technologies at all phases of the lifecycle — prepare, plan, design, implement, operate, and optimize.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/51a4f85b-79c5-405c-b399-96fc72adb9e9

Shuja Khan, Chief Commercial Officer, C&W Communications said, “We are truly delighted to have earned this CMSP Master Certification for the Caribbean and Latin America. Attaining this globally recognized certification further underlines our expertise and capacity to provide Cloud based Managed Services to our customers in the region. As the only provider in the Caribbean with this certification, it also demonstrates our position as one of Cisco’s “go-to” partners for providing cloud based services.”

About C&W Communications

C&W is a full service communications and entertainment provider and delivers market-leading video, broadband, telephony and mobile services to consumers in 18 countries. Through its business division, C&W provides data center hosting, domestic and international managed network services, and customized IT service solutions, utilizing cloud technology to serve business and government customers.

C&W also operates a state-of-the-art submarine fiber network – the most extensive in the region.

Learn more at www.cwc.com, or follow C&W on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

About Liberty Latin America

Liberty Latin America is a leading telecommunications company operating in over 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean under the consumer brands VTR, Flow, Liberty, Más Móvil and BTC. The communications and entertainment services that we offer to our residential and business customers in the region increasingly include “triple-play” and “quad-play” combinations of bundled services comprised of digital video, broadband internet, telephony and mobile services. Our business products and services include enterprise-grade connectivity, data center, hosting and managed solutions, as well as information technology solutions with customers ranging from small and medium enterprises to international companies and governmental agencies. In addition, Liberty Latin America operates a sub-sea and terrestrial fiber optic cable network that connects over 40 markets in the region.

For more information, please visit www.lla.com.

C&W Business obtiene la certificación Master Cloud and Managed Services Partner, de Cisco®

CaribPR Wire, MIAMI, Jan. 26, 2018:– C&W Business anunció hoy que la compañía ha obtenido la certificación Master Cloud and Managed Services Partner (CMSP) de Cisco para la región del Caribe y América Latina, por lo que ahora forma parte de un selecto grupo de socios de Cisco® en todo el mundo. C&W es el primer proveedor que opera en la región en recibir esta distinción.

La certificación Master Cloud and Managed Services Partner (CMSP) se orienta a socios que venden productos impulsados por Cisco que dependen de un Centro de Operaciones de Red (NOC) de clase mundial que brinda y monitorea servicios de mantenimiento y gestión proactivos. Las ofertas de productos impulsados por Cisco son servicios gestionados y en la Nube escalables, flexibles y destacados en su clase, y están diseñados para ayudar a los clientes a expandir su alcance, fortalecer la experiencia al cliente y capitalizar las oportunidades. Los clientes se beneficiarán de niveles de servicio superiores, seguridad y soporte las 24 horas por parte de socios de Cisco con rigurosas certificaciones, y cuyas soluciones son auditadas por terceros.

Luego de muchos años de grandes inversiones, C&W Business se ha convertido el principal proveedor de ITaaS y soluciones de hosting de la región, con instalaciones de Tier III/IV de clase mundial ubicadas en Bogotá (2), Panamá, Miami, Caimán y Curacao interconectadas a través de nuestra inigualable red de fibra submarina (de 50.000 kms y en expansión), que abarca 40 mercados. C&W Business es una compañía globalmente reconocida por Gartner, lo que la ha llevado a alcanzar el codiciado Magic Quadrant los últimos 3 años. Por su parte, Ovum clasifica a C&W #4 a nivel global por sus soluciones de Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS).

Para lograr la certificación Master CMSP, C&W Business atravesó un riguroso proceso de evaluación realizado por Cisco que incluyó contar con un Centro de Operaciones de Red (NOC) capaz de servir a múltiples clientes “de referencia” y aprobar una auditoría de capacidades independiente realizada por un tercero. Como compañía socia Master de Servicios Gestionados de Cisco, C&W Business también tuvo que demostrar haber establecido prácticas y procesos de ITIL de servicios gestionados y contar con herramientas para respaldar las tecnologías avanzadas de Cisco en todas las fases de su ciclo de vida (preparación, planeamiento, diseño, implementación, operación y optimización).

La foto que acompaña esta nota está disponible en http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/51a4f85b-79c5-405c-b399-96fc72adb9e9

Shuja Khan, Director Comercial de C&W Communications, señaló: “Estamos verdaderamente entusiasmados por haber alcanzado esta Certificación Master CMSP para el Caribe y América Latina. El logro de esta certificación, reconocida a nivel global, se suma a nuestra trayectoria y capacidad de brindarles a nuestros clientes de la región Servicios Gestionados basados en la Nube. Somos el único proveedor en el Caribe con esta certificación, lo que también demuestra nuestra posición como uno de los socios de preferencia de Cisco en servicios basados en la Nube”.

Acerca de C&W Communications

C&W es un proveedor de servicios completos de comunicaciones y entretenimientos que brinda servicios móviles, de telefonía, de banda ancha y de video líderes en el mercado a consumidores de 18 países. A través de su división de negocios, C&W brinda servicios nacionales e internacionales de gestión de redes, hosting de centros de datos y soluciones de servicios de TI personalizadas mediante tecnología en la Nube para servir a gobiernos y negocios.

C&W también opera una red de fibra submarina de última generación –la más extensa en la región–.

Lea más información en www.cwc.com o siga a C&W en LinkedIn, Facebook o Twitter.

Acerca de Liberty Latin America

Liberty Latin America es una compañía de telecomunicaciones líder que opera en más de 20 países en América Latina y el Caribe bajo las marcas de consumo VTR, Flow, Liberty, Más Móvil y BTC. Los servicios de comunicaciones y entretenimiento que ofrecemos a nuestros clientes residenciales y comerciales en la región incluyen cada vez más combinaciones de servicios de “triple play” y “quad play” compuestos por video digital, Internet de banda ancha, telefonía y servicios móviles. Nuestros productos y servicios comerciales incluyen conectividad de nivel empresarial, centro de datos, hosting y soluciones administradas, así como soluciones de tecnología de la información con clientes que van desde pequeñas y medianas empresas hasta empresas internacionales y agencias gubernamentales. Además, Liberty Latin America opera una red de cable de fibra óptica submarino y terrestre que conecta más de 40 mercados en la región.

Para mayor información, por favor visite www.lla.com

TORONTO and NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Scotiabank announced today that Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (BBVA) has formally accepted Scotiabank’s offer to acquire its 68.19% ownership in BBVA Chile, and its interests in certain subsidiaries, for approximately US$ 2.2 billion (CAD$ 2.9 billion). Scotiabank has entered into definitive agreements with BBVA and intends to merge BBVA Chile with its existing operations in Chile (Scotiabank Chile), subject to regulatory approvals.

The Said family, which owns 31.62% of BBVA Chile, has waived its Right of First Refusal to acquire BBVA’s shares of BBVA Chile, but maintains the right to tender all or a portion of its shares in the mandatory tender offer to be carried out by Scotiabank. The Said family has indicated their willingness to potentially remain in the business and, if so, would invest up to approximately US$ 500 million (CAD$ 650 million) in order to own up to 25% of the combined business when Scotiabank Chile and BBVA Chile are merged. In this scenario, and if the transaction is completed, Scotiabank’s Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio will be impacted by approximately 90 basis points.  Scotiabank’s Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio would be impacted by approximately 135 basis points, if the transaction is completed and the Said family tenders all of its shares to Scotiabank.

This transaction is in line with Scotiabank’s strategy to increase scale within the Chilean banking sector and the Pacific Alliance countries. It will double Scotiabank’s market share in Chile to approximately 14%, and make Scotiabank the 3^rd largest private sector bank in the country.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with BBVA to acquire their shares of BBVA Chile.  We look forward to a partnership with the Said family and to build a better bank in Chile,” said Brian Porter, President and CEO at Scotiabank.  “BBVA Chile has a proven track record of providing leading financial products and services to customers across the country and this transaction demonstrates excellent synergy between both banks with customer-centric cultures.”

“This acquisition allows us to create a leading bank in Chile underpinned by a solid risk culture and provides opportunities to accelerate our digital transformation, while building a high performance team,” said Ignacio (Nacho) Deschamps, Group Head, International Banking and Digital Transformation at Scotiabank.

Conference call

A conference call will take place on December 5, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. ET. Interested parties are invited to access the call live, in listen-only mode, by telephone at (416) 640-5944, or toll-free at 1-800-281-7973 (please call five to 15 minutes in advance). In addition, an accompanying slide presentation may be accessed via the Investor Relations page of www.scotiabank.com. Following discussion of the transaction by Scotiabank executives, there will be a question and answer session.

A telephone replay of the conference call will be available from December 5, 2017, to December 20, 2017, by calling (647) 436-0148 or 1-888-203-1112 (North America toll-free) and entering the identification code 9422114#.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is Canada’s international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 24 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of over $915 billion (as at October 31, 2017), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @Scotiabank.

MEXICO CITY, Nov. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The following statement was issued by Frank Moreno, Sr. Director Marketing Latin America, Generac:

If you run a company, you should consider the massive benefits from having a backup power system. Not only do you save money, in the long-term, you will keep yourself from worrying and wasting energy. If you are considering the possibility of purchasing a generator for your business, please keep in mind the following:

1. Backup Generators Can Act in a Matter of Seconds. Blackouts and power outages can last for several days when the utility company is experiencing problems of some kind. However, with a backup generator, it will only be a few seconds before the generator starts feeding your company or business.
2. Prevent Food Decomposition and Loss. Corporate canteens, catering businesses or restaurants could suffer major economic losses if the food that needs to be refrigerated is left without protection when the power goes out.
3. When the Power Returns, the Transition will be Smooth. Since the equipment (typically) remains in operation for several minutes after the main source of energy has been restored, some problems are avoided, such as the voltage variations that occur when power comes back. Once the network is stable, and the engine has cooled down a bit, the emergency generator shuts down, and is then ready for any new incident.
4. There will be no Interruptions in your Security System. With an emergency generator that goes live in a matter of seconds, you can rest assured that your company or business will remain protected, thus preventing burglary and looting in the event of a blackout or a natural disaster.
5. Your Operations will Continue, Even During Long Outages. You can do computer work, presentations, meetings and teleconferences even during long power outages. With a backup generator, you don’t even have to get up from where you are, or to interrupt your activities.
6. You and your employees will remain Connected to the World at all Times. Forget about being left in isolation, in the event of power failures and natural disasters your telecommunications will not be affected.
7. You Never Know When Will you Need Backup Power. The electricity supply may be unexpectedly affected for many reasons: harsh climate, trees that fall on the distribution lines, natural disasters or even rodents that bite the wires.

http://www.infosol.com.mx/proyectos/generac/7-benefits-of-Investing-in-a-backup-power-generator.html

http://www.infosol.com.mx/proyectos/generac/7-benefitsb-of-investing-in-a-backup-power-generator.docx

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2017 : MarketAxess Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:MKTX), the operator of a leading electronic trading platform for fixed income securities, and the provider of market data and post-trade services for the global fixed income markets, today announced that trading in Latin American corporate and sovereign bonds set a record of $110.5 billion in the nine months ending September 30^th, up  36% compared with the year-earlier period.

Trading in Latin American debt denominated in local currency was up 27% to a record $30 billion year-to-date through the third quarter. MarketAxess currently supports trading in the currencies of Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Uruguay. In addition, trading in hard currency debt was up 40% to $80 billion in the same period. Growth on the MarketAxess platform came despite relatively flat Emerging Market trading volumes overall, with estimated market volume growth of 6% year-to-date based on FINRA TRACE and Trax® volumes reported in US dollars.

On a global basis, more than 840 institutional investors have traded Latin American debt on the MarketAxess platform. Contributing to the activity in the region has been a significant increase of 64% in trading volume by Latin America-based clients on MarketAxess.

“While it’s been a challenging year for fixed income in many regions, we continue to see impressive growth in electronic trading volumes among our clients in Latin America,” said Kevin McPherson, Global Head of Sales, MarketAxess. “Our investor and dealer clients in the region are actively accessing the full range of products on the MarketAxess platform.”

“More and more institutional investors are seeing the value of a centrally located global fixed income marketplace for local and global market participants,” added Sandy White, Global EM Product Manager, MarketAxess. “Our growth and expansion in Latin America is part of our global strategy to provide the most comprehensive coverage of hard and local currency emerging market debt.”

MarketAxess offers global 24-hour electronic trading for debt denominated in hard and local currency across three major EM regions – Latin America, Europe and Asia. Last year, the company expanded its Latin America team with senior leadership hires in Miami and São Paulo.

About MarketAxess
MarketAxess operates a leading electronic trading platform that enables fixed-income market participants to efficiently trade corporate bonds and other types of fixed-income instruments using MarketAxess’ patented trading technology.  Over 1,300 institutional investor and broker-dealer firms are active users of the MarketAxess trading platform, accessing global liquidity in U.S. high-grade corporate bonds, emerging markets and high-yield bonds, European bonds, U.S. agency bonds, municipal bonds, credit default swaps and other fixed-income securities. MarketAxess also offers a number of trading-related products and services, including: market data to assist clients with trading decisions; connectivity solutions that facilitate straight-through processing; technology services to optimize trading environments; and execution services for exchange-traded fund managers and other clients.  Through its Trax® division, MarketAxess also offers a range of pre- and post-trade services, including trade matching, regulatory transaction reporting and market and reference data, across a range of fixed-income products.  Trax is the trading name of Xtrakter Ltd., a MarketAxess group company.

MarketAxess maintains its headquarters in New York and has offices in London, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, São Paulo, Hong Kong and Singapore. For more information, please visit www.marketaxess.com.

MarketAxess establece el récord de la plataforma de negociar con bonos latinoamericanos de $110.5 mil millones por nueve meses hasta el 30 de septiembre

CaribPR Wire, NUEVA YORK, Nov. 15, 2017: MarketAxess Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq:MKTX), el operador de una plataforma de negociación electrónica líder para valores de renta fija y el proveedor de datos de mercado y servicios posteriores a la negociación para los mercados de renta fija globales, anunció hoy que la negociación de bonos corporativos y soberanos latinoamericanos había alcanzado un récord de $110.5 mil millones en los nueve meses que finalizaron el 30 de septiembre, un 36% más en comparación con el mismo periodo del año anterior.

La negociación de deuda latinoamericana denominada en moneda local aumentó un 27% alcanzando así un récord de $30 mil millones hasta la fecha durante el tercer trimestre. Actualmente, MarketAxess admite la negociación en las monedas de Brasil, México, Argentina, Colombia, Perú, Chile y Uruguay. Además, la negociación de deuda en moneda fuerte aumentó un 40% llegando a $80 mil millones en el mismo período. El crecimiento en la plataforma MarketAxess se produjo a pesar de los volúmenes de negociación de mercados emergentes relativamente poco activos en general, con un crecimiento estimado del volumen del mercado del 6% hasta la fecha, basado en los volúmenes de FINRA TRACE y Trax® registrados en dólares estadounidenses.

A nivel mundial, más de 840 inversores institucionales han negociado deuda latinoamericana en la plataforma MarketAxess. La contribución a la actividad de la región ha supuesto un aumento significativo del 64% en el volumen de negociación de los clientes con sede en América Latina en MarketAxess.

“Si bien ha sido un año desafiante para la renta fija en muchas regiones, seguimos observando un crecimiento impresionante en los volúmenes de negociación electrónica entre nuestros clientes de América Latina”, comentó Kevin McPherson, Jefe de Ventas Globales de MarketAxess. “Nuestros clientes inversores y distribuidores de la región están accediendo activamente a la gama completa de productos en la plataforma MarketAxess”.

“Cada vez más inversores institucionales perciben el valor de un mercado de renta fija global de ubicación céntrica para los participantes del mercado local y mundial”, agregó Sandy White, Gerente Global de Productos EM, MarketAxess. “Nuestro crecimiento y nuestra expansión en América Latina forma parte de nuestra estrategia global de proporcionar la cobertura más completa de la deuda de los mercados emergentes en moneda fuerte y en moneda local”.

MarketAxess ofrece operaciones de negociación electrónicas globales durante las 24 horas para la deuda denominada en moneda fuerte y local en tres regiones importantes de ME: América Latina, Europa y Asia. El año pasado, la compañía amplió su equipo de América latina con altos cargos directivos en Miami y São Paulo.

Acerca de MarketAxess
MarketAxess opera una plataforma de negociación electrónica líder que permite a los participantes del mercado de renta fija intercambiar de manera eficiente bonos corporativos y otros tipos de instrumentos de renta fija utilizando la tecnología de negociación patentada de MarketAxess. Más de 1.300 empresas de corredores de bolsa e inversores institucionales son usuarios activos de la plataforma de negociación MarketAxess, accediendo a liquidez global en bonos corporativos de alta calidad estadounidenses, mercados emergentes y bonos de alto rendimiento, bonos europeos, bonos de agencias estadounidenses, bonos municipales, swaps de incumplimiento crediticio y otros valores de renta fija. Asimismo, MarketAxess ofrece una serie de productos y servicios relacionados con la negociación, entre los que se encuentran: datos de mercado para ayudar a los clientes con las decisiones de negociación; soluciones de conectividad que facilitan el procesamiento directo; servicios tecnológicos para optimizar los entornos comerciales; y servicios de ejecución para gestores de fondos negociados en bolsa y otros clientes. A través de su división Trax®, MarketAxess también ofrece una gama de servicios previos y posteriores a la negociación, incluida la correspondencia comercial, los informes reglamentarios de transacciones y los datos de mercado y de referencia, en una gama de productos de renta fija. Trax es el nombre comercial de Xtrakter Ltd., una compañía del grupo MarketAxess.

MarketAxess tiene su sede en Nueva York y tiene oficinas en Londres, Boston, Chicago, Los Ángeles, Miami, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, São Paulo, Hong Kong y Singapur. Para obtener más información, visite www.marketaxess.com.

Contacto de departamento de prensa:
Mary Sedarat
MarketAxess Holdings Inc.
+1-212-813-6226

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ – “Diesel-based generators have been the traditional option for business and industrial energy backup. However, they are not the only option. At Generac, we are convinced of the high functionality of the generators fed by different kinds of fuels, which can meet any application, scheme or regulation.”

Frank Moreno, Sr Director Marketing & Distribution Development Latam.

http://www.infosol.com.mx/proyectos/generac/new-options-in-backup-power-generation.html

About Generac

Ever since 1959, Generac has been a leader in the design and manufacturing of a wide range of energy generation equipment and other engine-driven products. As a leader in light-energy equipment for residential and industrial applications, for the energy and construction sectors, Generac’s energy products are available around the world through a vast network of independent distributors, retailers and wholesalers and equipment-rental companies, and they are sold directly to certain clients and end users. http://generac.com/

Infographic – http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/571245/new_options_in_backup_power_generation_Infographic.jpg

Special offer available at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants across Latin America and the Caribbean

CANTON, Massachusetts, May 31, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Dunkin’ Donuts, one of the world’s leading baked goods and coffee chains, today announced a delicious deal for donut lovers across Latin America and the Caribbean. On Friday, June 3^rd, participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants across the region will offer guests a free donut of their choice (while supplies last) with the purchase of any beverage in honor of the brand’s fourth annual Global Donut Day celebration. Certain restrictions apply by country. See store for details.

Logo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110224/NY53806LOGO

“We’re excited to celebrate the joy that donuts bring to people around the world with our fourth annual Global Donut Day promotion,” Chris Fuqua, Vice President, Brand Marketing, Global Consumer Insights & Product Innovation, Dunkin’ Brands. “We’re proud of Dunkin’ Donuts’ rich bakery and coffee heritage, which goes back more than 65 years. We hope our guests enjoy our offer of a free donut with any beverage purchase on Friday, June 3^rd.”

Guests can enjoy this special Global Donut Day offer on the brand’s wide range of classic donut varieties, including Boston Kreme, Chocolate Glazed, Jelly-Filled, Glazed and Chocolate Frosted, when purchasing any Dunkin’ Donuts beverage. Beverage options include hot and iced coffee, lattes, espresso, cappuccino, tea and Coolatta® frozen drinks. The offer is available at participating Dunkin’ Donuts locations throughout the region in Aruba, Bahamas, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and Peru.

In addition to the special Global Donut Day offer, select participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants across Latin America and the Caribbean will also be featuring a delicious Smiley Face Donut to celebrate the smiles donuts bring to peoples’ faces. The Smiley Face Donut is a filled yeast shell donut decorated with an endearing smiley face. Fillings for the donut will vary by market to cater to local tastes, and include fillings such as Jelly, Bavarian Kreme and Chocolate Kreme.

Dunkin’ Donuts has been offering high-quality donuts and coffee for more than 65 years, and last year sold more than 2.8 billion donuts and MUNCHKINS® donut hole treats and more than 1.9 billion cups of hot and iced coffee at its more than 11,800 restaurants in 44 countries around the world.

To learn more about Dunkin’ Donuts, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts.

About Dunkin’ Donuts
Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is one of the world’s leading baked goods and coffee companies, offering a range of high-quality coffees, espresso beverages, teas, sandwiches and baked goods. The company has more than 11,800 restaurants in 44 countries worldwide. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin’ Donuts is part of the Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com.

CONTACT: Justin Drake, Dunkin’ Brands, [email protected]

290 Cities Submit Ideas to Solve Pressing Urban Challenges; with 5 Cities from Haiti Participation

Selection Process Now Underway to Determine the 20 Finalists who will go on to compete for $9 Million USD in Innovation Funds

NEW YORK, May 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced that 290 cities across Latin America and the Caribbean have submitted ideas to solve major challenges and improve city life for the 2016 Mayors Challenge. The ideas offer insight into the needs of communities and priorities of local leaders in the region.

Seven in ten ideas aim to address a social or economic challenge, while the remaining 30% focus on improving government effectiveness and efficiency.

• 71% of cities generated ideas to address major social or economic challenges such as:
  • Social inclusion for vulnerable populations (23%)
  • Sustainability (20%)
  • Economic growth (13%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Public health (8%)
• 29% of city ideas focus on improving the overall effectiveness and efficiency of government

The 290 Mayors Challenge applicants represent over 172 million citizens in 19 countries across the region. Participating cities span the entire region with 71% from South America, 20% from Mexico and 9% from Central America and the Caribbean.  Seventeen capital cities in the region submitted ideas to the competition – from Santiago to Brasilia to Mexico City to Kingston. With applications from 80 Brazilian cities and 59 Mexican cities, Brazil and Mexico had the largest number of cities that submitted applications.

5 cities from Haiti submitted applications and are now competing for $9 million dollars in innovation funds: Cap-Haïtien; Jean Rabel; Jérémie; Les Cayes; and Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite.

Applicants for the 2016 Mayors Challenge proposed innovative solutions to address a wide range of urban challenges. A series of themes emerged in the ideas, including:

• Leveraging technology and citizen engagement to improve government performance
• An emphasis on public education initiatives, citizen participation and digital solutions to prepare for and address natural disasters
• An interest in entrepreneurship and digital learning to improve education
• Promoting the inclusion of new or vulnerable populations through job creation, better use of public spaces and technology
• Improving public health through wide-ranging citizen engagement strategies

“Cities in Latin America and the Caribbean are some of the most innovative in the world, and they are proving it with their entries in our latest Mayors Challenge. The hundreds of proposals present exciting new ways to tackle problems across the region, and they have the potential to have a big impact on the lives of millions of people.” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term Mayor of New York City.

Additionally, a survey taken of participating cities showed significant city hall interest in innovation, but a lack of resources needed to experiment.

• More than half of participating cities report regularly borrowing ideas from cities in the region or even from around the globe when faced with a tough problem.
• Three out of 5 cities said they usually or always crowdsource ideas from citizens when they are faced with a tough problem.
• Just 1 out of 5 participating cities report usually having access to public or private funding to test new ideas.

“This is a region of the world with a rich history of public sector innovation. The ideas coming from the Mayors Challenge build on that legacy. We see a stronger focus in this year’s ideas on citizen engagement, which is both a trend in governments worldwide as well as an area in which Latin American cities have been clear leaders,” said James Anderson, the head of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Government Innovation program.

The current applicants emerged from more than 900 Latin American and Caribbean cities who were invited by the Mayors Challenge in January 2016 to compete. Cities had until April 15, 2016 to generate and submit their innovative ideas to improve city government and city life. Modeled on successful competitions in the United States and Europe, the 2016 Mayors Challenge will award $5 million USD grand prize and four $1 million awards to four other cities that generate the most powerful and transferable ideas.

To learn more about the Mayors Challenge, visit www.mayorschallenge.bloomberg.org and @BloombergCities on Twitter and Instagram. Bloomberg Philanthropies has proudly partnered with the Centre for Public Impact (CPI) to implement this year’s challenge, provide related supports to city participants, and oversee coordination with other program partners. CPI is a not-for-profit, funded by The Boston Consulting Group, and dedicated to improving the positive impact of governments.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies works in more than 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2015, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed over half a billion dollars.  For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.

Media Contact
Bloomberg Philanthropies, Rebecca Carriero, (212) 205-0182, [email protected]

290 Cities Submit Ideas to Solve Pressing Urban Challenges

Selection Process Now Underway to Determine the 20 Finalists who will go on to compete for $9 Million USD in Innovation Funds

NEW YORK, May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ – Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced that 290 cities across Latin America and the Caribbean have submitted ideas to solve major challenges and improve city life for the 2016 Mayors Challenge. The ideas offer insight into the needs of communities and priorities of local leaders in the region.

Seven in ten ideas aim to address a social or economic challenge, while the remaining 30% focus on improving government effectiveness and efficiency.

• 71% of cities generated ideas to address major social or economic challenges such as:

• • Social inclusion for vulnerable populations (23%)
  • Sustainability (20%)
  • Economic growth (13%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Public health (8%)

• 29% of city ideas focus on improving the overall effectiveness and efficiency of government

Applicants for the 2016 Mayors Challenge proposed innovative solutions to address a wide range of urban challenges. A series of themes emerged in the ideas, including:

• Leveraging technology and citizen engagement to improve government performance
• An emphasis on public awareness initiatives, citizen participation and digital solutions to prepare for and address natural disasters
• An interest in entrepreneurship and digital learning to improve education
• Promoting the inclusion of vulnerable populations through job creation, better use of public spaces and technology
• Improving public health through wide-ranging citizen engagement strategies

“Cities in Latin America and the Caribbean are some of the most innovative in the world, and they are proving it with their entries in our latest Mayors Challenge. The hundreds of proposals present exciting new ways to tackle problems across the region, and they have the potential to have a big impact on the lives of millions of people,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and three-term Mayor of New York City.

Additionally, a survey taken of participating cities showed significant city hall interest in innovation, but a lack of resources needed to experiment.

• More than half of participating cities report regularly borrowing ideas from cities in the region or even from around the globe when faced with a tough problem.
• Three out of 5 cities said they usually or always crowdsource ideas from citizens when they are faced with a tough problem.
• Just 1 out of 5 participating cities report usually having access to public or private funding to test new ideas.

The 290 Mayors Challenge applicants represent over 172 million citizens in 19 countries across the region. Participating cities span the entire region with 71% from South America, 20% from Mexico and 9% from Central America and the Caribbean.  Seventeen capital cities in the region submitted ideas to the competition – from Santiago to Brasilia to Mexico City to Kingston. With applications from 80 Brazilian cities and 59 Mexican cities, Brazil and Mexico had the largest number of cities that submitted applications.

“This is a region of the world with a rich history of public sector innovation. The ideas coming from the Mayors Challenge build on that legacy. We see a stronger focus in this year’s ideas on citizen engagement, which is both a trend in governments worldwide as well as an area in which Latin American cities have been clear leaders,” said James Anderson, the head of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Government Innovation program.

The current applicants emerged from more than 900 Latin American and Caribbean cities who were invited by the Mayors Challenge in January 2016 to compete. Cities had until April 15, 2016 to generate and submit their innovative ideas to improve city government and city life. Modeled on successful competitions in the United States and Europe, the 2016 Mayors Challenge will award $5 million USD grand prize and four $1 million awards to four other cities that generate the most powerful and transferable ideas.

To learn more about the Mayors Challenge, visit www.mayorschallenge.bloomberg.org and @BloombergCities on Twitter and Instagram. Bloomberg Philanthropies has proudly partnered with the Centre for Public Impact (CPI) to implement this year’s challenge, provide related supports to city participants, and oversee coordination with other program partners. CPI is a not-for-profit, funded by The Boston Consulting Group, and dedicated to improving the positive impact of governments.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies works in more than 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2015, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed over half a billion dollars.  For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.

Media Contact
Bloomberg Philanthropies, Rebecca Carriero, (212) 205-0182, [email protected]

For Immediate Release

CaribPR Wire, Lakeland, FL, Weds. Feb. 3, 2016: In light of the spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, Caribbean and Latin America hospitality venues are looking to protect their guests from the Aedes mosquito and other biting pests.  Golf Ventures recommends using the revolutionary “Mosquito Magician” to create a barrier against mosquitoes and minimize risks to their customers.

Mosquito Magician is a biodegradable and environmentally friendly, all natural insect control.  The product contains six different active ingredients: essential oils of cedar, citronella, lemon grass, garlic, geraniol and rosemary.  It’s been proven to create an invisible barrier against mosquitoes,  flies, palmetto bugs, no-see-ums, fleas, ticks, gnats, ants, spiders, chiggers and other pests using 100 percent natural plant oils.  The product is super concentrated – one gallon of Mosquito Magician makes 32 gallons of potent repellent, and treats up to 128,000 sq. ft.   Because of its all natural ingredients, the product is safe for guests and wildlife.

Scott Jones, International Sales Manager for Golf Ventures, said: “This environmentally-safe product can be applied by hand held sprayers or by automated irrigation systems. Unlike systems that attempt to eradicate pests, Mosquito Magician creates a barrier that repels them from the property.”

Golf Ventures has also found it to be an economical product for their customers. “We partner with clients to protect their property and their budget,” said Jones.

Peter Olt, Sprinkler Magician’s CEO and product inventor, said: “Mosquito Magician 100% Natural Concentrate drives out mosquitoes and other biting pests but is safe for your kids and pets. Mosquitoes are known to carry serious diseases like Zika, malaria and many others. With Sprinkler Magician you have a 100% natural way of creating a bubble around your property so that guests may enjoy the outdoors.”

The Zika virus is caused by the Aedes mosquito and presents flu-like symptoms in those infected. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel alert over the virus, warning pregnant women to avoid travel to 14 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Jones said Caribbean and Central American resorts can take a proactive approach to combating the problem with the Sprinkler Magician system. “Resorts using this system will have a competitive advantage, because Mosquito Magician’s invisible barrier can safely protect guests and their families from mosquitoes carrying the Zika Virus. We at Golf Ventures want to help them be successful,” said Jones.

Olt noted the company’s confidence in the Mosquito Magician product by offering a warranty that states: “Within 30 days of purchase if you are not satisfied with the effectiveness of our product, mail us proof of purchase and the unused portion of this product to obtain a full refund of your purchase price.”

Golf Ventures distributes a full line of both Mosquito Magician Concentrate and Mosquito Magician Systems (for automated distribution through existing sprinkler systems) throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and South America.  For more information, visit www.golfventures.com.

###

Golf Ventures International “GVI” is the Caribbean and Central America’s complete turf maintenance supply company for the hospitality and sports turf industries.  As the exclusive distributor of Helena brand plant protectants and fertility products, and working with select specialty product companies, GVI ensures customers receive the best possible service and agronomic support. GVI understands that each resort, golf course and turf area is unique and provides programmed, personalized service. GVI partners with superintendents and landscape managers to identify issues and prescribe the most timely and cost-effective solutions. Find us at golfventures.com.

CONTACT:

Scott Jones

International Territory Manager
Golf Ventures International
863-665-5800