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31 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria;

Lagos-18 Rivers-11 FCT-2

165,809 confirmed 156,420 discharged 2,067 deaths
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
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Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 case update (18 May 2021)

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As of 18th May, we report 60 new cases out of 4,877 tests (1.2% positivity),30 recoveries, 5,442 new vaccinations &#038; 2 new deaths recorded (MTSRIP).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI).
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Coronavirus – Zambia: COVID-19 update (18 May 2021)

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Eleven patients have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 in tests carried out today at Quarantine Centers in Gelaalo (5), Northern Red Sea Region; Asmara (5), Central Region; and, Tessenei (1), Gash Barka Region.

On the other hand, twenty four patients who have been receiving medical treatment in hospitals in Gash Barka (22), Central (1), and Southern (1), Regions have recovered fully and have been discharged from these facilities.
The total number of recovered patients has accordingly risen to 3,700 while the number of deaths stands at 14.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country to-date has increased to 3,879.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
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Coronavirus – Eritrea: Announcement from the Ministry of Health (18 May 2021)

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Newly confirmed cases : 246 Recoveries: 122 Active cases : 2447 Deaths : 10
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health and Social Services, Namibia.

Coronavirus – Namibia: COVID-19 update (18 May 2021)

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Tests conducted: 11,166,950 Positive cases identified: 1,617,840 Total recoveries: 1,527,968 Total deaths: 55,340 New cases: 2,355
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa, Department of Health.
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Coronavirus – South Africa: COVID-19 Statistics in South Africa (18 May 2021)

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469 people have tested positive to the disease, from a sample size of 6,244 tested in the last 24 hours. The positivity rate is now 7.5%. Total confirmed positive cases are now 166,006 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 1,752,693.

New cases by County; Kisumu 102, Nairobi 77, Mombasa 27, Kericho 27, Siaya 18, Busia 18, Meru 17, Kisii 16, Nyeri 14, Kitui 13, Nyamira 12, Kilifi 12, Nandi 11, Uasin Gishu 10, Turkana 9, Bungoma 8, Makueni 8, Kakamega 7, Kiambu 7, Nakuru 6, Homa Bay 6, Murang’a 5, Embu 4,Laikipia 4, Machakos 4, Vihiga 4, Taita Taveta 3, Bomet 3, Kajiado 3, Trans Nzoia 3, West Pokot 3, Kirinyaga 2, Migori 2, Tharaka Nithi 2, Isiolo 1 and Marsabit 1.
43 patients have recovered from the disease, 29 from the Home Based &#038; Isolation Care, while 14 are from various health facilities countrywide. Total recoveries now stand at 113,917 of which 82,806 are from Home Based Care &#038; Isolation, &#038; 31,111 are from various health facilities.
8 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, 3 of them having occurred on diverse dates within the last one month while 5 are from reports of facility audit records conducted in the last one month. This now pushes the cumulative fatalities to 3,021.
1,039 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 4,714 patients are on Home Based Isolation and Care.  108 patients are in the ICU, 22 of whom are on ventilatory support and 71 on supplemental oxygen. 15 patients are under observation. Another 91 patients are separately on supplemental oxygen with 87 of them in general wards and 4 in High Dependency Units.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.
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Coronavirus – Kenya: COVID-19 update (18 May 2021)

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Total daily tests: 581 New confirmed cases: 2 Cumulative confirmed cases: 18,525 Active cases: 47 Recoveries: 17,806 (3 new) Currently admitted: 11 New deaths: 0 Total deaths: 672 Total vaccinated to date: 35,227
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini.
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Coronavirus – Eswatini: COVID-19 daily update (18 May 2021)

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Total cases: 26,344 (+129) Recovered: 24,808 (+44) | 94.1% Active cases: 1,190 In critical condition: 1 Tests: 1,380,803 (+4,738) Test positivity rate: 2.7% Vaccinated: 350,400  Deaths: 346 (+1) | 1.3%
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Republic of Rwanda.
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Coronavirus – Rwanda: COVID-19 update (18 May 2021)

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The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (www.EnergyChamber.org), on Monday 17 May held a meeting with the Central Bank of Central African States (BEAC) to discuss the effects of BEAC’s in December 2018 adopted FX regulations, which are due to come into effect on the 1 January 2022.

The meeting was in response to concerns by energy companies operating in the CEMAC region, that the new FOREX regulations will stifle investment, lead to a loss of jobs, increase operational cost, lead to additional and unnecessary bureaucracy and eventually render the regions energy industry uncompetitive compared to other regions globally.
These concerns are even more pertinent today, given the added pressures and competition that the industry in the CEMEC region is facing in light of the global move towards energy transition.
The Chamber delegation, which was led by Mr. Leoncio Amada Nze, CEMAC Region President for the African Energy Chamber, thanked BEAC’s Management, under the leadership of its Governor, Abbas Mahamat Tolli for their consistent efforts since the adoption of the regulations to address any concerns and facilitate its implementation. “BEAC has consistently engaged with the oil and gas industry to address any concerns that we have. We believe it is important to be pragmatic and find common sense solutions to a concern of the industry. ” Stated Leoncio Amada Nze. “This region needs attract investors and keep investors, our job at the Energy Chamber is to work with BEAC towards market friendly pro-growth policies and an enabling environment for local and foreign investors” Mr. Amada Nze concluded.
Key tenets and concerns about the new forex regulation include;
 	Any transaction over FCFA 1 million (approximately USD 1,700) per month and per entity or person now attracts significantly more bureaucracy and consequently delays of multiple weeks. 	Companies and individuals must now also receive an authorisation from the BEAC before opening an account outside of the region. There are many viable reasons for companies to own foreign accounts, including for ease of business, ease of payments, tax efficiency and reduction of transaction costs. 	Similar to demanding an authorisation before foreign accounts can be opened, foreign currency accounts domiciled in the region are now also only possible with express authorisation from the BEAC. Local businesses operating in the oil and gas sector for example, which is dollar-dominated, will be unnecessarily exposed to currency fluctuations, eating up margins and leading to poor competitiveness vis-à-vis foreign competitors. 	Finally, the regulation requests that proceeds from exports of FCFA 5 million and above be repatriated within 150 days from the exportation date. Whilst the African Energy Chamber understands the desire to repatriate such export proceeds, we expect many businesses to seek to avoid putting the proceeds of their exports under the very restrictive foreign exchange regime coming into place on January 1st, 2022. 
The Central bank representatives elaborated the reasons for the regulations. At the centre of it, was the desire to shore up the region’s hard currency reserves. The Chamber understands this desire and acknowledges its importance. It will therefore continue to work together with the central bank in industry to find constructive ways to address the legitimate concerns of the industry.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
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Bank of Central African States and the African Energy Chamber to work together on solution for FOREX regulation for energy industry

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69 new cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria;

Ondo-35 Lagos-30 Rivers-3 FCT-1

165,778 confirmed 156,415 discharged 2,067 deaths
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
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Coronavirus – Nigeria: COVID-19 case update (17 May 2021)

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By Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy &#038; Evangelist at KnowBe4 AFRICA (www.KnowBe4.com)

During a preview of this year’s RSA conference, a team from Orange Cyberdefense demonstrated a range of pretty scary scenarios of what can happen when malicious actors take control over a user’s home router. These range from duping users into downloading payloads dressed up as fake VPN software updates, capturing user’s credentials or redirecting traffic that should be going over the VPN to the threat actor.

Typically, home routers are outside of the enterprise security control and often not very well protected. The majority of people trust their ISP to set up their home access points for them, frequently resulting in default settings such as admin/admin credentials. Home routers are frequently attacked by criminal and state actors alike.

Despite the easing of lockdown restrictions, many people are still working from home and will do so for the foreseeable future – connecting to the internet and their corporate networks via their private home routers and Wi-Fi access points.

The increasing complexity of delivering services to this highly distributed user base, many of which connect via untrusted devices, coupled with an evolving threat landscape, is highlighting the importance of Zero Trust security.

Zero Trust is a security model based on a set of design principles that assumes that a breach is inevitable or has likely already occurred. Zero Trust architectures limit access to only what is needed, repeatedly check whether users, devices, services or network components should be trusted and monitor for malicious or abnormal activity.

It is more than just a technology architecture though; it is a long-term philosophy and requires a mindset change amongst everyone involved. To succeed, it is essential to create a security culture that embraces Zero Trust. This means broadening the conversation and explaining Zero Trust principles to business leaders, IT administrators and general users. Trust is an important component of doing business, so the context of Zero Trust has to be explained in a positive way. It is not about not trusting individuals, but rather about the reducing the potential likelihood and limiting the impact of a breach, as well as damage control if or when devices, networks or identities are compromised.
To effectively mature your security culture, you have to positively influence it. People generally want to do the right thing, but instilling fear and uncertainty does not empower them. You have to inspire trust in order to succeed with Zero Trust. This means creating a security culture program that not only raises awareness for the importance of security and Zero Trust concepts, but enables people to take responsibility for their participation in the security program. For example, educate your employees on how to spot, report and get help when they see suspicious activity, to be extra vigilant of social engineering attacks while working from home, and the necessity of reducing their privileges as part of the Zero Trust roll out.  
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of KnowBe4.
Media Contact: Tanya Koch tanya@redribboncommunications.co.za
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Importance of Security culture in Zero Trust Security Models (By Anna Collard)

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The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc (www.UBAgroup.com), is set to celebrate this year’s Africa Day in commemoration of African unity with the third edition of its annual UBA Africa Conversations, headlined by Africa’s international leaders that include  the President of Rwanda, H.E Mr Paul Kagame; Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation(WTO); Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation(WHO) and Mr. Makhtar Sop Diop, Managing Director, International Finance Corporation(IFC). The conversations will be held online on africaday.UBAgroup.com.

At a time of unparalleled African leadership in global organisations, the UBA Africa Conversations provides the opportunity for an African and global audience to hear directly from our distinguished guests on Africa’s relationship with the world, the opportunities and the challenges, and their own personal journeys.  
Moderated by Tony O. Elumelu, the Group Chairman, UBA and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, discussions will be focused on Africa’s development in the areas of the economy and finance, trade, health and the unity of the continent. 
The theme this year is ‘Bringing Africa to the World’, epitomised by the global success of the panellists’ careers. The event will take place virtually on Tuesday May 25th, 2021 at 12pm WAT.    
Africa Day has been celebrated since 1963 on May 25th across the African continent and worldwide. The day was inaugurated by the Organisation of African Unity, in celebration of the unity, diversity and beauty of Africa and its people.    
UBA, one of Africa’s leading financial services institutions, with a pan-African footprint spanning 20 African countries and globally in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and with presence in France, continues to lead the narrative focused on the development, growth, and unity of Africa.  
The UBA Africa Conversations is open to all and registration is possible on the UBA Group website africaday.UBAgroup.com/reserve.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA).
About United Bank for Africa (UBA):  UBA Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than twenty five million customers, across over 1,000 business offices and customer touch points, in 20 African countries. With presence in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail; commercial and corporate banking; innovative cross-border payments and remittances; trade finance and ancillary banking services.
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The UBA Africa Conversations 2021: Join Africa’s Global Leaders – President Kagame of Rwanda, WTO’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, UBA’s Tony O. Elumelu, WHO’s Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, IFC’s Makhtar Sop Diop, to Celebrate Africa Day at the UBA Africa Conversations 2021

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In our 27-year history as a Chamber of Business (www.CanadaAfrica.ca), the latest range of risk insurance instruments from the African Trade Insurance (ATI) Agency is a major leap forward for Canadian institutional investors and African countries &#8211; standing to unlock billions in investment capital.

ATI facilitates inward investment in Africa by providing insurance against trade and investment risks. This month the organization joined The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.

‘ATI is a game-changer. From discussions with private equity and pension fund representatives, ATI has the potential to ensure both the perceived and real risks on the continent are well-managed; ensuring investment committees can proceed on deals that until recently may have been deemed too risky,’ says Sebastian Spio-Garbrah, Chair of the Board, Chair of the Board at The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.

The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business invites interested parties to learn more.

Join us on Thursday 20 May 2021 at 10:00 ET/ 16:00 CAT / 17:00 EAT

View the Full Virtual Program (https://bit.ly/3ooyuNB)

RSVP (https://bit.ly/3eSzlmu)

ATI has a good market position in Africa, based on the scale of its underwriting penetration and benefits from significant local expertise and understanding in a number of African countries. It currently insures trade and investments worth over USD6 billion or an average of 1-2% of GDP annually in its African member countries. ATI’s partners and clients include African Governments, lenders, traders (both domestic &#038; international) and project developers.


&#39;It has become increasingly clear that to achieve “the Africa we want” the role of private sector must become central in mobilizing the needed resources. Alliances like this one present excellent opportunities to address the development challenges facing our region.&#39; &#8211; Manuel Moses, Chief Executive Officer, ATI

‘During my career on Bay Street, it was clear solutions were needed to unlock the billions of investable capital in Canada. ATI has since developed a suite of products that in my view has dramatically changed the landscape in recent years’  – Deepak Dave, Chief Risk Officer, ATI

ATI’s African Member states contribute, along with international governments, multilaterals and private sector to the pool of capital underwriting investments, without holding any influence over ATI operations. The Nairobi-based multilateral has maintained an ‘A/Stable’ rating for Financial Strength and Counterparty Credit by Standard &#038; Poor’s, and in 2019, ATI obtained an A3/Stable rating from Moody’s.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.
For More Information: Garreth Bloor President The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business Tel: +1.647.667.1223 Email: garreth@canadaafrica.ca Manulife Building RTO 55 Bloor Street West PO Box 19553 Toronto Ontario M4W 3T9
About The African Trade Insurance Agency: ATI was founded in 2001 by African States to cover the trade and investment risks of companies doing business in Africa. ATI predominantly provides Political Risk, Credit Insurance and, Surety Insurance. In 2020, ATI closed the year with a gross exposure of US$6.3 billion and a net profit of US$39.4 million, owing to a strong demand for ATI’s insurance solutions from the international financial sector and from African governments. Since inception, ATI has supported US$66 billion worth of investments and trade into Africa.  www.ATI-aca.org
About The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business: The Chamber is committed to accelerating trade, business and investment between Canada and African markets, through world-class networking and information sharing opportunities.
Founded in 1994, the Chamber is based in Toronto and Ottawa, with members located throughout Canada and African markets. 
The Chamber is an independent, not-for-profit organization with strong working links with both Canadian and African businesses and governments. www.CanadaAfrica.ca
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De-risking the World’s Future Growth Engine: African Trade Insurance (ATI) joins The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business

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Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 to take place from 9-11 September, 2022; New striking RWC Sevens 2022 brand and RWCSevens.com website unveiled; RWC Sevens 2022 will be contested by 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams; New qualification process will see non-qualified teams qualify only through regional competitions; 16 men’s places and 11 women’s places available for non-qualified teams; South Africa’s women secure automatic qualification as tournament hosts.

World Rugby (www.World.rugby) and hosts South Africa Rugby today confirmed Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town will take place from 9-11 September, 2022.
The eighth edition is the first to be hosted in Africa with organisers anticipating a very special and record-breaking event at the iconic 57,654 capacity Cape Town Stadium.
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 will be contested by 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams.  
The top eight men’s teams and top four women’s teams from the hugely successful RWC Sevens 2018 in San Francisco, USA, have already secured automatic qualification for the tournament in 2022.
The qualified teams for the men’s event are defending champions New Zealand, England, South Africa Fiji, Argentina, USA, France, Scotland, while defending champions New Zealand, France, Australia and USA have already booked their tickets to the women’s event in Cape Town. South Africa’s women will join them as the host nation.
Teams that have not qualified automatically will do so via their respective regional tournaments held in Europe, Oceania, Asia, North America, South America, and Africa. With 16 places available in the men’s tournament and 11 in the women’s from regional competitions. 
Click here to view qualification pathway >> (https://bit.ly/3wh8EOm)
The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series will no longer form part of the qualification pathway for Rugby World Cup Sevens. Regional qualification is expected to start in August of this year with further details to be announced at a later stage.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “We are delighted to announce the tournament dates for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 alongside the unveiling of a striking new brand that truly captures the unique, fun and carnival spirit of the tournament.
“This is an exciting time for rugby sevens with less than 70 days to go until the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo and now with Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 also on the horizon. South Africa has a rich history in hosting world-class international rugby sevens events, and we anticipate that Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 will once again raise the bar for this unique tournament and be like no other.”
“South African rugby is eager to turn the vibrancy of this new brand into the vibrancy of a packed live event where we can showcase both our country and our passion for the sport,” said Mr Mark Alexander, president of SA Rugby. “This will be the first senior World Cup we have hosted since 1995 and we are determined to make it as special in its own way.
“The HSBC Cape Town Sevens has established itself as a major must-see event on our national sporting calendar, but we will be taking Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 to the next level.”
Alongside confirmation of the dates and new qualification pathway, the bespoke tournament brand, developed by World Rugby and SA Rugby, has also been unveiled.
The striking brand radiates unity, energy and passion and celebrates the spirit of rugby sevens that will ignite Cape Town’s finest rugby stage, as the top men’s and women’s teams from around the world compete to be crowned world champions.
World Rugby Chief Marketing Officer Marissa Pace today said “Our goal is to ignite Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 with a bold event mark, reflecting the fast pace and dynamic play of Sevens, but also the vibrancy of Cape Town and South Africa. With Table Mountain at the heart of the new logo, our team has also included elements within to represent both the event year and the iconic Cape Town Stadium. We look forward to watching the brand come to life via our partners and hosts South Africa Rugby.”
The tournament is expected to build on the massively successful 2018 edition hosted at AT&#038;T Park in San Francisco, which attracted record attendance for a rugby event in the USA with a total attendance of more than 100,000 fans.
In addition, RWC Sevens 2018 attracted cumulative domestic and global broadcast audiences of more than 24 million and 31 million viewers respectively, which included a record-breaking live broadcast audience of 1.7 million on its final day. The tournament also leveraged 22.5 million social media video views on World Rugby channels over the course of the event.
Details of the ticket sales launch will be announced later this year.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Rugby.
Media Contact: Douglas.Langley@worldrugby.org +353 87 067 8599
Rugby@APO-opa.com
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Dates and new qualification pathway confirmed as Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 looks to inspire a new generation of rugby fans

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Independent South African arbitrator ruled Lesotho breached contract in 2018; awarded €50 million to Frazer Solar; Government of Lesotho has neither engaged in legal process nor paid damages owing; US action against assets owned by Lesotho forms part of a worldwide enforcement strategy.

Lawyers acting for Frazer Solar GmbH (‘FSG’), a solar energy developer, have begun a worldwide enforcement action against assets held by the Kingdom of Lesotho. Enforcement follows a full and final arbitration ruling in South Africa against the Kingdom of Lesotho, which awarded €50 million in damages to FSG.
In 2019, FSG was forced to take legal action against the Government of Lesotho (‘GoL’) following a series of contractual breaches, and in 2020 was awarded substantial damages by an independent South African arbitrator. To date, GoL has neither engaged with the legal process nor provided FSG with any explanation of the contractual breaches.
Enforcement activity has now commenced in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia as part of a global enforcement strategy which will seize assets held by the Kingdom of Lesotho and obtain payment of the amounts due. Ms. Emma Lindsay of Withers Worldwide is representing FSG in the United States.
In 2018, following extensive dialogue with the Office of the Prime Minister of Lesotho, FSG signed a binding agreement with GoL to provide up to 40,000 solar water heating systems, 20MW of solar photovoltaic capacity, 1 million LED lights and 350,000 solar lanterns nationwide. The project was financed by the German government and would have formed the first phase in a wider program developed by FSG to support Lesotho’s energy transformation by turning the country into a net exporter of electricity, while improving electricity security and increasing government revenues.
In October 2018, the project’s progress stalled when GOL’s Ministry of Finance refused to finalise and execute the project’s financial agreements. Following this breach, FSG commenced arbitration proceedings in South Africa. No explanation for this refusal has been provided to FSG by the GOL, but the resulting legal action concluded that a competing project had been prioritised.
Commenting on enforcement activity, global counsel for FSG, Mr. Hussein Haeri, Partner and Co-Head of International Arbitration, Withers LLP, said:
‘The Government of Lesotho was given an outstanding opportunity to transform access to clean, renewable energy and to eradicate the use of damaging, polluting alternatives nationwide. Instead, it prevented the project from proceeding, contravened its legal obligations and left Frazer Solar with no alternative than to bring legal proceedings.’
Since 2018, FSG has continued to demonstrate a positive contribution to renewable energy infrastructure in Southern Africa. For example, in March 2021 FSG completed a nationwide solar healthcare project in the Kingdom of Eswatini, delivering hot water to every single government health clinic
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Withers LLP.
Notes to Editors: Frazer Solar v. The Kingdom of Lesotho (2020) Frazer Solar (FSG) contends that the Government of Lesotho (GOL) failed to fulfil its contractual obligations under the supply agreement, and in July 2019 gave notice to GOL concerning the commencement of arbitration proceedings, in line with the dispute resolution mechanism agreed by both parties.
As a deterrent for breaches of the contract, both parties agreed to a ‘liquidated damages’ clause in the supply agreement, which allocated a pre-agreed and capped sum to be paid in the event that either party did not fulfil its contractual obligations.
The independent arbitrator directed the GoL to pay FSG damages of €50 million, in addition to pre-award interest of €754,273, and post-award interest of 1.7% per annum.
Media contact: Duncan.Miller@withersworldwide.com  +44 20 7597 6033
About Frazer Solar: Frazer Solar is a global developer of nationally significant renewable energy projects, with a particular focus on developing countries in Africa. Frazer Solar is able to supply solutions including solar thermal, solar photovoltaic capacity, battery storage and a wide range of energy efficient products; for both grid-tied and off-grid applications. Frazer Solar’s flagship development is a large-scale solar-storage project in the Southern African country of Eswatini which will be owned and operated by Frazium Energy, an Australian independent power producer (UIPP) company that focuses on developing, owning and operating renewable energy projects globally. The Eswatini project will deliver 200 MWH daily to the South African Development Community (SADC) grid.
This project follows the successful provision of solar water units at every government medical clinic nationwide in the Kingdom of Eswatini benefitting 10,000 people per day. Prior to COVID-19, 82% of government medical clinics had no access to hot running water, making the completion of this project one of the most significant healthcare successes in recent history for Eswatini. The project was co-financed by Frazer Solar and the German government.
For more information, please visit: bit.ly/3fti7Lo.

CORRECTION: Kingdom of Lesotho Faces Worldwide Enforcement Action Following 50 million Euros Damages Award

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Vertiv (www.Vertiv.com/en-emea) (NYSE: VRT), a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, today introduced the Vertiv™ VRC-S (https://bit.ly/2SXnbAi), a fully factory-assembled micro data center designed for fast, easy installation at the edge of the network and other small IT sites. Available now in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the Vertiv VRC-S incorporates a rack power distribution unit (rPDU), the Energy Star 2.0 certified Vertiv™ Liebert® GXT5 uninterruptible power supply (https://bit.ly/3wgINpM) (UPS), monitoring sensors and software, and the latest Vertiv™ VRC rack cooling system (https://bit.ly/3yjizV8) in a highly-efficient, all-in-one IT rack.

“Choosing and deploying a micro data center has never been faster or easier, and it can even be experienced virtually with our new augmented reality app”, says Alex Pope, vice president of integrated rack solutions for Vertiv in EMEA. “The Vertiv VRC-S is a very efficient plug and play solution that can be delivered to your location with integrated UPS, which powers both the in-rack cooling and backup ventilation as well as the power distribution for IT assets, with pre-wired monitoring for simple connection to your utility power and network. This new offering is a strategic result of Vertiv’s product innovation roadmap and latest R&#038;D investments, which will progressively bring more edge-ready, micro data center solutions to the market”.
Ideal for edge deployments such as retail stores and distribution, transportation, healthcare and light industrial applications, the Vertiv VRC-S is available in a number of pre-built, standard models which can be delivered in days and installed within hours. The Vertiv VRC-S micro data center can be experienced virtually with the latest Vertiv XR app (https://bit.ly/3uWDbRh), the new AR-powered mobile application that enables users to embark on an immersive exploration of all the unit’s components, while also revealing the operating modes and key features that are invisible to the naked eye, but deliver end-to-end system functionality that is unique in the market. More information on the AR experience bringing the Vertiv VRC-S to life is available on the Vertiv website (https://bit.ly/3tViWC5), while the Vertiv XR app can be downloaded for free from Google Play (Android) (https://bit.ly/3bw1jlJ) and Apple App Store (iOS) (https://apple.co/3wfwPfM).
Micro data centers are designed to support edge computing applications, meaning anywhere that critical, small-footprint compute resources are needed. Unlike prefabricated modular data centers which are typically larger stand-alone installations deployed outside main buildings or in remote locations, micro data centers – the size of a standard IT rack – can be deployed in environments such as offices, clinics, retail stores, or other commercial or industrial spaces. The Vertiv VRC-S is pre-engineered and factory-integrated to deliver maximized reliability, efficiency and speed of deployment.     
The Vertiv™ VRC-S enclosure utilizes unique pseudo hot/cold aisle inside the rack for efficient airflow and prevention of hot spots. The rack-mounted cooling unit in the Vertiv VRC-S is designed specifically for edge computing IT loads. By using speed-controlled fans in combination with a variable speed compressor, the unit adapts the cooling capacity to the actual IT heat dissipation, thus minimizing energy consumption. The Vertiv™ Liebert® GXT5 on-line double-conversion high-efficiency UPS provides power continuity to all integrated components, including the 3.5 kW cooling system and backup ventilation. The Vertiv™ Geist™ rPDU provides power distribution with outlet-level switching, and includes Vertiv™ Intelligence Director software to deliver remote monitoring and management of the entire power and cooling system through a single IP address for easy remote monitoring, control, and predictive maintenance.  
The Vertiv VRC-S comes with a three-year warranty covering the entire system. Installation and preventive maintenance services are available through local, factory-trained Vertiv services professionals and channel partners.
For more information on the Vertiv VRC-S and the full portfolio of Vertiv solutions, visit www.Vertiv.com/WhatsTheirEdge.
 Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Vertiv.
Media Contact: Zenab Abbas E zenab.abbas@vertiv.com
Rania El Rafie E rania.elrafie@apo-opa.com
About Vertiv: Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) brings together hardware, software, analytics and ongoing services to ensure its customers’ vital applications run continuously, perform optimally and grow with their business needs. Vertiv solves the most important challenges facing today’s data centres, communication networks and commercial and industrial facilities with a portfolio of power, cooling and IT infrastructure solutions and services that extends from the cloud to the edge of the network. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, USA, Vertiv employs approximately 20,000 people and does business in more than 130 countries. For more information, and for the latest news and content from Vertiv, visit www.Vertiv.com.
Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27 of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act. These statements are only a prediction. Actual events or results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statement set forth herein. Readers are referred to Vertiv’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for a discussion of these and other important risk factors concerning Vertiv and its operations. Vertiv is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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The collaboration will see the cyclists and the whole crew behind the team wearing On&#39;s performance running shoes. Engineered by athletes for athletes, the unique CloudTec® technology from On helps to boost the rider&#39;s recovery and enables them to experience pure performance whenever they are off the bike.

As a purpose-led organisation, Team Qhubeka ASSOS (www.TeamQhubeka.com) is unique in professional cycling and is united in the belief to help people move forward in changing lives through bicycles. Swiss brand On shares this value and truly believes sport invites the ability to view the world through people&#39;s commonalities rather than differences. Based on that, On supports the African-based Tegla Leroupe Peace Foundation, sponsors various charity events, gives young athletes access to their products and biomechanical know-how, and today, partners up with Team Qhubeka ASSOS.
 &#8220;At On, we want to make a positive contribution. For athletes, for sports enthusiasts, for the planet. With that mission, we are completely in line with Team Qhubeka ASSOS&#39;s purpose: changing lives through mobilizing riders. We love that great initiative and are thrilled to work with all these talented cyclists and incredible team,&#8221; says Caspar Coppetti, Co-founder of On.
 37 riders from 19 different countries form part of Team Qhubeka ASSOS’ WorldTour team and its under 23 development squad; in addition over 40 members make up the backbone of the organisation, working with the cyclists to enable them to deliver their best performances throughout the season.
 Douglas Ryder, the founder of Team Qhubeka ASSOS said: “They say if you reach for the stars you will land on the clouds and we have this year with On Running CloudTec®. We strive to reach for the stars with the riders in our team and for those we race for knowing that for them mobility will give them hope and the opportunity to dream of a better future. At On and at Team Qhubeka ASSOS we share these values and we want to keep moving people forward sustainably.”
 For further information, please click here (https://bit.ly/3eRToRX).
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Team Qhubeka ASSOS.
Media Contact: Jean Smyth (Head of Communications) Email: jean@ryder.co.za Mobile: +27 63 4701 1710 or +31 625 739 033
About Team Qhubeka ASSOS: Team Qhubeka ASSOS is a purpose-led, high-performance team, fighting to win on the world&#39;s biggest stage, to inspire hope and create opportunity. Founded in 2007, Team Qhubeka ASSOS (formerly NTT Pro Cycling) became the first-ever African cycling team to gain a UCI WorldTour license, in 2016.
We achieved our first major win in 2013 when Gerald Ciolek won Milan-San Remo, one of the five Monuments of cycling. We have competed in six Tour de France’s and notched up 7 stage wins, with Mark Cavendish wearing the coveted Yellow Jersey at the 2016 Tour de France.
We are a multicultural, diverse team with bases in South Africa, the Netherlands and Italy. There are 19 nationalities represented across our World Tour and continental feeder team rosters. Our focus on developing African cycling has resulted in more than 55 riders from the African continent be given the opportunity to race on the world stage, since the team&#39;s inception.
We race to help people to move forward with bicycles through our relationship with Qhubeka Charity. Through our work with Qhubeka, we have contributed to the distribution of over 30 000 bicycles in communities in South Africa.
About Qhubeka: Qhubeka is a charity that moves people forward with bicycles. People earn bicycles through our programmes, improving their access to schools, clinics and jobs.
A bicycle is a tool that helps people to travel faster and further, and to carry more. In the face of extreme and persistent poverty, bicycles can change lives by helping to address socioeconomic challenges at the most basic level – helping people to get where they need to go. 
All images attached to the press release can be used with the respective image credit in combination to this release.
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