Page 21 - bne_Tech_11_2020

NIBs
November 2020 www.intellinews.com I Page 21
Kyrgyz president announces plans to use blockchain technology for upcoming Kyrgyz parliamentary election
Kyrgyzstan’s acting president and prime minister Sadyr Japarov announced on November 12 plans to rely on blockchain technology for the upcoming Kyrgyz parliamentary election.
The volatile nation saw violent protests following the October 4 parliamentary election, leading to the resignation of Kyrgyz President Sooranbay Jeenbekov and the annulment of the vote's results. The re-run of the election is set to be held on December 20.
Japarov said during a press conference that a blockchain system will partially replace functions of the central election commission.
He added that the three revolutions experienced by the young nation since 2005 should teach
the government a lesson about the necessity
of accountability.
“If there are facts of use of administrative resources or bribery of voters, they should be published in the media or on social media,” Japarov said. “We will check and punish. Perhaps, if the blockchain system is successfully implemented, then the next parliamentary election will be held using this technology.
There will be no falsification.”
Croatia’s Infobip to buy US OpenMarket in $300mn deal
Infobip’s founders receiving the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in Croatia in 2019.
Croatian IT company Infobip has agreed to take over US-based OpenMarket from Amdocs for around $300mn, Infobip announced.
Through the acquisition of OpenMarket, a B2B provider of mobile messaging solutions, Infobip aims to create a global leader in the field of cloud communication.
It will enable over 14bn user interactions a month through various communication channels in more than 190 countries.
The deal will accelerate Infobip’s growth and achieve a combined revenue run rate of over $1bn, the company said. “This transaction
marks a significant leap forward in our journey towards exponential growth. Combined, Infobip and OpenMarket have some 10,000 customers, including many of the world’s leading enterprises,” according to Infobip’s CEO Silvio Kutic.
Infobip agreed to acquire the company shortly after receiving a “significant investment” from One Equity Partners, its first foreign investment. One Equity Partners was closely involved in sourcing and carrying out the OpenMarket deal.