May 22/RNewswire-AsiaNetOPERATIONS LAUNCHED... TOKYO: Brocade Communications Systems, provider of an intelligent platform for networking storage, today announced the launching of its operations in Japan. The company said it now had six locations in the Asia Pacific including Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore and Sydney.DOMAIN NAMES... SINGAPORE: Digital domain name registrar, Speednames, said today it was expanding into Korea as part of its growth strategy in the Asia Pacific region. Domain name registration and management services were available on www.speednames.co.kr in the Korean language.INSURER TREND... SINGAPORE: The growth of alternative risk transfer (ART) is an inevitable trend among insurers and reinsurers, "and those in our industry who do not develop ART capabilities will be at a disadvantage," St. Paul Re Chairman, James Duffy, told a conference in Singapore today.MARKETS ANALYSIS... NEW YORK: McCarthy, Crisanti & Maffei (MCM), provider of real time global fixed income, foreign exchange and equity information, today announced the launch of e-MCM.com, "a real time financial markets analysis portal available via the internet."BANK DECISION... HONG KONG: NetDimensions, provider of learning management systems, today announced that The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited had chosen the Enterprise Knowledge Platform EKP "as the cornerstone of an e-learning network that will serve the bank's employees throughout Asia."FINANCIAL RESULTS... HONG KONG: Global provider of electronic payment processing solutions, FirstEcom.com, today announced a first quarter net loss of $US468,503 compared to the first quarter of 2000 net loss of $US2,452,712.CALIFORNIA: Agile Software today announced it would release its financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2000 on Tuesday, May 22 after close of market. (United States time). ANIMATED COMEDY... LOS ANGELES: Dreamworks head of distribution, Jim Tharp, said today the company's computer animated comedy "Shrek" had enjoyed a "once upon a time" weekend at the box office, with an estimated gross of $US42.3 million -- the largest of any DreamWorks release to date.TWO VICTORIES... CALIFORNIA: Callaway Golf said today its "Rule 35" Firmfeel ball had "scored another pair of victories." Ed Dougherty set a scoring record at the TD Waterhouse Championship, while Wendy Doolan also used the Firmfeel model to win the LPGA Champions Classic in a playoff. (AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agencies distributing unedited, translated press releases for worldwide clients. Contact: www.asianet.com.au for full-text versions).