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Libra could see the light and become part of Facebook’s payments ecosystem in 2021 after a longer than expected wait. However, according to a Financial Times report, Facebook’s Libra will be a different version of the initial vision of a digital composite coin and is likely to be released only in a limited format.
Libra was first announced in June 2019. While this piqued investor interest, particularly by receiving backing from household names like Mastercard and Visa, regulators were concerned about Facebook’s reach and the means. to reach them. The US Senate Banking Committee, for example, was eagerly pursuing further details about Libra, perhaps driven by Facebook’s track record in protecting user privacy. There seems to be constant concern that Facebook has too much control over user data, and expanding this realm to user financial transactions poses too great a risk for users. Regulators were wary of cryptocurrencies that threatened monetary stability and were used for money laundering. Libra, in its latest iteration, is a scaled-down version of the original dream, which may prove more palatable to regulators.
The Libra Association, an independent non-profit organization founded by Facebook, including members like Uber and Spotify, oversees Libra. The Libra Association initially planned to launch more coins, which would be digital versions of different currencies as well as a digital composite of all of its coins. However, the association will now proceed with greater caution due to the regulatory backlash and launch just like a single stablecoin, a cryptocurrency backed by traditional fiat currencies: Libra. The Libra Association still plans to launch the other currencies and the composite coin in the future.
In this case, Libra will be backed by the US dollar. Theoretically, as its value is pegged, Libra should be less volatile and more predictable by design than other cryptocurrencies. Libra will be tied to an asset reserve consisting of government bonds and cash or cash equivalents to reaffirm to users that Libra can be converted to local currency when the need arises. One of Libra’s main goals is to provide people who are still bankless with access to a global currency. The idea here, just like most FinTech innovations, is to revolutionize the banking sector. However, critics believe that if Libra is pegged to the US dollar, this could mean that people outside the US would have to incur additional costs, which undermines its goal of greater financial inclusion.
Libra is currently seeking approval from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority to obtain a payment system license and operate as a payment service. The application was submitted in April 2020 and approval could come as early as January 2021. The plan appears to be to initially launch Libra in the United States and some Latin American countries.
Many of these cryptocurrency experiments are being considered. It would not be surprising if other companies decided to follow a similar path to take advantage of the shortcomings in cross-border payments in the financial system. This topic, which is only growing by the day, certainly deserves to be reviewed when relevant tax and regulatory frameworks are established.


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Canada's Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion discussed government policies and supports that help small business owners succeed
MONTRÉAL, Feb. 11, 2019 /CNW/ - Small businesses make up 98% of all Canadian businesses and employ 8 million hard-working Canadians from coast to coast to coast. They are the backbone of our economy and critical to the middle class.
Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Canada's Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, was in Montréal to meet with entrepreneurs and small business owners to share how the Government of Canada is supporting them as they start up, scale up, and access new markets.
Minister Ng began her day in a roundtable with black women entrepreneurs hosted by Dorothy Rhau of Audace au Féminin. Following this, she participated in a panel discussion titled One Objective: Profit and Social Impact – New Business Models hosted by HEC Montréal, where Minister Ng discussed government support for social enterprises and purpose-driven organizations.
When meeting with small business owners, Minister Ng shared the government's many initiatives that are making it easier for small business owners to do business, like:
- lowering the small business tax rate to 9%, one of the lowest rates in the world;
- getting credit card companies to lower the fees they charge businesses when their customers use credit cards;
- providing access to over a billion and a half new customers through trade deals like the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, commonly called the new NAFTA;
- allowing businesses to immediately write off the full cost of machinery and equipment used for the manufacturing and processing of goods;
- allowing businesses to immediately write off the full cost of specified clean energy equipment;
- introducing the Accelerated Investment Incentive that will allow businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy to write off a larger share of the cost of newly acquired assets in the year the investment is made;
- investing $2 billion to help double the number of women-owned businesses by 2025; and
- reducing over 450 federal rules that impose an administrative burden on business.
"This is a small business–friendly government that is working hard to reduce red tape and make it easier for Canadian small business owners to start up, scale up, and access new markets. When small businesses in Montréal and communities across the country succeed, our economy grows and middle-class jobs are created."
– The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion
- Innovation and Skills Plan
- Canadian Trade Commissioner Service
- Accelerated Growth Service
- Industrial Research Assistance Program
- Innovative Solutions Canada
- Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative
- Women Entrepreneurship Strategy
- Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
- Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership
- Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement
SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
For further information: Mallory Clyne, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, 343-291-3553; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, [email protected]

domain: news


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The global exchange website Currency.com has announced that it will be offering a tokenized form of Belarussian government bonds, according to a press release on May 7.
According to the press release, users can now use fiat money or cryptocurrencies bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH) to invest in and trade Belarussian government bonds. Belarussian-based company Currency Com Bel LLC is reportedly the first organization to tokenize government bonds.
As is the case with other cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, investors will be able to purchase fractional amounts of the new token. Initially, these tokens are being offered on the exchange at $1,000 per token; a token will represent one bond, and there will initially be 252 bonds with a 4.2% per anuum yield introduced to the exchange.
Co-Founder of Currency.com Viktor Prokopenya credits a piece of Belarussian legislation in 2018, Decree No. 8, which provided clear guidelines for the blockchain industry. Prokopenya said:
“All this was made possible by the progressive Decree No. 8 ‘On the Development of a Digital Economy’ that was ratified in Belarus in 2018, affirming the country’s commitment to playing a big role in the next chapter of the technological revolution.”
In a previous report by Cointelegraph, the national bank Oesterreichische Kontrollbank (OeKB) issued $1.35 billion worth of government bonds on behalf of the Austrian Treasury on the Ethereum public blockchain in an auction during September 2018.


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$SHIB News: Gold Purchases, Shibarium Success, and Popularity in India
Shiba Inu (SHIB), the meme-based cryptocurrency capturing headlines in recent months, continues to make waves with its latest developments.
In one of the latest developments, BitPay, a leading crypto payment processor, has announced that customers can now buy gold with the cryptocurrencies it supports, including $SHIB. The move is part of BitPay’s effort to expand the use of cryptocurrencies beyond speculation and store of value. The most popular precious metals, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, can be purchased from various dealers, such as APMEX, Bullion Exchanges, and JM Bullion.
In other news, Shibarium, the layer-2 network solution for the Shiba Inu ecosystem, has made impressive strides during its beta-testing phase. Puppynet, the network’s beta version, has surpassed the 14 million wallet threshold just four weeks after the developers relaunched it with an updated Chain ID. According to data from BlockScout, the designated block explorer for Puppynet, the Shibarium beta network now boasts a total of 14,061,589 wallets, with 4,618,856 transactions and 497,068 blocks processed. These metrics suggest considerable testing is being conducted on the Shibarium beta network, which bodes well for its potential launch.
Finally, $SHIB has become increasingly popular in India, as the asset was the most traded on CoinSwitch, one of India’s favorite cryptocurrency trading apps, from April 15 to 20, 2023.
The disclosure underscores the tremendous interest in $SHIB among investors in India, where the asset has become a go-to investment choice for many crypto investors. According to CoinSwitch, the top five traded crypto assets on its platform during the period were $SHIB, $BTC, $DOGE, $LRC, and $ETH.
Source: Read Full Article


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Industry stakeholders met in Harare this Wednesday (yesterday) to discuss ways of increasing the uptake of locally manufactured goods by government departments to reduce the import bill.
The government is the biggest economic player in the country which provides a ready market for products and services through its various procurement activities, but is at times forced to import because locally manufactured products cannot meet the specified standards.
Buy Zimbabwe chairperson, Dr Anxious Masuka said stakeholders met to discuss the shortcomings of local companies and ways of addressing their challenges.
“The government, on a daily basis, procures products and services, making it the biggest market in the economy, so we are saying, as Buy Zimbabwe, let the government buy directly from locals so that we reduce the import bill which is threatening the country’s economy,” said Dr Masuka.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Dr Mavis Sibanda implored local companies to raise the quality of their products to compete with imports.
“Local products might be the best but they are poorly packaged and that reduces their competitiveness, so local companies should work on that,” Dr Sibanda said.
Head of State Enterprise Reform and Corporate Governance Unit in the Office of the President, Mr Willard Manungo said tackling government’s procurement efficiencies is key to import substitution.
“As part of ease of doing business, we are working flat out to make sure that we reduce our payment periods and increase the uptake of local products,” he said.
Various import substitution mechanisms have been put in place by government in order to restrict use of foreign currency to vital imports such as fuel and electricity rather than on luxurious goods which threaten the country’s economic health.


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NEW YORK—Marriott International President and CEO Arne Sorenson said during last week’s NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference that Marriott International and Gaylord Entertainment Company are proceeding with detailed plans to integrate the Gaylord brand into Marriott’s portfolio.
The companies announced on 31 May that Marriott was acquiring the management for the four Gaylord properties and the Gaylord brand name for $210 million. The deal is subject to shareholder approval. At the same time, Gaylord announced it will convert to a real-estate investment trust from its current status as a C-Corporation.
Sorenson told HotelNewsNow.com during an event at the Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel that the companies have a team working on the detailed transition of the transaction.
“I suspect we will do less early, so we will keep the property teams largely intact,” Sorenson said. “Over time, we’ll see that we get more and more coordination between the sales forces, but we want to make sure we retain the relationships we have with the customers, both on the Marriott side and the Gaylord side.
“But we’ll move aggressively on things like reservation systems, on a rewards program and the hook up of those sorts of things, on procurement, on a number of these other spaces where we think there are real margin opportunities and very little risk.”
Sorenson also said he is “hopeful there will be growth” beyond the four properties that fly the Gaylord flag.
“Obviously, the project that’s outside of Denver in Aurora, there’s been a lot of work that’s already under way. I don’t think Gaylord will do that on its balance sheet, but hopefully we can find a way to make that project come to life and maybe some other projects come to life over time,” he said. “Projects of this size take a long time to go from idea to opening, so we’re not announcing any next openings.”
Growth and development
Colin Reed, chairman and CEO of Gaylord, said during an interview conducted during the same event at the Renaissance that once the deal is complete, the responsibility for the brand’s growth will lie solely with Marriott.
“I would like to see growth in markets where Gaylord isn’t—there are five or six of them in the country, places like San Antonio (Texas), San Diego,” Reed said. “… but this is going to be Marriott’s responsibility.”
Sorenson said the nature of Gaylord’s business model fits in well with Marriott’s offerings.
“It really is an expansion of our group and association business into a new brand with four great hotels,” he said. “They’re big boxes in terms of the number of rooms, and they are also huge in terms of the amount of meeting space they have—usually about half a million square feet of meeting space, which makes them almost like self contained convention centers.”
Sorenson said it is “too soon to tell” whether Marriott would develop smaller Gaylord-branded hotels, a so-called “Gaylord Light” brand.
Sorenson also said there’s a clear road Marriott must take as it continues to expand its portfolio of brands—which will stand at 14 hotel-specific brands when the Gaylord deal is closed.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re investing in our brand teams efficiently so we can keep those brands distinct and keep some real discipline around that distinction,” he said. “I don’t think it’s hard to keep Gaylord distinct because of the kind of product that’s associated with it. Yes, it’s another brand but it doesn’t pose any looming challenges.”
Reed said Gaylord’s plan is to grow.
“When it becomes a real-estate investment trust, which will be around January of next year after our shareholders have voted, the REIT will be acquiring assets,” he said. “The good thing from our company’s perspective is we can basically affiliate with any of the big companies. It’s going to give the new REIT the opportunity to grow in ways that we don’t have today.”
Reed said he expects to be the chief executive when the REIT is launched. In the meantime, he said he expects the shareholder vote to occur in late August or September, and from there the transition will quickly occur.
Gaylord’s largest shareholders had been vocal before the announcement of the Marriott deal, and were seeking removal of the company’s poison pill plan that could allow an outside group to grab control of Gaylord.
During a conference call shortly after the announcement of the deal, Reed said the company’s largest shareholders were kept abreast of the company’s plans. When asked whether a stalking horse could come in and bid for Gaylord, Sorenson said he was consident a full auction had taken place.
“Once that vote has taken place, then Marriott will assume the day-to-day operating responsibilities probably sometime around the end of September or the beginning of October,” he said during the New York event. “The REIT will actually convert to a real-estate investment trust on the first of January.”


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Kobelco Construction Machinery reaffirms its commitment to Europe
Kobelco has officially opened its Almere headquarters in the Netherlands
Kobelco Construction Machinery Europe (KCME) says it confirms the Japanese manufacturer’s commitment to the region.
The company recently-established Almere headquarters in the Netherlands celebrate its official opening ceremony followed by the first KCME dealer conference since the manufacturer’s return to Europe.
The event is said to underline the excavator specialist’s continued focus on developing productive partners with selected dealers.
A major element of the conference was unveiling the new European headquarters, which will provide a direct, efficient and responsive service for European customers, ensuring full aftersales support for the Japanese technology.
The company says that this is combined with the appointment of in-market business managers has helped the already fast, but controlled dealer network growth.
European dealers who meet the required quality standards have already been appointed in Germany, France, UK, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium and the Baltic states.
Kobelco Construction Machinery’s (KCM) commitment to Europe was further emphasised by the attendance of three key business leaders at the event: KCM President and CEO, Jun Fujioka; KCM director and executive vice president, Yuzuru Ieki, and KCM director and executive officer, Takeshi Miki.
“This event was a major milestone for KCME. Since announcing our official return to Europe we have been working hard in the background to build the foundations for a strong and successful business that will go the distance,” says Makoto Kato, KCME managing director.
“We are here to stay and are focused on increasing Kobelco’s market share in Europe. The strong brand heritage and product offerings give us the perfect platform to do that but the final piece of the jigsaw is productive partnerships with the right dealers. We believe we now have that third element and we are looking forward to providing strong products and aftersales support for our dealer partners and their customers.”


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Nshama gets creative with payment plans
Developer launches 50:50 payment plan for new apartments in Town Square
For Dubai developers, putting in place a flexible payment plan is key to attracting investors, particularly so when market conditions are subdued. Most leading developers have created payment plans where a sizeable portion of the home’s sales value can be paid in easy installments after handover.
Leading the pack is Nshama, a developer that specializes in mid-market homes, which has launched a new payment plan for the recently-launched Warda II residences at its flagship project Town Square on Al Qudra Road.
The 50:50 payment plan allows homeowners to pay the first half of the home’s value over two years in easy installments, with the balance 50 per cent to be paid in 10 years, financed by Noor Bank.
At the Warda II residences, a one-bedroom home costs Dh611,888, a two-bedroom unit Dh827,888 and a three-bedroom home is priced at Dh1.2 million. These 120 homes are scheduled for handover in 2018.
Warda II apartments will feature amenities such as a gym, sports facilities including squash courts and basketball half-court, and a dedicated park with children’s play area and retail.
Set in the heart of Town Square, Warda II homes are designed to promote family living with a cultural centre, community centre and a retail promenade.
Fred Durie, CEO of Nshama, said: “The 50:50 payment plan option on the new apartments in Town Square is a testament to our commitment to provide an opportunity for more people to shift to owned homes in Dubai at extremely competitive rates.”
Warda II apartments are located centrally in the 31 million sq ft development anchored by a central square, the size of 16 football fields, and featuring lifestyle choices, including Vida Town Square Dubai hotel and a Reel Cinemas cineplex and open-air cinema.
The bedrooms come with sound-proof windows, in-built wardrobes and an en-suite bathroom. Parking is at a special podium.
The first Town Square townhouses are set for handover next year. Zahra townhouses will be handed over on October 1, 2017 while the Hayat townhouses will be delivered to owners in December 2017. Residents are expected to start moving in by the end of 2017 and early 2018.
Town Square will eventually feature over 3,000 townhouses and 18,000 apartments in addition to retail, hospitality and commercial space.


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30,000 Liters of Prosecco Spills out After Winery Tank Explosion
People living close to Treviso in Italy might have been tempted to grab a cup and run after an Italian winery in the region shared a video on their Facebook page of a huge tank of Prosecco exploding. An unexplained explosion at the factory caused a 30,000-liter tank of wine to overflow onto the ground.
The sparkling wine can be seen rushing over the side of the tank and pooling at the bottom. The winery in Conegliano posted the video on Facebook, where it was shared by wine lovers everywhere.
Conegliano: troppo mosto nel Silos , tracimano 30 mila litri di Prosecco !!Posted by L'enoteca Zanardo Giussano on Tuesday, 25 September 2018
Thirsty video viewers offer to help clean up
To date, the compelling footage has had more than 1 million views. Wasting food is never pleasant, but wasting a good drink is even worse. Commentators on the video have offered to volunteer their services in the cleanup if it meant they could bring along a few empty jugs.
Prosecco is Italy’s version of France's more famous champagne. It is a sparkling wine made from Glera grape, formerly known as Prosecco, although other varieties may also be added.
Prosecco production expected to beat last harvest
Prosecco takes its name from the Italian village of Prosecco near Trieste, where the grape and wine originated.
Prosecco is protected by Controlled Destination of Origin or DOC, a ruling that protects food names being used for produce from other areas. There are nine provinces in Italy allowed under the DOC ruling to produce Prosecco.
Prosecco is the main ingredient in many Italian cocktails including the Bellini and the spritz.
Luckily the overspill of the wine isn’t expected to hurt overall production in the area. The Prosecco DOC region in Italy is predicted to produce 493.3m bottles of wine this season, up from 440m bottles last year.
2017’s harvest was affected by poor weather. Prosecco consumption has fallen in the UK, once one of its biggest markets. Brexit is being partly blamed for the decline as well as an increase in the production of UK sparkling wines.
Jim Beam loses more than 800,000 gallons in storm
The Italian winery isn’t the first alcohol manufacturer to suffer a big loss of product. In 2015, a huge storm and a lightning strike hit a Jim Beam warehouse in Kentucky resulting in a huge flame filled explosion.
Wind and rain battered the warehouse and when lightning struck the alcohol soaked air, a fire erupted. The fire caused more than 800,000 gallons of alcohol to spill into a retention pool which also caught fire destroying a large section of the factory.
Interesting Engineering highlights various Martian geological features, including those discovered by NASA's Curiosity rover over its 10-year voyage.


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Smartphone prices set to tumble
Posted on 1 Feb 2010 at 09:31
Consumers could see a plethora of handset bargains as smartphone manufacturers enter a price war, according to analysts.
Booming demand for new, cheaper smartphones helped fuel a recovery in the overall handset market late last year, according to researchers, but rivalry for a piece of this lucrative business is set to turn fierce as new vendors enter the fray.
“The smartphone market will become ultra-competitive in 2010,” said analyst Neil Mawston from research firm Strategy Analytics. “The smartphone wars will be good news for consumers, but the fierce competition will inevitably place downward pressure on vendors' pricing and margins.”
South Korean firms Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, are planning to sharply increase smartphone sales, while new players like Huawei and Dell are strengthening their offerings.
“An influx of new players, an oversupply of devices and aggressive pricing will strain profit margins,” said CCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber.
Handset manufacturer HTC said last week it would be one of the first to suffer from increasing competition when it forecast a decline in gross profit in the first quarter of 2010.
"Those with a tightly integrated device and service offering - like Apple and RIM - will be the winners in 2010," said Blaber.
Strategy Analytics said the smartphone market grew 30% year-on-year in the last three months of last year to 53 million phones, the highest ever.
Yes I hope they do.I like the current crop of Smart Phones.However not enough to spend the same as a half decent windows 7 laptop on one.
By Jaberwocky on 1 Feb 2010
The price of phones will come down over time. Probably not fast enough for most of us.
By Amnesia10 on 1 Feb 2010
You don't have to spend as much as you would on a laptop
T-mobile pulse is £180 new I think, I got mine off ebay for £110. Granted it won't run millions of apps at the same time but it lets me at least play music, surf the web and browse the app store without much slowdown. HTC Tattoo, Acer Liquid and a few other Android phones aren't that expensive compared to the likes of the iPhone and Milestone.
By windywoo on 2 Feb 2010
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- The International Data Corporation's "Worldwide Semiannual Augmented and Virtual Reality Spending Guide" has been updated to forecast a 130.5% increase in augmented and virtual reality spending this year reaching $13.9 billion per a company press release.
- The retail industry's spending on AR and VR is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 238.7%, pushing it ahead of discrete manufacturing to become the top industry by spend in 2020.
- The largest areas of investment in 2017 include retail showcasing, product development and industrial maintenance. Looking ahead, online retail showcasing is expected to grow quickly.
The report points to the important role that immersive technologies are likely to play for retailers moving forward as they look to address the growth in online shopping, declining store traffic and the demand for omnichannel experiences. For example, Gap is testing a virtual dressing room app.
While AR and VR headsets get most of the attention right now, it is likely to be software and services running on these platforms that will drive mainstream adoption if these offerings are perceived as must-have by consumers. To this end, producers are moving beyond games for VR while businesses are beginning to test app development for AR, per IDC.
For marketers, virtual and augmented reality technology resides in something of a gray area. Brands are making waves in the space and the enhanced storytelling opportunities for both varieties of the tech are enticing. But, tangible benefits are tough to point to and marketplace acceptance of the tech is far from certain.
While last year’s viral hit Pokemon Go provided a map for how consumers might interact with AR tech via mobile devices, VR tech requires another level of hardware and consumer acceptance.


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Over THE past few weeks we’ve reported on managerial role changes at Microsoft, Activision, HMV, Disney and Comet.
But the biggest move we broke on MCVuk.com last week: the appointment of top Asda man Fergal Gara as new chief of SCE UK.He’s signed up for a closely-watched gig.
Only weeks ago SCEE president Jim Ryan told us that PS3 has to do better in the UK. With Xbox gunning for the firm’s No.1 European position, Britain is a crucial battleground.
Gara, with his retail experience, fits the bill perfectly. He is a man who can grow the PS3 install base. The job he did at Asda’s entertainment category humiliated its big grocery rivals. During his tenure the supermarket tripled its market share in games and even picked up an MCV Award along the way.
Gara has form in upsetting big, noisy rivals. That’s something Xbox’s new UK chief Jonathan Grimes will no doubt be acutely aware of.
DEEP SILVER WORKED DEAD HARD
Say what you want about the game itself – and this is a game where critics have had a lot to say – but Dead Island’s ascent to UK No.1 this week will have been a just reward for the hard work done by Deep Silver.
Forget about the Metacritic score, how mean Edge was, how generous IGN was, or the accidental release of the debug code. The one thing you can’t argue about is the huge effort that went into making it a commercial hit.
Nottingham’s GameCity event goes under the radar for some in the trade. As a more ‘alternative’ show, with live zombie reenactments and quirky developer breakfasts, it’s easy to see why.
But it has run for five years, proven to be fringier than Edinburgh Interactive, more relevant than the BAFTAs, and scored the support of firms like Nintendo and EA.So its gaming equivalent to the Turner/Mercury/Booker is worthy of note, at least.
Will the wider media care? Should the remit be more clearly focused on British or European productions, like those comparable art prizes?They may be the bigger tests here, but in principle at least the GameCity Prize is right: games should start making the more artistic industries feel more included in ours, not self-consciously keep trying to prove its worth in comparison to them.


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|By Business Wire||
|June 25, 2013 09:11 AM EDT||
The Hertz Corporation, the world’s largest general use car rental brand, has won the Digital Screenmedia Association’s (DSA) Industry Excellence Award for “Best Travel Deployment” for the company’s ExpressRent virtual agent kiosks, designed and deployed with the help of NCR Corporation, the global leader in consumer transaction technologies.
Hertz ExpressRent kiosks combine the flexibility and speed of self-service with the option of a personal touch by enabling live video chat with a Hertz agent who walks customers through the entire transaction. The car rental kiosks accept debit and credit card payments, validate drivers’ licenses and print out the car rental agreement.
“The ExpressRent kiosks allow us to provide an exceptional customer experience by bringing the best self-service technology available and blending it with the human touch,” said Hertz CIO Joe Eckroth.
Hertz’s ExpressRent Kiosk speeds up the car rental process and optimizes staffing during peak times at Hertz locations. It also allows Hertz to expand its reach to non-traditional locations where people may want to rent a car, like auto body shops or car dealerships, but which don’t meet the volume for full-service locations.
Since deploying the ExpressRent kiosks, Hertz reports more than 10,000 transactions per week on the kiosks, with 82 percent of customers rating the experience positively. Facilitating live interaction with Hertz agents has also impacted ancillary revenues by allowing customers to choose upgrade and insurance options during the rental process.
Hertz worked with NCR to drive utilization and develop a better queuing system. By positioning the kiosks to face the queue and employing signage alerting passengers to the “live agent” kiosk, Hertz saw 38 percent of customers exit the queue to serve themselves.
“Facilitating real-time, live interaction between Hertz and its customers through self-service has had a measurable and significant impact on efficiency, revenue and satisfaction at Hertz,” said Tyler Craig, general manager and vice president, NCR Travel. “NCR congratulates Hertz for its continued commitment to delivering the best experience for its customers and on this award.”
The Digital Screenmedia Association Industry Excellence Awards honors the best digital signage, mobile and self-service kiosk technology deployments across all vertical market segments. For more information on the association and to see a full list of award winners, please click here.
Hertz operates its car rental business through the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands from approximately 10,400 corporate, licensee and franchisee locations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Hertz is the largest worldwide airport general use car rental brand, operating from approximately 8,800 corporate and licensee locations in approximately 150 countries. Hertz is the number one airport car rental brand in the U.S. and at 111 major airports in Europe. Dollar and Thrifty have approximately 1,580 corporate and franchisee locations in approximately 80 countries. Hertz is an inaugural member of Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards Hall of Fame and was recently named, for the thirteenth time, by the magazine’s readers as the Best Car Rental Agency. Hertz was also voted the Best Overall Car Rental Company in Zagat’s 2012/13 U.S. Car Rental Survey, earning top honors in 14 additional categories, and the Company swept the global awards for Best Rewards Program and Best Overall Benefits from FlyerTalk.com. Product and services such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, NeverLost®, and unique cars and SUVs offered through the Company's Adrenaline, Prestige and Green Traveler Collections, set Hertz apart from the competition. Additionally, Hertz owns the vehicle leasing and fleet management leader Donlen Corporation and operates the Hertz On Demand car sharing business. The Company also owns a leading North American equipment rental business, Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation, which includes Hertz Entertainment Services.
About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is the global leader in consumer transaction technologies, turning everyday interactions with businesses into exceptional experiences. With its software, hardware, and portfolio of services, NCR enables more than 300 million transactions daily across the retail, financial, travel, hospitality, telecom and technology industries. NCR solutions run the everyday transactions that make your life easier.
NCR is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia with over 26,000 employees and does business in 180 countries. NCR is a trademark of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries.
Web site: www.ncr.com
With the proliferation of both SQL and NoSQL databases, organizations can now target specific fit-for-purpose database tools for their different application needs regarding scalability, ease of use, ACID support, etc. Platform as a Service offerings make this even easier now, enabling developers to roll out their own database infrastructure in minutes with minimal management overhead. However, this same amount of flexibility also comes with the challenges of picking the right tool, on the right ...
Feb. 11, 2016 04:15 PM EST Reads: 174
SYS-CON Events announced today that FalconStor Software® Inc., a 15-year innovator of software-defined storage solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. FalconStor Software®, Inc. (NASDAQ: FALC) is a leading software-defined storage company offering a converged, hardware-agnostic, software-defined storage and data services platform. Its flagship solution FreeStor®, utilizes a horizonta...
Feb. 11, 2016 04:00 PM EST
SYS-CON Events announced today that Interoute, owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2015 at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Interoute is the owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform which encompasses 12 data centers, 14 virtual data centers and 31 colocation centers, with connections to 195 ad...
Feb. 11, 2016 03:45 PM EST Reads: 405
SYS-CON Events announced today that (ISC)²® (“ISC-squared”) will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Two leading non-profits focused on cloud and information security, (ISC)² and Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), developed the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certification to address the increased demand for cloud security expertise due to rapid growth in cloud. Recently named “The Next...
Feb. 11, 2016 03:00 PM EST
The Art of DevOps provides a fun overview to help teams understand DevOps. Written in the style of the famous 6th century Chinese manuscript “The Art of War,” this eBook describes DevOps in the form of a mission to continuously deliver assets to the operational battlegrounds safely, securely, and quickly. It’s a fun read with valuable insights.
Feb. 11, 2016 02:45 PM EST
SYS-CON Events announced today that Alert Logic, Inc., the leading provider of Security-as-a-Service solutions for the cloud, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Alert Logic, Inc., provides Security-as-a-Service for on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructures, delivering deep security insight and continuous protection for customers at a lower cost than traditional security solutions. Ful...
Feb. 11, 2016 02:45 PM EST Reads: 436
The Quantified Economy represents the total global addressable market (TAM) for IoT that, according to a recent IDC report, will grow to an unprecedented $1.3 trillion by 2019. With this the third wave of the Internet-global proliferation of connected devices, appliances and sensors is poised to take off in 2016. In his session at @ThingsExpo, David McLauchlan, CEO and co-founder of Buddy Platform, will discuss how the ability to access and analyze the massive volume of streaming data from mil...
Feb. 11, 2016 01:45 PM EST
Join us at Cloud Expo | @ThingsExpo 2016 – June 7-9 at the Javits Center in New York City and November 1-3 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA – and deliver your unique message in a way that is striking and unforgettable by taking advantage of SYS-CON's unmatched high-impact, result-driven event / media packages.
Feb. 11, 2016 01:45 PM EST
SYS-CON Events announced today that Commvault, a global leader in enterprise data protection and information management, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7–9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Commvault is a leading provider of data protection and information management...
Feb. 11, 2016 01:30 PM EST Reads: 435
The cloud competition for database hosts is fierce. How do you evaluate a cloud provider for your database platform? In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Chris Presley, a Solutions Architect at Pythian, will give users a checklist of considerations when choosing a provider. Chris Presley is a Solutions Architect at Pythian. He loves order – making him a premier Microsoft SQL Server expert. Not only has he programmed and administered SQL Server, but he has also shared his expertise and passion w...
Feb. 11, 2016 12:20 PM EST
WebSocket is effectively a persistent and fat pipe that is compatible with a standard web infrastructure; a "TCP for the Web." If you think of WebSocket in this light, there are other more hugely interesting applications of WebSocket than just simply sending data to a browser. In his session at 18th Cloud Expo, Frank Greco, Director of Technology for Kaazing Corporation, will compare other modern web connectivity methods such as HTTP/2, HTTP Streaming, Server-Sent Events and new W3C event APIs ...
Feb. 11, 2016 12:00 PM EST
With an estimated 50 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2020, several industries will begin to expand their capabilities for retaining end point data at the edge to better utilize the range of data types and sheer volume of M2M data generated by the Internet of Things. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Don DeLoach, CEO and President of Infobright, will discuss the infrastructures businesses will need to implement to handle this explosion of data by providing specific use cases for filte...
Feb. 11, 2016 12:00 PM EST Reads: 205
SYS-CON Events announced today that Pythian, a global IT services company specializing in helping companies adopt disruptive technologies to optimize revenue-generating systems, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2015 at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Founded in 1997, Pythian is a global IT services company that helps companies compete by adopting disruptive technologies such as cloud, Big Data, advanced analytics, and DevO...
Feb. 11, 2016 11:30 AM EST Reads: 244
SYS-CON Events announced today that Avere Systems, a leading provider of enterprise storage for the hybrid cloud, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Avere delivers a more modern architectural approach to storage that doesn’t require the overprovisioning of storage capacity to achieve performance, overspending on expensive storage media for inactive data or the overbuilding of data centers ...
Feb. 11, 2016 11:30 AM EST
In most cases, it is convenient to have some human interaction with a web (micro-)service, no matter how small it is. A traditional approach would be to create an HTTP interface, where user requests will be dispatched and HTML/CSS pages must be served. This approach is indeed very traditional for a web site, but not really convenient for a web service, which is not intended to be good looking, 24x7 up and running and UX-optimized. Instead, talking to a web service in a chat-bot mode would be muc...
Feb. 11, 2016 11:15 AM EST Reads: 281


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Samsung has taken preorders for some nine million Galaxy S III handsets from more than 100 mobile networks, Reuters reports. An unnamed Samsung executive revealed the figures to the Korea Economic Times, which also reported that the firm’s smartphone factory is running at full capacity.
- UK government expands open banking project to credit cards, e-wallets and prepaid cards
- UK consumers want to set their own contactless transaction limit
- Swiss consumers to get single digital ID
- Boston to introduce NFC and contactless transit ticketing
- UK challenger bank Monzo lets account holders save funds in flexible pots


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Much has been written about LG’s upcoming Arena smartphone, but panting punters have never been told when they can get their mitts on the handset - until now. LG_Arena_official LG's Arena: released soon, we think... Unfortunately the phone’s release date comes from two online retailers, Expansys and Mobiles.co.uk, and both …
Play also have it
Play.com also have a shipping date which is the 10th of April. Maybe it's being released earlier to those willing to take out a contract?
- Apple's spamtastic iBeacon retail alerts launch with Frisco FAIL
- Submerged Navy submarine successfully launches drone from missile tubes
- Cache in the Attic El Reg's contraptions confessional no.2: Tablet PC, CRT screen and more
- Pix Astroboffins spot HOT, YOUNG GIANT where she doesn't belong
- Developer unleashes bowel-shaking KILLER APP for Google Glass


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The athletic apparel retailer also boosts site visits by 50% using customer analytics platform AgilOne.
Facebook expands the service, which enables merchants to offer deals via Facebook Places.
Facebook this week launched the social network’s Facebook Deals retail incentive program in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The feature, which Facebook introduced in the United States in November, takes aim at location-based mobile apps, including Foursquare. Similar to Foursquare, Facebook Deals enables businesses to offer incentives such as discounts and freebies to consumers who check in through the Facebook Places service that the social network launched in August.
In the United States, for instance, a consumer could check in via Facebook Places from a Macy’s Inc. store and receive a 20% discount off apparel, accessories, jewelry and household items. The social network, however, has yet to say which businesses will take part in the new international markets.
As part of Facebook Deals the social network opened up its location application programming interface, or API, so that developers can create applications that send check-ins to Facebook Places. Until yesterday, only U.S. retailers could do that. Now merchants in the new international markets can integrate Facebook’s location services into their mobile apps in much the same way that more than 2.5 million web sites have added the Facebook Like button to their sites.
There are four types of Facebook offers:
• Individual Deals that offer discounts, free products or other rewards.
• Friend Deals that require a consumer to check in with a friend to claim a reward.
• Loyalty Deals for consumers who regularly check in via Places.
• Charity Deals that allow a consumer to donate to a particular cause.
Consumers can find deals by looking for a yellow icon when they check in using Places. When the shopper clicks on the deal, he can view the offer and claim it by showing his phone to the cashier. Facebook then broadcasts that the individual claimed the deal on the user’s News Feed, which allows his friends to see the offer as well.
“We launched Places to let you share where you are with your friends and see who's nearby,” wrote Jon Fougner, a principal on Facebook's product marketing team, on the social network’s blog at the time of the U.S. launch. “Now with Deals, you also can see what offers are nearby and share those deals with your friends.”


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Posted on 24th September 2020
By Billy Langsworthy
Spin Master has debuted Present Pets, its new line of interactive plush puppies that unbox themselves.
When a child pulls the oversized gift tag on the Present Pets box, the pup inside starts to bark and paw its way out of the box. After about two minutes, the front of the box topples down revealing a new pup.
“We cannot wait to surprise the whole family with the magical experience of unboxing their very own Present Pet puppy,” said Jean Gomez, Spin Master’s VP Marketing & Global Business Unit Lead.
“It’s a dream come true for children to unwrap a surprise puppy, and we are delighted to bring that joy to families this holiday season. We hope to see lots of exciting reactions when children open their Present Pets toys.”
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“I am delighted to join Wynne-Jones IP, a firm that has a solid reputation and a commitment to excellence, collaboration and innovation,” said Danielle.
“In order to practically support the industry to begin their journey to a more sustainable and circular way of working, we want to offer some practical support and a platform to exchange experiences,” said Emile Kalis, Head of SGN.
The Sunshine Makeover range features colour change transformations powered by daylight.
“Build-A-Bear is one of the most respected brands in children’s entertainment and we’re delighted that Miraculous fans will be able to create their own super-powered furry friend,” said ZAG Founder and CEO Jeremy Zag.
“We assembled a best-in-class team of game makers who poured their hearts into an unforgettable experience we can’t wait to share with fans,” said Greg Thomas, President of Visual Concepts.
“To be part of the Smart Toys and Games family – an industry-leading team dedicated to challenging the minds of multiple generations – is so exciting,” said Quam.


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Chandler Tabbed as Belk EVP of Operations
October 19, 2011,
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--Belk has named Mark Chandler executive vice president of operations.
Reporting to Johnny Belk, president and chief operating officer, Chandler has assumed responsibility over the retailer's supply-chain, inventory-management, strategic-sourcing and overall retail operations. He has succeeded Ron Shealy, who retired earlier this year.
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- Up & Coming Leaders - The home industry is in capable and visionary hands as this year’s 40 Under 40 list attests. Today’s young leaders span all disciplines and varied levels of operation.
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AVEVA has signed a strategic value-added reseller partnership with Enterprise Business Solutions W.L.L. for the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman markets.
Everteam becomes Qlik’s authorised Middle East resellerEverteam has announced a strategic partnership agreement with Qlik whereby Everteam Global services is now an authorised Qlik reseller in … 0 3894
Westcon-Comstor to host IMAGINE Middle East 2020
Westcon-Comstor Middle East has announced that it will be hosting IMAGINE Middle East, a two-day virtual summit for IT resellers and integrators.
Raqmiyat announces partnership with MongoDB for the GCC Region
Raqmiyat has announced that it is now a regional business partner and authorised reseller of MongoDB the global general purpose database platform.
New D-Link-branded partner store opens in Dubai
The new D-Link branded store by Grand PCD is located at the heart of Khaled Bin Waleed Street (formerly known as Computer Street) in Bur Dubai, Dubai.
Nutanix signs Alpha Data as ‘Master Partner’ in UAE
Nutanix has signed Alpha Data, a solutions provider in the Middle East, as a ‘Master Reseller Partner’ in the UAE.
RNS, SailPoint extend partnership to deliver new identity capabilities to Middle East firms
RNS Technology Services, an independent cybersecurity value-added reseller and system integration firm, has expanded its partnership with SailPoint to enhance the vendor’s Identity Governance platform.
The time is now for RNS Managed Security Services
With the massive shift to telework as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, cybercrime opportunities have increased significantly. Lesser …
Raqmiyat announces partnership with Ivanti for GCC
Regional systems integrator and provider of digital transformation solutions and services Raqmiyat has announced that it is now a regional …
How Huawei is opening up AI systems for the ICT channel
As GCC countries turn to smart solutions to drive national development, the demand for artificial intelligence (AI) has grown immensely …
Rising cloud adoption to drive channel partner engagement in UAE: Equinix
Global interconnection and data centre company Equinix has revealed the findings of an independent survey exploring the views of senior enterprise IT professionals on the future of the Channel industry.


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- Insider surveyed 68 founders for their 2023 business predictions.
- The most common theme was artificial intelligence and how they thought it would be used this year.
- Seven founders explained how they thought AI would affect and disrupt their industries.
Last year, AI companies received $1.37 billion in venture capital — more than in the previous five years combined, according to PitchBook.
Insider surveyed 68 founders for their 2023 predictions and the industries they believed would gain market value in the coming year. They mentioned innovations in healthcare, wellness, and supply chains, but the most common trend was AI. Many said they expected the technology to change and disrupt their sectors.
Austin Drabik, a cofounder of the hiring-technology company Helm, said AI would have widespread adoption this year.
"We're seeing exponential growth in this space already, but the value and benefits are becoming more and more clear for its application to nearly every other industry," he said.
Here's why founders are talking about AI and how they think it will be used in 2023.
AI is maturing
Aabesh De, the founder and CEO of the plant-care app Flora, believes internet technology, including AI, augmented reality, and virtual reality, will gain market value in 2023.
"We're starting to see initial signs of widespread consumer interest and education for these industries, which are finally breaking out of their 'early adopter' molds," he said.
Drabik believes that user experience is the key differentiator. For example, generative-AI technologies like ChatGPT and Dall-E 2, which can create extensive text and realistic images, are easier to use than Web3, he said.
"This is one of the core detractors of Web3: The user experience has a ton of friction, and the value isn't immediately clear to a nontechnical person."
It could have an outsize effect on healthcare
Many founders believe we'll see significant advancements in healthcare using AI and similar technologies.
Katie Wilson, a cofounder and the CEO of the vegan-snack brand BelliWelli, believes AI and robots will be at the forefront of the industry.
"As we continue to steer out of the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as technology advances, I think we will see a dramatically changed landscape in the world of healthcare," she said.
Naveen Jain, the founder and CEO of the biotech company Viome, believes that AI will become a crucial part of the healthcare industry.
"Convergence of data from various omics and AI is allowing us to understand what biological processes are changing at the onset and progression of chronic diseases, cancer, and even aging," he said.
AI may speed up processes across industries
Founders also see AI as a way to boost productivity and efficiency in their businesses. For example, James Moore, a cofounder of the insurance-subscription service PorchPals, said AI could resolve some of the hiring issues from the past few years.
"Between the Great Resignation during COVID lockdowns and overhiring in tech, services are back," he said. "Simple tasks can now be met with smart AI software and systems."
Thomas Henry Murray, a cofounder of the food-and-beverage company Waterdrop, said AI could be used for generating text, image, audio, and video content.
"Many new tools, companies, and frameworks will evolve, and the overall quality of services and speed will increase drastically," he said.
Brian Meiggs, the founder of the media company My Millennial Guide, said rapid advances in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and machine learning could transform how businesses operate and disrupt industries.
"As these technologies become more sophisticated, they will enable companies to increase their efficiency and boost profits," he said.
If you're a founder with insight on this topic, please reach out to this reporter at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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New Chinese cosmetics brands are splurging on livestreaming to open up the market
(Yicai Global) Nov 10 — Many newly established Chinese cosmetics brands, such as Binarix and Winona, are leveraging e-commerce platforms, including China’s version of TikTok Douyin and Alibaba Group Holding’s Taobao, mostly from their marketing and sales. But these channels come at a cost.
Yunnan Botanee Bio-Technology Group, which owns skincare brand Winona, spent CNY 1.3 billion (USD 185 million) on sales and marketing in the first nine months, a jump of 36.8 percent compared to the same period last year, according to Kunming, the company’s third-quarter financial report based in southwestern Yunnan province.
A booming new brand spends more than CNY 1 million ($138,085) per month on marketing, and that figure rises during major promotional events such as 618 and Double 11 shopping festivals, a brand manager says chinese skin care.
Most of the products showcased by live-selling hosts on Douyin at this year’s Double 11 gala, which runs until the middle of the month, are young domestic brands. A makeup artist told Yicai Global that more than 80% of her sales during the e-festival came from Chinese labels.
Binarix’s live sales on Douyin are doing particularly well during the Double 11 festival, the Chinese cosmetics company’s chief executive said. The two-year-old company had planned to sell 60% of its products on Taobao and 40% on Douyin during the gala, but it looks like it will sell more on Beijing-based Douyin.
Binarix does most of its marketing through lifestyle services platform Xiaohongshu and Douyin and most of its sales on Alibaba’s Tmall and Douyin. While Winona is mainly available on e-tailers such as Tmall, Vipshop and JD.com as well as an online marketplace on WeChat.
The turnover of this year’s Double 11 commercial bonanza has not been as good as in previous years. So far, makeup sales are about 10% lower than last year, and skincare products are only 5-10% higher than last year, an industry insider told Yicai Global.
Editors: Shi Yi, Kim Taylor


text: PARIS, August 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- eServGlobal (LSE: ESG & ASX: ESV), the provider of end-to-end mobile financial services to emerging markets, is pleased to announce that the three-year framework agreement with a multinational operator group announced on 30 April 2013 refers to the Zain Group. Zain is a leading provider of mobile telecommunications in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa. eServGlobl's end-to-end mobile money solution will be deployed across Zain Group's operations. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120730/552126 ) "Together with the Zain Group, we have conceived a next-generation mobile financial services solution which will set the standard for holistic mobile money services," said Paolo Montessori, CEO,eServGlobal. "Our technology perfectly complements the Zain Group's objective to provide innovative, world class services in all the areas that it operates. We are proud to be working with Zain to enrich the lives of users by putting secure financial services at their fingertips." Scott Gegenheimer, CEO of Zain Group, said, "The positive economic and social impact of financial inclusion for many of our customers where banking services are scarce will be abundant. We embrace the opportunity to launch new services that improve the livelihoods of the communities we serve, and through eServGlobal's comprehensive solution, we will be able to offer life-enhancing mobile services and cement our position as an innovative market leader in the mobile-money arena across our region." Furthermore, Gegenheimer noted, "This agreement along with other ground-breaking products and services in the pipeline will empower customers to move about freely with their mobile phones transacting on goods and services. Our aim is to create an eco-system whereby mobile money solutions provide our customers with increased security and flexibility, reducing the need to carry cash."


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Employers fired 55,200 workers, Statistics Canada said today in Ottawa, after a drop of 5,000 the month before. The jobless rate fell to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent as 74,100 people left the labor force. Economists anticipated 5,000 new jobs and the same jobless rate, according to the median of 22 estimates in Bloomberg surveys.
The economy is sputtering as factories struggle to sell products south of the border because of low U.S. consumer confidence and a Canadian currency that's appreciated about 16 percent in the past three years. The Bank of Canada signaled last month that interest rates will stay put for the foreseeable future, with growth virtually stalled and inflation beyond the upper limit of policy makers' target range.
June-July marked the first period since January 2006 that employers shed workers for two straight months. Factories fired 32,300 workers in July, led by manufacturers in Ontario, Canada's biggest province and its goods-producing hub.
Canada lost 7,100 full-time jobs and 48,100 part-time jobs in July, particularly young workers, the statistics agency said. Services-related employment fell by a net 37,300, while goods- producing companies shed a net 17,800 workers.
In its last quarterly forecast on July 17, the central bank said growth will slow as an ``export drag'' offsets the domestic spending that's powered expansion in recent years. Policy makers said the economy will grow 1 percent this year, the slowest since 1992 when Canada had its last recession.
The economy shrank in the first quarter for the first time since 2003, dragged down by automobile exports. Gross domestic product contracted at a 0.3 percent annualized rate, Statistics Canada said, and 0.1 percent in May on a month-over-month basis.
Some service companies were hurt by the slower growth. Payrolls for professional, scientific and technical services fell by 15,300 employees and those for business, building and other support services dropped by 30,100, the statistics agency said. Retailers and wholesalers eliminated 33,600 positions.
Canadian wage growth also is slowing, gaining 4 percent in July from a year earlier compared with 4.4 percent in June and an 11-year high of 4.9 percent in February. Still, labor costs are rising faster than consumer prices, which gained 3.1 percent in June.
Canada has added a net 227,200 jobs in the past 12 months, even as the jobless rate rose from 6 percent last July, a sign that more people have entered the workforce than found work.


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Whether you need a 3D printing visual aid to wow a professor or are just curious, you are limited only by imagination. According to Norfolk State University, students and faculty can now incorporate 3D printing into their assignments or course materials.
Unveiling a new 3D Printing Laboratory in its Makerspace, Norfolk State showcased eight 3D printers. Six of them are described as “cutting-edge models that can print in multiple colors, and material types.” Additionally, there is special 3D Modeling software and a variety of tools for working with 3D prints.
According to the historically Black college and university, the lab houses four Ultimaker S5s, two MakerBot Methods, one MakerBot Z18, and a MakerBot Replicator Plus, making it one of the largest and best-equipped 3D Makerspaces in Hampton Roads. The Ultimaker S5s is perfect for prototyping and engineering projects and the new MakerBot Methods are great for those new to 3D printing.
“The potential in STEM projects, such as engineering prototypes, can be actualized like never before. Nursing, Allied Health, Physical Education students, and others can print models of the human body to study,” Norfolk State said on its website.
3D printing is the ability to create three-dimensional objects using specialized software to create 3D models made of plastic (or other materials) that have been melted and resolidified into the desired design. High precision 3D printing allows users to create models of buildings, people, and things.


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Craft beer boom emerges as threat to wine sales
Is the craft beer industry's rapid growth a threat to Bay Area and other winemakers?
"From a a shelf space perspective, we need to hold our ground," Danny Brager, senior vice president of Nielsen's beverage alcohol practice area, said during a recent presentation on U.S. consumer wine trends, according to a report in Wines & Vines, a wine industry publication.
Brager said craft beer sales are up nearly 23 percent in volume and more than 20 percent in value nationally, Wines & Vines reported, but in hipster cities like San Francisco and Portland, craft brews have been growing at a 30 percent clip.
He made the comments at a recent Wine Market Council presentation, Wines & Vines reported. Nielsen is part of the global Nielsen Holdings conglomerate.
Overall, however, beer has been slipping in recent years compared to spirits and wine, which have gained popularity as Americans' favored alcoholic beverage.
It's the craft in craft beer — plus, one would think, its "cool" factor — that's giving it more oomph in the market.
Chris Rauber's beats include health care, insurance, nonprofits and the wine industry for the San Francisco Business Times.
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PayPal testing facial recognition verification app for making payments
Next time when you are out shopping in London, chances are you will be asked to check in at the store instead of being told about the amount of money you owe. PayPal, one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world, is now testing face verification for mobile-payment transactions. PayPal application has a tab labelled “Local,” which helps users find nearby stores and restaurants that accept mobile PayPal payments. All you have to do is visit the nearest store with active PayPal app, and once you check in (via Facebook or Foursquare) to a venue online, your name and photo appears on the store”s registered PayPal app. You can then make the purchases and use the app to pay for items (cashiers complete the transaction by clicking on your profile pic). Customers get an alert on the phone to let them know how much they”ve paid, as well as PayPal”s usual email receipt.
Rob Harper, Head of Retail Services at PayPal, said, “We”re pleased to help local businesses of all sizes offer Perinteisia poytapeleja edustavat tietysti hyvin tunnetut klassikkopelit, kuten Blackjack , Baccarat, 3 Card Poker ja Ruletti . a new more personal experience, while never having to turn away customers who don”t have enough cash on them to pay. Now locals in Richmond can leave their wallet or purse at home and be the first in the country to use their profile picture to pay” in a release shared by PayPal on their blog. As of now, spots in London which are using this feature are Cook & Garcia, TheFarmery, The Tea Box, The Bingham Hotel, Revolution, Caffé Paolo, The Cedar Coffee Shop, Urban Diner, Pier 1 Fish and Chips, Noble Jones, Hill Café and Knot Coffee and Pretzel. Want to experience facial recognition? Walk down to Richmond and look for “Now accepting PayPal” stickers on the windows.


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By David Fleet
Goodrich-So here’s the scoop—Lippy’s Ice Cream is open.
On Aug. 6, owners and local residents Rob and Tami Lipp opened Lippy’s Ice Cream, 10243 Hegel Road in the village.
“We’ve had customers arrive in golf carts and four-wheelers, everyone is flocking here for ice cream,” said Rob.
The ice cream store is attached to an historic building and residence of S.B. Pixley who once operated a hardware store dating back to the 1870s. During the last century the red brick clad two story building was also home to a cafe where Goodrich students would eat when the high school was located in the village and a Masonic Lodge.
An addition was constructed later which is now home to Lippy’s.
“This was a COVID project—it’s a corner stone building that was rejected,” said Tami. “We tried to do something during the COVID (pandemic) it’s been a stressful time. It’s been successful so far.”
Tami said the yellow color of the ice cream store was selected to be the “light” of Goodrich.
“Residents have been requesting a bakery or a coffee shop move in next door,” she said. “But right now the ice cream is keeping us very busy—it’s been overwhelming.”
Lippy’s features Northville Mich. based—Guernsey Ice Cream.
“Cotton Candy Ice Cream has been the best seller so far,” said Tami. “Ice cream has been the ‘thing’ during COVID. There’s a take out window, they are not going to get shut down, it’s making everyone happy.”
Daughter Kylie Lipp, a Goodrich Senior, has been the brainstorm behind the project and Son Jayden, a GHS sophomore built the menu.
“It’s been a family project,” she said.
Lippy’s is open Monday-Saturday noon-9 p.m. and Sunday 2- 9 p.m. Hours will change this fall. Call (810) 636-9043.


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LG and the free streaming service Pluto TV have announced the expansion of their partnership. Another app for LG’s WebOS is also available:
Pluto TV channels are now available on all LG televisions with WebOS version 3.0 or higher in Germany and other selected European markets.
The app was originally to be rolled out in January 2021 for LG Smart TVs with WebOS versions down to 4.0 (DIGITAL TELEVISION reported). At the end of May, support was now extended to LG TVs from model years 2017 (WebOS 3.5) and 2016 (WebOS 3.0).
A list of over 100 Pluto TV channels will soon be available
In addition, a curated list of more than 100 Pluto TV channels in Germany, France, Spain and the UK will be available through the LG Channels service later this year.
The Pluto TV app gives LG Smart TV owners free access to exciting TV series and popular films. You can watch live TV as well as available content there. Consumers can access a selection of almost 1,000 films, such as the international classics Star Trek or “The Ring”. There is also a special children’s program for a younger audience with iconic Nickelodeon shows and cartoons.
Spotfiy Video Podcast for the big screen
Customers with LG Smart TVs with WebOS versions 4.0, 4.5, 5.0 and 6.0 can now enjoy Spotify’s video podcasts. This makes LG one of the first TV manufacturers to support the video service. The function is now available on compatible TVs from the manufacturer in 105 countries around the world.
With the new function, both free and premium users of Spotify can watch “visually” popular video podcasts.
What: LG Electronics
- Pluto TV4: @ Screenshot Pluto TV


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Lehi, Utah (PRWEB) July 02, 2014
BodyGuardz, leader in mobile device protection products and consumer electronics accessories, announced today that Shawn Rapier has been named Executive Vice President. Shawn brings over 18 years of valuable industry expertise from leading sales roles in companies such as iFrogz, BRAVEN, and Incipio Technologies. As Executive VP, Shawn will oversee many facets of the company and be able to impact the company to continuously improve to meet consumers’ needs.
“Shawn is one of the most respected names in our industry and we are excited to have him on the BodyGuardz team.” Said Kirk Feller, President and CEO of BodyGuardz. “He brings experience, talent and a fresh perspective that will allow us to accelerate our growth in the consumer electronics space.”
Shawn has an impressive track record of building companies and taking them to the next level. Over the years he has learned that people are what matter most. Shawn strives to treat everyone with respect and his experience in motivating his teams has proved invaluable to the companies he has worked for.
“BodyGuardz is in an extremely exciting position right now in the market. They still have the small start-up feel but with all the resources to just blow everyone out of the water,” said Shawn. “I live for fast-paced startups and have a unique position to be able to oversee and impact so many departments in the company.” He believes that success is a byproduct of doing all the right things and with his track record of taking companies to the next level, BodyGuardz believes that Shawn is the perfect fit for the job.
BodyGuardz, founded in 2002, is committed to offering top-quality products and services. The company prides itself in providing products, service and delivery that customers notice is a step above the rest. BodyGuardz includes UltraTough clear skins full-body films available for hundreds of devices; ScreenGuardz, screen protectors available in multiple film types including the industry leading ScreenGuardz Pure; Armor, which are custom-cut protectors featuring designs for device personalization; cases for a variety of smartphones and tablets; Earjax premium earbuds; Earjax Echo Wireless Bluetooth Speaker and more. For more information, visit: bodyguardz.com/company.


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Helsinki Airport opens Nordics’ largest taxi charging station
The station was opened in response rising demand caused by the electrification of commercial road transport on the one hand and growing number of air travellers on the other.Plugit
The Nordic region’s largest charging station for electric taxis has opened at Helsinki Airport.
Implemented by Finavia and Plugit, the charging station will serve the constantly growing number of electric taxis dropping off and picking up passengers at the largest international airport in Finland. Its roughly four-megawatt capacity is enough to supply a minimum of 90 kilowatts to each vehicle even when all 40 high-power charge points are in use.
The Plugit-supplied charge points have been designed specifically for environments that require reliability and high power output. The Pirkkala-based provider of charging solutions is also responsible for the day-to-day operation of the station.
“Thanks to the size of the area and the dynamic distribution of the total power, we can guarantee that there will be enough power for everyone,” pledged Tuomas Mäkelä, head of the commercial transport business unit at Plugit.
“When planning drives, you can safely assume that there will be no need to queue for a charging point and no need to wait unnecessarily due to slow charging.”
The station has been designed to enable a later expansion to support up to 100 simultaneous charges. The plan is also to complement the station later by introducing a booking system and taking electric buses into account, according to Mäkelä.
Once fully operational, the station can supply a minimum of 90 kilowatts to each vehicle even when all 40 high-power charge points are in use.Plugit
“The electrification of the taxi fleet, combined with the significant passenger volumes of airport taxi traffic, requires an efficient charging infrastructure located in the local area,” said Jarkko Martelius, managing director of Taxi Point, the company responsible for taxi logistics at Helsinki Airport.
Jukka Isomäki, head of parking and landside traffic for Helsinki Airport at Finavia, confirmed that taxi companies have long called for a dedicated and sufficiently powered charging station for commercial transport.
Taxi companies can gain access to the station by registering their vehicles and ordering a charging tag through Plugit APP. Plugit reported in its press release that by 5pm on opening day the station had supplied 870 kilowatt-hours of power to 28 taxis.
Helsinki Airport has also responded the increase in the number of non-commercial electric vehicles, most recently with the opening of a 600-kilowatt charging station consisting of eight charge points in October 2023. Isomäki highlighted at the time that the station supplements the capacity available in parking halls, raising the number of charge points at the airport to more than 350.


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What you need to know
- The individual games in Halo: The Master Chief Collection are being ported to PC one at a time.
- Halo: Reach and Halo: Combat Evolved have already made it over to PC.
- Xbox has announced that Halo 2 is coming to PC on May 12.
- It'll be available on Steam and through Xbox Game Pass for PC (Beta).
If you've been waiting to continue Master Chief's story on PC, another chapter is nearly here. Today, Xbox announced that Halo 2 would arrive on PC as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on May 12. Much like Halo: Combat Evolved, this includes both the original graphics and the newly enhanced visuals from the Anniversary edition.
Earth will never be the same.
Halo 2: Anniversary arrives on PC as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on May 12! https://t.co/y5NHDTiQ1E pic.twitter.com/HVzgxIuY8VEarth will never be the same.
Halo 2: Anniversary arrives on PC as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on May 12! https://t.co/y5NHDTiQ1E pic.twitter.com/HVzgxIuY8V— Halo (@Halo) May 5, 2020May 5, 2020
You can also pick up a special Halo 2 mousepad while you wait for the game to arrive. At the current rate the games are being ported over, it's likely that every entry in The Master Chief Collection will arrive on PC before Halo Infinite, which is set to release sometime in Holiday 2020.
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Karl Turner, MP for East Hull is standing up for business and workers by opposing the Government’s proposals to relax Sunday Trading Laws.
The Tories are proposing to devolve Sunday Trading regulations to local authorities, which is likely to lead to an extension of Sunday opening hours. These proposals have been slipped in at the eleventh hour as part of the Government’s Enterprise Bill.
There has been a complete lack of scrutiny and consultation for an issue that has the potential to change the British way of life – making Sundays just like any other day. In contrast, the Sunday Trading Act 1994 took 2 years of Parliamentary scrutiny to reach a compromise that has worked well for over 20 years.
Karl Turner, MP for East Hull said:
“The Sunday Trading Act keeps Sundays special, and gives everyone a little bit of what they want. The current arrangements work well in East Hull and across England, meaning that retailers can trade, customers can shop, and shop workers can spend time with their families.
“I am convinced that shops are currently open long enough for people to do their shopping and that Sunday should remain a special day, different to any other. I am therefore standing in solidarity with businesses, workers, trade unions and faith groups in opposing the extension of Sunday Trading Laws.”
Angela Eagle, Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, said :
“I am strongly opposed to the Government’s proposals to relax Sunday Trading Laws by devolving them to local authorities. These proposals were not in the Tory manifesto, and will do little to drive economic growth.
The current arrangements work well, providing time for customers to shop, and for shop workers to spend time with their families. The proposed reforms amount to an attach on British Workers, and will contribute to the gradual erosion and diminution of worker’s pay and rights across the UK.
I believe that Sundays should be kept special, and I am proud to be standing up for businesses, workers and consumers by opposing these reforms.”


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Americans only make up five percent of the world’s population, yet we produce about a quarter of the world’s garbage.
UW Environmental Studies Lecturer Kristi Straus is here to help. During a recent appearance on King 5’s New Day Northwest show, she offered tips on how people can start weaving sustainability into their everyday lifestyle.
She encouraged people to use less water. This can be achieved by taking shorter showers, taking fewer showers, using the dishwater instead of washing by hand, or loading a full load of laundry, instead of a half one. She also advised people to eat less meat.
"There’s a lot of water use, energy use, and fertilizers and stuff when we grow food," said Straus. "And so by eating grains and vegetables directly, you use a lot less of that than if you’re going to feed those grains and vegetables to animals and then eat the animals."
Her third and fourth tips focused on buying less stuff and buying locally sourced food. She emphasized that in today’s culture we’re encouraged to keep on buying more stuff. But, repairing or even borrowing items from friends can really cut down our carbon footprint. Also, buying locally sourced food not only decreases the number of greenhouse gas emissions released, but also helps farms and local businesses stay afloat.
The most surprising tip was to choose facial cleansers that don’t contain plastic beads. These Microbeads are used as exfoliants in face and body wash, toothpaste, soaps and deodorant. These tiny bits of plastic clog waterways and go straight into the Puget Sound.
Everyday, 8 trillion microbeads end up in aquatic habitats in the U.S. To combat the problem, President Obama signed a bill into law that requires manufactures to eliminate microbeads from their products by 2017.
"Sustainability is a complicated word," said Straus. "But I like to think about it as, how do we live really rich, satisfying lives but not use so many resources where our children, our children’s children and future generations can’t also live rich and satisfying lives."


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Brands Facing Demise…
We’ve talked before about the individual jobs that will be replaced in the coming years – first there were the factory butchers, and then the ones on Wall Street – and now it looks like not just employees, but entire S&P 500 companies will find themselves out of a job in the next ten years. As the financial sector’s technological advances like Bitcoin make for the rise of fintech startups and the fall of traditional banks, it’s possible the backend “blockchain” tech could be their saving grace in an ironic twist of fate. No one likes to find themselves as the victims of these industry-wide evolutions, and big brands of all sectors die hard – even Richard Branson claims his beloved Virgin America isn’t going anywhere, despite its recent acquisition by Alaska Airlines. This week has truly been a tale of survival of the fittest – at its finest.
With Others on the Rise
Despite the gloom and doom, nothing can curb the enthusiasm of fresh start-ups in every industry, and we’ll cheers to that – perhaps with a shot of the newest entry to the beverage market, tapping further into a millennial well that’s yet to run dry. Make no mistake, the on-demand consumer base isn’t only made up of the younger crowd, as online grocer BigBasket serves shoppers of all ages by helping them avoid the lines when it’s time to restock their regular sundries.
The pace of growth itself can be a tricky challenge for independent producers just starting out. Not enough sales and you’ll wither away, but too big an order could do even more damage, as too much too fast can throw a wrench in the whole works. That said, houseware retailer West Elm seems to have cracked the code with their locally-sourced designers, forging strong partnerships by employing frank, open communication from the start.
Too Much or Too Little?
For established brands looking to relive the growth of these up-and-comers, it’s no secret where their next customer base can be found: on their phones. But as those precious micro-moments form the new battlegrounds for consumer engagement, what’s a traditional retail location to do? Go experiential, say Samsung and Staples, by opening massive spaces to provide not products, but productivity. Connectivity is certainly another name of the game – not just for the marketers seeking consumers in the digital space, but for the innovative product developers, always shooting for the Cloud. Then again, as Internet-of-Things leader Nest pulled one product’s (wireless) plug this week, some are left wondering: could this constant contact be too much of a good thing?
You know what’s never too much of a good thing? Big data. But for marketers, the real learning value is not in the number of tools in your information toolbox, it’s how you use them – that’s the true sign of digital maturity. It’s always said you can also learn from your mistakes, but we enjoy learning from others’: this week, HBR gives us a glimpse into one entrepreneur’s unsuccessful attempt to innovate a giant like The New York Times.
There was also a lot to glean from The Economist’s recent “Marketing Unbound” event, gathering the leaders of the industry pack to deliver sage insights on how to surf through today’s incessant waves of disruption. But if crowdsourcing expertise isn’t your thing, be sure to also check out the tête-à-tête with the CMO of Chili’s Grill & Bar, revealing how she keeps the tables from being overturned in the new era of conscious consumption.
In the Vivaldi weekly roundup, you’ll find everything you need to keep up with what’s going down in the world of marketing. Sign up to have it delivered to your inbox every week.


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While problems swirl around almost everything grown in California, there is a positive vibe that hangs over the pistachio industry.
The latest shipment report from the Administrative Committee for Pistachios, coordinators of that nut variety's marketing order since 2004, shows April to be another strong shipping month for American pistachios.
Overall shipments were more than 26% ahead of last year based on strong domestic shipments while year-to-date shipments are at 12% ahead of last year for the same period.
Current estimates range from 850 to 950 million pounds even in an “off” year as new acreage comes into production to offset some of the normal decrease. Market activity has been impressive following the news of a freeze that devastated Iran’s crop with damage estimates as high as 50% in some growing regions.
If the crop comes in closer to the 850 million mark, expectations are that prices will remain firm during the second and third quarters. If the higher predictions closer to one billion pounds appear more accurate, prices may decrease minimally approaching the fourth quarter.
All of which may be why California pistachio orchard purchase considerations are outpacing other tree nuts. Pricing for pistachio properties, which require less water than almonds or walnuts, continues to rise, especially in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
Janie Gatzman is a grower/processor near Oakdale where she also appraises nut crop holdings. As a member of the California Chapter, American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, she also co-edits the California/Nevada Trends in Agricultural Land and Lease Values report recently released for 2021.
“There’s a substantial degree of buying, selling, and leasing going on in California tree nut country,” she said, noting that pistachio purchases as a long-term investment are soaring.
Although much of her appraisal work centers around Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Yolo counties, she monitors pistachio orchard purchases all over California as part of her Trends report work.
“Overall there has been very high demand for pistachio properties throughout California’s central valley where prices increased throughout 2020 and continue upward into 2021,” she said, defining “high demand” as “multiple offers above asking prices.”
Price per acre varies
Determining an average-price-per-acre range varies widely based on things like total orchard size, location, and availability of water, but the published 2020 range went from $17,000 to $40,000 per acre. “Today, it’s higher than that,” Gatzman said, “Probably in the low twenties to the mid-fifties. The low end of the range is going to be older orchards panted in the 1970’s and early 1980’s while the higher range involves anything planted from 1995 on.
“Pistachios are the most profitable nut crop being grown in California right now and the driving force for the increase in property value is the profitability of the crop,” she said. “Continued profitability should bring continued stability in the current price range although restricted water supply going forward could change things and push prices higher as the industry gets impacted by more drought and SIGMA taking effect. A lot of money is being pushed towards smaller properties that have good water.
“With Iran having such severe production problems, California is in a strong market position to control the worldwide price. Pistachios are a desert-type tree that don’t require fancy soils or a lot of water, so California (and Arizona) hold promise for the future.”
Larger institutional entities with bigger pocketbooks and who can afford to be in the game for the long are buying properties and planning new pistachio orchards for future crops. “They like the fact that pistachios require less water than other tree nuts, water that can be higher salt and lower quality, especially as you go south into larger properties,” she said.


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Category: Chennai Port
Tamil Nadu government had allocated 125 acres of land at Sriperumbudur to set up a dry port and a multi-modal logistics hub with an investment of Rs. 1000 million. It will come up on Mappedu near Sriperumbudur SEZ and will be set up on BOO basis. The private operator will get a 30 year license and it will have facilities like off dock container freight station, rail and road connectivity to national network and an on-site customs house. It may be noted, the Chennai-Ennore road and the 4-lane elevated corridor to Maduravayol has been put on fast track will be completed soon.


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Executives from Apex Hotels, Radisson and Hyatt Hotels will explore branding, technology and more
Hotel360 has released further details about the speaker line-up for this year’s hospitality event.
Visitors can hear from many hospitality experts including : Raymond Santamaria, director of food and beverage development at Apex Hotels; Binu Varghese, regional director of revenue management at Hyatt Hotels Corporation; Laszlo Posa, corporate director of revenue at Penta Hotels; Gonzalo Carpintero, vice president of EMEA operations at Radisson Hotel Group; and Alexandra Tollman, director of sales at Red Carnation Hotels.
Delegates will also be able to attend panel debates, enjoy exclusive show offers and see some of the industry’s most innovative solutions.
Register for the event.


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Employability boost for young people in Fife, the over 25s and those facing redundancy as training provider offers work placements at The Open
Young people in Fife, as well as those who are over 25 and out of work, are being given the chance to boost their skills and secure employment in the hospitality industry by taking up a new, 10-week training programme, which includes a work placement at The Open.
Thursday, 21 May 2015
Fife Tourism Partnership (FTP) are looking for Fife businesses who are interested in providing discounts or offers which we can in turn, provide to golf fans who will be flocking to Fife for the 2015 Open Championship in St Andrews.
The offers would be presented via a booklet handed out at the Open Championship and can contain incentives such as 10% off purchases with a specific code or "buy two cups of coffee, get one free" etc. By engaging people with such codes, these attractive offers will hopefully lead to an increase in business activity throughout Fife.
Wednesday, 15 April 2015


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/// News Startup Circa Taps Reuters Social Media Head For Editor in Chief
Circa, a mobile-focused news startup, announced on Tuesday that it has named Anthony De Rosa as its new editor in chief. De Rosa has been Thomson Reuters’ social media editor for the past two years, aiming to grow the company’s social presence with his very active Twitter and Facebook presence. Previous to this, De Rosa also worked on a number of media-related partnership programs inside of Thomson Reuters, and also spent time building out SB Nation’s social presence via Tumblr. Circa, like a number of mobile news-focused apps in the tech space recently, aims to bring breaking stories to consumers on smartphones who want to read news quickly, on the fly. According to Circa co-founder Matt Galligan, De Rosa as EiC will begin to focus on expanding the number of breaking news verticals Circa will cover, and the company plans a number of new product releases over the rest of 2013.
Follow this link:
News Startup Circa Taps Reuters Social Media Head For Editor in Chief
- 08/22/2016 • IAB Expands Its International Reach With New Dmexco Partnership
- 08/17/2016 • 3 Brands Using Facebook in Particularly Effective Ways During the Rio Games
- 08/17/2016 • Instagram Debuts an Events Feature That Curates User-Generated Videos
- 08/15/2016 • Here Are the 10 Buzziest Social Media Moments From U.S. Olympians This Past Week


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And just like that, it’s the end of another year.
2018 was momentous for us. We released exciting new features that bolster security across your SaaS apps, raised a $60M funding round, and even ranked #11 on Crain’s Best Places to Work in NYC 2018.
Here’s a look back at our 2018 highlights.
Gartner and 451 Research recognized a brand new market category that BetterCloud is pioneering
We’ve spent the last seven years building a one-of-a-kind platform to manage and secure your SaaS apps. This year, two major industry analyst firms (Gartner and 451 Research) announced a new market category to address the growing challenges faced by IT teams when managing SaaS apps.
- Gartner’s New Market Category: SaaS Management Platforms (SMPs) – BetterCloud is the only platform that offers both the breadth (G Suite, Office 365, Salesforce, Slack, Box, Dropbox, Okta, and other SaaS apps) and depth (all six SMP functional categories) amongst the set of SMP vendors listed in the report.
- SaaS Operations Management: BetterCloud Pioneers a New Market (451 Research Report)
BetterCloud and its community of 2,500+ customers, 100,000 IT professionals, and 50+ partners couldn’t be more thrilled about this milestone and validation.
We had 18 major product releases
We had 18 major product releases this year and built some pretty incredible features, including:
- On-Demand Workflows (think of them like macros for IT where you can just hit “Play” and kick off an automated workflow). This was one of the most requested features by customers. One customer told us, “Not sure y’all are fully appreciating the value of what you’re creating.”
- Activity-Based Alerts. The number one requested feature at Altitude 2017, this helps IT detect and respond to suspicious user activity in SaaS apps.
- Time-Based Roles, MFA policies, last login reporting, windowing, and more.
We raised a $60M funding round
This year we raised a $60M Series E funding round, led by Bain Capital Ventures. Our CEO, David Politis, published a candid open letter to customers explaining how we got here and what our vision for the future is. We’re very excited about this next chapter, and you should know that we are #justgettingstarted!
BetterCloud + Okta: a new partnership
After nine months of hard work, we announced an exciting new technology integration and partnership with Okta. Together, Okta and BetterCloud provide unique and complementary “systems of controls” around managing identity and security operations for SaaS applications.
Altitude 2018 was our best customer summit yet
Altitude, our annual customer summit, took place in Denver this year. It was our best one yet, with over 140 IT and security professionals attending. Over the course of two days, 30 speakers from all over the country gave insights and tips on security automation, SaaS management efficiency, and the future of IT and technology.
Here are six takeaways from Altitude 2018 in case you missed it.
Bonus: Why Altitude is unlike other IT conferences, according to one IT director.
Four BetterCloud customers shared their best security tips on a Google Cloud Next ‘18 panel
At Google Cloud Next ‘18, four BetterCloud customers were on a panel called “Securing G Suite and Beyond: Tales from the Trenches.” The panel explored security topics that are top of mind right now for many modern IT professionals: How have security needs evolved, and what are the biggest concerns moving forward? What important lessons have people learned?
Here are five key takeaways, along with some tips and best practices the panelists shared.
You voted for awesome IT T-shirts (and then we created and sent them to you)
In the quest to make our first ever Monitor T-shirts, we designed four tongue-in-cheek tees (all IT-themed). We let readers vote for their favorite one, and we said the winning design would be our official Monitor swag T-shirt. Then we printed them up and sent a shirt to everyone who voted.
And some awesome readers sent in photos of themselves wearing it:
Thank you so much for being a Monitor reader. Have a great holiday season, and here’s to a great 2019!