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Utrecht, September 1st, 2021 – Trengo, the Dutch omnichannel communications platform, today announces raising $36 million in a Series A funding from New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm Insight Partners and Peak. The funding is aimed at accelerating international expansion, attracting talent and fueling further development of the technology-driven omnichannel communication platform.
In the past year, Trengo tripled its customer base from 700 to 2,000 customers including Europcar, Yobbers, OPPO and Pon Porsche Dealergroep, processing more than 12,5 million messages per month for more than 20.000 users. The innovative scaleup has grown from twelve to sixty employees in one year and is expected to grow to 200 employees by 2022. The Series A funding provides the organization with a solid foundation, to search for talent while increasing sales & marketing and software development. The organization plans to open a new office hub in Utrecht to facilitate its growth this year.
"At Trengo, we aim to break the status quo of the market for business communications platforms. With this Series A funding, we have even more capabilities to strengthen our growth and innovation power to help businesses and people thrive globally," said Patrick Meutzner, CEO and founder of Trengo. "Our platform raises the bar for customer satisfaction and team collaboration worldwide. Enabling organizations with an easier, more efficient and more consistent way for all their communications."
"Trengo stands out with its collaborative interface and intuitive design. Its customers have embraced the communication platform and we see great potential in the company," said Whitney Bouck, Advisor to Insight Partners and COO at Dropbox/Hellosign. She continues "We look forward to our partnership and their next chapter of growth."
"As a selected participant in the Techleap Compass program, I congratulate Trengo with their series A investment. This shows that their ambition to become a global player in platform communication is coming to fruition," says Prince Constantijn van Oranje, Special Envoy at Techleap.
"Since our initial investment in February 2020, the company has grown tremendously from 15 employees to 70, and revenue growth has followed a similar growth trajectory. We are delighted to continue supporting the Trengo team on their incredible journey." says Stefan Bary, Managing Partner Peak.
The market for business communication platforms is currently undergoing tremendous development. There is a significant increase in emerging customer channels (for example, WhatsApp Business, Instagram Direct Message and Google Business Messages), while customers expect better and faster online service. Meanwhile, employees collaborate from different locations, experiencing great frustration from constantly switching between tools and channels to collaborate. Trengo's omnichannel communication platform is an affordable, intuitive and easy to implement platform that aggregates all features, apps and tools into one screen. It merges CRM, social channels and communication tools, resulting in an easy, efficient and consistent way to improve customer satisfaction and productivity.The pace of digital transformation in business communications and the development of new communication channels is daunting, creating overload, chaos, inefficiency and stress. Increased remote working conditions put pressure on alignment within teams. Companies, and especially SMEs, struggle to keep up. The Trengo platform helps companies improve communications with customers and teams, leading to increased productivity, sales and customer satisfaction.
Founded in Utrecht in 2017, Trengo is the omnichannel communications platform combining all channels on one screen. The technology-driven platform is leading and reshaping the global business communications industry. The platform is currently used in 60 countries by more than 2,000 active customers including Europcar, Pixum, Yobbers, OPPO and Pon Porsche Dealergroep. Trengo brings together all the popular platforms like WhatsApp Business, Instagram Direct Messages and Google Business Messages. In 2020, Trengo was listed in the top ten fastest growing companies in the Netherlands, according to the FD Gazellen Awards. For more information, visit https://trengo.com/.


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Lures stalwarts as Gemfields ponders sale Gemfields, The positive green and ruby miner, Is weighing a potential sale of its luxury jewellery business Faberg after receiving interest from a number of suitors in the previous few months.
Gemfields bought Faberg famed for its specified, Jewelled Russian Imperial eggs for around 90m in 2012 from 2015 best black friday deals private equity finance finance firm Pallinghurst Resources. Gemfields has used Faberg to boost the standing of coloured gemstones, Notably launching last month a multi million pound advert campaign motivating taking emerald, Rubies and sapphires in engagement rings. Mr Harebottle has said he can turn the jewellery business to learn within many years, Although analysts sams black friday have asked this varied strategy.
Emerald prices have risen by 70pc withduring much more seven years, Fuelled by the company boosting the grade of supply within the. An online-business source said, As a mining web endeavor concern, Faberg was not core to Gemfields. But nevertheless, Another industry banker said that while Gemfields would be a willing seller the global slowdown black friday special deals in luxury spending may cause this provider to delay deals for black friday its sale plans in order to fetch a higher price.
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Tractor manufacturing company Escorts India reported a decline of The consolidated net profit slipped to Rs Escorts Escort india revenue from operations slipped 5.
Escort india standalone terms, the net profit of Escorts fell Standalone revenue from operations for the quarter under review was booked at Rs 1, EPS reported at Rs 7.
Escorts India sold 21, tractors during the June quarter of the ongoing financial year, the company said in its regulatory filings, down The company sold 1, construction machines escort india the quarter under review, the filing showed. Tractor industry has escort india slowing down since the last few months, thus our endeavour is to keep revenue and profitability intact with strategic initiatives and elimination of waste and inefficiencies.
Escort India's revenue from operations slipped 5. Tweet Youtube.
Escorts India Q1 results. Must Read.Horny Housewives Fuck
P M Prasad escort india as BCCL CMD Bharti Airtel to shut down 3G network across India by March; evaluates opportunities on fibre monetisation India's top court asks central bank to confirm WhatsApp's compliance with local data rules Amazon Web Service to help start-ups in social sectors by providing learning content and promotional credits Govt to infuse Indiia 10, fort wayne back pages in housing finance companies More.
WhatsApp update: Chat app to roll out new feature linked to forwarded messages Huawei launches Y9 Escort india with pop-up selfie camera for Rs 15, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G launch date revealed in escort india press renders Huawei Y9 Prime launched in India with pop-up selfie camera at Rs 15, MediaTek launches gaming-focused Helio G90 series mobile chips More.


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It’s the answer to the dreams of fans of legendary heavy rockers Kiss who also participate in triathlons - an officially licensed bike that combines their favourite sport with their favourite brand.
It comes from Vancouver, British Columbia-based Sciacallo bikes, which launched a bike and wheels collection licensed by the four-decades-on-and-still-going-strong group last month.
Products include this rather striking rear disc that showcases the members of the band in their iconic make-up.
Sciacallo makes much of its Italian heritage on its website - so it’s no coincidence that the Kiss-themed bike has been given the model name, Bacio.
With 125 licensing partners around the globe - covering everything from comic books to credit cards via waffle makers - Kiss are the rock equivalent of a certain fashion designer who was the patron of brand extension, as discussed in the 1991 book by Richard Morais Pierre Cardin - The Man Who Became A Label.
The agency that handles the band’s worldwide licensing and merchandising, Epic Rights, published a joint statement from group co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Simmons in which they extolled the virtues of filthy lucre - although clearly this is far from cash from chaos, but rather, a well-oiled marketing operation.
"We have always believed that to be successful, in life and in music, you've got to keep moving forward,” said Stanley and Simmons.
“No one wins standing still and we have always refused to live within the limitations of others. Our decades of record-breaking merchandising success is rooted in our motivation to give our fans what they want.”
And to make them cough up their hard-earned cash, too, we suspect.
Simon has been news editor at road.cc since 2009, reporting on 10 editions and counting of pro cycling’s biggest races such as the Tour de France, stories on issues including infrastructure and campaigning, and interviewing some of the biggest names in cycling. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, his background has proved invaluable in reporting on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, and the bike industry. He splits his time between London and Cambridge, and loves taking his miniature schnauzer Elodie on adventures in the basket of her Elephant Bike.


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RetailMeNot shares fall 19% after Google search change
Published 5:17 pm, Friday, May 23, 2014
Number of the day
That's how much the shares of RetailMeNot dropped in one day this week after Google changed its search algorithm. Google's revision, an attempt to push out low-quality sites from its search findings, made results leading to the Web coupon provider 33 percent less visible. The plunge in RetailMeNot's stock underscores the risks faced by companies that rely on Google for users.
"At this time our focus really is on using the cash we have to invest in growing the business, so we don't pay a dividend and don't anticipate doing so in the near future."
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David Ebersman, chief financial officer of Facebook, on the priorities ahead for the social network giant. Facebook has been investing in new mobile apps, building out its ad business and increasing global Internet connectivity in a bet that it will return more value to shareholders by growing the size of its business than by giving them regular cash payouts.
The Conference Board's May consumer confidence index is released on Tuesday, and economists expect sentiment to nudge up to a reading of 83 from 82.3 in April. The recovery in confidence since the recession has been uneven as Americans remain concerned about the jobs market, as mortgage costs rise, and more recently, as prices climb at the gas pump.


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Fitbit has just taken an important step: its connected watches and bracelets will be able to detect cardiac arrhythmias. It will be possible to alert in case of risk of atrial fibrillation.
Connected watches and bracelets have very quickly taken the turn of health to invite themselves on our handles. Cardiovascular diseases are particularly in the sights of these accessories, but it sometimes takes time to take advantage of the latest innovations. In recent years, brands have been competing to allow the measurement of heart rate, electrocardiograms (ECG) or to calculate the level of oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO2). Convenient features that require some vigilance from the user. For manufacturers, the ambition is to anticipate possible health problems with new solutions.
It is the Google project that has just overcome a major obstacle in the United States. Connected watches and bracelets from its Fitbit brand now have the ability to continuously monitor users’ heart rates. A solution that will identify heart rhythm disorders and therefore detect atrial fibrillation; a failure that increases the risk of stroke. In a blog post, Google confirms that it has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and this will help it fight the Apple Watch.
The Apple brand’s connected watch dominates the segment, with advanced functions. From now on, Google and Fitbit will be able to rely on a new algorithm called photoplethysmography (PPG). Until now, the feature could be used via manual action by the watch owner. So the main change is to be able to track in the background, like the Apple Watch. To get validation, Google conducted a study with 455,699 participants with some interesting results. Fitbit devices were able to correctly identify atrial fibrillation in 98% of cases.
A US-only feature, for now
Google confirms that this feature will “soon” be rolling out to Fitbit devices. However, it will first be reserved for the United States and should not land in France for a few months. As on the other side of the Atlantic, an agreement from the ANSM (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products) will be required to obtain certification. This nevertheless confirms Google’s desire to weigh in the field of health and smartwatches; through its own products or Wear OS.


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Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.
Netherlands-based Adyen’s IPO got an enthusiastic reception from investors today, as its stock surged 70 percent on the first day of trading.
The company had priced its stock at €240 ($281) per share on Tuesday, giving the company a valuation of $8.4 billion. When trading began on Euronext Amsterdam today, the price rose to €400 ($470) for a $14 billion valuation. The valuation places it behind Sweden-based Spotify’s $26 billion market after the first day of its IPO in the U.S.
One of Adyen’s earliest and biggest investors, Index Ventures, hailed the IPO as a milestone that demonstrates the increasingly global ambitions of European startups.
“Adyen is one of Europe’s biggest success stories, embracing the complexity of the payments world as an opportunity rather than a problem to overcome,” wrote Index partner Jan Hammer in a blog post. “Most importantly, it represents the power and diversity of startups that are increasingly international, and building products with a global vision.”
This has been a particularly good year for Index, which saw another one of its big bets, Sweden’s iZettle, file for an IPO and then get acquired by PayPal a few days later for $2.2 billion.
In the post, Hammer praised Adyen’s founders for their ability to not just disrupt a complex financial transaction business by making it easier, but also to attract such marquee clients as Facebook and Netflix. He noted that the company had been profitable early on, and that when they first began discussing an investment in 2011 it was with the goal of helping the company go global.
“In the end, it wasn’t the size of the round or the valuation that brought us together, but our mutual ambition to build a global business that was truly transformational,” Hammer wrote.
For Adyen’s part, the company’s CEO had promised no big celebrations to note the milestone today. Like the Swedish music streaming company, Adyen is not raising any money for itself. Rather, the listing will allow existing shareholders to cash out.
“Tomorrow, we will issue no new shares — all we will really do is welcome on board new shareholders and give existing external shareholders the flexibility that they are looking for,” Adyen CEO Pieter van der Does wrote in an email to employees Tuesday night. “We could have pursued alternative means of offering this flexibility, such as a partial sale to a private equity shareholder, or a strategic sale of the company. We decided against that as we want to build the company for the long-term. This path will allow us to do just that — as an independent company.”
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


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Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum, two by far largest cryptocurrencieshas hundreds of millions of users worldwide after a huge price explosion in recent years.
The price of bitcoin rose to close $ 70,000 at the end of last year, from less than $ 10,000 two years ago, while the price of Ethereum has seen a similar increase. However, both have fallen about 40% from their record highs.
Today, Brian ArmstrongCEO of the leading bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has predicted a massive influx of cryptocurrency users over the next decade and predicted that one billion people will have used cryptocurrencies from here by 2032.
Do you want to be at the forefront of the market and understand the latest cryptocurrency news? Sign up now to receive the free CryptoCodex – a daily newsletter for crypto investors and crypto-curious.
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, is one of the most influential voices in the world of … [+] bitcoin, ethereum and crypto.
“My view is that in 10 to 20 years we will see a significant share of GDP appear in the crypto-economy,” said Armstrong, who spoke at the Milken Institute Global Conference this week in reported comments. for the first time by Bloomberg. San Francisco-based Coinbase currently has nearly 90 million verified users in 100 countries.
The “crypto-economy” has grown rapidly in recent years as companies and services emerge around bitcoin, ethereum and other cryptocurrencies.
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) – the idea that cryptographic technology can replace lenders and insurance companies – and blockchain-based digital collectibles known as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have both become multi-billion dollar markets in just a few years.
Some of the world’s largest technology companies, including Facebook’s parent company, Metaand the electric car company You are here by Elon Musk TSLA by Elon Musk, has begun to adopt cryptocurrency. Meta, edited by Mark Zuckerberg, seeks to expand into the so-called “metaverse” digital world, where NFTs are expected to play an important role. Tesla added bitcoin to its corporate balance sheet and began experimenting with cryptocurrency payments.
Financial giants on Wall Street have also started offering crypto services to their customers. Speaking with Mr Armstrong, CEO of Ark Investment Management, Cathie Woodone of the biggest proponents of web3 – a name for the next generation of internet based on cryptocurrencies and blockchain that some say could succeed the current Silicon Valley-centric model – has warned financial companies not to be left behind.
“In the case of DeFi and next-generation Internet, we see a lot of financial companies losing talent for crypto,” Wood said, according to Bloomberg. “So they have to take it seriously, otherwise they get drained of substance.”
Meanwhile, the crypto industry feels optimistic about the shifting regulatory landscape following an announcement from the Biden administration instructing federal agencies to collaborate on a rulebook for blockchain companies.
“It’s getting harder and harder to meet a real crypto-skeptic in Washington,” Armstrong added, estimating that about half of Washington’s population is now pro-crypto. Lobbying in the crypto industry has exploded along with the price of bitcoin over the past two years, according to research.
The price of bitcoin, ethereum and other major cryptocurrencies rose sharply this week amid a densely telegraphed rate hike from the Federal Reserve, which some feared was more belligerent than expected, and after several positive developments regarding bitcoin and cryptocurrency globally.
“A growing number of countries are legalizing bitcoin as a currency, recognizing its ability to strengthen financial infrastructure, facilitate wealth creation, and provide direct access to financial resources,” said Matt Senter, CTO of Bitcoin. bitcoin Lolli rewards app, in an email comment.
“With the devaluation of the US dollar due to inflation, we are now in the perfect storm that is catalyzing global mainstream adoption of bitcoin as an anti-inflationary, disintermediate alternative to our struggling old financial system.”
68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should ask yourself if you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. eToro users in France cannot open positions to buy real cryptocurrencies, all orders are opened as CFDs.


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Nov. 27, 2017 – SESCO Lighting, the nation’s largest lighting manufacturers’ representative agency with nearly $300 million in annual revenue, has opened its new 16,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Maitland, Florida.
“We started in the Orlando area 50 years ago and this headquarters relocation is an important milestone for our company and a necessary step to meet SESCO’s requirements as America’s leading lighting manufacturers’ representative agency,” said Todd Langner, CEO, SESCO Lighting. “We’ve also refreshed our branding and our business model is strategically organized to maximum internal efficiency and bolster customer service in the midst of rapid growth.”
In addition to extensive business in Florida, the company has exclusive rights to sell a multitude of lighting products in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Puerto Rico. This expansion of the company has enhanced its services, improved the ability to serve customers and bolstered growth. SESCO also provides lighting for projects in many foreign countries.
“Our primary fiscal goal is to achieve $500 million in annual lighting sales by 2020,” said Mike Segal, Founder and Director of Training, SESCO Lighting. “We embrace the responsibility of being industry leaders and 50 years in business is a major accomplishment that is a source of pride for our employees, who are also the owners of the company.”
SESCO has also realized success through its focused business division structure. SESCO Global Lighting supplies projects in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The Energy Division retrofits existing buildings and new construction with energy-saving technologies, while the Distributor Solutions Group builds the electrical distributor channel to garner greater allocations of distributor stock. SESCO’s National Accounts Division focuses on large, repeat business across major sectors and the company’s Public Sector Division includes DOT-driven projects and opportunities through local/regional governments.
SESCO’s employee ownership of the company is a tremendous morale booster and incentive driving individual and team achievement. It reflects the company’s intrinsic understanding of the value of people in SESCO’s success.


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New tech helping kids with diabetes
Most people can eat meals and snacks without giving it too much thought, but it's a completely different story if you have diabetes.
People who have have to monitor how much sugar they eat very closely.
In the past this could make life pretty difficult but now there's a brand new machine that can help.
Newsround's been to meet two boys, Ed and Dan, who both have Type 1 diabetes and are using this new technology.


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Artistic Director of Ermenegildo Zegna Group, Alessandro Sartori, is creating a new fabric to intermingle craftsmanship with nanotechnology. The fashion brand is developing a new crease-resistant wool fibre intended to prevent felting so that the fabric can be machine-washable while retaining the wool’s natural hygroscopic features.
“The new fabric is set to be employed for a line-up of pieces including jogging pants and cycling shirts,” said Sartori during a conference at Istituto Marangoni in Milan.
The conference board boasted of fashion designer Ermanno Scervino, interior designer Fabio Novembre and former Marangoni students Maurizio Pecoraro and Sartori.
Various brands worldwide have been taking initiatives to make wool fabrics more sustainable and durable. During Men’s NYFW last winter, menswear brand Samuelsohn introduced ice-cashmere and ice-wool, two-weather and stain-resistant fabrics meant to combine both performance and luxury aspects of clothing.
The trend is slowly having a domino effect on the menswear industry, and brands are beginning to look for ways to make their luxury fabrics built for more intensity and resistance.


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Still, Motorola's CEO acknowledges "some tension" with Apple, its partner in crafting the Rokr music phone.
Solar cars from 10 countries race 3,000 kilometers across Australia in the 2005 Panasonic World Solar Challenge.
Promoting fuel-cell technology, major car makers showed off 20 prototypes of hydrogen-fueled vehicles at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, Calif.
Driving Nissan's "Pivo," you may not know for sure whether you're coming or going.
It's Nascar in the sky as the Rocket Racing Association launches a new sport.
American Greg Olsen is in the middle of his $20 million dream vacation to the International Space Station.
Dell has a new PC that comes without an operating system--a match made for Linux?
The Ceatec show plays host to the two contenders for the next generation of DVD technology.
With remote-controlled sensor system, iRobot's PackBot can help soldiers find enemy shooters.
The Spread Firefox Web site was taken down after hackers gained access to the server.
Dell's latest facility--the company's third and largest plant in the U.S.--will produce the company's OptiPlex and Dimension desktop computer products for eastern parts of the nation.
Software lets students dissect virtual animals without the smell--or the mess.
The Stanford Racing Team's modified Volkswagen Touareg races ahead without hitting any obstacles.
In San Francisco, CNET News.com's Elinor Mills tests out directions given by Yahoo, Google, MSN and America Online's MapQuest.
The directions suggested heavily trafficked routes and one odd maneuver--but also included decent scenery.


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Apple Card users to receive Daily Cash from declined iPhone 13 preorders
What you need to know
- Apple is making sure it makes things right for Apple Card users who got gypped during iPhone 13 preorders.
- The company will still ensure those customers get the Daily Cash they would have earned.
- The adjustment will come in the form of a Balance Adjustment in the Wallet app.
Apple is making it right for Apple Card users.
When the iPhone 13 went live for preorders, everyone with an Apple Card was ready to get that sweet 3% Daily Cash on their purchase. However, a ton of users found that their transaction was declined (despite having the necessary available credit) and they had to scramble to use a different card to get their preorder in.
In order to make things right, Apple has announced that any iPhone 13 customer who attempted but failed to use their Apple Card for their preorder will still get the Daily Cash owed to them.
In an email to Apple Card users obtained by 9to5Mac, the company announced that it will apply a Balance Adjustment to the Wallet app for the Daily Cash they should have earned but did not when they preordered.
You successfully completed your iPhone pre-order with a payment method other than Apple Card. We understand that your initial purchase attempt with Apple Card was declined and you didn't earn 3% Daily Cash.
We apologize for the inconvenience you experienced and want to make it up to you. We are providing you a credit for the Daily Cash on the initial payment of your iPhone 13. You'll see this appear as a Balance Adjustment in the Wallet app. This will also appear on your October monthly statement.
Apple also reminded customers that they can continue to earn 3% Daily Cash on their iPhone 13 payments if they are part of the iPhone Upgrade Program by making their Apple Card their payment method on their Citizens One loan.
APR: 12.99% - 23.99%
Bottom line: It's odd reviewing a credit card, but the truth is, Apple Card really is something different.


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For bookstores, the 2016 shopping season ended on a strong note, according to industry newsletter Shelf Awareness, and last week should have brought a welcome post-holiday calm. But in Memphis things were far from serene: after thirty-two years in business, The Booksellers at Laurelwood announced that it was closing. “Unfortunately, the store size and rent are too much for us to handle combined with slight decline in sales over the last few years,” wrote store owner Neil Van Uum in a press release on Wednesday. “The numbers just don’t work.”
But readers in Memphis may be forgiven for hoping the disaster can still be reversed. This store, which began as the Memphis outpost of Nashville-based Davis-Kidd Booksellers, has already survived the bankruptcy of its parent company once before, and many in the Memphis literary community are hoping for a similar last-minute reprieve—or for another bookstore to spring up in the same neighborhood, with The Booksellers’ expert staff intact. An online petition to keep the store open has already been signed by nearly 2,000 people. “Will someone be Memphis’ Ann Patchett?” asked The Commercial Appeal’s Chris Herrington.
Cheryl Mesler, co-owner of Burke’s Book Store, took the unusual step of emailing her own customers to urge them to support the rival store: “Memphis, you CANNOT let this wonderful institution go away,” she wrote, noting that The Booksellers at Laurelwood “employs some of the best booksellers in the world” and is the primary location for author events in Memphis. “There is much to be lost if this disappears,” she wrote.
Van Uum is eager to help in the effort to transmute the spirit of The Booksellers to a new store in a new location: “I’ll sit down with anybody who wants to talk about keeping a bookstore,” he told The Commercial Appeal the day he announced the store’s closing.
This story is still unfolding, and Chapter 16’s Peggy Burch is in Memphis pursuing all developments. We will have her full report as soon as the news is a bit clearer. Please stay tuned.
For more updates on Tennessee authors and literary events, please visit Chapter 16’s News & Notes page, here.


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A Cape Town-based renewable-energy company, BioGreen Diesel, is currently pioneering the conversion of waste cooking oil into a less expensive, pollution-free biodiesel product.
In an interview with Engineering News, BioGreen Diesel CEO Roy de Gouveia elaborates that the company became operational earlier this year in an effort to advocate sustainability by producing biofuels.
While the debate rages among industry members as to what feedstock should be used to create biofuels, De Gouveia believes that the only viable feedstock option is waste cooking oil.
Thus, the aim of BioGreen Diesel is to create high-quality biodiesel feedstock from waste cooking oil and chicken fat.
The plant, which is based in Goodwood, Cape Town, has a capacity of 2 000 ∙/d.
The company uses the first patented jet reactor, invented by Org Nieuwoudt, to convert waste oil and chicken fat from restau- rants and retailers into an environment- friendly fuel that can be used as a mixture with, or a substitute for, diesel.
“Our biodiesel product is of a very good quality and meets both European Union and US specifications,” De Gouveia tells Engineering News.
Petrochemicals giant Sasol conducts tests on BioGreen Diesel’s finished product, ensuring the company produces high-quality biodiesel that meets international standards.
“No other company in South Africa has set this as a norm,” enthuses De Gouveia.
According to him, biodiesel has a minimal impact on the environment. It is nontoxic, has a higher flash point than mineral diesel, so it is safer to handle, and has reduced exhaust emissions in comparison. (four hundred litres of biodiesel exchanged for the same volume of diesel will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by one ton.)
De Gouveia states that the company currently sources its waste cooking oil from 150 restaurants in Cape Town and sources the chicken fat from rotisseries located at Pick n Pay outlets in the Cape Peninsula.
“We are currently targeting the top restau- rants in Cape Town as it is important to source the best-quality waste cooking oil,” states De Gouveia.
The company sources the best-quality waste cooking oil owing to the fact that, as waste cooking oil is reused, the free fatty acid content increases, making it harmful to consumers and decreasing the quality of the biodiesel that can be made. (Often this oil finds its way into animal feed, pet food, or sold back to unsuspecting consumers.)
Although BioGreen Diesel only became operational earlier this year, it has nego- tiated supply contracts with major retailers Pick n Pay and Spar, as well as with Cape Concrete.
De Gouveia elaborates that Cape Concrete was the company’s first client and, as a result, the trucks delivering concrete to the Green Point stadium this year used a blend of diesel and biodiesel.
Major retailer Pick n Pay uses a 20% biodie sel blend in its delivery trucks in the Cape Peninsula.
Pick n Pay is following in the footsteps of international retailers such as Walmart, which has also adopted the practice of using a biodesel blend to fuel transport trucks.
By using a biodiesel/diesel mix, Pick n Pay and Spar, combined, will reduce their carbon emissions by about 1 500 t in the Western Cape over the next year.
BioGreen Diesel is experiencing significant growth, currently evidenced by the fact that the company opened a second plant in Johannesburg last month.
De Gouveia elaborates that the Midrand-based plant has a much larger capacity of 6 0000.
“We are currently negotiating supply contracts with major retailers in the Gauteng region,” continues De Gouveia.
The company also intends to expand operations to Port Elizabeth and Durban by mid-2010.


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(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stating that it is high time to increase agro harvest in order to strengthen the local economy has proposed a number of actions to reach this outcome.
The President emphasizes the importance of strengthening the national agricultural economy in the context of global economic collapse due to COVID 19 pandemic.
The President says that the country should focus on seed and sapling production, usage of fertilizer, researches targeting innovations in agro field, storage and transportation and overcome the challenges in order to achieve targets in the next two years.
President Rajapaksa made these suggestions during a discussion to review future plans of the State Ministry of Paddy and Cereals, Organic food, Vegetables, Fruits, Chilies, Onions and Potatoes, Seed Production and High Tech Agriculture at the Presidential Secretariat.
Annual potato production in Sri Lanka stands at 80,000 tons. Annual consumer demand is 250,000 tons. The President noted that it was necessary to encourage the farmers to increase production to meet the demand locally, without importing potatoes.
Head of the Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival, Basil Rajapaksa said that local productions could be increased via distribution of hybrid seeds and saplings developed using new technology to the farmers and added that they could minimize the importation of potatoes by encouraging consumers towards consumption of substitutes.
He also noted that maize production next year will reach self-sufficient levels.
President Rajapaksa highlighted the importance of using modern technology in the production of seeds and sapling, and therefore the requirement for conducting research in this aspect.
Measures to minimize wastage in storage and transportation were also discussed in depth.
Recruitments to the Department of Agriculture have not been made in the last eight years. The President advised the officials to fill in the vacancies and devise a proper strategy to boost the industry.
The President also emphasized the significance of appropriate use of high grade fertilizers and a policy decision to motivate people towards organic fertilizers to ensure a generation of healthy and productive citizens in the country.
Minister of Agriculture, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, State Minister Sasheendra Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President Dr. P.B.Jayasundera, officials attached to both the Ministry and State Ministry and representatives from a number of agricultural associations were present at the discussion.


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However, French shoe startup Digitsole’s new Smartshoe stands as one of the most intriguing efforts yet.
Currently raising funds on Kickstarter, it’s a pair of kicks that do nit just look like they come from the future but boast a plethora of smart features, ranging from auto-lacing functionality and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity for activity tracking to movement sensor-based health analytics and built-in heating pads.
“We don’t want to gadgetize footwear, we want to make the most of it,” Malik Issolah, the marketing manager for Digitsole, told Digital Trends. “We started by developing connected insoles, heating and tracking. Then our passion for footwear pushed us to create the craziest shoes. And what’s crazier than a shoe that works by itself? It started as a fun experiment, but then we realized this innovation could make a real change for people who struggle to put shoes on for various reasons. We thought it was high time we came up with a shoe that could meet most any people’s needs in terms of health monitoring. That’s why we included an auto-regulated heating system for comfort and blood circulation issues, a tracker to keep an eye on your activity, and finally a 3D analyzer to give you a full report of your health.”
As Issolah says, the idea of a shoe that can analyze the way and warn of possible injury risks, or even chronic disease, sounds crazy. However, if the team has pulled it off as well as they claim, this could be a real game-changer.
Right now, you can pre-order the Smartshoe on Kickstarter, with prices starting at $199 for a pair of shoes, premium shoebox, micro-USB cable, and user manual. Shipping is set to take place in December.
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- The best light therapy lamps
- This light bulb can track your sleep and monitor your heart rate from afar


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The share of labor in enterprises in Turkey is declining
The share of labor received from the total value added produced in Turkey has declined very sharply over the years. the ratio of personnel cost to value added, which was realized as 48.63 percent in 2009, reached 55 percent in 2016 and then declined rapidly. This rate dropped to 37.6 percent in 2021.
The Turkish Statistical Institute has today published the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Statistics for the year 2021. Statistics showed that the share of labor from total income in enterprises, especially SMEs, has fallen sharply.
With the increase in the added value produced by enterprises in Turkey, it was seen that there was a big gap in the progress in labor income in December. Especially in the period from 2020 to 2021, the labor force share decreased from 44.2 percent to 37.6 percent
THE SHARE OF THE LABOR FORCE IS DECREASING
while the average value added per employee for SME initiatives was 15 thousand TL in 2009, this value was 78 thousand TL in 2021.
However, it has been observed that the ratio of personnel cost to value added has been on a downward trend since 2016. This means that the share that labor receives from production income has decreased very sharply in recent years.
the ratio of personnel cost to value added, which was realized as 48.63 percent in 2009, increased until 2016 and reached 55 percent this year. And then this rate decreased from year to year. the rate, which was realized as 44.2 percent in 2020, decreased to 37.6 percent in 2021.
The ratio of personnel cost to value added in enterprises
THE HIGHEST ADDED VALUE IN MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES
The highest value added per employee for the year 2009 and within groups of SME 2021, respectively, 29 and 173 thousand thousand TL TL midsize attempts, while these values for the same years, small-scale initiatives and 86, respectively, for 19 thousand thousand TL TL TL TL 28 thousand and 8 thousand for micro enterprises.
The personnel cost per employee in SMEs was realized as 40 thousand TL in 2021. while the average personnel cost per employee for SME initiatives was 8 thousand TL in 2009, this value was 40 thousand TL in 2021.
Personnel costs per employee for the year 2009 and within groups of SME highest 2021, respectively, and 68 thousand 15 thousand TL TL midsize attempts, while these values for the same years, small-scale initiatives for 49 thousand 11 thousand TL and TL, respectively, micro-scale initiatives for 21 thousand 4 thousand TL and TL.


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Visitors to the Afrofuture exhibition in Milan built light-up glasses from recycled materials at a workshop organised by Maker Faire Africa (+ movie).
The workshop was a taster for the larger two to three day events that Maker Faire Africa put on in African cities for local makers to exhibit and develop their designs for gadgets or products.
"The concept is that people come together to show their ad hoc inventions that they've made in their garages, basements or studios," said Jennifer Wolfe of Maker Faire Africa, who organises the workshops.
"In Africa, the inventions tend to be focussed on items that solve immediate and fundamental needs - issues such as agriculture, health and electricity."
The decorative glasses are built from old spectacle frames and recycled wire, metal or other found materials.
Technology expert David Olaniyan was on hand to help integrate arduino microcontroller circuit boards with the designs so LEDs could be programmed to flash.
"We're trying to bring together some of these emerging technologies with grass root strategies, which you need to couple togther in a place like Africa," Wolfe told Dezeen.
Maker Faire is a global initiative that runs public workshops for designers to showcase their inventions and Maker Faire Africa has amassed a community of makers across the continent that have presented over 400 inventions.
Wolfe presented other projects championed by Maker Faire Africa during the event, including a generator than can produce six hours of electricity with one litre of urine and conductive woven textiles.
Maker Faire Africa has been running for five years and operates in Ghana, Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria, and has introduced 3D printers to Cairo and Lagos as part of its programme.
The organisation aims to help designers market their products and find funding, as well as introduce them to technologies that could make their items more useful and consumer friendly.
Upcycling discarded materials in African design was one of the themes that emerged from our Dezeen and MINI World Tour reports from Cape Town - watch Ravi Naidoo explain the movement in our movie.


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The intersection of hospitality and technology is evolving at a rapid pace. To keep a pulse on these trends, Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine launched a MRM #RestaurantTech column. To submit items, contact MRM Executive Editor Barbara Castiglia at firstname.lastname@example.org.
Orderscape Introduces Foodiebot
Orderscape.com, has developed a best-in-class, full food ordering chatbot to launch early in Q2 to over 6,000 restaurants in the U.S. The company will initially offer restaurant clients and consumers access to Foodiebot Voice™ for Amazon Alexa followed by Foodiebot Chat™ for Facebook Messenger and other chatbot platforms. The Foodiebot portal is an entirely new sales channel that will scale to handle millions of restaurants worldwide.
The launch will support more than 6,000 restaurants nationwide through a partnership with Vancouver-based MonkeyMedia Software, creator of MONKEY, the cloud-based software for takeout, delivery and catering.
“There is no precedent for a restaurant technology startup launching with this many restaurants while enabling a new conversational commerce sales channel for an entire industry,” said Michael L. Atkinson, CEO and founder, and long-time restaurant technology entrepreneur. “We are extremely proud to partner with MonkeyMedia Software to bring Foodiebot to its more than 6,000 restaurant clients, integrating seamlessly with its food ordering solution for takeout and delivery.”
“Orderscape brings decades of restaurant expertise and a best-of-breed conversational UI to our restaurant partners. Foodiebot creates real value, reaching more customers and generating new revenue in an entirely new way,” said Mo Asgari, President of MonkeyMedia Software.
“With mobile apps withering on the vine, conversational commerce is an exciting new trend, but it’s extremely challenging to get right. Our team pushes the envelope beyond today’s state-of-the-art simple reordering of preset meals to full menu ordering capability for potentially millions of restaurants. Our goal has been to create a truly magical ordering experience for customers that scales worldwide,” said Ted Cohn, CTO and founder.
Customers will be able to access Orderscape’s Foodiebot on Amazon Alexa devices initially via custom-branded skills for each restaurant brand partner. Shortly after its Alexa rollout, the company plans to publish Foodiebot for Facebook Messenger.
“Through this new platform and integration we will be able to further shape how and when customers order their food and get it delivered,” said Erle Dardick, CEO and founder, MonkeyMedia Software, The Catering Institute and Catering Insights. “This partnership marks a new era in food ordering.”
Waitlist Me Adds Features
Waitlist Me, Inc. announced a new set of table management features for its popular iPad and Android apps that helps restaurant staff know the best place to seat the next customer. The solution for managing tables without a spatial floor plan is an industry first, and was developed by combining insights from psychology, data science, and cutting-edge design principles.
Most restaurants still use an old-fashioned laminated floor plan and a grease pen to mark off occupied tables. However, the inability to see key information like how long tables have been occupied makes it difficult for wait staff to optimize table assignments and estimate wait times. There are apps that add in layers of data, but they make the mistake of designing around the old floor map concept.
“Floor plans look simple, but are deceptively complex,” said Brian Hutchins, Waitlist Me CEO. “Deciding where to seat the next customer requires a haphazard search across the whole map followed by a complicated process of interpreting a lot of unstructured data. Wait staff don’t need a map of the tables. They know where to go. What they need is a fair, easy, intuitive way to know where to seat the next customer.”
In the Waitlist Me app, tables are represented by boxes of equal sizes for simple comparisons. Table sections are organized as lines that can be read from top to bottom, and left to right, like a book. Open tables for each section stand out in green on the left. Then tables that have been occupied the longest show next in the row, with the time occupied displayed in the lower left.
Sections of tables can also be organized into different saved layouts to fit varying needs or times of day. For example, a restaurant manager might divide tables into six sections for a busy weekend night, and switch to a layout of only three sections for a regular day.
“With Waitlist Me’s table management features, customers get better service, with less waiting. Employees get their fair share of the work, and the tips. And this all leads to a more efficient and profitable business,” said Hutchins.
Reserve Receives More Funding
Reserve announced a $10M Series B round to further its efforts to create better dining experiences and change they way restaurant reservations are made with the support of Expa Capital, First Round, Human Ventures, and others.
Last May, the company released Reserve for Restaurants (RFR) — its table management software for restaurants. In just nine months, the number of restaurants using RFR has tripled to 519. Later this year, the firm expects to release a table management solution to make it even easier for restaurants to gain more control of their dining rooms by better understanding customer demand and maximizing seatings every day.
Additionally, Reserve has gone nationwide. While they’ve traditionally operated in our focus cities (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC and, as of a few weeks ago, Asheville, North Carolina), there has been a lot of interest in Reserve for Restaurants from all over the United States. So, we’re officially making it available across the country — no matter the city.
CAVA Selects ParTech
ParTech, Inc., said CAVA has selected PAR’s cloud-based Brink POS® Software, EverServ® 8000 point of sale terminals, PAR Tablets, and Kitchen Display System (KDS) for all current 23 locations, with plans to open an additional 10 restaurants in 2017.
The Mediterranean-focused restaurant was founded in 2011 by childhood friends Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos, and Executive Chef Dimitri Moshovitis, who wanted to bring modern, authentic fare to the masses. CAVA features a customizable menu of over 50 ingredients, like their signature Crazy Feta, Border Springs Spicy Lamb Meatballs, and Cauliflower Quinoa Tabbouleh, as well as creative rotating seasonal offerings of juices, soups, and roasted vegetables. CAVA is committed to working with best in class food partners including local farmers and artisan producers.
CAVA was seeking a robust solution that could be easily managed remotely, not only by CAVA, but also by their partners. Also important to CAVA management, was an infrastructure that would support their accelerated growth in new store openings.
“PAR’s Brink software balances reliability with modern infrastructure. The total solution has a sleek design, is quick to deploy, and was able to resolve a lot of challenging problems like California labor laws, which makes it critical for our daily use,” said Josh Patchus, Chief Data Scientist & Director of Technology, CAVA. “Our relationship with Brink has been centered on honest and open communication, which feels more like a budding partnership rather than a typical forced client-contract negotiation.”
“The confidence that CAVA has expressed in selecting PAR’s Brink POS Software and Hardware exemplifies how PAR’s solutions can provide overall business efficiency and be customized to fit the brand,” said Paul Rubin, Senior Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer for ParTech, Inc. “We are honored to be working with such an innovative, modern, and socially responsible brand and look forward to seeing how the company continues to grow this year.”
STG Acquires Fishbowl
Fishbowl Inc., has been acquired by Symphony Technology Group (STG) based in Palo Alto, CA. Fishbowl will leverage the long standing expertise that STG has to offer and will welcome Marc Bala, STG Managing Director, and Adam Hendricks, STG Vice President, to its Board of Directors.
STG is a strategic private equity firm with $2 billion in assets under management focused on transforming high-potential companies into definitive market leaders. The firm’s long-term outlook allows its portfolio of software, data and analytics companies to develop innovative product offerings that will appeal to high-growth markets.
“We found immediate alignment in terms of our long-term vision and strategic synergies with STG. They have a tremendous track record of delivering innovation and scale in the analytics and CRM space,” said Dev Ganesan, CEO of Fishbowl. “STG’s investment and strategic support will allow us to continue to scale our platform, empower restaurant brands to deliver successful customer experience and engagement, and revolutionize the restaurant industry.”
Fishbowl’s intelligent customer engagement platform, ingests and analyzes vast amounts of structured and unstructured data from myriad sources, including POS, email clubs, SMS, mobile, online ordering, reservations, loyalty and more, to uncover and predict critical guest insights, desires and preferences, identify strategies to execute data-driven decisions and engage in an omni-channel manner with guests in a more personal, relevant, and effective way using its engagement and targeting platform.
“Fishbowl is an established leader in the restaurant industry with an excellent track record of providing innovative and mission-critical solutions that serve the needs of more than 250 of the world’s leading brands and restaurant chains,” said Bala. “We are thrilled to partner with Dev and the Fishbowl team to help accelerate the growth of the company’s next generation customer engagement platform and to drive even more value for the leading brands that rely on Fishbowl daily to increase traffic and sales. We are looking forward to the journey ahead.”
Canaccord Genuity acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Fishbowl.
Yogurt Mountain Deploys Gusto® POS
Gusto®, announced their successful point–of-sale rollout to Yogurt Mountain. Birmingham, AL based Yogurt Mountain operates 39 locations throughout the United States including corporate, franchisee, and Books-A-Million stores. After an extensive search, Yogurt Mountain selected Gusto to replace their legacy point-of-sale. Without any operational interruption, Gusto deployed to all Yogurt Mountain locations within one month.
“We’re excited to be working with Yogurt Mountain,” said Gusto founder and CTO Bill Draper. “Yogurt Mountain’s selection of Gusto gives them unprecedented visibility into their business, increased flexibility in managing their different store types, and reduced training and support costs. They share our vision that POS must be more than a simple tool for accepting payments but rather a complete solution that allows operators to holistically manage their business.”
Yogurt Mountain Vice President Julie Wade noted,“The Gusto team’s experience with multi-unit chains really set them apart. They focused on understanding our business needs first then developed a rollout plan that offered flexibility with our scheduling and avoided disruption. Their desire to forge a long term partnership was obvious from our very first meeting.”
“We strive to be a trusted partner to Yogurt Mountain, doing for them what we believe that no other POS company could do,” said Don DeMarinis, Gusto’s Chief Revenue Officer. “The Gusto Platform is truly a technology platform and not simply a buzz word used by so many of our competitors.”
Bridg Appoints Mike Horowitz as Chief Product Officer
Bring appointed Mike Horowitz as the company’s Chief Product Officer. Horowitz brings 20 years of enterprise and consumer software development experience to Bridg.
As CPO of Bridg, Horowitz will be responsible for defining and implementing Bridg’s short-term and long-term product strategy, roadmap and vision.
“We’re pleased to welcome Mike as chief product officer of Bridg,” said Amit Jain, founder and chief executive officer of Bridg. “Mike comes to Bridg with best-in-class product and technology leadership and with a strong track record of developing innovative consumer and enterprise products for mobile and web. His breadth and depth of experience will be instrumental as we continue to expand our product platform.”
Horowitz has a long track record of developing innovative products for startups and established technology companies. Previous to Bridg, he led the product team at Ticketmaster / Live Nation, and managed multiple products at Google, including Photos, AdSense, and Google Apps. He’s also worked and advised at multiple startups including Applied Semantics, Fetch Technologies, and Abot Labs. Horowitz holds a B.A. from Duke University and his MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA.
“I am honored to join the Bridg team to support the company in its mission to provide personalized and tailored marketing to today’s consumer, while helping restaurants and retailers forge stronger relationships with their customers,” said Horowitz. “Bridg’s advanced predictive intelligence technologies unlock valuable data to improve customer engagement and I look forward to working with the team to build great products that our clients and consumers love.”
Shack App Debuts
Shake Shack launches its first-ever mobile ordering Shack App for iOS is now available nationwide. To celebrate the occasion, Shake Shack is giving away a free single ShackBurger® to each guest who downloads the new Shack App, redeemable at any U.S. Shack (‘cept airports, stadiums and ballparks) until Tuesday, February 28, 2017.
To get a free ShackBurger, guests simply need to download the Shack App, create an account and use the promo code “shackappy” at checkout. For more deets, head to shakeshack.com/app.
“The Shack App brings a whole new way to experience Shake Shack for our guests—meeting them where they are, when they want, on their terms,” said Randy Garutti, CEO of Shake Shack. “Our initial test and rollout have gone very smoothly, and I am thrilled to share that you can now order ahead at nearly all of our U.S. Shacks.”
The app was developed to elevate the in-Shack guest experience, resulting in shorter pick up times and convenient mobile ordering. Guests can now order Shake Shack when they want it and right from their phone. With the new Shack App, guests can pick their food, choose an available pickup time and it will be cooked-to-order and timed to their arrival. All pickup times are in fifteen minute increments. Check the app for availability throughout the day. More power to ya.
The Shack App features the Shack classics–all-natural beef burgers, flat-top dogs, chicken, frozen custard, crinkle cut fries and more–and includes all of the mobile ordering essentials: guests can find Shacks via a location finder; pick from their favorite orders; keep track of food allergies; access nutritional information; see the latest events and promos; connect to all Shake Shack social media channels and share feedback. What’s more? At any time, guests can view the live Shack Cam at the O.G. Shack in New York City’s Madison Square Park.
The Shack App was created in collaboration with several key partners including mobile product agency Fuzz, mobile ordering platform Olo, guest engagement platform Paytronix and digital experience testing services from Applause. An Android version of the app is in development.
Dinova Adds Zoës Kitchen
Dinova, Inc., said Zoës Kitchen has joined its exclusive business dining marketplace. With more than 200 locations across the United States, Zoës Kitchen aims to deliver goodness to its customers by providing fresh, scratch-made Mediterranean meals, served with gracious hospitality. From grilled kabobs and savory entrees to tasty salads and creative sandwiches, their wholesome food and flavors are designed to leave guests feeling good, both inside and out.
“Having a Mediterranean brand like Zoës Kitchen available to our business diners is another great fast casual option for travelers looking for unique, healthy alternatives while on the road,” said Vic Macchio, CEO and founder of Dinova. “Whether they are looking for a nutritious, scratch-made lunch option, or a place to wind down for dinner after a busy day, Zoës Kitchen is a fabulous option for business diners when they are on the road, are conducting business meals or are planning catering for their office,” said Casey Shilling, Chief Marketing Officer, Zoës Kitchen. “We are thrilled to be a part of the Dinova network, as we are always looking for opportunities to introduce our modern Mediterranean dining experience to more guests.”
With the growth of its marketplace to $6 billion in dining spend influence, continues to add increasingly diverse restaurant concepts to its more than 14,000 locations nationwide. Zoës Kitchen is the latest edition to the growing roster of national brands to join Dinova’s business dining marketplace. In recent months Dinova has also welcomed Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse and Del Frisco’s Grille, P.F. Chang’s and Buca di Beppo.
Paytronix Deploys its New Pay at the Table Solution to 197 CPK Locations
Paytronix Systems, Inc. and California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) completed a national roll out the software company’s new Pay at the Table mobile solution. The polished casual restaurant brand partnered with Paytronix to develop the Android and iOS applications to enhance the in-restaurant, online ordering and takeout experiences, fully integrated with its award-winning loyalty rewards platform through one easy-to-navigate mobile app experience.
The enhanced CPK Pizza Dough® Rewards application integrates with NCR Aloha Cloud Connect, Aloha Table Service, and the Paytronix Rewards and CRM Platform to deliver relevant, fast, and convenient guest experiences, including offering CPK’s guests the ability to pay for their check from their mobile device and leave precisely when they are ready to do so. Using a single account username and login, CPK guests can access their account to see Pay at the Table check history, change their password, update their profile, check loyalty reward balances, redeem rewards, as well as store their payment information. CPK can continue its relevant mobile messaging strategy with the new app that includes the Paytronix message services: email, push, pull, and geofenced messages.
- Mobile pay
- Simple in-restaurant check-in to unlock mobile dine-in features
- Enhanced mobile takeout ordering
- Location-based navigation to find the nearest CPK restaurant
- Push notifications for local promotions and offers
- Tip calculator
- Insider updates on seasonal items, promotions and more
- Past purchase history for quick and easy reference
“We developed our new and improved CPK Pizza Dough Rewards app with our highly mobile guests in mind. In fact, 80 percent of our Pizza Dough Rewards loyalty members engage with us through their mobile device,” said Ashley Ceraolo, senior vice president of marketing and beverage at California Pizza Kitchen. “More than ever, our guests are looking for flexibility and an authentic experience that’s customized to their needs, whether dining-in, grabbing a meal to go, or simply tracking their reward status for their next visit. By incorporating innovations in mobile pay, omnichannel messaging and more, all fully integrated with our loyalty program, we’re putting more control of the dining experience in our guests’ hands.”
“The enhanced CPK Pizza Dough Rewards app uniquely blends multiple APIs into one seamless application platform, from the mobile device to the table to our point-of-sale system,” said Andy Mai, CIO at California Pizza Kitchen. “The result is a best-in-class omnichannel experience that empowers our guest to interact with us how, where and when they want in a convenient and easy-to-use way.”
Version 2.0 of the CPK mobile apps introduces both single sign on and mobile payment, which makes dining with CPK exceptionally convenient.
“It’s been a pleasure working with CPK on this innovation. Research shows that pay by mobile could shave about 12 minutes off each casual dining experience. This is a huge win-win for brands and guests as it has the potential to help table service restaurants win back market share that’s been moving to fast-casual concepts,” said Andrew Robbins, president, Paytronix Systems, Inc.
diningDATA now processes payments and analyzes data for more than $1 billion in annual sales. In just over 2 years in operation, the company has helped more than 1,000 businesses use their data to grow sales, with more than 600 added in the past 12 months.
“Our goal is to help restaurants increase their bottom line, improve operational efficiency, and reduce unnecessary costs,” said Managing Partner, Paul Hadfield. “We strive to help restaurateurs keep track of the many moving parts in their business. As competition in the hospitality space continues to grow, it’s imperative that all small to medium sized businesses use technology to their advantage to make more informed decisions.”
The company currently provides in-market sales and support in Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Columbus, and Brooklyn. In 2017, diningDATA’s expansion plans include entering the New York City, Dallas, and Los Angeles markets while expanding its product line.
SendaGuy Now Expands
SendaGuy Now has expanded its service offering to include preventive maintenance services.
“Establishing a preventive maintenance schedule specific to the needs of a restaurant’s equipment and sticking to it will extend the service life of the equipment, eliminating costly repairs,” said Eric Schechter, Certified Restaurant Facilities Professional and Chief Business Guy at SendaGuy Now. “SendaGuy Now helps restaurants locate quality contractors who can provide these important services when required without a service contract.”
SendaGuy Now’s platform matches the details of a restaurant’s repair or preventive maintenance request with the skill set of a qualified service technician working nearby, who can come when needed, usually same day.
Similar to Uber, SendaGuy Now identifies service technicians working in dense urban areas who have idle capacity and pairs them with restaurants nearby that need their specific services. The company says it’s a win-win for all.
“SendaGuy Now has been a huge help in getting our repair and maintenance needs organized and under control so I can focus on all the other needs of the two restaurants I manage,” said Kristina Scher, GM of Corkbuzz.
SendaGuy Now currently has over 450 restaurants registered with the app. Customers include independently owned full & quick service restaurants, hospitality groups, and franchisees. On-demand preventive maintenance services include:
Cleaning of grease traps and exhaust systems
- Air conditioning systems
- Fire suppression systems
- Fire extinguishers
- Ice machines
- Commercial kitchen equipment
- Backflow preventers
Delegat Updates Brand Identity
Delaget, LLC unveiled a newly-updated brand identity and website, marking a banner year of significant growth and innovation at the company.
“Delaget started as a research project in the basement of a Taco Bell franchise almost 20 years ago. Since then, we’ve evolved into a 100-person insights company, serving more than 11,000 customers worldwide. We wanted our new brand identity and website to reflect this transformation – and to reflect our commitment to helping our customers run smarter, more profitable operations,” said Jason Tober, Delaget CEO.
Delaget has a full suite of restaurant solutions that help restauranteurs find, understand, and act on operational insights, including: outsourced payroll and accounting, restaurant reporting, analytics, and loss prevention. In the competitive restaurant world, these insights and intelligence are a game-changer. That’s why Delaget’s new tagline is “Smarter Wins” and the logo represents a stylized fox, a symbol of both wisdom and agility.
“The fox ties closely to our mission, to show our customers the wisdom within their data and recommend actions that help them address issues and capitalize on opportunities. The ‘Smarter Wins’ tagline speaks to the competitive advantage our solutions bring in this hyper-competitive market,” said Renée Munro, Director of Marketing at Delaget.
Delaget’s completely-revamped website offers updated and expanded content that will help franchise owners and their teams improve their operation. Content includes checklists, action plans, and best practices on optimizing labor, reducing loss, scheduling, managing payroll providers, and more.
“From our new office space, to record company growth, to our new brand identity and website, these are exciting times at Delaget. What’s most exciting is having the opportunity to work with even more restaurant franchises, getting to know them and their challenges, and providing them with the tools to address those challenges and enhance and grow their business,” said Jason.
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Goes Solar
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® is slated to undertake a complete re-brand and refresh this winter and will make convenient mobile device charging a part of this, working with ZON, Inc to provide solar powered mobile device charging services, will keep The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® patrons’ phones and tablets charged up while they enjoy the The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®food and beverage experience.
The technology charges three mobile devices at one time as fast as a wall outlet, day or night. And, customers can use their mobile devices while it charges.
Tim Welsh, VP of Development with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, stated, “The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® has been focusing on driving innovation for our guests since 1963. From the invention of our Ice Blended® beverage to our new partnership with ZON, we are always looking to improve our guest’s experience.”
Cameron Welborn-Wilson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at ZON, Inc., explains, “Imagine the last time you saw your phone battery drop below 20% and how you immediately wonder where you can charge up. Now people don’t have to worry about bringing a special device or extra battery with them, as they can simply go to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® and charge up, while using their phone, and go about their day stress free.”
WCAS Reinvests in Revel
Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe (WCAS) has led a significant new growth capital investment in Revel Systems.WCAS made its initial investment in Revel in 2014, and following the transaction, WCAS will be Revel’s new majority shareholder.
WCAS and Revel appointed Scott Betts as the Company’s new Chief Executive Officer. Betts brings significant experience in senior management roles, most recently as CEO of Global Cash Access, and previously at First Data Corporation and Procter & Gamble.
Eric J. Lee, General Partner at WCAS, commented: “During the past two years, Revel has driven significant product innovation, gained market traction in key industry verticals, recruited terrific talent to the Revel team, and demonstrated strong client traction and growth. Revel’s founders have shown great vision and determination in building the Company. Looking forward, we believe that there is significant market potential for Revel’s leading cloud-based POS solution, and WCAS is excited to fund and catalyze this next phase of Revel’s growth and success. As we do, we especially want to welcome Scott Betts as the Company’s new CEO. With deep technology solutions and global operations experience, he will bring terrific strategic and operational focus as we drive this next phase of growth.”
“Revel’s mission has always been to make business owners’ and operators’ lives easier and more efficient – spurring entrepreneurship and leading the industry with excellent features and functionality. Keeping customers and their success at the forefront will always be core to the organization,” said Lisa Falzone, co-founder of Revel Systems. “Revel is on a great trajectory. Lisa and I look forward to watching the company grow and evolve,” commented Chris Ciabarra, co-founder of Revel Systems.
“I am very excited to join the Revel team and continue Lisa’s and Chris’ great work in building and delivering an outstanding solution and superior business value to our clients,” commented incoming CEO, Scott Betts.
Pizza Inn Launches App Loyalty Program
Pizza Inn collaborated with Punchh, to offer guests an innovative app-based loyalty program. Guests can earn points for their purchases while enjoying the ease and convenience of ordering through the Pizza Inn website on the new “Pizza Inn Rewards” app. The program is currently in 41 locations.
“The Pizza Inn Rewards program is another way for us to reward our most loyal guests,” said Bob Bafundo, president of Pizza Inn, Inc. “We have so many enthusiastic fans who dine with us multiple times a week and our new rewards program will allow us to show our appreciation. Just like the new tagline and logo update, the rewards program will play a significant role in attracting the next generation of Pizza Inn fans.”
“Consumers expect to engage with their favorite restaurant brand across any channel any time for loyalty, ordering, and other interactions”, said Shyam Rao, CEO, Punchh. “Using the Punchh-powered Pizza Inn Rewards program, we look forward to helping Pizza Inn engage loyal customers, transform them into brand advocates, and attract the next generation of new customers that will drive sales.”
DineTime Adds Feature to Alexa
DineTime added a feature for its Amazon Alexa skill. The DineTime skill provides diners a voice-controlled and hands-free way to get on a waitlist at any DineTime network restaurant.
The collaboration between Amazon Alexa and DineTime began at re:Invent 2016, where DineTime was a finalist in the Alexa Skill Contest, a challenge to build an innovative voice experience using the Alexa Skills Kit.
“Our first launch of the DineTime skill gave diners the benefit of using voice commands to hear restaurant wait times and now the updated version of the skill allows diners to make actionable, on-demand decisions,” said Lee Leet, founder and chief executive officer of QSR Automations. “Now diners can not only hear the wait times, but put themselves on the wait list. The clock for waiting starts at the point of interacting with Alexa, not when you arrive at the restaurant.”
Using Alexa via products like Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Tap, Amazon Fire TV, and Fire tablets, users can access other features embedded in the skill like nearby or city-specific restaurant locations, distance, exact wait times, and remotely get in line.
The skill is an extension of DineTime’s in-store guest management software that collects waitlist data from restaurants. The information, collected from DineTime-equipped restaurants, is sent directly to Alexa-enabled devices creating a seamless and precise user experience.
“DineTime was selected as a finalist in the Alexa Skill Contest as it helps address a customer pain point when dining out, has propensity for high usage, and improves customers’ overall dining experience,” said Rob Pulciani, Director, Amazon Alexa. “This innovative skill is the first to offer customers the ability to get in line at a restaurant from anywhere. We are excited to give this convenience to owners of Alexa-enabled devices.”
The DineTime Skill for Alexa is now available for free through the Amazon Alexa app. Users can also voice enable the skill by simply saying “Alexa, enable the DineTime Skill.”
Firehouse Subs Reups iwht ArrowStream
ArrowStream, Inc. said Firehouse Subs will renew its contract for ArrowStream’s market-leading OnDemand software.
Since beginning its relationship with ArrowStream in 2014, Firehouse Subs has relied upon OnDemand to support spend visibility and trend analysis in its supply chain. Firehouse Subs leverages the actionable intelligence OnDemand provides by utilizing the software’s “at your fingertips” reporting to uncover product and inventory needs, allowing Firehouse Subs to continue expanding its footprint without compromising any operational efficiencies or savings. The Preemptive Audit feature also allows for Firehouse Subs to be proactive in its supply chain management approach by catching and addressing potential price accuracy issues before they ever impact an invoice.
“Over the past three years, Firehouse Subs has undoubtedly stepped up our supply chain operation, in large part because of the intelligence that ArrowStream’s OnDemand software provides us,” said Matt Riddleberger, VP of Supply Chain Services, Firehouse Subs. “The way OnDemand aggregates and packages all of our real-time supply chain data allows for us to make more informed and faster decisions, which saves a great amount of both time and money. We are thrilled to have a partner in ArrowStream that has proven to consistently innovate and raise the bar with its technology.”
“Firehouse Subs has done an excellent job leveraging ArrowStream’s technology to take their supply chain operation to the next level,” said Jeff Dorr, Chief Customer Officer at ArrowStream. “Throughout our partnership, Firehouse Subs has continued to demonstrate why they are one of the leading brands in the restaurant industry. With Firehouse Subs and many other Top 100 restaurant chains utilizing OnDemand, ArrowStream is fully recognized and embraced as an industry-leader. That said, we never stop innovating, and are looking forward to delivering another series of game-changing new capabilities for our customers in 2017.”


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The Australian Taxation Office's treatment of bitcoin and other digital currencies could see businesses operating in the space close up shop or move offshore, a Senate Committee hearing has heard.
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Apple iTunes users will be able delete U2's 'Songs of Innocence' from their music library after users took to social media to complain the digital album would take up unnecessary iPhone storage space.
The Japanese e-commerce giant takes another big step into the digital content space with its purchase of messaging and VoIP platform Viber.
While the focus has shifted over the years, as have the vendors, the enterprise collaboration space finally looks a lot more like today's digital world.
The mobile and digital payment company is running a competitive trade-in under which it will help retailers get outfitted with an iPad solution in exchange for old cash registers.
Whether you're an artist, a software creator, a freelancer in the digital space, startup Instamojo's Web app simplifies the mechanics for buying and selling your files so you can focus on creating content.
Rolling Stone released a digital edition of its eponymous magazine for the iPad and iPhone this month but print subscribers are irked that they have to pay full price to get it.
The elderly often find technology to be physically challenging to embrace. The iPad mini is changing that due to its small size that is light enough to be easy to handle.
The iPhone and iPad maker has issued an 'advert' on its website, following a U.K. High Court ruling earlier this year, in which Apple slams ten bells out of Samsung, its arch-rival in the tablet space.
Apple's latest creation, the iPad mini, just isn't designed for the enterprise. With Amazon making a loss and Google barely breaking even on their tablets, Apple just wants to make money, and offering a sub-$300 device for the enterprise simply wouldn't work.
Just because Apple appears to be releasing the iPad Mini is no reason to ignore the Android tablets that forced Apple to enter the 7" tablet space.
Israel to be a key area for telco to explore partnerships and investments, especially in digital space; plans to provide TV services via smartphones in emerging markets.
If Apple has priced the iPod touch, starting at $299, then how does this affect how the technology giant would price the much-anticipated (but as yet totally mythical) iPad mini 7-inch tablet?
The two-horse race between Apple's iPad and Android-based devices continues to rage on. Other tablet makers have been left out in the cold, but will Windows 8 disrupt the tablet space?
The two-horse race between Apple's iPad and Android-based devices continues to rage on. Other tablet makers are left out in the cold. But will Windows 8 disrupt the tablet space?
This simple method allows taking handwritten notes on the iPad and having the ink searchable. Never again will that handwritten note disappear, never to be seen again.
Teradata announces yet another acquisition in the digital marketing space, going all-in on value-added Big Data for the CMO.
Digital signage offers many potential benefits to both advertisers and the companies that own the white space.
update Singapore telco planning four mobile technology innovation centers around the world, as part of its push into digital content space, according to report.
In honor of the print edition of Encyclopedia Britannica's passing into the digital pages of the history books, we discuss new media's age old question: is print dead yet (or is it merely a walking zombie)? Craigslist has decimated a valued profit center in the world of printed newspapers. Printed books have given way to Kindle readers on every street corner. Glossy magazines are desperately trying to find new life in interactive iPad editions. Meanwhile, most specialty trade and technical publications long ago felt the need to jump to the Web. And now, despite almost of decade of Britannica's experts screaming into the wind that Wikipedia wasn't a legitimate source of educational information, Britannica's storied 244-year-old print edition gives up the ghost, due in large part to the existence of Wikipedia. In this video, ZDNet's David Gewirtz and Josh Gingold discuss what's changed in the world of online content, what it means to marketers, and how it will likely impact the world of business.Recorded from a ZDNet webcast on March 20, 2012.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 2 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
- 3 31 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 4 Seven privacy settings you should change immediately in iOS 8
- 5 Review: Tile Bluetooth tag (verdict: Great)


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Advertising watchdogs have banned showings of Keira Knightley's Chanel Coco Mademoiselle TV commercial around children's programmes and films. The advert, which sees Knightley drive around the streets of Paris on a motorbike and bare her shoulders in a segment during a photo shoot with a hunky photographer, was banned following after being aired during a screening of the hit children's cartoon Ice Age 2. According to reports, a female viewer complained that it was not suitable to be shown during a children's film because it was overtly sexual. Chanel has defended the ad, insisting that while a degree of sexual tension was common in perfume ads, this particular commercial was "playful and sensual", rather than overtly sexual. However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) disagreed, deeming that the flirty scenes in the commercial were "sexually suggestive content".
The watchdog said: "We noted that the photographer was directly involved in unzipping the actress's garments and that there was a suggestion that she was naked aside from a bed sheet. We also noted that there was clear sexual tension between the pair and that they appeared about to kiss on the bed. We considered the ad was suitable for older children, but that the sexually suggestive material was unsuitable for young children." Meanwhile, Chanel rejected the claim and said its founder, Coco Chanel, was known for being a strong, independent woman and the character in the ad was intended to reflect the designer's spirit. The French fashion house also pointed out that there was no nudity in the ad and that the character only briefly revealed her shoulders as part of the photo shoot. Want GLAMOUR's celebrity news as soon as it happens on your phone? Download our FREE app KEIRA KNIGHTLEY & HER CORSETS


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Gods Unchained calls out Blizzard following disciplining of Hearthstone pro player over Hong Kong support
Blizzard may be just one of the US companies currently tying itself in knots trying not to annoy the Chinese government, but blockchain game developer and rival Immutable is making the most of opportunity.
It’s stated it will pay Hong Kong Hearthstone player “blizchung” the prize money Blizzard has rescinded for his recent statement in a post-match interview – “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our age!”
It will also invite him to the first esports tournament for its Gods Unchained TCG, which has a prize pot of $500,000.
In a tweet, Immutable stated Blizzard cared “about money more than freedom”, adding the hashtag #freegaming.
It also went on to say that as a blockchain game, “even if we disagree with your views, we can’t take away your cards”.
CEO James Ferguson also released the following statement: “This is why censorship resistance is so important in gaming, especially when you’re going so far as to provide a real-world market economy.”
Blitzchung has also been banned from Hearthstone pro tournaments for a year.
War of words
Blizzard isn’t the only company in hot water with Beijing however.
Following a tweet from the general manager of the Houston Rockets NBA franchise about the protests in Hong Kong, Chinese companies have been stepping back from their involvement in NBA preseason games, which are due to take place in China.
The situation has been starkly parodied by South Park, which itself has now been censored by the Chinese authorities.


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Electric Bikes Impress at Manchester University Bike Week EventPOSTED: 26th June 2012
Batribike has been busy with several events over the past week. Last Wednesday the team loaded up a set of demo electric bikes and headed out to be part of a Bike Week event held at The University of Manchester. The event was co-promoted with the Manchester Metropolitan University and was also attended by local bike shops promoting conventional bicycles.
The event was aimed at the many staff employed by the universities. The aim was to promote the idea of using a bicycle as transport for their daily commute. The electric bikes had a lot of interest as usual, with many taking the opportunity to take a test ride.
The test rides proved very popular with the riders coming back with the typical electric bike grin fixed firmly in place. Everyone was impressed with the level of assistance the bikes gave and could really understand the benefits of using an electric bike for commuting.
The event ran all day but as with any working environment the demonstrations were mainly confined to break times and the lunch period. This gave us the chance to enjoy the fabulous architecture.


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There is a lot being said about the Nintendo Switch at the moment, with leaks and reports coming from all sides. So, what’s a little more then?
Let’s Play Video Games, who have been leading the charge on some very reliable leaks on the console are today reporting that as previously stated, Zelda: Breath of the Wild will miss the Switch’s launch, but headlining the launch library will be a brand new Mario game. It will be a 3D title, and have you doing several objectives in missions a la Mario 64. It will also have two player co-op and a demo is being prepped for the press in January.
On top of that, they report that the more expensive version of the console will come with a pack in of Splatoon, which will have new single player content, and new 1v1 multiplayer mode.
Finally, they also say that the Skyrim port that showed up in the launch trailer, but Bethesda won’t confirm, is in fact happening. They say it will be available on launch, and will add mod support at a later date.
There are a few extra details in the initial report, which I encourage you to go take a look at.
Of course, none of this is confirmed, but the website has been proven right a whole lot already with their information. This all sounds great to me, and if it came to pass, it would ensure a clean system launch.


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Another unexpected victim of protectionist trade practices is facing serious financial hardships as a result of the Trump tariffs. Over 20 million Americans spend an estimated $1.5 billion every year on classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Tariffs place a tax not only on the import and export of the classic cars themselves but also the parts and accessories needed to restore and maintain them.
Mark Hyman has run Hyman Ltd., a classic car dealership in St. Louis since 1989. In testimony before the Commerce Department last month he and other dealers and owners argued that classic and antique cars should be exempt from tariffs. “A protectionist trade practice has a potential – and a probable – impact that’s dangerous, disastrous, catastrophic” for the classic car industry, Hyman said.
There are other financial issues facing car dealerships too. For example, unpaid overtime and minimum wage claims against automobile dealerships are on the rise. Although most basic hourly positions at automobile dealerships are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), there are certain exemptions. You can learn more about the law surrounding FLSA auto exemption cases by visiting the Baird Quinn LLC website.
In June of this year a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO sold privately for $70 million. The private sale of a classic in this price range is indicative of a trend towards private purchases over auctions in the high-end classic car market. Cars like the GTO and others have almost exclusively traded hands through auction houses such as Christies or Barrett Jackson. But with the looming tariffs it makes more financial sales to go the private sale route for the clients who value their privacy.
While it may be hard to find sympathy for someone who has $70 million to spend on a car having to pay additional tariffs, it’s not the big spenders who at risk. The everyday classic car enthusiast, who’s cars average $35,000 in value will find themselves priced out of the market. Import tariffs will add 25% to cost of acquiring their car from outside the U.S. regardless of where it was originally assembled and parts to restore or repair them will face similar cost increases making what was an enjoyable hobby no longer an option.
Aftermarket car parts for new, used and classic cars represent a significant chunk of the auto industry. Whether they be from Czok or other providers, the parts business alone employs about 4.6 million people at the over 533,000 auto parts businesses including retailers, manufacturers, distributors, and shops. The aftermarket part industry accounts for $392 billion in annual sales according to the Auto Care Association. Are you looking for car parts? Head to the Compare Parts website to find out more.
While he and others remain optimistic that clearer heads will prevail since the hearings last month, Hyman says, “People are no longer saying ‘This could never happen’ because there’s some things that have happened — in the steel industry, in the aluminum industry, with China, with Canada, with Mexico with the EU — that none of us ever would have guessed could happen. We pray that it doesn’t occur, we don’t understand why such things can be perceived as being a threat to our national security. But I think that we’re now more prepared that it may.”
You know, you don’t have to pay through the nose to become a classic car owner. Many vehicles like these short lived cars are slowly becoming considered as classic in their own right. Just because they are short lived doesn’t make them bad cars but it does make them uncommon and, to some, that makes them more desirable.


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The CONMEBOL or Copa Libertadores Update has arrived in FIFA 20, currently in Tournament and Kick-Off mode, however, there are a lot of rumours surrounding the content that we can expect to see arriving soon in FIFA 20 Ultimate Team.
With the arrival of Riquelme’s Icon card in FUT, there are rumours and hints that we can be expecting more content in the near future, including more new icons, new leagues and players, as well as new kits, stadiums and other club items.
More New Icons Coming to FUT?
With the release of Argentinian icon Juan Román Riquelme being added to FUT as a part of the Copa Libertadores update, there are rumours that there are more potential icons to come soon in FUT.
A tweet below, hinting that Cafu, a heavily demanded Brazilian icon could be arriving in FUT was liked by the official EA Sports FIFA account, leading fans to believe that more cards may be arriving soon!
New Leagues & Players Coming to FUT?
After the update to Kick-Off and Tournament modes rolled out, FUT fans noticed some interesting updates on the FUT Web App.
With new leagues, including CONMEBOL Libertadores (LIB), CONMEBOL Sudamerica (SUD), as well as other coding, suggesting that new items are likely to be arriving in FUT, with rumours floating around that they could be arriving this Friday, March 6th.
It's possible that new players may also be coming to FUT with this brand new update and they're familiar faces that FUT fans should be aware of.
New players coming to FUT may include Man United veteran Antonio Valencia, as well as a fan favourite, Emmanuel Adebayor.
New Kits, Stadiums & Club Items
Also included in the Copa Libertadores update for Kick-Off and Tournament modes were new stadiums, kits and pitch props, to immerse players in the sights and sounds of South American club football.
Expect some of these updates to filter into FUT, with the possibility of added Copa Libertadores Tifos, Stadium Themes, Badges, and other club items, bringing the South American atmosphere to your FUT clubs!
For more articles like this, take a look at our FIFA 20 page.


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eCommerce Now Makes Up for Almost a Quarter of Global Retail Sales
Is 2023 finally going to be the year that e-commerce starts claiming its rightful place in global retail sales? Projections say yes. Latest stats have shown that growth has not only continued to drive the industry forward over the last few years, but it is not looking to stop any time soon.
So, what can you expect from the e-commerce space over the next year, and what is the future looking like? We took a look at some of the key stats coming out of the industry to identify just what impact it is having on South Africa, in particular. We also unpacked how you, in the industry can solidify your position in the industry. Let’s take a look.
e-Commerce Growth Has Been Unprecedented
Since 2020, the digital industry has seen growth far beyond the expectations of most experts as well as brands in the industry. In fact, e-commerce has surpassed all expectations globally, especially after the unexpected push that COVID-19 gave it in 2020. Experts have predicted that by this year, e-commerce is expected to account for about 22% of the total global retail sales in 2023. This will mean that it will reach a total of $6.15 trillion in sales during the course of 2023, and simply keep growing from there.
Since the pandemic struck three years ago, e-commerce sales have ballooned past what any expert could have foretold. In fact, in the height of the pandemic, e-commerce sales catapulted by 44% within the year. China, the US and the UK became three of the biggest adopters of new technology and leading the e-commerce scoreboard globally.
But they were not the only ones seeing unprecedented growth, 32 other countries said that e-commerce growth had reached double digits in 2020.
2023 Has a Very Bright Future
Three years on, the numbers are simply rolling over. In South Africa alone, total e-commerce revenue is set to reach US$9.19bn this year, growing at an annual average of 13.21% year on year. This means that by 2027, the market has a projected market volume of around US$15.10bn. And, South Africans are ready to start embracing online retailing over brick and mortar, especially for selected products.
Retailers and e-tailers therefore need to ensure that they are continually growing and evolving their businesses to keep up with the demand. Customers’ needs are constantly changing, and this, together with adaptations in technology and the ever-changing landscape of the industry means that brands need to constantly keep up.
Education is Key to Staking Your Claim
So, the question is, how do you make sure that you are keeping up and that your company is staking your claim of the generated revenue? There is one simple answer; keeping up with the trends and educating yourself on what is new in the field. From technology to best practices to brand new solutions in the industry, the best way to make sure that you are growing with the industry is to keep learning and educating yourself.
Events like ECOM Africa provide you with this platform. It hosts a conference hall with a two-day agenda packed with presenters from the industry, practical workshops, and an expo space. It is a one-stop-shop for e-commerce insight and growth.
Historically, it has been the biggest e-commerce confex on the African continent, and this year will be no different. It brings together top e-commerce, retailing and banking professionals to share their experience and knowledge in supply chain best practices and how to ensure that your business is taking advantage of the unprecedented growth and appetite for e-commerce in Africa.
The Bottom Line
Keeping up with your competitors, knowing what other companies are doing and speaking to solution providers with the latest technology is a great way to stay on top, and be a part of the e-commerce growth for 2023 and beyond. Make sure you are a part of the movement and book your ticket today.