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The pace of change in technology continues unabated. Innovations such as artificial intelligence, robotic advisers, and predictive analytics are now nearing mass adoption. At the same time, banks are operating in a competitive, low-interest environment. Against this environment, the focus on cost-to-income ratios and return-on-equity has increased substantially while compliance requirements are increasingly stringent. In Asia, just as Australia, traditional banks are being disrupted by non-bank entrants who cherry-pick high value, specific products and service areas. In addition, customers’ expectations are continuing to evolve, putting them in the driver’s seat when it comes to choosing their banking needs and services.
Banks around the world have responded to this challenge by adopting a more piece-meal approach, adding additional complexity to their IT systems. However, RFi Group data suggests that a customer is considered to have chosen a bank as their main financial institution once they have 3.8 products with a particular financial institution and this suggests that the banks need to adopt an omnichannel approach.
Other studies have shown that while 96 per cent of banks believe that the way forward is a unified digital ecosystem, only 13 per cent of them see their core systems and other systems as ready to deliver such an ecosystem.
As a bank where do you start? How do you know which technologies to bet on? How can you add the new technologies to your existing ecosystem without ripping it up and starting again?
These pertinent questions were the basis of a wide-ranging discussion with key bankers in Malaysia. The issues discussed were certainly relevant to banks around the world including Australia.
RFi Group’s Gerald Ferguson set the scene by providing an overview on the developing interaction between banks and their customers and what they now expect from their banks. Taking a global perspective, the heightened geopolitical risks will also have an impact on the banking and customer relationship.
“We’ve seen Brexit, and the election of Trump (which we won’t spend today talking about). While that doesn’t necessarily have a direct impact on somebody banking in Malaysia, it does have is an impact on how they think about their banking relationship,” Ferguson said.
According to Ferguson, challenges remain around product differentiation and price. “So understanding me as a customer and then giving me the right kind of channel to bank through, whether that’s a priority channel or a preferred channel or a mass market channel, the way you as a bank interact and the information that you can get out to your customers becomes all the more important,” he said.
Having chalked up over 30 years’ experience in Asia including 20 years in banking solutions, Unisys solutions director, global financial services, Ian Selbie delved into his rich history in banking to give a view on just how far banking has evolved – even making a reference to his vintage by acknowledging he knew Ferguson’s father!
“For a long time, banks just pushed product. They were like a factory. I’ve heard bankers talk about themselves as a factory.” Selbie said. He acknowledged the role of the bank manager, however, and in his case, Selbie highlighted examples of how his bank manager would help him plan his finances by suggesting for example, to upgrade his car to save on repairs. However, technology has changed the way banks can assist their customers, in ways that go beyond the advice provided by traditional bank managers.
Customer experience is about taking into consideration all interactions a customer has with their bank - and moulding the banks’ solutions to that insight.
“With smart technology it’s not just about selling products but actually finding out what the customer needs by fitting in with the customer’s life events, goals etc. Customer experience is about taking into consideration all interactions a customer has with their bank - and moulding the banks’ solutions to that insight,” Selbie said. Therefore, it is no longer about selling products, rather technology has enabled banks to engage better with their customers by providing solutions such as suggesting a term loan would be better than a cash advance. Selbie was also careful to note that the concept of channels should not be about silos, rather it is about ‘bridging the silos’. “We’re trying to use technology to bridge technology silos, but it’s not just about technology it’s about all the people and end to end processes involved,” Selbie said.
Navigating the channels
As head of digital innovation and strategy for Maybank, Remy Khoo’s primary task is to consistently grow the bank’s business year-on-year through innovations and improving the customer experience. He does this through promoting the omnichannel to customers rather than through the traditional channel approach. This gives him an interesting perspective on the silo banking structure versus the channel approach particularly in terms of customer engagement. Echoing Selbie’s views, Khoo said that “essentially it’s all about how the customer engages with us, the bank”.
“Back in the day when there used to be no digital channels, you had very good relationship with your branch manager. The branch manager essentially became high-end relationship managers. Now more and more people have smartphones. Particularly in Malaysia there is such a high level of internet and mobile penetration, the time is now ripe for digital channels to become the channel of choice for customers,” Khoo said.
“Now it’s easy to access products and services from my smartphone rather than having to walk over to the bank branch, or pick up the phone to call the bank’s call centre,” Khoo said.
However, even with his digital hat on, Khoo acknowledges that “digital channels are not a pure replacement for conventional channels”.
Particularly in Malaysia there is such a high level of internet and mobile penetration, the time is now ripe for digital channels to become the channel of choice for customers.
“I am mostly a strong advocate for having a customer journey that encompasses an omnichannel experience. It’s essentially up to the customer to how he/she wants to engage with us and we need to give them that option, we need to give them that freedom,” Khoo said.
Head of marketing at HSBC, Abdul Sani Abdul Murad is tasked with bringing customers into both the digital and traditional “bricks and mortar” channels. In his view, banks need to have the right balance. Just like Khoo, Murad is a fan of digital options, however he sees the importance of complementary channels. “For us, it’s interesting as our HSBC branches in the Asia Pacific region are quite small, but yet we are generating huge income and revenue. You need to find the right balance depending on the segments that your customers are most comfortable connecting with”.
CIMB Malaysia’ head of prime business development, Chayenne Tan oversees a large branch network and as such is in a prime position to leverage from the emerging affluent customer in the region. It’s an advantage she understands but it also comes with challenges. “The channel you most advocate for the bank must be done through the voice of the customer. As much as we may want the omnichannel, the major challenge is customer fulfilment. The fulfilment piece is the touchpoint,” Tan said. For Tan, these channels can also be complementary. “When a customer transacts online, when they go to the branch the bank knows what they have done online and they can recommend the right product or services. It’s good use of a customer’s precious time”. However, at the same time, the challenge is that bank staff need to be proactive. “Technology-wise you may be able to provide that service, but people need to be able use that intel. That’s the challenge of having a large network,” Tan said.
Tan’s comments highlighted the issue of selling in branches and for many customers and staff this can be a sensitive theme. According to Selbie, some branch staff and tellers feel pressured to sell and perceive incentives to sell negatively. However, customers don’t need to see bank selling as a negative if the product is relevant. “If you’re going to encourage people to be sales people then give them something specific that they can sell that is relevant to that particular individual. Don’t just tell them to parrot a script,” Selbie said.
With discussions centred around traditional versus digital channels, the obvious next point of discussion was the emergence of “digital-only providers”. The roundtable participants acknowledged that their customers are comfortable with the concept. However, the big question is whether customers use these providers for payments and savings. As RFi Group’s Ferguson noted, Digibank has been quite successful in India. “In comparison, Ferguson said payment adoption in China is relatively high, most notably because of AliPay. “Chinese consumers don’t see AliPay as a fintech. They are used to it and that’s driven the use of AliPay as people are comfortable with it”.
From an Islamic banking perspective, digital also plays a key role in delivering for the customer. CIMB Malaysia head of Islamic Banking Group Syahrul Ishak said it’s not a one size fits all model. “You need to segment the customers and how each segment will interact with your channels. You also need to identify the pain points,” Ishak said. He also believes that digital can “reduce the pain points for the banks as well as the customer but branches remain relevant given that even millennials “still walk into a branch”.
For RHB Banking Group head of group transformation Elaine Lee Siew Hoon, the bank uses both conventional and new channels. For example the bank does provide its customers with an online account opening option but also has conventional branch service option.
Fintechs vs banks
Maybank Group’s vice president of digital banking Lionel Ho believes the sector needs to step back and in fact “hold the horses” as there are a few myths that need to be dispelled around offering the digital banking experience. In particular, banks must not be taken in by solutions that are built around hype. “Everything old can sometimes be new again. We need the actual solutions and products not the hype. For example, big data and customer relationship management are both the same thing. The list goes one. Sometimes the customer may not even be ready for new solutions or they simply don’t prefer those new things,” Ho said. Just as important, Ho added is that chief executives should not be reactive to any trend that emerges. “Basically, any time somebody sneezes a trend comes onto the CEO’s agenda. We are then in the danger of developing a system that we already have,” Ho said.
This issue of the sustainability of fintechs emerged following Ho’s discussion being captive to emerging banking trends. While many fintechs are successful a few have left the market, a development of particular note in China’s peer-to-peer lending market. So how sustainable are these fintechs and the new banks?
Ferguson used an analogy about fintechs and new banks versus traditional banks, adding that the banks were like oil tankers while the newer entrants were like jet skis. “Traditional banks are slow and take a long time to turnaround. They are very stable and have a lot of people and customers on board. The jet skis are very nimble and they’re jumping across the bows of the tankers. Some of those will crash quite spectacularly and quite quickly, but eventually there will be a small quorum of jet skis who will start heading in one direction and that will allow for tankers to manoeuvre themselves into that direction,” Ferguson said.
“To me that’s where a lot of your mindsets sits at the moment in terms of needing to be relevant, having the right product, providing a good digital experience, but not needing to be marketing leading from a digital experience perspective,” Ferguson said.
However, being market-leading can come with risks and sometimes banks need to be prepared to sometime fail in their attempts at innovation, according to Tan. Although it’s not a product she is responsible for, Tan highlighted the example of CIMB Malaysia’s chat banking app. “It was a risky move,” said Tan, furthermore there were some negative reviews on the app. However, after improvements, the app’s functionality improved and the team were even given an award. CIMB Malaysia’s business development head of preferred banking and segments CIMB Malaysia business development head of preferred banking segments Jessica Wee also echoed Tan’s view. “If you don’t innovate, then you will never know. That is why many companies have innovation departments. We don’t have an innovation department but we do have a strong innovation team in our banking business. We are also seeing banks setting up various innovation and fintech teams that are looking at ways to invent products and solutions that customers actually want. We should really be brave and try things out,” Wee said.
The ability of banks to embrace new technologies also comes down to their approach to revamping their core banking systems. “There are plenty of banks that haven’t changed their core banking systems in 30 years or even longer,” Selbie said.
“If I look at internet banks, especially in mobile banking, the banks that I know that are doing well have actually changed their platforms two or three times in ten years, maybe even more. In fact they’re making adjustment every month so their whole approach to the way they’re using that technology is completely different,” Selbie said.
Put simply, banks have to be more agile, according to Selbie. “You have to take a more agile approach and use technology that allows you to refresh your systems. Even if you don’t want to lead on core bank transformation, you still have to be slightly nimble,” Selbie said. Tan acknowledge that view but also noted the big banks face bigger challenges and it’s very hard to be agile. “There are so many moving parts in our tree that often you can’t move everything together at once,” Tan said. Often too banks have to spend a lot of money to address even the simple parts of their technology systems. Selbie likens this conundrum to a “two speed” approach to information technology in banking. “You have to try and leave those legacy systems alone and do the things on the frontend,” Selbie said.
Similar to the two speed IT approach are the traditional IT processes, according to Maybank Group’s Ho and “obviously, that has its own roadmaps and own processes”.
“However, we have dedicated innovation teams that help us test concepts,” Ho said. With these prototype teams, Selbie asked the panel of bankers about how quickly they take these concepts to be used in the wider banks. “Once you test it in your branches and decide to take it further, do you have a challenge to move it over to the traditional legacy processes and wait a year before it is actually rolled to the whole bank?”, Selbie asked. For Maybank’s Khoo it’s not about trialling something for the sake of it. “When we trial something, it actually involves a lot of users. Whether it’s something worthwhile doing or something that we need in order to improve the customer journey,” he said. In essence, it’s really about the whole experience and not just playing with the technologies. Khoo’s colleague, Ho also acknowledged the importance of having “established partners” in any innovation project. “Relying on purely internal resources is quite limiting. Having a strong partner that can really help us expedite things is important,” Ho said.
Ferguson steered the discussion onto the topical issue of open data, a theme that is growing in importance given the move to PSD2 in Europe and the United Kingdom. Even in Australia, the Federal Government has given the green light for an open banking framework as part of its announcement in the May budget. This initiative will of course pave the way for data-sharing. Key to the success of data sharing and open banking is consumer trust and who owns the data. Ferguson highlighted the important role banks will play in a brave new open data world. “When we asked customers about who owns the data and the concept of sharing data, 60 per cent expected banks to be responsible for ensuring the safety and privacy and security of that data,” Ferguson said.
The digital proposition
“Even though banks may go into partnerships with fintechs or third-party providers, that trust still falls back to the bank because they’re the people that they know are going to be around,” Ferguson said.
Even though banks may go into partnerships with fintechs or third-party providers, that trust still falls back to the bank because they’re the people that they know are going to be around.
For Ferguson, this could emerge as an issue if banks encourage their customers to go digital and use their ominchannels. The question then becomes, how much of the bank has to be included in the digital proposition and how far down the road in the partnership before they start to lose the ability that the customer still trusts them?
“I think it’s important when thinking about driving digital and driving channel experience that you don’t want to go too far down the route where you have created a new brand. Maybank is still very much digital driven by Maybank. Ubank in Australia is powered by National Australia Bank. In these examples, the banks still use that trust aspect and expect that partnership aspect to continue,” Ferguson said. He highlighted an example of Bank Mobile in the United States who ensured the trust of the customer throughout the digital interaction with the bank. Bank Mobile was very keen to make sure that customers could open an account within three minutes on their mobile. But the first thing Mobile Bank did when they were designing their app was to make sure that on every page there was a telephone button that customers could press should they want to talk to someone. This gave customers the option to go through to a call centre where the bank could fix whatever went wrong. “This example highlights the importance of giving customers the safety of the brand,” Ferguson said.
Trust is also an advantage banks have compared with the emerging players like the fintechs, a point highlighted by Selbie. “Some fintechs are getting a level of trust, but they’re not going to have that breadth and level of faith,” Selbie said. Another advantage for banks highlighted by Selbie is their ability to provide end-to-end solutions. “One of the things that customers expect of a bank is not just that end-to-end process but end-to-end service. AliPay can do my payments but I’m not going to go to AliPay for a mortgage. I will go to the bank for savings account, current account, credit card, mortgage, personal loan, unit trusts and most of the banks that I know of can provide that service,” Selbie said. Here trust again plays a role. “There’s a level of trust in using those services. I trust the banks for one thing and the more I transact with them - as long as they don’t breach that trust - the more I’m going to continue to trust them. That’s something that the traditional banks still have that the fintechs are nowhere near to having,” Selbie said.
The panel was also keen to discuss emerging trends and themes outside of Malaysia. For RFi Group’s Ferguson, the maturity of the affluent banking segment in Malaysia still lags behind Singapore and Hong Kong. “Here (in Malaysia) it is a little bit more around the product and the service. Whereas we look at markets like Hong Kong and Singapore where it’s an advanced priority market, so they expect more from their relationship managers. They expect more from the engagement from the bank and what they start to look for is not just the product and the service and giving them a better rate or quote. It’s about recognising a total customer. It’s reward me. I think banks in Singapore and Hong Kong actually struggle to communicate to their customers how much they are actually rewarded already,” Ferguson said.
The roundtable also discussed the fact that the affluent customer can also be a business customer or an international banking customer. “Understanding the different facets of an affluent customer and catering to them as a one-stop shop is really, really important and a huge opportunity I think in the ASEAN markets,” Ferguson said.
Indeed, the banks present at the table have vast knowledge and experience in understanding their customer and recognising that they are much more mobile and internationally focused, particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Understanding the different facets of an affluent customer and catering to them as a one-stop shop is really, really important and a huge opportunity in the ASEAN markets.
“There is now a huge number of emerging middle classes that are travelling more and are keen to hold money offshore in safe havens effectively,” Ferguson said.
“You are already recognising those customers and providing them with the products and services they need. But the benefit you give them is all your knowledge across all of the banking products and eventually you will become a one-stop solution. That for me is a trend that I would imagine will grow more and more as this market becomes more sophisticated in terms of understanding the customer and what they can get from the bank.”
For more information about how Unisys can help your bank with creating and securing an omnichannel experience, please contact Ian Selbie on: firstname.lastname@example.org


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Are you looking to break into the New Jersey’s food industry? Maybe you’re BBQ is begging for a food truck. Or, some surplus from your garden has you selling homemade ketchup, at an increasing rate.
On May 6, the New Jersey Small Business Development Center at Brookdale Community College will hold its 4th Annual Foodiepreneur: The Business of Food event, at Ocean County College in Toms River to launch National Small Business Week.
Including featured panelists, the event strives to facilitate conversations about what is important to members of the state’s food industry, and to provide information for people looking to enter the industry—be it through restaurants, commercial food products or artisan goods.
Deborah Smith, founder and executive editor of digital publication JerseyBites.com; Meg Lamanna, executive chef of B2 Bistro, with locations in Red Bank, Point Pleasant Beach and West Reading; and Bert Roling, owner of Point Pleasant’s Last Wave Brewery will speak at the event.
“Essential partners” for the project include John Lawson of Whole Foods Market, Esther Psarakis of Foodpreneur, Richard McArdle of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center and Patricia High of the Ocean Health Department.
Foodiepreneur will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Attendance is free, however registration is required. You can find more information here.

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WOOD and advanced recycling company ReNew ELP have partnered to build the world’s first commercial-scale plastic recycling plant using Hydrothermal Plastic Recycling Solution (HydroPRS) technology to process end-of-life plastic waste.
HydroPRS converts plastic waste back into hydrocarbon feedstock, equivalent to fossil resources, for use in the manufacture of new plastic products and other materials. The technology can process products that have previously been considered unrecyclable, including packaging items such as flexible films, pots, tubs, and trays, that are currently incinerated, sent to landfill sites, or end up in the environment.
Consulting and engineering company Wood has been contracted to lead the delivery of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) for the multimillion-pound project.
In the first phase of construction, one of four HydroPRS recycling lines will be completed, with the other three to follow in quick succession. Each of the lines will be capable of processing 20,000 t/y of waste. Upon completion, the facility will be capable of recycling 80,000 t/y of plastic waste, achieving an estimated saving of 120,000 t/y of CO2 emissions compared to incineration.
The plant will be constructed at the Wilton International multi-occupancy manufacturing site in Teesside, UK. The project will be delivered by integrated Wood and ReNew ELP teams in the area. Work on the project will begin this quarter.
Up to 80 jobs are expected in the construction phase, with a further 30 to come once operations begin in late 2022. More jobs will be created as production lines are added.
Mura Technology, ReNew’s parent company aims to see 1m t/y of global recycling capacity in operation or development by 2025.
Richard Daley, Managing Director of ReNew ELP, said: “the development of this first site marks a landmark event for both the recycling industry and the environment”.
Craig Shanaghey, President of Operations Services Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Wood, said: “On completion, this plant will make it possible to not only reduce the plastic pollution in our natural environment, but will help to reduce both CO2 emissions and the requirement for single-use plastic.
“The circular economy represents a critical and growing industry in our collective quest for a more sustainable future and so I am delighted that ReNew ELP has selected Wood to join them on this journey.”
In October 2020, ReNew ELP was awarded a £4.42m (US$6.1m) grant by Innovate UK for the world’s first commercial-scale plant using Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (Cat-HTR) technology, with the UK Government recognising the potential of the advanced recycling sector to help meet ambitious plastic recycling targets. HydroPRS employs Cat-HTR technology.
Catch up on the latest news, views and jobs from The Chemical Engineer. Below are the four latest issues. View a wider selection of the archive from within the Magazine section of this site.


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Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is a fast-growing field that offers many advantages over traditional techniques. It can create more complex parts than either machining or casting, can fuse different materials together, and is sometimes less expensive in low-volume or prototype applications.
Displaying 1-10 of 405 results for
Should the US Copyright Office oversee whether 3D printer operators can use feedstock not approved by their machine’s maker to turn out medical devices or airplane parts, or is that the role of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), respectively?
Stratasys Ltd (Minneapolis and Rehovot, Israel), the 3D printing company, said Tuesday its CEO is leaving, with no permanent replacement named and amid financial losses.
As additive manufacturing emerges from a long infancy, the industry is grappling with a key challenge: A file format and design tools from the 20th century are being asked to do 21st century jobs.
Structured light systems measure surfaces by projecting a pattern of fringes, then using cameras and sophisticated software to convert them into point clouds of metrology data. Accuracy can reach the single-digit microns over millions of points.
My involvement in SME and its AeroDef event began in 2014, when I first presented an Adaptive Machining Overview at AeroDef 2014 in Long Beach, Calif. At the time, the conference was relatively small in terms of attendees and exhibitors in comparison to the explosion of other engineering conferences that began around that time.
Wohlers Associates Inc. (Fort Collins, CO) announced the release of Wohlers Report 2018, a global report on the state of the additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing industry. Wohlers Associates has published its series of annual reports on AM for 23 consecutive years.
Changes in health care are driving more innovative tooling, including new machining strategies and complex cutting tools that help deliver more patient-centered solutions.
The U.S. auto industry has been automated for decades. Production of cars and trucks is associated with large, hulking robots fenced off from human employees. Inside those fenced off areas, tasks such as welding are performed. The industry, though, is advancing on the automation front.
One of the key advantages of additive manufacturing is its digital thread, which allows for rapid communication, iteration, and sharing of a design model and its corresponding physical representation. While this enables an efficient design process, the flow of data opens vulnerabilities to cyber-attack.


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Artist Waco unveils new exhibition, “Into the Mystic”
By Skylla Mumana | Journalist
The Waco Uptown Artwalk ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and featured many works of art, music and food for the enjoyment of the Waco community. It was located at several locations in the upscale neighborhoods, such as MC Art Supplies, Brown Electric, Monument Barber Co., Ana’s Taxes, and the Susan L. Sistrunk Fine Art Gallery.
Besides having been an artist her entire life, Sistrunk said she has also taught art for over 15 years. She opened her gallery at home in March 2019 and her goal was to help sell the work of other artists, as well as her own. Over the past year, Sistrunk has created up to 100 works and, through her gallery, she has sold around 60% of her inventory. Sistrunk dedicated his new exhibition to his father, who died in 2002, and his brother.
With interconnection in mind, Sistrunk hopes her new exhibit and gallery can bring people together, just as she feels about art.
“His [a] connection, âSistrunk said. “Every time you get people of different races, from different socio-economic backgrounds in the same room and start talking to each other and looking at art, it’s powerful medicine.”
Robinson senior Meagan Noranbrock, a local artist, was one of the art vendors outside the gallery. Noranbrock is the owner and creator of Coaster & Canvas, an art company that produces jewelry, clothing, canvas and more. Noranbrock currently takes orders through their Etsy and has an Instagram account that shows photos of their merchandise.
Noranbrock said she is seriously considering opening a store during the pandemic. In confinement, his creativity exploded. Once the country started to open up again, she needed a way to sell her excess art.
âThey kind of crammed into my house,â Noranbrock said. âI started going to the local markets and selling my stuff and people loved it. So I kept doing more, and now I love it.
Sistrunk’s exhibit is on display in the back room of the gallery, but the main room contains artwork that changes every two months and typically features local artists from the McLennan County area.
The current rotation includes Russell Campbell. Campbell, a mixed and abstract artist, is based in Waco. Her art is featured in places like Skellington Curiosities, Cultivate 7Twelve, her Instagram and more. His exhibition featured a series of paintings that included a song from Spotify, so visitors could listen while they viewed the painting.
Pasted next to his exhibit on a piece of white paper was a short biography on Campbell. In the biography, Campbell said he hopes the song will allow his audience to find deeper meaning while watching his work.
âRead the title, scan the barcode and listen to the song,â Campbell said. “It might sound completely random, but there’s going to be something about it that makes sense.”


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The Nintendo Switch has been on the market for a little over 5 years now. In those 5 years, the hybrid console has taken the world by storm and has been a massive success for Nintendo following the disaster that was the Wii U generation. As of the end of last year, the Nintendo Switch has sold over 100 million units. With so many consoles in the wild, Nintendo has already had a strong start to 2022 with game releases such as Pokemon Legends Arceus and Kirby and the Forgotten Lands.
Unfortunately, the biggest game set for the console this year, the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, has been pushed to 2023. However, that doesn’t mean the slate is bare for the rest of the year. Today, we will look at the 5 biggest games still set to come to the Nintendo Switch this year.
Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet
After Pokemon Legends Arceus was released at the beginning of the year, many fans thought that would be all the Pokemon we would be getting this year. However, during the Pokemon Presents presentation on Pokemon Day, The Pokemon Company and Nintendo surprised us all by announcing the ninth generation of Pokemon with Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet. What’s even more surprising is that these games are planned to release at the end of this year.
With such a short turnaround from Pokemon Legends Arceus, it’s clear that the games were in deep development at the same time. However, the generation nine games look to be bigger than Pokemon Legends Arceus. Pokemon Legends Arceus featured open areas for players to travel to and from with a hub town to visit elsewhere whereas Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are said to bring the first seamless open world for players to explore in the franchise. With little more known about the generation nine Pokemon games, we’re sure to learn more as the year goes on.
Finally! Bayonetta 3, one of the biggest games set for the Nintendo Switch, is finally set to release this year. The game was first announced way back during the Switch’s first year at The Game Awards in 2017. Since then, Bayonetta 3 has been one of the most hyped and desired games with fans asking where the game was at nearly every Nintendo event throughout the years. Then, finally, Bayonetta 3 reemerged to end a Nintendo Direct late last year with a target release window of this year.
If Bayonetta 3 releases this year, it will have been 7 years between entries in the series, and PlatinumGames is sure to have a plethora of improvements to the Bayonetta formula by taking cues from the games they had released in the years between. From the trailer, we saw last year,
Bayonetta has a new look, as usual, as well as her signature magical abilities. However, a new mechanic also shows that she is now able to summon kaiju like monsters to help in battles such as a dragon and spider kaiju. While we’ve yet to see more since the gameplay reveal, if the game is set to release this year, we should hear about it soon.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Since the original game was released on the Nintendo Wii back in 2010, Xenoblade Chronicles has slowly garnered popularity outside of Japan. Nintendo and Monolith Soft have continued to push the series without fail as the next game in the series Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was announced earlier this year. Not only that, but the game will be coming in just a few short months. Originally targeting a September release date, a few days ago, Nintendo announced that they have actually moved the release date forward and the game is now slated to release in July.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 looks to be a continuation of what the franchise is known for with trailers highlighting massive open areas to explore, a big party of characters to use, and giant mechs. The story also follows two new characters from different warring factions coming together to journey to a sacred land. From the most recent trailer, it also looks like the characters will be able to transform into a mech-like form during battle to help with combat. With only around 3 months until the game officially releases, fans don’t have long to wait to get their hands on Xenoblade Chronicles 3.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
First announced during last summer’s Ubisoft Forward, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope is a sequel to one of the early surprise hits of the Nintendo Switch, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. The game continues the gameplay of the original by being a tactical RPG where characters maneuver around an area during battles. This time around Mario, the Rabbids, and friends are venturing across the galaxy to stop a new evil villain named Cursa.
The game also introduces new characters such as a Rabbid version of Rosalina, a new female Rabbid that doesn’t appear to be a crossover like the other main Rabbids, and the Sparks which are Rabbids mixed with the Lumas from the Mario Galaxy games. Sparks will also be usable in some form during combat. Though Ubisoft and Nintendo haven’t revealed much else since the game was first revealed last year, we are sure to get more information soon.
To end our list is the game that finally just got its release date in Splatoon 3. Since the original release on the Wii U in 2015, Splatoon has become one of Nintendo’s biggest multiplayer-focused games outside of Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart. The newest entry in the series looks to add a crazy new campaign that features what looks like a post-apocalyptic world and the return of mammals to the world. Players will also have a small fish companion known as a Smallfry that will help them along the way to take on the new enemies known as Fuzzy Ooze.
The game will also see new maps added to the multiplayer modes along with some classic ones returning. It will also introduce a variety of new weapons for players to use such as the Crab Tank ( a literal walking tank) and Zipcaster which transforms the player themselves. These added weapons are sure to bring a new level of fun and strategy to multiplayer battles. Splatoon 3 is only a few short months away now and is set to release on September 9, 2022.
More From Wealth of Geeks
- A Grown Up’s Guide to the ‘Tomb Raider’ Video Games
- 10 Best Tips to Make Gold on Old School RuneScape
This post was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.


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East African import trades look set to strengthen further as Samsung plans to open an assembly plant in Nairobi before the end of the year, following its new plant in Addis Ababa. It should see Samsung increase its African sales from $250m in 2011 to $2bn in 2015. All the equipment will initially be shipped in for assembly. Samsung joins Nokia Siemens, Airtel, Nestle and PepsiCola in choosing Nairobi as the centre of African operations. Africa is finally on the up.
By Alex Lennane


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Continuing construction through COVID-19
Following national lockdown, when construction and manufacturing largely came to a halt, new figures now show that the industry is experiencing monthly growth.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that monthly construction output grew by 17.6% in July 2020 – the second
largest growth since records began in 2010 and following record monthly growth of 23.5% in June this year. This marks the third consecutive month of growth since the record monthly decline of 40.2% in April 2020.
Although, the ONS reports that the level of construction output in July 2020 was 11.6% below the February 2020 pre-pandemic level.
In addition, builders merchants’ sales bounced back strongly between May and July 2020, increasing by 38.9% in value compared with February to April this year, according to the Builders Merchant Building Index (BMBI) report.
‘These sales figures demonstrate the resilience and strength of a V-shaped recovery in the sector,’ says Mike Rigby, Chief Executive of MRA Research which produces the monthly BMBI reports.
As major UK brick manufacturers report losses in sales and revenue in the first half of the year compared with last year, they also are seeing green shoots of recovery. According to Forterra, sales have returned to 90%, while Michelmersh says it has a robust forward order book for the second half of the year and Ibstock reports clay sales volumes at around 80% and concrete sales volumes at around 85% of the previous year.
Clay Technology speaks to industry professionals about the pressures of the pandemic and changes in the industry since the beginning of lockdown.
Laura Cohen, Chief Executive of the British Ceramic Confederation (BCC)
The ceramic manufacturing sector, like manufacturing as a whole, has been badly affected by the pandemic, mainly due to much-reduced customer demand in some sectors and the challenges of manufacturing during social distancing. The industry has relied heavily on government support, especially the Job Retention Scheme, and some businesses have taken loans to help them manage cash flow issues. However, like any other industry, how each company has fared has varied depending on factors such as size, sub-sector, financial resources and other variables. Most ceramic construction product sites have returned. While many sites are operating at near full capacity, others may have most, but not all, of their production lines on-site fully operational. A handful of older sites are mothballed or being closed permanently.
There has been heavily reduced demand from aircraft manufacturers and some car manufacturers. This has affected some manufacturers of technical ceramics. However, other technical ceramic demand and refractory product demand has remained high, for example, those companies supplying to healthcare, food and drink, defence, energy and electronics customers.
Specialist ceramic catering ware demand fell dramatically while the hospitality sector (e.g. restaurants and hotels) closed around the world. Demand is now returning, albeit at a lower than normal level. While some tableware and giftware sales were badly affected by loss of retail outlets, many companies have increased online sales dramatically, and in some companies, sales are now stronger than last year.
Through stepping up our dialogue with members, officials and politicians, BCC has continued to work hard to support our members in accessing all the help that is available to get them through these challenging times. We provided industry-specific guidance on working safely during Coronavirus and have seen some fantastic examples of businesses using this opportunity to review their health and safety procedures and make many improvements to ensure they are able to operate while keeping workers safe. We are also continuing to host regular video calls with government and member companies, which now cover Brexit as well as Coronavirus. This has created an even stronger solidarity in the sector and it’s been great to see government responding promptly to member concerns in many cases.
As the pandemic and Brexit uncertainty continues to take a toll, the next few months will be critical. To really help our industry, we need government to agree and ratify a trade deal with the EU by the end of the year, as 57% of our members’ exports are sent there. Those manufacturers who have been hardest hit are also telling us that they need further ongoing support to help them recover, and we continue to call on government to provide this in the weeks and months ahead. We appreciated that both the Chancellor and Leader of the Opposition have made time to visit member companies in the last few weeks to explore these issues further and welcomed the measures put in place in the Winter Economy Plan.
Andy Carp, Director, Resource UK and Chairman of IOM3 International Clay Technology Association (ICTa)
COVID-19 has had a severe impact on the heavy clay industry as it has almost all manufacturing sectors, but this would appear to have been short-term at the time of writing. Key impacts have been the greatly reduced output for Q2, the substantial numbers of the workforce placed on furlough and the increase in home working for support staff, such as HR, IT and some technical functions, etc. A very small number of factory closures/mothballed have been announced, some of which are not unexpected. On the positive side, some companies reacted very well and very rapidly following lockdown, temporarily closing factories to implement COVID-safe practices while taking the opportunity to undergo some maintenance activities.
The government has issued guidelines for the manufacturing sector which have been adopted and are now normal practice. These include safe working distance, one-way systems, sanitiser bottles, reduced use of offices and canteens, altered shift patterns, reduced visitor and contractor numbers, temperature measurement, recording of contact details, COVID inductions, risk assessments and booking procedures for HGV collections to reduce the number of people on-site at any one time.
Meetings on platforms such as Teams have become commonplace to save travelling time and to operate safely. Generally, this appears to have worked well. Some have reported that the stigma often experienced for home working has gone and many individuals report greater productivity not least due to reduced travelling time, and the environmental benefits of home working by way of reduced road miles are welcomed. This is, however, only applicable to certain support functions – a factory still needs people on-site to operate and maintain production processes. The industry is highly mechanised so the impact is not as severe as it would have been 15 or 20 years ago.
Most companies are reporting sales almost back to normal levels for the time of year. This has been closely linked to construction sites re-starting and builders merchants re-opening. There are varying reports about what types of products are in demand. There are reports that niche products have not returned to normal levels, while some small hand-made niche operations are experiencing higher demand and some of these factories are looking at expansion. It is safe to say that most heavy clay works are currently busy.
There is great uncertainty about the future throughout the supply chain. Housebuilders are completing projects, while the number of new-starts are down. This means it is difficult for manufacturers to plan capital projects with any confidence. No-one wants to risk large amounts of capital on new equipment or improvements to increase capacity at a time when it is by no means clear whether a second wave of the virus is imminent, and if so, how severe it would be and more importantly whether another widespread lockdown may be likely. Everyone is conscious that government has spent a substantial sum of money in support measures which while very welcome, will impact the economy for some years. We await announcements regarding how this money will be recouped by the Treasury.
In addition to dealing with a pandemic, we are now coming back into the other major area of uncertainty – Brexit. The Prime Minister needs to convince investors and developers that ‘build, build, build’ is a sound investment strategy which will be followed by ‘buy, buy, buy’.
Will the market stagnate in the coming months as we head into winter, with possible redundancies in many sectors as the furlough scheme is wound down and Brexit uncertainty bites? That is the question. We have played our part, adapted and modified our businesses to meet the needs of the times. Things may look different and some working practices will change, but I am still sure that the production of high-quality heavy clay products will continue well into the future. There can be no doubt that it’s going to be a bit rocky for a while, but when we say our sector is resilient it’s because we’re used to ups and downs – this has certainly been true of my 40 years in the business. Nonetheless, the next 12 months will be very challenging for everyone.
Keith Aldis, CEO of the Brick Development Association (BDA)
Obviously when COVID-19 hit, the industry, like other sectors had to take measures to protect both their customers and employees. They also had to pay particular notice to the government’s instructions to shut down. With health and safety paramount and a safe cessation of business in the normal sense of the word, this inevitably meant that each firm had to make the difficult decision to cease production in a timely and safe manner. Clearly, the downturn in construction has a significant effect. This was coupled with the temporary closure of almost all builders merchants and brick factors (re-sellers) in the UK for a short while during the early stages in May. Demand therefore was briefly curtailed but deliveries continued, albeit on a lesser scale. Production slowed massively but did not completely stop during the initial stages of the pandemic.
As the ramifications of the virus became apparent and as government eased restrictions, firms began to re-start their kilns and production. At the time of writing (September), I’m pleased to say that production and distribution is now almost nearing normal levels, although with the slowdown of construction, per-se, we are at slightly lower levels of production and distribution than this time last year.
During shutdown, brick makers took the opportunity to revisit their operating protocols and plant safety procedures updating them to the new normal. We hold about 400mln clay bricks in stock in the UK at any one time, which is enough for about three months building in normal times.
Once the construction sector had agreed its COVID-site operating procedures, building sites were able to re-open and this together with the re-opening of the merchant sector, meant that we were beginning get back on track. The clay brick sector maintained its strategic reserve of three months supply of clay brick and so apart from a short period where construction did not take place, supplies remained available. Demand is now increasing cautiously and will continue to do so while we ease out of the pandemic.
It is therefore incumbent upon us to inform and remind those customers that clay brick is the medium of choice, if one wants to design and build fantastic looking buildings.
During the pandemic we produced about eight useful videos. In addition, we continued to produce our weekly Brick Bulletin to remind people of the wonderful product that is clay brick and importantly produced our new Guide to Successful Brickwork.
We remain in uncertain territory with respect to COVID-19. This with the potential uncertainty about a deal or no-deal with the EU once the transition period ends on the 31 December and the fact that we are entering our winter period – a relatively quiet period – may mean a short-term downturn.
Happily, the UK Government is committing to a comprehensive building programme and is committing funds to support this, as well as having previously supported employment though the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and other programmes such as various business loans. Efforts are also being made to support the skills base including work being done to support the training of bricklayers.
We simply just have to keep our collective wits about us, hone our businesses and work together to regenerate business opportunities for the future. I am ever optimistic that the construction sector, as it has in the past, is well positioned to pull the UK out of any future recession
Stephen Harrison, Chief Executive of Forterra
Inevitably, our results were heavily impacted by COVID-19 and the associated lockdown. As a Group, we acted decisively to manage our cost base and ensure sales and production remained balanced. We have now substantially completed a range of restructuring actions and production has now resumed at all our factories.
In the first instance, demand for our products fell dramatically and we ceased production at the majority of our facilities. However, sites remained in operational states and inventory levels were maintained, which allowed deliveries to continue and orders to be fulfilled. A skeleton staff was retained at all brick sites throughout lockdown to preserve the kiln conditions so they could be restarted easily when required. Since emerging from lockdown, trading has exceeded management’s expectations and we remain very confident in the long-term recovery of our markets.
This security of supply has been further ensured by having our fully owned and dedicated distribution fleet available and operational. This has enabled us to put in place stringent delivery practices – such as one driver per lorry – that fully comply with social distancing requirements to protect both our own employees and those of our customers.
From an administrative perspective, our external sales force and our back-office functions have been working remotely ensuring that the business continues to operate with full capability.
Protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees, as well as that of the wider community, remains my primary concern. We continue to follow government guidance, have implemented homeworking for many of our colleagues to maintain high levels of customer service and are actively engaging in social distancing to ensure those who have to be at their workplace to carry out their jobs can do so as safely as possible.
The other key consideration is that we have sufficient cash to continue to pay our employees and suppliers, so reducing the risk of excess inventory build is essential.


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Probably the shortest post on FCP.co ever! The pre NAB news may have started already! Red Giant has teased us with a video about Universe.
We publish the next there videos from the recent FCPWORKS event. Rune Hansen (Azteca case study,) Alex Grossman from Stornext and Daniel Tapie from Softron are all up on the stage.
A new $6 application that we are rather excited about. Final Cut Library Manager not only lets you catalog libraries across drives, it also lets you free up space by deleting unwanted files safely.
It's been unboxed, boxed up, driven down motorways, plugged into Xsans, ISIS and numerous Thunderbolt drives. We have spent a lot of time with the new Mac Pro running FCP 10.1, so what are our long term findings?
On a rather slow news day and after a long walk around BVE yesterday, we thought it would be a great time for one of FCP.co's legendary giveaways. We have teamed up with MotionVFX to give away 5 copies of their mObject Pro Bundle, each worth $399.
Hot on the heels of their new creative editing lessons, Ripple Training has just published a new 'Getting Started with Motion 5' set of tutorials. They are also offering 25% off until March the 3rd on this product as well.
New to the Final Cut Pro X ecosystem, designer Harry Frank has released a pack of modern style lower thirds. Priced at $49 for 20, we also have a 15% off coupon code.
Ripple Training has released a new training course called Creative Editing in Final Cut Pro X. Hosted by Abba Shapiro, it majors on the art of editing. There's also 25% off until March the 3rd.
FCPWORKS has just published videos of three of the presentations from their recent event in Los Angeles. Alexis Van Hurkman, Sam Mestman and Bryce Button are all on stage.
MotionVFX has just released a new pack of film strip and light burns for FCPX. Priced at $49 the new pack has been made with 4K elements for those extra pixels.
- Two musicians, one projector, FCP7 and one take. An amazing music video.
- Editing 4K Multicam with Final Cut Pro X on a new Mac Pro
- Watch the FilmmakerIQ series of filmmaking histories and tutorials
- Finding Final Cut Pro X Libraries in the Finder with Smart Folders
- Tangent FX release Glitcher 2 plugin for Final Cut Pro X
- Compressor updated to 4.1.1
- The performance of Final Cut Pro X on the new Mac Pro
- The Modern Job of the Visual Effects Editor
- The new Mac Pro, Xsan, FCPX and Softron's MovieRecorder - a day of experimentation and amazing results
- The new Mac Pro, new storage options and new speed
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Bike enthusiasts in India are already having a good time with quite a few performance motorcycles available today to suit different wallets and varied tastes. And that good time is going to get even better with more and more bike launches in the near future. Benelli has already, at a press conference here, announced that they will be launching their entire range of bikes in India within two months from now.
…and the company has just topped it by unveiling a new bike at the EICMA show which appears to be the most-Indian suited product that could come from their stables – 250cc Benelli BN251, smallest bike in the current lineup.
Asphaltandrubber.com reports that the Benelli BN251 has been styled to look like the larger Benelli BN600 and BN302, and we don’t disagree. This 250cc bike looks substantial enough to take on the likes of all in the current 250cc segment in India. It produces 24.5 bhp which is bang in the CBR 250R/Duke 200 category.
A steel trellis frame with the engine as a stressed member tells us its sport intentions and USD forks, four-piston caliper 280 mm front disc, and two-piston caliper 240 mm rear disc shows that it is not lacking in any of the crucial departments too. It would be available internationally in the first half of next year. Three colours, white, red, and blue, have been announced for now and Benelli says that the pricing is going to be ‘very competitive’. Fingers crossed then!


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Tokyo, March 02, 2018
MITSUBISHI CONNECT Android Auto™ Compatible Apps Demonstration at 2018 Geneva Motor Show
Tokyo, March 2, 2018 – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) will be demonstrating two MITSUBISHI CONNECT genuine apps at its stand at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show*1 to be held in Geneva from March 6 through March 18. Both compatible with the Android Auto*2 platform, the EV Charging Station Finder app searches for EV charging stations while the Drive Scoring app diagnoses how the car is being driven.
EV Charging Station Finder app (beta version)
The EV Charging Station Finder app uses the latest available information to allow the driver to search for charging stations in the vicinity of the car or at the destination and also to check whether charging pumps at the station are available or occupied, the type of connector plug they use, opening hours and other details. The app allows the user to connect their smartphone to MMC's Smartphone Display Audio (SDA) system and search for charging station location and details, as well as set a particular charging station as the destination using Google Maps*2. This is the Europe market version of MMC's EV Support app which is already available in Japan.
Drive Scoring app (beta version)
Connecting car and smartphone by USB cable, the Drive Scoring app monitors the driving information (using some 30 items of data including GPS, distance driven, use of accelerator and brakes and driving time). The app collects data on an individual's driving behavior by analyzing the driving information together with map information and data on weather conditions to provide driving behavior tips for safer driving. For Europe, the app is under development to provide a suggestion on the insurance policy best suitable for the driver, a driver score competition with others, and roadside assistance.
*1…Le 88e Salon international de l'Automobile Genève, with press days on March 6 and 7 and public days from March 8 through March 18. MMC will hold its press conference at 10:45 am on March 6 at the MMC stand in Hall 2.
*2…Android, Android Auto, and Google Maps are registered trademarks of Google LLC.
MMC has set up a special web site at the following URL to provide a variety of information in English about its exhibits at the Geneva Motor Show 2018.


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iPad Mini released Friday
Local 10 tech expert weighs in
The iPad Mini was released Friday. With prices starting at $359 the new technology is smaller, and more advanced than previous tablet computers. Experts say a smaller model is in demand because it's easier to hold and carry along.


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A year and a half after Currencycloud raised $80 million in a round that included Visa, the London-based developer of APIs that power remittance and currency exchange services is getting even closer to the financial services giant. Today, Visa announced that it would acquire Currencycloud in a deal valued at $963 million (£700 million).
This price is a very decent leap from that last funding round, when sources told us the startup was valued at around $500 million.
(As Visa already has equity in the company, the amount it will actually pay will be reduced by that amount.)
Currencycloud has some 500 customers in 180 countries that use its APIs to power multicurrency wallets, currency exchange services and account management, including some of the biggest startups around, such as Monzo, Moneze, Starling, Revolut and Dwolla. These will continue, and on top of that Visa will use the startup’s technology to bolster its own currency exchange rails to provide a wider set of services to its own customers, which include financial institutions, fintechs and more, as well as to build new services for consumers, as well.
“At Currencycloud, we’ve always strived to deliver a better tomorrow for all, from the smallest start-up to the global multi-nationals. Re-imagining how money flows around the global economy just got more exciting as we join Visa,” said Mike Laven, CEO, Currencycloud, in a statement. “The combination of Currencycloud’s fintech expertise and Visa’s network will enable us to deliver greater customer value to the businesses moving money across borders.”
Remittance and currency transfers are big business in the world of financial services, and that opportunity is growing. Two of the factors driving this are that e-commerce has extended well outside of our national borders, especially in the past 18 months, and so have supply chains. (Visa notes that some 43% of all small businesses globally carried out some form of international trade in 2020.) And with the rise of cloud-based, mobile services to facilitate transactions, consumers are ever more globalised in their outlooks, too.
At the same time, remittances and currency transfers are two areas ripe for disruption, with incumbent services often costly and inefficient. All of this sets the stage for a company like Currencycloud, which has built a new implementation of currency transfer that can be embedded into other financial services to help them run more smoothly.
The exit is also a classic example of how larger, incumbent financial powerhouses typically find it harder to innovate and jump into new services, so instead they tap smaller and more agile startups that are taking big bets on technology, and pulling it off, to help propel themselves into the next generation of financial services. Whether Visa will be able to successfully integrate and use Currencycloud’s tech and work with its team are two things that were already tested out: the two were strategic partners prior to this deal.
“The acquisition of Currencycloud is another example of Visa executing on our network of networks strategy to facilitate global money movement,” said Colleen Ostrowski, Visa’s Global Treasurer, in a statement. “Consumers and businesses increasingly expect transparency, speed and simplicity when making or receiving international payments. With our acquisition of Currencycloud, we can support our clients and partners to further reduce the pain points of cross-border payments and develop great user experiences for their customers.”


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Pets Best: On The Front Lines Of The Battle Against Pet Cancer
When it comes to the current state of pet cancer, there’s good news and bad news. First, the bad news: cancer, in all its various forms, is the #1 disease-related cause of death among pets.
Now, the good news: pet owners now have more treatment options available to fight the disease. And today’s treatment advances mean that pets with cancer have a much better chance of survival. Plus, companies that provide quality pet health insurance, such as Pets Best, are providing pet owners with the financial ability to pay for the most effective treatments in the battle against cancer.
In fact, in 2008 Pets Best paid out almost million—more than ever before—to pet owners for cancer-related claims.
And that’s not all; in its commitment to conquering pet cancer, Pets Best has taken unprecedented steps to educate pet owners about the disease and to provide care and support for those who need it. They’ve partnered with Pet Cancer Foundation, together with Oncura Partners, to provide any pet owner in the United States with a free initial consultation with a pet oncologist (cancer specialist) for their dog or cat who has cancer.
Pets Best developed a website [http://www.petcancerfoundation.org/index.html] for the Pet Cancer Foundation, to let pet owners know they’re not alone in the fight, to provide a resource for learning about the disease and to help inform people about available treatment options.
Plus, Pets Best is part of an exclusive club—one that includes the Pfizer drug company—of million “Superheroes” who have pledged to help the Morris Animal Foundation Cure Canine Cancer in the next 10 to 20 years.
Want to help Pets Best defeat pet cancer once and for all? The company urges you to join them in supporting the Morris Animal Foundation’s efforts by contributing to the campaign at www.curecaninecancer.org.


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Cable television may have more customers, but direct broadcast satellite (DBS) [define] providers have more satisfied customers, according to Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG). The analysis of more than 1,600 U.S. households revealed that a full 70 percent of DBS subscribers reported high satisfaction rates, compared to 53 percent of cable subscribers.
“At the core of the high satisfaction is that the consumer made a choice to get DBS (which they often don’t feel with cable) and the service has generally lived up to expectations,” commented Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst, LRG.
LRG’s findings — virtually unchanged from the year before — would suggest that TV-watchers are busily erecting satellite dishes, but the firm’s research indicates that satisfaction rates will do little to impact new subscriptions. Overall, 11 percent of cable subscribers report that they are likely to switch from their current provider in the next six months, while 10 percent of DBS subscribers report that they are likely to switch.
Satisfied customers are more likely to “talk up” DBS to friends and colleagues, but switching can be complicated. “Certainly word-of-mouth from satisfied users has helped DBS grow. But there are ‘switching costs’ of going to DBS. While it is simple, and the start-up costs are generally zero — it still requires consumers to take the action of having a dish put on the house,” said Leichtman.
Targeting a variety of customer segments will help spur DBS’ growth. Since only 20 percent of new DBS subscribers in areas where cable TV is available say that they switched from a digital cable service, Leichtman suggests that DBS providers focus where cable is either unavailable or the cable systems have a limited number of channels.
Leichtman also suggests that DBS providers target the various market segments that will find incentives and competitive pricing attractive. Price sensitive customers would be likely to switch, along with cable’s more high-end digital customers.
Of the 67.5 million cable TV subscribers in the U.S., 22 million subscribe to digital cable, while DBS had roughly 21.6 million subscribers at the end of 2003. DBS maintained an edge until early 2003, when digital cable subscribers exceeded satellite subscribers. The two DBS providers — DISH Network and DIRECTV — reported more than 9 million subscribers and more than 12.2 million subscribers, respectively.


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Latest Metabolic Meals Stories
St. Louis meal delivery company, Metabolic Meals, expanded its services to accommodate nationwide deliveries on December 9, 2013. St.
Professional Boxer and Metabolic Meals customer, Devon Alexander, will be defending his World Title in Brooklyn this weekend. St.
Metabolic Meals adds Mike Farrell, Executive Chef, to its team of nutrition specialists. St.
- Withering but not falling off, as a blossom that persists on a twig after flowering.


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After initially being postponed to May 18-20, DOMOTEX will no longer take place as a hybrid trade show format this year. The current global infection situation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic makes it impossible to plan and organize a physical presence on site in Hannover at the world’s leading trade show for carpets…Lees verder!
The next POWTECH will be held from August 30 to September 1, 2022 in the Exhibition Center Nuremberg. The organizer NürnbergMesse, together with the honorary sponsors Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Pharmazeutische Verfahrenstechnik (APV) and VDI-Gesellschaft Verfahrenstechnik und Chemieingenieurwesen (VDI-GvC), has defined this date in close consultation with the Advisory Board and the exhibitors. The new date in…Lees verder!
The dates for INTERSCHUTZ have been changed, with the event now taking place from 20 to 25 June 2022. The decision to reschedule the world’s leading trade fair fire, rescue, civil protection and safety/security was taken by Deutsche Messe after a process of thorough deliberation and intensive discussion with key market players. In a context…Lees verder!
Following thorough consideration and in view of the difficult current situation, Enforce Tac, International Exhibition & Conference – Law Enforcement, Tactical Solutions and Homeland Security, will not be held on 10-11 March 2021 as originally planned. By taking this decision now, NürnbergMesse hopes to give all visitors, exhibitors, partners and media the ability to plan…Lees verder!
To allow all participants to plan with certainty, NürnbergMesse has taken the decision to cancel the IWA OutdoorClassics 2021 well ahead of time. Rising infection rates, various quarantine rules and travel restrictions are simply making it impossible for exhibitors and visitors to make any firm plans. The next IWA OutdoorClassics will take place in Nuremberg…Lees verder!
EuroBLECH 2021 postponed: 26th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition will take place from 25 – 28 October 2022 in Hanover, Germany
EuroBLECH 2021 postponed: 26th International Sheet Metal Working Technology Exhibition will take place from 25 – 28 October 2022 in Hanover, Germany EuroBLECH to run series of digital events in 2021 Mack Brooks Exhibitions has today announced the postponement of EuroBLECH, which was scheduled to take place at the Hanover Exhibition Grounds in Germany from…Lees verder!
Stone+tec, the International Trade Fair for Natural Stone and Stone Technology, will not take place as planned from 12 to 15 May 2021. The trade fair could have been held in compliance with the hygiene concept of the Bavarian State Government in principle, however the number of registrations did not develop as hoped due to…Lees verder!
LIGNA.21 goes into autumn, postponing its original event date from May to 27 September to 1 October 2021. Following intensive reflections and discussions, and in view of the current developments in the global incidence of infections in the wake of the corona pandemic, Deutsche Messe and the German association VDMA have jointly decided to postpone…Lees verder!
Following this year’s cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic, the consumer event will take now place under the new name “HUBANA 2021 – Jagderlebnistage Schloss Lembeck” from 25 to 27 July 2021 at Lembeck Castle in North-Rhine Westphalia. The event will be organised by the IWA OutdoorClassics team to the customary high standard of quality…Lees verder!
In 2021 BIOFACH and VIVANESS will take place as a purely digital format. The World’s Leading Trade Fair for Organic Food and the International Trade Fair for Natural and Organic Personal Care will be held as a BIOFACH / VIVANESS eSpecial. In making this decision, organiser NürnbergMesse is responding to the altered circumstances of the…Lees verder!
Following extensive discussions and critical observation of the current situation, NürnbergMesse, in close cooperation with customers and partners, has decided not to hold the physical BrauBeviale 2020 Special Edition trade fair as planned and to move the program exclusively to the digital world. The reasons for this are the current national and global developments of…Lees verder!
EuroBLECH Digital Innovation Summit 2020: New digital EuroBLECH event is looking ahead with a sharpened focus on technology updates, market outlooks and brand-new networking opportunities
Hosted online from 27 – 30 October 2020, the EuroBLECH Digital Innovation Summit provides a much anticipated trade and networking event for the global sheet metal working community, presenting a broad programme for trade professionals including virtual product presentations, expert webinars, and plenty of matchmaking. Visitors can participate for free and register online from the…Lees verder!


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Viacom sells 'Rock Band' creator Harmonix
Viacom said Thursday that it has sold Harmonix, creator of the "Rock Band" videogame, to New York-based private investment firm Columbus Nova.
Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.
Viacom president and chief executive Philippe Dauman announced plans to sell Harmonix in November, saying the company needed to focus "on what we do best -- make great branded entertainment content."
"The console games business requires an expertise and scale that we don't have so we have taken steps to sell Harmonix," Dauman said.
(c) 2010 AFP


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The company raised $100 million in the initial Series C tranch in AprilRead more...
Microsoft will continue to offer MileIQ, while the team builds more mobile productivity solutions
Microsoft is on a mission right now to help make workers more productive, which it has done through a series of aquisitions including Acompli, Sunrise and Wunderlist.
The latest in this space to be acquired by the company is Mobile Data Labs, the maker of the popular smart mileage tracker MileIQ, it was announced in a blog post on Thursday. No financial terms of the deal were disclosed.
MileIQ uses a mobile app that catches drives automatically, syncs them to the cloud, and simplifies the process of generating accurate mileage record for workers to submit back to their employers for reimbursement.
MileIQ has over 1 million users and has been the top-grossing finance app in the iTunes store for 20 months straight. Going foward, Mobile Data Labs will become a part of Microsoft, and the company plans to continue selling and supporting the MileIQ app. Microsoft intend for it to continue to be available in the iOS and Google Play App stores.
However, it sounds as though the team will also be working on creating new apps for Microsoft as well.
"The team will continue to build and offer mobile productivity solutions and look to take advantage of insights from Office 365 and the Office Graph," Rajesh Jha, corporate VP for Outlook and Office 365 at Microsoft, wrote.
"We’re thrilled to welcome Mobile Data Labs to the Microsoft family to work on new ways to improve the productivity to millions more mobile professionals."
From the perspective of Mobile Data Labs, becoming part of Microsoft gives it access to mch larger reach and resources than it had prevously.
"By partnering with Microsoft, our horizon and momentum are now even bigger–and our ability to deliver excellent products, delightful experiences and personalized service is greater than ever. Under Satya Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft has been on a path of tremendous innovation; the people in the company feel it, the products show it and the market has responded," Chuck Dietrich, CEO of Mobile Data Labs, wrote in his own blog post.
Also, he noted, the two companies share similar goals and have a shared vision.
"Microsoft’s ambition to reinvent personal productivity and business processes couldn’t be more aligned with our goals," said Dietrich. "With our shared passion and commitment to mobile productivity, the San Francisco-based MileIQ team aims to advance this mutual vision by continuing to build services for self-directed workers–services like MileIQ that are automated, intuitive and give users back time, money and peace of mind."
Co- founded in 2013 by Dietrich and Dan Bomze, Mobile Data Labs had raised over $15 million in funing, including a $12 million round in January. Investors in the company included Trinity Ventures, CRV, Marc Benioff, SV Angel, and angel investors.
While a Microsoft spokesperson told me that the company expects "a significant number of Mobile Data Labs employees to continue on with Microsoft," it does not yet have any specific personnel numbers to share.
Overall, acquiring Mobile Data Labs is the latest example of Microsoft’s ambition to reinvent productivity and business process in a mobile-first, cloud-first world.
"The company’s expertise in ambient data intelligence-driven mobile technology will help Microsoft deliver new productivity solutions and experiences for a wide range of customers, particularly the 'self-directed workforce' of small business employees, entrepreneurs and other mobile professional," the spokesperson said.
(Image source: mileiq.com)
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NEW DELHI: A key parliamentary panel will meet representatives of various technology platforms, e-commerce players and gaming entities, including Zomato and Flipkart, on Thursday to discuss their market behaviour amid rising anti-competition concerns.
BJP leader and former Union Minister Jayant Sinha-chaired Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance has been looking into various aspects of competition in the marketplace, especially with respect to technology majors.
Sinha told PTI that the panel has decided to ask representatives of various technology platforms, e-commerce players and gaming entities to appear before it soon, and they will be mainly asked about their market behaviour.
Representatives of food delivery platforms Swiggy and Zomato, e-commerce player Flipkart, cab aggregator Ola, hotel aggregator Oyo and All India Gaming Association are among those who will be called by the panel, Sinha said.
According to notice available on the Lok Sabha website, the committee will be hearing "views of representatives of associations/ industry stakeholders on the subject Anti-Competitive Practices by Big-tech companies" on July 21.
In recent times, there have been complaints about alleged anti-competitive ways of various technology platforms and firms.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is already probing various cases, especially in the digital space, following complaints of alleged unfair business practices. On April 28, the CCI made a presentation about competition aspects in the marketplace to the parliamentary panel.
After that meeting, Sinha said the panel had "an excellent set of discussions" with officials from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and CCI.


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Paytm share price: CLSA has improved its sell price target from ₹500 to ₹650 apiece levels
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Paytm shares are attracting huge buying interest by stock market bulls today. After announcement of rise in revenue in Q1FY23 results on Saturday, Paytm share price surged to its highest levels in nearly six months as the stock rallied over 6 per cent to ₹830 apiece on the BSE.
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Car lovers… Welcome to 2020toyotatundra.net. On this occasion, we’ll discuss 2020 toyota hatchback. Yes, now, I would like to discuss 2020 toyota hatchback rumors for price, redesign, and launch date for this 2020 toyota hatchback.
“Disclaimer: the information on this webpage is just rumors based on the previous year’s launch.”
Nowadays, vehicles become a fundamental necessity for humans. Automobiles become A convenient, secure and prestigious transportation. Therefore, Toyota as one ofthe main car companies continues to develop the most recent car models from year to year.
A car Is Quite efficient for carrying a lot of people at once in 1 trip. In addition, using an automobile to travel from 1 spot to another is also very comfortable than we utilize a bike.
Some of the rumors that we will discuss about 2020 toyota hatchback automobile are :
2020 Toyota Hatchback Redesign
Yes, here we will notice a slight shift in 2020 toyota hatchback design Compared to the previous year’s version. Here, the Toyota provides a newer look to ensure this automobile looks more current. Yes this car looks better than its predecessors equally for interior design and exterior design.
The interior design of 2020 toyota hatchback just gets minimal alterations. Not much different from the former version. There are just a few tinyfeatures added based on rumors. While for the exterior design of 2020 toyota hatchback, there’s also no substantial shift. Are you interested in the most recent design of 2020 toyota hatchback?
2020 Toyota Hatchback Price
For the cost, Toyota hasn’t formally announced the price of 2020 toyota hatchback if it’s officially promoted later. However according to rumors circulating it appears like that the 2020 model is going to be marketed at a cost not much different from its predecessor. Only slightly increased prices compared to the previous version.
2020 Toyota Hatchback Publish Date
For the launching of the 2020 toyota hatchback seems to be established in 2020. Nonetheless, it isn’t certain when. It May be possible in the beginning of the year, mid year, or the end of 2020. So for you Toyota automobile lovers, you need to be patient if you would like to buy this newest model.


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The very fractured family has 64 percent voting control on the company's board, and while the board approved the deal on July 17, it's still up to the Bancrofts as to whether it or not it will fly. Some members are known to be hostile; two of the four Bancrofts abstained from last week's vote, and one left the meeting early.
In earnings this week, oil and gas will be in focus this as the three largest U.S. oil companies post second quarter earnings. ExxonMobil,ConocoPhillips, and Chevron are all expected to rake in huge profits, although higher refining costs will likely dampen revenue compared to last summer's performance.
On Wednesday, ConocoPhillips is expected to post earnings of $2.66 a share, compared to $3.09 a share at the same time last year.
When ExxonMobil reports on Thursday, analysts are expecting the oil giant to rake in $1.94 a share, beating out the $1.72 a share earnings a year ago. Revenue is expected to fall to $97.6 billion from $99 billion.
On Friday, analysts expect Chevron will report $2.29 per share in profit, besting the $1.98 per share earnings in the year-ago period.
The two companies with the most to gain from last month's splashy iPhone release will both reveal quarterly earnings this week. In reality, analysts don't believe the iPhone release occurred in time to have a significant effect on this reporting period.
Wall Street is looking for AT&T, whose wireless network is the sole iPhone carrier, to earn 67 cents a share on revenue of $29.6 billion. Apple, meanwhile, is expected to earn 72 cents per share on revenue of $5.29 billion.
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By: Jennifer Saba
Two equity research firms released reports today that point to a troubling trend in light of April’s ad revenue results.
Goldman Sachs’ Peter Appert noted that a soft advertising environment persists — even in April, a month in which results were expected to benefit from the shift of Easter to March. He calculated that industry ad revenue for the month grew 2.8%, calling the performance “uninspiring.” May is expected to come in along the same lines.
National ad revenue dropped for the second consecutive month despite easy comparisons, Appert wrote. Retail also slowed in April, growing only 1.8% versus March’s 3.5% increase.
“In context of anemic ad revenue growth, circulation revenue declines, a downward bias in earnings estimates, and valuations that are approaching but have not yet reached ‘value’ levels, we do not see any near-term catalysts to suggest a more positive view on the newspaper stocks,” Appert wrote.
Banc of America Securities’ John Janedis cited the same worries going so far to ask: A brewing secular storm? “Absent a substantial pick-up in ads over the next two months, Q2 revenues and more importantly, 2005 earnings appear to be at risk for most operators,” he wrote in his report. Also a downer for papers: Though “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” set box-off records, Fox probably didn’t spend a lot in print to promote the film.
Janedis points out that online revenue is responsible for most growth, “with several companies displaying flat to negative growth excluding online revenues,” he wrote.
For May, online job postings remains mixed with The New York Times up 48%, The Boston Globe up 3%, The San Diego Union-Tribune up 7%, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch up 7%, and the New Haven Register up 15%.
Online real estate postings in May also mixed: the Times up 15%, the Globe up 58%, the Union-Tribune up 19%, the Post-Dispatch down 33%, and the Register up 10%.


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Executive Director, Startup Canada
To maintain and increase prosperity in the good and in the bad times, Canada needs more startups; ambitious, scalable, and sustainable businesses that foster economic growth and social development. By sharing outstanding entrepreneurs’ stories of resilience and success, the CANIE Awards inspired present and future generations to become leading entrepreneurs with an innovative and global mindset.
Launched by The Innovators & Entrepreneurs Foundation (IEF) in collaboration with Startup Canada, Sovereign Insurance, UPS, Mastercard, and Scotiabank, this Awards program gathered and showcased stories of leading entrepreneurs from across Canada.
Forty Canadian entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and industries shared their entrepreneurial journeys, their perspectives of the current economic crisis, and delivered a message of resilience during candid Q&As moderated by Catherine Clark, President of Catherine Clark Communications.
These entrepreneurs reminded us of the vital role that they play in society and the economy, especially during these unprecedented challenging times. They also showed us once again, the importance of innovation during moments of hardship organizations like DeepTrekker, Intuitive AI, and Vital Tracer Ltd. shared how their flagship products have been modified to fight against COVID-19. In the same spirit, organizations such as Co.Labs, Planet Hatch, and Centech rose awareness of the importance of supporting local startups and innovators to support the Canadian ecosystem as a whole
Now, more than ever, it is crucial for each of us to rally together and champion entrepreneurs and businesses that stand as the backbone of our economy. It is up to all of us to promote and support entrepreneurs and innovators who are not just surviving, but thriving in these challenging times.
If you missed the CANIE Awards ceremonies, check them here:
Stay tuned for the Grand Finale taking place on Oct. 20, 2020.


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13:54 21 July 2012
Since Microsoft joined the stock market in 1986, it has never posted a loss. Until now.
The result of a single bad bet has broken the computing giant's 25-year plus streak of gains.
The backstory is that Microsoft shelled out a huge $6.3 billion to buy out aQuantive in 2007 in direct opposition of Google's dominant position in web advertising.
Microsoft hoped to create a separate online advertising arm away from internet search which would challenge Google's entire code of practice.
With Microsoft’s $6.2 billion write-down pushing them into the red for the first time and Google's stocks on the up and up, it appears that plan failed.
That led to a $492m loss in the three months to the end of June, compared with a profit of $5.9bn a year ago.
For a company that has held huge market shares since conmputing and the internet took off, Microsoft has been slow to adapt to new technology. Their Windows Mobile has struggled against Apple, their Bing search is small against Google's near monopoly, Internet Explorer is fading against Firefox and other competitors and they're only just getting started in the tablet market with their Surface device.
But this downturn, this appears to be changing already. Windows 8 powered devices are expected in the coming months and their Office packages are still a huge seller, while the company's general profits actually beat most estimates. One bad decision aside, Bill Gates' Microsoft are on the up.
Also seen as a potential upswing for the company, Microsoft have recently bought Yammer to provide businesses with social network integration and also Skype to bolster their communications arm.
Disclaimer: Supanet is not responsible for, and disclaims any and all liability for the content of comments written by contributors to this website


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Our Mission: To Revolutionize the World With Next Generation Video
For over a decade, we at Idomoo have been pushing the boundaries of video innovation.
Customer preferences and needs change over time. Among the recent rising consumer trends is the demand for self-service options. The reasons for this increase in popularity are many, but in general, it saves web users time from interacting with a business.
Video remains one of the most engaging content formats. In fact, when asked how they’d like to learn about a product or a service, 69% of people say they’d prefer to watch a short video as opposed to 18% who’d prefer to read an article.
Kindred Group, one of the world’s leading online gambling operators, has seen increased engagement and conversions following its data-driven video campaigns.
Brands worldwide have tapped into the power of marketing personalization and its ability to improve customer experience, drive revenue and create consistency across channels. A whopping 94% of senior-level executives believe delivering personalization is critical or important to reaching customers according to a joint study conducted by PwC and Forbes
A version of this article appeared originally on Adweek. You can read it here. We’ve all seen the stats. According to research by Bain & Company, increasing customer retention rates by a mere 5% could increase profits by a whopping 25%-95%.
A version of this article appeared originally on N12. You can read it here. The world of marketing has long since undergone a revolution in data-based personal marketing. The advertisements on leading platforms show according to the user’s preferences. The next step for retail giants is sending customized offers directly
It’s no secret that mobile gaming is big. Recent reports say mobile gaming is a $96 billion business, and it’s forecasted to grow to $272 billion by 2030. One big challenge for mobile gaming companies today is getting players talking about the game online, where it has the potential to
Video marketing works. That’s a fact. Surveys show that over a quarter of people watch more than 10 hours of online video per week, and video content accounts for around 85% of all consumer internet traffic.
A version of this article appeared originally on Customer Experience Magazine. You can read it here. When it comes to customer experience, the newest generation of consumers is set to disrupt the status quo. They have different brand expectations, as you’ll see below, and they’re poised to have the economic
The world of marketing is no stranger to data. From demographics to consumer behavior, facts and figures about customers are the backbone behind efforts to create the best products, campaigns and more.
When 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase if a brand offers personalized experiences, the importance of personalization can’t be ignored. Businesses that hope to break through the noise and effectively connect with their customers are quickly learning that personalized content is the key.
In a world filled with information and content overload, the average consumer is an expert at filtering out irrelevant and uninteresting content. So how can brands capture and keep their customer’s attention? Two words: Personalized Video.
In today’s world of overabundance of choice, getting your customers excited and committed to your brand takes more than a good quality product. A seamless and personalized customer experience is just as important when it comes to building great customer relationships and winning their loyalty.
Trying to boost sales? Personalization is a practical strategy that helps businesses stay relevant. Epsilon found that an overwhelming majority of consumers (90%) find personalization appealing, with 80% more likely to do business with a company that offers personalized experiences.
Visual content, including video, plays a major role in digital media marketing campaigns — including email marketing — and that’s only growing. Our global society has moved from reading text to watching videos. The pros and cons of this have been discussed at length. However, what is pertinent here is


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Mozambique will produce Indian varieties of pulses, mainly arhar and urad, to meet India’s growing demand for dals . The Cabinet on Tuesday approved signing a long-term MoU with the African nation to double import of pluses from the present one lakh tonnes to two lakh tonnes by 2020-21.
Announcing the decision, IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the crop to be grown in Mozambique would taste like that of pulses raised in India. He said the pulses grown here taste different from the ones produced in other countries. Officials also said the look and taste of imported pulses did not find many takers in India.
Sources said the government will assist Mozambique by providing high quality seeds and technical assistance. TOI has learnt that New Delhi may even provide financial help and will also assure to buy all pulses grown there.
According to a government release, pulses from Mozambique will be imported through private channels or government-to-government (G2G) sales through state agencies nominated by the two countries. “The MoU will augment domestic availability of pulses in India and thereby stabilise its prices,” the release added.
Under pressure to check spiralling prices of pulses , the government had sent two teams to Myanmar and Mozambique to explore options for getting the key kitchen item. While Myanmar had flatly told the delegation that they had no mechanism for G2G trade and they preferred the private route, Mozambique said it was ready to meet India’s requirement provided New Delhi assured buying the entire quantity of pulses grown there.
TOI on June 27 had first reported this proposal from the African country.
Total pulses production in India during 2015-16 was 17 million tonnes while 5.79 million tonnes of pulses were imported to meet the domestic requirement. However, the availability of pulses including domestic production and imports was less than domestic requirement, putting pressure on prices during 2015-16 and the current fiscal.
Source: The Times of India


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TekExpress Shortlisted at Gatwick Awards
TEK Express is delighted to be finalists for 3 business categories for the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2014 on the 20th March 2014. This will be the 3rd year running to be finalists for the Customer Delight award and they are also up for the Green Business award which they won in 2012 against hard competition. The third category is for a new award for Supply Chain.
Says Sam Francis, Managing Director of TEK Express, “we are thrilled to be nominated for 3 awards, and what is more is that we are the only company to achieve that honour this year. The team fully embraces our approach to customer service, our partnerships with our suppliers and commitment to being green. Being nominated reflects the dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism displayed by all of them. My business partner and brother Richard Ashdown and I are so very proud”.
The team are looking forward to the black tie event, hosted by Tim Vine - king of the one-liners to be held at the Effingham Park Hotel next month where the awards will be attended by over 600 of the top business people from the Gatwick Diamond region which extends from Reigate down to the South Coast and out from Horsham in the west to East Grinstead in the east.
Categories: Member news


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Webinar, United States
PitchBook recently launched platform features that help our customers identify up-and-coming spaces and turn those discoveries into assets they can utilize to explore investment opportunities, map competitors and more. On the heels of those releases, we invite you to join experts from our analyst and product teams on Nov. 14 for a conversation about both offerings—PitchBook’s Emerging Spaces and Market Maps platform features. Specifically, this webinar will look at:
Additionally, we’ll dive into ghost kitchens—an emerging space within the larger foodtech vertical and a niche industry that investors have pumped $16.5 billion into in the past year.
In recent years, Lead Product Manager Jenna Bono has worked on everything from PitchBook’s push notifications to SSO and search. Most recently, she moved into a lead role managing PitchBook’s portfolio of discovery tools, which surface trends, drive discovery of high-potential companies and illuminate data via visualizations of new insights from PitchBook data. Prior to PitchBook, Bono was a technology advisory consultant at Ernst & Young, where she helped financial services companies with their digital strategies and product development initiatives.
Alex Frederick contributes to PitchBook’s venture capital and emerging technology research. His coverage areas include early-stage investments across the venture space, with an industry specialization in foodtech. Before PitchBook, Frederick was a venture associate at Impact Engine, an impact investing firm focused on tech-enabled businesses. He holds an MBA in finance, entrepreneurship and economics from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in business from Indiana University.
Thank you for registering for our webinar. You will receive a confirmation email shortly. Please email [email protected] with any questions.