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Letting Your Money Work For You? Current’s Debit Card Rewards Program Could Be The Way To Go

Current

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga In the early 2000s, lots of banks offered a variety of rewards for debit cards - it was the status quo. However, the federal government enacted the Durbin amendment of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010 which effectively reduced the rewards for debit card use. While the amendment added more protection for consumers, debit card rewards decreased and many banks started restricting rewards to their credit card programs. Today, credit cards are the primary provider of bonus features like travel rewards or miles, cashback deals, and retail perks. A Bankrate survey in 2022 reported that cashback is the favorite feature among credit card users. It is unsurprising that cashback is a prized feature. Cashback works by the bank offering a percentage of cash back on every qualifying purchase. For example, if a bank offers 1.5% cash back for every purchase at a restaurant, the user will earn 1.5 cents in cash back rewards for every dollar spent. This amounts to roughly $15 for every $1,000 spent. While there are a few banks that still offer cash-back rewards to debit card users, they are few and far between. While approximately 83% of Americans own at least one credit card, only 51% of low-income individuals own a credit card. In comparison, 85% of high-income individuals own at least one credit card. The unfortunate side of credit cards is it can be hard to qualify with a low income and a low credit score, which means that people with higher incomes also have more access to the reward programs that are attached to credit cards. Current is shifting this narrative and offering cash back rewards for their debit card. The company is a new type of banking alternative and many features are ideal for individuals looking to get some extra cashback in their wallets. Current is built around the idea that people deserve financial flexibility and freedom in their everyday life. How Does Current’s Cash Back Program Work? Current offers cash back rewards through their debit card and on their app. Users can earn up to 15x points at over 14,000 participating merchants nationwide. The points can then be redeemed through the app for either cash or other items, whatever you prefer. Another unique feature is the app shows all the current locations near you that qualify for cash back with the number of points awarded. Current’s system is meant to be simple for people to use and earn money back. The cash-back program looks to work well with Current’s other features. The company offers direct deposits up to two days earlier than the scheduled pay date. 1 The mobile banking app also grants overdrafts up to $200, pending approval, with no overdraft fees. There are no minimum balance fees either. 2 Current’s app also allows for buying and selling crypto without trading fees, conveniently all in one place. For individuals who aren’t looking to invest in a volatile market, Current offers savings pods with up to 4.00% APY. 3 For those looking for a flexible banking option with features that help optimize their money, Current seems to be innovating in the financial world and might be a good option. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Current is a leading U.S. financial technology platform serving the needs of Americans who are working to create a better future for themselves. Our mission is to enable members to change their lives by creating better financial outcomes. Leveraging the best technology, we deliver inspirational and motivational products as we all move forward in a world of increasing digitization and complexity. Current is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Member FDIC. The Current Visa Debit Card is issued by Choice Financial Group pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. 1 Faster access to funds is based on comparison of traditional banking policies and deposit of paper checks from employers and government agencies versus deposits made electronically. Direct deposit and earlier availability of funds is subject to timing of payer's submission of deposits. 2 Please refer to Overdriveâ¢ Features Terms and Conditions. Out of network cash withdrawal fees, third-party, and adding cash fees may apply. 3 The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") for Current Interest is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed APY is effective as of January 18, 2023. Qualifying direct deposit of more than $200 required for 4.00% APY. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in Savings Pods to earn Current Interest on up to $2000 in deposits per Savings Pod up to $6000 total. Please refer to Current Interest Terms and Conditions. Cryptocurrency services are powered by Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC, and may not be available in all states. Licensed to engage in Virtual Currency Business Activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Terms and conditions apply. When you buy or sell cryptocurrency, a difference between the current market price and the price you buy or sell that asset for is called a spread. However, unlike most other exchanges, Current does not charge an additional trading fee. All forms of investments carry risks, including the possible loss of principal. Cryptocurrency is not subject to FDIC or SIPC coverage. Contact Details Erin Bruehl media@current.com Company Website https://current.com

March 08, 2023 09:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

3 Reasons Why You Should Verify Customer Email Addresses

ZeroBounce

Only 57.21% of all the email addresses ZeroBounce verified last year were valid and safe to keep, which shows the prevalence of poor-quality data in email lists. Email is the dominant communication channel of our time. With 4.3 billion users worldwide, more people use email now than ever. As a marketing channel, email is lucrative, but your success depends so much on the quality of your email list. Verifying your customer email addresses is thus a must – here’s why. Almost 23 percent of your email list decays yearly. Company layoffs, people switching jobs or simply going with a different email provider means contacts that were previously valid will now bounce back. Aside from that, email lists acquire other types of low-quality emails, such as spam traps, disposable or abuse emails (users who will report you as spam). Data decay affects email marketing ROI, but not verifying customer email addresses can have even more dramatic consequences. Recently, JPMorgan Chase was duped into buying Frank, an online student financial aid business. Frank boasted that it had attracted millions of users, but almost all of them – 4.25 million – were fake. JPMorgan Chase realized the deception after its team sent a mass email resulting in a 70 percent bounce rate. This whole disaster could have been prevented had JPMorgan Chase verified the email list. What is email list verification? Email verification is the process that allows you to remove invalid and harmful data from your list. An email verifier scans your database, identifies non-existent email addresses, and scrubs them within minutes. Sadly, a lot of businesses aren’t aware of email verification. Sometimes it’s because they don’t fully grasp how valuable an asset their customers’ email addresses are. The best way to get the most out of an email list is to practice good email hygiene. It all starts with verifying the emails you gather to ensure they are legitimate. Here are the top benefits of email verification. Preserve your sender and brand reputation When you don’t verify email addresses, your sender reputation will plummet. A lowered sender reputation will affect your email deliverability, meaning more and more of your emails will start landing in the spam folder. The chances of your emails being seen on time, if at all, are nil. Think about all of the emails your company needs to send: transactional, opt-in notices, receipts, and notifications of shipping. When customers miss these messages, you run into problems. For example, let’s say you arrange an automated email that is triggered two days before an appointment. If nobody sees it, what good does it do? Missed emails can lead to misunderstandings, annoyed customers, wasted time, and a lot of aggravation for you. You can eliminate most of these issues if you check your email list consistently. ZeroBounce gives you an uncomplicated, proactive system to help stop your emails from going to the spam folder. ZeroBounce verifies 100,000 emails in 45 minutes, identifying invalid and other types of contacts that prevent you from reaching the inbox, Avoid spending money on dead leads There’s no better way to reach your people than by email, as it is the method consumers prefer over all others. However, not all email addresses are equal. Sometimes, users abandon their email addresses after changing jobs or schools. In other cases, the customer makes an error when entering the email address. You should be aware that far more nefarious types of bad data are on many email lists. For example, some customers use disposable email addresses, also known as temporary emails, that are active for only a brief time. Even worse, there are spam traps that sometimes find their way into legitimate company email databases. Verify the legitimacy of the leads you gather so that you can make the most of them and boost conversions. Verifying customer email addresses strengthens all of the crucial metrics: open rates, clickthrough rates (CTR), conversion rates, and ROI. Strengthen marketing by keeping bots away One of the first steps in strengthening your marketing is finding out who your customers aren’t. That means no bots, spam traps or email addresses that will bounce. You don’t want to waste resources or time marketing your offerings to uninterested people or, even worse, fake or inactive email addresses. Email verification helps you get rid of the contacts with no marketing potential, bots and toxic emails. Humans often can’t tell bots and legitimate emails apart - but great email verifiers can. Bonus tip: Once you’ve eliminated damaging emails, you can go the extra mile and fine-tune your marketing even more. ZeroBounce allows you to determine who your most active and promising subscribers are. Check out the Activity Data tool to see which of your subscribers has been most active in their inboxes lately. With more information about the people on your list, you can do a better job with your marketing. Keep your company’s integrity pristine Spam has a negative connotation, and for excellent reasons. First of all, it’s a nuisance. Although laws vary depending on the country, it’s generally forbidden. There is no place where spam gives a positive impression. Don’t be associated with spam-like behavior. For the public to hold a company in high esteem, it has to be reputable. With data and privacy breaches regularly making headline news, your business can’t afford to appear careless. Remember JPMorgan Chase’s email fumble? It could have been avoided with just a little awareness of email standards. In addition to obeying laws and being a considerate sender, you can’t neglect checking your email list health. Be vigilant in removing inactive or harmful email addresses. It’s essential to your organization’s reputation. Verify 100 email addresses free As email continues to be a part of our daily lives, its presence in business grows. While more companies have started grasping the true value of email, more brands realize how crucial maintaining the quality of email lists is. Those that don’t have a strategy to verify customer email addresses won’t ever be able to maximize all of the benefits email marketing offers. ZeroBounce allows you to clean your email list in bulk and in real time. Using both of these email verification methods together will eliminate email data decay and keep your email database in great shape. Want to check 100 email addresses for free? Start a ZeroBounce account. If you have any questions, ZeroBounce offers 24/7 ongoing technical and customer support. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. ZeroBounce is an award-winning email verification and deliverability platform helping 200,000+ customers land more emails in the inbox. The service removes email typos, nonexistent and abuse email accounts, spam traps and other risky email addresses. ZeroBounce’s email deliverability toolkit further supports the safe inbox delivery of transactional and marketing emails. The company operates a military-grade security infrastructure. ZeroBounce has validated more than 18 billion emails. Some of the companies it serves are Amazon, Disney, Netflix, LinkedIn, and Sephora. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Brian Minick support@zerobounce.net Company Website https://www.zerobounce.net/

March 08, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

Epazz’s ZenaDrone Subsidiary Gains Traction With the U.S. Military, Closing In On First Government Contracts

Epazz, Inc.

The use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has become increasingly important for the U.S. military in recent years. These advanced technologies offer a range of benefits that make them invaluable in modern warfare. Drones provide a safer alternative to traditional manned aircraft, allowing for operations in dangerous or remote areas without risking the lives of pilots. They also offer enhanced surveillance capabilities, allowing military personnel to monitor enemy movements and gather intelligence without the need for ground troops. Additionally, drones can be equipped with various weapons systems, allowing them to engage targets with precision and accuracy from a safe distance. As such, drones and UAVs have become a critical component of the U.S. military's arsenal, and their use is likely to continue to expand in the future. One company that is working closely with the U.S. military to expand drone technologies and capabilities is Epazz, Inc. (OTC Pink: EPAZ) and its ZenaDrone subsidiary. How Much is the U.S. Military Spending On Drones & What Is The Growth Outlook For UAVs? For the fiscal year 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) set aside $8.2 billion for the research, development, testing, and evaluation of unmanned systems and robotic technologies. This represents an increase of roughly $700 million in funding for drones compared to the fiscal 2021 budget. The annual DoD budget for UAVs has been increasing over the past several years. For context, the U.S. DoD allocated $7.5 billion to these specialized technologies during the fiscal year 2018. Another factor driving the U.S.’s growth in drone and military spending is heavily influenced by China’s increased military output. In March 2023, China announced it increased defense spending by 7.1% in 2022 to 1.45 trillion yuan. For 2023, China has already announced an additional 7.2% spending increase to a new annual total of 1.56 trillion yuan. China has also been cozying up to Middle East nations looking to bolster their armed drone fleets. In fact, China and Saudi Arabia began working together in 2022 to develop military drones that have communications, flight control, camera, radar, and wireless detection capabilities. According to Markets N Research, the global autonomous drone market was valued at $15.5 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach a valuation of $56.5 billion by 2030. This represents a very impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.30% between 2023 and 2030. The market research firm notes that the growth estimate is being driven by the projected rise of UAVs across a wide range of applications, including national security, government operations, and commercial uses. Given the tremendous growth in the autonomous drone market coupled with an early-stage arms race between the U.S. and China, spending and demand for the latest and greatest drone technologies will likely continue to see meaningful growth through the rest of the decade at least. Introducing Epazz and ZenaDrone Epazz is an Illinois-based provider of mission-critical drone technology, blockchain mobile apps, and cloud-based business software solutions. The company trades on the OTC Markets board under the symbol "EPAZ." For this article, we will be focusing on Epazz’s ZenaDrone subsidiary. ZenaDrone provides multifunctional UAV s integrated with machine learning systems, multispectral sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Using its camera capture feature, ZenaDrone can create an interactive 3D environment that can be manipulated and simulated through the use of predictive AI analytics, also known as predictive modeling. This means that the interactive 3D environment can combine acquired data with predictive analytics to forecast future outcomes. The ZenaDrone 1000's portable size is fitted with foldable carbon fiber propellers for quicker speed and steadfast hovering in the air. Its body is enveloped and reinforced with durable carbon fiber wrap to resist humidity, heat, moisture, and other atmospheric impacts on the drone's integrity. The ZenaDrone 1000 is an intelligent smart drone for commercial, industrial, and agricultural use. It is integrated with machine learning software and artificial intelligence for precise navigation. Autofitted with detachable hardware components, it is customizable to meet unique business and industrial needs. While the military application of ZenaDrone is the initial focus of Epazz, the UAV systems have a wide application use across numerous industries including farming & agriculture, environmental monitoring, power line & utility inspection, oil & gas, mining, construction, livestock management, and many more. ZenaDrone: Recent News & Developments Since the start of 2023, Epazz and ZenaDrone have seen very meaningful updates in their mission to secure the companies’ first government contract for the ZenaDrone 1000 UAV. Over the past three months, ZenaDrone has been awarded a utility patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its predictive AI smart charging pad for its ZenaDrone 1000. Furthermore, Epazz and ZenaDrone have been invited by the U.S. Air Force to visit a California airbase to demonstrate and showcase the ZenaDrone 1000 model. In addition, the companies are working on securing Phase 1 SBIR and access to the BlueUAS program. Here is a deeper breakdown of Epazz and ZenaDrone’s recent accomplishments: March 2023: 7 th: Epazz Holdings is proud to announce the receipt of their newly issued utility patent from the US Patent Office - an AI predictive smart charging pad specifically designed for the ZenaDrone 1000. This marks their second patent granted for ZenaDrone technology, with two additional patents currently being reviewed. The ZenaDrone team plans to utilize predictive AI analytics to further enhance its AI technology and expand its global impact across a multitude of industries. The Drone Smart Charging Pad is expected to be priced at less than $15,000, which is very competitive compared to the other drone charging options available on the market today. Many competitor options have charging pads for drones weighing less than 55 pounds with a price tag between $4,000 and $15,000. The smart charging bad has a built-in computer vision feature that allows it to understand its surrounding environment and select the best location for charging. The charging pad also has options for solar panels or wind power, which gives the ability to charge in remote locations. 1 st: The US Air Force has cordially invited ZenaDrone to display its revolutionary ZenaDrone 1000 at a California air base on the 16th and 17th of March - marking the first time a military base has interacted with drone technology. With an eye on US government contracts, the company has already applied for Phase 1 SBIR contracts and is actively seeking out additional partnerships for Phase 2. In addition, they have applied to the US government's BlueUAS program, which encourages the use of Made-in-America drones. ZenaDrone is making sure to leave no stone unturned as it strives to make its mark in the industry! February 2023: 27 th: Epazz recently submitted Phase 1 SBIR proposals for ZenaDrone, an innovative provider of multifunctional unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with machine learning systems, multispectral sensors, and AI technology. As the US government strives to meet its need for non-Chinese drones, they have initiated the BlueUAS program to acquire American-made drones. Currently, ZenaDrone is in the process of applying for the BlueUAS program - a list that is still growing. ZenaDrone estimates to hear back within 90 days from the government regarding its Phase 1 SBIR proposal. Once Phase 1 has been approved, ZenaDrone will be able to submit proposals up to $75,000. The company says it will then begin the steps to move up to Phase 2 SBIR, which increases the contract amount to up to $1.2 million per proposal. CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D., said, “We are taking multiple pathways to becoming a government contractor of drones. It is a major opportunity for us, as Chinese drones are banned by the US government. It has opened up major demands for our drones.” 14th: Epazz has revealed that their subsidiary, ZenaDrone, will be presenting demonstrations of their drone technology to U.S. government agencies. These demonstration flights will provide an opportunity to show how the drone performs in specialized settings, following the success of ZenaDrone's appearances at various industry expos and conferences in 2022. These events led to the booking of these all-important flight demos. Overall, Epazz and its ZenaDrone subsidiary are in a very great position to benefit from the forecasted growth and demand for autonomous drones and other UAV technologies. The U.S. military seems to be increasingly interested in testing out ZenaDrone and its capabilities, as seen with its recent invite from the U.S. Air Force to come to showcase its technology at a California airbase. This represents a major opportunity for the company to get first-person feedback from military personnel on the ZenaDrone 1000. The road to its first government contract continues to gain steam after filing the Phase 1 SBIR proposal in late February 2023. This means ZenaDrone could get a response from the government around late May 2023 regarding the Phase 1 SBIR proposal. Management has already stated their interest in expanding to Phase 2 SBIR upon approval of Phase 1, as it will allow for total proposal amounts to increase from $75,000 to $1.2 million per contract. In the end, Epazz’s initial focus on the military application for its drone business could serve as a great foundation and proof-of-concept for the company to go out and build out the ZenaDrone business in countless other applicable industries. Epazz and ZenaDrone appear to be setting up for a strong future. The Post “ Epazz’s (OTC Pink: EPAZ) ZenaDrone Subsidiary Gains Traction With the U.S. Military, Closing In On First Government Contracts ” First Appeared On Spotlight Growth. Disclaimer: Spotlight Growth is compensated, either directly or via a third party, to provide investor relations services for its clients. Spotlight Growth creates exposure for companies through a customized marketing strategy, including design of promotional material, the drafting and editing of press releases and media placement. All information on featured companies is provided by the companies profiled, or is available from public sources. Spotlight Growth and its employees are not a Registered Investment Advisor, Broker Dealer or a member of any association for other research providers in any jurisdiction whatsoever and we are not qualified to give financial advice. The information contained herein is based on external sources that Spotlight Growth believes to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. 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The above communication, the attachments and external Internet links provided are intended for informational purposes only and are not to be interpreted by the recipient as a solicitation to participate in securities offerings. Investments referenced may not be suitable for all investors and may not be permissible in certain jurisdictions. Spotlight Growth and its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees may have bought or sold or may buy or sell shares in the companies discussed herein, which may be acquired prior, during or after the publication of these marketing materials. Spotlight Growth, its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees may sell the stock of said companies at any time and may profit in the event those shares rise in value. For more information on our disclosures, please visit: https://spotlightgrowth.com/disclosures/ Contact Details Spotlight Growth info@spotlightgrowth.com

March 08, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

New Study Confirms PayMedix Significantly Increases Net Cash Yield from Commercial Revenue for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers

HPS|PayMedix

MILWAUKEE, March 8, 2023 – At a time when 41% of U.S. adults have some form of healthcare debt, Health Payment Systems, Inc. (HPS) |PayMedix announced its PayMedix healthcare financing solution increases cash yield for healthcare organizations by as much as 9.5%, based on analysis reviewed by the Validation Institute. The savings encompass a healthcare organization’s total commercial allowed revenue, including both insurance and consumer out-of-pocket balances due. Providers do not re-negotiate pay or contracts or re-tool their existing revenue cycle processes. Instead, providers simply agree to participate with PayMedix and receive guaranteed payment. For a hospital with $200 million in commercial revenue, the PayMedix savings would yield $16 million in additional annual cash. Validation Institute is an independent, third-party organization dedicated to improving the quality and cost of healthcare. The review affirms that PayMedix’s ROI calculator produces a reasonable estimate of a healthcare provider’s savings using the PayMedix platform for commercially insured payments. By guaranteeing prompt full payment to healthcare providers and offering patients manageable repayment plans for all allowed in-network costs, regardless of their ability to pay, PayMedix reduces bad debt and increases net cash yield for providers. It eliminates financial risk for providers, as PayMedix assumes full responsibility for collecting patient balances. “Validation Institute’s review confirms the financial impact of PayMedix’s ability to reinvent and simplify the way healthcare payments are made,” said Tom Policelli, CEO of PayMedix. “Soaring out-of-pocket costs have become a $491 billion problem for the healthcare industry, with providers spending more to collect less. Providers no longer need to chase consumers after services are provided or demand payment before delivering care. By paying providers in full, we drastically reduce bad debt and collection costs. This allows providers to focus on what really matters—providing quality care to all patients.” In addition to increasing net cash yield, the PayMedix solution also increases patient access to needed healthcare services. Some patients today delay or avoid care due to cost concerns, and that can negatively impact overall healthcare outcomes and costs. PayMedix fixes that problem and thus increases health equity by guaranteeing payment to all providers for all participating consumers – regardless of their individual credit ratings. Measuring the additional revenue and cash that could be generated by this increase in patient access to services was outside the scope of the Validation Institute study. Any such gains would increase the value of PayMedix to health systems and provider organizations. The Validation Institute review simply certifies that the hard-dollar savings shown in the PayMedix ROI calculator reasonably estimate the savings to providers. PayMedix stands behind these estimates by making full, non-recourse payments to providers based on the model. Validation Institute’s review of PayMedix’s ROI calculator is also backed by the organization’s Credibility Guarantee. Validation Institute offers customers of the PayMedix solution up to $10,000 guarantee for its claims-based validation. This guarantee confirms that PayMedix will achieve what the validation language says it will achieve. “PayMedix is solving a critical financial challenge for healthcare providers by increasing their net cash yield and reducing their bad debt,” said Benny DiCecca, CEO of the Validation Institute. “We congratulate PayMedix for its pioneering work in changing the way people access, use, and pay for healthcare.” About Validation Institute Validation Institute is an independent, objective, third party organization on a mission to improve the quality and cost of healthcare. Based in Woburn, MA the organization is made up of a network of health benefits purchasers, health benefits advisors, and healthcare solution providers focused on delivering better health value and stronger outcomes than conventional healthcare. www.validationinstitute.com About PayMedix PayMedix, which began as the financing arm of Wisconsin-based HPS over a decade ago, is the only company solving the problem of high out-of-pocket costs for everyone: providers, patients, employers and TPAs. By guaranteeing payments to providers and credit for all patients, PayMedix is changing the way people access, use, and pay for healthcare. PayMedix has processed more than $5 billion in medical payments for hospital systems and physician practices and can be implemented in conjunction with any PPO or HMO network. About HPS Health Payment Systems (HPS) is a privately held healthcare technology and services organization with solutions that reduce the cost and complexity of the healthcare payments process to benefit providers, employers, patients and TPAs. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, HPS has an independent network of 96 hospital facilities and 27,000 individual providers. Contact Details Brodeur Partners Kaitlynn Cooney +1 609-351-5944 kcooney@brodeur.com Company Website https://paymedix.com

March 08, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Omnichat unveils AI Chatbot integrated with ChatGPT, empowering chat commerce in multiple messaging platforms

Omnichat Limited

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 8 March 2023 - Omnichat as a leading omni-channel chat commerce solution provider, launches "Omni AI" - a new chatbot integrated with ChatGPT 3.5. The integration has created seamless communications with artificial intelligence across multiple messaging platforms covering WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, LINE. Leveraging the most advanced AI language model, Omni AI serves as a digital assistant of retailers to handle customers' enquiry, recommend products as well as facilitate marketing campaign planning with automated customer support, marketing and sales service. Omnichat launches AI Chatbot integrated with ChatGPT, applying in WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram & LINE with automated customer service, marketing and sales. Achieving 300% Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growth in the past three consecutive years, Omnichat empowers 5,000+ companies around the globe including OSIM, Timberland, Logitech, Sa Sa, Venchi, Eu Yan Sang, etc. In 2022, the company helped retailers generate US$600 million in Gross Merchandise Value, which was a 230% YoY growth. Daily active social messenger users through Omnichat reached 23 million and the conversion rate facilitated by Omnichat was 500% higher than the average of eShop. The incorporation of ChatGPT into Omnichat's all-in-one messaging platform marks a significant development in transforming customer engagement through AI-powered chatbots. "With its conversational capabilities, Omni AI is more capable to understand the preference of customers and facilitate retailers to generate higher conversions across multiple messaging platforms," Alan Chan, Founder & CEO of Omnichat remarked. "Combing with our online-merge-offline sales solution and customer journey which pair with revenue tracking across online and offline channels, we are excited to see how Omni AI can further enable retailers to drive revenue growth to the next level." With a presence in Asia Pacific, Omnichat is planning to expand to global markets within this year. The team grows 5 times from 2022 to over 100 staff now. The company is looking for the next round of funding. "With the power of OpenAI's ChatGPT technology, we aim to develop the first US$10 billion SaaS company in Asia in future," Alan said. For more information or request a trial of Omni AI, please visit https://blog.omnichat.ai/chatgpt-202303/ About Omnichat: Founded in 2017, Omnichat is an omni-channel chat commerce solution provider that centralises customers' conversations from WhatsApp Business Platform, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, LINE, WeChat and website live chat into a single platform to enhance efficiency. Leveraging online-merge-offline(OMO) sales integration, marketing automation, chatbots as well as customer service platform, Omnichat is committed to empowering brands to deliver personalised shopping experience and drive smart retail transformation. Website: https://www.omnichat.ai/ WhatsApp: https://wa.me/85291925071/?text=EnquiryForChatGPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OmnichatAI LinkedIn: https://hk.linkedin.com/company/omnichat-easychat Contact Details Omnichat Limited Lily Yeung, Communications Manager +852 9803 5977 lily.yeung@omnichat.ai

March 08, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Ethernity Networks CEO has "put his money where his mouth is"

Ethernity Networks Ltd

Ethernity Networks Ltd (AIM:ENET, OTCQB:ENETF) chief executive David Levi speaks to Proactive's Thomas Warner about progress toward the networking and security software solutions company's forecasted goal of growing its revenues by 300% this year. Levi explains the reasons for his confidence, adding that he has "put his money where his mouth is" - a reference to his participation in the most recent round of fundraising. Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

March 08, 2023 08:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

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ARway Corp announces company has filed patent for digital twin technology

ARway

ARway Corporation CEO Evan Gappelberg joined Proactive's Steve Darling with the news that the company has filed a provisional utility patent for the 'System & method for generating 3D digital twins from property floorplan images for Augmented Reality systems'. Gappelberg tells Proactive that the technology transforms two-dimensional floor plans and architectural drawings into 3D digital twins that serve as an accurate reference model for remote AR content authoring. Contact Details Proactive Investors Canada +1 604-688-8158 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

March 08, 2023 07:20 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Akeneo Announces Activation for Retailers Like Amazon in Addition to New AI-powered Capabilities for its Akeneo Product Cloud Solution

Akeneo

Akeneo, the product experience company, announced at the PX World Conference, Unlock 2023, new capabilities and features for Akeneo Product Cloud, the complete solution for executing on a product experience (PX) strategy. In a world of economic uncertainty, cautious budgeting processes, and a consumer or business buyer that is both sensitive and unpredictable, the only way to future-proof your business is by investing in technology to support a deliberate product experience strategy. The new offerings in Akeneo Product Cloud help companies future-proof their go-to-market strategies by bringing compelling product experiences to life quickly across the entire customer journey. Akeneo Activation for Retail Akeneo is bringing its best-of-breed product experiences to product listing pages on retailers like Amazon, Macy’s, Zappos, Nordstrom’s and more, with the launch of Akeneo Activation for Retail, which connects rich product information from Akeneo PIM to product pages on these retail channels. Brands and manufacturers will now have the ability to deliver consistent product experiences on these channels while easily customizing product information to align with shopper expectations and channel requirements. In uncertain economic times, the ability to optimize all of your routes to market or move quickly into new ones will rapidly become a competitive advantage and Akeneo Activation for Retail is designed to facilitate that optionality. “At Havaianas, when it comes to retailers like Amazon, we’re laser-focused on conversion. We know that some shoppers may come to Amazon to browse, but we also know that they mainly want to purchase quickly, pay a fair price, and get the product delivered fast,” said Francois Silvain, Digital CTO, Havaianas International. “We need to ensure our products are findable and once found, the listing must be perfect with all the information that a consumer needs in order to convert. We need to have up-to-date, high-quality product information automatically feeding our Amazon listings. Having a product experience strategy that is mapped to this end goal is a fundamental must-have step and we have Akeneo Activation for Retail to power that for Amazon as well as our other key retailers.” New Time-to-Market Insights Getting your enriched products listed faster in any destination is a competitive advantage and that is why Akeneo is introducing new operational analytics for Akeneo Product Cloud that identify opportunities to streamline the product data enrichment process in Akeneo PIM and bring products to market faster. This new analytics functionality provides additional actionable insights into the product enrichment process as well as industry benchmarking to pinpoint where and how your business can improve. Faster times to market result in getting on the shelf before the competition and ultimately increased sales. New AI Capabilities for Akeneo PIM The cornerstone of Akeneo Product Cloud, Akeneo PIM launched AI-driven data cleansing to support faster time-to-market by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the cleansing, deduplication and categorization of product data as it is imported into Akeneo PIM. New Apps in the Akeneo App Store Akeneo is expanding the breadth of apps available in the Akeneo App Store to help customers more easily access and use product data, including the addition of multiple apps that leverage AI capabilities like ChatGPT and a new bespoke app capability to address unique customer use cases. Akeneo is pushing the boundaries of a traditional SaaS offering and following the example set by best-in-class SaaS providers like Microsoft and Salesforce by introducing Custom Apps that are designed to meet the specific need of an individual Akeneo customer. These SaaS native apps allow developers and integrators to alleviate the expense and time necessary to build and maintain custom integrations by leveraging tools provided through the Akeneo App Store. Custom Apps provide a flexible solution to easily create an app to address almost any unique customer need. For example, a Custom App could leverage Google Vision AI to detect errors in product information and make suggestions to improve data quality. Custom Apps can also be used to create business process workflows that save hours of manual effort; for example, leveraging an in-store scanner to scan clothing and accessory SKUs to create a “look” while automatically generating associations in Akeneo PIM to bundle these products together. “Akeneo is proud to enable DIY innovation for our customers and developer partners with the launch of Custom Apps,” said Nico Dupont, Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Akeneo. “To extend the value of Akeneo’s SaaS platform, Custom Apps provide the flexibility to package and release apps to address any specific customer use case in a secure, scalable, way.” Akeneo is also announcing the addition of 11 new apps in the Akeneo App Store, including: Akeneo App for Shopify which allows customers to easily connect Akeneo PIM with their Shopify stores. Digital Asset Management (DAM) apps such as the new TESSA Akeneo App by EIKONA Media, Filerobot Akeneo App by Scaleflex and Akeneo Image CDN by TwicPics, which will allow Akeneo customers to seamlessly access digital assets within Akeneo PIM and foster cross-platform collaboration between teams working in an external DAM and teams working in Akeneo PIM. Translation apps such as Powerling x Akeneo App, and DeepL App by Induxx streamline workflows to make it easier for businesses to deliver localized content. New AI-based apps ChatGPT Bee App by Dataggo and RoughDraftPro AI leverage ChatGPT to speed content enrichment, while Contentwise Catalog Builder App also leverages AI capabilities to generate product attributes and text. A new catalog classification app, Calago ETIM App, creates a catalog structure in Akeneo PIM based on ETIM classifications, the international standard for technical products. In addition to the new innovative apps in the App Store, Akeneo has launched a new self-service application development program that delivers a guided experience, including sample apps with code examples in multiple languages to help Akeneo partners develop new apps easier and faster. In short, the App Store of the Akeneo Product Cloud offering allows customers to innovate with a click of a button, which is essential in future-proofing your business in uncertain times. “Every new piece of functionality that we design is done so with an eye toward empowering product experience decision-makers and practitioners to showcase their products wherever their customers are in their buying journey,” said Fred de Gombert, CEO and co-founder of Akeneo. “Consumers and business buyers need more and better information about products in order to purchase and to be satisfied with the purchase. Putting a product experience (PX) practice in place, led at the c-suite level, and providing the PX team with a product cloud to execute on that strategy is the only way to truly future-proof your business.” Akeneo is announcing these updates at Akeneo Unlock 2023, the annual global summit for product experience leaders and practitioners, taking place on March 8-9 in Paris. To learn more, please visit: https://unlock.akeneo.com/2023-Paris About Akeneo Akeneo brings a complete and composable SaaS-based solution for managing, orchestrating, activating, and optimizing the entire product record in order to drive compelling and consistent product experiences supporting any route-to-market and the entire customer lifecycle. With its open platform, a leading PIM for product data and asset management, and extensive connected ecosystem with Akeneo App Store, Akeneo Product Cloud empowers commerce businesses to deliver world-class product experiences that unlock growth. Leading global brands, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, including BASF Group, Canon USA, Chico’s FAS and Forever 21 trust Akeneo to scale and customize their omnichannel commerce initiatives. Using Akeneo Product Cloud, companies can activate product experiences in any channel, therefore driving improved customer experiences, increased sales, reduced returns, faster time to market, and increased team productivity. Contact Details Akeneo North 6th Agency for Akeneo akeneo@n6a.com Company Website https://www.akeneo.com

March 08, 2023 04:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

BioMADE Receives $450M Budget Increase from The Department of Defense

BioMADE

BioMADE, the Bioindustrial Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), announces an increase in its federal funds budget ceiling from an initial $87.5 million to over $500 million. “BioMADE launched in 2021, and momentum for bioindustrial manufacturing has only increased,” said Dr. Douglas Friedman, BioMADE Chief Executive Officer. “This budget increase is representative of national interest in the power and promise that biomanufacturing holds for America’s future.” Bioindustrial manufacturing can create new products and a domestic supply of current products by harnessing the power of biology. This capability strengthens the domestic supply chain, creates new opportunities for American farmers and rural communities, generates well-paying manufacturing job opportunities across the country, and expands manufacturing options to the defense industrial base. “This budget increase and planned investment is a direct reflection of the Department’s strategy to accelerate technologies that will play critical roles in securing America’s advanced manufacturing capabilities. BioMADE’s ability to support the needs of the Nation’s nascent bioeconomy illustrates the value of the DoD’s nine MIIs and their public-private partnership model,” said Stephen Luckowski, the DoD MII Program Director. “BioMADE’s research and development is already yielding significant progress in biomanufactured proteins, chemicals, fabrics, rubber, and more,” added Friedman. “Now is the time to capitalize on this momentum and keep moving forward with increased investments. The Department of Defense’s leadership in raising the contract ceiling will enable vastly expanded federal partnerships that will advance technology and build talent in the biomanufacturing ecosystem.” “This ceiling increase demonstrates the importance of bioindustrial manufacturing to the Department of Defense,” said Dr. Angela Campo, BioMADE Government Program Manager. “BioMADE’s research and engagement with industry is creating a reliable pipeline of bio-based chemicals and materials for defense purposes and growing the industry at large.” Since BioMADE’s launch in 2021, over $75M has been invested across nearly 40 projects around the country. These projects are creating new biomanufactured products, designing state-of-the-art equipment, accelerating technology commercialization, advancing defense capabilities, and training the needed workforce. By driving toward marketable biomanufactured products and bio-based materials, BioMADE and its members are playing a key role in catalyzing the domestic bioeconomy. Biomanufacturing will impact all sectors of the economy and society; making the U.S. more self-sufficient and sophisticated in manufacturing by diversifying and securing America’s chemical and materials supply chain. About BioMADE BioMADE is securing America’s future through biomanufacturing innovation, education, and collaboration. By harnessing the power of biology, BioMADE and its 175+ member organizations are strengthening American competitiveness and creating a more robust and resilient supply chain. BioMADE is also building a diverse and globally competitive STEM workforce to ensure the workforce is prepared and ready to fill new jobs. BioMADE is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and overseen by DoD Manufacturing Technology Program. Learn more by visiting biomade.org. About USD(R&E) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E) is the Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Defense. The USD(R&E) champions research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the United States military’s technological advantage. Learn more at https://www.cto.mil/, follow us on Twitter @DoDCTO, or visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ousdre/. ### Contact Details BioMADE Christine Lee, Communications Manager clee@biomade.org Company Website https://www.biomade.org/

March 07, 2023 05:12 PM Eastern Standard Time