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Unlock Venture Partners Showcases Portfolio in the Metaverse

UnlockVP

Unlock Venture Partners, which recently announced Fund II, has unveiled Unlockverse – a new way to experience a venture fund portfolio… in the Metaverse. Unlock is a long-time believer that digital environments will continually progress and move towards parity with real life transforming work, play, and commerce, especially along certain vectors such as visual fidelity and user experience. Hence, it is no surprise that the fund has been following and investing in Metaverse and Web3 related companies, such as DRESSX, Irreverent Labs, Pixel Canvas and Real Simple Labs, for a few years. Venture funds have typically listed their portfolio companies with a hyperlink. When Unlock invested in Pixel Canvas and saw its browser based, photo realistic, 3D, immersive and interactive environments for enterprises, they decided to use the solution to reimagine the way their portfolio could be presented to the outside world. Unlockverse allows you to navigate around a large venture studio where each of the Unlock portfolio companies has its own space whereby a visitor can learn about it. Outer, a leading outdoor furniture brand, has a company overview presentation, videos, and pictures of its products, that one can access when one first enters its space in Unlockverse. Once inside the space, there are models of its couches where a visitor can change the swatches. Shortly, these spaces will resemble an Outer neighborhood showroom where a user can manipulate 3D models of the couches and then activate a chat function to initiate a live video interaction with an in-house salesperson. Unlock Venture Partners has a space where they envision holding live events such as AMAs and demo days. Visitors can easily teleport between spaces to specific companies to explore Unlockverse at their own pace. “This is a great way for us to provide a more tangible and immersive environment in which potential investors, partners, customers and the outside world can learn about our companies and us as a fund,” said Sanjay Reddy, Unlock’s partner based in Los Angeles. “Text is great. Images and videos are great. However, interacting with, and learning about, companies in a manner closer to the way one would in real life is what we believe the Metaverse will afford our industry, and this is an initial version of what we envision the future in this medium to be.” Pixel Canvas, an Unlock Venture Partners Fund II portfolio company based in Los Angeles, has roots in VR and digital events. The company’s solutions represent a blend of high-end visual aesthetics, gamification and user engagement focused on the enterprise. “Venture funds are just one example. There is tremendous demand among investors, businesses, and consumers for immersive virtual platform opportunities. We believe every business will eventually operate in the Metaverse.” said Andy Liu, Unlock’s partner in Seattle. “Come and visit Unlockverse and help us progress and refine new ways in which to interact with each other.” About Unlock Venture Partners: Unlock Venture Partners was co-founded by Andy Liu, Sanjay Reddy, and Raazi Imam. They have invested in more than 37 Seattle and Los Angeles-based startups including Possible Finance, Outer, Dolly, Downstream, Pixel Canvas, Fight Camp, UNest, DRESSX and Crowd Cow. Unlock is a premier early-stage fund infusing capital into two high-potential, relatively underserved markets. About Pixel Canvas: Pixel Canvas is the Enterprise Metaverse company. The company has a browser based, 3D, interactive platform that has helped major brands address the new reality of digital interactivity with a superior product. Pixel Canvas leverages a gaming background and high visual fidelity 3D design experience to offer environments in the Metaverse. Contact Details Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrestc@owenmedia.com Company Website https://unlockvp.com/

March 29, 2022 08:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Fintech Effectiv raises $4m from Accel for fraud and risk management platform

Effectiv

Fintech startup Effectiv has today announced a $4 million seed funding round, led by Accel with participation from REV (funded by RELX) and other industry leaders. Effectiv offers a next-generation, no-code risk management platform for mid-sized banks, credit unions, fintechs and financial institutions. With cutting-edge AI and an intuitive user interface, Effectiv's solutions enable rapid adaptation to new trends and aim to significantly reduce the cost to manage fraud and risk. Banking and financial institutions have rapidly digitized all their channels, especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, fraudulent activity has kept pace too, with fraud losses pegged at $19b in 2020. Additionally, newer offerings like buy-now-pay-later and peer-to-peer lending have gained significant momentum, adding additional complexity to fraud and risk patterns. In this rapidly evolving world, static strategies can’t safeguard for long. Effectiv's founding team were all early team members at Simility, an enterprise fraud prevention company that was acquired by PayPal in 2018. At Simility and PayPal they had worked on building solutions for organizations like US Bank, Discover, Synchrony and millions of PayPal merchants. The team, with over four decades of combined experience building fraud and risk mitigation systems, started working on Effectiv after they realized that technologies they have been building so far were often out of reach to smaller financial institutions. “Dialogues with industry experts from banks, credit unions, combined with our team’s decades of experience in this space, helped us validate the gap that we saw in the market,” says Ravi Sandepudi, co-founder and CEO of Effectiv. “Cutting-edge technologies that drive Effectiv have so far been prohibitively expensive and were designed for and by large organizations. Effectiv aims to change that and truly democratize AI-driven risk management, making it accessible to any financial institution. Every organization, regardless of size, should have access to best in class safety measures to protect their members and customers.” Ritesh Arora, Co-founder and President at Effectiv, added: “We are building a platform that is designed from the ground up to be extremely easy to integrate and implement. Effectiv comes integrated with best in class data services and our proprietary AI decides when to optimally use (and pay for) a data signal. Our goal is to help teams manage their risk strategies without relying on developers.” “As the world is on a digitization spree, we know that challenging times are ahead for financial institutions. We see tremendous value in Effectiv’s innovative approach to fraud and risk management. Their powerful yet rapidly adaptable AI platform could be the key to identifying these changing trends. We are looking forward to working with the Effectiv team in making these world class solutions accessible to every financial institution.” says Dinesh Katiyar, Partner at Accel “We were attracted to the pedigree of Effectiv’s founding team and their decades of experience tackling fraud at some of the world’s largest organizations. As one of the earliest investors at Palantir and with an affiliation to LexisNexis, we are passionate about fraud and risk mitigation and we see Effectiv spearheading a dramatic evolution in this space.” says Kevin Brown, Founder Partner at REV. Effectiv intends to use the funds for technology development, growing the team in the US, and marketing. Effectiv onboarded its first customer in June 2021 and have already processed over $1 billion in loan volume. After a successful closed beta, the platform is now live and the team is actively onboarding new customers. The company has also brought on board industry veterans Bob Stock as an advisor and Mike Persichini as Head of Sales to kick start their growth in the US. About Effectiv Founded in 2021 by Anupam Tarsauliya, Jonathan Doering, Ravi Sandepudi and Ritesh Arora, Effectiv is a next-gen risk management SaaS platform with solutions designed for mid-sized banks, credit unions and fintechs. The founding team has over four decades of combined experience in fighting fraud and building machine learning products at companies like Google, PayPal, Samsung, WalmartLabs, and Hitachi. About Accel Accel is a global venture capital firm operating out of Silicon Valley, London, and Bangalore. Accel works with startups in seed, early, and growth-stage investments. About REV REV is a global venture capital partnership. REV is backed by one of the world’s largest content, technology and analytics companies, RELX PLC (owner of LexisNexis). Contact Details Effectiv Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://effectiv.ai/

March 29, 2022 10:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Comcast Expands Digital Equity Efforts: Installs Comcast Lift Zone at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, Olathe Unit

Comcast Greater Kansas City

As part of its ongoing commitment to help connect low-income families and individuals to the Internet so they can fully participate in the digital economy, Comcast today announced the Olathe Unit of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City is now a high-speed Internet enabled Lift Zone. Lift Zones provide free WiFi access in community centers and complement Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, which since 2011 has helped connect more than 10 million low-income Americans to the Internet at home, with more than 20,000 in Kansas and Missouri, including Olathe. The grand opening celebration of Comcast’s first Lift Zone in Olathe, located at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, Olathe Unit, will be on Tuesday, March 29 at 4:30 p.m. at 520 S. Harrison St. With this opening, there are now three active Lift Zones in the Greater Kansas City Area—two in Independence at the Boys & Girls Clubs and this new addition at the Olathe Unit. Dignitaries attending the event are Dr. Dred Scott, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, LeEtta Felter, Olathe City Council and School Board Member, and Brent McCune, Chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, Olathe Unit Advisory Board. “I would like to express my gratitude to the team at Comcast,” remarked Dr. Dred Scott, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City. “Adding the Lift Zones to the Olathe Unit to help our Club members access the Internet is huge. During the pandemic many of our youth were forced to learn from home without having the technology, hardware and infrastructure to support that learning. I want to thank each and every member of the Comcast team that made the Lift Zone initiatives possible within our Clubs. It means so much because of the connection they have with the Club. This relationship and this partnership are much more than a transactional experience.” "Having WiFi at the Lift Zone in the Olathe Unit is great because I can get my homework done right after school,” remarked 5 th Grade Olathe Lift Zone Club Member, Aleria H. “When my homework is completed, it allows me to have more free time when I get home. I’m so glad the Club has WiFi!" “Our partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City is part of our work striving to advance digital equity in communities across the Greater Kansas City area,” said Nicole Jacobson, Director, Technical Operations, Comcast. “Opening the Lift Zone at their facility in Olathe allows us to support students and their families and provide them with the high-speed broadband they need to stay connected.” For more information about Internet Essentials, Lift Zones and Comcast’s commitment to education and digital equity, please visit https://corporate.comcast.com/education. Families and households can apply for the Internet Essentials program at www.internetessentials.com or by phone at 1-855-846-8376 for English or 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Jayne Siemens +1 816-289-1109 Jsiemens@vencomm.com Company Website https://corporate.comcast.com/

March 29, 2022 08:00 AM Central Daylight Time

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Industrial Defender and GrayMatter Team Up to Equip Energy and Water Companies with Holistic Cybersecurity Defenses

Industrial Defender

Industrial Defender, the leader in operational technology (OT) security and GrayMatter, the top digital transformation services firm for industrial companies, announced today that they are teaming up to offer comprehensive cybersecurity solutions for critical infrastructure. Industrial organizations seek out GrayMatter to assess their OT cybersecurity needs and curate the best technologies available, and the Industrial Defender platform is now an essential part of their technology offerings. GrayMatter's deep experience in the manufacturing, utility and water/wastewater industries complements Industrial Defender's focus on providing the foundational cybersecurity controls that protect critical infrastructure. Industrial Defender and GrayMatter follow a five-part approach to strengthening cybersecurity based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), and they both understand that operational technology environments demand unique cybersecurity solutions. “Partnering with GrayMatter is a huge win for critical infrastructure companies,” said Jim Crowley, CEO of Industrial Defender, “GrayMatter’s deep market knowledge and digital transformation expertise, combined with our cutting-edge OT data collection and normalization software provides them with the people, process and technology to build the strongest cybersecurity defenses possible.” "We're excited to partner with Industrial Defender," says GrayMatter Co-Founder and CEO James Gillespie, "Like us, they've been helping companies strengthen their OT cybersecurity for years, and they specialize in energy, water/wastewater and other critical industries that have made it a priority to stay ahead of new vulnerabilities and regulations." The Industrial Defender platform empowers organizations to turn cybersecurity data into action by safely collecting, monitoring, and managing OT endpoint and network data at scale. With just a few clicks, Industrial Defender also provides the necessary data to measure a security program against many different standards, including the NIST CSF. To learn more about this partnership, contact Industrial Defender at www.industrialdefender.com or GrayMatter at www.graymattersystems.com. About Industrial Defender Since 2006, Industrial Defender has been solving the challenge of safely collecting, monitoring, and managing OT asset data at scale, while providing cross-functional teams with a unified view of security. Their specialized solution is tailored to complex industrial control system environments by engineers with decades of hands-on OT experience. Easy integrations into the broader security and enterprise ecosystem empower IT teams with the same visibility, access, and situational awareness that they’re accustomed to on corporate networks. Learn more at www.industrialdefender.com. About GrayMatter GrayMatter’s goal is to transform operations and empower people. Since 1991, we have been helping some of the biggest industrial organizations in the world harness data so they can work smarter. They lean on us to secure their critical systems and connect their industrial assets to their teams so that every operator is empowered to be the best operator. GrayMatter has been on the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies list for six consecutive years and has grown to provide Advanced Industrial Analytics, OT Cybersecurity, Digital Transformation and Automation & Control services to clients in CPG, energy, food & beverage, manufacturing and water/wastewater industries across the U.S. and Canada. Learn more at graymattersystems.com. Contact Details Industrial Defender Erin Anderson +1 617-675-4206 eanderson@industrialdefender.com Company Website https://www.industrialdefender.com

March 29, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CSG Forte Joins Forces with Velosimo, Creates Seamless No-Code Integrations for Govtech Agencies

CSG

ALLEN, Mar. 29, 2022 – CSG Forte, a CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) company and the leader in complete and customizable digital payments, today announced a strategic partnership with Velosimo, the only provider of no-code, cloud-native, technology connectors. This partnership enables government agencies to easily connect and augment their technology stacks with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software vendors via a single processing partner. "The ongoing pandemic has escalated the need for governments to provide contactless services, and in turn is driving the need for governments to offer complete payment services online for citizens and work-from-home employees," said Kris Trujillo, CEO, Velosimo. "It's phenomenal to add CSG Forte’s industry leading digital payments solutions and expertise in secure online transactions to the Velosimo portfolio. The combination of Velosimo’s revolutionary no-code, off-the-shelf connectors with CSG Forte delivers a connected experience for government agencies that increases efficiencies, improves service, and lowers costs through rapid and reliable interoperability of software systems.” With CSG Forte's award-winning payment gateway and Velosimo's no-code integrations, government agencies can now: Offer citizens secure ACH (automated clearing house), electronic check and credit and debit card payments online and on-site at government agencies Maintain no-hassle reconciliation, payment troubleshooting, service and convenience fees Reduce costs by eliminating manual, error-prone reconciliation and lower credit card provider fees “Velosimo’s technology is second to none and seamlessly connects critical govtech software applications better than anyone in the market,” said Jeff Kump, head of payments, CSG Forte. “A major pain point for government agencies is having multiple ACH and credit card processors. By connecting front-end and back-end govtech software vendors to a single integrated solution, CSG Forte and Velosimo's partnership eliminates the challenges of balancing, reconciling and automating processes for govtech agencies allowing them to create experiences that exceed industry standards.” Learn more about CSG Forte’s innovative, secure payment solutions that help businesses and government agencies reduce transaction costs, mitigate risk, and increase efficiencies. About Velosimo Velosimo provides cloud-native, off-the-shelf, and no-code integration connectors explicitly built for government and the distinct scenarios of inner-system use by staff and citizens, with connector management and deep insight into all connected systems transactions on the Velosimo Connect integration platform as a service (iPaaS). Velosimo also provides a revolutionary, low-code environment for rapid custom connector development by Government Technology Companies, System Integrators, and government agencies. The Velosimo Marketplace showcases the burgeoning collection of quickly-enabled, off-the-shelf, certified integration connectors from Velosimo and their partners. Government agencies are turning to Velosimo as their escalated move towards online, touchless service drives the need for predictable systems interoperability and modern, uninterrupted user experiences. About CSG Forte CSG Forte, a CSG company, delivers scalable digital payments for smarter and faster business growth. Our world-class, award-winning technology offers a unified end-to-end payments platform that easily adapts to changing needs and empowers companies to transform their payments operations into a competitive business strategy. With CSG Forte, companies can process omnichannel payments and offer agnostic payment acceptance, shifting payments from a line-item expense to a profit center. CSG Forte manages billions of payments annually for over 81,000 merchants across government, telecom, insurance and other industries. For 40 years, CSG’s technologies and people have helped some of the world’s most recognizable brands solve their toughest business challenges and evolve to meet the demands of today’s digital economy with future-ready solutions that drive exceptional customer experiences. Our solutions deliver real world outcomes to more than 900 customers in over 120 countries. To learn more, visit www.forte.net and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2022 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts: Jordy Spitale CSG +1 (504) 615-8820 Jordy.Spitale@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations +1 (210) 687-4409 John.Rea@csgi.com Contact Details Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

March 29, 2022 06:35 AM Mountain Daylight Time

Precision Computer Services Wins Negligence Lawsuit Against Newtown Savings Bank

Precision Computer Services

Technology firm Precision Computer Services, Inc. recently won summary judgment in its negligence lawsuit against Newtown Savings Bank. In 2017, the bank failed to identify a fraudulent wire transfer order, and bank employees sent $67,560 from Precision’s account to a bank in Hungary. Despite this failure, the bank refused to reimburse Precision for the unauthorized withdrawal. In 2017, the bank received an email from an individual pretending to be Precision president Michael FitzSimons. The email was sent from an email account with a similar but fraudulent domain name, a tactic known as “spoofing.” The email requested that funds be sent urgently to a bank in Hungary. Precision had never previously wired funds to Hungary nor did it have any payment history or business relationship with the recipient of the funds. The original lawsuit contended that the bank did not follow guidance concerning fraudulent spoofing schemes that was distributed in 2016 by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the United States Department of Treasury. In its ruling, the district court noted that the bank failed to comply with reasonable commercial standards of fair dealing when it did not require multi-factor authentication of the wire transfer order, stating that “multifactor authentication is the lodestar of reasonableness in wire transfer transactions.” The judgment stated the bank “did not call FitzSimons to confirm that the payment originated from him, require FitzSimons to answer security questions, require the provision of identifying word or numbers, or the use of a passcode.” The bank failed to authenticate the payment order and failed to have the fraudster who purported to be FitzSimons prove his identity. “For nearly five years, Newtown Savings Bank’s leadership did not reimburse our company for the fraudulent wire transfer that it failed to authenticate,” said FitzSimons. “I’m deeply saddened that I put my trust in the leadership of my hometown bank that, in the end, failed to protect one of its longtime customers.” For more than 33 years, Precision Computer Services, Inc. has strategically partnered with technology providers to bring top-tier IT products and industry-leading innovations to the marketplace. More information is available at precisiongroup.com. The judgment is available here and at www.LawsuitPressRelease.com. Further information on the case is available at www.NSBLAWSUIT.com. Contact Details LawsuitPressRelease.com John P. David +1 888-859-6637 john@lawsuitpressrelease.com Company Website https://precisiongroup.com/

March 29, 2022 08:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time

American Solar Accelerates Path to Energy Independence for North Carolina Homeowners

American Solar

American Solar today announced its expansion into Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington, and Greensboro, North Carolina to help the state expedite the growth of its residential solar installations. American Solar aims to add approximately 5 megawatts (MW) of installed solar capacity, generating enough power for more than 600 residential homes in 2022. The company’s 2023 goal is to add roughly 8.5MW of installed solar capacity for more than 1000 new residential solar installations in North Carolina. American Solar’s proprietary Module Digital Enterprise (MDE) framework has allowed the company to quickly capture market share and demonstrate a growth rate of 150 percent quarter-over-quarter for the last four consecutive quarters. At this pace, American Solar can break into the top five solar companies by volume of homeowners transitioning to solar in North Carolina in its first year of operations in the state and the top two after its second year. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), North Carolina is ranked fourth in installed solar capacity nationwide, and more than seven percent of the state's electricity generation comes from utility-scale solar, compared to just over two percent nationally. However, less than three percent of residential households have moved to rooftop solar even as the state’s electricity rates are approved to rise by more than five percent this year alone. “American Solar’s customers can achieve monthly payment stability and save tens of thousands of dollars. We can also help customers reduce their dependency on utility electricity, advancing North Carolina’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2050,” said American Solar CEO Meir Yaniv, “These combined benefits allow homeowners to secure their energy independence and protect themselves against future rate increases.” American Solar’s expansion in North Carolina will help exponentially accelerate the pace of the state’s residential solar energy installations. This anticipated market growth in North Carolina is enabled directly by American Solar’s proprietary Modular Digital Enterprise (MDE) framework. The innovative MDE framework is a robust, scalable and fully-remote technological platform, enabling American Solar to effectively and quickly extend its reach to homeowners interested in making the switch to solar energy. In addition, the MDE framework has allowed American Solar to streamline the process of going green, making solar power accessible to more homeowners than ever before. About American Solar American Solar is committed to achieving one goal – covering America with solar to achieve net-zero emissions targets at an accelerated pace. The company’s Modular Digital Enterprise™ (MDE™) framework employs innovative management tools and advanced data-based technology to expedite and simplify the way homeowners purchase solar panels. American Solar’s mission is to heal the planet while helping Americans become energy independent, free of utility monopolies, and accumulate a substantial and exponential amount of savings, year after year. The quickly growing company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Please visit https://www.americansolar.com for more information. Contact Details Rainier Communications Jenna Beaucage +1 508-340-6851 jbeaucage@rainierco.com Company Website https://www.americansolar.com

March 29, 2022 08:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

edatanetworks Inc. Granted USPTO Patent Utilizing Micro-Donations to Support Communities in Crisis

edatanetworks Inc.

edatanetworks Inc. announced the approval of patent 17/073,310 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This USPTO patent 17/073,310 extends patent 10,846,731 creating a unique Rescue, Relieve, Recover (RRR) portfolio of intellectual property that redirects merchant micro-donations to support relief efforts in times of crisis or emergency. The unique differentiator of RRR is its ability to define campaigns that redirect merchant micro-donations to support immediate disaster relief in a giving ecosystem utilizing rich transactional data. The RRR patents relate to the utilization of tokenized transaction data with a comprehensive, high-tech digital capability creating actionable insights, key analytics, and intelligent decisions. This drives predictive capabilities from transaction data enabling the direction of merchant driven micro-donations for relief organizations. “Rescue, Relieve, Recover is a community assistance program that seamlessly redirects merchant micro-donations towards crisis relief regionally, nationally, and globally, providing support when the need is critical. RRR donations are generated through everyday transactions at merchants within a consumer's local market, and through transactions at merchants outside their local market, nationally and globally making a measurable impact that matters." stated Terry Tietzen, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of edatanetworks. About edatanetworks edatanetworks Inc. (edata), edatanetworks.com, a privately held intellectual property company established in 2001, has worked with many organizations and conducted multiple live market deployments creating patented philanthropic innovations utilizing existing technological and financial infrastructures—connecting consumers, local merchants, charitable and community organizations, digital media groups, communications companies, search providers, social networks, banks, payment networks, trusted intermediaries and other financial services organizations. Contact Details Keill & Company, Inc. Catherine Keill +1 780-690-5283 Company Website https://www.edatanetworks.com

March 29, 2022 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Omnichannel Engagement Is Becoming a Centerpiece of Customer Experience Strategy for Many Organizations, According to Dash Research

Dash Network

Although brands have been transforming their customer experience (CX) models over the last several years, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated many organizations’ plans for deploying omnichannel engagement strategies, according to a new report from Dash Research. An omnichannel strategy is a cross-channel strategy that gives a seamless and integrated experience to users across multiple channels. Unlike multichannel strategies, where each channel is managed individually, omnichannel engagement strategies streamline all customer touchpoints under a single platform, with a consistent and continuous experience for the user. “To enable omnichannel engagement, companies must remove data silos and capture and analyze customer interactions at scale,” says principal analyst Keith Kirkpatrick. “With these insights, organizations can uncover pain points, concerns, or challenges, and take action to improve omnichannel CX and drive increased customer retention and loyalty.” Kirkpatrick adds that there are five key market drivers for the growth of omnichannel engagement strategies: Poor levels of customer support A growing shift to digital interactions Changing demographics of customers The COVID-19 impact on sales, service, and support CX as a competitive differentiator Like any technology or approach, however, there are technical and operational barriers to complete market adoption. Dash Research’s analysis indicates that the most notable barriers to adopting and incorporating an omnichannel engagement strategy within the enterprise are: Technical challenges with implementing disparate software and workflow processes A lack of an agreed-upon and supported omnichannel vision Training and personnel issues Privacy issues Dash Research’s report, “Omnichannel Customer Engagement”, examines the market issues, drivers, and barriers for the use of platforms, software applications, and services that enable the deployment of omnichannel engagement strategies for CX. Several case studies illustrating the various ways omnichannel engagement is being used by end users are included in the report, along with best practices, software selection criteria, and recommendations for deploying omnichannel engagement strategies. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website. About Dash Research Dash Research, the market intelligence arm of Dash Network, provides in-depth research and insights on the worldwide CX market including a comprehensive assessment of technology solutions, business issues, market drivers, and end-user dynamics across industry sectors. Dash Research’s global market coverage combines qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to provide a complete view of emerging business opportunities surrounding contact center technologies, customer data & analytics, customer data platforms, customer insights & feedback, customer relationship management, personalization & optimization, and employee experience. For more information, visit www.dashresearch.com or call +1.720.603.1700. Dash Network is an independent, integrated B2B research, events, and digital media platform focused on best business practices and technology solutions for the global Customer Experience (CX) market. The company provides a unique, CX-focused, full-service content and marketing solution, designed to enable industry participants’ strategic planning and go-to-market initiatives, while simultaneously extending the market reach of corporate brands and product messaging to a global audience of CX practitioners. For more information, visit www.dashnetwork.com or call +1.720.603.1700. Contact Details Clint Wheelock +1 720-603-1700 press@dashnetwork.com Company Website http://www.dashnetwork.com

March 29, 2022 05:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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