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iTradeNetwork Welcomes Bianca Buckridee as Vice President, Product Marketing

iTradeNetwork

iTradeNetwork, the global provider of supply chain management solutions for the food and beverage industry, announced Bianca Buckridee as its new vice president of product marketing. Prior to joining iTradeNetwork, Buckridee worked for Blue Yonder, BMC Software, The Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and SunTrust Banks in progressively responsible customer service operations and product marketing roles. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Southeastern University. In this role, Buckridee will be responsible for building and scaling the product marketing function, especially how teams interface with product positioning and messaging. She plans to embed storytelling into iTradeNetwork’s “DNA” to share diverse and meaningful perspectives. “Product marketing is vital to enabling sales and accelerating adoption,” explained Buckridee. “We are the connective tissue across the organization. We have an incredibly strong mission here at iTradeNetwork and I hope to give a voice to all of our users across their journey with us.” ABOUT ITRADENETWORK iTradeNetwork, Inc. is the leading global provider of supply chain management solutions for the food and beverage industry, with more than 8,000 active customers. Suppliers and resellers connect on iTradeNetwork’s technology platform to create active partnerships and easily transact. The platform also provides one-stop-shopping for freight, food traceability, fresh inspection and supply chain compliance, which creates efficiencies for buyers and sellers alike. For more information, visit: www.itradenetwork.com. Media please note: Visual assets, photos and interviews are available by contacting Robin Carr at (415) 971-3991or itn@landispr.com. ### Contact Details Landis Communications Inc. Robin Carr +1 415-971-3991 itn@landispr.com Company Website https://www.itradenetwork.com/

June 30, 2021 09:27 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) Announces 60% Reduction in Call Rates as Part of Extended Agreement with GTL

GTL

GTL, a trusted partner that connects those affected by incarceration with the resources and support necessary to achieve success, today announced that individuals incarcerated at Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) will pay significantly lower rates for phone calls as part of a new contract. Going into effect July 1, the new contract has the potential to last for 10 years and will: Reduce phone call rates by 60%, allowing for more frequent communication between incarcerated individuals and their family and friends. Provide every new incarcerated adult entering ODRC with 60 free minutes of phone time at intake to communicate with family and friends. Continue the free calling program that was initiated during the pandemic. Significantly reduce transaction fees. In addition to the rate and transaction fee savings, ODRC will also deploy the latest version of the GTL tablet for all incarcerated adults in its facilities at no charge. These new tablets include nearly 200 apps which incarcerated adults can use at their leisure. This deployment will occur in late 2021 or early 2022. “Family engagement and communication between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones help to significantly increase the rate of future success and significantly decrease the rate of recidivism, and that is why we decided to lower the costs shouldered by families and friends,” said Annette Chambers-Smith, Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. “We are also focusing on providing more resources to assist incarcerated individuals in realizing their potential through the deployment of tablet services focused on programming, communication, and entertainment.” The cost reductions were negotiated to encourage incarcerated individuals to connect more frequently with loved ones. Such communication serves as a vital source of positive support, and studies have shown that successful reentry is tied to more frequent contact with family and friends. “We have been a partner with ODRC since 2005, and we are excited to continue working together,” said Jon Walker, GTL Executive Vice President, Business Development. “The technology and resources that we provide can transform incarceration into a rehabilitative experience for the individuals at ODRC. Providing positive content through tablets will go a long way in boosting morale and increasing the focus on a life after release.” ### About GTL For over 30 years, GTL has worked side-by-side with correctional facilities and government agencies to provide imperative technology solutions to over 1.2 million incarcerated individuals across the globe. These solutions facilitate meaningful connections, provide educational opportunities, enable successful reentry, and strengthen operational efficiency. GTL is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with an employee presence throughout North America and was recognized as a 2021 Top Workplace USA by Energage. To learn more about GTL, please visit www.gtl.net, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Contact Details GTL Stephanie Putt +1 814-414-4113 media@gtl.net Company Website http://www.gtl.net/

June 30, 2021 11:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

DoorDash and Albertsons Partner for On-Demand Delivery

YourUpdateTV

DoorDash, the nation’s leading last-mile logistics platform and Albertsons, one of the nation’s top grocers, announced a national partnership to offer on-demand grocery delivery across nearly 2,000 of their banner brand stores nationwide through DoorDash including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Acme and more. Consumers can now order groceries and essentials on-demand for delivery within an hour through DoorDash's top-rated marketplace with no time slot, queues or minimum order size required. Albertsons will offer more than 40,000 grocery items from stores for delivery via DoorDash, including fresh and prepared food, core grocery, floral and convenience items at select stores. Whether shopping for a week's worth of groceries, including dairy, eggs, bread, local produce, fresh meat and seafood, or grabbing a few fresh ingredients for the perfect weeknight meal, consumers can shop right on the DoorDash app to fulfill all of their grocery needs conveniently, quickly and affordably. All Albertsons stores are also available on DashPass, DoorDash’s membership service that offers members unlimited $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees from thousands of restaurants, grocery, and convenience stores nationwide. DashPass members can enjoy these benefits on all eligible orders of $25 or more from Albertsons. Download the DoorDash app to your mobile device or visit DoorDash.com to get started. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 30, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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New Plugin updates from BEE give its SaaS Customers a more powerful content creation builder

BEE

BEE, a business unit of Growens and premier digital content design platform, has released a set of product updates to its embeddable visual builder for SaaS companies (BEE Plugin) furthering BEE’s mission of content design democratization. In 2020, BEE released several product updates for the Plugin including: Landing Page builder: users can build both emails and pages, with the same user experience Custom add-ons: Development teams can build their own content blocks into the editor Commenting: Users can provide content block-specific comments Co-editing: Allows for Google Docs-style real-time collaboration Advanced permissions: Gives Product teams complete freedom in showing & hiding features and UI elements to different end users Over the course of 2021, BEE has continued to enhance its Plugin product, most recently releasing updates for: Mobile Design Mode: which saves lots of time by allowing content design directly in mobile view, a game-changer for mobile-first campaigns. Improved text editor: which makes it easier and faster to work with text within an email or a page, including when copying & pasting from other apps In the coming months, BEE will unveil a new digital content type to add to the portfolio that sets the stage for an All-in-One offering of content builders for SaaS. BEE Plugin is embedded in over 600 SaaS applications who have customer communication and ecommerce as part of their core offerings. While the spectrum is broad, many of these customers fall into the category of email sending platforms, CRM platforms as well as Marketing Automation platforms. Customers like Iterable, BlueShift, Customer.io, and Samba.ai have chosen BEE Plugin as their digital content builder because of the ease of integration into their application tech stack and the benefits that come with BEE’s focus on continued feature development. These are features that each customer chooses when to make available to their end user. The features are powerful and speak for themselves, but the value of buying a third party product like Plugin instead of developing one like it is the golden nugget. The logic is clear - you can integrate Plugin under 30 days for a fraction of the time and cost it would take to build in-house, which is roughly 18-24 months and a $1.5-2.5M price tag. "There were around 4.4 million sessions of our visual builder across hundreds of SaaS applications last month, which is truly exciting," said Massimo, CEO of BEE. "As the need for designing high-conversion, mobile-ready emails and pages grows bigger across industries and across roles within an organization, we are thrilled to help companies not have to worry about that piece of the equation. For example, we have many SaaS applications in the talent acquisition & engagement industry as customers: is email & page design their core? No. Do they need a great tool for that? Yes. So it’s a clear win-win: they can double-down on their core value, and we grow fast by filling a need they would otherwise struggle to address." BEE leans heavily into its vision to democratize content design through no-code tools that empower users to quickly create content that resonates. BEE Plugin is the conduit that offers its SaaS customers the ability to pass this vision on to their customer base. About BEE: BEE provides no-code design tools that empower everyone to quickly create content that resonates. BEE’s visual builders are used to design emails, landing pages, one-page sites, and more. They deliver fantastic design flexibility and a great user experience, combining granular control on design elements with handy features like editing content directly in mobile view. BEE is building on its vision to help democratize content design, with millions of monthly users in over 20 languages and from over 150 countries. BEE’s design tools are available online at beefree.io and embedded in 600+ SaaS applications. Contact Details Angelina Kaliszak angelina@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://beefree.io/

June 30, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

GTL Reports Record Breaking Growth as the Market Leader of Intelligence-Based Solutions and Services

GTL

GTL, a trusted partner that connects those affected by incarceration with the resources and support necessary to achieve success, today announced significant growth within its Fusion Services offering. GTL Fusion Services is comprised of four fundamental pillars of service: criminal intelligence, digital forensics, security monitoring, and training/consultation. By combining a customized blend of people, technology, and data, GTL assists government agencies in the identification and mitigation of illicit activity, as well as asset and/or financial recovery. GTL Fusion analysts leverage cutting edge artificial intelligence and data mining technology to methodically mine agency disparate data sets, turning otherwise unmeaningful raw data into financial and even life-saving actionable intelligence. Over the last year, GTL’s analysts produced over 7,200 intelligence reports related to unemployment fraud, assault and other criminal activity, and forensic device processing. These reports resulted in multiple criminal and administrative actions by law enforcement and correctional partners. GTL’s strategic focus on quality of actionable intelligence rather than the quantity of sifted data has served both GTL and its customers well over the past several years. Over the last year, GTL experienced an exceptional 100% growth in Fusion Services. “You know you and your analysts are doing it the right way when you see not just growth in new accounts, those who heard the message and believe it, but you see an equal growth in expansion of customers who are already utilizing the service and want more,” said Mitch Volkart, GTL Vice President, Intelligence Solutions. “Those are the true evidence-based results reflecting on a service that makes a real difference.” It does not take long for facilities to see what GTL and its Fusion Services team can do for them. “As newer recipients of the FUSION service, we couldn’t be more pleased with the value GTL’s analysts bring to the table,” said Warden Dana Metzger, Delaware Department of Corrections. “The skill, ability, and commitment of GTL’s analysts complement our own efforts to ensure a safe environment for facility staff and offenders.” GTL’s intelligence analysts assist in monitoring and searching across multiple channels for activity that indicates misconduct both inside and outside a facility’s walls, then present it to investigative teams for further escalation. “GTL Fusion Services can either fill an agency gap or supplement existing agency resources,” continued Mr. Volkart. “There is much to be said for GTL’s methodical and strategic approach to providing a formal and professional service. It is the right blend of company investment, belief, and support in promoting safety through identifying and mitigating criminal activity, as well as the expertise and commitment of our intelligence analysts. Much of the credit goes to them, their skillset, their dedication, and their commitment to perform at a high level day in and day out to bring actionable intelligence to our customers.” ### About GTL For over 30 years, GTL has worked side-by-side with correctional facilities and government agencies to provide imperative technology solutions to over 1.2 million incarcerated individuals across the globe. These solutions facilitate meaningful connections, provide educational opportunities, enable successful reentry, and strengthen operational efficiency. GTL is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with an employee presence throughout North America and was recognized as a 2021 Top Workplace USA by Energage. To learn more about GTL, please visit www.gtl.net, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Contact Details GTL Stephanie Putt +1 814-414-4113 media@gtl.net Company Website http://www.gtl.net/

June 29, 2021 09:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time

STEAM Brand Osmo Participates in Ace Presents the Kerry Wood Celebrity Golf Invitational Benefiting Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago; Makes Product Donation to Hospital

Osmo

Award-winning STEAM brand Osmo participated in the June 28 Ace Presents the Kerry Wood Celebrity Golf Invitational, where its charitable arm, Osmo Cares, gifted its bestselling Creative Kit for iPad to over 200 celebrity golfers and Lurie Children’s Hospital patients’ families. In addition, Osmo Cares gifted 48 Creative Kits for iPad directly to the hospital, for their patients to enjoy. The Celebrity Golf Invitational, which takes place at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, is a key fundraising event for Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, raising over $1 million on a single day. This year’s event included high-profile celebrity golfers Kerry Wood, Mark Rypien, Ryan Dempster, Jim McMahon, Toni Kukoc, and many others. ( images ) “We love events that support important organizations that provide life-saving medical services and treatments for children,” says Karen O’Dell, Osmo Director of PR and Osmo Cares. “By providing gifts to participants at this celebrity golf invitational as well as kits to Lurie Children’s Hospital, we hope to bring smiles and joy to many Chicago-area children and families, and provide healthy screen time that inspires kids’ appetite to explore STEAM learning.” Osmo’s combined donations are valued at approximately $18,500. “The Ace team is proud to partner with the award-winning STEAM brand Osmo to raise money for Lurie Children’s hospital in Chicago. Working together with great companies like Osmo to help sick kids and their families is the bedrock of what the Ace Foundation is all about,” stated Kane Calamari, President of the Ace Foundation. Says Susan Ruohonen, EdD, Senior Director of Family Services at Lurie Children’s Hospital, “Through this generous donation, so many children and their families will have this unique opportunity to explore STEAM learning and be inspired through curiosity, creativity and innovation. Thank you for providing this avenue of discovery and imagination for our patients and their families at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.” Osmo’s Creative Kit for iPad, used at home and in classrooms across the U.S., features award-winning games that inspire learning, drawing, creativity, and more. It contains the Osmo Base for iPad, Creative Board, 4 erasable markers, a fuzzy eraser pouch, stackable storage for each game, and three best-selling game apps (Monster, Newton, Masterpiece). Osmo Cares Since 2016, Osmo Cares has made over $600,000 (USD) in product donations to nonprofit and charitable organizations in the U.S., and established over 50 partnerships with family service and autism awareness organizations. Osmo was named one of Time Magazine’s 25 Best Inventions in 2014; and its Osmo Learning System received the 2021 EdTech Digest Award in the “Curriculum and Instruction Solution” category. In 2018, Osmo received a Best AI-based Solution for Education Award for its proprietary reflective AI technology. About the Ace Hardware Foundation As the official charitable division of Ace Hardware Corporation, the Ace Hardware Foundation helps enhance the vision of being the “Helpful Place” in local communities across the country and around the globe through charitable giving. The Ace Foundation provides support and philanthropic opportunities to its consumers, retail store owners, vendors and team members to give back to local communities through fundraising efforts for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Ace Hardware has been a national partner for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for the last 30 years, raising over $140 million during that time. For more information, visit acehardware.com or newsroom.acehardware.com. About Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is ranked as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. It is the pediatric training ground for Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Last year, the hospital served more than 220,000 children from 48 states and 49 countries. About Osmo Osmo is an award-winning STEAM brand whose products are used in over 50,000 classrooms and 2.5 million homes. It is building a universe of hands-on play experiences that nourish the minds of children by unleashing the power of imagination. The company brings physical tools into the digital world through augmented reality and its proprietary reflective artificial intelligence. Founded in 2013 by ex-Google engineers Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, the Osmo Play System fuses digital gameplay and physical interaction to create fun and nutritious play experiences designed for all kids. Osmo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Learn more at playosmo.com. For information about its educational division, Osmo for Schools, visit schools.playosmo.com. Contact Details Carolyn Kamii +1 310-251-0550 carolynkpr@gmail.com Company Website http://www.playosmo.com

June 29, 2021 04:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Crow Creek Tribal School Teacher to Team with OfficialToken for Cryptocurrency Student Donation

OfficialToken

When Catherine Schmidt was searching for something she could use to demonstrate her appreciation for her students as well as providing a learning experience in finances, the Social Studies teacher did not turn to the stock exchange or other traditional teaching tools to motivate and educate her students. Instead, she set her focus on cryptocurrency. “To be honest, these kids are probably going to live in a world where crypto is more mainstream,” said Ms. Schmidt. “A lot of my students are very interested in crypto. They follow it on social media. They’ll ask me, 'Hey Ms. Schmidt, how do you become a solidity developer?' 'I had no idea what they were talking about. I had to do some research and I started to look into this during the pandemic and it was there, sometime in May, I discovered OfficialToken on Reddit’s Crypto Moonshots. Their (Official Token) platform intrigued me so I joined their community.” The Crow Creek Tribal School, which is located on the Hunkpati Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, is made up of grades K through 12. For Schmidt, her love for her students and her motivation to give something back was the driving force behind her outreach to OfficialToken, a San Diego, Calif.-based cryptocurrency community whose mission is to create a thriving ecosystem for investors, while maintaining transparency and its goal of community charity. “I wanted to buy some tokens and donate to my kids so they can monitor their investment throughout the 2021/22 school year. They know all about this through social media which will add to the learning experience. It seemed like the perfect match for what I was trying to accomplish,” Schmidt said, noting that 36 students will be participating. In all, she has donated 1 million Official Tokens to her students, which will be used during the curriculum. OfficialToken Community Leader Eric Dennis said this is exactly how OfficialToken is supposed to function. “Our primary mission is education and charity work. What Kate is doing, lends itself to what our goals and aspirations are. However, we realized that Kate’s initial investment needed some help so we decided to provide further support with an additional 10 billion Official Tokens for each of the 36 students, which is a total donation of 360 billion tokens,” Dennis said. Ms. Schmidt has already set up accounts for her students, which includes a trust wallet, which holds the tokens. A trust wallet is where an investor can send, receive and store cryptocurrencies. While Ms. Schmidt wanted the crypto investment to be a surprise for her students when they returned in the fall, she soon found that they were already one step ahead of her. “What’s funny is we were decorating for prom and I noticed that OfficialToken spiked and I screamed, ‘Oh wow.’ One of the students asked, what wow?’ After explaining to them why she was excited, the cat was out of the bag and before she knew it, they all knew of the surprise. “In all honesty, this could be life-changing for some of these kids. I just want to prepare them for the world. “Maybe it’s their generation. But they’re all in.” As is Rozee Drapeau, one of Ms. Schmidt’s students. “I think it’s awesome. She believes in us when no one does. She puts her time and becomes another ‘iná’ (Iná means mother in Dakota). About OfficialToken OfficialToken is a community-driven, socially responsible and transparent cryptocurrency token that provides a robust platform for users. We also offer a free Crypto School and 24/7 support. We are doing live-streaming educational and interactive Videos with our New spokesperson Marjie Von Jexxy! Podcasts feature a focus on Charity organization spotlights, Crypto news, Tips and Updates. Get some Free Crypto! OfficialToken is on the lookout for new team members on our Telegram channel. We offer free Crypto Airdrops, giveaways and competitions to reward our very loyal community members and helpers! We are also here to help if you have any problems: Go to https://t.me/OfficialToken for 24/7 Live support. (This is an almost unheard-of feature in this space!) Through local, national and global Charitable Donations and our Free Crypto education platforms - We are producing a positive impact in the World and in the Defi Crypto space. Contact Details The Hoyt Organization Erik Hamilton +1 310-373-0103 ehamilton@hoytorg.com

June 28, 2021 09:57 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Infinix Unveils 160W Seriously Fast Charging Concept Smartphone

Infinix

SHANGHAI, CHINA - Media OutReach - 28 June 2021 - Infinix today announced its first concept smartphone that pushes the boundaries of innovative technologies and creative aesthetics to drive the future of smartphone designs forward. The Infinix Concept Phone 2021 combines the first dual color-changing back cover and 160W fast charging technology, enhanced with 50W wireless charging, security protection mechanisms and new temperature control capabilities. Infinix is developing the next generation of accessible device features that consumers want, setting the tone for a new wave of commercially available smartphones. “While many emerging features in the market today are expensive and unobtainable for the everyday consumer, Infinix is committed to offering consumers innovation at an attainable price,” shares Jessy Zhang, Senior R&D Manager of Infinix Mobility. “Creating valuable technology is the driving force behind the Concept Phone 2021. With Infinix being one of the most popular smart device providers among young people in emerging markets, our smartphones redefine productivity and efficiency and are a gateway to the future of digital life.” Infinix will continue to develop and refine the technology showcased in the Concept Phone, so it can be implemented in future Infinix devices. Groundbreaking Innovations The stunning Infinix Concept Phone 2021 combines electrochromic and electroluminescent technology to create the industry’s first dual color-changing back cover, using light as the medium and electric field as the process. When there is an incoming call, the back of the smartphone changes between silver gray and light blue. When charging, it will change color and flash in the middle of the device. The concept phone uses ultra-thin, energy-saving and transparent solid electrochromic film (SECF) combined with an electroluminescence (EL) film. Infinix’s EL light emitting film opens the door for future developments with color changing smartphones that have never been seen before. Seriously Fast Charging Speeds To achieve 160W fast charging and 50W of wireless charging, Infinix integrates its Ultra Flash Charge (UFC) technology, Innovative Super Charge Pump, 60 security protection mechanisms and an 8C battery cell that enable the smartphone’s 4000mAh battery to be fully and safely charged in 10 minutes. The Innovative Super Charge Pump is integrated with four high conversion charging chips that support high power conversion. This enables the smartphone to reach 98.6% charging conversion efficiency while avoiding overloading and overheating caused by large currents. Using 20 temperature sensors and intelligent control algorithms, The Infinix Concept Phone 2021 cleverly monitors the temperature while charging and adjusts the charging power to keep the smartphone under 40 °C/104°F. Infinix also collaborated with the world’s leading battery manufacturers to develop a new 8C battery cell that reduces more than 18% of internal resistance in comparison with a 6C battery and produces less heat. Additionally, the added security protection is triggered during abnormal scenarios – such as high temperature, increased voltage, electromagnetic interference and more – to ensure the safety of the smartphone’s system. The Screen of Screens The Infinix Concept Phone 2021 improves the 6.67” AM-OLED display with the addition of an 88° limit radian that forms a perfect surface using 3D glass. Users are able to capture eye catching photographs with the phones’ intuitive AI-powered triple lens module comprising 64MP main lens, 120° ultra-wide angle lens and a telephoto lens that can achieve up to 60x digital zoom. The smartphone is also equipped with a 32MP front-facing camera for visually appealing selfies. Other key features of the Infinix Concept Phone 2021 include: A 64-bit octa-core processor with two performance core ARM Cortex-A76 and six power-efficient core Cortex-A55 CPUs clocked at 2.05GHz and 2GHz respectively. One of the fastest GPUs, the ARM Mali-G76 MP4(-900 MHz). Memory storage of 128 GB and 8GB RAM. Android™ 11: The Android™ 11 software integrated into the Infinix Concept Phone 2021 incorporates a new power button menu, communication features and a notification history to further streamline the smartphone experience. For more details visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/ Stay tuned to social media & website updates for more information on the Infinix concept phone. About Infinix: Infinix Mobile is an emerging smartphone brand that designs, manufactures and markets an expanding portfolio of mobile devices worldwide under the Infinix brand which was founded in 2013. Targeting Generation Z, Infinix focuses on developing cutting-edge technology embodied in meticulously designed mobile devices that offer refined style, power and performance. Infinix devices are trendy, energetic, attainable & progressive with the end-user at the forefront of every step forward. With “THE FUTURE IS NOW” as its brand essence, Infinix aims to empower today’s youth to stand out from the crowd and show the world who they are & what they stand for. The company’s portfolio of products is sold in more than 40 countries around the world, covering Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Expanding at a phenomenal rate, Infinix grew an unprecedented 160% during 2018-2020 and has huge plans to continue creating premium designed flagship-level devices offering striking designs and strong value propositions. For more information, please visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/ Contact Details Infinix Skye Chen (Head of Global PR) skye.chen@infinixmobility.com Racepoint Global Contact Infinix@racepointglobal.com Company Website http://www.infinixmobility.com/

June 28, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Axiata to commercialise Open RAN for network leadership across emerging Asia

Axiata Group Berhad

First and only Open RAN commercial pilots in Sri Lanka and Malaysia First Open RAN solution commercially deployed with satellite backhaul First commercial deployment of TIP's Evenstar Split 7.2. Radio Unit (RU) architecture Network modernisation gains traction as Axiata positions for network leadership across its footprint, with the commercial deployment of 2G and 4G single RAN Open RAN matching the performance of incumbents in brown field environment. Key strategic partnerships formed with world-class network solutions providers, Mavenir, Parallel Wireless and global IT giant Infosys lead to successful Open RAN commercial pilots in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach - 28 June 2021 - Axiata Group Berhad ("Axiata" or "the Group") has embarked on an ambitious network transformation program, leveraging Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN) as a key technology for mobile networks designed to narrow the digital divide and enhance rural connectivity across Asia. Eyeing large scale commercial deployments by year end, the Group has successfully conducted Open RAN commercial field pilots in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka through strategic partnerships with leading global network solutions providers Mavenir and Parallel Wireless and supported by Infosys as systems integrator (SI). Through its strategic partnership with Mavenir, the industry's end to end network software provider, Axiata has deployed the MAVair Open vRAN solution including all G Open RAN, Packet Core and Mobile Network applications at selected sites, in Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. To simulate non-ideal backhaul conditions, especially for rural areas, the sites selected are connected with non-ideal backhaul (microwave links), and in some cases satellite, making this the first satellite backhaul powered Open vRAN sites in the world. During the testing phase, Axiata was also able to achieve the first live commercial service integration of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP)'s Evenstar 4G Radio through Mavenir's MAVair O-RAN based solution for Open RAN. Axiata is a participant of the TIP initiative in which a global community of companies and organisations are working together to accelerate the development and deployment of open, disaggregated and standards-based technology solutions that deliver high quality, low cost connectivity. Axiata's commercial pilot also encompassed a collaboration with Parallel Wireless, the US-based Open RAN company delivering all G, cloud-native Open RAN solutions. Axiata successfully demonstrated commercial deployment of 2G and 4G Open RAN connectivity within its network in Sri Lanka which is operated by Dialog Axiata. Parallel Wireless's solutions enabled 2G and 4G technology to be installed on the same radio units, with baseband deployed on a x86 commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) platform, and all other applications deployed on Axiata's OpenStack cloud infrastructure. The field trials now elevated to commercial availability, included 3-Sector, 4-Sector and 6-Sector sites, and demonstrated high quality network performance. End user experience was demonstrated to be seamless and, in some cases, superior in terms of mobile broadband experience including next generation voice services. Commercial deployment encompassed rural, sub-urban and urban environments. The paradigm shift in telco networks towards Open RAN requires system integration capabilities to bring together the ecosystem of disaggregated components using standardised open interfaces on general purpose hardware and ensuring interoperability in a carrier grade environment. Axiata was supported by Infosys in executing multi-faceted system integrations required to demonstrate the comprehensive coverage of Open RAN configuration options. Thomas Hundt, Axiata's Group Executive Vice President – Technology said, "Open RAN is the future for mobile networks, and it will be critical for 4G expansions as well as the 5G evolution that Axiata's markets will soon embrace. Aligning with our vision to become The Next Generation Digital Champion, the benefits from open networks will enable Axiata to better serve rising connectivity needs across the region, especially in rural and underserved areas, whilst ensuring sustainable value creation for our stakeholders." "Together with our partners Mavenir, Parallel Networks and Infosys, and in line with the global connectivity push under the Telecom Infrastructure Project, Axiata is committed towards embracing fully automated infrastructure to boost the open networks ecosystem in Asia. Our successful trials in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia prove that Open RAN solutions enable greater operational and cost efficiencies using advanced technologies, whilst also meeting the needs of our digital inclusion efforts across the region. We look forward to taking the next step towards commercialization in our pursuit of catalyzing game-changing advancements across emerging Asia," he said. Pardeep Kohli, Mavenir President and CEO said, "Mavenir is delighted to work with Axiata on their radio network transformation initiative and to achieve excellent results in the live everyday environment, proving the extreme flexibility of Open vRAN. The collaboration will transform existing networks into a dynamic, agile and cloud-native based platform where Mavenir and Axiata will build the Networks of the Future." Keith Johnson, President of Parallel Wireless said, "We are honored to partner with Axiata, replacing their incumbent vendors equipment with our leading-edge Open RAN Solution to enable 2G and 4G broadband services in Sri Lanka and other Axiata subsidiaries. We are thrilled that the trials are successful, and we look forward to the commercial deployments in 2021." Anand Swaminathan, EVP & Global Industry Leader, Communications, Media & Technology Infosys said, "Open RAN is transforming the wireless architecture and is enabling Telecom operators to be more competitive and innovative, while providing them flexibility in RAN component suppliers' ecosystem. The successful completion of the field trial on live network was a major milestone for accelerating the scaled deployment of virtual and Open RAN networks. Infosys is excited to be the SI partner to Axiata in this transformational journey and is committed to stand together to achieve many more milestones in the near future." About Axiata As one of the leading telecommunications groups in Asia in pursuit of its vision to be The Next Generation Digital Champion by 2024, Axiata has transformed itself from a holding entity with a portfolio of pure-play mobile assets into a Triple Core Strategy driven business focusing on Digital Telco, Digital Businesses and Infrastructure. Within ASEAN and South Asia, the Group has controlling stakes in market-leading mobile and fixed operators in the region including 'Celcom' in Malaysia, 'XL' in Indonesia, 'Dialog' in Sri Lanka, 'Robi' in Bangladesh, 'Smart' in Cambodia and 'Ncell' in Nepal. Axiata is actively spearheading efforts to transform its mobile-centric operations into digital converged companies. Axiata Digital, the digital services arm of Axiata is focused on two digital business verticals namely Digital Financial Services ('Boost', 'Aspirasi') and Digital Analytics & AI ('ADA'). 'edotco', the Group's infrastructure company, operates in eight countries to deliver telecommunications infrastructure services, amassing approximately 32,800 towers. Presently the 16th largest independent tower companies globally, it aims to be one of the top regional telecommunications tower companies and is committed to responsible and sustainable business operations. As a committed and long-term investor, and in line with its sustainability goals, the Group actively supports and drives young talent development; disaster response and recovery; as well as green initiatives. Axiata's broader goal of Advancing Asia aims to piece together the best in the region in terms of innovation, connectivity and talent. #Axiata Contact Details Axiata Group Berhad Anuja Ravendran +60 12-238 0581 anuja@axiata.com

June 27, 2021 10:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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