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SofySense: World’s First Mobile App Testing with AI and No-Code Automation Integrated

Sofy

Today, Sofy, a testing platform for software developers which accelerates product release times by 95 percent, is launching SofySense — the world’s first mobile app testing solution that integrates AI and no-code automation. SofySense enhances Sofy’s existing platform with GPT-integrated intelligent software testing AI technology. SofySense removes the burdensome, cumbersome, and mundane processes and tasks in writing test cases, freeing up testers for more strategic efforts and greatly accelerating product release times. It is also a significant step towards true self-healing software. Software developers currently spend 20 - 50 percent of their overall time on testing, figuring out the order of operations and the right tests to identify errors in code. This testing is expensive, accounting for 23 - 35 percent of overall IT spend. And while test automation generally reduces development time and associated costs, with SofySense, the benefits of automation increase exponentially. SofySense intelligently looks at the technical documentation and generates testing operations so software testers can modify them to suit their needs and focus on more impactful tasks. “SofySense is not just a mobile app testing solution, it's the future of intelligent test automation. With years in the making, SofySense builds upon the team's 20 plus years of experience and shared knowledge to integrate AI and no-code automation seamlessly,” said Syed Hamid, founder and CEO, Sofy. “Similar to how ChatGPT can generate human-like text in a matter of moments, with SofySense we’ve enabled AI technology in a useful way, helping testers author and execute tests in seconds.” SofySense leverages the power of OpenAI's large language models to provide advanced insights, analysis, and assistance for all of an organization's QA needs. This allows users to quickly identify patterns and trends in their test results and generate test cases that can be used to make informed decisions about their overall testing strategy. The integrated solution is an intelligent resource providing answers to specific test questions, giving users knowledge about their test cases and results, empowering them to test earlier and more often with greater confidence. With SofySense, organizations can streamline their testing processes while ensuring high-quality releases. It provides a modern way to quickly gather test results, augment test creations, and find answers to questions in one place. For additional information on SofySense, please see “ Introducing SofySense: AI Assistant to Speed Up Your Testing Process,” or visit the SofySense product page. Or for more information on Sofy, please visit https://sofy.ai/. About Sofy: The best way to automate is not to write automation code but rather leverage the power of AI to create resilient, no-code automation so QA teams can focus on testing. Sofy is an intelligent tool that simplifies testing and saves time, increases productivity, and shortens testing cycles. Sofy is powered by machine learning and real devices to let QA teams simplify manual, automated, and robotic testing while saving time and money. Contact Details Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrest.carman@gmail.com Company Website https://sofy.ai/

April 18, 2023 09:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

DataWeave’s New U.S. Apparel Report Analyzes 40,000+ SKUs: Pricing, Discounting, and Availability Changing in Inflationary Times

DataWeave

Stock Availability for Premium products averaged 80%—higher than for regular products Discounting rose sharply from July 2022 to January 2023 Regular prices dropped across most retailers during this period DataWeave, a leading provider of Competitive Intelligence and Digital Shelf Analytics for consumer brands and retailers globally, recently released a new report, US Apparel eCommerce: Pricing and Stock Availability Trends on the Backdrop of Inflation. The report provides a data-rich overview of the fashion and apparel market, with pricing changes, stock availability, and discounting tracked across top retailers and brands. Across more than 40,000 leading fashion apparel SKUs between July 2022 and January 2023, DataWeave analyzes price changes, discounting, and product availability across top retailers in light of post-pandemic market dynamics and an inflationary environment. DataWeave’s US Apparel eCommerce industry report 2023 looks at the impact of inflation on pricing in apparel, tracking consistent price drops across five major retailers over the past few months (with slight prices increases across two more). Analysis on pricing and availability of fashion apparel provides insight into broader trends during economic downturns or inflationary periods. “Apparel is seen as a discretionary spend, and as consumers feel the pinch of inflation, many are likely to cut down on their apparel purchases.,” said Karthik Bettadapura, CEO of DataWeave. “Amid this, our analysis identifies a trend of reducing prices across retailers and brands. This is also a sign that inventory has caught up with and overtaken demand.” The US Apparel eCommerce report analyzes product availability in the last six months, and finds that across most retailers, it has risen and leveled out during this period. It goes on to compare stock availability of premium versus regular products. The report also includes a section on the complexities of product matching in apparel and how retailers can use this to improve their competitive price positioning. “Pricing competitively is an important area of focus not only for retailers but also for brand manufacturers who sell on marketplaces,” said Krish Thyagarajan, President and COO of DataWeave. “With the price-conscious consumer market we’re experiencing, this includes keeping an eye on their online presence and benchmarking their discounting and pricing against competitors across all their products. Our US Apparel eCommerce report provides retailers and brands with a view into the current state of online apparel retail, as inflation continues to inform pricing decisions, and stock availability has rebounded after months of pandemic-driven supply chain challenges.” # # # Report Methodology To reach its findings, DataWeave tracked the data of 40,000+ leading fashion apparel SKUs to analyze stock availability and discounts. The timeline of the analysis spans July 2022 to January 2023, capturing the state of the market as the economy moved from a supply-rich post-pandemic environment to a belt-tightening inflationary one. DataWeave is a SaaS-based digital commerce analytics platform that provides competitive intelligence to retailers and digital shelf analytics to consumer brands globally. With DataWeave, retailers can make smarter pricing and merchandising decisions while consumer brands can optimize their digital shelf for KPIs like share of search, content quality, price competitiveness, and stock availability. DataWeave’s AI-powered proprietary technology aggregates and delivers actionable eCommerce insights across 500+ billion data points globally, 400,000 brands, 1,500+ websites, 20+ verticals, and 25+ languages. Learn more at DataWeave.com. Contact Details Meir Kahtan Public Relations, LLC (MKPR) Meir Kahtan +1 917-864-0800 mkahtan@rcn.com Company Website https://dataweave.com

April 18, 2023 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Inboxbooster launches with $1m funding round after fixing YCombinator’s email spam problems

Inboxbooster

Over 3.5 million legitimate emails are sent every second and yet nearly 85% will be destined for spam folders including opt-in emails and even payment notifications. Helping companies address and overcome this challenge, Inboxbooster has launched from stealth today with a $1m pre-seed funding round to help email senders get their comms into the primary inbox of their audience. The funding round includes participation from Y Combinator, and angels Francois Lagunas, Razvan Roman, Julien Lemoine and Ralph Gootee. Built on a dataset of 100 million emails, Inboxbooster detects and fixes email in spam folders. The Inboxbooster resolution test initially confirms the issue by querying spam filters to understand what is wrong with the emails and then build a step-by-step guide such as removing specific words,, changing the form of some URLs or steps to improve a poor domain reputation. The tool also analyzes the delivery infrastructure and offers solutions, this includes evaluating the reputation of the domain and the sending IP while analyzing the content of emails to flag what part of the email is triggering the spam filter. Inboxbooster builds a personalized step-by-step guide to make emails compliant with filter requirements and get it back to the primary inbox. Inboxbooster co-founder Nicolas Toper commented: “In the world of emails, spam is the equivalent of the bottom of the ocean. No one wants their email to end up in spam yet, a good number of those are ending up there and avoiding it can be more difficult than you would think. Inboxbooster accurately tells you why you're in the spam or promotion folder and what to do to move back to the inbox. “Email is the only open communication left and it’s important to preserve this and make it accessible to all. Large companies can deploy expensive consultants and remedy their issues but we are filling a significant gap in the market for others because no other solution fixes the problem in the same way and we’re redressing the competition. And this affects everyone sending emails, not marketers. For example, we fixed the payment notifications for a mortgage provider sending approval notices. This is a real and really painful issue for many”. The Inboxbooster journey began in 2017 when founder Nicolas Toper was experimenting with various opportunities with email. He connected with co-founder Marcus Engene at the Summer 2020 Y Combinator 3-month programme. Whilst testing and building their product, the founders noticed that Y Combinator's popular weekly newsletter on how to build startups was landing in spam and promotion on Gmail. Having applied their model on it, Inboxbooster moved the newsletter back to the primary inbox and improved their click rate by 35%. Inboxbooster detected the words of the email that were sending the email outside of the inbox and improved the subscriber targeting. Today, Inboxbooster already has over 3,000 users. Prior to setting up Inboxbooster, Nicolas Toper founded CritSend where he helped clients successfully send 50 billion emails. While Marcus Engene founded Pond5 - the media marketplace - which was backed by Accel and Stripe and acquired for over $200M. Nicolas Toper added: Looking ahead, we are going to make a deeper dive into how various software connected to email will work in the future and explain what and how the spam AI filter is deciding to do and why”. About Inboxbooster Founded in January 2021, InboxBooster is a deliverability platform built on a dataset of 100 million emails that detects and fixes email in spam folders. The Inboxbooster resolution process confirms the issues by querying spam filters to understand what is wrong with the emails and then diagnoses issues. Inboxbooster builds a personalized step-by-step guide to make emails compliant with filter requirements and get it back to the inbox. Inboxbooster works with email senders, email service providers, marketing platforms to solve deliverability issues across Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc. Founded by Nicolas Toper (former Critsend founder) and Marcus Engene (former Pond5 founder), Inboxbooster has over 2,000 customers including YCombinator, Zengo, and Wizbii among others. For information please visit: https://inboxbooster.com/ Contact Details Inboxbooster Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://inboxbooster.com/

April 18, 2023 07:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Executive VP & Director of Training Michael Jutt Talks Minuteman As We Celebrate 50 Years of Minuteman Press

Minuteman Press International Inc

As Minuteman Press International celebrates 50 years in business, we are continuing the celebration of our history. Michael Jutt first started with Minuteman Press as a press operator in the original Farmingdale shop in October of 1974, which was the second location that opened after Plainview. At just 19 years-old, Mike was hired by Roy Titus, and the rest is history. When Minuteman Press decided to become a franchise, Mike was promoted to Director of Training; he created the first Minuteman Press training program and became an integral part of the company’s expansion into franchising. Mike remains a huge part of our success today as Minuteman Press International’s Executive VP & Director of Training. How did you first get started with Minuteman Press and the Titus family? Mike Jutt: “I was hired in October of 1974 by Roy Titus. George Holzmacher worked for Roy already and he said I should meet with Roy about a job in Farmingdale. At the time, I was working two jobs, one being in printing, and I wanted to be an attorney. I wasn’t sure I wanted to commute to Farmingdale since I lived and worked in Merrick and was attending Nassau Community College. I went to the Farmingdale shop to meet with Roy. When he arrived, we went outside of the shop, behind the building. Roy and I spoke about what he wanted for the Farmingdale shop, as he was looking to make some changes. He asked me how much I was making. At the time, I was making $110/week at the printing job. Roy offered to match, but I explained the extra gas money and time I’d be spending on the commute. He smiled and then offered me $120/week to get started, and I accepted the offer. That’s how my time with Minuteman Press started, working in the Farmingdale shop that Bob Titus was managing. We worked very hard to get the business up and running, it was fun.” What was it like working in the Farmingdale shop when you first started? Mike Jutt: “I had worked in one other neighborhood quick print shop before Minuteman Press, and I was very impressed my first day of employment when I saw Bob Titus come back to the shop with a marketing assistant. The fact that they were out knocking on doors and direct marketing our printing service was to me very different and unheard of at the time for printers. I asked the other press operator who that was that just walked in, and he said that was Roy’s son Bob. The differences between Minuteman Press and other print shops were a few things. First, I saw that they were actively marketing to build the business. We had a ton of work. Second, the type of equipment that we had – Multi-Graphics equipment – had better capabilities than what other quick printers were using. Third, we also had a huge focus on customer service, shop appearance, and quality work. Another game-changer is when Roy came in one day and handed me a brochure for a new piece of equipment made by 3M, which was a superior plate system to enable multicolor printing. This was the missing piece of what we needed to bring Minuteman Press to the next level. We had the press, we just needed a better plate system that could handle color inks as well as it did black ink. We thoroughly tested the plate system with the press and evaluated the cost. The result was that we now had the perfect package to achieve multicolor printing when other quick printers did mostly single-color or just black. The 3M plate was the ticket.” When Minuteman Press started franchising, what was it like for you creating the first training program? Mike Jutt: “The next major thing that happened was Roy discussing expanding the business and moving into franchising. He promoted the business opportunity and brought interested parties into the Farmingdale location to see what we were doing. The interest was really high from the people that Roy brought in, and years later, Roy told me it was during this time where he really noticed and recognized my abilities as a hardworking young man. At age 20, Roy made me Director of Training, and it was my responsibility to teach the new franchise owners everything about our business.” What do you think are the key reasons for the success of Minuteman Press as the franchise kept growing? Mike Jutt: “I credit the success of Minuteman Press as a franchise to leadership, hard work (long days and long weeks), treating the owners as true partners, caring and supporting our owners, and helping them achieve their success. Roy Titus said you need to treat people like you want to be treated. Roy not only preached it, but he also practiced it, and that was one of the biggest keys of our success as we grew and expanded the company.” What are some of the key aspects of the original training program that remain as core principles today? Mike Jutt: “From the launch of the training department, we have focused and communicated the importance of owners becoming experts in 5 major areas: Customer service Marketing their business Delivering quality products Keeping an incredible top appearance of their business and anything that represents their business Management with an emphasis on financial management Within each of these areas, there is extensive training today covering every detail of what these items actually encompass.” What are some of the key ways that the training program and Minuteman Press have evolved over the years? Mike Jutt: “The biggest areas that we’ve always been at the forefront of are research, development, and technology. Printing technology and enhancements with 3M products in the early days got better and better. With that said, one of the big first big efficiencies was added when our first pricing program was developed. In 1977, a new franchise owner from Dallas, Texas named Cal Baker came to the training program. Cal previously worked for EDS (Electronic Data Systems). He noticed that all of our formulas were mathematically logical and that they could be automated to save hours and hours when pricing jobs. I was intrigued by Mr. Baker’s knowledge and what he was going to do, and after he wrote the software, I told Roy I had to go to Dallas to look at what he created. Roy told me, “Whatever you have to spend to research anything that helps our owners and our company, spend it. If it’s going to help our owners, it’s going to help all of us. So, I went to Dallas and saw that the computer was made by Radio Shack. The original model was called a TRS 80 and it had 16K of memory. The program was stored on a regular cassette and at the time, this was a real game changer. After the trip to Dallas, myself and Dave Scadin enrolled in a programming course offered by Radio Shack and we learned basic programming to enhance and modify what we had. We would never ask our owners to buy equipment such as a computer until we tested it. I contacted the Tandy Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas and convinced them to give us 10 computers as a trial, which we distributed to owners to test at 10 locations. We let the owners test it for 60 days and then they had to either give it back or buy the computer. 100% of the owners purchased the computer and none of us have ever looked back. From that point forward, we continued to invest in software development uniquely written to our policies and production. This protected us from software companies going out of business and gave us long-term advantages that we still benefit from to this day.” Mike continues: “Another key milestone for us was the advent of digital printing. The first Apple Mac computer that came with a printer was released in 1984. Digital printing technology emerged with desktop publishing thanks to companies like Apple, IBM, and HP. For our industry, this was great because we could create various different styles and designs on very economical equipment. It also replaced photo typesetting, which took a lot longer and was a very big investment. We quickly recognized that digital printing would evolve. In the beginning, we also recognized that the two technologies could coexist. Today, approximately 40 years later, that is absolutely what happened. The ability, production, and ease of use of the digital equipment has only made Minuteman Press an even better company. And partnering with our key suppliers Xerox, Konica-Minolta, and Hewlett-Packard has brought us improved productivity and profits.” Is there anything else you’d like to share? Mike Jutt: “Minuteman Press today has evolved to be so much more than what it was when we first started. We have developed and refined systems, policies, procedures, and a company that has a long-standing culture of caring for our owners in 5 countries. And from a personal perspective, with the diversity of products and the need for those products, the opportunity for entrepreneurs is incredible. I personally feel honored to be able to experience the emergence of such a fantastic company, Minuteman Press International.” For more information on Minuteman Press products and services, visit https://minuteman.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

April 18, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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RISI Teams Up with ToolsGroup to Fuel Supply Chain Transformation and Drive Business Enhancements Amid Network Expansion

ToolsGroup

ToolsGroup, a global leader in retail and supply chain planning and optimization software, is proud to announce it has been selected by RISI, a leading Spanish snack brand, to help transform its supply chain operations, strengthen retail partner relationships, accelerate business growth, and maximize customer satisfaction. RISI produces a broad assortment of snacks, turning out 250 million units every year, most of which are fast-moving items. Embracing recent growth opportunities, the company has opened up new sales channels, widening its network to include larger markets and major retail chains. This resulted in increased promotional activity and heightened customer demand. “With 50 years of experience, RISI focuses on creating the perfect snack break for customers,” says Javier Paniagua Martínez, Director of Technology and Projects at Risi. “Now, with our proliferating sales channels, we’re able to reach even more people and spread RISI’s iconic smile. We recognized that this endeavor required a planning tool that could increase the speed and accuracy of our operations, improving supply chain visibility and driving fast, effective decision making to help us meet consumer demand. In ToolsGroup, we found not just the right technology, but also the right long-term partner who could help us establish sustainable inventory management practices, while achieving critical KPIs like demand fulfillment and margin protection.” With RISI’s dynamic business growth and the need to make better decisions faster, the company selected ToolsGroup Service Optimizer 99+ (SO99+), a full suite of planning solutions that includes Demand Planning and Forecasting, Inventory Optimization, and Replenishment. Thanks to AI-powered capabilities, RISI can now forecast at multiple levels of aggregation, achieving a more in-depth understanding of consumer behavior. Equipped with automated, highly-adaptable inventory management solutions, the company can anticipate and respond quickly to market developments, aligning stock to location-specific demand. This way, regardless of how quickly its delicious snacks are flying off the shelves, RISI can meet demand with fast, accurate planning decisions that support its growing market share. “As supply chains evolve, sustainable and rapid business growth hinges on the speed and precision of a company’s response to market changes,” said ToolsGroup CEO, Inna Kuznetsova. “Supply chain visionaries recognize that AI-driven dynamic planning solutions power fast, effective decisions. They outmaneuver uncertainty, achieve sustainability, expand market share, and deliver a superior customer experience. That’s why we’re excited to help RISI drive this digital transformation, leveraging smart, data-driven planning to maximize customer satisfaction and propel company growth, now and in the future.” Learn more about how manufacturers successfully navigate supply chain uncertainty while reducing inventory up to 40% here. About Risi Founded in 1971, Risi is a leading Spanish company that specializes in the production of snacks and appetizers. Headquartered in Madrid and a workforce of over 350 across four sites, Risi produces around 250 million packs of snacks in over 60 formats, all bearing its iconic branding. The company recently diversified its activities through the acquisition of biscuit and confectionery brands. About ToolsGroup ToolsGroup’s innovative AI-powered solutions enable retailers, distributors, and manufacturers to navigate through supply chain uncertainty. Our retail and supply chain planning suites empower a new level of intelligent decision making and unlock powerful business improvements in forecast accuracy, service levels, and inventory - delighting customers and achieving financial and ESG KPIs. Stay in touch with ToolsGroup on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, or visit www.toolsgroup.com Contact Details Meir Kahtan +1 917-864-0800 mkahtan@rcn.com Company Website https://www.toolsgroup.com

April 18, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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A2Z CUST2MART, A LEADER IN SMART CART TECHNOLOGY ANNOUNCES SUCCESSFUL TRIAL OF COMPUTER VISION PRODUCT RECOGNITION SOLUTION

A2Z Smart Technologies Corp.

McapMediaWire -- A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. ("A2Z") ("Company"), (NASDAQ: AZ ) (TSXV: AZ ), a leader in smart cart technology, announces that it has successfully completed an initial trial of a computer vision product recognition solution, capable of matching the product put into its smart cart with the product scanned. A2Z intends to continue the development of this computer vision software and incorporate it into its Cust2mate smart carts. The solution will supplement the smart cart's numerous anti-theft and fraud protection components, including a security scale. A2Z acknowledges Amazon's recent announcement of their release of the Palm Pay program, using a biometric from the customers palm swipe to pay for groceries, rolling out to Whole Foods and AmazonGo. Cust2Mate believes that it demonstrates greater privacy with its advanced smart cart technology for retailers looking to enhance their customer experience and increase revenue. The market potential for smart carts is vast, with every retail chain in the world seeking a solution for the present sub-optimal shopping experience. With the ability to provide advertisements and promotions to shoppers, smart carts offer an additional revenue source for retailers. "We have a world leading mobile self-checkout shopping cart. It's a one-stop-shop for customers," said Gadi Graus, President of A2Z Smart Technologies. "You scan the goods as you shop, you receive information, promotions, discounts, you pay for your purchases using the smart payment systems on the cart, and you walk out of the store - no waits, no hassle, no bad experiences." Cust2Mate's smart cart can deliver timely coupons, allergy information, product recommendations, optimized list to isle navigation and smart product matching among many other consumer experience features. The technology ensures a more secure and efficient shopping experience while also providing valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. As privacy and security concerns continue to be raised around biometric data collection, Cust2Mate assures customers that its technology is designed with security in mind. Cust2Mate's smart carts have already been successfully deployed in a multi-store chain and are available for implementation at any retail location worldwide. For more information, please visit www.cust2mate.com. "Cust2Mate's technology is scalable and customizable, offering a superior solution for retailers looking to enhance their in-store experience and increase customer satisfaction," concluded Graus. About A2Z A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. creates innovative solutions for complex challenges. A2Z's flagship product is an advanced proven-in-use mobile self-checkout shopping chart. With its user-friendly smart algorithm, touch screen, and computer-vision system, Cust2Mate streamlines the retail shopping experience by scanning purchased products and enabling in-cart payment so that customers can simply "pick & go", and bypass long cashier checkout lines. This results in a more efficient shopping experience for customers, less unused shelf-space and manpower requirements, and advanced command and control capabilities for store managers. Contact Information: Hanover International Inc. Jh@hanoverintlinc.com (1) 760 564 7400 Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the Company and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Important factors - including the availability of funds, the results of financing efforts and the risks relating to our business -- that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see www.sedar.com) and with the Securities and Exchange Commission (see www.sec.gov). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities described herein in the United States or elsewhere. SOURCE: A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. Contact Details Hanover International Inc. Jh@hanoverintlinc.com Company Website https://www.cust2mate.com/

April 18, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Risk Ledger survey of 2500+ suppliers reveals key supply chain cyber security weaknesses

Risk Ledger

Attackers are targeting under-resourced suppliers with weaker defences as a way of disrupting or compromising larger organisations. The notable ransomware attack on a supplier to semiconductor giant Applied Materials is expected to lead to $250m in lost sales. With well over 60% of organisations having suffered a data breach through a third party, this regularly results in regulatory fines, huge data recovery costs and loss of consumer trust. Spotlighting the key security weaknesses in the supply chain ecosystem, cyber security business Risk Ledger is publishing its ‘ State of Cyber Security in the Supply Chain 2023 ’ report on Tuesday, 18th April. The report is based on proprietary data from over 2,500 suppliers that have shared information on their risk posture against over 200 cyber security controls with their customers on the Risk Ledger platform. Based on its findings, it draws attention to the 12 most common weaknesses among suppliers and offers practical recommendations by cyber security experts for improving organisations’ third-party risk management strategies. Some of the major findings revealed in this report include: 17% do not enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all remotely accessible services. MFA is the simplest, most effective way to keep hackers out of your online accounts. However, whilst MFA is simple to implement, it does increase friction for the user and is therefore often provided as an optional setting which needs to be intentionally configured. This often leaves MFA disabled and the accounts vulnerable to unauthorised access through password theft. 23% do not use Privileged Access Management controls to securely manage the use of privileged accounts. Highly privileged accounts are the ultimate target for attackers. With high privileges, an attacker will be able to access more sensitive (and more valuable) data, and modify security detection tools to cover their own tracks. 20% do not use a password manager. People are terrible at remembering passwords, which means employees create insecure passwords like qwerty123. This is not their fault! Businesses need to provide a practical alternative. All three of these weaknesses are common causes of cyber security incidents and a high proportion of third, fourth and fifth party suppliers are not using controls to protect themselves or their customers in these areas. The perhaps biggest problem associated with supply chain cyber attacks is the almost total lack of visibility into the prevailing weaknesses among suppliers. There is a wealth of existing data on the tools hackers use to target companies, and on the effects of such attacks, allowing cyber security professionals to put specific defences in place. There has been a total lack of visibility, however, into the main weaknesses in security postures of suppliers that allow these attacks to be successful in the first place. Risk Ledger’s new report gives this unique insight. Risk Ledger’s CEO, Haydn Brooks commented: “Companies rarely run security assurance against more than 10% of their immediate third-party suppliers, while visibility into the risks existing further down the chain remains almost non-existent. To improve this situation, better data and insights into the most prevalent weaknesses in the wider supplier ecosystem are needed, so that remedial efforts can become more focussed. This is the purpose of our report. We want to share the insights we have obtained from suppliers on the Risk Ledger platform with the wider security community, allowing them to use our findings to benchmark their own suppliers against their peers.” Risk Ledger’s “ The State of Cyber Security in the Supply Chain: Data Insights Report 2023 ” will be available for download on Risk Ledger’s website from Tuesday, 18th April. About Risk Ledger Risk Ledger is an award-winning cyber security start-up that was founded in 2018 by Haydn Brooks and Daniel Saul with a mission to shift the way organisations approach cyber security in the supply chain. Built on the idea of a social network, organisations using Risk Ledger can connect with and continuously monitor their suppliers' risk controls, including security, financial and ESG, and work together through the Risk Ledger platform to remediate any risks. Risk Ledger's client base includes organisations like BAE AI, City of London Police, Telenor, Scottish Rail, the UK Health Security Agency, among many others. Contact Details Risk Ledger Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://riskledger.com/

April 18, 2023 08:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Intellia, the financial analyst cloud unlocking emerging market talent globally, launches AI-powered vetting and project delivery platform

Intellia

Helping agile companies find the best strategy and finance consultants around the world to explore growth opportunities and unblock hurdles, the world’s first managed talent marketplace for finance and strategy analysts, Intellia is today launching an AI-powered vetting and project delivery platform for finance, strategy and public policy powered by talent from frontier markets. Intellia offers on-demand, remote analysts that can be deployed within 24 hours, saving companies 80% on recruiting and advisory budget through its proprietary AI-driven analyst vetting, training and quality control platform. Businesses can hire remote analysts, teams or explore deeper consulting services. Launched in 2020, Intellia has already established operations globally, sourcing thousands of analysts from countries as diverse as Colombia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. Having a presence in different continents allows customers to engage analysts 24 hours a day. Only the top 1% of these analysts are engaged to work with clients. Intellia analysts have gone on to be hired by leading corporates and advisory firms globally. Intellia boasts a 95% client retention rate volunteering to refund its fee pending client satisfaction. Intellia is now set to launch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Lagos, Nigeria next month. Intellia founder and CEO, Saad Raja commented: “Currently, consulting firms take weeks to negotiate exorbitantly high fixed project fees with limited flexibility for businesses. On the other hand, freelancer portals provide relatively low quality, unsupervised services not fit for corporates and the public sector. Intellia is addressing this gap by engaging remote talent from emerging markets which can now participate in higher value roles in finance, strategy and public policy. By sourcing and training analysts from these markets, Intellia is on a mission to transform these countries into knowledge economies.” Intellia has over 150 vetted analysts that are already advising multinational companies with their product launches, analysing new investments for sovereign funds and private equity firms, supporting expansion projects for Michelin star restaurants in Europe, and advising African and Middle Eastern governments on increasing foreign trade inflows. Additionally, over half of Intellia’s analyst workforce is female. Other use cases include value creation plans and portfolio monitoring; investment due diligence and memorandums; economic development policies; pricing strategies; trade, economic policies and strategies; merger and acquisition screening; deal pipeline development; financial modelling; and valuation and analysis. Last year Intellia raised $1.5m from Fatima Gobi Ventures and high-profile technology and finance leaders including global CFOs and former Managing Partners of tier one consulting firms. Saad Raja added: “Intellia is bridging the gap between finance education and what the industry demands. Our platform vets and trains analysts on exactly what clients need”. About Intellia Intellia is the world’s first managed talent marketplace for finance and strategy. Its AI-driven analyst vetting, project delivery and quality control platform helps customers engage analysts within 24 hours and save up to 80% cost. For more information please visit https://www.intellia.io/ Contact Details intellia Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.intellia.io/

April 18, 2023 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Comcast Invests $4.5 Million to Expand Its Xfinity 10G Network to Rural Community of Planada in Merced County, California

Comcast California

Comcast today announced it plans to invest $4.5 million to bring next-generation high speed broadband, the Xfinity 10G Network, to Planada, a rural community in Merced County, California. To further support the area, which was badly damaged in storms earlier this year, and to create greater digital equity, Comcast also donated $75,000 to United Way of Merced and $25,000 to the San Joaquin Regional Broadband Consortium. At the event, Comcast surprised approximately 100 graduating 8 th graders from Planada’s Cesar Chavez Middle School with free laptops and school supply kits. Local dignitaries along with Planada youth and their families attended the celebration. Expanding its next-generation, fiber-rich Xfinity 10G Network and commercial broadband services to rural areas is an important part of Comcast’s overall effort to increase digital equity. Today’s groundbreaking event was attended by local elected officials as well as community and business partners who celebrated Comcast’s announcement of its expansion of multi-gig broadband internet speeds, video, mobile, voice, home security, and business products and services. The Central Valley is an area of focus for Comcast in California, as this announcement comes one year after the company expanded broadband services to Biola, CA, a rural community in Fresno County. Work is now underway on network expansion projects in several other areas of Fresno and Merced Counties. “The investments made by Comcast today will not only benefit our students, residents and businesses but also contribute to our rural economic development -- especially as we’re coming out of a severe winter season and the pandemic,” said Rodrigo Espinosa, Merced County Board of Supervisors. “We all know the need for fast, secure Internet service is more important now than it has ever been and I’m grateful to companies like Comcast who are making these investments in our community to create lasting change and impact.” Comcast concluded the event by making $100,000 in donations to Planada non-profit organizations. United Way of Merced County received $75,000 for storm relief efforts and other community programs and the San Joaquin Regional Broadband Consortium received $25,000 to support digital equity efforts. These grants were distributed through Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to reach tens of millions of people in order to advance digital equity and help create a future of unlimited possibilities. “As the world we live in continues to become more digital than ever before, we must work with our business and community partners like Comcast to make sure all communities -- especially our rural communities like Planada -- are connected to the growing digital economy,” said Jose Gonzalez, Superintendent of Planada School District. “I’m thankful for public-private partnerships such as this one with Comcast, because it allows us to work together to provide the necessary tools and resources for our students to succeed and create vital educational opportunities for them in the future.” “After this season of unprecedented, severe weather, Merced County has especially felt the impact of the recent storm damage, said Robert Hypes, Interim CEO, United Way of Merced County. “From the very beginning, Comcast worked with us to support the communities of Merced County. During the first wave of storms in January, Comcast provided WiFi services to the evacuation shelters to keep our communities connected and safe. When the City of Merced issued an evacuation order for areas with flooding risk from Bear Creek, Comcast joined forces with us and delivered food, beverages, and personal hygiene kits to over 300 people at the Merced County Fairground evacuation center. We are so excited that Comcast will continue its partnership with the United Way of Merced County, granting us $50,000 to support disaster relief efforts. We plan on using this contribution to fund long-term recovery efforts and fill unmet needs among our residents and their families.” When Comcast’s network expansion is completed, Planada residential customers will have access to reliable and fast Xfinity Internet and Mobile services, including Internet Essentials, which provides eligible customers with high-speed Internet access at home for $9.95 per month (plus tax) and Internet Essentials Plus for $29.95 per month (plus tax) for qualified families/individuals. If individuals sign up for the Federal Government’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which offers a $30 per month subsidy ($75 per month in tribal areas), then both tiers of service are effectively free. For local businesses, Comcast Business offers a suite of connectivity, communications, networking, cybersecurity, wireless, and managed solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Powered by the Xfinity 10G Network Comcast’s next-generation network and Internet experience are powering homes today and into the future: Ultimate Capacity: Xfinity customers connect nearly 1 billion devices across the company’s network annually. The Xfinity 10G Network with the next-generation Xfinity gateways deliver the most advanced WiFi technology carrying three times more bandwidth to power streaming, gaming, videoconferencing, and more, simultaneously. Fastest Internet: More than one third of Xfinity Internet customers subscribe to gigabit speed products, and Ookla rated Xfinity the fastest Internet provider at the end of 2022. Symmetrical gig speeds to the first homes are planned for later this year. Unprecedented Coverage: The latest Xfinity Gateway provides a more reliable connection throughout the home. Customers can get wall-to-wall WiFi coverage with a powerful xFi Pod that extends coverage to hard-to-reach areas, with plans for an offering of increased support for in-home WiFi through a “boost guarantee” later this year. Most Reliable Connection: Comcast is scaling the nation’s largest and most reliable network – the Xfinity 10G Network – that passes 60 million homes and business and counting. The company plans to launch a new device that is “storm-ready” with cellular and battery backup to help keep customers connected even when the power goes out. Ultra-Low Latency: The Xfinity 10G Network and the latest xFi Gateway are a powerful combination that deliver ultra-low latency for those moments when response times matter most like video games, a fast-growing category with Xfinity households averaging more than one gaming console per home. More information about the Xfinity 10G Network can be found here. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Jon Koriel +1 925-315-2690 jon_koriel@comcast.com Joan Hammel +1 925-519-4874 joan_hammel@comcast.com

April 17, 2023 02:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time

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