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Jenne, Inc. Partners with SIPPIO

SIPPIO

SIPPIO, the only company to offer a 100 percent, Azure-native based cloud platform for Microsoft Teams, today announced that Jenne, Inc., the nation’s premier value-added distributor and master agent of technology products and cloud solutions, will offer SIPPIO to agents across the United States (U.S.). “From coast-to-coast, resellers and agents are inundated with requests for dedicated voice services from customers using Microsoft Teams for collaboration,” said Patrick Howard, vice president of vendor management and marketing for Jenne. Designed and architected for Microsoft Azure, SIPPIO is a global platform that empowers distributors, resellers, channel partners, integrators and managed service providers to capitalize on demand for voice-enabled collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams. SIPPIO eliminates the friction of migrating voice environments from rigid legacy technology to flexible cloud services. The evolution of hybrid work environments has accelerated demand for cloud communications and OPEX pricing. Platform consolidation is also a priority. Industry research shows that majority of enterprises are using at least three different communications service suppliers, with 69% claiming that the need for additional services outside of the core offerings was the reason why they had retained multiple suppliers. “As organizations across the globe migrate from legacy telco systems to Microsoft Teams, SIPPIO empowers partners with the solutions to help their customers maximize the value of collaboration tools by adding voice, without disrupting workflows,” said Dawn-Marie Elder, COO of SIPPIO. Voice-enabling Microsoft Teams with SIPPIO removes cost, complexity and time-to-market building direct routing as one-offs. SIPPIO makes it quick and easy for resellers to eliminate the need for capital expenditures and to build healthy revenue streams. In addition, consolidating enterprise communications onto Teams reduces the complexity of managing multiple systems, the drain on compute resources and the risk of non-compliance with regulations such as OSHA and HIPAA. “Our master agent program is growing and SIPPIO extends our ability to attract new agents as well as provide current partners with the agile cloud services their customers need to adapt to new hybrid work environments. Agents are excited because SIPPIO addresses what their customers are asking for. Partnering with SIPPIO reinforces our position as the premier Value-Added Distributor in the telecommunications industry,” added Howard. With a well-earned reputation for helping partners adapt, grow and succeed, Jenne is trusted by thousands of value-added resellers (VARs) across the country. The company’s high-touch, fast-response service and support, flexible pricing and on-time accurate delivery, coupled with its customer-centric approach to development, have fueled exponential growth. “Equally important to note is the alignment in our company cultures. SIPPIO stood out for its undeniably unique platform and innovation, but also for its commitment to customer experience. “Simply put, SIPPIO enables us to continue evolving, providing new services to help our partners thrive,” said Howard. About Jenne, Inc. Jenne, Inc. is a leading U.S. based value-added distributor and master agent of technology products and solutions focusing on unified communications and collaboration, networking and infrastructure, video conferencing, physical security, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the cloud, including equipment and software for the Enterprise and SMB markets. Founded in 1986, Jenne is committed to providing value added resellers, integrators and service providers with a broad product selection, competitive pricing, on-time accurate delivery, outstanding technical support plus ongoing sales and technical training through Jenne University. The company is headquartered in Avon, Ohio. About SIPPIO Headquartered in Annapolis, MD, SIPPIO is the largest platform provider to enable voice in Microsoft Teams. As a Co-Sell Preferred partner, SIPPIO provides partners and carriers with a fully automated, Azure native, end-to-end solution. Available globally with toll free and emergency services, SIPPIO does not require any code, build or maintenance. SIPPIO activates full calling capabilities in minutes and scales with business needs to enhance communications and collaboration to unify the modern workplace experience. Visit www.sippio.io for additional information. Contact Details Mostafa Razzak +1 917-912-0623 m.razzak@jmrconnect.net Company Website http://www.sippio.io

August 10, 2021 08:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Applied Real Intelligence (“A.R.I.”) Hires Chief Marbumrung, a leading Technology Banker and Credit Risk Professional, to Lead San Francisco Bay Area Expansion

Applied Real Intelligence LLC ("A.R.I.")

Applied Real Intelligence (“A.R.I.”), a venture debt investment firm that provides innovative financing solutions to successful VC-backed companies, announced the hiring of Chief Marbumrung as Managing Director, Investments. Mr. Marbumrung will report to Zack Ellison, A.R.I.’s Founder and Managing General Partner, and will be based in San Francisco, California, where he will lead A.R.I.’s regional expansion in the Bay Area and Northwest United States. “I have long been impressed with Chief since we worked together at Scotia Bank from 2008 through 2010 during the depths of the Global Financial Crisis. During that volatile economic period, we were able to achieve great financial results because of a strong team-first culture, rigorous credit underwriting, and unrelenting focus on risk management. A.R.I. is built on these same principles and Chief will be instrumental in our rapid growth and continued success,” said Ellison. Mr. Marbumrung will focus on transaction origination, credit analysis, investment due diligence, transaction structuring, and loan underwriting. He will also have responsibility for building and maintaining strategic partnerships with A.R.I.’s portfolio companies and sponsors, including venture capital firms, private equity firms, bank lenders, and non-bank lenders. He joins Zack Ellison, Wendell Sammons, and Jeffrey Sokolowski as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, Investment Committee, and Risk Committee. Mr. Marbumrung commented, “I’m excited to team with Zack once again. He has built something special at A.R.I. - the right mission, the right strategy, and the right team, all coming together at the right time. A.R.I. is democratizing the availability of capital for all founders, particularly those who have been historically underserved, while providing family offices, endowments, pensions, and other institutional investors with access to ‘innovation’ as an asset class.” Prior to joining A.R.I., Mr. Marbumrung was a senior banker based in San Francisco covering the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (“TMT”) sectors at BNP Paribas, France’s largest bank with over EUR 2.6 trillion in total assets. In this role, he was responsible for originating and managing U.S. corporate relationships within the TMT segments, where he executed large loans and other transactions across a variety of high-growth sectors including enterprise software, IT services, IT hardware, cybersecurity, and telecommunications, among others. Previously, he was an active deal team member on BNP’s Loan Capital Markets platform in New York. In this role he focused on underwriting, structuring, and executing bilateral and syndicated loan transactions for corporate clients across multiple sectors, including healthcare and TMT, to support merger and acquisition financing, spin-off and special dividend financing, and other strategic investments. Mr. Marbumrung began his career in the financial services industry as a corporate banker in the U.S. Power Utilities & Power Project Finance group at Scotia Bank in New York, where he focused on debt transactions in the electric utility, mining, and natural gas sectors. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Boston University’s College of Engineering and an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Additionally, he has held FINRA Series 79 and 63 licenses. About Applied Real Intelligence ("A.R.I.") Applied Real Intelligence ("A.R.I.") is a Los Angeles-based venture debt investment manager focused on providing financing solutions to innovative, high-growth, VC-backed companies in recession-resistant sectors and underserved regions in North America. A.R.I. has dual missions of: (1) democratizing access to capital for all founders; (2) providing A.R.I.’s investors with access to “innovation” as an asset class, superior risk-adjusted returns, security of capital, and strong portfolio diversification benefits. To learn more, please visit www.arivc.com. Contact Details Applied Real Intelligence ("A.R.I.") Zack Ellison, Managing General Partner +1 310-881-3893 zellison@arivc.com Company Website https://www.arivc.com

August 10, 2021 05:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Objectway Acquires Leading German Core Banking Software Specialist Die Software Peter Fitzon

Objectway

Objectway, Global Top 100 fintech leader in the Digital Wealth and Asset Management software, announced today the acquisition of Die Software Peter Fitzon GmbH (DSW), a primary German provider of Core Banking solutions. Founded in 1990, Objectway provides leading financial institutions with state-of-the-art technology to support their digital transformation programs, supplying front-to-back, intelligent and cloud-ready solutions that power up customer engagement, front-office productivity and back-office operational efficiency. Die Software is a leading provider of Core Banking solutions in German-speaking Europe, with more than 35 years of market presence. Its complete, open and modular platform fulfils the needs of prominent private banks, retail banks and central banks in the DACH area and in Luxembourg. With this acquisition, Objectway complements and strengthens its Wealth and Asset Management offerings with a solid and comprehensive Core Banking platform. This creates an open, modular, end-to-end banking suite geared to support the digital transformation of private banks, retail banks, wealth and asset managers, further driving the future expansion in EMEA and globally. As an EMEA leader in digital banking solutions, Objectway will now serve more than 200 clients in the region, boosting revenues in excess of €100 million. “ Die Software-team has done a fantastic job in developing a world-class banking platform with a loyal client base. Objectway places great importance on continuing to develop and evolve core banking platforms of its customers and to build long-term commercial relationships" said Luigi Marciano, Founder and CEO of the Objectway Group. "We aim at creating a unique and complete banking suite that combines Die Software solutions with Objectway's cutting-edge technologies in digital client management, investment advisory and portfolio management, to be deployed through Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) models. We will also promote the global expansion of Die Software solutions by taking advantage of our presence in UK, Italy, Benelux and beyond”. “ We are delighted to be joining the Objectway Group, a solid and highly trusted company with a long-lasting track record in the industry. This will further help to enhance our client coverage and geographical footprint across EMEA " said Peter Fitzon, Die Software Founder. “ With Objectway, we found a perfect new home to continue our growth path, providing our staff and clients peace of mind that our heritage will be in good hands in this ever changing environment". “Our companies have a common DNA rooted in inherent culture of professionalism and drive for dependable perfection. We also believe in strong customer focus, delivering value and service quality in partnership with our clients. This makes our combined business highly promising for both firms, but also for our current and future customers, giving our talented and ambitious teams exciting goals and achievements to aspire for,” said Klaus Friese, Die Software Co-Owner and Managing Director. “ The whole Die Software team is committed to driving forward our new group strategy and with such an established international player we will be able to support our development in the long-term guaranteeing continuity, stability and an exciting future of accelerated growth in new markets ”. [Core banking solutions were built historically on reliability rather than open architectures. Digital banking, APIs and Cloud have created a significant shift in the way banking products are constructed. Financial institutions now need to address the imperatives underpinning next-generation core banking applications (in terms of scale, functionality, integration and the public cloud) to be able to process transactions in real time, release new features frequently and scale up their IT infrastructures. The combined Objectway and Die Software value proposition will respond to these new requirements, with the aim to become the fintech partner of choice for financial institutions.] Objectway was advised by BNP Paribas, Giovannelli e Associati studio legale, Loeschner Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft, Accuracy, Hilex – Avvocati associati, P+P Pöllath + Partners Rechtsanwälte und Steuerberater, Flick Gocke Schaumburg, and Tax Partner AG. Die Software Peter Fitzon was advised by IPontix Corporate Finance and Witzel Erb Backu & Partner Rechtsanwälte. BNL is acting as sole lead manager and bookrunner on the associated financing. Objectway Building on more than 30 years of business expertise, Objectway is a fast-growing international player in the Wealth and Asset Management space empowering clients to embrace their future challenges while providing great performance today. The company is a future-proof technology provider with a well-established track record in the financial services industry. The group is a Global Top 100 fintech provider (IDC ranking), whose clients include 200+ leading Wealth Managers, Banks, Asset Managers, Fund Managers, Insurers and Outsourcing providers in more than 15 countries. Objectway operates from offices in Italy, UK, Ireland and Belgium serving clients in 4 continents, and supporting approximately 100,000 investment professionals to manage more than £1 trillion in assets. Die Software Die Software is one of the leading providers of core banking solutions in German-speaking Europe, with more than 35 years of banking experience. Founded in 1983, Die Software has over 140 staff members working from the company’s locations in Munich and in Zurich. Its modular Core Banking system fits the needs of banks of all sizes and business models. Clients include leading private banks, retail banks and special institutions in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as in Luxembourg. Die Software connects all ecosystem players via an open architecture. Through best-practice processes, integrated EU regulation standards and established business logic, Die Software provides clients with a competitive advantage. The Core Banking platform offers a hub for the digitalisation of all business models and drives the banking of the future. Contact Details Objectway Chiara Giudici +39 393 822 9579 chiara.giudici@objectway.com Company Website https://www.objectway.com

August 10, 2021 04:11 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Hot Wheels x SUPER73 unveil instantly collectible, limited edition e-bike and die-cast

SUPER73

SUPER73® – the American lifestyle adventure brand specializing in electric motorbikes – has partnered with Hot Wheels, the global powerhouse leader of vehicle culture, to create the Hot Wheels x SUPER73-RX. Available in a strictly limited edition of just 24 units, these unique SUPER73-RX e-bikes have been built to allow the biggest SUPER73 fans to celebrate the incredible legacy of Hot Wheels. As the world’s leading vehicle franchise, Hot Wheels is the #1 selling toy globally, engaging fans through immersive live events, digital gaming and is the #1 rated Boys Toy Brand on YouTube. As such, the collaboration is guaranteed to become an instant and highly sought-after collectible for fans of both California-based brands. The project is based on the SUPER73-RX, which is the electric bike company’s flagship model. The RX is equipped with many industry-leading features, such as a powerful 960 watt-hours battery with four riding modes selected via the SUPER73 smartphone app. It also has a powerful four-piston aluminum front brake caliper, an inverted and adjustable coil spring fork with air assist, as well as an adjustable rear mono-shock, all housed in an aluminum-alloy frame. Building on this highly capable platform, the collaboration bikes have been fully customized to celebrate the influence of Hot Wheels on two- and four-wheel culture. It begins with a unique livery, which will be immediately recognizable to Hot Wheels fans, combining the famous logo with distinctive orange and blue graphics. Additionally, the bikes feature a custom embroidered Hot Wheels edition seat and handlebar pad created by motorcycle industry leaders, Saddlemen. Utilizing more specialist suppliers, the Hot Wheels x SUPER73-RX will be fitted with Ruffian ATV Lock-on grips by ODI, plus Stamp 1 Large pedals by Crankbrothers. Further custom additions from SUPER73 include a unique, slotted stainless steel panel that adds volume between the frame rails. There are also black battery/tank pads, a black chain, yellow-tinted headlight and distinctive SUPER73 BDGR tires with brass rims. “We’re incredibly excited and honored to partner with the iconic Hot Wheels brand for the release of the limited edition Hot Wheels x SUPER73-RX. For decades, Hot Wheels has captured the imagination of both the young and the young at heart. And they continue to push the boundaries of creativity, driving towards the future while always remaining true to their roots,” said Aaron P Wong, Co-founder & Chief Brand Officer at SUPER73. “We created the Hot Wheels x SUPER73-RX to celebrate the incredible legacy of Hot Wheels, but have greater hopes that our collaboration will inspire the next generation of trailblazers.” To complete the collaborative project, every purchase of the Hot Wheels x SUPER73-RX will include a collectible Hot Wheels diecast of a SUPER73 Ford Bronco adventure vehicle. Designed and manufactured by Hot Wheels, the Bronco graphics match the RX. The Hot Wheels car can also be purchased separately at select Hot Wheels retailers. “For more than 53 years, Hot Wheels has proven its influence in car, motorbike and pop culture with incredible designs, unrivaled performance and world-class collaborations in action sports and beyond,” said Ricardo Briceno, Vice President of Franchise Marketing at Mattel. “Working with the passionate and talented team at SUPER73 has been an extraordinary journey, and we hope that these beautifully designed Hot Wheels x SUPER73-RX electric bikes, as well as these premium die-casts, will encourage vehicle fans of all ages to enjoy a piece of true Southern California lifestyle.” The limited edition Hot Wheels x SUPER73-RX is available to order starting on August 9, 2021 exclusively from super73.com. The website also has full product details and specifications. EDITOR’S NOTE VIDEO – A video featuring the Hot Wheels x SUPER73-RX is available to share here: youtu.be/SPBQ1EyUhzI IMAGES – A selection of high-resolution images including the Hot Wheels x SUPER73-RX e-bike and Hot Wheels Bronco die cast is available here: dropbox.com/sh/84ci1vabt0xibs9/AAA3qNZ-hlcPGOh7A6OAfcKja?dl=0 ABOUT MATTEL Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends®, UNO® and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming, music and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. ABOUT SUPER73®  SUPER73® is an American lifestyle adventure brand based in Orange County, CA that develops products to help fuse motorcycle heritage with youth culture. Founded in 2016, SUPER73 has quickly grown into one of the most recognizable electric vehicle brands in the world with a passionate customer base including A-list celebrities, professional athletes, and many more. For more information, visit  super73.com  or on social media @super73. Contact Details SUPER73 Christiana Mullen +1 714-659-4883 christiana@super73.com ID Agency Greg Emmerson greg@theidagency.com Company Website https://super73.com

August 09, 2021 06:05 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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ThriveFantasy Partners with NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars for 2021 Season to be Daily Fantasy Sports and Esports Partner

ThriveFantasy

ThriveFantasy, the leading player prop daily fantasy sports and esports platform, announced today it has signed on as a Proud Partner and daily fantasy sports and esports partner of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The partnership is a first of its kind with the Jaguars, as it will provide Jaguars fans with unique opportunities to participate in Thrive’s customized fantasy football contests throughout the season. “These are the types of partnerships that are the most fun to be a part of,” says Adam Weinstein, Founder and CEO of ThriveFantasy. “The Jaguars are at the forefront of innovation and are giving us the ability to be very creative in the ways we help engage their fanbase.” ThriveFantasy was created to give everyday fans a better chance at winning by challenging them to pick simple over/unders of yards, catches, touchdowns and more. Thrive will be creating custom Jaguars-only contests within its app to offer Jaguars fans the chance to win exclusive fan experiences. Fans can visit their mobile app store to download the ThriveFantasy app today. “We’re excited to welcome ThriveFantasy into the family of Jaguars partners, especially as fantasy sports continues to grow in popularity,” said Mike DiMartino, Jaguars vice president of corporate partnerships. “Thrive will give our fans yet another exciting opportunity to interact with their favorite team and, in this case, win prizes!” In the coming months, Jaguars fans can download the ThriveFantasy app and keep an eye out for: Match deposits up to $100 Custom Jaguars-only contests throughout the 2021-2022 season In-stadium signage with more information, QR codes and promotions 30-second TV Spots About ThriveFantasy ThriveFantasy is a Daily Fantasy Sports and Esports App for Player Props. Thrive eliminates the countless hours of research users have to spend, by only focusing on the top-tier athletes that have the biggest impact on the game. Follow ThriveFantasy on Instagram (@ThriveFantasy), Twitter (@ThriveFantasy) and Facebook (ThriveFantasy). Download the app today via the App Store and Google Play. App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/thrivefantasy/id1240062484 Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appster.p2f&hl=en_US Contact Details Michael Adorno madorno@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.thrivefantasy.com/

August 09, 2021 09:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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British AI tech firm Kortical beats Google as it helps drive revenues for business

Kortical

A British AI tech start-up Kortical, which helps companies use machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, has improved 10x their success rate of generating positive outcomes across their organisations vs the industry average. Companies use ML and AI to help predict demand for their products and services, for pricing and an array of business decisions yet only 9% of these tech implementations are ROI positive. Kortical’s platform is able to quickly absorb the data sets of any company and creates algorithms that offer strategic and commercial insights for them. Saving them time and investment in large scale tech investment, the platform has delivered 92% ROI positive outcomes for business. Last month, Google released its latest offering Vertex AI and Kortical is already outperforming them and has been since they first went head to head in 2019 at the Schroder’s Datathon. Kortical tested both platforms using well known public datasets from Kaggle and another from a real life client. Data was funnelled through both and overall Kortical averaged 2.47% better across all datasets and 10.75% better on the real life customer data. This difference in performance would mean the project that resulted in a £500k saving on Kortical would have not been viable on Vertex due to subhuman performance and would be another failed project statistic. Furthermore, Kortical was also 7 times faster to create the results vs Google’s Vertex AI. Andy Gray, CEO and co-founder at Kortical commented: “At the moment businesses are still in the early days of the machine learning gold rush, where you can crest a hill and stumble upon a nugget. Better ML accelerators are like better metal detectors helping you find those nuggets faster.” Kortical is working with a wide range of customers across industries, from saving 54% on the blood supply chain waste for the NHS, to enabling faster and more impactful ML project delivery for Capita, to “ significant operational efficiencies ” through back office automation of tax processes at Deloitte and hyper-personalised marketing with Hyundai. As well as working with smaller start-ups. “Initially it was really only the big players that were the early adopters, where they had the luxury to experiment with new technology and those experiments have turned into significant business so increasingly we’re seeing smaller businesses that recognise the strategic advantage and huge potential of ML to really distance themselves from their competitors” added Andy Gray. Kortical came into existence because the original founders Andy and Alex were trying to create an AI product but as they engaged different customers, they found that the data was always a little different and they needed to keep building new models but that the process was slow, error prone and repetitive. Kortical is the culmination of 7 years of trying to take the pain out of creating enterprise ready AI and ML solutions, quickly and easily but with enough control that expert users can still create exactly what they want. Looking ahead Andy Gray said: “It’s great to see that the conversation has shifted from do I need a machine learning accelerator platform, to which platform should I use? I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished and excited to deliver on our plan to see what the future holds”. Kortical helps companies that have data sets and a business problem they want to solve. Kortical works with tabular, NLP and time series data and can take you right through to live ML web applications or self learning API based services. Some of the most popular use cases are back office automation, demand prediction and hyper-personalized marketing. All the major commentators are expecting the machine learning platform market to boom, with Gartner estimating that by 2022 75% of all new end-user solutions using AI and ML techniques will be built using commercial solutions rather than open source. Andy Gray concluded “Over the past 12 months businesses have focussed on continuity and their remote work set up but this year we’re seeing signs of growth getting back to 300% year on year and will be looking to raise an investment round by the end of the year as we scale our business”. About Kortical Kortical is a productivity tool for delivering machine learning solutions. It was founded in the UK in October 2016 to help scale the use of machine learning in business. It is the culmination of 7 years of trying to take the pain out of creating enterprise ready AI and ML solutions, quickly and easily but with enough control that expert users can still create exactly what they want. Kortical has a number of F500 customers including Deloitte, NHS, Capita and Hyundai. For further information, please visit: www.kortical.com Contact Details Kortical Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com

August 09, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Malvertising Takes Aim at a New Target:IoT Devices Connected to Smart Home Networks

GeoEdge

Global cybersecurity company GeoEdge revealed it has uncovered a global-scale malvertising attack which is the first ad-based cybercrime aimed specifically at home-network based IoT devices. Working in cooperation with the company’s AdTech partners InMobi and Verve Group, GeoEdge’s security researchers identified both the attack vector as well its origins from bad actors in Slovenia and Ukraine. GeoEdge’s security research team has been investigating the malvertising attack on smart home IoT devices since mid-June 2021. The widely distributed attack vector is the first to use online advertising to silently install apps on home-WiFi-connected IoT devices, and only requires that hackers possess a basic understanding of device API documentation, some JavaScript knowledge and rudimentary online advertising skills. Market research firm IoT Analytics forecasts more than 30 billion IoT device connections worldwide by 2025, making home and industrial IoT an extremely attractive and vulnerable frontier for malvertisers. “GeoEdge’s patented behavioral code analysis technology and advanced malware detection capabilities detected these online ads covertly injecting malware into smart-home IoT devices,” said GeoEdge CEO Amnon Siev. “With the collaboration between InMobi and Verve, we exposed the origin, infrastructure and global scale of these attacks. This joint mission is built on trust and a deep understanding of the threat landscape which has enabled us to create a new standard for user protection.” “Malvertising,” or malicious advertising, spreads malware through the injection of malicious code into online display ads via online advertising networks, exposing user networks and connected devices to the potential risk of infection. Advertising networks are generally unaware they are serving malicious content and in the cases discovered by GeoEdge, users targeted with the attack aren't even required to click on the infected ad or navigate to a malicious page to initiate the attack on home network devices. “Digital advertising continues to capture a larger share of marketing budgets for companies large and small and as with that growth comes potential risks. It is critical that we have the checks and balances to identify and contain potential malicious threats before they can infect users’ devices,” added said Kunal Nagpal, SVP and GM, Publisher Platform and Exchange at InMobi. “Our collaboration with GeoEdge enhances user protection across the advertising ecosystem through advanced real-time detection, ensures the delivery of safe ads to our global partners and helps us maintain quality and user trust.” The impacts of the broad IoT attack revealed in GeoEdge’s research include the ability to manipulate IoT devices, download apps without users’ consent, and risks theft of personal information and monetary instruments as well as tampering with home systems such as smart locks and surveillance cameras. To block such attacks, GeoEdge notes that antivirus apps and even firewalls are not sufficient, making it necessary to continuously block infected ads in real-time to prevent them from being rendered and presented to users. “As we work to maintain a clean and transparent ecosystem, the ad security landscape constantly evolves, introducing new cybersecurity risks which require innovative solutions,” said Pieter de Zwart, VP of Engineering at GeoEdge partner Verve Group. “We are committed to ensuring a safe advertising experience and partnering with key industry players enables us fulfill that mission.” About GeoEdge GeoEdge is the premier provider of ad verification and transparency solutions for the online and mobile advertising ecosystem. The company’s mission is to protect the integrity of the digital advertising ecosystem and to preserve a quality experience for users. It ensures high ad quality and verifies that sites and apps offer a clean, safe, and engaging user experience. GeoEdge guards against non-compliance, malware, inappropriate content, data leakage, operational, and performance issues.‎ Leading publishers, ad platforms, exchanges, and networks rely on GeoEdge’s automated ad verification solutions to ‎monitor and protect their ad inventory – without sacrificing revenue. The company was founded in 2010 by a team with more than two decades of hands-on technical and online media experience. To learn more, visit http://www.geoedge.com About InMobi InMobi drives real connections between brands and consumers by leveraging its technology platforms and exclusive access to mobile intelligence. Its Marketing Cloud creates new paths for brands to understand, identify, engage and acquire connected consumers. As a leading technology company, InMobi has been recognized on both the 2018 and 2019 CNBC Disruptor 50 lists and as one of Fast Company’s 2018 World’s Most Innovative Companies. For more information, visit inmobi.com. About Verve Group Verve Group’s omnichannel ad platform connects advertisers, agencies, brands, and publishers to people in real time. With a privacy-first approach, Verve Group offers advertising innovation at scale with full-stack programmatic solutions in brand-safe environments. The global group is a trusted partner of 5,000+ advertisers and brands with direct connections to 4,000+ publishers and apps globally. Verve Group is part of Media and Games Invest (MGI) and has an international presence with over 200 employees in 20+ offices worldwide, spanning the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. Learn more at www.verve.com. Contact Details Rainier Communications (for GeoEdge) Steve Schuster +1 508-868-5892 steve@rainierco.com GeoEdge Michal Nissenson +972 54-395-7779 michal.nissenson@geoedge.com WIT Strategy for Verve Group Mark Naples mnaples@witstrategy.com InMobi Nick Lashinsky PR@inmobi.com

August 09, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Osmo’s Back To School Sale Starts Now: From August 8 to 14, Save 25% Off Select Kits, Games, Bundles and More

Osmo

STEAM brand Osmo ’s Back to School sale starts now. From Aug. 8 to 14, Osmo offers 25% off select kits, games, bundles and more. View Back to School deals at PlayOsmo.com, Target.com, and Amazon.com. Save 25% on these items at PlayOsmo.com: Kits: Little Genius Starter Kit + Early Math Adventure, Genius Starter Kit + Family Game Night, Genius Starter Kit, Coding Starter Kit and Creative Starter Kit Games: Math Wizard Bundle, Math Wizard and the Magical Workshop, Math Wizard and the Secrets of the Dragons, Monster Other items: Coding Family Bundle, Math Wizard Kit (features all 4 Math Wizard titles + base included), Essential Math Bundle, Early Literacy Bundle, Super Studio Artist Bundle, Pretend Play Bundle, Explorer Starter Kit, Super Osmonaut Starter Kit, Preschool Starter Kit, Elementary School Starter Kit, Ultimate Expansion Bundle Save 25% on these kits and games at Target and Target.com: Little Genius Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Genius Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Creative Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Coding Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Math Wizard and the Secrets of the Dragons (base excluded) Math Wizard and the Magical Workshop (base excluded) Save 25% on these Osmo kits, games, and bundles at Amazon.com: Genius Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Genius Starter Kit for Fire Tablet (base included) Genius Starter Kit + Family Game Night for iPad (base included) Genius Starter Kit + Family Game Night for Fire (base included) Little Genius Starter Kit for Fire Tablet (base included) Little Genius Starter Kit + Early Math Adventure for iPad (base included) Little Genius Starter Kit + Early Math Adventure for Fire (base included) Creative Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Coding Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Coding Starter Kit for Fire Tablet (base included) Math Wizard and the Secrets of the Dragons for iPad & Fire Tablet (base required) Math Wizard and the Magical Workshop for iPad & Fire Tablet (base required) Coding Family Bundle for iPad & Fire Tablet (base required) Pizza Co. for iPad & Fire Tablet (base required) Detective Agency for iPad & Fire Tablet (base required) Math Wizard and The Enchanted World Games for iPad Bundle (base included) Math Wizard and the Enchanted World Games for Fire Tablet Bundle (base included) Math Wizard and The Amazing Airships for iPad Bundle (base included) Math Wizard and The Amazing Airships for Fire Tablet Bundle (base included) Little Genius Sticks & Rings for iPad or Fire Tablet (base required) Little Genius Costume Pieces for iPad or Fire Tablet (base required) About Osmo Osmo is an award-winning STEAM brand with more than 2.5 million learners worldwide. 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. Osmo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, and is part of BYJU’S, a global leader in online learning. Learn more at playosmo.com. Contact Details Carolyn Kamii PR Carolyn Kamii carolynkpr@gmail.com Company Website http://www.playosmo.com

August 08, 2021 06:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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As wildfires rage across the Western U.S., a New Zesty.ai Survey Finds Majority of Residents Don’t Know if They Live in a High-Risk Area

Zesty.ai

Zesty.ai, a leader in property risk analytics powered by artificial intelligence (AI), today released the results of a new survey exploring how prepared residents of Western states are for wildfire season. They polled residents of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and found that the majority of all respondents (55%) don’t know if they live in a high-risk area, despite 87% saying they are either concerned or very concerned about this year’s wildfire season. While 89% of all respondents said they believe mitigation efforts like clearing vegetation and installing screens on windows to keep embers out can make a real impact in protecting property from wildfires, only two-thirds (66%) are reporting that they are taking steps on these efforts. For those that are, over a quarter (27%) take action all-year round. “It’s encouraging that the vast majority of residents in the Western states understand the impact of mitigation efforts, but it’s important that the number of homeowners actually taking action increase in order to maximize protection of properties and communities in these regions,” said Attila Toth, CEO of Zesty.ai. “We know mitigation efforts can have a profound impact with regards to protecting homes and communities, as evidenced by the findings of a recent study we conducted with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). We studied more than 71,000 properties involved in wildfires between 2016 and 2019 and found property owners who clear vegetation from the perimeter of their home or building can double their structure’s likelihood of surviving a wildfire.” Zesty.ai’s Z-FIRE™ is an AI model trained on more than 1,400 wildfire events across more than 20 years of historical loss data. It considers property-level features that influence risk, such as topography, historical climate data, and critically, factors extracted from high-resolution imagery like, building materials and surrounding vegetation in multiple defensible spaces. This empowers insurers with a much more precise risk score to inform underwriting and rating while recognizing mitigation efforts by homeowners and their respective communities. In terms of communicating the benefits of mitigation efforts, 51% of survey respondents said the best way to get that information would be through a letter from local fire officials, followed by 40% who think it’d be best to get this information when renewing or applying for homeowners insurance, and 9% who would like to get this information from a real estate website like Zillow. Despite the fact that 40% of respondents would like to get this information through their insurance provider, 58% have never spoken to their carrier about wildfire risk. Additional key findings from the survey include: 87% of all respondents are confident or very confident in their local fire departments to contain and manage fire-related emergencies Despite wildfires starting earlier and the extreme drought impacting the Western U.S., 35% of all respondents think this year’s wildfire season will be about the same as last year Oregonians are most proactive in protecting their property, with 73% of Oregon respondents saying they are making mitigation efforts compared to 66% of all respondents Californians are most proactive when it comes to discussing wildfire risk with their insurance provider, with 39% of California respondents saying they’ve had that discussion compared to 34% of all respondents 36% of all respondents believe mitigation efforts by homeowners is the most important factor for saving properties during wildfire season For more information on Zesty.ai and its wildfire risk model, Z-FIRE™, please visit https://www.zesty.ai/wildfire-risk. About Zesty.ai Zesty.ai offers access to precise intelligence about every property in North America for insurance and real estate customers. The company uses aerial imagery, building permit, transaction and weather data, combined with artificial intelligence (AI) to turn more than 200 billion data points into comprehensive digital records. Zesty.ai provides a constantly updated database of property information that impacts a property’s value and associated risks and also accounts for the potential impact of catastrophic events like wildfires, hail storms and floods by combining its vast property knowledge and predictive AI models into property-specific risk scores. In an increasingly digital world, Zesty.ai brings properties into a new digital age that enables real time transactions and powerful predictive analytics. Visit https://zesty.ai for more information. Contact Details Abby Schiller +1 216-870-1835 abby@clarity.pr

August 05, 2021 08:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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