Forward Networks announced today it has successfully achieved System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type 1 Compliance. The completion of the audit demonstrates Forward Network's commitment to transparency, privacy, and data security for customers. 

SOC 2 is an auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to assess the effectiveness of an organization's controls over information security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. SOC 2 Type 1 measures an organization's systems and controls and evaluates the design and implementation of these controls to ensure they are suitably designed to meet the relevant trust services criteria.

With SOC 2 compliance, Forward Networks can provide customers with confidence that their data is protected. For this compliance audit process, Forward Networks enlisted a professional auditor, Laika Compliance LLC, and was also able to leverage its own Forward Enterprise Platform to ensure key trust criteria in Security, Confidentiality, and Availability were included in the audit process.

"Forward Networks has long prioritized protection of customer data and offering trust and transparency," said Matt Honea, Head of Security and Compliance, Forward Networks. "From the onset, our platform was designed to collect network data while protecting our customers' privacy. Achieving SOC 2 Type I certification is an important milestone that demonstrates our commitment. While we are proud of this achievement, we'll continue to work towards further certification milestones to provide our global customers the assurance that their data and networks are safe when they work with us."

Tech Trailblazer Joins Company’s Board to Champion the Future of the Digital Shelf

Salsify, the Product Experience Management (PXM) platform empowering brand manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to win on the digital shelf, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Barnett, former COO of Demandware and CEO of Salesforce Commerce Cloud (NYSE:CRM), to its Board of Directors. With over 30 years of experience in entrepreneurship and a proven track record in the tech industry, Barnett brings a wealth of expertise and strategic insights to help drive Salsify's continued growth and success.

“Similar to how Demandware created a new paradigm for e-commerce success, Salsify too, is empowering retailers and global brands to lead the way in the digital age,” said Jeff Barnett. “As a new member of the Salsify Board, I look forward to championing their digital shelf mission as a critical C-suite level concern. Retailers and brands need to quickly adapt their people and processes to meet customers where and how they want to shop and to provide digital experiences that efficiently drive omnichannel product discovery and sales. Salsify has proven themselves to be the leading technology partner to drive this digital shelf transformation.”

Jeff has worked in the software industry for more than three decades. Most recently, he was CEO of Salesforce Commerce Cloud upon the company’s acquisition of Demandware in 2016. As COO, Jeff led Sales and field operations from its pre-revenue phase in 2005, through an IPO on the NYSE in 2012 and ultimately the acquisition by Salesforce in 2016. Prior to this role he served in founding or leadership roles at a number of companies including Siebel Systems, edocs, Inc. (acquired by Siebel Systems) and Kenan Systems (acquired by Lucent Technologies).

Jeff has served on the board of directors for a number of companies, including Chairman of the Board for Signavio, a Business Process Transformation platform acquired by SAP in 2021, and Paydiant, a mobile payments platform acquired by PayPal in 2015. He is currently Board Member and Investor for several private companies and technology startups including Newstore (omnichannel retail platform), VueStorefront (frontend as a service for digital commerce), and Syrup (AI platform for optimizing retail supply chain), and Faculty.ai (AI platform for Decision Intelligence), and Remark (Expert network for eCommerce).

A seasoned executive, Jeff has a proven track record of building and scaling high-growth companies. His strategic vision and leadership acumen have consistently contributed to the success of the organizations he has been a part of. At Salsify, Jeff will play a pivotal role in helping the company seize new market opportunities, develop strategic partnerships, and accelerate its growth trajectory.

The New App Seamlessly Embeds Advanced Data Intelligence within the Stripe Dashboard

Able CDP, an innovator in customer data platforms, is proud to announce the launch of its app for Stripe revenue analytics. This pioneering tool equips businesses with in-depth insights into their Stripe revenue, conveniently embedded within the familiar Stripe Dashboard. Users can effortlessly access and leverage this powerful data intelligence at their fingertips, enabling informed, data-driven decisions with just a few clicks.

The Able CDP app for Stripe offers two key functionalities: comprehensive revenue attribution and detailed customer journey mapping. Revenue attribution provides users with granular visibility into the sources contributing to their Stripe revenue. The app attributes Stripe conversions to specific marketing sources, campaigns, or landing pages, enriching the native Stripe Dashboard with advanced data analytics.

Simultaneously, the app provides quick access to intricate customer journey maps, highlighting each customer's interaction from the point of origin to post-purchase engagement. This critical information, conveniently accessible from the Stripe Dashboard, enables businesses to refine their marketing strategies and foster enhanced customer relationships.

Able CDP Founder and CEO, Paul Titov, articulates the significance of this innovative offering: "In today's digital era, it's not enough to have data. Businesses must understand their data and be able to access it conveniently and efficiently. Our analytics app for Stripe doesn't just offer insights; it brings them directly to your Stripe Dashboard. It's about making data intelligence accessible and actionable, delivering crucial insights right where you need them, when you need them. That's the Able CDP promise."

Highlighting the app's unique benefits, Titov further shares, "What truly sets Able CDP apart is its seamless integration with Stripe. The app enables businesses to enjoy robust functionality, a user-friendly interface, and advanced analytics without leaving their Stripe Dashboard. We are excited to empower businesses to transform their Stripe data into a strategic asset for growth and customer engagement."

The Able CDP app for Stripe is the future of convenient, in-dashboard data analytics, helping businesses optimize their marketing efforts, create personalized customer experiences, and drive increased revenue. Able CDP encourages businesses to explore the impact that immediate, actionable insights can deliver.

Map Your Show, LLC, a leading provider of event management software, is pleased to announce new upgrades to its Exhibitor Resource Center product. Tailored for the needs of trade show and event organizers, the Exhibitor Resource Center from Map Your Show acts as the central organizing hub for a show's exhibitors and sponsors. The Exhibitor Resource Center helps exhibitors and sponsors of a trade show or expo stay on top of event information, all in one place.

As part of the Exhibitor Resource Center through Map Your Show, show organizers quickly build an Exhibitor Portal with the key information exhibitors need for the event. With the Exhibitor Checklist, organizers create a list of the key dates and deliverables for their exhibitors and sponsors and send email communications before, during and after the event. Exhibitor Resources link to the Exhibitor Portal and to the Exhibitor Checklist to provide one place for all the key information. With the new Exhibitor Resource Center, exhibitors can create their online show profile, access show leads and data, pay invoices and use Single Sign On to log in to expo vendors and suppliers. Show organizers can also offer additional advertising and sponsorship opportunities through the Exhibitor Resource Center, creating additional revenue for the show.

"Map Your Show continues to invest in the growth of our product. With the upgrades in the Exhibitor Resource Center, show organizers have a more powerful engine to create the best experience for their exhibitors, and to drive additional show revenue through sponsorships and advertising," said Don Kline, CEO of Map Your Show. "We continue to be the leader in event management technology because we understand the needs of the show organizer, exhibitor and attendee and respond with rapid development of our products to drive better exhibitor and attendee engagement, and more revenue for our customers' events."

Launching the Most Immersive, Powerful Digital Note-Taking Experience Yet

Notability, the best-selling note-taking app created by Ginger Labs, announced a full redesign that provides the most immersive digital note taking experience yet. The update increases functionality and modernizes all details of the UI—bringing new meaning to the "simple-yet-powerful" Notability heritage.

Notability version 14.0, brings greater versatility to users with a more streamlined interface. Virtually every tool is now customizable and accessible from the Toolbox, including the Tape and Ruler features. The Toolbox can be moved around the screen for convenience, and notes now extend full screen—meaning there is more space to write and unleash ideas!

The Notability Library gets a makeover too. With a more consolidated organization system and the addition of the Global Search bar, it's easier to search for and organize notes. The Gallery, Notability's note sharing community, is accessible directly from the Library, making it effortless to find inspiration from other note takers.

"We always strive to make Notability simple-yet-powerful, and we've made that even clearer in our new design," said Garrett Mitchell, a director at Ginger Labs. "From the improvements we've made to the Toolbox functionality, Library organization, and accessibility, we've refined every detail of Notability to work better for all of our users. We hope they enjoy the upgrades."

Notability version 14.0 showcases a sleek design, with updates such as:

• Floating Toolbox—The Toolbox can be moved to different positions on the screen for convenience, and combines all tools (including Tape, Ruler, and Laser Pointer).
• Improved UI—Tools menus are more intuitive and provide easier navigation.
• More screen for more writing space—Notes now extend full screen with the title above the note, so there's more writing real estate.
• Fresh Library—Recents, Favorites, Unfiled and Shared Notes are grouped together to free up space in the sidebar. The Gallery is more prominently integrated, making it easier to find inspiration from the Notability community.
• More customization opportunities—More features and content are included free such as Custom Colors, the Ruler, stickers and journals.
• Improved accessibility—Added support for Dynamic Type and icon labels for screen readers.

Notability is loved by millions as a top ranked productivity app and Editor's Choice on the Apple App Store. Notability is available as a free app, allowing limits on editing features. The full version is currently available for $14.99/year, variable by territory

Audit demonstrates that Optery manages customer data with the highest standard of security and compliance

Optery, the first company to offer a free service for finding your personal information on hundreds of data broker websites, announced today that it has successfully completed its SOC 2 Type II audit in accordance with the standards defined by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) also known as SSAE 18. Achieving this standard documented with a third-party auditor’s opinion serves as validation of Optery’s enterprise-level systems and controls for securing customer data in the Optery platform.

Optery was audited by Prescient Assurance, a global top 20 independent audit and penetration testing company. Prescient Assurance is a registered public accounting firm and provides risk management and assurance services including but not limited to SOC 1/2, ISO 27001/2, PCI QSA, Microsoft SSPA, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, CSA STAR.

Optery’s successful SOC 2 Type II certification demonstrates to Optery’s current and future customers that the company manages customer data with the highest standards of security and compliance.

“We are fully committed to the security of our customers’ data. This SOC 2 Type II certification demonstrates Optery’s commitment to adhering to the highest security standards,” said Chen Atlas, CTO and Founder of Optery.

Optery’s automated opt out software removes personal information from the internet to reduce the attack surface area for phishing and social engineering, and to help prevent harassment, fraud, doxxing, and physical confrontation. Optery was awarded "Editors' Choice" by PCMag.com as the most outstanding product in its category for two years running in 2022 and 2023.

“As we move forward, our team remains focused on the continuous improvement of our security practices. Optery strives to deliver exceptional personal data removal services to our customers while maintaining the highest levels of security,” said Dekel Barzilay, VP R&D and Co-Founder at Optery.

Phishing, social engineering, identity theft and harassment are made easier by data brokers who openly post personal information such as phone numbers and home addresses online. Optery is the first company to offer a free report with dozens of screenshots showing where your personal information is being posted online. Optery can also automatically remove you from these sites, clearing your home address, phone number, email and other personal information from the Internet at scale. The company also offers the service to businesses via Optery for Business, assisting IT security teams with scrubbing employees’ personal information from the web to reduce threats and attack surface area. Tens of thousands of users and leading businesses rely on Optery to prevent attacks and keep personal data off the Internet.

New partnership enables joint customers to bring Postal campaign data into Planful so marketers can create comprehensive plans and budgets across more marketing channels

Planful Inc., the pioneer of financial performance management cloud software, today announced that Postal, the leading global offline engagement platform, has joined Planful's partner network. The partnership empowers Postal customers with a seamless way to track what they spend on the Postal platform, measure Postal campaign ROI, and replace static, friction-filled spreadsheets with Planful to easily build, execute, and manage marketing plans and budgets across Postal and other marketing channels.

"Especially in today's economic climate, marketers need an easier way to prove the return on investment they're getting from different campaigns and channels," said Erik Kostelnik, Founder and CEO at Postal. "Postal has made it easy to achieve ROI with offline engagement. Now, by partnering with Planful, we're making it easier for our customers to actually measure and track that ROI. Even better, Planful gives our customers an intuitive marketing planning and budgeting tool that helps them do the same across every marketing effort."

Planful helps marketers build, execute, and measure plans and budgets while tracking expenses and business value all in one place. For Postal campaigns; campaigns on ad networks such as Google, LinkedIn, and Meta (Facebook & Instagram, etc); events and campaigns run from leading CRM systems like Salesforce; or any other marketing effort, Planful provides the detailed financial performance insights needed to make better, faster decisions. Marketers can also use Planful to compare campaign performance across Postal and other campaigns and quickly redeploy marketing spend to top-performing channels.

Planful curates a diverse network of more than 70 certified partners to help guide, inform, and accelerate the journey of Planful customers. Together with Planful, these partners empower companies to treat financial performance management like a team sport.

"Planful not only gives marketers unprecedented insights into spend and budgets, it lets marketers team up with the Office of the CFO because it helps them speak in the language of financial performance rather than marketing jargon," said Rowan Tonkin, Chief Marketing Officer at Planful. "Planful and Postal already use each others' solutions. We're confident that adding Postal to our network of partners gives our joint customers more critical insights and options as they push for peak financial performance. We are excited to partner with Postal and look forward to helping marketers get more ROI from every penny they spend."