Microsoft’s retirement of Project Online is forcing thousands of enterprises to rethink their project management stack. OnePlan wants to make that shift painless. The company today introduced OnePlan NextGen PPM, an AI-enabled migration and modernization solution built specifically for organizations facing a mandatory move before Microsoft’s September 30, 2026 deadline.

Instead of lengthy transitions and costly project overhauls, OnePlan promises a guided, automated, and low-disruption migration in under twelve weeks. For PMOs, IT teams, and project leaders racing against the clock, the offering delivers a rare combination of speed and stability.

A Migration Path Built for Urgency

Microsoft Project Online’s retirement has put enterprise PMOs in a bind. Many rely heavily on the legacy platform’s custom schedules, resource plans, and financial structures. Rebuilding that infrastructure manually often leads to re-engineering costs, training overhead, and long delays.

OnePlan NextGen PPM aims to avoid that pain entirely. The process starts with technical readiness, followed by structured sprints including system setup, configuration, sample data migration, user acceptance testing, and final production cutover. Each stage uses automated mapping to transfer schedules, resources, financials, and site data directly into OnePlan—without reinventing workflows.

Because OnePlan is a long-standing Microsoft Project Portfolio Management partner, the transition avoids the pitfalls seen in tool-to-tool migration projects. Everything flows through OneConnect, OnePlan’s integration layer, which ensures data accuracy while maintaining governance and continuity.

“Project leaders today need more than just a tool—they need a partner who can deliver clarity, speed, and confidence as they enter 2026,” said Scott Hebert, CEO of OnePlan. He positioned OnePlan as the “most comprehensive solution” for enterprises seeking a replacement for Project Online.

AI Becomes a Core Project Management Companion

Alongside the migration offering, OnePlan unveiled new enhancements to its Strategic Project Portfolio Management platform. The highlight is Sofia GPT, its embedded AI assistant powered by natural language understanding and predictive analytics.

Sofia GPT acts as a collaborative partner rather than a basic chatbot. Users can ask questions, automate workflows, create forecasts, or explore dependencies through everyday language. This AI-driven layer unlocks faster decision-making across portfolios and reduces the manual effort typically associated with PPM tools.

By merging strategic insights, automated workflows, and guided recommendations, OnePlan aims to help PMOs boost governance and accelerate delivery across complex portfolios.

What’s New in OnePlan’s Enhanced Platform

The latest platform upgrades focus on visibility, control, and operational speed—three priorities for enterprise PMOs navigating hybrid work models and budget constraints.

Key capabilities include:

• Streamlined Strategic Planning – Real-time, context-aware insights help PMOs manage investments, resources, and work with greater precision.

• Embedded Dashboards & Reporting – Executive-ready visualizations eliminate the need for external BI tools.

• Advanced Portfolio Management – Enhanced modeling, business rules, and segmentation improve alignment and governance.

• Modern Financial Planning – Flexible forecasting follows fiscal calendars or agile cadences.

• AI + Automation at Scale – Structured responses and workflow automations reduce PMO workload and boost accuracy.

• Expanded Integrations – Bulk import tools and new connectors, including Trello, simplify tool consolidation.

These additions signal OnePlan’s push to become the central hub for enterprise project delivery in a market where AI-native PPM platforms are becoming the norm.

The Bigger Picture

The retirement of Project Online has sparked a competitive rush across the PPM ecosystem. Vendors are racing to offer modern replacements that combine automation, AI, and portfolio-level intelligence. OnePlan’s advantage comes from pairing migration automation with an evolving AI-native PPM environment.

As organizations accelerate their transition away from legacy tools, solutions that reduce disruption—and deliver immediate productivity gains—are positioned to lead the market. OnePlan clearly wants to be one of them.

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Skyword is doubling down on the future of strategic content operations. The enterprise content marketing company has secured U.S. Patent No. 12,437,022 B1 for a workflow that uses AI to close one of marketing’s most persistent gaps: turning strategy into consistent, high-quality execution at scale.

The patented system powers Accelerator360, Skyword’s end-to-end content marketing platform. Its goal is straightforward but difficult for most brands to execute—identify where a company can gain visibility, generate precise content briefs based on those opportunities, match them to subject-matter experts, and coordinate production from start to finish.

In an era where AI-powered search is rewriting the rules of discoverability, Skyword is positioning its model as a counterpoint to fully automated content creation. Instead of replacing experts, the company argues for using AI to accelerate the planning, briefing, and orchestration that sit upstream of great content.

Solving the Part of Content Marketing AI Hasn’t Figured Out

Most generative AI tools can churn out copy. What they often lack is strategic discipline. Skyword’s workflow uses AI to automate the decisions that determine performance before a single sentence is drafted.

Accelerator360’s patented capabilities include:

Pinpointing visibility opportunities:
The system analyzes real-time search data through a brand-specific lens to surface gaps where the brand can stand out. These insights account for category trends, competitor activity, and shifting audience demands.

Generating strategy-driven briefs:
LLMs translate opportunities into data-backed creative briefs that guide human authors with clarity and precision. Because the workflow updates dynamically, briefs always reflect current realities—not last quarter’s insights.

Matching briefs to experts:
Skyword uses proprietary logic to pair each assignment with top subject-matter specialists from the Skyword Talent Network. From bidding to routing, the system ensures the work lands with the right expert, not the next available writer.

This workflow aims to produce content that is authoritative, differentiated, and strategically aligned from the first draft.

Why It Matters in the Age of AI Search

Marketers are dealing with compressed organic reach, rising content costs, and chaotic workflows across teams. AI search only compounds the pressure by reshaping how buyers discover information.

Skyword’s patented technology attempts to give marketers an edge by offering:

• Faster execution with strategic guardrails

• Real-time visibility signals to guide smarter content bets

• Expert-authored quality with AI-supported speed

• Coordinated workflows that unify insights and delivery

This approach positions Accelerator360™ as a tool that doesn’t just generate content—it ensures content is worth generating.

A Human-Led Approach the Company Is Willing to Defend

Skyword’s leadership is clear on one point: AI should accelerate strategy, not replace expertise.

“We believe brands are losing their soul by having AI create their content,” said Darryl Gehly, Chief Strategy Officer. He argues that compelling, thoughtful storytelling still requires human insight—something AI can't replicate.

“Brands should be using AI to automate and accelerate processes…to get to market faster and gain visibility,” Gehly added. “This patented technology protects a brand’s soul while driving speed and efficiency.”

CEO Andrew Wheeler echoed the sentiment, noting that brands that act quickly on visibility signals—and execute with authority—will dominate the next era of discovery. Skyword plans to integrate AI search visibility inputs directly into Accelerator360, making the platform more responsive to future discovery trends.

Positioned for the Next Era of Discovery

As buyer behavior evolves and digital channels multiply, content operations must scale without sacrificing quality. Skyword’s new patent plants a flag in that future. Its human-led, AI-accelerated workflow aims to give marketing leaders something they’ve long lacked: a direct, automated path from strategic insight to expert execution.

With competitive pressures rising and AI reshaping the landscape, tools that unite intelligence with craftsmanship are poised to reshape enterprise content strategy.

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As global security environments grow increasingly complex, the ability to maintain secure communication—regardless of time, location, or operational conditions—has become a critical priority for defense organizations. To address these evolving needs, CGI, one of the world’s largest independent IT and business consulting firms, has partnered with the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) and secunet Security Networks to deliver HERMES, a next-generation secure mobile communication solution.

The HERMES project marks a major advancement in NATO’s digital transformation, strengthening command and control efficiency while enabling executives and key personnel to access classified information securely from mobile environments. By integrating CGI’s managed services with secunet’s Secure Inter-Network Architecture (SINA) technology, the initiative redefines how NATO leaders operate across dynamic, high-security settings.

This article explores the strategic value of the HERMES project, its underlying technology, and the broader impact on NATO’s communication and security framework.

NATO’s Evolving Need for Secure Mobile Communication

Strategic Drivers Behind HERMES

• Increasing demand for secure communication tools that support mobile operations

• Rising geopolitical instability requiring faster decision-making

• Shift from static, location-bound systems to adaptable digital environments

• Need for consistent command and control with zero compromise on confidentiality

Limitations of Traditional Communication Models

• Dependence on fixed, highly controlled environments

• Limited access to classified information outside secure facilities

• Reduced operational agility for leaders who travel extensively

• Slower coordination across multinational teams

Core Capabilities of the HERMES Project

1. Ultra-Secure and Scalable Mobile IT Environment

• Enables NATO executives and designated personnel to access classified information on specially protected equipment

• Maintains top-tier security regardless of location or time

• Supports scalability to accommodate new user groups as operational needs evolve

• Designed to integrate seamlessly with existing NATO security infrastructures

2. Integration of CGI’s Managed Services with SINA Technology

• Combines CGI’s expertise in secure managed services with secunet’s trusted SINA hardware and software platform

• Supports protected connectivity for sensitive operations

• Ensures encrypted communication channels compliant with NATO’s strict security protocols

• Enhances interoperability across NATO member nations and systems

3. Redefining Mobile Command and Control

• Enables leaders to operate remotely without compromising confidentiality

• Provides continuous access to a secure digital work environment during travel and field operations

• Shifts NATO’s communication ecosystem from static to dynamic models

• Improves situational awareness and response speed in crisis scenarios

Key Stakeholder Perspectives

NCIA’s Vision for Modern Command Structures

Ludwig Decamps, General Manager at NCIA, emphasized that HERMES introduces a new dimension of efficient, mobile communication aligned with NATO’s need for modern and flexible operational frameworks.

Key Takeaways:

• Reinforces NATO’s commitment to digital modernization

• Supports mission-critical decision-making in fast-changing environments

• Ensures reliability and consistency across all communication layers

CGI’s Role in Delivering Security-Critical Solutions

Jens Elstermeier of CGI highlighted the importance of absolute reliability in a multinational environment like NATO.

Key Takeaways:

• CGI delivers a solution that supports secure communication in high-dynamic scenarios

• Enhances interoperability across different national security systems

• Builds on long-standing trust and collaboration between CGI and NATO

secunet’s Contribution with SINA Architecture

Marcel Taubert of secunet emphasized the strategic advantage of mobile access to highly classified content.

Key Takeaways:

• SINA technology ensures protected, seamless communication

• Provides encryption and specialized hardware for high-threat environments

• Supports NATO’s requirement for flexible yet secure communication channels

Operational Infrastructure Behind the HERMES Project

1. Establishment of the HERMES Service Operation Centre (HSOC)

• Dedicated monitoring system to ensure continuous operational integrity

• Includes a built-in Security Operation Center (SOC) for realtime threat detection

• Provides 24/7 on-call support to NATO personnel

• Offers global on-site assistance for deployments, configuration, and maintenance

2. End-to-End Secure VPN Management by CGI

• CGI is responsible for setting up and overseeing secure VPN connectivity

• Protects data-in-transit across distributed devices and networks

• Ensures compliance with NATO cybersecurity standards

• Facilitates uninterrupted access to mission-critical applications

3. Specialized Hardware and Encryption by secunet

• secunet provides SINA-based secure hardware components

• Offers modular encryption tools for future scalability

• Enhances hardware-level security against advanced cyber threats

4. Future-Proof Architecture for Extended Use

• Designed for fast expansion to additional NATO units and security domains

• Supports multi-national interoperability as missions evolve

• Ensures long-term adaptability to emerging digital communication threats

Strategic Impact of the HERMES Project on NATO

Strengthening Operational Agility

• Leaders gain the ability to operate securely from any location

• Accelerates decision-making during missions and crisis situations

• Reduces reliance on fixed command centers

Enhancing Multinational Collaboration

• Promotes seamless communication between NATO member states

• Facilitates joint-task operations with unified secure communication protocols

• Strengthens cooperative defense capabilities

Increasing Cyber Resilience

• Provides advanced protection against sophisticated cyber attacks

• Supports permanent monitoring to pre-empt potential threats

• Enhances NATO’s cyber defense posture across all operational units

Supporting Long-Term Digital Transformation

• Aligns with NATO’s modernization initiatives

• Builds a foundation for future secure mobile solutions

• Positions NATO as a leader in defense communication technology

Conclusion

The HERMES project represents a milestone in NATO’s journey toward fully secure, flexible, and mobile communication capabilities. By combining CGI’s managed services expertise with secunet’s SINA technology, NATO is establishing a communication framework that not only meets today’s demands but anticipates future challenges.

With the ability to access classified information securely from any location, NATO leaders gain strategic mobility, enhanced decision-making power, and improved operational agility. HERMES strengthens NATO’s command and control architecture while setting a new standard for secure communication in defense environments.

As global security landscapes continue to evolve, HERMES positions NATO to respond with speed, confidence, and the highest level of protection.

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South Africa is rapidly emerging as a leading hub for customer experience excellence and digital transformation in Africa. As organizations shift from traditional contact center models to intelligent, AI-driven customer engagement ecosystems, the need for secure, compliant, and locally hosted platforms has intensified. Addressing this demand, NICE has officially launched a dedicated local instance of CXone Mpower, its AI-powered customer experience platform, hosted with full redundancy across Cape Town and Johannesburg.

This launch not only ensures data sovereignty and compliance with South African regulatory frameworks but also establishes a strategic foundation for NICE’s broader expansion across Africa. It brings advanced agentic AI, unified customer journey orchestration, and integrated digital and voice channels to enterprises across regulated industries, financial institutions, and large-scale customer operations.

Growing Demand for AI-Driven Customer Engagement in South Africa

Market Shift Toward Modern CX Ecosystems

• Organizations are transitioning away from legacy contact center models.

• Real-time decisioning and operational resilience are becoming essential.

• Regulated sectors need platforms that ensure strict data governance.

• Businesses seek measurable, outcome-driven customer engagement strategies.

Why Local Data Residency Matters

• Ensures all CXone Mpower applications and data remain within South Africa.

• Supports compliance with stringent data protection and governance laws.

• Helps organizations minimize regulatory risk while improving customer trust.

• Enables secure deployment models for financial institutions and government agencies.

Introducing NICE CXone Mpower: A Unified, Cloud-Native CX Platform

1. Local Hosting with Redundancy for Reliability

• CXone Mpower is now fully hosted within South Africa.

• Redundant data centers in Cape Town and Johannesburg enhance resilience.

• Supports continuous operations with high availability for enterprise workloads.

• Provides a scalable foundation for broader African deployment.

2. Enterprise-Ready, AI-Powered Experience Platform

• Enables end-to-end customer journey orchestration across channels.

• Integrates digital and voice interactions in a unified cloud environment.

• Supports real-time AI-driven insights and automated workflows.

• Delivers measurable improvements in operational efficiency and CX outcomes.

3. Native Agentic AI Following Cognigy Acquisition

• Combines automated and agent-assisted conversations.

• AI can understand context, listen, analyze intent, and execute tasks.

• Enables organizations to merge human empathy with intelligent automation.

• Enhances accuracy, speed, and consistency of customer interactions.

4. Complete Workforce Augmentation Suite

• Provides a 360° view of customer journeys across touchpoints.

• Improves agent performance, satisfaction, and productivity.

• Empowers supervisors with AI-powered insights and decisioning tools.

• Supports front, middle, and back-office alignment for seamless operations.

Telecommunications Investment to Improve Voice Quality

Enhancing Regional Infrastructure for Better CX

• NICE has strengthened telecom infrastructure to keep voice traffic within the region.

• Ensures low latency for real-time interactions.

• Improves clarity, call reliability, and overall customer experience.

• Supports higher-volume enterprise and BPO operations across Africa.

Strategic Leadership Perspectives

NICE’s Commitment to Growth Across Africa

Darren Rushworth, President of NICE International, emphasized South Africa’s importance as a global CX leader and a market with strong potential.

Key Takeaways:

• Local hosting supports AI-assisted, outcome-driven service innovation.

• The launch reflects NICE’s long-term regional strategy.

• Positioned to scale across Africa as enterprises modernize CX environments.

• Provides the technological foundation for South African organizations to compete globally.

Driving Global Adoption of CX AI

1. Real-Time Orchestration and Automation

• Automates routine customer interactions with AI-driven workflows.

• Supports agents with intelligent assistance and dynamic guidance.

• Enhances efficiency and reduces handling times across channels.

2. Unified Experiences Across the Customer Lifecycle

• Integrates systems across the front, middle, and back offices.

• Provides seamless journeys with consistent, personalized experiences.

• Enables organizations to measure real-time outcomes for continuous improvement.

3. Strengthening Local Collaboration

• NICE will work with local technology partners and systems integrators.

• Plans to host executive briefings, workshops, and industry roundtables.

• Supports customer enablement and knowledge transfer for regional success.

Conclusion

NICE’s launch of a dedicated, locally hosted CXone Mpower instance in South Africa marks a significant advancement for the region’s customer experience industry. By integrating agentic AI, unified omnichannel capabilities, and robust data governance, NICE empowers organizations to modernize their engagement strategies while meeting strict regulatory requirements.

With enhanced telecommunications infrastructure, regional hosting, and scalable cloud services, enterprises in South Africa and beyond can deliver high-quality, resilient, and personalized customer experiences. As part of NICE’s global strategy to accelerate the adoption of CX AI, this launch sets the stage for long-term growth, innovation, and competitive advantage across Africa.

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Brick-and-mortar retail is in the midst of a transformation. Once considered at a disadvantage to e-commerce due to limited shopper data, physical retail environments are now becoming just as measurable, responsive, and insight-driven as digital channels. Advances in artificial intelligence, sensor-based technologies, and computer vision have enabled retailers to capture and act on real-time data that was previously inaccessible.

At the forefront of this shift is Sensormatic Solutions, the global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls. By integrating AI-enabled sensors and cameras into retail environments, Sensormatic Solutions is helping retailers unlock critical business metrics tied to shopper behavior, store performance, and operational efficiency.

Its Store Guest Behaviors Analytics, powered by AI and built on Re-Identification (Re-ID) technology, gives retailers unprecedented visibility into how shoppers move, dwell, and engage inside physical stores. Delivered through Orbit AI overhead people counters, Video AI cameras, and ShopperTrak Analytics, the platform turns raw activity into actionable insights, enabling faster decision-making and measurable sales growth—all while maintaining shopper privacy.

This evolution represents a major moment for MarTech and retail analytics, where offline behavior is no longer a blind spot but a strategic growth lever.

Why In-Store Data Now Rivals E-Commerce Insights

Traditionally, e-commerce platforms have dominated when it comes to shopper analytics. Retailers could track clicks, conversion paths, dwell time, abandonment, and revenue attribution with precision. Physical stores, by contrast, relied on sales totals and foot traffic, offering limited context into shopper intent or engagement.

That gap is rapidly closing.

According to Sensormatic Solutions leadership, today’s brick-and-mortar retailers now have access to data that rivals, and in some cases complements, digital insights.

Key developments making this possible include:

• AI-powered computer vision that tracks movement without personal identification.

• Advanced sensors capable of distinguishing shoppers from staff and passersby.

• Real-time analytics platforms that transform foot traffic into business intelligence.

• Privacy-first design that excludes personally identifiable information.

The result is not just more data, but better data—information that directly influences store layout, staffing decisions, merchandising strategy, and revenue optimization.

Understanding Store Guest Behaviors Analytics

At the core of Sensormatic Solutions’ innovation is Store Guest Behaviors Analytics, a suite designed to convert in-store movement into measurable and actionable insights.

What Powers the Platform

Store Guest Behaviors Analytics is driven by a combination of hardware and software innovations:

• Orbit AI Overhead People Counters

  • AI-enabled sensors mounted overhead

  • Designed to accurately count shoppers

  • Exclude staff, children in strollers, and non-shopping traffic

• Video AI Cameras

  • Capture anonymized movement patterns

  • Enable behavioral attribution without facial recognition

• Re-Identification (Re-ID) Technology

  • Assigns anonymized IDs to track movement journeys

  • Identifies repeat behavior patterns during a visit

• ShopperTrak Analytics Platform

  • Centralized dashboard for data visualization

  • Translates raw inputs into actionable metrics

Together, these components create a complete view of shopper behavior across the store.

Privacy-First Design as a Core MarTech Principle

One of the biggest challenges in modern analytics is balancing personalization and insight with consumer privacy. Sensormatic Solutions has prioritized privacy by design.

Key privacy measures include:

• No collection of personally identifiable information (PII)

• No facial recognition or biometric capture

• Anonymized behavior tracking only within a single visit

• Exclusion of staff and irrelevant traffic from analytics

This approach allows retailers to benefit from high-quality behavioral insights while staying compliant with evolving global privacy regulations and maintaining shopper trust.

Driving Higher Conversion Through Shopper Journey Insights

One of the most valuable applications of Store Guest Behaviors Analytics is its ability to reveal the path to purchase inside physical stores.

By understanding how shoppers move through a space, retailers can identify:

• Entry points with the highest engagement

• High-traffic versus low-traffic aisles

• Bottlenecks that prevent smooth navigation

• Drop-off zones where shoppers disengage

How Path-to-Purchase Analytics Improves Conversion

Retailers can use journey data to:

• Optimize store layouts based on real movement patterns

• Reposition high-margin or promotional products

• Improve signage and wayfinding

• Reduce friction in high-traffic zones

Rather than relying on assumptions or outdated floor plans, retailers gain data-backed clarity on how store design directly impacts sales conversion.

Boosting Merchandising Impact With Dwell and Zone Analytics

Beyond movement, understanding where shoppers spend their time is critical to merchandising success.

Store Guest Behaviors Analytics provides insights into:

• Zone preference

• Dwell time by display or category

• Engagement levels across store sections

Turning Dwell Time Into Revenue

With these insights, retailers can:

• Identify top-performing displays that capture attention

• Compare engagement across multiple product categories

• Test and validate new merchandising strategies

• Quickly adjust underperforming displays

This level of real-time feedback allows merchandising teams to move from static setups to dynamic, data-driven optimization.

Improving Operational Efficiency Through Smarter Staffing

Labor optimization remains one of the most complex challenges in retail. Overstaffing increases costs, while understaffing hurts customer experience and sales.

AI-powered traffic analytics offer a more precise approach.

How Real-Time Traffic Data Supports Staffing Decisions

Retailers can use traffic and behavioral data to:

• Identify peak shopping hours with higher accuracy

• Align staff scheduling with real demand

• Adjust floor coverage dynamically throughout the day

• Reduce wait times during high-traffic periods

By matching labor allocation to actual in-store activity, retailers improve both efficiency and shopper satisfaction without increasing labor spend.

Real-World Validation: LIDS Expands Its Insights With Orbit AI

Sensormatic Solutions’ innovations are already delivering measurable value for retail brands.

LIDS, a long-time partner of Sensormatic Solutions, has deepened its collaboration with the introduction of Orbit AI technology.

How LIDS Is Using AI-Powered Insights

According to LIDS leadership, the new technology provides:

• Clearer visibility into shopper flow

• Better understanding of in-store engagement

• Stronger decision-making around layout and merchandising

• Improved overall shopper experience

These insights demonstrate how AI-powered analytics can transition from experimentation to everyday operational value.

MarTech Meets Retail: A Broader Strategic Shift

Store Guest Behaviors Analytics represents a broader trend in MarTech: the blending of physical and digital intelligence.

Key implications for MarTech leaders include:

• Offline data is becoming first-class marketing intelligence

• Attribution is expanding beyond clicks to physical experiences

• Customer journey mapping is now omnichannel by default

• Real-time decision-making is extending into physical environments

Retailers that embrace this convergence gain a competitive advantage by aligning digital strategy with in-store realities.

NRF 2026: Bringing AI-Powered Retail Analytics to Life

Sensormatic Solutions will showcase Store Guest Behaviors Analytics at the 2026 NRF Big Show, taking place January 11–13 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Attendees can expect:

• Live demonstrations of AI-powered analytics

• Hands-on walkthroughs of Orbit AI sensors

• Insights into upcoming retail technology innovations

• Direct discussions with Sensormatic Solutions experts

This event provides a tangible look at how AI-backed MarTech is reshaping physical retail.

Conclusion: Turning In-Store Behavior Into Strategic Advantage

The future of retail is no longer a debate between online and offline. It is about how effectively brands can connect data, insights, and action across every customer touchpoint.

Sensormatic Solutions’ Store Guest Behaviors Analytics shows what’s possible when AI, sensors, and MarTech principles converge. By transforming in-store activity into real-time, privacy-safe intelligence, retailers can:

• Increase conversion rates

• Strengthen merchandising performance

• Optimize staffing and operations

• Deliver better shopper experiences

As physical retail becomes more measurable and responsive, solutions like these will define the next era of data-driven growth. For retailers looking to compete smarter, faster, and more efficiently, AI-powered in-store analytics are no longer optional—they are foundational.

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Connected TV (CTV) has rapidly become one of the most important digital advertising channels, but it has also introduced new complexities around targeting, measurement, and relevance. As streaming ecosystems grow more fragmented, advertisers are searching for smarter ways to align their messages with meaningful content moments—without relying on personal data.

Historically, contextual targeting in video advertising has stopped at broad classifications such as genre, show title, or channel. While useful, these approaches lack the precision required to reflect how viewers actually experience content. A comedy show can contain intense moments. A live sports broadcast can shift tone in seconds. Advertisers need intelligence that operates at the same speed and nuance as streaming content itself.

That gap is now closing.

Anoki, a leader in contextual video intelligence for CTV, has announced its integration with Index Marketplaces, Index Exchange’s omnichannel platform for curated, signal-rich supply activation and sell-side decisioning. With this integration, Index becomes one of the first global ad exchanges to provide buyers and sellers with scalable access to AI-powered, scene-level contextual intelligence across streaming TV.

This collaboration marks a significant advancement in how CTV advertising is planned, activated, and optimized—bringing real-time contextual precision into programmatic workflows at scale.

The Limitations of Traditional Contextual Targeting in CTV

For years, marketers have depended on contextual tools that classify content at a high level. While these methods helped ensure brand adjacency and general relevance, they fall short in today’s dynamic streaming environment.

Common limitations include:

• Context classification limited to genre or program level

• Lack of emotional or tonal understanding within content

• Inability to adapt ads to real-time content shifts

• Missed opportunities during high-impact scenes

• Inefficient spend due to overly broad targeting

As a result, advertisers have struggled to fully capitalize on CTV’s storytelling power, often delivering creative messages that are misaligned with the actual moment viewers are experiencing.

What Scene-Level Intelligence Changes for Marketers

Scene-level intelligence represents a step change in contextual advertising. Instead of treating a program as a single environment, it analyzes content moment by moment.

With Anoki’s AI-powered approach, marketers gain visibility into:

• Scene-level tone and sentiment

• Subject matter within individual moments

• Emotional context of live and on-demand programming

• Shifts in content during live events

• Nuanced storytelling elements that influence viewer attention

This intelligence allows advertisers to move from static adjacency to dynamic contextual alignment, where creative messaging can be activated around the most relevant moments in real time.

How Anoki and Index Marketplaces Work Together

The integration connects Anoki’s ContextIQ platform with Index Marketplaces, combining deep content intelligence with curated, high-quality supply.

Key Components of the Integration

• Anoki ContextIQ

  • AI-powered scene-level contextual analysis for streaming TV

  • Categorizes scenes by tone, sentiment, and subject matter

  • Enables real-time activation without personal data

• Index Marketplaces

  • Omnichannel platform for curated, signal-rich inventory

  • Designed for scalable activation and sell-side decisioning

  • Supports premium streaming and live event supply

• Index Exchange Infrastructure

  • Efficient, transparent, and DSP-agnostic activation

  • Seamless integration with existing programmatic workflows

Together, these components allow scene-level intelligence to be operationalized across the open internet at scale.

Unlocking Precision Through Dynamic Ad Podding

A major strength of Index Exchange lies in its leadership in dynamic ad podding, particularly across streaming and live events.

By pairing Anoki’s intelligence with dynamic ad podding, the integration enables:

• Scene-aware decisioning at the pod level

• Creative alignment with real-time content shifts

• Reduced ad waste through more precise placements

• Improved transparency across supply and delivery

• Greater control over how ads appear within content experiences

Rather than treating every ad break equally, advertisers can now align creative messaging with the emotional and contextual state of the content at that exact moment.

Real-Time Relevance for Live and Streaming Content

Live events present some of the most valuable but challenging inventory in CTV. Content tone, momentum, and emotional intensity can change rapidly, making traditional targeting ineffective.

This integration enables advertisers to:

• Activate ads around key live moments

• Maintain brand safety even in unpredictable environments

• Respond to content changes as they happen

• Deliver more emotionally aligned messaging

• Enhance viewer experience without disrupting engagement

For live sports, news, and events, scene-level intelligence ensures ads remain relevant without sacrificing scalability.

What This Means for Marketers

From a buyer perspective, the Anoki–Index integration delivers immediate and measurable benefits.

Key Advantages for Advertisers

• Access to scene-level contextual targeting without personal data

• Curated, high-performance deal packages in Index Marketplaces

• Improved alignment between creative and content moments

• Enhanced brand safety, including live event environments

• Reduced inefficiencies from overly broad contextual buys

• No disruption to existing DSP or SSP workflows

Marketers gain more control and confidence in where and how their ads appear—driving stronger performance outcomes.

New Opportunities for Media Owners

Media owners also stand to benefit significantly from this integration, particularly those with premium CTV and live event inventory.

Value Delivered to Media Owners

• AI-powered intelligence to enhance inventory valuation

• Greater transparency into content-level performance

• Improved yield through smarter contextual alignment

• Control over how inventory is packaged and sold

• Ability to compete beyond basic contextual signals

• No additional platform fees or workflow changes

By activating scene-level insights through Index Marketplaces, media owners can unlock the full contextual value of their content without increasing complexity.

Privacy-First Contextual Intelligence at Scale

As privacy regulations evolve and third-party data becomes less reliable, contextual advertising is emerging as a core MarTech strategy.

This integration reinforces that shift by:

• Eliminating dependence on personal or identity-based data

• Preserving viewer privacy across streaming environments

• Supporting compliance with global regulatory standards

• Delivering relevance through content, not consumers

For MarTech leaders, this represents a sustainable model for performance-driven advertising in a privacy-first future.

Industry Perspectives on the Integration

Industry leaders see this collaboration as a meaningful step forward for CTV advertising.

Key themes highlighted by executives include:

• A new level of precision in contextual activation

• Stronger emotional alignment between content and creative

• Smarter decisioning across fragmented streaming platforms

• Improved outcomes for both buyers and sellers

• Expanded creative opportunities not possible in legacy programmatic models

The consensus is clear: scene-level intelligence is reshaping what’s possible in CTV.

MarTech Implications: From Programmatic to Moment-Based Activation

This integration reflects a broader MarTech evolution toward moment-based marketing, where relevance is defined by context, timing, and emotional resonance rather than static segments or assumptions.

Implications for MarTech teams include:

• Context becoming a primary optimization signal

• Creative strategy increasingly tied to content moments

• Programmatic buying shifting toward curated intelligence

• Measurement expanding beyond impressions to impact

• CTV emerging as a premium, intelligent channel—not just a scaled one

Conclusion: Setting a New Standard for CTV Contextual Advertising

The integration between Anoki and Index Marketplaces represents a meaningful leap forward for connected TV advertising. By bringing AI-powered scene-level intelligence into curated, scalable programmatic workflows, the partnership addresses one of CTV’s biggest challenges: delivering relevance without sacrificing privacy or efficiency.

For marketers, it unlocks real-time alignment with meaningful content moments. For media owners, it enhances inventory value and transparency. For the broader MarTech ecosystem, it signals a future where contextual intelligence operates at the same depth and speed as streaming content itself.

As CTV continues to grow, solutions that connect intelligence, efficiency, and relevance will define the next phase of digital advertising and this integration sets a strong benchmark for what’s possible.

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Modern enterprises are operating in an environment where sensitive data is no longer confined to a single system, platform, or location. Data is spread across cloud storage, SaaS applications, on-prem systems, and increasingly, automated and AI-driven processes. This distribution has unlocked efficiency and scale but has also introduced new security, governance, and compliance risks.

When incidents occur—whether it’s a file deletion, unauthorized access, suspicious downloads, or misuse by automated systems—security teams often face a critical challenge: they cannot quickly answer the most basic investigative questions. Who accessed the data? What was touched? When did it happen? And was it a human user, a service account, or an AI-driven process?

Traditional audit logs were not designed for today’s hybrid, AI-enabled environments. They are often fragmented, inconsistent, difficult to search, or entirely unavailable. As a result, investigations slow down, insider risks go undetected, and organizations face increased exposure to regulatory, operational, and reputational damage.

BigID, a leader in data security, privacy, compliance, and AI governance, is addressing this gap with the launch of Activity Explorer—a new capability that delivers centralized auditability and granular activity investigation across distributed environments. By unifying activity signals into a single interface, BigID enables security teams to move faster, investigate smarter, and strengthen their overall data security posture.

The Growing Challenge of Insider Risk in Hybrid Environments

Insider risk has evolved beyond malicious employees acting alone. Today’s environments include:

• Human users with legitimate access

• Privileged service accounts running automated processes

• AI agents interacting with sensitive data at scale

• Hybrid data estates spanning cloud, SaaS, and on-prem systems

When combined with limited visibility, this complexity increases exposure.

Key challenges facing security teams today include:

• Incomplete audit trails across systems

• Lack of context around what data was accessed

• Difficulty correlating identity activity across platforms

• Manual, time-consuming investigations

• Limited support for AI and non-human identities

Without unified visibility, organizations often discover issues too late—after damage has already occurred.

Introducing BigID Activity Explorer

Activity Explorer is designed to provide auditability and investigative clarity across modern data ecosystems. It centralizes activity events from cloud and on-prem environments into a single, searchable, and filterable interface.

What Activity Explorer Delivers

• Unified activity visibility across hybrid data environments

• Granular tracking of human, service, and AI-driven activity

• Faster investigations through centralized search and filtering

• Reliable audit trails for compliance and forensics

• Context-rich insights tied to data sensitivity and risk

This capability extends BigID’s platform beyond discovery and classification into actionable monitoring and response.

Unified Activity Auditing Across Hybrid Data Environments

One of the core strengths of Activity Explorer is its ability to remove blind spots created by fragmented logging systems.

Supported Environments

BigID Activity Explorer consolidates activity across:

• AWS S3

• SharePoint

• OneDrive

• Google Drive

• NetApp

• Cloud, SaaS, and on-prem data stores

By centralizing these activity signals, security teams no longer need to hunt across multiple tools or inconsistent logs to reconstruct events.

Benefits of Unified Auditing

• Complete visibility across distributed data sources

• Faster triage and investigation

• Reduced operational complexity

• Improved confidence in audit accuracy

This unified approach is essential for modern data security operations.

Visibility Across All Identity Types

A defining challenge in today’s environments is the explosion of non-human identities. Service accounts, scripts, automation tools, and AI agents now access sensitive data as frequently as human users.

Activity Explorer extends visibility across all identity types, including:

• Individual user accounts

• Privileged and non-privileged service accounts

• Automated workflows and system processes

• AI-driven agents interacting with data

This ensures that no identity operating within the environment is invisible to security teams.

Fast and Flexible Activity Investigation

When incidents arise, speed and precision are critical. Activity Explorer provides security teams with a powerful investigative experience designed for real-world response scenarios.

Investigation Capabilities

Security teams can:

• Search activity by date, user, operation, or resource

• Filter events using multiple criteria simultaneously

• Quickly answer questions such as:

  • Who deleted this file?

  • What data did this account access yesterday?

  • Which identities performed downloads during a specific window?

This flexibility significantly reduces investigation time and improves response accuracy.

Building a Trusted Audit History

Compliance and governance demands require disciplined record-keeping. Activity Explorer maintains a comprehensive activity history across sensitive data environments.

Compliance and Forensics Support

Activity Explorer supports:

• Long-term audit logging

• Forensic analysis during investigations

• Regulatory requirements such as:

  • HIPAA

  • GLBA

  • GDPR

Having trustworthy, centralized activity records enables organizations to respond confidently to auditors, regulators, and internal governance teams.

Breach Investigation and Blast-Radius Analysis

When accounts are compromised, understanding the scope of exposure becomes urgent. Activity Explorer enables security teams to analyze the blast radius of an incident.

Key Capabilities

• Identify all data accessed during a breach window

• Trace compromised account activity across systems

• Determine what sensitive data was touched

• Prioritize containment and remediation

This accelerates incident response and reduces the likelihood of prolonged exposure.

Accelerating Insider Risk Detection

Activity Explorer is not only reactive—it also enables proactive risk detection.

Insider Risk Indicators

The platform helps surface patterns associated with:

• Unauthorized access attempts

• Mass downloads

• Suspicious file deletions

• Unusual behavior by privileged accounts

• Anomalies involving service accounts or AI agents

By identifying risky behavior early, organizations can intervene before incidents escalate.

Adding Context to Activity With Data Intelligence

Activity logs alone only tell part of the story. BigID enhances Activity Explorer by pairing activity events with data context and sensitivity classification.

Why Context Matters

With this combined view, security teams can understand:

• What type of data was accessed

• Whether it included regulated or sensitive information

• The potential risk level of the activity

• The business impact of the event

This context-driven approach allows teams to focus on what truly matters, rather than chasing low-risk noise.

Executive Perspective: Visibility as the Foundation of Security

According to BigID leadership, visibility is the cornerstone of effective data protection.

Security leaders emphasize that without the ability to see and trace activity across environments, organizations cannot:

• Protect sensitive data

• Investigate incidents effectively

• Maintain compliance

• Secure AI-driven processes

Activity Explorer is positioned as a foundational capability that strengthens every layer of data security operations.

Expanding BigID’s Data Security Platform

The launch of Activity Explorer builds on BigID’s broader leadership across:

• Data Security Posture Management (DSPM)

• Data Detection and Response (DDR)

• Insider risk management

• Cloud Data Loss Prevention (Cloud DLP)

• AI governance and oversight

Together, these capabilities help organizations reduce risk, accelerate investigations, and maintain confidence in their security controls.

MarTech and Data Governance Implications

For MarTech and data-driven organizations, Activity Explorer addresses a growing concern: ensuring accountability as AI and automation become embedded into data workflows.

Key implications include:

• Stronger governance for AI-enabled data access

• Improved auditability for marketing and analytics systems

• Greater alignment between data security and compliance teams

• Reduced operational risk tied to sensitive customer data

As MarTech stacks continue to expand, audit visibility becomes as critical as activation and performance.

Conclusion: From Fragmented Logs to Confident Investigations

As data ecosystems grow more distributed and AI-driven, organizations can no longer rely on fragmented, incomplete audit logs to protect sensitive information. Insider risk, whether human or automated, demands unified visibility and rapid investigative capabilities.

With Activity Explorer, BigID delivers a centralized, context-rich, and scalable approach to activity auditing and investigation. By bringing together identity activity, data sensitivity, and historical records into a single experience, the platform enables security teams to move faster, smarter, and with greater confidence.

In an era where understanding who accessed data, when, and why is non-negotiable, Activity Explorer sets a new standard for modern data security and governance.

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Enterprise communication is undergoing a structural shift. Businesses are moving away from fragmented, transactional messaging models toward conversational, engagement-driven interactions that align with how consumers actually communicate. At the center of this transformation is WhatsApp, which has rapidly evolved from a consumer messaging app into a critical enterprise engagement channel.

As customer expectations increase and digital interactions become the default, organizations are rethinking how they connect with users across sales, support, and operations. Messaging channels that support rich media, real-time conversations, and high delivery reliability are now essential to customer experience strategies.

Within this context, Messangi—a leader in enterprise messaging and CPaaS solutions—has been promoted to Select Partner in Meta’s Partner Performance Accelerator for Business Messaging Program. This milestone reflects sustained growth in WhatsApp adoption among Messangi’s customers and highlights a broader industry transition toward conversational messaging at scale.

The promotion underscores not only strong performance metrics but also Messangi’s growing role in helping enterprises modernize their communication infrastructure across the Americas.

The Evolution From SMS to Conversational Messaging

For years, SMS served as the backbone of enterprise messaging. While reliable and ubiquitous, SMS is inherently limited in its ability to support rich, interactive experiences.

As organizations began prioritizing engagement, personalization, and two-way communication, the limitations of SMS became increasingly clear.

Key challenges of legacy SMS-only platforms include:

• Limited support for rich media

• Lack of structured conversational flows

• Lower engagement rates for complex interactions

• Reduced ability to personalize experiences

• Minimal support for automation and AI-driven journeys

Conversational channels like WhatsApp address these challenges by enabling branded messaging, media-rich interactions, verified business identities, and real-time responses—all within a user experience that customers already trust and use daily.

Messangi’s Role in Driving WhatsApp Adoption

Over the past several years, Messangi has worked closely with enterprises, telecom operators, aggregators, and independent software vendors to help them transition from SMS-centric messaging models to modern, conversational platforms.

This transition has not been theoretical. Messangi has supported real-world deployments where WhatsApp became a core communication channel for customer engagement, notifications, and support.

Key factors driving WhatsApp adoption among Messangi’s customers include:

• Growing consumer preference for messaging-based interactions

• Demand for richer, more interactive customer experiences

• Need for faster response times and two-way communication

• Higher reliability compared to traditional SMS in certain markets

• Better alignment with omnichannel engagement strategies

As a result, WhatsApp usage among Messangi’s customer base has grown rapidly, directly contributing to its promotion within Meta’s partner ecosystem.

What Select Partner Status Means in Meta’s Program

Meta’s Partner Performance Accelerator for Business Messaging Program evaluates partners based on performance, scale, adoption success, and customer outcomes. Promotion to Select Partner reflects sustained excellence across these dimensions.

Key Implications of Select Partner Status

Messangi’s Select-level recognition provides:

• Increased access to Meta enablement resources

• Participation in incentive and growth programs

• Closer collaboration with Meta teams

• Early insight into product updates and best practices

• Enhanced ability to support large-scale WhatsApp deployments

This strengthened position enables Messangi to better serve organizations seeking to operationalize WhatsApp as part of their long-term messaging strategy.

WhatsApp Performance Compared to SMS: What the Data Shows

Through deployments across multiple industries, Messangi has consistently observed WhatsApp outperform SMS across key performance indicators.

Reported Performance Gains Include

• Higher conversion rates on customer journeys

• Stronger engagement and response rates

• Improved message delivery reliability

• Faster customer response times

• More effective two-way communication

These outcomes validate the broader shift in enterprise communication behavior and confirm that conversational messaging is not just a trend, but a performance-driven evolution.

Industry Use Cases Driving WhatsApp Growth

Messangi’s WhatsApp implementations span a wide range of industries, each with distinct communication needs but shared performance goals.

Banking and Financial Services

• Transactional notifications with two-way engagement

• Customer service automation

• Secure and trusted messaging channels

• Faster response handling and issue resolution

Telecommunications

• Service notifications and plan updates

• Customer onboarding and retention messaging

• Conversational support at scale

• Reduced reliance on call centers

Retail and E-commerce

• Order updates and delivery notifications

• Promotional messaging with rich media

• Conversational commerce experiences

• Increased engagement across the customer lifecycle

Insurance

• Policy updates and claims communication

• Customer education and support workflows

• Faster resolution through conversational interactions

Across these sectors, WhatsApp has emerged as a preferred channel for delivering timely, relevant, and interactive communication.

Helping Organizations Modernize Messaging Infrastructure

Messangi’s expanded role as a Select Partner enhances its ability to support organizations at different stages of messaging transformation.

Supported Use Cases Include

• Upgrading legacy SMS-only infrastructure

• Integrating native WhatsApp capabilities

• Embedding messaging into enterprise software platforms

• Supporting ISVs building messaging-driven solutions

• Scaling conversational strategies across regions

For organizations navigating messaging modernization, this support reduces complexity and accelerates time to value.

Executive Perspective: Industry Direction and Customer Trust

Messangi leadership views the Select Partner promotion as a reflection of customer trust and market momentum.

Key themes emphasized by executives include:

• Clear growth trajectory for WhatsApp adoption

• Measurable performance improvements for customers

• Increasing demand for conversational engagement

• Long-term shift away from transactional-only messaging

These signals reinforce the idea that messaging is no longer just a utility—it is a strategic channel for customer experience and brand engagement.

Beyond WhatsApp: A Multichannel Messaging Strategy

While WhatsApp plays a central role, Messangi continues to support a broad messaging ecosystem designed for flexibility and scale.

Supported Channels and Capabilities

• WhatsApp

• SMS

• RCS

• Email

• AI-powered chatbots

• Intelligent workflows and automation

• Scalable CPaaS infrastructure

This multichannel approach allows organizations to meet customers where they are while maintaining consistency, control, and efficiency.

MarTech Implications: Messaging as a Core Engagement Layer

From a MarTech perspective, Messangi’s Select Partner status highlights a larger trend: messaging platforms are becoming foundational engagement layers within modern marketing and customer experience stacks.

Key implications for MarTech leaders include:

• Messaging is evolving from support to engagement

• Conversational channels drive higher lifecycle value

• Automation and AI are essential for scale

• Channel strategy must reflect customer preference

• Platform partners play a critical role in execution

As brands compete on experience, messaging performance is increasingly tied to business outcomes.

Conclusion: Select Partner Status Signals the Future of Business Messaging

Messangi’s promotion to Select Partner in Meta’s Business Messaging Program reflects more than a partner milestone—it signals where enterprise communication is headed.

As WhatsApp adoption accelerates across industries, organizations are prioritizing channels that deliver higher engagement, faster interactions, and richer customer experiences. Messangi’s proven ability to help customers transition from legacy SMS platforms to conversational messaging has positioned it as a key enabler of this shift.

With expanded access to Meta’s resources and continued investment in multichannel, AI-enabled messaging, Messangi is well-positioned to help organizations scale modern communication strategies that meet the expectations of today’s connected customers.

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