Unit21, a leading provider in risk and compliance solutions, today announced the launch of Real-Time Monitoring at Money20/20 to transform the landscape of risk management.

Empowering Swift, Comprehensive Fraud Mitigation

Unit21’s Real-Time Monitoring solution is a game-changer for financial institutions utilizing real-time payment rails (such as FedNow, RTP, Zelle and others) with low latency constraints. With Real-Time Monitoring, fraud prevention teams gain unprecedented capabilities to monitor real-time transactions which allows for proactive fraud prevention, resulting in significant reductions in fraud-related losses.

The key benefits of Real-Time Monitoring include:

• Real-Time Monitoring provides a holistic view of transactions, enabling thorough evaluation to identify potential fraud.
• Block suspicious transactions in sub-seconds, stopping potential fraud in real time.
• Provide a better seamless customer experience by reducing the risk of flagging legitimate transactions as fraudulent by whitelisting trusted customers.

“As the industry and payment landscape becomes more real-time, the solutions companies have traditionally used have not evolved fast enough. With Real-Time Monitoring, companies can be confident that they have the controls to mitigate real-time risk,” said Ian Macallister, Chief Operating Officer of Unit21.

“Real Time Monitoring is awesome because it helps limit human interactions. Right now, our departments are manually reviewing transactions so when we automate the decision tree, it will free up our time to focus on riskier transactions and entities,” said Luz Mabel del Valle, Chief Risk Officer at FV Bank.

Unit21 is committed to delivering industry-leading solutions that streamline risk management, empower fraud prevention and AML compliance teams with tools that adapt to the dynamic landscape of financial crime prevention. With Real-Time Monitoring, Unit21 continues to lead the change in redefining how organizations approach risk and compliance.

Among the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs at 2023 Builders and Innovators Summit

Goldman Sachs recognized CEO of 6sense, Jason Zintak, as one of the Most Exceptional Entrepreneurs of 2023 at its Builders and Innovators Summit in Healdsburg, California.

Goldman Sachs selected Zintak from multiple industries to be honored at the two-day event. Since Zintak joined 6sense in 2017, the company has grown astronomically by every measure: employee, customer, net revenue retention, and revenue growth. With a reputation for making smart moves, prioritizing people, and creating a culture of innovation, Zintak leads the company towards its mission to revolutionize the way B2B organizations create, manage and convert pipeline to revenue.

“To be recognized for entrepreneurship by Goldman Sachs is an incredible honor,” said Jason Zintak, 6sense CEO. “This recognition reflects the strength and passion of our team and our commitment to a growth mindset which fosters ongoing learning, curiosity and innovation. Our collective entrepreneurial spirit at 6sense started with our founders and leaders and continues today across the organization as a defining element of our success in delivering real value to our customers.”

“We’re delighted to recognize Jason Zintak as one of the most exceptional entrepreneurs of 2023,” said David Solomon, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. “Like everyone in this year’s class, Jason has been a visionary in their field, pushing forward innovation and redefining markets. We are excited to harness Goldman’s convening power to bring together these dynamic leaders and hear their insights.”

Ooma, Inc., a smart communications platform for businesses and consumers, today announced that it has acquired 2600Hz, Inc., a leader in modern and flexible business communications applications targeted at resellers and carriers, for approximately $33 million in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. 2600Hz is expected to add approximately $7 million in annual recurring revenue to Ooma.

The transaction was completed on October 20, 2023. The purchase price was partially funded by a new $30 million revolving line of credit facility with Citizens Bank, N.A. Additionally, following the closing, certain former 2600Hz employees who join Ooma will be granted equity awards under Ooma's 2015 Equity Incentive Plan, subject to vesting conditions.

2600Hz has a global customer base leveraging Kazoo, its open-source communications solution, and a suite of proprietary applications through open APIs to provide Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS), Call Center as a Service (CCaaS) and AI tools and applications. With the transaction, Ooma takes over the direction and development of 2600Hz’s technology road map and will complement the 2600Hz offerings with Ooma’s proprietary intellectual property to create more powerful, scalable and open communications solutions for the industry.

As a proponent and user of 2600Hz open-source applications for more than ten years, Ooma has extensively integrated its intellectual property with 2600Hz. The acquisition advances Ooma’s integrated business service through the addition of Call Center, CPaaS and AI capabilities. It will also expand Ooma’s customer base to include service providers and resellers utilizing 2600Hz for their bespoke offerings. For 2600Hz, the acquisition will strengthen its solution by leveraging Ooma’s low-cost telecom infrastructure and scale, as well as its mobile, web, desktop and other applications.

“We’re delighted to welcome 2600Hz into the Ooma portfolio of business solutions,” said Eric Stang, chief executive officer of Ooma. “This acquisition is complementary to our strategy to extend our leadership in serving business customers, both directly and now through other service providers, and it is expected to accelerate overall growth of Ooma and the reach of our solutions. We are excited to bring Ooma’s unique engineering expertise to better serve 2600Hz’s customers worldwide.”

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP acted as legal advisor to Ooma, and Beyers Costin Simon PC acted as legal advisor to 2600Hz.

HCLSoftware, a global leader in enterprise software solutions, announced the release of HCL Universal Orchestrator, a cloud-native process platform designed to expand automation with limitless scenarios. It enables the orchestration of the universe of automations with a low-code approach for workflows design, enhanced visibility, seamless orchestration across hybrid systems, and robust rule engines.

"Organizations engaged in an end-to-end digital transformation need automation to increase efficiency and accuracy and reduce costs," said Luca Landi, Vice President and General Manager, Automation Orchestration, HCLSoftware. "But with the ever-changing landscape of automation technology, businesses have realized they need reliable orchestration to automate their entire processes rather than just limited tasks or workflows."

Many analysts' predictions point to the need for an orchestrated set of technologies, tools, and platforms to automate as many IT (Information Technology) and business processes as possible. Many call this phenomenon "hyperautomation." A strong hyperautomation platform will not only yield improved accuracy, efficiency, and innovation, but also will seamlessly integrate people with technology.

Features of HCL Universal Orchestrator

• Seamlessly span across hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures
• Ensure high scalability and swift workflow execution for calendar-based and event driven, business, IT and human-in-the-loop tasks
• Support serverless orchestration for cloud applications
• Enable data exchange between tasks
• Empower business users with self-service automation

Integrated within other offerings under the HCL Automation Orchestration suite of prodcucts, HCL Universal Orchestrator is a holistic solution for end-to-end business requirements.

The award highlights the innovative approach and utilization of video technologies in expanding the impact of video experiences.

Kaltura, the Video Experience Cloud today announced Salesforce, the global leader in CRM, as the winner of the inaugural Kaltura Visionaries Award. The award recognizes companies that have demonstrated exceptional and visionary use of Kaltura’s platform that has had a measurable and positive impact.

The Kaltura Visionaries Award is focused on the innovative and creative use of Kaltura’s video platform. Criteria included demonstrable impact, user experience improvements, scalability, innovative use of AI in marketing, and overall excellence in video utilization.

“The innovation and drive that we have seen from Salesforce has been unparalleled, as is clearly seen in the excellence of Salesforce+ and their flagship events. Not many other organizations can go from signing with a new technology partner to producing a top tier virtual event in just two and half months,” said Liad Eshkar, EVP Business Development and Partnerships at Kaltura. “Salesforce+ is unique in their approach to move fast, consolidate, and streamline their event technology while also adapting and innovating to new market needs. Salesforce+ stands out from the rest, with its scope, potential, and the appetite for innovation across the Salesforce+ team, to continue pushing the envelope for engaging, entertaining, and impactful digital experiences.”

Salesforce+, a streaming service for business audiences, with compelling live and on-demand content, was selected as exemplary for the creative and effective use of Kaltura’s video platform. Launched in 2021 Salesforce+ is a free streaming service for business – a place to watch live events and original series to help business audiences grow their careers and companies. The team took inspiration from Netflix, Peloton, Nike, and other consumer brands to develop its unique approach, grabbing the attention of millions to drive viewership and combine Salesforce’s strength in events and content.

To build Salesforce+ the team made quick and creative use of Kaltura's feature-rich components including the video player, chat and collaboration tools, broadcast-grade live streaming engine, and leveraged Kaltura’s APIs across both live and on-demand video, including TV casting, timeline scrubbing with previews, searchable transcripts, picture-in-picture, and more. Additionally, Salesforce+ incorporated Kaltura’s AI enrichment services for content repurposing, in alignment with their AI-forward Einstein focus, particularly for events. Salesforce leveraged  Kaltura’s AI in conjunction with Einstein to create automatic summaries and key takeaways for over 300 Dreamforce sessions. Used for the first time at this scale, this will provide new forms of value to attendees and save marketers and event organizers countless hours.

“Salesforce+ is built around the idea of pushing the envelope, from how we engage with business leaders and professionals, to how we empower our viewers to interact with live and on-demand content. With Kaltura, we were able to create new ways to do so,” said Jennifer Sacks, VP Brand Technology & Insights at Salesforce. “We are genuinely honored to be recognized by Kaltura for our visionary way of putting their technologies to work, and are excited towards what is yet to come.”

Beyond innovation, Salesforce+ has leveraged Kaltura to drive enhanced viewing experiences, including 70% more out-of-the-box features. In addition, Salesforce+ utilized Kaltura’s live streaming capabilities to power Dreamforce, its flagship event, including hundreds of thousands of viewers and chat messages offering additional points of engagement for organizers across 4 days.

In honor of this achievement, Kaltura will be making a donation to their environmental partner Dots.eco, for a cause chosen by Salesforce.

Bringing Over 25 Years of Expertise in Advancing IT and Digital Marketing Capabilities for Consumer Health and Wellness Companies

Modere (or the “Company”), a global, clean lifestyle, health & wellness brand of household, and beauty & personal care products, today announced the appointment of Guy Thier as Chief Information Officer (CIO), effective October 30, 2023, to further enhance the Company’s e-commerce and digital transaction platforms.

Mr. Thier boasts an impressive career spanning more than 25 years in IT and digital marketing within the consumer health and wellness sector. His track record is defined by his ability to construct information technology and social marketing strategies to support business growth. Notably, Mr. Their most recently served as Chief Information Officer and interim Global Chief Marketing Officer at Cutera, a leading provider of aesthetic and dermatology solutions, where he built the IT team that underpinned the company’s consumer-focused growth strategy. Prior to Cutera, Mr. Thier held the positions of Chief Information Officer and subsequently added Chief Digital Officer and Chief Operations Officer responsibilities at both Arbonne International, a global leader in personal care, nutrition, beauty and wellness products, and Bally Total Fitness. He played a particularly key role at Arbonne in building a state-of-the-art global e-commerce website as well as robust backend, leading to increased revenue and organizational growth. He holds a B.A. in computer science from Lewis University and an executive MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

“I am thrilled to join Modere as CIO to continue enhancing its e-commerce and digital capabilities to drive growth,” Mr. Thier said. “At the forefront of providing clean and effective health and wellness products and with many compelling opportunities ahead, Modere is well-positioned to grow its global community, deliver an even better omnichannel experience for customers and take the business to the next level.”

GRAVTY Pulsar™ Recognized For Using Generative AI to Deliver Hyper-personalized Loyalty Programs Autonomously

Loyalty Juggernaut (LJI), the first cloud-native technology platform for loyalty programs and ecosystems, today announced that it has won its 3^rd consecutive 'Best Technology Innovation' award at Global Flight's Loyalty & Awards 2023 conference.

"This award holds remarkable prestige as it is determined by a panel of actual loyalty practitioners and loyalty strategy professionals. Congratulations to the LJI team for completing a winning trifecta. It's a testament to their focus on innovation," said Ravindra Bhagwanani, Managing Director of Global Flight. "Loyalty Juggernaut's Pulsar represents a pioneering approach, harnessing Generative AI to swiftly craft highly personalized and effective loyalty campaigns."

"Loyalty today is a technology-driven business. LJI continues to demonstrate thought leadership and forward-thinking ways in delivering cutting-edge technology innovations to help drive superior customer engagement and simplify the everyday management of loyalty programs," said Pablo Sordo, Chief Strategy Officer at Viva Aerobus.

This marks the third consecutive year LJI has won this prestigious award. Prior awards were for:

• 2021: GRAVTY Visual Rules: the only patented "no-code" rules engine of the loyalty technology industry to empower loyalty professionals to deliver greater personalization.
  
  
• 2022: G-Sense: AI-powered intelligent anomaly detection for real-time monitoring and management of loyalty programs to ensure commercial integrity and operational reliability.  

"We are incredibly proud to receive this distinguished award again," said Shyam Shah, CEO of Loyalty Juggernaut. "I would also like to congratulate the winners in other categories:  Aegean Airlines for Best Marketing Campaign, Etihad Airways for Best Use of Technology, Global Hotel Alliance for Excellence in Management, and Accor/Qantas for Best Loyalty Partnership. We are honored to be featured among such industry giants. Receiving three awards for three unique technology innovations is a tribute to our customers, who we learn from and innovate for."

Sonata Software signed a multi-year contract with GCX to transform their business operations leveraging Cloud, Data and AI technologies

Sonata Software, the leading Modernization Engineering company has announced that it has signed an agreement with Global Cloud Xchange (GCX), a leading network service provider powering global connectivity for new media providers, telecom carriers and enterprises. Sonata's investments in Cloud, Data and Generative AI technologies made Sonata the partner of choice for GCX as they start a multi-year business transformation of GCX's enterprise operations, systems and business intelligence systems.

GCX provides high-bandwidth connectivity and global managed network services including managed ICT, cyber security, and UCaaS solutions, to a range of blue-chip customers inclusive of hyperscalers, telecommunications operators, new media providers and enterprises throughout the world. Its 66,000 km of cables span 46 countries from North America to Asia, with a particularly strong position on the Europe-Asia and Intra-Asia routes.

"Our primary focus in this endeavor is delivering operational excellence to help GCX deliver on its strategic objectives. Our capabilities and investments in Cloud, Data and AI will be at the core to deliver the next leg of transformation for GCX," said Samir Dhir, MD and CEO at Sonata Software.

The announcement today is a foot forward in that direction to enable GCX transform their technology landscape and deliver market-leading experience to their customers.

"Sonata has been a strategic partner. We believe that the continued partnership will help us improve our operations and help invest in improving overall business performance," said Carl Grivner, CEO at GCX.

"Our partnership with Sonata continues to be a significant part of our future roadmap. Sonata continues to be an important partner in making GCX future-ready by providing strategic business and technology transformations," said Brice Evin, CFO at GCX.