AoraNow Co., Ltd., headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, has announced the launch of advanced IT financial management (ITFM) solutions tailored for Japanese enterprises. This initiative is a result of a strategic partnership with Proven Optics, a U.S.-based provider of ITFM solutions. Operating on the ServiceNow platform, the new solutions aim to modernize and enhance IT financial operations, contributing to the digital transformation of businesses in Japan.

Key Highlights of the Partnership

1. Leveraging the ServiceNow Ecosystem

• ServiceNow’s Expanding Reach: The platform is growing rapidly worldwide, providing businesses with powerful tools for digital workflows.
• AoraNow’s Commitment: AoraNow brings innovative solutions from global ServiceNow ecosystem partners to the Japanese market to address customer challenges more effectively.

2. Proven Optics’ Expertise in IT Financial Management

• Proven Optics offers native ITFM solutions built on ServiceNow, providing:
  • Enhanced visibility into IT spending.
  • Automated budgeting and cost recovery.
  • Streamlined processes for invoicing, chargeback, and IT financial modeling.
• These tools empower IT and finance leaders to make data-driven decisions at the executive level, ensuring effective management of applications, services, and product portfolios.

How the Partnership Benefits Japanese Enterprises

1. Modernizing IT Financial Management

• The integration of Proven Optics’ solutions with AoraNow’s expertise in the Japanese ServiceNow market offers a comprehensive suite of tools to:
  • Automate complex IT budgeting tasks.
  • Enhance transparency in IT spending.
  • Simplify cost allocation and chargeback processes.

2. Driving Digital Transformation

• By improving financial decision-making processes, these solutions will accelerate the digital transformation of Japanese enterprises.
• The collaboration also supports the modernization and efficiency of IT operations, ensuring businesses stay competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Proven Optics ITFM Solution Suite

The Proven Optics suite includes:

1. IT Financial Modeling: Helps organizations simulate different financial scenarios for better planning.
2. Budgeting Solutions: Simplifies budget creation and approval processes for IT departments.
3. Invoicing and Chargeback: Streamlines the recovery of costs from internal and external stakeholders.
4. Data-Driven Decision Support: Provides actionable insights into IT spending to align with business goals.

Statements from Leadership

Tomoyuki Azuma, President and CEO of AoraNow:
“We are thrilled to partner with Proven Optics to deliver advanced IT financial management solutions to Japanese enterprises. By combining their domain expertise with our local experience, we aim to transform IT operations for our customers and support their journey toward digital excellence.”

Ben Perkins and William Miller, Co-CEOs of Proven Optics:
“Our collaboration with AoraNow extends the reach of our ITFM solutions into a key global market. Together, we are equipping Japanese businesses with the tools needed to optimize their IT financial management and make informed, data-backed decisions.”

AoraNow’s partnership with Proven Optics represents a significant step forward for Japanese enterprises seeking to modernize their IT financial management systems. With solutions built natively on the ServiceNow platform, this collaboration provides enhanced transparency, efficiency, and automation, empowering businesses to stay ahead in their digital transformation journeys.

Data I/O Corporation, a global leader in security and data deployment solutions for microcontrollers, security ICs, and memory devices, has announced a series of strategic organizational changes effective December 1, 2024. These changes reflect the company’s renewed focus under the leadership of William Wentworth, appointed as CEO on October 1, 2024. The restructuring aligns the company’s leadership team with its growth strategy, emphasizing market share expansion and customer success.

Key Changes in Leadership and Operations

1. Strategic Leadership Appointments

• Monty Reagan Appointed as Vice President, Sales & Marketing:
  • This position has been reinstated after more than a decade.
  • Monty Reagan, an industry veteran with extensive experience at companies like Avnet and BPM Microsystems, will lead sales and marketing efforts to expand the company’s reach in the global electronics supply chain.
  • His appointment reinforces Data I/O’s commitment to market expansion and customer engagement.

2. New Focus on Quality Assurance

• Matt Hunter Promoted to Director of Quality:
  • This newly created role underscores the company’s commitment to manufacturing excellence and operational efficiency.
  • Hunter will oversee global ISO 9001:2015 quality certifications and manufacturing quality standards, ensuring that Data I/O’s products meet the highest standards as it expands its global solutions portfolio.

3. Departures of Key Executives

• Rajeev Gulati, Vice President and CTO, and Michael Tidwell, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Business Development, Depart:
  • Details regarding their departures have been disclosed in a Form 8-K filed with the SEC.
  • These transitions mark a streamlining of leadership roles to focus on customer-centric growth strategies.

CEO’s Vision for Growth and Market Expansion

William Wentworth, President and CEO of Data I/O, emphasized the significance of the organizational changes:

“These changes reflect a deliberate strategy to scale and grow the company. By streamlining our leadership and focusing on customer success, we aim to become a higher-value partner with a broader reach into the global electronics supply chain.”

The new leadership structure is expected to foster innovation, improve operational efficiency, and enhance the company's ability to serve its customers worldwide.

About Data I/O Corporation

Founded in 1972, Data I/O Corporation has been a pioneer in designing and manufacturing solutions for the electronics industry. Its data provisioning technology supports industries such as:

• Automotive
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• Medical Devices
• Wireless Communication
• Consumer Electronics
• Industrial Controls

With a portfolio of patented technologies, Data I/O provides secure, reliable, and cost-effective solutions to program and provision devices from early samples to high-volume production.

Data I/O Corporation’s latest organizational restructuring is a pivotal step toward achieving its growth objectives under new leadership. By appointing proven industry experts, creating roles dedicated to quality assurance, and streamlining operations, the company is poised to strengthen its position as a global leader in the electronics supply chain.

Tech Mahindra, a global leader in technology consulting and digital solutions, has entered into a multi-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to create an Autonomous Networks Operations Platform (ANOP). This new platform, designed for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and enterprise customers, leverages advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and generative AI (GenAI) to revolutionize network operations, transitioning them from on-premises infrastructure to a real-time, proactive, and preventive hybrid cloud model.

Key Features of the Collaboration

1. AI-Powered Network Management
The ANOP platform combines Tech Mahindra's GenAI capabilities and telecom networks expertise with AWS's powerful tools, including Amazon SageMaker. This integration enables CSPs to transition to a more agile and intelligent network management system. Key features include:

• Improved Productivity: The platform enhances Network Operations Center (NOC) productivity for teams managing both physical and cloud infrastructure by over 50%.
• Reduced Field Visits: The integration of AI-driven insights reduces the need for field visits by more than 15%.
• Faster Incident Resolution: The Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) for network and service incidents is shortened by over 30%, accelerating issue resolution.

2. Accelerated Configuration Implementation
The platform is designed to speed up the implementation of network and service configurations, achieving improvements of over 30% in speed and efficiency. This enables faster deployment of network upgrades and services, optimizing operational flow for telecom providers.

3. Generative AI and Amazon Bedrock Integration
AWS’s Amazon Bedrock will provide high-performing foundation models (FMs) for building GenAI applications with enhanced security, privacy, and responsible AI practices. This will enable proactive network management by offering real-time insights and intelligent workflows.

Impact on Telecom Operations

1. Empowering Telecoms with AI-Driven Insights
The integration of GenAI into the ANOP platform offers actionable and just-in-time recommendations for telecom operators. This includes:

• NOC Operations Optimization: AI-driven recommendations enhance the efficiency of Network Operations Centers.
• Field Dispatch Optimization: GenAI enables smarter decisions for field operations, reducing unnecessary dispatches and enhancing resource allocation.
• Automated Self-Healing: The platform supports preventive actions to automate network self-healing, reducing downtime and improving reliability.

2. O-RAN Adoption and Network Modernization
Tech Mahindra is also validating O-RAN functions on AWS’s EKS Anywhere (EKS-A) platform, which will accelerate the cloudification of RAN at the edge. This collaboration enables CSPs to adopt Open RAN (O-RAN) technology, which is vital for modernizing network infrastructures, ensuring greater flexibility, and fostering innovation in network management.

Executive Insights

Manish Mangal, Chief Technology Officer at Tech Mahindra, highlighted:

"The communications industry is at a pivotal junction in deploying disaggregated, virtualized, and cloud-native RAN networks. Our collaboration with AWS empowers telcos to simplify operations, modernize networks, and unlock revenue through advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning."

Robin Harwani, Head of Telco Industry Solutions at AWS, added:

"This collaboration to integrate AWS's AI/ML, including generative AI offerings, is an important step to help telco operators accelerate their network operations transformation, enabling operators to more proactively manage and optimize network performance."

The collaboration between Tech Mahindra and AWS marks a significant step toward transforming network operations for CSPs globally. By integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI, ML, and GenAI, the ANOP platform will streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve network performance. This collaboration not only modernizes network infrastructure but also accelerates the adoption of cloud-native technologies and O-RAN, paving the way for more efficient, proactive, and intelligent network management.

Elizabeth Mannshardt, PhD, has been appointed as Vice President and Director of Statistics and Data Science at Westat as of November 2024. With her extensive experience in statistics, data science, and leadership, Mannshardt is set to enhance Westat's capabilities in delivering data-driven solutions.

Key Qualifications and Expertise

• Broad Statistical Leadership: Mannshardt has held various leadership positions within the American Statistical Association (ASA) and is recognized as an ASA Fellow.
• Extensive Professional Network: Her connections to the statistical community will further strengthen Westat's industry collaborations.

Previous Roles and Accomplishments

• National Science Foundation (NSF):
  • Directed the Statistics, Methods, and Innovation Program at the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.
  • Led a team of survey statisticians and methodologists.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
  • Acted as the director of the Information Access and Analysis Services Division.
  • Managed public-facing programs, cloud-hosted data platforms, and national analytics initiatives.

Academic Contributions and Current Roles

• Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University.
• Vice Chair of the ASA Membership Council, overseeing nine committees.

Vision for Westat

• Her appointment is expected to enhance Westat's data science and statistical capabilities.
• Mannshardt aims to bring innovative, collaborative approaches to solving complex data challenges.

Elizabeth Mannshardt’s strategic leadership and wealth of experience will play a pivotal role in driving Westat’s growth and innovation in statistics and data science. Her connections within the statistical community and focus on collaboration position Westat for continued success in delivering state-of-the-art solutions.

Fullpath, a leading customer data platform (CDP) and marketing automation solution in the automotive industry, has announced a transformative integration with DealerBuilt's Oplogic Variable Operations Platform. This partnership is set to redefine how dealerships manage and leverage customer data, enabling seamless data connections, enhanced consolidation, and precise customer targeting.

Key Highlights of the Integration

• Daily Data Synchronization: Customer records from DealerBuilt's CRM are updated in Fullpath's CDP, ensuring data accuracy and freshness.
• Unified Customer View: Consolidated insights from marketing and sales channels allow dealerships to act on data more effectively.
• Enhanced Data Security: Ensures a secure, comprehensive view of customer information.

Benefits for Dealerships

• Consolidate Customer Records:

  • Integrates CRM, Desking, F&I Menus, Equity, and AI Tools into Fullpath’s CDP.
  • Provides a 360-degree view of customers to better understand their needs.

• Enhanced Targeting Precision:

  • Access to enriched and synchronized data allows for more effective marketing campaigns.
  • Enables dealerships to engage potential and existing customers with personalized strategies.

• Increase Operational Efficiency:

  • Minimizes manual data entry and reduces errors.
  • Streamlines operations for improved customer experiences and operational cost savings.

Leadership Perspectives

• Idan Mishal, COO at Fullpath:

  • Emphasizes the commitment to helping dealerships connect with customers through data-driven solutions.
  • Highlights how the partnership ensures seamless data flow for a more comprehensive customer view.

• Jason Keith, VP of Variable Operations at DealerBuilt:

  • Expresses excitement about empowering dealerships to unify customer data across platforms.
  • Stresses the importance of personalized engagement to foster loyalty and growth.

Strategic Importance

• This partnership enables dealerships to build robust, data-driven ecosystems critical for navigating the evolving automotive landscape.
• It helps dealerships adopt a more personalized, efficient, and data-centric approach to customer management and engagement.

The collaboration between Fullpath and DealerBuilt marks a significant step forward for automotive dealerships aiming to optimize their operations and customer experiences. By leveraging integrated platforms, dealerships can deliver precision-targeted campaigns and build stronger, more personalized relationships with their customers, driving loyalty and growth in a competitive market.

Nuqleous, a leader in B2B SaaS solutions for retail analytics and space planning optimization, has acquired Interactive Edge, a trailblazer in category management and reporting automation. This acquisition integrates Interactive Edge's XP3 BI Cloud platform with Nuqleous' advanced analytics, providing a cutting-edge solution to scale category management, reduce manual workloads, and enhance retailer collaboration.

Key Features of the Acquisition

• Seamless Integration: XP3 BI Cloud, Interactive Edge’s platform, automates custom reports directly within Microsoft Office.
• Scalable Analytics: Combines automation with data insights to enhance productivity without adding resources.
• Advanced Insights: Supports category reviews, line reviews, and joint business plans tailored to specific retailers.

Customer Success Stories

1. Global Confectionery Company:

   • Automated 7 seasonal deployments and 50+ category reviews across channels.
   • Achieved significant growth while supporting 4 retail captaincies with a lean team.

2. American Snack Foods Company:

   • Reduced report updates across 17 regions from hours to just 19 minutes.
   • Recaptured 80% of personnel time, equating to 129 days, for strategic tasks.

3. Global Food and Beverage Company:

   • Automated 100+ sales and performance reports, saving 90% of time on tactical tasks.
   • Enhanced agility in market trend responses and strengthened leadership in the dairy category.

Industry Perspective

• Garrett Levey, Co-CEO of Nuqleous:

  • Highlighted XP3’s ability to reduce data management time by up to 80%, allowing teams to focus on growth.

• Zel Bianco, CEO of Interactive Edge:

  • Emphasized the transformative potential of merging advanced analytics with customized reporting.

Benefits for Retail Analytics

• Automate retailer-specific category and line reviews.
• Simplify complex data into actionable insights without technical expertise.
• Enhance collaboration with consistent insights for internal and external stakeholders.
• Scale analytics capabilities to meet growing demands efficiently.

The strategic acquisition of Interactive Edge by Nuqleous creates an unparalleled ecosystem for retail analytics and category management. By combining advanced automation and tailored analytics, this partnership promises to transform how category management teams operate, providing deeper insights and fostering stronger retailer relationships.

ImageKit, a global leader in media optimization, has announced its new Video API, designed to revolutionize video publishing workflows. By automating repetitive post-production tasks, the Video API helps developers and content editors optimize, transform, and publish high-quality video content effortlessly.

Key Features of ImageKit's Video API

1. Real-Time Video Transformations

   • Effortlessly resize, crop, and trim videos using simple URL parameters.
   • Dynamic adjustments for optimal video display across platforms, enhancing device compatibility.

2. Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABS)

   • Automatically adjusts video quality based on network conditions.
   • Enables seamless HLS or DASH streaming for smooth, buffer-free playback, similar to YouTube.

3. Cloud Storage Integration

   • Seamless compatibility with AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Azure Blob Storage.
   • Eliminates costly migration processes with Bring Your Own Storage (BYOS) capability.

4. Enhanced Personalization and Automation

   • Create dynamic, personalized video content tailored to user behavior and location.
   • Automate video optimization with support for modern codecs like VP9 and AV1.

Benefits for Businesses

1. Streamlined Post-Production Workflows

   • Consolidates multiple tools into a single URL-based solution.
   • Saves time and resources by automating video resizing, format conversion, and streaming setup.

2. Dynamic and Engaging Video Content

   • Generate compelling short previews and real-time personalized promotions.
   • Enhance user engagement by delivering relevant and impactful video experiences.

3. Cost-Effective Scalability

   • Supports businesses of all sizes with plug-and-play implementation.
   • Integrates easily into existing systems without expensive migrations.

Customer Success Story

SaffronStays, a hospitality brand, transformed its media workflows with ImageKit:

• Challenge: Managing high-quality video delivery with limited technical resources.
• Result: Reduced post-production time and improved customer experience with automated media optimization and delivery.

ImageKit's Video API sets a new benchmark for video management by offering advanced automation, real-time transformations, and adaptive streaming. With seamless cloud storage integration and flexible scalability, businesses can efficiently meet the rising demand for high-quality video content while enhancing user experiences across platforms.

Peakhour, Australia’s leading Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) platform, and RST Cloud, a pioneer in AI-driven Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) services, have announced a strategic partnership. This collaboration combines advanced web application protection with cutting-edge threat intelligence, offering global organizations enhanced security against sophisticated cyber threats.

Key Highlights of the Partnership

1. Enhanced Security Capabilities

   • Integration of Peakhour's WAAP platform with RST Cloud’s AI-driven CTI services.
   • Comprehensive protection against evolving threats like credential stuffing, account takeovers, and bot-driven attacks.

2. Focus on Advanced Threats

   • Defence against abuse via residential proxies and anonymizers.
   • Mitigation of automated threats like scraping, spamming, click fraud, and targeted website attacks.

3. Real-Time Threat Intelligence

   • RST Cloud enriches Peakhour’s WAAP with actionable Indicators of Compromise (IoCs).
   • Provides insights into fraud sources and broader web attack statistics for proactive defence.

Quotes from Leadership

• Adam Cassar, Co-Founder & Head of Security Engineering at Peakhour:
  “Our partnership equips organizations with a robust toolkit to defend against increasingly complex web threats. As abuse through proxies and malicious automation grows, our alliance addresses these challenges head-on.”

• Yury Sergeev, Founder of RST Cloud:
  “By combining our CTI offerings with Peakhour’s capabilities, we aim to strengthen the security posture of businesses globally, empowering them to combat the evolving cyber threat landscape.”

Benefits for Organizations

1. Comprehensive Protection

   • Combines AI-powered insights with advanced WAAP capabilities for all-around security.

2. Proactive Threat Mitigation

   • Identifies and neutralizes threats before they impact web applications.
   • Prevents common risks like credential abuse and automated attacks.

3. Scalable Defence Solutions

   • Tailored for businesses of all sizes, from Australian SMEs to global enterprises.
   • Offers real-time updates on evolving attack patterns and threat vectors.

The partnership between Peakhour and RST Cloud represents a significant leap forward in web application security. By integrating targeted threat intelligence with robust application protection, this alliance empowers organizations to safeguard their digital assets against the ever-growing wave of cyber threats.