8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT) continues to cement its leadership in AI-powered business communications, earning multiple prestigious awards in 2025 that recognize innovation, customer engagement, and public sector impact.

Industry Recognition Across the Board

Comms Council UK named 8x8 Best Communications Provider – Enterprise, spotlighting its achievements in unified communications and VoIP solutions. Meanwhile, Gartner recognized 8x8 in its 2025 Magic Quadrant for UCaaS, marking the fourteenth consecutive year the company has been included—a testament to its consistency and market influence.

The Tech Titans Report highlighted 8x8 as a Top UK Public Sector Tech Supplier, acknowledging its role in delivering innovative solutions for government and public sector organizations.

In the CX Today Awards 2025, 8x8 earned recognition as Best CPaaS Platform, praised for its secure, AI-driven communications platform that enables businesses to connect with customers in real time on a global scale.

Adding to its accolades, 8x8 was recognized across five categories in the 22nd Annual International Business Awards, including a Gold Stevie® Award for Customer Service Executive of the Year, further validating its commitment to operational excellence and leadership in customer experience.

Driving AI-Powered Communication Innovation

CEO Samuel Wilson emphasized the significance of these recognitions:

“These awards reflect the strength of our vision, the impact of our innovation, and the trust our customers place in us every day. From enabling real-time AI-powered engagement to simplifying enterprise communications at scale, we’re proud to be recognized by our peers and partners as a company that delivers real results, not just hype.”

The awards spotlight the 8x8 Platform’s ability to unify contact center, unified communications, and communication APIs. With AI-powered insights, CX and IT leaders can optimize performance, make smarter decisions, and enhance customer engagement globally.

By combining AI-driven automation with seamless cross-channel communication, 8x8 continues to set the standard for enterprise communications, proving that intelligence and scale can coexist in the modern digital workspace.

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FADEL, the company behind IPM Suite™ rights and royalty management software, has introduced a new AI-enabled platform to help licensors efficiently manage product approvals from concept to final sign-off. The move targets a persistent challenge in brand licensing: keeping track of submissions, reviews, and approvals across hundreds or thousands of licensees.

“Keeping track of product approval status across tens, hundreds, or even thousands of licensees can be a real challenge for licensors,” said Gregg Guest, VP of Product Management at FADEL. “Our AI-powered workflows automate and streamline this process, boosting efficiency and reducing costs and complexities for both licensors and licensees.”

Key Features for Licensors and Licensees

The platform provides an end-to-end solution for product approval management, including:

• Centralized product submissions to consolidate all approvals in one place

• AI-enabled automated workflows to streamline reviews and reduce bottlenecks

• Advanced workflow management for multi-stage approvals

• Licensee compliance and collaboration tools

• Action-enabled email notifications for faster decision-making

• Built-in visual markup tools to facilitate product reviews

• Seamless integration with FADEL IPM Suite for royalty management

By centralizing approvals and automating workflows, FADEL aims to help licensors protect brand integrity, accelerate product launches, and confidently manage intellectual property across global portfolios.

FADEL will showcase its product approval platform at Brand Licensing Europe, October 7-9, 2025, at booth B254 in London. The company is also offering a 25% discount on its licensing and audit management software through the end of the year.

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NetApp, best known for its intelligent data infrastructure, is leaning into a different kind of high-stakes challenge: curing childhood cancer. For the third year running, the company is the Presenting Partner of the CEO Dare to Cure initiative, an annual fundraising campaign supporting the Children’s Cancer Institute in Australia.

The stakes are as sobering as they are urgent. The World Health Organization estimates 400,000 new cases of childhood and adolescent cancer globally each year. In Australia, three children die from cancer every week—more than from any other disease. The Institute has been tackling this head-on for 40 years, focusing on prevention, treatment, and, ultimately, a cure.

Where Storage Meets Survival

NetApp isn’t just cutting checks; it’s providing the kind of infrastructure that makes modern cancer research possible. With genetic sequencing and global data sharing fueling an era of collaborative medicine, the Institute needs massive computational horsepower. NetApp’s storage and data management platforms give researchers the ability to securely scale, process, and share enormous datasets with speed and precision.

Think of it as the backbone for research that could unlock smarter, more personalized treatments—making once-impossible cures not only imaginable but achievable. This isn’t NetApp’s first rodeo, either: the company has been working with the Institute for more than seven years, helping it mine and manage terabytes of genomic data.

Dares, Dollars, and Determination

The CEO Dare to Cure initiative is as much about visibility as it is about funding. This year, NetApp ANZ Managing Director Mark Fioretto is putting his feet (and possibly his nerve endings) on the line in the “Walk on Fire & Glass” challenge, after previously braving an ice bath and even a snake pit. His fundraising target: $60,000.

For Associate Professor Mark Cowley of the Children’s Cancer Institute, the combination of NetApp’s tech and fundraising support is indispensable. “Every dare taken is one step closer to curing every child of cancer,” he noted.

Bigger Picture: Tech as a Lifeline

The partnership underscores a growing trend in healthcare: cutting-edge tech companies aligning with research institutes to tackle humanity’s most stubborn diseases. NetApp isn’t alone—rivals like Dell, HPE, and IBM have also pushed into life sciences partnerships, vying to provide the infrastructure for breakthroughs in genomics and precision medicine. But NetApp’s long-standing commitment gives it credibility beyond the typical corporate social responsibility playbook.

In the race against cancer, speed and scale matter. And here, data isn’t just the new oil—it’s the new lifeline.

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Confluent is shifting into top gear. The data streaming pioneer has announced a multi-year partnership with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (VCARB) Formula 1 team, debuting this weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix. From now on, the team’s VCARB 02 cars won’t just carry a new logo on their halos—they’ll also carry Confluent’s tech in their digital bloodstream.

Racing on Data, Not Just Fuel

Formula 1 isn’t just a test of horsepower and aerodynamics; it’s one of the world’s most advanced laboratories for data. Each car generates over a million data points per second—tracking everything from tire degradation to driver reflexes. Getting that information into the right hands, instantly, can mean the difference between winning a podium or ending up in the gravel.

That’s where Confluent comes in. Its data streaming platform essentially builds a “central nervous system” for the VCARB team, linking car, pit wall, and factory into one real-time intelligence hub. This enables split-second strategy calls on race day, faster engineering cycles between weekends, and even more efficient logistics.

Jay Kreps, Confluent’s co-founder and CEO, puts it bluntly: “In Formula 1, winning isn’t just about the car; it’s about the data flowing through every part of the team.” He adds that the torrents of trackside information today also train the AI and machine learning systems shaping tomorrow’s cars and strategies.

The Competitive Edge: Speed of Insight

For VCARB, the upside is obvious. Chief Technical Officer Tim Goss notes that “every lap teaches us something new, and the faster we can learn, the better we get.” Real-time data means smarter mid-race calls and sharper post-race analysis, feeding back into car design and development.

This isn’t just sponsorship wallpaper. Formula 1 is a brutal stress test for any technology—operating at the limits of speed, precision, and endurance. If Confluent can handle the deluge of telemetry streaming off a race car, the message to enterprise clients is clear: it can handle your business data too.

From Track to Boardroom

The deal also highlights a broader trend: F1 has become a proving ground for cutting-edge IT. Oracle powers Red Bull Racing’s analytics; AWS has partnered with F1 for years on cloud and simulation; now Confluent wants to carve out its place by making real-time data streaming as indispensable as carbon fiber.

And unlike the rest of us, who only see the on-track drama on Sundays, the Racing Bulls—and Confluent—get to learn from every millisecond.

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When it comes to Web3, the tech is complicated enough—now try explaining it under shifting U.S. regulations. Enter 5WPR, one of the largest independent PR firms in the U.S., which has rolled out a new strategic communications program tailored for blockchain ventures, NFT ecosystems, and decentralized platforms operating under the freshly minted CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633).

The initiative is designed to help Web3 companies do two things at once: stay compliant and stay compelling. That means crafting narratives that satisfy regulators while still cutting through the noise for investors, partners, and the public.

Regulation Meets Reputation

Passed by the House in July 2025 with bipartisan backing, the CLARITY Act is a watershed moment for digital assets. It introduces a dual-agency regime: the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) will oversee “digital commodities,” while the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) takes charge of “restricted digital assets.”

For founders and token projects, that split demands more than just legal expertise—it requires clear communication about governance, compliance milestones, and token functionality. This is where 5WPR sees an opportunity. By translating complex policy shifts into language that resonates, the firm argues it can help brands move faster in the news cycle, respond with authority, and differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace.

“In a landscape where regulatory definitions are suddenly shifting, clarity around your brand's story isn’t just helpful, it’s essential,” said Robert Ford, EVP of Corporate Communications at 5WPR.

From Crypto-Speak to Clear-Speak

The program leans on 5WPR’s background in financial services and tech PR. Think media training for founders, positioning frameworks that highlight governance maturity, and storytelling that elevates leadership milestones. The goal: to turn compliance from a defensive stance into a strategic brand asset.

It’s a move that reflects a larger trend. As regulators sharpen their focus, Web3 companies can’t simply rely on hype cycles or token launches. They need communications that balance credibility with innovation—a space where 5WPR is hoping to become the go-to operator.

Why It Matters

The CLARITY Act could define the next decade of crypto in the U.S. By giving structure to how tokens are classified and governed, it raises the bar for transparency. Agencies like 5WPR are betting that how you tell your compliance story will be just as critical as the technology itself.

And with the Web3 sector still facing skepticism from both regulators and mainstream investors, strong narratives may become the ultimate differentiator.

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For years, marketing chiefs have fought a familiar boardroom battle: prove the value of brand marketing in a world obsessed with short-term results. Now, a new study from TransUnion and MMA Global suggests CMOs may finally have the ammunition they need.

According to the whitepaper, Giving Marketing the Credit it Deserves, traditional measurement methods have undervalued the sales impact of brand campaigns by up to 83%. The research validates a framework known as Brand as Performance (BaP)—first introduced by MMA in 2022—that links brand-building directly to customer acquisition, retention, and revenue.

Brand as Performance: The Missing Link

The takeaway is simple: brand isn’t just a feel-good play. When properly measured, brand marketing boosts new customer acquisition, multiplies conversions, and compounds long-term growth far more effectively than performance-only tactics.

Matt Spiegel, EVP of TruAudience Growth Strategy at TransUnion, calls BaP a “language and evidence” CMOs can use to protect budgets and win boardroom support. Greg Stuart, CEO of MMA Global, was more blunt: “It is the kind of evidence the industry has been missing.”

The whitepaper isn’t just theory—it draws from real-world campaigns by major U.S. brands including Ally, Kroger, and Campbell’s.

Key Findings at a Glance

• Brand’s impact has been massively undervalued — up to 83% under old models.

• Marketing drives favorability — with lifts of up to +24%, even for well-established brands.

• Favorability drives conversion — favorable consumers buy 4–5x more than skeptics.

• Brand’s effect compounds — long-term results are 1.8x to 6x stronger than short-term.

• Brand-first strategies deliver growth — Ally, for example, saw +16% new customers and +29% more accounts.

Ally CMO Andrea Brimmer summed it up: “This work proved that a brand-first strategy not only builds equity, but also drives measurable business results — more customers, more accounts, and stronger long-term growth than chasing short-term wins.”

Why It Matters

The findings arrive at a critical moment. Under economic pressure, many companies have shifted budgets toward immediate, measurable tactics like digital performance ads, often at the expense of brand spend. But if BaP holds up across industries, CMOs now have proof that brand budgets aren’t just defensible—they may be the smarter long-term growth play.

And in an environment where AI-driven targeting, data privacy rules, and platform fragmentation make performance marketing harder to optimize, brand strength may be the one asset no competitor can copy.

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Taos, New Mexico, is doubling down on destination marketing—and it’s tapping The Abbi Agency to lead the charge. The integrated marketing and PR firm, known for its work in travel and tourism, has been named Agency of Record for the Town of Taos following a competitive bidding process.

The remit covers public relations strategy, media outreach, influencer campaigns, and brand positioning for Visit Taos, while local shop Benthouse Creative will handle social content and newsletters as part of a multi-award contract. The collaboration reflects a shared goal: scaling Taos’ national and international profile without losing the authenticity that makes it one of America’s most distinctive cultural hubs.

Balancing Growth With Stewardship

“Taos is a place that leaves a lasting impression, where rich history, arts and culture, and stunning natural beauty meet,” said Rima Krisst, Marketing and Tourism Director for the Town of Taos. “We are focused on conscious and responsible tourism growth in order to protect and preserve what makes Taos so unique.”

That commitment to “destination stewardship” factored heavily into The Abbi Agency’s selection. The firm already manages PR and influencer relations for the New Mexico Tourism Department, adding Taos to a growing roster of regional partnerships. To strengthen its local presence, the agency is also opening a new Santa Fe office, led by longtime PR strategist Marissa Le-Baca.

A Local-Global Team-Up

For Benthouse Creative, which is based in Taos, the partnership ensures local voices shape the town’s narrative. “Being chosen to work alongside The Abbi Agency to share Taos’ story is an incredible honor,” said co-founder Diggy Lloyd. “The Town’s commitment to hiring local talent is powerful and exciting.”

The blend of local insight and national PR muscle comes at a pivotal time. Taos’ star is rising on the tourism stage—Travel + Leisure readers recently ranked it #11 among their 15 favorite U.S. cities and the #1 Small Town Shopping Destination, praising its mix of “epic skiing, eclectic art galleries, unique shopping, and spiritual high-desert setting.”

Why It Matters

For destinations like Taos, the challenge is clear: grow awareness, attract visitors, and boost the economy—without diluting the cultural and natural assets that make the place special. By pairing a seasoned tourism agency with a locally embedded creative shop, Taos is aiming to strike that balance.

And with more U.S. towns and cities competing for visibility in the post-pandemic travel boom, Taos’ model could become a template for how smaller destinations scale their story without losing their soul.

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Marketing teams struggling to deliver high-performing content across multiple languages just got a boost. Key Content, a MarketFully company, today unveiled Adaptive Creation, an AI-powered tool within the MarketFully.AI platform that accelerates multilingual content production without sacrificing quality.

The technology blends AI efficiency with human-in-the-loop editorial oversight, enabling marketers to produce blogs, ads, press releases, SEO articles, and more—natively optimized for different languages and cultural contexts.

Scaling Content Without Sacrificing Quality

“CMOs are under pressure to deliver more content across more markets than ever,” said Evan Kramer, CEO of MarketFully. “Adaptive Creation helps marketers scale multilingual campaigns while maintaining brand voice, cultural relevance, and SEO performance—all faster and more cost-effectively than traditional agency models.”

The platform focuses on four core pillars:

• Brand Voice Consistency: Maintains identity, tone, and author style across markets.

• SEO Optimization: Generates briefs optimized for discoverability and search performance.

• Cultural Fluency: Leverages native editorial review for nuanced, resonant messaging.

• Collaborative Workflows: Enables co-editing, commenting, glossaries, and structured team collaboration.

“Marketing teams need to move fast, but they can’t compromise on quality or cultural credibility,” said Kaj Malinowski, VP of Product Management at MarketFully. “Adaptive Creation empowers marketers to create content for all channels, markets, and formats at scale.”

Part of a Broader Adaptive Suite

Adaptive Creation complements MotionPoint’s Adaptive Translation and Adaptive Transcreation technologies, forming the MarketFully InContent Marketing™ solution. Together, the suite allows marketers to manage every stage of content adaptation—from translation and transcreation to fully native content creation—ensuring campaigns are InLanguage, InCulture, and InMarket.

With globalization and content volume pressures showing no signs of slowing, tools like Adaptive Creation could become a critical component of enterprise marketing stacks, giving brands the ability to reach global audiences faster and more effectively than ever.

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