The collaboration will centralize the management process, allowing Voluum users to leverage MediaGo's deep learning technology to optimize ad performance and maximize ROI.

MediaGo, a deep learning-based intelligent advertising platform under the Baidu Global Business Unit, today announced its partnership with Voluum, a leading advertising tracking and optimization platform. This collaboration will enhance advertisers' campaign management efficiency by integrating the two platforms.

With this integration, Voluum's users can easily access MediaGo's curated global inventory of premium media traffic and high-quality ad placements across major media outlets and platforms such as MSN, Xandr and Yahoo, as well as leverage MediaGo's deep learning-based Smartbid technologies to significantly enhance ad performance and maximize return on investment (ROI).

"We're excited to collaborate with MediaGo to provide our clients the opportunity to get in touch with the latest deep learning ad tech," said Michal Sledziowski, Strategic Partnership Manager of Voluum. "The partnership is representative of both of our companies' goals to provide advertisers with effective solutions that deliver optimal advertising results."

The integration also offers a centralized management location where MediaGo's advertisers can efficiently manage ad placements across multiple platforms and conveniently transmit conversion data through Voluum's platform, leveraging MediaGo's Smartbid technology for better ad performance optimization.

"We're thrilled to partner with Voluum to provide advertisers with a superior advertising delivery and management experience," said Rena Ren, Americas Regional Director of Baidu Global Business Unit. "At MediaGo, we're determined to assist advertisers in optimizing and streamlining their campaigns, and the unified solution, enabled through this milestone integration with Voluum, does just this."

Operating under a primarily cost-per-click (CPC) model, MediaGo ensures that every advertising dollar spent yields tangible returns, maximizing advertisers' ROI.

Bloomreach, the platform fueling limitless e-commerce experiences, today announced Bloomreach Discovery will continue to power product discovery for Sonepar, the global world leader in B-to-B distribution of electrical products, solutions, and related services, as the companies renew their existing partnership. With Bloomreach Discovery’s AI-driven search and merchandising capabilities, Sonepar enables customers around the world to find what they want to buy — when, where, and how they want.

“Sonepar is pleased to partner with Bloomreach as we continue to pursue our next stage of digital transformation,” said Fabrice del Aguila, SVP Digital Factory, Sonepar. “We look forward to leveraging Bloomreach’s expertise in product discovery as we become the first global B2B electrical distributor in the world to offer the best omnichannel experience to all our customers.”

Sonepar leverages Bloomreach Discovery to drive personalized experiences across its omnichannel platform. Using rich data to refine search results, Bloomreach Discovery helps customers easily discover the products they want. It also accounts for a range of attributes and quantitative search queries, creating a search experience that is not only personalized, but personalized to the unique needs of B-to-B buyers.

“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Sonepar,” said Jordan Roper, General Manager and Head of Product, Bloomreach Discovery. “The B-to-B space has so much to gain from digital transformation, and Sonepar is a leader in making that transformation a reality. We’re proud to join them on this journey and look forward to continuing to support their omnichannel experience with the fast ROI and relevance of Bloomreach Discovery.”

• About 42% of enterprise-scale companies surveyed (> 1,000 employees) report having actively deployed AI in their business. 

• An additional 40% are currently exploring or experimenting with AI but have not deployed their models. 

• However, 59% of those companies surveyed already exploring or deploying AI say they have accelerated their rollout or investments in the technology. 

• The top barriers preventing deployment include limited AI skills and expertise (33%), too much data complexity (25%), and ethical concerns (23%). 

New research commissioned by IBM found that about 42% of enterprise-scale organizations (over 1,000 employees) surveyed have AI actively in use in their businesses. Early adopters are leading the way, with 59% of responding enterprises already working with AI intending to accelerate and increase investment in the technology. Ongoing challenges for AI adoption in enterprises remain, including hiring employees with the right skillsets, data complexity, and ethical concerns continue to inhibit businesses from adopting AI technologies into their operations. 

Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9240059-ibm-2023-global-ai-adoption-index-report/ 

"We're seeing that the early adopters who overcame barriers to deploy AI are making further investments, proving to me that they are already experiencing the benefits from AI. More accessible AI tools, the drive for automation of key processes, and increasing amounts of AI embedded into off-the-shelf business applications are top factors driving the expansion of AI at the enterprise level," said Rob Thomas, Senior Vice President, IBM Software. "We see organizations leveraging AI for use cases where I believe the technology can most quickly have a profound impact like IT automation, digital labor, and customer care. For the 40% of companies surveyed stuck in the sandbox, I am confident 2024 will be the year of tackling and overcoming barriers to entry like the skills gap and data complexity." 

Highlights from the "IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2023," conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of IBM, include: 

Over the last several years, AI adoption has remained steady at large organizations surveyed:  

• Today, 42% of IT professionals at large organizations report that they have actively deployed AI while an additional 40% are actively exploring using the technology. 
• Additionally, 38% of IT professionals at enterprises report that their company is actively implementing generative AI and another 42% are exploring it. 
• Organizations in India (59%), the UAE (58%), Singapore (53%), and China (50%) are leading the way in active use of AI, compared with lagging markets like Spain (28%), Australia (29%), and France (26%).
• Companies within the financial services industry are most likely to be using AI, with about half of IT professionals within that industry reporting their company has actively deployed AI. 37% of IT professionals within the telecommunications industry state that their company is also deploying AI. 

The majority of surveyed companies actively deploying or exploring AI have accelerated their rollout or investments in the past 24 months:  

• 59% of IT professionals at companies deploying or exploring AI indicate that their company has accelerated their investments in or rollout of AI in the past 24 months.
• China (85%), India (74%), and the UAE (72%) are the markets most likely to be accelerating AI rollout, while businesses in the UK (40%), Australia (38%) and Canada (35%) were the least likely to accelerate the rollout. 
• Research and development (44%) and reskilling/workforce development (39%) are the top AI investments at organizations exploring or deploying AI. 

Easier to use AI tools and the need to reduce costs and automate processes are driving AI adoption among surveyed companies: 

• Advances in AI tools that make them more accessible (45%), the need to reduce costs and automate key processes (42%), and the increasing amount of AI embedded into standard off the shelf business applications (37%) are the top factors driving AI adoption. 
• For IT professionals, the two most important changes to AI in recent years are solutions that are easier to deploy (43%) and the increased prevalence of data, AI, and automation skills (42%). 
• The AI use cases driving adoption for surveyed companies currently exploring or deploying AI are not limited, but cut across many key areas of business operations:
  • Automation of IT processes (33%)
  • Security and threat detection (26%)
  • AI monitoring or governance (25%) 
  • Business analytics or intelligence (24%) 
  • Automating processing, understanding, and flow of documents (24%)
  • Automating customer or employee self-service answers and actions (23%) 
  • Automation of business processes (22%) 
  • Automation of network processes (22%)
  • Digital labor (22%)
  • Marketing and sales (22%)
  • Fraud detection (22%)
  • Search and knowledge discovery (21%)
  • Human resources and talent acquisition (19%)
  • Financial planning and analysis (18%)
  • Supply chain intelligence (18%) 

The same set of barriers are keeping the next wave of surveyed companies from benefiting from AI:

• The top barriers hindering successful AI adoption at enterprises both exploring or deploying AI are limited AI skills and expertise (33%), too much data complexity (25%), ethical concerns (23%), AI projects that are too difficult to integrate and scale (22%), high price (21%), and lack of tools for AI model development (21%). 

Generative AI poses different barriers to entry from traditional AI models: 

• Data privacy (57%) and trust and transparency (43%) concerns are the biggest inhibitors of generative AI according to IT professionals at surveyed organizations not exploring or implementing generative AI.
• 35% also say that lack of skills for implementation are a big inhibitor. 

Among surveyed organizations, AI is already having an impact on the workforce:  

• One-in-five organizations report they do not have employees with the right skills in place to use new AI or automation tools and 16% cannot find new hires with the skills to address that gap.
• Among companies citing AI's use to address labor or skills shortages, they are tapping AI to do things like reduce manual or repetitive tasks with automation tools (55%) or automate customer self-service answers and actions (47%).
• Only 34% are currently training or reskilling employees to work together with new automation and AI tools. 

The need for trustworthy and governed AI is understood by IT professionals, but barriers are making it difficult for surveyed companies to put into practice: 

• IT professionals are largely in agreement that consumers are more likely to choose services from companies with transparent and ethical AI practices (85% strongly or somewhat agree) and say being able to explain how their AI reached a decision is important to their business (83% among companies exploring or deploying AI).
• But, with many companies already deploying AI facing multiple barriers in the process, well under half report they are taking key steps towards trustworthy AI like reducing bias (27%), tracking data provenance (37%), making sure they can explain the decisions of their AI models (41%), or developing ethical AI policies (44%). 

17a-4 has developed DataParser to support Movius MultiLine, the AI-powered mobile app for secure business voice, text, and WhatsApp conversations. The new module for Movius MultiLine data is now generally available.

DataParser, the leading independent connector solution to collect and format third party data for archiving and eDiscovery, has developed the Movius MultiLine connector to capture and facilitate the archival and eDiscovery of Movius MultiLine data for large, regulated organizations including Financial Services, Government, Energy and Education. Movius is the mobile communication company for the work-from-anywhere world. MultiLine™ by Movius is the trusted solution for using mobile voice, text, and WhatsApp for business and customer communications globally. Leading banks and enterprises around the world use the company’s unified secure communication platform to connect with their customers in more convenient, cost-effective, and compliant ways.

“Managing mobile text messaging data is critical to corporate compliance and security. We are thrilled to partner with the Movius team to better serve our clients,” says Charles Weeden, Managing Partner of 17a-4.

The new Movius MultiLine module of DataParser offers direct collection of the text messaging data export via SFTP or download directory, user mapping, AD integration and SMTP delivery as well as reporting/auditing of data processing. Other DataParser supported data sources include Cisco’s Webex, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Symphony, FXConnect and more. DataParser supports delivery to any archive or eDiscovery platform including Microsoft 365 Purview, Google Vault, Proofpoint, Mimecast, EV and MessageWatcher. Collected data types include chats, texts, images, meetings, documents, data feeds and collaboration activities. DataParser supports multiple configurations for more complex environments; data can be sent to specific archive locations to comply with data regulations. Users’ chat and collaboration activities are never disrupted by the DataParser’s processes.

Multifamily data analytics firm continues rapid expansion to deliver actionable performance insights to the industry.

Radix, the provider of a cutting-edge market research, performance and data analytics platform, today announced the hiring of Jay Denton as Chief Economist.

In his new position, Denton will be tasked with building the market forecasts vital to Radix clients as they navigate the evolving economic landscape. Leveraging his extensive industry and data analytics experience, he will be instrumental in bringing meaning to data trends on both a macro and micro level.

"As Radix grows its market footprint and industry influence, proven leaders like Jay are essential to successfully scale and hone our solutions," said Radix CEO and Founder, Blerim Zeqiri. "Jay's career experience contributes directly to our mission to equip our clients with a strategic edge through comprehensive data that informs optimized outcomes. We're excited to add him to the Radix leadership roster and look forward to our future bolstered by his expertise."

In 2023, Radix added more than 30 clients and 2 million units to its shared data ecosystem, which now is 9 million units overall. Clients represented are across the size spectrum, including 23 of the Top 50 NMHC companies. Radix also launched two new products — Research and ProForma — on its platform, alongside its venerable Benchmark solution. Radix Research aggregates information on a submarket, MSA, state and national level. ProForma provides development, acquisitions and new business teams with customized use of the shared data ecosystem. Radix also recently launched a resident portal to help prospective residents find the most affordable rents by zip code in most U.S. major metros.

Prior to joining Radix, Denton served as Chief Analytics Officer at LaborIQ, where he led the company's product, data and market analysis teams. The firm's AI-driven SaaS solution leveraged labor market forecasts to predict wage trends and recommend salaries in a turbulent job market. Denton previously worked as Senior Vice President of Business Intelligence at Bell Partners, where his research was instrumental in market selection for investments and fundraising. He led the business unit that developed front-end dashboards to access KPIs. He also spent more than 15 years at Axiometrics, concluding as Senior Vice President of Analytics, where he led the advisory services offering for REITs, investors and lenders.

Denton said Radix's vision and growth potential made it an appealing alliance.

"The Radix platform impresses me because of its frequency, granularity and customization of reporting, as well as the hours it saves teams each month. Multifamily organizations are more effective when data is made available at all levels of the corporate structure, and Radix offers sortable and digestible information relevant to on-site associates and executives alike," Denton said. "Radix is becoming the most comprehensive, single data platform for multifamily — augmenting business intelligence and informing business decisions across the industry."

Denton is also a sought-after speaker for executive groups, industry associations and media outlets. His thought leadership has been featured in several leading national publications, including Bloomberg Business, Inc., The Wall Street Journal, New York Post and Business Insider.

Former VMware CMO to play a pivotal role in creating, optimizing, and personalizing the company’s end-to-end customer experience

Dynatrace, the leader in unified observability and security, today announced the appointment of Laura Heisman as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), effective January 16, 2024. Laura will succeed Mike Maciag, who has served as the Dynatrace CMO for five years. Maciag will stay at Dynatrace in an advisory capacity through April 2024.

Heisman brings three decades of experience reaching enterprise, developer, consumer, and corporate audiences. Most recently, she was CMO at VMware, leading the global marketing organization. Before VMware, she was a member of the GitHub executive leadership team, serving as vice president of communications and corporate marketing. Heisman also spent over a decade at Citrix, serving as vice president of communications and leading the company’s worldwide communications and brand awareness program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from San Diego State University. As an advocate for women working in technology, she has served as the executive sponsor of women employee resource groups at VMware, GitHub, and Citrix.

“I am thrilled to welcome Laura to Dynatrace,” said Rick McConnell, Dynatrace Chief Executive Officer. “With her proven track record of crafting impactful marketing strategies across diverse sectors and for some of the most recognizable brands in the technology industry, she will play a pivotal role in creating, optimizing, and personalizing the end-to-end experience for our customers and partners. Her expertise, passion, vision, and customer-first mindset make her the perfect fit for our team. She will help further position the company to capitalize on the tremendous market opportunities ahead.”

“I am excited to join Dynatrace, a company at the forefront of helping customers with their mission-critical requirements for observability, security, and AI. Each of these elements is increasingly critical to successful digital transformation efforts,” said Heisman. “I look forward to helping accelerate demand, building deep product understanding, driving brand awareness, and fostering customer loyalty. As a market leader, I believe Dynatrace is poised to become an iconic company in a rapidly advancing segment.”

“On behalf of Dynatrace, I’d like to thank Mike for his leadership and tremendous contribution to the company from before our IPO to the present,” continued McConnell. “His commitment to customer success and expanding awareness of our marketplace, combined with his passion for developing talented marketers, has helped position Dynatrace for long-term success. I am pleased he will be with us through a transitional period, and I wish him the very best for the future.”

Enhanced digital accessibility of Eptura software supports more inclusive user experiences in the workplace

Eptura, the global worktech leader, today announced enhanced digital accessibility within the web-based and mobile versions of its unified platform, which connects workplace and physical asset management capabilities in a single solution. As part of its ongoing proactive efforts to create inclusive user experiences, Eptura has unveiled a series of design updates in accordance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to ensure everyone has a chance to succeed in the workplace.

The World Health Organization estimates that 16% of the world’s population — 1.3 billion people — live with disabilities. The recent recognition of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), which per the United Nations exists to “promote an understanding of disability issues and to mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and wellbeing of persons with disabilities,” underscores that there is still significant progress to make in creating equitable workplace experiences for all.

“By designing and delivering accessible solutions, Eptura aims to help break down the barriers that can prevent people from fully engaging in the workplace,” said Annalisa Recio, VP User Experience.

To deliver on this vision, Eptura built a scalable design system based on extensive research which incorporates accessibility best practices and continual user feedback. Eptura maintains compliance with the digital requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and has completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPAT®) for its worktech solutions. The VPATs outline Eptura’s conformance to accessibility standards under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act — which contains stringent mandatory standards for U.S. federal agencies and private companies that do business with government entities — as well as the internationally recognized Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA).

Eptura’s usability enhancements include:

• Improved color contrast to exceed AA accessibility standards. Increased contrast, descriptive text labels, clear visual distinctions between colors, and consistency in the meaning of colors help individuals with low vision or color blindness easily understand and interpret information, such as availability of reservable workspaces.
• Accessible icons. Clear, inclusive symbols demonstrate equitable representation and improve understanding of content and navigation for people with visual or cognitive disabilities.
• Keyboard navigation. Users can opt to explore Eptura via keyboard as an alternative to mouse-based navigation, which can help those with visual or motor disabilities or people using other assistive technology.
• Alternative text descriptions. Explanatory text provides helpful descriptions of visual information for users accessing Eptura product functionality via screen readers.
• Design consistency. Updated colors, icons, and typography within Eptura mobile apps unify appearance and functionality for a consistent experience with desktop product access.
• Revamped homepage. Navigational and design changes to menus and the sub-menu display, including updated icons and a new font to improve readability, create a clear navigational route within Eptura solutions.

Through a partnership with leading accessibility solutions provider Level Access, Eptura actively benchmarks and tracks progress toward usability goals and emerging standards. During a design system audit, Eptura achieved 92% on Level Access’s accessibility health scoring criteria — a strong rank indicating they are “making a conscious effort to design and build with accessibility in mind.”

“Eptura has demonstrated a deep commitment to ensuring its workplace technology solutions are accessible to every user,” said Tim Springer, Founder and CEO of Level Access. “By taking a proactive, ongoing approach to digital product accessibility, Eptura is not only delivering exceptional user experiences for all, but ultimately empowering its customers to build more inclusive, effective workplaces. We couldn’t be prouder to be supporting them on this journey.”

Eptura was recently selected as a finalist for Best Governance in zeroheight’s 2023 Design System Awards, which recognizes excellence in design systems based on accessibility, scalability, usability, and innovation. This reflects Eptura’s commitment to build a platform that all users can truly rely on — measuring its design against high standards of inclusivity and usability — to make worktech more accessible and approachable for everyone.

AudioEye takes top spot with high scores for usability and implementation

AudioEye, Inc., the industry-leading web accessibility platform, today announced it has been recognized as a leader in 16 of G2's Winter 2024 Reports for Digital Accessibility Platforms and Digital Accessibility Tools. The Company ranked first in the categories of implementation (how quickly and easily customers can go-live) and usability (a measure of the overall ease of use). Additionally, AudioEye earned 13 leader badges, including easiest setup and highest user adoption.

"It is extremely encouraging to see that companies are prioritizing digital accessibility," said David Moradi, CEO of AudioEye. "It is an honor to be recognized for our work building best-in-class products that enable our customers to build inclusive digital experiences. As we continue an industry-high investment in our research and development, we look forward to providing the tools and expertise our customers need to ensure accessibility compliance."

AudioEye's accessibility platform helps businesses of all sizes build digitally accessible and compliant websites while leveraging both technology and human expertise. The Company's inclusion in G2's reports results from a culmination of positive reviews submitted by verified customers, taking into account customer satisfaction and market presence, as well as data aggregated from online sources and social networks. Customer reviewers on G2 appreciate AudioEye as an "effortless way to stay compliant" and a "great solution for web accessibility," highlighting ease of use and immediate resolutions.

"Rankings on G2 reports are based on data provided to us by real software buyers," said Sara Rossio, Chief Product Officer at G2. "Potential buyers know they can trust these insights when researching and selecting software because they're rooted in vetted, verified, and authentic reviews."

AudioEye's inclusion in G2's Winter 2024 Reports follows its recent recognition as Best Accessibility Innovation in a SaaS Product in the international SaaS Awards.