First to launch fast & easy checkout process facilitating online commerce

November 11, 2016 –London UK, WP Engine, a company that powers amazing digital experiences for websites and applications built on the WordPress platform, today announced its integration with Payment Request, a new API for the open web that allows easy one-tap checkout for buyers when visiting e-commerce sites. As the first managed host provider to integrate with the new API, online stores utilising the WP Engine E-commerce Toolkit for WooCommerce will be able to deliver a better overall user experience with fast and easy payments that streamline the checkout process on shopping sites.

According to a Google study, nearly two-thirds of mobile purchases are made on mobile sites versus mobile apps, but conversion rates on mobile sites remain only 33 percent of that on desktops—largely due to the fact that mobile purchasers online have lacked the ability for a one-tap checkout.

Today, powered by the Payment Request API which will be supported by Google’s Chrome 53 for Android, WP Engine’s One-Tap Payment feature will allow users to do just that and improve conversions for merchants by dramatically simplifying and accelerating their checkout process. The new technology removes the need for users to enter payment and shipping details with each purchase, instead allowing end users to use payment information stored in Chrome to easily pay and ship with a few simple taps. By streamlining the checkout process, merchants can accelerate both the frequency and amount purchased by mobile users when visiting an online store.

“Buying things online via mobile can be a frustrating experience for users due to having to manually type in information over and over again - resulting in shopping cart abandonment for merchants,” said Lisa Box, Vice President of Business Development for WP Engine. “WP Engine is dedicated to helping e-commerce companies make sure not only their customers are having a great user experience, but that the companies themselves are using the right tools to grow conversion rates and hit business goals.”

American-made lifestyle apparel brand Oscar Mike, whose focus is on creating apparel to help injured veterans participate in adaptive sporting events through the Oscar Mike Foundation, has already realised immediate benefits from implementing WP Engine’s One-Tap solution and the easy-to-integrate Payment Request API.

“At Oscar Mike, a sale isn’t just an opportunity for profit. Any friction during the ordering process directly impacts our ability to make a difference,” said Mindsize Managing Partner Zach Stepek. “So when WP Engine came to us with the chance to integrate with Google’s new Payment Request API, we jumped at the opportunity to create a better user experience for our customers. We expect the ability to check out with just one tap, without having to fill out lengthy forms, will greatly reduce the amount of friction it would otherwise require to make a purchase.”

The WP Engine E-commerce Toolkit for WooCommerce enables WP Engine customers to quickly and easily launch e-commerce solutions to deliver better user experiences and customer-merchant interactions. The solution is available today for WP Engine customers using the WooCommerce platform, which powers approximately 30% of all online stores, making it the global leader among e-commerce platforms.

AI-driven personal robot steals the show in Las Vegas

London, UK - November 11, 2016 – Emotech today announced that it has been named a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree in three categories for its smart lifestyle assistant Olly Robot. Olly is empowered by a brain-inspired AI engine and uses deep learning to provide accurate speech and emotion interaction. Olly impressed judges at the CES Innovation Awards in the following three categories:

• Home Appliances
• Home Audio/Video Components and Accessories
• Drones and Unmanned Systems

Olly is the first smart lifestyle assistant that develops a personality based on its user’s moods and preferences, meaning daily communications with Olly are always unique and enjoyable. Thanks to its unique form factor and LED configuration Olly is able to convey a range of emotions that users can detect visually.

Technology analyst Gartner forecasts that the number of smart connected homes is expected to grow from between 100 to 200 million homes today to between 500 to 700 million homes by 2020. Olly provides users with an intuitive and personable interface that enables easy access a full range of connected devices in the home.

“Smart homes are coming with the ultimate center piece being a hands-free voice activated device that seamlessly interacts with the wave of services and apps that will be powering these smart homes,” said Chelsea Chen, co-founder, Emotech. “Olly delivers all of the above, and goes one step further by learning about the idiosyncrasies of its users to develop its own personality. Communicating with Olly is simple and natural, just speak using natural language and he’ll respond like you’re talking to an old friend.”

With an elegant, compact design, featuring cutting edge interactive sensor technologies, Olly boasts the optimal form factor for both its complex microphone array design and 360-degree audio performance. The innovative design combined with sensing algorithms provides advanced perception capability; not only will Olly know which room it is in and which user it is interacting with, it also will be able to detect what the user is doing and even their mood.

Products chosen as CES Innovation Honorees reflect innovative design and engineering in some of the most cutting edge tech products and services coming to market. Entries are evaluated on their engineering, aesthetic and design qualities, intended use/function and user value, unique/novel features present and how the design and innovation of the product directly compares to other products in the marketplace.

Olly Robot will be displayed in South Hall 4, 35348 at CES 2017, which runs January 5-8, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

CES 2017 Innovation Honoree products are featured on CES.tech/Innovation.

Oxford, UK. SimCentric are excited to announce that the Nautilus International JTAC simulator system using VBS3FIRESFST has been NATO accredited which then supported the UK JTAC Concentration at RAF Honington. Working with Nautilus to deliver a deployable and highly portable system including COBRA screen and VBS3 software, VBS3FIRESFST has been NATO accredited to Type 2 & 3 controls, Day, Night, FMV and Laser. Using Form, Fit and Function emulated JTAC equipment, such as the LF28 LTD, PLRF25, IZLID Ultra and Harris Communications 7800HH radios with 7800T downlink receivers, the system can be fully set up and ready for use within 2 hours. All of the JTAC simulation scenarios and terrain are based on real world locations, both in the UK and overseas. This allows the qualified JTAC to train in a realistic and demanding, simulated environment.
 
The system is unique in its deployability, accredited status and real-world content. It allows JTAC training to be conducted in almost any location to enable re-qualification, maintenance of JTAC skills and has proven to significantly reduce training overheads.
 
Adam Easton, CEO SimCentric, believes that the deployability of the system alongside the proven VBS3FIRESFST technology can change the availability and frequency of JTAC training. “We now have a system which is accredited to replace live fire training, has a minimal set-up time from delivery to service and is also integrated with our pattern of life technologies. This provides a unique training environment which delivers complex and real-world urban environments to stretch the JTAC trainee beyond standard systems.”
 
SimCentric will demonstrate accredited VBS3FiresFST at the Close Air Support Conference in Reading, UK – 16/17 Nov 2016

Companies must counter DDoS attacks via webcams and routers with a strategic approach

Statement by Dennis Monner, CEO of the German-based security specialist Secucloud

Hamburg, Germany. 10 November 2016 – After the biggest DDoS attack of all time was reported in late September, cyber-criminals wasted no time in mounting their next operation. Less than a month later, a further broad-based attack crashed major online services including Twitter, Spotify, Netflix and PayPal. As before, a large number of smart devices connected via the internet of things (IoT) were hijacked to mount the attack. They included everything from video recorders to home-based routers and manipulated webcams. These crimes are becoming more and more frequent, demonstrating that cyber-criminals have understood that the huge number of smart devices has the potential to cause major damage. After all, most connected devices are almost (or even completely) unprotected. This is why companies and individuals need to rethink the way they protect their devices. They need a strategic approach that starts from the internet itself – not the device.

A quick glance at the current situation shows that protecting connected objects looks like a Herculean task. In a rush to follow the trend towards digitalisation, more and more companies are internet-enabling their products. Yet this produces a challenge in that companies who until now have made their name producing coffee machines or fridges have suddenly become IT companies – and often they are not equipped for that. As a result, devices in today’s IoT market include a wide range of software and communication protocols. Rather than adhering to unified standards, device manufacturers are simply doing their own thing. Yet this makes it significantly more difficult to protect their devices efficiently.

A further problem is that most web-enabled objects are not designed to have security software installed on them. The manufacturers’ priority is often to get the smart device on the market as fast as possible and security is lower down the priority list – or not on it at all. The fact that these manufacturers are not used to dealing with IT in their devices makes everything more difficult.

IoT protection from the cloud
As it is practically impossible to protect every device individually – from both the technical and economical viewpoint – it is clear that we need to take a higher-level approach to IoT security and see it as a strategic issue. The explosion in the number of web-enabled devices now makes it essential to centralise protection.

Cloud-based protection can be installed directly into the infrastructure in place at telcos as well as mobile and other service providers. This approach ensures that the threat cannot reach the device in the first place. There is no need for customers to install software and any smart device can be protected, even if it does not permit any software modifications. That stops cyber-criminals from infecting devices and also limits the damage by those that may already have been compromised – regardless of their type or the software and standards they use.

Using this approach, Secucloud is currently working with several large telcos and mobile providers – including T-Mobile in the Netherlands – to fight botnets and DDoS attacks. We have also recently started offering these firms an IoT anti-bot package that they can use to protect their customers’ smart devices from cyber-attacks.

Hackers planning a cyber-attack balance the cost against the benefit. If the cost of attacking a specific target is too high for the benefit they want, the target quickly becomes unattractive. By expanding cloud-based protection, cyber-criminals have fewer ways to attack and infect masses of IoT devices relatively quickly and easily. That, in turn, reduces the potential for broad-based DDoS attacks like those we have seen on IoT devices.

New Capital Infusion to Expand Platform Ecosystem, Sales and Digital Risk Applications
 
London, UK – November 10, 2016 -- RiskIQ, the leader in digital risk management, today announced that it closed $30.5 million in Series C funding led by Georgian Partners. Existing investors Summit Partners, Battery Ventures, and MassMutual Ventures also participated in the round, further validating the company’s leadership position and market opportunity. This financing will enable the company to expand its ecosystem, global sales, and platform applications within the disruptive Digital Risk Management market.

Threats outside the firewall are vast and dynamic. RiskIQ provides organisations access to the widest range of security intelligence and applications necessary to understand exposures and take action - all without leaving the platform. Similar to Google, RiskIQ applies machine learning and data science to continuously improve platform intelligence and broaden functionality by leveraging big data, customer usage and attack activity. With RiskIQ, enterprises can efficiently defend their digital attack surface, pinpoint exposures across their business, and dynamically mitigate cyber threats across web, mobile, and social.

Since 2009, RiskIQ has enabled security staff to reduce the time needed to understand new threats, speed up investigations, and more effectively prevent and remediate incidents. The company helps protect some of largest and most trusted names in financial services, technology, retail, government, healthcare, media and manufacturing around the world, including Facebook, DocuSign, UnderArmour, Lagardere, and Publishers Clearing House. RiskIQ was recently named a leader for Digital Risk Monitoring and received the highest score for the current offering category in The Forrester Wave™: Digital Risk Monitoring, Q3 2016. In the first half of 2016, the company reported year-over-year bookings growth of 80 percent, growing bookings and new customer acquisition for every product in its platform. Through RiskIQ’s revamped channel program, the company has successfully penetrated European and Asian markets. Today, RiskIQ has more than 200 enterprise customers, over 13,000 security analysts using the RiskIQ platform, and hundreds of users subscribing to the RiskIQ PassiveTotal digital threat investigation tool each week.

“We are pleased to have Georgian Partners as part of our strong investment and advisory team. Georgian, like RiskIQ, was founded by entrepreneurs. We share similar business values and philosophies,” said Lou Manousos, CEO and co-founder of RiskIQ. “They know what it takes to develop a business into a customer-focused, long-lasting, and profitable company - values that our entire board of directors shares.”

"RiskIQ has already designed the platform to dominate the Digital Risk Management market, and we are excited to contribute to their success,” said Steve Leightell of Georgian Partners, who will join the Board as part of the transaction. "Our team of experts in applied analytics, applied artificial intelligence and security first could not be better suited to partner with RiskIQ on their next phase of growth,” said Justin LaFayette, managing director at Georgian Partners.

Greg Goldfarb, managing director at Summit Partners, added: “The future of security is connecting the inside and the outside of the enterprise boundary. Threats start outside the firewall, move inside, and exfiltrate data back outside – and all the while malicious actors can compromise a company’s digital assets, vendors, and customers across web, mobile, and social environments. RiskIQ lights up the entire digital world outside of the controlled perimeter and connects that activity to a company’s internal security regime for 360-degree security.”

Michael Brown, general partner at Battery Ventures, added: “You only need to read the headlines to see that cyberattacks are taking their toll on organisations who fail to extend security controls beyond the firewall. While the majority of data breaches are from external sources, addressing the problem with traditional security tools is inefficient. RiskIQ has built the right commercial platform to manage a broad range of digital threats in an agile way that can address future attack vectors. We believe the company is well positioned to capitalise on this tremendous market opportunity.”

Zylpha (www.zylpha.com) the UK’s leading legal systems innovator, has announced the launch of a Client Matter Inception (CMI) plugin, which will be available free to all users of the LexisNexis Visualfiles case management system. CMI is the preliminary step for all law firms, either acting for new clients or when representing existing clients in a new matter. The process aids compliance with the Legal Services Act, helping to avoid potential conflicts of interest and adhering to anti-money laundering regulations. By using the new plugin, practices can speed up the ‘on-boarding’ process and capture all client data accurately and consistently.
 
The latest addition to a wide range of Zylpha solutions, the CMI plugin has been built so that it can either be used on its own within Visualfiles, or as a platform for further enhancements through other existing Visualfiles integrations including: Adobe Sign, PayPal and SmartSearch.
 
Commenting on the launch Zylpha’s CEO Tim Long noted, “With our experience of legal IT and our work with client facing legal teams, we understand the frustrations of managing Client Matter Inception effectively. So, as a product of our extensive development of Visualfiles integrations, we saw the opportunity to give something back to the LexisNexis community that we have been part of for many years. Hence it needed to be easy to integrate for all and it needed to be free.”
 
Nigel Williams, the Visualfiles Product Manager at LexisNexis, was enthusiastic about Zylpha’s approach, “We’re fully supportive of the solutions that our partners bring to the Visualfiles community. Offering a free CMI add-in is a great way to get organisations to think about how Visualfiles can help in this vitally important area. I’m sure that the Visualfiles community will appreciate this as a genuine gesture from a company that is a respected name in the Visualfiles world.”

The new integration was first demonstrated as part of a Client Matter Inception webinar held on the 6th September. To view a recording of the webinar, click here: www.zylpha.com/webinar-matter-inception/?utm_source=online&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=CMI

Shut down the routes to claw it back says Dialogue CEO Hugh Spear

London, November 10, 2016: More than half of the world’s mobile operators are losing more than half of their potential revenue from business-led Application to Person (A2P) SMS traffic which is able to by-pass network charges by using so-called ‘grey routes’.

SMS message aggregators, working on behalf of many of the world’s biggest brands, are using these grey routes to avoid network operator charges and make increased margins from companies who believe they are paying a fair price. Typical messages are from banks, delivery firms, brands running competitions, travel and leisure companies.

According to Hugh Spear, Founder and CEO of A2P SMS specialists Dialogue Communications, identifying and shutting the loopholes could generate as much as $15bn in recovered operator revenue in 2017.

“There are some firms out there that are effectively not only cheating the operators but also cheating their customers,” said Spear talking at industry round-table event in London yesterday.

“Taking the grey route to by-pass operator charges increases the chance of non-delivery, provides a safe, profitable haven for the spammers, and risks damaging brand reputation both for the brands associated with the messages and the operators themselves,” he said.

Dialogue’s figures are based on tests it carried out on 199 mobile networks in 84 countries earlier this year. Only 23 per cent of the networks tested showed no A2P SMS by-pass activity. Some 51 per cent of networks however had significant by-pass activity ranging from just over half of all messages to a complete 100 per cent by-pass for 28 of the operators tested.

Supporting evidence for the Dialogue results comes from industry body the GSMA, which found partial or full grey-routing on 75 per cent of 816 operators surveyed – including on 271 of the largest and most influential mobile operator networks who together serve more than half of the world’s mobile consumers.

“Dialogue is in many ways a unique company in this marketplace,” said Spear. “We’re not an aggregator, so don’t try to sell to brands, or look for ways to reduce our costs through grey routing. Instead, we are committed to guaranteeing to our aggregator and operator customers that we will safely deliver 100 per cent of A2P SMS traffic on net.”

Dialogue says this commitment levels the playing field for all the aggregators; ensures a fair split of revenue for the operator; and gives the best guarantee of delivery for the brands. The company’s Sentinel solution sits in the operator network to identify and block grey route traffic. It then forces that traffic onto the managed operator network and shares the revenues at agreed rates.

“Identifying the grey-routes, blocking those messages and forcing them onto the controlled network should be a priority for operators. They will reap the cost of employing the technology to force a clean approach ten-times over in a single month,” said Spear. “The cost does not change for the brands, it simply ensures the revenue is more fairly shared, the service delivery is guaranteed, and the operator knows what is happening on its network.”

Since deploying its Sentinel technology in four territories earlier this year, those operators have noticed a sharp uptake in A2P SMS revenue. One operator is now receiving some $500k in new A2P revenue every month from Dialogue – a figure up from zero before the system was deployed.

“Research from multiple sources shows that the A2P SMS market will be worth more than $55bn this year – growing to an estimated $70bn by 2020,” said Spear. “We believe that operators should have, at the very least, half of that revenue as the carrier of the service.

“But all the indications, and the evidence of our initial deployments, suggests that globally operators are capturing only around a quarter of that income – and of course some are missing out altogether. In 2017, I believe there is upwards of $15bn in revenue that operators could recover if they took the right steps now.”

Oracle Platinum Partner Inoapps (www.inoapps.com) has launched an Optimisation Service for users of Oracle Cloud Invoice Scanning. The service, staffed by highly skilled consultants will help users to optimize the benefits of Invoice Scanning within their own business. The new service is just one of a wide range of Oracle products and services available through Inoapps, the recent winner of both Oracle’s EMEA and Global Cloud Transformation Partner awards.

The Oracle ERP Cloud Invoice Scanning module uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to mitigate document management inefficiencies by dramatically reducing an organisation’s paper-based invoice handling. The system streamlines processes, significantly lowers staffing costs and improves both accuracy and compliance. It allows users to scan, index, review and input invoices in a fraction of the time previously required.

However, many Oracle Cloud Finance users, seeking to automate Invoice Scanning, often require advice on the internal preparations required to optimise their usage. This could include: adjustments to the existing purchasing procedures and rules required to support the scanning process internally and also a good understanding of the technical pre-requisites for the scanning process to be optimal. With its team of experts and its own knowledge of using the system itself, Inoapps is ideally placed to advise users on how best to adopt and then optimise ERP Invoice Scanning in the Cloud.

Martin Snookes, Senior Account Manager at Inoapps, believes the benefits are clear. In his view, “There are many Oracle users keen to exploit the benefits of automated Invoice Scanning as part of their Oracle ERP Cloud Estate. We can help them optimise their use of this technology as we have unrivalled skills and expertise in this area. We also have the benefit of using the technology ourselves as part of our own Oracle ERP Cloud system. In numerous cases, Inoapps has already discovered that even minor changes, such as modifying the PO number format, can significantly enhance the solution’s performance. Indeed, there is a wide combination of adjustments that can make a major difference. In short, we know what makes Oracle’s Invoice Scanning solution tick.

“With this in mind, our Invoice Scanning Optimization Service is exactly what organisations need to both deploy the system and to fine tune their internal processes accordingly. As a result, we expect demand for the new service to be extremely high.”

Inoapps are providing a Free Audit for those interested in optimising their invoicing scanning. This will assess the current status of the solution and will also specify a fixed charge package for helping these organisations achieve optimal effect. Those interested should call +44 (0)870 112 2000 or email [email protected]

London Stock Exchange Group and its customers to take advantage of SSE Enterprise Telecoms’ ultra-resilient, low latency optical network, tailored specifically to meet the needs of the trading community

London, UK – 10 November 2016 – SSE Enterprise Telecoms – the UK’s leading provider of network infrastructure and data centre services, and part of the SSE group – today announced that it has been named an Accredited Connectivity Partner (ACP) by London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). This agreement gives SSE Enterprise Telecoms’ customers the ability to connect directly to London Stock Exchange – to execute some of the fastest, most reliable exchange transactions in London’s financial services market.

LSEG operates a broad range of international equity, bond and derivatives markets. It also offers a direct and dedicated connectivity service – Customer Managed Connectivity (CMC) – which allows customers to access its markets through Accredited Connectivity Partners. The addition of ACPs such as SSE Enterprise Telecoms, means that LSEG members, non-members and independent software vendors have one more choice when selecting connectivity partners.

This latest agreement follows the construction of new network routes, both under the streets in traditional ducts, as well as far deeper underground in the waste water network.  This network infrastructure provides London Stock Exchange customers with a range of low latency, diverse routing options, using either dark fibre or managed wavelength services to London City, Docklands and Slough data centres.

The new LSEG service offers next generation optical networking gateways using “OTN” optical transport networking interfaces, offering LSEG customers the ability to connect to over 70 commercial data centres nationally with very short lead times, cost effectively, and at speeds of up to 100Gbps with multiple separately routed channels where needed.

Utilising industry leading networking technology from Ciena, service resilience and redundancy is ensured by using four dual optical networking chassis on opposite sides of the London Stock Exchange data centre, providing customers with high levels of confidence for their time critical connectivity requirements.

Nigel Harold, Head of Business Development – Technology, London Stock Exchange Group said: “SSE Enterprise Telecoms’ network offers a valuable addition to our choice of Accredited Connectivity Partners.  We are confident that SSE’s infrastructure and experience will benefit our Customer Managed Connectivity service, meeting the needs of clients who require connections via reliable, low latency networks.”

“As an Accredited Connectivity Partner of the London Stock Exchange, and by bringing its data centre on-net, we’re offering up an unprecedented connectivity service to London Stock Exchange stakeholders – from banks to traders,” said Colin Sempill, Managing Director at SSE Enterprise Telecoms. “In the financial services industry, it is paramount that networking partners provide reliable and fast connectivity. We live and breathe this at SSE Enterprise Telecoms, given our years of heritage in engineering our network for some of the most risk-averse industries in the world, most notably energy providers.”

“For our data centre customers, this means they will have access to one of the most prestigious financial institutions in the world. The heartbeat of London’s banking district, it will open up the opportunity to provide best-of-breed connectivity services where speed truly equals money. What’s more, with built in flexibility and scalability we have future-proofed the network, ensuring that as the market changes, we can be as responsive to bandwidth demand as the traders are to market shifts. With that in mind, we’re looking forward to a great partnership with London Stock Exchange Group and its customers,” said Sempill.

Company leverages 20 years of Market Research excellence to identify 20 future industry leaders

London, UK and Oslo, Norway and New York, U.S.: 10th November, 2016 — To celebrate twenty years of innovation in Market Research, Confirmit has expanded its recognition programme to include an award honouring young, innovative Market Researchers who represent the future of this ever-evolving industry. The Young Market Researcher Awards programme will highlight and reward the work of twenty Market Researchers who are in their twenties and already helping to grow and evolve how Market Researchers analyse data and provide valuable insight.

Coming on the heels of the launch of the Insight 2036 survey, a questionnaire aimed at looking into the future of Market Research, the Young Market Researcher Awards programme will assist in Confirmit’s efforts to drive evolution, promote innovation and generate widespread discussion across the market research community.

“In order to predict what’s next for the Voice of the Customer, Voice of the Employee and Market Research, we must listen to those spearheading technology adoption and evolution,” said Henning Hansen, President and CEO, Confirmit. “The winners of the Young Market Researcher Awards programme will embody the future of the industry and offer insight into where it is headed and who will be leading it. We’re pleased to celebrate Confirmit’s twenty-year anniversary by honouring the expertise, passions and talents of these young innovators.”

Applications for the Young Market Researcher Awards are now being accepted. Entrants must be in their twenties and employed in a Market Research role. Full eligibility criteria are available from Confirmit. Submissions will be evaluated by a judging panel of experts, made up of both Confirmit team members and industry practitioners. Notable members of the panel include Bob Lederer, CEO of RFL Communications, Jon Puleston, Vice President of Innovation at Lightspeed, and Szymon Duniec, Managing Director at Orima Research and former President of AMSRS.

Lightspeed’s Puleston said he is eager to recognise the young innovators driving transformation in the sector: “Market Research has evolved dramatically from the industry it was when it first emerged. Trying to forecast the next twenty years starts with tapping the brains of the next generation of leaders, the digital natives, and those at the forefront of consumer trends and motivations. It is there that we will unearth how the industry is truly evolving, and how companies can keep up with the pace. I’m thrilled to be a part of this initiative.”

Those eligible can self-nominate or be entered by an associate or colleague, by completing the nomination form before Monday, November 28th. Applicants need not be users or customers of Confirmit’s products or solutions to apply.

To learn more about the Young Market Researcher Awards programme visit http://www.confirmit.com/Company/MR-Awards/ or email [email protected].

Medica (14-17 November 2016, Düsseldorf, Germany) – BIXOLON, the global manufacturer of advanced Receipt, Label and Mobile Printers will be exhibiting on booth Hall 6, B51 at Medica 2016 showcasing a dynamic selection of medical label and patient-ID wristband printing solutions throughout the show.

For visitors looking for pharmaceutical labelling or patient identification solutions, BIXOLON will be highlighting the uses of Direct Thermal or Thermal Transfer desktop printing for the healthcare industry. Showcasing the SLP-TX220 2” high performance Thermal Transfer Bluetooth label printer with BIXOLON’s innovative patient B-wrist banding. Alongside the SLP-TX420 4” Thermal Transfer or Direct Thermal Wi-Fi Desktop Label Printer capable of producing high quality text, barcodes and QR code label printing.

Highlighting the latest in portable mobile printing technology, BIXOLON will be demonstrating the SPP-R200III 2” linerless printing solution. Supporting Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB and Serial connectivity for consistent, high quality label printing from Android™, iOS™ and Windows® smart devices. The SPP-R200III linerless printing solution provides an ecological alternative to traditional label printing, enabling variable length labelling, perfect for gathering patient information.

“BIXOLON’s healthcare printing solutions are easily integrated with PC-based systems or innovative Apple iOS™, Android™ or Windows® wireless tablet based solutions,” explains Charlie Kim, Managing Director of BIXOLON Europe GmbH. “Providing Direct Thermal, Thermal Transfer and Linerless labelling techniques for a range of applications from patient wrist banding to medical labelling. BIXOLON produces safe, hygienic printing solutions for a range of medical applications.”

Walkbase Taps Respected Mobile Proximity Executive Kevin Hunter to Lead U.S. Expansion

Among the pioneers in the mobile proximity space, Hunter will be charged with establishing a U.S. presence for the Finland-based company

Helsinki, Finland – November 10, 2016 - Walkbase, a leading venue IoT analytics and marketing platform company, announced today its expansion into the U.S. market, appointing widely-respected and industry pioneer Kevin Hunter as its President of the Americas.

Walkbase has seen significant year-over-year growth in Europe since its founding in 2010, and recognized the untapped potential in the US marketplace after numerous inquiries from US-based retailers and venues. Walkbase recently announced a global partnership with IBM that includes a US presence.

“We have seen incredible growth in Europe, the Middle East and Asia in the last year as more and more brands and retailers that utilize our proprietary IoT analytics and marketing platform see unprecedented revenue growth and ROI, said Tuomas Wuoti, CEO, Walkbase. “In order to continue that growth, we recognized the need to expand our operations in the United States and Kevin was the ideal candidate given his extensive knowledge of not only the mobile proximity space but his relationships with key future partners.”

Hunter is widely-respected in the industry and, as a pioneer in mobile data services, has successfully captured market value and created growth in the mobile proximity space in multiple industries. He brings all the skills that will be vital to lead Walkbase’s expansion into the U.S. marketplace including management, strategy, relationships and a deep understanding of the technology.

Prior to joining Walkbase, Hunter served as president of inMarket Media where he was responsible for the corporate growth strategy into new verticals. Before that, he co-founded and was COO of Gimbal, Inc. guiding the company from its incubation within Qualcomm Labs through its spin-off as a private entity from Qualcomm Retail Solutions. In addition, he is co-inventor of 23 US patents in mobile, location and proximity technologies.

“Walkbase is leading the way with their innovative and highly differentiated venue IoT analytics platform that is unlike any other currently available in the marketplace, and I am excited to join the team and deliver a solution to the industry’s demand for greater digital-style insights in their physical locations,” said Hunter. “Our platform has a proven ROI and successful track record in markets worldwide and we believe the time is right to introduce Walkbase to U.S.-based brands, retailers and venues.”

McAllister Olivarius Awards Document Management System Support and Maintenance Contract to Ascertus Limited

Ascertus to upgrade McAllister Olivarius to the latest version of iManage Work

London, U.K. – 10 November 2016 – McAllister Olivarius, a litigation law firm, has awarded the contract for the support and maintenance of its iManage Work email and document management solution to Ascertus Limited, a provider of tailored information and document lifecycle management solutions to law firms and corporate legal departments. Ascertus will also begin the process to upgrade McAllister Olivarius to the latest version of iManage Work in 2017.

The firm chose Ascertus for its responsiveness to clients and ability to deliver individually tailored support and service level agreements. The company’s support desk comprises highly experienced and technically sound engineers, all of who have previously worked either within in-house legal IT teams or in professional services firms.

Lewis Sheridan, IT Manager at McAllister Olivarius, elaborated, “Ascertus’ proactive approach to support clinched the deal for us. The company undertakes an annual health check to anticipate and pre-empt system-related issues before they occur. Also, Ascertus’ attitude demonstrates the value that the company places on each and every customer. From speaking to the company, we knew we would not be competing for good service with Ascertus’ larger or perhaps more prestigious customers. We have confidence that Ascertus will deliver us a smooth iManage Work upgrade.”

Ascertus operates a well-staffed London-based support desk. Always manned by a technician, it is the first port of call for all product and solutions-related issues. Problems raised between 9.00am and 5.30pm GMT receive immediate attention, while problems notified outside these hours are attended to in adherence with the contractually agreed support and service level agreements. Good and timely communication is a key component of the support services delivered by the company.

“Good support is essential to enabling organisations maximise the value of any system they adopt,” commented Jon Wainwright, Sales and Marketing Director at Ascertus Limited. “It can genuinely be the difference between success and failure of a software implementation, which is the reason why support and maintenance is a key Ascertus offering. We are delighted to welcome McAllister Olivarius to the Ascertus fold.”

Lisbon, PORTUGAL - 9 November 2016: People must feel safe and secure with the Internet of Things before it can reach its full potential - and there are a lot of things that still need to be addressed, Greenwave Systems’ chief scientist and technology evangelist Jim Hunter warned today.

Speaking at Web Summit, Hunter said security is the single biggest hurdle when it comes to monetizing the Internet of Things (IoT), particularly in the wake of incidents like last month’s Mirai DDoS attacks.

Calling on his extensive experience in connected technology and his recent efforts as co-chair of the IoT Consortium committee on privacy and security, Hunter called for a fundamental consensus within the industry on security standards.

“When you’re looking at how to monetize, you should find the value in what makes people tick - consumers want to be safe, secure and have their basic needs met,” said Hunter. “From that perspective, the value is in shoring up the bottom line and the smart home has its roots in security for that very reason.”

Hunter - who took part in a panel titled “Are Smart Homes Overhyped and Risky?” at Web Summit today - went on to say that the IoT must meet basic security standards and safeguard consumer trust to continue to grow.

“Once those basics are met, people will want to create and connect,” he said. “If you look at social media, Facebook wouldn’t have been successful in the early days of the Internet if people didn’t feel safe and secure. That’s what we as an industry have to do with the IoT. There are a lot of aspects that need to improve before we can move on to next level.”

According to Hunter, while the size of the IoT is unprecedented, the concepts behind it are nothing new.

“The Internet has been about ‘things’ the whole time - be it a computer, a mobile phone or a smart device - so you have to look at how we have monetised the Internet so far and provided value to the consumer,” he continued. “The PC industry, for example, didn’t fully take off until software enabled people to be more creative, productive and better connected. The mobile industry was the same - there were a lot of walled gardens until Apple created the App Store.

“We went from millions of opportunities with the PC industry to billions of opportunities with mobile, and from complicated, large-scale applications to smaller, more digestible solutions. The Internet of Things is a continuation of that, but with trillions of devices.”