Syneos Health and Protocol First Partner to Accelerate Collection and Review of Clinical Trial Data

Strategic Partnership Optimizes Integration for EHR Data and Delivers Remote Source Data Review

MORRISVILLE, N.C. and SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Syneos Health® (Nasdaq:SYNH), the only fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization, and Protocol First, Inc., a software solutions provider focused on accelerating clinical research, today announced a novel strategic partnership aimed at driving faster, more efficient clinical trials. The partnership is expected to optimize data integration with Electronic Health Record Systems and support Remote Source Data Review, further extending a multi-year, pre-existing relationship between Syneos Health and Protocol First.

The collaboration responds to the increasing demand from biopharmaceutical customers for digital solutions that break down silos between Sites, Sponsors, CROs and functional areas to accelerate the collection and review of clinical trial research data. The partnership further extends the expertise of Syneos Health with Protocol First’s products by delivering advanced knowledge transfer, product access, certification and other competitive benefits. The partnership grants Syneos Health a “First-to-Market” certification in terms of training and knowledge transfer for configuration of the Protocol First software products.

The enhanced collaboration furthers the ability of Syneos Health to combine Protocol First’s proprietary software solutions that integrate data from leading EHR systems into electronic data capture (EDC) with operational insights from Syneos Health Dynamic Assembly® network — an open ecosystem of best-of-breed data and technology collaborators — to deliver fit-for-purpose customer solutions. Combining these approaches allows the companies to address customer nuances related to trial protocols, capturing and analyzing clinical trial data faster and more efficiently with the goal of accelerating product time-to-market. Syneos Health will use Protocol First’s unique P1 Source Upload solution for remote monitoring.

“This partnership with Protocol First further strengthens our Dynamic Assembly network and supports our strategy to bring creative solutions to research sites. By offering cutting-edge, innovative technologies and critical insights, we are working to help our clients bring medicines to market faster,” said Paul Colvin, President, Clinical Solutions, for Syneos Health. “Protocol First has been a leader in developing next-generation technology solutions for complex clinical trials, and we’re pleased that we could extend our partnership to improve patients’ lives.”

“Syneos Health, as a first mover participant in our Protocol First Partnership, represents a milestone in the growth and adoption of our innovative software solutions, including Clinical Pipe and P1 Source Upload for remote monitoring. It is a harbinger of the transformation of clinical research to a digital model that ensures end-to-end data traceability in the most complex ‘precision medicine’ trials, while supporting remote and decentralized study execution,” said Hugh P. Levaux, Ph.D., Founder and CEO for Protocol First.

Building on the partnership and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Syneos Health and Protocol First recently developed and published a white paper to further demonstrate how a proven technology solution can enable CRAs to perform their tasks remotely. The white paper, Ensuring Data Quality During a Pandemic: How Innovative Technology Supports Remote Source Document Review, can be found here.

About Syneos Health

Syneos Health® (Nasdaq:SYNH) is the only fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization. The Company, including a Contract Research Organization (CRO) and Contract Commercial Organization (CCO), is purpose-built to accelerate customer performance to address modern market realities. We bring together approximately 25,000 clinical and commercial minds with the ability to support customers in more than 110 countries. Together we share insights, use the latest technologies and apply advanced business practices to speed our customers’ delivery of important therapies to patients. To learn more about how we are Shortening the distance from lab to life®, visit syneoshealth.com or subscribe to our podcast.

About Protocol First

Protocol First, Inc., founded in 2015 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT, develops next-generation technology solutions for complex clinical trials in the Life Sciences industry.  In addition to its flagship Protocol First suite of cloud-based solutions (eProtocol, Source Upload and EDC), Protocol First has launched Clinical Pipe, the industry’s first connector app that offers system-agnostic EHR-to-EDC interoperability.  The application supports major EHR and EDC systems including Epic, Cerner, Allscripts and Athena, as well as Medidata Rave, Oracle InForm, and its own P1 platform. For additional information visit www.protocolfirst.com.

Investor Relations Contact: Press/Media Contact:
Ronnie Speight Gary Gatyas
Senior Vice President, Investor Relations Executive Director, External Communications
+1 919 745 2745 +1 908 763 3428
 [email protected] [email protected]



Advent TechnologiesHoldings, Inc. to Ring Nasdaq Stock Market Opening Bell on February 26, 2021

Advent TechnologiesHoldings, Inc. to Ring Nasdaq Stock Market Opening Bell on February 26, 2021

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Advent Technologies Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADN) (“Advent”), an innovation-driven company in the fuel cell and hydrogen technology space, announced today that the Company’s Chairman and CEO, Dr. Vasilis Gregoriou, will ring the Nasdaq Opening Bell virtually on Friday, February 26, 2021 in celebration of Advent’s public listing.

The virtual ceremony will begin at approximately 9:15 AM ET and can be viewed live at https://www.nasdaq.com/marketsite/bell-ringing-ceremony.

“We are honored to ring the opening bell in celebration of our recent Nasdaq listing earlier this month. Our mission is to advance the development and manufacturing of advanced materials, components, and next-generation fuel cell technology to unlock the hydrogen economy,” commented Dr. Vasilis Gregoriou, Chairman and CEO of Advent Technologies Holdings, Inc. “We would like to thank all of our employees for their hard work and the incredible milestones we have achieved to date. We are very excited to take the next step in our growth story as we continue to execute on our strategic plan as a public company.”

About Advent Technologies Holdings, Inc.

Advent Technologies Holdings, Inc. is an innovation-driven company in the fuel cell and hydrogen technology space. Our vision is to accelerate electrification through advanced materials, components, and next-generation fuel cell technology. Our technology applies to electrification (fuel cells) and energy storage (flow batteries, hydrogen production) markets, which we commercialize through partnerships with Tier1s, OEMs, and System Integrators. For more information on Advent Technologies Holdings, Inc., please visit the company’s website at https://www.advent.energy/

Sloane & Company

Joe Germani / Alex Kovtun / James Goldfarb

[email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Massachusetts

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Alternative Energy Energy Automotive Alternative Vehicles/Fuels

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Carvana Ups the Ante on New Car Vending Machine With Las Vegas Twist

Carvana Ups the Ante on New Car Vending Machine With Las Vegas Twist

Carvana’s One-of-a-Kind Slot Machine Puts a Whole New Spin on Auto Retail

LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Today, leading online auto retailerCarvana (NYSE: CVNA) launched its newest Car Vending Machine in Las Vegas with a special spin, debuting the world’s first slot machine for cars. Offering car buyers The New Way To Buy A Car®, while introducing a vehicle pickup perfectly fit for the Las Vegas locale, Carvana keeps upping the ante for exceptional customer experiences. The colorful, glowing glass structure stands 11 stories tall with a 39-vehicle capacity, turning heads amid the already impressive Las Vegas skyline. In as little as five minutes, customers can shop an inventory of more than 20,000 used cars for sale, finance, purchase, trade in, and schedule as-soon-as-next-day pick up at the new Las Vegas Car Vending Machine. Area customers may also choose touchless home delivery.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005173/en/

Leading online auto retailer Carvana has debuted its newest Car Vending Machine in Las Vegas. Standing 11 stories high, it's also the world's first slot machine for cars, putting a new, local spin on the signature Car Vending Machines the company is known for. (Photo: Business Wire)

Leading online auto retailer Carvana has debuted its newest Car Vending Machine in Las Vegas. Standing 11 stories high, it’s also the world’s first slot machine for cars, putting a new, local spin on the signature Car Vending Machines the company is known for. (Photo: Business Wire)

Carvana customers save valuable time and money by skipping the dealership and shopping online. Customers can buy their car and secure auto financing entirely online, then select a day and time convenient for them to pick up their vehicle at the Car Vending Machine. Upon arrival, they will be greeted by a Customer Advocate and receive a commemorative, oversized Carvana coin to insert into the slot machine, which will activate the automated vending process. Just like the excitement of hitting the jackpot, Carvana customers get a front-row seat to watch their vehicle descending through the brightly lit structure from the heart of the all-glass tower.

Carvana has also upgraded the concept of the traditional test drive with a 7-day return policy. Car buyers get to live with the car for a full week to ensure the vehicle fits their needs and lifestyle, whether seeing how their new vehicle handles everything from a weekend road trip up to Reno or a weekly grocery store run; all backed by the peace of mind and knowledge that Carvana vehicles pass a rigorous, 150-point inspection, have no frame damage, and have never been in a reported accident. Features, imperfections, and updated information about open safety recalls are listed on every car’s vehicle description page.

Customers can also sell their current vehicle to Carvana and receive a real offer in just minutes—even without purchasing a vehicle. Additionally, Carvana never charges hidden, bogus fees like “documentation fees,” which can often be added to the price of a vehicle at the last minute.

“We are ready to raise the stakes in Vegas with our iconic Car Vending Machine, giving customers a slot machine like they’ve never seen before,” said Ernie Garcia, Carvana founder and CEO. “Our new design celebrates the destination and gives customers the chance to experience The New Way to Buy a Car® in a whole new way.”

The newest Car Vending Machine is the first of its kind in the state of Nevada, and the 28th in the U.S. Additional Car Vending Machines are located in Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Maryland, Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, California, Michigan and Georgia.

The Las Vegas Car Vending Machine is located at 3720 Morgan Cashmans Way. Location hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT. Vehicle pickup at any of Carvana’s Car Vending Machines is free for all Carvana customers.

About Carvana

Founded in 2012 and based in Phoenix, Carvana’s (NYSE: CVNA) mission is to change the way people buy cars. By removing the traditional dealership infrastructure and replacing it with technology and exceptional customer service, Carvana offers consumers an intuitive and convenient online car buying and financing platform. Carvana.com enables consumers to quickly and easily shop more than 20,000 vehicles, finance, trade-in or sell their current vehicle to Carvana, sign contracts, and schedule as-soon-as-next-day delivery or pickup at one of Carvana’s patented, automated Car Vending Machines.

For further information on Carvana, please visit www.carvana.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Carvana

Amy O’Hara

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: Nevada United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Online Retail Retail General Automotive Automotive Specialty

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Leading online auto retailer Carvana has debuted its newest Car Vending Machine in Las Vegas. Standing 11 stories high, it’s also the world’s first slot machine for cars, putting a new, local spin on the signature Car Vending Machines the company is known for. (Photo: Business Wire)

F5 to Participate in Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference

F5 to Participate in Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV) today announced that it will participate in Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media and Telecom Conference, to be conducted virtually.

F5’s presentation, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, will be webcast live. Interested attendees can access the live webcast via the Investor Relations section of f5.com or via this link. An archived version of the webcast will be available on F5’s Investor Relations page.

About F5

F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV) is a multi-cloud application security and delivery company that enables our customers—which include the world’s largest enterprises, financial institutions, service providers, and governments—to bring extraordinary digital experiences to life. For more information, go to f5.com. You can also follow @F5 on Twitter or visit us on LinkedIn and Facebook for more information about F5, its partners, and technologies.

F5 is a trademark, service mark, or tradename of F5 Networks, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE: F5 Networks

Investor Relations

Suzanne DuLong

(206) 272-7049

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Washington

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Networks Internet Security Technology Software

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Cadence Completes Acquisition of NUMECA

Cadence Completes Acquisition of NUMECA

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDNS) today announced that it has completed the acquisition of NUMECA International. The addition of NUMECA’s technologies and talent supports the Cadence® Intelligent System Designstrategy and broadens its system analysis portfolio with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solutions. These products will contribute to the best-in-class Cadence system analysis solutions for integrated circuits (ICs), electronic subsystems and full system designs. NUMECA’s proven technologies serve several industries including aerospace, automotive, industrial and marine, and have been adopted by industry leaders such as NASA, ArianeGroup, Honda and Ford.

About Cadence

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality. Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to systems for the most dynamic market applications, including consumer, hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, mobile, aerospace, industrial and healthcare. For six years in a row, Fortune magazine has named Cadence one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Learn more at cadence.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the expected benefits to Cadence, its products and its customers from the acquisition, that are based on current expectations and preliminary assumptions that are subject to factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Cadence’s control, including the effects of the acquisition on Cadence’s financial results and business, the ability to successfully operate or integrate NUMECA into Cadence, the ability to retain and integrate NUMECA employees into Cadence, the changes in customer demands and markets, and other risk factors set forth in Cadence’s most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Cadence undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release.

© 2021 Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Cadence, the Cadence logo and the other Cadence marks found at www.cadence.com/go/trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Cadence Newsroom

408-944-7039

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America California

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Semiconductor Hardware Electronic Design Automation Technology Software

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Twilio’s Annual State of Customer Engagement Report Finds Digital Engagement Is Key to Business Survival in a Post-Pandemic World

Twilio’s Annual State of Customer Engagement Report Finds Digital Engagement Is Key to Business Survival in a Post-Pandemic World

96% of enterprises report failing to digitize customer engagement would have negatively impacted their business

95% expect to increase or maintain their investment in digital customer engagement after the pandemic

Comcast, Delta Air Lines, Norwegian Refugee Council recognized for building innovative ways to stay connected with their customers and communities during COVID-19

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), the leading cloud communications platform, today released its second annual State of Customer Engagement Report. Combining insight from the Twilio platform, which powers over 1 trillion human interactions annually, with results of new global research of 2,500 enterprise decision makers, the report reveals that digital communications were critical to business survival in 2020, and that the solutions that were built will shape business success in the post-pandemic economy.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005303/en/

(Graphic: Business Wire)

(Graphic: Business Wire)

“For nearly every organization dealing with the impacts of the pandemic, increased digital engagement was a core part of their solutions,” said Glenn Weinstein, Chief Customer Officer at Twilio. “From remote learning, to work-from-home contact center agents, to vaccine distribution logistics, digital communications have played a critical role. We expect that to accelerate through the pandemic recovery and become the new normal.”

The 2021 State of Customer Engagement Report outlines the major trends in digital engagement that emerged in 2020, and how they are shaping digital adoption across global companies in every industry. The trends include soaring digital interaction between businesses and customers, and what this means for personalization; the rise of the agile workforce; how highly regulated industries are leading in digital adoption; the next generation of video; and how businesses are choosing to build unique experiences. Key findings from the report include:

  • 2020 catapulted us into a hybrid economy, where nearly every in-person interaction will have a digital element. 92% of business leaders report that COVID-19 accelerated their move to the cloud, equipping companies with the flexibility to serve customers from anywhere. 95% plan to increase or maintain their current communications channel offerings after the pandemic, and expect to add an average of four new channels this year.
  • Digital engagement will remain essential to business survival and success. 90% report that increased customer engagement during the pandemic drove new customer insights.87% report digital customer engagement will be critically or very important to their success going forward.
  • Companies that adopt a “builder” mindset will survive, those that do not will be outcompeted. 91% of enterprise decision makers report they will choose to build communications solutions to meet customer demands in the future, rather than buy a pre-configured solution.92% of C-level executives found developers were crucial to solving business challenges brought on by COVID.

The report recognizes Twilio Engagement Builders, innovative organizations that built cutting edge digital solutions to stay connected to their customers and communities in 2020. Engagement Builders include Comcast, BGL Group, Delta Air Lines, Norwegian Refugee Council, and LINE Japan. To explore what they built and read the full report, go to http://twilio.com/state-of-customer-engagement.

Methodology

This report draws insight from Twilio platform data, which reflects digital engagement activity that occurred on Twilio in 2020. Twilio platform data do not represent Twilio’s historical or future financial performance and are presented solely as context for broader market trends. The report also includes original research from a survey of over 2,500 enterprise decision-makers across the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, and Singapore. The research was fielded by a third party to understand how businesses view the role of digital engagement. Survey respondents are full-time employees of companies with 500 to 25,000+ employees, from the director to executive level.

About Twilio

Millions of developers around the world have used Twilio to unlock the magic of communications to improve any human experience. Twilio has democratized communications channels like voice, text, chat, video, and email by virtualizing the world’s communications infrastructure through APIs that are simple enough for any developer to use, yet robust enough to power the world’s most demanding applications. By making communications a part of every software developer’s toolkit, Twilio is enabling innovators across every industry — from emerging leaders to the world’s largest organizations — to reinvent how companies engage with their customers.

Miya Shitama

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America California

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Data Management Technology Mobile/Wireless Telecommunications Software Internet

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(Graphic: Business Wire)

Geoverse Joins with Sigma IT Consulting and Senseware to Help Enterprises Prepare for a Safe Return to the Office in 2021

Geoverse Joins with Sigma IT Consulting and Senseware to Help Enterprises Prepare for a Safe Return to the Office in 2021

Solution measures real-time data on physical environment against people’s behavior, enabled by private cellular networks

BELLEVUE, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Geoverse today announced it is partnering with Sigma IT Consulting and Senseware on a solution to help businesses and communities reopen and operate safely. The solution leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things-based (IoT) environmental sensing, and private cellular networks to help provide a safer environment for those organizations transitioning back to the office or place of work.

Functionally, the solution can monitor and detect the physical environment in real time against people’s behavior, measure the local air quality, initiate air mitigation responses if necessary, and share the resulting status information with local staff and user communities. The AI-enabled thermal cameras monitor and count the tenants and visitors transiting a common space like an office, hotel lobby, or school entrance, and will detect in real time those who are adhering to mask and distancing guidelines.

In addition, these thermal cameras can detect those who may be exhibiting elevated temperatures so they can be quickly isolated. With this real-time localized status information, proactive measures can be launched across a number of fronts, from adjusting HVAC systems and initiating the onsite industrial IoT air sensing mitigation systems, to notifying staff and tenants in the building of current conditions so they can respond accordingly.

Sigma IT, a subsidiary of the Sigma Group, is an expert in building and applying AI and computer vision for industrial IoT use cases and helps many organizations with their digital transformation strategy. Computer vision is the domain that evaluates how computers can gain high-level understanding from digital images and video. It ultimately seeks to learn and automate tasks along the lines of a human visual system against triggers in these images. This application is just one of many that could be applied across a number of enterprise environments, including security at an office, port or stadium.

Senseware is a leader in the development of unified, scalable, turnkey IoT platforms that can monitor and mitigate airborne threats across indoor physical environments like schools, healthcare facilities, and more. These systems can detect for COVID today and are already in commercial use.

By integrating and connecting these systems with a dedicated high-performance private cellular network, the solution can extend its reach and application by sharing the real-time data across the environment and community it is serving. Collectively, it is a powerful and effective platform that can be applied across physical environments when the world takes a step toward returning to public spaces. The system is already being deployed at Geoverse’s Bellevue, Washington, headquarters.

“This partnership with innovators like Sigma IT and Senseware helps us reach a broader audience by demonstrating how these networked solutions can be realistically applied in today’s environment to help address real world challenges. We simply don’t want to hand off a network to an enterprise and have them figure out on their own what can be done with it. We want to be a vested partner that demonstrates more than just the basic connectivity aspect, hence the Value Beyond Connectivity we promote,” said Geoverse CEO and Co-founder Rod Nelson.

“We have great experience of developing creative and innovative solutions to solve customers’ business problems and technical challenges. Together with Geoverse’s solution, we can address business problems that require reliable networks and low latency. With this joint solution, we can help enterprises across verticals to digitally transform the way they do business, from logistics to resource extraction, to education,” said Mattias Zaunders, Sigma IT’s vice president of Digital Innovation.

“Already organizations today are preparing for a return to the office with our platforms but integrating it as part of a broader AI-based solution with the ability to network and share the related info to the stakeholders will only help to accelerate this transition,” said Senseware CEO Dr. Serene Almomen.

For more information on Geoverse, Sigma IT, or Senseware, and to learn about this application, contact a representative today.

About Geoverse

Geoverse is a mobile operator that provides comprehensive in-building cellular solutions to enable users and devices to roam across public carrier networks seamlessly and securely. The company’s private 5G/LTE wireless network offering—using innovations like citizens broadband radio service (CBRS)—interconnects with major mobile operators, delivering a secure, robust, and flexible network for private applications and high-performance coverage for tenants and visitors. Geoverse, the largest Neutral Host operator across the US, is a subsidiary of ATN International (NASDAQ: ATNI), a company with more than 30 years of experience building and operating connectivity solutions for enterprise verticals, carriers, and consumers. www.geoverse.io

About Sigma IT Consulting

Sigma IT Consulting is a leading consulting group with an objective to make their customers more competitive and works towards the vision of “Expect a Better Tomorrow.. Their means is technological know-how and a constant passion for innovation and finding better solutions. They employ over 5,000 employees in fourteen countries. Sigma is privately owned by Danir AB, a Swedish holding company. In 2013, they made a strategic investment to acquire Sony Mobile’s hardware department in Sweden (Lund), including their advanced lab facilities and about 200 engineers. Today Sigma has over 500 engineers developing consumer electronic and IoT devices based on the latest connectivity hardware platforms and the complete spectrum of radio technology. Their diverse IoT capabilities in design, technology and strategy enable them to create products and services that change and improve the end-user experience, from hardware development to production technology, full stack software development in Microsoft Azure, cyber security, and advanced analytics. sigmaitconsulting.com

About Senseware

Senseware is accelerating digital transformation with a structured method of real-time capture of Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Environmental data. Built on the founding vision of providing a simple solution of delivering real-time data from the physical environment to the web, Senseware’s complete IoT Technology Stack integrates plug-and-play configurable IoT Edge hardware with IoT Core software in the cloud. By removing the need for IoT development kits, Senseware is increasing the velocity of IoT applications. senseware.co

Calysto for Geoverse

Justine Schneider

404-266-2060 x507

[email protected]

Mattias Zaunders

VP Digital Innovation

Sigma IT Consulting

[email protected]

425.389.1248

Dr. Serene Almomen

Senseware

[email protected]

571-766-6443

KEYWORDS: United States North America Washington

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Data Management Technology General Health Mobile/Wireless Building Systems Other Construction & Property Commercial Building & Real Estate Construction & Property Infectious Diseases Consulting Security Photography Professional Services Other Technology Telecommunications Software Health Networks Internet Hardware

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Inspiration4 Reveals Panel of Influential Judges to Select Entrepreneur to Join First All-Civilian Mission to Space

Inspiration4 Reveals Panel of Influential Judges to Select Entrepreneur to Join First All-Civilian Mission to Space

Customers utilizing the Shift4Shop eCommerce platform will compete to represent the mission pillar of Prosperity

ALLENTOWN, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space, today announced the independent panel of judges tasked with helping select a deserving entrepreneur to join the historic mission’s four-person crew later this year. The mission will be commanded by Jared Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments and an accomplished pilot and adventurer and is built on four mission pillars of Leadership, Hope, Generosity and Prosperity. The chosen entrepreneur will represent the mission pillar of prosperity.

The judges panel will review the top entries of the Shift4Shop social media contest, open through the end of February, to identify a business owner or entrepreneur that exhibits ingenuity, innovation, and determination to join the crew of Inspiration4.

“As an entrepreneur who started Shift4 decades ago, I know how much risk, talent and effort it takes to launch a business and drive its success,” said Isaacman. “One of the things that has helped me in my career is making sure I am working with the best people possible, which is why I want to make sure we work with the right judges to select the best fit possible for the Prosperity seat. The caliber and resumes of the four judges helping us select this seat have transformed industries and driven innovation on a number of fronts, and I could not think of a better team to help us find the best person to help us make history.”

Isaacman continued: “Shift4Shop’s unprecedented competition offers the greatest chance to earn a seat aboard Inspiration4. We are incredibly excited to combine a unique outlet for the entrepreneurial spirit in all of us with the best opportunity for a lucky innovator to travel with us to the stars.”

Shift4Shop is an all-in-one eCommerce platform that eschews the tiered billing model used by other platforms, instead providing an enterprise-level solution completely free of charge when customers use the company’s payment processing services. This model is unique to the industry and delivers customers significant savings over competing eCommerce platforms that charge monthly hosting fees and various add-on costs. In fact, competitors offering similar functionality often charge $300 or more per month for the same capabilities that Shift4Shop provides for free. Shift4Shop offers dozens of professionally designed, industry-specific website templates that are mobile-friendly, search engine optimized and highly customizable to meet the unique needs of every business. The turnkey offering also includes hundreds of valuable features such as product and order management, customer marketing tools, and more. For businesses that already have a website on another platform, Shift4Shop makes it easy to switch with free migration assistance including custom web design.

Any current or new Shift4Shop customer is eligible for this one-of-a-kind opportunity to enter an online competition showcasing them and their business. To enter, businesses simply need to launch an online store with Shift4Shop, then post a short video on Twitter about their entrepreneurial story including a link to their Shift4Shop website and the hashtag #Inspiration4contest. After the contest closes, one Shift4Shop customer will be selected by the judging panel to represent the mission pillar of Prosperity aboard Inspiration4 when it launches in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The judging panel includes four well-known voices in the world of business and entrepreneurship who have exemplified ingenuity, innovation, and determination in their careers:

Marc Benioff

Marc Benioff is Chair, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Salesforce and a pioneer of cloud computing. Under Benioff’s leadership, Salesforce is the #1 provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software globally. Benioff founded Salesforce in 1999, and it is now a Fortune 500 company with more than 54,000 employees, guided by four core values — trust, customer success, innovation and equality. The company has been recognized as the Most Innovative Company by Forbes, a Best Place to Work by Fortune, and the 10th Most Admired Company in the World by Fortune. Benioff was named “Innovator of the Decade” by Forbes and is recognized as one of the World’s 25 Greatest Leaders by Fortune, one of the 10 Best-Performing CEOs by Harvard Business Review and as the CNN Business CEO of 2020. For his leadership on equality, Benioff has been honored by GLAAD, the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and Variety Magazine with its EmPOWerment Award.

Building a different kind of company, Benioff created Salesforce to not only develop great products, but also to have a positive impact on the world. On day 1, Benioff created the 1-1-1 model of philanthropy, which leverages the resources of Salesforce to improve communities around the world. Today, more than 10,000 companies have adopted the 1-1-1 model through the Pledge 1% movement.

Stephanie Mehta

Stephanie Mehta is the Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company, overseeing its print, digital and live journalism since 2018. She was previously a deputy editor at Vanity Fair, where she edited feature stories and coedited the annual New Establishment ranking. She also curated the invitation-only New Establishment Summit and Founders Fair conference for women entrepreneurs, which she launched in 2017.

Prior to that, Mehta was an editor at Bloomberg Media and worked at Fortune for 14 years, rising from senior writer to deputy managing editor. She was also a staff reporter at The Wall Street Journal and began her career as a business reporter at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia.

Mark Rober

Mark Rober is an American YouTuber, engineer and inventor. He has the largest Science and educational YouTube channel with 16.7M subscribers while averaging 25M views per video. Before YouTube, Rober was an engineer with NASA for nine years where he spent seven of those years working on the Curiosity rover at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

Rober later worked for four years at Apple Inc. as a product designer in their Special Projects Group, where he authored patents involving virtual reality in self-driving cars. In October 2019, Rober and fellow YouTuber MrBeast launched the #teamtrees environmental fundraiser where they planted over 20 million trees.

Jon Taffer

For nearly four decades, Jon Taffer has been at the forefront of the business management industry offering his expertise to thousands of hospitality and restaurant properties, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. He helped create what industry experts call “the greatest nightclub in the world,” and the NFL “Sunday Ticket.”

As the creator, executive producer and star of Paramount Network’s number-one show, Bar Rescue, Jon is best known to people as the larger-than-life television personality who takes a no-holds barred approach to helping hotels, restaurants, bars and businesses reach their full potential. He is also a New York Times best-selling author, highly sought-after hospitality and general business consultant and creator, and creator of Taffer’s Tavern, a national franchise that launched in 2020.

To learn more about Inspiration4, how to support and potentially join this historic journey to space and the specific conditions of the promotions, visit www.Inspiration4.com and follow the mission on social media on Twitter (@inspiration4x), Facebook (@inspiration4mission), Instagram (@inspiration4) and YouTube (@Inspiration4) to receive the latest news on mission training and preparation. Individuals who are interested in learning more about the contest should visit inspiration4.com and review the official rules and requirements.

About Inspiration4

Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space, will be commanded by Jared Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments (NYSE:FOUR). The mission is named in recognition of the four-person crew’s mission to inspire support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and send a humanitarian message of possibility while representing a new era for human spaceflight and exploration. The crew will undergo commercial astronaut training by SpaceX before embarking on a targeted launch on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft from the historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the fourth quarter of 2021. Isaacman has donated the three mission seats alongside him to crew members who will represent the mission pillars of leadership, hope, generosity and prosperity. To learn more about Inspiration4, including how to support and potentially join this historic journey to space, visit www.Inspiration4.com and follow Twitter (@inspiration4x), Facebook (@inspiration4mission), Instagram (@inspiration4) and YouTube (@Inspiration4).

About Shift4 Payments

Shift4 Payments (NYSE: FOUR) is a leading provider of integrated payment processing and technology solutions, delivering a complete omnichannel ecosystem that extends beyond payments to include a wide range of commerce-enabling services. The company’s technologies help power over 350 software providers in numerous industries, including hospitality, retail, F&B, eCommerce, lodging, gaming, and many more. The newly launched Shift4Shop platform offers a turnkey eCommerce experience including a robust website builder, product and order management, customer marketing tools and more. With over 7,000 sales partners, the company securely processed more than $200 billion in payments volume for over 200,000 businesses in 2019. For more information, visit shift4.com.

Brian Bianco

BCW for Inspiration4

[email protected]

Ron Hofmann

Scenario Communications for Jon Taffer

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Pennsylvania

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Technology Other Science Retail Other Professional Services Other Education Finance Education Banking Transportation Women Professional Services Travel Men Science Air Other Manufacturing Transport Other Technology Consumer Software Online Retail Hardware Aerospace Manufacturing

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8×8 Named a Leader in 2021 IDC MarketScape for Worldwide UCaaS Service Providers for Enterprise

8×8 Named a Leader in 2021 IDC MarketScape for Worldwide UCaaS Service Providers for Enterprise

Company Recognized as a Leader in Both the Enterprise and SMB MarketScapes

CAMPBELL, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–8×8, Inc. (NYSE: EGHT), a leading integrated cloud communications platform, today announced it has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide UCaaS Service Providers for Enterprise 2021 Vendor Assessment (Doc # US47452521, February 2021). 8×8 was specifically recognized in the areas of innovation, offering strategy and implementation. 8×8 was also recognized as a Leader in the 2021 IDC MarketScape: Worldwide UCaaS Service Providers for SMB 2021 Vendor Assessment (Doc # US47452421, February 2021).

“Enterprises around the world have an even greater appreciation for communications technologies that improve their ability to be productive and collaborate, inside and outside the traditional walls of their business,” said Denise Lund, Research Director, WW Telecom and Unified Communications at IDC. “8×8 was recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide UCaaS Service Providers for Enterprise due to its appeal to large organizations with distributed offices and employees. 8×8 should be considered when needing an integrated, flexible platform, including direct routing for Microsoft Teams and contact center options, that is tailorable to different end user personas that exist across the organization.”

The 8×8 integrated cloud communications and contact center product enables organizations with a distributed workforce to connect, collaborate and engage from anywhere with enterprise-grade reliability and quality of service. 8×8 Work includes voice communications, team chat and video meetings in a single unified application for desktop and mobile devices, offering seamless communications and collaboration that enables workers to move from a group chat to a private conversation, or from a call to a video meeting at the click of a button.

“As global organizations advance digital transformation efforts and shift to the cloud, optimizing communications, collaboration and engagement between employees, partners and customers is a top priority,” said Dejan Deklich, Chief Product Officer at 8×8, Inc. “We are honored to be recognized as an IDC MarketScape Leader in both reports. This recognition highlights our ongoing commitment in delivering an integrated cloud communications and contact center platform that meets the unique needs of organizations, from SMBs to the enterprise, as they enhance employee and customer experience.”

8×8 offers full Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) replacement services and global calling plans in 42 countries across six continents. This allows multinational organizations to consolidate and administer their communications infrastructure globally, providing users with access to local or toll free numbers, short-code dialing, and emergency services to comply with local laws and regulations. In addition, 8×8 Voice for Microsoft Teams allows Microsoft Teams users, including contact center agents, to make and receive PSTN calls using the native Microsoft Teams app with direct routing from 8×8.

Get the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide UCaaS Service Providers for Enterprise 2021 Vendor Assessment excerpt to learn why 8×8 was recognized as a Leader.

About IDC MarketScape

IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT (information and communications technology) suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor’s position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT and telecommunications vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors.

About 8×8, Inc.

8×8, Inc. (NYSE: EGHT) is transforming the future of business communications as a leading Software-as-a-Service provider of contact center, voice communications, video, chat and API solutions powered by one global cloud communications platform. 8×8 empowers workforces worldwide to connect individuals and teams so they can collaborate faster and work smarter. Real-time business analytics and intelligence provide businesses unique insights across all interactions and channels so they can delight end-customers and accelerate their business. For additional information, visit www.8×8.com, or follow 8×8 on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

8×8® and 8×8 X Series™ are trademarks of 8×8, Inc.

8×8, Inc. Contacts:

Media:

John Sun, 1-408-692-7054

john.sun@8×8.com

Investor Relations:

Victoria Hyde-Dunn, 1-669-333-5200

victoria.hyde-dunn@8×8.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America California

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Networks Internet Technology Telecommunications Software

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CLOVER INVESTORS: April 6, 2021 Filing Deadline in Class Action – Contact Lieff Cabraser

CLOVER INVESTORS: April 6, 2021 Filing Deadline in Class Action – Contact Lieff Cabraser

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The law firm of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP announces that class action litigation has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired the securities of Clover Health Investments, Corp. (“Clover” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CLOV) between October 6, 2020 and February 4, 2021, inclusive (the “Class Period”), including investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Clover securities pursuant or traceable to the Company’s registration statement and prospectus in connection with its merger with Social Capital Hedosophia Holdings Corp. III (“SCH”) in or around December 2020.

If you purchased or otherwise acquired Clover securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court for appointment as lead plaintiff by no later than April 6, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your share of any recovery in the actions will not be affected by your decision of whether to seek appointment as lead plaintiff. You may retain Lieff Cabraser, or other attorneys, as your counsel in the action.

Clover investors who wish to learn more about the litigation and how to seek appointment as lead plaintiff should click here or contact Sharon M. Lee of Lieff Cabraser toll-free at 1-800-541-7358.

Background on the Clover Securities Class Litigation

Clover, headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, is a health insurance services company that primarily provides Medicare Advantage healthcare plans for seniors. On January 7, 2021, Clover merged with SCH, a publicly listed special-purpose acquisition company, and began to trade under the symbol “CLOV.” The action alleges that, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose to investors that (1) Clover’s Clover Assistant platform was under active investigation by the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) for at least 12 issues ranging from kickbacks to marketing practices to undisclosed third-party deals; (2) the DOJ’s investigation presented a risk to the Company, since it derives most of its revenues from Medicare; (3) Clover’s sales were driven by a major undisclosed related party deal and misleading marketing targeting the elderly, not its purported “best-in-class” technology; and (4) a significant portion of Clover’s sales were derived from an undisclosed relationship between Clover and an outside brokerage firm controlled by Clover’s Head of Sales.

On February 4, 2021, Hindenburg Research published a report revealing the existence of an active DOJ investigation of the Company for issues including kickbacks, marketing practices, undisclosed third-party deals, and Clover’s software “Clover Assistant” that purportedly serves “low-income and often overlooked communities.” On this news, Clover’s stock price fell $1.72, or approximately 12.3%, from its closing price of $13.95 on February 3, 2021, to close at $12.23 on February 4, 2021.

The following day, on February 5, 2021, Clover disclosed that it was aware of the DOJ investigation prior to its merger with SCH, and that it had received an inquiry from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission following publication of Hindenburg’s report.

About Lieff Cabraser

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, with offices in San Francisco, New York, and Nashville, is a nationally recognized law firm committed to advancing the rights of investors and promoting corporate responsibility.

The National Law Journal has recognized Lieff Cabraser as one of the nation’s top plaintiffs’ law firms for fourteen years. In compiling the list, the National Law Journal examines recent verdicts and settlements and looked for firms “representing the best qualities of the plaintiffs’ bar and that demonstrated unusual dedication and creativity.” Law360 has selected Lieff Cabraser as one of the Top 50 law firms nationwide for litigation, highlighting our firm’s “laser focus” and noting that our firm routinely finds itself “facing off against some of the largest and strongest defense law firms in the world.” Benchmark Litigation has named Lieff Cabraser one of the “Top 10 Plaintiffs’ Firms in America.”

For more information about Lieff Cabraser and the firm’s representation of investors, please visit https://www.lieffcabraser.com/.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Source/Contact for Media Inquiries Only

Sharon M. Lee

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

Telephone: 1-800-541-7358

KEYWORDS: California United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Legal Professional Services

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