Market Newsdesk

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PandaDoc, the leading all-in-one document automation software, today was again recognized as the #1 vendor in G2’s Winter 2020 Grids for Proposal, Contract Management and Document Generation Software Categories. PandaDoc is also ranked as a Leader in the overall E-Signatures category. These rankings are based on hundreds of customer ratings across products and services, and draw from reviews by verified users on G2, the world’s leading business solutions review website.

“Our customers are central to our mission as we continue to grow the company and evolve our product. That’s why this continued validation from our customers is such an honor,” said Mikita Mikado, co-founder and CEO of PandaDoc. “We’re also proud to see such strong customer support for Free eSign, which has helped so many businesses during these uncertain times.”

With over 23,000 customers and hundreds of thousands users of the Free eSign product, PandaDoc has become an essential tool for businesses of all sizes, across many different industries. From fast-growing revenue teams, to fast-moving teams in human resources, legal, and IT, the PandaDoc all-in-one document automation software helps to improve productivity and get business documents and deals signed fast.

Real customer reviews that contributed to these rankings include:

• “PandaDoc is killing the competition with its features and price point. If you’re in the market looking for a tool to help you with managing contracts with the in-built functionality of e-signature, do not look elsewhere. PandaDoc is the all-in-one tool that’ll help you maximize your efficiency in terms of management of your letters/invoices/bills and keep a log of everything for anytime you might need it. Also, the certificate of digital signature makes it legally binding and saves you the hassle of manual signature and bonds. And it’s all super secure. The website is SSL encrypted and the data storage is SOC2 attested. Also, it helps you with customized branding and allows payment gateways to be linked in. Go ahead with it and you’ll see the advantages from day one.” – Business Operations, Mid-market
• “Excellent user-friendly software: simple, intuitive and very helpful! I like how easy it is to design templates and how easy it is for the recipients to sign them. Fast, easy and painless – that’s our document signing process with PandaDoc and we love it! Also, excellent support!” – Administrator in Legal Services, Mid-Market

Read more PandaDoc reviews on G2 and learn more at PandaDoc.com.

About PandaDoc

Founded in 2013, PandaDoc is an all-in-one document automation software that streamlines the process of creating, approving, and eSigning proposals, quotes, and contracts. Backed by Microsoft Ventures, HubSpot, Altos Ventures and Rembrandt Venture Partners, 23,000+ customers use PandaDoc’s powerful document creation and workflow capabilities. Using PandaDoc, teams can provide their customers a more professional, timely, and engaging experience. For more information, visit www.pandadoc.com.

About G2

G2, the world’s leading business solution review platform, leverages more than 1M+ user reviews to drive better purchasing decisions. Business professionals, buyers, investors, and analysts use the site to compare and select the best software and services based on peer reviews and synthesized social data. Every month, more than three million people visit G2’s site to gain unique insights.

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rackspace Technology™ (NASDAQ: RXT), a leading end-to-end multicloud technology solutions company, today announced it has worked with Humen.Ai, an Machine Learning (ML)-core company that uses deep learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create personalized interactive content, to rebuild Humen.Ai’s Sway: Magic Dance iOS application, using serverless and machine learning technologies to realize significant cost and functionality improvements.

Humen.Ai partnered with Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) Premier Consulting Partner, Onica, a Rackspace Technology company, to improve its Sway app, which uses AI-powered motion filters to let users visualize themselves conducting complex dance moves. Rackspace Technology’s team of engineers quickly identified the need for a stronger infrastructure foundation for rapid releases and reduced infrastructure cost.

In just six weeks, Rackspace Technology replaced Humen.Ai’s hand-built environment with Amazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS) with Spot Instances, reducing infrastructure costs by up to 70%. The new application enables AI and production teams to get app enhancements into users’ hands faster through lightweight, containerized infrastructure.

“One of our top priorities on this project was cost savings. By consolidating the 400 existing AWS instances to Amazon ECS with Spot Instances, Humen.Ai’s infrastructure is now easier to manage and operate,” said Tolga Tarhan, CTO of Rackspace Technology. “We developed a lightweight AI infrastructure that now allows Humen.Ai to manage all of the application’s features using only serverless technologies. The newfound agility of this solution will take a huge burden off of the Humen.Ai engineering team, allowing them to focus their time on creating innovative new products.”

Prior to collaborating with Rackspace Technology’s engineering team, the Sway: Magic Dance iOS application relied on 400 AWS G4 on-demand instances controlled by a complex system that was built internally and drove up cost of operation. Rackspace Technology took the application’s ability to quickly train models and delivered a custom solution built on AWS. The solution was devised to schedule Amazon ECS containers so that the application could complete more AI tasks at the same time. The end results were showcased during the app’s 2020 Superbowl launch in partnership with Doritos.

“Working with Rackspace Technology’s engineers really helped us scale our infrastructure to support our small team during our early stages of growth,” said Tinghui Zhou, Co-founder and CEO of Humen.Ai. “We’ve doubled, maybe even tripled, our throughput of processing demands from our users. By working with Rackspace, we have unlocked time and cost savings allowing us to prepare for future expansions of our offerings to sports, TV, gaming and movies. With significantly reduced cost savings, we can now redirect funds to new ventures, like providing ways for users to collaborate and share content within the app and improving the app’s photorealism output with 3D-based perception for its skeleton and scene-analysis ML models.”

In total, Rackspace Technology reimagined Humen.Ai’s iOS application by implementing Amazon ECS™, Amazon ECR™, Spot ASG™ (containers on Amazon ECS), AWS Step Functions™ and AWS Lambda™ (serverless) for a more optimized and efficient experience.

About Rackspace Technology

Rackspace Technology is a leading end-to-end multicloud technology services company. We can design, build and operate our customers’ cloud environments across all major technology platforms, irrespective of technology stack or deployment model. We partner with our customers at every stage of their cloud journey, enabling them to modernize applications, build new products and adopt innovative technologies.

About Humen.Ai

Humen
.
Ai, an ML-core company, uses deep learning and AI to create personalized interactive content. Its flagship app, Sway, allows users to create videos of themselves performing motions captured from professional dancers, athletes, martial artists, and more and share with friends.

Media Contact

Natalie Silva
Rackspace Corporate Communications
[email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/00c2198e-a3cf-4436-88b1-f6448b48e055

Decatur, Ala., Dec. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Festive decorations are up, twinkling lights are on and the Christmas sprit is in the air throughout Decatur and Morgan County. Decatur Morgan County Tourism is extending an invitation to residents of the city and surrounding regional locations with the Winter Wonderland Staycation, and following the visit, drop by the Visitor Center and provide proof of stay for a free gift.

“Christmas 2020 is gearing up to be a nontraditional holiday season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We invite our locals and guests from across north Alabama to be a tourist in your own town without the concern of travel. From a museum on bugs to watching wildlife in the great outdoors, Decatur is extending an invitation to discover what there is to do right around the corner while supporting the local economy,” said Decatur Morgan County Tourism President and CEO Danielle Gibson.  

Winter Wonderland Staycation offers discounted hotel and museum admission rates along with special activities with free admission while encouraging social distancing. Information on the Winter Wonderland package is available at https://www.decaturcvb.org/staycations/. Following the visit, drop by the Decatur Morgan County Tourism Visitor Center (719 6th Avenue SE) and provide proof of stay for a free gift.

Discover the natural world up close at Decatur’s newest attraction, the Cook Museum of Natural Science. Kids and adults can explore, interact with and learn about nature through world-class exhibits, habitats and biomes. The knowledgeable and service-oriented staff go to great length to provide a memorable experience for all visitors. To receive a special discounted rate, mention the Winter Wonderland Staycation or present the ad found on

https://www.decaturcvb.org/staycations/ at the guest services desk. Offer expires February 28, 2021.

The historic Princess Theatre for the Performing Arts, located at 112 2^nd Avenue in downtown Decatur, presents an array of cultural events and recently added to its incredible lineup is a film series featuring family-friendly animated films, comedies, dramas and holiday movies. To see what is currently showing, visit http://www.princesstheatre.org/ and to receive free tickets, call Decatur Morgan County Tourism at 256.350.2028.

For the art enthusiast, the Carnegie Visual Arts Center presents local, regional and national exhibits featuring all mediums of visual art throughout the year. Originally constructed in 1904 as The Carnegie Library with funding from the Carnegie Foundation, the Carnegie Visual Arts Center is one of the few remaining original Carnegie Library buildings in the nation. The historic building is a sight to behold and admission is free.

Winter is an ideal time to visit the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. The 35,000-acre naturally preserved woodlands offer a unique opportunity to experience wildlife in its natural habitat. Each year, the refuge attracts thousands of wintering waterfowl and is home to Alabama’s largest wintering duck population. The Refuge also supports the state’s largest concentration of Sandhill Cranes and the endangered Whooping Crane. In celebration of the winter migration of these long-legged and long-necked birds, Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association hosts an event offering a variety of activities for experienced birders and anyone who would like to learn more about birding and other wildlife that call the Refuge home. The 2021 Festival of the Cranes is set for January 9, 2021, with presentations held at the Princess Theatre. Admission is free to each of the presentations. (Note: Seating is limited due to social distancing guidelines with first come, first served admission.) For more information, visit https://www.friendsofwheelerrefuge.com/festival-of-the-cranes-2021 or follow www.facebook.com/FOCatWheeler for the latest updates.

Travelers or locals who want a change in scenery for a night have a choice of accommodations to complete their staycation.

• Quality Inn: $55 per night. 256-642-7129. https://www.choicehotels.com/alabama/decatur/quality-inn-hotels/al456?source=gyxt
• Baymont Inn and Suites: $10 off rack rate. 256-355-1999. https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/baymont/decatur-alabama/baymont-inn-and-suites-decatur-near-point-mallard/overview
• LaQuinta Inn: $65 per night. 256-355-9977. https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/laquinta/decatur-alabama/la-quinta-inn-decatur/overview?CID=LC:LQ::GGL:RIO:National:52751&iata=00093796
• Days Inn: $55 per night. 256-642-7129. https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/days-inn/decatur-alabama/days-inn-decatur-priceville/overview?CID=LC:DI:20160927:RIO:Local:SM-diesct&iata=00093796

In addition to these attractions, Decatur offers a variety of antique and specialty boutiques along the historic shopping districts in Decatur and nearby Hartselle and a diverse culinary scene. To discover more, visit https://www.decaturcvb.org. For more information on the Winter Wonderland Staycation promotion, visit https://www.decaturcvb.org/staycations/.

About Decatur Morgan County Tourism

Decatur Morgan County Tourism is a not-for-profit organization promoting tourism and economic growth in Morgan County. Travel-related expenditures for Morgan County in 2019 exceeded $278 million and state lodging taxes collected reached nearly $1.4 million, an increase of 10.3 % from 2018. The tourism and travel industry within Decatur and Morgan County provided 2,993 direct and indirect jobs for local residents and total travel-related earnings exceeded $74 million. For information on special events and attractions in Decatur and Morgan County, call 800.524.6181 or 256.350.2028; or visit

www.decaturcvb.org

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NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New York Metro region franchised new car dealers generated $53.4 billion for the downstate regional economy in 2019, supporting 12.1% of all retail jobs, according to a new economic audit report from Auto Outlook, Inc.

The study is based on 2019 financial data from detailed dealership surveys of new vehicle retailers that belong to the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA).

Franchised new car dealers are the fifth largest retail employer in downstate New York – Long Island, New York City, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange and Dutchess counties – helping to support 72,200 jobs with a total payroll of $4.6 billion. Following the economic ravages of the pandemic, the industry’s regional job impact will be even further magnified, as dealers continue to hire as other industries significantly downsize.

From 2016 to 2019 industry job growth increased by 5.2% and is expected to continue rising. At the same time, employee earnings expanded 12.2%.

Metro area dealerships directly employed 39,900 people in 2019, with an additional 32,300 employed through the impact of dealership operations.

Including benefits, the average dealer payroll grew 15.7% between 2016 and 2019, from roughly $6.5 million to $7.5 million, with some 75% of all dealership employees union-represented.

“From the tens of thousands of well-paying jobs to the billions in taxes generated, which support communities throughout the state, people don’t realize just how important franchised new car and truck dealerships are to the local economies of the metro area,” said Mark Schienberg, President of GNYADA. “Whether investing in capital improvements, providing millions to charitable causes, or serving New Yorkers every day by maintaining the vehicles they rely on to keep their families safe, these small business are vital to New Yorkers.”

Dealers = Hundreds of Local Small Businesses:

Most downstate New York dealerships are smaller, locally owned mom and pop businesses, who like their peers are struggling amidst the prolonged economic downturn. As a result of the Spring 2020 pandemic lockdown, 81% reported being on course to closing their business if reopening did not occur within months.

The State of New York immediately declared dealer service and repair operations to be essential businesses to provide necessary safety repairs and warranty servicing. Then in late March it allowed remote-only sales and leasing activities. In the first week of May, appointment-only sales and leasing visits were permitted, using strict safety protocols.

“Even as shutdown orders forced many businesses to close their doors, within days new car dealers in the New York Metro region were deemed critical to keeping essential workers on the road, protecting access to medicine, health care, the food supply, and other necessities, while allowing front line first responders to serve,” said Schienberg.

That “essential” designation was demonstrated in the survey’s findings that downstate dealers serviced more than 10 million passenger and fleet vehicles during 2019. Dealerships serviced, on average, 450 vehicles each week, or about 23,400 each per year

Tax Revenue Generation:

With state and municipal tax revenues currently lagging as a result of Covid-19, the economic analysis found that downstate New York’s franchise new car dealerships were responsible for generating nearly $2.6 billion in local and state tax revenues in 2019.

Dealers in the 12 downstate counties account for 63% of all vehicle sales in the state.

As state and local governments are contemplating cuts to crucial services because of budget shortfalls, the retail auto industry has proven itself as a brick-and-mortar anchor on Main Streets and neighborhoods across New York, providing career opportunities in sales, management and maintenance.

Local Impact – Charitable Impacts & Capital Improvements:

The study found that with so many New Yorkers in need and social services at risk, GNYADA auto dealers contributed $21 million to charitable causes in 2019, often serving as the most prominent philanthropic organizations in their communities.

In 2018 and 2019 combined, dealerships spent $420 million in construction for capital improvements to their facilities, stimulating further spending.

Contact:

Jason Fink
[email protected] 
(646) 213-1369

Tom Butler
[email protected]
(646) 213-1802

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c55f2c24-b92f-4171-ad44-2eb853a2a02e