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UScellular reports fourth quarter and full year 2023 results

Published

11 months ago

on

Provides guidance for 2024

CHICAGO, Feb. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — 

As previously announced, UScellular will hold a teleconference on February 16, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. CST. Listen to the call live via the Events & Presentations page of investors.uscellular.com.

United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE: USM) reported total operating revenues of $1,000 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, versus $1,048 million for the same period one year ago. Net income (loss) attributable to UScellular shareholders and related diluted earnings (loss) per share were $14 million and $0.16, respectively, for the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to $(28) million and $(0.33), respectively, in the same period one year ago.

UScellular reported total operating revenues of $3,906 million and $4,169 million for the years ended 2023 and 2022, respectively. Net income attributable to UScellular shareholders and related diluted earnings per share were $54 million and $0.63, respectively, for the year ended 2023 compared to $30 million and $0.35, respectively, for the year ended 2022.

Full-year 2023 Highlights*

Postpaid ARPU grew 2%Delivering on growth initiativesFixed wireless customers grew 46% to 114,000Tower rental revenues grew 8% to $100 millionIncreased profitabilityNet income, Adjusted OIBDA and Adjusted EBITDA upGenerated positive free cash flow and increased cash flows from operating activitiesBegan launching 5G mid-band network – providing low latency and faster speeds

*Comparisons are Year Ended December 31, 2023 to Year Ended December 31, 2022

“At UScellular, we are focused on connecting people to what matters most,” said Laurent Therivel, UScellular President and CEO. “In 2023, Postpaid ARPU increased 2%, we made significant progress on our 5G network deployment, and we delivered strong results in fixed wireless. Even though we experienced challenging subscriber results in an aggressive competitive environment, I’m pleased with the improvements we were able to drive in profitability year over year.   

“In 2024, we plan to continue focusing on improving subscriber results, driving growth in fixed wireless and towers, and maintaining financial discipline as we advance the network through our mid-band deployment.”

Recent Development: On August 4, 2023, Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) and UScellular announced that the Boards of Directors of both companies decided to initiate a process to explore a range of strategic alternatives for UScellular. The process is still ongoing.

2024 Estimated Results

UScellular’s current estimates of full-year 2024 results are shown below. Such estimates represent management’s view as of February 16, 2024 and should not be assumed to be current as of any future date. UScellular undertakes no duty to update such estimates, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that final results will not differ materially from estimated results.

2024 Estimated
Results

Actual Results for

the Year Ended

December 31, 2023

(Dollars in millions)

Service revenues

$2,950-$3,050

$3,044

Adjusted OIBDA1, 2

$750-$850

$818

Adjusted EBITDA1, 2

$920-$1,020

$986

Capital expenditures

$550-$650

$611

 

The following table reconciles EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted OIBDA to the corresponding GAAP measures, Net income or Income before income taxes. In providing 2024 estimated results, UScellular has not completed the below reconciliation to Net income because it does not provide guidance for income taxes. Although potentially significant, UScellular believes that the impact of income taxes cannot be reasonably predicted; therefore, UScellular is unable to provide such guidance.

2024 Estimated
Results2

Actual Results for

the Year Ended

December 31, 2023

Actual Results for
the Year Ended
December 31, 2022

(Dollars in millions)

Net income (GAAP)

N/A

$58

$35

Add back:

Income tax expense

N/A

53

37

Income before income taxes (GAAP)

$40-$140

$111

$72

Add back:

Interest expense

195

196

163

Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense

665

656

700

EBITDA (Non-GAAP)1

$900-$1,000

$963

$935

Add back or deduct:

Expenses related to strategic alternatives review

—

8

—

Loss on impairment of licenses

—

—

3

(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net

20

17

19

(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net

—

—

(1)

(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net

—

(2)

—

Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP)1

$920-$1,020

$986

$956

Deduct:

Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities

160

158

158

Interest and dividend income

10

10

8

Adjusted OIBDA (Non-GAAP)1

$750-$850

$818

$790

1 

EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted OIBDA are defined as net income adjusted for the items set forth in the reconciliation above. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted OIBDA are not measures of financial performance under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States (GAAP) and should not be considered as alternatives to Net income or Cash flows from operating activities, as indicators of cash flows or as measures of liquidity. UScellular does not intend to imply that any such items set forth in the reconciliation above are infrequent or unusual; such items may occur in the future. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted OIBDA as measurements of profitability, and therefore reconciliations to Net income are deemed appropriate. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted OIBDA are useful measures of UScellular’s operating results before significant recurring non-cash charges, nonrecurring expenses, gains and losses, and other items as presented above as they provide additional relevant and useful information to investors and other users of UScellular’s financial data in evaluating the effectiveness of its operations and underlying business trends in a manner that is consistent with management’s evaluation of business performance. Adjusted EBITDA shows adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and accretion, gains and losses, and expenses related to the strategic alternatives review of UScellular while Adjusted OIBDA reduces this measure further to exclude Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities and Interest and dividend income in order to more effectively show the performance of operating activities excluding investment activities. The table above reconciles EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted OIBDA to the corresponding GAAP measure, Net income or Income before income taxes. Additional information and reconciliations related to Non-GAAP financial measures for December 31, 2023, can be found on UScellular’s website at investors.uscellular.com.

2

2024 Estimated Results do not reflect any anticipated costs, expenses or results of the strategic alternatives review referenced above.

 

Conference Call Information

UScellular will hold a conference call on February 16, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. Central Time.

Access the live call on the Events & Presentations page of investors.uscellular.com or at https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/105947395Access the call by phone at (888) 330-2384 (US/Canada), conference ID: 1328528

Before the call, certain financial and statistical information to be discussed during the call will be posted to investors.uscellular.com. The call will be archived on the Events & Presentations page of investors.uscellular.com.

About UScellular
United States Cellular Corporation provides a comprehensive range of wireless products and services, excellent customer support, and a high-quality network to customers with 4.6 million retail connections in 21 states. The Chicago-based company had 4,300 full- and part-time associates as of December 31, 2023. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. owned approximately 83% of UScellular. For more information about UScellular, visit uscellular.com.

Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: All information set forth in this news release, except historical and factual information, represents forward-looking statements. This includes all statements about the company’s plans, beliefs, estimates, and expectations. These statements are based on current estimates, projections, and assumptions, which involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that may affect these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: whether any strategic alternatives for UScellular will be successfully identified or completed; whether any such strategic alternative will result in additional value for UScellular and its shareholders and whether the process will have an adverse impact on UScellular’s business; intense competition; the ability to attract people of outstanding talent throughout all levels of the organization; UScellular’s smaller scale relative to larger competitors; the ability to obtain or maintain roaming arrangements with other carriers on acceptable terms and changes in roaming practices; the ability to obtain access to adequate radio spectrum to meet current or anticipated future needs, including participation in FCC auctions; changes in demand, consumer preferences and perceptions, price competition, or churn rates; advances in technology; impacts of costs, integration problems or other factors associated with acquisitions, divestitures or exchanges of properties or wireless spectrum licenses and/or expansion of UScellular’s businesses; the ability of the company to successfully construct and manage its networks; difficulties involving third parties with which UScellular does business; uncertainties in UScellular’s future cash flows and liquidity and access to the capital markets; the ability to make payments on UScellular indebtedness or comply with the terms of debt covenants; conditions in the U.S. telecommunications industry; the value of assets and investments; the state and federal regulatory environment; pending and future litigation; cyber-attacks or other breaches of network or information technology security; potential conflicts of interests between TDS and UScellular; disruption in credit or other financial markets; deterioration of U.S. or global economic conditions; and the impact, duration and severity of public health emergencies. Investors are encouraged to consider these and other risks and uncertainties that are more fully described under “Risk Factors” in the most recent filing of UScellular’s Form 10-K.

For more information about UScellular, visit: www.uscellular.com

United States Cellular Corporation

Summary Operating Data (Unaudited)

As of or for the Quarter Ended

12/31/2023

9/30/2023

6/30/2023

3/31/2023

12/31/2022

Retail Connections

Postpaid

Total at end of period

4,106,000

4,159,000

4,194,000

4,223,000

4,247,000

Gross additions

129,000

128,000

125,000

137,000

154,000

Handsets

80,000

84,000

83,000

93,000

105,000

Connected devices

49,000

44,000

42,000

44,000

49,000

Net additions (losses)

(50,000)

(35,000)

(28,000)

(24,000)

(17,000)

Handsets

(53,000)

(38,000)

(29,000)

(25,000)

(20,000)

Connected devices

3,000

3,000

1,000

1,000

3,000

ARPU1

$        51.61

$        51.11

$        50.64

$        50.66

$        50.60

ARPA2

$      131.63

$      130.91

$      130.19

$      130.77

$      130.97

Handset upgrade rate3

5.8 %

4.5 %

4.8 %

4.9 %

7.0 %

Churn rate4

1.44 %

1.30 %

1.21 %

1.27 %

1.35 %

Handsets

1.22 %

1.11 %

1.01 %

1.06 %

1.12 %

Connected devices

3.03 %

2.64 %

2.65 %

2.78 %

2.99 %

Prepaid

Total at end of period

451,000

462,000

462,000

470,000

493,000

Gross additions

43,000

52,000

50,000

43,000

61,000

Net additions (losses)

(11,000)

—

(8,000)

(23,000)

—

ARPU1, 5

$        32.32

$        33.44

$        33.86

$        33.19

$        33.34

Churn rate4

3.87 %

3.68 %

4.18 %

4.63 %

4.11 %

Market penetration at end of period

Consolidated operating population

32,350,000

32,350,000

32,350,000

32,350,000

32,370,000

Consolidated operating penetration6

15 %

15 %

15 %

15 %

15 %

Capital expenditures (millions)

$            148

$            111

$            143

$            208

$            176

Total cell sites in service

7,000

6,973

6,952

6,950

6,945

Owned towers

4,373

4,356

4,341

4,338

4,336

Due to rounding, the sum of quarterly results may not equal the total for the year.

1         

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) – metric is calculated by dividing a revenue base by an average number of connections and by the number of months in the period. These revenue bases and connection populations are shown below:

Postpaid ARPU consists of total postpaid service revenues and postpaid connections.Prepaid ARPU consists of total prepaid service revenues and prepaid connections.

2         

Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA) – metric is calculated by dividing total postpaid service revenues by the average number of postpaid accounts and by the number of months in the period.

3          

Handset upgrade rate calculated as total handset upgrade transactions divided by average postpaid handset connections.

4          

Churn rate represents the percentage of the connections that disconnect service each month. These rates represent the average monthly churn rate for each respective period.

5          

Fourth quarter 2023 Prepaid ARPU excludes a $6 million reduction of prepaid revenue related to an adjustment to correct a prior period error recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023.

6         

Market penetration is calculated by dividing the number of wireless connections at the end of the period by the total estimated population of consolidated operating markets. 

 

United States Cellular Corporation

Consolidated Statement of Operations Highlights

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended

December 31,

Year Ended

December 31,

2023

2022

2023 vs.
2022

2023

2022

2023 vs.
2022

(Dollars and shares in millions, except per share amounts)

Operating revenues

Service

$     755

$   774

(3) %

$  3,044

$  3,125

(3) %

Equipment sales

245

274

(10) %

862

1,044

(17) %

Total operating revenues

1,000

1,048

(5) %

3,906

4,169

(6) %

Operating expenses

System operations (excluding Depreciation, amortization and accretion reported below)

183

181

1 %

740

755

(2) %

Cost of equipment sold

280

330

(15) %

988

1,216

(19) %

Selling, general and administrative

349

374

(7) %

1,368

1,408

(3) %

Depreciation, amortization and accretion

166

179

(8) %

656

700

(6) %

Loss on impairment of licenses

—

—

—

—

3

N/M

(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net

3

11

(67) %

17

19

(9) %

(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net

—

—

N/M

—

(1)

N/M

(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net

(2)

—

N/M

(2)

—

N/M

Total operating expenses

979

1,075

(9) %

3,767

4,100

(8) %

Operating income (loss)

21

(27)

N/M

139

69

N/M

Investment and other income (expense)

Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities

37

36

3 %

158

158

–

Interest and dividend income

2

3

(24) %

10

8

26 %

Interest expense

(49)

(49)

(3) %

(196)

(163)

(21) %

Total investment and other income (expense)

(10)

(10)

(10) %

(28)

3

N/M

Income (loss) before income taxes

11

(37)

N/M

111

72

54 %

Income tax expense (benefit)

(4)

(9)

64 %

53

37

43 %

Net income (loss)

15

(28)

N/M

58

35

67 %

Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, net of tax

1

—

(53) %

4

5

(24) %

Net income (loss) attributable to UScellular shareholders

$       14

$    (28)

N/M

$       54

$     30

80 %

Basic weighted average shares outstanding

85

85

1 %

85

85

–

Basic earnings (loss) per share attributable to UScellular shareholders

$    0.17

$ (0.33)

N/M

$    0.64

$  0.35

81 %

Diluted weighted average shares outstanding

88

85

3 %

87

86

–

Diluted earnings (loss) per share attributable to UScellular shareholders

$    0.16

$ (0.33)

N/M

$    0.63

$  0.35

79 %

N/M – Percentage change not meaningful

 

United States Cellular Corporation

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

Year Ended December 31,

2023

2022

(Dollars in millions)

Cash flows from operating activities

Net income

$                     58

$                     35

Add (deduct) adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows from operating activities

Depreciation, amortization and accretion

656

700

Bad debts expense

104

132

Stock-based compensation expense

23

24

Deferred income taxes, net

47

33

Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities

(158)

(158)

Distributions from unconsolidated entities

150

145

Loss on impairment of licenses

—

3

(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net

17

19

(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net

—

(1)

(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net

(2)

—

Other operating activities

6

9

Changes in assets and liabilities from operations

Accounts receivable

17

(59)

Equipment installment plans receivable

(20)

(199)

Inventory

62

(88)

Accounts payable

(85)

12

Customer deposits and deferred revenues

(9)

47

Accrued taxes

—

121

Other assets and liabilities

—

57

Net cash provided by operating activities

866

832

Cash flows from investing activities

Cash paid for additions to property, plant and equipment

(608)

(602)

Cash paid for licenses

(130)

(585)

Other investing activities

17

8

Net cash used in investing activities

(721)

(1,179)

Cash flows from financing activities

Issuance of long-term debt

315

800

Repayment of long-term debt

(453)

(329)

Issuance of short-term debt

—

110

Repayment of short-term debt

(60)

(50)

Common Shares reissued for benefit plans, net of tax payments

(6)

(5)

Repurchase of Common Shares

—

(43)

Payment of debt issuance costs

(1)

(1)

Distributions to noncontrolling interests

(3)

(3)

Cash paid for software license agreements

(66)

(22)

Other financing activities

—

(1)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

(274)

456

Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

(129)

109

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

Beginning of period

308

199

End of period

$                   179

$                   308

 

United States Cellular Corporation

Consolidated Balance Sheet Highlights

(Unaudited)

ASSETS

December 31,

2023

2022

(Dollars in millions)

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$                   150

$                   273

Accounts receivable, net

957

1,072

Inventory, net

199

261

Prepaid expenses

57

68

Income taxes receivable

1

4

Other current assets

36

45

Total current assets

1,400

1,723

Assets held for sale

15

26

Licenses

4,693

4,690

Investments in unconsolidated entities

461

452

Property, plant and equipment, net

2,576

2,624

Operating lease right-of-use assets

915

918

Other assets and deferred charges

690

686

Total assets

$              10,750

$              11,119

 

United States Cellular Corporation

Consolidated Balance Sheet Highlights

(Unaudited)

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

December 31,

2023

2022

(Dollars in millions, except per share amounts)

Current liabilities

Current portion of long-term debt

$                     20

$                     13

Accounts payable

248

356

Customer deposits and deferred revenues

229

239

Accrued taxes

32

35

Accrued compensation

83

84

Short-term operating lease liabilities

135

133

Other current liabilities

154

335

Total current liabilities

901

1,195

Deferred liabilities and credits

Deferred income tax liability, net

755

708

Long-term operating lease liabilities

831

843

Other deferred liabilities and credits

565

604

Long-term debt, net

3,044

3,187

Noncontrolling interests with redemption features

12

12

Equity

UScellular shareholders’ equity

Series A Common and Common Shares, par value $1.00 per share

88

88

Additional paid-in capital

1,726

1,703

Treasury shares

(80)

(98)

Retained earnings

2,892

2,861

Total UScellular shareholders’ equity

4,626

4,554

Noncontrolling interests

16

16

Total equity

4,642

4,570

Total liabilities and equity

$              10,750

$              11,119

 

United States Cellular Corporation

Financial Measures and Reconciliations

(Unaudited)

Free Cash Flow

Three Months Ended

December 31,

Year Ended

December 31,

2023

2022

2023

2022

(Dollars in millions)

Cash flows from operating activities (GAAP)

$                148

$                180

$                866

$                832

Cash paid for additions to property, plant and equipment

(155)

(192)

(608)

(602)

Cash paid for software license agreements

(37)

(17)

(66)

(22)

Free cash flow (Non-GAAP)1

$                (44)

$                (29)

$                192

$                208

1       

Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure which UScellular believes may be useful to investors and other users of its financial information in evaluating liquidity, specifically, the amount of net cash generated by business operations after deducting Cash paid for additions to property, plant and equipment and Cash paid for software license agreements.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/uscellular-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2023-results-302063543.html

SOURCE United States Cellular Corporation

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MRO Starts 2025 Strong with Top CEO Award, Major Client Wins, and Record-Breaking Growth

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26 minutes ago

on

January 15, 2025

By

Latest successes underscore MRO’s legacy and leadership in clinical data exchange, setting the stage for another milestone year.

NORRISTOWN, Pa., Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — MRO Corp. (MRO), the leading clinical data exchange company in healthcare, is pleased to announce its CEO, Jason Brown, was named one of The Top 50 Healthcare Technology CEOs of 2024, following several years of client expansion and growth.

This year’s Top CEO list features individuals whose leadership has been a driving force behind some of the most significant advancements in healthcare. MRO’s Jason Brown is one of those CEOs who has inspired his team to push boundaries, fostering a culture of innovation and transformative breakthroughs. This year’s awardees were selected through a methodical nomination process and careful consideration of each candidate’s career track record and industry contributions.

Over the last three years since Jason became CEO of MRO, the organization has experienced remarkable organic growth and innovation.   

“Technological innovation has been pivotal in driving our impressive results and our growth trajectory,” said Jason Brown. “MRO is undergoing a digital transformation, and as part of that transformation, we are enhancing every facet of our business to better serve our clients. This strategic utilization of technology combined with our world class services has enabled us to support our clients’ goals of exchanging secure, high quality, low latency clinical data at scale.” 

MRO is also pleased to announce a record number of new client partnerships. These include one of the nation’s largest Catholic health systems and a provider-sponsored health plan, backed by a top five US research hospital, according to Statista’s World’s Best Hospitals 2024.

Just as the organization has for the last 23 years, MRO continues to support hospitals and health systems in protecting revenues and simplifying the exchange of information with patients and third-party requesters to reduce risk, increase compliance, and introduce new efficiencies. Additionally, MRO has expanded its solutions portfolio.

MRO successfully launched three new solutions in 2023 and 2024. These innovative solutions unlock new market opportunities for MRO while also deepening relationships with existing clients and further solidifying the organization’s position in the healthcare technology industry overall.

Today, MRO partners with 1,200 hospitals, 35,000 clinics, 78 Accountable Care Organizations and works with the top 50 payers in the US. These partnerships are vital as MRO continues to accelerate clinical data exchange between providers, payers and patients.

“We’re continuing to push boundaries in how clinical data is exchanged, setting the foundation for long-term partnerships that improve outcomes across healthcare,” said Matt Wildman, Chief Commercial Officer.

About MRO
MRO is accelerating the exchange of clinical data throughout the healthcare ecosystem on behalf of providers, payers, and users of clinical data. By utilizing industry-leading solutions and incorporating the latest technology, MRO facilitates the efficient management and exchange of clinical data for all stakeholders. With a 23-year legacy, MRO brings a technology-driven mindset built upon a client-first service foundation and a relentless focus on client excellence. For more information on how MRO is empowering healthcare organizations of every type and scale with proven, enterprise-wide clinical data solutions, visit www.mrocorp.com.

Press contact information:
Stephanie Kindlick
MRO
(610) 994-7500, ext. 1353
skindlick@mrocorp.com

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SOURCE MRO

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Happiest Minds collaborates with Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam to deploy an innovative GenAI conversational interface

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26 minutes ago

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January 15, 2025

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BENGALURU, India and SAN JOSE, Calif. and LONDON, Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Happiest Minds Technologies Limited (NSE: HAPPSTMNDS), a ‘Born Digital. Born Agile’, Mindful IT Company, today announced the new association with Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam, creating a series of GenAI solutions through their Generative AI Business Services (GBS).

In a consultative approach, Happiest Minds collaborated closely with the strategic team at Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam during a discovery phase. This phase aimed to comprehensively understand the business requirements and explore how GenAI could effectively support them in achieving their goals.

Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam presented two business cases necessitating technology transformation to enhance organizational productivity and operational efficiency.

Augmenting HR Efficiency: The policy information across different business functions at Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam was scattered across multiple documents, causing inefficiencies for employees searching for relevant information. This fragmentation impeded productivity and hindered effective decision-making processes within the organization.Monitoring Cooler Productivity: Sales reps and asset managers at Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam must monitor cooler RoI nationwide, engaging with retailers to enhance productivity. Presently, they navigate multiple systems to assess customer performance, pinpoint focus areas, and identify outliers. Streamlining this process would optimize cooler productivity, fostering better retailer connections.

Happiest Minds harnesses GenAI bots, utilizing Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service and open-source components, to develop a conversational interface that fulfills both critical business needs ― firstly, to create a GenAI-enabled HR assistant, and secondly, to develop a Cooler Productivity Monitoring System with an embedded layer of GenAI. The solution enabled users to access comprehensive information through a single interface and engage in natural language conversations with the underlying data. By integrating GenAI technology, this conversational interface enhances user experience, facilitating seamless interaction and efficient access to information. Users can now intuitively converse with the data, streamlining workflows and fostering a more productive and intuitive user experience for better HR enablement and augmented assistance for Sales reps and Asset Managers.

Implementing the GenAI solution at Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam promises significant benefits for employees. Firstly, it enhances operational efficiency by automating tasks and streamlining processes, effectively reducing manual workload. Secondly, it fosters increased employee satisfaction and engagement, thereby boosting overall productivity levels.

Sridhar Mantha, CEO, Generative AI Business Services, Happiest Minds, said, “Our enduring partnership with Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam led to the exploration of unique business cases, igniting excitement at GBS to collaborate and craft a unique GenAI solution. Given our strategic alliance with Microsoft, we were able to leverage Microsoft Azure Open AI stack to deliver tailored solutions for Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam needs. In a short span since inception, we’ve already served over 20 customers and are actively engaging with numerous others, showcasing our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction.”

Rahul Shinde, Vice President & CIO, Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam, said, “I am proud of the fact that we were able to create a tool that has the potential to make a real difference in unleashing the productivity of our employees and we are only scratching the surface with Generative AI. We had confidence to partner with Happiest Minds through this journey and the team didn’t disappoint us. They were able to work in an agile manner and their technical expertise coupled with deep understanding of Coca-Cola business helped us to launch this product within a few weeks.”

Rajiv Shah, Executive Director, Happiest Minds, said, “The advent of Generative AI is poised to revolutionize not only the tech landscape but also the business arena in the years ahead, offering a competitive edge to organizations that embrace it swiftly. At Happiest Minds, we collaborate closely with our clients, guiding them through their GenAI implementation journey. From identifying needs and conducting gap analyses to providing tailored solutions aligned with their business objectives, we ensure our clients leverage the full potential of Generative AI to stay ahead in their respective industries.”

Nathan Nash, Strategic Account Technology Strategist, Microsoft, said, “This deployment of Microsoft Azure AI solutions with Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam continues to build on the strong relationship between Happiest Minds and Microsoft in APJ. This solution has significantly bolstered operational efficiency, showcasing the robust capabilities of Azure AI in driving business transformation. By harnessing advanced analytics and AI tools, Coca-Cola Beverages has streamlined processes, reduced costs, and enhanced decision-making. This collaboration not only exemplifies the tangible benefits of Microsoft Azure AI but also stands as a glowing example of how technology can quickly deliver the business outcomes that customers need to compete in the new era of AI.”

Pioneering the field of Generative AI, Happiest Minds has strategically established a dedicated Generative AI business unit (GBS). GBS provides a comprehensive suite of Gen AI services spanning diverse sectors such as EdTech, BFSI, Healthcare, and more. Backed by a proficient team of AI engineering experts and a repository boasting over 120 use cases, Happiest Minds has successfully delivered bespoke Gen AI solutions for over 20 clients. This track record has firmly positioned Happiest Minds as a ‘Niche & Established’ leader in Gen-AI Engineering Services, a distinction acknowledged by Zinnov’s 2023 Zones Ratings for Digital Engineering and ER&D Services.

Happiest Minds is a recognized Microsoft AI Partner Council Program member. This program acknowledges partners’ expertise in various industries and their capability to facilitate business transformation through Microsoft Azure AI. Happiest Minds champions various Microsoft AI technologies to deliver innovative cloud-based AI solutions, drive innovation, and shape the future of AI-driven technologies.

About Happiest Minds Technologies

Happiest Minds Technologies Limited (NSE: HAPPSTMNDS), a Mindful IT Company, enables digital transformation for enterprises and technology providers by delivering seamless customer experiences, business efficiency and actionable insights. We do this by leveraging a spectrum of disruptive technologies such as: artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud, digital process automation, internet of things, robotics/drones, security, virtual/ augmented reality, etc. Positioned as ‘Born Digital. Born Agile’, our capabilities span Product & Digital Engineering Services (PDES), Generative AI Business Services (GBS) and Infrastructure Management & Security Services (IMSS). We deliver these services across industry groups: Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI), EdTech, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Hi-Tech and Media & Entertainment, Industrial, Manufacturing, Energy & Utilities, and Retail, CPG & Logistics. The company has been recognized for its excellence in Corporate Governance practices by Golden Peacock and ICSI. A Great Place to Work Certified™ company, Happiest Minds is headquartered in Bengaluru, India with operations in the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East.

For more information, contact:

Kiran Veigas, 
Vice President and Head – Corporate Marketing, Branding & Communications, 
Media Contact: media@happiestminds.com

About Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam Ltd. (Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam)

Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam operates plants in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hanoi, generating more than 2,200 indirect jobs through its supply chain and more than 1,400 direct jobs. The company continuously enhances and offers a variety of high-quality beverages, including low-sugar and sugar-free product lines, while diversifying designs and increasing business coverage globally. Coca-Cola’s beverage brands in Vietnam include Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid Nutriboost, Minute Maid Teppy, Schweppes, Dasani, and Aquarius, as well as Fuzetea+ bottled tea, Georgia canned coffee, and Thumps Up Charge energy drink.

Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam is a member of the Swire Coca-Cola Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swire Pacific Limited, since the completion of acquisition in January 2023.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is a global leader in technology, committed to empowering every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. With a focus on cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and productivity solutions, Microsoft is dedicated to driving digital transformation across

industries. The company’s innovations—including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and Dynamics 365—enable businesses to harness data, streamline operations, and enhance collaboration. Microsoft prioritizes security, compliance, and sustainability, helping organizations navigate today’s complex digital landscape while fostering a culture of inclusivity and trust.

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SOURCE Happiest Minds Technologies Limited

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EPAM Expands Collaboration with Google Cloud to Deliver Scalable AI Solutions for Industry Transformation

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26 minutes ago

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January 15, 2025

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New AI-powered solutions address generative AI, legacy modernization and data analytics to solve industry-specific challenges

NEWTOWN, Pa., Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM), a leading digital transformation services and product engineering company, today announced it has expanded its strategic partnership with Google Cloud to deliver innovative industry solutions for clients across the media and entertainment, energy and retail verticals. The enhanced collaboration will leverage Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform to drive measurable business outcomes for clients through generative AI, legacy modernization and data analytics capabilities.

Building upon EPAM’s existing strategic global partnership with Google Cloud, this strengthened collaboration will create repeatable, high-value solutions that address key industry challenges for clients. The collaboration enables marketing support and go-to-market strategies to deliver impactful digital transformation initiatives for EPAM’s Google Cloud clients.

To accelerate regional growth, EPAM will leverage its deep retail, energy and media industry expertise and regional talent footprint across Ibero markets through its acquisition of Neoris. The Company will also expand its financial services offerings across Europe, North America and APAC through its recent acquisition of First Derivative, delivering strong capabilities in banking and capital markets.

“We are excited to elevate our collaboration with Google Cloud, which enables us to deliver tailored, AI-powered solutions for our clients across top verticals such as energy, media and retail,” said Elaina Shekhter‎, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, EPAM. “By leveraging Google Cloud’s advanced AI technologies, enabled by the Vertex AI platform, we can drive measurable business outcomes and enhance customer value, making AI real for our clients. This expanded partnership not only strengthens our ability to create industry-specific solutions but also deepens our relationship with Google Cloud, enabling us to align more closely on delivering impactful, scalable results for our customers.”

EPAM’s expanded partnership with Google Cloud introduces four innovative solutions, leveraging the full power of Google Cloud and the Vertex AI platform. These include three new industry-specific solutions and one cross-industry capability:

Video Search and Indexing for Media and Entertainment: Transform unstructured video data into searchable, actionable insights using the Vertex AI platform, improving accessibility and audience engagement for both internal and external users.JenAii™ for Retail: Enhance customer satisfaction and boost sales with wayfinding assistance and customer education, while addressing staffing shortages and margin pressures for retailers.Geospatial Data Visualization for Energy: Drive better decision-making through intuitive visualization and analysis of complex datasets using EPAM and the Google Cloud Platform, powered by Gemini models.Talk to Your Data: Simplify data analysis with a horizontal solution that enables clients to interact with their data in plain language, transforming complex datasets into clear, actionable visualizations and reports.

“EPAM has helped global enterprises improve everyday operations with Google Cloud’s leading AI technology,” said Colleen Kapase, VP of Channels and Partner Programs, Google Cloud. “Through this next phase of our partnership, EPAM will provide customers with the expertise and services capacity required to successfully plan, deploy and optimize every stage of a generative AI project.”

For more information about EPAM’s partnership with Google Cloud and the new industry solutions, please visit: www.epam.com/services/partners/google-cloud.  

Discover how our expanded partnership is driving digital transformation and how we can empower your business to achieve lasting success: www.epam.com.

About EPAM Systems

Since 1993, EPAM Systems, Inc. (NYSE: EPAM) has used its software engineering expertise to become a leading global provider of digital engineering, cloud and AI-enabled transformation services, and a leading business and experience consulting partner for global enterprises and ambitious startups. We address our clients’ transformation challenges by focusing EPAM Continuum’s integrated strategy, experience and technology consulting with our 30+ years of engineering execution to speed our clients’ time to market and drive greater value from their innovations and digital investments.

We make GenAI real with our AI LLM orchestration, testing and engineering solutions, EPAM DIAL, EPAM EliteA™ and EPAM AI/RUN™, respectively.

We deliver globally but engage locally with our expert teams of consultants, architects, designers and engineers, making the future real for our clients, our partners, and our people around the world. We believe the right solutions are the ones that improve people’s lives and fuel competitive advantage for our clients across diverse industries. Our thinking comes to life in the experiences, products and platforms we design and bring to market.

Added to the S&P 500 and the Forbes Global 2000 in 2021 and recognized by Glassdoor and Newsweek as a Top 100 Best Workplace, our multidisciplinary teams serve customers across six continents. We are proud to be among the top 15 companies in Information Technology Services in the Fortune 1000 and to be recognized as a leader in the IDC MarketScapes for Worldwide Experience Build Services, Worldwide Experience Design Services and Worldwide Software Engineering Services.

Learn more at www.epam.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes estimates and statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, the accuracy of which are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Our estimates and forward-looking statements are mainly based on our current expectations and estimates of future events and trends, which affect or may affect our business and operations. These statements may include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. Those future events and trends may relate to, among other things, developments relating to the war in Ukraine and escalation of the war in the surrounding region, political and civil unrest or military action in the geographies where we conduct business and operate, difficult conditions in global capital markets, foreign exchange markets and the broader economy, and the effect that these events may have on client demand and our revenues, operations, access to capital, and profitability. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied include general economic conditions, the risk factors discussed in the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the factors discussed in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, particularly under the headings “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe that these estimates and forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are made based on information currently available to us. EPAM undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities law.

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SOURCE EPAM Systems, Inc.

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