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American Chemist, Omar M. Yaghi, Receives the 2024 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development

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TAIPEI, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Tang Prize, a biennial award established in 2014, has honored five cycles of laureates across various fields. Today (June 18th), the Tang Prize Foundation announced Omar M. Yaghi, an esteemed American chemist, as the recipient of the 2024 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development. Prof. Yaghi is awarded for his extraordinary contributions to sustainable development, particularly his pioneering work with Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and other ultra-porous frameworks that can be tailored for carbon capture, hydrogen and methane storage, and water harvesting from desert air. Prof. Yaghi’s research has revolutionized the field of chemistry and materials science, offering transformative solutions for sustainable development through the creation of customizable materials with exceptional properties.

Prof. Yaghi is currently the James and Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, a Faculty Scientist Affiliate at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the Founding Director of the Berkeley Global Science Institute. Prof. Yaghi has introduced a new method for controlling four of the smallest gas molecules in the atmosphere that significantly impact our planet’s sustainable development: carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, and water. This was made possible through his pioneering development of a new field of chemistry known as reticular chemistry. Reticular chemistry is a new approach to creating materials by linking organic and inorganic units into strong, porous crystalline structures called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs). Prof. Yaghi demonstrated how these novel framework materials can trap, concentrate, and manipulate hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, and water from the air, offering innovative solutions to pressing issues related to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including energy, environment, and water resources.

As a pioneer of MOFs and COFs, Prof. Yaghi is the first scientist to apply these innovative materials to the field of sustainable development, demonstrating tangible and impressive results. His pioneering work has yielded impressive results. For example, he demonstrated that incorporating one of his MOFs increases the carbon dioxide storage capability at room temperature by 18 folds. Furthermore, chemically modified MOFs and COFs can selectively capture voluminous amounts of carbon dioxide from combustion gases. In the context of methane storage, a fuel tank filled with MOFs can triple the amount of methane stored at room temperature and safe pressures compared to a tank without MOFs under the same conditions. This achievement allows automobiles to triple the distance traveled without refueling. Additionally, for hydrogen storage, MOF and COF materials can store up to twelve weight percent of hydrogen (at 77 K and 100 bar) in a tank filled with MOFs, making this technology relevant to the safe and stationary storage of hydrogen.

Using just a kilogram of MOF materials, Prof. Yaghi can harvest water in water-scarce areas with low humidity, such as deserts, using only ambient sunlight. The water is concentrated in the pores of MOFs, and its quality exceeds the standards for drinking water set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In collaboration with industrial companies including General Electric and startups in the past few years, he has developed portable MOFs water harvesters capable of producing hundreds of liters of water per day in an energy-efficient and cost-effective manner, sufficient for meeting the needs of a family.

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SOURCE Tang Prize Foundation

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White-Labeled Field Force Management Products Retired as StreetSmart Moves to Direct-Only Access

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IgniteTech transitions white-label customers to the original platform they’ve always used — now with faster innovation and direct support

AUSTIN, Texas, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — IgniteTech, the global enterprise software company behind the StreetSmart® field force management platform, announced that it has launched a new, direct-only engagement model for StreetSmart customers — eliminating third-party layers to create a faster, more modern and more responsive experience. The Company said that it provided termination notice to all white-label marketing partners at the end of 2024 with an effective date of June 28, 2025.

This move gives public and private sector organizations — including the city governments, counties, utilities and private companies who rely upon StreetSmart — direct access to the company that has always built, supported and hosted the StreetSmart platform. It also sets the foundation for faster delivery of innovations, including the recently launched StreetSmart AI capabilities.

StreetSmart is a mobile workforce management platform that helps organizations monitor, coordinate and optimize field operations in real-time. From job dispatch and live GPS tracking to mobile timesheets and route optimization, StreetSmart enables smarter, real-time dispatch decisions and empowers field workers with visual guidance and simplified reporting — improving efficiency, accuracy and first-visit job completion rate.

Although IgniteTech allowed the platform to be marketed under various brand names by other companies, this was only a marketing relationship; StreetSmart has always been 100% built, run and supported by IgniteTech.

“This transition gives former white-label customers faster support, earlier access to innovation and a more unified platform experience — all delivered by the team that’s been behind the software from the beginning,” said Eric Vaughan, CEO of IgniteTech. “For years, we’ve developed, hosted and supported this platform for all customers. Now, those same customers are simply getting a more direct line to the team they’ve been relying on all along.”

Strategic Shift to Direct Access and AI-Driven Innovation

The transition to an all direct model reflects IgniteTech’s commitment to simplifying delivery, accelerating innovation and strengthening customer relationships. By removing third-party intermediaries, IgniteTech ensures a more streamlined experience — with faster support, more transparent communication and immediate access to product advancements.

This change also enables the full rollout of StreetSmart AI, a major expansion of the platform that introduces modern, AI-powered capabilities to field force management — including predictive maintenance, intelligent dispatching and natural language workflows.

“We’re all about delivering more value to our customers,” Vaughan added. “With direct access, customers benefit from simplified support, faster innovation and tools that make field operations more efficient, productive and responsive. Nothing changes — except that everything gets better.”

StreetSmart is one of many enterprise platforms offered by IgniteTech, which has built a portfolio of mission-critical solutions serving government agencies, Fortune 500 enterprises and industry leaders for over 30 years across more than 100 countries. The company’s AI-first strategy emphasizes continuous innovation, long-term product stability and direct, high-touch customer engagement.

Transition Deadline Set for June 28, 2025

All current users must complete a short transition process by June 28, 2025, to maintain uninterrupted access to the platform. The process is quick, secure and fully managed by IgniteTech at no cost. The company is providing personalized support to assist each customer, ensuring a seamless transition with no disruption.

For additional information and to schedule your migration, visit IgniteTech.ai/StreetSmart.

About IgniteTech

IgniteTech is a global, AI-first enterprise software company. With a track record of successful company and technology acquisitions with rapid innovation, IgniteTech’s solutions power the world’s businesses. Since retooling the company in 2024 to become an AI innovation organization, IgniteTech has created two new AI-powered innovations, including Eloquens AI and MyPersonas, along with a range of AI capabilities across its entire platform.

Media Contact:

media@ignitetech.ai 
Follow: LinkedIn / X

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SOURCE Ignite Enterprise Software Solutions, Inc.

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Messagepoint Positioned as a Leader in the SPARK Matrix™: Customer Communications Management, 2025 by QKS Group

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TORONTO, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Messagepoint has been named a 2025 SPARK Matrix™ Technology Leader in Customer Communication Management (CCM) by global research and consulting firm QKS Group, formerly Quadrant Knowledge Solutions. The SPARK Matrix offers a comprehensive analysis of the competitive CCM landscape, helping organizations identify top-performing vendors driving innovation and measurable results. This recognition marks the fifth consecutive year Messagepoint has earned top marks for both technology excellence and customer impact.

Messagepoint’s platform, powered by its Messagepoint Advanced Rationalization and Content Intelligence Engine (MARCIE), the company’s proprietary AI and ML engine, helps organizations in highly regulated industries maximize the speed and efficiency of creating and delivering customer communications and experiences across channels. The report cited that Messagepoint leads in its ability to provide more intelligent approaches to migrating, authoring, optimizing and managing content. It gives non-technical business users AI-powered control over customer communications across print and digital channels, making it an optimal choice for enterprises looking to modernize customer engagement.

According to Saurabh Raj, an analyst at QKS Group, “Messagepoint is built on a modern cloud-native architecture, allowing enterprises to scale communications efficiently without infrastructure constraints. Unlike legacy CCM solutions that rely on containerized deployments, this platform is designed with microservices, enabling dynamic scalability and optimized resource utilization. The ability to handle large-scale omnichannel communications without the complexities of legacy architecture positions it as a forward-thinking solution for enterprises undergoing digital transformation.”

The report spotlighted several key differentiators and strengths of Messagepoint’s technology, including its proprietary AI engine, MARCIE, headless APIs for delivering content to support dynamic digital use cases, its interactive communications capabilities in Messagepoint Connected, its content migration and analysis solution, Rationalizer, and the Healthcare Touchpoint Exchange, a purpose-built solution for managing healthcare insurance materials.

“Being recognized as a leader in the SPARK MatrixTM: Customer Communication Management, 2025 for the fifth year is a strong validation of our commitment to innovation,” said Steve Biancaniello, CEO of Messagepoint. “We’re proud to be at the forefront of developing technology that simplifies how organizations manage, personalize and deliver information at scale. Our focus continues to be on creating meaningful advancements that empower our customers to work smarter, connect more effectively and achieve better outcomes.”

To access the SPARK Matrix: Customer Communication Management, 2025

About Messagepoint

Messagepoint is a leading provider of customer communications management software. Only Messagepoint harnesses AI-powered Content Intelligence to automate and simplify the process of migrating, optimizing, authoring and managing complex customer communications for non-technical (business) users. Customers rely on its award-winning platform to consistently deliver exceptional, highly personalized customer communications across all platforms and channels. For more information, visit www.messagepoint.com.

Media Contact:
Patricia Kilgore
Sterling Kilgore
pkilgore@sterlingkilgore.com

About QKS Group

QKS Group is a global advisory and consulting firm focused on helping clients achieve business transformation goals with Strategic Business and Growth advisory services. At QKS Group, our vision is to become an integral part of our client’s business as a strategic knowledge partner. Our research and consulting deliverables are designed to provide comprehensive information and strategic insights for helping clients formulate growth strategies to survive and thrive in ever-changing business environments. For more available research, please visit https://qksgroup.com/.

Media Contact-
QKS Group
Shraddha Roy
PR & Media Relations
Regus Business Center
35 Village Road, Suite 100,
Middleton Massachusetts 01949
United States
Email: shraddha.r@qksgroup.com
Content Source: https://qksgroup.com/newsroom/messagepoint-positioned-as-a-leader-in-the-spark-matrix-customer-communications-management-2025-by-qks-group-1124 

Connect with us on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/qksgroup/

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SOURCE QKS Group

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E Source to Showcase Utility Customer Engagement Strategies at IUCX Conference 2025

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Alongside exhibiting at the event, the company will participate in discussions addressing debt management and customer experience.

BOULDER, Colo., April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — E Source, a utilities-focused consulting, research, and data science company, will exhibit and speak at Innovate UtilityCX (IUCX) Conference 2025, an annual utility-focused customer service learning and networking event at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, AZ from May 6-8.

Formerly known as CS Week, IUCX Conference 2025 will host representatives from over 300 electric, gas, and water utilities across North America and worldwide to collaborate on meeting evolving customer needs and expectations. Sessions and workshops will explore digital engagement, meter-to-cash process strategies, and trends across utility programs and offerings.

E Source consultants and industry peers will discuss how utilities can address customer-related challenges with data-driven solutions including arrears management, customer journey mapping, and digital channel optimization. The company is also a Silver Sponsor of the Credit and Collections Deep Dive on Tuesday, May 6.

Leaders in customer service innovation and meter-to-cash technologies will share insights in the following sessions:

Tuesday, May 6

Trends and Strategies for Impacting Revenues and Reducing Debt, 10:10-11:00 a.m.

E Source Executive Consultant Bob Cooke will speak on a panel featuring utility billing technology development leaders on reducing customer debt with payment plans, process improvements, and advanced billing technologies.

Moderator:

Danya Davin, Manager, Billing and Payments, Arizona Public Service

Speakers:

Bob Cooke, Executive Consultant, E SourceGareth Welch, Head of Product, Aptumo, Echo Managed ServicesHernando Parrott, North America President, Open Intelligence

Thursday, May 8

Focusing on Our North Star to Improve Performance, 10:45-11:45 a.m.

Jeffrey Daigle, Vice President, Customer Experience and Innovation, E Source, will speak with Shana Williams, Customer Service Division Manager, Tacoma Public Utilities, about aligning utility operations with customer experience goals.

Speakers:

Jeffrey Daigle, Vice President, Customer Experience and Innovation, E SourceShana Williams, Customer Service Division Manager, Tacoma Public Utilities

Commenting on the importance of IUCX Conference, Jeremy Klingel, President, Consulting, E Source, said, “Utilities have made admirable progress in improving their relationship, level of service, and interactions with customers. Yet they are continuously challenged to improve reliability and maintain affordability in the face of extreme operating conditions, rapidly increasing demand, and antiquated regulatory constructs. IUCX provides a unique platform for sharing the latest advances in how utilities are optimizing customer service and building a better experience for all customer classes ranging from residential to large industrials. Our team is looking forward to sharing real-world insights on maximizing the value of customer service channels and better managing the challenges of credit and collections.”

To learn more about E Source’s customer engagement, operational excellence, and operational technology solutions, visit booth #925 in the IUCX exhibit hall.

More information about E Source’s consulting services can be found on the company website.

About E Source
E Source combines industry-leading research, data science, and consulting to help utilities make and implement better data-driven decisions that positively impact their customers, their bottom line, and our planet. Headquartered in Boulder, CO, E Source has teams across the US and Canada. Learn more at www.esource.com.

Media contact
Adarsh Nalam, Director, Solutions Marketing and Communications
adarsh_nalam@esource.com

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SOURCE E Source Companies LLC

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