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Drax Donates $260,000 to Canadian Organizations Focused on Supporting STEM Education

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Three organizations to receive funding that will focus on STEM education in BC and Alberta

VANCOUVER, BC, June 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Renewable energy company Drax has announced that three Canadian non-profits will receive $260,000 through the fourth round of donations from the Drax Foundation. The latest round of funding will go to programs that promote STEM education, reaching over 3,000 children and adults and prioritizing underserved groups, which include The MindFuel Foundation, Scientists in School and The Exploration Place.

“These organizations invigorate the communities they work in and have lasting impacts on the people and areas they serve,” said Sandy Sung, Community Manager for Drax Canada. “We are guided by the needs and expertise of our non-profit partners, and that’s why we prioritize funding for some of their harder-to-fundraise for areas of work.”

All three non-profits work to better their communities through targeted programing, education, and supporting Indigenous communities in and around the areas where Drax has operations.

MindFuel, which will receive $80,000, works to increase STEM skills in BC and Alberta schools with a focus on reaching indigenous youth in rural areas.

“I’d like to thank the Drax Foundation for its generous support for STEM education and innovation and advancing equity and access to related programming, which resonates with MindFuel’s mission,” said Cassy Weber, CEO at the MindFuel Foundation. “In our recent 10-year study regarding youth innovation programming, we learned that 67% of respondents have created or been part of a team that has created an innovation in their professional career, and, critically, 75% attribute participation in a MindFuel program as key to their success.”

“This partnership with Drax will help us engage more rural and Indigenous youth and significantly strengthen our combined work in building a future that’s inclusive,” said Weber.

Scientists in School, which will receive $100,000, also aims to improve access to STEM education for underserved populations in BC and Alberta.

“I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the Drax Foundation and their support which is a catalyst for Scientists in School’s evolution as a national charity shaping the STEM skills and futures of over 350,000 youth annually,” said Cindy Adams, Executive Director at Scientists in School. “The Drax Foundation has significantly enhanced our ability to reach children and youth in rural or otherwise under-served communities in BC and Alberta and enabled us to leverage this growth so we can reach thousands more in the coming years.”

“Together, we are building a strong foundation in science education for children across Canada, vital for Canada’s strength in research and innovation, and we are grateful to the Drax Foundation for being a part of our mission to ignite children’s curiosity about the world around them,” said Adams.

The Exploration Space will receive $80,000 to fund their STEM program in Northern BC, reaching First Nations children and other rural communities.

“Thanks to the generous support of the Drax Foundation in 2023, we were able to offer free school programs to over 6,000 students across Northern BC. With continued funding in 2024, we can expand this initiative, further increasing accessibility to STEAM education for students from Kindergarten through Grade 12,” said Robyn Curtis, VP Development and Partnerships at The Exploration Place.

“This support is essential in breaking down financial and travel barriers, ensuring that all students in our region have access to high-quality, hands-on learning experiences. Our goal is to inspire and equip the next generation with the skills needed to navigate and thrive in an ever-evolving world, and funding from the Drax Foundation is key to helping us achieve this goal,” said Curtis.

Launched in March 2023, the Drax Foundation funds initiatives that support education and skills development in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), as well as those that improve green spaces, enhance biodiversity and support Indigenous communities within the communities Drax operations. To learn more about the Drax Foundation and community projects that Drax has previously funded, visit https://drax.com/ca/news/.

Previous organizations that have received funds from the Drax Foundation include Actua, the Nature Trust of BC and SCWIST. 

About Drax  
Drax Group’s purpose is to enable a zero carbon, lower cost energy future and in 2019 announced a world-leading ambition to be carbon negative by 2030, using bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology. Drax’s around 3,000 employees operate across three principal areas of activity – electricity generation, electricity sales to business customers and compressed wood pellet production and supply to third parties. For more information, visit http://www.drax.com/ca

Pellet production and supply
The Group has 18 operational pellet plants and developments with nameplate production capacity of around five million tons a year. Drax is targeting eight million tons of production capacity by 2030, which will require the development of over three million tons of new biomass pellet production capacity. The pellets are produced using materials sourced from sustainably managed working forests and are supplied to third party customers in Europe and Asia for the generation of renewable power.  

Drax’s pellet plants supply biomass used at its own power station in North Yorkshire, England to generate flexible, renewable power for the UK’s homes and businesses, and also to customers in Europe and Asia.

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SOURCE Drax Group

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PolyAI partners with OpenTable to offer enterprise restaurants and diners reservation support using voice AI

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September 23, 2024

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LONDON and NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — PolyAI, a pioneer in voice AI solutions for customer experience and service, today announced a partnership with OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant technology, expanding PolyAI’s guest-led voice assistants to enterprise restaurants. Locations that opt in will be able to take reservations over the phone, answer questions, gain visibility in customer trends, and deliver on-brand experiences – all while alleviating staff time and resources.

This alliance delivers PolyAI’s lifelike voice AI to help restaurants tackle challenges around staffing and provide consistent hospitality, even off premise. In a survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association, 62% of operators said their restaurants did not have enough employees to support existing demand. With onsite staff focused on in-house patrons, restaurant groups routinely miss between 30-60% of phone calls to their front of house (per PolyAI customer data) – meaning missed revenue opportunities and equally valuable customer touch points.

Never miss another call, thanks to PolyAI and OpenTable

With this strategic partnership, OpenTable’s global network of restaurants will be able to integrate PolyAI voice assistants, built using generative AI and spoken language technologies, to assist their diners in seamlessly booking and managing reservations over the phone, during and outside of operating hours.

“We know how tightly restaurants manage their guest experience and this can be even more complex for our partners doing business at scale,” said Susan Lee, Chief Strategy Officer at OpenTable. “We have, and continue to invest in, technology that pushes boundaries and enhances hospitality and our integration with PolyAI is a new way we can drive efficiencies for our restaurants, and diners.”

For larger operators, this partnership enables numerous iterations of voice assistants to cater to the unique needs of multi-location and multi-brand portfolios, while providing PolyAI’s proven enterprise-grade assurances around availability, security and data protection.

“We have extensive experience deploying voice assistants to hundreds of locations for some of the largest restaurant groups in the world, helping operators resolve up to 70% of calls over the phone without the need for additional staff,” said Michael Chen, VP of Strategic Alliances at PolyAI. “This strong connection with the restaurant industry started right from the earliest days of PolyAI. We’re thrilled to deepen that further and work with OpenTable to help even more restaurant operators attract more diners, streamline operations and maximise revenue.”

The journey starts at the Integration Marketplace

OpenTable restaurants will be able to request an integration with PolyAI via its Integration Marketplace, which powers 150+ integrations among the most widely used restaurant software. Beyond managing reservations over the phone, PolyAI’s guest-led voice assistants also offer operators a powerful new channel for implementing consistent brand experiences that can deliver greater personalisation, more proactive revenue and upsell as well as offer new ways of collecting diner feedback and tracking customer satisfaction.

About PolyAI

PolyAI is a leading provider of AI-powered voice assistants. Their customer-led voice assistants are used across industries within global companies where B2C conversations are crucial, like Whitbread, Greene King, Caesars Entertainment and FedEx. PolyAI’s award-winning voice assistants have earned renown for their ability to understand natural language and provide quick, accurate and helpful responses. Hear more about what they’re bringing to the market by visiting poly.ai

About OpenTable

OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), helps more than 60,000 restaurants worldwide fill 1.7 billion seats a year.  OpenTable’s world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most – their team, their guests, and their bottom line – while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion.

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VeriPark Receives Microsoft Business Applications 2024/2025 Inner Circle Award and Joins Partner Advisory Council

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September 23, 2024

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LONDON, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — VeriPark, a Microsoft Solutions Partner in the Financial Services Industry, has been selected for the Business Applications 2024-2025 Microsoft Inner Circle and the Microsoft Financial Services Partner Advisory Council.

Participation within Inner Circle is based on sales achievements that rank VeriPark in the top echelon of Microsoft’s Business Applications global network of partners. Inner Circle members are known for performing at a high-level by delivering innovative solutions that help organizations excel.

Ozkan Erener, CEO VeriPark: “We are honored to once again be recognized by Microsoft for our commitment to driving digital transformation for our clients. Partnering closely with Microsoft allows us to harness the latest technologies to revolutionize the Financial Services Industry. This recognition highlights the success of our collaborative strategy and execution.”

VeriPark first joined Microsoft’s Inner Circle in 2011 and has since provided innovative solutions that help financial institutions achieve a competitive advantage. By leveraging Microsoft’s platform, VeriPark continues to offer unparalleled services and solutions to its clients.

“Partners achieving the Inner Circle demonstrate an exceptional impact helping customers accelerate their AI and digital transformation with Dynamics 365 and Power Platform,” said Peter Jensen, Microsoft Business Application Partner Strategy Lead. “Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program partners who achieve the Business Application Inner Circle distinction stand out for their deep AI, Cloud and Industry knowledge.”

Additionally, VeriPark’s selection for the Financial Services Partner Advisory Council highlights its role in shaping Microsoft’s financial services strategies and product roadmaps. As a PAC member, VeriPark will provide feedback on Microsoft’s financial services solutions and gain early insights into future roadmaps.

About VeriPark 

VeriPark is a global solutions provider enabling financial institutions to become digital leaders by placing Customer Experience at the core of digital transformation. VeriPark’s Intelligent Customer Experience suite delivers world class customer journeys on digital and assisted channels.

With its main offices located in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, VeriPark helps financial institutions to enhance customer acquisition, retention and cross-sell capabilities. Their proven, secure, and scalable solutions cover Customer Engagement, Omni-Channel Delivery, Branch Automation, and Loan Origination. VeriPark collaborates with clients, crafting innovative technology strategies and solutions, that impact millions of people daily, bringing the promise of digital transformation to life.

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Huawei Updates FTTO 2.0 and Releases New Scenario-based Products, Driving Campus Networks to Wi-Fi 7 Era

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46 mins ago

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September 23, 2024

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SHANGHAI, Sept. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — During HUAWEI CONNECT 2024, Huawei updated fiber to the office (FTTO) 2.0 and launched a series of new scenario-based products for industries such as education, healthcare, and hospitality. The next-generation green 10G all-optical network oriented to Wi-Fi 7 accelerates fiber-in copper-out and contributes to campus intelligence.

“In the Wi-Fi 7 era, Fiber-in Copper-out is a must for campus networks, and FTTO 2.0 commercial use is accelerating. Huawei is willing to work with customers and partners to seize opportunities in optical business, achieving a win-win future for campus intelligence.” noted Gavin Gu, President of Enterprise Optical Business Domain, Huawei.

Huawei’s FTTO 2.0 solution achieves a simplified architecture with the number of network layers cut from three to two, active to passive transition, 30% lower energy consumption, and 80% less cabling. Based on XGS-PON Pro and Wi-Fi 7 technologies, this solution supports 12.5G/25Gbps to rooms, 10Gbps to APs, and 2.5Gbps to desktops. The hard slicing technology enables multiple services to be carried over one network, reducing the TCO by 30%. This helps enterprises build green, ultra-broadband, and simplified campus networks.

At the session, Huawei released a selection of FTTO 2.0 products for various scenarios and industries.

In the education industry, Huawei launched the industry’s first high-density ultra-10G optical terminal Huawei OptiXstar P884E for smart classrooms. Meeting the requirements of high-density and high-bandwidth access scenarios, this product implements 12.5G/25Gbps to classrooms and 2.5Gbps to desktops. For dormitories, Huawei launched the industry’s first 8-port Wi-Fi 7 optical AP OptiXstar W617E, which supports unified wired and wireless access for a room with 8 students. For education metro networks, Huawei launched the edge optical gateway Huawei OptiXstar E853E. Supporting remote PON port deployment, closed-loop local service forwarding, and flexible configuration, the Huawei OptiXstar E853E meets the access requirements of all services in campuses such as primary schools and kindergartens.

For hospital wards, Huawei launched the industry’s first 10G ceiling-mounted Wi-Fi 7 optical AP Huawei OptiXstar W817C, whose seamless roaming technology enables mobile ward rounds.

For hotels, Huawei launched the next-generation three-in-one Wi-Fi 7 optical AP Huawei OptiXstar W827E-3, which supports unified access of wired, wireless, and telephone services so that one ONT can carry all services in each guest room over one fiber. In this way, it provides ultimate Wi-Fi 7 network experience at a lower cost and improves the positive feedback rate of guests.

For factory workshops, Huawei launched the small-sized industrial optical terminal Huawei OptiXstar T602E, which supports guide rail installation and fiber to the machine without extra cabinets, allowing for flexible capacity expansion. By helping to build a reliable and flexible advanced industrial network for smart factories, the product improves the quality and efficiency of factory production.

Huawei’s FTTO solution has been put into commercial use in more than 9000 campuses around the world. In addition, Huawei’s 50G POL solution that supports hard slicing has also been put into commercial use.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/huawei-updates-ftto-2-0-and-releases-new-scenario-based-products-driving-campus-networks-to-wi-fi-7-era-302255376.html

SOURCE Huawei

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