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POLLARD BANKNOTE TO LAUNCH ITS FIRST U.S. ILOTTERY PROGRAM

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WINNIPEG, MB, Aug. 26, 2024 /CNW/ – Pollard Banknote Limited (“Pollard Banknote”) (TSX: PBL) is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract to provide a full turnkey iLottery solution for the Kansas Lottery (“the Lottery”), powered by its proprietary, natively omnichannel Pollard Catalyst™ Gaming Platform (“the Platform”), which will begin generating revenue for the State of Kansas in early 2025.

Pollard Banknote has been a key player in iLottery since the inception of this channel in the United States, and in 2021 made a strategic decision to invest in its own end-to-end iLottery technology, beginning with the acquisition of the Next Generation Lotteries’ group of companies (“NGL”), formerly subsidiaries of Novomatic AG, one of the largest gaming technology companies in the world. This acquisition supplemented Pollard Banknote’s organic growth in the digital space with proven lottery technology, an experienced team of industry leaders, and significant software design and development resources. NGL was an iLottery pioneer in Europe and a trusted supplier since 1996, when it built the first-ever e-commerce solution for a national lottery. Combining Pollard Banknote’s learnings from its decade of North America iLottery experience with NGL’s software and expertise, Pollard Banknote upgraded the technology to meet the latest standards as well as the needs of the U.S. market, culminating in the Pollard Catalyst™ Gaming Platform. The Platform is a fully cloud-native, modular, and API-first solution that is uniquely positioned to revolutionize the lottery gaming systems space by leapfrogging the competition. The Platform’s modern design easily integrates with other solutions, accelerates roadmap development, and enables cutting-edge features such as fully automatic scalability with no constraints for jackpot runs.

Pollard Banknote’s history of iLottery success fuels its approach in Kansas. Pollard Banknote and its technology partner launched the Michigan Lottery’s iLottery program in 2014, which grew quickly to become, in 2020, the first in North America to exceed $1 billion in annual sales. Shortly after that program’s launch, Pollard Banknote formalized that partnership in a joint venture, NeoPollard Interactive LLC (“NPi”). NPi would ultimately launch four of the most profitable iLottery programs in the United States: Michigan, Virginia, North Carolina, and New Hampshire, markets representing more than 70% of iLottery gross wagers in the United States, according to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC, a leading research and consulting firm in the global gaming industry.

Pollard Banknote’s state-of-the-art iLottery solution offers the complete catalog of products and services required to run a modern iLottery program. At launch, it will initially enable players in Kansas to play popular draw-based games including Powerball® and Mega Millions®, and eInstant games from the Pollard Digital Games Studio specifically customized for the Kansas market. Pollard Banknote’s robust Player Account Management system will provide the functionality required for registration, age and identity verification, wallet transactions, and responsible gaming features. Geolocation services will be provided through Pollard Banknote’s proprietary GeoLocs™ technology, among the most mature and reliable commercial solutions available today. GeoLocs™ has been implemented with over a dozen operators, including several lotteries in North America. Pollard Banknote will also provide a suite of business services to the Kansas Lottery including marketing, draw operations, risk management, and a player support center.

The Pollard Catalyst™ Gaming Platform will be fully integrated with the Lottery’s existing PlayOn® Player Loyalty Program, a Pollard Banknote proprietary loyalty solution. This integration offers a number of benefits that will ensure a strong launch of the program, including an established player base that already engages with the Lottery online. The included iLottery support services will help maximize returns to the State while operating within a responsible gaming framework.

Marketing support from Pollard Banknote’s experienced team will include providing insightful, data-driven recommendations for player acquisition and retention. Pollard Banknote’s Marketing Engagement Platform is powered by Bloomreach, a leader and visionary in the digital experience platform space, serving over 1400 global brands. The deep integration with Bloomreach, enabling lotteries to use real-time data to identify player actions in the moment to deliver highly personalized communications across both the loyalty and iLottery programs, sets Pollard Banknote apart from the competition in terms of marketing capabilities. This approach solidifies Pollard Banknote’s position as an iLottery leader that supports all the Lottery’s sales channels.

“These are exciting times for the Kansas Lottery and for Pollard Banknote. Our decades-long relationship with the Lottery combined with our game-changing Pollard Catalyst™ technology and what we believe is the strongest team in the industry will deliver the best player experience and is a winning combination for the Lottery and its players,” said Doug Pollard, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Pollard Banknote. “We look forward to delivering an exceptionally strong iLottery program.”

The Pollard Catalyst™ Gaming Platform and the turnkey iLottery solution are provided to the Kansas Lottery following the exercise of an option under the Lottery’s existing Player Loyalty Program contract, which currently runs through October 31, 2026.

About Pollard Banknote

Pollard Banknote is a leading lottery partner to more than 60 lotteries worldwide, providing high-quality instant ticket products, licensed games, in-lane ticket options, and sales-driving merchandising solutions from its Schafer Retail Solutions + portfolio. It also offers a full suite of digital offerings, ranging from world-class game apps to comprehensive player engagement and iLottery solutions, including strategic marketing and management services. The company is a proven innovator and has decades of experience helping lotteries to maximize player engagement, sales, and proceeds for good causes. Pollard Banknote also provides pull-tab tickets, bingo paper, ticket vending machines, and its Diamond Game and Compliant Gaming electronic games and devices to charitable and other gaming markets in North America. Established in 1907, Pollard Banknote is owned approximately 64% by the Pollard family and 36% by public shareholders, and is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: PBL). For more information, please visit our website at www.pollardbanknote.com.

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking” statements and information, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used in this document, such statements include such words as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “plan,” and other similar terminology. These statements reflect management’s current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this document. There should not be an expectation that such information will in all circumstances be updated, supplemented, or revised whether as a result of new information, changing circumstances, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Pollard Banknote Limited

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3 Easy Ways to Save on Payroll Software in 2025

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New survey results from Halfpricesoft reveals key tricks businesses across America have been using to maximize efficiency.

REDMOND, Wash. , Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — With inflation, “shrinkflation,” and corporate price hikes since the pandemic, small businesses are being squeezed by big tech companies into ever-smaller margins. Large coastal tech providers continue raising prices on even the most basic payroll software features, leaving small businesses and bookkeepers to foot the bill.

 

Business experts at Halfpricesoft have spent thousands of hours talking with small businesses from Iowa to Idaho to learn how they are surviving these unprecedented times. From cutting overhead costs to running more effective acquisition campaigns, they found that one of the biggest unnecessary expenses is overpaying for tech products—particularly payroll software. Business owners and accountants shared stories of per-employee fees exceeding $10 and steep charges for adding new companies.

Fixed Price for Employees

The fastest way to save money on payroll is to pick software with a fixed price rather than per-employee charges. Many major providers charge double digits per additional employee, which quickly drives up costs. Instead, choose solutions that offer a fixed rate, regardless of the number of employees.

ezPaycheck, an unlimited-employee payroll solution from Halfpricesoft, does exactly that. With unlimited employees and unlimited checks, bookkeepers, CPAs, and business owners have saved as much as 90% by switching from larger competitors. By focusing on fewer (but essential) features and streamlining development, ezPaycheck has been sold and supported continuously since 2005.

https://www.halfpricesoft.com/index.asp

Accurate, Updated Tax Withholding

One of the most common (and costly) mistakes businesses make is using payroll software that overestimates withholding. When employers send excess funds to the IRS and state governments on behalf of employees, it ties up capital that could otherwise be reinvested into the business.

The key to scaling a  small business or CPA firm is efficient capital allocation, making any significant overpayment of taxes a major liability. Some payroll software, to avoid underpayment, will drastically overcalculate withholdings or fail to handle state tax rates correctly.

Halfpricesoft takes pride in ezPaycheck’s accuracy and rapid updates. Whenever new tax laws or rate changes are announced, ezPaycheck and ezAccounting are updated promptly—often faster than many other solutions on the market. This commitment to accuracy and ease of use explains why ezPaycheck boasts one of the highest customer retention rates in the industry.

Quick Technical Support

Small businesses are often overlooked by larger companies, even when paying thousands of dollars in annual fees. When payroll errors or calculation issues arise, major providers tend to prioritize their biggest clients, leaving smaller businesses with delayed or inadequate support. This oversight can lead to tax penalties and costly mistakes.

ezPaycheck stands out in the payroll market for its fast, attentive support—especially when W-2 and 1099-MISC forms are due at the end of January. During these peak periods, support hours extend to over 12 hours a day, ensuring quick response times. From remote desktop troubleshooting to detailed phone consultations, Halfpricesoft focuses on customer success as one of its guiding principles. Only when small-business partners succeed can a payroll company truly grow.

Conclusion

With a 30 day free trial  and only $169 for an annual license, businesses owners and CPAs are encouraged to try ezPaycheck. With after the fact checks, 941 e-filing, check printing, and misc checks, ezPaycheck is the best payroll software for small businesses who want to scale affordably.

https://www.halfpricesoft.com/index.asp

Halfpricesoft.com is a leading provider of small to mid-size business software, including online and desktop payroll software, online employee attendance tracking software, accounting software, in-house business and personal check printing software, W2, software, 1099 software,1095 form software and ezACH direct deposit software. Software from halfpricesoft.com is trusted by customers for over 20 years and will allow US business owners to simplify payroll processing and streamline business management.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/3-easy-ways-to-save-on-payroll-software-in-2025-302344122.html

SOURCE Halfpricesoft.com

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Siemens launches new program to empower startups with cutting-edge technology

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Siemens for Startups program to streamline the collaboration process and facilitate partnerships with new innovative companiesSiemens to collaborate with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to deliver access to Siemens Xcelerator ecosystem and accelerate innovation at startups

MUNICH, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Siemens today launched Siemens for Startups, a new program to empower early-stage engineering and manufacturing startups. Announced at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, the program will enable new innovative companies to accelerate innovation, streamline development processes and scale faster by providing venture-related services, while reducing the cost of access to Siemens software and hardware.

“Startups are essential to making our customers more competitive, sustainable and resilient. By collaborating with startups, Siemens helps bring breakthrough ideas to industries faster, empowering customers to address global challenges more effectively with cutting-edge technologies, tools and solutions,” said Peter Koerte, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. 

The Siemens for Startups program has three pillars:

Connect 
The new program will help onboard startup companies to the Siemens Xcelerator marketplace, thus providing access to a global go-to-market channel and the Siemens Xcelerator ecosystem.Collaborate 
As an early customer and co-developer, Siemens will collaborate with leading startups through venture clienting. This approach will give Siemens access to cutting-edge capabilities and services and provide startups with the early revenue needed for growth.Empower
Solutions from the “Siemens for Startups” program will provide startups – whether focused on product development or on software development – with packaged access to essential software tools from Siemens Xcelerator.

Partnership with AWS

As part of its ongoing strategic collaboration with AWS, Siemens will link the “Siemens for Startups” program with AWS’s Startup program to accelerate innovation, streamline development processes and enable startups to scale faster. The collaboration underscores both companies’ commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and driving digital transformation in the industrial sector.

“Collaborating with Siemens allows us to extend the capabilities of our AWS Startup program to a new generation of innovators in the engineering and manufacturing space,” said Jon Jones, Vice President and Global Head Startups at AWS. “By providing startups with advanced software, generative AI and cloud services, AWS and Siemens are enabling them to bring their ideas to life more quickly and boost entire industries with cutting-edge solutions.”

Integrating Siemens’ comprehensive suite of industrial software – including design, simulation and manufacturing solutions from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio – into AWS’s scalable cloud infrastructure and startup program will enable startups to access the tools and resources they need to seize market opportunities. For technical and go-to-market support, qualifying startups will receive AWS credits, business development resources and access to the AWS Activate program.

Showcasing startups

At CES 2025, Siemens highlighted the following startup companies that are collaborating with Siemens’ teams and technology to scale operations.

Arkisys is building one of the first business platforms in space for new technology hosting, satellite integration, assembly and resupply. The Arkisys Port supports scalable rapid prototyping, new payload and technology testing, the assembly and integration of new free-flying space platforms and destinations for orbital transfer vehicles, and on-orbit assembly and manufacturing.Dirac, a Siemens Technology Partner, is a leader in automated manufacturing workflow software, revolutionizing American manufacturing with innovative solutions that bridge the gap between design and production. Its flagship product, BuildOS, is the first automated work instruction platform, using physics-based simulations and manufacturing best practices to automatically generate animated, interactive, 3D assembly-ready work instructions directly from CAD models. BuildOS enables companies to seamlessly transition from design to production while retaining critical tacit knowledge, aggregating and contextualizing it within the design process. As a Technology Partner working alongside Siemens, Dirac has been able to drive enormous value across the Automotive and Aerospace & Defense industries.EthonAI is developing the EthonAI Manufacturing Analytics System (MAS), a powerful software suite designed to achieve operational excellence at scale. The MAS creates a common context across disparate factory data sources, analyzes data using the latest AI techniques, and makes the results accessible through a suite of interoperating applications. The applications within the MAS are specifically tailored to improve operational KPIs such as quality, throughput, uptime, costs and sustainability. Customers using EthonAI have achieved waste reductions of over 50 percent.Haddy is revolutionizing furniture manufacturing with advanced 3D printing and robotics, producing high-quality, sustainable products at a low cost and on a commercial scale. Haddy is building a global network of local micro-factories equipped with hybrid Flexbot systems from CEAD and recycling units that shorten the supply chain and help the environment by reducing waste.Instrumental technology automates failure discovery and root cause analysis in electronics manufacturing — accelerating new product development and improving yield in production. Easy-to-use workflows enable engineers to do failure analysis 100x faster.Tended uses geospatial data and wearable technology to transform the safety of high-risk work environments. The solution provides organizations with enhanced visibility over onsite operations to quickly identify and correct unsafe actions. A high degree of accuracy helps to ensure people, plant and equipment are in the right place at the right time, helping to prevent near misses and accidents.

More information about Siemens for Startups is available at www.siemens.com/startups

This press release is available at:
https://sie.ag/2vXqqh

Follow us at www.x.com/siemens_press

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, mobility, and healthcare. The company’s purpose is to create technology to transform the everyday, for everyone. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers customers to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformations, making factories more efficient, cities more livable, and transportation more sustainable. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a leading global medical technology provider pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably. 

In fiscal 2024, which ended on September 30, 2024, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €75.9 billion and net income of €9.0 billion. As of September 30, 2024, the company employed around 312,000 people worldwide on the basis of continuing operations. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/siemens-launches-new-program-to-empower-startups-with-cutting-edge-technology-302344167.html

SOURCE Siemens

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Tech Mahindra Tops India and Achieves Second Place Globally in the S&P Dow Jones Sustainability Indices 2024 for TSV IT Services Segment

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PUNE, India and NEW YORK, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Tech Mahindra (NSE: TECHM), a leading global provider of technology consulting and digital solutions to enterprises across industries, has announced its recognition as a global sustainability leader by S&P Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) 2024, one of the world’s most renowned indices for ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance). DJSI has ranked Tech Mahindra as 1st in India and 2nd globally, with an impressive score of 88 and 100 percentile in the ‘TSV IT services’ segment, highlighting the organization’s unwavering commitment to advancing sustainability across its businesses globally.

The TSV IT services segment comprises three divisions: data processing and outsourced services, internet services and infrastructure, and IT consulting & other services. The announcement follows the recent results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices rebalancing and reconstitution, marking Tech Mahindra’s inclusion in the DJSI World Index and DJSI Emerging Markets for the tenth consecutive year. The DJSI World Index represents the top 10% of the largest 2,500 companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index (BMI) based on long-term economic, environmental, and social criteria.

Sandeep Chandna, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tech Mahindra, said, “In a rapidly changing world, organizations must commit to sustainability and resilience, ensuring our actions today pave the way for a better tomorrow. Tech Mahindra is proud to celebrate its inclusion in the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the 10th consecutive year. This sustainability milestone is a testament to our commitment to a greener future and reflects our unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility, social impact, and ethical practices.”

Tech Mahindra’s sustainability initiatives are committed to creating a positive environmental impact and achieving ambitious targets, including Net Zero by 2035, Carbon Neutrality by 2030, and attaining 90% renewable energy sourcing by 2030. The organization also aims to become water-positive by 2030 and ensure 100% Zero Waste to Landfill certification across all owned facilities.

Through the implementation of an internal carbon pricing mechanism, Tech Mahindra drives strategic investments in renewable energy, green buildings, and energy-efficient technologies. This reinforces Tech Mahindra’s position as a global leader in sustainability, committed to creating lasting value for its stakeholders and the planet.

For more information on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indices components, click here.

For more information on how TechM can partner with you to meet your Scale at Speed™ imperatives, please visit https://www.techmahindra.com/

Tech Mahindra’s Social Media Channels: Facebook, X, LinkedIn and YouTube

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2539364/Tech_Mahindra_Logo.jpg

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tech-mahindra-tops-india-and-achieves-second-place-globally-in-the-sp-dow-jones-sustainability-indices-2024-for-tsv-it-services-segment-302344182.html

SOURCE Tech Mahindra

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