New features help public agencies work smarter and faster, from supplier discovery to contract execution.

LATHAM, N.Y., April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — SOVRA, the leading provider of public sector procurement solutions, announced a set of powerful new features as part of its latest product release, building on the momentum and vision shared at the inaugural SOVRA Summit. With a continued focus on innovation, efficiency, and transparency, this release introduces AI-powered supplier data, an enhanced unified user experience, and new tools for managing retainer contracts—providing immediate value to agencies and suppliers alike.

This is a milestone in SOVRA’s ambitious product roadmap and reflects its long-standing commitment to helping governments modernize procurement while upholding the highest standards of security, compliance, and trust.

“At SOVRA, our product strategy is guided by a single, powerful question: how can we make public procurement simpler and more effective—for both procurement teams and the suppliers who support them?” said Mike Cook, Chief Product Officer at SOVRA. “This release is a direct response to that mission. We’re applying AI where it delivers real value—streamlining critical workflows and introducing automation that saves time, reduces complexity, and empowers public teams to focus on what matters most.”

Grounded in a Clear Vision for Government Procurement

SOVRA’s product strategy is guided by five core principles:

Security, compliance, and trustAccelerated innovationData-driven insightsSeamless supplier collaborationCustomer-centric excellence

With these values in mind, SOVRA is investing heavily in key 2025 priorities including a unified user experience, AI-powered automation, business intelligence, and an API-first approach—all of which are reflected in this April release.

Featured Product Releases

AI-Powered Supplier Data: Better Discovery, Faster Action

With new AI capabilities, supplier registration is faster and more complete than ever. Suppliers can now auto-complete their profiles using intelligent prompts, while buyers and vendors benefit from AI-generated bid overviews that appear directly in search results.

What it means:

Faster registration and improved profile accuracyClearer opportunity context at-a-glanceLess time spent clicking—more time taking action

Unified User Experience and a Smarter Homepage

A new homepage experience gives Procurement solution users immediate visibility into pending tasks, approvals, bid solicitations, and news—all from a single dashboard view. The updated layout reflects intuitive groupings by procurement process, making it easier than ever to navigate the system and stay productive.

What it means:

One click access to key workflowsStreamlined navigation tailored to procurement professionalsReal-time insights to reduce bottlenecks

Retainer Management for Smarter Contract Oversight

For Source-to-Contact agencies using retainer agreements, SOVRA now offers a purpose-built interface to manage work orders, track vendor usage, and maintain fairness and compliance. Contract owners can rotate vendors for small-scope work, monitor budget thresholds, and run mini-competitions without starting from scratch.

What it means:

Faster access to pre-vetted vendorsGreater transparency and auditabilityMore efficient use of agency resources

These releases further advance SOVRA’s mission to simplify, standardize, and strengthen public procurement for the more than 7,000 government agencies and 1 million suppliers it serves.

To learn more about these features or request a demo, visit http://www.sovra.com.

About SOVRA

SOVRA represents the culmination of over twenty years of mdf commerce’s expertise and innovation, integrating the strengths of industry-leading brands like Bidnet Direct, Periscope, and Merx. Serving over 7,000 buyers and connecting them with more than one million suppliers across North America, SOVRA delivers the most advanced public procurement solutions available. Focusing on transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness, SOVRA empowers governments to optimize every tax dollar and deliver exceptional community services. Discover how SOVRA can transform your procurement processes by visiting http://www.sovra.com.

Media Contact

Bertrand Guignat, SOVRA, 800-835-4603, bertrand.guignat@sovra.com, https://www.sovra.com/

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SOURCE SOVRA

667% NPS Surge Driven by 100% US-Based Expert Team and Customer-First Approach

ATLANTA, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Fusion Connect, a Morgan Stanley company and a proven leader in cloud communications services, has earned the prestigious Silver Stevie Award for Commitment to Excellence in Customer Experience. This achievement reflects Fusion Connect’s bold, customer-first strategy – marked by a 667% increase in Net Promoter Score (NPS) and a transformative shift to an entirely US-based support model.

Under new leadership, Fusion Connect has made strategic operational changes to demonstrate our customer-obsession, putting into action an unwavering focus on outstanding customer support and best-in-class customer care. Being honored with the Silver Stevie for our commitment to excellence is proof that Fusion Connect’s customer-centricity has translated into an award-winning level customer experience for our clients.

“Winning the 2025 Silver Stevie Award is just the beginning,” said Rod Brownridge, SVP of Customer Operations at Fusion Connect. “We use data-driven insights, direct customer feedback, and our own customer-obsessed mindset to deliver the optimal customer experience.”

A cornerstone of this customer-first transformation was Fusion Connect’s decision to eliminate offshore support and bring all customer-facing services in-house. This strategic move allowed the company to build a high-performing support team with an average of 13 years of industry experience, strong technical knowledge, and deep customer empathy. Many team members have over a decade of tenure at Fusion Connect, ensuring consistency, accountability, and personalized service.

“Building relationships with customers goes beyond just selling products or services,” said Sharma Montgomery, SVP of Customer Experience at Fusion Connect. “It’s about understanding their business and meeting their needs which requires genuine care, effort and a real connection. Everything we do centers on creating the best experience for each customer.”

The impact has been significant as evidenced by the following customer-centric metrics that Fusion Connect uses to guide our customer experience excellence:

A 667% increase in NPSAn average CSAT score of 4.8/5.0 for Tier 1 support81% of customers award the company a 5-star rating84.5% service level performance with 30-second average response times, far surpassing the 3-minute industry benchmark

“Compared to other well-known communications providers, Fusion Connect’s service and support are far superior,” said Jeff Mitchell, CIO, Ganley Automotive Group. “The dedicated support model that Fusion Connect provides gives us immediate access to someone who can resolve our issue or answer our question. When I call Fusion Connect, I know my reps’ names and the fact that they will chase an issue until it’s resolved.” 

Additional operational changes that Fusion Connect implemented as part of their customer-first strategy include:

Personalized Ownership: Every support ticket and order are assigned to a named expert, delivering continuity and deep insight into each customer’s needs.

Proactive Engagement: Routine health checks, quarterly reviews, and ongoing outreach ensure that customers feel supported from day one to every day after.

Relentless Innovation: From launching the World’s Best POTS Replacement Solution to streamlining project delivery, Fusion Connect proves that leading-edge solutions and white-glove support go hand in hand.

 Additionally, Fusion Connect has recently earned the Users Love Us badge from G2, recognizing consistent 4-star (or higher) reviews for customer satisfaction. Fusion Connect is also honored to have a Better Business Bureau A+ Accreditation reflecting the company’s commitment to the highest standards for trust fueling customer confidence and being distinguished from the competition. This recognition, combined with an industry-leading 100% uptime guarantee, underscores why businesses continue to choose Fusion Connect as their trusted provider offering a full suite of managed communications services allowing customers to grow their business.

“Fusion Connect makes the customer their top priority, ensuring clients receive exceptional support from solution design to implementation and beyond,” remarked Niko O’Hara, VP of Programs, Engineering and Vendors at Avant. “We enthusiastically recommend Fusion Connect solutions knowing clients truly value and appreciate their experience with Fusion Connect.”

Fusion continues to be an industry leader with expertise in meeting the unique connectivity and communication needs for mid-market and enterprise organizations, including those with multi-location operations. Fusion Connect’s approach stands apart in the marketplace, blending one-vendor simplicity with proven experience turning best-of-breed technology products into real-world solutions with immediate business impact. For more information about Fusion Connect, visit the company website and discover why hardworking businesses like yours rely on Fusion Connect managed connectivity, networking and communications services to run their business.

About Fusion Connect
As a Morgan Stanley company and leading cloud communications provider, Fusion Connect takes pride in delivering a full suite of US-based managed services that remove all the complexity so customers can focus on running their business. We use our deep technical expertise and industry know-how to build the ‘right-fit’, best of class communications and collaboration solutions for our customers right here in the US. Fusion Connect is proven at delivering customer success for managed broadband access, UCaaS, CCaaS, SD-WAN, managed security, or Microsoft Teams solutions. Fusion Connect is unique in providing exceptional customer support backed by industry-leading, uptime service guarantee. For more information on how to get started, visit – or connect with one of our experts at +1-888- 301-1721.

Press Contact:
Fusion Connect
PR@fusionconnect.com

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SOURCE Fusion Management Services, LLC

PHILADELPHIA, April 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — CMI Media Group, WPP’s healthcare specialty agency (NYSE: WPP) and Compas will be working with Microsoft Advertising to support healthcare brands to help accelerate their growth and enable them to reach their audience across the Microsoft ecosystem and beyond. Current clients of CMI Media Group can discuss the benefits with their account leads. Future clients can reach out to CMI Media Group via connect@cmimediagroup.com.

In 2024, Microsoft Advertising named CMI Media Group as its Performance Partner of the Year. This latest evolution of the relationship delivers strategic support and guidance from both companies with a goal of providing innovation, transparency, collaboration and excellence for shared clients as well as unique return on investment. 

This collaboration underscores the agency’s commitment to driving innovation and value for healthcare brands, ensuring their clients are at the forefront of digital marketing and technology advancements. By combining Microsoft Advertising’s robust capabilities with CMI Media Group’s strategic expertise, this collaboration is set to elevate client success and accelerate growth in an increasingly competitive landscape.

“This represents a major milestone for the healthcare industry combining valuable expertise and reach. With this unique agreement, we can offer all of our clients expanded benefits to engaging with us for their search engine marketing and display investments,” said Justin Freid, Chief Media & Innovation Officer, CMI Media Group.

Amanda Richman, VP, Global Sales, Microsoft Advertising, said: “When media and advertising technology are seamless, brands are able to engage in more personalized and impactful experiences with their audience. We see a tremendous opportunity to serve our joint healthcare clients by bringing together these key components to enable their growth.”

CMI Media Group and Compas have brought many firsts to healthcare marketing as the premier healthcare-focused media buying and planning resource to the world’s game changers in pharma and life sciences. With a deep focus on data, media and technology, the agency has developed proprietary audience tools and expertise that ensure 100% media reach, precision, performance and personalization to healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers – 1-to-1, at scale. To learn more, contact connect@cmimediagroup.com.

About CMI Media Group 
CMI Media Group, a WPP company (NYSE: WPP, http://www.wpp.com), is a full-service media agency focused solely on health, wellness, and pharmaceutical marketing. CMI Media Group’s core offerings include Audience Strategy, Planning, Development, and Insights; Data and Analytics; Buying and Investment; and Direct Response and Customer Experience. As the leading media resource for the world’s top healthcare companies, CMI Media Group brings together leading technology, data, and talent to deliver seamless capabilities for clients. CMI Media Group has been recognized as a leader in DE&I, talent retention and employee development as well as one of the industry’s best places to work. To apply for a position within our teams visit https://cmimediagroup.com/careers/ 

About Compas
For over 35 years Compas has been partnering with the industry’s leading media providers, as well as up-and-coming innovators – representing all channels and tactics – positioning them for success with healthcare clients and agencies. As stewards of its clients’ media investments, Compas is committed to enforcing the highest standards of buying execution, effectiveness, transparency and accountability while leveraging its clients’ collective buying power through a consortium that unlocks incremental savings. Compas is certified by the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council as a minority-owned-and-operated business and generates significant Tier 1 and Tier 2 Diverse Spend.  Compas has been recognized as one of the industry’s best places to work, offering industry-leading development and retention. To apply for a position within our teams visit https://compasonline.com/careers/

Press contact:
Carly Kuper
610 731 5409
ckuper@cmimediagroup.com

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SOURCE CMI Media Group