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Equinix Continues to Expand Sustainability Initiatives with Additional €1.15 Billion in Green Bonds

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world’s digital infrastructure company®, today announced that it has issued an additional €1.15 billion in green bonds. This builds on more than $750 million offerings in green bonds that Equinix completed in September this year. With these latest issuances, Equinix will have issued a total of approximately $6.9 billion of green bonds, making it a top 5 issuer of green bonds in the U.S. Equinix will utilize the green bonds to further its sustainability initiatives and enhance the operational efficiency of its global business.

“We view green finance as an integral part of our sustainability strategy at Equinix,” said Katrina Rymill, SVP Corporate Finance & Sustainability, Equinix. “Our green bonds demonstrate Equinix’s continued commitment to design, build and deliver the most reliable, secure and sustainable data center and digital infrastructure possible in order to benefit our customers, our investors, and the communities in which we operate.”

Equinix issued €650 million principal amount of 3.25% senior green notes due 2031 and €500 million principal amount of 3.625% senior green notes due 2034. Equinix used rate locks to hedge a significant portion of the interest rate risk associated with the issuance of the Euro green bonds. Accounting for such hedges, the 6-year and the 10-year Euro green bonds are expected to carry an effective coupon to Equinix of 3.27% and 3.65%, respectively. The offering closed on November 22, 2024.

Equinix intends to allocate an amount equal to the net proceeds from the green bonds to finance or refinance, in whole or in part, recently completed or future Eligible Green Projects. Equinix’s allocation strategy includes covering project expenditures up to two years before the issuance of the green bonds and three years following the green bond issuance. These projects, which form the backbone of the company’s sustainability mission, span a wide range of impactful categories—from green building development and renewable energy innovations to advanced energy efficiency, resource conservation and cutting-edge decarbonization solutions.

Highlights/Key Facts

Equinix’s Eligible Green Projects follow its 2024 Green Finance Framework based on the Green Bond Principles of June 2021 and Green Loan Principles of February 2023, a set of guidelines that promote transparency and integrity in, and advance the standardization of, green debt disclosures. The Framework aims to increase Equinix’s focus on protecting the environment and addressing global climate change through greenhouse gas emissions reductions, increasing resource efficiency and driving corporate transparency and accountability.Globally, Equinix has continued to invest in new and innovative technologies in energy efficiency, renewable energy and heat export projects as part of its global Future First sustainability strategy, focusing on areas that have the greatest impact on customers and key stakeholders.In 2023, it maintained 96% renewable energy coverage across its portfolio. It also remains focused on improving the energy efficiency of its facilities as measured by power usage effectiveness (PUE), which improved 8%+ compared to the prior year.In addition, Equinix was recognized for its climate performance and transparency in 2023 by achieving the highest ranking of the CDP’s prestigious Climate Change A List for the second consecutive year. Of 23,000+ companies that disclosed environmental data to CDP in 2023, less than 2% received the top score.

Additional Resources

Equinix Issues More Than $750 Million in Green Bonds to Drive Sustainability Initiatives [press release]What Are Green Bonds? How Are They Used in the Data Center Industry? [blog]2023 Equinix Sustainability Report and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Metrics [report]

About Equinix
Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX) is the world’s digital infrastructure company®. Digital leaders harness Equinix’s trusted platform to bring together and interconnect foundational infrastructure at software speed. Equinix enables organizations to access all the right places, partners and possibilities to scale with agility, speed the launch of digital services, deliver world-class experiences and multiply their value, while supporting their sustainability goals.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations discussed in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about Equinix’s intent to allocate an amount equal to the net proceeds from the green bonds to finance, or refinance, a portfolio of Eligible Green Projects; the effective coupon rates on the green bonds as a result of hedging; the intended impact of Equinix’s Green Finance Framework; Equinix’s long-term sustainability goals; and similar statements that are not historical facts. Please see recent and upcoming Equinix quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available upon request from Equinix, for factors that might cause such differences. Equinix does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

 

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SOURCE Equinix, Inc.

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AI-prop Delivers Japan-Quality AI Photo Enhancement in seconds for U.S. Real Estate Professionals

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SINGAPORE and TOKYO, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AI-prop, an innovative AI photo editing platform from Japan, is transforming U.S. real estate marketing by combining advanced AI technology with Japan’s famed precision and reliability. The platform empowers agents, brokers, and agencies to produce stunning visuals in seconds. With pricing starting at $1.20 per image or as low as $0.20 per image with a subscription, AI-prop ensures high-quality photo editing is both accessible and affordable. A free trial is also available for new users.

AI-prop’s core service includes AI-powered photo enhancements that optimize white balance, brightness, contrast, blue sky replacement, blurring of personal information, and composition. This automation delivers market-ready images instantly, helping real estate professionals save time while achieving professional results. Additionally, the platform offers an intuitive editor tool, allowing users to customize images to match their branding and style.

For more refined edits, AI-prop provides professional retouching services, combining the efficiency of AI with the craftsmanship of skilled editors. This feature caters to diverse needs, from enhancing interior shots to digitally staging properties, ensuring every photo is of magazine-quality standard.

“AI-prop is committed to delivering Japan-quality precision and innovation at a reasonable price to the U.S. real estate industry,” said Motohide Hashimoto, CEO of A-LEADS Group. “Our platform gives professionals the tools to create impactful listings quickly, helping them stand out in a competitive market.”

With its focus on affordability, efficiency, and versatility, AI-prop is reshaping property marketing. By providing solutions that captivate buyers and drive sales, the platform helps professionals make a lasting impression in an industry where first impressions are crucial.

For more information and to start your free trial, visit www.ai-prop.com or contact below AI-prop customer support cs@ai-prop.com.

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SOURCE A-LEADS HOLDINGS PTE. LTD.

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Quicken Introduces Quicken LifeHub, a Smarter Way to Organize, Protect, and Share Life’s Essential Information

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An intelligent tool that guides you in organizing life’s important information so you and your loved ones are prepared for the big moments, the everyday moments, and everything in between 

MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Quicken today unveiled Quicken LifeHub, an app designed to help you and your loved ones organize, protect, and share life’s essential information. From day-to-day household management to preparing for emergencies and end-of-life transitions, Quicken LifeHub gives you and your loved ones peace of mind by bringing together financial accounts, medical records, wills and trusts, passwords, and more. Designed by the maker of America’s best-selling personal finance software, Quicken LifeHub provides a simple and secure way for you and your loved ones to organize life’s most important information.

Many people don’t proactively prepare for life’s biggest challenges until it’s too late. In fact, only 30% of Americans have taken steps to safeguard their documents and information in preparation of an emergency or disaster, forcing them to react quickly – often making decisions without access to crucial information or directions from their loved ones. Quicken LifeHub helps you prepare for anything that might come your way – from natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods, to personal and family medical emergencies, to end-of-life preparedness.

“For over 40 years, our customers have trusted us as their partner in managing their finances – an aspect of their lives that is deeply personal and complex,” said Eric Dunn, CEO of Quicken. “Our customers inspired us to create Quicken LifeHub, a natural extension of Quicken that brings their financials together with medical records, estate plans, and more. Our goal is to give people confidence and peace of mind so that they’re prepared for all of life’s events – planned and unplanned.”

With Quicken LifeHub, you and your loved ones have access to a comprehensive and secure platform that can help you navigate a variety of events, such as:

Everyday Events: It can be a daunting task to keep track of essential documents and information. With Quicken LifeHub, you can save birth certificates, social security and ID cards, insurance information, passwords, and more in one place. In addition, you can sync your Quicken Simplifi or Quicken Classic account to automatically keep financial information up to date, including accounts, bills, and tax forms, ensuring you have a comprehensive snapshot of all financial information.

Medical Emergencies: When unexpected medical emergencies arise, it can be difficult to locate necessary information quickly, such as medication details or health records. Quicken LifeHub can store medical information ranging from prescriptions to insurance, and share this information with your loved ones in the event of a medical crisis.

Natural Disasters and Catastrophes: A hurricane, tornado, house fire, or other unexpected event is not only destructive on a large scale but can also lead to the loss of physical documents stored in a desk or file cabinet. Quicken LifeHub ensures your important documents are backed up digitally, and you can also store important information about material assets, such as real estate, vehicles, electronics, and artwork to ensure you’re always prepared for potential insurance claims.

End of Life Preparation: Following the death of a partner, parent, or loved one, family members are faced with navigating a vast amount of logistics and legalese, in addition to grief. With Quicken LifeHub, you can add instructions about funeral and burial plans, save details for obituaries, and store estate planning documents – including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and more – to help make things easier for family members and executors.

With Quicken LifeHub, the household manager has control over what documents and details are shared with other account members. For example, a parent may share important medical and financial details with their children in the event of an emergency, but restrict access to other details. Another essential feature of Quicken LifeHub is the ability to designate information for “after I’m gone.” This ensures critical information is organized and accessible, so loved ones or trusted contacts can quickly step in, know exactly what needs to be done, and have the necessary details to manage important tasks and decisions.

“After my wife’s sister passed away, her son was left with the overwhelming task of managing her estate without any guidance,” said customer Mike Whittaker. “It dawned on us that if something happened to both of us, our sons would have no idea where to start with our finances, contacts, or estate planning information. But then I found Quicken LifeHub, which has allowed us to store all our estate details and assets in one place. This is a really good product, and I highly recommend it. There is a real need for this.”

With an easy-to-use interface, Quicken LifeHub is designed for life’s big moments, everyday moments, and everything in between. The app goes far beyond document storage, guiding you with step-by-step instructions through everything you need to plan for a wide range of scenarios from a lost wallet, to a new job, to evacuation orders. This experience is complemented by Quicken Assist, an AI-powered assistant that provides immediate and highly tailored responses to challenging questions about estate, emergency, or end-of-life planning.

Because privacy and security of personal data are of the utmost importance, Quicken LifeHub incorporates a number of bank-grade security safeguards, including robust 256-bit encryption and multi-factor authentication.

To learn more about Quicken LifeHub, including pricing, visit https://www.quicken.com/products/lifehub/.

About Quicken

Quicken is the best-selling personal finance software in the U.S. and was recently named to CNBC’s World’s Top Fintech Companies List for 2024. For over 40 years, more than 20 million customers have relied on Quicken to help them take control of their finances and lead healthier financial lives. Quicken’s award-winning suite of personal finance software and apps includes Quicken Simplifi (recognized by PCMag as the Editors’ Choice winner for personal finance apps), Quicken Classic Business & Personal, Quicken Classic Premier, and Quicken Classic Deluxe.

Learn more about Quicken here and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

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SOURCE Quicken

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At AAEP 2024, Agfa showcases SmartRotate™ for Equine, powered by artificial intelligence

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Specialized for veterinary care, SmartRotate™ for Equine automatically presents each image in the correct orientation, enhancing workflow efficiency

MORTSEL, Belgium, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ —

Visitors to AAEP 2024 can discover SmartRotate™ for Equine for the first time.AI-powered SmartRotate™ for Equine automatically delivers correct and consistent orientation of images.It transforms the equine imaging process with greater efficiency, accuracy and ease, ultimately enhancing care for equine patients.

At the 70th annual convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), from 7-11 December 2024 in Orlando, Agfa will demonstrate how it has put over 100 years of experience in diagnostic imaging to work for equine vets. The result: dedicated solutions addressing the specific needs of equine care including SmartRotate™ for Equine.

Agfa will reveal this artificial intelligence-powered solution for the first time at the booth of Agfa’s dealer, Universal Imaging.

Smart solutions dedicated to equine vets

“With SmartRotate™, we don’t need an experienced technician to orient the detector. We can capture the image without worrying: ‘Do I need to flip the detector the other way for this leg or this view?’ This enables me to stay focused on the exam, rather than the detector position.

The time savings are significant, and I can be more hands-off with radiography, as the technicians can handle it all. Plus, we no longer need a dedicated person at the computer just to rotate the image. Finally, it is a huge help when working with horses, which rarely cooperate by holding still during imaging! Depending on the joint we are working on, we may have to turn the detector’s angle or position. With SmartRotate™ we automatically get the image in the right orientation,” explains David R. Celella, DVM, Owner of Rockwall Equine Center in Terrell, Texas.

“Agfa Radiology Solutions has a rich legacy of supporting human healthcare enterprises in the transition from analog to digital. Bringing that expertise to veterinary practices, we offer high-quality, dedicated solutions designed for the unique needs of equine care. Our proven range of solutions delivers excellence in equine imaging, backed by reliable support and service from our worldwide organization,” says Jeroen Spruyt, President of Agfa Radiology Solutions.

Discover the benefits of SmartRotate™ for Equine

As a typical equine X-ray examination can include up to 20 images, consistent positioning is critical but time-consuming. Using the power of AI, SmartRotate™ for Equine streamlines this process by automatically orienting each X-ray image correctly. The benefits are clear: faster workflow, enhanced consistency, reduced stress for the horse, and better mobile imaging.

Visit the Universal Imaging booth #561 at AAEP 2024 to learn how SmartRotate™ for Equine can enhance veterinary imaging process with greater efficiency, accuracy and ease.

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SOURCE AGFA US Corp.

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