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New Request for Proposals and Tools to Deploy Thousands More EV Chargers Across Canada

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OTTAWA, ON, July 2, 2024 /CNW/ – From coast to coast to coast, Canadians are saving thousands of dollars a year on gas by rapidly making the switch to electric vehicles, with over 320,000 new electric vehicles registered in 2023 alone. The Government of Canada is taking action to make it more affordable for Canadians to purchase, charge and drive electric vehicles (EVs) across the country while driving toward a net-zero future, including by making it easier to access public EV charging through historic direct investments, research and partnerships with the private sector and other levels of government.

Funding and Request for Proposals

To advance these efforts, today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, launched a new request for proposals (RFP) under the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). The RFP will support the deployment of EV chargers, including fast chargers, in public places across Canada such as highways and public lots. The RFP will also support the deployment of chargers at private locations, including multi-unit residential buildings, workplaces and where on-road vehicle fleets are serviced. Applications will be accepted until September 19, 2024. 

This funding will deploy thousands of new chargers across Canada, building on the Government of Canada’s progress to deploy 84,500 EV chargers across Canada, including through ZEVIP, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)’s Charging and Hydrogen Refuelling Infrastructure Initiative, and incentive credits under both the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard and the Clean Fuel Regulations. 

In addition to investments by provinces, territories, municipalities and the private sector, the federal government has supported approximately 20% of the nearly 30,000 public chargers that are operating in Canada. As a result, there were 70 percent more EV chargers in Canada in 2023 than in 2022, with thousands more on the way each year.

Supporting Deployment Through Tools and Research

Today, Natural Resources Canada released  Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure for Canada: Updated forecasts of vehicle charging needs, grid impacts and cost for all vehicle segments (2024 EV Charging Needs Report).The independently produced report assesses the country’s charging landscape, guides decision-making and informs investment needs, including by provinces, territories, municipal governments and the private sector.

The 2024 EV Charging Needs Report provides a detailed regional analysis of public and private charging needs for both light-duty vehicles and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, together with related grid readiness requirements and investments. The report highlights that a coordinated effort is needed from all levels of government, industry, utilities and other private-sector stakeholders to continue to accelerate deployment.

Additionally, to help investors, stakeholders, provinces, territories and communities determine the most suitable locations for chargers, the Government of Canada has developed the National Public EV Charging Planning Map.

These evidence-based tools will support the deployment of chargers in the areas with the greatest public charging need, including along routes, highways and communities.

Canadians are making the switch to electric vehicles, reducing their energy costs while driving down emissions. The Government of Canada will continue to support them in accelerating toward a prosperous, net-zero future, including by ensuring all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada are zero-emission by 2035; by supporting the deployment of public charging stations across the country; and by building out a Canadian-made electric vehicle supply chain that creates sustainable, good-paying jobs for Canadian workers.

Quotes

“Canadians are making the switch to EVs because it’s a great way to save money while ensuring clean air in our communities and fighting climate change. We’re making electric vehicles more affordable and charging more available where Canadians live, work, travel and play. Today, we launched another funding request for proposals via the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, which will help deploy thousands more chargers across Canada. This will put more Canadians in the driver’s seat on the road to a prosperous net-zero future.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 

“Hundreds of thousands of Canadians are making the switch to an EV every year. They expect access to convenient, affordable and reliable charging — including in public spaces. Today’s call for proposals does that by investing in thousands more chargers and equipping the private sector and governments with the tools they need to deploy more chargers, faster.”

Julie Dabrusin 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and 
to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick Facts

The federal government’s investment in EV charging infrastructure is supporting Canadians by reducing barriers to EV adoption while spurring investment and growth across Canada’s EV supply chain, including through Transport Canada’s Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles Program (iZEV), which makes zero-emission vehicles more affordable for Canadians and has received another $1.7 billion in Budget 2022; and,Budget 2024 announces the government’s intention to introduce a new 10-percent Electric Vehicle Supply Chain investment tax credit on the cost of buildings used in key segments of the electric vehicle supply chain for businesses that invest in Canada across three supply chain segments:electric vehicle assembly;electric vehicle battery production; and,cathode active material production.The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) has made significant strides in the automotive and battery sector in recent years. Since 2017, the Fund has announced over $5.5 billion in funding toward the automotive and battery sector, of which approximately $5.3 billion has been directly in support of the EV transition.These investments include projects focused on producing battery materials, battery components and packs and on manufacturing EVs and developing vehicle components specific to low-carbon transportation (e.g., next-generation tires).Investing $3.8 billion in the mining, processing and recycling of critical minerals,Since 2016, the Government of Canada has allocated over $1.2 billion in funding to support the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations across the country.Since 2019, a total of over 40,000 EV chargers (Level 2 and Level 3) have been supported by ZEVIP.The 2024 EV Charging Needs Report provides an update to a 2022 NRCan-commissioned study, Updated Projections of Canada’s Public Charging Infrastructure Needs, based on changing trends in the EV market, charger utilization and assessment methodologies.As noted in the report, “The results are intended to support the Government of Canada — as well as provincial and municipal governments, utilities and other stakeholders — in planning to ensure that sufficient charging infrastructure will be deployed to support Canada’s targets”As of May 2024, NRCan’s infrastructure programs and the Canadian Infrastructure Bank’s Charging and Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure Initiative had already committed funds for the installation of over 46,000 chargers across the country, with more than 14,000 of these federally funded chargers already in operation.EV charger deployment has seen significant growth: an average of 45 percent annually since 2016 and a jump to 72-percent growth between 2022 and 2023.With Budget 2023, the Government of Canada has now committed more than $40 billion to support Canada’s clean electricity sector, including related grid updates for EV charging infrastructure.This significant investment is building an EV charging network for Canadians, and we continue to work with all levels of government, industry, utilities and other private sector stakeholders to further accelerate deployment.

Related Information

Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure ProgramThe Canadian Infrastructure Bank (CIB) Charging and Hydrogen Refuelling Infrastructure Initiative (CHRII)2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy Electric Charging and Alternative Fuelling Stations LocatorZero-emission vehicles: IncentivesBuilding a green economy: Government of Canada to require 100% of car and passenger truck sales be zero-emission by 2035 in Canada

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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Spectral Capital Announces Transformation into a Deep Quantum Technology Platform

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SEATTLE, Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Spectral Capital Corporation (OTCQB: FCCN), a pioneer in quantum innovation, proudly announces its transformation into a Deep Quantum Technology Platform. This strategic evolution positions Spectral at the forefront of the quantum era, uniting proprietary technologies in quantum cloud computing, distributed quantum ledger databases, and plasmonic quantum chips. With the addition of renowned quantum physicist Dr. Moshik Cohen as Chief Technology Officer and the groundbreaking Verdant Quantum initiative, Spectral Capital is pioneering scalable, sustainable, and practical quantum computing solutions.

From Incubator to Operator: Spectral’s New Vision

Spectral Capital has redefined its role in quantum technology by moving beyond incubation to develop, own, and operate its proprietary quantum systems.

“This is not just a rebranding—it is a bold leap into the future of quantum computing,” said Jenifer Osterwalder, CEO. “Spectral Capital will now deliver a fully integrated platform with technologies like the Vogon Decentralized Edge and Hybrid Cloud, its embedded Distributed Quantum Ledger Database (DQLDB), plasmonic System-On-a-Chip (SOC) architecture, and energy-efficient quantum algorithms. These innovations bridge the gap between classical and quantum systems, offering the scalability and environmental responsibility required for the quantum era.”

Introducing Room Temperature Quantum Transfer and Compute

To drive its ambitious vision, Spectral announced earlier this month the addition of Dr. Moshik Cohen, an expert in quantum state dynamics and plasmonic computing as CTO.  The Company is fusing the revolutionary initiative from Verdant Quantum to eliminate the need for cryogenic cooling by leveraging room-temperature plasmonic chips.

This solution bridges classical and quantum computing with CMOS-compatible plasmonic processors allowing these chips to harness energy waves controlled by light, called plasmons, to deliver near-light-speed data processing with unmatched precision and efficiency—all while dramatically reducing energy consumption and costs.

Transformative Innovations Powering Spectral’s Platform

The world’s first plasmonic-ready distributed quantum ledger database, Vogon, provides secure, scalable, and semantically enriched data management. Its key features include:

Deterministic Concurrency for low-latency performance.Post-Quantum Cryptography with SPHINCS+ for unparalleled security.Consensus Algorithms to ensure robust and scalable decentralized operations.

The Vogon DQLDB seamlessly connects legacy systems to quantum ecosystems, enabling industries such as finance, logistics, and healthcare to harness quantum efficiencies today.

Plasmonic System-On-a-Chip (SOC)

Spectral’s miniaturized plasmonic SOC technology will redefine the potential of its Vogon Cloud data centers, enabling near-light-speed processing at room temperature. These chips will power Spectral’s edge and hybrid compute data centers across 16 global regions, which will also serve as test beds for sustainable quantum computing.

“This innovation addresses the global call for environmentally friendly quantum solutions, reducing infrastructure costs while increasing processing power,” Brehm emphasized.

Quantum Algorithms and Collective Intelligence

Spectral’s proprietary quantum algorithms leverage cooperative distributed inferencing and analytic tomography to unlock real-time insights. By integrating these algorithms with Vogon DQLDB, Spectral enables industries to optimize operations, from autonomous vehicles to investment portfolio management.

Why Spectral Capital?

The quantum computing market is projected to grow from $885.4 million in 2023 to $12.62 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of up to 34.8%. Spectral’s technologies are positioned to participate in this growth while addressing urgent industry demands for scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable quantum solutions.

“Over the next decade, quantum computing will redefine the global economy,” said Brehm. “Spectral Capital is at the epicenter of this transformation. With Dr. Moshik Cohen, and our ecosystem partners, we are building not just for the future—we are building the future.”

About Spectral Capital

Spectral Capital Corporation (OTCQB: FCCN) is a Deep Quantum Technology Platform company delivering practical, scalable, and sustainable quantum solutions. Through its proprietary Vogon DQLDB, QuantumVM, and plasmonic SOCs, Spectral Capital is revolutionizing industries and paving the way for a more connected, efficient, and sustainable world.

For more information, visit www.spectralcapital.com or contact our Investor Relations team at Rubenstein and Associates.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements (as defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) concerning future events and FCCN’s growth and business strategy. Words such as “expects,” “will,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “hopes,” “estimates,” and variations on such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although FCCN believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of FCCN. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, changes in FCCN’s business; competitive factors in the market(s) in which FCCN operates; risks associated with operations outside the United States; and other factors listed from time to time in FCCN’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. FCCN expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in FCCN’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

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SOURCE Spectral Capital Corporation

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AGM Group Holdings Inc. Highlights Strategic Growth and Future Initiatives in AI and Cryptocurrency

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BEIJING, Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AGM Group Holdings Inc. (“AGM Holdings” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: AGMH), an integrated technology company specializing in the assembling and sales of high-performance hardware and computing equipment, released a statement of its CEO Dr. Bo Zhu today, discussing the Company’s growth strategies and future initiatives in the cryptocurrency industry.

Dr. Zhu, an experienced entrepreneur in the computer software sector, currently serves as CEO of AGM Holdings. He joined the Company in May 2021 as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and was appointed CEO and director in October 2023. Dr. Zhu earned his PhD in Computer Science and Technology from Zhejiang University in 2013 and has published over 20 research papers, 19 of which are indexed in SCI/EI (science and engineering). Below are key insights from the interview:

AGM Holdings’ Key Milestones

Strategic Partnerships: In 2021, AGM Holdings collaborated with Shenzhen Highsharp (Shenzhen Gaorui) Electronic Ltd. (“HighSharp”) to enhance ASIC chip R&D and mining equipment offerings.

Major Orders: AGM Holdings secured contracts in 2021, including:

i.    30,000 ASIC miners for Nowlit Solutions Corp (“Nowlit”).
ii.   25,000 MinerVa MV7 ASICs for MinerVa Semiconductor Corp.
iii.  1,500 Bitcoin miners for Meten Holding Group Ltd.

These collaborations evidenced by contractual agreements demonstrate the Company’s commitment to growth in the digital currency industry.

Strategic Positioning and Sustainable Growth

Recent highlights of AGM Holding’s strategic positioning include:

Joint Venture: In December 2024, AGM Holdings partnered with Nowlit to develop a 375MW data center in Canada for Bitcoin mining and AI computing.

Canaan Creative Global Pte Ltd. Partnership: In December 2024, AGM Holdings purchased 2,000 A15 series water-cooled mining machines.

Looking Into the Future

As the technology revolution deepens and cryptocurrency gains broader public acceptance, the demand for high-performance computing environments and data centers is surging, forming the backbone of these industries. Technology development, deployment, and applications will very likely depend on robust hardware and software ecosystems — an area where the Company possesses significant technical expertise and resource advantages. Similarly, computationally intensive processes like cryptocurrency mining and blockchain operations rely heavily on computing power and cost-effective energy, presenting opportunities to showcase the Company’s strengths and competencies. AGM Holdings is dedicated to become one of the key participants and contributors in the global technology hardware supply chain and blockchain ecosystem. This strategic positioning strives to drive long-term value for the company, partners, and shareholders.

About AGM Group Holdings Inc.

AGM Group Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: AGMH) is an integrated technology company specializing in the assembling and sales of high-performance hardware and computing equipment. With a mission to become a key participant and contributor in the global blockchain ecosystem, AGMH focuses on the research and development of blockchain-oriented Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chips, the assembling and sales of high-end crypto miners for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. For more information, please visit www.agmprime.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “approximates,” “assesses,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information, please contact:

AGM Group Holdings Inc.
Email: ir@agmprime.com 
Website: http://www.agmprime.com

Ascent Investor Relations LLC
Tina Xiao
President
Phone: +1-646-932-7242
Email: investors@ascent-ir.com

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SOURCE AGM Group Holdings Inc.

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Virtusa Positioned as a Leader in NelsonHall’s 2024 Quality Engineering NEAT Report for Multiple Market Segments

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SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass., Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Virtusa Corporation, a global leader in digital business strategy, digital engineering, and IT services, has been positioned as a ‘Leader’ in the newly released NelsonHall 2024 NEAT (NelsonHall Vendor Evaluation and Assessment Tool) report for Quality Engineering. This recognition spans four critical segments: Overall Quality Engineering, AI-based Analytics & Automation, Application Migration to Cloud Testing, and GenAI Use Cases. Virtusa has also been designated a ‘Major Player’ in the RPA-based Automation market segment.

NelsonHall’s NEAT evaluation reflects Virtusa’s commitment to delivering high-impact, transformative solutions in Quality Engineering, combining leading-edge AI-based analytics, automation, and migration testing services that enable organizations to elevate quality, reduce risk, and accelerate innovation. Through deep technical expertise and industry alignment, Virtusa’s quality engineering team provides services to support robust digital transformation initiatives, enabling enterprises to stay resilient in an evolving market landscape.

“The demand for highly specialized quality engineering solutions has never been greater,” said Ram Meenakshisundaram, Chief Technology Officer at Virtusa. “Our focus on AI-based analytics, automation, and cloud testing solutions positions us to support our clients’ strategic quality engineering initiatives. Being recognized as a Leader in four segments by NelsonHall further underscores Virtusa’s ability to deliver resilient and future-ready solutions for our clients.”

Virtusa’s portfolio includes advanced offerings in AI-based analytics, cloud migration, and GenAI use cases. It is supported by an Engineering First approach that prioritizes practical, high-impact applications of automation and quality assurance technologies. This framework enables clients to achieve measurable business outcomes and confidently pursue digital transformation goals.

Dominique Raviart, NelsonHall’s IT Services Practice Manager, said, “Virtusa is focused on increasing the level of automation in QE, investing in GenAI and increasing the depth of current GenAI use cases such as test case optimization and defect triaging. The company is already investing in testing LLMs, addressing a new level of complexity across data, prompts, and model efficiency.”

For more information on Virtusa’s digital Engineering services, visit https://www.virtusa.com/services/engineer-automate.

About Virtusa

Virtusa Corporation provides digital engineering and technology services and solutions for Forbes Global 2000 companies across industries, including financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, media, manufacturing, and technology. With a foundation in digital engineering, Virtusa empowers enterprises to navigate digital transformation, driving operational efficiency and measurable outcomes. Leveraging its Engineering First approach, Virtusa partners with organizations to tackle complex challenges, delivering solutions that ensure resilience and competitive advantage.

Virtusa is a registered trademark of Virtusa Corporation. All other company and brand names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective holders.

About NelsonHall

NelsonHall is the leading global analyst firm dedicated to helping organizations understand the ‘art of the possible’ in digital operations transformation. With analysts in the U.S., U.K., Continental Europe, and India, NelsonHall provides buy-side organizations with detailed, critical information on markets and vendors (including NEAT assessments) that helps them make fast and highly informed sourcing decisions. And for vendors, NelsonHall provides deep knowledge of market dynamics and user requirements to help them hone their go-to-market strategies. NelsonHall’s analysis is based on rigorous, primary research, and is widely respected for the quality and depth of its insight.

Media Contact:

Paul Lesinski

Edelman

(971) 226-5299

paul.lesinski@edelman.com

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SOURCE Virtusa Corporation

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