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Thunes Unveils QR Code Payments Solution Connecting Global Financial Apps to China’s Cashless Economy

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Empowering foreign mobile wallets and financial institutions with seamless access to Chinese QR code payments

LONDON and BEIJING, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Thunes, the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world, today announced the launch of its revolutionary QR Code Payments solution. This innovation allows Members of the Thunes’ Direct Global Network – including mobile wallets, neo-banks, and banks with mobile capabilities – to connect directly to China’s QR code payment systems operated by the Digital Currency Institute (DCI) and NetsUnion Clearing Corporation (NUCC). Now, users of foreign mobile wallets and financial apps traveling to China can seamlessly make payments by scanning merchant-presented QR codes for payment methods like e-CNY, Alipay, and WeChat Pay, transforming the travel experience for millions.

As China promotes its visa-free travel policies initiative to boost international tourism, Thunes’ launch of the QR Code Payments solution is timely. With an anticipated surge in foreign travelers, the ability to pay using QR codes, the preferred payment method in China, is crucial for providing a smooth, convenient, and local-like experience when visiting China.

According to the Payment System Report, published by the People’s Bank of China, there has been a 25% reduction in ATMs over the past six years, highlighting the accelerating shift toward a cashless economy. Forbes further reports that mobile payments now account for over 85% of all transactions in China.

Foreign travelers often face significant challenges when paying: traditional foreign credit cards are seldom accepted, especially in street shops and at small to medium-sized merchants. Travelers typically need to download and register with local Chinese payment apps that request sensitive personal data, causing friction and inconvenience. Thunes’ QR Code Payments solution addresses these pain points by offering a seamless, secure, and user-friendly payment experience for end-users of foreign financial apps such as mobile wallets and neo-banks.

Thunes is already working with valued Members of Thunes’ Direct Global Network, such as Airtel, Hanpass (South Korea), m-Pesa (Kenya), and Vodacom (Tanzania), to make the QR Code Payments solution available for their customers traveling to China. Other Members are expected to join soon, expanding the reach and impact of this innovative solution.

Floris de Kort, CEO of Thunes, stated: “Our Direct Global Network continues to break down barriers for our Members, enabling them to offer their customers unrivaled access to local payment systems worldwide. With this launch, we’re empowering our Members to provide their app users the convenience of paying like a local in China, quickly, dependably, and with full transparency. By enabling Thunes’ Chinese QR code payments into their apps, mobile wallets, neo-banks, and financial institutions can enhance the user experience while unlocking new revenue streams and leading the way in global payment innovation.”

Ian Ferrao, CEO of Airtel Money, said: “Airtel Money has been a long-standing Member of Thunes’ Direct Global Network, and Thunes continually adds value for us and our mobile wallet users. Thanks to their innovative solution, Thunes’ QR Code Payments will serve as a lifeline for African travelers, allowing them to effortlessly navigate China’s digital payment landscape and make purchases with ease, enhancing their overall travel experience.”

Jay Choi, Head of Growth Strategy at Hanpass, concluded: “As a Member of Thunes’ Direct Global Network, we can offer our customers instant and dependable cross-border payment solutions. With the Thunes’ QR Code Payments capability embedded in our application, Koreans visiting China will be able to pay local merchants without the hassle of managing cash or the fear of a transaction being declined. Thunes’ innovation enables our mission to always provide the most user-friendly services to our customers.”

About Thunes:

Thunes is the Smart Superhighway to move money around the world. Thunes’ proprietary Direct Global Network allows Members to make payments in real-time in over 130 countries and more than 80 currencies. Thunes’ Network connects directly to over 7 billion mobile wallets and bank accounts worldwide, via more than 320 different payment methods, such as GCash, M-Pesa, Airtel, MTN, Orange, JazzCash, Easypaisa, AliPay, WeChat Pay and many more. Thunes’ Direct Global Network differentiates itself through its worldwide reach, in-house SmartX Treasury System and Fortress Compliance Platform, ensuring Members of the Network receive unrivaled speed, control, visibility, protection, and cost efficiencies when making real-time payments, globally. Members of Thunes’ Direct Global Network include gig economy giants like Uber and Deliveroo, super-apps like Grab and WeChat, MTOs, fintechs, PSPs and banks. Headquartered in Singapore, Thunes has offices in 15 locations, including Abidjan, Barcelona, Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, London, Manila, Nairobi, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Sao Paulo and Shanghai. For more information, visit: https://www.thunes.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/thunes-unveils-qr-code-payments-solution-connecting-global-financial-apps-to-chinas-cashless-economy-302282874.html

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OneDigital Introduces Impact Studio

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Latest offering simplifies the complexity of benefits program decision making, equipping employers with tools to control costs while optimizing their health, benefits, and retirement investments.

ATLANTA, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — OneDigital, the nation’s leading insurance brokerage, financial services, and HR consulting firm, today announced the induction of Impact Studio, a centralized platform that equips companies with real-time visibility and heightened control over their organization’s total spending across health & benefits, retirement, wages, and salaries, and maximizes employer spending by aligning investment to benchmarking and employee value.

With people leaving jobs at historic rates, businesses need a comprehensive total rewards strategy that helps them retain and attract top talent. Impact Studio is designed to empower businesses with the confidence to make forward-thinking decisions regarding their total rewards packages for employees. By integrating medical, ancillary, stop loss and retirement benchmarking tools with other functionalities such as claims utilization and employee value perception insights, Impact Studio gives OneDigital consultants and their clients greater visibility into their benefits programs, enabling the ability to control costs and drive impact for their employees.

“For years, OneDigital has empowered our clients to optimize their workforce spending, addressing what is often their most significant investment. However, many organizations are still relying on fragmented systems, making it challenging to achieve a unified view of their human capital strategy,” said Wes Cowen, National Vice President of Client Success at OneDigital. “With our latest solution, we’re integrating data across these disparate tools to deliver a comprehensive perspective on people investments, enabling business leaders to make informed, strategic decisions with greater confidence.

Impact Studio is rolling out to select OneDigital markets now and will be available to other clients beginning in Q2 2024. To Learn more about OneDigital’s Impact Studio, visit: https://www.onedigital.com/impact-studio/

About OneDigital

OneDigital’s team of fierce advocates helps businesses and individuals achieve their aspirations of health, success and financial security. Our insurance, financial services and HR platform provides personalized, tech-enabled solutions for a contemporary work-life experience. Nationally recognized for our culture of caring, OneDigital’s teams enable employers and individuals to do their best work and live their best lives. More than 100,000 employers and millions of individuals rely on our teams for counsel and access to fully integrated worksite products and services and the retirement and wealth management advice provided through OneDigital Investment Advisors. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Atlanta, OneDigital maintains offices in most major markets across the nation. For more information, visit onedigital.com

Media Contact: Chelsea McKenna, Chelsea.mckenna@onedigital.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/onedigital-introduces-impact-studio-302283127.html

SOURCE OneDigital

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Aptos Orbital Announces Official Launch of Powerful AI Satellite Platform

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Named as first AWS compute partner in space; $100 million in customer commitments secured

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Aptos Orbital, the company developing an all-in-one artificial intelligence device for satellites, today announced the launch of its new platform, which aims to transform satellite intelligence and communication capabilities. The Aptos terminal is a low size weight and power (SWAP) device for satellites that combines proprietary space-hardened processing, connectivity, and cloud services. Leveraging Aptos’s technology, satellites are capable of running powerful artificial intelligence (AI) on orbit and transmitting real-time intelligence to the cloud on Earth.

“Today’s satellites are siloed from modern cloud environments, hampered by the lack of onboard compute power, and have multi-hour coverage gaps. At Aptos Orbital, we are changing that,” said Yonatan Winetruab, founder of Aptos. “Our goal is to make satellites as intelligent and accessible as any computer on Earth. By putting AI onboard, we can process live satellite data at the source and transmit the processed, actionable information back to Earth.”

Satellites use ground stations to communicate, making them unreachable for hours and often disrupting operations during communication. Aptos connects anywhere, through any weather conditions, without the need for any communication operations—providing more persistent communication with satellites. Aptos’ onboard computing allows satellites to process and send valuable data, and its cloud connectivity allows customers to interact with satellites in space as easily as a computer on Earth. The terminals can deploy ground cloud services directly to the satellites making them agile orbital nodes for earthbound networks.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) was also named as the first and only partner providing cloud services for Aptos Orbital hardware in space. AWS will bring cloud services and advanced computing capabilities to space and enable innovation to transform industries on Earth and beyond.

The Aptos terminals have been on orbit for more than five years cumulatively, demonstrating the company’s early success in flight heritage. From design to orbit in less than six months, Aptos has already launched and operationalized its production, with dozens of new units launching this year. Aptos also revealed it has secured eight customers representing more than $100 million in commitments. Current customers include ThinkOrbital and some of the most reputable satellite companies.

Aptos has been a great partner with ThinkOrbital and is set to revolutionize our on-orbit servicing and space domain awareness operations. Their cutting-edge technology, designed for the demanding conditions of space, provides real-time cloud access and on-orbit processing capabilities. This empowers us to execute critical tasks with unprecedented precision and efficiency,” said Colonel Lee Rosen (USAF, Ret.), co-founder and CEO of ThinkOrbital Inc. “This breakthrough solution is transforming our ability to monitor and control critical processes, ensuring the highest quality and reliability of our operations.”

Looking ahead, Aptos will expand into an orbital platform with a constellation of more than 1,000 diverse satellites using the platform by 2030, to connect satellite operators with the rapidly expanding market for satellite data, and to give any developer on earth the power of satellites in space

About Aptos Orbital
Aptos Orbital is developing a low size weight and power (SWAP) device for satellites that combines space-hardened processing, connectivity, and cloud services. The Aptos terminal enables the running of powerful artificial intelligence (AI) in orbit and transmitting real-time intelligence to the cloud on Earth. Learn more about Aptos Orbital at: https://aptosorbital.com/

Media contact:
Nickell Communications for Aptos:
aubrey@nickellcommunications.com 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aptos-orbital-announces-official-launch-of-powerful-ai-satellite-platform-302282645.html

SOURCE Aptos Orbital

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GrubMarket Introduces the GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst to Revolutionize Financial Operations for Food Wholesalers and Distributors

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — GrubMarket, the AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer of the American food supply chain industry, as well as one of the largest private food eCommerce companies globally, today announced the launch of the GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst. As part of GrubMarket’s groundbreaking GrubAssist AI suite, this new module provides food wholesalers and distributors with a comprehensive solution for managing their cash flow operations, delivering real-time, actionable insights that enable businesses to strategically manage their accounts receivable (AR), accounts payable (AP), collections and payments operations.

In today’s rapidly evolving food industry, tight financial management is critical for maintaining a healthy business and fueling growth. Yet, many food distributors still struggle with outdated, manual processes and limited resources that limit their ability to gain clear visibility into their financial operations. These limitations often lead to inefficient decision-making, delayed payments, and the inability to anticipate cash flow shortages, all of which can significantly disrupt operations and hinder growth.

Introducing the GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst: A Game-Changing Solution

The GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst was developed to address these challenges by offering business leaders, accounting staff, and operations employees a simple, powerful tool that consolidates cash flow analysis into an intuitive AI-powered user experience. Leveraging cutting-edge generative AI and predictive analytics, the Cash Flow Analyst enables users to forecast future cash positions, analyze historical trends, and get real-time visibility into their AR/AP operations—all through simple natural language queries.

Key Features of the GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst:

Accurate AI-powered Cash Flow Projections: The GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst uses advanced AI and custom weights and biases to generate cash flow forecasts based on historical data, seasonal trends, growth trajectories, and a variety of other key inputs. Businesses can ask about daily cash inflows and outflows or simply, “What is my expected cash balance for next Friday?” and receive an accurate prediction, allowing them to make proactive financial decisions.Real-Time Visibility into AR/AP Operations: Users can instantly access vital financial data by asking the analyst questions. For example, “Which customers are past due on payments?” will provide a detailed list of customers and outstanding invoices, allowing businesses to take immediate action.Customer and Vendor Performance Insights: The tool offers deep insights into customer payment behaviors and vendor relationships. By asking questions like, “How much do I owe Vendor X, and what is the aging of my bills?” users can easily track outstanding liabilities and adjust payment schedules accordingly.Streamlined Financial Analysis with Custom Queries: The GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst simplifies complex financial analysis by offering both default prompts and customizable queries. From understanding projected cash receipts to reviewing historical payment patterns, businesses can leverage this flexible tool for their specific needs, eliminating time spent generating and manipulating reports to find critical information.Seamless ERP and Accounting System Integration: The GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst integrates with leading ERP systems and accounting software, including Famous and WholesaleWare, making it an essential tool for any business using these platforms. The tool also supports additional integrations with other produce ERP systems and accounting software like PICS, Thyme, Granite State Software, and QuickBooks, enabling seamless data flow and real-time updates.User-Friendly and Mobile-Optimized Interface: Designed with usability in mind, the tool offers an intuitive interface that is accessible both on desktop and on mobile devices and tablets with native iOS and Android apps. With 100% hands-free access through voice mode, users can manage their cash flow while on the go, improving efficiency and decision-making.

Transforming Financial Management in the Food Industry

By collapsing the traditionally cumbersome process of cash flow analysis into simple, conversational prompts, the GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst offers unprecedented efficiency to food wholesalers and distributors managing their cash inflows and outflows. Instead of relying on static reports and manual analysis, businesses can access real-time insights on cash positions, expected payments, and upcoming expenses instantly.

Additionally, the tool’s “Favorites” feature allows users to save key prompts for frequent use, making it easy to run daily or weekly financial checks. The sharing functionality further enhances organizational alignment, enabling employees across the business to access the latest financial data in real-time.

Unlike traditional ERP systems and accounting tools that offer a limited set of canned reports, the GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst provides a dynamic, adaptable solution. The tool is fully customizable, offering businesses the flexibility to generate unique reports based on their specific needs without any setup time. Its natural language processing capabilities ensure that any user can access powerful financial insights and generate custom reports, regardless of technical capability, making this a valuable asset for teams across all levels of the organization.

“At GrubMarket, we are committed to empowering food supply chain businesses with the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly complex market,” says Mike Xu, CEO of GrubMarket. “The GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst represents a major leap forward in how food supply chain businesses manage their financial operations. The GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst allows businesses to make smarter, faster financial decisions by providing accurate insights into their cash flows. This tool eliminates the inefficiencies of existing manual processes, giving businesses the control they need to stay financially healthy. Whether you’re looking at next week’s cash flow or analyzing your customer’s payment history, GrubAssist AI empowers your team to stay ahead of financial challenges.”

The Cash Flow Analyst is now available as part of the GrubAssist AI product suite. As with all of GrubMarket’s software products, this new module is secure, reliable, and fully compatible with existing systems, ensuring a smooth and seamless user experience. To explore the capabilities of the GrubAssist AI Cash Flow Analyst, visit www.grubmarket.ai.

About GrubMarket

GrubMarket is the AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer of the American food supply chain industry, as well as one of the largest private food eCommerce companies globally. As the enterprise AI solutions provider for the American food supply chain, a first mover in the tech-enabled B2B food eCommerce space, and a pioneer offering cutting-edge, AI-powered software-as-a-service solutions, GrubMarket uses technology to fundamentally transform the American and global food supply chain. GrubMarket has also been named to the prestigious CNBC Disruptor 50 list for two consecutive years. GrubMarket operates in all 50 U.S. States and has a global presence in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Spain, with plans to expand further across the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world.

For Media Inquiries:

GrubMarket Media Team
media@grubmarket.com
(415) 986-0523

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grubmarket-introduces-the-grubassist-ai-cash-flow-analyst-to-revolutionize-financial-operations-for-food-wholesalers-and-distributors-302282813.html

SOURCE GrubMarket

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