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  • MIL-OSI: CrewAI Launches Multi-Agentic Platform to Deliver on the Promise of Generative AI for Enterprise

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO and SÃO PAULO, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CrewAI, a leading multi-agent platform, today announced $18 million in total funding that included an inception round led by boldstart ventures and a Series A led by global software investor Insight Partners. Additional investors include Blitzscaling Ventures, Craft Ventures, Earl Grey Capital, and several top angels in AI including Andrew Ng, a globally recognized voice in AI, and Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot. 

    CrewAI’s open-source offering executes 10 million+ agents per month and is already used by nearly half of the Fortune 500. Building on the success of its open-source framework and in response to user demand, the company also launched CrewAI Enterprise, making it easier than ever for large organizations to quickly build, monitor, and iterate on complex AI agents with high-quality results. The company signed its first 150 beta enterprise customers in less than six months.

    More than 65% of companies are now using generative AI but almost all of them still express significant concerns about results accuracy and data security. These challenges are holding back the full potential of large language models (LLMs) for the enterprise. This is especially true for the automation of complex tasks in areas like marketing, accounting, and finance. Companies have not been able to use robotic process automation (RPA) for these use cases due to its rigid, deterministic approach, high implementation costs, brittleness, and inability to self-heal. 

    Developers in more than 150 countries are now using CrewAI to automate work processes and build AI-agent native features and applications. CrewAI is helping companies realize the enormous potential of LLMs by enabling AI agents to perform complex tasks that leverage LLMs in simple and complex workflows. CrewAI offers a range of advanced new features including self-iteration, performance evaluation, persistent memory, and a wide range of new agent collaboration structures.

    Enterprises are moving fast to adopt agents that deliver results
    The AI agent market is projected to grow explosively from $5 billion this year to nearly $50 billion by 2030. According to a recent Capgemini survey, 10% of large enterprise organizations already use AI agents, more than half plan to use them in the next year, and 82% will integrate them within the next three years. 

    “Agents are the key to unlocking AI’s potential and will completely redesign the way companies deliver products. RPA and LLMs alone can’t get you there. Savvy organizations around the world are already deploying multi-agentic applications to help run an entire business while moving fast,” said João Moura, founder and CEO of CrewAI. “We are seeing impact firsthand; in less than one year of launching CrewAI, we signed our first 150 beta enterprise customers. We are seeing 100,000 groups of multi-agent executions per day across hundreds of different use cases. We have made it easy for teams to build groups of AI agents to perform tasks using any LLM, integrate with more than a thousand different applications, and to do so in a way that protects their data privacy.”

    CrewAI Enterprise for deploying fast complex AI workloads that drive business value
    After a successful private beta, CrewAI is now launching its Enterprise Cloud offering, a universal platform that allows organizations to enable their teams to build crews of AI agents using any LLM or cloud platform – tailored to their unique, complex workloads – to achieve high-quality results. Built on top of CrewAI’s popular open-source framework, CrewAI Enterprise enables fast iterations by also offering templates, access to extensive VIP support, and built-in security. CrewAI Enterprise enables organizations to:

    • Plan & Build: Use either CrewAI’s framework or Crew Studio to easily build even the most complex multi-agents systems.
    • Deploy & Monitor: Bring these multi-agents automations into a production environment in a secure way with proper levels of access and control.
    • Assess & Iterate: Track ROI by using testing and training tools to constantly improve the efficiency and results quality – ensuring a fast track to value.

    The new CrewAI Enterprise platform enables teams of all sizes to build, deploy, and iterate multi-agent “crews.” These AI agent crews can be used to automate work processes and power new AI-agent native features and applications. During the beta, CrewAI saw companies build crews for hundreds of different use cases.

    For a deeper dive into how agents are working in the enterprise, join CrewAI for AI Agents Week at https://week.crewai.com/.

    Supporting Quotes
    “The widespread adoption of LLMs in the enterprise is creating an enormous opportunity for new revenue streams and cost reduction. The catalyst for this will be AI multi-agent platforms. CrewAI is one of the early leaders in this exciting space and Insight Partners is thrilled to be an investor. Joao has a big vision for what CrewAI can do and we are enjoying helping him and the team achieve that vision.”
    Praveen Akkiraju, managing director at Insight Partners 

    “CrewAI makes it easy and fast to develop both simple and complex multi-agent AI workflows. Its powerful orchestration features for enterprises—including memory and self-healing—help businesses go well beyond traditional automation. As a CrewAI user myself, I’m thrilled to be able to support João’s vision with an investment!”
    Andrew Ng, co-founder of Coursera and Stanford professor

    Supporting Resources

    About CrewAI
    CrewAI is the leading AI multi-agent platform. Built to fully leverage LLM’s reasoning capabilities and allow agents to work together, CrewAI’s open-source framework and enterprise platform powers more than 10 million agents monthly and 150 customers. With CrewAI, organizations can easily deploy and manage AI agents to automate complex tasks with a fast speed to value across a wide range of use cases, from research and analysis to coding and reporting. For more information, visit https://www.crewai.com/.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Huntress Recognized as Inc. 2024 Power Partner for Empowering Small and Mid-Sized Businesses with Cutting-Edge Cybersecurity Protection

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBIA, Md., Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Huntress has been named an Inc. Magazine 2024 Power Partner for the second consecutive year and recognized for its commitment to protecting small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and the managed service providers (MSPs) that support them.

    Each year, Inc. Magazine scours thousands of entries to create its annual list of high-caliber companies devoted to providing entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they need to start, run, and grow their businesses. Huntress earned this recognition for its unwavering dedication to securing the SMB community with its leading managed cybersecurity platform and an elite team of human threat analysts at a price that just makes sense.

    “At Huntress, we design our solutions with one goal in mind: to break the barriers to enterprise-grade security so SMBs and their MSP allies can defend themselves against the relentless wave of increasingly aggressive cyberattacks. Despite not having the massive IT budgets of larger enterprises, SMBs deserve enterprise-grade protection through their MSP partners. That’s why Huntress exists and why we will always have their backs,” said Jason Marshall, Chief Marketing Officer for Huntress.

    Huntress delivers a best-in-class managed security platform that includes award-winning endpoint detection and response (EDR), identity threat detection and response (ITDR), security awareness training (SAT), and a new managed SIEM. The company exists to level up SMB defenses, increase their cybersecurity knowledge, and protect their livelihoods.

    Resources
    Read the blog about why Huntress is thrilled about making it to the Inc. Power Partner list again.

    About Huntress
    Huntress is a leading cybersecurity company focused on protecting and empowering small businesses to mid-sized enterprises. Combining the power of the Huntress Managed Security Platform with a human-led 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC), Huntress provides the top-rated technology, services, education, and expertise needed to help companies overcome cybersecurity challenges and protect critical business assets. For more information about Huntress, visit http://www.huntress.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

    Contacts:
    Valerie Baccei
    press@huntresslabs.com
    +1 (650) 400-7833

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Abacus Life Provides Preliminary Third Quarter 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    – Expects Total Revenue Between $26.0 and $28.0 Million; Grows 23-33% Year-over-Year –

    – Expects GAAP Net Income / (Loss) Between ($6.0) and ($6.75) Million Due to Non-Cash Increase in Warrant Liability of Between $8.0 and $9.0 Million –

    – Expects Adjusted EBITDA Between $14.0 and $16.0 Million; Grows 30-48% Year-over-Year –

    – Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Release and Conference Call to be Held Thursday, November 7, 2024 –

    ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Abacus Life, Inc. (“Abacus” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ABL), a leading global alternative asset manager focused on lifespan-based financial products, today announced preliminary unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

    Preliminary Financial Results – Third Quarter 2024

    Based upon management’s current expectations, the Company anticipates Total Revenue, Net Income, and Adjusted EBITDA, for the third quarter as follows:

      3Q24
    Total Revenue Between $26.0 and $28.0 million
    GAAP Net Income / (Loss) Between ($6.0) and ($6.75) million
    Adjusted EBITDA Between $14.0 and $16.0 million

    “We are pleased to report another strong performance across our business, continuing to underscore the clear differentiation of our business model,” said Jay Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of Abacus. “During the quarter, we announced key acquisitions of Carlisle Management Company SCA and FCF Advisors. We are excited to welcome them to the Abacus family. In addition, we further strengthened our management team, welcoming Corey McLaren as Managing Director of Capital Markets and Robert F. Phillips as our new Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs. We also partnered with Lorisco to launch PREADISAN™, a revolutionary health prediction and actuarial technology tool, which is enabling us to offer unprecedented personalization in longevity forecasting, as well as highly tailored financial solutions for our clients. We remain committed to executing on our long-term growth initiatives and delivering value to our shareholders.”

    Earnings Release and Conference Call

    As previously noted, Abacus Life, Inc. will release its third quarter 2024 financial results after the market closes on Thursday, November 7, 2024. Management will hold a conference call to discuss the financial results at 5:00 pm Eastern Time on November 7, 2024. A live webcast of the conference call will be available on Abacus’ investor relations website at ir.abacuslife.com. The dial-in number for the conference call is (800) 267-6316 (toll-free) or (203) 518-9783 (international). Please dial the number 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

    Preliminary Information

    The unaudited financial and operational information presented in this press release is preliminary and may change. Abacus’ financial closing procedures with respect to the estimated financial information provided in this press release are not yet complete, and as a result, the Company’s final results may vary materially from the preliminary results included in this press release. Abacus undertakes no obligation to update or supplement the information provided in this press release until the Company releases its financial statements for the three months ended September 30, 2024. The preliminary financial information included in this press release reflects the Company’s current estimates based on information available as of the date of this press release and has been prepared by Company management. This preliminary financial and operational information should not be viewed as a substitute for full financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP and is not necessarily indicative of the results to be achieved for any future periods. This preliminary financial information could be impacted by the effects of financial closing procedures, final adjustments, and other developments.

    Non-GAAP Financial Information

    Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, is defined as net income (loss) attributable to Abacus adjusted for depreciation expense, amortization, interest expense, income tax and other non-cash and certain non-recurring items that in our judgement significantly impact the period-over-period assessment of performance and operating results that do not directly relate to business performance within Abacus’ control. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net income attributable to Abacus Life, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, appears below.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    All statements in this press release (and oral statements made regarding the subjects of this press release) other than historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of uncertainties and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements, many of which are outside the control of Abacus. Forward-looking information includes but is not limited to statements regarding: Abacus’s financial and operational outlook; Abacus’s operational and financial strategies, including planned growth initiatives and the benefits thereof, Abacus’s ability to successfully effect those strategies, and the expected results therefrom. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” ‎‎”intend,” “anticipate,” “goals,” “prospects,” “will,” “would,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions (including the negative versions of such words or expressions).

    While Abacus believes that the assumptions concerning future events are reasonable, it cautions that there are inherent difficulties in predicting certain important factors that could impact the future performance or results of its business. The factors that could cause results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the ‎fact that Abacus’s loss reserves are bases on estimates and may be inadequate to cover ‎its actual losses; the failure to properly price Abacus’s insurance policies; the ‎geographic concentration of Abacus’s business; the cyclical nature of Abacus’s industry; the ‎impact of regulation on Abacus’s business; the effects of competition on Abacus’s business; the failure of ‎Abacus’s relationships with independent agencies; the failure to meet Abacus’s investment ‎objectives; the inability to raise capital on favorable terms or at all; the ‎effects of acts of terrorism; and the effectiveness of Abacus’s control environment, including the identification of control deficiencies.

    These forward-looking statements are also affected by the risk factors, forward-looking statements and challenges and uncertainties set forth in documents filed by Abacus with ‎the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including the Annual ‎Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and subsequent ‎periodic reports. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Abacus cautions you not to place undue reliance on the ‎forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Abacus assumes no obligation and, except as required by law, does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Abacus does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

    About Abacus

    Abacus is a leading global alternative asset manager and market maker, specializing in use of advanced longevity and actuarial technology to purchase life insurance policies from consumers seeking liquidity while creating a high-returning asset class of insurance products, uncorrelated to market fluctuations, for institutional investors.

    With nearly $3 billion in assets under management, including pending acquisitions, Abacus is the only publicly traded global alternative asset manager focused on lifespan-based financial products traded on the Nasdaq exchange.

    Abacus has invested in two new verticals: ABL Wealth, which provides longevity-based wealth management services and investment offerings, and ABL Tech, which offers ground-breaking technology services for pension funds, governments, insurance companies, retirement associations and more that provides advanced real-time data tracking and analysis. With each new channel, we are revolutionizing the future of life insurance.

    http://www.Abacuslife.com

    Contacts:

    Investor Relations

    Robert Phillips – SVP Investor Relations
    rob@abacuslife.com
    (321) 290-1198

    David Jackson – IR/Capital Markets Associate
    djackson@abacuslife.com
    (321) 299-0716

    Abacus Life Public Relations
    press@abacuslife.com

    ABACUS LIFE, INC. Adjusted EBITDA

           
      Three Months Ended   Three Months Ended
      September 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
               
      Low   High   Actual
    GAAP Net income / (Loss) attributable to Abacus Life, Inc. $ (6,750,000 )   $ (6,000,000 )   $ 1,050,972  
               
    GAAP Net income / (Loss)   (6,750,000 )     (6,000,000 )     1,050,972  
    Depreciation and amortization expense   1,675,000       1,750,000       1,694,853  
    Income tax (benefit)   (550,000 )     (400,000 )     1,710,315  
    Stock-compensation   6,300,000       6,500,000       4,583,632  
    Due Diligence related to acquisitions   1,725,000       2,000,000       –  
    Other (expense)   –       25,000       (20,087 )
    Interest expense   3,900,000       4,125,000       2,679,237  
    Interest income   (600,000 )     (650,000 )     (63,826 )
    (Gain) Loss on change in fair value of debt   –       150,000       (2,088,797 )
    Change in fair value of warrant liability   8,750,000       8,900,000       943,400  
    Realized & Unrealized (gain) on investments   (450,000 )     (400,000 )     306,800  
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 14,000,000     $ 16,000,000     $ 10,796,499  
               

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Crunchtime Unveils AI Forecasting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Crunchtime, the leading provider of operations management solutions for the restaurant industry, today announced the availability of new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that enable restaurants to forecast their sales with even greater accuracy. By incorporating a custom-built machine learning algorithm into Crunchtime’s already powerful forecasting engine, the AI forecast provides restaurant teams with a new tool to more accurately predict customer demand.

    Even for a seasoned general manager, forecasting sales is difficult. This wreaks havoc on a restaurant’s profitability and creates a variety of costly operational issues related to inventory, waste, and staff scheduling.

    Over the past 12 months, Crunchtime has worked closely with customers to test, refine and improve its existing industry-leading forecast engine with the addition of AI forecasting capabilities. Early results have been promising with restaurants seeing an increase in forecast accuracy by up to 27% at different store locations during testing.

    “The restaurant landscape has become too competitive for managers to spend all their time in the back office using guesswork to forecast sales, order food, and schedule staff,” said John Raguin, CEO of Crunchtime. “By automating this time-consuming process with AI we’re delivering even better results. At one store location, the AI forecast was within 13 cents of actual sales, and the algorithm is only going to improve over time as more data is processed.”

    Crunchtime’s AI applies rigorous data science and analyzes a vast amount of a restaurant’s historical data to create a more accurate prediction of the store’s future sales, expected guest counts, and anticipated number of checks.

    Forecast data is integrated throughout the Crunchtime platform, as it drives critical recommendations for managers on the ideal number of hours to schedule labor, how much food to prep throughout the day, and how much food to order from vendors.

    “As an industry leader in forecasting, our focus is ensuring that restaurants have high-quality data, at the right time, for the right people, so restaurant teams can always make the best possible decisions about their food and labor operations,” said Erik Cox, VP of Product Management for Crunchtime. “AI forecasting is the first of many exciting applications of AI that our team will deliver to help restaurants and their teams thrive.”

    Crunchtime’s AI forecasting is included in both the Inventory Management and Labor & Scheduling solutions.

    To learn more about Crunchtime AI forecasting, visit https://www.crunchtime.com/ai-forecasting.

    About Crunchtime
    Crunchtime is how the world’s top restaurant brands achieve ops excellence in every location. Our software is used in over 150,000 locations in 100+ countries to manage inventory, staff scheduling, learning and development, food safety, operational tasks, and audits. Crunchtime enables customers, including Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, Domino’s, Dunkin’, Five Guys, and P.F. Chang’s, to control food and labor costs and deliver great experiences. For more information, visit crunchtime.com.

    Media Contact:

    Cindy Poulos
    Vice President of Marketing Communications
    cindypoulos@crunchtime.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ManTech Earns FinOps Foundation’s FinOps Service Provider Certification

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HERNDON, Va., Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ManTech, a premier provider of AI and mission-focused technology solutions, is now a FinOps Foundation FinOps Certified Service Provider. FinOps, a combination of “Finance” and “DevOps,” is an operational framework and cultural practice which maximizes the business value of cloud, enables timely data-driven decision making, and creates financial accountability through collaboration between engineering, finance, and business teams.

    “This certification milestone underscores our commitment to helping public sector clients align their cloud spend with mission outcomes,” said Stephen Deitz, President of ManTech’s Federal Civilian Sector. “We are proud to put the global seal of approval on our capabilities as a FinOps Certified Service Provider.”

    By obtaining this certification, ManTech has demonstrated its professional services are aligned to the FinOps Framework. Through a team of highly-talented FinOps practitioners, engineers, analysts and professionals, ManTech enables its clients to build their FinOps Capabilities and adopt FinOps best practices to maximize the value of cloud services. These skilled specialists possess a deep understanding of FinOps, its domain areas and its application to enhance cloud operations proficiently, economically and at speed.

    This signature achievement follows ManTech joining the FinOps Foundation as a Premier Member with Mr. Deitz serving on the FinOps Foundation’s Governing Board.

    About ManTech
    ManTech provides mission-focused technology solutions and services for U.S. Defense, Intelligence and Federal Civilian agencies. In business for more than 55 years, we are a leading provider of AI solutions that power full-spectrum cyber, data collection & analytics, enterprise IT, high-end engineering and software application development solutions that support national and homeland security. Additional information on ManTech can be found at http://www.mantech.com.

    Media Contact:
    Jim Crawford
    ManTech
    Executive Director, External Communications
    (M) 703-498-7315
    James.Crawford2@ManTech.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/830329b9-44c6-4379-a8d9-74f68540fc7c

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nukkleus Announces Reverse Stock Split Shares Will Begin Trading on a Split-Adjusted Basis on October 24, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Jersey City, New Jersey, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nukkleus, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUKK), a FinTech and financial services company, today announced that it will effect a 1-for-8 reverse split of the issued shares of its common stock, effective at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on October 24, 2024. The Company’s common stock will begin trading on a reverse stock split-adjusted basis at the opening of the market on Thursday, October 24, 2024. Following the reverse stock split, the Company’s common stock will continue to trade on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “NUKK” with the new CUSIP number 67054R203.

    Nukkleus is implementing the reverse stock split with the objective of regaining compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market. The Company has until November 4, 2024 to demonstrate compliance with this requirement. To demonstrate compliance, the closing bid price of Nukkleus’ common stock must be at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days. The Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to effect the reverse stock split.

    As a result of the reverse stock split, every eight (8) shares of the Company’s common stock issued and outstanding or held by the Company in treasury stock will automatically be combined and reclassified into one share of common stock. No fractional shares will be issued as a result of the reverse stock split. Stockholders who would otherwise be entitled to receive a fractional share will receive an additional fraction of a share of common stock to round up to the next whole share. The reverse stock split will affect all stockholders uniformly and will not alter any stockholder’s percentage ownership interest or any stockholder’s proportionate voting power, except for immaterial adjustments that may result from the treatment of fractional shares. There will be no change in the number of authorized shares of common stock or the par value per share of the common stock as a result of the reverse stock split.  Separately, at the annual meeting held on October 11, 2024, the Company’s shareholders voted to increase the authorized shares of common stock from 40 million to 150 million. 

    The reverse stock split will reduce the number of issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock from approximately 16.9 million shares to approximately 2.1 million shares.

    The number of shares available for issuance under the Company’s equity incentive plans and the number of shares issuable pursuant to each outstanding equity award immediately prior to the reverse stock split will be reduced proportionately at the same ratio as the reverse stock split, and the exercise price for each outstanding stock option will be increased in inverse proportion to the reverse stock split ratio.

    The combination of, and reduction in, the issued shares of common stock as a result of the reverse stock split will occur automatically at the effective time of the reverse stock split without any additional action on the part of the Company’s stockholders. The Company’s transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“Continental”), is acting as the exchange agent for the reverse stock split and will provide instructions to stockholders of record holding shares in certificated form regarding the process for exchanging their stock certificates. In addition, Continental will send stockholders of record holding their shares electronically in book-entry form a transaction statement indicating the number of shares of common stock such stockholders hold after the reverse stock split. Stockholders who hold their shares through a broker, bank, or other nominee will have their positions adjusted to reflect the reverse stock split, subject to their broker, bank, or other nominee’s particular processes, and will not be required to take any action in connection with the reverse stock split.

    Additional information regarding the reverse stock split can be found in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the special meeting of stockholders of the Company held on October 11, 2024, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on September 30, 2024, a copy of which is available at http://www.sec.gov and on the Company’s website.

    About Nukkleus, Inc.

    Nukkleus, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUKK) is a FinTech company. For more information, please visit https://www.nukk.com. 

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of federal securities laws. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “will,” “would,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “objective,” or comparable terminology referencing future events, conditions or circumstances, or the negative of such terms. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements about the results, timing and completion of the reverse stock split and the potential effect of the reverse stock split on the Company’s ability to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Global Market. Although Nukkleus believes that it has a reasonable basis for the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, they are based on management’s current beliefs and expectations about future events and circumstances and are subject to risks and uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. These risk factors include, without limitation, the risk that the Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation may not be timely submitted to or processed for filing by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, the risk that The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC may not process the reverse stock split on the expected timeline, the potential for Nasdaq to halt trading in the Company’s common stock, and the risk that after the reverse stock split the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock is not at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days. These and other risk factors described under “Risk Factors” in Nukkleus’ most recently filed annual report on Form 10-K, as updated from time to time in Fluent’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements in this press release. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they were made. Nukkleus undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this press release to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date of this press release, except as required by law.

    Contact Information: 

    Investor Relations
    Nukkleus, Inc.
    m@nukk.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Onfolio Holdings Inc. Acquires Eastern Standard Business

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Onfolio Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: ONFO, ONFOW) (the “Company” or “Onfolio”), a company that acquires and manages a diversified portfolio of online businesses, today announced that it has successfully completed the previously disclosed transaction to acquire the majority interest in the assets of Eastern Standard, LLC.

    Eastern Standard provides clients with digital marketing services including integrated branding, and digital customer experiences. Their past client roster includes Neil de Grass Tyson, and Cornell Law, among others.

    For the fiscal year ended 12/31/2023, Eastern Standard generated approximately $4,000,000 in revenue and $630,000 in unaudited adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”).

    Onfolio purchased 70% of Eastern Standard for a total of $1,660,000, through the issuance of $410,000 of Series A Preferred Shares and two secured promissory notes totaling $1,250,000. The acquisition was completed without Onfolio Holdings paying any upfront cash or issuing any common shares, and the Series A Preferred Shares and secured promissory notes issued by Onfolio are not convertible into Onfolio common shares.

    Onfolio’s Special Purpose Vehicles “Onfolio Agency SPV LLC” and “Onfolio Agency SPV 2, LLC,” paid a combined $500,000 for a 20% interest in the Eastern Standard business.

    “We continue to maintain an active pipeline of profitable companies we can acquire and expect that our Special Purpose Vehicle model, along with our non-convertible Series A Preferred Shares, will continue to play an important part of our future acquisitions,” commented Onfolio CEO Dominic Wells.

    A Form 8-K relating to the Eastern Standard  transaction was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 22, 2024 and is available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

    About Eastern Standard

    Eastern Standard, a Philadelphia-based combined web and branding agency since 2014, was created to help clients navigate the creation of integrated branding and digital customer experiences. Using a data-first approach, Eastern Standard blends strategy, creativity, and technology to drive end-to-end brand and digital transformation. Visit http://www.EasternStandard.com to learn more.

    About Onfolio Holdings

    Onfolio acquires and manages a diversified portfolio of online businesses. Onfolio acquires business that meet its investment criteria, being that such businesses operate in sectors with long-term growth opportunities, have positive and stable cash flows, face minimal threats of technological or competitive obsolescence and can be managed by our existing team or have strong management teams largely in place. The Company excels at finding acquisition opportunities where the seller has not fully optimized their business, and Onfolio’s experience and skillset allows it to add increased value to these existing businesses. Visit www.onfolio.com for more information.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “plans,” “explores,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “continues,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing new customer offerings, changes in customer order patterns, changes in customer offering mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, delays due to issues with outsourced service providers, those events and factors described by us under the caption “Risk Factors” included in our SEC filings and other risks to which our Company is subject, and various other factors beyond the Company’s control.

    Investor Contact

    investors@onfolio.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Dominion Lending Centres Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Release Date

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dominion Lending Centres Inc. (TSX:DLCG) (“DLCG” or the “Corporation”) is pleased to announce that it will release its third quarter financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, on November 5, 2024, after the market close.

    About Dominion Lending Centres Inc.

    Dominion Lending Centres Inc. is Canada’s leading network of mortgage professionals. DLCG operates through Dominion Lending Centres Inc. and its three main subsidiaries, MCC Mortgage Centre Canada Inc., MA Mortgage Architects Inc. and Newton Connectivity Systems Inc., and has operations across Canada. DLCG extensive network includes over 8,500 agents and over 500 locations. Headquartered in British Columbia, DLC was founded in 2006 by Gary Mauris and Chris Kayat.

    DLCG can be found on X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and LinkedIn @DLCGmortgage and on the web at http://www.dlcg.ca.

    Contact information for the Corporation is as follows:

    Eddy Cocciollo
    President
    647-403-7320
    eddy@dlc.ca    		 James Bell
    EVP, Corporate and Chief Legal Officer
    403-560-0821
    jbell@dlcg.ca
       

    NEITHER THE TSX EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: American Medical Association Approves Groundbreaking New CPT Codes for Totally Implantable Active Middle Ear Hearing Implants Opening New Opportunities for Envoy Medical’s Esteem® Device

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The Esteem® device is the only totally implantable active middle ear implant with FDA Approval, allowing the Company to be the first to capitalize on the new codes

    WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minnesota, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Envoy Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: COCH), a market leader in fully implanted hearing devices, today announced that the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel has approved five Category III CPT codes for totally implantable active middle ear implants (AMEI), a crucial development for the Company’s already FDA-approved Esteem® product.

    This marks the first time that there will be CPT codes for totally implantable active middle ear hearing implants like the Esteem® device. The previous lack of CPT codes effectively limited market adoption of and prevented access to these groundbreaking, fully implanted hearing devices. With a new set of CPT codes, a path to reimbursement for the breakthrough Esteem® Fully Implanted Active Middle Ear Implant (FI-AMEI) may begin to take shape.

    CPT codes are used by healthcare professionals and insurers to identify, track, and pay for medical services and procedures. If a medical service or procedure does not have coding, insurance reimbursement can be challenging.

    “Today’s announcement is a seminal moment for Envoy Medical and one that we will work to capitalize on for patients suffering with hearing loss who want access to groundbreaking technologies,” said Brent Lucas, CEO of Envoy Medical, “We have a breakthrough hearing device in our Esteem® fully implanted active middle ear implant. We know it is a device more people with hearing loss want to pursue. Today brings us one step closer to altering the hearing healthcare landscape by providing hearing loss patients with another viable solution.”

    Category III CPT codes are temporary codes for emerging technologies, services, and procedures. The inclusion of a descriptor and its associated code number in the CPT code set does not represent endorsement by the American Medical Association of any particular diagnostic or therapeutic procedure/service. Inclusion or exclusion of a procedure/service does not imply any health insurance coverage or reimbursement policy.

    “The Esteem® product is a viable hearing solution for the right candidate and we look forward to reinvigorating our efforts around this product now that the codes have been approved,” continued Lucas. “We have some exciting ideas about improvements to the Esteem® device and look forward to furthering our lead in fully implanted hearing technologies. We will continue to act as a disrupter and push the industry forward, which we believe will lead to more innovation and meaningful change.”

    Category III codes that were approved at the September 2024 meeting (found here) will be posted to the AMA CPT website by January 1, 2025 with an effective implementation date of July 1, 2025.

    About the Esteem® Fully Implanted Active Middle Ear Implant (FI-AMEI)

    The Esteem fully implanted active middle ear implant (FI-AMEI) is the only FDA-approved, fully implanted* hearing device for adults diagnosed with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss allowing for 24/7 hearing capability using the ear’s natural anatomy. The Esteem FI-AMEI hearing implant is invisible and requires no externally worn components and nothing is placed in the ear canal for it to function. Unlike hearing aids, you never put it on or take it off. You can’t lose it. You don’t clean it. The Esteem FI-AMEI hearing implant offers true 24/7 hearing.

    *Once activated, the external Esteem FI-AMEI Personal Programmer is not required for daily use.

    Important safety information for the Esteem FI-AMEI can be found at: https://www.envoymedical.com/safety-information.

    About the Fully Implanted Acclaim® Cochlear Implant

    We believe the fully implanted Acclaim Cochlear Implant (“Acclaim CI”) will be a first-of-its-kind fully implanted cochlear implant. Envoy Medical’s fully implanted technology includes a sensor designed to leverage the natural anatomy of the ear instead of a microphone to capture sound.

    The Acclaim CI is designed to address severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss that is not adequately addressed by hearing aids. The Acclaim CI is expected to be indicated for adults who have been deemed adequate candidates by a qualified physician.

    The Acclaim Cochlear Implant received the Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019. We believe the Acclaim CI was the first hearing-focused device to receive Breakthrough Device Designation.

    CAUTION The fully implanted Acclaim Cochlear Implant is an investigational device. Limited by Federal (or United States) law to investigational use.

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    Copies of the documents filed by Envoy Medical with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations of Envoy Medical concerning the outlook for its business, productivity, plans and goals for future operational improvements and capital investments; the future market trading performance of our Class A Common Stock; the future size of the market for our products; the performance and benefits of our products in comparison to competitor products; the benefits of intellectual property developed by Envoy; the impact of CPT codes for active middle ear hearing devices on reimbursement for our on the hearing health market, reimbursement for the Esteem FI-AMEI device, the further development of the Esteem FI-AMEI device, and the Envoy Medical business; and future market conditions or economic performance, as well as any information concerning possible or assumed future operations of Envoy Medical. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Envoy Medical’s current views about future events and are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that may cause its actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Envoy Medical does not guarantee that the events described will happen as described (or that they will happen at all). These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to changes in the market price of shares of Envoy Medical’s Class A Common Stock; changes in or removal of Envoy Medical’s shares inclusion in any index; Envoy Medical’s success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, its officers, key employees or directors; unpredictability in the medical device industry, the regulatory process to approve medical devices, and the clinical development process of Envoy Medical products; competition in the medical device industry, and the failure to introduce new products and services in a timely manner or at competitive prices to compete successfully against competitors; disruptions in relationships with Envoy Medical’s suppliers, or disruptions in Envoy Medical’s own production capabilities for some of the key components and materials of its products; changes in the need for capital and the availability of financing and capital to fund these needs; changes in interest rates or rates of inflation; legal, regulatory and other proceedings could be costly and time-consuming to defend; changes in applicable laws or regulations, or the application thereof on Envoy Medical; a loss of any of Envoy Medical’s key intellectual property rights or failure to adequately protect intellectual property rights; the effects of catastrophic events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements” in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Envoy Medical on April 1, 2024, and in other reports Envoy Medical files, with the SEC. If any of these risks materialize or Envoy Medical’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. While forward-looking statements reflect Envoy Medical’s good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. Envoy Medical disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes after the date of this press release, except as required by applicable law. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based only on information currently available to Envoy Medical. 

    ###

    Investor Contact:
    CORE IR
    516-222-2560
    investorrelations@envoymedical.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc. Reports Third Quarter Net Earnings

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Third Quarter 2024 Highlights:

    • Return on Assets (annualized) improved to 0.71%, compared to 0.58% in 3Q 2023
    • Net interest margin (tax-equivalent) of 3.05%, compared to 2.73% in 3Q 2023
    • Net interest income (tax-equivalent) was $6.8 million, an increase of 7% compared to 3Q 2023
    • Average loans were $571.7 million, an increase of 8% compared to 3Q 2023
    • Loan to deposit ratio increased to 62.7% at period end from 56.6% at September 30, 2023
    • Tangible common equity (“TCE”) to total assets improved to 8.52%, compared to 5.96% at September 30, 2023

    AUBURN, Ala., Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc. (Nasdaq: AUBN) reported net earnings of $1.7 million, or $0.50 per share, for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $1.7 million, or $0.50 per share, for the second quarter of 2024, and $1.5 million, or $0.43 per share, for the third quarter of 2023. Net earnings were $4.8 million, or $1.38 per share, for the first nine months of 2024, compared to $5.4 million, or $1.54 per share, for the first nine months of 2023.

    “Our third quarter and year to date results benefited from the balance sheet repositioning we completed in the fourth quarter of 2023. This, combined with loan growth during 2024, have improved the Company’s net interest income and margin in the third quarter when compared to the same quarter last year,” said David A. Hedges, President and CEO. “Along with improvements in our balance sheet, we continue to look for opportunities to grow and increase our efficiency. After careful consideration of our customers and the close proximity to our other locations in Auburn, we are closing our Corner Village branch by year end, which should provide additional cost savings beginning in 2025,” continued Mr. Hedges.

    Net interest income (tax-equivalent) was $6.8 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $6.7 million in the second quarter of 2024, and $6.4 million in the third quarter of 2023.

    Net interest margin (tax-equivalent) was 3.05% in the third quarter of 2024, compared to 3.06% in the second quarter of 2024, and 2.73% in the third quarter of 2023. The increase compared to the third quarter of 2023 was primarily due to loan growth, a more favorable asset mix, and improvements in our yield on interest-earning assets, which outpaced increases in the cost of our interest-bearing deposits. Average loans for the third quarter of 2024 were $571.7 million, an increase of 8% from the third quarter of 2023.

    Mr. Hedges continued, “Although we experienced solid loan growth compared to the same time last year, we had approximately $14.9 million in loan payoffs during the latest quarter related to one borrowing relationship. The proceeds from the loan payoffs allowed us to repay $15.0 million of high-cost non-core funding.”

    Nonperforming assets were $0.8 million, or 0.08% of total assets, at September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, respectively, compared to $1.2 million, or 0.12% of total assets, at September 30, 2023.

    The Company recorded a negative provision for credit losses of $0.1 million in both the third and second quarters of 2024, compared to a provision for credit losses of $0.1 million in the third quarter of 2023. In the most recent quarter, the payoff of one loan relationship contributed to the negative provision.

    At September 30, 2024, the Company’s allowance for credit losses was $6.9 million, or 1.22% of total loans, compared to $7.1 million, or 1.24% of total loans, at June 30, 2024, and $6.8 million, or 1.24% of total loans, at September 30, 2023.

    Noninterest income was $0.8 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $0.9 million for the second quarter of 2024, and $0.9 million in the third quarter of 2023.

    Noninterest expense was $5.5 million for each of the third and second quarters of 2024, and $5.4 million the third quarter of 2023. The increase from the third quarter of 2023 was primarily related to an increase in salaries and benefits, partially offset by decreases in net occupancy and equipment expense and other noninterest expense.

    Total assets were $990.1 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $1.0 billion at June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023, respectively. Loans, net of unearned income were $565.7 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $578.1 million at June 30, 2024 and $545.6 million at September 30, 2023. The decrease in loans, compared to June 30, 2024, was primarily related to the payoff of the $14.9 million relationship in the latest quarter. The increase in loans since September 30, 2023 primarily reflects growth in the commercial real estate and construction and land development loan categories. Total deposits were $901.7 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $946.4 million at June 30, 2024, and $964.6 million at September 30, 2023. The decrease in deposits compared to June 30, 2024 was primarily related to an increase in reciprocal customer deposits sold through Intrafi’s one-way sell program and the repayment of $15.0 million in time deposits held by the State of Alabama. At September 30, 2024 the Company sold $37.8 million of reciprocal deposits, compared to none at June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023.

    At September 30, 2024, the Company’s consolidated stockholders’ equity (book value) was $84.3 million or $24.14 per share, compared to $75.2 million, or $21.53 per share, at June 30, 2024, and $61.5 million, or $17.59 per share, at September 30, 2023. The increase from June 30, 2024 was primarily driven by other comprehensive income of $8.3 million due to lower market interest rates that led to a decrease in unrealized losses on securities available-for-sale, net of tax, plus net earnings of $1.7 million. These increases in stockholders’ equity were partially offset by cash dividends paid of $0.9 million. Unrealized losses do not affect the Bank’s capital for regulatory capital purposes.

    The Company’s tangible common equity (“TCE”) ratio or total equity to total assets ratio was 8.52% at September 30, 2024, compared to 7.34% at June 30, 2024, and 5.96% at September 30, 2023. The TCE ratio increased compared to June 30, 2024 primarily due to increases in the fair value of the Company’s available-for-sale securities and a smaller balance sheet. All of the Company’s marketable securities are classified as available-for-sale. Therefore, any changes in the fair value of the Company’s securities portfolio are reflected in total equity, net of tax, under generally accepted accounting principles.

    The Company paid cash dividends of $0.27 per share in the third quarter of 2024. At September 30, 2024, the Bank’s regulatory capital ratios were well above the minimum amounts required to be “well capitalized” under current regulatory standards.

    About Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc.

    Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc. (the “Company”) is the parent company of AuburnBank (the “Bank”), with total assets of approximately $990.1 million. The Bank is an Alabama state-chartered bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System, which has operated continuously since 1907. Both the Company and the Bank are headquartered in Auburn, Alabama. The Bank conducts its business in East Alabama, including Lee County and surrounding areas. The Bank currently operates eight full-service branches in Auburn, Opelika, Valley, and Notasulga, Alabama. The Bank also operates a loan production office in Phenix City, Alabama. Additional information about the Company and the Bank may be found by visiting http://www.auburnbank.com.

    Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, without limitation, statements about future financial and operating results, costs and revenues, the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related government, Federal Reserve monetary and regulatory actions, including the remaining effects of pandemic-related economic stimulus and economic conditions generally and in our markets, loan demand, mortgage lending activity, changes in the mix of our earning assets (including those generating tax exempt income or tax credits) and our mix and cost of deposits and wholesale liabilities, net interest income and margin, yields on earning assets, the market values and performance of securities held, effects of inflation, including Federal Reserve monetary policies which were tightened in response to inflation beginning in 2022 through increases in the target federal funds rate and reductions in the Federal Reserve’s Treasury and mortgage-backed securities holdings, and more recent changes to increase reinvestment of maturing Treasury securities beginning in June 2024 and a mid-September 2024 reduction in the target federal funds rate by 50 basis points to 4.75-5.00%, interest rates (generally and those applicable to our assets and liabilities) and changes in our asset values, especially investment securities, as a result of monetary policies and interest rate changes, noninterest income, loan performance, loan deferrals and modifications, nonperforming assets, other real estate owned, provision for credit losses, including the continuing effects of the application of the new CECL accounting standard adopted on January 1, 2023 and our CECL models, including possible adjustments to the fair values of securities available for sale in lieu of other-than-temporary impairments, charge-offs, collateral values, credit quality, asset sales, insurance claims, and market trends, as well as statements with respect to our objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

    Forward-looking statements, with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause the actual results, performance, achievements, or financial condition of the Company or the Bank to be materially different from future results, performance, achievements, or financial condition expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You should not expect us to update any forward-looking statements.

    All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, together with those risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and otherwise in our other SEC reports and filings.

    Explanation of Certain Unaudited Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This press release contains financial information determined by methods other than U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The attached financial highlights include certain designated net interest income amounts presented on a tax-equivalent basis, a non-GAAP financial measure, and the presentation and calculation of the efficiency ratio, a non-GAAP measure. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in its analysis of the Company’s performance and believes the presentation of net interest income on a tax-equivalent basis provides comparability of net interest income from both taxable and tax-exempt sources and facilitates comparability within the industry. Similarly, the efficiency ratio is a common measure that facilitates comparability with other financial institutions. Although the Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures enhance investors’ understanding of its business and performance, these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered an alternative to GAAP. Along with the attached financial highlights, the Company provides reconciliations between the GAAP financial measures and these non-GAAP financial measures.

    For additional information, contact:
    David A. Hedges
    President and CEO
    (334) 821-9200

    Financial Highlights (unaudited)

                      
         Quarters Ended   Nine months ended
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)   September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023   September 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    Results of Operations                                  
    Net interest income (a) $ 6,811     $ 6,728     $ 6,380     $ 20,216     $ 20,591  
    Less: tax-equivalent adjustment   21       19       108       60       322  
      Net interest income (GAAP)   6,790       6,709       6,272       20,156       20,269  
    Noninterest income   846       896       865       2,629       2,448  
      Total revenue   7,636       7,605       7,137       22,785       22,717  
    Provision for credit losses   (127 )     (123 )      105       84       (191 )
    Noninterest expense   5,500       5,519       5,362       16,694       16,791  
    Income tax expense   531       475       182       1,170       737  
    Net earnings $ 1,732     $ 1,734     $ 1,488     $ 4,837     $ 5,380  
                                             
    Per share data:                                  
    Basic and diluted net earnings: $ 0.50     $ 0.50     $ 0.43     $ 1.38     $ 1.54  
    Cash dividends declared $ 0.27     $ 0.27     $ 0.27     $ 0.81     $ 0.81  
    Weighted average shares outstanding:                                  
      Basic and diluted   3,493,699       3,493,699       3,496,411       3,493,687       3,499,518  
    Shares outstanding, at period end   3,493,699       3,493,699       3,493,614       3,493,699       3,493,614  
    Book value $ 24.14     $ 21.53     $ 17.59     $ 24.14     $ 17.59  
    Common stock price:                                  
      High $ 24.35     $ 19.25     $ 22.80     $ 24.35     $ 24.50  
      Low   17.50       16.63       20.85       16.63       18.80  
      Period-end:   22.90       18.29       21.50       22.90       21.50  
        To earnings ratio (c)   91.60  x     101.61 x     7.65 x     91.60 x     7.65  
        To book value   95  %     85 %     122 %     95 %     122  
    Performance ratios:                                  
    Return on average equity (annualized)   9.10  %     9.63 %     8.59 %     8.59 %     10.15  
    Return on average assets (annualized)   0.71  %     0.71 %     0.58 %     0.66 %     0.70  
    Dividend payout ratio   54.00  %     54.00 %     62.79 %     58.70 %     52.60  
    Other financial data:                                  
    Net interest margin (a)   3.05  %     3.06 %     2.73 %     3.05 %     2.97  
    Effective income tax rate   23.46  %     21.50 %     10.90 %     19.48 %     12.05  
    Efficiency ratio (b)   71.83  %     72.39 %     74.01 %     73.08 %     72.88  
    Asset Quality:                                  
    Nonperforming assets:                                  
      Nonperforming (nonaccrual) loans $ 775     $ 794     $ 1,213     $ 775     $ 1,213  
        Total nonperforming assets $ 775     $ 794     $ 1,213     $ 775     $ 1,213  
                                             
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) $ 60     $ 9     $ 14     $ 2     $ (127 )
                                             
    Allowance for credit losses as a % of:                                  
      Loans   1.22  %     1.24 %     1.24 %     1.22 %     1.24  
      Nonperforming loans   887  %     899 %     559 %     887 %     559  
    Nonperforming assets as a % of:                                  
      Loans and other real estate owned   0.14  %     0.14 %     0.22 %     0.14 %     0.22  
      Total assets   0.08  %     0.08 %     0.12 %     0.08 %     0.12  
    Nonperforming loans                                  
      as a % of total loans   0.14  %     0.14 %     0.22 %     0.14 %     0.22  
    Annualized net charge-offs (recoveries)                                  
       as a % of average loans   0.04  %     0.01 %     0.01 %     —  %     (0.03 )
    Selected average balances:                                  
    Securities $ 251,723     $ 258,228     $ 390,772     $ 259,158     $ 398,751  
    Loans, net of unearned income   571,651       573,443       529,382       568,628       514,635  
    Total assets   982,656       978,107       1,020,980       979,243       1,022,257  
    Total deposits   904,860       900,673       942,533       900,876       944,471  
    Total stockholders’ equity $ 76,113     $ 72,059     $ 69,269     $ 75,044     $ 70,659  
    Selected period end balances:                                  
    Securities $ 258,285     $ 254,359     $ 373,286     $ 258,285     $ 373,286  
    Loans, net of unearned income   565,699       578,068       545,610       565,699       545,610  
    Allowance for credit losses   6,876       7,142       6,778       6,876       6,778  
    Total assets   990,143       1,025,054       1,030,724       990,143       1,030,724  
    Total deposits   901,724       946,405       964,602       901,724       964,602  
    Total stockholders’ equity $ 84,336     $ 75,209     $ 61,451     $ 84,336     $ 61,451  
                                             
    (a) Tax equivalent. See “Explanation of Certain Unaudited Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of GAAP
      to non-GAAP Measures (unaudited).”
    (b) Efficiency ratio is the result of noninterest expense divided by the sum of noninterest income and tax-equivalent
      net interest income. See “Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Measures (unaudited)” below.
    (c) Calculated by dividing period end share price by earnings per share for the previous four quarters.
     
     

    Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Measures (unaudited):

                 
        Quarters Ended   Nine months ended
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)   September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023     September 30, 2024   September 30, 2023  
    Net interest income, as reported (GAAP) $ 6,790   $ 6,709   $ 6,272   $ 20,156   $ 20,269  
    Tax-equivalent adjustment   21     19     108     60     322  
    Net interest income (tax-equivalent) $ 6,811   $ 6,728   $ 6,380   $ 20,216   $ 20,591  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: KLAS Research Recognizes Proscia For Improving Patient Outcomes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Proscia®, a global leader in AI-enabled pathology solutions for precision medicine, was named to KLAS Research’s 2024 Emerging Solutions Top 20 list of technologies best positioned to impact the Quadruple Aim of Healthcare. Its Concentriq® software platform was selected by healthcare leaders across the United States for improving patient outcomes. Awardees were celebrated at the HLTH USA event in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    “The 2024 Emerging Solutions Top 20 winners are truly disrupting the market with their innovative solutions,” said Adam Gale, CEO of KLAS. “These companies are demonstrating exceptional creativity and effectiveness in taking on some of healthcare’s biggest challenges. In many cases, they are not just keeping pace with the rapid changes in technology; they are setting the standard for excellence and driving the industry forward. We are excited to see how these solutions will continue to evolve and impact the healthcare industry.”

    KLAS enlisted 49 healthcare leaders to rank emerging solutions based on their potential to impact each arm of the Quadruple Aim: improve outcomes, reduce the cost of care, improve patient experiences, and improve clinician experiences. The top 5 solutions with the greatest potential to impact each arm were listed as winners. Among the hundreds of solutions KLAS evaluated, only those that customers scored an 85 or higher based on KLAS’ proprietary methodology in Spotlight or First Look reports were eligible.

    “Labs worldwide feel the impact of rising diagnostic burden and a shortage of pathologists. Slow processes and limited access to analog pathology data contribute to this burden,” said Eder Lagemann, Research Director at KLAS in the June 2024 Emerging Company Spotlight on Concentriq. “To help ease this burden, Proscia offers Concentriq, an enterprise pathology platform that allows organizations to digitize their labs and adopt AI applications that help deliver more efficient results.”

    KLAS’ Spotlight on Concentriq reveals the majority of Proscia’s customers surveyed saw immediate benefits, and all such customers achieved outcomes within 6 months of deploying it. Impacts cited include improving turnaround times, attracting more talent, laying the foundation to adopt a broad range of AI applications, and creating a real-world data archive for fueling research and development. Customers are also impressed with both the level of support they receive and Proscia’s pathology expertise. Working with a trusted partner that offers a world-class software platform has led 100% of Proscia’s customers surveyed to say they would buy again.

    “We are rewiring pathology with software and AI to fuel the fight against humanity’s most challenging diseases, like cancer,” said David West, Proscia’s CEO. “KLAS’ recognition underscores our commitment to giving pathologists the great software they deserve to benefit them and their patients.”

    Read the full 2024 KLAS Emerging Solutions Top 20 report here.

    About Proscia
    Proscia is a software company accelerating pathology’s transition to a digital, data-driven discipline and enabling AI to advance precision medicine. Its Concentriq enterprise pathology platform, precision medicine AI portfolio, and real-world data fuel the development and use of novel therapies and diagnostics to drive the fight against humanity’s most challenging diseases, like cancer. 14 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies and a global network of diagnostic laboratories rely on Proscia’s solutions each day. The company has FDA 510(k) clearance and was the first to secure CE-IVDR certification to advance digital pathology primary diagnosis in the European Union. For more information, visit proscia.com, and follow Proscia on LinkedIn and X.

    About KLAS
    KLAS has been providing accurate, honest, and impartial insights for the healthcare IT (HIT) industry since 1996. The KLAS mission is to improve the world’s healthcare by amplifying the voice of providers and payers. The scope of our research is constantly expanding to best fit market needs as technology becomes increasingly sophisticated. KLAS finds the hard-to-get HIT data by building strong relationships with our payer and provider friends in the industry. Follow KLAS on LinkedIn. Learn more at: klasresearch.com.

    Sydney Fenkell
    Head Of Marketing Communications
    215-816-3436
    sydney@proscia.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Asset Entities Inc. is Pleased to Announce that it has Received an Extension from Nasdaq to Regain Compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Asset Entities Inc. (“Asset Entities” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ASST), a provider of digital marketing and content delivery services across Discord and other social media platforms, and a Ternary Payment Platform company, today announced that it had been granted an extension until February 17, 2025, to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1).

    As previously disclosed, on August 21, 2024, the Company received a written notification from the staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that it is not in compliance with the minimum $2,500,000 stockholders’ equity requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1) for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market tier of Nasdaq. In accordance with Nasdaq rules, the Company was provided 45 calendar days, or until October 7, 2024, to submit a plan to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1).

    On October 7, 2024, Asset Entities presented a strategic plan to the Nasdaq staff detailing both immediate and long-term strategies to regain compliance with the requirements outlined in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). This comprehensive plan encompassed a series of decisive steps, including reducing operating costs and pursuing additional capital through various strategic financing options. The plan was crafted to meet Nasdaq’s immediate compliance requirements and to strengthen the Company’s overall financial position and operational efficiency.

    Following a recent submission of the Company’s plan to the Nasdaq staff, the Nasdaq staff issued an extension on October 17, 2024, granting Asset Entities until February 17, 2025, to demonstrate full compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b), which requires a minimum stockholders’ equity of $2,500,000.

    Asset Entities has taken steps to fully comply by aggressively working to improve its financial strength and operations. These efforts include ongoing cost reduction initiatives and raising additional capital for future acquisitions, including by utilizing its existing at-the-market offering, and expects to take further action so that Asset Entities can meet the $2,500,000 stockholders’ equity requirement by the February 17, 2025 deadline.

    Arshia Sarkhani, CEO of Asset Entities, stated: “We are encouraged by Nasdaq’s recognition of our efforts and the additional time granted to meet the equity requirement. Our team is committed to adhering to our plan and ensuring regulatory compliance. Our goal is to ensure that we can continue our expansion and further development of our Discord and social media services, and we are strongly encouraged by the significant increase in revenues over the last year, which we believe will continue to grow with the anticipated future acquisitions and new AE.360.DDM contracts.”

    To learn about Asset Entities, please go to http://www.assetentities.com. To learn about the Ternary payment platform, please go to http://www.ternarydev.com. To learn about Asset Entities 360 suite of discord services, go to http://www.ae360ddm.com and https://discord.gg/ae360ddm.  

    About Asset Entities Inc.

    Asset Entities Inc. is a technology company providing social media marketing, management, and content delivery across Discord, TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and other social media platforms. Asset Entities is believed to be the first publicly traded Company based on the Discord platform, where it hosts some of Discord’s largest social community-based education and entertainment servers. The Company’s AE.360.DDM suite of services is believed to be the first of its kind for the Design, Development, and Management of Discord community servers. Asset Entities’ initial AE.360.DDM customers have included businesses and celebrities. The Company also has its Ternary payment platform that is a Stripe-verified partner and CRM for Discord communities. The Company’s Social Influencer Network (SiN) service offers white-label marketing, content creation, content management, TikTok promotions, and TikTok consulting to clients in all industries and markets. The Company’s SiN influencers can increase the social media reach of client Discord servers and drives traffic to their businesses. Learn more at assetentities.com, and follow the Company on X at $ASST and @assetentities.

    Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. In addition, from time to time, representatives of the Company may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing. These forward-looking statements are based on expectations and projections about future events, which are derived from the information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or the Company’s future performance, including its financial performance and projections, growth in revenue and earnings, and business prospects and opportunities. Forward-looking statements can be identified by those statements that are not historical in nature, particularly those that use terminology such as “may,” “should,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “contemplates,” “estimates,” “believes,” “plans,” “projected,” “predicts,” “potential,” or “hopes” or the negative of these or similar terms. In evaluating these forward-looking statements, you should consider various factors including those that are described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s periodic reports which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These and other factors may cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are only predictions. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release, except in accordance with applicable law.

    Company Contacts:
    Arshia Sarkhani, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Michael Gaubert, Executive Chairman
    Asset Entities Inc.
    Tel +1 (214) 459-3117 
    Email Contact

    Investor Contact:
    Skyline Corporate Communications Group, LLC
    Scott Powell, President
    1177 Avenue of the Americas, 5th Floor
    New York, NY 10036
    Office: (646) 893-5835
    Email: info@skylineccg.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Endexx Corporation’s HYLA Division Partners With American Shaman, Expanding Distribution Across U.S. Locations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHOENIX, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Endexx Corporation (OTC: EDXC), a leading provider of plant-based wellness and lifestyle products, today announced a major new partnership between its HYLA™ division and American Shaman, a well-established wellness retailer based in Kansas City, Missouri. This partnership will introduce HYLA’s innovative no-nicotine vape products to 40 corporate-owned American Shaman locations, with the potential to expand into 300 stores nationwide.

    This collaboration is a key part of Endexx’s growth strategy as the HYLA division continues to secure distribution agreements across the U.S. The partnership with American Shaman is just one of many anticipated deals, positioning HYLA for significant expansion in the domestic market.

    HYLA’s Strategic Partnership with American Shaman

    HYLA’s no-nicotine, plant-based vape products will initially launch in 40 corporate-owned American Shaman locations as part of a tray display program, focusing on educating consumers about the benefits of nicotine-free alternatives. American Shaman, known for its commitment to customer education and high-quality wellness products, will play a crucial role in introducing HYLA’s products to a broader audience.

    “We are excited to partner with American Shaman,” said Brad Listermann, Interim CEO of Endexx Corporation. “Their store members are highly knowledgeable in consumer education, and we believe they will do an excellent job of helping customers understand the benefits of our HYLA products. This partnership marks another milestone in making HYLA’s no-nicotine products a household name.”

    A Promising Future for HYLA and Endexx

    HYLA continues to target a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 300% over the next three to five years. The collaboration with American Shaman is expected to accelerate product distribution and market penetration, with more partnerships on the horizon.

    Dustin Sullivan, VP of HYLA, added, “This is a great opportunity to introduce our all-natural, nicotine-free vape products to more U.S. consumers. With American Shaman’s strong retail presence and commitment to customer education, we are confident this partnership will fuel further growth.”

    About American Shaman

    American Shaman is a well-established leader in the wellness industry with over 360 locations across the United States. Founded by Vince Sanders in Kansas City, Missouri, the company has built a reputation for providing high-quality, fast-acting wellness solutions through advanced technology. With a dedicated team of experts, American Shaman continues to innovate and expand its reach, offering effective products that meet the diverse needs of customers

    About Endexx Corporation

    Endexx Corporation, through its operating divisions CBD Unlimited, Inc., and HYLA, develops and distributes all-natural, plant-based topical products, as well as non-nicotine vape products in the wellness and health market. HYLA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Endexx, offering a proprietary non-nicotine vape product, rapidly expanding its market share internationally through unique and all-natural botanical formulations. CBD Unlimited produces and distributes high-end CBD-based products derived from hemp, designed to address various health issues and promote wellness in humans and pets. Endexx has developed a wide distribution network that includes pharmacies, mass retailers, and e-commerce platforms.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those regarding the company’s expectations, intentions, strategies, and beliefs concerning future performance. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including uncertainties regarding economic conditions, customer acceptance of products, regulatory actions, competition, and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Contact:
    Endexx Corporation
    480-595-6900
    IR@Endexx.com
    http://www.endexx.com

    Partnership Opportunities
    To learn more about becoming a distribution partner with HYLA, visit: https://www.hyladistribution.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: East Preston — RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment charges two people with firearms offences

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment has charged two people with a number of offences following an incident in East Preston.

    On October 19, at approximately 11 a.m., RCMP officers responded to an assault and weapons complaint at a home on Upper Partridge River Rd.

    Upon arrival at the residence, officers arrested 34-year-old Andre Thomas of East Preston without incident. Officers later executed a search warrant at the home and seized six firearms, two of which were loaded.

    Thomas is facing several charges, including but not limited to:

    • Assault by Choking
    • Assault (three counts)
    • Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition (two counts)
    • Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm (six counts)
    • Unsafe Storage of a Firearm
    • Carrying a Concealed Weapon

    Thomas was remanded into custody and appeared in Dartmouth Provincial Court on October 21.

    A 35-year old woman was also arrested at the residence and will face firearms charges. She’s due to appear in Dartmouth Provincial Court on November 26.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gander — Gander RCMP investigates theft from Dominion in Gander, seeks public’s assistance

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    On August 29, Gander RCMP received a report of a theft from Dominion in Gander. Surveillance video showed a woman stealing a cart full of grocery items with a suspected value of more than $900.00.

    Local efforts by Gander RCMP to identify the suspect have been exhausted. A picture of the woman is attached and the investigation is continuing.

    Anyone with any information about the identity of the woman pictured is asked to call Gander RCMP at 709-256-6841. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit http://www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app. #SayItHere

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Fisheries and Oceans Canada announces the expansion of personal use licences to harvest seals in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Seal harvesting is an important and valuable activity for many Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. In Canada, it is managed in a sustainable, well-regulated, and humane way that supports Canada’s Indigenous, rural, remote, and coastal communities.

    October 22, 2024                     

    Ottawa, ON – Seal harvesting is an important and valuable activity for many Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. In Canada, it is managed in a sustainable, well-regulated, and humane way that supports Canada’s Indigenous, rural, remote, and coastal communities.

    In response to growing interest in participating in the seal harvest, today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced that personal use seal licences will be available to harvesters in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The focus of this harvest is harp and grey seals which DFO assesses to be in the healthy zone of the Department’s precautionary approach framework.

    Previously, DFO’s Commercial Fisheries Licensing Policy for Eastern Canada only allowed harvesters in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador to apply for personal use seal licences. In addition to expanding the personal use seal harvest into new provinces, amendments to the policy have also incorporated the long-standing practice of requiring harvesters to participate in humane harvesting information sessions.

    DFO intends to issue a limited number of new personal use licences for 2024, in order to pilot the activity in additional areas. Lessons learned from this pilot will inform next steps on personal use sealing within these jurisdictions. Under the conditions of licence, each personal use harvester will be able to harvest up to six harp and/or grey seals. The precise number of harvesters and harvest limits will be determined following further consultations with potential harvesters and provincial partners.

    DFO will work with provinces on options to further expand access to the personal use seal harvest next year.

    “The seal harvest is of great importance and value to many communities, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, as it meets fundamental needs such as food, culture, warmth, and economic independence. This is why I have always prioritized the issue of seals. It is essential to emphasize that this harvest is strictly regulated and monitored. With today’s announcement, the Government of Canada reaffirms its support for the seal harvest and for management decisions that are based on scientific advice, both in terms of conservation and on humane harvest practices.”

    The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: War and the supernatural: former Congolese soldiers recall the ritual practices used to prepare for battle

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Dostin Lakika, Research Associate, University of the Witwatersrand

    War takes a toll on soldiers’ bodies and minds. To prepare for battle, soldiers are taken through various forms of training. Part of this training aims to strip candidates of their civilian values and inculcate military culture.

    While armies have access to an array of contemporary strategies and weaponry during training, one element isn’t often discussed: the rituals incorporated in training and those performed before engaging in warfare.

    Rituals include the magico-religious practices performed for various purposes, such as seeking blessing, power or protection or even imbibing military customs. Rituals or ceremonies are believed to bestow specific abilities upon individuals and shape their behaviours.

    War rituals aren’t exclusive to Africa. Many armed forces all over the world perform them. A study of rituals in the American military, for instance, found that these ceremonies help soldiers cope with trauma, loss and moral challenges during conflict.

    As a scholar focused on the memories of war and violence experienced by former soldiers, I set out to study the role rituals play in shaping soldiers’ identities, preparation for war and coping with war’s realities in battle and after.

    My findings suggest that rituals can function as a source of strength for soldiers. They instil a sense of confidence and security, as initiates feel encompassed by supernatural power. Additionally, these rituals enhance team unity, and reinforce discipline and loyalty to commanding officers.

    My study highlights the integration of rituals into military tactics, and their influence on soldiers’ lives amid stress and uncertainty on the battlefield. I argue that while the effectiveness of an army relies on the quality of its training and equipment, rituals can significantly influence the mindset of combatants.

    The study

    I interviewed 21 former Congolese soldiers from the Zairean Armed Forces (now known as the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, following the country’s renaming in May 1997) to gather data on their military experiences. These respondents served as the primary sources of information regarding the use of rituals.

    A retrospective study like this raises concerns about potential memory lapses. Former soldiers reflecting on their army experiences may struggle to recall certain aspects due to the passage of time. However, research suggests that significant events are remembered more persistently, implying that military rituals can be recalled accurately.

    I chose soldiers from the Zairean Armed Forces for two reasons. First, many soldiers left the national army and fled the country to South Africa after Laurent-Desiré Kabila overthrew Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997. Secondly, despite being plagued by corruption and mismanagement, Mobutu’s army was widely regarded as disciplined and powerful.

    Consequently, participants were more willing to discuss their military experiences as former members of the national defence forces. The respondents are now living in various Johannesburg suburbs.

    The findings

    I analysed the data I collected to identify patterns and extract common themes. I found that rituals involved the perceived creation of material shields or the acquisition of supernatural powers. They were aimed at offering a sense of protection of the body. Rituals also provided a mystical dimension, notably through the ceremonial treatment of uniforms.

    The overarching aim of rituals was to disconnect soldiers from civilian life and cultivate a specific form of masculinity aligned with military objectives. This helped foster camaraderie, establish strong connections among troops and contributed to the maintenance of discipline.

    Respondents in my study said initiation rituals focused on training and indoctrination to build a military identity centred on sacrifice and endurance for the nation. Before recruits donned military uniforms, for instance, they underwent rituals to consecrate their bodies to the army. One respondent, Makemba, explained:

    A soldier is not afraid of death; a true soldier can’t be afraid of death, I tell you. Because you live with death, you eat with death, and you clothe death … military uniforms are taken to cemetery where they spend two or three days before you wear them to tell you that you are death’s friend; you are brother of those who are dead, and you and those who are dead are the same.

    This graveyard ritual symbolised the soldiers’ connection with the deceased and transformed their individual identities into a collective body.

    To reinforce discipline, respondents said, they were required to utter specific words before entering someone’s field as a form of confession and permission. This, they said, would shield soldiers from negative impulses, such as using belongings without consent. The DRC army has a notorious reputation for exploiting civilians to supplement meagre salaries. Observing discipline was, therefore, considered essential for personal protection and the success of military operations.

    Additionally, before being deployed for war, respondents said soldiers participated in various religious practices, and received blessings along with religious items. These magico-religious rituals served to provide a sense of protection from enemy attacks. These religious ceremonies, respondents said, provided a measure of solace and self-confidence before combat. As Lokole explained it:

    You know, before joining the army I was an athlete and already knew something about power and protection because I had to protect myself against my opponents. But I joined the army, I was given leopard’s bones and water in which the bones were kept. When I had to go to the battlefield, I washed my face, hands, and feet with that sacred water. The bones were strung together on a thread, which I was instructed to fasten around my waist. This was the source of power and protection for me, and I can tell you, I survived many deadly dangers because I had these powers.

    Respondents believed that these rituals proved effective while on the frontlines. In his account, Amani said:

    Many of our colleagues found themselves face to face with the enemy who fired them at point-blank range but the bullets only passed through the clothes they were wearing without touching them. They returned with military uniform pierced by bullets, but they themselves were unharmed. Rituals were very protective. We witnessed many cases like this.

    The effectiveness of these rituals, respondents believed, was contingent on strict adherence to them. Failure to do so, they said, could lead to fatalities. Soldiers also combined traditional beliefs with Christian faith to cope with battlefield challenges despite debates over the compatibility of these belief systems.

    Why it matters

    The data collected from former Congolese soldiers indicates that they believed their protection in battle was dependent on the quality of the weapons, as well as magico-religious resources. This indicates that rituals can play a key psychological role in preparing soldiers for war, fostering strength, cohesion and discipline. Their importance in the armed forces shouldn’t be underestimated.

    Dostin Lakika does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. War and the supernatural: former Congolese soldiers recall the ritual practices used to prepare for battle – https://theconversation.com/war-and-the-supernatural-former-congolese-soldiers-recall-the-ritual-practices-used-to-prepare-for-battle-239967

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: MSF resumes activities in Darien Gap

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Earlier this month, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) resumed activities at the Lajas Blancas migrant reception station in the province of Darién, in southern Panama. This comes after the authorities approved MSF teams to undertake a three-month medical response to help migrants crossing the Darién jungle, the only land route between South and North America, and the local community who have been affected by the crisis.

    “During the first two weeks of our activities, we saw that the health needs of those leaving the Darién jungle continue to be immense,” said Carlos Estrella, MSF project coordinator in Darién. “In 10 days, we carried out about 280 medical consultations in Lajas Blancas, including 72 patients with symptoms of mental distress.”

    MSF teams have also treated patients for diabetes, hypertension, and epilepsy, and provided contraceptives and consultations to pregnant women. The team has also seen and treated victims of sexual violence.

    Since 2022, MSF has witnessed the multiple health risks faced by people who cross the Darién Gap, the natural border between Colombia and Panama, on their way north to the United States and Canada. This has also had an impact on the local community, as health centres have been overwhelmed by the increase in consultations due to the high numbers of people in the area.

    Some 260,000 migrants have crossed the Darién so far this year, according to the latest figures released by the Panamanian migration authority.

    “This new collaboration will provide access to healthcare for people in extreme need,” Estrella said. “That is why we welcome this decision and are committed to continue working closely with the Panamanian Ministry of Health to provide comprehensive healthcare to people crossing the jungle and to the local community in the area.” 

    The MSF team in Darién includes doctors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers.

    Beyond Darién, MSF teams carry out medical and humanitarian activities to assist people on the move in different parts of the Americas, including in parts of Central America and Mexico. The teams constantly adapt to a changing migration route. Until the end of September 2024, MSF supported a response in Costa Rica focussed on migrants.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: TrueCommerce Unveils ReplenishAI™: an Industry-First, AI-Enhanced, Demand Planning and Replenishment Solution for Vendor Managed Inventory 

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PITTSBURGH, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TrueCommerce, a global provider of supply chain and trading partner connectivity, integration and omnichannel solutions, today announced the launch of ReplenishAI. This industry-first, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solution leverages AI algorithms to analyze historical sales and generate demand pattern clusters, equipping businesses with clearer insights into optimal replenishment strategies with unprecedented accuracy. 

    Identifying products that follow promotional or seasonal sales patterns is a very manual and time-consuming process—sometimes taking weeks or months. ReplenishAI dramatically shortens this timeline to hours, efficiently reviewing tens of thousands of items, identifying key demand trends, and predicting when inventory spikes will occur. The AI-driven data is seamlessly integrated into TrueCommerce’s VMI solution, delivering superior demand planning and replenishment optimization. For added confidence, the models are validated against historical data to ensure accuracy and reliability.

    The ReplenishAI solution leverages AI to analyze a company’s entire product portfolio, automatically grouping items into clusters based on their unique demand patterns. Some key processes of the solution include:

    • Data Standardization: Takes product-level demand data over time and standardizes it, ensuring consistency across different units of measure, whether the product is tracked by case, pallet, or other metrics. 
    • Demand Smoothing: Eliminates disruptive data spikes, making it easier to produce generalized, actionable insights for replenishment.
    • AI-Powered Clustering: Applies sophisticated algorithms to group products into distinct profiles based on yearly demand trends, unlocking more accurate, efficient replenishment strategies.

    “Driving innovation that addresses our customer needs is a strategic priority of our team, and ReplenishAI delivers on this strategy,” said TrueCommerce’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of VMI solutions, Lee Kimball. “This AI-driven solution reduces human effort and error while optimizing inventory levels throughout the seasons. With ReplenishAI, maximizing sales and minimizing residual inventory in support of seasonal and promotional demand becomes a reality for our customers. We’re excited to be leading the charge as the first mover in this space, demonstrating how advanced VMI technology can deliver even greater efficiency and impact than ever before.”

    For more information visit: https://www.truecommerce.com/solutions/vmi/.

    Connect with TrueCommerce

    About TrueCommerce

    At TrueCommerce, we empower businesses to improve their supply chain performance and drive better business outcomes. Through a single connection to our high-performance global supply chain network, businesses receive more than just EDI, they get access to a fully integrated network that connects their customers, suppliers, logistics partners and internal systems. Our cloud-based, fully managed services help businesses achieve end-to-end supply chain management, streamlined delivery, and simplified operations. With 25+ years of expertise and trusted partnership, TrueCommerce helps businesses reach their true supply chain potential today while preparing them for the future with our integration-agnostic network. That’s why thousands of companies—from SMBs to the global Fortune 100, across various industries—rely on us. To learn more, visit https://www.truecommerce.com.

    TrueCommerce and ReplinishAI are trademarks of True Commerce, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Stabilization Notice – BNP Paribas Pre Stab – Lion/Polaris (Picard)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    [22/10/2024]

    Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

    [Lion/Polaris Lux 4 SA]

    Pre-stabilisation Period Announcement

    BNP Paribas (contact: Stanford Hartman telephone: 0207 595 8222 hereby gives notice, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilisation Manager(s) named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation EU/2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU/596/2014).

    The securities:1  
    Issuer: LION/POLARIS Lux 4 SA
    Guarantor (if any): N/A
    Aggregate nominal amount: EUR 200,000,000
    Description: July 2029 FRN TAP
    Offer price: TBC
    Other offer terms:  
    Stabilisation:  
    Stabilisation Manager(s) BNP Paribas, HSBC
    Stabilisation period expected to start on: 22/10/2024
    Stabilisation period expected to end no later than: 6/12/2024
    Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over‑allotment facility: The Stabilisation Manager(s) may over‑allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law.
    Stabilisation trading venue: [Over the counter (OTC)] [insert venue name] [To be confirmed]

    In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over‑allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time. Any stabilisation action or over‑allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

    This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

    This announcement and the offer of the securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons outside the United Kingdom and persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters related to investments or who are high net worth persons within Article 12(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the United Kingdom.

    In addition, if and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, the UK or any EEA Member State before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in the UK or that Member State in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the “Prospectus  Regulation”) (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in the UK or that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in the UK or that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the UK or that Member State.

    This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [ECKOH PLC – 21 10 2024] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 ECKOH PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 21 OCTOBER 2024
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 10p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 20,473,326 7.0460    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 20,473,326 7.0460    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    10p ORDINARY SALE 151,565 42.415p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 22 OCTOBER 2024
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at http://www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Tuttle Capital Management Launches European Aerospace and Defense Industry ETF

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GREENWICH, Conn., Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via IBN — The Select STOXX Europe Aerospace & Defense ETF (the “Fund”) will start trading today. The Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the component securities of the STOXX® Europe Total Market Aerospace & Defense Index. The Fund will also invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in exchange listed common stock or ADRs of companies based (headquartered) in Europe who derive at least 50% of their revenue from the manufacture, service, supply and distribution of aeronautical equipment, components, hardware, software or electronic systems; and equipment, systems, components, infrastructure support services, and hardware, software and electronics that directly support civil and military defense efforts.

    Visit the Select STOXX Europe Aerospace & Defense ETF here: http://www.select-funds.com
      
    Matthew Tuttle, CEO of Tuttle Capital Management (“TCM”), said in a news release that “given the global state of tensions, and the possibility that the US may pull back from European security commitments, we think there could be an investment edge in these names”.

    About Tuttle Capital Management

    TCM believes it is an industry leader in offering thematic ETFs and first of their kind ETFs Please visit http://www.tuttlecap.com for more information about TCM.

    The STOXX Europe Total Market Aerospace & Defense Index is intellectual property (including registered trademarks) of STOXX Ltd., Zug, Switzerland (“STOXX”), Deutsche Börse Group or their licensors, which is used under license. The Select STOXX Europe Aerospace & Defense ETF is neither sponsored nor promoted, distributed, or in any other manner supported by STOXX, Deutsche Börse Group or their licensors, research partners or data providers and STOXX. Deutsche Börse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers do not give any warranty and exclude any liability (whether in negligence or otherwise) with respect thereto generally or specifically in relation to any errors, omissions, or interruptions in the STOXX Europe Total Market Aerospace & Defense Index or its data.

    An investor should consider the objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the Select STOXX Europe Aerospace & Defense ETF (the “Fund”) before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund. A copy of the prospectus is available above or by calling Shareholder Services at 1-800-773-3863. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing. Current and future holdings are subject to change and risk.

    An investment in the Fund is subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of some or the entire principal amount invested. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be successful in meeting its investment objective. Investment in the Fund is also subject to the following risks:

    Equity Securities Risk: Investments in equity securities may fluctuate in value response to many factors, including general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes.

    Non-Diversification Risk: The fund may invest a larger portion of its assets in a limited number of companies than a diversified fund. Because a relatively high percentage of the Fund’s assets may be invested in the securities of a limited number of companies that could be in the same or related economic sectors, the Fund’s portfolio may be more susceptible to any single economic, technological, or regulatory occurrence than the portfolio of a diversified fund.

    Aerospace and Defense Sector Risk: The aerospace and defense sectors can be significantly affected by government regulation and spending policies because companies involved in these sectors rely, to a significant extent, on government demand for their products and services. 

    Foreign Securities Risk: The Fund could be subject to greater risks because the Fund’s performance may depend on issues other than the performance of a particular company or U.S. market sector. Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a fund that invests exclusively in U.S. companies.

    Limited History of Operations Risk: The Fund has a limited history of operations. Accordingly, investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategy, may not employ a successful investment strategy, or may fail to attract sufficient assets under management to realize economies of scale, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders.

    Passive Investment Risk: The Fund is not actively managed and, therefore, would not sell an equity security due to current or projected underperformance of such security, industry, or sector, unless that security is removed from the Index.

    While the shares of the Fund are tradable on secondary markets, they may not readily trade in all market conditions and may trade at significant discounts in periods of market stress. ETFs trade more like stocks, are subject to investment risks, fluctuate in market value, and may trade at prices above or below the ETF’s net asset value. More information about these risks can be found in the Fund’s prospectus.

    The Select STOXX Europe Aerospace & Defense ETF is distributed by Capital Investment Group, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, 100 E. Six Forks Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609. There is no affiliation between Tuttle Capital Management, LLC, including their principals, and Capital Investment Group, Inc. RCSTOX1024001

    Contact:
    mtuttle@tuttlecap.com
    Wire Service Contact:
    IBN
    Los Angeles, California
    http://www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com
    310.299.1717 Office
    Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Employ Recruiter Nation Report 2024 Uncovers Data and Insights that Can Help Recruiters Prioritize a People-First Approach to Hiring

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DENVER, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Employ Inc., a leading provider of people-first recruiting and talent acquisition solutions including JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite and NXTThing RPO, today announced the release of the Employ Recruiter Nation Report 2024.

    The annual report, this year titled “Empowering People-First Recruiting,” leverages findings from a survey of more than 1,200 talent acquisition decision makers and recruiters in North America and proprietary recruiting data from 22,000+ Employ customers. The report provides key insights into the current state of talent acquisition, top challenges, and where future investments should be made to scale recruiting efforts and influence outcomes.

    The most significant challenges recruiters face today were shared by one-third of respondents: competition for talent from other employers (37 percent in 2024 versus 30 percent in 2023), not enough people to fill open positions (33 percent in 2024 versus 3 percent in 2023), and too many candidates applying for open positions (26 percent in 2024 versus 24 percent in 2023).

    TA decision-makers also indicated not being able to offer remote or hybrid work (22 percent), poor communication from candidates in the hiring process (21 percent), and not being able to compete on salary requirements (20 percent) as top challenges their companies face when hiring.

    “Businesses have responded to market challenges through strategic investments made to enhance hiring processes and focus on flexibility, scalability and speed,” said Steve Cox, CEO of Employ. “Employ data shows that 64 percent of businesses expect to increase their recruiting budgets in the next 12 months, with 64 percent of that group expected to increase investments in new recruitment technology processes specifically.”

    Cox added, “The challenge is not only finding candidates fast but also finding qualified candidates and meeting them where they are. Whether you’re exploring the use of AI or improving your reporting capabilities, putting candidates and their needs at the center of your hiring process will be critical. When choosing where to invest, look for a solution that solves current and evolving needs and also one that puts people first.”

    The report also revealed:

    • Time to fill roles has dropped by seven days (41 in 2024, down from 48 in 2023).
    • Forty-seven percent of TA leaders focused on a faster hiring process overall in 2024 compared to 42 percent in 2023, followed by incorporating AI-powered technologies, which made a 10 percent jump to 44 percent compared to 34 percent in 2023, and increasing salaries for new open jobs (41 percent in 2024 versus 40 percent in 2023).
    • Sixty-three percent of recruiters and TA decision-makers already use AI to augment their current recruitment technology, up from 58 percent last year. Similarly, 89 percent of this group are using AI frequently or very frequently—an increase of 7 percent from last year’s 82 percent.
    • To further support the traction AI-powered recruiting tools are gaining, 71 percent plan to increase their budgets in that area, up 12 percent from 2023. The next ranking area, candidate relationship management, came in at 46 percent, followed by applicant tracking systems (44 percent), diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (41 percent), and sourcing (40 percent).
    • Job boards increased as the most effective channel in growing employer brand in 2024, with a 12 percent increase over last year taking it to 67 percent. Social media also saw a relevant increase of 7 percent (up to 54 percent). Employee referrals and career websites tied for third at 35 percent, while internal hires fell 13 percent to 22 percent.
    • A growing number of organizations are expected to move to a 100 percent in-office model—34 percent in 2024 compared to 17 percent in 2023, bringing fully remote policies to 9 percent versus 27 percent last year.

    “Hearts and minds are won and lost in the acquisition process,” said Stephanie Manzelli, CHRO of Employ. “That’s why a people-first experience is so essential. Giving talent acquisition teams more time to focus on building employer brand and cultivating relationships with candidates will positively impact both short- and long-term business results.”

    To read more about additional challenges and opportunities for TA leaders and an outlook for 2025, download “Empowering People-First Recruiting” here.   

    To learn more about Employ Inc. and its solutions, please visit http://www.employinc.com.

    About Employ Inc.
    Employ Inc. provides people-first recruiting solutions that empower companies to overcome their greatest hiring challenges. Serving SMBs to global enterprises, Employ focuses on the unique recruiting needs of each organization — from foundational hiring to sophisticated talent acquisition. Employ is the only organization to offer companies choice in their hiring solutions, providing a curated set of recruiting technologies and services. Together, Employ and its solutions (JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite and NXTThing RPO) serve more than 22,000 customers across multiple industries. For more information, visit http://www.employinc.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – Learning Technologies Group Plc

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: Rathbones Group Plc
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		  
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 Learning Technologies Group Plc
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:  
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 21/10/2024
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 No

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 0.375p Ord
      Interests Short positions
      Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 30,648,547 3.86%    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        

            TOTAL:

    		 30,648,547 3.86%    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    0.375p Ordinary Shares Sale 3,312 92.9612p
    0.375p Ordinary Shares Sale 4,735 92.31p
    0.375p Ordinary Shares Sale 49,277 92.35p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
             

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
                   

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit
             

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    0.375p Ordinary Shares Internal transfer from Execution-Only to Discretionary account 8,570  
    0.375p Ordinary Shares Internal transfer from Execution-Only to Discretionary account 4,020  

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
    None

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
    None

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? No
    Date of disclosure: 22/10/2024
    Contact name: Chinwe Enyi – Compliance Department
    Telephone number: 0151 243 7053

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [KEYWORDS STUDIOS PLC – 21 10 2024] – (CGWL)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    FORM 8.3

    PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY
    A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
    Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)

    1.        KEY INFORMATION

    (a)   Full name of discloser: CANACCORD GENUITY WEALTH LIMITED (for Discretionary clients)
    (b)   Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):
            The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.    		 N/A
    (c)   Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:
            Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree    		 KEYWORDS STUDIOS PLC
    (d)   If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: N/A
    (e)   Date position held/dealing undertaken:
            For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure    		 21 OCTOBER 2024
    (f)   In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?
            If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”    		 N/A

    2.        POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

    (a)      Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

    Class of relevant security: 1p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 1,340,469 1.6645    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 1,340,469 1.6645    

    All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

    Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

    (b)      Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)

    Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:  
    Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:  

    3.        DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

    Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

    The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

    (a)        Purchases and sales

    Class of relevant security Purchase/sale Number of securities Price per unit
    1p ORDINARY SALE 545 2445p
    1p ORDINARY SALE 4,025 2445.0002p

    (b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. CFD    		 Nature of dealing
    e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position    		 Number of reference securities Price per unit
    NONE        

    (c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

    (i)        Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

    Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type
    e.g. American, European etc.    		 Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit
    NONE              

    (ii)        Exercise

    Class of relevant security Product description
    e.g. call option    		 Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit

    (d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

    Class of relevant security Nature of dealing
    e.g. subscription, conversion    		 Details Price per unit (if applicable)
    NONE      

    4.        OTHER INFORMATION

    (a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

    Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:
    Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

    Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:
    (i)   the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or
    (ii)   the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:
    If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”

    NONE

    (c)        Attachments

    Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO
    Date of disclosure: 22 OCTOBER 2024
    Contact name: MARK ELLIOTT
    Telephone number: 01253 376539

    Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

    The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

    The Code can be viewed on the Panel’s website at http://www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Onex to Announce Third Quarter 2024 Results on November 8, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    All amounts in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated 

    TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Onex Corporation (TSX: ONEX) will release its results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 on November 8, 2024.

    A live broadcast of Onex’ webcast to discuss the results will begin at 11:00 a.m. ET on November 8, 2024. A link to the webcast and on-line replay will be available at http://www.onex.com/events-and-presentations.

    About Onex

    Onex invests and manages capital on behalf of its shareholders and clients across the globe. Formed in 1984, we have a long track record of creating value for our clients and shareholders. Our investors include a broad range of global clients, including public and private pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, family offices and high-net-worth individuals. In total, Onex has $49 billion in assets under management, of which $8.5 billion is Onex’ own investing capital. With offices in Toronto, New York, New Jersey and London, Onex and its experienced management teams are collectively the largest investors across Onex’ platforms.

    Onex is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ONEX. For more information on Onex, visit http://www.onex.com. Onex’ security filings can also be accessed at http://www.sedarplus.ca.

    For further information:
    Zev Korman
    Vice President, Shareholder Relations and Communications
    +1 416.362.7711

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Cangrade Launches Jules for Self-Discovery—Your Free, Personalized AI Life Coach

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WATERTOWN, Mass., Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cangrade today introduced Jules for self-discovery—a new, breakthrough feature that empowers anyone with a growth mindset and a desire for self-improvement to find their purpose and direction. Serving as your own, free-to-use, generative AI-powered career and life coach, Jules for self-discovery can help individuals navigate challenges, uncover personal insights, and reach their goals based on their unique personality intelligence.

    While AI-backed self-reflection and personality assessment tools exist, current solutions lack the breadth of personal data required for true self-discovery. Additionally, human life coaches can be hard to access, time- and resource-intensive, and specialize in different areas. Jules for self-discovery can solve these challenges by measuring 50 unique personality traits and building contextual awareness to uncover not only what drives you, but where you want to go.

    Some questions Jules Self-Discovery can shed light on include:

    • What skills do I need to work on to get a promotion?
    • How can I set better boundaries?
    • How can I stop comparing myself to others on social media and focus on my journey?
    • I’m procrastinating on a project, how can I get motivated?
    • What role should I take on next in my career?

    “Understanding and being true to ourselves can lead to massive shifts in our personal and professional lives, but as humans, we often need outside sources to make sense of this information,” said Gershon Goren, Founder and CEO, Cangrade. “Jules goes beyond simple personality quizzes and generalized insights, giving you highly personalized, actionable strategies to help you up-level your life and career. In just 15 minutes, you can start making real moves to get a promotion, improve your sleep schedule, navigate difficult conversations, and beyond.”

    Jules for self-discovery is the natural progression of Jules, the company’s AI Copilot for Human Resources (HR), announced last month. Unlike the initial offering, which focuses on helping HR professionals make more strategic, data-backed talent decisions, Jules for self-discovery is for anyone interested in navigating and accelerating their personal and professional life.

    To start enhancing your career and life today, get started with Jules. For more information about Cangrade’s AI-powered, bias-free hiring and talent management solutions, visit http://www.cangrade.com.

    About Cangrade
    For HR leaders, Cangrade is the bias-free, AI-powered talent intelligence platform. By integrating data into talent acquisition and management processes, Cangrade enables businesses to make strategic and efficient decisions from initial screening through the entire employee lifecycle. Delivering 10x more accurate predictions of talent success and retention than traditional methods, the company’s Pre-Hire Assessment has helped organizations like Wayfair, FDNY, Lamar Advertising, and Applied Industrial Technologies make the right hiring decisions for over 10 million candidates and counting. For more information, visit http://www.cangrade.com.

    Media Contact:
    Gina Devine
    Public Relations
    press@cangrade.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Sophos Appoints Torjus Gylstorff as Sophos’ Chief Revenue Officer and Jon Bove as Sophos’ Senior Vice President of Americas Sales

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OXFORD, United Kingdom, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, today announced that Torjus Gylstorff has joined the company as chief revenue officer (CRO). Sophos has also appointed Jon Bove senior vice president of Americas sales. Sophos hired Gylstorff and Bove, two key industry executives, to further accelerate sales of Sophos’ portfolio of cybersecurity services and products, including Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services and endpoint, network, email, and cloud security.

    Gylstorff is responsible for driving revenue growth through effective leadership of Sophos’ global sales organization and partner and customer networks. This includes expanding Sophos’ presence beyond its already strong customer base of more than 600,000 organizations worldwide in the small and mid-sized business market. Gylstorff will also leverage his skills in the channel to develop strategies that strengthen and drive additional business with existing and new Managed Service Providers (MSPs).

    Gylstorff has more than 25 years of experience in sales, channels and business development across the technology and cybersecurity sectors, leading worldwide sales teams and building global channel ecosystems. Prior to joining Sophos, Gylstorff was the worldwide sales leader for Thales’ Application and Data Security Business. Prior to Thales, he was vice president of Worldwide Channels and Alliances at Symantec. Before that, Gylstorff led emerging business initiatives at Blue Coat Systems and managed major turnarounds in Japan and South Korea. His career includes significant tenures at Norman Shark, IBM and Lotus Software, where he held various senior sales and leadership positions across Europe. 

    As senior vice president of Americas sales for Sophos, Bove is working closely with the company’s extensive partner network in North America and Latin America to develop new revenue streams and ensure partners and their customers have the proper security needed to defend against ransomware, data breaches and other persistent cyberattacks. Bove will also direct and oversee the growth of new partners and MSPs in the region to increase sales of Sophos security solutions, which plug into the Sophos Central management platform. With Sophos Central, partners and MSPs can elevate and streamline customer defenses and operations, upgrades, renewals and much more, increasing revenue opportunities, while also improving customers’ security.

    Bove brings more than 20 years of sales experience, with 15 years in cybersecurity and channel sales leadership, to Sophos. Most recently, Bove served as vice president sales, U.S. enterprise, at Fortinet, where he was responsible for driving significant revenue growth through channel sales in North America. At Fortinet, Bove grew the small and medium business (SMB) sales organization and defined the company’s channel sales strategy to expand focus on the enterprise market. Bove also previously held sales and channel leadership positions at Proofpoint.

    “Sophos is already a leading provider of security services and technologies for the midmarket and smaller organizations that need help defeating cyberattacks, due to resource constraints such as skills gaps, limited budgets and other issues that cause them to be under protected. Our vision at Sophos is a world where organizations of any size and means have a clear path to superior cybersecurity outcomes, and the work we do every day aims to close the cybersecurity divide and protect more organizations in the most at-risk segments of the market. The best and most efficient way to do this is by scaling with channel partners and MSPs,” said Joe Levy, CEO, Sophos. “With Torjus and Jon, both of whom have decades of experience in leading channel sales, managing sales operations and developing relationships with customers, we can scale faster and in a way that accelerates growth for partners, MSPs and Sophos. I’m excited to have Torjus and Jon on board to help drive the next phase of Sophos’ go to market evolution.”

    About Sophos
    Sophos is a global leader and innovator of advanced security solutions for defeating cyberattacks, including Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and incident response services and a broad portfolio of endpoint, network, email, and cloud security technologies. As one of the largest pure-play cybersecurity providers, Sophos defends more than 600,000 organizations and more than 100 million users worldwide from active adversaries, ransomware, phishing, malware, and more. Sophos’ services and products connect through the Sophos Central management console and are powered by Sophos X-Ops, the company’s cross-domain threat intelligence unit. Sophos X-Ops intelligence optimizes the entire Sophos Adaptive Cybersecurity Ecosystem, which includes a centralized data lake that leverages a rich set of open APIs available to customers, partners, developers, and other cybersecurity and information technology vendors. Sophos provides cybersecurity-as-a-service to organizations needing fully managed security solutions. Customers can also manage their cybersecurity directly with Sophos’ security operations platform or use a hybrid approach by supplementing their in-house teams with Sophos’ services, including threat hunting and remediation. Sophos sells through reseller partners and managed service providers (MSPs) worldwide. Sophos is headquartered in Oxford, U.K. More information is available at http://www.sophos.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Descope Named SINET16 Innovator, Included in Cyber 150 List of Fastest Growing Security Companies

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ALTOS, Calif., Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Descope, the drag & drop customer identity and access management (CIAM) platform, today announced that it has been named a 2024 winner of the SINET16 Innovator Award and has been included in the annual Cyber 150 list, both recognitions validating the company’s fast growth and innovation in the customer identity space.

    The Descope no / low code CIAM platform helps organizations easily create and customize their entire authentication and user journey using visual workflows. Hundreds of customers including GoFundMe, Databricks, and Navan use Descope to reduce user friction during onboarding, enhance protection against account takeover attacks, and unify identities across customer-facing apps.

    The SINET16 and Cyber 150 recognitions follow on the back of Descope being named in the Redpoint InfraRed 100, Fortune Cyber 60, and Notable Capital’s Rising in Cyber. The company was also recently named a Momentum Leader based on customer reviews in the G2 Crowd Fall 2024 Reports in the CIAM and Passwordless categories.

    The SINET16 Innovator Award selected Descope as one of 16 emerging companies identified as the most innovative and compelling technologies in their fields to address cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. Winners were selected from a pool of 230 applications from 13 countries, with applications being evaluated by the SINET Judging Committee composed of over 100 security professionals including security and risk leaders, government intelligence and defense experts, venture capitalists, and investment bankers.

    Robert D. Rodriguez, Chairman of SINET, said: “SINET is a purpose-driven community whose mission is to advance innovation to defeat Cybersecurity threats. In support of this calling, I am proud to congratulate this year’s class of SINET16 winners. We look forward to watching these companies continue to mature as they progress on their amazing entrepreneurial journeys and their goal to protect our critical infrastructures and national security interests.”

    The Cyber 150 list is annually curated by IT-Harvest and was founded by noted industry analyst Richard Stiennon. The list used a variety of objective metrics to highlight the 150 fastest growing cybersecurity companies in the world with employees between 50-500. The Cyber 150 acts as a benchmark for the industry, highlighting companies that lead and redefine security standards and practices.

    Richard Stiennon, Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest, said: “Congratulations to the Descope team for being named in the Cyber 150. As one of the youngest companies in the list, Descope’s inclusion is a testament to their fast growth and customer momentum in a crowded IAM market. I look forward to seeing where their journey leads.”

    Slavik Markovich, Co-Founder and CEO of Descope, said: “We’re delighted to be named a SINET16 Innovator and to be included in the IT-Harvest Cyber 150 list. Any industry recognition Descope receives is a result of the trust our customers place in us and the work our employees put in every second. This reaffirms our commitment to improving the way organizations manage their customer identities by making it less about code and more about the user journey. We’re already booted up and ready to climb the next mountain!”

    About Descope

    Descope is a drag & drop CIAM platform. Our no / low code solution helps hundreds of organizations easily create and customize their entire user journey using visual workflows – from authentication and authorization to MFA and federated SSO. Hundreds of customers use Descope to reduce user friction, prevent account takeover, and get a unified view of their customer journey. Founded in 2022, Descope is backed by Lightspeed and Notable Capital (previously GGV Capital) and is a member of the FIDO Alliance.

    Media Contact

    Erica Anderson

    Offleash for Descope

    descope@offleashpr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: “Rage Deletion” is Real – and GenZ is admitting to doing it the most

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nearly one in six workers has experienced a co-worker intentionally deleting important company data before quitting a job. One in twenty has personally committed “Rage Deletion,” with GenZ employees being twice as likely (one in ten) to admit to doing so. That’s according to new research from backup and recovery leader CrashPlan. With the US presidential election approaching, 15% of respondents also worry that political activism could drive intentional deletion by departing co-workers.

    CrashPlan surveyed more than 2,300 workers as part of its forthcoming Work Trend Security Report. It found that certain industries and roles were more vulnerable to Rage Deletion.

    • Worry is highest (20%) among employees concerned about job security.
    • Concern over Rage Deletion is highest in the technology industry (21%) and among programmers and developers (25%).
    • The five roles that were most likely to admit to personally Rage Deleting were designers and design engineers (11%), writers and editors (9%), programmers and developers (7%) and video producers (7%).
    • Millennials are most worried about political activism driving Rage Deletion (17%)
    • Only 43% of companies provide tools that ensure employee data is backed up and only 39% provide clear policies mandating their use.

    Where is all the rage coming from?
    Rage Deleters are significantly less engaged at work and more frustrated than other employees. They are more likely to feel increased pressure to show productivity at work, are more concerned about their job security, and are more than twice as likely as others to be seeking new jobs. They’re less often managers, but they are also more likely than others to have worked overtime more than ten times in the previous month. They have received cybersecurity training less often and are less likely to feel their employer invests sufficiently in professional development. Rage Deleters are less likely to look forward to going to work and significantly less proud of their workplaces. And they are twice as likely as others to have already experienced a co-worker’s Rage Deletion.

    “The signs of employee disengagement and dissatisfaction show up in the way they use technology. Obviously, it doesn’t usually escalate to sabotage, but our research clearly shows that disengaged employees are less careful with their data,” said CrashPlan CISO Todd Thorsen. “Every company has a simple choice – with a few keystrokes their intellectual property or important records can vanish forever, or just as quickly they can restore the data a disgruntled employee intended to destroy.”

    To learn more about CrashPlan, visit http://www.crashplan.com

    About CrashPlan
    CrashPlan provides cyber-ready data resilience and governance in a single platform for organizations whose ideas power their revenue. With its comprehensive backup and recovery capabilities for data stored on servers, on endpoint devices, and in SaaS applications, CrashPlan’s solutions are trusted by entrepreneurs, professionals, and businesses of all sizes worldwide. From ransomware recovery and breaches to migrations and legal holds, CrashPlan’s suite of products ensures the safety and compliance of your data without disruption.

    Media Contact:
    Brianna Bruinsma
    Firebrand Communications
    crashplan@firebrand.marketing

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