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Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI: WithSecure Corporation to publish interim report for January-September 2024 on 23 October 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WithSecure Corporation, Press Release, 16 October 2024 at 16:00 EEST

    WithSecure Corporation to publish interim report for January-September 2024 on 23 October 2024

    WithSecure Corporation will publish its interim report for January-September 2024 on Wednesday 23 October 2024 at approximately 08:00 EEST.

    WithSecure’s CEO Antti Koskela and CFO Tom Jansson will present the results in a webcast starting at 14:00 EEST. The webcast will be held in English and can be accessed at https://withsecure.videosync.fi/q3-2024/register. Questions are requested in written format in the webcast portal.

    Analysts following WithSecure are invited to follow the presentation at Flik Studio Stage, Itämerentori 2, Helsinki.

    Presentation material and the webcast recording will be available on the company’s website at https://www.withsecure.com/en/about-us/investor-relations.

    Contact information:

    Laura Viita
    VP, Controlling, investor relations and sustainability
    WithSecure Corporation
    +358 50 487 1044
    investor-relations@withsecure.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Atos launches its Experience Operations Center in partnership with Nexthink to empower digital workplace performance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Atos launches its Experience Operations Center in partnership with Nexthink to empower digital workplace performance

    Experience Operations Center leverages proactive, AI-driven efficiencies to drive new levels of productivity and employee satisfaction

    Boston, United States and Paris, France – October 16, 2024 – Atos today launches in partnership with Nexthink their state-of-the-art Experience Operations Center (XOC) offering. The joint XOC delivers digital workplace operations that enhance end-user experience through enabling real-time, AI-driven efficiencies and boosting workplace productivity. Atos was one of Nexthink’s first managed services partners; this new offering builds on their 8-year partnership rooted in helping organizations create employee-centric workplaces that drive innovative and sustainable business value.

    Powered by Atos Real-Time Data Processing Framework (RTDPF) which captures billions of workplace and devices data, and Nexthink Infinity, XOC integrates data from sources such as IT service management, endpoint, contact center and identity management platforms within the digital workplace, to provide a unified, real-time performance overview. Beyond the analytical insights provided by standard workplace analytics, the XOC command center proactively pinpoints user experience issues, 24/7 and in real time.

    Its serverless architecture reveals hidden patterns and forecasts based on historical data and Atos 10-year expertise in digital experience management, allowing agile and responsive decision-making and problem resolution before users are affected.

    Leon Gilbert, Senior Vice President Digital Workplace Atos, said: “Focusing on employee experience is crucial for organizations to drive performance, streamline efficiency, and boost profitability. Our innovative Experience Operations Center helps achieve this ambition by leveraging state-of-the-art automation and AI that put humans at the heart of their problem-solving capabilities”.

    Atos leverages Nexthink’s digital workplace observability and automation platform to streamline issue detection, diagnostics and remediation. By helping companies to go from proactive incident identification to automated fixes in minutes, Nexthink’s platform supports XOC offering to deliver cost reduction, time savings, improved sustainability and increased employee performance. Going forward, Atos and Nexthink continue to collaborate to enhance the employee experience offered to their clients.

    Yassine Zaied, Chief Strategy Officer, Nexthink, said: “Atos has long been an innovator in the end user computing space, and this latest offering will once again challenge the status quo for the better. Today, the Digital Employee Experience is no longer just a consideration, it’s central to every successful digital transformation. It demands a systematic, not ad-hoc, approach. Atos XOC has such transformative potential and we’re proud to play a pivotal role in driving this evolution forward”.

    The Experience Operations Center compliments Atos’ Digital Workplace portfolio offerings by real-time insights in the digital workplace experience, proactive issue detection and accelerated resolution. Atos teams provide end-to-end employee experience solutions through digital collaboration and productivity tools, as well as intelligent customer care services. They currently deliver workplace analytics services to 1.8 million devices globally. In March 2024, Gartner positioned Atos as a Leader in its 2024 Magic Quadrant for Outsourced Digital Workplace Services (ODWS) for the eighth consecutive year.

    ***

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 92,000 employees and annual revenue of c. € 10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    About Nexthink

    Nexthink is the leader in digital employee experience management software. The company provides IT leaders with unprecedented insight allowing them to see, diagnose and fix issues at scale impacting employees anywhere, with any application or network, before employees notice the issue. As the first solution to allow IT to progress from reactive problem solving to proactive optimization, Nexthink enables its more than 1,200 customers to provide better digital experiences to more than 15 million employees. Dual headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts, Nexthink has 9 offices worldwide.

    Press contacts

    Atos: Isabelle Grangé | isabelle.grange@atos.net | +33 (0) 6 64 56 74 88

    Nexthink: press@nexthink.com

    Attachment

    • PR-Atos launches its Experience Operations Center in partnership with Nexthink to empower digital workplace performance

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Applied Systems, Ivans and EZLynx Recognized in the 2024 PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries Awards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Chicago, IL., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Applied Systems today announced that the company and two of its subsidiaries, Ivans and EZLynx, have been named to PropertyCasualty360’s Insurance Luminaries Class of 2024 in the categories of Technology Innovation and Innovation in Workplace Culture. The Technology Innovation category recognizes those advancing the insurance industry through digitalization and customer experience improvements. The Innovation in Workplace Culture category honors those enhancing the industry’s reputation as a career choice and promoting employee satisfaction through diversity, wellness, ESG initiatives, and community service.

    • Applied Systems – Innovation in Workplace Culture
    • Ivans – Technology Innovation – Company Category
    • Applied Pay – Technology Innovation – Product Category
    • EZLynx Management System – Technology Innovation – Product Category

    “My colleagues and I are thrilled to be able to recognize pace-setting insurance organizations, programs, practices, teams, and individuals as part of the annual PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries recognition program,” says Elana Ashanti Jefferson, executive editor, NU Property & Casualty. “This year’s honorees pay homage to the industry’s mission to make insureds whole after a major loss while adapting to challenging business conditions created by historic storms, inflation, and litigation trends.”

    This recognition celebrates innovation in the property and casualty insurance industry. The program spotlights top professionals, teams, organizations, programs, practices and products within the sector that strive to modernize and humanize the business. The 2024 honorees were selected by a panel of industry experts based on how well they stated and achieved goals with regards to the nomination category; how impactful their work has been; how dedicated the nominee has been to furthering modernization and humanization in the P&C insurance business; and how committed and dedicated the nominee has been to high ethical standards, service and excellence.

    “We are honored to be recognized in the 2024 PropertyCasualty360 Insurance Luminaries Awards,” said Taylor Rhodes, chief executive officer, Applied Systems. “This recognition is a testament to the people across our organization and our commitment to being Indispensable Partners to one another, our customers and our industry.”

    # # #

    The Applied products and logos are trademarks of Applied Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S.

     

    About Applied Systems
    Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: AMD to Report Fiscal Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) announced today that it will report fiscal third quarter 2024 financial results on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, after the close of market. Management will conduct a conference call to discuss these results at 5:00 p.m. EDT / 2:00 p.m. PDT. Interested parties are invited to listen to the webcast of the conference call via the AMD Investor Relations website ir.amd.com.

    About AMD
    For more than 50 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics and visualization technologies. Billions of people, leading Fortune 500 businesses and cutting-edge scientific research institutions around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work and play. AMD employees are focused on building leadership high-performance and adaptive products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, LinkedIn, Facebook and X pages.

    AMD, the AMD Arrow logo and the combination thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

    Contact
    Drew Prairie
    AMD Communications
    512-602-4425
    drew.prairie@amd.com

    Mitch Haws
    AMD Investor Relations
    408-749-3124
    mitch.haws@amd.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: NANO Nuclear Energy Appoints Former Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Department of Energy, John G. Vonglis as Chairman of its Executive Advisory Board for Strategic Initiatives

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, N.Y., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) (“NANO Nuclear” or “the Company”), a leading advanced nuclear energy and technology company focused on developing portable, clean energy solutions, is proud to announce today that it has appointed The Honorable John G. Vonglis, former Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Acting Director of DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, as the Chairman of NANO Nuclear’s Executive Advisory Board for Strategic Initiatives.

    Mr. Vonglis joins a growing, world-class, bipartisan Executive Advisory Board comprised of high ranking and distinguished military, political and scientific leaders which is assisting NANO Nuclear by leveraging their professional networks and relationships to connect the Company with key industry stakeholders, potential partners, clients and other valuable contacts.

    “It is a pleasure to join NANO Nuclear’s advisory team and leverage my expertise in navigating a myriad of DOE and private energy-related projects to advance the development of the Company’s microreactor and other nuclear technology solutions,” said John G. Vonglis, Chairman of the Executive Advisory Board for Strategic Initiatives of NANO Nuclear Energy. “During my time with the Department of Energy, I was exposed to numerous high-impact inventions, and I believe that technologies such as NANO Nuclear’s ‘ZEUS’ and ‘ODIN’ microreactors represent the innovative spirit of the United States at an important moment for nuclear energy.”

    Mr. Vonglis served as the Senate-confirmed Chief Financial Officer and Chief Risk Officer of the DOE from 2017 to 2019. As Chief Financia Officer, Mr. Vonglis oversaw all financial matters for the DOE. He was also appointed by the President as Acting Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), a federal agency focused on advancing early-stage, high-potential, high-impact energy technologies while minimizing risk to taxpayers.

    Prior to his tenure at the DOE, Mr. Vonglis held several key roles at the U.S. Department of Defense from 2002 to 2009, initially as Director of Management Initiatives for the Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness (P&R) and lastly as Acting Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, where he also served as the first Chief Management Officer, performing the duties of the Under Secretary.

    Figure 1 – NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. Appoints Former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Department of Energy (DOE) John G. Vonglis as its Chairman of its Executive Advisory Board for Strategic Initiatives.

    Mr. Vonglis’ private sector experience includes senior financial and operational roles at prominent advisory, aerospace/defense, financial services, and high-technology firms. Mr. Vonglis is a retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel with 34 years’ experience in Army and Joint special operations, where he also advised ‘SOFWERX’ and the Army Cyber Institute at West Point. He holds a B.S. and M.B.A. from Fordham University and a Master’s in International Public Policy from The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

    “Attracting an exemplary leader like John to serve on our Executive Advisory Board, with his years of experience on the inside of complex government processes and working on cutting edge innovations, is a validation of our vision and mission for NANO Nuclear,” said Jay Yu, Founder and Chairman of NANO Nuclear Energy. “John’s addition brings credibility, valuable insight and a multitude of important contacts to NANO Nuclear and allows us to better position our company to fully capitalize on the significant momentum within the nuclear energy industry. We are honored to welcome him to the team.”

    “We are confident that John’s contribution as an Executive Advisory Board member for NANO Nuclear will be invaluable as we continue to progress our microreactor and other technology solutions through design, testing, regulatory processes and ultimately to market,” said James Walker, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Reactor Development of NANO Nuclear Energy. “Recent natural disaster events, such as the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, highlight the critical need for reliable and portable energy solutions. Our portable nuclear microreactors, ‘ZEUS’ and ‘ODIN,’ are designed to provide power for rescue operations and shelters in the aftermath of such natural disasters. We are committed to advancing these technologies to market and delivering cutting-edge solutions to those who need them most.”

    About NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.

    NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: NNE) is an advanced technology-driven nuclear energy company seeking to become a commercially focused, diversified, and vertically integrated company across four business lines: (i) cutting edge portable microreactor technology, (ii) nuclear fuel fabrication, (iii) nuclear fuel transportation and (iv) nuclear industry consulting services. NANO Nuclear believes it is the first portable nuclear microreactor company to be listed publicly in the U.S.

    Led by a world-class nuclear engineering team, NANO Nuclear’s products in technical development are “ZEUS”, a solid core battery reactor, and “ODIN”, a low-pressure coolant reactor, each representing advanced developments in clean energy solutions that are portable, on-demand capable, advanced nuclear microreactors.

    Advanced Fuel Transportation Inc. (AFT), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is led by former executives from the largest transportation company in the world aiming to build a North American transportation company that will provide commercial quantities of HALEU fuel to small modular reactors, microreactor companies, national laboratories, military, and DOE programs. Through NANO Nuclear, AFT is the exclusive licensee of a patented high-capacity HALEU fuel transportation basket developed by three major U.S. national nuclear laboratories and funded by the Department of Energy. Assuming development and commercialization, AFT is expected to form part of the only vertically integrated nuclear fuel business of its kind in North America.

    HALEU Energy Fuel Inc. (HEF), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is focusing on the future development of a domestic source for a High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel fabrication pipeline for NANO Nuclear’s own microreactors as well as the broader advanced nuclear reactor industry.

    NANO Nuclear Space Inc. (NNS), a NANO Nuclear subsidiary, is exploring the potential commercial applications of NANO Nuclear’s developing micronuclear reactor technology in space. NNS is focusing on applications such as power systems for extraterrestrial projects and human sustaining environments, and potentially propulsion technology for long haul space missions. NNS’ initial focus will be on cis-lunar applications, referring to uses in the space region extending from Earth to the area surrounding the Moon’s surface.

    For more corporate information please visit: https://NanoNuclearEnergy.com/

    For further information, please contact:

    Email: IR@NANONuclearEnergy.com
    Business Tel: (212) 634-9206

    PLEASE FOLLOW OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES HERE:

    NANO Nuclear Energy LINKEDIN
    NANO Nuclear Energy YOUTUBE
    NANO Nuclear Energy TWITTER

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This news release and statements of NANO Nuclear’s management in connection with this news release or related events contain or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements (including statements related to the anticipated benefits of Mr. Vonglis joining the Company’ Executive Advisory Board) related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “potential”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For NANO Nuclear, particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following: (i) risks related to our U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) or related state nuclear fuel licensing submissions, (ii) risks related the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, regulatory delays and the development of competitive technology, (iii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations, (iv) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to technologically develop and commercially deploy a competitive advanced nuclear reactor or other technology in the timelines we anticipate, if ever, (v) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including those associated with the recently enacted ADVANCE Act, and (vi) similar risks and uncertainties associated with the business of a start-up business operating a highly regulated industry. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement, and the NANO Nuclear therefore encourages investors to review other factors that may affect future results in its filings with the SEC, which are available for review at http://www.sec.gov and at https://ir.nanonuclearenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Articul8 AI Signs Strategic Collaboration Agreement with AWS to Deliver Generative AI Solutions to Enterprises

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Articul8 AI (Articul8), a Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) enterprise software company, announced today that it has signed a strategic collaboration agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS), with plans to help customers accelerate the development and deployment of GenAI applications in production on AWS.

    While there has been strong overall interest in GenAI technologies, enterprises are still facing several challenges going from proof-of-concept (PoC) GenAI projects to production-scale deployments. Key concerns include the complexity of data management, shortage of specialized talent, unpredictable long-term costs, ethics & governance, performance & reliability at scale, and complexity of deployment across multiple tools and technology stacks. Articul8’s full-stack GenAI platform provides an out-of-the-box (OOTB) offering that is integrated and optimized across the various components and layers of the GenAI stack. By providing ready-to-consume application programming interfaces (APIs) and abstracting the complexity of building GenAI applications, Articul8 helps customers accelerate their development cycles and time to outcomes. In addition, Articul8’s GenAI platform has no external dependencies and is deployed and managed in the customer’s own virtual private cloud (VPC), giving customers full control over their data, access policies, and other information security rules and regulations. 

    “Articul8’s autonomous GenAI software platform allows customers to rapidly build, deploy, and manage expert-level, production-grade GenAI applications on AWS. Customers can also develop enterprise-specific models using their own proprietary data. All of this happens in a secure environment within their own VPC, and no data ever leaves the company environment,” said Gautam Subbarao, Head of Product & Commercial, at Articul8. “We look forward to expanding our collaboration with AWS and jointly helping customers leverage GenAI-based technologies to solve problems that are core to transforming their businesses.” 

    Franklin Templeton, a global investment management organization, intends to leverage the transformative potential of GenAI across the asset management value chain and is investing in targeted GenAI strategies in its businesses while firmly aligning with the firm’s standards for responsible and ethical use of AI technologies. Using Articul8’s GenAI platform on AWS, Franklin Templeton is building autonomous and multi-modal GenAI applications and workflows. 

    “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a single capability, and organizations must effectively create an intelligent system using their own data that also integrates with existing workflows and represents their organizational value proposition,” said Vasundhara Chetluru, Head of AI Platform at Franklin Templeton. “Our design philosophy aligns well with Articul8’s full-stack GenAI platform solution and their ability to help customers rapidly develop and deploy domain/enterprise-specific GenAI models and applications. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Articul8 AI team.”

    “Generative AI has the potential to transform entire industries, but its cost, complexity of deployment, and the required expertise around this emerging technology can be intimidating to customers,” said Alan Braun, Director, Technology Partnerships at AWS. “This Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Articul8 will expand their ability to provide solutions that enable customers to build and deploy enterprise-grade Generative AI applications on AWS and help customers achieve meaningful business outcomes at scale.”

    This collaboration underscores the value of Articul8 and AWS to provide flexibility and unlock greater business value for customers across industries. For more information please visit: http://www.articul8.ai.

    About Articul8 – Articul8 AI is a Generative AI (“GenAI”) enterprise software company focused on helping organizations solve the world’s toughest problems. Articul8’s full-stack, vertically-optimized GenAI software platform is the fastest way to build, deploy and manage sophisticated, secure, and scalable enterprise-grade GenAI applications rapidly and cost-effectively. Articul8’s proprietary GenAI technologies are infrastructure and hardware-agnostic and deliver lasting business value by transforming customer data into actionable insights. Our team of industry veterans and AI experts have a heritage of successfully operationalizing and deploying AI at scale across a variety of mission-critical applications and industries.

    Articul8 Media Contact
    Articul8@fischtankpr.com
    FischTank PR

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Blue Mountain Announces Launch of Blue Mountain University: A Premier e-Learning Experience for RAM Software Users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blue Mountain, the standard in Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) for life sciences manufacturers, is excited to announce the launch of Blue Mountain University (BMU), an interactive e-Learning platform designed to empower users of its RAM software. This comprehensive learning environment offers users an adaptable and self-paced way to master the complexities of Blue Mountain’s powerful RAM platform, providing both a Help Center for on-the-go reinforcement and a Learning Center for in-depth education.

    Why Blue Mountain University?

    As Blue Mountain’s ecosystem has rapidly expanded to include more than 450 biotech, cell and gene therapy, pharmaceutical, medtech, CDMO organizations, and service partners, it became evident that users required more than just support—they needed a robust and flexible learning experience. Blue Mountain University was built to fulfill this need, ensuring users can navigate the intricate landscape of regulatory asset management with ease and confidence.

    “Blue Mountain University was created to empower our customers by providing them with comprehensive, accessible, and high-quality training resources,” said David Rode, CEO of Blue Mountain. “We recognize that our RAM software plays a mission-critical role in many organizations. With this e-Learning offering, we’re delivering on our commitment to help users optimize their operational efficiency, reduce onboarding time, and elevate their GXP compliance capabilities.”

    Key Features and Benefits

    Blue Mountain University offers a range of unique benefits, including:

    1. Tailored Learning Experiences: Courses are designed to be adaptable and flexible, catering to users at every stage of their journey—from new learners to seasoned experts.
    2. Ease of Navigation: User-friendly design BMU ensures that users can quickly locate relevant content, understand their learning objectives, and track their progress effortlessly.
    3. Enhanced Knowledge Retention: Through deep-dive course materials and practical applications, learners can apply their new knowledge directly to their job roles, improving knowledge retention and execution.
    4. Certification and Expertise: Blue Mountain University offers certification opportunities, allowing individuals to become certified RAM experts. This certification enhances professional value and strengthens organizational capability.

    “We built Blue Mountain University to give our customers the ability to self-serve and master the full potential of our RAM platform. This doesn’t replace our live, analyst-led trainings, rather it offers another mechanism to help our customers grow and learn at their own pace. Our goal is for every organization to have at least one certified RAM expert,” said Ginny Lee, Chief Customer Officer of Blue Mountain. “The Blue Mountain University experience doesn’t just deliver training; it fosters a community where users can share insights, offer feedback, and engage in discussions that will shape future product innovations.”

    Who Will Benefit from Blue Mountain University?

    Blue Mountain University has been designed with all RAM users in mind, providing tailored resources to different personas within an organization:

    • RAM Administrators: Experts responsible for the RAM platform, training, and onboarding others.
    • New Users: Individuals who need foundational training to quickly get up to speed.
    • Experienced Users: Seasoned professionals looking to deepen their knowledge or learn about new features.
    • Organizational Leaders: Decision-makers focused on ensuring their teams are proficient and certified in RAM software.

    About Blue Mountain

    Leading Life Sciences in asset management for 35 years, Blue Mountain has a unique position in the life sciences industry backed by a proven legacy. Founded in 1989, Blue Mountain offers a complete, integrated solution, helping hundreds of pharmaceutical, biotech, cell and gene therapy, medical device, and contract manufacturing companies. From set-up to installation and from training to validation, our company helps life sciences manufacturing master GMP asset management by implementing our best-in-class software – enabling them to leverage the cloud, drive paperless processes, and ensure regulatory compliance. Blue Mountain is backed by Accel-KKR and based in the greater Philadelphia, PA region. For more information, please visit http://www.coolblue.com.

    For more information about Blue Mountain University, visit http://www.coolblue.com.

    Media Contact:

    Jessica Brown
    Head of Global Marketing
    Blue Mountain
    marketing@coolblue.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Tenable Announces Date for its Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBIA, Md., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tenable®, the exposure management company, today announced it will release its financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2024 after the U.S. market close on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. Tenable will host a conference call that day at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss the results.

    A live webcast of the event will be available on the Tenable Investor Relations website at https://investors.tenable.com. A live dial-in will be available domestically at 1-877-407-9716 or internationally at 1-201-493-6779. A webcast replay will be available after the call through Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

    About Tenable
    Tenable® is the exposure management company, exposing and closing the cybersecurity gaps that erode business value, reputation and trust. The company’s AI-powered exposure management platform radically unifies security visibility, insight and action across the attack surface, equipping modern organizations to protect against attacks from IT infrastructure to cloud environments to critical infrastructure and everywhere in between. By protecting enterprises from security exposure, Tenable reduces business risk for approximately 44,000 customers around the globe. Learn more at tenable.com.

    Investor Contact:
    Tenable
    investors@tenable.com

    Media Contact:
    Tenable
    tenablepr@tenable.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Advertise Purple: Affiliate Management Company Announces Key Insights From Q3 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Santa Monica, CA, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Award-winning affiliate management strategy and technology, Advertise Purple, is thrilled to announce the key insights from Q3 2024 on the affiliate marketing industry.

    Advertise Purple has generated over $4.6B in affiliate revenue for more than 5,000 brands across 23 verticals, establishing its spot as a leader in partnership marketing management. By leveraging its vast experience and unique affiliate partnership technology with Bloom, Advertise Purple provide top-notch affiliate program management. The service is designed for large businesses, small and medium-sized companies, and international e-commerce brands looking to boost customer acquisition through performance-based strategies. The newly released report with key insights from Q3 2024 from advertisepurple.com allows brands to understand which verticals performed best industry-wide.

    “Q3 2024 was a period of growth, with summer holidays playing a key role in driving affiliate traffic and sales,” said a spokesperson for the company. “As we move into the final quarter of the year, our team is well-prepared to capitalize on this momentum and continue optimizing strategies for maximum impact.”

    Affiliate marketing is where affiliates, usually bloggers, influences, individuals or other businesses, promote a company’s services or products and earn a commission for each successful sale or lead generated.

    Affiliate managers are essential to the success of affiliate program campaigns, acting as the link between the brand and its affiliate partners to ensure a smooth and mutually beneficial relationship. Many people mistakenly believe that simply adding affiliate links to their website will lead to automatic commissions. However, significant optimization is necessary for this to happen, and this is where affiliate managers come in. They not only coach and support affiliates to enhance the quality and quantity of their referrals but also recruit and onboard potential affiliates aligned with the brand’s vision and goals. Additionally, they maintain compliance with industry regulations, particularly on social media platforms, and report on performance to measure campaign success.

    At Advertise Purple, performance tracking is key to ensuring that brands achieve a positive ROI. The latest Q3 2024 Affiliate Insights report highlights trends and opportunities for brands, underscoring the importance of an affiliate manager in driving successful outcomes. Without their expertise, achieving desired results can be challenging, as it relies heavily on the publisher’s efforts alone.

    Home & Living ranked as the top vertical by revenue, bringing in an impressive $24,636,948. Other notable verticals in the top five for revenue included Apparel & Fashion, Education, Travel & Hospitality, and Games & Toys.

    In terms of clicks, Education took the lead, generating a substantial 3,445,826 clicks. Beauty closely followed in second place with 3,110,578 clicks. Other significant verticals in the top five for revenue were Home & Living, Apparel & Fashion, and Health & Wellness.

    Holidays played a pivotal role in performance for driving affiliate traffic and sales for Advertise Purple’s customer base. Labor Day Weekend accounted for the highest click volume of the whole quarter, whilst other dates including July 4 (Independence Day) and July 28 drove high sales. This highlights the impact of holidays in boosting traffic and sales through affiliate channels.

    Advertise Purple encourages brands to discover the full-service and self-service affiliate management options by getting in contact through the form on the website.

    About Advertise Purple

    Advertise Purple is an award-winning affiliate management strategy and technology company based in Santa Monica, California. Advertise Purple works with over 300k partners and has helped generate $4.5 billion+ in sales for brands across 23 verticals.

    More Information

    To learn more about Advertise Purple and its report on the affiliate marketing sector in Q3 2024, please visit https://www.advertisepurple.com/.

    Source: https://thenewsfront.com/advertise-purple-affiliate-management-company-announces-key-insights-from-q3-2024/

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Usio, Inc. Chosen by ClassWallet to Process ACH Payments and Power Digital Payments Disbursement Programs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Usio, Inc. (NASDAQ:USIO), a leading FinTech company that operates a full stack of integrated, cloud-based electronic payment and embedded financial solutions, today announced the continued expansion of its partnership with ClassWallet, the leading purchasing and reimbursement platform for public funds.

    “Usio and ClassWallet’s strong partnership continues to create innovative new solutions for an ever-widening array of prepaid and funds disbursement applications,” said Houston Frost, Usio’s Chief Product Officer. “Building on their existing integration of our electronic payments technology, ClassWallet is now adding industry-leading ACH and proprietary remote authorization capabilities into its digital wallet technology platform. These new solutions address the need to both offer a robust payments platform and enable the building of innovative payment solutions demanded by its customers. We are extremely pleased to provide an integral element of ClassWallet’s various digital electronic payments solutions, and we look forward to supporting their growth objectives.”

    The partnership creates a comprehensive ecosystem of payments technology ClassWallet can use to accelerate the pace of innovation to bring new products to market. The partnership also enhances the payment process for ClassWallet’s service provider vendors, resulting in efficiencies for more predictable and faster vendor payments.

    Jamie Rosenberg, ClassWallet founder and CEO, noted that the expanded partnership also provides ClassWallet with a wealth of data. This data can be mined by ClassWallet’s agency customers to better understand program outcomes so that these agencies can improve the impact of their programs on the people they serve.

    “Our partnership with Usio helps further the ClassWallet mission, and creates opportunities for everyone involved, most importantly our clients and end users,” Rosenberg said. “Together, we are presenting ClassWallet client organizations with secure, digital wallet innovation that unlocks the full potential of these public funds and maximizes program efficiency and outcomes for all recipients.”

    About Usio, Inc.

    Usio, Inc. (Nasdaq: USIO), is a leading Fintech that operates a full stack of proprietary, cloud-based integrated payment and embedded financial solutions in a single ecosystem to a wide range of merchants, billers, banks, service bureaus and card issuers. The Company operates credit/debit and ACH payment processing platforms, as well as a turn-key card issuing platform to deliver convenient, world-class payment solutions and services to their clients. The company, through its Usio Output Solutions division offers services relating to electronic bill presentment, document composition, document decomposition and printing and mailing services. The strength of the Company lies in its ability to provide tailored solutions for card issuance, payment acceptance, and bill payments as well as its unique technology in the prepaid sector. Usio is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, and has a development office in Austin, Texas.

    Websites: http://www.usio.com , http://www.akimbocard.com and http://www.usiooutput.com. Find us on LinkedIn, Facebook® and Twitter.

    About ClassWallet

    ClassWallet is the leading digital wallet for public funds. A pioneer in financial and government technology, ClassWallet’s technology is used by public agencies across 35 states to maximize the positive impact of public funding on people’s lives. Since 2014, the ClassWallet platform has been used to deliver more than $4 billion in public funds to millions of citizens and has helped clients achieve the highest standards of program integrity and efficiency. With customer loyalty and satisfaction exceeding some of the world’s largest brands, ClassWallet was recognized by J.D. Power in 2024 for providing “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience” for Phone Support. ClassWallet is headquartered in Hollywood, Florida, and ranks as the 88th fastest-growing software company on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list.

    Company Contact

    Paul Manley
    Senior Vice President, Investor Relations
    Paul.Manley@usio.com
    612-834-1804

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: SIMPPLE Ltd. Announces $1.0 Million Sale of Multi-functional Robots in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Singapore, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SIMPPLE Ltd. (NASDAQ: SPPL) (“SIMPPLE” or “the Company”), a leading technology provider and innovator in the facilities management (FM) sector, today announced the initial sale, for an aggregate of about $1.0 million, of the Company’s proprietary 3-in-1 multifunctional robots and modular robot heads across Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

    Photo Comparison of Gemini (multifunctional robot) and cleaning robot in a retail mall

    Brand-named Gemini, the A.I. video-analytics robots are the first to perform security, digital concierge, and cleaning services in a facilities management setting. These modular robot heads can be retrofitted on traditional cleaning robots, thus converting them to 3-in-1 units with the same A.I. video-analytics capabilities.

    In Singapore, Gemini robots have been deployed at retail malls, commercial office buildings, and healthcare institutions. In Malaysia and Thailand, SIMPPLE’s Gemini heads have been retrofitted to existing cleaning robots and utilized at commercial office buildings.

    According to SIMPPLE chief executive officer Norman Schroeder, Gemini is a “game-changer” in the field of service robotics. The robot can swiftly, accurately, and intelligently conduct security patrols, engage with lost or distressed personnels seeking security assistance, engage in two-way video calls, interface remotely with facility managers, and perform a wide variety of routine cleaning tasks including scrubbing or vacuuming.

    “Gemini can operate independently or in concert with existing CCTV camera systems,” he added, allowing those systems to identify situations needing resolution and task Gemini to resolve them. In so doing, Gemini provides “significant savings and convenience” to facility management companies and integrated services operators, said the CEO.

    “The deployment of Gemini across Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand,” he said, “further validates the commercial viability of our end-to-end facilities management solution including integrated robotics and artificial intelligence.”

    Additional Gemini sales to customers in Australia, New Zealand, and other markets are expected “in the coming months,” said Mr. Schroeder.

    The development of Gemini was supported by three Singapore government agencies, one of which, in 2019 and 2022, awarded SIMPPLE grants totalling about $380,000 to develop multi-functional robots. In 2024, Gemini was then included in the Advanced Digital Solutions (ADS) grant scheme supported by Singapore’s InfoComm Media Development Authority (IMDA), thus facilitating SIMPPLE’s aggregate $1.0 million Gemini sale described above.

    According to a May 2024 report by Technavio, the global service robotics market is projected to grow by a CAGR of 30.25%, or $90.4 billion, from 2024 to 2028. This rapid growth, said Technavio, will be driven by the continuing integration of advanced technologies such as IoT, A.I., and natural language processing into service robots, and by world governments pouring significant investment into these technologies. Technological advancements in machine learning, adaptive computing, and vision systems will also make service robots increasingly suitable for commercial tasks, said the report.

    Close-up photo of Gemini modular security head at a premium retail mall in Singapore

    About SIMPPLE LTD.

    Headquartered in Singapore, SIMPPLE LTD. is an advanced technology solution provider in the emerging PropTech space, focused on helping facilities owners and managers manage facilities autonomously. Founded in 2016, the Company has a strong foothold in the Singapore facilities management market, serving over 60 clients in both the public and private sectors and extending out of Singapore into Australia and the Middle East. The Company has developed its proprietary SIMPPLE Ecosystem, to create an automated workforce management tool for building maintenance, surveillance and cleaning comprised of a mix of software and hardware solutions such as robotics (both cleaning and security) and Internet-of-Things (“IoT”) devices. 

    For more information on SIMPPLE, please visit: https://www.simpple.ai

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. In addition Photo of Gemini robot within an institution, from time to time, we or our representatives may make forward-looking statements orally or in writing. We base these forward-looking statements on our expectations and projections about future events, which we derive from the information currently available to us. Such forward-looking statements relate to future events or our future performance, including: our financial performance and projections; our growth in revenue and earnings; and our business prospects and opportunities. You can identify forward-looking statements by those 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: our ability to change the direction of the Company; our ability to keep pace with new technology and changing market needs; and the competitive environment of our business. These and other factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement.

    Forward-looking statements are only predictions. The forward-looking events discussed in this press release and other statements made from time to time by us or our representatives, may not occur, and actual events and results may differ materially and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about us. We are not obligated to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release and other statements made from time to time by us or our representatives might not occur.

    For investor and media queries, please contact:
    SIMPPLE LTD.
    Investor Relations Department
    Email: ir@simpple.ai

    Visit the Investor Relation Website: https://www.investor.simpple.ai/

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

    Attachment

    • Photo of Gemini robot within an institution

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Applied Artificial intelligence (AI) and Deep Tech Innovations Take Centre Stage on Day Three of Expand North Star 2024

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, October 16, 2024/APO Group/ –With global participation continuing to flourish, the spotlight also turned towards Africa, where burgeoning tech ecosystems are paving the way for a new wave of entrepreneurs and innovators. H.E. Savannah Maziya, Minister, Ministry of Information, Communications & Technology, Eswatini, alongside other thought leaders, emphasised the importance of structured development to tackle unique market challenges and unlock Africa’s economic potential.   

    Celina Lee, CEO & Co-Founder, Zindi, South Africa, highlighted the trend of talent returning to Africa to start companies and create ecosystems that foster innovation and attract global corporations like Microsoft to set up labs in Ghana and Nairobi.   

    Speaking on the challenges facing Africa, Olatunbosun Alake, Honorable Commissioner, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Lagos State Government, Nigeria, said, “The greatest challenge in Africa is education. In Nigeria, if you look at the most educated parts, they show economic value, whereas in the north, where education levels are not as high, economic productivity is lower. There needs to be an African Renaissance of education funding across the board because if you drive education, educate, and enlighten people, people will change the environment.” 

    Across its four-day span, Expand North Star continues to shed light on the future of industries through defining events such as GITEX Impact, Fintech Surge, Future Blockchain Summit, and Marketing Mania. These events underscore how emerging technologies are transforming the way we live and are also playing a pivotal role in reshaping the future.  

    MIL OSI Africa –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Video: They LITERALLY take care of Soldiers! | U.S. Army

    Source: US Army (video statements)

    CW2 Eric Lejeune, Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment describes his role as part of a medevac team.

    About the U.S. Army:

    The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.

    Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
    Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L
    Connect with the U.S. Army online:
    Web: https://www.army.mil
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
    X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
    #USArmy #Soldiers #Military #Medevac

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZsGtBgdajE

    MIL OSI Video –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: The ‘bully cats’ bred to resemble American bully dogs and how fashion is creating mutant pet breeds

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Grace Carroll, Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast

    Sphynx cats were used to create the bully cat mutant. New Africa/Shutterstock

    Pedigree cat breeding has long had its controversies but a new trend for cats bred to look like American bully XL dogs could be one of the most worrying fads yet.

    So-called “bully cats” originated in the US and are a result of mutant breeding. Unlike pedigree breeding, which focuses on keeping animals purebred, mutant breeding involves intentionally combining genetic mutations to create cats with a specific look. In this case, they mix the gene that causes hairlessness in sphynx cats with the gene responsible for the short legs of munchkin cats, making bully cats a munchkin-sphynx cross.

    These cats share a close resemblance to bully dogs, a group of breeds characterised by a solid build, wide body and short coat. American XL bully dogs were banned in the UK in 2023. Recently, bully cats have made their way to the UK, where social media accounts promoting this new mutant breed have emerged.

    YouTube users criticised this video for “making it normal” to breed animals with genetic health problems.

    According to Marjan van Hagen and Jeffrey de Gier, animal welfare and reproduction experts at Utrecht University in The Netherlands, these mutations can have serious health consequences for the cats and limit their freedom of movement. Kittens already have a limited ability to regulate their body temperature and this is made even more difficult by hairlessness and makes them more suspectible to respiratory infections.

    A lack of fur can also lead to sunburn and skin cancer in hairless cats. Like the sphynx, bully cats also lack whiskers, which cats depend on for communication, navigating their environment and gauging spatial dimensions.

    Short-legged cats also face problems. Short legs limit their ability to jump, can put cats at a disadvantage in fights and can lead to painful health conditions. Although breeders claim that bully cats are healthy and long-lived, it’s still too early to determine their long-term health and welfare.

    Some breeders also say they are screening the cats they breed from for conditions such as heart disease. This can help prevent health problems, but it can’t overcome all of the health and welfare issues with mutant breeding.

    A May 2024 study by veterinary epidemiologist Kendy Tzu-Yun Teng and colleagues assessed annual life expectancy in UK cats and found that the average cat lives nearly 12 years, but sphynx cats have the shortest lifespan — just 6.7 years. Bully cats, being both hairless and short-legged, may face twice the number of challenges encountered by sphynx and munchkin breeds.

    In the wild, unrelated species that face comparable environmental challenges often develop similar traits, a process known as “convergent evolution”. Despite coming from different evolutionary paths, these species evolve to look and behave in similar ways.

    Take the sugar glider from Australia, for example. It looks and behaves much like the US flying squirrel, yet one is a marsupial and one is a mammal. Both animals faced the problem of how to move efficiently in a forest canopy, and evolved the same solution.

    Sugar gliders are not related to flying squirrels.
    I Wayan Sumatika/Shutterstock

    In a similar way, many domesticated animals share common traits, collectively known as “domestication syndrome” including increased tameness, juvenile behaviour, floppy ears and smaller teeth. Traits that helped them adjust to life with humans. However, the resemblance between bully cats and dogs doesn’t come from this gradual, natural process. Instead, it’s the result of selective breeding based on aesthetics.

    Veterinarian and animal welfare scientist Wenche Farstad summarises this as breeding for “curiosity or cuteness” in their 2018 paper on ethical breeding. While people normally find traits like round eyes and short nose length to be particularly cute, breeding for hairlessness and shorter legs is better aligned with the concept of breeding for curiosity.

    In this case, the resemblance between bully cats and dogs is more about human-driven design, where appearance is prioritised. The bully cat seems to have been intentionally bred to resemble the bully dog, perhaps due to their perception among young men as a kind of status symbol.

    Could bully cats survive without humans?

    Mutations that hinder survival and reproduction typically become rare in nature. However, humans bypass natural selection by choosing which animals breed, allowing traits that would be disadvantageous in the wild to persist.

    Examples of this can be seen across a number of domestic species. For example, due to the muscularity of their calves, Belgian Blue cattle require caesarean sections in more than 90% of births.

    Another farm animal, the modern broiler chicken, has been bred to grow much faster than its wild counterparts. If allowed to live longer than their usual slaughter age, many would not survive. Bully cats would probably also struggle to survive in the wild, without humans to care for them.

    Crossbreeding programs can help increase genetic diversity and reduce harmful traits in many breeds. However, for mutant breeds like the bully cat – where hairlessness and short legs are defining traits – this isn’t a realistic solution.

    Prospective pet owners need to be aware of the risks associated with owning mutant and experimental breeds. Consumers hold purchasing power. We can discourage breeders from prioritising aesthetics over the health and welfare of the animals by refusing to buy breeds with extreme traits.

    A fashion toward ethical breeding could ensure future cats are healthier, happier and free to enjoy natural feline behaviour like climbing, jumping and lounging in the sun. We should let cats be cats.

    Grace Carroll 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. The ‘bully cats’ bred to resemble American bully dogs and how fashion is creating mutant pet breeds – https://theconversation.com/the-bully-cats-bred-to-resemble-american-bully-dogs-and-how-fashion-is-creating-mutant-pet-breeds-240729

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Prison education is vital – but it is neglected and failing

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Glazzard, Rosalind Hollis Professor of Education for Social Justice, University of Hull

    Dontree_M/Shutterstock

    The quality of education in young offender institutions (YOIs) in England has seriously declined, according to a recent report from Ofsted and the prisons inspectorate.

    The report into these institutions, whose offenders are aged 15 to 18, referred to “steadily declining educational opportunities”. Among the failings listed were a lack of time allocated to education, lack of proper staff training, staff shortages and poor behaviour of learners.

    It claimed that the curriculum is narrow, fragmented, and poorly resourced due to lack of investment in technology. Prison leaders do not accurately pinpoint what students need to learn, while learners with special educational needs and disabilities do not always get the support that they need. According to data from 2022, only 8.6% of young people who received custodial sentences passed five GCSEs, compared to 58.3% of those without convictions.

    Indeed, there are similar issues across the prison system. The quality of education in too many prisons is not good enough. Research suggests prisoners are often disengaged in classes and education lacks challenge and purpose.

    This is especially disheartening when research also shows that participation in education within prisons can improve learners’ self-esteem and reduce prison violence, as well as increasing the chances of getting a job once offenders are released.

    Teaching reading

    Many adults in prison, as well as children in YOIs, struggle to read. English education inspectorate Ofsted and its prisons counterpart have published two reviews on the teaching of reading in prisons. The first report, published in 2022, highlighted that many teaching staff did not know how to teach reading.

    Inspectors found that reading teachers did not have suitable resources. There was not enough time for learners to practise reading, and weak assessment resulted in teachers not fully understanding why some learners were struggling to learn to read. Some prisons were over-relying on reading skills being taught by peer mentors, who are only supposed to support learners individually or in small groups.

    The second report, from 2023, highlighted that although some progress had been made a year later, it was too slow. Inspectors found that teachers still did not know how to improve reading skills. They also found that teachers did not monitor students’ progress, and interventions to support reading, particularly for non-English speakers, were not adequate.

    Special educational needs

    Too many pupils with special educational needs are excluded from schools and data shows that exclusion rates are higher for this group compared to those who do not have special educational needs. Many young people who are excluded from schools end up in prison, resulting in a high proportion of prisoners who have some form of learning difficulty or disability.

    According to a House of Commons report from 2022, over 30% of prisoners have a learning difficulty or experience learning challenges.

    In 2016 the Coates review of prison education made several recommendations to improve the quality of education in prisons. These included a focus on special educational needs – improving the assessment of educational needs on entry and more rigorous screening for prisoners with learning difficulties or disabilities.

    The review recommended that all prisoners should have a personal learning plan. Also, better quality teachers were needed and prisons needed to find ways of improving attendance in education classes

    Coates recommended that learners with special educational needs and disabilities needed better quality support and that prisoners needed to be able to continue their courses when they moved prisons. Unfortunately, evidence shows that in many prisons these recommendations have not been addressed.

    Making changes

    Another problem is that the growing prison population has led to overcrowding, resulting in poor conditions which make studying difficult.

    Work with prisoners by charities such as the Prison Reform Trust and the Prisoners’ Education Trust highlights some important recommendations which will improve the quality of education in prisons. These include widening the curriculum in prisons so that prisoners can select options from a wider range of courses.

    One recommendation is to provide better incentives to prisoners to encourage them to study. This could be done by paying them the same weekly “wage” as prisoners who choose work-related activities. Increasing the number of learning mentors will help ensure that prisoners get the support they need.

    Finally, introducing flexible education timetables would mean that education classes can also run in the evenings as well as during the day. This will mean that more prisoners can take part in education classes, because more classes can be timetabled across the day. Prisoners who work during the day will be able to take part in education in the evenings.

    According to the Prison Education Trust digital technology “remains the essential ingredient that would revolutionise prison education”. And prisoners need to be supported and encouraged if they are going to achieve their full educational potential.

    Jonathan Glazzard 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. Prison education is vital – but it is neglected and failing – https://theconversation.com/prison-education-is-vital-but-it-is-neglected-and-failing-240482

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: In despair about Earth’s future? Look for green shoots

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Heather Alberro, Lecturer in Sustainability, University of Manchester

    A white stork nesting in the city. Dr.MYM/Shutterstock

    As species go extinct and a habitable climate teeters, it’s understandable to feel despair.

    Some of the world’s top climate scientists have expressed their mounting hopelessness at the prospect of reaching 3°C by 2100. This hellish scenario, well in excess of the 1.5°C countries agreed to aim for when they signed the 2015 Paris agreement, would indeed spell disaster for much of life on Earth.

    As a lecturer in sustainability, I often hear my anxious students bemoan the impossibility of building a way out of ecological collapse. However, the greatest danger is fatalism, and assuming, as Margaret Thatcher claimed, that “there is no alternative”.

    There is a vast ocean of possibility for transforming the planet. Increasingly, cities are in the vanguard of forging more sustainable worlds.

    Car-free futures

    Since the early 1900s, the car has afforded a sense of freedom for some while infringing on the freedoms of others.

    Cars, particularly SUVs, are a major source of air pollution and CO₂ emissions globally. Motorways and car parking spaces have transformed Earth’s terrain and monopolised public space. For those of us in industrialised societies, it is difficult to imagine life without cars.

    Global sales of electric vehicles are projected to continue rising. Yet even these supposed solutions to an unsustainable transport sector require a lot of space and materials to make and maintain.

    With cities set to host nearly 70% of all people by 2050, space and livability are key concerns. As such, cities across Europe and beyond are beginning to reclaim their streets.

    Between 2019 and 2022, the number of low-emissions zones, areas that regulate the most polluting vehicles in order to improve air quality and help to protect public health, expanded by 40% in European cities. Research suggests that policies to restrict car use such as congestion charges and raised parking fees can further discourage their use. However, providing viable and accessible alternatives is also crucial: as such, many cities are also widening walkways, building bike lanes and making public transport cheaper and easier to access.

    An estimated 80,000 cars used to pass daily through the centre of Pontevedra, a city in north-west Spain. Mayor Miguel Anxo Fernandez Lores instituted a ban on cars in 1999 and removed on-street parking spaces. The city has since drastically reduced air pollution and hasn’t had a vehicular death in over a decade.

    Civic life in Pontevedra has benefited from the absence of cars.
    Trabantos/Shutterstock

    Living cities

    Cement and concrete are widely used to make major infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings and dams. The cement industry accounts for up to 9% of global emissions. Moreover, the open-pit quarrying of limestone, a key ingredient in cement, involves removing topsoil and vegetation which rips up ecosystems and biodiversity and increases flooding risks.

    A burgeoning “depaving” movement originated in Portland, Oregon in 2008 and has removed concrete and asphalt from cities including Chicago, London and several cities across Canada, replacing it with plants and soil.

    Depaving is an example of the wider urban rewilding movement which aims to restore natural habitats and expand green spaces in cities for social and ecological wellbeing.

    Multispecies coexistence

    A new report by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has documented an average 73% decline in the abundance of monitored wildlife populations globally since 1970. Despite such unfathomable losses, many cities are being transformed into oases of multispecies life.

    Prized for their fur, beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK by the 16th century. Their water damming activities create homes for other species such as birds and invertebrates and help prevent flooding. Eurasian beavers have been thriving in Sweden, Norway and Germany since their reintroduction in the 1920s and 1960s, respectively.

    In 2022, beavers were designated a protected species in England. In October 2023, London saw its first baby beaver in over 400 years.

    Melbourne has launched a project to create a 18,000 square-metre garden in the city by 2028, with at least 20 local plant species for each square metre. An 8-kilometre long pollinator corridor is also being created to allow wildlife to travel between 200 interconnected gardens and further help local pollinators flourish.

    Living alongside larger predators brings unique challenges. However, as with any functional relationship, respect is key for coexistence. Los Angeles and Mumbai are two major cities that are learning to live alongside mountain lions and leopards. Local officials have launched public education initiatives urging people to, for instance, maintain a safe distance from the animals and not walk alone outside at night. In cases where wildlife conflicts occur, such as between wolves and farmers who have lost livestock, non-lethal methods such as wolf-proof fences and guard dogs have been found to be more effective solutions than culls.

    India’s leopard population appears to be rising.
    Nedla/Shutterstock

    Environmental justice now

    Cities, particularly in wealthy countries, are only a small part of the story.

    At just over 500 years old, the modern capitalist system, imposed globally through European colonialism, is a relatively recent development. Despite its influence, the visionary author Ursula K. Le Guin reminded us that “any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings”.

    Indigenous peoples numbering 476 million across 90 countries represent thousands of distinct cultures that persist as living proof of the enduring possibilities of radically different ways of living.

    An online database tracks 4,189 environmental justice movements worldwide. From multi-tribe Indigenous Amazonian alliances keeping illegal miners at bay, to countless local communities and activist groups resisting the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure. Over the last few years, these place-based struggles have either stopped, stalled or forced the suspension of at least one-quarter of planned extractive projects.

    These examples demonstrate hope in action, and suggest that the radical changes required to avert climate and ecological breakdown are often a simple question of will and collective resolve.

    Reality, like the future, is never fixed. Whether the world is 2, 3 or 4-degrees warmer by 2100 depends on actions taken today. The terrain ahead will be full of challenges. But, glimmers of a better world are already here.


    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get our award-winning weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Heather Alberro 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. In despair about Earth’s future? Look for green shoots – https://theconversation.com/in-despair-about-earths-future-look-for-green-shoots-232114

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Threads: the harrowing 1984 BBC docudrama is back on our screens – scary but appropriate viewing for our uncertain times

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Lacy, Senior lecturer, Politics, Philosophy, and Religion, Lancaster University

    The BBC docudrama Threads shocked audiences in 1984. BBC

    Threads – the horrific film made by the BBC in 1984 depicting the impact of a nuclear war on a city in the north of England – was recently made available to stream. It’s a brutal and grim tour of the aftermath of nuclear war, which anyone who viewed it when originally aired may struggle to watch again. But, 40 years on, the film is probably regarded more as an unpleasant artefact from a more dangerous time.

    These days we consume many types of apocalyptic entertainment in film and video games, exploring all types of societal collapse: ecological disaster, manufactured pandemics, alien invasions, cyber-attacks and dangerous AI. But Threads is particularly chilling in its attempt to give a realistic account of what could happen if cold war tensions escalated. I remember watching it as a teenager in a lesson at school and once was enough for me.

    But in the winter of 2024, it is difficult to escape the regular warnings about the escalating tensions around the world. There are widespread fears that a catastrophic series of diplomatic breakdowns and strategic miscalculations could result in a 2024 version of the events depicted in the 1984 film.

    Since the end of the cold war, much of international conflict has played out below the threshold of open war, in the realms of cyberwarfare, espionage and subversion. Or in other attempts at economic and political tactics intended to influence and manipulate. But there is clearly something very alarming about the situation since the invasion of Ukraine and the escalation of events in the Middle East since October 7.

    What makes the current situation so alarming is the sense that “great powers” or states with nuclear weapons could be pulled into conflicts that might quickly escalate beyond any diplomatic or political control. It’s hoped that leaders on all sides are determined to deter or contain conflict. But wars are shaped by accidents, miscalculations and errors of strategic judgement.

    Would Vladimir Putin have sent his troops into Ukraine if he could see how the Ukrainians and the international community would react? Now he has turned to making regular threats about Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

    So, there is a sense of unease about the current possibility of events getting out of control – of events escalating from brutal and horrific local or regional conflicts into a full blown global conflict. To be sure, there will (hopefully) be a continual diplomatic effort focused in ensuring that events in Ukraine or the Middle East do not escalate to the point where there the world is drawn into a wider war involving weapons of mass destruction.

    Rational v irrational actors

    But one of the concerns is that the situation in the 2020s is markedly difficult to geopolitical tensions during the cold war. The influential “realists” of international relations – academics like John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt – argued that one of the reasons that the US should not invade Iraq was that Saddam Hussein was a “rational actor” whose behaviour could be contained and controlled. Iraq could be controlled through what they saw as “vigilant surveillance” and containment.

    But the fear in 2024 is that the world isn’t populated by rational actors as it was during the cold war, with its doctrine of mutually assured destruction.

    Putin is viewed as a leader increasingly detached from reality – surrounded by advisers too afraid to give him advice that he might not want to hear. In strategic terms, the fear he is that he might escalate to de-escalate. He might attempt a nuclear strike to deter events escalating further – an horrific warning signal that will end any attempts to challenge him.

    Some would question whether Iran may be led by men who are also detached from reality and might actually be looking for an apocalyptic showdown with Israel and the west. This depiction of irrational leaders might be more a reflection of our panic and paranoia than a credible assessment of leadership in these states. And of course, some would argue that the liberal world has its fair share of irrational actors.

    An interconnected world

    So, are we in a time or dangerous irrational actors where deterrence will not prevent a potentially apocalyptic escalation in global events? Security analysts and policymakers often refer to what is known as “deterrence by entanglement”. There are various types of deterrence but one of the geopolitical differences between now and the cold war is the level of interconnection between states that might have diplomatic, economic and political tensions.

    How many Chinese students study in UK universities? How much property in London is owned by Russian citizens? Societies are entangled to such a degree that a launching a nuclear strike on London would not only destroy investments, it might also kill your own citizens. Then there is the question of geographical location and nuclear strikes: would you risk the ecological blowback from nuclear strikes in a way that might endanger your territory, ecology and citizens – for generations?

    Leaders make mistakes and situations escalate in dangerous and unpredictable ways. But one of the lessons of international relations – going back to the works of Sun Tzu and Machiavelli – is that deception is a vital part of statecraft and warfare. And the “performance” of statecraft often requires cultivating an image of irrationality as a form of rational statecraft and deterrence. Some have argued that Donald Trump’s actions and pronouncements on international affairs produce a sense of uncertainty that works as a one-man strategy of deterrence.

    But as this performance plays out, it can be terrifying to watch and experience. Let’s not forget, the history of international relations is a history of tragic and mainly avoidable accidents.

    Mark Lacy 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. Threads: the harrowing 1984 BBC docudrama is back on our screens – scary but appropriate viewing for our uncertain times – https://theconversation.com/threads-the-harrowing-1984-bbc-docudrama-is-back-on-our-screens-scary-but-appropriate-viewing-for-our-uncertain-times-241314

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: MAINE’S SINGLE AREA CODE EXTENDED AN ADDITIONAL TWO AND A HALF YEARS

    Source: US State of Maine

    North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) Predicts 207 Area Code to be Exhausted no Earlier than the Second Quarter of 2036

    October 16, 2024

    Hallowell, Maine -A semi-annual review of area code exhaust dates by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) shows Maine’s single area code has gained another two and a half years before its predicted exhaust date. The previous estimated exhaust date was the fourth quarter of 2033.

    “The Commission is very active in a number of conservation efforts, working with companies to ensure they get the telephone numbers they need, while asking other companies to return numbers they dont need,” said Chair Philip L. Bartlett II. Our team has been working collaboratively with phone companies, the Federal Communications Commission, the North American Numbering Council (NANC), and NANPA on strategies to extend the entire numbering system, not just Maine.

    The life of the overall area code system has been extended an additional 1-2 years. According to the FCC, NANC estimated that the total societal cost of expanding the universe of numbering resources in NANP would be as much as $270 billion and would require adding two additional digits to all telephone numbers nationwide.

    The Commission has been monitoring the status of the 207 area code closely for several years as the number of service providers in Maine has been increasing significantly along with the volume of numbering requests. In January 2021, the predicted exhaust date was 2024. With this extension to 2036, weve added more than 12 additional years.

    The Commission continues to work collaboratively with officials in other states to share best practices. New Hampshires 603 area code, which is also in danger of exhaustion, has seen its forecast extended by nearly two years from 2027 to 2029.

    The next update from NANPA on area code exhaust dates will be April 2025. The NANPA number exhaustion and prediction reports can be found at https://nationalnanpa.com/reports/reports_npa.html.

    Background

    In 2023, the Maine Public Utilities Commission opened an investigation into Rate Center Consolidation (RCC) . This approach, recommended by a recent NANC report to the FCC , would combine 149 calling areas into one. The result would reduce demand for numbering resources and allow telephone providers to utilize more existing resources. The Commission is in the final stages of considering RCC.

    The Commission has also worked closely with Maine lawmakers to enact measures that reduce the wasteful use of numbering resources while also combatting illegal robocalling.
    Through the course of its work, the Commission has learned that some telephone number providers legally procure telephone numbers and then sell them to companies that bombard Maine people with scam calls. By working closely with NANPA, the FCC, and state lawmakers, we have worked to curb robocalling in Maine, but more work must be done.

    About the Commission

    The Maine Public Utilities Commission regulates electric, telephone, water and gas utilities to ensure that Maine citizens have access to safe and reliable utility service at rates that are just and reasonable for all ratepayers while also helping achieve reductions in state greenhouse gas emissions. Commission programs include Maine Enhanced 911 Service, gas safety and Dig Safe. Philip L. Bartlett, II serves as Chair, Patrick Scully and Carolyn Gilbert serve as Commissioners.

    Learn more about the Commission at https://www.maine.gov/mpuc/.

    CONTACT: Susan Faloon, Media Liaison CELL: 207-557-3704 EMAIL: susan.faloon@maine.gov WEBSITE: https://www.maine.gov/mpuc/

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Imported Clotted cream samples detected with total bacterial count exceeding legal limit

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 16) that samples of prepackaged pasteurized Cornish clotted cream imported from the United Kingdom (UK) were detected with total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit. The affected batch of product has been marked and sealed, and has not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the incident.

         Product details are as follows: 

    Product name: Cornish Clotted Cream
    Brand: M&S 
    Place of origin: UK
    Sole importer: Alf Retail Hong Kong Limited
    Packing: 227 grams per pack
    Use-by date: October 18, 2024

         A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS collected the above-mentioned samples at the import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that the total bacterial count of the samples were 620 400, 1 128 000 and 1 504 000 per milliliter respectively. According to the Milk Regulation (Cap 132 AQ), milk after heat treatment by means of pasteurisation should not contain more than 30 000 bacteria per millilitre.

         The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity. An investigation revealed that the affected batch of the product is still stored in the importer’s warehouse. It has not entered the local market. The CFS has temporarily suspended the permission to import for sale of the product concerned granted earlier to the importer. Other types of similar products of the same brand being sold in the market are not affected.
    　
         The spokesman said that the total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean it would lead to food poisoning.
    　
         The CFS has informed the British authorities of the incident, and will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Overcoming analysis paralysis: the Niaxo ACE supplier story

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Bringing data science to bear on everything from the national covid response to synthetic data and countering online grooming.

    Niaxo brings a wealth of experience in data platforms and analytics, with its founders having clocked up “something ridiculous” like 60 years’ worth of contracting into government as independent consultants between them.

    They saw a niche, with experience of both working independently within government as well as working with government clients, to do something different and get technical projects off the ground faster – avoiding the so-called analysis paralysis which can afflict larger organisations.

    And so Niaxo was born in September 2019.

    The team is now significantly larger, with the initial team joined by ten staff, but retains a core focus on bring novel techniques to other people’s data problems.

    An area the company is increasingly excited about, says Ed Puddicombe, Niaxo’s director of strategy and business engagement, is using artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic data to generate simulated scenarios. These could be used for interviews, for example, or for training materials in areas such as law enforcement.

    For one Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) customer, the company used large language models to find examples of the types of text it wanted to replicate synthetically and then designed a wrapper to make an initial version of a template, which has been well received as a starting point. Technology and applications such as this could be a game-changer in terms of speeding up project timelines.

    Puddicombe said: “It was a project for ACE that was the genesis of starting to do some really cool stuff with synthetic data and we enjoy being part of interesting work and working on novel challenges.”

    The Niaxo team heard about ACE from contacts and, intrigued, set up a meeting to find out more. They signed up, and completed their first project in early 2020, exploring data-driven decision-making at a key point of the criminal justice system.

    Puddicombe said: “We took an initial data-processing idea, and within six weeks revamped it into more of an enterprise tool.”

    One of the major ACE commissions Niaxo has been part of was the covid response for the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which was set up to provide evidence-based insight to aid local and national decision-making.

    The company designed and built the data science platform which calculated the ‘r’ value – the measure of how quickly infections were growing across the UK. A rough design on a piece of paper evolved into a platform where every data output could be reversed, to understand the data feeding into it.

    Niaxo built a demonstrator in five days, had the first user live in five weeks, and within five months was told it was the biggest data science platform in government, with hundreds of data scientists working on it. The company also ran and continued to develop it for a number of months, before it was migrated “overnight, seamlessly” to the Department of Health and Social Care.

    Another project Niaxo worked on for a law enforcement body was around understanding the mathematical principles of how online grooming in chats could be detected, and how pattern matching could help, no matter which language was being used.

    Puddicombe added: “I think working with ACE illuminates problem spaces we may have overlooked, so we’ve got a skill that we didn’t know we could grow, from a seed that wouldn’t otherwise have been sown.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: LPL Financial Welcomes Eight Financial Advisors in Florida

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC, announced today that a group of advisors in St. Petersburg, Fla., have joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer, RIA and custodial platforms. They reported having served approximately $450 million in advisory and brokerage assets* and join LPL from Raymond James.

    Financial advisors Michael Collins, Jim Spicer, Ryan Roy, Gary Hummel, Robert Torris, David Zaccagnino, Steven Laesser and Mark Wolf, along with his son Logan Wolf, a registered assistant, operate independently while leveraging shared office space, best practices and approaches to client services. They offer a comprehensive suite of financial services that spans portfolio management, retirement income, tax planning, education funding, estate planning and more.

    The transition to LPL was motivated by a desire to better serve their clients and to gain more control over their future. The advisors said LPL’s flexible platform and customizable solutions were key factors in their decision to move.

    “We were seeking a partner that could help us elevate our service offering so we can continue to give clients what they need and deserve,” said Collins, who previously served as branch manager. “With LPL, we have access to a wide range of innovative capabilities and strategic resources, along with an expanded suite of products that will greatly enhance client experiences. We are now empowered to decide what tools we want to use without corporate influence or mandates. This move will be a positive change that will help position us for long-term sustainability and growth.”

    Scott Posner, LPL Executive Vice President, Business Development, said, “We welcome Mike, Jim, Ryan, Gary, Mark, Logan, Robert, David and Steven to the LPL community and congratulate them on the next chapter of their business. As a committed partner, LPL will provide powerful capabilities, innovative technology and robust business solutions to help increase efficiency and create even better client experiences. We look forward to supporting this group for years to come.”

    Related

    Advisors, learn how LPL Financial can help take your business to the next level.

    About LPL Financial

    LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) was founded on the principle that LPL should work for advisors and institutions, and not the other way around. Today, LPL is a leader in the markets we serve, serving more than 23,000 financial advisors, including advisors at approximately 1,000 institutions and at approximately 580 registered investment advisor firms nationwide. We are steadfast in our commitment to the advisor-mediated model and the belief that Americans deserve access to personalized guidance from a financial professional. At LPL, independence means that advisors and institution leaders have the freedom they deserve to choose the business model, services and technology resources that allow them to run a thriving business. They have the flexibility to do business their way. And they have the freedom to manage their client relationships, because they know their clients best. Simply put, we take care of our advisors and institutions, so they can take care of their clients.

    Securities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial LLC (“LPL Financial”), a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. LPL Financial and its affiliated companies provide financial services only from the United States. The advisors named in this release and LPL Financial are separate entities. LPL Financial does not offer tax advice or tax related service.

    Throughout this communication, the terms “financial advisors” and “advisors” are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.

    We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the “Investor Relations” or “Press Releases” section of our website.

    *Value approximated based on asset and holding details provided to LPL from end of year, 2023.

    Media Contact: 
    Media.relations@LPLFinancial.com 
    (704) 996-1840

    Tracking #642587

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Global Car Rental Company Renews Contract with Urgently for Roadside Assistance Technology and Services

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VIENNA, Va., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Urgent.ly, Inc. (Nasdaq: ULY) (“Urgently”), a U.S.-based leading provider of digital roadside and mobility assistance technology and services, today announced a two-year customer partner contract renewal with one of the largest worldwide vehicle rental companies. With this renewal, the relationship, which began in 2022, will extend to 2026.

    This latest renewal, which was driven, in part, by Urgently’s customer experience benefits and electronic vehicle expertise, continues Urgently’s record of successfully retaining all customer partner contracts since the beginning of the second quarter of 2024. Urgently believes this is an indication of the company’s commitment to delivering customer value through exceptional service, cutting edge technology and a prioritization of safety.

    “Our recent contract renewals reflect Urgently’s ability to foster growth, stability and collaboration across our existing client base,” said Matt Booth, Chief Executive Officer, Urgently. “Each renewal underscores our clients’ satisfaction and trust in our mobility assistance platform. We look forward to deepening our relationships with each of our customer partners and remain dedicated to supporting their long-term success.”

    With this renewal, Urgently’s connected assistance platform will continue to power the vehicle rental company’s roadside assistance program, enabling exceptional mobility assistance experiences, including knowledgeable support for electric vehicles (EVs).

    For more information about Urgently’s roadside and mobility assistance solutions visit https://www.geturgently.com/industry-solutions.

    About Urgently

    Urgently is focused on helping everyone move safely, without disruption, by safeguarding drivers, promptly assisting their journey, and employing technology to proactively avert possible issues. The company’s digitally native software platform combines location-based services, real-time data, AI and machine-to-machine communication to power roadside assistance solutions for leading brands across automotive, insurance, telematics and other transportation-focused verticals. Urgently fulfills the demand for connected roadside assistance services, enabling its partners to deliver exceptional user experiences that drive high customer satisfaction and loyalty, by delivering innovative, transparent and exceptional connected mobility assistance experiences on a global scale. For more information, visit http://www.geturgently.com.

    Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains or may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or Urgently’s future financial or operating performance. Such statements are based upon current plans, estimates and expectations of management of Urgently in light of historical results and trends, current conditions and potential future developments, and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation that such plans, estimates and expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking terms such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “plan,” “potential,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “project,” “predict,” “target,” “believe,” “continue,” “estimate” or “expect” or the negative of these words or other words, terms and phrases of similar nature are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements, other than historical facts, including, without limitation, statements regarding Urgently’s customer partner contract renewal, are based on the current assumptions of Urgently’s management and are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve a significant number of factors that may cause our actual performance or achievements to be materially different from any future performance or achievements stated or implied by the forward-looking statements. For factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, please see the risks and uncertainties detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which was filed with the SEC on March 29, 202, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, including our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, which was filed with the SEC on August 13, 2024, and other filings and reports that we may file from time to time with the SEC. All forward-looking statements reflect Urgently’s beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this press release. Urgently undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances.

    Contacts:
    For Press: media@geturgently.com
    For Investors: investorrelations@geturgently.com

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP PLC – 15 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    		 LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES GROUP 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    		 15 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: 0.375p ORDINARY
      Interests Short positions
    Number % Number %
    (1)   Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 10,069,758 1.2712    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 10,069,758 1.2712    

    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 SALE 8,250 92.7502p
    0.375p ORDINARY SALE 4,000 92.804p
    0.375p ORDINARY SALE 14,000 93p

    (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: 16 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 –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada supports tourism development in Rocher-Percé

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    MRC du Rocher-Percé receives over $1.5M in financial assistance from CED to expand and modernize its air terminal.

    MRC du Rocher-Percé receives over $1.5M in financial assistance from CED to expand and modernize its air terminal.

    Grande-Rivière, Quebec, October 16, 2024 – Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

    Since the start of the pandemic, tourism organizations have demonstrated resilience, creativity and adaptability. They are vectors for diversification and major economic development, and the Government of Canada recognizes their contribution to economic development in Quebec’s regions.

    That is why the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Member of Parliament for Gaspésie‒Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, is today announcing, on behalf of the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED, a non‑repayable contribution of $1,541,750 for the MRC du Rocher-Percé to help initiate improvements to its air terminal, a tourism product in Rocher-Percé.

    This CED support has enabled the regional county municipality (RCM) to proceed with work to expand, fit out and complete outdoor renovations and indoor leasehold improvements to offer a safe environment adapted to users and staff. By supporting this project, CED is not only contributing to local economic development, but also helping to strengthen the tourism sector in Rocher-Percé, to the benefit of the region’s businesses and organizations.

    Founded in 1986, the Aéroport du Rocher-Percé, owned by the RCM, specializes in the transportation of people and goods by air. It serves the MRC du Rocher-Percé region, providing mainly medical transportation and business and tourism flights. This essential service plays a key role in regional economic development. The proposed improvements under this project will now enable the RCM to meet its tourism development targets aimed at attracting tourists to the region, including through the travel packages it offers.

    The Government of Canada recognizes and supports businesses and organizations that are a source of pride in their communities. Quebec’s economic recovery relies, among other things, on a strong tourism industry with organizations that have deep roots in the regional economy. The players in this sector are major contributors to growth, as well as key assets in rebuilding a stronger, more resilient, greener and more just economy for all.

    Quotes

    “The CED support announced today clearly illustrates our willingness to boost players in the tourism industry. The financial contribution provided for the project to expand and modernize the Aérogare de Grande-Rivière is very good news for the MRC du Rocher-Percé and its appeal. Thanks to the Government of Canada’s investments in the tourism industry, we are ensuring we are ready to welcome travellers and tourists from home and abroad!”

    The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Member of Parliament for Gaspésie‒Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

    “Our government is committed to supporting tourism businesses and organizations. Thanks to the funding announced today, we are helping to strengthen economic growth in the MRC du Rocher-Percé. Our assistance represents an important step in the efforts being made to attract tourists from Quebec, Canada and around the world so they can all discover the best tourism experiences our country has to offer.”

    The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED

    “A functional airport is essential to ensure efficient service for air ambulance flights, thereby enabling our residents to quickly receive emergency medical care in major centres. The airport and its facilities also represent a major development tool for our economy and for the tourism sector.”

    Samuel Parisé, Warden of the MRC du Rocher-Percé

    Quick facts

    • The funds have been granted under CED’s Quebec Economic Development Program. This program aims to help communities seize economic development and diversification opportunities that are promising for the future.
    • In Quebec, SMEs account for 99.7% of the province’s businesses and 50% of its GDP.
    • CED is the key federal partner in Quebec’s regional economic development. With its 12 regional business offices, CED accompanies businesses, supporting organizations and all regions across Quebec into tomorrow’s economy.

    Associated links

    Information

    Media Relations
    Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
    media@dec-ced.gc.ca

    Marie-Justine Torres
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
    Cell: 613-327-5918
    marie-justine.torresames@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Stay connected

    Follow CED on social media
    Consult CED’s news

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [ECKOH PLC – 15 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    		 15 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: 20,650,926 7.1071    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 20,650,926 7.1071    

    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 21,450 42.3551p
    10p ORDINARY SALE 93,025 43.375p

    (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: 16 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 –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada supports manufacturers across southern Ontario

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    News release

    Canada is positioned as a global leader in innovation thanks to its thriving manufacturing sector, characterized by cutting-edge technology. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting our local manufacturing firms as they adopt new processes and develop made-in-Canada products to strengthen their position in global supply chains and create good jobs for Canadians.

    FedDev Ontario invests $6.5 million to help SMEs scale up, grow and bring new products to market

    October 16, 2024 – Welland, Ontario 

    Canada is positioned as a global leader in innovation thanks to its thriving manufacturing sector, characterized by cutting-edge technology. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting our local manufacturing firms as they adopt new processes and develop made-in-Canada products to strengthen their position in global supply chains and create good jobs for Canadians.

    Today, on behalf of the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Vance Badawey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, along with Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, visited Niagara College to announce over $6.5 million for three projects supporting southern Ontario’s manufacturing sector.

    During the visit, PS Badawey announced a Government of Canada investment of $4 million for the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI). This Niagara College-led network is made up of 11 post-secondary institution (PSIs) partners across southern Ontario that pool together resources and expertise to match PSIs with the needs of manufacturers to find innovative solutions to their manufacturing challenges. This investment will support SONAMI as it continues to bring technical and industry leadership, equipment, expertise and solutions to participating manufacturers across southern Ontario with a focus on clean growth. SONAMI will also continue to foster future talent by involving students in projects with participating companies. The program is expected to support up to 90 businesses, create 45 new products, services or processes, and create or license 100 new intellectual properties.

    While at Niagara College, PS Badawey also announced support for two manufacturers in the Niagara region: CMI Heavy Industries and Black Creek Metal Inc. With an investment of $1.5 million, CMI Heavy Industries will increase production capacity and automate operations through the purchase and installation of advanced manufacturing equipment.

    Black Creek Metal, is receiving $1 million as they expand their second facility in Thorold. This project will support the company as it enhances production capacity by purchasing new equipment and adopting new technologies that will increase efficiencies.

    The Government of Canada is supporting businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs to ensure they have the support they need to innovate and grow, creating good jobs for Canadians.

    Quotes

    “The important work being done by manufacturers like Black Creek Metal and CMI Heavy Industries, as well as the SONAMI network of post-secondary institutions in collaboration with businesses, will have impacts throughout Ontario. The Government of Canada is pleased to support these significant investments in the manufacturing sector. These contributions not only reflect our dedication to promoting innovation and sustainable economic growth but also emphasize the tremendous potential of our region’s manufacturers.”
    – The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario     

    “I’m incredibly proud to see these substantial investments in the manufacturing sector across southern Ontario. By supporting our region’s innovative spirit and expanding production facilities, we are ensuring that the region remains a key player in Canada’s manufacturing landscape, particularly with the vital contributions of SONAMI and our local manufacturers Black Creek Metal and CMI Heavy Industries.”
    – Vance Badawey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre  

    “This support for the manufacturing sector in southern Ontario will be transformative for local businesses. As we continue to champion growth and innovation throughout the region, these investments will help position our region as a hub of manufacturing excellence, bolstered by the important work of SONAMI and local manufacturers like CMI Heavy Industries and Black Creek Metal.”
    – Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines

    “On behalf of Niagara College, we’re grateful to FedDev Ontario for their continued investment in SONAMI. We are proud to have become a key resource for advanced manufacturing applied research in southern Ontario. With this new investment, we will further leverage the regional ecosystem to bring robust technical and industry leadership, equipment, expertise and solutions to manufacturers across southern Ontario, and give students valuable real-world job experience to help them succeed in their future careers. This investment will enhance our focus on clean growth outcomes, ensuring sustainable and innovative advancements in the manufacturing sector.”
    – Sean Kennedy, President, Niagara College

    “This investment from FedDev Ontario has accelerated CMI Heavy Industries’ investments and advancements allowing our company to be more competitive globally. This investment ensures that high-paying manufacturing jobs stay in Niagara.”
    – Shawn Rapone, Controller, CMI Heavy Industries

    “The generous support from FedDev Ontario highlights the government’s commitment to driving business growth and enhancing productivity across southern Ontario. This funding will be transformative, significantly improving the capacity and precision of our operations. It will strengthen our position as an industry leader and ensure we remain competitive in our field.”
    – Merle Beam, President, Black Creek Metal Inc.

    Quick facts

    • Led by Niagara College, SONAMI is a network of 11 post-secondary institutions, including: Centennial College, Conestoga College, Fanshawe College, Fleming College, George Brown College, Lambton College, McMaster University, Mohawk College, Sheridan College, and Queen’s University.

    • FedDev Ontario previously provided Niagara College with $21.3 million in investments to first establish and then expand SONAMI.

    • Established in 1922, CMI Heavy Industries is a leading provider of heavy fabricated, forged and cast machined components and assemblies. The company specializes in the design, manufacturing and maintenance of heavy industrial equipment and provides a comprehensive range of services to various industries including steel and iron, oil and gas, power generation, mining, construction and transportation.

    • Founded in 1975 and incorporated in 1979, Black Creek Metal Inc. specializes in designing and manufacturing custom metal and structural steel for building frameworks.

    • Since 2015, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has invested over $885 million in 415 manufacturing projects, supporting over 26,000 jobs.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Edward Hutchinson
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
    Edward.Hutchinson@feddevontario.gc.ca

    FedDev Ontario
    Media Relations
    media@feddevontario.gc.ca

    Stay Connected

    FedDev-Ontario.Canada.ca

    Follow us X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook

    Subscribe to FedDev Ontario’s Southern Ontario Spotlight newsletter, featuring economic development news and updates from across the region.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Form 8.3 – [KEYWORDS STUDIOS PLC – 15 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    		 15 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: 1,348,629 1.6746    
    (2)   Cash-settled derivatives:        
    (3)   Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:        
    TOTAL: 1,348,629 1.6746    

    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 2,055 2438p
    1p ORDINARY SALE 410 2438.202p
    1p ORDINARY SALE 185 2438.24p
    1p ORDINARY PURCHASE 190 2439p

    (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: 16 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 –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Green Party Councillor welcomes the first step at Westminster to introduce Assisted Dying in England & Wales

    Source: The Green Party in Northern Ireland

    Green Party Councillor welcomes the first step at Westminster to introduce Assisted Dying in England & Wales
    Cllr Barry McKee said “I firmly believe that we need to change the law to bring Assisted Dying to these islands and I welcome the Choice at the End of Life Bill receiving its first reading at Parliament.”
    “No matter how much people suffer or how certain the terminal nature of their illness, nobody in the UK or Ireland currently has the option for a safe, compassionate and medically-assisted death on their own terms.”
    “We leave dying people to take matters into their own hands, with hundreds with a terminal illness estimated to take their own lives every year.”
    “We allow some who are of means the option to go to Switzerland, to die alone, due to the fear that anyone accompanying them might be prosecuted on their return.And we leave others – whether because they can’t afford to go or aren’t able to– to face unbearable suffering.”
    “But we can’t keep running away from this issue, leaving dying people and their loved ones to fend for themselves.”
    “I hope that MPs from Northern Ireland will be able to support a change to the law. They have a chance to input on ensuring that strict criteria and safeguards to prevent abuse or coercion are contained in any new law introduced.”
    Cllr McKee concluded “With bills passing through parliaments in Holyrood, Westminster and the Oireachtas the pressure will be on the Stormont Executive to ensure that residents in Northern Ireland aren’t the only ones left without autonomy and dignity in death.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Discovery 2024 Short Duration LP Second Closing November 14, 2024 – Maximum $25,000,000

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Middlefield is pleased to announce the closing of its 70th resource fund, Discovery 2024 Short Duration LP (the “Partnership”), which raised total proceeds of $15.2 million.

    The objectives of the Partnership are to provide investors with capital appreciation and significant tax benefits to enhance after-tax returns to limited partners, including the deductibility of 100% of their original investment. The Partnership intends to achieve these objectives by investing in an actively managed, diversified portfolio comprised primarily of equity securities of Canadian gold mining companies.

    Middlefield is a leading provider of flow-through share funds in Canada and has a strong track record of delivering positive after-tax returns. Since 1983, Middlefield has sponsored 69 public and private flow-through funds and has acted as agent or manager for over $2.5 billion of resource investments.

    The syndicate of agents for the offering is being co-led by RBC Capital Markets and CIBC Capital Markets and includes BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., National Bank Financial Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., TD Securities Inc., Richardson Wealth Limited, Manulife Wealth Inc., iA Private Wealth Inc., Canaccord Genuity Corp., Raymond James Ltd., Ventum Financial Corp. and Wellington-Altus Private Wealth Inc.

    For further information, please visit our website at http://www.middlefield.com or contact Nancy Tham in our Sales and Marketing Department at 1.888.890.1868.

    This offering is only made by prospectus. The prospectus contains important detailed information about the securities being offered. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained from your CIRO registered financial advisor using the contact information for such advisor. Investors should read the prospectus before making an investment decision

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025

  • MIL-OSI: Coop Pank extends authorities of Paavo Truu as Member of the Management Board of Coop Pank AS

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    On 16 October 2024, the Supervisory Board of Coop Pank AS decided to extend the term of office of Paavo Truu, Member of the Management Board of Coop Pank AS, for a new 3-year term, i.e. from the end of the current term until 14 February 2028.

    At the same time, Paavo Truu’s powers as a member of the supervisory board of Coop Pank AS subsidiaries Coop Liising AS and Coop Kindlustusmaakler AS were extended.

    From February 2022, Paavo Truu is a member of the Management Board and the CFO at Coop Pank AS. In addition to sitting on the management board of Coop Pank, Paavo Truu is a member of the supervisory boards of the bank’s subsidiaries Coop Liising AS and Coop Kindlustusmaakler AS.

    Paavo Truu (and his company) holds 52 248 shares in Coop Pank AS and had been issued with the option of a further 22 700 shares with a realization date of 2025, an option for 41 900 shares which mature in 2026 and an option for 86 200 which mature in 2027.

    Coop Pank, based on Estonian capital, is one of the five universal banks operating in Estonia. The number of clients using Coop Pank for their daily banking has reached 200,000. Coop Pank aims to put the synergy generated by the interaction of retail business and banking to good use and to bring everyday banking services closer to people’s homes. The strategic shareholder of the bank is the domestic retail chain Coop Eesti comprising 320 stores.

    Additional information:
    Katre Tatrik
    Communication Manager
    Tel: +372 5151 859
    E-mail: katre.tatrik@cooppank.ee

    The MIL Network –

    January 23, 2025
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