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Category: Commerce

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Investigation with National Trading Standards find ‘nicotine free’ vapes are falsely advertised

    Source: City of Salford

    • A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) initiative tracked the sale of illicit vapes and underage sales, working with Salford City Council
    • Tests carried out on ‘nicotine free’ vapes find one in every eight products were found to contain nicotine 
    • Consumers exposed to nicotine in significant quantities, equal to the amount in a packet of 20 cigarettes

    Led by National Trading Standards (NTS), Salford City Council’s Trading Standards team alongside Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service and the Trading Standards team in Berkshire, have worked collaboratively to test ‘nicotine free’ vapes on sale to UK consumers and track the sale of illicit vapes and underage sales.

    As part of Operation Joseph, the DHSC government funded initiative was set up to tackle specific aspects of enforcement and compliance around the sale of vaping products. The project includes collating national data on enforcement, helping to support local authorities and increase enforcement activity as well as targeted testing and port seizure work. 

    According to data released from NTS at the end of 2024, the sale of illicit vapes and underage sales found:

    • 1.19 million illegal vapes seized by Trading Standards in 2023-24, a 59% increase
    • 299,224 vapes confiscated in Quarter 4 2023-24
    • 24% of 775 test purchases in Quarter 4 2023-24 resulted in illegal sales of vapes to under 18s

    Consumers who expect to buy nicotine free products have been warned, as a result of the investigation, that they are being unknowingly exposed to nicotine and its addictive effects in significant quantities.

    The key findings of 76 products sold and tested as nicotine free vapes showed that:

    • More than one in every eight (13.2%) of products tested contained nicotine in amounts ranging from 0.06 mg/ml to 27.02 mg/ml, the amount equivalent to a packet of 20 cigarettes
    • Of the products found to contain nicotine, they also exceeded the limit on the amount of e-liquid permitted in vapes
    • Consumers have unknowingly taken high levels of nicotine in significant quantities, with eight of ten samples failing at part of tests

    Councillor Barbara Bentham Lead, Member for Neighbourhoods, Environment and Community Safety at Salford City Council said: “As a key priority in our Corporate Plan, it’s pivotal that we make sure that everyone in Salford has the opportunity to live longer, healthier and happier lives. That means protecting the health of our residents and in particular, safeguarding children from the flood of dangerous, illegal products that are being sold in our city and across the UK.

    “As a growing national concern, we are committed to working with partners like National Trading Standards to remove illegal vapes from our communities and urge businesses to ensure that vaping products are not sold to children. Those who choose to ignore legal regulations will face thorough investigations to enforce compliance so that we continue to ensure the highest standards of safety are met.”
     
    Suspected cases can be reported to the Citizens Advice consumer service by calling 0808 223 1133.

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    Date published
    Monday 17 March 2025

    Press and media enquiries

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Inspiro Wins Gold in 2025 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MANILA, Philippines, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inspiro, a global leader in digital customer experience (CX) and business process outsourcing (BPO), has been awarded the prestigious Gold Stevie® Award for its innovative Customer Experience Management Solution during the 19th Annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Inspiro received the highest accolade for its AI-enabled analytics solution, Interactions by Inspiro, which transforms customer interaction data into actionable insights. This groundbreaking solution provides valuable intelligence to enhance agent performance and identify customer trends. 

    Additionally, Inspiro earned the Silver Stevie® Award in the “Contact Center or Customer Service Outsourcing Provider of the Year” category, showcasing its state-of-the-art digital transformation solutions. These solutions drive innovation in enhancing agent experiences, boosting customer satisfaction, and optimizing operational efficiencies. 

    The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world’s top honors for customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals. The Stevie Awards organize nine of the world’s leading business award programs, including the prestigious American Business Awards® and International Business Awards®. This year, 176 professionals on seven specialized judging committees evaluated over 2,100 nominations from organizations spanning 45 nations and territories. 

    Stevie Awards president Maggie Miller stated, “The outstanding scores awarded to this year’s winners reflect the exceptional levels of achievement they demonstrate. We proudly join the judges and the entire Stevie Awards community in congratulating and celebrating the winners on their accomplishments.”  

    Yuji Hamamoto, President and CEO of Inspiro, commented, “We are deeply honored to be recognized by the Stevie Awards for our commitment to innovation. Three years ago, we embarked on a bold digital transformation initiative, creating cutting-edge solutions to elevate customer experiences, enhance workforce efficiency, and unlock new growth opportunities. This recognition solidifies our position as a leading force in the Philippine IT-BPM sector, driving a digitally connected future for our employees and clients.”

    About Inspiro 

    Headquartered in the Philippines, Inspiro is a global leader in customer experience and business process outsourcing with decades of expertise in delivering value-driven CX solutions to industry-leading clients worldwide. Harnessing advanced technologies such as AI-powered analytics and digital transformation strategies, Inspiro is committed to enabling businesses to enhance customer engagement and achieve operational excellence.

    Inspiro is owned by Altius Link, Inc., a synergistic partnership between KDDI Corporation and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. This new company combines KDDI Evolva and Relia’s expertise in contact centers, back-office operations, and information technology to create Japan’s largest contact center by sales value. Altius Link aims to become a leading digital BPO and trusted partner to companies globally. For more information, visit www.inspiro.com. 

    Contact:

    Raymond Boholano
    Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Communications
    raymond.boholano@inspiro.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: India, Japan and UAE defy global deal downturn in early 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    India, Japan and UAE defy global deal downturn in early 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    The global deal landscape has slowed during the first two months of 2025, with overall deal volume dropping 9% compared to the same period last year. Europe has seen a sharp contraction, while India, Japan and the UAE have shown resilience despite the broader downturn, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “This decline is indicative of a challenging environment, influenced by factors such as geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures and macroeconomic conditions that have dampened deal-making sentiments.”

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database revealed that all the deal types under the coverage, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity and venture financing, registered decline in volume during January-February 2025 compared to January-February 2024.

    M&A deal volume has seen a year-on-year (YoY) decrease of about 9% during January-February 2025, signaling a cautious approach from businesses that may be reevaluating their growth strategies amid the uncertainty.

    Similarly, the number of private equity deals have contracted by about 3%, suggesting that investors are becoming more selective in their investments, possibly prioritizing quality over quantity in the current market conditions.

    Venture financing deals have also taken a hit, with the YoY decline in volume pegged at about 9%, reflecting a tightening of capital availability for startups and emerging companies, which often rely on such funding to fuel innovation and growth.

    Bose adds: “Even though the intensity varied widely but all the regions experienced subdued deal activity during the review period. Meanwhile, the trend remained a mixed bag among different countries with some showcasing improvement in deal volume while some experiencing decline.”

    Europe has been particularly hard hit, with a staggering YoY decline of around 16%. This downturn is reflective of the ongoing economic challenges faced by the region, including energy crises and inflation, which have created an uncertain investment climate.

    In contrast, North America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and African region have shown relative resilience, with modest declines of around 4%, 8% and 4%, respectively. Meanwhile South and Central America have experienced a contraction of around 13%.

    The US, while still leading in deal volume, has seen a decline of around 3%. The UK and China, however, have faced more significant challenges, with decline of around 20% each. Notably, India, Japan and the UAE have bucked the trend and showcased improvement in deal activity during the review period.

    Bose concludes: “While global deal activity slows, markets like India, Japan, and the UAE show resilience, driven by stable economies and demand for innovation. Going forward, we may see a more region-specific deal landscape, with investors focusing on growth opportunities in emerging markets while exercising caution in more uncertain economies.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Amway’s advertising campaigns focus on health, sustainability and scientific innovation to engage diverse audiences, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Amway’s advertising campaigns focus on health, sustainability and scientific innovation to engage diverse audiences, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    Amway’s YouTube advertising campaigns from December 2024 to February 2025 adopted a research-driven approach, emphasizing wellness, scientific validation, and consumer lifestyle integration. By focusing on health-conscious choices, these ads highlight product functionality, natural ingredients, and sustainable practices. The strategy aims to engage diverse audiences by addressing personal care, nutrition, and performance needs while keeping up with changing market trends, reveals the Global Ads Platform of GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Sagar Kishor, Ads Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Amway’s campaigns cater to specific consumer needs, with Satinique addressing hair and scalp health, Nutrilite ensuring ingredient traceability, and XS Energy appealing to active individuals with its sugar-free formula. The strategy integrates the fusion of nature and science, positioning the brand as a provider of effective and sustainable wellness solutions. The advertisements strategically use visually appealing demonstrations and research-backed messaging to build trust and appeal to a wide range of consumers.”

    GlobalData’s Global Ads Platform reveals the key focus areas of Amway’s advertisements below:

    Botanical Ingredient Integration: Amway’s ads for Satinique and Nutrilite emphasize plant-based ingredients like pomegranate and rosemary, aligning with the growing demand for naturally derived, sustainable products. This strategy positions the brand as eco-conscious, catering to health and beauty consumers seeking natural, effective solutions.

    Scientific Credibility and Innovation: The inclusion of PhytoJuve and PhytoLiposome underscores a data-driven approach, emphasizing advancements in formulation development. By highlighting these processes, the products are advertised as rigorously tested solutions, appealing to consumers who prioritize research-backed efficacy and product transparency.

    Targeted Scalp and Hair Solutions: Satinique ads highlight solutions for dandruff, hair fall, and hydration, framing scalp care as an extension of skincare. This approach moves beyond cosmetic appeal, emphasizing long-term scalp health in line with evolving consumer preferences and dermatological care trends.

    Holistic Wellness Framework: Nutrilite’s Begin 30 program structures health into four key areas: nutrition, hydration, movement, and mindfulness. By presenting measurable benefits in the advertisement such as energy improvement and weight management, it appeals to the audience who is looking for a structured approach to wellness.

    Performance and Energy Boost: XS Energy + Burn positions itself as a zero-sugar energy solution in the ads, incorporating EGCG, ginger extract, and B-vitamins. The focus on metabolic support and sustained energy caters to active consumers looking for functional beverages aligned with performance and lifestyle needs.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: BexBack Launches No KYC Crypto Trading, 100x Leverage, Double Deposit Bonus, and $50 Welcome Bonus

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With Bitcoin’s price fluctuating below $100,000, many analysts predict a prolonged period of high volatility in the crypto market. Holding spot positions may struggle to generate short-term profits in such conditions. As a result, 100x leverage futures trading has become the preferred tool for seasoned investors looking to maximize potential gains in this volatile market. BexBack Exchange is ramping up its efforts to offer traders unmatched promotional packages. The platform now features a 100% deposit bonus, a $50 welcome bonus for new users, and 100x leverage on cryptocurrency trading, providing exceptional opportunities for investors.

    What Is 100x Leverage and How Does It Work?

    Simply put, 100x leverage allows you to open larger trading positions with less capital. For example:

    Suppose the Bitcoin price is $100,000 that day, and you open a long contract with 1 BTC. After using 100x leverage, the transaction amount is equivalent to 100 BTC.

    One day later, if the price rises to $105,000, your profit will be (105,000 – 100,000) * 100 BTC / 100,000 = 5 BTC, a yield of up to 500%.

    With BexBack’s deposit bonus

    BexBack offers a 100% deposit bonus. If the initial investment is 2 BTC, the profit will increase to 10 BTC, and the return on investment will double to 1000%.

    Note: Although leveraged trading can magnify profits, you also need to be wary of liquidation risks.

    How Does the 100% Deposit Bonus Work?
    The deposit bonus from BexBack cannot be directly withdrawn but can be used to open larger positions and increase potential profits. Additionally, during significant market fluctuations, the bonus can serve as extra margin, effectively reducing the risk of liquidation.

    About BexBack?

    BexBack is a leading cryptocurrency derivatives platform that offers 100x leverage on BTC, ETH, ADA, SOL, and XRP futures contracts. It is headquartered in Singapore with offices in Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Argentina. It holds a US MSB (Money Services Business) license and is trusted by more than 500,000 traders worldwide. Accepts users from the United States, Canada, and Europe. There are no deposit fees, and traders can get the most thoughtful service, including 24/7 customer support.

    Why recommend BexBack?

    No KYC Required: Start trading immediately without complex identity verification.

    100% Deposit Bonus: Double your funds, double your profits.

    High-Leverage Trading: Offers up to 100x leverage, maximizing investors’ capital efficiency.

    Demo Account: Comes with 10 BTC in virtual funds, ideal for beginners to practice risk-free trading.

    Comprehensive Trading Options: Feature-rich trading available via Web and mobile applications.

    Convenient Operation: No slippage, no spread, and fast, precise trade execution.

    Global User Support: Enjoy 24/7 customer service, no matter where you are.

    Lucrative Affiliate Rewards: Earn up to 50% commission, perfect for promoters.

    Take Action Now—Don’t Miss Another Opportunity!

    If you missed the previous crypto bull run, this could be your chance. With BexBack’s 100x leverage and 100% deposit bonus and $50 bonus for new users (complete one trade within one week of registration), you can be a winner in the new bull run.

    Sign up on BexBack now, claim your exclusive bonus and start accumulating more BTC today!

    Website: www.bexback.com

    Contact: business@bexback.com

    Contact:
    Amanda
    business@bexback.com

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by BexBack. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/10236152-e825-4140-a50e-905d3662534c

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b9cae213-db9e-4c95-8002-7097dcd1482f

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e70bf520-5a33-4d9f-a206-a74f16ca7796

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d93f5293-fead-4a7c-ae3e-7d16e5ee083d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Par Funding Enforcer Sentenced to 11½ Years in Prison for RICO Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice, and Retaliation

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    James LaForte Brutally Assaulted Receivership Attorney, Threatened Government Witnesses, Extorted Merchants

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that James LaForte, 48, of New York, New York, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney to 137 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release to include 12 months’ home confinement, for crimes committed as part of a criminal enterprise that ran a fraudulent investment vehicle[1] known as Complete Business Solutions Group, Inc., d/b/a Par Funding (“Par Funding”) for a number of years, before it was taken over by a court-appointed receivership pursuant to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. LaForte was also ordered to pay $2,488,645 in restitution, representing the portion of investor proceeds that he illegally diverted from Par Funding’s numerous investors for his own use through sham merchant contracts and other self-dealing conduct.

    In February 2024, the defendant, his brother Joseph LaForte, Par Funding’s president and CEO, and Joseph Cole Barleta, Par Funding’s chief financial officer, were charged in an amended second superseding indictment with racketeering conspiracy and related crimes.

    James LaForte pleaded guilty in September 2024 to racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and extortionate collection of debt, as well as obstruction of justice, for his violent assault on one of the Par Funding receivership’s Philadelphia attorneys, and retaliation, for threatening several government witnesses.

    “James LaForte served as one of his brother’s enforcers,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He not only used threats of violence to collect on Par Funding’s debt, but stalked and assaulted an attorney, in retaliation for that man’s efforts to hold the LaForte family responsible for one of the largest financial frauds in Philadelphia’s history. As today’s sentence shows, this brand of brazen and violent lawbreaking simply won’t be tolerated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”

    “Since its earliest days, the FBI has been dedicated to investigating complex financial crimes,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “James LaForte participated in a criminal enterprise driven by greed and sustained through threats and violence. The FBI is proud to stand with our partners in the pursuit of justice — disrupting these schemes and ensuring restitution for victims.”

    “The defendant in this case was brought to justice for his participation in a criminal enterprise that caused significant financial harm to numerous investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), New York Region. “The FDIC OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who commit such egregious crimes that threaten investors and the safety and soundness of our Nation’s financial institutions.”

    Joseph LaForte also pleaded guilty in September 2024 to racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and related crimes and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2025. Barleta pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of racketeering conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 2, 2025.

    This case was investigated by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Newcomer, Samuel Dalke, and Eric Gill.

    The SEC in Florida investigated and litigated the civil securities fraud charges, which formed the basis of a portion of the Par Funding criminal prosecution.

    [1] On January 21, 2025, the Court found the Par Funding fraud scheme caused an actual fraud loss of approximately $404,000,000, which it reduced to $288,395,088 after factoring in credit for collateral seized from Par Funding by federal authorities when the investigation became public in July 2020.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Key advantages of investing in Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PUNE, India, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — India’s evolving consumption landscape offers opportunity to investors, thanks to a growing middle class and shifting consumer habits. The Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund stands as a gateway for those looking to capitalize on this surge. By strategically investing in key sectors poised for growth, this fund targets long-term potential gains driven by rising domestic consumption.

    India’s consumption wave

    The consumption boom in India is powered by a union of socio-economic changes. As more people enter the middle class with increased purchasing power, the demand for a diverse range of goods and services is expected to grow. This transformation is shaped by several trends:

    Rising affluence: India is seeing a shift toward more affluent consumers, who are now prioritizing quality over quantity in their purchasing decisions. The demand for luxury and premium products is rapidly increasing, with people seeking value-added goods that improve their lifestyles.

    Health and wellness: A growing focus on well-being has led to a rise in demand for health-centric products. Consumers are now more conscious about what they consume, choosing items that align with a health-conscious lifestyle, such as organic food, fitness-related products, and immunity-boosting supplements.

    Convenience: Convenience-driven purchasing has skyrocketed, with online shopping, food delivery, and quick-service solutions gaining traction. Today’s consumers want easy and fast access to products, shifting the retail sector toward e-commerce and other digital platforms.

    Broadening consumption horizons: India’s rural markets are registering growing demand and provide an opportunity for driving the consumption sector.

    How the Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund taps into these trends

    The Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund seeks to leverage these trends by investing in companies directly benefiting from India’s growing consumption sector. Here’s how it aligns with the evolving market:

    Investing in high-growth sectors: The fund targets businesses that are positioned to capitalize on the changing consumer behaviour. By investing in emerging sectors, it taps into the rapid growth driven by rising disposable incomes and evolving consumer preferences.

    Focused approach: Staying true to its theme, the fund focuses on sectors and companies directly impacted by increased consumption. This detailed and defined strategy ensures that every investment decision aligns with the broader goal of capturing growth in the consumption space.

    Diverse market exposure: Unlike traditional funds that focus solely on large cap stocks, the Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund adopts a more flexible approach. It invests across the market cap spectrum, balancing the stability of established firms with the growth potential of mid and small cap companies.

    Future-oriented investment philosophy: The fund focuses on long-term growth by identifying emerging trends and high-potential companies. This proactive approach ensures that the fund remains ahead of the curve and positions itself to benefit from the next wave of consumption-driven growth.

    Who should consider this fund?

    The Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund may be well-suited for a wide range of investors. Whether you are looking for high-growth potential or diversification in your existing portfolio, this fund offers several advantages:

    Lumpsum investors: For those looking to make a one-time investment, the fund presents a unique opportunity to tap into India’s expanding consumption market.

    Risk-tolerant investors: If you are open to higher risks in pursuit of returns, this fund aligns well with your objectives. The consumption sector has the potential for both high growth and volatility, making it suitable for those with a higher risk tolerance.

    Tactical portfolio diversification: If you want to add depth and variety to your equity portfolio, this fund can be a way to diversify into a specific sector that shows tremendous growth potential. It complements broader investment strategies and enhances overall portfolio performance.

    Long-term investors: The fund is a suitable option for those with a five-year or more investment horizon. By focusing on long-term growth, the fund allows investors to ride out market fluctuations while benefiting from the overall rise in consumption.

    Enhancing your investment strategy

    To optimize the potential of your investment, consider using tools like a monthly SIP calculator. This tool allows you to systematically invest small amounts over time, leveraging the power of compounding and making it easier to achieve your investment goals in the long run.

    The Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund offers opportunity to invest in India’s dynamic consumption sector. With its focused investment strategy and forward-looking approach, it may benefit from the projected growth in domestic consumer demand. Whether you are a seasoned investor or just getting started, this fund provides the tools and strategy necessary to tap into the evolving consumption trends and build wealth for the future.

    Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

    This document should not be treated as endorsement of the views/opinions or as investment advice. This document should not be construed as a research report or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. This document is for information purpose only and should not be construed as a promise on minimum returns or safeguard of capital. This document alone is not sufficient and should not be used for the development or implementation of an investment strategy. The recipient should note and understand that the information provided above may not contain all the material aspects relevant for making an investment decision. Investors are advised to consult their own investment advisor before making any investment decision in light of their risk appetite, investment goals and horizon. This information is subject to change without any prior notice.

    Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund is an open ended equity scheme following consumption theme.

    Contact Info:

    Phone no.: 1800-3093900

    Name: Gaurav Parmar

    Email: gaurav.parmar@bajajamc.com

    Organization: Bajaj Finserv Asset Management

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by the Bajaj Finserv Asset Management. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b95feccc-47af-4ee5-bb65-42b2ef1a7e0b

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Rules > Followers: BYDFi’s Official Response to ExtraVOD’s Allegedly False Allegations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recently, BYDFi has noticed misleading accusations made by the content creator ExtraVOD on social media against BYDFi. To ensure transparency and clarity for all our users, BYDFi would like to present the facts of the situation：

    • January 25: Detection of Abnormal Trading Activity

    When ExtraVOD’s first account reached the perpetual risk limit, he opened a second account to bypass restrictions. BYDFi identified abnormal trading activities and ExtraVOD was reminded of BYDFi’s User Agreement (9.2 and 9.3) and the risk limits for perpetual contracts.

    • January 26: Admission & Request for Content Removal

    ExtraVOD claimed ignorance of the policy but admitted to creating a second account for high-frequency trading. BYDFi requested the removal of misleading content from his social media.

    • January 28-29: Agreement & Fund Transfers

    Following negotiations, an agreement was reached. All funds in ExtraVOD’s main account remained fully accessible, while deposit funds from the sub-account were merged into the main account.

    ExtraVOD acknowledged the resolution and publicly confirmed it. Over the next month, he continued trading actively.

    • March 1 – March 5: Contradictory Claims & Renewed Demands

    A month later, ExtraVOD re-engaged, demanding profit funds from the sub-account.

    BYDFi support reiterated that, per the January agreement, all deposited funds had already been returned to the main account.

    • March 11-15: Threats & Misinformation

    ExtraVOD escalated the situation, threatening to expose the issue on social media unless his demands were met. He altered his stance, now claiming the second account belonged to his family.

    He then released a video urging his followers to pressure BYDFi into returning the funds.

    5 Years. 1 Principle: Rules > Followers

    BYDFi upholds integrity and transparency to ensure a fair trading environment for all users. All legitimate funds were returned to ExtraVOD’s verified account, but trading profits were voided due to rule violations.

    BYDFi will not tolerate defamatory actions and reserves the right to take legal action against any damages caused by misleading claims. The misuse of multiple accounts to bypass risk limits is a violation of policies across all trading platforms.

    About BYDFi

    Founded in 2020, BYDFi is recognized by Forbes as one of the Top 10 Global Crypto Exchanges, trusted by over 1,000,000 users worldwide. BYDFi remains committed to delivering a world-class crypto trading experience for every user. BUIDL Your Dream Finance.

    • Website: https://www.bydfi.com

    • Support Email: CS@bydfi.com

    • Business Partnerships: BD@bydfi.com

    • Media Inquiries: media@bydfi.com

    Twitter( X )| LinkedIn| Facebook | Telegram| YouTube

    Images accompanying this announcement are available at

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ac360214-27aa-45e9-88f0-2d93d606479f
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8ca56216-7288-4e1b-9ef9-76933e1ab2ed
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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IAM District 98 Plant Hosts Pennsylvania Governor for Clean, Affordable Energy Initiative Roll-Out

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro recently announced his “Lightning Plan” at an IAM-represented facility in York, Pa., calling for tax incentives and regulation streamlining to keep Pennsylvania at the forefront of electrical production in North America.

    Using an “all of the above” approach to energy production, from fossil fuels, fracking, solar, wind, and hydro electric, the governor hopes to keep and create jobs in the Commonwealth. He chose to announce his plan at this Voith Hydro plant because it dates back to 1877, when it started as S. Morgan Smith, possibly the first hydro electric power manufacturing factory in America.

    “Pennsylvania’s energy industry created good jobs and lifted people out of poverty,” said Shapiro. “It powered the middle class, and allowed folks like you to put food on the table of your families, earn a great wage, and has helped lead to the creation of the modern day American labor movement.”

    IAM Local 1400 (District 98) represents a large segment of the more than 1,000 workers at this sprawling factory. A Voith Hydro executive credited the “robust, highly skilled workforce” that has made the modern-day facility successful.

    Voith has invested more than $20 million in upgrades to the factory in recent years.  With the help of the IAM, Voight was able to secure a nearly $6 million grant for upgrades from the Inflation Reduction Act.

    “Local 1400 has a strong history of respect from management here because this workforce always delivers,” said IAM District 98 Assistant Directing Business Representing Kermit Forbes, Jr. “These members know that union jobs here are key to manufacturing in America, and they want to keep those strong middle class jobs here and create more”.

    “The demand for energy generation and storage is growing. Computer data centers, artificial intelligence, and other energy intensive industries are challenging our energy generation capacity,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “Dedicated, skilled workers like our members at IAM Local 1400 are critical to staying ahead of America’s growing need for energy.”

    Voith Hydro manufactures turbines used in electricity generation. The company’s legacy turbines are used in the Hoover Dam and the Sir Adam Beck Plants along the Niagara River in Canada.

    See photos from the event here.

    Share and Follow:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Making it Easier to Report Drug Price Spikes

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of DFS Connect; a new digital program launched by the Department of Financial Services (DFS) that will centralize the Department’s interactions with both regulated entities and consumers and ensure better service to businesses and consumers. Building on the State’s actions to protect New Yorkers from rising drug costs, the initial functions launched today on DFS Connect provide a streamlined and transparent way to file complaints for prescription drug prices that increase more than 50 percent over the course of a year and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). Additionally, individuals can file complaints via mail or by calling the DFS Hotline.

    “New Yorkers deserve a transparent and accessible option for reporting drug price spikes and holding PBMs and drug manufacturers accountable for their rising costs of prescription medication,” Governor Hochul said. “DFS Connect allows for individuals to report these spikes to the State and provide a more efficient service to both consumers and businesses.”

    New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris said, “Over the last three years, we have cultivated a culture of innovation, invested in new technological infrastructure and updated key processes. DFS Connect is a pivotal example of how we are innovating to enhance regulatory oversight while making it easier for New Yorkers and businesses to engage directly with the agency.”

    New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Under Governor Hochul’s leadership we continue to protect the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers and ensure everyone has equitable access to the medications and resources necessary for a quality and healthy life. DFS Connect will give New Yorkers a voice and opportunity to help keep drug prices affordable and drug manufacturers accountable for overpriced prescription medication.”

    Assemblymember Amy Paulin said, “Congratulations to Governor Hochul and her team on the release of DFS Connect. The ever-rising cost of medications impacts all New Yorkers, especially seniors and those living on fixed income. Every step that can be taken to help protect New Yorkers from these cost increases, like the new DFS Connect system, is needed.”

    In 2021, Governor Hochul signed landmark legislation to bring transparency and a comprehensive regulatory structure to otherwise unregulated PBMs. DFS adopted new market conduct regulations to govern PBMs operating in New York State; helping to protect New Yorkers’ access to prescription drugs, prohibiting business practices that increase the cost of certain drugs, and ensuring that small, independent pharmacies compete on a fair playing field with large pharmacies affiliated with Pharmacy Benefit Managers. Since January 2022, DFS has received over 300 complaints regarding PBMs and has recovered a total of more than $1.3 million for pharmacies and consumers.

    With today’s launch of DFS Connect, New Yorkers can now submit complaints about prescription drug spikes, PBMs and drug manufacturers. Once a complaint is submitted through DFS Connect, an individual can track its status in real-time and communicate directly with DFS staff about their issue. DFS Connect eliminates bureaucratic red tape and creates a user-friendly platform that enhances oversight and ensures better service to regulate businesses and consumers alike. Pharmacies will also be able to report problematic business practices of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and drug manufacturers.

    Over the next three years, all of DFS’s regulatory processes and consumer support services will be rolled out on the platform:

    • Q2-Q3 2025: Insurance Acquisition of Control, Reinsurance Agreements, Reinsurer Applications, Disclaimer of Control, Free Trade Zone Applications, Management Services Agreements, Schedule C-1 Filings
    • Q4 2025: Billing and Assessments, Foreclosure Management System Replacement
    • Q1-Q2 2026: Banking & Virtual Currency Examinations
    • Q3-Q4 2026: Licensing and Insurance Examinations
    • Q1-Q2 2027: Full transition of all regulatory processes to DFS Connect, including all consumer complaints

    This tool is also modernizing how DFS oversees financial institutions, ensuring that critical regulatory functions, such as licensing, renewals, examinations and legal filings, are handled seamlessly. Additional functionalities, including insurance-related licensing and examination modules, will be introduced over the next two years, with the full transition to DFS Connect expected in 2026.

    As part of its larger operational transformation, DFS has also invested heavily in strengthening its workforce. Over the past three years, DFS has hired and promoted more than 1,000 individuals, including the first class of financial services examiner trainees since 2018. This investment ensures the Department can effectively oversee New York’s financial and insurance industries while continuing to enhance consumer protections.

    New Yorkers can submit PBM or drug price spike complaints online using DFS Connect, which can be accessed with a new or existing NY.gov account. Paper complaints are available on the Consumer Complaint page, and can be mailed to the Department of Financial Services, Attn: Office of Pharmacy Benefits, 1 Commerce Plaza, Albany, NY 12257. Additionally, the DFS Hotline is staffed Monday through Friday, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Call DFS at (800) 342-3736.

    For more information or to sign up for DFS Connect, visit the DFS website or the DFS Connect platform.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE student wins gold medal at All-Russian karate competition

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    The All-Russian Karate Competition was held in Odintsovo, Moscow Region, bringing together more than 2,000 participants from 42 regions of the country. A second-year student of the OP “Business management” Higher School of Business HSE Dmitry Konyaev became the winner in the category 18-20 years old, weight up to 65 kg. He managed to get ahead of several dozen athletes representing leading clubs from different regions.

    The tournament in Odintsovo is considered one of the most prestigious in karate and attracts the strongest athletes from all over Russia. For many participants, this is an important moment in their sports career, which opens the door to new opportunities and achievements.

    “The tournament was quite difficult, especially in comparison with last year,” comments Dmitry Konyaev. “There were no easy opponents at all, I had to get to work from the first fight. The goal was achieved – I met the standard for the title of candidate for master of sports, now we are collecting documents and will wait for the order to assign it.”

    The HSE student has been practicing karate since he was six years old: his parents took him to the section closest to his home, and soon he began winning competitions.

    “I am very grateful to fate for such a long and interesting path with such plot twists that you can make a movie. I got 90% of the people in my circle thanks to this sport,” the winner shared.

    Dmitry noted that he strives to win gold in any competition he participates in. The most successful seasons for the athlete so far were 2018 and 2019, when he managed to win three World Cups – in Croatia, Italy and Cyprus. “Before the pandemic, we traveled very often: Germany, Mexico, Estonia, Latvia. On the domestic stage, I once came in fifth at the Russian Championship and won more than a dozen All-Russian competitions, I lost count a couple of years ago. When I lived in St. Petersburg, I was a member of the city team and was a leader in all age and weight categories in which I participated,” said Dmitry Konyaev.

    When choosing a university to enroll in, he immediately decided to move: “The goal was to try myself in another city. I understood that if I moved to the capital, it would be hard without work, and so I looked for a program at a top university, studying in which would allow me to work at the same time. Actually, the choice fell on the educational program “Business Management” at the National Research University Higher School of Economics,” the student explained. He says that preparing for admission was typical for a person who wants to enroll in a prestigious university: “I am generally satisfied with my studies, I have found wonderful people, which I am very happy about. It is known that the best rest is a change of activity, so work, study and sports do not interfere with each other in my life. The main thing is to know why you are doing all this – and to enjoy it.”

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Zoom debuts new agentic AI skills and agents for Zoom AI Companion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Zoom AI Companion expands agentic skills across the entire Zoom platform, using reasoning and memory to take action and orchestrate task execution, conversational self-service, custom agent creation, and more
    • More than 45 new innovations announced, including AI enhancements for Zoom Meetings, Zoom Phone, Zoom Team Chat, Zoom Docs, and Zoom Contact Center, help users get more done, do their best work, and strengthen relationships
    • New Zoom customer experience (CX) innovations include next-generation enhancements to Zoom Virtual Agent chat and the introduction of Virtual Agent for voice, AI intent routing capabilities, and Advanced Quality Management

    ORLANDO, Fla., March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) unveiled agentic AI Companion capabilities, new Zoom AI Companion skills, and AI updates across its platform, including Zoom Meetings, Zoom Team Chat, Zoom Docs, Zoom Phone, Zoom Whiteboard, Zoom Contact Center, industry solutions, and more.

    “AI Companion is evolving from a personal assistant to being truly agentic, which signals a major leap forward in how AI can enhance productivity and collaboration at work,” said Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom. “We’re delivering value for our customers through AI agents and agentic skills that solve real customer problems, helping them connect, collaborate, and get more done, all within the Zoom platform our users trust and love.”

    “We’ve been using Zoom AI Companion since it became available, and I’ve seen firsthand how it has transformed our academic and administrative operations,” said Steven Carroll, chief information officer at Saint Leo University. “This technology isn’t just about efficiency; it allows our employees to spend less time on manual tasks and more time on meaningful collaboration, and focus on what matters most: supporting our students’ educational journey.”

    AI Companion takes action with AI skills and agents

    Zoom is elevating AI Companion across its entire platform through AI agentic skills, agents, and models to deliver high-quality results, help users improve productivity, and strengthen relationships.

    • AI Companion will help users get more done by executing on their behalf and managing multi-step actions with the knowledge of which agents and skills to tap into using reasoning and memory to make decisions, solve complex problems, and learn over time, along with task action and orchestration to execute and complete tasks.
    • Additional new agentic skills include calendar management to help schedule meetings and find a time that works for everyone, clip generation for fast clip creation, writing assistance for advanced document creation, and more.
    • AI Companion will also extend to specialized agents that power Zoom Business Services. For customer self-service, Zoom Virtual Agent leverages memory and reasoning skills to deliver empathetic and contextual conversations and task action to resolve complex issues from start to finish. With AI Studio, users can effortlessly create and deploy customizable virtual agents (available in beta later this spring). Zoom Revenue Accelerator users will also be able to benefit from a specialized agent for sales in the coming months to help increase revenue through automated insights, personalized outreach and enhanced prospecting.
    • Coming soon, with Zoom’s open platform, users will be able to interact with third-party agents such as ServiceNow AI Agents and create their own custom agents with specific skill sets to address unique needs, such as streamlining sales RFPs or IT and HR service requests. AI Companion will know when to work with third-party and custom agents to take action and complete tasks.

    Custom AI Companion add-on will allow organizations to customize AI Companion with AI Studio by tailoring it to address their unique needs and drive efficiency.

    • Organizations will be able to create custom meeting templates and custom dictionaries with vocabulary unique to their business or industry, incorporate information from their own data sources, including compatible third-party applications, and use AI Studio to expand AI Companion’s knowledge and skills to help drive decisions and actions and complete tasks.
    • Users will have access to a digital personal AI coach and custom meeting summary templates that will allow users to structure meeting summaries for specific industry verticals or use cases, such as one-on-one meetings, customer intake, or brainstorming meetings.
    • Users will also have access to Custom Avatars for Zoom Clips to help scale video clip creation and avoid multiple takes by using a personalized AI-generated avatar to create clips with a user-provided script. Custom Avatars will be included in the Custom AI Companion add-on and will also be available for purchase separately.
    • The Custom AI Companion add-on is expected to be available for purchase in April for $12 per user per month (personal coach is expected to be available in June).

    As part of Zoom’s federated approach to AI, the Custom AI Companion add-on will incorporate Small Language Models (SLMs) alongside Zoom’s third-party LLMs to deliver industry-leading performance and cost-effectiveness for modern businesses. Zoom’s new SLMs are trained with extensive multilingual data, optimized for specific tasks to perform complex actions, and well-positioned to facilitate multi-agent collaboration.

    Get more done with AI Companion

    With new agentic skills, AI Companion can help users get more done, identify and execute tasks, manage meetings, and more. AI Companion’s agentic skills work across the platform to help reduce manual work so users can focus on what matters most.

    • Zoom Tasks with AI Companion will help users surface, complete, and manage tasks across Zoom Workplace by automatically detecting action items in meeting summaries, chats, and emails, and completing tasks like scheduling follow-up meetings or generating documents from meetings. Tasks will be available in a new tab within Zoom Workplace and can be embedded into a Zoom Doc, creating a central repository to track personal, team, and project tasks from creation to completion. Zoom Tasks is expected to launch at the end of March.
    • Meeting agendas with AI Companion, expected to launch in May, will help users stay organized by using templates or recent agendas to provide recommended content. Hosts will be able to add an agenda timer to sections to keep meetings on track and receive AI-generated live notes during the meeting. After the meeting, hosts will be able to easily share the summary and action items.
    • Live notes for Meetings and Phone, expected to launch in May, will provide real-time summaries during a meeting or phone call to help users catch up quickly, stay on track, focus on real-time topics connected to the agenda, and track updates live.
    • AI Companion for Zoom Phone can now generate voicemail summaries and support the Zoom for Microsoft Teams app. Zoom Phone calls within Microsoft Teams can generate AI Companion call summaries, and prioritize and extract tasks from voicemails.
    • A new voice recorder on the Zoom Workplace mobile app, expected to launch in late March, will transcribe, summarize, and capture action items with AI Companion and create high-quality recordings for in-person conversations, so users can connect without taking notes.
    • AI Companion for Workspace Reservation will show in-office workers when colleagues are expected to be in the office, recommend which days to go into the office based on scheduled meetings and their teammates’ scheduled in-office days, and have AI Companion proactively book a desk or a Zoom Room for them. These updates are expected to launch in May.

    AI Companion helps users do their best work and get better results

    Zoom Docs helps workers create high-quality content more efficiently by providing AI Companion writing assistance, as well as internal and external information search capabilities to help maximize productivity and streamline workflows.

    • Zoom Docs will have enhanced AI Companion capabilities with advanced references and queries that will be able to help a user create a writing plan based on the context, search internal and external information for references, and aggregate them into a high-quality business document based on user instructions. Advanced references and queries are expected to launch in June.
    • Users can prompt AI Companion to automatically create data tables, including from meeting summaries, so that content may be more easily digested and organized in a table format. AI Companion will be able to automatically label the columns so users can quickly see highlights and automate information like categorization and summarization for each record. This feature is expected to be available in July.

    Zoom also announced Zoom Drive, a central repository for meeting and productivity assets such as Zoom Docs, that will make it easier to find and access assets across Zoom Workplace. Zoom Drive is expected to launch in May.

    Zoom AI Companion continues to be included at no additional cost for customers with the paid services in their Zoom user accounts. Specialized AI Companion capabilities, custom agent configurations, and third-party agents may cost an additional fee or be subject to separate pricing.

    Visit the Zoom newsroom for more information on Zoom’s approach to agentic AI and Zoom Workplace enhancements.

    Strengthen relationships with Zoom Business Services

    The Zoom Business Services suite for marketing, customer care, and sales includes AI-first solutions that are tightly integrated with Zoom Workplace and designed to help customer-facing employees strengthen customer relationships and improve customer experiences.

    Zoom Customer Experience (CX)
    Zoom is bringing agentic skills to Zoom Contact Center with specialized AI agents to help revolutionize customer experiences, empower customer service agents, and enhance self-service interactions while maintaining the importance of human connections.

    • New generative AI advancements with agentic AI skills will introduce the next evolution of self-service. Zoom Virtual Agent will offer more natural language skills, handle complex queries, and execute tasks on behalf of customers. To extend these capabilities, Zoom Virtual Agent will be available for voice and chat channels (planned for qualified customer beta later this spring), offering a seamless, always-on experience.
    • AI-intent routing (expected to launch at the end of March), will intelligently route customers to the best-suited agent based on real-time intent detection.
    • With Advanced Quality Management, contact center teams will have access to Auto Quality Management, which will use AI to automatically score up to 100% of customer interactions, and Ask Quality Management, which will deliver a conversational interface for supervisors to directly query transcripts and uncover valuable insights. Advanced Quality Management is expected to launch in May.

    Visit the Zoom newsroom for an in-depth look at Zoom Business Services enhancements, including updates for Zoom Revenue Accelerator and Zoom Events.

    Zoom delivers powerful industry-specific solutions

    • Zoom Workplace for Frontline, expected to launch in April, is a purpose-built, AI Companion-based, mobile solution that gives frontline workers the on-shift communications and work management tools needed to be more connected and efficient in their daily tasks.
    • Zoom Workplace for Clinicians, expected to launch at the end of March, is designed to streamline clinical workflows. It enables doctors, nurses, and practitioners to dedicate more time to patient care and engagement rather than spending valuable time on documentation and administrative tasks. Zoom Workplace for Clinicians will be able to automatically generate clinical notes in the office or a virtual Zoom telehealth appointment so that physicians can focus on what matters most: their patients.
    • Zoom Workplace for Education will provide AI Companion-generated lecture summaries with supporting material that teachers can use to generate assignments and students can use to create study materials (expected to be available in May). Later this year, a live notes feature will enable students to add comments, reactions, and highlights to the live transcripts to engage with lecture content during and post class to further learning.
    • The Zoom hardware certification program is expanding solutions to support industry verticals beginning in April:
      • For education customers, Zoom will add select document cameras, which are intended to capture documents or objects on a table that can be shared in a Zoom virtual meeting or class, to its certified hardware portfolio.
      • For healthcare customers, Zoom will certify select cameras for use in patient rooms, enabling remote observation of patients.

    Some features and products may not be available for all regions and industry verticals.

    About Zoom
    Zoom’s mission is to provide an AI-first work platform for human connection. Reimagine teamwork with Zoom Workplace — Zoom’s open collaboration platform with AI Companion that empowers teams to be more productive. Together with Zoom Workplace, Zoom’s Business Services for sales, marketing, and customer experience teams, including Zoom Contact Center, strengthen customer relationships throughout the customer lifecycle. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more information at zoom.com.

    Zoom Public Relations
    Lacretia Nichols
    press@zoom.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Kemp Announces Superior Court, State Court, and Solicitor General Appointments

    Source: US State of Georgia

    Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the following appointments: the Honorable Judge Nichole Carswell to the Mountain Circuit Superior Court, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Chan Caudell; the Honorable Judge Carlton “Hobbie” Jones III to the Mountain Circuit Superior Court, filling the vacancy created by the passing of Judge Rusty Smith; James “Jay” Crowe, Jr. to be State Court Judge for Worth County, filling the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Ralph Powell to the Superior Court of the Tifton Judicial Circuit; and Ryan English as the Solicitor General of Houston County, filling the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Amy Smith to the Superior Court of the Houston Judicial Circuit.

    Judge B. Nichole Carswell currently serves as the juvenile court judge of the Mountain Judicial Circuit and the presiding judge of the Mountain Judicial Circuit Family Dependency Treatment Court. Before being appointed as the first full time juvenile court judge of the circuit in 2017, she was a partner at McClure, Ramsay, Dickerson & Escoe, LLP in Toccoa, where her practice encompassed family law, adoptions, real estate law, probate, appellate law, and general litigation.

    In addition to her position as the juvenile court judge for the Mountain Judicial Circuit, Judge Carswell has served as a superior court judge pro temp and as the presiding judge for the Rabun County Felony Drug Court. She also serves as a part-time adjunct professor at Truett McConnell University. Judge Carswell is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Mountain Judicial Circuit Bar Association. She received her bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and her J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. Judge Carswell resides in Habersham County with her husband and two children.

    Judge Carlton “Hobie” Jones III is currently the probate judge in Rabun County, where he has served since his election in 2020. At various times in his 39 year career, he has also served as a municipal judge, a state court judge (by special appointment), and a magistrate judge. Judge Jones started his career in 1986 as an associate attorney at Glover and Davis, P.A. in Newnan and Peachtree City, Georgia. He practiced law in the Fayette County, Coweta County, and South Fulton area until 2015, when he returned to his native Rabun County. During that time, he maintained an active litigation practice with an emphasis on personal injury, domestic relations, and estate disputes. He is also a trained mediator.

    Judge Jones attended the University of Georgia Terry College of Business and is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. Judge Jones and his wife, Jill, have 5 adult children and live in Clayton, Georgia.

    James “Jay” E. Crowe, Jr. currently serves as solicitor general for the Worth County State Court, solicitor for the City of Sylvester, and has a general law practice, Jay Crowe, Attorney At Law, LLC. Crowe is active in his local community, serving as chairman of the Worth County EDA, director on the Board of Directors for the Sylvester Kiwanis Club, and a Worth County Building Authority Board member. He has served as the past chairman of the Chamber of Commerce for Worth County and as past president of the Sylvester Kiwanis Club. Crowe is on the Executive Board for the Georgia Solicitor General’s Association and is also a member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association.

    Crowe graduated with honors from Mercer University with bachelor’s degrees in English, History, and Anthropology and received his law degree from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law. He lives in Sylvester, Georgia. He is married to Meredith Cobb Crowe, with whom he has two children, William and Anna Leigh. 

    Ryan W. English is an assistant district attorney with the Houston County District Attorney’s Office, currently assigned to the Narcotics Division. English has served as an assistant district attorney for the last nine years, working in both the Houston Judicial Circuit and the Oconee Judicial Circuit as well as serving as the solicitor for Pulaski County Probate Court. Prior to working as a prosecutor, he was in private practice in Houston County with the law firm of Walker, Hulbert, Gray, & Moore, LLP and also worked as an assistant public defender in the Atlantic Judicial Circuit. English is an accomplished trial attorney who has been successful in securing convictions in criminal cases, including offenses of murder, aggravated assault, trafficking in controlled substances, and racketeering (RICO). English is active in the community and currently serves the State Bar of Georgia on the Board of Governors, representing the Houston Judicial Circuit.

    English is a 2008 magna cum laude graduate of Georgia Southern University with a B.A. in history and anthropology He received his J.D. in 2012 from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. English and his wife, Cara, have one daughter, Amelia, and live in Perry. They are faithful members of First Baptist Perry. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: ADRF Launches UL 2524 Certified Public Safety Remote Units for its ADXV Series DAS

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LAS VEGAS, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Advanced RF Technologies, Inc. (ADRF), the largest pure-play distributed antenna system (DAS) and repeater provider for 25 years, today announced two new remote units (RU) for its flagship ADXV Series DAS, certified to UL 2524, the Standard for in-building two-way emergency radio communication enhancement systems (ERCES). The solutions will debut at the International Wireless Communication Expo (IWCE) in Las Vegas, NV from March 17-20, 2025 at booth #1139.

    The ADXV-R-25VU-U2 offers dual-band support for VHF/UHF frequency bands and includes space for either one multiplexer or two band-pass filters within the unit. This design eliminates the need for third-party enclosures, streamlining installation and reducing total cost of ownership. The ADXV-R-3378P-U2 offers dual-band support for PS 700/800 bands and allows users to disable unused bands to minimize unwanted noise. ADRF is also introducing the enhanced point of interface card, ADXV-H-POIL-78P-U2, designed to support the new 700/800 MHz remote units.

    The UL 2524 establishes the most stringent standards to ensure reliable communication for emergency responders within and around commercial buildings. It applies to various equipment, including repeaters, transmitters, receivers, signal boosters, remote annunciators, operational consoles, power supply, and battery charging system components. These products are designed for use in compliance with key Model Building and Installation Codes, such as NFPA 1/72/1221/1225, the International Fire Code (IFC) 2015/2018/2021, and FirstNet.

    “We are thrilled to round out our UL 2524 public safety offerings with these new remote units for our flagship ADXV Series DAS,” said Sun Kim, director of engineering at ADRF. “As a public safety communications leader for over a quarter century, we are dedicated to providing the most effective solutions to ensure first responders maintain seamless connectivity throughout every area of a building, safeguarding tenants and occupants during emergencies.”

    The ADXV-R-25VU-U2 includes:

    • Support of 138-174MHz and 380-512 MHz frequencies
    • 25 dBm Composite Output Power
    • Detachable AC/BATT/ANN/AAI wiring terminal blocks for easy installation
    • Support of up to 2 ADRF-BPF-V/U-1 Bandpass Filters or 1 ADRF-MPLX-V/U multiplexer
    • Programmable 3-pin AAI alarm which can be physically cabled as NO or NC
    • An optional 47K Ohm end-of-line resistor board cartridge

    The ADXV-R-3378P-U2 includes:

    • Support of 758-775 MHz and 851-869 MHz
    • Support of Canadian public safety frequencies (768 – 776 MHz and 851-869 MHz)
    • 33 dBm Composite Output Power
    • Detachable AC/BATT/ANN/AAI wiring terminal blocks for easy installation
    • Separate 700/800 MHz downlink (DL) amplifiers to prevent noise from the unused band
    • Programmable 3-pin AAI alarm which can be physically cabled as NO or NC
    • An optional 47K Ohm end-of-line resistor board cartridge

    Additionally, ADRF will debut the new version of its long-range annunciator, the PSR-ANN-U2, for its public safety repeaters, capable of extending the range of visual and audible alarms up to 1,000 feet to allow for more network design flexibility. It also can act as a bridge between the repeater and the fire alarm control panel (FACP) by offering full programmable dry contact outputs to an FACP for enhanced system monitoring and reliability.

    The new remote units and the PSR-ANN-U2 will be commercially available in Spring 2025. Learn more about ADRF’s public safety products by visiting www.adrftech.com.

    About ADRF
    Advanced RF Technologies, Inc. (“ADRF”) is the leading provider of in-building wireless solutions that ensure reliable commercial and public cellular connectivity in venues of any size, shape, and location. Established in 1999 in Burbank, CA, ADRF prides itself on having a customer-centric focus, designing solutions that meet each customer’s unique needs, while providing a pathway to scale for the future. Today, we serve some of the world’s leading enterprises, system integrators, public safety entities, neutral host operators, and wireless service providers. ADRF’s product portfolio of in-building wireless solutions includes Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS), repeaters, Emergency Responder Communication Enhancement Systems (ERCES), antennas, and passive components. ADRF is certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), has achieved TL 9000 and ISO 9001 certifications, and is a member of the Anterix Active Ecosystem, Forbes Technology Council, IFC, NFPA, Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), and Safer Buildings Coalition. www.adrftech.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Green Rain Solar Partners with ChargeTronix for EV Expansion

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Key Overview:

    • Green Rain Solar Partners with ChargeTronix for EV Charging Expansion
      Green Rain Solar, a subsidiary of The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN), has secured a reseller agreement with ChargeTronix to distribute state-of-the-art EV charging stations across North America, advancing sustainable energy solutions.
    • Strategic Growth in Hospitality: EV Charging at Hilton Locations
      Green Rain Solar has identified 13 Hilton locations for EV charging installations, supporting Hilton’s sustainability initiatives while expanding its presence in the hospitality sector and urban EV infrastructure.
    • White-Label EV Charging Solutions for Businesses
      The partnership allows Green Rain Solar to offer white-labeled EV charging stations, enabling businesses to integrate branded, clean energy solutions that drive EV adoption and sustainable growth.

    PASADENA, Calif., March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Now Corporation’s (OTC: NWPN) wholly-owned subsidiary, Green Rain Solar Inc., has entered into a reseller agreement with ChargeTronix, Inc., a leading manufacturer and distributor of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). This partnership positions Green Rain Solar to accelerate its impact in the renewable energy and electric vehicle (EV) sectors by providing advanced EV charging solutions under its white-label branding.

    This agreement allows Green Rain Solar to resell ChargeTronix’s state-of-the-art EV charging stations across North America. Through this collaboration, Green Rain Solar strengthens its commitment to sustainable energy solutions, contributing to the growing adoption of EVs while enhancing the EV infrastructure in urban markets.

    As part of this partnership, Green Rain Solar has already identified 13 Hilton locations as ideal candidates for EV charging station installations, further expanding its presence in the hospitality sector. These installations will play a key role in supporting Hilton’s sustainability initiatives and providing convenience for EV drivers.

    Alfredo Papadakis, CEO of The Now Corporation, commented: “This partnership with ChargeTronix aligns perfectly with our mission to transform urban energy infrastructure. By integrating EV charging into our renewable energy solutions, Green Rain Solar is setting a new standard for innovation and sustainability.”

    This agreement also enables Green Rain Solar to offer customized, white-labeled EV charging solutions, allowing businesses to showcase their own branding while promoting clean energy initiatives.

    With the addition of 13 new Hilton locations and the strategic capabilities offered by ChargeTronix’s advanced technology, Green Rain Solar is poised to revolutionize the EV charging landscape, further cementing its position as a leader in urban renewable energy solutions.

    About The Now Corporation (OTC: NWPN):

    The Now Corporation is a diversified holding company focused on acquiring and developing innovative technologies and sustainable solutions. Through its subsidiaries, the company is committed to driving positive change in industries such as renewable energy, electric mobility, and advanced manufacturing.

    About Green Rain Solar Inc.:

    Green Rain Solar Inc., a subsidiary of The Now Corporation, specializes in the design, installation, and maintenance of solar energy systems and EV charging infrastructure. With a focus on sustainability and innovation, Green Rain Solar is dedicated to helping businesses and communities transition to clean energy.

    For more information, visit: https://greenrainenergy.com/

    Forward-Looking Statements:

    This press release contains forward-looking statements under the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements may include expectations for future events, financial results, and growth prospects, subject to risks and uncertainties. The Now Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable laws.

    Press Contact:

    Michael Cimino
    Email: Michael@pubcopr.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bc3defb7-0439-49b8-a6f7-d19bb0176ca0

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Ethical Web AI Launches “AI Vault,” a Groundbreaking Enterprise SaaS Solution Designed to Protect Subscribers from Various AI Threats

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Company Enters $1 Billion Marketplace Projected to Double by 2029
    • Advanced Beta Version is Being Demo’d to Major Prospective Partners
    • New Patent Filing, Company Infrastructure Build-out, Expected in 2Q-25

    NEW YORK, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ethical Web AI (d/b/a Bubblr Inc.) (OTCQB: BBLR), a leader in Generative AI innovation, today announced that it has launched its groundbreaking Generative AI enterprise security product – AI VaultTM. AI Vault is a groundbreaking, generative AI-powered enterprise security software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution built upon Ethical Web AI’s growing AI intellectual property estate, including 3 US patents that have been developed over the past two years.

    As a further enhancement of this product launch, Ethical Web AI has filed a new US patent (app.no. 19055968) titled Sensitive Data Protection for Generative AI. This patent describes a key process of dynamically detecting sensitive terms in Generative AI prompts.

    As was previously outlined in its February 5 news release as the Company’s next strategic initiative, this enterprise-level SaaS product is designed to protect enterprises from emerging cyber threats posed by uncontrolled employee use of ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and their peers while ensuring clients’ sensitive information remains protected and confidential.

    Leveraging advanced generative AI, AI Vault enhances threat detection, response, and prevention with real-time redaction of the subscribers’ critical data. It has been designed specifically for AWS customers to become a seamless component of a scalable, secure Gen AI Marketplace enterprise proposition.

    Twenty-seven per cent of enterprises have banned generative AI applications such as ChatGPT, according to the 2024 Cisco Data Privacy Study published in January 2025. The productivity, process optimization, and customer service benefits expected from widespread, growing commercial and enterprise AI adoption are being lost or threatened by poorly understood and inadequately managed risks.

    Analysts at The Business Research Company project the Generative AI-in-security addressable market to see exponential growth in the next few years – from $0.8 billion in 2024 to $2.04 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.6%. Its report states, “The growth in the historical period can be attributed to the rise in cyber threats, the big data explosion, the development of generative models, new security challenges due to the vast number of connected devices, and real-time threat detection and response.”

    According to Fortune Business Insights, the broader, US generative AI market size was valued at $21.87 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach an estimated value of $220.27 billion by 2032, “driven by technological advancements, increased cloud adoption, demand for automation, and significant venture capital investments.”

    Commenting on the AI Vault launch, Chief Executive Officer Tom Symonds said, “We’re thrilled to introduce a uniquely smart and feature-rich security solution for cloud-based enterprise users of generative AI. With 27 per cent of enterprises banning their employees’ use of AI, we are offering a highly cost-effective, seamlessly integrated solution that we are confident will accelerate AI adoption globally by ensuring its privacy and safety.”

    “We are privately demonstrating AI Vault in beta to highly prospective partners. Going forward, as we are approaching commercialization, we expect to publish our detailed demo program in the next few weeks,” Mr. Symonds added. “We are making solid progress building out a deliberately lean but robust corporate infrastructure to include adding a Chief Revenue Officer, publishing a new investor presentation deck, and upgrading our website content for clients and shareholders.”

    How AI Vault Works
    AI Vault serves as a secure generative AI aggregator, ensuring that third-party content providers (such as OpenAI) cannot trace the origin of user prompts. This anonymization guarantees complete confidentiality for enterprise users. Further, its Automated Redaction Engine instantly redacts sensitive terms in communications and logs, ensuring compliance and confidentiality.

    Key AI Vault Features

    • AI-Driven Threat Intelligence: Uses generative AI to analyze vast datasets and identify patterns indicative of cyber threats.
    • Real-Time Anomaly Detection: Continuously monitors network activity to detect and neutralize threats before they cause harm.
    • Adaptive Security Framework: Evolves with emerging threats, ensuring long-term protection against AI-powered cyberattacks.

    Key AI Vault Benefits

    • Bundled AI Licenses with Secure Architecture
      Unlike other solutions that require businesses to procure separate generative AI licenses, AI Vault provides cost-effective pre-integrated AI licenses as part of its turnkey package.
    • Fully Encrypted Enterprise Deployment
      AI Vault operates within a dedicated AWS environment for each client, containerizing product components — including an AWS RDS instance that stores all AI-generated prompts and responses.
    • Advanced-Data Redaction & Contextual Sensitivity Detection
      AI Vault uniquely identifies explicitly defined sensitive terms and suggests additional potentially sensitive terms through LLM-based Named Entity Recognition (NER).
    • Patent-Protected Secure Workflow
      AI Vault executes a structured, end-to-end anonymized process.
    • Multimedia Integration and Real-Time Data Handling
      AI Vault provides rapid, turnkey, effortless deployment requiring no bespoke integration into existing infrastructure.
    • Cost-Effective and Scalable
      As an aggregated AI solution, AI Vault not only enhances security but also reduces generative AI costs by 25 per cent.

    About Ethical Web AI
    Ethical Web AI is an AI-based cybersecurity technology company currently commercializing its enterprise AI VaultTM solution. Built upon its powerful IP and patent estate, it is the first in a planned suite of SaaS products to champion a private, safe, and high-value AI experience.

    AI Vault initially targets the global enterprise marketplace with innovative solutions that protect businesses from advanced threats.

    Media and investor contact – tom.symonds@ethicalweb.ai

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management. They are subject to several uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the Company’s current plans and expectations, future operations, and financial condition. The Company reserves the right to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether due to new information, future events or otherwise.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung’s SmartThings Flex Connect Expands Reach to Maximize Energy Savings and Rewards

    Source: Samsung

    SmartThings, Samsung’s global connected living platform, today announces the expansion of its Flex Connect program with Leap into PJM Interconnection LLC (PJM). Originally launched to California and New York in July 2024, the program saw rapid success, prompting Samsung to expand access to Texas in December 2024, and now to PJM in early March. This expansion to the largest wholesale electricity market in the U.S. enables more consumers to access energy-saving opportunities, reinforcing SmartThings’ commitment to providing user choice and sustainable solutions.
    With the expanded reach of Flex Connect, SmartThings users across the Mid-Atlantic and greater Chicago now have greater access to participate in demand response (DR) events that help stabilize the energy grid while lowering their energy costs. Consumers can automate their smart home devices—including thermostats, plugs, air conditioners, lights, TVs, and appliances—to participate in energy-saving initiatives effortlessly, maximizing their savings without sacrificing comfort.

    Enhancing Consumer Choice with the Largest Smart Home Ecosystem
    SmartThings offers the largest ecosystem of connected devices, giving consumers unparalleled flexibility in how they can engage with DR programs. Unlike traditional DR initiatives with limited device compatibility, Flex Connect allows a broad range of smart devices to integrate seamlessly, ensuring users can participate in a way that best suits their home setup.
    Eligible users can enroll supported devices through SmartThings Energy, a service within the SmartThings app, and select their preferred automation settings. When the grid is under stress, enrolled devices will automatically adjust energy consumption, helping consumers reduce their usage while maintaining comfort. Users who do not own supported devices can still participate by receiving energy-saving tips and taking manual actions to conserve energy.

    Transforming the Demand Response Experience
    Historically, DR programs required significant manual intervention and offered limited device compatibility. With SmartThings Energy, Samsung has unlocked whole-home DR participation by providing seamless automation, energy usage insights, and AI-powered energy management.
    Flex Connect allows users to:
    Earn Rewards – Enrolled users receive $50 in Samsung Rewards Points for participating in energy-saving events, making sustainability financially beneficial to users.
    Automate Energy Savings – SmartThings devices intelligently adjust energy use based on grid demand, efficiently saving users energy without compromising convenience.
    Customize Their Experience – Consumers have full control over which devices participate and how they respond to DR events, reinforcing SmartThings’ core mission of user empowerment.

    Empowering Consumers and Strengthening the Grid
    Grid pressures are projected to continue to intensify across the U.S., with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation projecting a 15% increase in summer peak demand and an 18% increase in winter peak demand over the next decade. With the Flex Connect program now supporting 32% of the U.S. population, according to U.S. Census data, Samsung is now a vital player in managing the increased energy demand–and at a crucial time, when energy demand is rising, supply is constrained, electricity prices are increasing for customers, and grid stability is threatened.
    “With SmartThings, we’re giving consumers the power to choose how they engage with their energy use while contributing to a more sustainable future,” said Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President of B2B Integrated Offering Center at Samsung Electronics. “Expanding Flex Connect with Leap in the Mid-Atlantic and Chicago regions means more users can experience the benefits of automation, energy savings, and financial incentives—all while supporting a more resilient grid.”

    SmartThings remains at the forefront of innovation, creating new opportunities for consumers to participate in demand response programs effortlessly. Programs like Flex Connect are vital in managing the increased energy demand while providing financial and environmental benefits. The Flex Connect expansion marks a significant step toward a smarter, more efficient, and consumer-driven energy future.
    For more information, please visit www.smartthings.com.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Bread Financial Provides Performance Update for February 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bread Financial® Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BFH), a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending, and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers, provided a performance update. The following tables present the Company’s net loss rate and delinquency rate for the periods indicated:

      For the
    month ended
    February 28, 2025    		   For the
    month ended
    February 29, 2024
      (dollars in millions)
    End-of-period credit card and other loans $ 17,949     $ 18,391  
    Average credit card and other loans $ 18,141     $ 18,541  
    Year-over-year change in average credit card and other loans   (2 %)     (6 %)
    Net principal losses $ 120     $ 131  
    Net loss rate   8.6 %     8.9 %
      As of
    February 28, 2025    		   As of
    February 29, 2024
      (dollars in millions)
    30 days + delinquencies – principal $ 1,027     $ 1,130  
    Period ended credit card and other loans – principal $ 16,506     $ 16,962  
    Delinquency rate   6.2 %     6.7 %
                   

    About Bread Financial®  
    Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions, including Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and savings products, empower our customers and their passions for a better life. Additionally, we deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel & entertainment, health & beauty, jewelry and specialty apparel through our private label and co-brand credit cards and pay-over-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers.

    To learn more about Bread Financial, our global associates and our sustainability commitments, visit breadfinancial.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.  

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements give our expectations or forecasts of future events and can generally be identified by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “project,” “plan,” “likely,” “may,” “should” or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding, and the guidance we give with respect to, our anticipated operating or financial results, future financial performance and outlook, future dividend declarations, and future economic conditions.

    We believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements, however, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and, in many cases, beyond our control. Accordingly, our actual results could differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, and no assurances can be given that our expectations will prove to have been correct. Factors that could cause the outcomes to differ materially include, but are not limited to, the following: macroeconomic conditions, including market conditions, inflation, interest rates, labor market conditions, recessionary pressures or concerns over a prolonged economic slowdown, and the related impact on consumer spending behavior, payments, debt levels, savings rates and other behaviors; global political and public health events and conditions, including ongoing wars and military conflicts and natural disasters; future credit performance, including the level of future delinquency and write-off rates; the loss of, or reduction in demand from, significant brand partners or customers in the highly competitive markets in which we compete; the concentration of our business in U.S. consumer credit; inaccuracies in the models and estimates on which we rely, including the amount of our Allowance for credit losses and our credit risk management models; the inability to realize the intended benefits of acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic initiatives; our level of indebtedness and ability to access financial or capital markets; pending and future federal and state legislation, regulation, supervisory guidance, and regulatory and legal actions, including, but not limited to, those related to financial regulatory reform and consumer financial services practices, as well as any such actions with respect to late fees, interchange fees or other charges; impacts arising from or relating to the transition of our credit card processing services to third party service providers that we completed in 2022; failures or breaches in our operational or security systems, including as a result of cyberattacks, unanticipated impacts from technology modernization projects or otherwise; and any tax or other liability or adverse impacts arising out of or related to the spinoff of our former LoyaltyOne segment or the bankruptcy filings of Loyalty Ventures Inc. (LVI) and certain of its subsidiaries and subsequent litigation or other disputes. In addition, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has issued a final rule that, absent a successful legal challenge, will place significant limits on credit card late fees, which would have a significant impact on our business and results of operations for at least the short term and, depending on the effectiveness of the mitigating actions that we have taken or may in the future take in anticipation of, or in response to, the final rule, may potentially adversely impact us over the long term; we cannot provide any assurance as to the effective date of the rule, the result of any pending or future challenges or other litigation relating to the rule, or our ability to mitigate or offset the impact of the rule on our business and results of operations. The foregoing factors, along with other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements, are described in greater detail under the headings “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, which may be updated in Item 1A of, or elsewhere in, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for periods subsequent to such Form 10-K. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and we undertake no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise.

    Contacts

    Brian Vereb — Investor Relations 
    Brian.Vereb@breadfinancial.com 

    Susan Haugen — Investor Relations 
    Susan.Haugen@breadfinancial.com

    Rachel Stultz — Media
    Rachel.Stultz@breadfinancial.com   

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s banking financial institutions urged to better support private economy

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, March 17 — The China Banking Association and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce jointly issued a proposal on Monday, calling on the country’s banking financial institutions to use more concrete measures to enhance services for private enterprises.

    The proposal calls for optimizing credit services for private enterprises by setting annual service targets, increasing credit supply and expanding service coverage. It emphasizes stable and effective incremental credit support for private businesses, and greater support for small and micro enterprises in obtaining first-time loans, roll-over loans, and credit loans.

    Banking financial institutions are called on to innovate their products by leveraging their strengths to provide tailored financial services for private enterprises of different types and at different development stages.

    To address financing difficulties faced by the small and micro private enterprises, the proposal urges improving the accessibility and convenience of financing options. It also suggests implementing preferential policies aimed specifically at these enterprises, including fee reductions. It advocates for gradually lowering comprehensive financing costs based on reasonable pricing and enhancing service quality and efficiency.

    Banking financial institutions are urged to meet the reasonable financing needs of private enterprises and to adopt targeted strategies to address specific challenges, according to the proposal.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Work on Ryhope supported housing scheme reaches key milestone

    Source: City of Sunderland

    A new residential development on the site of the former St Cuthbert’s Church in Ryhope has reached a key milestone.

    The topping out of the six supported bungalows for people with physical and learning disabilities brings the development a step nearer completion.

    Built as part of Sunderland City Council’s ongoing work to provide homes for those who are most at need, each bungalow will come with 5G infrastructure built-in, ready to incorporate assistive technology depending on client needs. 

    The development is being supported by £660,000 funding from Homes England and is part of a council-led plan to deliver more supported properties for vulnerable residents. This includes more bungalows for people living with disabilities and providing specialist accommodation available for affordable rent. 

    Councillor Kevin Johnston, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Business at Sunderland City Council, said: “It’s great to see work nearing completion on these six new bungalows, which are all about helping us to deliver more accessible properties for those who need them. 

    “We’ve worked closely with colleagues in Adult Social Care, Sunderland Care and Support and the residents themselves to create homes that will meet their needs.

    “The creative and innovative thinking from everyone involved has resulted in homes that are both personalised and technology enabled, enabling their residents to live as independently as possible.”

    The three three-bedroom bungalows and three two-bedroom bungalows in Ryhope follow similar projects to provide accessible housing in Washington and at Hylton Road.

    Matthew Wright, Manager – Affordable Housing Delivery at Homes England, said: “As the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, increasing the supply of quality affordable homes remains one of our key objectives and we are committed to supporting ambitious housebuilders of all sizes to build those homes and communities.

    “This investment through the Affordable Homes Programme does just that, enabling Sunderland City Council to build 12 much needed new homes the people of Sunderland can be proud of.”

    The development has been built by North East based T Manners and Sons.

    Derek Collinson, Contracts Manager at T Manners and Sons, said: “It is great to be working with Sunderland City Council on this project constructing six bungalows designed to provide comfortable and accessible living spaces that support individuals with specialised care needs.

    “The works have reached a major milestone, with the completion of the roofing works. As work progresses on internal fittings, landscaping, and hard-standing areas, the project continues to prioritise the use of the local supply chain. This commitment to local suppliers reinforces the project’s dedication to community investment and sustainable construction practices. We are really excited to see the final product come together and the positive impact it will have on the community.”

    The first residents are expected to start moving into their new homes this summer.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Francisco Tow Company Operator Indicted in Scheme to Burn Competitors’ Tow Trucks Throughout the Bay Area

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Defendant Allegedly Conspired to Set Fire to Tow Trucks to Drive Business to His Towing Companies and to Retaliate Against Competitors

    SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Jose Vicente Badillo on one count of conspiracy to commit arson in connection with an alleged scheme to burn tow trucks throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in 2023.  Badillo made his initial appearance in federal district court this morning.

    According to the indictment unsealed earlier today, Badillo, 29, of San Francisco, conspired with others to set fire to at least six tow trucks on four occasions between April 2023 and October 2023.  Specifically, Badillo and his co-conspirators allegedly set fire to and damaged or destroyed (i) two tow trucks in San Francisco on April 4, 2023; (ii) one tow truck in San Francisco on April 29, 2023; (iii) one tow truck in East Palo Alto on July 25, 2023; and (iv) two tow trucks in San Francisco on Oct. 3, 2023.

    The indictment describes that the purpose of the conspiracy was, among other things, to drive more business to two Bay Area-based towing companies with which Badillo was associated—Auto Towing and Specialty Towing—by impeding the business prospects of competitor towing companies, and to retaliate against those same competitors for perceived wrongs.  Badillo allegedly orchestrated the conspiracy and then directed others to set fire to the targeted tow trucks.

    Badillo is next scheduled to appear in district court on March 20, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim for arraignment and identification of counsel.  Badillo is facing unrelated federal charges of money laundering and insurance fraud in two other pending cases.

    Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge of the Oakland Field Office Linda Nguyen made the announcement.

    An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Badillo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Parker is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Andy Ding and Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS-CI.  This investigation is assigned to the FBI SF Transnational Organized Crime Task Force, an interagency task force targeting sophisticated organized crime syndicates that engage in, among other offenses, violent crimes, extortion, fraud, arson, and drug trafficking.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and IRS-CI thank the San Francisco Police Department for its substantial assistance and support in this investigation.

    Jose Vicente Badillo Indictment
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Baltimore City Council Candidate Convicted of Bank Fraud and False Statements in Connection with Scheme to Obtain Nearly $1.7 Million in Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Paycheck Protection Program Loans

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Henson used the fraudulently obtained funds for cosmetic surgery, extensive renovations to her home and the home of a family member, funding new business adventures—including a used car dealership that never opened—and a cryptocurrency she had created.

    Baltimore, Maryland – After a one-week trial, a federal jury found Nichelle Henson, age 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, guilty of making false statements and for bank fraud in connection with fraudulent applications Henson filed to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in the names of multiple purported businesses that she had previously incorporated in the state of Maryland.  

    The trial conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Brian D. Miller, Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR).

    According to the evidence presented at trial, Henson incorporated several businesses with the State of Maryland, including Crowns Construction, LLC; Nichelle Henson Campaign, LLC; One Stop for Services, LLC; Your Friendly Tax Preparation Services, LLC; Women Entrepreneurs Can Succeed, LLC, and Peace of Mind Services, Inc.  The Defendant opened bank accounts in the names of some of her businesses and obtained Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the businesses.

    In 2020 and 2021, she submitted six fraudulent EIDL applications to the SBA for her various businesses that contained false information concerning each business’s gross receipts, costs of goods sold, and number of employees.  At the time of the submissions, none of the businesses were operating, and none of the businesses had any employees.  As a result of the applications, Henson received $18,000 in United States Treasury funds from the SBA.  

    Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP, administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA).  The SBA also offered an EIDL and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations.  An EIDL advance did not have to be repaid, and small businesses could receive an advance, even if they were not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount was $10,000.

    During this same period, Henson submitted 12 fraudulent PPP loan applications to three SBA-approved lenders for her various purported businesses.  Each of these applications contained false information about each business’s number of employees and average monthly payroll, and each was supported by purported IRS tax forms listing employees and wages that were, in fact, never filed with the IRS. 

    Between April 30, 2020 and June 29, 2020, Henson submitted six PPP applications for her various businesses.  One of these businesses was called Nichelle Henson Campaign (the “Campaign”), an entity that was meant to fund Henson’s run for Baltimore City Council.  However, at the time of the submission of the application for the Campaign on May 10, 2020, Henson had withdrawn her candidacy – approximately six months earlier, on November 19, 2019.

    Another entity was called Crowns Construction, a purported construction business located in Baltimore City.  This business did not exist in any capacity, and the address used on the PPP loan application was nothing more than a vacant lot.  In support of the application for this business, Henson included a fabricated Baltimore Gas & Electric that purported to be for Crowns Construction but was in fact a bill belonging to a neighbor of Henson’s that she had scanned and then doctored using a PDF editing tool.  

    Henson ultimately obtained $998,590 as a result of these six fraudulent applications. On January 19, 2021, Henson submitted six more fraudulent PPP loan applications—this time to M&T Bank—for each of her six purported businesses.  Each of these applications contained lies about the existence of each business, the number of their employees, and payroll paid.  And each application was supported by fabricated tax documents never filed with the IRS.  M&T funded five of the six loans, transferring $676,250 in PPP funds to Henson. Shortly thereafter Henson went to an M&T branch in Baltimore and withdrew $5,000 cash from each of her five M&T accounts where the PPP funds flowed.  M&T thereafter froze Henson’s accounts and notified law enforcement about the suspected fraud.

    Henson used the EIDL and PPP loan funds to support businesses other than the borrowers, such as Wyse Rides, a used car business Henson attempted to open in Dundalk, Maryland.  The business never opened. Henson used the PPP funds she received in multiple ways impermissible under the PPP, including for cosmetic surgery, for extensive renovations to her home and a family member’s home, to pay a year’s rent for her personal home, to pay a year’s rent for a new business venture, and to fund other new business ventures, including a used car dealership—which never opened—and to create a cryptocurrency called Subina Coin and, relatedly, to fund an entity called the “Adageyhdi Indian Nation.”

    In total, Henson obtained $1,694,451 in connection with her scheme to defraud.  

    Henson faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of Bank Fraud, and a maximum possible sentence of 5 years in prison for each count of False Statements.  U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox has scheduled sentencing for August 5, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.  She will be required to pay restitution to the SBA and the victim financial institutions.  

    The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.  The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors.  The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 

    For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. 

    United States Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI and the Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, which conducted the investigation on behalf of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force, for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Riley and Joseph Wenner, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Paralegal Specialist Julie Jarman. 

    For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Nevada Governor Lombardo Applauds FHLBank San Francisco’s $10 Million Affordable Housing Investment in the Silver State

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) is deepening its commitment to increasing access to affordable housing and homeownership by investing in Nevada Housing Division Mortgage Revenue Bonds. Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo celebrates FHLBank San Francisco’s investment in the state.

    “Attainable homeownership for all Nevadans is one of my highest priorities and we can’t do this alone,” said Governor Lombardo. “The partnership and commitment of FHLBank San Francisco through this investment will give stability to many of Nevada’s essential workers.”

    This $10 million investment strengthens FHLBank San Francisco’s efforts to support low- and moderate-income homebuyers in the state of Nevada, which include downpayment assistance grant programs to support homebuyers.

    “Our investment in Nevada Housing Division Mortgage Revenue Bonds allows us to reinforce our commitment to safe, affordable homes in Nevada while also delivering on our mission to provide reliable, low-cost liquidity and community investment resources to our member financial institutions,” said Joe Amato, interim president and CEO of FHLBank San Francisco. “By working together with the Nevada Housing Division, we can strengthen communities in Nevada, foster economic growth and create a more vibrant and resilient future for all.”

    Supporting Home Affordability in Nevada

    Nevada has a severe shortage of affordable homes. The demand for more housing supply in the state has made it more difficult for Nevada residents to keep up with the housing market – both in buying and renting. The Nevada Housing Division Mortgage Revenue Bonds are highly rated investment securities (AA+ rating from S&P) backed by single-family mortgage-backed securities (MBS) that facilitate homeownership by supporting loans designed specifically for Nevada households aspiring to own a home.

    “The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is uniquely positioned to address affordability issues for homebuyers in Nevada,” said Stephen Aichroth, Administrator of the Nevada Housing Division. “We thank the Bank for their confidence in the Nevada Housing Division and their commitment to affordable homeownership for Nevadans.”

    FHLBank San Francisco is dedicated to supporting housing initiatives throughout its three-state region of Arizona, California, and Nevada. Since the Affordable Housing Program (AHP) was created in 1990, FHLBank San Francisco has awarded over $1.38 billion in AHP grants to support the construction, rehabilitation, or purchase of over 155,000 homes affordable to lower-income households, including $61.8 million in 2024 alone. Together, the 11 regional FHLBanks that make up the Federal Home Loan Bank System are one of the largest privately capitalized sources of grant funding for affordable housing in the United States.

    About the Nevada Housing Division

    The Nevada Housing Division, a division of the Department of Business and Industry, was created by the Nevada Legislature in 1975, with a mission to provide affordable housing opportunities and improve the quality of life for Nevada residents. They connect Nevadans with homes by providing financing to developers to build affordable housing, innovative mortgage solutions and down payment assistance programs and making homes more energy efficient, thereby lowering utility expenses. To learn more, visit http://housing.nv.gov. 

    About the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco

    The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-owned cooperative supporting local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada to build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions — commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions — propel homeownership, finance quality affordable housing, drive economic vitality, and revitalize neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant and resilient. To learn more, visit www.fhlbsf.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Sintx Technologies Announces Board Chairman Transition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sintx Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: SINT) (“Sintx” or the “Company”), a leader in advanced ceramics for medical device and technical applications, today announced that Dr. Sonny Bal has retired as Chairman of the Board, and the Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Eric Olson, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, as its new Chairman, effective immediately.

    Dr. Bal, who has served as Chairman since 2015, has played a crucial role in driving Sintx’s transformation, strengthening its core business, and positioning the Company for growth in the advanced materials sectors. He will continue to support the Company as a member of the Board of Directors, ensuring continuity as Sintx executes on its strategic objectives.

    “On behalf of the Board and the entire Sintx team, I want to thank Sonny for his years of leadership, vision, and commitment to innovation,” said Eric Olson, CEO and newly appointed Chairman. “His guidance has helped prepare Sintx’s transition toward high-value medical applications and strategic partnerships. As we move into the next phase of execution, I am excited to lead the Company in advancing our commercial strategy, optimizing our asset portfolio, and delivering long-term value to our shareholders.”

    Dr. Bal commented, “It has been an honor to serve as Chairman of Sintx Technologies and work alongside such a talented team. I am confident that under Eric’s leadership, Sintx is well-positioned for the next stage of growth, with a clear focus on unlocking the full potential of its biomaterial technology platform.”

    Since being appointed CEO in August 2024, Eric Olson has refocused the Company on high-growth opportunities in biomedical and medical device applications. With a proven track record of leadership in the medical device and industrial sectors, his appointment as Chairman reinforces Sintx’s commitment to accelerating commercialization, enhancing financial discipline, and exploring strategic initiatives, including partnerships, licensing, and M&A opportunities.

    For more information, please visit www.sintx.com

    About SINTX Technologies, Inc.

    Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, SINTX Technologies is an advanced ceramics company that develops and commercializes materials, components, and technologies for medical applications. SINTX is a global leader in the research, development, and manufacturing of silicon nitride, and its products have been implanted in humans since 2008. Over the past several years, SINTX has utilized strategic acquisitions and alliances to enter into new markets. For more information on SINTX Technologies or its materials platform, visit www.sintx.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“PSLRA”) that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: “anticipate,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods.

    Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made and reflect management’s current estimates, projections, expectations and beliefs. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, difficulty in commercializing ceramic technologies and development of new product opportunities. A discussion of other risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements can be found in SINTX’s Risk Factors disclosure in its Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 27, 2024, and in SINTX’s other filings with the SEC. SINTX undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this report, except as required by law.

    Business and Media Inquiries for SINTX:
    SINTX Technologies
    801.839.3502
    IR@sintx.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nearly Nine Out of 10 Decision Makers Rank the Phone as the Most Important Outbound Channel for Meeting Customer Service Goals and Increasing Revenues

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While channels like email and messaging are more prevalent, the phone remains one of the most business-critical tools available, according to a 2025 study from Forrester Consulting, commissioned by TransUnion (NYSE: TRU). The study found 86% of decision-makers across a wide range of industries agree the phone is the most important outbound channel for meeting customer service goals and increasing revenues.

    The study surveyed 719 decision-makers responsible for their company’s outbound call experience strategy, technology selection, and security. Its findings provide an update to the 2022 study and highlight key pain points, including inaccurate customer contact data and the threat of call spoofing. The full findings are available in the study, Optimizing Outbound Communications: Strategies And Technologies For Effective Customer Engagement. The State of Outbound Communications in 2025.

    Decision-makers indicated their companies made 26% fewer calls while increasing use of other digital channels; however, the phone remains their top channel for urgent customer service issues and discussing personal matters.

    “Business leaders understand the critical role communications solutions play in helping companies promote their brand while protecting consumers,” said James Garvert, senior vice president of TruContact™ Communications Solutions at TransUnion. “Adoption of customer contact, branded calling and call authentication solutions has proven to help businesses enhance the customer experience, increase revenues, and reduce fraud risk.”

    Importance of communications and contact solutions
    Three in four decision-makers say accurate caller information displayed on outbound calls is important for improving customer engagement and increasing answer rates. This rich content can be displayed through branded calling. Among the most valuable features of branded calling, respondents identified the following as “important” or “critical” to improving customer engagement and contact rates.

    Most Important Features to Drive Customer Engagement

    Accurate Caller
    ID on
    Outbound
    Calls    		 Protection
    Against Call
    Spoofing    		 Indication on
    Mobile Display
    that Call Is
    Authenticated    		 Displaying Logo
    on Outbound
    Calls
    75% 67% 62% 58%


    Damaging effects of fraud and call-spoofing
    Decision-makers noted the need for protection against call spoofing, with 80% reporting an uptick in customer service inquiries due to call spoofing and subsequent increased operational costs.

    In addition, 72% have observed a decline in customer trust due to call spoofing, directly affecting retention. Despite the recognized need for robust solutions, effective measures are elusive—and that problem appears to have gotten worse. The current survey found 55% of decision-makers said their current technologies lack adequate call spoofing protection, representing an increase from 38% since 2022.

    The study notes that businesses can also improve customer experience by focusing their use of the phone channel on urgent and personal matters—when it is most valued—and by understanding and respecting consumers’ individual contact preferences.

    Click here to read Optimizing Outbound Communications: Strategies And Technologies For Effective Customer Engagement. The State of Outbound Communications 2025.

    Learn more about TransUnion Branded Call Display (BCD), part of the Trusted Call Solutions (TCS) suite, and our suite of Customer Contact Intelligence solutions.

    TransUnion will be at Enterprise Connect 2025 at booth #1327. Senior Director of Product Management, Mick Moss, will be speaking at the show on Tuesday March 18, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. on the Restoring Trust in the Voice Channel with Branded Calling panel and on Thursday, March 20, 9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. on the Building Trust in Outbound Calling Systems panel.

    Survey Methodology
    In this study, Forrester conducted an online survey of 719 decision-makers at automotive dealer, collections, financial services, healthcare, insurance, travel and hospitality, and wealth management organizations in the US to evaluate the current state of outbound communications. Survey participants included decision-makers in customer experience/service, call center/contact center, IT, IT security, marketing/advertising, operations, and risk/compliance/fraud. Respondents were offered a small incentive as a thank-you for time spent on the survey. The study was completed in November 2024.

    About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)
    TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this with a Tru™ picture of each person: an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. Through our acquisitions and technology investments we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good® — and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people around the world. http://www.transunion.com/business.

    Contact     Dave Blumberg
      TransUnion
    E-mail david.blumberg@transunion.com
    Telephone 312-972-6646

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BigCommerce Transforms Commerce Beyond Order Capture with Pipe17 Partnership

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    AUSTIN, Texas, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BigCommerce (Nasdaq: BIGC), a leading provider of open, composable commerce solutions for B2C and B2B brands, retailers, manufacturers and distributors today announced a transformational partnership with Pipe17, a leading provider of AI-powered composable order operations. This partnership reimagines how modern merchants manage orders in an increasingly complex digital commerce ecosystem.

    BigCommerce empowers brands, retailers, manufacturers and distributors of all sizes to sell online and capture orders seamlessly. Feedonomics, BigCommerce’s AI-powered product data feed management and order orchestration solution, helps brands list, manage and optimize product, inventory, pricing and order data across third-party channels, from ads, to social commerce, to marketplaces. The next frontier of commerce lies in the back office—turning captured orders into packages on consumers’ doorsteps or trucks on businesses’ loading docks.

    Today’s customers expect to shop anywhere—through merchant-owned channels like their brand websites and mobile apps, marketplaces like Amazon and Walmart, social platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and increasingly AI agents. They also demand instant delivery and flawless order fulfillment, pushing brands to expand their fulfillment infrastructure with additional warehouses, third-party logistics (3PL) partnerships, generous returns policies and new technology.

    As selling channels proliferate and fulfillment infrastructure grows in both size and complexity, problems rapidly shift to the back office—specifically order management. Merchants struggle to route orders and ensure order-related data is perfectly synchronized between selling channels, 3PLs, warehouse management systems (WMSs), customer service and back-office systems of record such as an ERP, and any one of dozens or hundreds of systems that touch order and order-adjacent data.

    Pipe17’s order operations network transforms the way orders, inventory and data flow through the modern commerce landscape. Unlike outdated and monolithic order management systems (OMSs) that attempt to be the center of every integration, Pipe17 is built atop an AI-powered network composed of hundreds of endpoints. In partnership with BigCommerce, this dynamic, scalable, and composable approach gives merchants unmatched flexibility and control of their connectivity, product listings, order routing and order-related data flows.

    With this partnership, merchants on the BigCommerce platform, as well as Feedonomics customers on any platform, can leverage Pipe17’s connectivity network to extend their coverage across critical fulfillment endpoints.

    “Order Management is ripe for disruption, and Pipe17 delivers a game-changing solution with its innovative order operations platform,” said Travis Hess, CEO of BigCommerce. “BigCommerce has always made it easy for merchants to capture orders, and Feedonomics helps merchants sell everywhere their customers shop, and by partnering with Pipe17, we can now ensure those orders from both owned channels and third-party channels move smoothly through our customers’ fulfillment infrastructure and back-office setup, ensuring a seamless flow through the delivery process.”

    “Commerce is all about delivering great customer experiences,” said Mo Afshar, CEO of Pipe17. “We’re proud to partner with BigCommerce to help merchants unify their commerce operations and stay ahead of the evolving digital commerce landscape. Together, with BigCommerce’s world-class API-first open commerce platform, product data management and order capture solutions and Pipe17’s order operations network that delivers the order management capabilities merchants need without the bloated OMS they despise, we’re enabling sellers to create better, more intelligent and further reaching customer experiences.”

    “We saw during the height of the Covid pandemic, and beyond, the importance of accurately managing orders and fulfillment across multiple sales channels,” said James Grandefeld, Chief Operating Officer at Bona Fide Masks, “Our partnership with both of these great platforms lets us provide best in class service to our valued customers. We are excited about the partnership and what it means for us.”

    To learn more about BigCommerce’s partnership with Pipe17, visit the company’s booth (#1944) at Shoptalk, March 25-27, 2025.

    About BigCommerce
    BigCommerce (Nasdaq: BIGC) is a leading open SaaS and composable ecommerce platform that empowers brands, retailers, manufacturers and distributors of all sizes to build, innovate and grow their businesses online. BigCommerce provides its customers sophisticated professional-grade functionality, customization and performance with simplicity and ease-of-use. Tens of thousands of B2C and B2B companies across 150 countries and numerous industries rely on BigCommerce, including Coldwater Creek, Harvey Nichols, King Arthur Baking Co., MKM Building Supplies, United Aqua Group and Uplift Desk. For more information, please visit www.bigcommerce.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn.

    About Feedonomics
    Feedonomics is the leading data management platform powering omnichannel growth for the world’s top brands and retailers. With its flexible technology and full-service support team, Feedonomics facilitates a variety of data and order management use cases across industries such as ecommerce, automotive, employment, travel, real estate, and more. Feedonomics has thousands of active customers, integrations with hundreds of ecommerce platforms and channels, and strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Amazon, Meta, Google, Microsoft and TikTok. To learn more about Feedonomics, a platform-agnostic BigCommerce subsidiary, visit www.feedonomics.com. For more information, please visit www.feedonomics.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

    About Pipe17
    Pipe17 Inc. provides AI-Powered Order Operations solutions for modern merchants and fulfillment service providers. Based in Seattle, Pipe17 is the fastest and easiest way to make omnichannel order flows touchless and cost-efficient, from order to inventory to fulfillment across DTC, B2B, and Retail. Pipe17 is the only ecommerce order operations solution that combines rapid deployment, seamless orders-to-anywhere automation, real-time visibility, and elastic scale. Learn more at https://Pipe17.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

    Media contacts:
    For BigCommerce and Feedonomics
    Brad Hem
    pr@bigcommerce.com

    For Pipe17,
    Jon Gettinger
    jon.gettinger@pipe17.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: OnTerra Systems Announces Long-time Microsoft Technical Program Manager Has Joined The Company

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DENVER, Colo., March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OnTerra Systems (www.OnTerraSystems.com), a web mapping technologies provider, reseller, and systems integrator, today announced that long-time Microsoft technical program manager Erik Lindeman has joined OnTerra Systems as Director of Product Management & Professional Services.

    As Director of Product Management & Professional Services for OnTerra Systems, Erik Lindeman oversees product management of OnTerra Systems’ various product offerings (RouteSavvy route planning software & RouteSavvy route optimization APIs). He also leads OnTerra Systems’ customer consulting and solution development services, including services for customers that need help migrating their Bing Maps-based applications to alternative mapping platforms before Bing Maps for Enterprise is retired by Microsoft.

    Mr. Lindeman brings more than 20 years of experience from multiple positions within Microsoft that spanned technical product management, enterprise customer engagement, and developer advocacy.

    As a Principal Technical Program Manager for Azure Maps and Bing Maps for Enterprise, he managed location-based services, including search, geocoding, routing, traffic, geolocation, and weather. In this role, he was responsible for improving Microsoft location services driven by internal and external customer needs and ensuring that the product enhancements aligned with Azure compliance standards.

    During his decades at Microsoft, Mr. Lindeman successfully launched several Microsoft Azure Maps services and features. He also has extensive experience in developing industry-specific data compliance for Azure Maps. As an example, he was instrumental in leading the development efforts for HIPAA compliance in Azure Maps. This work enabled US-based healthcare customers to take advantage of Azure Maps functionality while adhering to HIPAA requirements of maintaining the privacy of customer data.

    In addition, he was responsible for helping develop the strategy, planning, and execution of Microsoft’s unification of its enterprise map & geospatial product offerings under Azure Maps to enable customers to do more with location-based services using a modern, cloud approach. This included spearheading the creation of detailed technical documentation, product support resources, and best practices that help customers transition from Bing Maps for Enterprise to Azure Maps. As a result of this experience, Mr. Lindeman brings timely and highly relevant knowledge to the professional services that OnTerra Systems provides to businesses & non-profits that need help migrating off Bing Maps for Enterprise to alternative solutions.

    With extensive experience in customer operations, technical sales and support, project management, and engineering, Mr. Lindeman has developed a strong sense of customer empathy and a growth mindset. He has helped companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 organizations across various industries find solutions to their challenges using advanced services and technologies. Some of the vertical markets in which he has deep expertise include logistics, automotive, retail, e-commerce, financial services, healthcare, hospitality, and real estate.

    Mr. Lindeman earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Sonoma State University in California.

    “Given his extensive experience with the Microsoft geospatial eco-system, Erik Lindeman is uniquely poised to provide needed consulting & guidance to OnTerra Systems customers,” said OnTerra Systems CEO Steve Milroy. “Businesses & non-profits that need help migrating off Bing Maps for Enterprise, which is being retired by Microsoft, will particularly find his expertise useful – as well as organizations that need general help with web mapping & geospatial solutions.”

    About OnTerra Systems
    Founded in 2005, OnTerra Systems is a mapping software company that offers affordable access to traditionally expensive web mapping technologies. OnTerra Systems’ web mapping technology offerings include powerful, affordable RouteSavvy route planning software, basic and advanced route optimization APIs, aerial imagery with MapSavvy.com, and licensing of web map platforms and related consulting and systems integration. For more information, visit: www.OnTerraSystems.com

    MEDIA CONTACT:
    Courtney DeWinter, DeWinter Marketing & PR Agency – Denver, Colo.
    303.572.8180, www.DeWinterMarketingPR.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SITI attends press conference of World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit in Beijing

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    SITI attends press conference of World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit in Beijing 
         In addition to the highly acclaimed annual Wuzhen Summit, the WIC has designated Hong Kong for the first time to host the Asia-Pacific Summit. Organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and co-organised by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB), the Summit will be held April 14 and 15 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre under the theme of “Integration of AI and Digital Technologies Shaping the Future – Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace”.
     
         The Summit is expected to attract around 1,000 participants from the Mainland and overseas, including representatives from governments and enterprises, international organisations, leading corporations, experts and scholars. Through exploring the latest trends in various technology areas and in-depth exchanges of views and experiences, the Summit aims to enable all parties to seize the development opportunities brought about by digital and intelligent transformation, promoting high-quality development in innovation and technology (I&T), strengthening digital collaboration, and creating new momentum and new advantages for the development of the Asia-Pacific region.
     
         Mr Ren said that the WIC has chosen to organise the Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong to leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantage of global connectivity, fostering a cross-regional, cross-sector and cross-cultural dialogue platform to inject new impetus and create new opportunities for building an open, inclusive, innovative, connected and co-operative community with a shared future for the Asia-Pacific region.
     
         Professor Sun expressed his gratitude to the WIC for choosing Hong Kong as the host city of the 2025 Summit, affirming Hong Kong’s pivotal role of bridging the country and the world as a dual platform. This creates a top-notch platform for exchanges, dialogue and co-operation in I&T, further strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an international I&T centre. The HKSAR Government endeavours to collaborate with the WIC in jointly making the Summit into the most influential regional I&T mega event. Professor Sun said he believes that the Summit will deepen regional co-operation in the I&T field, support Hong Kong’s development into an international I&T centre, as well as foster the vibrant development of the digital economy across the Asia-Pacific region.
     
         The rich content of the Summit will include the opening ceremony and the main forum on “The Future of Digital Intelligence”, and three sub-forums on “Large Artificial Intelligence Models”, “Digital Finance” and “Digital Government and Smart Life” on the second day of the Summit, when internationally renowned speakers will share their insights to explore the future development and potential across various domains in digital technology. The Summit will also organise a series of affiliated activities including a government-enterprise dialogue session, a cybersecurity emergency response advanced training programme and an information meeting on Practice Cases and Awards for Pioneering Science and Technology. Details of the Summit are available from the WIC announcement www.wicinternet.org/2025-03/17/c_1079097.htm 
         In addition to the Summit, Hong Kong’s annual I&T mega event, the Business of Innovation and Technology Week (BIT Week) will take place concurrently in April to feature a series of exciting I&T activities. Co-organised by the ITIB and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, InnoEX will take place from April 13 to 16, bringing together major I&T elites from the Mainland and overseas, industry leaders and buyers from around the world. Through a large-scale exhibition, seminars and a series of business networking events, InnoEX will foster exchanges and dialogues, enabling participants to grasp the latest advancements and applications in I&T and explore global collaboration opportunities.
     
         Professor Sun concluded his visit and returned to Hong Kong in the evening.
    Issued at HKT 19:18

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Inflation and Economic Trends in India

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 16 MAR 2025 6:33PM by PIB Delhi

    Inflation and Economic Trends

     

    • CPI inflation moderated to a 7-month low of 3.6% in February 2025, aided by a sharp decline in vegetable prices.
    • Core inflation crossed 4% for the first time in 14 months, reaching 4.08%.
    • Industrial growth strengthened, with IIP expanding by 5.0% in January 2025, led by manufacturing and mining.
    • Rural inflation remains higher than urban inflation, influenced by food price trends.
    • Imported inflation surged, rising from 1.3% in June 2024 to 31.1% in February 2025, driven by rising prices of precious metals, oils, and fats.
    • RBI expected to implement at least 75 basis points of rate cuts in 2025, with successive reductions anticipated in April and August.
    • Corporate performance remains strong, with revenue, EBITDA, and PAT growth of 6.2%, 11%, and 12%, respectively, in Q3FY25.

     

    The above are the major findings of the SBI Ecowrap report, published by the State Bank of India’s Economic Research Department. SBI Ecowrap is a research report that analyzes the Indian economy, including GDP growth, agricultural reforms, and formal and informal economies. The latest edition of SBI’s Ecowrap, released on March 12, 2025, provides a detailed analysis of India’s economic landscape in February 2025. It focuses on Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation, industrial growth, imported inflation, and corporate performance. The report highlights a significant moderation in inflation, particularly in food and beverages, while also projecting future trends in monetary policy and industrial output.

    CPI Inflation Moderation

    • India’s CPI inflation fell to a 7-month low of 3.6% in February 2025 due to a substantial decline in food and beverage prices.
    • Food & Beverages inflation eased by 185 basis points (m-o-m) to 3.84%, mainly due to a sharp decline in vegetable prices.
    • Vegetable CPI declined sharply, entering negative territory (1.07%) for the first time in 20 months.
    • Approximately 80% of this decline was attributed to garlic, potatoes, and tomatoes.
    • A notable drop in garlic prices is potentially linked to dietary changes during the Maha Kumbh, which may have led to reduced consumption of non-vegetarian food.
    • Fruit inflation surged to a 10-year high of 14.8%, potentially due to increased demand during fasting periods associated with the Maha Kumbh.
    • Fuel and light deflation is still continued for 18 months.
    • Non-vegetarian food inflation (Egg/Meat/Fish) decelerated, possibly due to the Maha Kumbh period.
    • While overall inflation moderated, the core inflation crossed the 4.0% mark after 14 months to 4.08%. Core Inflation corresponds to the component of inflation that is likely to continue for a long period. Thus, core inflation captures the underlying trend of inflation and is, therefore, more stable.

    Future CPI Inflation Trends

    • CPI inflation is expected to decline to 3.9% in Q4 FY25 and average 4.7% for FY25.
    • FY26 inflation is projected in the range of 4.0-4.2%, while core inflation may range between 4.2-4.4%.
    • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may implement successive rate cuts in April and August 2025, with an overall expected cumulative rate cut of at least 75 basis points.
    • The cycle of rate cuts may continue from October 2025, following an intervening gap in August 2025.

    State-wise Inflation Analysis

    • 12 states recorded rural inflation above the national rural average.
    • 10 states reported urban inflation higher than the national urban average.
    • Rural inflation continued to outpace urban inflation due to higher food prices and a larger food basket share (54.2% for rural areas vs. 36.3% for urban areas).
    • The highest inflation rates were recorded in Kerala (7.3%) and Chhattisgarh (4.9%).

     

    State

    Rural Inflation (%)

    Urban Inflation (%)

    Overall Inflation (%)

    Kerala

    8.0

    4.5

    7.3

    Chhattisgarh

    5.6

    3.3

    4.9

    Goa

    6.2

    1.5

    4.8

    Bihar

    4.3

    4.7

    4.5

    Karnataka

    4.6

    3.0

    4.5

     

    • The lowest inflation rates were recorded in Telangana (1.3%) and Delhi (1.5%).

    State

    Rural Inflation (%)

    Urban Inflation (%)

    Overall Inflation (%)

    Telangana

    0.5

    1.3

    1.3

    Delhi

    2.6

    3.5

    1.5

    Goa

    6.2

    1.5

    1.8

    Maharashtra

    2.2

    2.4

    3.1

    Himachal Pradesh

    3.3

    4.0

    3.3

     

    Rising Share of Imported Inflation

    • Despite the overall decline in CPI inflation, the share of imported inflation rose from 1.3% in June 2024 to 31.1% in February 2025.
    • Key drivers include rising prices of precious metals, oils, fats, and chemical products.
    • The contribution of energy prices to imported inflation remains negative and in declining in absolute amount.

     

    Industrial Growth and IIP Expansion

    • India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) expanded by 5.0% in January 2025, the highest in eight months, compared to 3.2% in December 2024.
    • The growth was driven by:
      • Manufacturing sector: 5.5% growth
      • Mining sector: 4.4% growth
      • Primary goods: 5.5% growth
      • Consumer Durables (long-term consumption goods): 7.2% growth
      • Intermediate goods: 5.23% growth
    • Consumer Non-Durables (immediate consumption goods) contracted by 0.2%, indicating weak demand in that segment.

    Sectoral Growth Trends

    • Capital Goods, Consumer Durables, FMCG, Healthcare, and Pharmaceuticals showed strong year-on-year growth in Q3FY25.
    • The Interest Coverage Ratio of listed entities improved by 20 basis points in Q3FY25, reflecting improved margins and financial stability.
    • More than 4000 corporates in the listed space reported revenue growth of 6.2%, with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and profit after tax (PAT) growing by 11% and 12%, respectively, in Q3FY25 compared to Q3FY24.
    • Corporate ex-BFSI (more than 3400 listed entities) reported revenue and PAT growth of 5% (recovering from negative growth in previous quarters) and 9% in Q3FY25, respectively.

     

    Monetary Policy Outlook & Corporate Capex Cycle

    • The combination of a strong balance sheet, comfortable interest coverage, and a downward interest rate cycle is expected to support the next capex cycle for Indian industries.
    • Improved corporate margins and liquidity conditions make Indian Inc. well-positioned for capital expenditure growth.
    • The aggregate EBITDA margin improved by 44 basis points in Q3FY25, reaching 14.84% from 14.4% in Q2FY25.

     

    Conclusion

    India’s economic indicators for February 2025 reflect a moderation in inflation, improved industrial output, and strong corporate earnings. While inflation trends remain favorable in the short term, imported inflation risks and rupee depreciation pose challenges going forward. The RBI’s expected rate cuts could further bolster growth, providing a positive environment for capex expansion and industrial performance. The evolving economic landscape suggests a cautious but optimistic outlook for the coming months.

    References

    https://bank.sbi/documents/13958/43951007/Ecowrap_20250312.pdf/97dd5dd2-b54d-1f0b-eb2b-1167ef1f81b1?t=1741844062565

    https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/budget2019-20/economicsurvey/doc/vol2chapter/echap04_vol2.pdf

    Click here to see PDF

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    Santosh Kumar | Ritu Kataria | Rishita Aggarwal

     

    Annexure 1: State-wise Inflation Rates: February 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CCI Organises 10th Edition of National Conference on Economics of Competition Law

    Source: Government of India

    CCI Organises 10th Edition of National Conference on Economics of Competition Law

    Minister of State, Shri Harsh Malhotra compliments  CCI for its impactful role in curbing abusive conduct of dominant enterprises

    Posted On: 16 MAR 2025 5:43PM by PIB Delhi

    The Competition Commission of India (CCI) organised the 10thNational Conference on Economics of Competition Law in New Delhi today. Shri Harsh Malhotra, Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was the Keynote Speaker at the Conference. Smt Ravneet Kaur, Chairperson, Competition Commission of India delivered the Special Address at the Inaugural Session of the Conference. The Conference, which brings together scholars, practitioners, and experts working in the area of economics of competition law, is being organised by the CCI every year since 2016.

    In his Keynote Address, highlighting the high-growth trajectory of the Indian economy, Minister of State Shri Harsh Malhotra underscored the importance of competition law in ensuring fair competition and a level playing field in markets.

    He emphasized the crucial role of the MSME sector, which contributes 80% of manufacturing output, 45% of exports, and 30% of India’s GDP. It is important to watch the interest of stakeholders, including MSMEs, to provide them with fair opportunities to compete and innovate, he said. In this context, he complimented CCI for its impactful role in curbing abusive conduct of dominant enterprises.

    Commending the Commission for its well-considered decisions, he highlighted the need for real-time market monitoring and a collaborative approach to regulation. It is essential to enforce law beyond strict intervention by promoting self-regulation and compliance, he added. He encouraged the Commission to actively engage with stakeholders, including industry associations, and consider their viewpoints. He stressed on the importance of including the younger generation in deliberations to bring fresh and new perspectives. The Government has kept in mind the views of the stakeholders, be it policies, government schemes or regulations, he mentioned. Acknowledging the significance of the Conference, he said that such deliberations and brainstorming sessions would immensely contribute to India’s economic growth in the future.

    The Minister stated that the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) aims to foster an ecosystem where fair competition benefits both businesses and consumers, leading to dynamic and vibrant marketplaces. He concluded by stating that India’s economic future depends on market strength, which, in turn, relies on fair competition—making it not just a legal or economic necessity but a national responsibility.

    Smt. Ravneet Kaur, Chairperson, CCI, in her Special Address, stated that regulators are adopting a dynamic approach to address the issues emerging in increasingly complex markets and rapid innovation in technology. She said that the goal is to balance innovation with competition, ensuring fair and open markets, where competition and technological progress can coexist. Alluding to Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a driving force in modern markets, Smt. Kaur stressed on the need for regulators to stay abreast and ahead in the AI era to deal with algorithmic collusion, uncover hidden anti-competitive behaviour, and protect consumers in markets increasingly shaped by AI. In this context, she also discussed the role played by Market Studies as a critical tool in proactive regulation. These studies provide a comprehensive analysis of market structures, business models, arrangements amongst players and potential competition issues, she said. 

    Referring to the competition law enforcement regime in India, Smt. Kaur said that the regulatory landscape has evolved significantly with the introduction of the Competition Amendment Act, 2023, to address the emerging challenges and strike a balance between enforcement and market-friendly resolution. She talked about the various regulations introduced in the last one year to operationalise the Competition Amendment Act 2023, with extensive consultations involving all key stakeholders. She further apprised the developments in antitrust enforcement and merger enforcement in 2024. The Competition Commission of India remains committed to fostering fair competition, ensuring market integrity, and enhancing enforcement efficiency, she said.

    The Conference, in addition to the Inaugural Session, featured two technical sessions on ‘Digital Dynamics: Markets, Competition & Innovation’; and ‘Exploring Mergers: Structure, Competition and Synergy’ where researchers presented papers on economics of competition law. The first session was chaired by Dr. Nishant Chadha, Director, Policy and Research, Indian School of Business. Dr. Uday Bhanu Sinha, Professor, Delhi School of Economics chaired the second session.

    The National Conference concluded with a Plenary Session on ‘Settlement and Commitment: A New Era of Trust-Based Fast-Track Market Correction’ which was moderated by Shri Prasanto Kumar Roy, Senior Adviser, FTI Consulting.

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