Category: Entertainment

  • MIL-OSI: ASUS Expands 2025 Zenbook Lineup in Canada with the New Zenbook DUO and Zenbook 14

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ASUS today announced that the new Zenbook DUO (UX8406CA) and Zenbook 14 (UX3405CA), are now available in Canada. These new additions join the recently launched Zenbook A14, the lightest 14-inch Copilot+ PC on the market, further expanding ASUS’s lineup of AI-powered Zenbook laptops.

    The ASUS Zenbook DUO is now available at the ASUS Store, Best Buy, Amazon, and Canada Computers, with Costco joining later this year. The ASUS Zenbook 14 is available at the ASUS Store, Amazon and Shi, with Canada Computers, Costco, and Staples set to carry it later this year.

    Designed for power, portability, and next-level AI capabilities, the latest Zenbook models feature extended battery life, premium designs, and a customizable Copilot key, delivering an effortless blend of speed, creativity, and productivity. With cutting-edge AI tools at their core, these laptops streamline tasks, enhance security, and supercharge performance for work and play.

    Next-Gen AI Power with Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) Processors

    At the heart of these two new 2025 ASUS Zenbook laptops are the new Intel® Core Ultra processor (Series 2), featuring integrated AI acceleration, next-gen Intel Arc graphics, and an upgraded core architecture. Built for the AI era, this powerhouse processor boosts gaming, content creation, and multitasking to new heights, delivering exceptional speed and efficiency in a slim and stylish package.

    ASUS Zenbook DUO (UX8406​CA)

    The revolutionary dual-screen Zenbook DUO (2025) features twin 14-inch 16:10 OLED HDR NanoEdge touchscreens with up to 3K 120Hz resolution, seamlessly blending AI-powered performance with versatile multi-mode functionality — Dual Screen, Desktop, Laptop, and Screen Sharing — and superb mobility. Measuring just 14.6mm (0.57″) at its thinnest and weighing only 1.35 kg (2.98 lbs)1, it’s powered by up to the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 285H with integrated NPU, unlocking enhanced AI capabilities. It also features a large-capacity 75Wh battery and includes a comprehensive array of I/O ports. The easy-to-use Zenbook DUO maximizes productivity, with zero fuss.

    ASUS Zenbook 14 (UX3405​CA)

    Zenbook 14 (UX3405CA) takes sophistication to a whole new level, with an environmentally-conscious thin-and-light design. It amplifies AI efficiency with its Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 285H and Intel Arc graphics, and offers an immersive experience with its vivid 14-inch 16:10 ASUS Lumina OLED touchscreen and powerful super-linear speakers.

    Later this year, an AMD-powered variant, the Zenbook 14 (UM3406KA), will join the lineup, featuring the new AI-enabled AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor with a 50 TOPS NPU for accelerated AI performance.

    AVAILABILITY & PRICING

    The Zenbook DUO and Zenbook 14 are now available in Canada. The Zenbook DUO is available at the ASUS Store, Best Buy, Amazon, and Canada Computers, with Costco joining later this year. The Zenbook 14 is available at the ASUS Store, Amazon and Shi, with Canada Computers, Costco, and Staples set to carry it later this year. The Zenbook 14 (UM3406KA) will also be available later this year.

    For detailed specifications, availability, pricing, and where to buy links, please see below.

    Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

    SPECIFICATIONS2

    ASUS Zenbook DUO (UX8406CA) 

    Model  UX8406CA-BS91T-CB UX8406CA-DS91T-CA UX8406CA-CS71-CB
    Marketing Name  ASUS Zenbook DUO (2025)
    Operating System  Windows 11 Home 
    Color  Inkwell Gray
    Weight  1.65 kg (3.64 lbs)

    Weight without keyboard: 1.35 kg (2.98 lbs)

    Weight of keyboard: 0.30 kg (0.66 lbs)

    Dimensions  31.35 x 21.79 x 1.46 ~ 1.99 cm (12.34″ x 8.58″ x 0.57″ ~ 0.78″)
    Keyboard Dimensions 31.28 x 20.90 x 0.51 ~ 0.53 cm (12.31″ x 8.23″ x 0.20″ ~ 0.21″)
    Display  Dual 14” touchscreens, 2880×1800, OLED, 16:10, 120 Hz, 0.2ms, 500 nits peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3, VESA Certified Display HDR True Black 500, Pantone validated Dual 14” touchscreens, 1920×1200, OLED, 16:10, 120 Hz, 0.2ms, 500 nits peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3, VESA Certified Display HDR True Black 500, Pantone validated Dual 14” touchscreens, 1920×1200, OLED, 16:10, 120 Hz, 0.2ms, 500 nits peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3, VESA Certified Display HDR True Black 500, Pantone validated
    Processor  Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 285H

    2.9 GHz (24MB Cache, up to 5.4 GHz, 16 cores, 16 Threads); Intel AI Boost NPU up to 13TOPS

    Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 255H

    2.0 GHz (24MB Cache, up to 5.1 GHz, 16 cores, 16 Threads); Intel AI Boost NPU up to 13

    Graphics  Intel Arc Graphics
    Memory  32GB LPDDR5X (on board)  16GB LPDDR5X (on board) 
    Storage  1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 x M.2 2280 slot) 
    Keyboard Bilingual French English Bilingual French
    Webcam  1080p FHD IR Camera 
    Wi-Fi  Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4
    IO Ports  1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
    2 x Thunderbolt 4 (PD, DP)
    1 x HDMI 2.1 (TMDS) 
    1 x 3.5 Audio Combo Jack 
    Battery  75Whr 
    AC Adapter  Type-C, 65W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 3.25A, 65W, Input: 100-240V AC 50/60GHz universal 
    Availability ASUS Store

    Best Buy

    ASUS Store

    Best Buy

    Amazon

    Canada Computers

    Costco (available later this year)
    MSRP  C$2,699 C$2,499 C$2,399

    ASUS Zenbook 14 (UX3405CA) 

    Model  UX3405CA-CS91T-CB UX3405CA-RS71T-CA UX3405CA-SS71T-CB UX3405CA-DS51T-CA
    Marketing Name  ASUS Zenbook 14
    Operating System  Windows 11 Home 
    Color  Ponder Blue
    Weight  1.28 kg (2.82 lbs)
    Dimensions  31.24 x 22.01 x 1.49 ~ 1.49 cm (12.30″ x 8.67″ x 0.59″ ~ 0.59″)
    Display  14” touchscreen, WUXGA, 1920×1200, OLED, 16:10, 60 Hz, 0.2ms, 500 nits peak brightness, 100% DCI-P3, VESA Certified Display HDR True Black 500
    Processor  Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 285H

    2.9 GHz (24MB Cache, up to 5.4 GHz, 16 cores, 16 Threads); Intel AI Boost NPU up to 13TOPS

    Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 255H

    2.0 GHz (24MB Cache, up to 5.1 GHz, 16 cores, 16 Threads); Intel AI Boost NPU up to 13

    Intel Core Ultra 5 Processor 225H

    1.7 GHz (18MB Cache, up to 4.9 GHz, 14 cores, 16 Threads); Intel AI Boost NPU up to 13TOPS

    Graphics  Intel Arc Graphics
    Memory  16GB LPDDR5X (on board) 32GB LPDDR5X (on board) 16GB LPDDR5X (on board) 16GB LPDDR5X (on board)
    Storage  1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 x M.2 2280 slot)  512 GB PCIe 4.0 SSD (1 x M.2 2280 slot) 
    Keyboard Bilingual French English Bilingual French English
    Webcam  1080p FHD IR Camera 
    Wi-Fi  Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4
    IO Ports  1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
    2 x Thunderbolt 4 (PD, DP)
    1 x HDMI 2.1 (TMDS) 
    1 x 3.5 Audio Combo Jack 
    Battery  75Whr 
    AC Adapter  Type-C, 65W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 3.25A, 65W, Input: 100-240V AC 50/60GHz universal 
    Availability Costco (available later this year) Canada Computers (available later this year) Staples (available later this year) ASUS Store

    Amazon

    Shi

    MSRP  C$1,899 C$1,899 C$1,699 C$1,499

    NOTES TO EDITORS

    Product pages:

    Where to buy links:

    ASUS Zenbook Page: https://www.asus.com/ca-en/site/zenbook/

    ASUS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asus/posts/

    ASUS Pressroom: http://press.asus.com

    ASUS Canada Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asuscanada/

    ASUS Canada Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asus_ca

    ASUS Canada YouTube: https://ca.asus.click/youtube

    ASUS Global X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/asus

    About ASUS

    ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world’s most innovative and intuitive devices, components, and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, the company is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today’s technologies. Consistently ranked as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, ASUS is also committed to sustaining an incredible future. The goal is to create a net zero enterprise that helps drive the shift towards a circular economy, with a responsible supply chain creating shared value for every one of us.

    1 Without keyboard
    2 Price and specifications and subject to change without notice. For the latest information please visit https://www.asus.com/ca-en/

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/64840812-c385-471d-8435-9e9dc833ca33

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mati Diop is a new star of African cinema – what her award-winning movies are about

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David Murphy, Professor of French and Postcolonial Studies, University of Strathclyde

    Mati Diop has cinema in her blood. The 42-year-old Senegalese-French actress launched her feature film directing career in spectacular fashion with Atlantics, which took the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 and won a string of awards.

    Her documentary Dahomey has made similar waves and was longlisted for the 2025 Oscars. We asked Senegalese film scholar David Murphy to tell us more.


    Who is Mati Diop?

    Mati Diop is a hugely talented and innovative film director. She is also an accomplished actor who has starred in a number of French films, in particular Claire Denis’s 35 Shots of Rum.

    She was born in Paris in 1982 and was raised in France, but frequently visited Senegal during her childhood, as she comes from a Senegalese cultural dynasty.

    Her father is Wasis Diop, an inventive and experimental musician who fuses Senegalese folk music with western pop and jazz. Her uncle was the maverick Senegalese filmmaker, Djibril Diop Mambéty. He directed classics like Touki Bouki and Hyenas. For good measure, her mother, Christine Brossard, is involved in the French art world and is a photographer.

    Although she had previously made short films, Diop gained global attention in 2019 when she won a prestigious award at the Cannes Film Festival for her first feature-length fiction film, Atlantics.

    Her documentary Dahomey won the top award at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. Over the past few years, Diop has become established as one of the most creative artistic voices making films about contemporary Africa.

    What’s Dahomey about?

    Dahomey is a documentary about a contentious issue, the repatriation of looted African art works from western museums.

    The objects – 26 royal treasures – were taken from the pre-colonial kingdom of Dahomey (in today’s Benin). President Emmanuel Macron of France has voiced his support for the return of such objects and a slow, piecemeal process of repatriation has now begun.

    On the surface, the story of Dahomey might not seem to be particularly dramatic. Taking objects from a museum in Paris and sending them to a museum in Benin might be politically important and symbolic. But how do you make a creative, insightful and entertaining film about it that also appeals to a wide audience? Well, essentially, Diop weaves a tale that seeks to explore what it means for Africans that this heritage is being returned. To do that, she gives voice to Africans, whether heritage professionals, students or the general public.

    In her most daring creative gesture, she also gives voice to one of the objects being returned, a magnificent, life-sized wooden statue of King Ghézo (who ruled Dahomey in the 1800s), depicted as half-man, half-bird. Many of the items that are displayed in European museums as beautiful but inanimate objects in fact played a highly significant spiritual role in precolonial societies. Essentially, they formed a bridge between the living and the spirit world, and Diop is interested in exploring what it might mean to these spirits to return to an Africa that has been transformed in their absence.

    So, Dahomey is not your average documentary. There’s no narrative voiceover that explains the context of the journey home for these objects. Apart from a few on-screen captions explaining the big picture, viewers must piece together the story and decipher its meaning by themselves.

    In the first half of the film, we see the curators from Benin and French workmen moving through the Quai Branly Museum in Paris. They assess the condition of the fragile objects as they make an inventory of them and box them safely for the trip. At first, theirs are the only voices we hear.




    Read more:
    The award-winning African documentary project that goes inside the lives of migrants


    But then we begin to hear the deep, electronically distorted voice of the statue of King Ghézo who awakens from a long slumber. In this voiceover (written by the Haitian author Makenzy Orcel), Ghézo reflects on the sense of dislocation and confusion at being taken from Africa, his journey over the sea to be exhibited in a museum in Paris, his memories of the continent he left behind.

    Once the objects arrive in Benin, the film follows a reverse process. The camera dwells on the African workmen overseeing their installation, interspersed with the voice of the statue trying to make sense of the Africa to which he has returned.

    The longest section of the film gives voice to local university students debating what it means to return this heritage. While some view the process as vital, others see it as a distraction from the major issues facing the continent. The film does not seek to nudge the viewer to take sides. What is important is that different African voices are heard so that Africans can reach their own informed decisions.

    What’s Atlantics about?

    Atlantics is a film about the migration crisis that sees many young Senegalese men (and some women) set off from the coast on dangerous journeys in small fishing boats to try and reach the economic promised land of Europe (in this instance, the Canary Islands). But the film is also a love story about a young couple, Ada and Souleiman.

    With a group of young men, many cheated of their wages by a corrupt local businessman, Souleiman embarks on the dangerous journey. The bereft girlfriends and sisters wait for news of their boyfriends and brothers and ultimately take revenge on the businessman. I can’t tell you precisely how this is done without spoiling the plot but let’s just say that the film is a striking mix of social drama and supernatural thriller.

    Why is her contribution to film important?

    Above all else, Mati Diop is a great storyteller. Atlantics and Dahomey are films that take important current affairs as their starting point, and they weave passionate, complex and strange stories around them.

    They’re strange not because Diop is trying to be artistically eccentric, but because life is fundamentally strange and defies easy explanation. This is an artistic standpoint that her uncle would have understood.




    Read more:
    Souleymane Cissé has died. He was one of Africa’s boldest and most pioneering film-makers


    Like his work, Diop’s fiction films contain long sections dwelling obsessively on the detail of “real” life while her documentaries contain many fictional elements. In fact, her short 2013 documentary A Thousand Suns is a wonderful homage to the beautiful strangeness of Mambety’s work. In a remarkable blend of fact and fiction, she traces the story of the actors who played the young couple in his avant-garde masterpiece, Touki Bouki.

    In the work of both uncle and niece, the real and the fictional, the strange and the mundane are mixed together to make a mysterious and strikingly original body of work that defies categorisation.

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

    ref. Mati Diop is a new star of African cinema – what her award-winning movies are about – https://theconversation.com/mati-diop-is-a-new-star-of-african-cinema-what-her-award-winning-movies-are-about-250417

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mati Diop is a new star of African cinema – what her award-winning movies are about

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David Murphy, Professor of French and Postcolonial Studies, University of Strathclyde

    Mati Diop has cinema in her blood. The 42-year-old Senegalese-French actress launched her feature film directing career in spectacular fashion with Atlantics, which took the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 and won a string of awards.

    Her documentary Dahomey has made similar waves and was longlisted for the 2025 Oscars. We asked Senegalese film scholar David Murphy to tell us more.


    Who is Mati Diop?

    Mati Diop is a hugely talented and innovative film director. She is also an accomplished actor who has starred in a number of French films, in particular Claire Denis’s 35 Shots of Rum.

    She was born in Paris in 1982 and was raised in France, but frequently visited Senegal during her childhood, as she comes from a Senegalese cultural dynasty.

    Her father is Wasis Diop, an inventive and experimental musician who fuses Senegalese folk music with western pop and jazz. Her uncle was the maverick Senegalese filmmaker, Djibril Diop Mambéty. He directed classics like Touki Bouki and Hyenas. For good measure, her mother, Christine Brossard, is involved in the French art world and is a photographer.

    Diop poses with her Golden Bear for Best Film for Dahomey on the red carpet at the Berlinale International Film Festival. Maja Hitij/Getty Images

    Although she had previously made short films, Diop gained global attention in 2019 when she won a prestigious award at the Cannes Film Festival for her first feature-length fiction film, Atlantics.

    Her documentary Dahomey won the top award at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival. Over the past few years, Diop has become established as one of the most creative artistic voices making films about contemporary Africa.

    What’s Dahomey about?

    Dahomey is a documentary about a contentious issue, the repatriation of looted African art works from western museums.

    The objects – 26 royal treasures – were taken from the pre-colonial kingdom of Dahomey (in today’s Benin). President Emmanuel Macron of France has voiced his support for the return of such objects and a slow, piecemeal process of repatriation has now begun.

    On the surface, the story of Dahomey might not seem to be particularly dramatic. Taking objects from a museum in Paris and sending them to a museum in Benin might be politically important and symbolic. But how do you make a creative, insightful and entertaining film about it that also appeals to a wide audience? Well, essentially, Diop weaves a tale that seeks to explore what it means for Africans that this heritage is being returned. To do that, she gives voice to Africans, whether heritage professionals, students or the general public.

    In her most daring creative gesture, she also gives voice to one of the objects being returned, a magnificent, life-sized wooden statue of King Ghézo (who ruled Dahomey in the 1800s), depicted as half-man, half-bird. Many of the items that are displayed in European museums as beautiful but inanimate objects in fact played a highly significant spiritual role in precolonial societies. Essentially, they formed a bridge between the living and the spirit world, and Diop is interested in exploring what it might mean to these spirits to return to an Africa that has been transformed in their absence.

    So, Dahomey is not your average documentary. There’s no narrative voiceover that explains the context of the journey home for these objects. Apart from a few on-screen captions explaining the big picture, viewers must piece together the story and decipher its meaning by themselves.

    In the first half of the film, we see the curators from Benin and French workmen moving through the Quai Branly Museum in Paris. They assess the condition of the fragile objects as they make an inventory of them and box them safely for the trip. At first, theirs are the only voices we hear.


    Read more: The award-winning African documentary project that goes inside the lives of migrants


    But then we begin to hear the deep, electronically distorted voice of the statue of King Ghézo who awakens from a long slumber. In this voiceover (written by the Haitian author Makenzy Orcel), Ghézo reflects on the sense of dislocation and confusion at being taken from Africa, his journey over the sea to be exhibited in a museum in Paris, his memories of the continent he left behind.

    Once the objects arrive in Benin, the film follows a reverse process. The camera dwells on the African workmen overseeing their installation, interspersed with the voice of the statue trying to make sense of the Africa to which he has returned.

    The longest section of the film gives voice to local university students debating what it means to return this heritage. While some view the process as vital, others see it as a distraction from the major issues facing the continent. The film does not seek to nudge the viewer to take sides. What is important is that different African voices are heard so that Africans can reach their own informed decisions.

    What’s Atlantics about?

    Atlantics is a film about the migration crisis that sees many young Senegalese men (and some women) set off from the coast on dangerous journeys in small fishing boats to try and reach the economic promised land of Europe (in this instance, the Canary Islands). But the film is also a love story about a young couple, Ada and Souleiman.

    With a group of young men, many cheated of their wages by a corrupt local businessman, Souleiman embarks on the dangerous journey. The bereft girlfriends and sisters wait for news of their boyfriends and brothers and ultimately take revenge on the businessman. I can’t tell you precisely how this is done without spoiling the plot but let’s just say that the film is a striking mix of social drama and supernatural thriller.

    Why is her contribution to film important?

    Above all else, Mati Diop is a great storyteller. Atlantics and Dahomey are films that take important current affairs as their starting point, and they weave passionate, complex and strange stories around them.

    They’re strange not because Diop is trying to be artistically eccentric, but because life is fundamentally strange and defies easy explanation. This is an artistic standpoint that her uncle would have understood.


    Read more: Souleymane Cissé has died. He was one of Africa’s boldest and most pioneering film-makers


    Like his work, Diop’s fiction films contain long sections dwelling obsessively on the detail of “real” life while her documentaries contain many fictional elements. In fact, her short 2013 documentary A Thousand Suns is a wonderful homage to the beautiful strangeness of Mambety’s work. In a remarkable blend of fact and fiction, she traces the story of the actors who played the young couple in his avant-garde masterpiece, Touki Bouki.

    In the work of both uncle and niece, the real and the fictional, the strange and the mundane are mixed together to make a mysterious and strikingly original body of work that defies categorisation.

    – Mati Diop is a new star of African cinema – what her award-winning movies are about
    – https://theconversation.com/mati-diop-is-a-new-star-of-african-cinema-what-her-award-winning-movies-are-about-250417

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI: Drone Technology Advancement for Performing Growing Number of Tasks and Usage Leading to Revenue Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – According to a recent article issued by Fact.MR, the global drone surveying market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.3% during the forecast period of 2023 to 2033. The report said: “The drone surveying market is witnessing increased demand for its services across different industries. The survey done by drones has multiple benefits in comparison to the traditional way of surveys such as lower cost, reduced time, and improved end results. The drone covers a larger area within less amount of time and money for a survey if compared with the traditional or conventional way of surveys. Since the data is captured and generated with actual imagery, it also brings better transparency in the end result. All these benefits have resulted in increased demand from governments and real estate development companies for drone surveying services. The drone surveying service providers are entering into partnerships with companies and the government to carry out surveys on their behalf for the planning and development of urban areas and townships. The image and data collected from the drone surveys are more accurate and can be converted into meaningful output as per the requirements. This helps governments and infrastructure development companies in different stages of planning in township development, urban planning, and land surveys. The continuous advancement of technology in the drone market has led to increased demand for their products and services. The services or task performed by a drone has significantly improved in the last few years which has ultimately resulted in improved demand.”   Active Companies in the Drone Industry today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI), ParaZero Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: PRZO), New Horizon Aircraft (NASDAQ: HOVR), Unusual Machines (NYSE: UMAC).

    Fact.MR added: “The industries catered to by drones have also increased significantly. Earlier most of the demand for drones was from agriculture and public administration, now it has increased to infrastructure development, mining, energy, education, and transportation among others. Now a mining company can easily calculate/measure the area covered for the mining, or the stockpile volume with the help of drone surveys. It is expected that in the coming years, the drone surveying industry will witness continuous technological advancement, resulting in the expansion of service offerings. The US drone surveying market and construction and mining industry is expected to be the market leader in the demand for drone surveying services. Increased spending from governments and rising demand for residential and commercial spaces would add a significantly high pace to the overall drone surveying demand in the US.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) ZenaDrone Advances IQ Square Drone to Manufacturing Stage for Outdoor Applications Including Inspections, Surveys, and the Fast-Growth Power Washing Sector – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that its subsidiary ZenaDrone has moved its first batch of IQ Square multifunction drones from prototype to manufacturing stage. This drone was designed for outdoor applications for operator line-of-site inspections such as for building and construction inspections, short-range land surveys, power washing and other business and government applications. The IQ Square is also expected to be a key part of ZenaDrone’s multifunction drone inventory for its Drone as a Service or DaaS business, which enables business and government users to hire a turnkey drone service and drone pilot through a local store for easy subscription-based or pay-as-you-go access to drones for various uses.

    “The IQ Square’s rapid progression from the prototype stage, initiated in 2022, to the manufacturing and assembly stage is a testament to our hardware and engineering team’s dedication and hard work. We see many commercial and government applications for the IQ Square, which we also envision will be central to powering our future DaaS operations as a versatile multifunction drone for multiple outdoor uses requiring line-of-site including fast growth uses like power washing,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

    The IQ Square will be equipped with a power wash system for use in larger-scale cleaning jobs such as stadium seating, building exteriors, and public spaces; drones eliminate the need for scaffolding, lifts, or manual labor by providing a more efficient, safe, and cost-effective solution. Tethered to a ground-based water and a power source, it is designed to maintain a continuous supply of high-pressure water needed to clean large areas without the weight limitations of onboard tanks.

    The mold and drone body frames of the first batch of IQ Square drones are currently being completed, after which they will be assembled, integrated, and tested at the company’s Sharjah, UAE production facility. The Company will oversee the integration and quality inspection of electronics, battery and propulsion systems, software, and sensor installation and calibration, concluding with final flight testing.

    According to QYResearch, the global market for drone cleaning services, including applications such as water hose-tethered power washing for stadium seats and public areas, is projected to reach approximately $53.89 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 19.3%.

    ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service or DaaS business model enables government agencies, building developers, entertainment facilities, farmers, environmental firms, etc. to conveniently access a turnkey drone solution via a local store on a pay-as-you-go or subscription basis rather than having to buy the entire drone hardware and software solution. Like Amazon Web Services, where Amazon owns computer equipment platforms and hires the personnel, with the DaaS model, ZenaDrone owns the drones, hires the pilots and ensures regulatory compliance to enable the cost savings, precision and efficiency of drones over existing legacy methods.   Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    Other recent developments in the drone industry include:

    Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SPAI) recently announced that its Safe Pro AI subsidiary reached its latest milestone having processed over 1,000,000 real-world images and 20,000 explosive threat detections in Ukraine utilizing its patented AI-powered small object threat detection and drone image analysis and mapping technology.

    Sourced from real-world aerial imagery collected in Ukraine by organizations utilizing commercially available drones over the past two years, SafePro’s latest generation of small object detection models include one of the largest and widest arrays of labeled imagery of landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and explosive remnants of war (ERW) in existence today. Supported by the hyper scale of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, this robust dataset enables the patented SpotlightAI™ ecosystem to rapidly detect over 150 types of surface-level explosive hazards, enabling government and humanitarian organizations to quickly assess threats on the ground with sub-centimeter precision. The Company intends to utilize its newly enhanced models to power new threat detection solutions designed for expanded domestic and international applications in defense, public safety and commercial markets.

    ParaZero Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: PRZO) recently announced that it has successfully achieved regulatory compliance with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its SafeAir systems. This milestone marks a step forward for the company, solidifying its position as a trusted provider of safety solutions in the rapidly expanding drone market.

    ParaZero secured EASA compliance for its SafeAir systems. The Company announced last week that its system is integrated with the DJI Matrice 350, DJI Mavic 3T, and DJI Mavic 3E, and has successfully achieved CE Class C5 compliance. This achievement marks a significant advancement in drone safety and regulatory readiness, particularly within the European market.

    New Horizon Aircraft (NASDAQ: HOVR) announces that John Wyzykowski has been appointed as a Technical Expert.   Horizon Aircraft recently announced that John Wyzykowski has joined the company as a Technical Expert to support the development of its propulsion systems. John is the latest in a series of new hires as Horizon Aircraft continues to bolster its engineering team with people who have proven track records in the aerospace sector. John joins from Lilium, a leading eVTOL developer, where he held the position of Head of Propulsion. With decades of experience in advanced aerospace propulsion, John will play a key role in supporting the ongoing development and optimization of the Cavorite X7, Horizon’s revolutionary hybrid-electric eVTOL.

    John is a recognized expert in propulsion system design, integration, and performance optimization for next-generation aerospace platforms. His extensive background includes work on gas turbine and fully electric propulsion architectures, with a deep understanding of the unique challenges associated with eVTOL applications, including power density, thermal management, and system redundancy. His insights will be instrumental as Horizon Aircraft continues its rigorous testing and refinement of the Cavorite X7’s propulsion system.

    Unusual Machines (NYSE:UMAC) announced it has recently secured Red Cat Holdings (RCAT) as a customer for motors. This marks the company’s first partnership to develop motors built to a U.S. drone producer’s specific requirements. Red Cat will use three motor variants from Unusual Machines for one of its platforms designed for government and commercial applications.

    Red Cat has placed its initial order, marking a significant milestone in Unusual Machines’ efforts to become a Tier 1 supplier of drone motors for American manufacturers. The motors will be among the first produced in Unusual Machines’ U.S.-based manufacturing facility, which is currently under development. In the interim, production will take place in a partnered facility, that we believe will result in a seamless supply chain transition. Unusual Machines expects to begin delivering on Red Cat’s first order by the end of March.

    This order further strengthens the relationship between Unusual Machines and Red Cat, as the companies continue their collaborative work on the FANG™, a high-performance FPV drone designed for defense applications.

    About FN Media Group:

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    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Test event to be broadcast live

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The 15th National Games Triathlon test event will be held at the Central Harbourfront and Victoria Harbour on March 1 and 2, and members of the public are welcome to watch the races on-the-spot or via a live broadcast.

    A total of around 110 athletes from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau will compete in the races, including 11 athletes from Hong Kong.

    Fifteen teams, each comprising two male and two female athletes, will take part in the mixed relay race.

    The women’s individual and men’s individual races are scheduled for 8am and 10.30am respectively on March 1, while the mixed relay race will take place at 2pm on March 2.

    The starting point of the races will be located at the waterfront of the Wan Chai Temporary Promenade. Athletes will complete the swimming segment, immediately followed by the cycling and running segments, with the finish line at the Central Harbourfront Event Space.

    It is the first time that Hong Kong holds a triathlon mixed relay event and that part of the course and public seats are placed in the Central Harbourfront Event Space to facilitate race-watchers.

    People may visit the public viewing area at the Central & Western District Promenade Central Section, which is accessible from MTR Admiralty Station Exit A via Tamar Park. No seating will be arranged.

    Tickets have been distributed to the public through the Triathlon Association of Hong Kong China. A small number of tickets have been reserved for each event day. Admission tickets may be obtained at the public entrance while stocks last.

    Radio Television Hong Kong will provide a live webcast of the events on the two days at the dedicated webpage and its YouTube channel.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Don’t ignore us’ warning to suspected city fly tippers

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    City of Wolverhampton Council is issuing the stern warning as it continues its crackdown on fly tipping and those who fail to assist with enquiries.

    In the latest prosecution brought by the council, Eric Kwansah, of Byrne Road, Blakenhall, was found guilty in his absence of one obstruction charge under section 110 of The Environment Act 1995, for failing to comply with investigating officers’ requests for assistance.

    Dudley Magistrates Court fined Kwansah £400 during the hearing on 19 February. He was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £160 and costs of £1,211.86. The costs awarded to the council will be reinvested back into its environmental crime service.

    In this case, council CCTV captured a man leaving a property in Byrne Road at around 6.40am on 20 February last year. He removed a mattress from the front of the property and dragged it on foot, along Byrne Road and into Napier Road, where he left it.

    Two days later, again around 6.40am, a man was filmed leaving the same property, carrying what appeared to be a pane of glass or mirror into Napier Road, where he again left the item.

    An officer from the council’s environmental crime team then visited the property in Byrne Road and left a card asking the occupier to contact the council. Further enquiries by the officer identified the occupant as Kwansah.

    A £400 fixed penalty notice (FPN) was delivered by hand and Kwansah got in touch with the officer to say he had always left items of waste in the street, and they had been taken away. The officer explained this was fly tipping and was an offence, but Kwansah said he could not pay the fine.

    The payment period was extended, but no payment was received. An appointment for Kwansah to attend the Civic Centre was made but no further contact was received and no payment was made.

    Kwansah’s failure to comply with the request prevented officers from furthering their investigation into who was responsible for the fly tipping. As a result, the prosecution for obstruction was brought.

    The recent action supports ongoing work under the council’s Shop a Tipper campaign where anyone suspected of dumping rubbish will have their images shared to appeal for information to help identify them.

    If the information provided leads to successful identification, and Fixed Penalty Notices are issued and paid or a prosecution takes place, residents receive a £100 Enjoy Wolverhampton Gift Card.

    Residents can contact 01902 555685 with information or report online at Fly-Tipping – Shop a Tipper.

    Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “Suspected fly tippers cannot just simply ignore contact from us and hope we will forget.

    “In this case, we gave the defendant the opportunity to discuss the incident. We also extended the payment period of the fine, but the offender still didn’t comply.

    “Bringing this case to court serves as an example to others that they can’t just ignore our investigations. We will take all necessary measures to keep our city clean and fly tippers should be aware that we have recently increased our Fixed Penalty Notice to £1,000.

    “Fly tipping is a blight on the local environment and we are continually working to tackle this unpleasant and illegal behaviour.”

    Residents are reminded that waste can be disposed of free of charge at our Household Waste and Recycling Centres (tips) which are open 7 days a week from 8am to 4pm. Centres are at Anchor Lane, Lanesfield, Bilston and Shaw Road, Wolverhampton.

    A bulky item collection service to dispose of big unwanted items is also available, find out more at Bulky item collection.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Gala Introduces Solana Bridge for GalaChain, Expanding Cross-Chain Utility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gala is advancing blockchain interoperability with the launch of the Solana Bridge for GalaChain, enabling seamless asset transfers between GalaChain and Solana. As one of the fastest and most widely adopted blockchain networks, Solana’s integration enhances GalaChain’s accessibility and expands its role in the broader Web3 ecosystem.

    The Solana Bridge strengthens GalaChain’s cross-chain functionality, providing users with more flexibility and control over their assets. Initially, $TRUMP is the first token supported for bridging, allowing users to transfer it to GalaChain where it will be received as $GTRUMP. Additional assets will be introduced soon, expanding cross-chain capabilities for token holders and developers alike.

    Solana’s high-speed transactions and low fees make it an ideal blockchain for GalaChain’s expansion. By connecting to Solana, GalaChain users gain access to a wider DeFi and crypto ecosystem while maintaining the efficiency and security of GalaChain’s Layer 1 blockchain infrastructure. This integration reinforces Gala’s broader commitment to decentralization and seamless blockchain connectivity.

    “Cross-chain interoperability is the future of Web3,” said Eric Schiermeyer, CEO and Founder of Gala. “Integrating GalaChain with Solana is a major step toward that vision, ensuring users can move assets freely and efficiently across chain ecosystems.”

    The Solana Bridge launch is part of a broader initiative to enhance GalaChain’s ecosystem. Gala is currently in beta testing for its Gala Wallet app, which will provide users with an easy way to create or connect a GalaChain wallet, unlocking additional functionality across the platform.

    For more details and updates, visit www.galagames.com or follow Gala on X, Telegram, or Discord.

    About Gala
    Gala, founded in 2019, is a pioneer in blockchain-based, groundbreaking platform built on GalaChain, a purpose-built Layer 1 blockchain tailored for Web3 applications in gaming, music, and film. By leveraging GalaChain’s decentralized architecture and high-performance capabilities, Gala is transforming digital asset ownership, offering players unprecedented control and value through blockchain-powered ecosystems.

    Gala’s ecosystem is powered by GALA tokens, which are distributed daily based on an annual halving model. These tokens are split between the platform’s Founder’s Node operators and the Gala Conservatorship, reinforcing the company’s commitment to decentralization and community-driven growth. For more information visit www.galagames.com or follow Gala on X, Telegram, or Discord.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/90b18b3b-f3fb-4f52-8e67-c36a7a4de925

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: MUSIC LICENSING, INC. (OTC: SONG) REPORTS FISCAL YEAR 2024 FINANCIAL RESULTS AND FILES FORM 1-K WITH THE SEC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Naples, FL, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG), also known as Pro Music Rights, a diversified holding company and the fifth public performance rights organization (PRO) established in the United States, today announced its financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. The Company has also filed its annual report on Form 1-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which includes the audited financial statements and a comparative analysis of its 2024 and 2023 financial performance.

    Key Financial Highlights for Fiscal Year 2024:

    • Revenue: $128.9 million, compared to $1.05 billion in 2023.
    • Net Loss: $(54.4) million, compared to a net income of $46.0 million in 2023.
    • Total Assets: $19.9 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $62.3 million in 2023.
    • Total Liabilities: $23.7 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $12.7 million in 2023.
    • Shareholders’ Equity: $(3.8) million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $49.6 million in 2023.

    The decline in revenue was primarily due to a shift in the Company’s strategic focus, which involved the reassessment and reduction of certain accounts receivable and changes in its business model to focus on acquiring and trading royalty-generating intellectual property (IP) stakes rather than relying on traditional public performance rights operations.

    Strategic Initiatives and 2025 Outlook

    As previously announced, Music Licensing, Inc. is undergoing a significant transformation, focusing on the acquisition and monetization of royalty-generating intellectual property. This pivot is expected to provide more predictable, recurring revenue streams and enhance shareholder value over the long term. The Company has identified acquisition targets valued between $36 million and $250 million in royalty-generating IP assets for 2025, a strategic move designed to mitigate revenue volatility and ensure sustainable profitability.

    In line with this transformation, Music Licensing, Inc. has made key investments in revenue-generating assets, including:

    • Acquiring a portion of the royalty interest in Listerine Mouthwash” Antiseptic
    • Securing publishing royalty interests in high-value music catalogs

    Management Commentary

    “Our 2024 results reflect a transitional year as we reposition Music Licensing, Inc. for long-term success,” said Jake P. Noch, CEO of Music Licensing, Inc. “While the financials show a reduction in reported revenue and earnings, these changes align with our strategic shift to focus on acquiring high-quality, royalty-generating intellectual property. We are confident that these moves will drive sustainable growth and enhance shareholder value in the coming years.”

    Regulatory Filings

    The Company’s full audited financial results, along with the comparative analysis between 2024 and 2023, are available in the Form 1-K filed with the SEC. Investors and stakeholders can access the filing on the SEC’s website or the Company’s official website.

    About Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC:SONG)  (ProMusicRights.com)

    Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG), also known as Pro Music Rights, is a diversified holding company and the fifth public performance rights organization (PRO) established in the United States. It is recognized under the federal registry of the United States government. The company licenses music to some of the most prominent platforms and businesses, including TikTok, iHeartMedia, Triller, Napster, 7Digital, Vevo, and many others.

    Pro Music Rights holds an estimated 7.4% market share in the United States, representing a catalog of more than 2.5 million works by notable artists such as A$AP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell, Young Jeezy, Juelz Santana, Lil Yachty, MoneyBagg Yo, Larry June, Trae Pound, Sauce Walka, Trae Tha Truth, Sosamann, Soulja Boy, Lex Luger, Trauma Tone, Lud Foe, SlowBucks, Gunplay, OG Maco, Rich The Kid, Fat Trel, Young Scooter, Nipsey Hussle, Famous Dex, Boosie Badazz, Shy Glizzy, 2 Chainz, Migos, Gucci Mane, Young Dolph, Trinidad James, Chingy, Lil Gnar, 3OhBlack, Curren$y, Fall Out Boy, Money Man, Dej Loaf, Lil Uzi Vert, and many others, including works generated by artificial intelligence (AI).

    Additionally, Music Licensing, Inc. (OTC: SONG) holds royalty interests in Listerine Mouthwash” Antiseptic and a vast portfolio of musical works by globally renowned artists, including The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Elton John, Mike Posner, blackbear, Lil Nas X, Lil Yachty, DaBaby, Stunna 4 Vegas, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne, XXXTentacion, BlueFace, The Game, Jeremih, Ty Dolla $ign, Eric Bellinger, Ne-Yo, MoneyBagg Yo, Halsey, Desiigner, DaniLeigh, Rihanna, and many others.

    Forward-Looking Statements:

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of Music Licensing, Inc. & Pro Music Rights, Inc. to accomplish its stated plan of business. Music Licensing, Inc. & Pro Music Rights, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by Pro Music Rights, Inc., Music Licensing, Inc., or any other person.

    Non-Legal Advice Disclosure:

    This press release does not constitute legal advice, and readers are advised to seek legal counsel for any legal matters or questions related to the content herein.

    Non-Investment Advice Disclosure:

    This communication is intended solely for informational purposes and does not in any way imply or constitute a recommendation or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities, commodities, bonds, options, derivatives, or any other investment products. Any decisions related to investments should be made after thorough research and consultation with a qualified financial advisor or professional. We assume no liability for any actions taken or not taken based on the information provided in this communication

    Contact: investors@ProMusicRights.com

    SOURCE: Music Licensing, Inc.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Empower Students with Free Resources to Thrive in Today’s Digital World from the New Digital Citizenship Initiative by Discovery Education with Verizon and Fortinet

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Discovery Education, the creator of essential K-12 solutions used in classrooms around the world, today announced the launch of a new Digital Citizenship Initiative. The Digital Citizenship Initiative is a dynamic partnership that provides educators and students with free tools, resources, and the skills needed to thrive in today’s digital world.

    The Digital Citizenship Initiative grew out of needs summarized in a dedicated white paper entitled Risks and Resilience: Why Digital Citizenship Matters in K12 Education. This study illuminated many of the issues facing today’s students, including cyberbullying, online privacy, and digital footprints. Furthermore, research shows that students remain largely unaware of the impacts of digital technologies on all aspects of life. Discovery Education defines digital citizenship as a set of strategies and behaviors designed to promote a safer online experience for everyone.

    The Digital Citizenship Initiative partners include Impact Leader Verizon and Fortinet. Each partner has helped contribute expert insights to develop standards-aligned digital resources. Resources include ready-to-use materials, digital lessons, DEMystified series videos, and instructional materials spanning disciplines such as science, health, social studies, and English language arts. Educators can expect quarterly content releases covering a range of topics that address digital citizenship.

    “At Verizon, we are driven by purpose and guided by values in all that we do. Being part of the Digital Citizenship Initiative is the latest building block in Verizon’s work to empower people to live, work, and play. Students are our future, and we are proud to support them as they learn to use digital technologies responsibly,” said Alex Servello, Associate Vice President of Responsible Business at Verizon.

    “As a cybersecurity leader, we believe that staying ahead of sophisticated threats and cyber risks requires building a more cyber-aware society,” said Rob Rashotte, Vice President, Fortinet Training Institute. “To help achieve this, Fortinet partnered with educators to develop and make accessible a tailor-made security awareness curriculum to help prepare both educators and students to apply cybersecurity skills at school, at home, and everywhere they need it. We are proud that this curriculum will now be leveraged in the Digital Citizenship Initiative to further develop fundamental security skill sets across our global community.”

    To access the Digital Citizenship Initiative resources, please visit digitalcitizenship.discoveryeducation.com. Educators with access to Discovery Education Experience can find these resources on the Digital Citizenship channel.

    “Digital technology has revolutionized the way students learn, connect, and express themselves. Supporting digital citizenship is critical for preparing students to navigate an increasingly connected and complex online environment,” said Amy Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Alliances. “Thanks to our partners – Verizon and Fortinet – for your leadership in preparing students to navigate our tech-driven world responsibly.”

    For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

    About Verizon
    Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.

    About Fortinet
    Fortinet (Nasdaq: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere our customers need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet’s solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including Computer Emergency Response Teams (“CERTS”), government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet’s commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

    About Discovery Education
    Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art, K-12, digital solutions support learning wherever it takes place. Through award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and strategic alliances, Discovery Education helps educators deliver powerful learning experiences that engage all students and support higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Through partnerships with districts, states, and trusted organizations, Discovery Education empowers teachers with essential edtech solutions that inspire curiosity, build confidence, and accelerate learning. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

    Contacts
    Grace Maliska
    Discovery Education
    Email: gmaliska@dicoveryed.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Zoom and Mitel announce rollout of AI-first hybrid communications and collaboration solution

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) and Mitel, a global leader in business communications, announced the global launch of a unique hybrid cloud solution that integrates Zoom Workplace and Zoom AI Companion with Mitel’s flagship communications platforms, including its leading telephony solutions. This marks a significant milestone in the strategic partnership between the companies announced in September 2024.

    Today, organizations are navigating the adoption of emerging technologies like AI while maintaining security, business continuity, and flexibility when modernizing business communications. This new solution is designed to meet the growing enterprise demand for hybrid unified communications (UC) deployments by offering a “best-of-both-worlds” approach that empowers organizations to deliver mission-critical communications capabilities alongside exceptional collaboration functions to enhance business productivity.

    The multi-phased rollout will see Zoom’s AI-first solution integrate seamlessly with existing Mitel software and devices, starting now with global availability for Mitel’s OpenScape Voice and OpenScape 4000 platforms. This will be expanded to include MiVoice Business solutions in the coming weeks, as well as MiVoice 5000 and MX-ONE solutions before the end of 2025. Device portfolios like the OpenScape CP and the Mitel 6900 Series are now Zoom Phone certified, with the full list of certified models available here. Certification of Mitel’s OpenScape SBC is also complete, enabling compatibility with Zoom’s Bring-Your-Own-PBX (BYOP) and Bring-Your-Own-Carrier (BYOC) direct routing capabilities. Mitel Border Gateway (MBG) certification will follow in the weeks ahead.

    “As businesses navigate the connectivity requirements to support hybrid work, they need solutions that unite the benefits of on-prem or single-instance cloud communications infrastructure with Zoom’s industry-leading collaboration experiences, giving them the best of both while future-proofing their organizations,” said Graeme Geddes, chief sales and growth officer at Zoom. “The AI-first solution provided by Zoom and Mitel makes connecting and collaborating seamless and efficient while giving customers the flexibility to migrate to the cloud on their own terms and with their existing Mitel devices.”

    “Recent research shows 92% of mid-to-large enterprises are considering hybrid deployments, and for good reason,” said David Petts, chief sales officer at Mitel*. “In today’s rapidly changing workplace, staying connected through video, chat, or voice is more important than ever and a vital part of business continuity planning. Mitel’s strategic partnership with Zoom has produced an offering that provides seamless access to these solutions while enabling compliance and security control in the most demanding use cases, industries, and geographies. With the integration of Zoom’s AI Companion, it’s a winning combination for organizations looking for an elevated collaboration experience that truly fits their overall communication needs.”

    Deliver AI-first collaboration tools built for modern work
    With the Zoom Workplace app fully integrated with secure Mitel telephony and devices, users can call, meet, and chat from a single solution, including the ability to escalate from a Mitel-powered call directly into a Zoom meeting. Additionally, users can brainstorm ideas, develop content, and kickstart project plans with Zoom Docs, Zoom Whiteboard, Zoom Clips, and more. AI Companion is woven throughout to help users jumpstart content creation, stay focused, prioritize what’s important, and get answers fast.

    Maintain control and maximize current investments
    With the joint hybrid solution, users can maintain unmatched control over mission-critical activities like release schedules, configurations, updates, system changes, and telephony while leveraging existing investments without isolation. For organizations in specialized industries like healthcare, hospitality, government, and financial services, this means having the ability to continue to leverage existing Mitel-certified vertical integrations along with specialized devices and workflows for frontline workers.

    Blend on-prem and cloud capabilities to suit an organization’s unique requirements
    The hybrid architecture from Zoom and Mitel provides users with a simple approach to blending on-prem with the right mix of private and public cloud on their terms to meet their unique needs. It gives organizations the flexibility, tools, and resilience they need to future-proof their current systems while maintaining reliability throughout the process. Additionally, using the Zoom Workplace app, users will have access to a consistent modern user experience every step of the way. If UCaaS is ultimately their preferred deployment model, they can easily bring their certified Mitel devices with them.

    Jim Lundy, Founder & CEO of Aragon Research, confirms that “The Mitel-Zoom partnership is a game changer, offering businesses a path to hybrid communications with AI collaboration and communications capabilities.”

    The joint solution is now available to customers worldwide. Further advanced capabilities are underway as part of the multi-phase partnership plan. For more information about the joint solution, please visit https://www.mitel.com/products/zoom-workplace.

    * According to a June 2024 global survey of 1,954 organizations conducted by Mitel and Techaisle.

    About Zoom
    Zoom’s mission is to provide one platform that delivers limitless 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 care 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.

    About Mitel
    Mitel is a global leader in business communications, providing businesses with advanced communication, collaboration, and contact center solutions. With more than 70 million users across over 100 countries, Mitel empowers organizations to connect, communicate, and collaborate seamlessly, with the flexibility and choice they need to thrive, both now and for the future. Through proven experience and innovative solutions, Mitel delivers communications without compromise. For more information, go to www.mitel.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

    Mitel is the registered trademark of Mitel Networks Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

    Zoom Public Relations
    Karen Modlin
    press@zoom.us

    Mitel Public Relations
    Trever Kerr, Americas
    Sandrine Quinton, Europe and Asia
    pr@mitel.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Triller Group Unveils 2025 Roadmap and Creator-Centric Initiatives in Investor Update

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Los Angeles, CA, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Triller Group Inc. (“Triller”, “Triller Group” or “the Company”) is thrilled to release its latest investor presentation showcasing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities within the rapidly expanding Creator Economy. Transformative changes in technology and unmet needs of consumers and creators are reshaping the Creator Economy landscape. Triller is uniquely positioned to capitalize on these developments by creating innovative solutions that empower creators and redefine how content is created, distributed, owned and monetized. Through this latest investor presentation, Triller is providing its stakeholders with in-depth insights into its commitment to driving growth in this lucrative marketplace.

    The Creator Economy is on its way to becoming a marketplace exceeding $500 billion. Powerful drivers are converging to create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Technology continues to disrupt traditional platform and content distribution models. Existing platforms are unable to meet the needs of consumers and creators. Market uncertainties are giving rise to previously unimagined possibilities. Taken together, these developments are creating a unique moment in time to open doors for Triller’s dynamic solutions. The Creator Economy is ripe for Triller’s disruption and innovation.

    Triller Group Inc. stands at the forefront of transformation by offering three proven pathways to capitalize on the burgeoning Creator Economy.

    The Triller App is emerging as one of the most creator-focused platform, equipped with a distinctive vision, comprehensive quarter-by-quarter ready-to-implement plan. With initiatives such as “savemytiktoks” and weekly updates to its new and improved app, Triller is actively bringing its innovative, creator-friendly vision to fruition. Early successes (including the rise to the top tier position in app stores around the globe) have given Triller App significant momentum and the right to win in this space.

    BKFC and TrillerTV are thriving businesses dedicated to producing and delivering authentic and unique content. By integrating these entities more closely, Triller Group can unlock tremendous value, following a proven industry playbook.

    AGBA provides a sophisticated distribution platform for financial services, showcasing an technologically innovative and efficient approach to the distribution of financial services. Through AGBA FinTech investments, Triller Group has a clear pathway to introducing financial services into the Creator Economy, creating new revenue streams and enhancing the overall ecosystem.

    As the Creator Economy continues to flourish, Triller Group Inc. is poised to lead the way, harnessing powerful trends to create lasting impact and drive significant growth.

    “We are at a pivotal moment in the Creator Economy, and Triller Group is committed to leveraging our innovative platforms to empower creators and unlock new opportunities.” Said Wing Fai Ng, CEO of Triller Group. “Our latest investor presentation outlines our vision and strategy, illustrating how we plan to capitalize on the immense potential that lies ahead. Together, we are not just participating in this growth; we are leading it.”

    Investors, analysts, and stakeholders are encouraged to visit https://trillercorp.com/ir/ to download the investor presentation.

    About Triller Group Inc.        

    Triller Group Inc. is a technology powerhouse with a portfolio of high-growth businesses poised to break through in the Creator Economy. Triller App is the most creator focused social platform offering discovery, monetization, and ownership. Supported by Triller Platform, it serves as a cutting-edge social media platform designed for creators, offering innovative tools for content creation, marketing, and brand partnerships. It enables creators to connect with fans, monetize their work, and build meaningful relationships with brands.

    Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) stages live and streaming combat sports events that are rapidly gaining popularity with fans globally. With a focus on exciting matchups and high-energy performances, BKFC has established itself as the fastest-growing combat league in the industry. TrillerTV is Triller Group’s premier live streaming platform, showcasing a diverse array of in-house and third-party sports and entertainment content. With its robust infrastructure, TrillerTV is committed to delivering high-quality live events that captivate audiences and drive subscriber growth.

    Additionally, AGBA serves as a one-stop financial supermarket, providing independent distribution of a wide range of financial products and services. By connecting consumers with essential financial solutions, AGBA enhances Triller Group’s ecosystem, making it easier for users to access the tools they need for financial success.

    Together, these diverse businesses form a unique and integrated ecosystem that positions Triller Group at the forefront of innovation in social media, live entertainment, combat sports, and financial services. For more information about our businesses, visit www.trillercorp.com and www.agba.com.

    Investor & Media Relations:

    Bethany Lai
    ir@triller.co

    Breanne Fritcher
    triller@wachsman.com

    Details:
    Company: www.trillercorp.com
    Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/triller
    X: @Triller_IR

    # # #

    Safe Harbor Statement

    This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the following: the Company’s goals and strategies; the Company’s future business development; product and service demand and acceptance; changes in technology; economic conditions; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against us following the consummation of the business combination; expectations regarding our strategies and future financial performance, including its future business plans or objectives, prospective performance and opportunities and competitors, revenues, products, pricing, operating expenses, market trends, liquidity, cash flows and uses of cash, capital expenditures, and our ability to invest in growth initiatives and pursue acquisition opportunities; reputation and brand; the impact of competition and pricing; government regulations; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in Hong Kong and the international markets the Company plans to serve and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company with the SEC, the length and severity of the recent coronavirus outbreak, including its impacts across our business and operations. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward–looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Drones Becoming Smaller, Lighter, More Reliable Allowing Them to Perform Broader Range of Tasks

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Due to the advancements in software and artificial intelligence, the increasing use of drones is making it easier to control and automate them. They play a crucial role in improving farming techniques. Improving productivity, and are used for environmental monitoring, disaster relief, and search & rescue operations. Drones are becoming smaller, lighter, and more reliable, which allows them to perform a broader range of tasks. Their growing popularity stems from benefits such as improved efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety. The increase in precision farming needs, aiming to boost crop productivity, drives market growth. Drone OEMs are investing in R&D for thermal cameras, multispectral sensors, and LiDAR, improving drone efficacy in monitoring fields, creating vegetation maps, and detecting issues such as disease and irrigation irregularities. Thus, it drives the market growth during the forecast period. Agricultural drones, flying at a specific altitude with sensors, provide crucial analytical data for controls crop health, treatment, exploration, field soil analysis, and yield assessments, aiding farmers in making informed decisions and reducing time and costs. According to a report from MarketsAndMarkets “Commercial drones can be provided wireless coverage during emergency cases where each drone serves as an aerial wireless base station when the cellular network goes down. They can also be used to supplement the ground base station to provide better coverage and higher data rates for users. Drones can also assist various terrestrial networks, such as device-to-device and vehicular networks. For instance, due to their mobility and LOS Communications, drones can facilitate rapid formation dissemination among ground device. Furthermore, drones can potentially improve the reliability of wireless links in D2D and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications while exploiting transmit diversity.” Active Companies in the drone industry today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO), EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT), AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS).

    MarketsAndMarkets continued: “Flying drones can help broadcast common information to ground devices, thereby reducing interferences in ground networks by decreasing the number of transmissions between devices. Based on operational mode, the commercial drone market has been classified into remotely piloted, optionally piloted, and fully autonomous. The remotely piloted segment is projected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period, driven by the cost-effective usage of remotely piloted UAVs in several applications ranging from defense operations to surveys. Fully autonomous drones significantly enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs across various end use such as agriculture, transport, logistics & warehousing, and Oil & Gas. Based on function, the Commercial Drone market has been segmented into passenger drones, inspection & monitoring drones, surveying & mapping drones, spraying & seeding drones, cargo air vehicles, and others. Passenger Drone segment is projected to record the highest growth during the forecast period with emergence of drone taxis as convenient means of aerial transportation of passenger at high speed.”

    ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) ZenaDrone Advances IQ Square Drone to Manufacturing Stage for Outdoor Applications Including Inspections, Surveys, and the Fast-Growth Power Washing Sector – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that its subsidiary ZenaDrone has moved its first batch of IQ Square multifunction drones from prototype to manufacturing stage. This drone was designed for outdoor applications for operator line-of-site inspections such as for building and construction inspections, short-range land surveys, power washing and other business and government applications. The IQ Square is also expected to be a key part of ZenaDrone’s multifunction drone inventory for its Drone as a Service or DaaS business, which enables business and government users to hire a turnkey drone service and drone pilot through a local store for easy subscription-based or pay-as-you-go access to drones for various uses.

    “The IQ Square’s rapid progression from the prototype stage, initiated in 2022, to the manufacturing and assembly stage is a testament to our hardware and engineering team’s dedication and hard work. We see many commercial and government applications for the IQ Square, which we also envision will be central to powering our future DaaS operations as a versatile multifunction drone for multiple outdoor uses requiring line-of-site including fast growth uses like power washing,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

    The IQ Square will be equipped with a power wash system for use in larger-scale cleaning jobs such as stadium seating, building exteriors, and public spaces; drones eliminate the need for scaffolding, lifts, or manual labor by providing a more efficient, safe, and cost-effective solution. Tethered to a ground-based water and a power source, it is designed to maintain a continuous supply of high-pressure water needed to clean large areas without the weight limitations of onboard tanks.

    The mold and drone body frames of the first batch of IQ Square drones are currently being completed, after which they will be assembled, integrated, and tested at the company’s Sharjah, UAE production facility. The Company will oversee the integration and quality inspection of electronics, battery and propulsion systems, software, and sensor installation and calibration, concluding with final flight testing.

    According to QYResearch, the global market for drone cleaning services, including applications such as water hose-tethered power washing for stadium seats and public areas, is projected to reach approximately $53.89 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 19.3%.

    ZenaTech’s Drone as a Service or DaaS business model enables government agencies, building developers, entertainment facilities, farmers, environmental firms, etc. to conveniently access a turnkey drone solution via a local store on a pay-as-you-go or subscription basis rather than having to buy the entire drone hardware and software solution. Like Amazon Web Services, where Amazon owns computer equipment platforms and hires the personnel, with the DaaS model, ZenaDrone owns the drones, hires the pilots and ensures regulatory compliance to enable the cost savings, precision and efficiency of drones over existing legacy methods. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

    Other recent developments in the drone industry include:

    Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) recently confirms through recent sales activities its positioning and preparedness to support the enhancement of border security amid evolving global trade and security uncertainties and shifting geopolitical dynamics. Highlighting recent sales activities with policing agencies, Draganfly continues to strengthen its position to support border security with advanced drone technology solutions.

    “Recent global trade challenges, tariff uncertainties, and security concerns underscore the critical importance of secure borders and resilient supply chains,” said Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly Inc. “Our recent sales activities with policing agencies is a testament to our ability and readiness to provide drone technology and services in support of border security solutions.”

    EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH) recently announced a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (“JAC Motors”) and Hefei Guoxian Holdings Co., Ltd. (“Guoxian Holdings”). Under this agreement, cooperation will focus on establishing a joint venture in Hefei to invest in the construction of a state-of-the-art manufacturing base for low-altitude aircraft. The facility will integrate advanced technology, standardization, and automation to produce intelligent and pilotless electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (“eVTOL”).

    The strategic cooperation signing ceremony was attended by key officials including Fei Yuan, Standing Committee Member of Hefei Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor of Hefei; Xingchu Xiang, Chairman, and General Manager of JAC Motors; Xingke Yin, Vice General Manager of JAC Motors; Huazhi Hu, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of EHang; and Zhao Wang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang. They were joined by other distinguished guests in witnessing the signing of the strategic cooperation agreement, marking a new milestone in the high-quality development of China’s low-altitude economy ecosystem.

    Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: RCAT) recently announced that its Black Widow drone and FlightWave Edge 130 were included on the list of 23 platforms and 14 unique components and capabilities selected as winners of the Blue UAS Refresh. The platforms will undergo National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) verification and cyber security review with the ultimate goal of joining the Blue UAS List.

    Over the coming months, the Blue UAS List and Blue UAS Framework will expand with new additions. The inclusion of the Black Widow and Edge 130 as winners of the Refresh further validates Red Cat’s commitment to delivering NDAA-compliant unmanned systems for defense and government applications.

    AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS) recently announced its participation in the inaugural XPONENTIAL Europe trade show in Dusseldorf Germany held February 18-20, 2025. AgEagle CEO Bill Irby commented, “Invaluable visibility was achieved at XPONENTIAL Europe as AgEagle further strengthened its leadership role in the worldwide UAS marketplace. Our entire product line was presented to a prominent and influential audience both directly by AgEagle and through our industry-leading partners. Notably, major European defense contractor Rheinmetall, presented AgEagle’s eBee VISION as an integral part of their offering as did Dronivo and MKS Servo. The diverse needs of European nations both commercially and defense-wise were reviewed with high-value insight provided by the congregation which included representatives from NATO. AgEagle remains committed to consistently expanding the capabilities and global footprint of our best-in-class UAS products as we continue to build long-term value for all our stakeholders.”

    XPONENTIAL Europe offered a unique combination of trade fair, live demonstrations and a top-class conference program. Daily keynotes by internationally renowned speakers before the start of the trade fair brought exhibitors and visitors together and provided important impetus for the future of autonomy. The tradeshow is the very first event put on by Messe Dusseldorf in partnership with AUVSI. Various members of the drone customer community were present, such as the German Bundeswehr and the U.S. Army, along with members of the press and industrial community.

    About FN Media Group:

    At FN Media Group, via our top-rated online news portal at www.financialnewsmedia.com, we are one of the very few select firms providing top tier one syndicated news distribution, targeted ticker tag press releases and stock market news coverage for today’s emerging companies. #tickertagpressreleases #pressreleases

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    DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated fifty four hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by ZenaTech, Inc. by the Company. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

    Contact Information:

    Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)325-8757

    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: TruGolf Engages Eventus Advisory Group, LLC to Provide Financial Services Advisory and CFO Support

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TruGolf Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUG), a leading golf technology company, is pleased to announce that it has engaged Eventus Advisory Group, LLC (“Eventus”) (www.EventusAG.com) to provide financial services advisory and CFO support. Eventus has over 17 years’ experience in working with micro- and small-cap companies and will act as a key advisor to TruGolf as it continues to enhance its financial operations and deliver on the company’s strategic priorities.

    Eventus specializes in supporting fast-growing companies and brings a proven track record of helping companies efficiently manage financial operations, technical accounting and SEC compliance issues. This support will help with TruGolf’s transparent communication with shareholders and regulatory bodies.

    “We at Eventus are passionate about working with dynamic, high-growth companies like TruGolf,” said Neil Reithinger, Managing Partner of Eventus. “TruGolf has a strong history of delivering innovative golf simulation solutions and is a recognized leader in the space. We are excited to bring our expertise to support their continued success and financial stability.”

    Chris Jones, CEO of TruGolf, expressed his confidence in the engagement, stating, “We are incredibly grateful to have Eventus on board. Their history of guiding companies like ours through complex financial landscapes supports our exciting path forward.”

    TruGolf is currently working with its Board of Directors to regain compliance with Nasdaq listing requirements. Part of this includes TruGolf’s efforts on working to improve its balance sheet by reducing outstanding liabilities and evaluating other measures to meet Nasdaq’s shareholders’ equity requirements by their March 31, 2025 deadline. The company intends to consider all available alternatives to cure the deficiencies.

    Disclaimer on Forward Looking Statements

    This news release contains certain statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements that are not of historical fact constitute “forward-looking statements” and accordingly, involve estimates, assumptions, forecasts, judgements and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s ability to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those addressed in the forward-looking statements. Such factors are detailed in the Forward Looking Statements and Risk Factors sections of the Company’s S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake an obligation to update our forward-looking statements to reflect future events.

    About TruGolf, Inc.:

    TruGolf is a golf technology company, committed to making golf, easy. From innovative uses for AI to build content and enhanced image and spatial analysis, to gamified golf improvement plans, TruGolf is an industry leader in the growing technological revolution in the sport of golf. Since TruGolf’s founding it has redefined what is possible with golf through technology. TruGolf’s suite of Hardware, Software, and Web Products make the game easier to Play, Improve and Enjoy.

    About Eventus: Eventus is a CFO advisory firm that specializes in supporting the office of the CFO for public and private companies, with services ranging from accounting, financial operations, technical reporting, regulatory and SEC compliance, audit and IPO preparation, corporate governance and transaction advisory services. Through these service offerings and the experience of the Eventus team, the firm helps businesses navigate complex financial landscapes so that Eventus’ clients can focus on sustainable growth.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: MovieCoin (MOV) Shaping the Future of Film Investment with Winvest Group

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RENO, NEVADA, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A visionary investment team has launched MovieCoin (MOV), a blockchain-powered financing platform designed to support Winvest Group’s (OTCQB: WNLV) development in movie production and Launchrr aggregation platform. MOV leverages a new financial model to bridge crypto investment with traditional capital markets, fostering long-term growth for investors.

    A New Era of Film & Web3 Investment

    MOV is an independent initiative dedicated to uncovering Winvest Group’s growth potential. Instead of traditional fundraising, the partnership of Winvest Group and MOV introduces a decentralized financing mechanism, allowing crypto community investors to support Winvest Group’s film and content projects.

    How MOV Benefits Stakeholders

    MOV enables investors to participate in the movie production project, token staking, participate in ecosystem activities and DAO decisions. Revenues channel can be derived from box office revenues, streaming rights, and Web3 integrations, ensuring a hybrid investment model that bridges cryptocurrency and traditional stock markets. However, the value of MOV may fluctuate based on market conditions and regulatory factors.

    “MOV provides a new avenue for investors to gain exposure to both blockchain and traditional capital markets,” said Jeffrey Wong, CEO of Winvest. “By supporting Winvest Group, we create a synergy between Web3 innovation and established entertainment industry.”

    Crypto Meets Traditional Finance: The Future of Capital Growth

    MOV is reshaping investment strategies by combining blockchain transparency with the stability of a publicly listed company. This hybrid approach allows investors to participate in MOV’s token economy and long-term financial ecosystem. Winvest Group is exploring blockchain and entertainment partnerships, aiming for a long-term collaboration with MOV Token to deepen resource integration and enhance value for both entities. MOV operates independently and facilitates participation in blockchain token but is not SEC-registered and may be subject to varying regulations.

    Investment & Tokenomics

    MOV Utility: Funding films, staking, DAO

    Investor Perks: Both crypto and traditional investments

    Blockchain Network: Solana

    Website: https://www.movcoin.co/

    Whitepaper: https://movie-coin.gitbook.io/moviecoin-whitepaper

    About Winvest Group

    Winvest Group (OTCQB: WNLV) is pioneering a decentralized, investor-centric entertainment ecosystem with the vision of creating For Lasting Joy. By leveraging Web3, blockchain, and AI, the company redefines film investment and distribution, unlocking value and fostering creativity. Through MovieCoin (MOV), Winvest empowers investors and creators with innovation and transparency. More than financial returns, we strive to build a legacy of joy, creativity, and connection. Join us in shaping the future of entertainment.

    For more information, visit: https://www.winvestgroup.co

    Safe Harbor Disclaimer

    This press release contains forward-looking statements subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary due to market conditions, regulatory changes, and business execution factors. The company does not guarantee financial performance or investment returns.

    For media inquiries:

    Connie Ting

    Winvest Group Limited

    50 West Liberty Street, Suite 880, Reno NV 89501

    Email: connie.ting@winxglobal.com

    Phone: 775-996-0288

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: SUNation Energy Announces $20 Million Registered Direct Offering Priced at the Market Under Nasdaq Rules

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RONKONKOMA, N.Y., Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SUNation Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNE), a leading provider of sustainable solar energy and backup power solutions for households, businesses, and municipalities, today announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investors for the purchase and sale of 17,391,306 shares of the Company’s common stock (or common stock equivalents in lieu thereof) Series A warrants to purchase up to an aggregate 17,391,306 shares of the Company’s common stock and Series B warrants to purchase up to an aggregate 17,391,306 shares of the Company’s common stock at an effective purchase price of $1.15 per share (or common stock equivalents in lieu thereof) and associated warrants in a registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules.

    Roth Capital Partners, LLC is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the registered direct offering.

    This registered direct offering will close in two parts. The first closing of the registered direct offering is expected to occur on or about February 27, 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and the second closing of the registered direct offering is expected to occur upon the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of approval by the Company’s stockholders in a specially called stockholder meeting to approve the issuance of the series A common stock warrants, series B common stock warrants and the shares of common stock underlying such warrants, in addition to other matters. The gross proceeds from the Offering are expected to be approximately $20 million before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company. This includes proceeds of approximately $15 million from the initial closing for 13,043,480 shares of common stock (or common stock equivalents) and proceeds of up to $5 million from the second closing for 4,347,826 shares of Common Stock (or common stock equivalents), Series A warrants to purchase up to 17,391,306 shares of common stock and for Series B warrants to purchase up to 17,391,306 shares of common stock.

    The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to fund its operations, including for working capital, potential strategic transactions, payment of certain debt obligations and for other general corporate purposes. 

    The Series A warrants will have an exercise price of $1.725 per share subject to standard adjustments for dividends, splits and similar events; a one-time adjustment on the date of issuance (as described in the warrants), subject to a floor price described therein; and also subject to adjustment upon a Dilutive Issuance (as described in the warrants), subject to a floor price described therein. The Series A warrants will be issued at the second closing and will be exercisable immediately after issuance and have a term of exercise equal to 5 years from the date of issuance.

    The Series B warrants will have an exercise price of $2.875 per share subject to standard adjustments for dividends, splits and similar events; a one-time adjustment on the date of issuance (as described in the warrants), subject to a floor price described therein; and also subject to adjustment upon a Dilutive Issuance (as described in the warrants), subject to a floor price described therein. The Series B warrants will be issued at the second closing and will be exercisable immediately after issuance and have a term of exercise equal to 5 years from the date of issuance. The Series B warrants may also be exercised on an alternative cashless basis pursuant to which the holder may exchange each warrant for 3 shares of common stock.

    The securities in the offering described above are being offered by the Company pursuant to a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-267066) previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and declared effective by the SEC on September 2, 2022. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement, relating to the offering that will be filed with the SEC. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus may be obtained, when available, on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or by contacting Roth Capital Partners, LLC at 888 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach CA 92660, by email at rothecm@roth.com.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

    About SUNation Energy, Inc.

    SUNation Energy, Inc. is focused on growing leading local and regional solar, storage, and energy services companies nationwide. Our vision is to power the energy transition through grass-roots growth of solar electricity paired with battery storage. Our portfolio of brands (SUNation, Hawaii Energy Connection, E-Gear) provide homeowners and businesses of all sizes with an end-to-end product offering spanning solar, battery storage, and grid services. SUNation Energy, Inc.’s largest markets include New York, Florida, and Hawaii, and the company operates in three (3) states.

    Forward Looking Statements 

    This press release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the Company’s current expectations or beliefs and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. While the Company believes its plans, intentions, and expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, these plans, intentions, or expectations may not be achieved. For information about the factors that could cause such differences, please refer to the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, without limitation, the statements made under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in subsequent filings. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.

    Safe Harbor Statement

    Our prospects here at SUNation Energy Inc. are subject to uncertainties and risks. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbor provided by the foregoing Sections. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations or forecasts of future events, can be affected by inaccurate assumptions, and are subject to various business risks and known and unknown uncertainties, a number of which are beyond the control of management. Therefore, actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this presentation. The Company cannot predict or determine after the fact what factors would cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements or other statements. The reader should consider statements that include the words “believes”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “estimates”, “plans”, “projects”, “should”, or other expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events or trends, to be uncertain and forward-looking. We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional information respecting factors that could materially affect the Company and its operations are contained in the Company’s filings with the SEC which can be found on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Contacts:

    Scott Maskin
    Chief Executive Officer
    +1 (631) 823-7131
    smaskin@sunation.com

    SUNation Energy Investor Relations
    +1 (212) 836-9600
    IR@sunation.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: Brutalism – the architectural style that dared to summon a new world from the ashes of World War II

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michael Allen, Visiting Assistant Professor of History, West Virginia University

    Boston City Hall, which was completed in 1968, is considered a classic example of Brutalist architecture. Yunghi Kim/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

    Some viewers of “The Brutalist” are probably getting their first taste of Brutalism, the architectural style that gives the film its name.

    The film, which has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, centers on the efforts of fictional protagonist László Tóth to realize a mammoth, bunkerlike, concrete structure that will house a community center in Pennsylvania.

    A survivor of the Holocaust, Tóth insists on the building’s overwhelming scale, starkly unadorned concrete surfaces and labyrinthine interior in order to create an architectural version of the designer’s own shattered, traumatized inner world. The near-maniacal drive to finish the work becomes an intensely personal project of overcoming his trauma.

    Yet “The Brutalist” doesn’t relay much about Brutalist architecture beyond its reflexive relationship to Tóth. Drawings and photographs of real-life Brutalist buildings appear in several scenes as glimpses into Tóth’s originality and style. But the structures come across as the progeny of one architect’s ego, while the philosophy behind Brutalism remains unexplained.

    The actual story of Brutalism is so much more.

    What you see is what you get

    In my research, I’ve explored how architecture can embody values such as the common good and the human struggle for well-being. Specifically, my work explores how architecture after World War II presented a vision of a new world, one that could overcome decades of violence, exploitation and oppression.

    Brutalism, which flourished from the 1950s until around 1980, is one style that has taught me a lot.

    Brutalist buildings emphasize form using assemblies of monumental geometric shapes. While some critics find Brutalism’s heavy look and utilitarian use of materials like concrete, brick and glass harsh – even ugly – there is a beautiful intent behind them.

    Historian and critic Reyner Banham articulated Brutalism’s core ideas in a 1955 review of Peter and Alison Smith’s Hunstanton School, which was completed in 1954 in Norfolk, United Kingdom.

    Banham latched onto the French term “beton brut” – “bare concrete” – to christen the emergent style. The architects at the forefront of what Banham termed “New Brutalism” were actually thwarting the overly theorized, self-referential modernism of the times. Their buildings, he explained, exhibited three simple traits: an easily visible interior plan, direct expression of structure, and building materials that were valued for their own traits.

    In “The Brutalist,” Tóth’s insistence on plain concrete, as well as Cararra marble for the community center’s altar, captures the core of the philosophy. The materials used for Brutalist structures are not chosen as mere cladding, but as components that are essential to the building’s design. Their presence is an endorsement of their utility and beauty.

    Some Brutalist buildings, such as the Hunstanton School, are made of brick instead of concrete. Others use stone. The goal is honest expression, not in-your-face experimentation.

    Monuments to the masses

    Beyond the devotion to the materials, plan and form of buildings, Brutalism often signified a devotion to social change.

    Brutalism sought to upend preexisting social hierarchies and divisions. Its staggering forms made monuments out of ordinary places frequented by ordinary people: homes, schools, libraries.

    In the U.S., public colleges and universities erected Brutalist structures to celebrate the expansion of higher education to the masses, thanks to the GI Bill. In a project led by Walter Netsch, the University of Illinois-Chicago wove together its buildings with concrete walkways leading to a central, outdoor amphitheater. Harry Weese’s Forest Park Community College in St. Louis consisted of long, monumental brick blocks that made the junior college appear as a temple.

    Chicago-born architect Walter Netsch made an outdoor amphitheater the beating heart of the University of Illinois-Chicago’s campus.
    ArchEyes

    Well-known, if not always well-loved, public buildings such as Boston City Hall, which was built in 1968, expressed faith in modern democracy, giving the majestic government buildings of the past a new look to signify a modern egalitarianism.

    Other projects emphasized the triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement. The Neigh Dormitory at Mary Holmes College in West Point, Mississippi, was completed in 1970 by the firm of Black architect J. Max Bond Jr. Architectural historian Brian Goldstein described it as “modernism as liberation.”

    Despite Brutalism’s social optimism, it is not without detractors. In 2014, Northwestern University demolished Bertrand Goldberg’s Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago despite pleas from preservationists. According to the university, the concrete construction made the building impossible to adapt for new laboratory space.

    In Goshen, New York, county officials long viewed Paul Rudolph’s Orange County Government Center as an ugly and unpleasant seat of government, and almost succeeded in having it demolished. The building has since been remodeled to cloak the Brutalist design.

    New buildings for a new world

    In the U.K., cities faced damages from Nazi bombing during World War II as well as long-deferred upgrades to public housing. Brutalism was a key part of postwar housing recovery and expansion efforts.

    Perhaps the most iconic Brutalist structure in the U.K. is Erno Goldfinger’s 31-story Trellick Tower, a frequent setting for film and music videos.

    That same year, Alison and Peter Smithson unveiled their massive apartment complex, Robin Hood Gardens, in London. With its hulking concrete forms and “streets in the sky” – wide, outdoor decks on each story that were meant to mimic street life and facilitate contact with neighbors – the project demonstrated that working-class people could not only have modern apartments, but also live in new ways. London’s massive, middle-class Barbican Estate, completed in 1982, created a small city within the city, replete with plazas, a waterway and iconic concrete and brick buildings.

    London’s Robin Hood Gardens was famously built with ‘streets in the sky.’
    Matthew Lloyd/PA Images via Getty Images

    Other European Brutalist works directly confront the horrors of World War II.

    The Swiss-French architect and artist known as Le Corbusier built the Convent at Sainte Marie de La Tourette in France in the 1950s with concrete shapes resembling cannons and machine-gun barrels in its walls.

    In Paris, Georges-Henri Pingusson’s Memorial to the Martyrs of Deportation, built in 1962, commemorates the lives of 200,000 victims of the Holocaust through an assemblage of stark, monolithic concrete forms.

    While the Soviet Union’s 1950s and 1960s prefabricated concrete panel housing estates built under Premier Nikita Khruschev embody the Brutalist devotion to cost efficiency and social problem-solving, projects in the former Yugoslavia show how Brutalism could symbolize the rebirth of a people. Housing projects and commercial blocks in New Belgrade forged a new architecture for a new nation – and, in a sense, a new nationality.

    And on the site of the Jasenovac concentration camp in Croatia, run by a Nazi puppet regime, architect Bogdan Bogdanović crafted perhaps the most optimistic acknowledgment of the will to overcome the 20th century’s darkest hours.

    Where slave labor once made bricks, and thousands lost their lives, the designer crafted a massive concrete monument, completed in 1969. The stark form suggests a flower emerging from tortured soil but set upon thriving anyway.

    To me, monuments like Bogdanović’s show how Brutalism is the perfect style to convey the earnest hope that a new world is possible.

    Bogdan Bogdanović’s memorial honors the people killed at the Jasenovac concentration camp in Croatia.
    Stringer/AFP via Getty Images

    Michael Allen is an Advisor to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

    ref. Brutalism – the architectural style that dared to summon a new world from the ashes of World War II – https://theconversation.com/brutalism-the-architectural-style-that-dared-to-summon-a-new-world-from-the-ashes-of-world-war-ii-248957

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: More Americans of all political stripes support government benefits for low-income people − and Black Lives Matter could be a big reason why

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Karyn Vilbig, PhD Student in Sociology, New York University

    A protester leads a Black Lives Matter rally in San Francisco on June 3, 2020. Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

    For all the apparent division over Black Lives Matter, the movement may have had a widespread and positive impact on Americans’ support for policies that help the poor.

    Since the Black Lives Matter movement launched in 2013, several studies using a range of datasets have all found that Americans’ views of Black people have become significantly more positive. As a sociologist who researches the safety net, I wondered how this might translate to support for policies that support low-income Americans.

    That’s because perceptions of Black people have long been one of the best predictors of whether someone favors government aid for low-income people.

    If this has held true, more positive views of Black Americans should translate into more support for social welfare programs. Indeed, since 2012, the share of Americans who support higher spending on these programs has grown by 12%.

    It still wasn’t clear, though, whether that boost in support was due to some other factor – say, the dramatic economic fallout associated with the COVID-19 pandemic or the success of the government stimulus programs that followed – as opposed to shifts in racial attitudes.

    So I decided to explore the extent to which these changes in attitudes about government benefits can be attributed to recent shifts in racial attitudes. I found that nearly all of the increase in support for these safety net programs since 2012 can be explained by changes related to Americans’ racial attitudes.

    Who receives these benefits?

    When Americans think about welfare beneficiaries, they usually picture Black people.

    It’s true that Black Americans are overrepresented among those who receive government assistance. For example, Black people make up just 14% of the U.S. population but 30% of those enrolled in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

    That being said, the majority of recipients of government aid are white.

    For decades, however, TV shows, movies and the news media have portrayed Black people as impoverished recipients of government benefits. This has caused many Americans to incorrectly presume that these programs support mostly Black people.

    Because so many Americans have traditionally held negative views toward Black people, the mental association between Black people and poverty has undermined support for government programs – and has perhaps even prevented the United States from developing the kind of robust social safety net that is found in many other affluent countries.

    The ‘welfare queen’ myth advanced by President Ronald Reagan has been hard to dislodge in the American imagination.

    Feelings toward Black people have shifted

    Since 2012, however, Americans’ racial attitudes have dramatically changed.

    In 2012, for example, 49% of Americans responding to the General Social Survey, a long-standing national survey that measures societal change, said Black-white differences in income, housing and jobs were due to a lack of willpower on the part of Black people. By 2022, the most recent year available, this number had fallen to 29%.

    There’s been a debate about the exact cause of these dramatic changes. But many researchers credit the Black Lives Matter movement.

    Black Lives Matter began in 2013 in response to the acquittal of the man who murdered Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager. It gained further momentum in 2014 with the police killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. In 2020, following the police murder of George Floyd, it became the largest movement in U.S. history by number of protesters.

    Past research has linked specific waves of Black Lives Matter protests to increased attention on racial inequality and decreases in racial prejudice.

    Breaking down the data

    Meanwhile, support for government benefits for low-income people has also grown in recent years.

    To figure out whether increased support for Black people was tied into more support for government aid for the poor, I analyzed two national datasets by running a type of statistical analysis called “decomposition.”

    A decomposition analysis takes the difference between two groups and breaks it into different parts to explain what’s behind that difference. For example, decomposition analysis has been used to explain the pay gap between men and women. These analyses often find that part of the gender pay gap can be explained by differences in the average number of hours men and women work and by differences in the payoff to a college degree experienced by men and women, among other things. Instead of comparing men and women, I compare Americans in 2012 versus Americans in 2020.

    In my analysis, I found that improved attitudes toward Black people between 2012 and 2020, more than any other measure, explained increased support for welfare programs during that same period.

    A second factor also helps to explain the increased support for the safety net: Americans are exhibiting greater alignment between their racial and social policy attitudes.

    In the past, many Americans expressed support for racial equality in principle but opposed the policies that might actually achieve it. I found something new. In 2020, most Americans didn’t just say that they want racial equality in the abstract. They also expressed support for the programs they believed will bring it about.

    Supporters of the Civil Rights Movement demonstrate against racial segregation outside a Woolworth’s store in New York City in 1960.
    Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

    GOP voters have changed, too

    These progressive attitude shifts can even be found among Republican – albeit to a lesser extent. Republican politicians once appealed to voters by disparaging welfare recipients and Black people. In light of these attitude shifts, that approach no longer appears to be a recipe for political success in America.

    Instead, Republicans have made opposition to immigration central to their campaigns. Immigration is an issue where Republicans perform well with voters, and this strategy has paid off at the voting booth.

    But governing requires attention to more than just the issues that poll well.

    Particularly when it comes to decisions about the safety net, Republicans find themselves in an awkward position. As recent budget debates in the House have made clear, the goal of dramatically cutting government spending conflicts with promises to protect the social programs Republican voters increasingly support.

    The safety net may very well become a major liability for the Republican Party. To the extent that the GOP continues to back spending cuts for programs that help millions of low-income people, it will be out of step with many of its voters. But if it follows the lead of right-wing parties in Europe and supports the safety net, it will be at odds with many of its donors.

    Karyn Vilbig received funding for this work from the American Sociological Association’s Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (ASA DDRIG).

    ref. More Americans of all political stripes support government benefits for low-income people − and Black Lives Matter could be a big reason why – https://theconversation.com/more-americans-of-all-political-stripes-support-government-benefits-for-low-income-people-and-black-lives-matter-could-be-a-big-reason-why-247764

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI: Sezzle Reaches Significant Milestones as Canada’s Favourite Buy Now, Pay Later App

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sezzle Inc. (NASDAQ:SEZL) (Sezzle or Company) // – Sezzle, the leading “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) solution in Canada, is proud to announce a series of significant milestones that highlight its continued growth and success. With 1.5 million Canadian users, Sezzle continues to cement its position as the highest-rated and most-reviewed BNPL app on the Canadian App Store. The platform is approaching 5 million total orders and has surpassed 50,000 Sezzle Up users—individuals working to improve their financial wellness through opt-in credit reporting.

    New partnerships with retailers such as Manitobah, Allbirds Canada, Tristan, Clément, and Atlas Tools & Machinery have further fueled Sezzle’s rapid expansion. By offering flexible payment options at these popular retailers, Sezzle is helping Canadian shoppers enjoy a more seamless and rewarding experience.

    “Finding new shoppers with Sezzle has been a significant win for us,” said Mike Wodtke, Chief Marketing Officer at Manitobah. “From an easy implementation process to marketing partnerships that have broadened our brand reach, Sezzle has been with us every step of the way. Since adding Sezzle, 65% of Sezzle transactions were brand new customers to Manitobah, and we’ve seen a 20% increase in Average Order Value (AOV).”

    These recent partnership launches underscore Sezzle’s continued growth in the Canadian market and its dedication to providing flexible and innovative financial solutions. Key achievements include:

    • 1.5 million all-time user sign-ups in Canada
    • Becoming the highest-rated and most-reviewed BNPL app on the Canadian App Store
    • Approaching 5 million total orders
    • Surpassing 50,000 Sezzle Up users, a program giving users the opportunity to build credit history through credit reporting

    This momentum represents a significant milestone in Sezzle’s growth and reinforces its role as a leader in flexible payment solutions for Canadian consumers. “Collaborating with well-known, trusted brands has been central to our strategy as we continue expanding our reach and delivering innovative financial tools,” said Patrick Chan, Sezzle Canada GM. “As we surpass 1.5 million user sign-ups and approach 5 million total orders, we’re more committed than ever to driving growth, empowering consumers, and providing Canadians with the best BNPL experience.

    As Sezzle Canada continues to expand, it remains dedicated to empowering consumers and delivering outstanding shopping experiences for both consumers and retailers alike.

    Download the Sezzle App on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and explore Sezzle’s wide selection of Canadian merchants here.

    About Sezzle Inc.

    Sezzle is a forward-thinking fintech company committed to financially empowering the next generation. Through its purpose-driven payment platform, Sezzle enhances consumers’ purchasing power by offering interest-free installment plans, both online and in-store. With a focus on transparency, inclusivity, and ease of use, Sezzle provides consumers with the tools to manage their spending responsibly, take control of their finances, and achieve lasting financial independence.

    For additional assets and news on Sezzle please visit https://my.sezzle.com/news/  

    Follow Sezzle on social media: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook| Twitter

    Sezzle Media Contact:

    Erin Foran

    Tel: (651) 403-2184

    Email: erin.foran@sezzle.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Captivision Appoints John Jureller to Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MIAMI, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Captivision Inc. (“Captivision” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CAPT), a pioneering manufacturer and global LED solution provider, today announced the appointment of John Jureller to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Jureller will also serve as Chair of the Company’s Audit Committee, bringing extensive financial leadership and corporate governance expertise to the Company.

    With experience spanning consumer products, communications, private equity, real estate, and healthcare, Mr. Jureller has held key financial leadership roles at multinational public and private companies. He has played an instrumental role in growth capitalizations and strategic transactions for small and micro-cap companies. His former corporate affiliations include PepsiCo, Frontier Communications, General Atlantic and Bankers Trust (now part of Deutsche Bank).

    “We are pleased to welcome John to Captivision’s Board of Directors,” said Gary Garrabrant, Chairman and CEO of Captivision. “John brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our board and our company. His career is distinguished by a rare combination of leadership roles with major corporations and dynamic entrepreneurial enterprises.”

    Mr. Jureller holds an M.B.A. in Finance from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management and a B.S. with Distinction from Cornell University.

    About Captivision

    Captivision is a pioneering manufacturer of media glass, combining IT building material and architectural glass. The product has a boundless array of applications including entertainment media, information media, cultural and artistic content as well as marketing use cases. Captivision can transform any glass façade into a transparent media screen with real time live stream capability. Captivision is fast becoming a solution provider across the LED product spectrum.

    Captivision’s media glass and solutions have been implemented in hundreds of locations globally across sports stadiums, entertainment venues, casinos and hotels, convention centers, office and retail properties and airports. Learn more at http://www.captivision.com/.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to expectations for future financial performance, business strategies, or expectations for the Company’s respective businesses. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of the management of the Company. Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that it will achieve or realize these plans, intentions or expectations. These statements constitute projections, forecasts, and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this press release, words such as “believe”, “can”, “continue”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “will” or the negative of such terms, and similar expressions, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

    The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (1) the ability to raise financing in the future and to comply with restrictive covenants related to indebtedness; (2) the ability to realize the benefits expected from the business combination and the Company’s strategic direction; (3) the significant market adoption, demand and opportunities in the construction and digital out of home media industries for the Company’s products; (4) the ability to maintain the listing of the Company’s ordinary shares and warrants on Nasdaq; (5) the ability of the Company to remain competitive in the fourth generation architectural media glass industry in the face of future technological innovations; (6) the ability of the Company to execute its international expansion strategy; (7) the ability of the Company to protect its intellectual property rights; (8) the profitability of the Company’s larger projects, which are subject to protracted sales cycles; (9) whether the raw materials, components, finished goods, and services used by the Company to manufacture its products will continue to be available and will not be subject to significant price increases; (10) the IT, vertical real estate, and large format wallscape modified regulatory restrictions or building codes; (11) the ability of the Company’s manufacturing facilities to meet their projected manufacturing costs and production capacity; (12) the future financial performance of the Company; (13) the emergence of new technologies and the response of the Company’s customer base to those technologies; (14) the ability of the Company to retain or recruit, or to effect changes required in, its officers, key employees, or directors; (15) the ability of the Company to comply with laws and regulations applicable to its business; and (16) other risks and uncertainties set forth under the section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F entitled “Risk Factors.”

    These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release and the Company’s management team’s current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of the Company and its directors, officers, and affiliates. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company management team’s views as of any subsequent date. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update, add or to otherwise correct any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events, inaccuracies that become apparent after the date hereof or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

    Media Contact:
    Gateway Group
    Zach Kadletz
    +1 949-574-3860
    CAPT@gateway-grp.com

    Investor Contact:
    Gateway Group
    Ralf Esper
    +1 949-574-3860
    CAPT@gateway-grp.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: MWC 2025: AI solutions that change business and improve customer experience

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MWC 2025: AI solutions that change business and improve customer experience

    Imagine your business operating at peak efficiency. Data is processed instantly, customer queries are resolved in seconds, and routine processes are automated. This is not a fantasy, but a reality that QazCode creates. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, March 3-6, the company will demonstrate how advanced AI solutions are helping businesses and organizations achieve leadership in their industries.

    How Kazakhstan is leading the AI race: Breakthrough technologies at MWC 2025

    In recent years, Kazakhstan has been actively developing its technology infrastructure, which has contributed to the growth of innovative companies and attracted investment in AI and other advanced technologies. The International Monetary Fund ranked Kazakhstan in the top 50 countries for AI readiness in 2023, ahead of all Central Asian countries.

    Kazakhstan’s high position in the rating was the result of comprehensive efforts to develop the digital ecosystem, and QazCode‘s participation at MWC was another confirmation of the country’s success.

    “Kazakhstan strives to be on par with the world leaders in digitalization by actively developing infrastructure, IT and human capital. We are pleased to present our achievements on the international platform of MWC, where we have the opportunity to demonstrate how our technologies help businesses optimize processes and reach new heights. It is also a great chance to build partnerships with industry leaders and share experiences to further develop the technology ecosystem in the regions,” – said Oleksii Sharavar, CEO at QazCode.

    The KAZ-LLM Big Language Model: a breakthrough in localized technology

    One of the company’s significant projects was the development of the first national language model KAZ-LLM. The model was created in partnership with the Institute of Smart Systems and AI (ISSAI NU) and Astana Hub, under the coordination of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan. The project aims to bridge the gap for underrepresented language groups, making technology accessible to all.

    Moreover, KAZ-LLM has already gained international recognition—it won the GSMA Foundry Excellence Award 2025 in the Artificial Intelligence category, confirming its high quality and importance for technological advancement.

    The model, based on 150 billion tokens, covers Kazakh, Russian, English and Turkish and is considered a local version of GPT. The support of the computing power of 8 DGX H100 volume allowed to accelerate the learning process and analyze massive data sets in seconds.

    The national model enables businesses to develop chatbots, customer support systems, automate document flow, and analyze data. For example, local banks will be able to speed up the processing of requests in the local language, and retailers will be able to improve the user experience by incorporating the model into their processes. Educational and scientific institutions will be able to create applications for teaching the local language.

    QazCode collaborates with leading international organizations such as GSMA Foundry and Barcelona Supercomputing Center to share experiences and implement global best practices in AI.

    Also in the summer of 2024, QazCode announced the creation of Central Asia’s first GPU cloud for the development of AI products based on NVIDIA technology.  

    AI as a tool for transformation

    According to recent data, 98.4% of companies worldwide have increased their investment in AI, and 90.5% consider it a key element of their strategies. This emphasizes the importance of AI for business goals and competitiveness. MWC 2025 will display solutions that help solve business challenges and simplify people’s daily lives using advanced technologies:

    • AI RAG Powered Chatbots and intelligent agents: These solutions combine a powerful search model with generative GPT and instantly analyze text and visual data, helping companies process large volumes of information with precision. For example, customer queries that previously took hours to resolve are now resolved in seconds. Query time is reduced by 85%, which can directly affect ROI.
    • AI Tutor is a system that helps students and pupils improve their knowledge by automatically generating lessons and tests on specific subjects. Support for multiple languages, including Kazakh, Turkish, English, and Russian, allows the solution to be customized to meet the needs of different users. AI Tutor will be showcased at MWC 2025, demonstrating how AI can make learning more accessible, efficient and open new horizons for the educational process.

    In addition, QazCode solutions are designed to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes and cultural sensitivities in every region of the world. They are suitable for both SMEs and large corporations, providing flexibility and scalability.

    MWC 2025 (booth 6F12) will display how AI solutions can transform your business.

    About QazCode

    QazCode is an IT company and exclusive digital partner of Beeline Kazakhstan. The company is part of the VEON group listed on the NASDAQ and Euronext stock exchanges.
    The company has over 750 employees with 8 years of experience in software development for the telecom and IT markets with a deep understanding of business and technology. The solution portfolio includes the development of private Large Language Models (LLM) with a focus on data security, process optimization through Agile methodologies, full-cycle implementation of Business Support Systems (BSS), and IT outsourcing for effective product development, team expansion, and project management to help accelerate time to market. The company already operates in Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, and is actively expanding its presence in new markets.

     About VEON
    VEON is a digital operator providing converged communications and digital services to nearly 160 million customers. Operating in six countries with over 7% of the world’s population – Pakistan, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan – VEON transforms people’s lives through technology services that empower people and drive economic growth. VEON is headquartered in Dubai.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Make the World Wear Khadi

    Source: Government of India

    Make the World Wear Khadi

    Join the Challenge to Elevate India’s Iconic Fabric on the Global Stage

    Posted On: 27 FEB 2025 4:40PM by PIB Delhi

    Introduction

    The Make the World Wear Khadi campaign aims to blend India’s rich textile heritage with global fashion trends, offering an exciting challenge to advertising professionals and freelancers. Part of the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), this initiative seeks to position Khadi as a desirable global brand through innovative advertising. Organised by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the challenge invites participants from domestic and international markets to create creative concepts across digital, print, video, and experiential formats. With a focus on strategic thinking and creativity, Make the World Wear Khadi encourages fresh ideas to enhance Khadi’s brand image, engage consumers, and celebrate its timeless appeal worldwide.

    Scheduled from 1 to 4 May 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre and Jio World Gardens in Mumbai, WAVES promises to be a landmark event for the Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector. With its unique hub-and-spoke model, the summit will connect Indian talent with global industry leaders across its four key pillars: Broadcasting & Infotainment, AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality), Digital Media & Innovation, and Films. The Make the World Wear Khadi challenge, part of the Broadcasting & Infotainment segment, brings together advertising and marketing professionals to shape brand strategies within the M&E space. This challenge is a part of the Create in India Challenges, a flagship WAVES initiative that has already attracted over 73,000 registrations from creative minds worldwide. With 112 participants registered for the Khadi challenge as of 15 February 2025, the stage is set for a creative showdown that champions Khadi and highlights India’s creative prowess on the global stage.

     

    Campaign Requirements

     

    Event Calendar

    Participation Guidelines

    1. Craft a message that resonates with a broad and diverse audience.

     

    1. Submit your campaign as a single PDF file, ensuring the file size does not exceed 5 MB.

     

    1. Maintain anonymity in your submission. Avoid including any information that could reveal your identity or your employer’s details, as this will lead to disqualification.
    1. A distinguished panel of creative and branding experts will assess the entries, ensuring a fair and insightful evaluation.
    1. Click here to register.

    Rewards and Recognition

    Conclusion

    The WAVES Make the World Wear Khadi campaign offers a remarkable opportunity for advertising professionals and freelancers to unleash their creativity and strategic acumen. As part of the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), this initiative is a crucial element of the broader Create in India Challenges, designed to amplify India’s creative landscape. By positioning Khadi as a global and aspirational brand, the campaign not only honours India’s rich textile heritage but also fosters innovative thinking in the Media and Entertainment sector. With the prestigious WAVES 2025 event providing a platform to present ideas to leading policymakers, technocrats, and entrepreneurs, participants can gain invaluable exposure and contribute to a vision that champions Khadi and strengthens India’s influence on the global stage.

     

    References:

    1. https://wavesindia.org/challenges-2025
    2. https://events.tecogis.com/waveskhadichallenge/expressions
    3. https://x.com/WAVESummitIndia/status/1887071165044359592/photo/1

    Click here to download PDF

    *******

    Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena/ Saurabh Kalia

    (Release ID: 2106626) Visitor Counter : 63

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Community Radio Content Challenge

    Source: Government of India

    Community Radio Content Challenge

    Amplifying Local Impact

    Posted On: 27 FEB 2025 4:34PM by PIB Delhi

    Introduction
    The Community Radio Content Challenge aims to highlight the creative, impactful, and innovative content from community radio stations, emphasizing their role in empowering local voices and addressing region-specific issues. In collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Community Radio Association (CRA), this platform recognizes the contributions of stations under the first season of the Create India Challenge at WAVES. So far, 246 participants, including 14 international entries have registered for the challenge.

    The World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in its first edition is a unique hub and spoke platform poised for the convergence of the entire Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector. The event is a premier global event that aims to bring the focus of the global M&E industry to India and connect it with the Indian M&E sector along with its talent.

    The summit will take place from May 1-4, 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre & Jio World Gardens in Mumbai. With a focus on four key pillars—Broadcasting & Infotainment, AVGC-XR, Digital Media & Innovation, and Films-WAVES will bring together leaders, creators and technologists to showcase the future of India’s entertainment industry.

    Community Radio Content Challenge under the Broadcasting and Infotainment pillar, celebrates the vital contribution of community radio in fostering informed, engaged and connected communities.

    Objectives of Competition

    The competition aims to celebrate the power and potential of community radio stations encouraging innovation and fostering collaboration.

    Categories to Submit Entries

    The WAVES Competition invites Community Radio Stations (CRSs) to submit entries in five distinct categories, each focused on a crucial aspect of community development. These categories aim to highlight the impactful work CRSs are doing to drive positive change across diverse sectors.

    • Public Health and Safety: CRSs can showcase innovative programs that address public health issues, emergency preparedness, disease prevention, hygiene practices, and mental health awareness.
    • Education and Literacy: Programs that promote education and literacy, especially in rural areas, empowering individuals with knowledge and skills to improve their quality of life.
    • Women and Child Development/Social Justice and Advocacy: Programs that focus on gender equality, child rights, empowerment and social justice, advocating for marginalized communities and fostering an equitable society.
    • Agriculture and Rural Development: Programs that support sustainable farming, agricultural innovations, and rural entrepreneurship, promoting the socio-economic growth of rural communities.
    • Cultural Preservation: Programs dedicated to preserving and promoting India’s rich cultural heritage, celebrating traditional art forms, languages and practices for future generations.

    Registration Guidelines

    The registration for the competition will remain open until February 28, 2025. It was available to all registered Community Radio Stations (CRS) in India approved by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and holding a valid or renewed license. Each station was allowed to submit only one entry under one of the five categories. Submitting multiple entries, either within the same or different categories would result in disqualification.

    Submission Requirements

    The program submissions must meet specific criteria including format, duration and supporting materials to highlight their content and impact.

    • Program Criteria: Each submission must be a half-hour program or a single episode from a series.
    • Program Formats: Entries can include talk shows, documentaries, music programs, educational content, Live Shows, Phone in Program or any other genre.
    • Supporting Materials:
    • Program descriptions: Provide a brief overview of the program’s content and objectives.
    • Impact reports: Detail the program’s reach and impact on the community.
    • Listener testimonials: Include feedback and comments from listeners.

    Submission Process

    Evaluation Criteria

    To ensure fair and comprehensive evaluation of the submissions for the WAVES Competition, the following parameters will be used to assess each community radio program:

    Final Selection

    The WAVES Competition will be judged by a panel of experts including media personalities and Community Radio Association of India (CRAI) representatives, through a two-stage evaluation process.

    Final Selection: Winners will be chosen from the shortlisted entries and advance to the final round based on the evaluation criteria.

    Conclusion

    The Community Radio Content Challenge as part of the WAVES Competition offers a valuable platform to recognize and celebrate the impactful work of community radio stations across India. By encouraging innovation and collaboration, this competition highlights the essential role of community radio in empowering local communities and addressing critical issues.

    Reference

    Click here to see PDF.

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    Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena/ Kamna Lakaria

    (Release ID: 2106623) Visitor Counter : 18

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NASA veteran Mr. Mike Massimino interacts with PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya students

    Source: Government of India

    NASA veteran Mr. Mike Massimino interacts with PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya students

    He explores labs, praises India’s moon mission, shares zero gravity experiences during PM SHRI school visit

    Posted On: 27 FEB 2025 4:22PM by PIB Delhi

    Former NASA astronaut Mr. Mike Massimino interacted with PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya students today in New Delhi. Mr. Massimino also explored the school’s facilities, including the AR-VR Lab, Atal Tinkering Lab, language lab, etc.

    While interacting with the students, Mr. Massimino praised India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, emphasizing its significance not just for India but for the global space community. He highlighted the challenges of landing on the Moon’s South Pole and how this achievement could provide key insights into water sources essential for habitation. Additionally, he underscored the importance of international collaboration in future space programs.

    Mr. Massimino shared how a movie based on 7 astronauts inspired him to become an astronaut. Engaging with the students, he answered their questions about space exploration, the kind of food they had during their space trips, etc. Recounting his personal experiences, he described how he adapted to zero gravity in space and elaborated on their sleeping arrangements, consoles to work, etc. Students were also curious about AI’s role in space exploration. In response, he explained that AI would streamline the processes, making them more efficient, cost-effective, and safe. Concluding his interaction, he advised students on the subjects and skills they should pursue if they aspire to a career in space exploration.

    During the event, students asked several questions about the challenges of pursuing a career as an astronaut and the key subjects essential for their preparation. Mr. Massimino emphasized the importance of exploring various fields, including soil sciences and marine biology. His practical and insightful answers left the students excited and deeply inspired. They also asked him about the most challenging project he worked on at NASA and whether human habitation on Mars would be possible in the near future. He explained that while living on the Moon could become a reality soon, settling on Mars would take longer due to the technological challenges that still need to be overcome.

    Mr. Mike Massimino, a former NASA astronaut, is a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University and the senior advisor for space programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. He received a BS from Columbia University, and MS degrees in mechanical engineering and in technology and policy, as well as a PhD in mechanical engineering, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    After working as an engineer at IBM, NASA, and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, along with academic appointments at Rice University and at the Georgia Institute of Technology, he was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1996, and is the veteran of two space flights, the fourth and fifth Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions in 2002 and 2009. Mike has a team record for the number of hours spacewalking in a single space shuttle mission, and he was also the first person to tweet from space. During his NASA career he received two NASA Space Flight Medals, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the American Astronautical Society’s Flight Achievement Award, and the Star of Italian Solidarity.

    He is the Senior Adviser for Space Programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. He is also a professor in Columbia University’s engineering school, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.

    Also present at the programme were Shri Somit Shrivastava, Joint Commissioner (Pers); Shri B.K. Behra, Deputy Commissioner (Academics) KVS HQ; Shri S.S. Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner, KVS Delhi Region; Shri G.S. Pandey and Shri K.C. Meena, Assistant Commissioner, Delhi Region; Shri V.K. Mathpal, Principal KV No.2, Delhi Cantonment; and others.

    *****

    MV/AK

    MOE/DoSEL/27 February 2025/1

    (Release ID: 2106621) Visitor Counter : 96

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: National Geospatial Policy 2022

    Source: Government of India

    National Geospatial Policy 2022

    “Powering India’s Vision for Viksit Bharat”

    Posted On: 27 FEB 2025 1:22PM by PIB Delhi

    The democratization of Indian geospatial ecosystem will spur domestic innovation and enable Indian companies to compete in the global mapping ecosystem by leveraging modern geospatial technologies and realising the dream of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ fully.

    -Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Science and Technology

    Introduction

    The National Geospatial Policy, 2022, notified by the Government of India on December 28, 2022, is a transformative policy aimed at positioning India as a global leader in the geospatial sector. With a long-term vision extending to 2035, the policy seeks to liberalize and democratize access to geospatial data, fostering innovation and enabling its widespread use across governance, businesses, and academia.

    At its core, the policy is citizen-centric, ensuring that geospatial datasets generated with public funds are openly accessible. It outlines a strategic roadmap for the development of geospatial infrastructure, services, and platforms at both national and sub-national levels. One of its key goals is to establish a high-resolution topographical survey and mapping system by 2030, alongside a highly accurate Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the entire country.

    Recognizing the importance of geospatial technology in governance, economic growth, and societal development, the policy focuses on strengthening institutional frameworks, enhancing national and state-level coordination, and fostering a vibrant geospatial ecosystem. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) plays a pivotal role in this effort by promoting the reuse and open access of geospatial data, products, and services through a network of geospatial platforms.

    By creating an enabling environment for geospatial technology adoption, the policy is expected to drive advancements in urban planning, disaster management, agriculture, environmental conservation, transportation, and various other sectors. This article examines the National Geospatial Policy 2022, focusing on its alignment with PM Gati Shakti, budgetary allocations, the National Geospatial Data Repository, and Operation Dronagiri’s impact on innovation. It also explores how the policy fosters inclusion, economic growth, and private sector participation, ensuring geospatial intelligence enhances governance, business, and public services across India.

    Recent Allocations and Trends from the Union Budget 2025

    In the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, the government has reinforced its commitment to the geospatial sector:

    • Government of India has allocated ₹100 crore for the National Geospatial Mission. This mission aims to develop foundational geospatial infrastructure and data, playing a crucial role in modernizing land records, urban planning, and infrastructure design. By leveraging PM Gati Shakti, the initiative will facilitate integrated planning, enhance data-driven decision-making, and improve the efficiency of infrastructure projects across the country. This strategic investment underscores the government’s focus on harnessing geospatial technology for economic growth, governance, and sustainable development.
    • To enhance public-private partnerships (PPPs) and support the private sector in project planning, access to relevant geospatial data and maps from the PM Gati Shakti portal will be made available. This initiative aims to streamline infrastructure development, improve decision-making, and foster greater collaboration between the government and private enterprises.

    Vision of the National Geospatial Policy

    To position India as a global leader in the geospatial sector by fostering a world-class innovation ecosystem, leveraging geospatial technology for economic growth, and ensuring easy access to valuable geospatial data for businesses and citizens.

    Goals of the National Geospatial Policy

    By 2025

    • Establish an enabling policy and legal framework to support the liberalization of the geospatial sector and democratization of data.
    • Enhance availability and accessibility of high-quality location data across sectors to drive innovation and enterprise.
    • Develop a unified digital interface for accessing geospatial data collected through public funds.
    • Redefine the National Geodetic Framework using modern positioning technologies, with online accessibility.
    • Create a high-accuracy geoid model for the entire country.
    • Strengthen national and sub-national geospatial governance by fostering collaboration between the government, private sector, academia, and civil society.

    By 2030

    • Conduct high-resolution topographical surveys (5–10 cm for urban/rural areas and 50–100 cm for forests/wastelands).
    • Develop a high-accuracy Digital Elevation Model (DEM) (25 cm for plains, 1–3 m for hilly/mountainous areas).
    • Establish a Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure (GKI) underpinned by an Integrated Data and Information Framework.
    • Enhance geospatial skills, capabilities, and awareness to meet future technological and economic demands.

    By 2035

    • Generate high-resolution bathymetric geospatial data for inland waters and deep-sea topography to support the Blue Economy.
    • Survey and map sub-surface infrastructure in major cities and towns.
    • Develop a National Digital Twin for major urban centers, creating digital replicas to improve urban planning and management.

    Key Focus Areas of the National Geospatial Policy, 2022

    • Geospatial for Transformation & SDGs – The policy positions geospatial technology and data as key drivers for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enhancing efficiency across sectors, and ensuring transparency in governance.
    • Atmanirbhar Bharat & Self-Reliance – Recognizing the need for locally relevant geospatial data, the policy aims to foster a self-reliant geospatial ecosystem, empowering Indian companies to compete globally and reduce dependency on foreign providers.
    • Global Best Practices & IGIF – Adopting international frameworks like the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF) under UN-GGIM, the policy strengthens India’s national spatial information management.
    • Robust Geospatial & ICT Infrastructure – Establishing a well-defined data custodianship model to ensure the collection, management, and real-time accessibility of high-quality geospatial data for cross-sector collaboration.
    • Fostering Innovation & Startups – Encouraging startups, R&D, and emerging technologies, the policy promotes regulatory modernization and bridges the geospatial digital divide.
    • Standards & Interoperability – Advocating open standards, open data, and compliance frameworks, the policy ensures seamless integration and interoperability of geospatial information.
    • Capacity Development & Education – Promoting geospatial education from school levels, alongside standardized certifications and skill development programs to sustain long-term industry growth.
    • Ease of Doing Business – Continued policy liberalization to attract investment, facilitate business-friendly regulations, and support geospatial enterprises.
    • Democratization of DataSurvey of India (SoI) and other publicly funded geospatial data will be treated as a public good, ensuring easy access and utilization for all stakeholders.

    Geospatial Policy Under PM Gati Shakti

    The National Geospatial Policy (NGP) 2022 is closely aligned with the PM Gati Shakti – National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity, a digital platform launched by the Prime Minister to integrate 16 key Ministries, including Railways and Roadways, for coordinated infrastructure planning and implementation. The initiative aims to facilitate seamless multi-modal connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services across different modes of transport, ensuring last-mile connectivity and reducing travel time. By leveraging accurate, real-time geospatial data, NGP 2022 plays a critical role in streamlining infrastructure projects, minimizing redundancies, and optimizing resource utilization.

        

    PM Gati Shakti seeks to integrate infrastructure schemes across various Ministries and State Governments. A key aspect of this initiative is the extensive use of geospatial technology, including spatial planning tools developed by ISRO and BiSAG-N. This integration enhances data-driven decision-making for efficient infrastructure development and economic growth.

    National Geospatial Data Repository: A Step Towards Seamless Data Integration

    The National Geospatial Data Repository is being developed to serve as a centralized platform for geospatial data management and access. This repository will consolidate geospatial datasets from various government and private entities, ensuring seamless data sharing, interoperability, and accessibility across multiple sectors.

    With the increasing demand for precise and real-time geospatial intelligence, this repository will act as a critical resource for improving governance, boosting economic development, and advancing digital infrastructure. It aligns with the National Geospatial Policy 2022, reinforcing India’s commitment to leveraging geospatial technology for sustainable growth and enhanced citizen services.

    Operation Dronagiri: Transforming India’s Geospatial Landscape

    Launch and Overview

    Operation Dronagiri, launched on November 13, 2024, is a pilot initiative under the National Geospatial Policy 2022. The project aims to demonstrate the real-world applications of geospatial technologies to enhance citizen services, business efficiency, and governance. It is designed to integrate geospatial data, analytics, and advanced mapping technologies to support multiple sectors.

    Components and Implementation

    In its initial phase, Operation Dronagiri is being implemented in five states—Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

    The project brings together government departments, industry partners, corporations, and startups to drive geospatial innovation and ensure efficient utilization of spatial data.

    Integrated Geospatial Data Sharing Interface (GDI)

    A key feature of Operation Dronagiri is the development of an Integrated Geospatial Data Sharing Interface (GDI), which:

    • Facilitates seamless access and sharing of geospatial data across different sectors.
    • Supports applications in urban planning, environmental monitoring, and disaster management.
    • Helps organizations make data-driven decisions for public welfare.

    Impact and Future Expansion

    The initiative is expected to enhance governance, boost economic efficiency, and promote sustainable infrastructure development. By integrating geospatial technologies with public and private sector initiatives, Operation Dronagiri envisions a nationwide rollout under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

    With India’s growing emphasis on geospatial intelligence, the project aims to transform infrastructure planning, improve disaster response, and foster innovation in geospatial applications—paving the way for a data-driven and technologically advanced India.

    Empowering Inclusion and Progress: National Geospatial Policy 2022 in Action

    The National Geospatial Policy 2022 (NGP 2022) underscores the Government of India’s commitment to inclusive development by significantly expanding access to geospatial data and related services. By democratizing location-based data, the policy has enhanced citizen services, improved governance, and extended its benefits to even the most remote areas of the country.

    To implement NGP 2022, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has strengthened the governance framework to liberalize geospatial data access. Emphasizing the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, DST is fostering self-reliance in geospatial technology by empowering Indian enterprises to generate, utilize, and commercialize their own geospatial data—enhancing their global competitiveness. The policy further encourages the adoption of open standards, open data, and interoperable platforms to enable seamless collaboration across stakeholders.

    To further enhance geospatial infrastructure, the Survey of India (SoI) has launched a pan-India Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) Network, ensuring high-accuracy location data. Additionally, under the SVAMITVA Scheme, SoI has surveyed and mapped over 2.8 lakh villages across Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and Karnataka using drone technology, streamlining land records and property rights.

    NGP 2022 is fostering a thriving geospatial industry by encouraging private sector participation. Individuals, companies, and government agencies can now process, build applications, and develop solutions using geospatial data. The promotion of open standards, open data, and geospatial platforms has enabled enterprise development and innovation, further solidifying India’s position as a global leader in geospatial technology. To support technological innovation and entrepreneurship, the policy is facilitating the establishment of incubation centers, industry accelerators, and Geospatial Technology Parks. These initiatives are driving research, fostering startups, and strengthening India’s geospatial ecosystem, ultimately positioning the country as a world leader in geospatial innovation.

    With its focus on expanding access, promoting innovation, and leveraging geospatial intelligence, NGP 2022 is not just a policy—it is a transformative tool for national development, economic prosperity, and a thriving digital economy. It is a key driver in realizing the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India), paving the way for a future driven by geospatial intelligence and data-led governance.

    Conclusion

    The National Geospatial Policy 2022 is a significant step towards strengthening India’s geospatial ecosystem. By simplifying data access, promoting innovation, and fostering enterprise development, the policy is creating a robust and dynamic geospatial sector that supports governance, industry, and research.With initiatives like PM Gati Shakti, the National Geospatial Data Repository, and Operation Dronagiri, the policy is driving data-driven decision-making, infrastructure modernization, and digital transformation. As India advances towards Viksit Bharat, geospatial intelligence will be central to planning, connectivity, and national resilience. The National Geospatial Policy 2022 positions India as a global leader in geospatial technology, ensuring that location-based intelligence powers the nation’s progress and prosperity.

    References

    Click here to see PDF:

    Santosh Kumar/ Sheetal Angral/ Vatsla Srivastava

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Households urged to take action in race to replace RTS meters

    Source: City of Leicester

    THOUSANDS of Leicester residents could be left without heating or hot water this summer unless they have their aging electricity meters replaced.

    The Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) – which was introduced over 40 years ago – uses radio signals to tell some electricity meters to switch heating or hot water systems on or off. It is due to be phased out by the end of June 2025, as the system is no longer viable.

    There are about 600,000 RTS electricity meters across Britain and a national RTS Taskforce has been set up to upgrade them all before the switch-off date.

    Around 4,000 households in Leicester are affected, most of which have storage heaters linked to an old-style RTS electricity meter that will need to be replaced as soon as possible.

    Customers can now make appointments with their energy suppliers to have their RTS meters replaced with new smart meters at no additional cost.  Energy suppliers will also be contacting customers directly. E.ON Next is leading in work across the city to significantly raise the replacement rate by devoting engineering resources as part of a targeted campaign.

    The campaign is being supported by Leicester City Council to help encourage anyone who has and old-style RTS electricity meter – or who thinks that they might have – to contact their energy supplier as soon as possible to arrange an appointment to have it replaced.

    Deputy City Mayor Elly Cutkelvin said: “We know that Leicester has a relatively high number of households with electric storage heating systems that will likely be connected to an old-style RTS meter.

    “These meters need to be replaced as soon as possible to ensure that people aren’t left without heating when the switch-off happens this summer.

    “The process to replace your RTS meter is usually straightforward and is carried out at no cost to the household. But time is running out. Energy suppliers will be contacting affected households directly and we would urge anyone affected to make an appointment to have their meter upgraded as soon as possible.”

    The national RTS Taskforce was launched in January 2025 and includes energy regulator Ofgem and trade association Energy UK and is supported by consumer group National Energy Action.

    It urges owners of RTS electricity meters to act now and accept the offer of a meter upgrade from their energy supplier. 

    Charlotte Friel, Director for Retail Pricing & Systems at Ofgem, said: “One of the key functions of the RTS Taskforce is identifying hotspot areas that need more targeted resources to accelerate the upgrade programme. So it is pleasing to see E.ON Next and other energy suppliers pushing to drive up the replacement rate in Leicester.

    “This is a positive declaration of intent to meet the RTS challenge head on, so our message to people in the city is that support is ready and waiting. If you are contacted by your energy supplier to arrange an appointment, please book it.”

    Dhara Vyas, Chief Executive at Energy UK, added: “Energy suppliers continue to make contact with customers who have an RTS meter and are working hard to prioritise support for vulnerable customers ahead of the deadline this summer.

    “It’s really important that anyone with an RTS meter has it replaced as soon as possible – delaying this could result in their heating and hot water not working properly. Contacting their supplier to arrange a replacement – at no extra cost to the customer – as soon as possible will minimise the disruption, help ensure a smooth upgrade to a smart meter and mean that customers continue to enjoy the benefits they currently get from their RTS meter.”

    A supporting campaign will run across TV, video on demand, radio, digital audio, billboards and local press, highlighting the urgent need for RTS customers to book the installation of a new meter as soon as their energy supplier contacts them.  

    Information about the RTS switch off is also available on the city council’s website

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Beamr to Discuss How AI Revolutionizes the Video Industry at NVIDIA GTC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Beamr CEO, Sharon Carmel, will present at GTC a session titled: “The Future of Video Compression is AI-Driven” on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 9 AM PT

    Herzliya Israel, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beamr Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: BMR), a leader in video optimization technology and solutions, today announced that Sharon Carmel, Chief Executive Officer, will present a talk at NVIDIA GTC, titled, “The Future of Video Compression is AI-Driven.” GTC is a global AI conference for developers and business minds shaping the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerated computing.

    At GTC, Beamr will showcase how AI algorithms reshape video quality and usability and improve the efficiency of video workflows. Carmel will present AI capabilities, such as image enhancement, searchability and other content analysis options that enrich content and enable improved monetization. Beamr uses NVIDIA technology, including the NVIDIA DeepStream SDK for streaming analytics, NVENC, an encoder integrated into NVIDIA GPUs, and the NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit for GPU-accelerated applications.

    “Beamr’s unique positioning as a GPU-accelerated video service empowers AI-driven processes, allowing our customers to optimize video workflows and add AI-driven capabilities with a single process,” said Carmel. He added: “We recognize that video as we know it is transforming into AI video, and our vision is to enable companies with extensive video operations the ability to automatically and scalably embrace this revolution.”

    Beamr’s video optimization technology — integrated with NVENC and available on NVIDIA T4 Tensor Core, RTX 4000 Ada Generation for Data Centers, L4e, L40 and L40S Tensor Core GPUs — aims to accelerate video AI workflows and enhance video pre-training, training and inference capabilities in AI pipelines. NVENC SDK 12.1 added an API that allows external control and enables users to tightly integrate hardware encoders for AVC and HEVC video formats. In addition, it supports AOMedia Video 1 (AV1), an efficient emerging video format.

    “AI continues to drive the modernization of broadcasting, streaming and user-generated content,” said Richard Kerris, vice president of media and entertainment at NVIDIA. “Beamr’s showcase at GTC will demonstrate how the company’s latest solutions, powered by NVIDIA technology, will enable high-quality, scalable video optimization.”

    Learn more about how The Future of Video Compression is AI-Driven at GTC.

    About Beamr

    Beamr (Nasdaq: BMR) is a world leader in content-adaptive video optimization and modernization. The company serves top media companies like Netflix and Paramount. Beamr’s inventive perceptual optimization technology (CABR) is backed by 53 patents and won the Emmy® award for Technology and Engineering. The innovative technology reduces video file size by up to 50% while guaranteeing quality.

    Beamr Cloud is a high-performance, GPU-based video optimization and modernization service designed for businesses and video professionals across diverse industries. It is conveniently available to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) customers. Beamr Cloud enables video modernization to advanced formats such as AV1 and HEVC, and is ready for video AI workflows. For more details, please visit https://beamr.com/

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this communication may include, among other things, statements about Beamr’s strategic and business plans, technology, relationships, objectives and expectations for its business, the impact of trends on and interest in its business, intellectual property or product and its future results, operations and financial performance and condition. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, reference is made to the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including, but not limited to, the risks detailed in the Company’s annual report filed with the SEC on March 4, 2024 and in subsequent filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. 

    Investor Contact:

    investorrelations@beamr.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Beam Global (Europe) Announces Record Orders in the First Two Months of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Beam Global, (Nasdaq: BEEM), a leading provider of innovative and sustainable infrastructure solutions for the electrification of transportation and energy security, today announced record sales for the first two months of 2025, in Europe. Beam Global has achieved a 79% increase in new contracted orders in its European division, compared to the same period in 2024, demonstrating that the European market represents a significant growth and diversification opportunity for the Company.

    Since the beginning of the year, contracted product sales have increased to a new record, driven by strong demand for street lighting and other infrastructure products.

    “Our expansion into Europe has created opportunities for sales growth, both in our renewably energized EV charging and energy security products, as well as in our smart cities and street lighting portfolios,” said Desmond Wheatley, CEO of Beam Global. “While the new administration has created uncertainty around U.S. government EV adoption, EV sales were actually up 30% in the U.S. in January compared to 2024, according to Cox Automotive, and 34% in Europe, according to EuroNews. We intend to focus heavily on growing sales through our European operations while continuing to support the growth of EV charging requirements in the U.S. Congratulations to our European team for setting this new January and February sales record.”

    To foster growth and diversify revenue streams beyond the U.S, Beam Global is expanding its European presence through aggressive sales strategies. Most recently, Beam Global CEO, Desmond Wheatley, along with members of the European sales team, met with prospective customers, government officials, airport representatives, EV charging and e-bike sharing companies, and others in the UK, France, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Greece.

    Greater Europe represents the largest automobile market in the world, with over 405 million cars. A 2035 EU mandate bans the sale of internal combustion vehicles in less than ten years, while the EU also mandated a reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions of at least 55% by 2030. As a result, interest in Beam Global’s innovative and sustainable EV ARC™, BeamSpot™ BeamBike™ and BeamPatrol™ products are growing significantly in the region.

    About Beam Global
    Beam Global is a clean technology innovator which develops and manufactures sustainable infrastructure products and technologies. We operate at the nexus of clean energy and transportation with a focus on sustainable energy infrastructure, rapidly deployed and scalable EV charging solutions, safe energy storage and vital energy security. With operations in the U.S. and Europe, Beam Global develops, patents, designs, engineers and manufactures unique and advanced clean technology solutions that power transportation, provide secure sources of electricity, save time and money and protect the environment. Beam Global is headquartered in San Diego, CA with facilities in Chicago, IL and Belgrade and Kraljevo, Serbia. Beam Global is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol BEEM. For more information visit BeamForAll.comLinkedInYouTube, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This Beam Global Press Release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements in this Press Release other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “goal,” “will,” “should,” “may,” or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or results. These statements relate to future events or future results of operations. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause Beam Global’s actual results to be materially different from these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by law, Beam Global expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

    Media Contact
    Andy Lovsted
    +1-858-335-8465
    Press@BeamForAll.com

    Investor Relations
    Luke Higgins
    +1-858-799-4583
    IR@BeamForAll.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: OTC Markets Group Welcomes Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. to OTCQX

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced that Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (OTCQX: LICYF), a leading global lithium-ion battery resource recovery company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. previously traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

    Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol “LICYF.” U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

    Trading on the OTCQX Market offers companies efficient, cost-effective access to the U.S. capital markets. Streamlined market requirements for OTCQX are designed to help companies lower the cost and complexity of being publicly traded, while providing transparent trading for their investors. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

    “We are pleased to start trading on OTCQX, which is expected to reduce our costs while continuing to provide us efficient access to U.S. capital markets,” said Ajay Kochhar, Li-Cycle President and CEO. “We remain focused on providing value for all stakeholders and advancing our key priorities, which include securing a complete funding package for our Rochester Hub project and satisfying funding conditions for first advance under our U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) loan facility. With our finalized DOE loan facility, top-tier partnerships across the global critical minerals and lithium-ion battery supply chains, and patented Spoke & Hub Technologies™, Li-Cycle plays an important role in strengthening the U.S. energy industry due to our ability to domestically produce critical minerals.”

    About Li-Cycle Holdings Corp.
    Li-Cycle is a leading global lithium-ion battery resource recovery company. Established in 2016, and with major customers and partners around the world, Li-Cycle’s mission is to recover critical battery-grade materials to create a domestic closed-loop battery supply chain for a clean energy future. The Company leverages its innovative, sustainable and patent-protected Spoke & Hub Technologies™ to recycle all different types of lithium-ion batteries. At our Spokes, or pre-processing facilities, we recycle battery manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries to produce black mass, a powder-like substance which contains a number of valuable metals, including lithium, nickel and cobalt. At our future Hubs, or post-processing facilities, we plan to process black mass to produce critical battery-grade materials, including lithium carbonate, for the lithium-ion battery supply chain.

    About OTC Markets Group Inc.
    OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX® Best Market, OTCQB® Venture Market and Pink® Open Market.

    Our OTC Link® Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

    OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN and OTC Link NQB are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

    To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

    Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

    Media Contact:
    OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: POET Wins Lightwave Award for Its Outstanding AI Hardware Technology

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Company“) (TSX Venture: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), a leader in the design and implementation of highly integrated optical engines and light sources for Artificial Intelligence networks, today announced that it was the recipient of another prestigious award. Lightwave+BTR Innovation Reviews, a recognized authority in the optoelectronics industry, named POET as an Elite Score recipient for its 2025 awards.

    The publication, which recognizes excellence in a product or technology applicable to optical networks, singled out the POET Optical Interposer™ for the honor. A panel of judges, comprised of experts from the optical communications and broadband communities, awarded POET in the Optical Transceiver and Transponder category.

    “On behalf of the Lightwave+BTR Innovation Reviews, I would like to congratulate POET on achieving a well-deserved level honoree status. This competitive program enables Lightwave+BTR to showcase and applaud the most innovative products, projects, technologies, and programs that significantly impact the industry,” commented Lightwave+BTR Editor-in-Chief Sean Buckley.

    Lightwave+BTR will present POET with the award statue during the 2025 OFC Conference in San Francisco (March 31-April 3). 

    “The Lightwave+BTR honor is another in a growing list of indicators that our platform technology and the innovation it brings is gaining more attention from within our industry,” stated POET Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Suresh Venkatesan. “We are seeing strong interest from new and existing customers precisely because of the reasons that the Lightwave+BTR panelists identify. The POET Optical Interposer provides costs savings, power efficiency, and superior performance as the industry rapidly moves toward speeds of 1.6Tbps and higher.”

    The accolade is the fourth award that POET has received in the past eight months. The others include the AI Breakthrough Award for “Best Optical AI Solution”, Global Tech’s “Best in Artificial Intelligence” award and the Gold Medal from the Merit Awards as “AI Innovator of the Year”.

    Lightwave+BTR judges reviewed entries based on the following criteria:

    • Originality
    • Innovation
    • Positive impact on the customer
    • How well it addresses a new or existing requirement
    • Novelty of approach
    • Cost-effectiveness.

    The POET Optical Interposer is the foundation for the Company’s highly integrated silicon-based optical engines and light sources that are designed to power AI hardware applications and data center hyperscalers to the next level of speed and performance.

    Along with the Lightwave+BTR recognition, POET has also been featured in a number of other industry outlets since the beginning of 2025, including:

    About POET Technologies Inc.
    POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical modules, optical engines and light source products to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers. POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET’s Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems. POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges in 5G networks, machine-to-machine communication, self-contained “Edge” computing applications and sensing applications, such as LIDAR systems for autonomous vehicles. POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Allentown, PA, Shenzhen, China, and Singapore. More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com.


    About Lightwave+BTR

    Bringing over 36 years of trusted technical insights to today’s optical communications professionals. Through our integrated media portfolio, Lightwave delivers content focused on fiber optics and optoelectronics, the technologies that enable the growth, integration and improved performance of voice, data and video communications networks and services. Our experienced editorial team provides trusted technology, application and market insights to corporate executives, department heads, project managers, network engineers and technical managers at equipment suppliers, service providers and major end-user organizations. Our unique ability to inform our audience’s business-critical decisions is based in our 35+ year relationship with the entire optical community—technology vendors, communications carriers and major enterprises—and our recognition of the interplay among its members. Lightwave’s media portfolio includes the Lightwave Direct email newsletter and LightwaveOnline magazine.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This news release contains “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “potential”, “estimate”, “propose”, “project”, “outlook”, “foresee” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include the Company’s expectations with respect to the success of the Company’s product development efforts, the performance of its products, operations, meeting revenue targets, and the expectation of continued success in the financing efforts, the capability, functionality, performance and cost of the Company’s technology as well as the market acceptance, inclusion and timing of the Company’s technology in current and future products and expectations regarding its successful development of high speed transceiver solutions and its penetration of the Artificial Intelligence hardware markets.

    Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the completion of its development efforts with its customers, the ability to build working prototypes to the customer’s specifications, and the size, future growth and needs of Artificial Intelligence network suppliers. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the failure to produce optical engines on time and within budget, the failure of Artificial Intelligence networks to continue to grow as expected, the failure of the Company’s products to meet performance requirements for AI and datacom networks, operational risks in the completion of the Company’s projects, the ability of the Company to generate sales for its products, and the ability of its customers to deploy systems that incorporate the Company’s products. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Company’s securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Company can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by law.

    Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
    120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2 – Tel: 416-368-9411 – Fax: 416-322-5075

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Outbrain Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Reports another quarter of accelerated growth and profitability, achieved Q4 guidance on Ex TAC gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA, and generated strong cash flow

    Closed acquisition of Teads in February 2025; Combined company operating under the name Teads

    NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Outbrain Inc. (Nasdaq: OB), which is operating under the new Teads brand, announced today financial results for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024.

    Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Key Financial Metrics:

      Three Months Ended
    December 31,
      Twelve Months Ended
    December 31,
    (in millions USD)   2024       2023     % Change     2024       2023     % Change
    Revenue $ 234.6     $ 248.2       (5 )%   $ 889.9     $ 935.8       (5 )%
    Gross profit   56.1       53.2       5  %     192.1       184.8       4  %
    Net (loss) income   (0.2 )     4.1       (104 )%     (0.7 )     10.2       (107 )%
    Net cash provided by operating activities   42.7       25.5       67 %     68.6       13.7       399  %
                                   
    Non-GAAP Financial Data*                              
    Ex-TAC gross profit   68.3       63.8       7  %     236.1       227.4       4  %
    Adjusted EBITDA   17.0       14.0       21  %     37.3       28.5       31  %
    Adjusted net income (loss)   3.5       4.3       (20 )%     4.1       (3.9 )     205  %
    Free cash flow   37.6       21.0       79  %     51.3       (6.5 )   NM

    _____________________________

    NM Not meaningful

    * See non-GAAP reconciliations below

    “Continued momentum in our growth areas helped drive accelerated growth and profitability, with a record level of cash flow” said David Kostman, CEO of Outbrain.

    “A few weeks post closing of our merger with Teads, I am even more excited about combining the category-leading branding and performance capabilities of Outbrain and Teads into one of the largest Open Internet platforms. We believe the new Teads will better serve enterprise brands and agencies, as well as mid-market and direct response advertisers, by delivering elevated outcomes from branding to performance across curated, quality media environments from digital to CTV,” added Kostman.

    Recent Developments

    On February 3, 2025, we completed the acquisition of Teads, for total value of approximately $900 million, comprised of $625 million in cash and 43.75 million shares of Outbrain common stock. The combined company will operate under the name Teads.

    In connection with the acquisition:

    • On February 3, 2025, entered into a credit agreement with Goldman Sachs Bank, U.S. Bank Trust Company, and certain other lenders, which provided, among other things, for a new $100.0 million super senior secured revolving credit facility maturing on February 3, 2030, which may be used for working capital and other general corporate purposes.
    • On February 11, 2025, completed the private offering of $637.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 10.0% senior secured notes due 2030 at an issue price of 98.087% of the principal amount in a transaction exempt from registration. The proceeds were used, together with cash on hand, to repay in full and cancel a bridge credit facility used to finance the cash consideration paid at closing.
    • Terminated the existing revolving credit facility with the Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank & Trust Company, dated as of November 2, 2021.
    • We expect to realize approximately $65 million to $75 million of annual synergies in 2026 with further opportunities for expanded synergies. Of this amount, approximately $60 million relates to cost synergies, including approximately $45 million of compensation-related expenses, with approximately 70% of the estimated compensation-related synergies already actioned in February.

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Business Highlights:

    • Continued acceleration of year-over-year growth of Ex-TAC gross profit, improvement in Ex-TAC gross margin, and growth in Adjusted EBITDA.
    • Fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year RPM growth.
    • Strong initial reception of our Moments offering, launched in Q3 and live on over 40 publishers, including New York Post, NewsCorp Australia, RTL and Rolling Stone.
    • Continued growth in advertiser spend on Outbrain DSP (previously known as Zemanta), by approximately 45% in FY 2024, as compared to the prior year.
    • Continued supply expansion outside of traditional feed product representing approximately 30% of our revenue in Q4 2024, versus 26% in Q4 2023.
    • Premium supply competitive wins include Penske Media (US) and Prensa Ibérica (Spain), and renewals including Spiegel (Germany), Il Messaggero (Italy), and Grape (Japan).

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights:

    • Revenue of $234.6 million, a decrease of $13.6 million, or 5%, compared to $248.2 million in the prior year period, including net unfavorable foreign currency effects of approximately $1.8 million.
    • Gross profit of $56.1 million, an increase of $2.9 million, or 5%, compared to $53.2 million in the prior year period. Gross margin increased 250 basis points to 23.9%, compared to 21.4% in the prior year period.
    • Ex-TAC gross profit of $68.3 million, an increase of $4.5 million, or 7%, compared to $63.8 million in the prior year period, as lower revenue was more than offset by our Ex-TAC gross margin improvement of approximately 340 basis points to 29.1%, compared to 25.7% in the prior year period.
    • Net loss of $0.2 million, compared to net income of $4.1 million in the prior year period. Net loss in the current period includes acquisition-related costs of $3.6 million, net of taxes.
    • Adjusted net income of $3.5 million, compared to adjusted net income of $4.3 million in the prior year period.
    • Adjusted EBITDA of $17.0 million, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $14.0 million in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA included net unfavorable foreign currency effects of approximately $0.8 million.
    • Generated net cash provided by operating activities of $42.7 million, compared to $25.5 million in the prior year period. Free cash flow was $37.6 million, as compared to $21.0 million in the prior year period.
    • Cash, cash equivalents and investments in marketable securities were $166.1 million, comprised of cash and cash equivalents of $89.1 million and short-term investments in marketable securities of $77.0 million as of December 31, 2024.

    Full Year 2024 Financial Results:

    • Revenue of $889.9 million, a decrease of $45.9 million, or 5%, compared to $935.8 million in the prior year period, including net unfavorable foreign currency effects of approximately $2.4 million.
    • Gross profit of $192.1 million, an increase of $7.3 million, or 4%, compared to $184.8 million in the prior year period, including net unfavorable foreign currency effects of approximately $1.3 million. Gross margin increased 190 basis points to 21.6% in 2024, compared to 19.7% in 2023.
    • Ex-TAC gross profit of $236.1 million, an increase of $8.7 million, or 4%, compared to $227.4 million in the prior year period, including net unfavorable foreign currency effects of approximately $1.3 million.
    • Net loss of $0.7 million, including net one-time expenses of $4.8 million, compared to net income of $10.2 million, including net one-time benefits of $14.1 million in the prior year. See non-GAAP reconciliations below for details of one-time items.
    • Adjusted net income of $4.1 million, compared to adjusted net loss of $3.9 million in the prior year.
    • Adjusted EBITDA of $37.3 million, compared to $28.5 million in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA included net unfavorable foreign currency effects of approximately $1.2 million.
    • Generated net cash provided by operating activities of $68.6 million, compared to net cash provided $13.7 million in the prior year. Free cash flow was $51.3 million, compared to a use of cash of $6.5 million in the prior year.

    Share Repurchases:

    There were no share repurchases during the three months ended December 31, 2024. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, we repurchased 1,410,001 shares for $5.8 million, including related costs, under our $30 million stock repurchase program authorized in December 2022. The remaining availability under the repurchase program was $6.6 million as of December 31, 2024.

    2025 Full Year and First Quarter Guidance

    The following forward-looking statements reflect our expectations for 2025, including the contribution from Teads.

    For the first quarter ending March 31, 2025, which includes the results for the legacy Outbrain business plus the addition of operating results for legacy Teads beginning on February 3, 2025, we expect:

    • Ex-TAC gross profit of $100 million to $105 million
    • Adjusted EBITDA of $8 million to $12 million

    For the full year ending December 31, 2025, we expect:

    • Adjusted EBITDA of at least $180 million

    The above measures are forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures for which a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is not available without unreasonable efforts. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below. In addition, our guidance is subject to risks and uncertainties, as outlined below in this release.

    Conference Call and Webcast Information

    Outbrain will host an investor conference call this morning, Thursday, February 27 at 8:30 am ET. Interested parties are invited to listen to the conference call which can be accessed live by phone by dialing 1-877-497-9071 or for international callers, 1-201-689-8727. A replay will be available two hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-660-6853, or for international callers, 1-201-612-7415. The passcode for the live call and the replay is 13750872. The replay will be available until March 13, 2025. Interested investors and other parties may also listen to a simultaneous webcast of the conference call by logging onto the Investors Relations section of the Company’s website at https://investors.outbrain.com. The online replay will be available for a limited time shortly following the call.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    In addition to GAAP performance measures, we use the following supplemental non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends, and allocate our resources: Ex-TAC gross profit, Ex-TAC gross margin, Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow, adjusted net income (loss), and adjusted diluted EPS. These non-GAAP financial measures are defined and reconciled to the corresponding GAAP measures below. These non-GAAP financial measures are subject to significant limitations, including those we identify below. In addition, other companies in our industry may define these measures differently, which may reduce their usefulness as comparative measures. As a result, this information should be considered as supplemental in nature and is not meant as a substitute for revenue, gross profit, net income (loss), diluted EPS, or cash flows from operating activities presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

    Because we are a global company, the comparability of our operating results is affected by foreign exchange fluctuations. We calculate certain constant currency measures and foreign currency impacts by translating the current year’s reported amounts into comparable amounts using the prior year’s exchange rates. All constant currency financial information that may be presented is non-GAAP and should be used as a supplement to our reported operating results. We believe that this information is helpful to our management and investors to assess our operating performance on a comparable basis. However, these measures are not intended to replace amounts presented in accordance with GAAP and may be different from similar measures calculated by other companies.

    The Company is also providing fourth quarter and full year guidance. These forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures are calculated based on internal forecasts that omit certain amounts that would be included in GAAP financial measures. The Company has not provided quantitative reconciliations of these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures because it is unable, without unreasonable effort, to predict with reasonable certainty the occurrence or amount of all excluded items that may arise during the forward-looking period, which can be dependent on future events that may not be reliably predicted. Such excluded items could be material to the reported results individually or in the aggregate.

    Ex-TAC Gross Profit

    Ex-TAC gross profit is a non-GAAP financial measure. Gross profit is the most comparable GAAP measure. In calculating Ex-TAC gross profit, we add back other cost of revenue to gross profit. Ex-TAC gross profit may fluctuate in the future due to various factors, including, but not limited to, seasonality and changes in the number of media partners and advertisers, advertiser demand or user engagements.

    We present Ex-TAC gross profit, Ex-TAC gross margin (calculated as Ex-TAC gross profit as a percentage of revenue), and Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of Ex-TAC gross profit, because they are key profitability measures used by our management and board of directors to understand and evaluate our operating performance and trends, develop short-term and long-term operational plans, and make strategic decisions regarding the allocation of capital. Accordingly, we believe that these measures provide information to investors and the market in understanding and evaluating our operating results in the same manner as our management and board of directors. There are limitations on the use of Ex-TAC gross profit in that traffic acquisition cost is a significant component of our total cost of revenue but not the only component and, by definition, Ex-TAC gross profit presented for any period will be higher than gross profit for that period. A potential limitation of this non-GAAP financial measure is that other companies, including companies in our industry, which have a similar business, may define Ex-TAC gross profit differently, which may make comparisons difficult. As a result, this information should be considered as supplemental in nature and is not meant as a substitute for revenue or gross profit presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

    Adjusted EBITDA

    We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before gain on convertible debt; interest expense; interest income and other income (expense), net; provision for income taxes; depreciation and amortization; stock-based compensation; and other income or expenses that we do not consider indicative of our core operating performance, including but not limited to, merger and acquisition costs, regulatory matter costs, and severance costs related to our cost saving initiatives. We present Adjusted EBITDA as a supplemental performance measure because it is a key profitability measure used by our management and board of directors to understand and evaluate our operating performance and trends, develop short-term and long-term operational plans and make strategic decisions regarding the allocation of capital, and we believe it facilitates operating performance comparisons from period to period.

    We believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results in the same manner as our management and board of directors. However, our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA is not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP information of other companies. Adjusted EBITDA should be considered as a supplemental measure and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for any measures of our financial performance that are calculated and reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

    Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Diluted EPS

    Adjusted net income (loss) is a non-GAAP financial measure, which is defined as net income (loss) excluding items that we do not consider indicative of our core operating performance, including but not limited to gain on convertible debt, merger and acquisition costs, regulatory matter costs, and severance costs related to our cost saving initiatives. Adjusted net income (loss), as defined above, is also presented on a per diluted share basis. We present adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted diluted EPS as supplemental performance measures because we believe they facilitate performance comparisons from period to period. However, adjusted net income (loss) or adjusted diluted EPS should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income (loss) or diluted earnings per share reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

    Free Cash Flow

    Free cash flow is defined as cash flow provided by (used in) operating activities less capital expenditures and capitalized software development costs. Free cash flow is a supplementary measure used by our management and board of directors to evaluate our ability to generate cash and we believe it allows for a more complete analysis of our available cash flows. Free cash flow should be considered as a supplemental measure and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for any measures of our financial performance that are calculated and reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements generally relating to possible or assumed future results of our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, plans and objectives, and statements relating to our recently completed acquisition of Teads S.A., a public limited liability company(société anonyme) incorporated and existing under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“Teads”). You can generally identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “foresee,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions or are not statements of historical fact. We have based these forward- looking statements largely on our expectations and projections regarding future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors including, but not limited to: the ability of Outbrain to successfully integrate Teads or manage the combined business effectively; our ability to realize anticipated benefits and synergies of the acquisition, including, among other things, operating efficiencies, revenue synergies and other cost savings; our due diligence investigation of Teads may be inadequate or risks related to Teads’ business may materialize; unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the acquisition; the outcome of any securities litigation, stockholder derivative or other litigation related to the acquisition; our ability to raise additional financing in the future to fund our operations, which may not be available to us on favorable terms or at all; the volatility of the market price of our common stock and any drop in the market price of our common stock following the acquisition; our ability to attract and retain customers, management and other key personnel; overall advertising demand and traffic generated by our media partners; factors that affect advertising demand and spending, such as the continuation or worsening of unfavorable economic or business conditions or downturns, instability or volatility in financial markets, and other events or factors outside of our control, such as U.S. and global recession concerns, geopolitical concerns, including the ongoing war between Ukraine-Russia and conditions in Israel and the Middle East, tariffs and trade wars, supply chain issues, inflationary pressures, labor market volatility, bank closures or disruptions, the impact of challenging economic conditions, political and policy changes or uncertainties in connection with the new U.S. presidential administration, and other factors that have and may further impact advertisers’ ability to pay; our ability to continue to innovate, and adoption by our advertisers and media partners of our expanding solutions; the success of our sales and marketing investments, which may require significant investments and may involve long sales cycles; our ability to grow our business and manage growth effectively; our ability to compete effectively against current and future competitors; the loss or decline of one or more of our large media partners, and our ability to expand our advertiser and media partner relationships; conditions in Israel, including the sustainability of the recent cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and any conflicts with other terrorist organizations; our ability to maintain our revenues or profitability despite quarterly fluctuations in our results, whether due to seasonality, large cyclical events, or other causes; the risk that our research and development efforts may not meet the demands of a rapidly evolving technology market; any failure of our recommendation engine to accurately predict attention or engagement, any deterioration in the quality of our recommendations or failure to present interesting content to users or other factors which may cause us to experience a decline in user engagement or loss of media partners; limits on our ability to collect, use and disclose data to deliver advertisements; our ability to extend our reach into evolving digital media platforms; our ability to maintain and scale our technology platform; our ability to meet demands on our infrastructure and resources due to future growth or otherwise; our failure or the failure of third parties to protect our sites, networks and systems against security breaches, or otherwise to protect the confidential information of us or our partners; outages or disruptions that impact us or our service providers, resulting from cyber incidents, or failures or loss of our infrastructure; significant fluctuations in currency exchange rates; political and regulatory risks in the various markets in which we operate; the challenges of compliance with differing and changing regulatory requirements; the timing and execution of any cost-saving measures and the impact on our business or strategy; and the risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended December 31, 2023, in our definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on October 31, 2024 and in subsequent reports filed with the SEC. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as an indication of future performance. We cannot assure you that the results, events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation and do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise, except as required by law.

    About The Combined Company

    Outbrain Inc. (Nasdaq: OB) and Teads combined on February 3, 2025 and are operating under the new Teads brand. The new Teads is the omnichannel outcomes platform for the open internet, driving full-funnel results for marketers across premium media. With a focus on meaningful business outcomes, the combined company ensures value is driven with every media dollar by leveraging predictive AI technology to connect quality media, beautiful brand creative, and context-driven addressability and measurement. One of the most scaled advertising platforms on the open internet, the new Teads is directly partnered with more than 10,000 publishers and 20,000 advertisers globally. The company is headquartered in New York, with a global team of nearly 1,800 people in 36 countries.

    Media Contact

    press@outbrain.com

    Investor Relations Contact

    IR@outbrain.com

    (332) 205-8999

    OUTBRAIN INC.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (In thousands, except for share and per share data)
     
      Three Months Ended
    December 31,
      Twelve Months Ended
    December 31,
        2024       2023       2024       2023  
      (Unaudited)
    Revenue $ 234,586     $ 248,229     $ 889,875     $ 935,818  
    Cost of revenue:              
    Traffic acquisition costs   166,247       184,425       653,731       708,449  
    Other cost of revenue   12,277       10,572       44,042       42,571  
    Total cost of revenue   178,524       194,997       697,773       751,020  
    Gross profit   56,062       53,232       192,102       184,798  
    Operating expenses:            
    Research and development   9,434       8,369       37,080       36,402  
    Sales and marketing   25,736       25,254       97,498       98,370  
    General and administrative   18,357       13,899       70,162       58,665  
    Total operating expenses   53,527       47,522       204,740       193,437  
    Income (loss) from operations   2,535       5,710       (12,638 )     (8,639 )
    Other income (expense), net:              
    Gain on convertible debt               8,782       22,594  
    Interest expense   (699 )     (965 )     (3,649 )     (5,393 )
    Interest income and other income, net   1,522       2,060       9,209       7,793  
    Total other income, net   823       1,095       14,342       24,994  
    Income before income taxes   3,358       6,805       1,704       16,355  
    Provision for income taxes   3,525       2,748       2,415       6,113  
    Net (loss) income $ (167 )   $ 4,057     $ (711 )   $ 10,242  
                   
    Weighted average shares outstanding:              
    Basic   49,767,704       50,076,364       49,321,301       50,900,422  
    Diluted   49,767,704       50,108,460       52,709,356       56,965,299  
                   
    Net income (loss) per common share:              
    Basic $ 0.00     $ 0.08     $ (0.01 )   $ 0.20  
    Diluted $ 0.00     $ 0.08     $ (0.11 )   $ (0.06 )
    OUTBRAIN INC.
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (In thousands, except for number of shares and par value)
     
      December 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      (Unaudited)    
    ASSETS:      
    Current assets:      
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 89,094     $ 70,889  
    Short-term investments in marketable securities   77,035       94,313  
    Accounts receivable, net of allowances   149,167       189,334  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   27,835       47,240  
    Total current assets   343,131       401,776  
    Non-current assets:      
    Long-term investments in marketable securities         65,767  
    Property, equipment and capitalized software, net   45,250       42,461  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets, net   15,047       12,145  
    Intangible assets, net   16,928       20,396  
    Goodwill   63,063       63,063  
    Deferred tax assets   40,825       38,360  
    Other assets   24,969       20,669  
    TOTAL ASSETS $ 549,213     $ 664,637  
           
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:      
    Current liabilities:      
    Accounts payable $ 149,479     $ 150,812  
    Accrued compensation and benefits   19,430       18,620  
    Accrued and other current liabilities   113,630       119,703  
    Deferred revenue   6,932       8,486  
    Total current liabilities   289,471       297,621  
    Non-current liabilities:      
    Long-term debt         118,000  
    Operating lease liabilities, non-current   11,783       9,217  
    Other liabilities   16,616       16,735  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES $ 317,870     $ 441,573  
           
    STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:      
    Common stock, par value of $0.001 per share − one billion shares authorized; 63,503,274 shares issued and 50,090,114 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2024; 61,567,520 shares issued and 49,726,518 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2023   64       62  
    Preferred stock, par value of $0.001 per share − 100,000,000 shares authorized, none issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023          
    Additional paid-in capital   484,541       468,525  
    Treasury stock, at cost − 13,413,160 shares as of December 31, 2024 and 11,841,002 shares as of December 31, 2023   (74,289 )     (67,689 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (9,480 )     (9,052 )
    Accumulated deficit   (169,493 )     (168,782 )
    TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY   231,343       223,064  
    TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY $ 549,213     $ 664,637  
    OUTBRAIN INC.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (In thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended December 31,   Twelve Months Ended December 31,
        2024       2023       2024       2023  
      (Unaudited)
    CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:              
    Net (loss) income $ (167 )   $ 4,057     $ (711 )   $ 10,242  
    Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:              
    Gain on convertible debt               (8,782 )     (22,594 )
    Stock-based compensation   3,974       2,988       15,461       12,141  
    Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment   1,658       1,720       6,312       6,915  
    Amortization of capitalized software development costs   2,477       2,372       9,758       9,633  
    Amortization of intangible assets   850       853       3,409       4,154  
    Provision for credit losses   55       1,931       3,006       8,008  
    Non-cash operating lease expense   1,305       1,092       5,130       4,453  
    Deferred income taxes   (664 )     (1,478 )     (5,095 )     (4,312 )
    Amortization of discount on marketable securities   (396 )     (729 )     (2,235 )     (3,604 )
    Other   665       (483 )     47       (717 )
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:              
    Accounts receivable   4,471       (16,939 )     35,905       (12,946 )
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets   9,291       2,409       18,412       843  
    Accounts payable and other current liabilities   18,867       27,127       (11,696 )     (1,228 )
    Operating lease liabilities   (1,223 )     (1,018 )     (5,092 )     (4,297 )
    Deferred revenue   555       1,524       (1,496 )     1,621  
    Other non-current assets and liabilities   945       51       6,228       5,434  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   42,663       25,477       68,561       13,746  
                   
    CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:              
    Acquisition of a business, net of cash acquired         (77 )     (181 )     (389 )
    Purchases of property and equipment   (2,712 )     (2,257 )     (7,380 )     (10,127 )
    Capitalized software development costs   (2,321 )     (2,243 )     (9,913 )     (10,107 )
    Purchases of marketable securities   (34,436 )     (44,658 )     (90,602 )     (131,543 )
    Proceeds from sales and maturities of marketable securities   31,068       35,228       175,325       221,878  
    Other   (15 )     (63 )     (96 )     (72 )
    Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities   (8,416 )     (14,070 )     67,153       69,640  
                   
    CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:              
    Repayment of long-term debt obligations               (109,740 )     (96,170 )
    Payment of deferred financing costs   (598 )           (1,099 )      
    Treasury stock repurchases and share withholdings on vested awards   (210 )     (5,270 )     (6,600 )     (18,521 )
    Principal payments on finance lease obligations         (353 )     (263 )     (1,830 )
    Payment of contingent consideration liability up to acquisition-date fair value                     (547 )
    Net cash used in financing activities   (808 )     (5,623 )     (117,702 )     (117,068 )
                   
    Effect of exchange rate changes   (1,400 )     564       634       (1,004 )
                   
    Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 32,039     $ 6,348     $ 18,646     $ (34,686 )
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash — Beginning   57,686       64,731       71,079       105,765  
    Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash — Ending $ 89,725     $ 71,079     $ 89,725     $ 71,079  
    OUTBRAIN INC.
    Non-GAAP Reconciliations
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)
     

    The following table presents the reconciliation of Gross profit to Ex-TAC gross profit and Ex-TAC gross margin, for the periods presented:

    Three Months Ended December 31,   Twelve Months Ended December 31,
      2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Revenue $ 234,586     $ 248,229     $ 889,875     $ 935,818  
    Traffic acquisition costs   (166,247 )     (184,425 )     (653,731 )     (708,449 )
    Other cost of revenue   (12,277 )     (10,572 )     (44,042 )     (42,571 )
    Gross profit   56,062       53,232       192,102       184,798  
    Other cost of revenue   12,277       10,572       44,042       42,571  
    Ex-TAC gross profit $ 68,339     $ 63,804     $ 236,144     $ 227,369  
                   
    Gross margin (gross profit as % of revenue)   23.9 %     21.4 %     21.6 %     19.7 %
    Ex-TAC gross margin (Ex-TAC gross profit as % of revenue)   29.1 %     25.7 %     26.5 %     24.3 %

    The following table presents the reconciliation of net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA, for the periods presented:

    Three Months Ended December 31,   Twelve Months Ended December 31,
      2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net (loss) income $ (167 )   $ 4,057     $ (711 )   $ 10,242  
    Interest expense   699       965       3,649       5,393  
    Interest income and other income, net   (1,522 )     (2,060 )     (9,209 )     (7,793 )
    Gain on convertible debt               (8,782 )     (22,594 )
    Provision for income taxes   3,525       2,748       2,415       6,113  
    Depreciation and amortization   4,985       4,945       19,479       20,702  
    Stock-based compensation   3,974       2,988       15,461       12,141  
    Regulatory matter costs                     742  
    Acquisition-related costs   5,469             14,256        
    Severance and related costs         361       742       3,509  
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 16,963     $ 14,004     $ 37,300     $ 28,455  
                   
    Net (loss) income as % of gross profit   (0.3 )%     7.6 %     (0.4 )%     5.5 %
    Adjusted EBITDA as % of Ex-TAC Gross Profit   24.8 %     21.9 %     15.8 %     12.5 %

    The following table presents the reconciliation of net income (loss) and diluted EPS to adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted diluted EPS, respectively, for the periods presented:

    Three Months Ended December 31,   Twelve Months Ended December 31,
      2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net loss (income) $ (167 )   $ 4,057     $ (711 )   $ 10,242  
    Adjustments:              
    Gain on convertible debt               (8,782 )     (22,594 )
    Regulatory matter costs                     742  
    Acquisition-related costs   5,469             14,256        
    Severance and related costs         361       742       3,509  
    Total adjustments, before tax   5,469       361       6,216       (18,343 )
    Income tax effect   (1,844 )     (97 )     (1,438 )     4,234  
    Total adjustments, after tax   3,625       264       4,778       (14,109 )
    Adjusted net income (loss) $ 3,458     $ 4,321     $ 4,067     $ (3,867 )
                   
    Basic weighted-average shares, as reported   49,767,704       50,076,364       49,321,301       50,900,422  
    Restricted stock units   793,713       32,096       519,729        
    Adjusted diluted weighted average shares   50,561,417       50,108,460       49,841,030       50,900,422  
                   
    Diluted net income (loss) per share – reported $     $ 0.08     $ (0.11 )   $ (0.06 )
    Adjustments, after tax   0.07       0.01       0.19       (0.02 )
    Diluted net income (loss) per share – adjusted $ 0.07     $ 0.09     $ 0.08     $ (0.08 )

    The following table presents the reconciliation of net cash provided by (used in) operating activities to free cash flow, for the periods presented:

      Three Months Ended December 31,   Twelve Months Ended December 31,
        2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net cash provided by operating activities $ 42,663     $ 25,477     $ 68,561     $ 13,746  
    Purchases of property and equipment   (2,712 )     (2,257 )     (7,380 )     (10,127 )
    Capitalized software development costs   (2,321 )     (2,243 )     (9,913 )     (10,107 )
    Free cash flow $ 37,630     $ 20,977     $ 51,268     $ (6,488 )

    Teads
    Non-IFRS Reconciliations
    (In thousands)
    (Unaudited)

    The below information is presented for informational purposes only. The acquisition of Teads closed in February 2025. Therefore, its results are not included in Outbrain Inc.’s consolidated results of operations for any periods in 2024. The following is a summary of Teads’ non-IFRS financial measures, as calculated based on Teads’ historical financial statements, which we may publicly present from time to time, and which differ from US GAAP. Non-IFRS financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, Teads’ historical financial results prepared in accordance with IFRS. The financial information set forth below for the three months and twelve months ended December 31, 2024 is preliminary and is subject to change. Actual financial results may differ from these preliminary estimates due to the completion of Teads’ annual audit and are subject to adjustments and other developments that may arise before such results are finalized.

    Ex-TAC Gross Profit is defined as gross profit plus other cost of revenue. The following table presents the reconciliation of Ex-TAC Gross Profit to gross profit for the periods presented:

    Three Months
    Ended
    March 31,
    2024
      Three Months
    Ended
    June 30,
    2024
      Three Months
    Ended
    September 30,
    2024
      Three Months
    Ended
    December 31,
    2024
      Twelve Months
    Ended
    December 31,
    2024
    (in thousands)
    Revenue $ 125,372     $ 153,734     $ 149,376     $ 188,953     $ 617,435  
    Traffic acquisition costs   (46,939 )     (55,716 )     (59,085 )     (69,091 )     (230,831 )
    Other cost of revenue(a)   (26,387 )     (26,721 )     (26,865 )     (26,441 )     (106,414 )
    Gross profit   52,046       71,297       63,426       93,421       280,190  
    Other cost of revenue(a)   26,387       26,721       26,865       26,441       106,414  
    Ex-TAC Gross Profit $ 78,433     $ 98,018     $ 90,291     $ 119,862     $ 386,604  

    __________________________________
    (a) Other cost of revenue for Teads is subject to accounting policy alignment with Outbrain, with no impact to Ex-TAC Gross Profit included in the above table.

    Teads defines Adjusted EBITDA as profit (loss) for the year/period before income tax expense, finance costs, other financial income and expenses, depreciation and amortization, other expenses and income (capital gains, non-recurring litigation, restructuring costs) and share-based compensation. This may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Further, this measure should not be considered as an alternative for net income as the effects of income tax expense, finance costs, other financial income and expenses, depreciation and amortization, other expenses and income (such as severance costs, and merger and acquisition costs) and share-based compensation excluded from Adjusted EBITDA do affect the operating results. Teads believes that Adjusted EBITDA is a useful supplementary measure for evaluating the operating performance of Teads’ business. The following table provides a reconciliation of profit (loss) for the period to Adjusted EBITDA, the most directly comparable IFRS measure, for the periods presented:

    Three Months
    Ended
    March 31,
    2024
      Three Months
    Ended
    June 30,
    2024
      Three Months
    Ended
    September 30,
    2024
      Three Months
    Ended
    December 31,
    2024
      Twelve Months
    Ended
    December 31,
    2024
    (in thousands)
    (Loss) profit for the period   (36,551 )     23,323       32,933     $ 46,158     $ 65,863  
    Finance Costs   250       277       532       117       1,176  
    Other financial (income) and expenses   20,531       (12,432 )     (20,529 )     (19,967 )     (32,397 )
    Provision for income taxes   716       10,800       10,597       17,637       39,750  
    Depreciation and amortization   3,180       3,350       3,277       3,027       12,834  
    Share-based compensation   25,612       5,760       (3,284 )     (134 )     27,954  
    Severance costs   281       520       398       394       1,593  
    Merger and acquisition costs   323       763       (125 )     4,929       5,890  
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 14,342     $ 32,361     $ 23,799     $ 52,161     $ 122,663  

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