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Category: Machine Learning

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Top seven finalists announced for the Anti-Piracy Challenge under the Create in India Initiative of WAVES 2025

    Source: Government of India

    Top seven finalists announced for the Anti-Piracy Challenge under the Create in India Initiative of WAVES 2025

    Anti-Piracy Challenge receives overwhelming response from the industry and participants

    Over 1,600 registrations and 132 idea submissions from startups, technology providers, research institutions, and students across the country

    Posted On: 16 APR 2025 6:21PM by PIB Mumbai

    Mumbai, 16 April 2025

     

    The finalists of the Anti-Piracy Challenge, a pioneering initiative under the Create in India Challenge Season 1 of WAVES (World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit) 2025, has been announced. WAVE Summit is being organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India on May 1-4, 2025 in Mumbai.

    The Anti-Piracy Challenge, which aimed at fostering technological advancements in fingerprinting and watermarking solutions, received an overwhelming response from the industry and participants. Launched on September 12, 2024, the Challenge was conceived with a core objective— to promote Make in India technologies in the fight against digital piracy. The challenge witnessed participation with over 1,600 registrations and 132 idea submissions from startups, technology providers, research institutions, and students across the country. After a rigorous multi-stage screening and evaluation process, 15 ideas were shortlisted, and now, following in-depth assessments by an esteemed jury panel, 7 standout finalists have emerged for their breakthrough innovations in digital content security.

    The top seven finalists will present their solutions before the final jury and a live audience during the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, scheduled from 01–04 May 2025 at Jio Centre, Mumbai. The winners will be felicitated by at the Grand Finale of the Summit.

    Team Name

    Proposed Solution

    Brief Details on solution

    Aezowie Infotech Services Pvt. Ltd.

    StealthGuard

    An offline tool that embeds robust, hidden watermarks in media files, traceable even after

    compression or format changes.

    Atomstate

    Monk DB

    An      AI-native      vector       database         using fingerprinting and watermarking for real-time

    content verification and piracy detection.

    Nuronics

    NuroTrace

    A comprehensive video protection suite combining encryption, licensing certificates, access control, dynamic watermarking, and

    piracy detection.

    Guardians of Originality

    PirateX

    An advanced DRM and anti-piracy system

    designed to secure multimedia content from unauthorized access and illegal distribution.

    Hummingbird

    Tryambaka

    A blockchain-powered solution combining

    blind watermarking and cryptographic hashing for tamper-proof content protection.

    CipherCore

    Secure Fingerprint Steganography

    System (SFSS)

    A system that utilizes steganography and cryptographic techniques to embed secure fingerprints into digital media, enabling robust

    piracy prevention.

    WhiteHatLovers

    Shadow Stamp

    A marker-based tracking system using invisible,

    uniquely identifiable markers to monitor and trace digital content in real time.

     

    • Focused on advanced technologies such as fingerprinting, watermarking, blockchain, and steganography
    • Diverse participation from startups, students, and technology innovators
    • Judged by a distinguished jury comprising industry experts and technologists
    • Winning solutions to receive national recognition, mentorship, and industry collaboration opportunities

    In today’s fast-evolving media and entertainment landscape, protecting the security, integrity, and authenticity of digital content is more important than ever. The surge in digital media consumption has heightened the risk of piracy, unauthorized distribution, and content manipulation—posing serious challenges to content creators, distributors, and rights holders.

    A Media Partners Asia report estimates that 90 million users engaged in online video piracy in India in 2024, causing potential losses of USD 1.2 billion. Without effective robust anti-piracy interventions, this could rise to 158 million users by 2029.

    Rights holders and broadcasters increasingly rely on technological solutions to identify, disrupt,   and enforce their IP rights. However, criminal syndicates behind major piracy sites and services are continually adapting and obfuscating their infrastructure, making piracy detection and enforcement more complex than ever before.

    This competition, designed to foster technological innovation in fingerprinting and watermarking solutions, reflects the growing urgency to secure India’s digital ecosystem.

    The Anti-Piracy Challenge marks a significant milestone in India’s journey towards securing its digital future and encouraging indigenous innovation in critical technology domains.

    The Challenge organized by CII as part of WAVES was supported by IPHouse, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and Hack2Skill, who have played a pivotal role in the evaluation process and in facilitating industry engagement throughout the challenge.

     

    About WAVES

    The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), a milestone event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.

    Whether you’re an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator, the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.

    WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).

    Have questions? Find answers here

    Stay updated with the latest announcements from PIB Team WAVES

    Come, Sail with us! Register for WAVES now

     

    * * *

    PIB TEAM WAVES 2025 | Sriyanka/ Darshana | 96

    Follow us on social media: @PIBMumbai    /PIBMumbai     /pibmumbai   pibmumbai[at]gmail[dot]com  /PIBMumbai     /pibmumbai

    (Release ID: 2122186) Visitor Counter : 78

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Extension of last date to receive comments on TRAI Pre-Consultation Paper on ‘Review of existing TRAI Regulations on Interconnection matters’.

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 16 APR 2025 6:22PM by PIB Delhi

    Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had released a pre-consultation paper on ‘Review of existing TRAI Regulations on Interconnection matters’ on 03rd April, 2025. The last date for submission of inputs/ comments from the stakeholders on the pre-consultation paper was fixed as 16th April, 2025.

    Keeping in view the requests received from the stakeholders for extension of time for submission of inputs / comments on the above-mentioned pre-consultation paper, it has been decided to extend the last date for submission of inputs / comments up to 23rd April, 2025.

    The comments may be sent, preferably in electronic form, on the email-id adv-nsl1@trai.gov.in  

    For any clarification/ information, Shri Sameer Gupta, Advisor (Networks, Spectrum and Licensing-I), TRAI may be contacted at Tel. No. +91-11-20907752.

    ***

    Samrat/Allen

    (Release ID: 2122184) Visitor Counter : 67

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wicker, Colleagues Send Letter Calling for Reform to Biden AI Diffusion Rule

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) joined Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) in sending a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick regarding the Biden administration’s AI Diffusion Rule (AIDR). The letter highlights the need to withdraw Biden’s overly obstructive rule and propose an alternative before the May 15th compliance deadline. Implementing a new standard would help prevent the Chinese Communist Party from taking the lead in this emerging technology by focusing efforts on encouraging American companies to continue being pioneers in artificial intelligence innovation. The letter states:
    “We applaud President Trump’s commitment to ensuring American dominance in the tech sector. Today, we are in an enviable position: American companies dominate in crucial areas that will define tomorrow’s economy including semiconductor design, compute infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI). This leadership position has been hard fought. Maintaining and growing our tech lead requires diligently advancing an American-led, global ecosystem around the world.”
    “With the compliance deadline of May 15, 2025, rapidly approaching, immediate action is necessary to prevent irreversible damage to American innovation and competitiveness,” the letter continues. “Every day this rule remains in place, American companies face mounting uncertainty, stalled investments, and the risk of losing critical global partnerships that cannot be easily regained. Therefore, we urge you to withdraw this rule and propose an alternative that is effective in preventing Communist China from capturing the world market in a leading technology without compromising American advantages.”
    The letter was also signed by Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Ted Budd (R-NC), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL).
    Read the full letter here or below:  
    Dear Secretary Lutnick:
    We applaud President Trump’s commitment to ensuring American dominance in the tech sector. Today, we are in an enviable position: American companies dominate in crucial areas that will define tomorrow’s economy including semiconductor design, compute infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI). This leadership position has been hard fought. Maintaining and growing our tech lead requires diligently advancing an American-led, global ecosystem around the world.
    Concerningly, President Biden’s recently issued Artificial Intelligence Diffusion Rule (AIDR) threatens to undermine this leadership and advancement. Among other things, the rule categorizes countries into three tiers, imposing complex restrictions on the purchase of U.S. technology. Only Tier 1 countries—limited to just 18 nations—would have access to American technology. Even these 18 would only have access if they comply with a burdensome and ever-evolving set of federal regulations. The vast majority of nations fall into Tier 2. These countries face arbitrary purchase limits and a cumbersome licensing process to acquire U.S. computing technologies. Strikingly, key allies and partners like Israel have been inexplicably excluded from the top tier and placed into Tier 2. Tier 3 countries, including Communist China, are already rightly restricted.
    While the AIDR claims to provide secure ecosystems for the responsible diffusion of AI, this rushed midnight rule’s impact and overly broad scope will result in consequences that divorce it from its intent. Fundamentally, the rule places burdensome constraints on U.S. companies that would be difficult to comply with and even harder for the Federal government to enforce. Buyers, particularly in Tier 2 countries that are constrained from purchasing U.S. technology, would be incentivized to turn to Communist China’s unregulated, cheap substitutes. Additionally, technology companies in Tier 2 countries could be motivated to create their own AI technology stack that is outside our export control regime. Neither outcome furthers our nation’s long-term economic and national security goals.
    With the compliance deadline of May 15, 2025, rapidly approaching, immediate action is necessary to prevent irreversible damage to American innovation and competitiveness. Every day this rule remains in place, American companies face mounting uncertainty, stalled investments, and the risk of losing critical global partnerships that cannot be easily regained. Therefore, we urge you to withdraw this rule and propose an alternative that is effective in preventing Communist China from capturing the world market in a leading technology without compromising American advantages.
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Preview upcoming Dynamics 365 features at Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Preview upcoming Dynamics 365 features at Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event

    Adaptation and change are the only constants in business—and the pace is accelerating. To thrive, your business needs the right tools, from AI-powered insights to low-code solutions, designed to help you adapt faster, enhance customer experiences, and boost efficiency.

    Register for the Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event.

    Join us on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, for the Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event, an exclusive first look at groundbreaking innovations coming to Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, and Microsoft Copilot Studio. See firsthand how these new technologies empower your organization to proactively navigate changes and seize new opportunities.

    Event highlights include:

    • Live demonstrations of the latest updates in Dynamics 365, Microsoft Power Platform, and Copilot Studio.
    • Insights from Microsoft leaders on transforming CRM and ERP systems with agents to drive customer experiences and operational agility.
    • Real-world success stories from organizations using Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform.
    • Interactive Q&A session with product experts.

    During the event you will gain in-depth insights into how customers are adopting what’s new in Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform.

    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales:

    • AI-powered Microsoft Copilot and agents to boost seller productivity
    • Automated research, proactive follow-ups, and prioritized actions
    • Streamlined, intuitive user experiences designed to help sellers close deals faster

    See Dynamics 365 Sales 2025 release wave 1 in action for more.

    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service:

    • AI-enhanced case and knowledge management with intelligent routing
    • Extended Copilot capabilities for improved productivity
    • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center enhancements for effortless self-service and faster issue resolution

    See Dynamics 365 Contact Center 2025 release wave 1 in action for more.

    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance:

    • Copilot-first experiences streamlining complex tax and compliance management
    • Automated account and bank reconciliations using intelligent agents
    • Advanced analytics and planning tools to drive smarter financial decisions

    See Dynamics 365 Finance 2025 release wave 1 in action for more.

    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management:

    • Integrated AI, analytics, and automation for improved operational efficiency
    • Enhanced supplier communication and demand planning accuracy
    • Intelligent manufacturing features aligning production data to real-world processes

    See Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management release wave 1 2025 in action for more.

    Copilot Studio:

    • Create custom autonomous agents tailored to your specific business needs
    • Extend Microsoft 365 Copilot with new embedded capabilities
    • Connect with new conversational channels, including WhatsApp and SharePoint

    See Power Automate 2025 release wave 1 in action for more.

    Catch the wave—Register today

    The Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event streams live on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, starting at 9 AM PST and will also be available on-demand. Register now to stay updated and get helpful resources ahead of the event.

    Microsoft Business Applications Launch Event

    Join us on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IN TERRANET AB

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    N.B. THIS ENGLISH TEXT IS AN UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF THE SWEDISH ORIGINAL OF THE NOTICE TO ATTEND THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING IN TERRANET AB, AND IN CASE OF ANY DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE SWEDISH AND THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION, THE SWEDISH TEXT SHALL PREVAIL.

    The shareholders of Terranet AB, reg. no. 556707-2128, (the “Company“) are hereby invited to the Annual General Meeting on 23 May 2025 at 14.00 at Mobilvägen 12, Bricks building, room “Oktagonen”, Lund. Registration will commence at 13.45 p.m.

    ELIGIBILITY AND REGISTRATION

    Shareholders who wish to attend the General Meeting shall

    • be entered in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on 15 May 2025,
    • notify the Company no later than 19 May 2025 of their intention to attend the meeting by e-mail to pal.eriksson@terranet.se or by mail to the Company at Mobilvägen 10, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden, and mark the envelope with “Annual General Meeting 2025”. When giving notice of attendance, shareholders must state their name, personal or corporate identity number, address, and telephone number and, where applicable, information about assistants (maximum 2).

    NOMINEE-REGISTERED SHARES

    Shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee must have their shares registered in their own name in order to be entitled to attend the AGM. Such registration may be temporary (so-called voting rights registration) and is requested from the nominee according to the nominee’s procedures. Voting rights registrations that have been completed (registered with Euroclear Sweden AB) no later than 19 May 2025 are taken into account in the preparation of the share register.

    PROXY

    Shareholders represented by proxy shall issue a written power of attorney for the proxy, signed and dated by the shareholder. The period of validity of the power of attorney may not exceed five years if specifically stated. If no period of validity is specified, the power of attorney shall be valid for a maximum of one year. If the power of attorney is issued by a legal entity, a copy of the certificate of registration or equivalent for the legal entity must be attached. A copy of the power of attorney and any registration certificate should be sent by letter or e-mail to the Company at the above addresses in good time before the meeting. Furthermore, the original power of attorney must be brought to the meeting. A proxy form is available on the Company’s website (www.terranet.se) no later than three weeks before the meeting.

    PROPOSED AGENDA

    1.   Opening of the meeting
    2.   Election of Chairman
    3.   Establishing and approval of the voting list
    4.   Election of one or more persons to verify the minutes
    5.   Examination of whether the meeting has been duly convened
    6.   Approval of the agenda
    7.   Presentation of the annual accounts and the auditors’ report as well as the consolidated accounts and the consolidated auditors’ report
    8.   Decision on
    a)  Adoption of the income statement and balance sheet and the consolidated income statement and consolidated balance sheet
    b)  Allocation of the Company’s profit or loss according to the adopted balance sheet and the adopted consolidated balance sheet
    c)  Discharge from liability of the members of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director
    9.   Resolution on the determination of the number of members of the Board of Directors and
    10.   Resolution on the determination of the remuneration of the Board of Directors and auditors
    11.   Election of the Board of Directors, auditors and any deputies
    12.   Resolution to amend the articles of association
    13.   Resolution on approval of the Board of Directors’ decision of 16 April 2025 on a directed issue of units
    14.   Resolution to approve the Board of Directors’ decision of 16 April 2025 on a rights issue of units
    15.   Resolution on authorisation for the Board of Directors to resolve on new issues of shares, warrants and/or convertibles
    16.   Resolution authorising the Board of Directors to make minor adjustments to the resolutions adopted by the General Meeting
    17.   Closure of the meeting

    PROPOSAL FOR A DECISION BY THE NOMINATION COMMITTEE

    Prior to the Annual General Meeting of the Company, the Nomination Committee was established by the Chairman of the Board of Directors contacting the shareholders who, as of August 31, 2024, were the three largest shareholders in the Company, who each appointed one member to the Nomination Committee.

    Prior to the 2025 AGM, the Nomination Committee consisted of Julian Aleksov, Chairman of the Nomination Committee, appointed by Maida Vale Capital AB and Oliver Aleksov, Michael Knutsson, appointed by Knutsson Holdings AB, and Torgny Hellström, Chairman of the Board of Terranet AB. The members are appointed by shareholders who, as of March 31, 2025, together represented approximately 13.09 percent of the voting rights for all shares in the Company. The Nomination Committee proposes the following.

    Item 2 – Election of the Chairman

    The Nomination Committee proposes that attorney Mark Falkner of Eversheds Sutherland Advokatbyrå AB be elected Chairman and keeper of the minutes of the Annual General Meeting or, if he is prevented from attending, the person he designates.

    Item 9 – Determination of the number of Board members and auditors

    The Nomination Committee proposes that the Board of Directors shall consist of five (5) members without deputies.

    The Nomination Committee further proposes that the Company shall have a registered accounting firm as auditor.

    Item 10 – Determination of fees for the Board of Directors and auditors

    The Nomination Committee proposes that a fee of SEK 185,000 shall be paid to each of the Board members elected by the AGM who are not employed by the Company or the Group and SEK 495,000 to the Chairman of the Board.

    The Nomination Committee proposes that a fee of SEK 27,500 shall be paid to each of the members of the Remuneration Committee (maximum three members). The Nomination Committee further proposes that a fee of SEK 65,000 shall be paid to each of the members of the Audit Committee (maximum two members) and that a fee of SEK 110,000 shall be paid to the Chairman of the Audit Committee.

    The auditor’s fees shall be paid according to approved invoices.

    Item 11 – Election of the Board of Directors, auditors and any deputies
    The Nomination Committee proposes that Torgny Hellström, Anders Blom, Magnus Edman and Mats Fägerhag be re-elected as ordinary Board members. Furthermore, it is proposed that Uwe Brandenburg be elected as an ordinary Board member. Nils Wollny and Tarek Shoeb have declined re-election. Torgny Hellström is proposed to be re-elected as Chairman of the Board.

    Uwe Brandenburg, born 1966        
    Uwe Brandenburg, a German citizen, holds a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications technology and is Chief Technology Officer for Automotive and Manufacturing at DXC Luxoft.        

    Uwe has worked 30 years in senior positions in the automotive, telecommunications and semiconductor industries. He has been ADAS CTO and Global Engineering Head at Valeo, Global Head for Camera and Radar Development at Continental and ADAS Engineering Director Europe at Autoliv. Autoliv, Continental and Valeo are all three major suppliers to the automotive industry.

    The Nomination Committee further proposes re-election of the registered accounting firm Ernst & Young Aktiebolag (“E&Y”) as the Company’s auditor for the period until the end of the Annual General Meeting 2026. E&Y has notified that the authorised public accountant Martin Henriksson will continue to be the auditor in charge.

    THE BOARD’S PROPOSAL FOR A DECISION

    Item 8b – Resolution regarding allocation of the Company’s profit or loss according to the adopted balance sheet and the adopted consolidated balance sheet

    The Board of Directors proposes that all funds available to the Annual General Meeting be carried forward.
    Item 12 – Resolution on amendment of the Articles of Association

    The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to amend the Articles of Association as set out below.        

    Current wording Proposed wording
    § 4 Share capital

    The share capital shall be not less than SEK 3 300 000 and not more than SEK 13 200 000.

    		 § 4 Share capital

    The share capital shall be not less than SEK 14,500,000 and not more than SEK 58,000,000.
    § 5 Number of shares

    The number of shares shall be not less than 330 000 000 and not more than 1 320 000 000.

    		 § 5 Number of shares

    The number of shares shall be not less than 1,450,000,000 and not more than 5,800,000,000.

    The CEO, or the person appointed by the Board of Directors, shall be entitled to make any minor adjustments that may be required in connection with the registration of the resolution with the Swedish Companies Registration Office. In the event that the share capital or the number of shares after registration of the directed issue and/or the rights issue under items 13 and 14, respectively, on the agenda falls below the proposed limits in the articles of association, the limits shall be adjusted to the extent necessary to enable registration.        
    The resolution under this paragraph shall be valid only if supported by shareholders holding not less than two-thirds (2/3) of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the meeting.

    Item 13 – Resolution on approval of the Board of Directors’ resolution of 16 April 2025 on a directed share issue

    The board of directors proposes that the general meeting resolves to approve the board of directors’ resolution of 16 April 2025 on a new issue of up to 5,461,210 units (the “Directed Issue“). The resolution shall otherwise be subject to the following conditions.

    1.        The new shares of Series B and warrants shall be issued in units. Each unit shall contain 33 shares of Series B and five (5) warrants of series TO9 B.

    2.        The Company’s share capital may be increased by a maximum of SEK 1,802,199.30 through the issue of a maximum of 180,219,930 shares of series B. A maximum of 27,306,050 warrants of series TO9 B shall be issued, entailing an increase in the share capital upon full exercise by a maximum of SEK 273,060.50.

    3.        The right to subscribe for shares in the Directed Issue shall, with deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights, be granted to a number of pre-announced investors, existing shareholders and members of the Company’s management and board of directors. Prior to the decision on the Directed Issue, the Board of Directors has carefully investigated and considered alternative financing options, including raising capital solely through a rights issue. However, after an overall assessment and taking into account that a directed share issue allows the Company to raise capital earlier, the Board of Directors considers that new share issues carried out with deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights in combination with a rights issue is a more favourable option for the Company and the Company’s shareholders than a rights issue alone. The Company is in an important phase and has a need for financing to ensure the Company’s long-term operations. It is therefore the Board of Directors’ assessment that a directed issue is the most appropriate financing solution given the current market conditions and the Company’s capital needs and that it is in the interest of all shareholders to carry out the Second Directed Issue.        

    4.        The subscription price per unit amounts to SEK 2.97, corresponding to a subscription price per B-share of SEK 0.09. The subscription price in the Directed Issue has been determined after negotiations with the subscribers and corresponds to a premium of approximately four percent in relation to the volume-weighted average price of the Company’s share on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market during the period 7 April 2025 up to and including 11 April 2025 and is considered by the Board of Directors to be on market terms. The subscription price also corresponds to the subscription price in the Rights Issue, which the Board of Directors decided on 16 April 2025. The share premium shall be added to the unrestricted share premium reserve.

    5.        Subscription can only be made in units and thus not of shares and warrants separately. Allotment may only take place in units. However, after the completion of the issue, the shares and warrants will be separated.

    6.        Subscription shall be made on a separate subscription list on the day of the unit issue. However, the board of directors is entitled to postpone the last day for subscription.        

    7.        Payment shall be made within three (3) banking days of the date on which the General Meeting approves the decision of the Board of Directors. However, the Board of Directors is entitled to postpone the final date for payment.        

    8.        Each warrant of series TO9 B entitles the holder to subscribe for one (1) Class B share at a subscription price corresponding to SEK 0.18. The subscription price may not be less than the share’s quota value applicable at any given time. Subscription for new shares by exercising the warrants of series TO9 B may take place during the period from 1 December 2025 up to and including 15 December 2025. Any surplus price upon subscription for new Class shares of Series B by exercising the warrants shall be added to the unrestricted share premium reserve. The warrants are subject to additional conditions including customary conversion conditions.

    9.        The new shares entitle their holders to dividends from the date of their entry in the share register.

    10.        The Board of Directors or the person appointed by the Board of Directors is authorized to make the minor adjustments necessary for the registration of the resolution with the Swedish Companies Registration Office.        

    The resolution under this item is valid only if supported by shareholders representing at least nine-tenths (9/10) of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the meeting. The resolution is conditional upon the Meeting approving the proposal to amend the Articles of Association in accordance with item 12 above and that the resolution is registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office.

    Item 14 – Resolution to approve the Board of Directors’ decision of 16 April 2025 on a rights issue of units        
    The board of directors proposes that the general meeting approves the board of directors’ resolution of 11 April 2025 on a new issue of a maximum of 13,880,714 units with preferential rights for existing shareholders (the “Rights Issue“). The resolution shall otherwise be subject to the following conditions.

    1. The new shares of Series B and warrants shall be issued in units. Each unit shall contain 12 (twelve) shares of Series B and three (3) warrants of series TO9 B.
    2. The Company’s share capital may be increased by a maximum of SEK 1,665,685.68 through the issue of a maximum of 166,568,568 shares of Series B. A maximum of 41,642,142 warrants of series TO9 B shall be issued, entailing an increase in the share capital upon full exercise by a maximum of 416,421.42
    3. The right to subscribe for units shall, with preferential rights, be granted to those who are registered as shareholders in the Company on the record date for the Rights Issue, whereby the holding of one (1) share of series B entitles to one (1) unit right. 86 unit rights entitle to subscription of one (1) share of series B.
    4. Shareholders registered in the Company’s share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB on the record date of 29 April 2025 will receive unit rights for participation in the Rights Issue.        
    5. In the event that not all units are subscribed for with unit rights, the Board of Directors shall, within the framework of the maximum amount of the rights issue, decide on allocation in accordance with the allocation principles below:

    (i)   In the first instance, allotment shall be made to those who have also subscribed for shares by virtue of subscription rights, regardless of whether the subscriber was a shareholder on the record date or not, and in the event of oversubscription in relation to the number of subscription rights that each person has exercised for subscription of shares and, to the extent that this cannot be done, by drawing lots.

    (ii)   Secondly, allotment shall be made to others who have subscribed for shares without subscription rights and, in the event that they cannot receive full allotment, in proportion to the number of shares that each has applied for subscription and, to the extent that this cannot be done, by drawing lots.

    (iii)   Ultimately, any remaining shares shall be allocated to the underwriters who have entered into underwriting commitments in proportion to the size of the respective underwriting commitment and, to the extent that this cannot be done, by drawing lots.

    1. Subscription can only be made in units and thus not of shares and warrants separately. Allotment may only take place in units. However, after the completion of the issue, the shares and warrants will be separated.
    2. Subscription of units shall take place during the period from 27 May 2025 up to and including 11 June 2025. The Board of Directors is entitled to extend the subscription period.
    3. The subscription price shall be SEK 1.08 per unit, corresponding to a subscription price of SEK 0.09 per B share. The warrants are issued without consideration. The share premium shall be added to the unrestricted share premium reserve.
    4. Payment of units shall be made in cash. Payment of units subscribed for with preferential rights shall be made at the same time as subscription takes place during the period from 26 May 2025 up to and including 9 June 2025. Payment of units subscribed for without preferential rights shall be made no later than three (3) banking days after the allotment notice has been sent to the subscriber. The Board of Directors has the right to extend the payment period.
    5. Each warrant of series TO9 B entitles the holder to subscribe for one (1) Class B share at a subscription price corresponding to SEK 0.18. The subscription price may not be less than the share’s quota value applicable at any given time. Subscription for new shares by exercising the warrants of series TO9 B may take place during the period from 1 December 2025 up to and including 15 December 2025. Any surplus price upon subscription for new Class shares of Series B by exercising the warrants shall be added to the unrestricted share premium reserve. The warrants are subject to additional conditions including customary conversion conditions.
    6. The new shares entitle their holders to dividends from the date of their entry in the share register.

    The resolution is conditional upon the AGM approving the proposal to amend the Articles of Association in accordance with item 12 above and that the resolution is registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office.

    Item 15 – Resolution on authorisation for the Board of Directors to resolve on new issues of shares, warrants and/or convertibles

    The Board of Directors of the Company proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to authorise the Board of Directors, until the next Annual General Meeting, on one or more occasions, to issue shares of series B, warrants and/or convertibles with the right to subscribe for or convert shares of series B, with or without deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights, within the limits of the Articles of Association applicable from time to time, to be paid in cash, in kind and/or by way of set-off.

    The main reason for the Board of Directors to be able to decide on a new share issue without preferential rights for shareholders as described above is to be able to raise new capital to increase the Company’s flexibility for financing.

    For the resolution to be valid, the proposal must be supported by shareholders representing at least two thirds (2/3) of both the votes cast and the shares represented at the Annual General Meeting.

    Item 16 – Resolution authorising the Board of Directors to make minor adjustments to the resolutions adopted by the Meeting

    The Board of Directors proposes that the Meeting authorises the Board of Directors, the Managing Director or the person otherwise appointed by the Board of Directors to make such minor adjustments and clarifications to the resolutions adopted at the Meeting to the extent required for registration of the resolutions.

    OTHER

    Documents and information

    The notice, accounting documents, auditor’s report and proxy form will be made available to shareholders at the Company no later than three weeks before the meeting and will be sent free of charge to shareholders who so request and state their postal address. The documents will also be published on the Company’s website, www.terranet.se, no later than the same day.

    According to Chapter 7, Section 32 of the Swedish Companies Act, shareholders have the right to request information from the Board of Directors and the CEO regarding circumstances that may affect the assessment of an item on the agenda or the assessment of the Company’s financial situation. The board of directors and the managing director shall disclose such information if the board of directors considers that it can be done without material harm to the Company.

    Processing of personal data

    The personal data collected from the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB, notifications received and information about proxies and assistants will be used for registration, preparation of the voting list for the general meeting and, where applicable, minutes of the general meeting. For further information on how your personal data is processed, see www.euroclear.com/dam/ESw/Legal/Integritetspolicy-bolagsstammor-svenska.pdf

    Number of shares and votes

    At the time of publication of this notice, the total number of shares in the Company amounts to 1,193,741,451, divided into 1,083,063 shares of series A and 1,192,658,388 shares of series B. After registration of the directed share issue resolved by the Board of Directors on 16 April 2025, pursuant to the authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting 2024, the total number of shares in the Company will amount to 1,291,299,252, divided into 1,083,063 shares of series A and 1,290,216,189 shares of series B. Each Class A share entitles to two (2) votes and each Class B share entitles to one (1) vote

    _____________________________

    Lund in April 2025
    Terranet AB
    The Board of Directors

    About Terranet
    Terranet’s goal is to save lives in urban traffic. The company develops innovative technical solutions for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicles (AV). Terranet’s anti-collision system BlincVision laser scans and detects road objects up to ten times faster than any other ADAS technology available today.
    The company is headquartered in Lund, with offices in Gothenburg and Stuttgart. Since 2017, Terranet has been listed on Nasdaq First North Premier Growth Market (Nasdaq: TERRNT-B). Follow our journey at: www.terranet.se

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Giving Alberta industry a competitive edge

    [. Adopting new technologies and upgrades can help, but these often come with expensive up-front costs, long payback periods, or better technologies needed are not yet commercially available.

    Alberta’s government is giving industry a competitive edge by investing up to $72 million to help companies upgrade technologies, lower costs and operate more efficiently. This includes $65 million for a new funding challenge that will help forestry, energy, agriculture, heavy manufacturing and other major industries make technology upgrades. It also includes more than $7 million for new technologies to help oil and gas operators lower costs by reducing methane emissions.

    “Alberta is a global leader in responsible energy development. By supporting made-in-Alberta technology, we’re strengthening our economy, protecting our environment, and keeping our job creators competitive. This funding helps secure Alberta’s energy leadership now and for decades to come.”

    Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

    Industrial Transformation Challenge

    The $65-million Industrial Transformation Challenge, delivered through Emissions Reduction Alberta using the industry-led TIER fund, will accelerate the development and commercialization of some of the most promising technologies needed in Alberta and around the world. This will fund exciting projects that ultimately help companies reduce costs, improve efficiency, lower environmental impacts and gain a competitive edge in the global market.

    “With investments like these, Alberta is advancing its reputation for excellence in developing and deploying technology solutions that have global export potential – technologies that keep our industries competitive in international markets. Through this funding, the province is once again cementing its leadership with critical technologies needed around the world, from methane management and mitigation to water conservation, soil and groundwater protection, and waste reduction.”

    Justin Riemer, chief executive officer, Emissions Reduction Alberta

    “Funding provided by the Government of Alberta and Emissions Reduction Alberta in such programs as the Industrial Transformation Challenge are critical to supporting Alberta industry on its path towards innovation and sustainability. Previous funding from the province has supported Baymag and ZS2 Technologies in the development of an innovative, low-carbon, made-in-Alberta cement product to support high-performance building solutions.”

    Franz X. Spachtholz, president and CEO, Baymag Inc.

    Reducing methane emissions in the energy sector

    More than $7 million is also being invested through Emissions Reduction Alberta into two new projects that will help Alberta’s energy sector monitor, manage and reduce methane emissions – saving money and keeping them competitive.

    SensorUp Inc. will use $3 million to develop the world’s first open-standard software platform that uses artificial intelligence to produce faster methane reporting, quicker repairs and more effective methane mitigation. Ambyint Inc. will receive $4.1 million to upgrade its existing artificial intelligence platform with advanced machine learning and algorithms. Ambyint Inc.’s project could potentially reduce methane venting by up to 90 per cent.

    “Financial support from the Government of Alberta through Emissions Reduction Alberta enables us to collaborate with some of the world’s largest and most forward-thinking energy producers to build the first multi-sensor, AI-assisted measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification software platform for methane emissions reduction. This initiative will create high-value jobs in Alberta and equip producers to meet reporting and mitigation standards with greater accuracy and efficiency, unlocking access to new premium markets.”

    Steve Liang, founder and chief technology officer, SensorUp

    “Securing Government of Alberta funding through Emissions Reduction Alberta enables Ambyint to accelerate and scale our Alberta-developed AI optimization and emissions-reduction technology. Customers are seeking solutions that impact both their economic and environmental performance. This pivotal support cements Alberta’s leadership in technology innovation, highlighting our province’s role in driving sustainable energy solutions globally.” 

    Benjamin Kemp, chief executive officer, Ambyint Inc.

    Quick facts

    • Applications for the Industrial Transformation Challenge are now open and will be accepted until June 5, at 5 p.m. MT. More information is available on Emissions Reduction Alberta’s website.
    • Eligible technologies include improved water and land management, soil remediation, reducing land use or disturbance and reducing air pollutants, plus new ways of producing fuels, breakthrough industrial process improvements, industrial facility efficiency upgrades, agricultural and forestry innovation, improved processes for bitumen extraction, oil and gas processing and refinement, and industrial fuel switching and electrification.
    • Successful Industrial Transformation Challenge applicants are eligible for up to $10 million per project, while projects deemed exceptionally strong through the competitive review process may be eligible for up to $15 million.
    • While Industrial Transformation Challenge technology solutions can originate from anywhere in the world, they must be piloted, demonstrated, or deployed in Alberta, or show direct economic benefit to the province.
    • Alberta has reduced methane emissions from the conventional oil and gas sector by 52 per cent since 2014, and emissions continue to decline.

    Related information

    • Reducing methane emissions
    • Emissions Reduction Alberta
    • SensorUp
    • Ambyint Inc.

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Quadient Recognized in Analyst Report on Top AI Use Cases for Finance Automation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Quadient (Euronext Paris: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, announces it has been recognized in a recent Forrester report on ways artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming accounts receivable (AR) processes. The report, “Top AI Use Cases for Accounts Receivable Automation In 2025,” includes mentions of Quadient AR for cash application and payment notice. Quadient considers its inclusion in the report as proof of the impact its AI- and machine learning-powered financial process automation offer, enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making capabilities.

    Manual AR, AP and invoice processes lead to inefficiencies, compliance risks, payment delays and increased vulnerability to fraud. Quadient’s Finance Automation cloud platform, including Quadient AR and Quadient AP, addresses these challenges, using advanced AI and machine learning to predict cash flow with high accuracy, analyze payor behavior, and automate cash applications, even when remittance data is missing. The platform also centralizes invoices and streamlines multi-channel distribution, ensuring full compliance with regulations such as e-invoicing.

    “AI is transforming accounts receivable, and we believe Quadient’s inclusion in Forrester’s report attests to how advanced solutions such as Quadient AR are changing the way financial professionals work through intelligent automation,” said Chris Hartigan, Chief Solution Officer, Digital Automation at Quadient. “AI and machine learning are forever changing the way AR and AP are managed and increasing the value these functions bring to organizations. Quadient is helping to advance AI usage by finance teams in responsible and meaningful ways to streamline workflows, deliver actionable insights, enhance efficiency and increase focus on strategic financial planning.”

    Real-time data is provided through customizable dashboards, enhancing efficiency and decision-making capabilities. In addition to mentioning Quadient in several use cases for AR, Forrester interviewed Quadient for insights for its companion report, “Top AI Use Cases for Accounts Payable Automation in 2025.”

    Quadient’s leading cloud-based financial automation cloud platform, including AR, AP, e-invoicing and customer communications, helps businesses reduce manual work, improve cash flow and make more informed financial decisions.

    About Quadient®
    Quadient is a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections through digital and physical channels. Quadient supports businesses of all sizes in their digital transformation and growth journey, unlocking operational efficiency and creating meaningful customer experiences. Listed in compartment B of Euronext Paris (QDT) and part of the CAC® Mid & Small and EnterNext® Tech 40 indices, Quadient shares are eligible for PEA-PME investing. For more information about Quadient, visit http://www.quadient.com/en/.

    Contacts

    Sandy Armstrong, Sterling Kilgore   Joe Scolaro, Quadient         
    VP of Media & Communications   Global Press Relations Manager
    +1-630-699-8979   +1 203-301-3673
    sarmstrong@sterlingkilgore.com   j.scolaro@quadient.com

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Growing Rural Businesses: Pioneering Hydroponics Business Plants Roots in Las Animas County

    Source: US State of Colorado

    TRINIDAD — The Business Funding & Incentives Division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT) announced today that Bird & Squirrel Hydroponics, LLC, a pioneering hydroponics business, has been accepted into the Rural Jump-Start Program. Focused on cultivating and supplying high-quality herbs and leafy greens, hydroponic systems and technology, Bird & Squirrel Hydroponics will create new jobs and help diversify the local economy. 

    “Rural Jumpstart is supporting businesses across Colorado and I’m excited to see that Bird & Squirrel are making their home in Trinidad. This investment will support the local economy and strengthen the community overall. Their focus on hydroponics builds on Colorado’s rich agricultural industry, bringing new cutting-edge technology to support sustainable agriculture,” said Governor Jared Polis. 

    “We’re thrilled to see Bird & Squirrel expand in Las Animas County. The Rural Jump-start Program was created in partnership with rural communities to support the unique needs of rural businesses, and today’s announcement highlights the innovation these entrepreneurs are bringing to their communities,” said OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman. 

    Utilizing advanced hydroponic techniques, Bird & Squirrel Hydroponics is committed to sustainable farming practices that ensure year-round production of fresh, pesticide-free produce, as well as developing industry leading hydroponic systems and technology. The company focuses on three distinct products and services: 1) cultivating and supplying high-quality herbs and leafy greens to regional restaurants, 2) designing and building custom hydroponic systems for personal and business use, and 3) small-scale manufacturing of an AI automated hydroponic controller. 

    “We are excited to bring Bird and Squirrel Hydroponics to Trinidad, Colorado. This opportunity allows us to provide the surrounding communities with fresh, pesticide-free herbs and greens year-round, while also fostering technological innovation in the area with our AI Hydroponics Controller. We’re passionate about contributing to the local economy and advancing sustainable agricultural practices in this region,” said Jeff Layton, Co-Founder of Bird & Squirrel Hydroponics. 

    The Rural Jump-Start (RJS) program encourages economic development and job creation in economically distressed, rural counties of Colorado. Businesses that start in or move to RJS zones can qualify for relief from the state business income tax, the sales and use tax, and county/municipal business personal property taxes. Qualified employees also receive relief from their state personal income tax. In addition, businesses are eligible for a general operating grant of up to $20,000. These grants are intended to support regional economic and workforce development activities that expand local business, create new good-paying jobs, and strengthen and diversify local economies. Sponsoring entities like Trinidad State College help identify RJS candidates in their communities and work with the business to help ensure its success in the program and in the community. 

    “We are very pleased to be a sponsor for this exciting and innovative hydroponics venture. Trinidad State College is committed to growing workforce and economic development opportunities within our multi-county service area. Our support of Bird and Squirrel Hydroponics, LLC is an important step towards solidifying the TSC strategic vision of driving shared prosperity within our communities,” said James Kynor and Vice President of Operations and Workforce Development. 

    To learn more about the Rural Jump-Start program, please contact 
    Quina Weber-Shirk at quina.webershirk@state.co.us. 

    About the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade 

    The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.

     ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: RTI to Exhibit and Speak at DeviceTalks Boston 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the infrastructure software company for smart-world systems, will exhibit at DeviceTalks Boston 2025, taking place April 30–May 1 at the Boston Convention Center. At booth #700, RTI will demonstrate how its Connext® software enables intelligent connectivity across complex, distributed medical systems—from remote robotic surgery to next-generation monitoring, imaging, and beyond.

    On day one of the event, RTI CEO Stan Schneider will join NVIDIA’s Senior Director of Business Development for Healthcare, David Niewolny, for a discussion on how next-generation, edge-AI systems operate. NVIDIA provides the AI brain, while RTI delivers the connectivity nervous system for intelligent physical systems. Attendees will learn how AI is being integrated into today’s most advanced systems and what it takes to make them work in real time.

    RTI will also co-present with MedAcuity at the co-located Robotics Summit on “Advancing Remote Surgery: Tackling Latency, Precision, and Security Issues.”

    At booth #700, RTI will demonstrate remote teleoperation technology in collaboration with MedAcuity. The demo will highlight how Connext® software enables real-time control of an off-site robotic arm, showcasing the potential of low-latency connectivity in remote surgery applications.

    With its proven track record among leading healthcare innovators, Connext provides the data backbone that accelerates development and unlocks the potential of intelligent, distributed systems.

    Event Details

    What: RTI at DeviceTalks 2025, Booth #700
    When: April 30 – May 1, 2025
    Where: Boston Convention Center, 415 Summer St, Boston, MA 02210

    Speaking Session Details
    What: Advancing Remote Surgery: Tackling Latency, Precision, and Security Issues
    When: April 30, 2025, from 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM (EDT)
    Where: Room 260, Robotics Summit (co-located with DeviceTalks Boston)
    Who: Darren Porras, Market Development Manager at RTI, and Tom Amlicke, Technical Director, Robotics at MedAcuity

    What: Inside the Machine: How AI Operates in MedTech
    When: April 30, 2025, from 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM (EDT)
    Where: Room 162A, DeviceTalks Boston
    Who: Stan Schneider, CEO at RTI, and David Niewolny, Senior Director of Business Development for Healthcare at NVIDIA

    For more information about RTI at DeviceTalks or to meet with one of our experts, please visit this link.

    About RTI

    Real-Time Innovations (RTI) is the infrastructure software company for smart-world systems. RTI Connext® is the world’s leading software framework for intelligent distributed systems. Uniquely, Connext users can build systems that combine advanced sensing, fast control, and AI algorithms.

    With 2,000 customer designs, RTI excels at getting customers to production. RTI software runs over 300 autonomous vehicle programs, supports dozens of automotive ADAS and software-defined architectures, controls the largest power plants in North America, integrates over 500 major defense programs, drives a new generation of MedTech systems and robotics, and underlies Canada’s air traffic control and NASA’s launch control systems.

    RTI runs a smarter world.

    RTI is the market leader in products compliant with the Data Distribution Service (DDS™) standard. RTI is privately held and headquartered in Silicon Valley with regional offices in Colorado, Spain, and Singapore.

    Download a free trial of the latest, fully-functional Connext software today: www.rti.com/downloads

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NextNav Announces Appointment of H. Wyman Howard and Lorin Selby to its Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NextNav Inc. (NASDAQ: NN), a leader in next-generation position, navigation and timing (PNT) and 3D geolocation, today announced that its board of directors has elected Rear Admiral H. Wyman Howard and Rear Admiral Lorin Selby to serve as board members, effective May 1, 2025.

    “We are honored to welcome Rear Admiral Howard and Rear Admiral Selby to the NextNav Board of Directors,” said Mariam Sorond, NextNav’s Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair. “Their extensive military and national security leadership, experience in technology research and development, and management capabilities will be invaluable to NextNav as we execute on our strategic goals in providing a terrestrial backup and complement to GPS to address a major national security threat.”

    Rear Admiral Howard (Retired) served 32 years in the U.S. Navy, including serving most recently as Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command and previously as Commander, Special Operations Command Central, Assistant Commander, Joint Special Operational Command, and Director of Operations for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. He has commanded at all levels of naval special operations, including as the commanding officer of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group from 2011-2013. Admiral Howard also serves on the board of Bridger Aerospace Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BAER), an aerial firefighting and aerospace services company, and Invitation Homes Inc. (NYSE: INVH), a single-family home leasing and management company. Admiral Howard graduated from the United States Naval Academy and holds a Master of Business Administration from the TRIUM consortium of the London School of Economics, HEC Paris School of Management, and New York University’s Stern School of Business. Admiral Howard holds a Master of Science in National Security and Resource Strategy with a focus on commercial, civil, and military space sectors from the Eisenhower School and a Professional Certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

    Rear Admiral Selby (Retired) served nearly 37 years in the U.S. Navy, including serving most recently as the Chief of Naval Research, leading the workforce at the Office of Naval Research and the Naval Research Laboratory where they develop leading-edge technologies for the Navy and Marine Corps. Prior assignments include serving as the Commander of the Naval Surface Warfare Centers and as the Chief Engineer of the United States Navy and Deputy Commander for Ship Design, Integration, and Naval Engineering at the Naval Sea Systems Command, where he drove innovation, optimized performance, and generated new ways of doing business. Admiral Selby also held highly visible roles like the Deputy Director of the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs to the U.S. House of Representatives and command of a fast-attack nuclear submarine. Following his retirement, he has taken on various consulting roles, advising small and mid-sized technology companies. He currently serves as President and CEO of Selby Partners Consulting LLC and is a founding partner in a maritime-focused growth equity fund, Mare Liberum Capital Partners. Admiral Selby holds a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Virginia, an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering, and a Nuclear Engineer Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has also completed extensive executive business coursework, and his achievements have been recognized through numerous personal and unit awards.

    About NextNav
    NextNav Inc. (Nasdaq: NN) is a leader in next-generation positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), enabling a whole new ecosystem of applications and services that rely upon 3D geolocation and PNT technology. Powered by low-band licensed spectrum, NextNav’s positioning and timing technologies deliver accurate, reliable, and resilient 3D PNT solutions for critical infrastructure, GPS resiliency and commercial use cases.

    For more information, please visit https://nextnav.com/ or follow NextNav on X at https://x.com/NextNav or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextnav/.

    Source: NN-FIN

    Contacts:
    Investor Contact:
    IR@nextnav.com

    Media Contact:
    NNmedia@nextnav.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at lab-grown chicken muscle tissue chunks

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Trends in Biotechnology looks at lab grown chicken chunks. 

    Dr Rodrigo Amaro-Ledesma, Director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein,  Imperial College London, said:

    “One of the key goals for cultivated meat is replicating the texture and structure of whole-cut products, such as chicken breast or steak.  Muscle tissue needs oxygen and nutrients delivered deep into the structure to remain viable.  As a result, most cultivated meat companies have initially focused on producing unstructured or ‘mince-style’ products, which are more feasible to produce at scale with current technologies.

    “This new paper presents an innovative approach to addressing the whole-cut challenge by using a Hollow Fiber Bioreactor (HFB), which mimics a circulatory system to deliver nutrients and oxygen across thick tissue constructs.  What is unique about this system is the cell alignment and muscle cell differentiation, showing potential for fibrous aligned products generated by the cells themselves.

    “It’s a meaningful technical achievement that they have produced a cultivated chicken meat several centimetres thick.  If you combine that with the research we’re conducting at the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein – fine-tuning flavour profiles and exploring alternative, cost-effective raw materials – we’re comfortably on track towards an exciting and appealing new range of products.

    “While the study highlights remaining hurdles such as the use of edible or food-safe materials and improving oxygen delivery at scale, broader challenges for the field remain.

    “Cultivated meat is a promising alternative to conventional meat because it offers the potential to reduce environmental impacts (e.g. greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use), eliminate the need for animal slaughter, and improve food safety by avoiding the use of antibiotics and reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases, amongst other advantages.

    “In order for cultivated meat products to hit the supermarket shelves in a big way, they need to also be a hit with consumers.  In the UK, we have the legacy of alternative proteins like Quorn, which are already more popular here than abroad.  More widely, there’s not only a taste, texture and nutrition barrier, but cultural, religious and habitual factors can prevent people trying new products no matter how appealing they can be.  At the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London, we are combining cutting edge research, innovation, education and gastronomy to make headway on safety, quality and consumer acceptance.”

    Prof Derek Stewart, Director of the Advanced Plant Growth Centre and Co-Director of the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre, The James Hutton Institute, said:

    “The science on display here is solid and robust, with a significant level of supplementary material to support the conclusions.  This is an exciting advance in the alternative protein sector and specifically culture meat, and addresses many of the challenges that were seen as stumbling blocks such as aligned cell growth to deliver the meat texture sensory experience as well as the fundamental issues of getting nutrients and oxygen to the growing solid meat tissue.  The use of hollow fibre supports (in essence scaffolds) and the advances herein will open up many areas of allied research (and undoubtedly investment) with scaleup options now seemingly achievable with the progression from this paper in terms of better sensors, robotics and ultimately AI for control.

    “Limitations of the system presented are identified with the need to create better conveyable oxygen in the nutrient media, pressure control in media deliver in scaled up systems and the precise removal of the hollow fibres to deliver a uniform and appetising cut of whole meat.  However, these issues seem solvable.

    “As for all cultured meat production, the issues of energy use and associated sustainability need to be addressed but the proliferation of renewables and private wire connections could be a route to solving that conundrum.”

    ‘Scalable tissue biofabrication via perfusable hollow fiber arrays for cultured meat applications’ by Minghao Nie et al. was published in Trends in Biotechnology at 16:00 UK time on Wednesday 16 April 2025. 

    DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2025.02.022

    Declared interests

    Dr Rodrigo Amaro-Ledesma: “Nothing beyond that I am the Director of the Bezos Centre.”

    Prof Derek Stewart: “Prof Stewart has no conflicts of interest in relation to this research.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Surgent Unveils New Lineup of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Courses on CPA Day 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RADNOR, Pa., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Surgent CPE, a leader in continuing professional education for accounting and finance professionals, on April 16 — in celebration of CPA Day — announced the launch of nearly 50 new CPE courses as the 2025 post-busy season begins.

    These courses arrive just after the tax filing and year-end audit report deadlines — a critical time for CPAs to pivot their focus toward fulfilling their CPE credit requirements by the June 30 deadline and before summer breaks.

    “Understanding the pressing needs of our audience, Surgent is excited to offer a robust selection of timely and practical courses that empower accounting professionals to stay ahead in a dynamic industry,” said Elizabeth Kolar, executive vice president and managing director of Surgent. “Our new offerings include engaging webinars and on-demand options ensuring busy professionals can select learning paths that fit their schedules.”

    This new CPE lineup includes 30 live webinars starting April 22, along with 18 new on-demand Microsoft Excel and Power BI courses, which are available now for immediate access.

    Nick Spoltore, vice president of tax and advisory content at Surgent, emphasized the importance of staying informed post-tax season. “With new tax laws expected to emerge in 2025, our tax-focused courses provide essential tools for enhancing practitioner effectiveness and delivering value to clients,” said Spoltore.

    For professionals navigating the growing influence of technology in accounting, the addition of five specialized courses on artificial intelligence will enhance knowledge and skills in this critical area.

    Jack Castonguay, Surgent’s vice president of learning and development, highlighted the relevance of the AI-focused courses, “These courses are designed to help professionals harness the power of generative artificial intelligence and data analysis tools such as Excel and Power BI, thereby transforming how they analyze complex information.”

    The new CPE offerings cover a variety of fields of study, including courses on taxes (12), information technology (12), specialized knowledge (three), governmental auditing (two) and regulatory ethics (one).

    New Live Webinars:

    On-Demand Webcasts: The 18 new on-demand Microsoft Excel and Power BI courses can be accessed immediately via Surgent’s course catalog here.

    Surgent CPE remains committed to delivering flexible, relevant and premium CPE content tailored for busy professionals. With a goal to keep accounting and finance professionals at the forefront of industry changes, Surgent offers unmatched resources to foster ongoing career development.

    Professionals can now register for the nearly 50 new courses through the Surgent CPE website, providing the flexibility needed to earn CPE credits while balancing their busy schedules.

    For further details about the new course offerings, please visit SurgentCPE.com.

    About Surgent Accounting & Financial Education
    Surgent Accounting & Financial Education, a division of KnowFully Learning Group, is a provider of the high-impact education experiences that accounting, tax and financial professionals need throughout their careers. For most of the company’s 40-year history, Surgent has been a trusted provider of continuing professional education (CPE), continuing education (CE) and skill-based training that professionals need to maintain their credentials and stay current on industry changes. More recently, Surgent became one of the fastest-growing certification exam review providers, offering adaptive learning-based courses that help learners pass accounting and finance credentialing exams faster. Learn more at Surgent.com.

    About KnowFully Learning Group
    The KnowFully Learning Group provides continuing professional education, exam preparation courses and education resources to the accounting, finance and healthcare sectors. KnowFully’s suite of learning solutions helps learners become credentialed, satisfy required credit hours to maintain credentials and stay informed on the latest trends and critical changes in their industries over the course of their careers. The company provides exam preparation and continuing education for accounting, finance and tax professionals headlined by the Surgent Accounting & Financial Education brand. KnowFully’s healthcare education brands include American Fitness Professionals & Associates, ChiroCredit, freeCE, Impact EMS Training, Online CE, PharmCon, Rx Consultant and Psychotherapy.net. For more information, please visit KnowFully.com.

    Contact:
    marketing@surgent.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/362cc968-4df5-431f-bb4a-d5b2c183deed

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Supporting Innovative Electric Grid Technologies

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced $12 million is now available to support innovative technologies in New York that help to improve the efficiency of delivering clean energy to the state’s electric grid. Today’s announcement will accelerate the development of new and emerging electric grid solutions that enhance grid performance, improve grid reliability and make it easier to integrate renewable sources of energy like wind and solar into the grid.

    “New York is making grid modernization a priority, and continues to advance the latest technologies that can help to meet the growing energy needs of the state,” Governor Hochul said. “This investment will bring forward new solutions that strengthen the resiliency and reliability of our energy system while helping ensure New Yorkers continue to have clean electricity when they need it most.”

    The Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), seeks eligible proposers for product development projects, demonstration projects or research studies that will help to enable a high-performing electric grid and have the potential to transform the delivery of clean, renewable energy resources. The maximum funding amount is $3 million per product development or demonstration project and $400,000 per study. Proposals submitted must demonstrate a clear action plan to drive adoption readiness toward commercial deployment and proactively address market risks and uncertainties. Proposals must also reflect cost share requirements outlined in the solicitation, including 50 percent for product development and demonstrations and 25 percent for studies.

    NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Ensuring New Yorkers can increasingly rely on renewable energy as part of an expanding electric grid requires us to develop new, innovative ways to transfer electricity to homes and businesses. With this funding, we will continue to foster public-private partnerships that drive toward the adoption of cutting-edge products and solutions that are essential to building a smarter, higher-performing electric grid.”

    Proposals should address one or more of the following areas:

    • Transmission Utilization Improvements
      • Advanced Conductors
      • Modern Infrastructure
    • Inverter Based Resource Integration
      • Stability
      • Protection Systems
      • Planning
    • Operational Situational Awareness
      • Tools for Operator Decision Making
      • Assessing Reliability
      • Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning for Data Analytics
      • Improved Maintenance methods

    Proposals are due on July 15, 2025, by 3:00 p.m. ET. For more information on this funding opportunity please visit NYSERDA’s website.

    Department of Public Service CEO Rory M. Christian said, “Kudos to Governor Hochul and the NYSERDA team for funding public-private partnerships that spur the creation and adoption of cutting-edge technology that is needed to create a more efficient electric grid.”

    This program has been developed in partnership with the Joint Utilities of New York members Con Edison, Central Hudson Gas & Electric, National Grid, New York State Electric and Gas, Rochester Gas & Electric, and Orange & Rockland and the Advanced Technology Working Group to accommodate the State’s integration of renewable energy sources and understand their impact on the transmission and distribution systems which serve over 13 million households, businesses, and government facilities across the state.

    Today’s announcement builds on the success of previous rounds issued under the program, formerly known as Future Grid Challenge, which is part of NYSERDA’s successful Grid Modernization program. Since 2016, NYSERDA has awarded approximately $65 million to over 110 grid technology companies and research organizations through the program for projects that improve low-cost high-accuracy grid sensors, modeling and simulation tools, and advanced engineering solutions.

    New York State’s investments in research, development, and commercialization support innovators accelerating the clean energy transition. NYSERDA’s Innovation and Research program is deploying approximately $1.2 billion over 15 years as direct research investments and commercialization support. To date, more than $800 million in investments have supported more than 700 companies and made nearly 300 products commercially available to individuals, businesses, and utilities.

    Funding for this initiative is through the Clean Energy Fund (CEF).

    New York State’s Climate Agenda
    New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Celebrates Debut of Samsung Vision AI TVs with Special Offer

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics America today announced that the next big thing in television is officially here: Samsung Vision AI1.
    Available across our 2025 lineup – including the Samsung Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K, OLED, QLED, and The Frame series – Samsung Vision AI redefines the TV viewing experience with AI-enhanced picture quality and sound, plus revolutionary AI-powered experiences.
    Now through May 4th, when you purchase a qualifying 2025 TV or Audio product on Samsung.com, you can receive a Music Frame2 on us – our customizable speaker that plays your favorite music while framing your favorite photo. Or, earn a $100 Samsung credit3 with your purchase of other select 2025 TVs and soundbars.

    “Samsung has led the way with AI integration across our TVs, making all your content look and sound even better,” said Lydia Cho, Head of Product, Home Electronics at Samsung Electronics America. “Yet, picture and sound aren’t the only important factors for shoppers when choosing a TV. They want products that look and sound great, but are also easy to use, with features that simplify daily routines. That’s why, with Samsung Vision AI, we’ll continue to deliver fantastic visuals and immersive audio, while giving you new ways to interact with and experience everything you watch.”

    At the core of Samsung Vision AI are its personalization features, which help you engage more deeply with your content and enjoy TV tailored to you.
    Click to Search4 provides information in real-time, including actor bios and content recommendations, without disrupting the viewing experience.
    Live Translate5 helps you break language barriers and enjoy content in your preferred language. Our AI processor instantly translates closed captions from live broadcasts, in up to seven languages.
    Universal Gestures6lets you pause your show, adjust volume, navigate menus and more through hand gestures while wearing a Galaxy Watch.
    Generative Wallpaper7transforms screens into dynamic, personalized art canvases by generating one-of-a-kind images that match your taste, mood, preference or occasion.

    Beyond personalization, Samsung Vision AI puts Samsung screens at the center of your connected home through further integration with SmartThings.
    Home Insights8helps you keep tabs on your household environment, allowing you to connect and control smart devices right from your screen with daily notifications and a 3D Map View showing every device in your home.
    Pet Care9 and Family Care10use on-device AI to detect a dog barking or a baby crying, alerting you when they need your attention. You also have the option to view real-time video footage of your room through your connected camera – providing peace of mind wherever you are.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Culture can build a better world: four key issues on Africa’s G20 agenda

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse, Associate Professor, University of Kinshasa

    The cultural and creative industries are a growing source of income and job creation around the world, generating tens of millions of jobs. The cultural sector is also linked to soft power, to relations between countries.

    Because of this, culture is an active part of the agenda of the G20 global economic forum. Under the presidency of South Africa in 2025, the G20 has chosen four key culture focus areas: heritage restitution; socio-economic strategies for inclusivity; digital technologies; and climate action.

    Here, as a scholar of the sector, I outline why these four priorities are relevant to both the G20 and the African continent, and to South Africa itself as the host country, in the light of current global trends and issues.

    G20 and culture

    The relationship between culture and development is increasingly emphasised. The 2022 Unesco World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – or Mondiacult – recommended that culture be a “stand-alone” sustainable development goal.

    This proposal is underlined by the UN’s Pact for the Future, adopted in 2024. The 17 sustainable development goals, adopted by the UN in 2015, are to ensure peace and prosperity for all people by 2030. They include goals like zero hunger and reduced inequalities.

    Read more: What is Mondiacult? 6 take-aways from the world’s biggest cultural policy gathering

    As the global order shifts, new actors from the global south are emerging as the Brics group. However, the G20 is the only forum that includes countries from both the global north and south.

    The G20, like the G7 and Brics, has a tradition of including culture among the items for discussion at ministerial level, supported by a working group.

    Under Brazil’s presidency in 2024, the G20 Culture Working Group highlighted the relationship between education and culture. This was in line with Unesco’s Framework for Culture and Arts Education. Taking over the G20 presidency, South Africa has expanded on the cultural agenda.

    Cultural heritage

    Priority 1: the safeguarding and restitution of cultural heritage to protect human rights.

    This relates to cultural property, mainly stolen during colonisation and displayed in global south museums. It’s one of the key issues in the heritage sector today.

    After years of demands by formerly colonised countries, there’s a growing list of high profile objects being sent back home. France returned 26 Dahomey Kingdom royal treasures to Benin and the saber of El Hadj Omar Tall to Senegal; 119 Benin bronzes came from the Netherlands to Nigeria. Akan cultural objects were restituted from Japan to Côte d’Ivoire.

    This global issue has particularly affected African countries. South Africa, too, knows its importance, with the repatriation of the human remains of Saartjie Baartman by France.

    Statues of the Kingdom of Dahomey returned to Benin by France. Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty Images

    The Mondiacult 2022 declaration calls the return of cultural heritage an “ethical imperative”. It’s part of the respect for cultural rights and human rights.

    For South Africa, one of the most influential countries on the continent, this is a good way to support the 2023 position of the African Union (AU) on the urgent return of this heritage. Improving the relationship between the global north and south requires this kind of debate.

    Inclusive development

    Priority 2: integrating cultural policies in socio-economic strategies to ensure inclusive, rights-based development.

    The importance of cultural goods and services in national and international trade has been highlighted many times. Statistics show they make up a healthy share of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    A 2021 study found that the cultural and creative industries contributed 4.3% to South Africa’s GDP. At African level, they are estimated to generate US$45.35 billion in income and 15.87 million jobs. According to the 2024 UN Creative Economy Outlook, exports of creative services globally rose to $1.4 trillion in 2022, an increase of 29% since 2017. Exports of creative goods reached US$713 billion, an increase of 19%.

    Read more: South Africa has taken over the G20 presidency from Brazil – what lessons can it learn?

    With the development of an African Continental Free Trade Area, the AU revised its plan for action on cultural and creative industries.

    South Africa can play a leading role in this priority, having drafted a national policy paper on trade agreements involving the creative and cultural industries. The country’s Creative Industries Vision 2040 aims for an annual growth rate of 6.8% of GDP for these industries.

    However, the creative economy should be rights-based development and inclusive of local communities, young people and women. The G20 countries will need to work together to support policies that enhance sustainability and equity for creative workers. This is especially important in Africa where the creative economy is largely informal and unprotected.

    Digital technologies

    Priority 3: harnessing digital technologies for the protection and promotion of culture and sustainable economies.

    Digital technology is transforming the creative economy value chain. In my survey of the COVID era’s harsh impact on creative workers, I found that digital media, online games, music and audiovisual content were able to be resilient. Their value chains, from creator to user, don’t require high levels of face-to-face interaction, and online tools can be used effectively.

    Maliyo, a games development company in Lagos, Nigeria. Olympia de Maismont/AFP/Getty Images

    In 2024 the UN Conference on Trade and Development reported that, in 2022, the most exported creative services globally were software services (41.3%), research and development (30.7%), advertising, market research and architecture (15.5%), audiovisual services (7.9%), information services (4%) and cultural, recreational and heritage services (0.6%).

    While digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can be seen as a threat to creativity and intellectual property, they can also be used to promote respect for communities and creators. The development of monitoring software for collecting music rights payments is an example.

    In 2021 the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization adopted a recommendation on the ethics of AI. It proposes that AI tools be used for the benefit of the promotion, preservation, enrichment and accessibility of intangible or tangible cultural heritage. This issue is crucial because Mondiacult 2022 declared that culture is a “global public good” and the G20 must fund research and development of the most appropriate and advanced AI tools.

    Climate change

    Priority 4: the intersection of culture and climate change – shaping global responses.

    The challenges of climate change require a range of responses. Intangible cultural heritage (like oral traditions, social practices, rituals) can help to teach how ancient societies organised their relationships with nature and how they dealt with changes.

    The Herds, touring the world from central Africa for climate awareness. Hardy Bope/AFP/Getty Images

    Art, theatre, film, gaming and many other cultural forms can educate and raise awareness about this urgent issue. The African continent has a rich cultural diversity and is a potential source of many unexpected and insightful solutions.

    Keeping it relevant

    These four priorities reflect what is important on the continent. Africa will benefit from the collective efforts of the G20 countries in implementing such priorities. The presence of the AU as a permanent member of the G20 will support South Africa’s leadership and advance the continent’s cause.

    The challenge to the culture working group is to come up with relevant recommendations that can be endorsed by the G20 Ministerial Meeting. The 2024 G7 Ministerial Meeting on Culture, along with the AU and the African Development Bank, has set the tone. Their Naples Statement on culture for the sustainable development of Africa and the world notes that the G7 countries “intend to work with African governments to harness culture as a key driver of sustainable development”.

    A G20 summit on African soil cannot do less. It has all the potential it needs to support the African cultural sector in a variety of ways.

    – Culture can build a better world: four key issues on Africa’s G20 agenda
    – https://theconversation.com/culture-can-build-a-better-world-four-key-issues-on-africas-g20-agenda-253864

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: 2025 Louisiana Energy Conference to Be Held in New Orleans May 27 – 29, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW ORLEANS, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  The 2025 Louisiana Energy Conference will be held in New Orleans Tuesday afternoon May 27 through Thursday, May 29, 2025, at the Four Seasons Hotel, New Orleans, located at 2 Canal Street, at the foot of Canal Street on the Mississippi River. Conference registration is now open and hotel reservations can be secured through the event’s web site, www.LouisianaEnergyConference.com.  

    The Conference, hosted by Al Petrie Advisors, has been expanded again this year and will now feature a series of 36 panels and presentations that will address key domestic and international industry developments and topics. In addition to our traditional domestic and international E&P and oil services panels and presentations, we are excited to add a number of new sessions this year that will discuss: 1) the latest drilling technology; 2) how artificial intelligence is being integrated into all aspects of the energy industry; 3) how demand for power and the necessary infrastructure has increased dramatically; and 4) the impact of the new administration on energy policy and tariffs.

    Executives from over 80 leading public and private exploration and production and oil field services and transition energy companies, as well as representatives from energy-related private equity firms, industry trade groups, regulatory agencies, investment banks, institutional research groups, and industry advisory and law firms will participate in the discussions.  

    A detailed agenda with all panels and presentations along with the individual panelists and presenters is now available on the event web site www.LouisianaEnergyConference.com and with this link: 2025 Agenda. The online agenda will be continually updated as additional participants are confirmed.

    Attendance at all special events during the Conference may be limited so please register and complete your personal agenda as soon as possible.  The Conference includes three networking receptions each evening May 27-29 to provide attendees maximum networking opportunities.

    Confirmed investment professional attendees will be offered the opportunity to register for one-on-one meetings with companies participating on the panels.

    Attendance at the Conference is directed to investment professionals including buy side and sell side analysts and portfolio managers, as well as private equity and wealth management executives, and trust officers. We also welcome energy industry management and advisors to the industry. There is no cost for investment professionals attending the Conference. The cost for all other attendees is $395 for the three-day event.

    Attendees are advised to register to attend the conference and book their hotel rooms soon. While the hotel rate of $285 is guaranteed through May 9, 2025, rooms may not be available based on the current rate of guests reserving rooms.

    The Conference web site www.LouisianaEnergyConference.com provides online registration, the ability to reserve hotel rooms, and full details on the event which is being hosted by Al Petrie Advisors. For additional information including sponsorship opportunities, please call (504) 799-1953 or email info@LouisianaEnergyConference.com.

            201 Saint Charles Avenue Suite 2413 New Orleans, Louisiana 70170

    Contact: Al Petrie (504) 799-1953

     

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Lotlinx Q1 Quarterly Vincensus Report Reveals Market Volatility Amid Economic Uncertainty and Inventory Shifts

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DETROIT, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lotlinx, the auto industry’s leading VIN-specific data company for dealership inventory management, announced today its Q1 2025 Quarterly Vincensus Report, the most comprehensive monthly/quarterly inventory report in the industry. The report offers accurate, unparalleled insights into the current state of the automotive retail market for both new and used vehicles, inventory risk, vehicle sales, consumer preferences, and markdown/pricing strategies. Click here to access the full Q1 Quarterly Vincensus Report.

    Market Outlook:

    The automotive industry entered 2025 with mixed signals and mounting consumer concerns. While new vehicle sales declined slightly at the start of the quarter, March rebounded with a 19% sales surge, largely attributed to consumers accelerating purchases amidst the new tariffs. Used vehicle sales rose steadily throughout the quarter, increasing 10% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) as demand remained resilient.

    However, both new and used inventories experienced growth in carryover units, and aged inventory continues to challenge profitability. With shifting price trends and slower EV adoption, dealers must adopt precise inventory and pricing strategies to remain competitive.

    Key Findings

    Inventory and Pricing Trends

    • New vehicle day supply dropped by 3 days QoQ to 77 days but rose 19 days year-over-year (YoY).
    • Used vehicle day supply declined by 3 days QoQ to 42 days.
    • New vehicle carryover inventory increased by 8%, while used carryover rose by 5%.
    • Average list prices for used vehicles declined 3% QoQ and 4% YoY.

    EV, Hybrid, and ICE Performance

    • EV sales declined 3x more than ICE and hybrid vehicles.
    • EV day supply dropped by 7 days YoY, indicating improved turnover.
    • EV prices decreased 6% YoY; hybrid prices dropped 4%, while ICE vehicle prices rose 2%.

    Brand-Specific Insights

    • BMW saw EV momentum from the i4, while ICE vehicles dropped below 20% of its sales mix.
    • Cadillac’s EV growth came from Escalade IQ and Optiq, but LYRIQ sales dropped 41% QoQ.
    • Chevrolet’s Equinox sales rose 17% QoQ; Traverse redesign led to a 67% YoY decrease in aged inventory.
    • Ford’s Expedition Max had 91% of sold units marked down, leading all models in markdown activity.

    Lotlinx Customer Performance

    Despite market pressures, Lotlinx customers continued to outperform industry averages. On average, Lotlinx dealers carried 5% less aged inventory for new vehicles and 7% less for used vehicles compared to non-Lotlinx dealers. Additionally, 74% of new vehicle brands and 93% of used vehicle brands outperformed the market with Lotlinx-powered strategies.

    “As dealers navigate economic headwinds and evolving buyer behaviors, data precision has never been more important,” said Len Short, Executive Chairman of Lotlinx. “The Q1 Vincensus Report shows that Lotlinx dealers—empowered by AI and VIN-specific insights—are achieving faster turn, more strategic pricing, and stronger gross profit potential.”

    Click here to download the Q1 Quarterly Vincensus Report.

    About Lotlinx

    Founded in 2012 and based out in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Lotlinx is the automotive industry leader in VIN-specific data solutions for inventory risk management. The Lotlinx platform provides automobile dealers and manufacturers with enhanced operational control over their retail business. Leveraging state-of-the-art real-time data and machine learning technology, Lotlinx provides a precision retailing solution that enables dealers to automatically adapt to market dynamics, mitigating inventory risk through VIN-specific strategies. To learn more about Lotlinx, please visit www.lotlinx.com. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Announcing new computer use in Microsoft Copilot Studio for UI automation

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Announcing new computer use in Microsoft Copilot Studio for UI automation

    Announcing computer use in Copilot Studio! This new feature allows your Copilot Studio agents to interact directly with websites and desktop applications. Want to join the limited preview? Read on.

    AI innovation is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, and Microsoft Copilot Studio is at the forefront—integrating the best AI advancements into a platform built to solve business challenges at scale. Last month, we introduced deep reasoning capabilities for agents, support for model context protocol (MCP), and the general availability of agent flows in Copilot Studio.

    Today, we are excited to announce that computer use is coming to Copilot Studio through an early access research preview. This new capability allows your Copilot Studio agents to treat websites and desktop applications as tools. With computer use, agents can now interact with any system that has a graphical user interface!

    Achieve new efficiencies with computer use 

    Computer use enables agents to interact with websites and desktop apps by clicking buttons, selecting menus, and typing into fields on the screen. This allows agents to handle tasks even when there is no API available to connect to the system directly. If a person can use the app, the agent can too.

    Computer use adapts to changes in apps and websites automatically. It adjusts in real time using built-in reasoning to fix issues on its own, so work continues without interruption. It is also built on Copilot Studio’s robust security measures and governance frameworks, to help ensure compliance with organizational and industry standards.

    With computer use in Copilot Studio, makers can build agents that automate tasks on user interfaces across both desktop and browser applications, including Edge, Chrome, and Firefox. Additionally, computer use runs on Microsoft-hosted infrastructure, meaning organizations don’t need to manage their own servers. Enterprise data stays within Microsoft Cloud boundaries and is not used to train the Frontier model. This helps your organization accelerate deployment, reduce maintenance, and lower infrastructure costs.

    Unlock new value with agentic and automation scenarios

    To bring this technology to life, consider the following high value use cases:

    • Automated data entry: Imagine a scenario where an enterprise needs to input large volumes of data from various sources into a centralized system. Computer use can automate this process, reducing manual effort and minimizing errors.
    • Market research: Marketing teams can leverage the tool to automate the collection of market data from various online sources for analysis, providing valuable insights without the need for manual intervention.
    • Invoice processing: For finance departments, the tool can automate the extraction of data from invoices and input it into accounting systems, streamlining the entire invoicing process and reducing manual errors.

    Reimagining robotic process automation (RPA)

    Computer use agents are transforming robotic process automation (RPA). They overcome traditional limitations, like the fragility of UI elements, and can handle complex dynamic interfaces. This makes automation accessible to people beyond professional RPA developers.

    In Copilot Studio, computer use addresses common RPA challenges by making automation smarter and more intuitive:

    • It responds to changes in real time: When buttons or screens change, the tool keeps working without breaking your flow.
    • It is easy to use: You can describe what you want in natural language, no coding needed, and test and refine the prompt with real-time side-by-side video of the computer use reasoning chain and the planned UI automation.
    • It is built with intelligence: The agent sees what is on the screen and makes smart decisions in real time, even in complex or constantly changing environments.
    • It comes with full visibility: Makers can view a history of computer use activity at will, including captured screenshots and reasoning steps.

    The future of innovation with Copilot Studio

    Copilot Studio is the end-to-end agent platform designed to help organizations achieve their AI and operational goals. We want to empower you to streamline processes, enhance productivity, and drive innovation.

    If you are interested in exploring the new computer use capability, we would love to hear from you! Please fill out this form to let us know you would like to participate.

    We will also share more about this new announcement at Microsoft Build in May 2025—register here to join us! 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Culture can build a better world: four key issues on Africa’s G20 agenda

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse, Associate Professor, University of Kinshasa

    The cultural and creative industries are a growing source of income and job creation around the world, generating tens of millions of jobs. The cultural sector is also linked to soft power, to relations between countries.

    Because of this, culture is an active part of the agenda of the G20 global economic forum. Under the presidency of South Africa in 2025, the G20 has chosen four key culture focus areas: heritage restitution; socio-economic strategies for inclusivity; digital technologies; and climate action.

    Here, as a scholar of the sector, I outline why these four priorities are relevant to both the G20 and the African continent, and to South Africa itself as the host country, in the light of current global trends and issues.

    G20 and culture

    The relationship between culture and development is increasingly emphasised. The 2022 Unesco World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – or Mondiacult – recommended that culture be a “stand-alone” sustainable development goal.

    This proposal is underlined by the UN’s Pact for the Future, adopted in 2024. The 17 sustainable development goals, adopted by the UN in 2015, are to ensure peace and prosperity for all people by 2030. They include goals like zero hunger and reduced inequalities.



    Read more:
    What is Mondiacult? 6 take-aways from the world’s biggest cultural policy gathering

    As the global order shifts, new actors from the global south are emerging as the Brics group. However, the G20 is the only forum that includes countries from both the global north and south.

    The G20, like the G7 and Brics, has a tradition of including culture among the items for discussion at ministerial level, supported by a working group.

    Under Brazil’s presidency in 2024, the G20 Culture Working Group highlighted the relationship between education and culture. This was in line with Unesco’s Framework for Culture and Arts Education. Taking over the G20 presidency, South Africa has expanded on the cultural agenda.

    Cultural heritage

    Priority 1: the safeguarding and restitution of cultural heritage to protect human rights.

    This relates to cultural property, mainly stolen during colonisation and displayed in global south museums. It’s one of the key issues in the heritage sector today.

    After years of demands by formerly colonised countries, there’s a growing list of high profile objects being sent back home. France returned 26 Dahomey Kingdom royal treasures to Benin and the saber of El Hadj Omar Tall to Senegal; 119 Benin bronzes came from the Netherlands to Nigeria. Akan cultural objects were restituted from Japan to Côte d’Ivoire.

    This global issue has particularly affected African countries. South Africa, too, knows its importance, with the repatriation of the human remains of Saartjie Baartman by France.

    The Mondiacult 2022 declaration calls the return of cultural heritage an “ethical imperative”. It’s part of the respect for cultural rights and human rights.

    For South Africa, one of the most influential countries on the continent, this is a good way to support the 2023 position of the African Union (AU) on the urgent return of this heritage. Improving the relationship between the global north and south requires this kind of debate.

    Inclusive development

    Priority 2: integrating cultural policies in socio-economic strategies to ensure inclusive, rights-based development.

    The importance of cultural goods and services in national and international trade has been highlighted many times. Statistics show they make up a healthy share of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    A 2021 study found that the cultural and creative industries contributed 4.3% to South Africa’s GDP. At African level, they are estimated to generate US$45.35 billion in income and 15.87 million jobs. According to the 2024 UN Creative Economy Outlook, exports of creative services globally rose to $1.4 trillion in 2022, an increase of 29% since 2017. Exports of creative goods reached US$713 billion, an increase of 19%.



    Read more:
    South Africa has taken over the G20 presidency from Brazil – what lessons can it learn?

    With the development of an African Continental Free Trade Area, the AU revised its plan for action on cultural and creative industries.

    South Africa can play a leading role in this priority, having drafted a national policy paper on trade agreements involving the creative and cultural industries. The country’s Creative Industries Vision 2040 aims for an annual growth rate of 6.8% of GDP for these industries.

    However, the creative economy should be rights-based development and inclusive of local communities, young people and women. The G20 countries will need to work together to support policies that enhance sustainability and equity for creative workers. This is especially important in Africa where the creative economy is largely informal and unprotected.

    Digital technologies

    Priority 3: harnessing digital technologies for the protection and promotion of culture and sustainable economies.

    Digital technology is transforming the creative economy value chain. In my survey of the COVID era’s harsh impact on creative workers, I found that digital media, online games, music and audiovisual content were able to be resilient. Their value chains, from creator to user, don’t require high levels of face-to-face interaction, and online tools can be used effectively.

    In 2024 the UN Conference on Trade and Development reported that, in 2022, the most exported creative services globally were software services (41.3%), research and development (30.7%), advertising, market research and architecture (15.5%), audiovisual services (7.9%), information services (4%) and cultural, recreational and heritage services (0.6%).

    While digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can be seen as a threat to creativity and intellectual property, they can also be used to promote respect for communities and creators. The development of monitoring software for collecting music rights payments is an example.

    In 2021 the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization adopted a recommendation on the ethics of AI. It proposes that AI tools be used for the benefit of the promotion, preservation, enrichment and accessibility of intangible or tangible cultural heritage. This issue is crucial because Mondiacult 2022 declared that culture is a “global public good” and the G20 must fund research and development of the most appropriate and advanced AI tools.

    Climate change

    Priority 4: the intersection of culture and climate change – shaping global responses.

    The challenges of climate change require a range of responses. Intangible cultural heritage (like oral traditions, social practices, rituals) can help to teach how ancient societies organised their relationships with nature and how they dealt with changes.

    Art, theatre, film, gaming and many other cultural forms can educate and raise awareness about this urgent issue. The African continent has a rich cultural diversity and is a potential source of many unexpected and insightful solutions.

    Keeping it relevant

    These four priorities reflect what is important on the continent. Africa will benefit from the collective efforts of the G20 countries in implementing such priorities. The presence of the AU as a permanent member of the G20 will support South Africa’s leadership and advance the continent’s cause.

    The challenge to the culture working group is to come up with relevant recommendations that can be endorsed by the G20 Ministerial Meeting. The 2024 G7 Ministerial Meeting on Culture, along with the AU and the African Development Bank, has set the tone. Their Naples Statement on culture for the sustainable development of Africa and the world notes that the G7 countries “intend to work with African governments to harness culture as a key driver of sustainable development”.

    A G20 summit on African soil cannot do less. It has all the potential it needs to support the African cultural sector in a variety of ways.

    Ribio Nzeza Bunketi Buse 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. Culture can build a better world: four key issues on Africa’s G20 agenda – https://theconversation.com/culture-can-build-a-better-world-four-key-issues-on-africas-g20-agenda-253864

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 16 April 2025 Departmental update Country-level champions meet to strengthen interagency coordination of mental health and psychosocial support across humanitarian emergencies

    Source: World Health Organisation

    In February 2025, the co-chairs of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) Technical Working Groups (TWGs) from humanitarian emergencies around the world gathered in Ethiopia for a global meeting to strengthen interagency coordination and share country-level experiences.

    Hosted by WHO Ethiopia and convened by the IASC MHPSS Reference Group, the meeting brought together 40 MHPSS leaders from 29 emergency settings, including Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, and the occupied Palestinian territories.

    The four-day strategic forum provided an opportunity for participants to exchange practical approaches to coordination, identify common challenges, and explore solutions to strengthen MHPSS service delivery in crisis settings. It also reinforced the importance of country-led leadership, peer learning, and interagency collaboration in advancing the MHPSS agenda in emergencies. The IASC MHPSS Reference Group serves as a global platform and is the highest level of humanitarian coordination in MHPSS. It is co-chaired by WHO and IFRC and comprises 65 member organizations, including NGOs, UN agencies, international agencies, and academics.

    This was this was the second meeting of its kind organized by the Reference Group, following the first held in Ukraine in 2019. The wide geographic representation and diversity of agency and sectors contributed to productive discussions and exchanges. Participants rated the meeting highly, highlighting the value of the interactive sessions, peer learning opportunities, and combination of theoretical learning, real-world case study exercises to practice skills, and  one-on-one consultation clinics with global and country-level technical experts.

    Global MHPSS TWG Meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 3-6 Feb 2025 – packed with sessions on multisectoral deep dives, tool and method highlights, country experiences, consultations, technical insights, team building and learnings, and interactive exercises on technical topics such as IASC tools including the MHPSS Minimum Service Package, MHPSS coordination, mapping, monitoring and evaluation, assessments, etc.

    In the same week, an MHPSS global-national forum was organized to capitalize on the presence of international MHPSS country leaders and engage national professionals in Ethiopia dedicated to enhancing MHPSS in humanitarian crises. The event, organized by IASC MHPSS RG and WHO Ethiopia, featured a series of high-level and technical interventions focused on ways to strengthen MHPSS coordination and service delivery, particularly in Ethiopia, and globally. Speakers included the WHO Representative to Ethiopia, the IASC MHPSS RG Co-chairs from WHO and IFRC, TWG chairs, and representatives from Africa CDC, UNICEF, ECHO, the Embassy of the Netherlands, country offices of partner agencies. 

    Following the Global MHPSS TWG meeting, an Academic Writing training was held from February 8 to 9. This training, convened by the IASC MHPSS RG and hosted by ARQ International, and co-organized by WHO, the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team and Intervention journal, brought together MHPSS experts to support the development of country-led, evidence-based documentation and publications. Participants took part in theoretical presentations, interactive exercises, and dedicated writing time, covering essential topics such as formulating working titles, pitching ideas, drafting outlines, navigating the publication process, and leveraging AI tools. Ongoing technical support is being provided to assist participants in finalizing and submitting their publications. 

    MHPSS Academic Writing Training, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 8-9 Feb 2025

    Together, the global meeting, national forum, and academic writing training represented a coordinated effort to strengthen MHPSS leadership, collaboration, and evidence generation in humanitarian settings. These events underscored the value of sustained investment in interagency coordination and knowledge sharing to improve mental health and psychosocial support for people affected by crises.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Hate Crime Threats against The Council on American-Islamic Relations (“CAIR”) Michigan Chapter

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Hate Crime)

    DETROIT – Michael Shapiro, 73, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for issuing death threats to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (“CAIR”) Michigan Chapter, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.

    Beck was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Chad Baugh, Chief of the Canton Police Department.

    According to court documents, Shapiro, of West Palm Beach, Florida, placed three separate phone calls to CAIR’s office located in Canton, Michigan, and left voicemails containing the following threats:

    • December 8, 2023: “I’m going to kill you bastards. I’m going to kill you bastards.”
    • December 14, 2023: ““I’m going to kill you mother f*****g bastards. Muslims! I’m going to kill you mother f*****s. I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”
    • December 15, 2023: “You’re a violent people. Why do you come to America? Why do you come to Europe? Mother f*****s. You’re violent. You’re killers. You’re rapists. I’m going to kill you mother f*****s!”

    Shapiro pleaded guilty on December 3, 2024 to transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. Shapiro also admitted that he intentionally selected CAIR as the victim of his threat because of the actual and perceived religion and national origin of the people who work at and are assisted by CAIR.

    “No one should be able to instill fear on an entire community by threatening violence. Today’s sentence sends a strong message that people who do so, especially when motivated by bias, will be aggressively prosecuted and severely punished, ” Acting U.S. Attorney Beck said.

    “Today’s sentencing of Michael Shapiro highlights the severe consequences of hate-driven threats and sends a strong message to others with similar malicious intentions,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI in Michigan remains committed to investigating and dismantling individuals or groups that sow fear and hatred within our communities. Mr. Shapiro’s sentence serves as a stark reminder of our critical role in investigating federal hate crimes. We are dedicated to fostering positive relationships with our community, including faith-based organizations. In partnership with the Canton Police Department and the successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, we have ensured justice was served by holding Mr. Shapiro accountable for his actions.”

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Canton Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Dubai event invites researchers from across world to tackle global challenges – apply to attend

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Smith, Senior Consultant, Universal Impact

    Are you a researcher with an idea that could help solve one of today’s most pressing problems? A conference in Dubai this November will showcase research addressing a wide range of global social and environmental issues. And you can now apply to be involved – and present your work.

    Prototypes for Humanity, the organisation behind the event, will invite a group of senior academics to attend the three-day forum, which will promote innovative scientific solutions from around the world and act as a platform for international research collaboration.

    As part of the newly established Professors’ Programme, selected researchers will travel to the United Arab Emirates, with the event organisers covering the cost of flights and accommodation.

    If you’re interested, simply submit a brief abstract for an academic paper addressing one of the key themes:

    1. Wellbeing and Health Futures
    How can we best harness the latest technological developments to help people live longer and better lives? From precision medicine to artificial intelligence systems, this category encompasses crucial questions around access to healthcare and how to support an ageing society.

    2. Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure
    This theme explores how we design, build, and maintain infrastructure that’s not only functional but future-proof. Submissions could include how to develop cities which are better able to cope with extreme climates, methods of improving water management and new models for sustainable transport.

    3. Artificial and Augmented Intelligence
    Artificial intelligence is reshaping nearly every aspect of modern life with crucial questions around citizenship, cybersecrutiy and where to draw the lines in human-AI collaboration, this theme investigates the risks and rewards inherent in our new technological age.

    4. Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action
    Many of today’s most important research questions relate to the climate crisis, whether its accelerating the uptake of green technologies, reducing pollution, or moving towards a circular economy, innovation is essential for driving sustainability and protecting the future of our planet.

    5. Socio-Economic Empowerment and Innovation
    Submissions are also welcome on how to make economic growth work for everyone including research into the evolving dynamics of the gig economy, micro-credit initiatives and questions around gender equality, as well as the use of technology for social good.

    There are also “Open” and “Speculative” categories for potentially impactful research that doesn’t fit within a single theme and studies in uncharted or emerging fields.

    Researchers should apply and submit their brief, 200- to 300-word abstracts by May 16 using this link. Those selected for the Professors’ Programme by the panel will then be asked to develop their abstract into a 1,500- to 2,000-word paper, which they will share at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers from November 17 to 20, 2025, alongside the other finalists of the Prototypes for Humanity programme.

    Big ideas

    Last year, more than 2,700 entries were submitted to the Prototypes for Humanity programme. And they came from 800 universities around the world – many from institutions which are members of The Conversation’s global media network.

    More than 100 projects were presented at the final event, which was attended by Stephen Khan, editor of The Conversation UK, who wrote a blog about his experience.

    “For The Conversation, it was an introduction to some projects that I expect you’ll hear and read more about in our content in the months to come,” he said.

    “While we rightly assess and explain events as they happen, delivering information about new research, and particularly innovative solutions that are born in the labs, studios and seminars of our partner universities is also a central element of our mission as we strive to be the comprehensive conveyor of academic knowledge.”

    Prototypes for Humanity is supported by the government of Dubai and seeks to place the Middle Eastern city at the heart of academic, research-driven solutions. The forum also awards US$100,000 to innovative research projects, recognising the commitment of academics to finding solutions to the world’s biggest issues.

    At last year’s event, Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Director of Prototypes for Humanity, elaborated on the team’s vision of the project “as the world’s most comprehensive convener of academic innovation”.

    “The diversity, depth and range of applications received – covering all fields of sciences, technology and creative studies – make the initiative reflect the current global state of innovation and how complex global issues are manifested, and addressed, by top academic talent.

    “Together, we’re raising awareness of academia’s essential role in driving progress and collaboratively developing solutions that create tangible impacts on people’s lives.”

    This year, the event is being supported by Universal Impact, The Conversation’s commercial subsidiary, which offers specialist research communication services to academics around the world – donating profits back to its parent charity.

    The Professors’ Programme, which will help academics around the world exchange knowledge and collaborate on shared goals, fits with our mission to help researchers make real world change.

    If you, or any of your colleagues are interested in being part of the programme, you can find more information here – or apply here. Abstracts can be submitted until May 16, 2025, and successful participants will be notified by June 13, 2025.

    Universal Impact offers specialist training, mentoring and research communication services – donating profits back to The Conversation, our parent charity. If you’re a researcher or research institution and you’re interested in working together, please get in touch – or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to find out more.

    – ref. Dubai event invites researchers from across world to tackle global challenges – apply to attend – https://theconversation.com/dubai-event-invites-researchers-from-across-world-to-tackle-global-challenges-apply-to-attend-254724

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Veeco Announces Date for First Quarter Financial Results and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PLAINVIEW, N.Y., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Veeco Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: VECO) plans to release its first quarter 2025 financial results after the market closes on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The company will host a conference call to review these results starting at 5:00 PM ET that day.

    To join the call, dial 1-877-407-8029 (toll free) or 1-201-689-8029. Participants may also access a live webcast of the call by visiting the investor relations section of Veeco’s website at ir.veeco.com. A replay of the webcast will be made available on the Veeco website beginning at 8:00 PM ET that same evening.

    About Veeco
    Veeco (NASDAQ: VECO) is an innovative manufacturer of semiconductor process equipment. Our laser annealing, ion beam, single wafer etch & clean, lithography, metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technologies play an integral role in the fabrication and packaging of advanced semiconductor devices. With equipment designed to optimize performance, yield and cost of ownership, Veeco holds leading technology positions in the markets we serve. To learn more about Veeco’s systems and service offerings, visit www.veeco.com.

    To the extent that this news release discusses expectations or otherwise makes statements about the future, such statements are forward-looking and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These factors include the risks discussed in the Business Description and Management’s Discussion and Analysis sections of Veeco’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and in our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and press releases. Veeco does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

    Veeco Contacts:                                
    Investors: Anthony Pappone | (516) 500-8798 | apappone@veeco.com
    Media: Brenden Wright | (516) 714-1202 | bwright@veeco.com

            

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Pillar Security Raises $9M to Help Enterprises Build and Run Secure AI Software

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TEL AVIV, Israel, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Pillar Security, a pioneering AI security startup that helps enterprises build and run secure AI software, announced it has raised $9 million in Seed funding. The round was led by Shield Capital, joined by Golden Ventures, Ground Up Ventures and other strategic angel investors. Funds will support expanding Pillar’s R&D and go-to-market efforts.

    As organizations rapidly build and deploy AI-driven software systems, traditional cybersecurity tools and processes are struggling to keep pace, creating critical protection gaps. A recent Deloitte survey of 1,200 cybersecurity leaders identified major AI-specific risk areas – including evasion attacks, data poisoning, data privacy, and intellectual property leakage, with 77% of respondents expressing significant concern about these threats. Moreover, two in five organizations have already experienced an AI-related security or privacy incident, one in four of which were malicious. The need for a purpose-built AI security solution has never been more urgent. Pillar Security addresses this need head-on, providing an end-to-end security platform specifically designed for AI-integrated software systems.

    “AI is fundamentally changing the way we build software — it doesn’t just add another step to traditional processes; it introduces an entirely new lifecycle,” said Dor Sarig, CEO & Co-Founder at Pillar Security. “We are entering the intelligence age, where software has gained agency and data itself has become executable. Pillar’s technology, backed by real-world AI threat intelligence, is built with this understanding, delivering a new class of protection designed explicitly for AI-related security risks. We are redefining application security to match the agentic and autonomous software of the Intelligence Age. This funding accelerates our mission to set new AI security benchmarks, empowering organizations to innovate securely and confidently, while uniting AI teams and security teams around a common language and toolset.”

    Pillar’s end-to-end platform addresses the complete AI lifecycle and its evolving threat landscape. Pillar seamlessly integrates with existing code repositories, data infrastructures, and AI/ML platforms that teams already rely on, delivering immediate value without disrupting established workflows. It automatically maps all AI-related assets across the organization — from models and datasets to prompts, notebooks, and frameworks. Pillar rigorously tests AI models and their underlying infrastructure, applications, and agentic layers on which they’re built upon. This comprehensive approach enables Pillar to deploy customized and adaptive guardrails aligned with each AI application’s unique risk profile and specific business objectives, proactively preventing failures that directly impact operational continuity.

    Shield Capital’s lead investor, Elias Manousos, former CVP at Microsoft responsible for AI Copilot for Security and Threat Intelligence, and former CEO of RiskIQ, commented, “As agentic AI systems are increasingly being deployed within businesses, hand in hand with an equally burgeoning threat surface, Pillar uniquely understands that securing software in the AI era requires more than incremental improvements. Their visionary approach sets a new standard for how organizations secure and manage intelligent systems. Pillar’s team expertise, together with their holistic security vision, is precisely why we led this investment round.”

    “Enterprise AI adoption can only scale with security and compliance evolving in tandem,” added Nick Chen, Partner at Golden Ventures. “Pillar is a pioneer in defining and provisioning “trust infrastructure” that streamlines and secures AI procurement, development and deployment across the enterprise. Its platform is critical to enable leaders in any industry to drive AI transformation quickly, responsibly and securely.”

    “What impressed us most about Pillar was their holistic approach to AI security. With dozens of AI initiatives in development, we needed a security partner that not only pinpoints vulnerabilities but also helps remediate them automatically. Pillar’s tailored red teaming provides critical insights that continuously enrich their adaptive guardrails, uniquely aligned with each AI application’s specific risk profile and business objectives — this was a game-changer for us,” said Tomer Maman, CISO @ Similarweb.

    “Businesses leveraging AI face a rapidly evolving set of risks — from model integrity and data poisoning to supply chain threats, and sophisticated inference attacks,” said Navot Volk at Ground Up Ventures. “Pillar was purpose-built for this reality, delivering robust protection amid the radical impact of AI, ensuring organizations remain secure, compliant, and agile.”

    Pillar is reshaping the AI security landscape through groundbreaking research powered by unmatched real-world threat intelligence. By establishing the industry’s largest AI threat intelligence feed, Pillar has analyzed insights from over 50 million AI application interactions to date. This unique visibility fuels Pillar’s advanced threat modeling and precision risk engines, proactively detecting and countering live AI attacks in production. In addition, Pillar’s research team recently exposed critical vulnerabilities, including the “Rules File Backdoor” in GitHub Copilot and Cursor, and published an industry-first report on real-world attacks against LLMs — revealing that attacks average just 42 seconds, with 20% of jailbreaks succeeding. Alongside the proven impact of its pioneering end-to-end platform, Pillar’s research demonstrates the company’s unwavering commitment to advancing industry-wide AI security standards.

    The company is already working with leading AI innovators from Fortune 500 companies to cutting-edge tech enterprises such as Similarweb, Eleos Health, and AvidXchange, while actively collaborating with key players throughout the AI ecosystem and industry-leading organizations.

    Learn more about Pillar’s platform and vision on the Pillar website and blog.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e1a9c979-b0c1-4d6f-ac70-d73f7d30cf57

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. crude oil production rose by 2% in 2024

    Source: US Energy Information Administration

    In-brief analysis

    April 16, 2025

    U.S. crude oil production grew by 270,000 barrels per day (b/d) in 2024 to average 13.2 million b/d, according to our Petroleum Supply Monthly. Almost all the production growth came from the Permian region.

    Our Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) breaks out U.S. Lower 48 (L48) crude oil production data for the Appalachia, Bakken, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, and Permian regions, in addition to reporting Alaska and Gulf of America production data. For crude oil production, the Permian, Eagle Ford, and Bakken are the most prolific production regions, accounting for almost two-thirds of total U.S. production.

    In 2024, the Permian region in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico produced more crude oil than any other region, accounting for 48% of total U.S. crude oil production. Permian region production also accounted for almost all the growth in 2024, rising by 370,000 b/d compared with 2023 to average 6.3 million b/d. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices averaged $77 per barrel (b) in 2024, high enough to support oil-directed drilling in the Permian region. The average breakeven price was $62/b in the Permian Midland Basin and $64/b in the Permian Delaware Basin, the two largest basins in the Permian, according to data from a Dallas Fed Energy survey.

    The Permian region averaged 308 active drilling rigs in 2024, accounting for more than half of the rigs in operation last year but 26 fewer rigs than in 2023. Even with the lower rig count in 2024, Permian production grew because well productivity improved. Producers used technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, electronic hydraulic fracturing technology, and automated drilling processes to optimize operations.

    Although the Eagle Ford and Bakken regions each contributed 9% of the total U.S. crude oil production in 2024, production in these regions remained mostly flat. Both Eagle Ford and Bakken production showed similar growth, rising by 13,000 b/d to 1.2 million b/d. The rig count in the Eagle Ford fell by 9 rigs in 2024 to average 54 rigs, while the rig count in the Bakken fell by 2 rigs to average 34 rigs in 2024.

    Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook, April 2025
    Note: GOA=Gulf of America; AK=Alaska; L48=Lower 48 U.S. states

    Principal contributor: Naser Ameen

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Global AI Diagnostics Market to Reach $8.54 Billion By 2033 as Industry Sees Increasing R&D and Strategic Collaborations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Artificial intelligence (AI) is being utilized for disease detection in the global markets. In today’s AI-driven world, the use of deep learning algorithms and AI tools in diagnostics can improve the accuracy, speed and efficiency for diagnosing patients with minimal errors. The introduction of AI tools in diagnostics has revolutionized the healthcare industry with supporting the doctors in advanced disease diagnosis and providing personalized treatments to patients with better judgements and quick results. According to Precedence Research, the global artificial intelligence in diagnostics market size was exhibited at USD 1.61 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit around USD 8.54 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 20.37% during the forecast period 2024 to 2033. The report said: “The advances in digital biomarkers technology which uses real-time monitoring systems for early disease diagnosis and prediction has also enhanced the AI in diagnostics market growth. The application of AI tools in diagnostics has led to analyzing medical images for assessing disease progression, predicting patient outcomes, processing and storing of patient data which includes electronic health records (EHRs), identifying patterns and anomalies in patient data and symptom checkers for providing potential diagnosis.”   Active healthcare/tech companies active in the markets include: Avant Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI), Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEM), Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), Spectral AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDAI).

    The report continued: “Moreover, the rising prevalence of chronic and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is fueling the market growth of AI in diagnostics as the demand for advanced and digital healthcare solutions is increasing worldwide. The rapid developments in cutting-edge AI tools in diagnostics and the surging investments in R&D of industries in enhancing diagnostic proficiency for improved patient outcomes is driving the market. North America dominated the AI in diagnostics market in 2024. With the presence of key market players and cutting-edge advancements in technologies integrated with AI-powered tools has expanded the market growth in this region. The rise in investments in R&D, support from government initiatives and increased fundings from private and public organizations for producing AI-enhanced diagnostic tools is strengthening the industries in the region.”

    Avant Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: AVAI) and JV Partner, Ainnova, Accelerate Expansion Across Latin America Following Key Role at Healthcare Innovation Summit – Avant Technologies, Inc. (“Avant” or the “Company”) and its partner, Ainnova Tech, Inc., (Ainnova), a leading healthcare technology company focused on revolutionizing early disease detection using artificial intelligence (AI), today announced that following Ainnova’s sponsorship and its CEO’s key role at the 2025 Healthcare Innovation Summit in Mexico City, both Avant and Ainnova, through their joint venture, Ai-nova Acquisition Corp. (AAC), are building on Ainnova’s strong presence in Mexico by expanding its footprint across Latin America.

    Ainnova has initiated its first commercial pilots in both Chile and the Dominican Republic to work directly with prestigious hospitals that cover the full spectrum of care—from primary to highly specialized services. These pilot programs aim to demonstrate, (i) cost reduction in preventive diagnostics; (ii) increased efficiency in medical resource allocation and patient flow; (iii) enhanced institutional reputation driven by technological innovation; and (iv) improved profitability for participating healthcare centers through optimized patient referrals.

    The pilot programs leverage Ainnova’s proprietary Vision AI platform to identify health risks in real time, which enable seamless referrals for specialty care or further diagnostic tests when a positive risk is detected. The broader vision for the joint venture involves deploying an automated, low-cost retinal imaging device integrated with its AI-driven platform to deliver comprehensive preventive risk screening. From just two retinal images, blood pressure and some lab test information, the system will assess risks for: cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, liver fibrosis, and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

    The message that Ainnova’s CEO, Vinicio Vargas, continues to convey to audiences around the world is that this accessible, fast, and scalable solution is designed to support early intervention and targeted treatment strategies, with the ambition of reaching millions of patients globally in the coming years.

    Avant has partnered with Ainnova to form AAC so the two companies can advance and commercialize Ainnova’s technology portfolio worldwide. AAC has the global licensing rights for the portfolio, including its Vision AI platform and its versatile retinal cameras.

    Avant and Ainnova have identified Brazil and the United States as key strategic markets. Ainnova is currently addressing regulatory pathways in Brazil with the support of its MDSAP certification to meet ANVISA requirements, paving the way for rapid market entry. CONTINUED… Read this and more news for Avant Technologies at:   https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-avai/

    In other developments and happenings in the markets recently include:

    Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), a global leader in healthcare technology, recently announced late-breaking data on five-year outcomes from the Evolut Low Risk Trial. Data shows, versus surgery, the Evolut™ transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) system delivers a numerically lower rate of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at five years, strong valve performance and durable clinical outcomes. The findings were presented as late-breaking clinical science at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session & Expo and simultaneously published in the JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

    The Evolut Low Risk Trial was a randomized, multicenter, international study assessing the safety and efficacy of the Evolut TAVR system versus surgery in low-risk patients. These patients had a predicted 30-day mortality risk <3%, as assessed by a local heart team. 1,414 patients were randomized, with 730 receiving TAVR with either a Medtronic Evolut R, PRO, or CoreValve™ and 684 undergoing surgery.

    Spectral AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDAI), a leading developer of the AI-driven DeepView® System, which uses multi-spectral imaging and AI algorithms to predict burn healing potential, recently announced the successful completion of a debt financing agreement of up to $15.0 million in funding from Avenue Venture Opportunities Fund II, L.P., a fund of Avenue Capital Group, with an initial draw down of $8.5 million. In connection with this debt financing, the Company also raised $2.7 million of equity financing from institutional as well as existing investors. With total cash on hand now of over $14 million and potential access to additional debt of $6.5 million, Spectral AI is able to accelerate its product commercialization efforts, including the upcoming U.S. launch of its DeepView System.

    The term of the financing agreement is for three years, with an interest-only payment period of no less than 15 months, which can be extended to 24 months upon achieving the milestones laid out in the second financing tranche. The second financing tranche, which is contingent upon FDA clearance of the DeepView System, includes an additional $6.5 million in debt financing and a $7.0 million equity raise to be completed by the Company. The financing also includes warrant coverage equal to 8.5% of the total funding commitment from Avenue Capital Group, with an exercise price of $1.80 per share.   As part of the financing, the Company has agreed to a market standstill with no additional stock sales by the Company for a period of at least six months. SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP acted as the sole placement agent for the participation of existing UK investors. Dominari Securities LLC acted as the sole placement agent for U.S. investors.

    Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) and Tempus AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: TEM) recently announced a collaboration to accelerate clinical adoption of next-generation sequencing tests through novel evidence generation. The collaboration will combine leading Illumina AI technologies with Tempus’s comprehensive multimodal data platform to train genomic algorithms and ultimately accelerate clinical adoption of molecular testing for patients.

    “In the era of true precision medicine, every patient who is battling complex disease should be routed to the optimal therapy based on molecular insights,” said Everett Cunningham, chief commercial officer of Illumina. “We envision a world where the full range of molecular profiling is available as part of the standard of care—not just in cancer, but in cardiology, neurology, immunology, and every other category of disease.”

    Today, patients frequently miss the benefit of precision medicine because molecular profiling is not yet standard across disease areas and regions. This collaboration will leverage Tempus multimodal data to further improve Illumina’s AI-driven molecular analysis technologies and generate new insights supporting the clinical value of sequencing. These insights will be used to build evidence packages needed to standardize use of comprehensive genomic profiling and other molecular testing across all major diseases.

    “By expanding our collaboration with Illumina, we are combining our strengths in technology and data analytics with their strengths in developing new sequencing technologies to drive forward innovation and advance precision medicine,” said Terron Bruner, chief commercial officer of Tempus.

    The program builds on a long-standing collaboration between the companies, which has focused on developing tools and assays to address gaps in testing needs from preemptive screening through therapy selection, health economics, and bioinformatics pipelines to improve patient outcomes and research.

    About FN Media Group:

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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 was compensated forty nine hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Avant Technologies, Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

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

    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Paytronix 2025 Loyalty Report Finds Loyalty Check Sizes Growing, But Not Universally

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWTON, Mass., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Paytronix, the leader in guest engagement for restaurants and convenience stores, has published the 2025 Paytronix Loyalty Report, which finds that while loyalty check size is rising across both restaurant concepts and c-stores, flat check sizes are common. The report recommends a combination of AI-enhanced data analytics, qualitative behavior feedback along with gamification, AR and mobile loyalty tools to increase engagement and grow loyalty spend.

    Download the 2025 Paytronix Loyalty Report

    The Paytronix 2025 Loyalty Report explores the forces shaping guest loyalty in 2025. It offers data-backed insights, real-world case studies, and actionable strategies to help restaurant and convenience store brands of all sizes harness the full potential of their loyalty programs.

    While loyalty check size growth is promising, it’s important to understand what this number means. Loyalty check size measures per-visit spend among loyalty members—not overall average order value (AOV). This distinction matters because a growing check size within loyalty programs doesn’t always mean members are spending more than non-loyalty guests or that programs are driving net-new profitability. 

    Loyalty check sizes are growing, but not universally – 50% of FSRs, 44% of QSRs, and 31% of c-stores saw loyalty check sizes rise by more than 10% year-over-year. 

    Some brands saw declines – 12–25% of brands, across segments, saw declines in loyalty checks, which indicates that without good strategy, check size can stagnate or shrink, even as membership grows. 

    Flat check sizes are common – Around a quarter of QSR and FSR brands saw little movement, clarifying loyalty alone isn’t enough to grow spend. 

    The report finds that AI-powered personalization, smart upsells, and relevant offers are key to increasing both loyalty check sizes and visit frequency, and ensures that loyalty program participation turns into revenue.

    The report also discusses the following trends in data analytics and solutions that can provide brands with new opportunities to segment guests and further personalize guest interactions based on their behaviors.

    It recommends the following three drivers for better personalization, which, in turn, helps programs align offers with guest preferences and deliver high-quality, thoughtful dining experiences.

    AI-enhanced data analytics are a loyalty program game-changer that makes getting to the crux of customer motivations both quicker and more accurate. Smart brands are deploying it to explore different demographics, whether B2B, B2C, generational, or lifestyle-based, to create new opportunities.

    Qualitative behavior feedback is software dedicated to scanning guest reviews across social media and analyzing voice/text messages, using sentiment analysis algorithms to read between the lines. It goes beyond spoken or written words to read the emotions behind them, indicating whether a guest was frustrated, angry, severely stressed, friendly, or enthusiastic.

    “It is obvious that today more and more brands are becoming increasingly focused on one-to-one messaging and how to be as granular as possible when segmenting their audiences. It is so crucial for success, specifically when trying to increase the likelihood of visitation in the early parts of your relationship with a new customer,” said Rachel Peterson, loyalty strategist, Paytronix. “Personalization is key to impacting behaviors and determining who is more likely to visit versus someone who is unlikely to open your doors again. The more information you have, the more targeted you can be with your messaging and offers that get them to convert again, and again.”

    About Paytronix
    Paytronix, an Access Group company, is a cloud-based digital guest engagement platform for the hospitality industry. Our innovative, unified platform provides loyalty programs, online ordering, gift cards, branded mobile applications, and strategic insights to more than 1,800 leading restaurant and convenience store brands. Our valued clients leverage the power of Paytronix across 50,000 sites globally to create seamless, personalized, and brand-authentic experiences that foster lasting relationships with their customers. For more than 20 years, Paytronix has been a trusted partner helping brands maximize the lifetime value of their guests and grow more profitable businesses. For more information, visit www.paytronix.com.

    Media Contact:
    Calen McGee
    Paytronix Systems, Inc.
    Calen.McGee@theaccessgroup.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Vorlon’s DataMatrix™ Cracks Open ‘Black Box’ of SaaS Ecosystem Security to Eliminate Blind Spots

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN FRANCISCO, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For the first time, Vorlon is enabling security teams to crack open the opaque “black box” of SaaS security with the introduction of its patent-pending DataMatrix™. The technology breakthrough fills the API security logging gaps present in more than 50% of SaaS apps and gives security teams the visibility and tools needed to protect the entire interconnected SaaS ecosystem.

    Vorlon will be at RSAC 2025, demonstrating DataMatrix™ and its SaaS ecosystem security platform at Booth #ESE-66 in the Early Stage Expo Hall.

    Existing solutions don’t solve the problem

    Today’s SaaS security is broken, not just due to misconfigurations but also because security teams cannot see data flowing through APIs, SaaS human and non-human identities, and third-party services. Akamai estimates that app-to-app data flows already represent 83% of internet traffic.

    Yet, these webs of API-enabled connections are unmonitored and leave blind spots that attackers are increasingly exploiting, leading to a 68% yearly growth rate in third-party breaches (Verizon DBIR). Furthermore, this complex attack surface is expanding rapidly due to the distributed nature of modern applications, no-code integrations, and AI-driven automation.

    “Vorlon gives me a visualization of our SaaS ecosystem,” said Anthony Lee-Masis, CISO and Vice President of IT at ThoughtSpot. “With Vorlon, I can click into one of my SaaS apps and see all the other apps, services, and secrets connecting to it, and where the data is going. I’ve got the full context, and in the security world, context is king.”

    Vorlon’s research into top SaaS apps shows more than 50% of SaaS apps fail at meeting basic logging requirements because of the lack of maturity, consistency, and availability of SaaS API audit logs. Other red-flag findings were:

    • 30% lacked full API logging, meaning security teams would have no record of certain API-based activity
    • 40% failed to distinguish between human and machine-based activity, creating a major attribution challenge for security teams
    • Nearly 50% required additional licensing or manual support requests to access security logs

    In addition, existing security approaches, such as SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) or Non-Human Identity (NHI) security tools, only solve half the problem.

    • SSPM helps enforce access policies and reduce misconfiguration risks, but lacks real-time detection and response capabilities, especially when it comes to issues unrelated to configurations, such as traffic volume anomalies, dormant secrets, multi-use secrets, sensitive data access, and more.
    • NHI tools help track API keys, but do not provide the SaaS-wide visibility and context needed to prioritize risk and detect active threats.

    The bottom line is that these tools fail to provide the context needed to detect and respond to threats in this highly interconnected environment.

    Introducing Vorlon’s SaaS ecosystem security platform  

    In sharp contrast, Vorlon unifies SSPM, NHI security, data flow visibility, and detection and response into a single platform, providing the context to detect, investigate, and respond to real threats across modern SaaS ecosystems.

    “SaaS security is more than managing configurations or tracking API keys. It is about understanding how applications, integrations, sensitive data, and identities interact in real time to create a baseline, monitor suspicious activity, and prioritize risk,” said Amir Khayat, CEO and co-founder of Vorlon.

    “Today, security teams are missing this critical SaaS forensic data, making it difficult to detect, investigate, and respond to SaaS-based threats. This results in greater cybersecurity risks for enterprises, as it limits their ability to preemptively stop breaches and slows down the response to incidents when they occur. Vorlon closes these gaps to protect the entire SaaS ecosystem.”

    According to Gartner®, “Software as a service ecosystem security encompasses a comprehensive set of security controls and safeguards to secure the SaaS environment of an enterprise. Similar to multicloud protection providers, these solutions are multi-SaaS protection offerings. They support the ability to perform detection and response and respond to security incidents in real time with multi-SaaS alert ingestion and application visibility into shadow IT and user usage of applications. These security measures are essential for protecting sensitive data and ensuring the availability and integrity of that data within SaaS.”1

    SaaS security has long been constrained by a fragmented approach, in which individual applications are treated as isolated security challenges rather than part of an interconnected whole.

    Vorlon’s innovative approach secures the SaaS ecosystem as it really exists — one entire, interconnected attack surface. The company combines a unique set of capabilities in a single platform that examines what talks to what and how sensitive data flows across this complicated web of connections.

    To achieve this, Vorlon first eliminates the gaps in SaaS API monitoring. It captures API traffic from the environment’s SaaS apps, including third-party SaaS and mission-critical custom applications that are often deeply integrated into the broader SaaS ecosystem. It then enriches the raw data with intelligence gleaned from each SaaS vendor’s API docs and proprietary research.

    Addition of powerful DataMatrix™ engine provides single solution

    Using this information, the new DataMatrix™ technology generates an algorithmic model of the entire SaaS ecosystem. This “digital twin” comprises an out-of-band model, updated in near real time, which can now monitor sensitive data flows, detect anomalies and policy drift, and provide the context necessary for faster, AI-driven incident remediations.

    Vorlon’s SaaS ecosystem security platform, with its powerful DataMatrix™ engine, unifies SSPM and NHI security, data flow visibility and detection and response into a single solution, providing security teams with the context necessary to detect, investigate and respond to real threats across modern SaaS ecosystems. For the first time, teams can use a single solution that:

    • Provides comprehensive API visibility: Examines in depth how app-to-app data, identities, and secrets move between SaaS, internal applications, and connected services
    • Delivers real-time detection and response: Alerts on active threats in near real time; provides remediation steps that integrate with existing workflows in SIEM, SOAR, and ITSM tools
    • Correlates posture misconfigurations, secrets, API activity, and sensitive data flows: Alerts when the same secret is used across multiple SaaS applications, identifies active data exfiltration attempts, and revokes the key in two clicks before damage is done
    • Provides full context for security investigations: Shows what identities are doing, what data they can access, and whether the access is being misused

    Use cases for Vorlon’s SaaS ecosystem security platform include:

    • Breach Response: Assess the impact and recover from a third-party app breach
    • Third-Party Risk Management: Add real-time monitoring to cyber TPRM programs
    • NHI Security: Manage secrets and respond to suspicious behavior
    • SaaS Security: Provide visibility into APIs, risky misconfigurations, sensitive data flows, and suspicious behavior
    • Compliance: Audit-ready reports for PCI and data privacy mandates

    ​​​Schedule a meeting with Vorlon at RSA Conference 2025.

    Learn more about how Vorlon and DataMatrix provide proactive SaaS security online or schedule a demo now.

    Gartner, Emerging Tech: SaaS Ecosystem Security Products Transform SaaS Security, By Lawrence Pingree, Mark Wah, 19 July 2024.1 GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

    About Vorlon
    SaaS moves fast—Vorlon’s SaaS ecosystem security platform gives enterprises the context to move faster. By combining data flow visibility, posture and secrets management, and detection and response, Vorlon helps you see what’s connected, what’s at risk, and what to do next. With its agentless, patent-pending DataMatrix™ technology, Vorlon builds a live model of your SaaS environment to power fast, AI-driven remediation. Backed by Accel and SOC 2 Type 2 Certified, Vorlon is trusted by Fortune 500 companies to secure what others miss: the interactions between apps, identities, and data that power modern business. Learn more at vorlon.io.

    Media Contact:
    Montner Tech PR Deb Montner
    dmontner@montner.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3ab69bd5-fe1f-4344-9078-b035007c7ff8

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortinet Releases its 2024 Sustainability Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — News Summary

    Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today released its 2024 Sustainability Report, outlining the company’s approach, key commitments, and progress on the sustainability topics that matter most to the company and its stakeholders.

    “As digital transformation accelerates, cybersecurity is more critical than ever to safeguarding businesses, the global economy and society at large,” said Michael Xie, Founder, President and CTO at Fortinet. “Fortinet is committed to having our products, services, and people contribute to building a more secure and sustainable society–from improving the environmental impact of our products through energy efficiency and more sustainable packaging, to our commitment to closing the cybersecurity skills gap by training 1 million individuals by 2026. We are proud of the progress we’ve made and remain committed to integrating sustainability across all aspects of our operations.”

    As cybersecurity continues to play a leading role in enabling a sustainable digital future, Fortinet remains committed to protecting people, businesses, and communities worldwide while operating responsibly and minimizing its environmental footprint.

    Highlights from the Fortinet 2024 Sustainability Report include:

    • Driving innovation and responsible technology to secure the digital world: With nearly 1,400 patents issued and more than 450 pending, Fortinet continues to pioneer AI-powered security solutions, collaborating with organizations such as University of California (UC) Berkeley, the World Economic Forum, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to advance AI use in cybersecurity. In 2024, Fortinet also became one of the early signatory of CISA’s Secure by Design pledge, reinforcing its commitment to security at every stage of the product lifecycle.
    • Strengthening global efforts to combat cybercrime: In 2024, Fortinet deepened its engagement with numerous global organizations dedicated to halting cybercrime, supporting major initiatives such as INTERPOL’s Operation Serengeti and the World Economic Forum Cybercrime Atlas Project. These collaborative efforts in 2024 contributed to over 1,000 arrests, the dismantling of 134,000+ malicious networks, and the recovering of $44 million USD.
    • Accelerating climate action with near-term, science-based targets: In 2024, Fortinet’s near-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. These climate near-term targets include scopes 1 and 2 emissions, aligned with a 1.5°C trajectory to limit global warming, as well as scope 3 targets focused on supplier and customer engagement to drive emission reductions across the value chain.
    • Improving product energy efficiency and sustainable packaging: In 2024, Fortinet introduced new FortiGate models that are, on average, 61% more energy efficient than previous generations. Additionally, the company expanded its efforts to minimize environmental impact by launching 22 FSC-certified packaging models, prioritizing plastic-free packaging across 86 top-selling products, and avoiding 387 metric tons of CO2e emissions, including 77 metric tons of plastic reduction.
    • Addressing the cybersecurity skills gap and expanding access to education: Since 2022, Fortinet has trained more than 630,000 individuals in cybersecurity through the Fortinet Training Institute initiatives. In 2024, Fortinet joined the European Commission’s Cybersecurity Skills Academy, committing to train 75,000 people in the EU by 2027. Fortinet also contributed to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Strategic Cybersecurity Talent Framework, helping to shape global best practices for sustainable cybersecurity talent development.
    • Upholding strong business ethics and information security practices: In 2024, 100% of Fortinet’s top contract manufacturers (covering 90% of spend) and distributors completed business ethics and compliance training. Fortinet expanded its ISO 27001/17/18 certifications and its SOC2 Type II examinations, achieving 81 information security certifications and examinations strengthening data protection and privacy measures.

    Industry Recognition for Responsible Business Practices
    Fortinet’s continued progress in sustainability and responsible business practices has been recognized through multiple industry accolades, including:

    • Inclusion in the 2024 Dow Jones Best-in-Class World and North America Indices for the third consecutive year, reflecting its leadership in corporate responsibility.
    • An improved CDP Climate Change rating, moving from a B- to a B score, reflecting strengthened climate action and transparency.
    • Recognition as a 2024 “Best Company to Work For” by Glassdoor and a “Great Place to Work,” underscoring Fortinet’s commitment to fostering a workplace where everyone can thrive.
    • Recognized as No. 7 on Forbes’ Most Trusted Companies in America 2025 list—and the most trusted U.S.-based cybersecurity company.

    Fortinet’s 2024 Sustainability Report references the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, Sustainability Accountability Standards Board (SASB) Standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The report details Fortinet’s progress and metrics across the following eight priority issues: innovation and responsible technology; cybercrime disruption; climate change; product environmental impacts; inclusion and belonging; cybersecurity skills gap; business ethics; and information security and data privacy.

    Additional Resources

    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.

    Copyright © 2025 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAgent, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiCNP, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCSPM, FortiCWP, FortiDAST, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiDLP, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFlex FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiGuest, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPAM, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPoint, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiScanner, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSRA, FortiStack, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM, FortiXDR and Lacework FortiCNAPP. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

    Media Contact: Investor Contact: Analyst Contact:
    Stephanie Lira
    Fortinet, Inc.
    408-235-7700
    pr@fortinet.com     		 Aaron Ovadia
    Fortinet, Inc.
    408-235-7700
    investors@fortinet.com    		 Brian Greenberg
    Fortinet, Inc.
    408-235-7700
    analystrelations@fortinet.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Chestnut Market Launches First Shell-Branded Store With Mashgin AI Checkout

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Chestnut Market today announced it has deployed Mashgin’s AI-powered checkout system at its 203 Greenwood Ave, Bethel, CT location. This marks the first Shell-branded store to roll out Mashgin’s technology, which seamlessly integrates with Shell’s payment network through the Invenco EDGEPro device.

    This technological advancement represents a significant step forward in modernizing the convenience store experience. Chestnut Market recently won a Store Design Award for their Hutchinson Parkway location that features 6 Mashgin kiosks.

    “After witnessing the tremendous success of Mashgin’s technology at our Hutchinson Parkway location, where we completely eliminated checkout lines, we’re excited to bring this same level of convenience to this location’s customers,” said Faheem Jamal, Director of Retail at Chestnut Market. “Retail is detail, and keeping lines short is a big one. This continued expansion demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the customer experience through innovative, practical technology.”

    This pilot program showcases how Shell delivers top tier service to consumers and wholesalers with industry leading technology. A key capability of the Invenco EDGEPro device is enabling options for third party POS systems to be integrated at retail stations. Mashgin’s AI system and Shell’s payment network are a pivotal example of delivering technological capabilities.

    “We’re excited to add Mashgin, one of the quickest and most intuitive AI POS options for Shell Branded locations,” said Elaine Mohr, GM of Operations at Shell Mobility Americas. “This seamless integration demonstrates the value brought to stores with EDGEPro technology as it rolls out across the country.”

    This implementation represents a significant milestone in the convenience store industry, combining Shell’s trusted fuel operations with cutting-edge AI technology to create a faster and customer-friendly shopping experience. Chestnut Market plans to deploy Mashgin’s AI-powered checkout system into additional stores this year.

    “The team at Chestnut is truly exceptional when it comes to building stores that people want to visit,” said Jack Hogan, SVP of Partnerships at Mashgin. “This collaboration with Shell helps us to deliver that next level of customer experience at Chestnut Market, and we look forward to the same for more branded Wholesalers going forward.” 

    About Chestnut Market:

    Chestnut Market is a family-owned convenience store chain operating 75 locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Their values, friendliness, cleanliness and safety, attest to their commitment of making an impact to the communities that they serve across the Hudson Valley and beyond. Each store is curated to meet the demands of customers. They form strategic partnerships ranging from local collaborations to high-tech solutions and offer a wide selection of snacks, beverages and fresh food options.

    For more information about Chestnut Market, go to https://chestnutmarket.com/.

    About Mashgin:

    Mashgin is the world’s fastest checkout system, powered by AI and computer vision. By eliminating barcode scanning, Mashgin allows customers to simply place items on the tray, pay, and be on their way in under 10 seconds. With checkout speeds up to four times faster than traditional systems, Mashgin not only enhances customer satisfaction but also boosts revenue for retailers by reducing wait times and streamlining operations. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Mashgin is a privately held company backed by NEA, Matrix Partners, Susa Ventures, and Y Combinator.

    Follow Mashgin on LinkedIn or learn more about Mashgin at www.mashgin.com.

    Press Contact:
    Quinn Trask
    104 West on behalf of Mashgin
    Quinn.trask@104west.com

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