Categories
Business

AM Best withdraws Credit Ratings of INSURANCE COMPANY OF GAZ INDUSTRY SOGAZ

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insuranceAM Best has withdrawn the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb” (Good) of INSURANCE COMPANY OF GAZ INDUSTRY SOGAZ (SOGAZ) (Russia). At the time of the withdrawal, the Credit Ratings (ratings) were under review with negative implications.

AM Best has withdrawn the ratings for commercial reasons that include, but are not limited to, the sanctions imposed on SOGAZ. Please refer to AM Best Rating Services Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings available on our website, www.ambest.com

 

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Anna Sheremeteva
Financial Analyst
+44 20 7397 4397
anna.sheremeteva@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Catherine Thomas, CFA
Senior Director, Analytics
+44 20 7397 0281
catherine.thomas@ambest.com

Jim Peavy
Director, Communications
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com

Categories
Business

AM Best affirms credit ratings of Lumico Life Insurance Company and its affiliates

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insuranceAM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “a+” (Excellent) of Lumico Life Insurance Company (Jefferson City, MO) and Lumico Life Insurance Company of New York (Armonk, NY). Together, these two companies are referred to as Lumico Life, and are indirect subsidiaries of Swiss Re Ltd (Swiss Re). AM Best also has affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a+” (Excellent) of Elips Life Insurance Company (elipsLife) (headquartered in Schaumburg, IL). elipsLife is an indirect subsidiary of Swiss Re. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Lumico Life’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and very strong enterprise risk management, as the overall risk management program through Swiss Re is being leveraged throughout the whole organization. Furthermore, Lumico Life receives rating lift as it benefits from explicit parental support and is likely to receive future support, if needed, to grow operations. AM Best expects the group to continue to maintain its strategic importance to its parent in a supporting role of providing direct life insurance operations and receive rating enhancement.

 

Lumico Life’s risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), continues to be assessed at the strongest level as of year-end 2020, benefiting from its relatively conservative short-term investment portfolio for immediate liquidity needs and from very strong internal reinsurance support provided by Swiss Re, although the absolute level of capital remains modest. There are no formal financial guarantees extended to Lumico Life from Swiss Re, but the ultimate parent has made previous capital infusions into the company to support increased expenses and underwriting enhancements.

 

AM Best expects a mix of protection and health products to drive Lumico Life’s premium growth going forward, with the primary initial focus on simplified level term life insurance and Medicare supplement products, which are sold by a variety of distribution partners leveraging different sales channels. The company continues to build reserves and align appropriate assets to cover its liabilities. Overall product design and pricing stands will continue to benefit from Swiss Re’s extensive data and underwriting expertise. Lumico Life maintains a limited market position as it continues to grow, and has not yet reached the breakeven point in terms of earnings, but is expected to do so in the near future with revised projections.

 

The ratings of elipsLife reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and very strong enterprise risk management, as the overall risk management program through Swiss Re is being leveraged throughout the whole organization. Furthermore, elipsLife’s receives rating lift as it benefits from explicit parental support and is likely to receive future support, if needed, to grow operations. AM Best expects the group to continue to maintain its strategic importance to its parent in a supporting role of providing direct Medicare supplemental insurance while receiving rating enhancement.

 

Swiss Re implemented a change in strategy for elipsLife, placing its group life and health business into runoff as of the end of 2020. elipsLife has been integrated into the iptiQAmericas Inc. business model, eventually becoming a key player that will support the growth strategy. AM Best expects elipsLife to continue to benefit from a significant reinsurance agreement with Swiss Re. Another capital infusion was made by Swiss Re in 2021 to further support elipsLife’s business runoff costs and volatile market conditions.

 

Despite its limited business profile, elipsLife’s ratings reflect AM Best’s expectation that the company will execute on its business plan to become the primary writer of Medicare supplement insurance in support of Lumico Life’s retail initiative, while continuing to benefit from Swiss Re’s support. AM Best will continue to monitor elipsLife’s progress closely in the near future to ensure that targeted results are realized.

 

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Igor Bass
Senior Financial Analyst
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5109
igor.bass@ambest.com

Michael Porcelli
Senior Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5548
michael.procelli@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Jim Peavy
Director, Communications
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com

Categories
Business

Velo3D announces the appointment of Ellen Pawlikowski to Its board of directors

The Addition Brings Decades of Experience Working With Companies and Engineers in Aviation, Aerospace, and Defense to the Board


Company Also Announces the Planned Resignations of 4 Board Members Post the Successful Completion of Its Public Listing on the New York Stock Exchange

 

CAMPBELL, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Velo3D, Inc. (NYSE: VLD), a leading metal additive manufacturing technology company for mission-critical parts, has strengthened its board of directors with the addition of General Ellen Pawlikowski, an experienced commander and board member with strong roots in the aviation, space, and defense industries. This background and her in-depth knowledge of customers’ needs will support the growth in adoption of Velo3D’s additive manufacturing technology within these critical industries.

 

Pawlikowski’s appointment to the board is effective March 15, 2022. Additionally, the 12-person board will decrease in size to nine members with the planned resignation of early company investors Ricardo Angel, Jory Bell, David Cowan, and Sven Strohband following the company’s successful completion of the public listing on The New York Stock Exchange.

 

In addition to being an accomplished leader, Pawlikowski is an engineer with experience in research, development, and testing and has a deep understanding of customer needs. Her business acumen coupled with technical expertise will help Velo3D during its period of rapid growth in adoption of its end-to-end metal additive manufacturing solution.

 

“The Velo3D team is focused on delivering real-world results and meeting the promises we’ve made to our customers, investors, partners, and employees, and Ellen’s track record shows she can help us meet our challenging goals to land and expand within critical industries and broaden the adoption of our additive manufacturing technology,” said Benny Buller, Velo3D CEO and Founder. “We’re honored to have Ellen join the board, and her extensive experience working with innovators and leading organizations will help us capitalize on the blue-ocean opportunity ahead of us. I am also immensely grateful for the contributions of Ricardo, Jory, David, and Sven to the board over the course of their service and for believing in the vision of Velo3D.”

 

Pawlikowski currently serves on the boards of Raytheon, SRI international, and Applied Research Associates. She served in the U.S. Air Force for 36 years and retired as a 4-star general. Her last assignment was as the Commander of the US Air Force Materiel Command.

 

“Velo3D is a critical tool to innovation in the aerospace, aviation, and defense industries, and I strongly believe that its technology can be transformative to its customers,” said Pawlikowski. “While it’s amazing to see how Velo3D is empowering customers to solve their biggest challenges today, I think that its additive manufacturing technology will be even more impactful on innovation in the future.”

 

Pawlikowski has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. She also has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

 

About Velo3D:

Velo3D is a metal 3D printing technology company. 3D printing—also known as additive manufacturing (AM)—has a unique ability to improve the way high-value metal parts are built. However, legacy metal AM has been greatly limited in its capabilities since its invention almost 30 years ago. This has prevented the technology from being used to create the most valuable and impactful parts, restricting its use to specific niches where the limitations were acceptable.

 

Velo3D has overcome these limitations so engineers can design and print the parts they want. The company’s solution unlocks a wide breadth of design freedom and enables customers in space exploration, aviation, power generation, energy, and semiconductor to innovate the future in their respective industries. Using Velo3D, these customers can now build mission-critical metal parts that were previously impossible to manufacture. The end-to-end solution includes the Flow print preparation software, the Sapphire family of printers, and the Assure quality control system—all of which are powered by Velo3D’s Intelligent Fusion manufacturing process. The company delivered its first Sapphire system in 2018 and has been a strategic partner to innovators such as SpaceX, Honeywell, Honda, Chromalloy, and Lam Research. Velo3D has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2021. For more information, please visit velo3d.com, or follow the company on LinkedIn or Twitter.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1996. The Company’s actual results may differ from its expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies for the future. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described in the documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Most of these factors are outside the Company’s control and are difficult to predict. The Company cautions not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, including projections, which speak only as of the date made. The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

 

VELO, VELO3D, SAPPHIRE, and INTELLIGENT FUSION, are registered trademarks of Velo3D, Inc.; and WITHOUT COMPROMISE, FLOW and ASSURE are trademarks of Velo3D, Inc. All Rights Reserved © Velo3D, Inc.

Contacts

Media Contact:
Velo3D

Dan Sorensen

dan.sorensen@velo3d.com

Investor Relations:
Bob Okunski, VP Investor Relations

investors@velo3d.com

Categories
Business

FRTek delivers the industry’s most flexible 5G smart repeaters

Industry’s first patented fiber cascading FRTek PrimAer smart repeaters powered by Movandi semiconductors and approved by top 5G operators

 

SAN JOSE, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #5GMWC Barcelona – FRTek, a leading supplier of wireless, amplifier solutions and advanced repeater technologies to the mobile communications industry, today announced that it has entered an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partnership with Movandi providing semiconductors and antenna modules for FRTek PrimAer’s smart repeaters in the 24/26 GHz (n258), 28 GHz (n257/n261) and 39 GHz (n260) spectrum bands. FRTek PrimAer smart repeaters with patented fiber cascading capabilities are being deployed today with global tier one 5G service providers including Verizon to deliver unprecedented 5G mmWave coverage.

FRTek’s PrimAer 28 GHz smart repeater was recently used at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech Summit, November 30 – December 2, 2021 at the Fairmont Orchid Hotel located on the western side of Hawaii. Qualcomm released their Snapdragon® 8 GEN 1 Mobile Platform and demonstrated the industry’s first 8K HDR live video streaming using Snapdragon 8 powered reference smartphones in a video call that took place between Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon in Hawaii and Verizon CTO Kyle Malady in New Jersey. Click here to see the demonstration.

 

“The FRTek PrimAer 5G mmWave smart repeater family is the most innovative on the market with patented fiber cascading capabilities that enable service providers unequaled deployment versatility for fixed wireless access to residences and businesses and to extend outdoor and indoor range and coverage,” said Milla Woo, CEO and president at FRTek US, LLC. “Only with Movandi feature and performance innovation in 5G mmWave RF silicon technology solutions were we able to deliver the FRTek PrimAer family. We are excited to enable service providers to bring the 5G vision to life for their customers.”

 

Widespread deployment of FRTek PrimAer repeaters will extend 5G mmWave coverage to a broader range of customers who need reliable, high-speed internet access and 5G mobile service anywhere they are. FRTek PrimAer repeaters are designed to amplify 5G mmWave signals derived from nearby base stations and retransmit them to underserved areas. High-density areas, indoors or outdoors, especially those with multi-story buildings, stadiums, and shopping environments, will benefit from increased deployment of FRTek repeaters.

 

“Our collaboration with FRTek, and their expertise in the designing and manufacturing smart repeaters for 5G mmWave, helps to ensure that we’re able to meet the high-performance requirements of our mutual customers,” said Maryam Rofougaran, CEO and founder with Movandi. “We’re committed to driving innovation and helping mobile network operators scale 5G deployments economically by offering unmatched core semiconductor technology to ODMs and OEMs.”

 

The new FRTek PrimAer smart repeater portfolio are field proven and now support all global markets and licensed spectrum bands. The FRTek PrimAer repeaters use phased array modules including Movandi beamformers, up/down converters, PLL synthesizers, phased array antennas, algorithms, and software to bring the 5G high bandwidth and low latency vision to life.

 

FRTek’s PrimAer smart repeaters are 3GPP compliant and offer industry leading capabilities that reduce service provider deployment costs and time, while enhancing range and coverage for outdoor, indoor and outdoor-to-indoor applications such as urban densification, fixed wireless access, venue/campus coverage, office and residential indoor coverage, and private networking. Highlights include:

 

  • Patented fiber connectivity and cascading allows up to four smart repeaters to be daisy chained up to 600 meters apart providing great deployment flexibility. See video for details.
  • Cascading capability allows one donor unit to support multiple server units connected via fiber or over-the-air (OTA) enhancing deployment flexibility and enabling mmWave to be directed around obstacles.
  • Movandi BeamXR software defined beam networking (SDBN) enables remotely programmed beam forming and steering allowing continuous coverage optimization and reducing OPEX.
  • Donor units automatically find the best server, decodes the SSB, synchronizes TDD, and supports 38 dBm per polarization at 64 QAM with 45-degree azimuth and 45-degree elevation scan angles.
  • Single server units can support multiple beam patterns from narrow to wide beams depending on coverage objectives with 38 dBm per polarization at 64 QAM and programmable angle coverage of 30-degree azimuth and 15-degree elevation
  • Internal LTE modem enables remote operations and maintenance

 

Independent studies by Mobile Experts LLC, a leading industry analyst firm, have shown that smart repeaters can cut mmWave costs and deployment time in half solving the twin deployment problems of capital cost and time to market. Click here for the white paper.

 

About FRTek

Founded in 2000, FRTek (Fiber Radio Technologies) is a leading supplier of wireless and amplifier solutions with a strong track record of providing advanced repeater technology to the mobile communications industry. Headquartered in South Korea, FRTek is a global company with manufacturing facilities in South Korea and offices in Japan and the United States. FRTek’s wireless solutions include distributed antenna system (DAS) repeaters, interference cancellation system (ICS) repeaters, and RF repeaters for 5G mmWave, WCDMA and LTE networks. FRTek developed and tested Radio Unit’s for ORAN. In addition, FRTek is also actively engaged in wireless projects for the government sector. Learn more at frtek.com or follow us on Linkedin.

 

About Movandi

Movandi is a 5G and beyond RF semiconductor technology company enabling a hyperconnected world, broad 5G adoption and AI applications across multiple industries. Movandi has substantial intellectual property with 90 patents filed, and 60 patents issued in 5G RF semiconductors, algorithms and software. Our engineering innovation and know how optimizes 5G RF chipset performance, size and power efficiency, and dynamic beam forming and steering beam using intelligent algorithms, and software with cloud AI and ML. Founded in 2016 by former world-recognized Broadcom RF and SoC pioneers, the Movandi management team includes executives from Cisco, MediaTek, Qualcomm and Samsung. Movandi powered BeamXR smart repeater semiconductor modules solve difficult 5G engineering and economic challenges by speeding up extending range, enhancing coverage, and penetrating physical barriers in indoor, outdoor and mobile environments, and accelerating large-scale 5G commercialization by significantly reducing service provider capital investment and operating expenses. For more information, go to movandi.com or follow us on Linkedin or Twitter.

Contacts

Milla Woo

CEO

frtekglobal@frtek.com

Categories
Business

IMA Group continues national growth with acquisition of Amici Clinical Research

Newest acquisition adds two clinical trial sites to IMA’s clinical research network

 

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — The IMA Group (IMA) announced today the acquisition of Amici Clinical Research, a clinical trials company with two New Jersey sites in Raritan and Hoboken. Expanding IMA’s metro New York presence, Amici brings therapeutic expertise in fatty liver, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurologic diseases to IMA Clinical Research. The company also has extensive experience conducting endocrinology, dermatology, and vaccine studies, among the fastest-growing categories of clinical research today.

The acquisition of Amici expands IMA’s footprint in the Northeast and enhances its breadth of therapeutic coverage. It also adds to IMA’s growing clinical research network and more than 100 brick-and-mortar medical offices. The acquisition moves IMA a step closer to realizing its vision to reach people everywhere, as it partners with its sponsors on site-based, hybrid, and decentralized clinical trials.

 

Amici was founded in 2015 and is led by David Rodin, CEO, Robert Falcone, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, and Anthony Frisoli, M.D., Chief Business Development Officer. Rodin and Falcone will join the executive team of IMA Clinical Research, bringing over 55 years of combined experience in clinical care, research and drug development. Both previously held executive positions at Merck and Pfizer.

 

“We are very pleased to have David and Rob and the highly qualified team of Amici join our Clinical Research Division. Their extensive experience in clinical research and drug development, coupled with their deep industry knowledge, makes them a perfect fit for our executive team and staff as we accelerate the growth of our Clinical Research Division,” said Mark Weinberger, Ph.D., MPH, President and CEO of The IMA Group.

 

“This acquisition will enable Amici Clinical Research to provide an even higher level of service to a greater number of customers,” said Rodin. Falcone further commented that “IMA’s client-centric culture and vision, along with its complementary clinical strengths and impressive infrastructure, convinced David and me this was a perfect fit for our company and people.”

 

Financial terms for the two privately held companies were not disclosed. Amici Clinical Research will continue to operate under its current name. In addition to Rodin and Falcone, key leadership, investigators and staff will remain in place. Additional information regarding the capabilities of Amici Clinical Research can be found at www.amicicr.com.

 

About IMA Clinical Research:

IMA Clinical Research, a division of The IMA Group, is a physician-founded network of integrated clinical research sites specializing in Phase II-IV clinical trials in multiple therapeutic areas. With more than 100 sites in the IMA Clinical Trial Network, IMA Clinical Research has extensive capabilities to conduct site-based, hybrid and fully decentralized clinical trials that support the development of safe and effective new treatments. The Clinical Research Division offers access to new advances in pharmacology and biotechnology for research subjects, as well as a robust database of interested clinical trial participants for pharmaceutical and device sponsors. For more information, visit www.imaresearch.com or www.theIMAgroup.com.

Contacts

Brenna Harrington

Scott Public Relations

706-217-7809

Categories
Business

Iveric Bio reports inducement grants under Nasdaq listing rule 5635(c)(4)

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — IVERIC bio, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISEE) today reported that on March 1, 2022, the Company granted equity-based awards pursuant to the Company’s 2019 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan to four newly-hired, non-executive employees. These inducement grants were approved by the Company’s compensation and talent strategy committee pursuant to a delegation by the Company’s board of directors and were made as a material inducement to each employee’s acceptance of employment with the Company in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) as a component of his or her employment compensation.

The inducement grants consisted of non-statutory stock options to purchase an aggregate of 72,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and an aggregate of 500 restricted stock units for shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

The stock options each have an exercise price of $16.10 per share, equal to the closing price of Iveric Bio’s common stock on March 1, 2022. The stock options each have a ten-year term and vest over four years, with 25% of the shares underlying each option vesting on March 1, 2023 and an additional 2.0833% of the shares underlying each option vesting at the end of each successive month thereafter. The grant of restricted stock units vests with respect to 100% of the shares underlying the applicable grant on September 1, 2022. The vesting of the grants is subject to the applicable employee’s continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The inducement grants are subject to the terms and conditions of award agreements covering the grants and the Company’s 2019 Inducement Stock Incentive Plan.

 

Iveric Bio

Iveric Bio is a science-driven biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel treatments for retinal diseases with significant unmet medical needs. The Company is committed to having a positive impact on patients’ lives by delivering high-quality, safe and effective treatments designed to address debilitating retinal diseases including earlier stages of age-related macular degeneration. For more information on the Company, please visit www.ivericbio.com.

 

ISEE-G

Contacts

Investor / Media Contact:
Iveric Bio

Kathy Galante, 212-845-8231

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations

kathy.galante@ivericbio.com

Media Contact:
SmithSolve

Alex Van Rees, 973-442-1555 ext. 111

alex.vanrees@smithsolve.com

Categories
Business

Align named to CRN 2022 MSP 500 list in Pioneer 250 category

NEW YORK — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Align, the premier global provider of technology infrastructure solutions and Managed IT Services, announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Align to its 2022 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Pioneer 250 category. The list, released annually, recognizes the leading North American solution providers that have demonstrated innovative and forward-thinking approaches to managed services. These services help end users improve operational efficiencies and navigate the ongoing complexities of IT solutions, while maximizing their return on IT investments.


With many customers still recovering from the impact of the ongoing pandemic, MSPs (Managed Service Providers) have become a vital part of the success of businesses worldwide. MSPs not only empower organizations to leverage intricate technologies but also help them keep a strict focus on their core business goals without straining their budgets.

 

The annual MSP 500 list is divided into three sections: the MSP Pioneer 250, recognizing companies with business models weighted toward managed services and largely focused on the SMB (Small and Medium sized Business) market; the MSP Elite 150, recognizing large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on- and off-premises services; and the Managed Security 100, recognizing MSPs focused primarily on off-premises and cloud-based security services.

 

“In addition to having to adjust their own business operations to account for the changed conditions during the pandemic, MSPs have also seen increased demand for their managed communications, collaboration and security services,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “The solution providers on our 2022 MSP 500 list deserve credit for their innovative and game-changing approaches to managed services in these unpredictable times, as well as their ability to optimize operational efficiencies and systems without straining IT budgets.”

 

Align has been recognized on the MSP 500 list every year since 2014, and this year is no exception. Align is continually evolving its services to account for industry changes, helping clients to operate their firms seamlessly and securely even through the tectonic shifts of the past two years, including a global decentralized workforce, as well as meeting new compliance, operational and security challenges.

 

“We are thrilled to be considered a member of the Pioneer 250 and to stand among other industry greats,” said Vinod Paul, Chief Operating Officer at Align. “Not only is Align the only MSP in its industry to offer built-in Cybersecurity Advisory Services, but our Managed Services platform was architected specifically to accommodate a fully decentralized workforce. As a result, we have stayed at the forefront of the industry.”

 

The MSP 500 list will be featured in the February 2022 issue of CRN and online at www.CRN.com/msp500.

 

About Align

Align is a premier global provider of technology infrastructure solutions. For over 33 years, leading firms worldwide have relied on Align to guide them through IT challenges, delivering complete, secure solutions for business change and growth. Align is headquartered in New York City and has offices in London, Chicago, San Francisco, Arizona, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia. Learn more at www.align.com, and follow @AlignITAdvisor.

Contacts

Ashley Holbrook

aholbrook@align.com
212-546-6159

Categories
Business

Best’s Review explores the rise of shock verdicts

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — The March issue of Best’s Review examines how the growing number of shock verdicts is affecting the insurance industry and market:

 

Best’s Review is AM Best’s monthly insurance magazine, covering emerging insurance issues and trends and evaluating their impact on the marketplace. Full access to the complete content of Best’s Review is available here.

 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Patricia Vowinkel
Executive Editor, Best’s Review®
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5540
patricia.vowinkel@ambest.com

Categories
Business

NICE accelerates self-service success with the launch of innovative AI-powered capabilities in its CXone spring 2022 release

Further expanding on the CXi platform, the new CXone capabilities proactively guide digital conversations that prevent self-service abandonment and expand support for bring-your-own chatbots to boost CSAT

 

HOBOKEN, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #NICENICE (Nasdaq: NICE) today announced the Spring 2022 release of CXone, which adds innovative new capabilities that accelerate self-service success. Further expanding on NICE’s CXi platform and its focus on the end-to-end digital customer journey, the new capabilities proactively anticipate points of friction on the web and across mobile journeys and simplify them to drive more positive CX and conversion and deepen loyalty. Expanded integration with additional bots and assistants for both voice and chat, from industry-leading bot frameworks, make data easily accessible for agents when needed while increasing the ability of businesses to deliver support across the globe.

 

Paul Jarman, CEO, NICE CXone, commented, “In today’s age of instant gratification, customers expect speed and efficiency while expending minimal effort on receiving service. Dispelling friction and guiding customers in the moments when they need support is key to making experiences flow and building relationships that last. With the Spring 2022 release, CXone brings innovative capabilities that transform self-service into a more proactive experience that benefits both customers and agents, boosting brand loyalty.”

 

The CXone Spring 2022 release drives:

  • Faster online resolution with guided web and mobile journeys:
    • CXone Guide proactively provides contextual guidance without human assistance for accelerated self-service success. The solution makes it easier for customers to complete tasks, like online application forms, without human assistance by providing snippets of information when needed. Anticipating friction points, CXone Guide shares contextual ‘nudges’ via pop-ups with timely and relevant data on the page to help when customers struggle. This boosts online conversions and resolutions and accelerates e-commerce while reducing support costs. CXone Guide is integrated with CXone Expert’s advanced knowledge management capabilities as well as with web chat, enabling customers to engage further through self-service or directly with live agents.
    • Mobile developers can now easily integrate CXone messaging features in their native application with Mobile SDKs for iOS and Android.
  • Frictionless experiences that boost CSAT with new composable AI and self-service:
    • Weaving in a slew of new bot frameworks into its fabric, NICE CXone now enables bring-your-own self-service bots for digital chat and voice such as Microsoft Azure, Amazon Lex and IBM Watson for easy low code/no-code integration. CXone also integrates with Google Agent Assist on voice and chat channels, driving relevant content and data to agents handling omnichannel interactions at the right time within the unified agent. NICE also adds support for additional digital channels such as Apple Business Chat as well as 100+ languages for IVR and voice-enabled chatbots to help businesses serve global audiences. Together, these new capabilities boost CSAT, drive up containment and reduce cost to serve.
    • CXone Bot Builder, which allows businesses to build their own bots with a simple drag and drop, is now enhanced with advanced learning insights that enable smarter self-service. The ability to train bots personalizes engagements and improves recognition, such as synonyms, industry terms, formats and more. Public testing makes it easy to pilot bots with real users, thus boosting bot performance and operational efficiency for the business.

About NICE

With NICE (Nasdaq: NICE), it’s never been easier for organizations of all sizes around the globe to create extraordinary customer experiences while meeting key business metrics. Featuring the world’s #1 cloud native customer experience platform, CXone, NICE is a worldwide leader in AI-powered self-service and agent-assisted CX software for the contact center – and beyond. Over 25,000 organizations in more than 150 countries, including over 85 of the Fortune 100 companies, partner with NICE to transform – and elevate – every customer interaction. www.nice.com

 

Trademark Note: NICE and the NICE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NICE Ltd. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. For a full list of NICE’s marks, please see: www.nice.com/nice-trademarks.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, including the statements by Mr. Jarman, are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of NICE Ltd. (the “Company”). In some cases, such forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “seek,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “project,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those described herein, including but not limited to the impact of changes in economic and business conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; competition; successful execution of the Company’s growth strategy; success and growth of the Company’s cloud Software-as-a-Service business; changes in technology and market requirements; decline in demand for the Company’s products; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; difficulties or delays in absorbing and integrating acquired operations, products, technologies and personnel; loss of market share; an inability to maintain certain marketing and distribution arrangements; the Company’s dependency on third-party cloud computing platform providers, hosting facilities and service partners;, cyber security attacks or other security breaches against the Company; the effect of newly enacted or modified laws, regulation or standards on the Company and our products and various other factors and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting the company, refer to the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the SEC, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise them, except as required by law.

Contacts

Corporate Media Contact
Christopher Irwin-Dudek, +1 201 561 4442, ET, chris.irwin-dudek@nice.com

Investors
Marty Cohen, +1 551 256 5354, ET ir@nice.com
Omri Arens, +972 3 763 0127, CET, ir@nice.com

Categories
Business

AM Best removes from under review with positive implications, upgrades credit ratings of State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company and operating subsidiaries

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — AM Best has removed from under review with positive implications and upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) of State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company (SAM) and its operating subsidiaries. Concurrently, AM Best has removed from under review with positive implications and upgraded the Long-Term ICR to “bbb” (Good) from “bbb-” (Good) of SAM’s intermediate holding company, State Auto Financial Corporation (STFC). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. All of the above companies are headquartered in Columbus, OH. (See below for a listing of the companies.)

The ratings of SAM reflect the group’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

 

These rating actions follow the announcement on March 1, 2022, of the close of the acquisition of the SAM companies by Liberty Mutual Holding Company Inc. (LMHC) and its operating subsidiaries. LMHC plans to incorporate the SAM operating companies into its existing reinsurance agreements with its other operating subsidiaries. In addition, the SAM operating companies will benefit from strategic relationships and operational support provided by LMHC.

 

The FSR has been removed from under review with positive implications and upgraded to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent); and the Long-Term ICRs removed from under review with positive implications and upgraded to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) for the following operating subsidiaries of State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company:

 

  • State Auto Property & Casualty Insurance Company
  • Milbank Insurance Company
  • State Auto Insurance Company of Ohio
  • Patrons Mutual Insurance Company of Connecticut
  • Meridian Security Insurance Company
  • State Auto Insurance Company of Wisconsin
  • Rockhill Insurance Company
  • Plaza Insurance Company
  • American Compensation Insurance Company
  • Bloomington Compensation Insurance Company

 

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Raymond Thomson, CPCU, ARe, ARM
Associate Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5621
raymond.thomson@ambest.com

Michael Lagomarsino, CFA, FRM
Senior Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5810
michael.lagomarsino@ambest.com

Christopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

christopher.sharkey@ambest.com

Jim Peavy
Director, Communications
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com