Category: Lifestyle

Videos, photos and news about food, homes & gardens, auto, celebrities, and all that identify the culture of various lifestyles…

Categories
Business Lifestyle

AM Best revises outlooks to negative for Mutual of America Life Insurance Company

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insurance — AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) of Mutual of America Life Insurance Company (MofA) (New York, NY).

 

These Credit Ratings (ratings) reflect MofA’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

 

The negative outlooks reflect AM Best’s concern over the company’s business profile and the overall shift in its potential product offerings, as well as the build out of its infrastructure, along with the continued pressure on the company’s operating performance metrics. Furthermore, there has been some weakness in MofA’s balance sheet strength, driven by market volatility and declines in risk-adjusted capitalization with continued increased losses. AM Best’s expectation is that MofA will continue to execute on the necessary steps to curb volatility, and improve its overall operating performance and strategic business profile in the near future. MofA’s business profile has experienced some additional weakness as well, but not enough deterioration to drive any further changes to the rating at this time.

 

The company’s risk-adjusted capitalization is projected to remain at the very strong level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). The company’s investment portfolio has begun shifting toward privately managed investments. The company’s net income has declined significantly in recent years, mainly due to general account margin compression, and continued significantly higher operating expenses from settlement accounting, including additional costs related to business transformation initiatives, which is being addressed by the company. MofA’s profitability remains below the industry average, despite it not having a tax liability.

 

The company has a competitive position in its target market of providing pension products to nonprofit organizations and small for-profit businesses, although almost all of its general account reserves are interest-sensitive, and more than half of the total assets are separate account assets. MofA is continuing to invest heavily in technology to enhance its infrastructure, sales efforts and margins as it still expects to gain market share in the near future. AM Best will continue to closely monitor the company’s results, as it continues to execute on its business strategy going forward.

 

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 © 2023 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

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

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

Al Slavin
Senior Public Relations Specialist
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098
al.slavin@ambest.com

Categories
Digital - AI & Apps Education Lifestyle Technology

Bowker announces partnership with Bookshop.org to promote Book2Look view-inside widget

Publishers invited to submit titles for inclusion in pilot program

CHATHAM, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — As noted in recent press coverage, Bowker and Bookshop.org have launched a joint pilot program to make the Book2Look view-inside widget available to publishers free of charge.

 

“As the exclusive Book2Look distributor for the United States, we are pleased and excited to invite publishers to participate in the program,” said Bowker General Manager Beat Barblan.

 

“We encourage publishers to act now and take advantage of this unique limited-time opportunity.”

 

Bookshop.org, an online shopping platform that supports independent booksellers, is adopting the Book2Look view-inside widget (aka “Biblet,”) for all of its titles. Biblets will give Bookshop.org customers the option of previewing a few pages of a book while browsing, increasing the likelihood of purchase. Market research (Nielsen) shows that the option to look inside a book before purchase is among the top deciding factors after author, topic/genre, and price.

 

As stated by Andy Hunter, Bookshop.org CEO, “Bookshop.org is pleased to offer our customers an opportunity to browse books before buying them, using Book2Look’s elegant, embeddable preview technology.”

 

With Book2Look, publishers can share book excerpts, videos, audio clips, and reviews, enabling readers to more fully experience the book before purchase. An analytics component provides a dashboard for tracking Biblet performance including such key metrics as page views, click-throughs, and time spent in Biblets.

 

Designed to improve book discovery and sales, the Book2Look view-inside widget is a dynamic and effective way to present books to potential customers online. According to Book2Look managing director Ralph Möllers, a well-known digital publishing figure in the book industry, more than 4,000 publishers and self-publishers are currently using the technology.

 

To have their titles featured on Bookshop.org, publishers need only provide book content, cover image, and title data (the Biblet will only use whatever the publisher decides to give readers to preview). Publishers can request a free publisher account from Bowker by clicking here: http://bit.ly/3YJLY7t.

 

ABOUT BOWKER

Bowker provides products and services that make books easier to discover, evaluate, and experience – connecting publishers, authors, and booksellers with readers. From essential identifiers like ISBNs and barcodes…to editing and copyright protection assistance…to marketing and publicity tools, Bowker offers a wide range of resources to help authors publish and promote their titles.

 

ABOUT BOOKSHOP.ORG

Bookshop.org works to connect readers with independent booksellers all over the world. With a commitment to helping independent bookstores thrive, the Bookshop.org platform provides tools to help them compete online, and financial support to help them maintain their presence in local communities. Every purchase on the site financially supports independent bookstores.

 

ABOUT BOOK2LOOK

Ralph Möllers founded Book2Look as a digital book marketing platform to promote titles for his publishing company. He later partnered with Hitesh Jain, the owner of WITS Interactive, to develop Book2Look into a marketing tool that other publishers could use to promote their own titles.

Contacts

Andrew Kovacs

akovacs@bowker.com

Categories
Education Healthcare Lifestyle Local News Science

Amid record nurse shortages, a top-ranking NJ nursing school is filling in the gap

Leading NJ nursing school prepares students for successful healthcare careers

  • TCNJ’s nursing program boasts simulation labs to safely give students hands-on professional experience.
  • The program’s students consistently exceed testing standards.

 

“TCNJ’s reputation speaks for itself. We have consistently had a 94-100% pass rate…”

— Dr. Tracy Perron, Professor & Chair, Nursing, TCNJ

 

Image

EWING, N.J. – Healthcare faces a staffing crisis like it has never seen before.

 

One study finds nurse turnover surged 8.4% between 2020 and 2021, propelling the national average to ~27%. In the face of this unprecedented industry-wide challenge, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences (SNHS) at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is preparing young healthcare professionals to exceed standards and deliver best-in-class care.

 

To get a better idea of just how SNHS accomplishes this, look no further than TCNJ alumnus and Penn Medicine Princeton Health Labor & Delivery nurse, Sydney Doyle, BSN, RN. “My experience studying nursing at TCNJ helped me after graduation by equipping me with the tools to succeed in both clinical and professional environments. Through rigorous coursework and studying under highly-esteemed nurse leaders and experts, I was able to refine my time management, clinical, and critical thinking skills and develop professional etiquette,” says Doyle.

 

Beyond academic and hands-on experience, Doyle suggests TCNJ’s alumni network adds equal value. She explains, “TCNJ’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences has afforded me a network of colleagues both near and far that fostered my growth while I earned my BSN and continually support me in my professional endeavors.”

 

TCNJ’s SNHS offers an undergraduate Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, as well as a BSN to Registered Nurse (RN) track.

 

Dr. Tracy Perron, Professor and Chair of TCNJ’s Nursing Department, argues SNHS stands out as a leader in accelerating students directly into professional healthcare careers or advanced studies. “TCNJ’s reputation speaks for itself. We have consistently had a 94-100% pass rate and our students are gainfully employed within six months of graduation in some of the most notable healthcare facilities, such as Duke, Hopkins, CHOP, NYU, Sloan Kettering just to name a few. Also, our alumni get into some of the top graduate programs, like Duke, PENN, NYU, Rutgers, Hopkins, and Jefferson,” Perron says.

 

The success of TCNJ’s nursing program at state and national levels has increasingly attracted students seeking a high-quality education in healthcare. For transfer student Adriana Pagnillo, the unique benefit of pursuing TCNJ’s nursing track is access to hands-on experience before graduation. “One experience at TCNJ that has helped to shape my understanding of the nursing field has been the lab experiences the program provides. The hands-on simulation labs, including mannequins that mimic real-life scenarios, give students the closest thing possible to a human experience. This allows the students to make errors and learn from their mistakes without the risk of harming real patients.”

 

TCNJ’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Dean Carole Kenner explains, “The national healthcare staffing shortage should worry just about everyone in the industry. Our School is honored to do its part to prepare medical professionals to perform at the top of their license.” The School rebranded in 2022 to reflect its robust and diverse, cross-disciplinary health science curricula.

 

TCNJ’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences educates aspiring health professionals to become future leaders across the healthcare industry. Faculty work closely with local healthcare partners to provide students with applicative skills and foundational knowledge. The nationally acclaimed school is dedicated to preparing individuals—through programs in nursing, public health, exercise science and physical education teaching—for the many rewards of guiding people, communities, and populations toward improved health outcomes. The School is nationally recognized as a Healthy People 2030 Champion.

Categories
Lifestyle Local News Politics Travel & Leisure

Mercer County Clerk, US Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman to host passport event for Hopewell Valley residents

TRENTON, N.J. — Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello and her staff, in partnership with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, will be offering passport services at the Pennington Borough Municipal Building in March.

 

Mercer residents interested in renewing or applying for a passport are encouraged to come out and take advantage of this outreach service at 30 North Main St. in Pennington Boro. on Wednesday, March 15 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Passport photos are also available on site.

 

To apply for a United States passport, applicants will need 1) Proof of U.S. Citizenship in the form of a state-certified birth certificate, a U.S. naturalization certificate, or a previous U.S. Passport; and 2) Proof of Identity in the form of a current driver’s license or State-issued identification card. No cash or credit cards will be accepted at this event. A check or money order is required. Appointments are recommended and you may call 609-989-6473 to reserve your spot. 

 

If you are unable to take advantage of the passport event, the County Clerk’s Office processes United States passport applications on a regular basis, Monday through Friday, at the County Clerk’s Office, 209 South Broad St., Trenton.

 

Passport applications are also processed at the Mercer County Connection at the Hamilton Square Shopping Center on Highway 33 and Paxson Avenue. To make an appointment at the Mercer County Connection in Hamilton, call 609-890-9800.

 

For more information regarding our passport services and what to bring when you visit, please visit the Mercer County Clerk’s Passport Services Page. For more information, please call 609-989-6473 or 609-989-6131

Categories
Art & Life Business Culture Digital - AI & Apps International & World Lifestyle Regulations & Security

Humanity Communications Collective receives international recognition for Human & Civil Rights work

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Affirming its commitment to amplifying social justice issues through strategic and creative communications, Humanity Communications Collective recently announced it was selected as a 2023 Anthem Awards winner.


HCC was awarded a Bronze award in the Human & Civil Rights category for their work with the Bring Sundiata Acoli Home Alliance in 2022. HCC led a comprehensive communications approach to bring Black Panther Sundiata Acoli home last year. Acoli, 85, had been incarcerated since 1973 and was repeatedly denied parole for more than 24 years, violating New Jersey law. HCC strategically and methodically told the story of his humanity and key tenets of the law and created a compelling and nuanced narrative around the law’s intent, justice and civil rights.

 

Over the 9-month project, HCC:

  • Generated 1,268 social media posts with 1.9 million impressions, with a 544% engagement increase across social platforms.
  • Secured 763 media articles reaching an audience of 11.4 million.
  • Increased website visits by 400%.
  • Increased email subscription rates by 52% and open rates to 44%.
  • Drove the online petition calling for Sundiata’s release to more than 20,000 signatures.

 

In May 2022, Sundiata Acoli was granted parole and released after nearly 50 years of incarceration.

 

“While the true honor of this work was the rightful and just release of Sundiata Acoli, we are overjoyed by this international recognition and the esteemed group HCC joins,” said HCC CEO Yanira Castro. “Our goal was to galvanize support for Sundiata and encourage the state to faithfully discharge the law – even when it may not be popular. This is what social justice is all about; holding an unwavering commitment to speaking out and demanding equity for all, without exception. We all must move together to free the rest of our political prisoners. Now.”

 

In a video associated with the award announcement, Castro and the project’s team urged the release of political prisoners, further signifying HCC’s commitment to issue amplification.

 

The Anthem Awards was launched in response to the prevalence that social good has taken within the national conversation and cultural zeitgeist in recent years. The 2nd Annual competition received nearly 2,000 entries from 43 countries worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, the Anthem Awards are defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their communities. A portion of program revenue will fund a new grant program supporting emerging individuals and organizations working to advance the causes recognized.

 

Winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, with members that include: Nicholas Thompson, CEO, The Atlantic, Christina Swarns, Executive Director, Innocence Project, Zarna Surti, Global Creative Director, Nike Purpose, Maurice Mitchell, National Director, Working Families Party, Lindsay Stein, Chief Purpose Office, Tombras, Jennifer Lotito, President & Chief Operating Officer, (RED), Lisa Sherman, President & CEO, The Ad Council, Emily Barfoot, Global Brand Director Dove, Unilever, Trovon Williams, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, NAACP, Roma McCaig, Senior VP of Impact, Clif Bar, Michelle Egan, Chief Strategy Officer, NRDC, Dinah-Kareen Jean, Senior Manager, Social Innovation, Etsy, Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO, GLAAD, Jad Finck, Vice President of Innovation & Sustainability, Allbirds, Christopher Miller, Head of Global Activism Strategy, Ben & Jerry’s, Shayla Tait, Director of Philanthropy, The Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation.

 

“Since launching this platform in June of 2021, we have seen that social change has emerged as a dominant force in mainstream culture,” said Anthem Awards Managing Director Jessica Lauretti. “The sheer number, breadth and overall quality of the entries shared with us in the 2nd Annual Awards is a testament to the strength of this growing movement and demonstrates an enduring commitment to the work that is both humbling and inspiring to see. From the war in Ukraine to protests in Iran and the ongoing battle for equality here at home in the States, the call for change not only perseveres but is a growing global chorus.”

 

Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, the Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Education; Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate. Founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, GLAAD, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.

 

Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites; Video; Advertising, Media & PR; Apps, Mobile, and Voice; Social; Podcasts; and Games. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received more than 13,500 entries from all 50 states and 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include Verizon, WP Engine, YouGov, Brandlive, Canva, NAACP, KPMG, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, Podcast Movement, and AIGA.

 

Humanity Communications Collective is a luxury, justice-driven, strategic communications agency focused on making human and emotional connections. We provide communications strategy, content creation, branding, media relations, social media services, and event activations for non-profits and social impact organizations. We live at the intersection of communications, digital, social impact, and cultural competency. HCC is owned by an Afro-Latina with a team of strategic communications experts in three different countries.

 

Contacts

Heather Hansen

Humanity Communications Collective

Heather@humanitycom.com
410-991-4444

Categories
Business Culture Lifestyle

CommentSold drives home decor live selling success with MJ Home

Success underscores growth in the U.S. live selling market beyond the fashion category, powered by innovative technology platforms like CommentSold

 

LOS ANGELES — (BUSINESS WIRE) — CommentSold, the leading commercial live selling platform in the U.S. with $3.5B+ in lifetime GMV, announced a significant milestone by MJ Home, a home decor small business that embraced live selling with CommentSold in 2018. MJ Home recently crossed $10M in lifetime live selling GMV, highlighting the potential that live selling has to drive sales growth across all product categories.


MJ Home differentiates itself from other home decor retailers by focusing on adding a personalized touch to its products. Kirstie Dooley, owner of MJ Home, hand pours her candles and offers monthly subscription boxes to drive customer loyalty and engagement. Live selling events have provided Kirstie a channel to connect with her shoppers, increase engagement and drive repeat purchases.

 

“CommentSold has helped my business reach more people, making shopping a much more personal experience and growing my sales tremendously.” said Kirstie Dooley, owner of MJ Home.

 

“Most people associate live selling with Fast Fashion only. The success of home decor retailers like MJ Home highlights that retailers across product categories who pivot to live video selling can build more meaningful relationships and personal connections with customers. MJ Home has been able to stand out from the crowd and convince consumers that their products are worth buying,” said Josephine Wong, Head of Marketing & Operations at CommentSold.

 

Research shows at least 47% of consumers want more live video content from the brands they support, and 67% of live stream event viewers become repeat purchasers. It’s clear that live selling is gaining momentum with small businesses like MJ Home leading the way. CommentSold is constantly innovating to provide retailers across the U.S. with the latest technology, support, and proven live selling strategies to grow and scale their presence.

 

About MJ Home

MJ Home is a home decor retailer based in New Jersey. Founded in 2016, MJ Home has expanded its assortment across all home decor categories, including MJHome brand created by owner, Kirstie Dooley.

 

For more information, please visit mamasjunkco.com.

 

​​About CommentSold

CommentSold is the North American leader in live selling technology (ranked by G2), enabling over 7,000 small to mid-sized retailers with live-selling tools, generating 147M+ items sold with $3.5B+ in lifetime GMV. CommentSold’s technology continues to provide small businesses and mid-sized brands and retailers with best-in-class solutions for delivering engaging live video commerce experiences. Recent innovations from the company include their lightweight video commerce plugin technology, Videeo, which gives any retailer or brand the ability to embed and go live with engaging, branded live video commerce experiences within days by easily integrating into their existing e-commerce stack.

 

For more information, please visit CommentSold.com or Videeo.live.

Contacts

Media

Erin Christopher

SourceCode Communications for CommentSold

commentsold@sourcecodecomms.com

Categories
Culture Lifestyle Local News Politics

Most Mercer County government offices to close for Presidents’ Day

TRENTON, N.J. — Most Mercer County government offices, including all branches of the Mercer County Library System, will be closed Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in observance of Presidents Day.

 

The following County offices and facilities will remain open: Trenton-Mercer Airport (except for administrative offices), Correction Center, Sheriff’s Office and the Emergency Services Communication Center.

 

  • Mercer County Park Commission facilities will have the following hours on Presidents Day: Ice Skating Center, 8:30 to 10 a.m. for senior skating (62+), 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for public skating;
  • Tennis Center, 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Mercer Oaks East, Mercer Oaks West, Mountain View and Hopewell Valley golf courses, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting;
  • Mercer County Stables, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Wildlife Center, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment only.
  • Howell Living History Farm, Tulpehaking Nature Center, Princeton Country Club golf course and Park Commission administrative offices will be closed.

 

For more information on Park Commission facilities, visit www.mercercountyparks/org.

Categories
Business Culture Lifestyle Local News Politics

County Exec. Hughes announces projects, funding within $3M ARPA set-aside for municipalities

Making good on his promise to share $3 Million of Mercer County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation, Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes is pleased to announce the municipal grant amounts and the projects to be supported under the County’s Community Investment Initiative.

 

First announced in October by the County Executive and Commissioner Board, the $3 million set-aside was to assist Mercer municipalities with programs and services aimed at older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities.

 

Specifically, the set-aside parameters were that the funds must be used to support, create or augment municipal programs and services in the areas of health, social services and transportation. The program is being administered by GrantWorks, the firm managing the county ARPA allocation, which provides ARPA program compliance, documentation management and reporting.

 

Mr. Hughes said each of the 12 mayors pitched thoughtful projects that met the criteria. “Our mayors know what they need, and I was pleased and impressed by the depth and breadth of their requests,” Mr. Hughes said.

 

“In a perfect world, I wish we could fund each and every project that seeks to touch and improve the lives of our residents, and I appreciate this collaboration with the mayors.”

Mercer County applied the federal government’s ARPA funding formula to allocate portions of the $3 million to each municipality.

 

  • East Windsor: $74,000; Funds must be applied to the bus driver’s salary, programs, tables, chairs, and/or A.V. equipment for the senior center.
  • Ewing: $164,000; Funds must be applied to the Hollowbrook computer learning center, A.V. equipment, and/or senior programs.
  • Hamilton: $445,000; Funds must be applied to a generator for the senior center, the installation of a new field for Miracle League at the YMCA, a freezer for the Mercer County CYO, and/or COVID-19 senior services.
  • Hightstown: $14,000; Funds must be applied to HVAC repairs at the firehouse and/or at the municipal library.
  • Hopewell Borough: $5,000; This allocation will be pooled with the other two municipalities within the Hopewell Valley for a total of $60,000.00 and must be applied to the design and planning of a senior/community center.
  • Hopewell Township: $48,000; This allocation will be pooled with the other two municipalities within the Hopewell Valley for a total of $60,000.00 and must be applied to the design and planning of a senior/community center.
  • Lawrence: $88,000; Funds must be applied to accessibility improvements to the Nature Center and/or lead remediation.
  • Pennington: $7,000; This allocation will be pooled with the other two municipalities within the Hopewell Valley for a total of $60,000.00 and must be applied to the design and planning of a senior/community center.
  • Princeton: $151,000; Funds must be applied to WeDriveU transportation services, dental services for seniors, veterans, and residents with disabilities through the Princeton Health Department, and/or mental health support through the Princeton Senior Resource Center.
  • Robbinsville: $39,000; Funds must be applied to inclusive playground equipment.
  • Trenton: $1,889,000; for ongoing renovations at Reading and Sam Naples senior centers, and enrichment programs.
  • West Windsor: $76,000; To be determined.

At the October announcement about the program, the concept of which was brought to the County Executive by the Commissioner Board, then-Chair Nina Melker said, “The collaboration between the County Administration, the Commissioner Board and our local elected leaders is a perfect example how together we can work diligently in the best interests of our residents.”

The County Executive agrees.

 

Under the federal ARPA, Mercer County received $71.25 million in fiscal recovery funds intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the Mercer County ARPA allocation, municipalities received the following in ARPA funds:

 

  • East Windsor: $2,680,560
  • Ewing: $6,070,873
  • Hamilton: $16,894,038
  • Hightstown, $521,023
  • Hopewell Borough: $187,230
  • Hopewell Township: $1,741,165
  • Lawrence: $3,186,161
  • Pennington: $253,046
  • Princeton: $6,057,088
  • Robbinsville: $1,428,591
  • Trenton: $73,786,424
  • West Windsor: $2,740,187
Categories
Business Culture Lifestyle

How trusted communications superheroes are winning the battle against fraud and operational inefficiency to protect customers and the bottom line

iconectiv executives showcase how communication service providers are mitigating fraud, caller ID spoofing, smishing, illegal robocalling, network inefficiency and more

 

  • What’s the News: Years of rapid technology and regulatory innovation have created major revenue streams and market opportunities for service providers. They have also increased the need for new ways to mitigate fraud, errors and inefficiencies.
  • Why it Matters: Fraud like illegal robocalls, nuisance calls and messaging spam undermine consumer trust, creating business challenges for service providers, their enterprise customers and consumers. In the shadows of service providers globally, a squadron of advanced and intelligent superheroes are diligently working to keep the integrity of the communications infrastructure and the relevancy of the communication channels intact.

 

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Consumers and businesses depend on voice calls and SMS not only to communicate, but also to enable security safeguards such as two-factor authentication for bank accounts. That’s why fraudsters also look to voice and SMS for illegal robocalling, smishing, account takeovers, PBX hacking, one-ring scams and other types of communication fraud.

By mitigating fraud, a squadron of trusted communication superheroes are using their powers to help service providers protect their customers and their bottom line. They are equally vigilant about combatting the operational challenges that are the unfortunate byproducts of the rapid technology and regulatory innovation that benefits consumers and business alike.

 

At MWC Barcelona 2023, iconectiv executives will highlight the work of the industry’s Superheroes—who are propelling the communications industry’s momentum by keeping people connected, businesses running and commerce flowing. They will also discuss the progress that service providers, regulators and associations such as CTIA, ATIS and GSMA are making to protect businesses and consumers and boost operational efficiency. For example:

 

  • Not knowing a customer’s identity is expensive, especially for service providers forced to cover the cost of one-ring scams as well as other PBX hacking, international revenue share fraud (IRSF), interconnection-related revenue leakage and fraudulent roaming calls to premium-rate services. iconectiv TruNumber Protect gives service providers intelligence for telephone numbers worldwide, cutting down one-ring scam calls and text messages.
  • Service providers will invest $900B in their networks from 2021 to 2025, of which more than 80% will be on 5G. Keeping customers happy while knowing what equipment and capabilities they have and don’t have means systems must work together across business units, domains and locations. A naming standard like iconectiv TruOps Common Language® accomplishes this by identifying and protecting network assets in a consistent manner.
  • Each year, 252 million wireless subscribers around the world change their phone service provider, which means service providers are dealing with increasing account turnover, which also opens the door to fraud. iconectiv TruNumber Routing allows service providers to instantly validate the terminating service provider and determine the optimal, least-cost route to a successful call.

“Illegal robocallers and other fraudsters aren’t the only villains attacking the trusted communications ecosystem. They’re joined by network and asset management complexities that undermine service providers’ bottom lines, making it challenging to continue innovating,” said Richard Jacowleff, iconectiv CEO. “But those villains are losing the battle on every front thanks to the growing legion of Trusted Communication Superheroes. From porting numbers to rolling out 5G, they’re thwarting fraudsters, restoring consumer trust and ferreting out inefficiency and inaccuracy needed to accelerate digital transformation efforts and move conversation commerce forward.”

 

MWC Barcelona 2023 attendees can learn more by visiting iconectiv in Hall 2 at Stand 201MR or by scheduling a meeting via events@iconectiv.com.

 

About iconectiv

Your business and your customers need to access and exchange information simply, seamlessly and securely. iconectiv’s extensive experience in information services and its unmatched numbering intelligence helps you do just that. In fact, more than 2 billion people count on our platforms each day to keep their networks, devices and applications connected. Our cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions span network and operations management, numbering, trusted communications and fraud prevention. For more information, visit www.iconectiv.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Contacts

Media Contact:
Sharon Oddy

iconectiv

+1-732-699-5130/908-809-2268

soddy@iconectiv.com

Casey Bush

Global Results Communications

+1-949-689-9550

iconectiv@globalresultspr.com

Categories
Environment Lifestyle Science Technology

FulcrumAir announces successful completion of pilot program to install BFDs using the latest in drone and robotic technology

WELLINGTON, CO. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — FulcrumAir is very pleased to announce that we have very successfully installed more than 1,500 Power Line Sentry Hawk Eye™ BFDs under a pilot program for Atlantic City Electric, which serves about 560,000 customers across southern New Jersey. The work was done by FulcrumAir, working in collaboration with MJ Electric, in South Jersey on five transmission lines in high-risk bird collision areas.


Patrick Arnell, CEO of FulcrumAir said, “We are very proud that Atlantic City Electric put the faith in us to demonstrate our industry leading technology. We have been working extremely hard on this for over five years and are excited to introduce it to the Pepco Holdings family of companies, which includes Atlantic City Electric.”

 

BFDs are installed on overhead wires where there is a risk of avian mortality and power outages due to bird strikes. By adopting the innovative installation technology developed by FulcrumAir, the Pepco Holdings companies can accelerate the implementation of their Avian Protection Programs due to the ease in which FulcrumAir’s equipment can be deployed. Road closures are no longer required to accommodate bucket trucks, helicopters are no longer required, and power outages no longer need to be taken.

 

Atlantic City Electric officials said that the pilot went very well, and they hope to have Fulcrum install more. “Atlantic City Electric is committed to providing safe and reliable service to our customers and communities, and a key part of that is the protection of wildlife and the environment,” said Cristina Frank, principal environmental program manager at Pepco Holdings, which includes Atlantic City Electric. “The successful pilot installation of BFDs took place where we have had known bird collision challenges. We see bird diverters installed by Fulcrum as an effective solution to protecting birds and look to leverage this innovative approach across Pepco Holdings.”

 

Atlantic City Electric is a unit of Exelon (Nasdaq: EXC), a Fortune 200 company and the nation’s largest utility company, serving more than 10 million customers. Atlantic City Electric provides clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy service to approximately 560,000 customers in southern New Jersey.

 

FulcrumAir is a leader in the development Ariel Robotic Solutions for the Power line industry. New products are under development and will be released soon – stay tuned.

Contacts

For more information please do not hesitate to contact either:

Patrick Arnell

President/CEO

parnell@fulcrumair.com
(403) 617-0109

Greg Newara

Executive VP of Sales and Business Development

gnewara@fulcrumair.com
(561) 222-3846