Tag: Business

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Environment Local News

Commitment to green building growing globally

New study from Dodge Data & Analytics shows green building remains a priority for the design and construction industry

 

HAMILTON, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Released today, the fourth edition of the World Green Building Trends SmartMarket Report makes a clear case that the design and construction industry is committed to building green. This seminal study of the drivers and business benefits of green building spans 79 countries across the globe. Sponsored since 2012 by founding partner Carrier, with major support for this edition from premier partner Autodesk and additional contributions from the American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Green Building Council, the report continues to show how green building provides powerful financial benefits in addition to social and environmental improvements.

The findings reveal that architects, engineers, contractors, owners, and investors from around the globe expect to engage in an increased level of green building in the next three years. Today, 28% of all respondents report that most of their building projects qualify as green, and 42% anticipate being at that level within the next three years, expanding that group by 50%.

 

This degree of engagement is particularly meaningful this year as the design and construction industry, like many other industries, has been profoundly affected by many different priorities. The study was conducted earlier this year, coinciding with clear evidence that industry would be coping with longer term impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic for the foreseeable future. There has also been a rising concern globally about social equity and other major social movements over the past year. Supply chain shortages have reached unprecedented levels in this millennium, placing great pressure on the industry.

 

”In the midst of a chaotic year, the consistency and degree of commitment to green building is extremely encouraging,” said Donna Laquidara-Carr, Ph.D., LEED AP, Industry Insights Research Director at Dodge Data & Analytics. “This suggests that green building will remain a priority for the foreseeable future.”

 

The commitment to green building comes from multiple drivers, which shows that the green building movement is perceived as more relevant, rather than less, in the light of the other challenges facing the design and construction industry in this current moment.

 

  • Business Benefits: Building owners and investors report, on average, 10% lower operating costs in the first year and over 16% within five years.
  • Policy: Design and construction practitioners cite the powerful influence of owner demand and environmental regulations on their engagement in green building.
  • Doing The Right Thing: Nearly one third (31%) cite social reasons as an important driver, up from 25% in 2018 where it had been since 2012.
  • Creating Healthier Buildings: This critical driver has been steadily increasing since 2015 and while certainly reinforced by the global pandemic, does not show a spike in the current findings because of it, suggesting a continually growing awareness of the impact of buildings on occupant health.

 

“Carrier has led the green building movement for decades, and we’re pleased to see that the commitment to sustainable buildings, products and services is expected to continue,” said Jennifer Anderson, Chief Sustainability Officer, Carrier. “Additionally, we understand the important role that buildings and technology play in protecting occupant health. The results of the survey validate a continued emphasis on healthy and sustainable buildings to benefit both people and the planet.”

 

This year’s report also includes new data on the importance and expected use of several new priorities and approaches to building green.

 

  • The most important of these approaches is the creation of net-zero/net-positive buildings, ranked in the top three by nearly half (47%) of all global respondents. Nearly as many also expect to create these buildings in the next three years.
  • Three other new approaches to increasing sustainability are expected to be used by more than 40% of the respondents in the next five years: controlling the embodied carbon in buildings, employing strategies to increase resiliency, and engaging in prefabrication and modular construction.

 

“Reducing the environmental impact of the built environment is mission-critical. Digitalization of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry streamlines workflows, reduces waste and offers a great opportunity to limit greenhouse gas emissions, while also designing and constructing more resilient buildings and infrastructure,” said Jim Lynch, senior vice president and general manager, Autodesk Construction Solutions. “The industry can use resources more responsibly through improved design coordination, construction planning, building execution and operation. We are optimistic about the future and believe together we can build a more sustainable, resilient and equitable world.”

 

The full report includes detailed data on the social and environmental factors driving green building, the obstacles that still impede wider use of green building, the current and expected use of green building products and systems, and the changes to buildings due to COVID-19. It also features regional findings from Australia and New Zealand, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, Canada and the U.S., and Sub-Saharan Africa. The full report is available for free download at www.construction.com.

 

About Dodge Construction Network:

Dodge Construction Network leverages an unmatched offering of data, analytics, and industry-spanning relationships to generate the most powerful source of information, knowledge, insights, and connections in the commercial construction industry. The company powers four longstanding and trusted industry solutions—Dodge Data & Analytics, The Blue Book Network, Sweets, and IMS—to connect the dots across the entire commercial construction ecosystem. Together, these solutions provide clear and actionable opportunities for both small teams and enterprise firms. Purpose-built to simplify the complex, Dodge Construction Network ensures that construction professionals have the information they need to build successful businesses and thriving communities. With over a century of industry experience, Dodge Construction Network is the catalyst for modern commercial construction.

 

To learn more, visit: construction.com

Contacts

Cailey Henderson

104 West Partners

dodge@104west.com

Categories
Business Local News

Billtrust to participate in upcoming investor conferences

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — BTRS Holdings Inc. (“Billtrust” or “the Company”) (NASDAQ: BTRS), a B2B accounts receivable automation and integrated payments leader, today announced that members of the Company’s management team will be participating in the following investor conferences:

 

  • Citi 2021 FinTech Conference on Monday, November 15th at 3:00 pm ET
  • JP Morgan Ultimate Services Investor Conference on Thursday, November 18th
  • Credit Suisse 25th Annual Technology Conference on Tuesday, November 30th at 11:20 am ET

 

Live webcasts and replays of the Citi and Credit Suisse presentations will be available on the Company’s investor relations website at https://www.billtrust.com/about/investors.

 

About BTRS Holdings

Billtrust (NASDAQ: BTRS) is a leading provider of cloud-based software and integrated payment processing solutions that simplify and automate B2B commerce. Accounts receivable is broken and relies on conventional processes that are outdated, inefficient, manual and largely paper based. Billtrust is at the forefront of the digital transformation of AR, providing mission-critical solutions that span credit decisioning and monitoring, online ordering, invoice delivery, payments and remittance capture, invoicing, cash application and collections.

 

For more information, visit Billtrust.com.

Contacts

Investor:

John T. Williams

IR@billtrust.com

Media:

Paul Accardo

paccardo@billtrust.com

Categories
Business Technology

Dodge Momentum Index jumps in October

Index near 14-year high as numerous large projects enter planning

 

HAMILTON, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — The Dodge Momentum Index increased 10% in October to 181.2 (2000=100), from the revised September reading of 164.6. The Momentum Index, issued by Dodge Construction Network, is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. In October, commercial planning rose 14% and institutional gained 3%.


The value of nonresidential building projects entering planning has staged a solid recovery this fall. It has lifted the Momentum Index to its highest level in nearly 14 years, following a near-moribund summer of activity. The commercial sector has shown strength, having reached its highest level since the inception of the Index. The October gain in the Momentum Index was driven by increased planning in warehouses, offices, and healthcare structures. Compared to a year earlier, the Momentum Index was 47% higher in October 2021. The commercial planning component was 59% higher, and institutional was 26% higher.

 

A total of 20 projects with a value of $100 million or more entered planning in October. The leading commercial projects were a $450 million Walmart Distribution Center in Lyman, SC, and a $400 million Facebook data center in Los Lunas, NM. The leading institutional projects were the second and third phases of the California Northstate University Medical Center in Sacramento, valued at $500 million for each phase.

 

The dollar value of projects in the planning stage is impressive and portends a healthy rise in nonresidential building construction starts on tap for 2022. However, that expectation must be balanced against rising material costs, shortages of key goods, and a lack of skilled labor that will work to keep growth rates modest next year.

 

About Dodge Construction Network

Dodge Construction Network leverages an unmatched offering of data, analytics, and industry-spanning relationships to generate the most powerful source of information, knowledge, insights, and connections in the commercial construction industry. The company powers four longstanding and trusted industry solutions—Dodge Data & Analytics, The Blue Book Network, Sweets, and IMS—to connect the dots across the entire commercial construction ecosystem. Together, these solutions provide clear and actionable opportunities for both small teams and enterprise firms. Purpose-built to streamline the complicated, Dodge Construction Network ensures that construction professionals have the information they need to build successful businesses and thriving communities. With over a century of industry experience, Dodge Construction Network is the catalyst for modern commercial construction.

Contacts

Cailey Henderson | 104 West Partners | dodge@104west.com

Categories
Business

AM Best revises Issuer Credit Rating outlook to positive for Starr International Company Inc.’s insurance subsidiaries

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insurance—AM Best has revised the outlook to positive from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a” (Excellent) of the insurance subsidiaries of Starr International Company, Inc. (SICO) (Switzerland), a private investment holding company. The outlook of the FSR is stable. These Credit Rating (rating) actions apply to the members of Starr International Group (SIG) and Starr Insurance & Reinsurance Limited (SIRL) (Bermuda).

The ratings of the members of SIG reflect their balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as their marginal operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). Members of the SIG include Starr Indemnity & Liability Company, Starr Surplus Lines Insurance Company and Starr Specialty Insurance Company. These companies are domiciled in Dallas, TX.

 

The ratings of SIRL and its members reflect their balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as their marginal operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate ERM. Members of SIRL include Starr Property & Casualty Insurance (China) Company, Limited; Starr International Insurance (Asia) Limited (Hong Kong); Starr International Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd; Starr International (Europe) Limited (United Kingdom); Starr International Insurance (Switzerland) AG (Switzerland) and Starr Europe Insurance Limited (Malta).

 

The positive Long-Term ICR outlook reflects the improved operating performance of the SICO subsidiaries, which continue to benefit from improving rate trends and underwriting initiatives. Additionally, SIG and SIRL continue to report strong growth trends in their key markets. A continuation of these improvements will likely result in an improved Long-Term ICR in the near to medium term.

 

The operations of SIG and SIRL support a business profile that is well-diversified internationally and by product exposures. The groups have sustained the strongest levels of capitalization on a consolidated and per-entity basis, which is supported further by favorable liquidity metrics. AM Best also notes that each group maintains above-average allocations to alternative asset classes, relative to composite peers, including private equity and debt funds, hedge funds and real estate funds, which are managed by affiliated investment management companies.

 

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 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 © 2021 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Michael Venezia
Senior Financial Analyst
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5034
michael.venezia@ambest.com

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

Erik Miller
Associate Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5187

erik.miller@ambest.com

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

Categories
Business

AM Best affirms credit ratings of Wawanesa General Insurance Company and Wawanesa Life Insurance Company

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insurance—AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a-” (Excellent) of Wawanesa General Insurance Company (Wawanesa General) (San Diego, CA). Additionally, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a” (Excellent) of Wawanesa Life Insurance Company (Wawanesa Life). Concurrently, AM Best has downgraded the Long-Term ICR to “a” (Excellent) from “a+” (Excellent) and affirmed the FSR of A (Excellent) of The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company (Wawanesa Mutual). All companies are headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, unless otherwise specified. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings of Wawanesa General reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). The ratings also consider the implicit and explicit support received from its ultimate parent, Wawanesa Mutual, given Wawanesa Mutual’s role as the lead rating unit within the organization. The ratings also reflect Wawanesa General’s improved operating performance in recent years as evidenced by underwriting profitability since 2018. The improved performance also has permitted Wawanesa General to grow policyholder surplus organically through earnings without the dependence or support from its parent to infuse additional capital.

 

The ratings of Wawanesa Life reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate ERM. Wawanesa Life’s strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), supports the company’s business and insurance risks. In addition, the company maintains robust Life Insurance Capital Adequacy Test (LICAT) ratios. Wawanesa Life has reported solid growth in equity over the most recent five-year period, driven by pre-tax operating income reflective of net investment income that has generally offset underwriting losses as they have occurred.

 

The ratings of Wawanesa Mutual reflect its balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strongest, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate ERM. While Wawanesa Mutual maintains the strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by BCAR, the Long-Term ICR downgrade reflects the impact of ongoing adverse reserve development occurring on recent accident years on the balance sheet strength assessment. Management has indicated that these reserve-strengthening actions are intended to restore a level of conservatism to the carried reserve position 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 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 © 2021 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Gordon McLean
Senior Financial Analyst
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5304
gordon.mclean@ambest.com

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

AM Best assigns preliminary credit assessment to Omaha National Insurance Company

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insurance—AM Best has assigned a Preliminary Credit Assessment (PCA) to Omaha National Insurance Company (ONIC) (Omaha, NE) with a Financial Strength Assessment of A- pca (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Assessment of “a-” pca (Excellent). The outlook assigned to these PCAs is stable.

The PCAs reflect ONIC’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

 

The very strong balance sheet assessment reflects ONIC’s strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), on a pro forma basis for an expected $35 million capital contribution from the company’s intermediate parent, Omaha National Group, Inc. (ONG), following its August 2021 Series B convertible preferred stock issuance, and the expected issuance of a $20 million external surplus note. While ONG is capitalized primarily with convertible preferred stock, which results in high financial leverage per AM Best’s guidelines, the PCAs recognize the equity-like characteristics of ONG’s convertible preferred stock, the parent’s adequate liquidity position and ongoing capital support from investors.

 

AM Best assesses the company’s operating performance as adequate based on ONIC’s historical results since inception in October 2017 and its well-defined business plan, and considers a level of execution risk associated with the company’s plan to start writing business produced by its affiliated managing general agent, Omaha National Underwriters, LLC (ONU), on a direct basis. ONIC assumes all of its premium through a quota-share agreement with an unaffiliated fronting carrier, Preferred Professional Insurance Company (PPIC). The business is produced by ONU, which manages all aspects of the policies sold through PPIC. AM Best views the company’s business profile as limited as ONIC is a mono-line writer of workers’ compensation insurance with a geographic concentration in California. ONIC’s ERM capabilities benefit from rigorous claims oversight, established risk tolerance levels and strict underwriting guidelines.

 

This press release relates to Preliminary Credit Assessments that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all assessment information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual assessments 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 and Assessment opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, 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 © 2021 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Robert Valenta, CPCU
Senior Financial Analyst
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5291
robert.valenta@ambest.com

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

Jacqalene Lentz, CPA
Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5762
jacqalene.lentz@ambest.com

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

Categories
Business Science

SigmaLedger’s CuBE, a universal solution for coupons and rewards, adopted by P&G and Walgreens

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — SigmaLedger, a leading SaaS provider of blockchain-based innovative traceability solutions, announced today that CuBE (Coupon Business Exchange), their solution to address coupon fraud, has been adopted by P&G (Procter & Gamble) and Walgreens.


Coupon fraud costs the retail industry over $100 million each year.1 In addition, retailers must face other consequences such as delayed checkouts, cashier/shopper friction and a lengthy and labor-intensive coupon clearing process. CuBE eliminates coupon fraud, accelerates coupon clearance, and reduces overall processing costs. It is a proactive solution, rejecting fraud at POS (point of sale) in real-time at the first occurrence.

 

“We are proud to bring this innovative solution to the market, addressing an industry-wide problem that negatively impacts manufacturers, retailers, employees and customers,” said Oleksandr Rivkind, CEO of SigmaLedger. “We are grateful to the early adopters of CuBE, who have supported our efforts in fraud prevention.”

 

CuBE utilizes Blockchain technology to secure the data, bring trust and enable further innovation to coupon issuance, clearing and settlement.

 

“We are proud to fund SigmaLedger, via our start-up ecosystem ventures program, and help drive innovation and technology transformations for enterprise CPG/Retail organizations,” said Elaina Shekhter, Chief Strategy Officer of EPAM Systems. “SigmaLedger’s blockchain-based CuBE solution transforms the retail coupon technology landscape by accelerating clearances, improving traceability and vastly reducing fraud.”

 

CuBE connects manufacturers and retailers, allowing coupon validation to be run at POS, rejecting fraudulent coupons, and reporting redemption in real time. It also offers digital clearing which saves money, leads to faster retailer reimbursement, and provides access to transaction-level data.

 

“CuBE has had nearly instant success, virtually eliminating counterfeit coupons with our launch partners,” said Mike Loyson, Brand Director of Value Delivery and Couponing, Procter & Gamble Co. “Beyond the financial benefits of fraud elimination, CuBE quickens and conciliates shopper checkout and delivers an innovation glidepath via a platform that can scale across manufacturers and retailers in weeks.”

 

The adoption of CuBE is growing rapidly among retailers and manufacturers, offering a forward-looking solution, detecting fraud for both paper and digital coupons and finding suspicious patterns, stolen coupons and more. It is currently deployed in over 10,000 US stores and reduced fraud by nearly 90% immediately after deployment.

 

“The integration of CuBE with our existing software was seamless, with no notable reduction in processing speed,” said Heather Vondrasek, Asset Protection, Walgreens. “The adoption of CuBE has equipped our team members with the technology to identify and reject counterfeit coupons, leading to an overall reduction in losses associated with coupon fraud.”

 

If you want to learn more about CuBE, contact us or visit www.cube.sigmaledger.com/

References:

  1. https://www.pennlive.com/life/2017/04/coupon_crime_is_no_joke.html

About SigmaLedger

SigmaLedger is a SaaS provider of blockchain based innovative solutions focusing on counterfeit prevention, supply chain transparency and digital direct marketing. For additional information please contact us at info@sigmaledger.com or visit www.sigmaledger.com.

 

About Walgreens

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the United States segment of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), a global leader in retail pharmacy. As America’s most loved pharmacy, health and beauty company, Walgreens purpose is to champion the health and wellbeing of every community in America. Operating more than 9,000 retail locations across America, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Walgreens is proud to be a neighborhood health destination serving approximately 8 million customers each day. Walgreens pharmacists play a critical role in the U.S. healthcare system by providing a wide range of pharmacy and healthcare services. To best meet the needs of customers and patients, Walgreens offers a true omnichannel experience, with platforms bringing together physical and digital, supported by the latest technology to deliver high-quality products and services in local communities nationwide.

Contacts

Oleksandr Rivkind

alik.rivkind@sigmaledger.com

Categories
Business Science

Bayer Consumer Health Media Team named AdExchanger winner for Best In-House Media Operations

Team also named Best in Show for Overall Excellence in Programmatic Media Award

 

WHIPPANY, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — For the second consecutive year, the Bayer Consumer Health Media Team has been selected as the winner in the Best In-House Media Operations category during the 2021 AdExchanger Awards. The team also earned Best In Show for Overall Excellence in Programmatic Media. The AdExchanger Awards celebrate excellence in digital marketing and advertising.

“Our in-house approach harnesses the power and passion of our employees as no one knows our business and brands better than the people who work at Bayer,” said Jeff Rasp, Head of Media, Digital Platforms and Content, Bayer Consumer Health. “As a result, our team is able to move more quickly and efficiently to seamlessly deliver creative and impactful media plans.”

 

Bayer Consumer Health began its journey of in-sourcing digital media strategy and operations in 2018. In 2019, the team was named a finalist by AdExchanger for Best In-House Media Operations.

 

“Our greatest achievement over the last few years has been building a second-to-none team of industry leading experts who work together seamlessly and bring out the best in each other,” said Jeff Jarrett, Chief Marketing Officer, Bayer Consumer Health. “Through their relentless pursuit of excellence, they are driving our business forward with their bold strategies and executions.”

 

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to drive sustainable development and generate a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2020, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 41.4 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 4.9 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

 

Bayer® and the Bayer Cross® are registered trademarks of Bayer.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Contacts

Alex Borchard

Bayer U.S. — Consumer Health

Email: alex.borchard@bayer.com
Mobile: 201-274-9429

Social Media Channels

– Facebook: BayerUnitedStates
– Twitter: BayerUS
– Instagram: BayerUS
– YouTube: BayerUS

Categories
Business Technology

1Kosmos receives ISO/IEC 27001 certification

Internationally Recognized Designation Validates Company has Invested in the People, Processes and Technology to Protect its Confidential Data

 

SOMERSET, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #Blockchain—1Kosmos, the only company that unifies identity proofing and passwordless authentication, today announced it has received ISO/IEC 27001 certification, which provides independent validation it has the people, processes and technology controls in place to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of its data assets.

“Protecting our data and infrastructure from security threats is baked into everything we do,” said Mike Engle, CSO for 1Kosmos. “As a standards-based organization we recognize the importance of ISO/IEC 27001 certification and the confidence it gives our customers that we have implemented the most advanced controls to protect data assets in our possession.”

 

ISO/IEC 27001 is the leading international standard for information security, published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and in partnership with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). 1Kosmos achieved ISO/IEC 27001 certification following an independent assessment by BSI Group that it has met ISO/IEC’s requirements for managing the security of assets such as financial information, intellectual property, employee details and information entrusted by third parties.

 

1Kosmos unifies identity proofing and authentication for employees, customers and citizens to enable passwordless access to sensitive applications, data and resources. The company’s BlockID products are FIDO2 and NIST 800-63-3 certified to perform an instant IAL2 certified identity verification without requiring the individual to be present at a physical location, and store user data encrypted in a private, permissioned blockchain.

 

About 1Kosmos

1Kosmos helps companies unify identity proofing and authentication to provide workers, customers and citizens frictionless onboarding and passwordless access to data and services. The FIDO2 and NIST certified BlockID distributed digital identity platform creates a portable digital wallet for easy access to online services. It virtually eliminates the risk of identity impersonation, account takeover, and transaction fraud by combining strong authentication with strong identity enrollment. BlockID performs millions of authentications daily for some of the largest banks, telecommunications and healthcare organizations in the world. The company is funded by Forgepoint Capital with headquarters in Somerset, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.1kosmos.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Contacts

Media:

Marc Gendron

Marc Gendron PR for 1Kosmos

marc@mgpr.net
617-877-7480

Categories
Business Sports & Gaming

iHeartMedia and DraftKings ink multifaceted strategic agreement

DraftKings Becomes Official Odds Supplier for iHeartMedia Stations in More than 160 Markets Nation-Wide

 

NEW YORK — (BUSINESS WIRE) — iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] and DraftKings Inc. [Nasdaq: DKNG] announced today a multi-year strategic relationship, making DraftKings the official odds supplier for iHeartMedia’s broadcast, digital, podcast and social platforms. Additionally, as part of the agreement DraftKings is now able to co-create and distribute long-form content with iHeartMedia and will receive preferred access to iHeartMedia’s full roster of diverse personalities. Furthermore, DraftKings and iHeartMedia will collaborate around a wide range of possible content development opportunities, including the distribution of shows and segments across the media giant’s radio and digital properties and integrations within iHeartMedia’s live sports broadcasts. DraftKings and iHeartMedia will also collaborate on a number of possible experiential opportunities for listeners and fans including providing cross platform interactive games.

“Even though we are number one in audio sports programming, we continue to build new sports content and DraftKings is an ideal partner as we expand and innovate,” said Greg Ashlock, CEO of iHeartMedia’s Multiplatform Group. “DraftKings is a premier sports technology and entertainment company that provides millions of customers with the best in real-money gaming products along with exceptional safety and security through various responsible gaming measures. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership everywhere sports betting is permissible.”

 

DraftKings has the opportunity to leverage iHeartMedia’s SmartAudio suite of data-driven advertising products. The data integration would enable fact-based audience planning and targeting optimizations across iHeartMedia’s broadcast and digital platform, including its more than 270 million monthly consumers on its broadcast platform alone providing DraftKings with national exposure and at the same time reaching local audiences with a tailored approach.

 

“Customer engagement remains a primary focus for DraftKings, and this latest agreement with iHeartMedia amplifies our reach immensely to a dedicated audience that spans more than 160 markets across the country with the largest audio company in the U.S.,” said Matt Kalish, co-founder and President, DraftKings North America. “Analytically tapping into iHeart’s coveted listenership while powering authentic betting content is a landmark moment for both organizations and precursor to new possibilities in media innovation.”

 

iHeartMedia hosts the largest sports audio network in the U.S., with products across broadcast, streaming, digital, podcast and experiential. iHeartMedia is the number one podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac with more than 280 million monthly downloads, with the iHeartPodcast Sports Network alone featuring more than 50 million downloads a month, making it the largest for sports podcast listening.

 

About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, reaching over 250 million people each month. It is number one in both broadcast and digital streaming radio as well as podcasting and audio ad tech and includes three business segments: The iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group; the iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group; and the Audio and Media Services Group. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

 

About DraftKings

DraftKings Inc. is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirit of sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and launched in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator. DraftKings is a multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for operators in 17 countries. DraftKings’ Sportsbook is live with mobile and/or retail betting operations in the United States pursuant to regulations in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in 7 countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories. DraftKings is the official daily fantasy partner of the NFL, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, PGA TOUR and UFC as well as an authorized gaming operator of the NBA, an official sports betting partner of the NFL, MLB and NHL an official betting operator of PGA TOUR and the official betting operator of UFC. Launched in August 2021, DraftKings Marketplace is a digital collectibles ecosystem designed for mainstream accessibility that offers curated NFT drops and supports secondary-market transactions. DraftKings also owns Vegas Sports Information Network, Inc. (VSiN), a multi-platform broadcast and content company.

 

DraftKings Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this release are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside DraftKings’ control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see DraftKings’ Securities and Exchange Commission filings. DraftKings does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts

Media

iHeartMedia

Angel Aristone

AngelAristone@iHeartMedia.com

DraftKings

Stephen Miraglia

smiraglia@draftkings.com