UPPAbaby Replaces Their Legacy PLM with Centric

We had too much information for what the system was designed to do.

CAMPBELL, Calif. (PRWEB)
September 14, 2021

UPPAbaby, a juvenile gear brand, selected Centric Software®’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution, Centric PLM™. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source, and sell products such as apparel, footwear, sporting goods, furniture, home décor, personal care, food & beverage, and luxury to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

Based in Massachusetts, USA, UPPAbaby was founded in 2006 by a husband-and-wife team with backgrounds in research and development, operations, marketing, and sales. UPPAbaby produces high-quality strollers and car seats. Known for their quality, innovative and functional designs, the company grew quickly to more than 100 employees and distribution in 53 countries worldwide. Safety, comfort, and ease of use are values that they build into everything they make.

Says Emily Paine Knickerbocker, senior materials manager at UPPAbaby, “We do a lot of testing on the components in our products. We were looking for a solution to better track that, in a way that all our project managers, the quality team, and our China team could access. Something besides a shared drive, which is basically what we were using.”

Faced with technical products that can have 500 – 1,000 components, their previous PLM wasn’t able to handle the complexity. Avery François, project manager at UPPAbaby, says they tried numerous ways to make their previous system work for them but failed. “It pretty much broke at our most basic need, which was to be able to put in components and parts to build a BOM. We had too much information for what the system was designed to do.”

After more research and careful consideration, UPPAbaby selected Centric PLM. Recognizing that their products were not easily pigeonholed into one category or another, they made sure the new PLM could accommodate. “Our product is in a unique middle ground. We do a lot with hard goods and soft goods in separate SKUs, but also in the same product. When Centric demoed the platform for the team and we saw the capability of what it could do, we were ready to move forward as a team,” says François. Being able to configure Centric PLM for what they needed and not having to customize it was also key.

UPPAbaby was pleased with the training their users received, who were then able to instruct their own teams, quickly getting to the point where everyone was ready. François says, “We were all in the system in our U.S. office within a few weeks of going live. And have been using it daily with no issues.” The most beneficial aspect of the platform is having everything in one place. “Before we had to go to our server, know which spreadsheet to find, possibly having to find two or three spreadsheets to get all the information we needed. And then sometimes we would have to go to someone else to get that information—where now all of it is in Centric.”

Tech reports are easily accessible, workflows are streamlined, and ensure that no steps are missed. They no longer need to update multiple spreadsheets without being sure which is the latest one. Knickerbocker adds another positive aspect to overall efficiency. “It’s helping us find opportunities for synergies, seeing which components we are developing separately, but don’t actually need to be. We are realizing that there are certain products where we could be using the exact same component in different SKUs, but we currently are not.”

Chris Groves, president, and CEO of Centric Software says, “We are delighted that UPPAbaby has chosen to partner with us. They are a modern, innovative company that puts out high-quality products for our most precious segment of the population. We are pleased to be strolling alongside as they boost their efficiency and set themselves up for future growth.”

Request a Demo

UPPAbaby (http://www.uppababy.com)

The UPPAbaby mission is to make the smartest strollers, car seats and juvenile gear available: intuitively designed, stylish and sleek, with the features and functions all parents want—plus innovations they never knew were possible. UPPAbaby is committed to providing a customer experience that is as exceptional as the company’s products. Founded in 2006, UPPAbaby is based in Massachusetts, USA with products available worldwide. For more information please visit http://www.uppababy.com.

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US Signal Expands Distributed Storage Infrastructure Capabilities with SoftIron

SoftIron demonstrated its deep understanding of complex storage environments and how to maximize Ceph to provide the best of its feature set. They’ve delivered value over and above the hardware and software, providing expert guidance and support as we execute on this project together

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (PRWEB)
September 14, 2021

SoftIron Ltd., the world leader in task-specific appliances for data center solutions, and a global leader in Ceph expertise and implementation, today announced that it has successfully engaged with Michigan-based IT solutions company, US Signal, to seamlessly upgrade and expand its Storage As A Service (STaaS) infrastructure. The initial implementation, which immediately increases US Signal’s storage capacity by over a petabyte, leverages SoftIron’s Ceph-based HyperDrive™ storage appliances and is being facilitated with a no-downtime migration across multiple distributed data center sites in four midwest states, including Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The US Signal expansion is being driven by the company’s need to scale its critical infrastructure due to increasing customer demand. Having already established a Ceph software-defined storage architecture in 2012, the company took the opportunity to re-evaluate its incumbent solution against evolving requirements. These requirements included the need for cluster management across multiple, disconnected sites, the need for seamless integration with services billing, stringent cloud service SLAs, as well as limited resources (including skills, space and power). Because customers were in current operation, zero downtime during the capacity expansion was a critical requirement. SoftIron’s expertise and Ceph-based HyperDrive solution proved to be an ideal fit for the expansion, which is being accomplished with zero downtime.

“The strategic focus for this project was to ensure a truly future-proofed and seamless growth plan for US Signal, providing the best outcomes for both our business and our customers,” said Derrin Rummelt, Executive Vice President of Engineering at US Signal. “We chose open source Ceph as a foundational building block for our needs early on because of its innate power and capability. Ceph’s virtually infinite scalable nature combined with an uncompromising feature set made it a natural fit for our company, which provides world-class services in a highly competitive, mission-critical environment. SoftIron quickly demonstrated its deep understanding of complex storage environments, and how to maximize Ceph to provide the best of its wide-ranging feature set. They’ve delivered value over and above the hardware and software, providing expert guidance and support as we execute on this project together.”

The expansion, leveraging SoftIron’s expertise and HyperDrive storage appliances, further validates the enterprise-grade status of open-source Ceph, the software-defined storage platform that supports object, block, and file storage in a distributed, no single point of failure architecture. SoftIron’s HyperDrive storage appliances are engineered to maximize the performance and utility of Ceph, built using SoftIron’s “task-specific” approach, which counters the traditional commodity approach to appliances that use commercial off-the-shelf hardware (COTS). SoftIron’s approach optimizes component-level hardware design to the needs of the software at the source code level. Using this approach, SoftIron produces units purpose-built for maximum performance, eliminating commodity hardware inefficiencies, and creating greener, higher-performing, more efficient appliances.

“SoftIron continues to lower the bar for enterprises to adopt open source, and Ceph in particular, as a key part of their infrastructure strategy. Ceph provides organizations with all the robust features needed for always-on enterprise operation and delivering all the value that people expect in a world-class open source solution,” said Phil Straw, CEO of SoftIron. “SoftIron has built the ultimate productization of Ceph in our HyperDrive storage appliances, simplifying the operations and life cycle experience with Storage Manager and making Ceph accessible for today’s enterprise workloads with Storage Router. Our goal is always to meet our client organizations and their infrastructure wherever they are, and work with them to maximize every aspect of performance and efficiency that both Ceph and HyperDrive, together, have to offer.”

The SoftIron HyperDrive family storage appliances span from high-value to high performance and are available for POC and purchase today. SoftIron offers both traditional purchasing (CAPEX) and as-a-Service (OPEX) options. For more information, visit SoftIron’s HyperDrive Storage page.

Download and read more in the full US Signal case study on SoftIron’s website.

About US Signal

US Signal provides a wide range of robust, reliable data center services, offering connectivity, cloud hosting, colocation, data protection, and disaster recovery solutions – all powered by its wholly-owned and operated, robust, fiber network. US Signal also helps customers optimize their IT resources through managed and professional services. For more information, visit: https://ussignal.com.

About SoftIron®

SoftIron is the world leader in task-specific appliances for scale-out data center solutions. Their superior, purpose-built hardware is designed, developed, and assembled in California, and they are the only manufacturer to offer auditable provenance. SoftIron’s HyperDrive® software-defined enterprise storage portfolio runs at wire-speed and is custom-designed to optimize Ceph. HyperSwitch™ is their line of next-generation, top-of-rack switches built to maximize the performance and flexibility of SONiC. HyperCast™ is their high-density, concurrent 4K transcoding solution for multi-screen, multi-format delivery. SoftIron unlocks more excellent business value for enterprises by delivering best-in-class products, free from software and hardware lock-in. For more information, visit http://www.SoftIron.com.

Media Inquiries:

Isaac Lopez

OmniScale Media

360-576-5475

isaac@omniscalemedia.com

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Through our combined solutions, we aim to deliver a simplified payment experience and remove the complexities that businesses currently experienced with their payment process

TORONTO (PRWEB)
September 14, 2021

Datatel Inc., a leader in IVR Payments and Payment Technology solutions for over 20 years today announced a partnership with VoPay to bring advanced EFT acceptance and payout solutions to Canadian businesses.

As part of its strategy to enable merchants to accept payments and initiate payouts through multiple channels 24/7 by the way of easy-to-use software – including EFT, direct debit payments, payouts and account-to-account payments – Datatel has partnered with VoPay, a leading-edge payment technology solution provider specializing in fast, data-rich, and efficient open banking payment technology.    

Datatel’s integration with VoPay’s A2A network platform delivers to businesses, healthcare providers and government institutions a complete suite of C2B and B2B EFT acceptance, bank-debit and payout solutions that enable businesses to accelerate bill-to-payment time and provide a simplified payment experience for its customers.

For example, an insurance company can direct customers to pay their bills by visiting their website or from a link included in an invoice which allows the customer to make authorized A2A payments by connecting a bank account, have its ownership validated, and pay for their policy. Policyholders can also authorize future policy payments from the same bank account from the same interaction. Or a car dealership can direct customers to make their vehicle down payment by sending them a payment link that allows the new car owner to authorize the payment directly from their bank account, thus, allowing deals to close faster as well as eliminating the paperwork and paper cheque exchange process commonly used in the industry.

“Our partnership with VoPay will make it as easy as possible for businesses to add [bank linked payments] with as little work as possible,” says Barnard Crespi, co-founder, and Co-CEO at Datatel. “Through our combined solutions, we aim to deliver a simplified payment experience and remove the complexities that businesses currently experienced with their payment process”

In addition to enabling automated account-2-account C2B and B2B payments, Datatel also provides through its partnership with VoPay risk mitigation as a built-in service. This ensures all transfers originating from a payee will complete as intended or cancelled without a negative impact on the customer or business.

“We look forward to this great partnership with Datatel, and the impact it will have on businesses and how they operate,” said Hamed Arbabi, Chief Executive Officer at VoPay. “Through this partnership with Datatel, we are aiming to solve critical payment pain points and inefficiencies for both businesses and consumers across North America by utilizing Open Banking payment technology and data intelligence solutions.”

ABOUT DATATEL

Twenty-four years ago, we launched Datatel with the vision to deliver innovative payment software, and secure IVR communication solutions to help our clients become more agile, profitable, secure, and successful.

Datatel’s IVR Payments, Payment Technology, and transaction automation solutions are employed globally by thousands of businesses, healthcare providers, academic institutions, government, software companies, and service providers.

Our success comes from investing in our people, our customers, our partners, and technology. With a focus on innovation, we have arrived at a service delivery model that guarantees our customers’ satisfaction.

ABOUT VOPAY

VoPay is a data-driven payment transformation company. We build innovative products that reduce friction in B2B payments and enable near real-time processing for digital platforms that require payments capabilities.

VoPay’s Payment-as-a-Service platform is revolutionizing the future of payments by creating robust payment, collection and verification solutions specifically designed for each industry. By integrating a single API, businesses can instantly connect to all major payment rails securely and leverage data-rich information for better decision-making.

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R.I.P Covid!

It’s the new silver bullet, the next best thing since the vaccine

PALO ALTO, Calif. (PRWEB)
September 13, 2021

Qare Inc., today announced the launch of ASGARD™, the first, comprehensive, cloud-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution that removes all barriers to safely return to work post-Covid-19. Using the AI software, all organizations, from large enterprises to small businesses and schools to health care providers, can fully verify, track and manage vaccinations to prevent, control and mitigate Covid-19 in the workplace. Employees of these institutions no longer need to fear Covid-19 and can now safely return to work and live life as it was meant to be.

Even with tremendous progress in vaccinations, an unbiased examination of the data will reveal that there is still much reason to fear in the here and now. There are more weekly infections now than at any other time since the start of the pandemic, excepting the peak period of Dec and Jan. As travel and mask restrictions are removed, newer and more deadly strains are popping up. Studies based on scientific research have shown that no amount of hygiene theater or workplace re-engineering can fully prevent the airborne transmission of Covid-19, particularly in indoor spaces. There is certainly a risk of contagion indoors and the valid concerns of workers about workplace safety is not being heard. Below citations are from just two of many such studies:

Study I: https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/71/9/2311/5867798

Study II: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-16/covid-is-airborne-scientists-say-now-authorities-think-so-too

Qare Inc. saw this coming and put data/smarts to work. Qare’s AI solution ASGARD™ automatically collects and processes consent-based employee health data from smart health cards to verify vaccination and track Covid-19 risk dynamically at each location with pinpoint accuracy. And prevention and control measures can be initiated in real-time with highly granular access control measures. Says Kate Beckett, an early Beta customer from a midsize business, “It’s the new silver bullet, the next best thing since the vaccine. So now, we can be sure of an infection free work environment, instead of merely wishing or hoping for one”.

Just as President Joe Biden is unveiling new vaccine mandates to combat Covid-19 and save lives, Qare Inc. has come up with the perfect new advanced AI solution to implement it. Qare’s ASGARD™ can verify, track, monitor and manage vaccinations automatically with a touch-free workflow as well as intelligently control risks and mitigate vulnerabilities. However, this tool was not opportunely conceived overnight, but is a product of meticulous research and development for well over a year. Details on how companies big and small can access and deploy these silver bullets in the raging war against Covid-19 can be found at https://qare.ai

About Qare Inc.

Founded in 2020, Qare develops artificial intelligence & automation solutions that ensure workplace safety and security. For more information, visit https://qare.ai

© 2020 Qare Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Qare Inc.

Neil Schwartz

408.475.7569

neil@qare.ai

Jane Fitzpatrick

408.475.7569

jane@qare.ai

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Mashgin: Checkout So Fast, It Feels Like Magic

“Mashgin has already saved people 17 years of standing in line to date, using NACS data,” said Jack Hogan, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. “Self-checkout transactions on Mashgin are as much as 400% faster than a typical cashier, which means shorter lines, more sales and happier customers.”

PALO ALTO, Calif. (PRWEB)
September 09, 2021

Mashgin, the world’s fastest self-checkout system, was named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award in the Company of the Year, Retail category in the 18th Annual Stevie International Business Awards® today. The Mashgin Touchless Checkout System leverages computer vision to visually identify items presented from virtually any angle and instantly ring them up in a single transaction — there’s no need for customers to look for and scan barcodes. Consumers simply place their items down and they are ready to pay. View a short video of Mashgin in action here.

“Mashgin has already saved people 17 years of standing in line to date, using NACS data,” said Jack Hogan, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. “Self-checkout transactions on Mashgin are as much as 400% faster than a typical cashier–which means shorter lines, more sales, and happier customers.”

Mashgin is the most vetted fully frictionless solution with deployments spanning convenience stores, corporate cafeterias, stadiums, hospitals, and airports. Mashgin has processed over 18M transactions and has deployments in more than 500 locations that span major convenience store chains, Fortune 500 companies, and 20+ iconic sports stadiums including the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Madison Square Garden. Since 2019, Mashgin has increased its kiosk fleet by 11 times.

2021 Stevies IBA judges had the following to say about Mashgin’s Touchless Checkout System and the company:

• “Great to see the continued growth of the business even through the pandemic. The growth, especially in the concessions market, is fantastic and a testament to the forward-thinking products provided.”
• “[Mashgin] has done a great job with their product so far. Great success stories…This is a growing market and the company has a bright future.”
• “Innovative and useful product. [It] saves time for buyers and gets more business for sellers.”

The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards program. The 2021 IBAs received entries from 3,700 organizations in 65 nations and territories. Nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Company of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Startup of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others. This year’s competition also featured a number of categories to recognize organizations’ and individuals’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visit Mashgin at https://www.mashgin.com or email contact@mashgin.com to learn more.

About Mashgin

Mashgin is the world’s fastest self-checkout system powered by AI. With over 18 million transactions completed across corporate cafeterias, sports stadiums, airports, and convenience stores, Mashgin is also the most vetted AI-based checkout technology in the world.

As the only fully touchless solution on the market, Mashgin is helping transform the customer experience while optimizing the safety of self-checkout. Based in Palo Alto, CA and a graduate of Y Combinator in 2015, Mashgin now serves hundreds of thousands of customers across the world. Learn more about Mashgin at http://www.mashgin.com.

About the Stevie® Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

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“ABET accreditation is the most prestigious recognition for engineering and technology programs. It also assures employers of the caliber of the graduates and their readiness to take on job challenges by employing their technical, non-technical, and problem-solving skills.” ~Dr. Wael Ibrahim

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (PRWEB)
September 10, 2021

ECPI University is pleased to announce the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET has accredited the University’s Bachelor’s degrees in Electronic Systems Engineering Technology (ESET) and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) programs for the Online, Newport News, and Virginia Beach campuses.

As the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology, ABET’s accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies, and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.

“We are extremely excited about the opportunities ABET will afford our graduates,” said ECPI University President Mark Dreyfus. “In addition, our employer partners see many new possibilities working with the University to improve their world class workforces.”

“ABET accreditation is the most prestigious recognition for engineering and technology programs,” said Dr. Wael Ibrahim, Dean of Engineering Technology. “Achieving this accreditation is a testimonial of the quality of our programs, and to the dedication of our faculty and staff to ensure our graduates are well-equipped with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience they need to enter the workforce. Being a graduate of a program that is nationally and internationally recognized for meeting quality standards provides students and graduates with the confidence that they are well prepared for their future careers. It also assures employers of the caliber of the graduates and their readiness to take on job challenges by employing their technical, non-technical, and problem-solving skills.”

Sought worldwide, ABET’s voluntary peer-review process is highly respected because it adds critical value to academic programs in the technical disciplines, where quality, precision and safety are of the utmost importance.

Developed by technical professionals from ABET’s member societies, ABET criteria focus on what students experience and learn. ABET accreditation reviews look at program curricula, faculty, facilities, and institutional support and are conducted by teams of highly skilled professionals from industry, academia, and government with expertise in the ABET disciplines.

ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization with ISO 9001:2015 certification. It currently accredits 4,307 programs at 846 colleges and universities in 41 countries and areas.

More information about ABET, its member societies, and the accreditation criteria used to evaluate programs can be found at http://www.abet.org.

About ECPI University

With campuses in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Texas and Online, ECPI University is a recognized leader in awarding STEM+H degrees through innovative delivery of education to meet the needs of military and new-traditional students. ECPI University offers Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degrees, and certification training in Technology, Health Science, Business, Criminal Justice and Culinary Arts. For more than 50 years, ECPI University has been helping students achieve their educational and career goals in a hands-on, student-centered environment, while working collaboratively with employers to ensure its graduates have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful.

For more information about ECPI University’s ABET-accredited programs, visit its website’s Electronic Systems Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology pages.

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Simfoni continues its growth trajectory by attrracting top industry talent.

“I am honored to join such an innovative team,” said Greg Silich, CFO, Simfoni. “I look forward to guiding our long-term financial health and helping the business continue to grow at such a rapid pace.”

SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB)
September 09, 2021

Simfoni, the next generation digital solutions provider for procurement analytics and spend automation, today announced its continued growth and momentum with new additions to its senior management team: Greg Silich, Chief Financial Officer (CFO); Dan Quinn, General Manager, Middle East & North Africa; and Gareth Briggs, EU Accounts Director.

In Q3’21, Simfoni grew its monthly recurring revenue by 30%, which included the strategic addition of a large US Private Equity firm that will continue to drive value across the company’s entire portfolio. Simfoni was the only vendor recognized twice as an Innovative solution in Gartner’s 2021 Hype Cycle for Procurement. Simfoni’s Spend Intelligence and Spend Automation platforms are both on a short list of leading products in the categories of “Predictive Analytics” and “Tail Spend Solutions,” validating Simfoni’s data-driven approach to unlocking savings.

“We are delighted to welcome three proven industry leaders to our team, all of whom have a track record of success and who are capable of growing our business further in their respective regions,” said Chirag Shah, Founder and Chairman, Simfoni. “In the span of just a few months we have attracted top talent with over one hundred years of procurement experience. Simfoni’s DNA is built upon successful procurement practices, and we continue to attract talent that are true experts in the field.”

The three three top industry leaders joining Simfoni’s senior management team include:

• CFO Greg Silich, a senior executive with over 20 years’ experience providing forward-looking financial, operational and strategic leadership to successful businesses in the greater Chicago area. Silich specializes in driving growth, profitability and corporate value creation. “I am honored to join such an innovative team,” said Greg Silich, “I look forward to guiding our long-term financial health and helping the business continue to grow at such a rapid pace.”
• General Manager, Middle East Region, Dan Quinn, a recognized expert in digital business strategy, spend intelligence and spend automation. Prior to Simfoni, Quinn served as General Manager/Regional VP for at Tradeshift and Senior Vice President for Jaggaer in the Middle East and North Africa. “I am excited to be joining Simfoni at an important inflection point in their growth story,” said Dan Quinn, General Manager Middle East, Simfoni. “Their innovative business model is now mature and proven, their investors are enthusiastic, and they have built a talented team and an array of world-class customers.”
• European Accounts Director, Gareth Briggs, an established Procurement Leader who will help to reinforce Simfoni’s presence in Europe. Briggs joins Simfoni from Accenture, where he served as Principal Director and BPS Services Procurement Lead in the EMEA region, and led the sourcing and management teams to provide end-to-end service delivery for Marketing, Technology, HR, Professional Services and Travel. “I am incredible proud to have been given the opportunity to lead and grow Simfoni’s European team, said Gareth Briggs, European Accounts Director. “I joined Simfoni because when you combine their business model, robust and proven platform along with their inherent desire to continue to innovate you get an organisation destined for sustainable and impressive growth.”

To learn more about Simfoni, please visit https://simfoni.com/.

About Simfoni

Simfoni provides Spend Analytics and Spend Automation products to leading global enterprises. The Simfoni platform utilizes machine learning and artificial intelligence to accelerate and automate key aspects of the procurement process, saving customers time and money and paving the way toward supply chain sustainability. With offices in the USA, Europe and the Middle East, Simfoni works with its customers and the wider vendor community to improve vendor diversity and achieve strategic CSR objectives. For additional information, please visit https://simfoni.com/.

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