West African innovator and technology-telecommunications company owner Alain Capo has been announced the winner of the World Literacy Award for his outstanding contribution in the individual category.

PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips professional displays, has announced that Telelogos software has been approved as the very first remote device management solution for the new Philips Tableaux range of Advanced Colour ePaper displays.

Utimaco has released new consumer research that has found a low level of trust around Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This has highlighted the need for more education from industry into how smart devices are secured with the latest digital security solutions.

The June Issue features a Special Technology Report looking in depth at the latest developments in the world of Automatic Identification and Data Capture/Mobile Computing solutions.

Also included is a ‘Cover Story’: Gartner forecasts spending on cloud security to grow 24% in 2024, making it the highest growth of all segments in the global security and risk management market.

By Lloyd Mallon, freelance writer.

Designer products are the fine line between luxury and looking glamorous. Due to their price it’s important to make sure what you’re buying is authentic and not a counterfeit. 

Flashpoint has released its midyear Cyber Threat Intelligence Index, with new data and trends surrounding both persistent and emerging cyber threats observed from 1 January to 30 June, 2024. The report includes research and data tied to vulnerabilities, information-stealing malware, ransomware and insider threats.

Bitsight, the cyber risk management solutions provider, has introduced new asset mapping capabilities to help companies better manage vulnerabilities across their extended attack surface.

Toshiba Electronics Europe GmbH (Toshiba) has introduced its next-generation S300 Pro Surveillance Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) targeting the latest requirements in the surveillance storage market.

As AI regulations in the US have evolved to be more supportive of commercial use, retailers and malls are increasingly adopting technologies that were once the domain of law enforcement and federal agencies. This shift is driven by the need for enhanced security and operational efficiency, with many turning to advanced video analytics and facial intelligence.

Quorum Cyber - with offices in Edinburgh, UK, and Tampa, Florida – has acquired Difenda, a Canadian-based, full-stack Microsoft Security Managed Services company. The announcement underscores Quorum Cyber's global momentum and strengthens its position as a leader of Microsoft Security services. 

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the UK are facing significant challenges in today’s digital landscape, with misinformation, fake reviews and inadequate search and engagement tools putting them at a serious disadvantage compared to larger competitors.

Thoughtworks, the global technology consultancy that integrates strategy, design and engineering to drive digital innovation, has started a strategic partnership with UK-based cybersecurity startup Advanced Cyber Defence Systems (ACDS) by providing Thoughtworks DAMO AI-powered application managed services.

Cybersecurity company, Egress, a KnowBe4 company, has launched its latest Phishing Threat Trends Report (October 2024), which examines the most recent phishing statistics and threat intelligence insights.

Red Canary, the managed detection and response (MDR) provider, has released a new report, Security Operations Trends Report, providing insight into critical challenges facing modern cybersecurity teams. Partnering with independent research company Coleman Parkes, Red Canary surveyed 700 security leaders from the US, UK, New Zealand, Australia and Nordics. 

Graylog has unveiled significant security advancements to drive smarter, faster and more cost-efficient security operations. The company’s latest capabilities include advanced data routing, asset-based risk scoring and AI-generated investigation reports.

TrueCommerce, provider of supply chain and trading partner connectivity, integration and omnichannel solutions, has been selected by Costa Coffee, The European coffee chain, to spearhead their global EDI expansion.

At GroceryShop, Bazaarvoice, the platform for full-funnel authentic user-generated content (UGC) and social commerce solutions, announced Bazaarvoice Vibe – a comprehensive solution designed to help marketers source, amplify and optimise user- and creator-generated content across all channels, all from one place. Global general availability begins 1 November.

Forter, the Trust Platform for digital commerce, has released findings from its 2024 Consumer Trust Premium Report, which explores the evolving relationship between consumer shopping habits and brand trust, based on 2,000 survey respondents in the US and UK.

By Jeremy Light, freelance writer.

Businesses are constantly searching for innovative methods to lower costs, increase productivity, and satisfy the ever-increasing demands of their clients in today's fast changing e-commerce environment.

Sinch, the company developing the way the world communicates through its Customer Communications Cloud, has released its predictions for the 2024 Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BF/CM) shopping season.

Screenshot from the site of Japanese company K.K. Mirai Genomics The Moscow Healthcare Department purchased more than 50 devices and hundred of thousands of test systems for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from a company called Medpromresurs. This sounds like good news, if it was not for the dodgy reputation of the company. Thieving businessmen are trying to cash in on the disease that their compatriots suffer from while keeping an eye on the funds from the state budget too. US funded Radio Liberty investigated the Moscow's purchase, that got links to 2019 scandal in Tatarstan. The story began in September 2019. During the Eastern Economic Forum, which was held last autumn, a little-known Japanese company K.K. Mirai Genomics promised to invest 2.5 billion rubles ($30 million) in the production of a diagnostic system for infectious diseases in the Republic of Tatarstan. The systems were supposed to be subsequently acquired at the expense of mandatory medical insurance - the state budget that is. Russian company PharmMedPolis-RT acted as a partner on the Russian side. Taliya Minullina, the head of the Agency for Investment Development of the Republic, put her signature on the agreement for the production of biochips for the diagnosis of influenza. The story was highlighted by a lot of Russian media for its connection to corruption and money-laundering issues. The chips were allegedly patented in Europe, the USA and Japan (coronavirus was nowhere near back then). Strangely enough, the supposedly patented trademark for the LifeRing molecular diagnostic system that consists of disposable chips is not manufactured in any of the above-mentioned countries. Moreover, as the Versia found out, the company's offices in Japan and the United States are located in cheap Class B office buildings, which does not go along with the promise to invest 2.5 billion, because a company like that simply does not have that much money.  However, methods for rapid diagnosis of influenza are not just being developed in our country - they are already in practical use. Moreover, the time that is required for testing biomaterial is even shorter in comparison with the time period that foreign-made chips need for the same purpose.  K.K. Mirai Genomics was a very little-known company indeed: it did not even have a website at the time when the deal was signed. Mirai never provided any specifications and descriptions of the technology, nor did it say anything about the results of clinical trials. Such facts did not stop the authorities of Tatarstan, though. 

Startups are a lot like infants. They come into the world vulnerable and needy. And it's your job, as the founder, to protect your new business much like a parent would with a helpless baby. Businesses face numerous risks from the start. And in many regards, it's your ability to protect your fledgling business during these early days that makes or breaks your chances of long-term success. In light of this, here are a few practical tips you may find valuable in your pursuit of growth and stability: Form the Right Legal Entity One of the first steps every business owner should take is to form the correct legal entity. This legal entity will provide tax advantages as well as certain asset protections. The most common types of legal entities include:

Continued. Read Part I of the article here. Alexey Golubovich, Yukos's former director for strategic planning and corporate finance was one of the main witnesses in the case against Yukos. How can one determine the basis of his testimony? Was it a wish to help the Russian justice system or the subtle game of a "double agent"? In order to understand this, one may need to recall a few facts from his business biography. In the first part of our investigation, we talked about Alexey Golubovich's business projects and lawsuits in 2010–2022, in which one could see both the shadows of his former Yukos colleagues (for example, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Yuri Beilin) ​and the non-systemic opposition.

Rising global commodity prices and falling economic growth around the world are the result of the decision by Biden and his European "acolytes" to declare economic war on Russia. The U. S. and the European Union announced tougher sanctions against Russia because of the "Bucha incident" without an international investigation. Nevertheless, as Pravda previously wrote, the "atrocities in Bucha" were most likely staged by the Zelensky regime. The economic war of Western civilization against Russia has in any case been declared and its goal is clear: the complete destruction of Russia, the seizure of its territories and natural resources. Most likely, the total energy blockade of Russia will only intensify, throwing the world financial markets into chaos.

The losses that American, European and Japanese companies have suffered after they left the Russian market are evaluated at tens of billions of dollars, RIA Novosti reports. Since the beginning of the special operation in Ukraine to the present, foreign companies have lost a total of $70 billion. Companies of the fuel and energy complex have suffered the biggest losses. Many companies in this sector have deconsolidated and devalued Russian assets by ceasing to report the results of their activities in the country, they have not completely stopped working in Russia. For example, the UK-based BP, having made a number of statements about its decision to withdraw from Russian projects, was forced to retain shares in local assets. According to Putin's decree from August 5, shareholders from unfriendly countries will no longer be able to make transactions with shares in companies of strategic significane, fuel and energy companies and banks without the consent of the state. In its report for the first quarter of 2022, BP depreciated Russian assets in the amount of $25.5 billion, but it did not take practical steps to exit the projects.

Shipster, a custom shipping integration platform, and Futura Retail Solutions, an advanced retail and warehouse management software, have announced a strategic partnership to target growing omni-channel retail markets.

By Marc Malafronte, director of sales, VIPRE Security Group.

As cyberattacks increase in frequency and sophistication, businesses must prioritize cybersecurity as a critical investment area. Managed service providers (MSPs) are crucial in supporting organizations on their cybersecurity journey.

By Jo Bradley, Business Development Manager at Sparck Technologies.

Companies can be schizophrenic about packaging and its costs. On the one hand, product packaging is closely scrutinised – a battleground between buyers seeking to drive costs down and marketers looking for ever greater impact and ‘shelf appeal’.

By Umar Butt, CEO of UK and Europe at Aramex.

The pre-loved market is taking the fashion industry by storm. Reminiscent of the continued popularity of charity shops, thrift stores or vintage boutiques, the appetite for second hand clothes has been a constant for centuries, however in recent years a paradigm shift has moved this growing market into the mainstream.

Veracity Trust Network (Veracity) has been awarded the Cybersecurity Co-Innovation and Development Fund (CCDF) CyberCall grant of S$1 million by the Cyber Security Agency Singapore (CSA).

Russians should start selling dollars and buy euros, yuan and gold instead, businessman Oleg Deripaska believes. In his recent post on Telegram, Deripaska reacted to the statement from the author of the best-selling book "Rich Dad Poor Dad" Robert Kiyosaki about the future economic crisis in the United States. Kiyosaki, who predicted the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, encouraged investors to buy more gold, silver and bitcoin. In his post, Deripaska published a link to Kiyosaki's interview with Fox Business.

Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International considers selling the Russian division or withdrawing it from the structure of the group. Raiffeisen's "daughter" will continue running "certain banking activities" in Russia to maintain license. At the moment, the bank can not get rid of all of its business in Russia, but is striving for this to happen, RBI CEO Johann Strobl said. The RBI Group in Russia is represented by Raiffeisenbank, as well as leasing, insurance and management companies. The company's subdivisions employ over 9,000 people.

BRICS+ Fashion Summit, the International Forum, came to an end in Moscow. It took place from 28 November to 2 December. This event powered by Fund of Fashion and supported by the Moscow Government, was attended by delegations from 60 countries. On the last day of the Forum, all the key events took place in the underground exhibition space of Zaryadye Park. 120+ brands from Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Burundi, Egypt, India, Indonesia, China, Libya, Nigeria, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, and other countries took part in the B2B-showroom on the final day of the event. Designers and buyers once again met for business matchmaking there. Speakers from Russia, India, Columbia, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka participated in the fashion intensive course. During the lectures and seminars included the speakers talked about collaborations, brand philosophy, zero waste production, and inclusivity.

The Russian authorities lifted temporary state management from the assets of French food giant Danone in Russia. The decision was made for reasons of expediency, Kremlin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. On March 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to cancel the nationalisation of Danone's business and its transfer to Russia's Federal Property Management Agency. According to Peskov, all factors and conditions need to be weighed accordingly in every situation like this. Therefore, it does not mean that the Russian leadership will make similar decisions in relation to other foreign companies.

The Italian Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador to Rome Alexei Paramonov after President Vladimir Putin transferred the Russian subsidiary of Italian equipment manufacturer Ariston to Gazprom. The decision was made in accordance with last year's decree, according to which the assets of foreign companies in Russia can be transferred to temporary administration. Italy called the transfer unexpected and demanded clarification from the Russian diplomat. On April 26, Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the transfer of Russian subsidiaries of Ariston and BSH Hausgerate (structures of Ariston Thermo Rus and BSH Household Appliances) to temporary administration of JSC Gazprom Household Systems. One hundred percent of shares in the authorised capital of both companies were transferred to  Gazprom temporarily.

Nornickel's plans to move copper plant production to China have raised questions both in the government and among experts. In April, Nornickel (Norilsk Nickel) announced plans to "create a joint venture with international partners and transfer part of the copper plant's capacities from Norilsk to China." The copper plant will continue to operate "modern copper concentrate preparation facilities and industrial 3D printers." "We are transferring our environmental problems, settlement problems, problems of market access and customization of our goods for the consumer market to where they can be solved most effectively — to China," Vladimir Potanin, co-owner of PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel said in an interview with Interfax.

Omni-ID, the developer of passive industrial radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, used by major global organisations for monitoring the location and identity of assets, has appointed Amir Mobayen as Chief Revenue Officer.

Despite increasing concerns surrounding food waste, more than 89 million tonnes of food are thrown away every year in Europe. The grocery retail sector contributes some 5% to the total amount, often due to expired fresh produce, equating to more than 4.45 million tonnes.

RFID technology does not just exist since yesterday, but especially now, it has a major impact on the profits and losses of companies, for example in retail and logistics. RFID tags that are attached to goods can be read with mobile computers in such a way that real-time results for transactions, stock levels or the order history of customers are displayed.

The premium quality barcode and RFID solutions provider inotec is currently producing 40 million RFID identification cards for a market-leading international discount supermarket chain. The exceptionally large RFID card order was placed after the discount supermarket’s strategic decision to install new crate track and trace systems. 

SATO has launched its RAIN RFID1-based asset management solution ASETRA in Europe. The easy to deploy system comprising RFID tags, RFID printers and desktop reader/writers accurately and easily tracks and manages assets through the supply chain.

By Alastair Bright, freelance writer.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFC) are two wireless communication technologies that enable data exchange through radio waves. While NFC is primarily used in contactless payments, RFID is widely utilized for asset and location tracking. Both technologies, however, also have versatile applications beyond their primary uses.

PervasID, provider of passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader systems for automating inventory and asset tracking, has launched a new advanced version of TrackMaster, claimed to provide greatly enhanced return on investment performance.

RAIN Alliance, the non-profit industry organisation supporting the development and adoption of Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), has announced that 44.8bn RAIN RFID tag chips were shipped globally in 2023.This figure represents year-on-year growth of 32%, and reflects increasing demand across a variety of industries....

By Brad Hyett, CEO at phos.

SoftPoS, also known as Software Point of Sale, is a software-based solution enabling merchants to convert their NFC-enabled smartphones or tablets into functional payment terminals.

Manhattan Associates Inc. has announced significant enhancements to its Manhattan Active Point of Sale (POS) application designed to meet the dynamic needs of modern store associates.

By Jeremy Landau, freelance writer.

Retail's dynamic environment is seeing a real shift, driven by the integration of advanced software solutions. This goes beyond a mere technological upgrade – it's about completely transforming the customer experience.

By James Morgan, freelance writer.

Are you tired of carrying cash and credit cards everywhere you go? It's time to embrace the next big leap in cashless transactions: IoT payments. With IoT (Internet of Things) technology, payment systems are becoming more convenient, efficient and secure than ever before.

By Jeremy Landau, freelance writer.

It’s no secret that when your business begins to grow, you will need to add staff to accommodate the increased sales and other demands on store operations. This tends to become more complex as your business gets larger, and staff roles and responsibilities may need to be diversified and identified, so everyone knows what they should be doing.

In the ever-evolving landscape of retail, businesses face an ongoing challenge: theft.Despite many retailers implementing additional security measures, the issue of stolen goods continues to plague the industry with beers and wine, health and beauty products, and baby formula being the most common stolen goods.