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Peninsula Fiber Network Announces Pete Marquardt as Regional Account Director

Peninsula Fiber Network

Peninsula Fiber Network, LLC (PFN), a leading provider of fiber optic-based telecommunications and Next Generation 911 services throughout Michigan, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota today announced the addition of Pete Marquardt to its Wisconsin sales and marketing team. Marquardt comes with over 30 years of sales, marketing, operations, and management experience in Wisconsin. Outside of his professional life, he enjoys spending time with his family and taking advantage of outdoor activities. His focus with PFN will be as account representative to commercial businesses, governments, and other key organizations requiring internet, voice, and data networking solutions. Scott Randall, General Manager of Peninsula Fiber Network, stated, “We are delighted to add Pete to our sales team. His experience will be invaluable to our customers in Wisconsin as we continue to expand our network while adding add new products and services.” Pete Marquardt Marquardt is a 30-year veteran of sales, marketing, operations, and management. He brings his diverse background to rapidly growing PFN. Pete and his family reside in Little Suamico, WI. Contact Details Scott Randall General Manager, Peninsula Fiber Network, LLC (PFN) +1 906-232-1012 srandall@pfnllc.net

October 25, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Ensuring Community Sports Programs Survive and Keeping Your Kids Active

YourUpdateTV

Similar to so many other small business owners (restaurants, shops and other local services), the leaders running youth sports programs have faced an evolving multitude of challenges over the past 20 months as the pandemic continues to impact both the programs and the kids they serve. Recently, Olympic Gold Medalist Benita Fitzgerald Mosley participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the importance of organized sports for every kid, family and community. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/3jFXybKQ8qA Latest data shows more than 25% of kids stopped playing sports & many sports programs have ceased operations or have returned in a limited fashion. The stark realities of the pandemic are that there are far too many kids that have been left without access to the physical, mental and emotional benefits sports offer and the lack of access to sports for kids in underserved communities has been exacerbated by the pandemic. For kids, spending time engaging in physical activity through organized sport, free play, at school, and with friends is vital to childhood development and society’s overall well-being. At LeagueApps, Benita leads a program called FundPlay to help address the systemic participation and accessibility gaps. Its mission is to support youth sports organizations and foster those important sports experience opportunities for young people in underserved communities. FundPlay, a National Youth Sports Strategy Champion, offers a quarterly grant program where it awards sports-based youth development organizations with FREE lifetime access to the LeagueApps youth sports technology platform, cash awards and other benefits to help youth sports leaders build organizational capacity. By the end of this year, under Mosley’s leadership, FundPlay will have awarded more than 100 grants, ensuring nearly 300,000 kids have access to sports. For more information, visit leagueapps.com/tour. About Benita Fitzgerald Mosley: Fitzgerald Mosley, an Olympic Gold Medalist, is responsible for stewarding the LeagueApps NextUp community and FundPlay program to support youth sports organizations and foster sports experience opportunities for young people from underserved communities. She also serves as the executive director of the PLAY Sports Coalition, a unique coalition of thousands of stakeholders across the national and community youth sports industry. Prior to joining LeagueApps, Fitzgerald Mosley served as Chief Operating Officer for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and Chief of Sport Performance for USA Track & Field. About LeagueApps: LeagueApps helps leading youth sports organizations operate and grow with the industry’s most comprehensive youth sports management platform. Powering thousands of leading organizations from professional leagues and teams to clubs and camps, LeagueApps is on a mission to bring the benefits of sport to kids everywhere. Through its NextUp program, LeagueApps goes beyond technology to provide industry leaders with opportunities for professional development and relationship building. LeagueApps also operates FundPlay, a program that supports sports-based youth development organizations to address issues of accessibility and equity. Learn more at leagueapps.com. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

October 22, 2021 11:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Argoid’s AI-driven Personalization Enhances Stickiness Among Millions of Mitron TV users

Argoid

What do you do when you have a large volume of short form video content available and millions of users but half of them are inactive? You know that the content is engaging and caters to diverse tastes, but matching preference to individual users is a tedious, mammoth task? You can either wish for magic or bring in the power of Artificial Intelligence. Argoid, an AI Recommendation and Search provider, based out of Silicon Valley and Bangalore, helped Mitron TV, a leading short format video app, enhance stickiness among consumers and new users with its AI-driven hyper-personalised personalization engine. YourNest-funded Argoid’s video recommendations activated approximately 50% of its idle user base and helped Mitron add one million new users, and Over 75% of app users watched all the videos recommended by Argoid With a 90% completion rate Video bounce rate dropped by 20% Mitron TV, had grown its user base to 50 million-plus downloads fairly quickly. To enhance its customer experience, Mitron TV wanted to personalize it. Argoid's algorithm unravelled the core technical challenge that Mitron TV faced - serving the best consumer experience to individual users. By leveraging machine learning to automatically understand each user’s preferences & behavior and serving them hyper-personalized video recommendations, Argoid sent personalized push notifications to each subscriber based on their individual interests and preferences. Argoid’s recommender system engaged viewers with the most relevant recommendations, at a personalized time, when they were most likely to act. It learnt the individual user’s behavior in real-time and recommendations became more accurate with every interaction, such as watching the video, liking, sharing a video, or following a creator. Not only that, the Argoid recommendation engine also supported content creators by serving them with relevant follower engagement notifications such as views, likes, shares, follows, encouraging them to keep creating. The cold-start problem - what to recommend to new/cold users - and other critical complexities were also solved with AI-driven seamless and relevant recommendations. Mitron TV saw the highest consumption and engagement from the 18-25 age bracket with Entertainment and Politics being most-watched categories. Anish Khandelwal, co-founder and CTO, Mitron TV, said, “AI-based personalization has been a game changer for Mitron TV; identifying when to nudge the user was as important as what (content). Argoid’s AI personalization engine made all the difference for our user retargeting campaigns.” “The amalgamation of AI technology with the Mitron app was an exciting challenge for us. We were focused on providing unsurpassed cutting-edge technology that would help the consumers to leverage the best the app had to offer. Understanding the gap between consumer’s wants and what was recommended, we were able to solve the most complex issues while maintaining consumer stickiness and engagement in the app through accurate video recommendations to millions of users. The AI-driven technologies developed by Argoid can help achieve the best conversion rates possible by providing hyper-personalised recommendations to each user at any touchpoint in real-time,” said Argoid’s CEO & Co-Founder, Gokul Muralidharan. Contact Details Argoid Preethy Ann Kochummen preethy@argoid.com Company Website https://www.argoid.ai/

October 22, 2021 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Peninsula Fiber Network Announces Nannestad, Patterson, and Proudfit Join Marquette Office

Peninsula Fiber Network

Peninsula Fiber Network, LLC (PFN), a leading provider of fiber optic-based telecommunications and Next Generation 911 services throughout Michigan, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota today announced the addition of Alec Nannestad, Holly Patterson, and Kelly Proudfit to its corporate office team based in Marquette. Nannestad and Patterson join PFN’s Finance team as Regulatory Support Specialists and will be responsible for working with the State of Michigan Public Service Commission on Next Generation 911. Nannestad is a recent graduate from Northern Michigan University holding a B.S. degree in economics and political science. Patterson comes to PFN from the insurance industry where she worked in group health insurance benefits. She is also a NMU Magna Cum Laude graduate with a B.S. degree in finance. Proudfit joins PFN’s Sales team as Sales Support Specialist. She will work with PFN’s growing sales organization to help insure a positive customer experience. Kelly has extensive quality assurance and customer service experience and will apply those skills in her new role. Scott Randall, General Manager of Peninsula Fiber Network, stated, “PFN is growing rapidly, and we feel fortunate to hire Alec, Holly, and Kelly in a very tight labor market. Their experiences and skills will help PFN continue to expand its reach serving key customers throughout our three states.” #### Alec Nannestad Nannestad is a graduate from Marquette Senior High School and Northern Michigan University. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from NMU majoring in economics and political science where he was also the recipient of the Outstanding Graduating Senior Award from the political science department. While at NMU he worked for NMU’s wireless broadband program as a customer support specialist. Alec resides in Marquette. Holly Patterson Patterson came to PFN from Upper Peninsula Insurance Agency where she was responsible for HR, IT, and marketing. She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Northern Michigan University holding a Bachelor of Science degree in finance. She and her husband Jerad reside in Marquette. Kelly Proudfit Proudfit joins PFN after a successful role in the Quality Systems department of a medical design and manufacturing firm. Previously she was a small business owner in the UP applying solid experience in quality assurance and customer service. Kelly and her family live in Marquette. Contact Details Peninsula Fiber Network, LLC (PFN), General Manager Scott Randall +1 906-232-1012 srandall@pfnllc.net

October 22, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Tykes, Inc. Selects BEASY’s NFT Management Platform to Power New Tykeland Marketplace

Beasy, LLC

Blockchain Made Easy, LLC (dba BEASY) announced today it has signed a multi-year enterprise licensing agreement with Tykes, Inc., a leading provider of digital likeness artwork to professional and college athletes as well as university sports and recruiting programs. Through the licensing agreement, Tykes will adopt Blockchain Made Easy’s private-labelable core blockchain platform called BEASY Authentication ™ to NFT-enable Tykeland, Tykes soon-to-be released online marketplace. Using BEASY’s technology, Tykeland plans to offer limited edition Tykes designs for use by Tykes customers as NFTs, including sovereign digital names and identities for use on any blockchain-based marketplace. In addition to Tykes use of BEASY’s technology, BEASY is using Tykes designs as player avatars within BEASY’s flagship sports and entertainment application called AthleteChain™. “We’re thrilled to be working with Tykes,” says Bob Kramich, Founder and CEO of BEASY. “By transforming the Tykes they already trust and love into sovereign digital identity avatars, universities and athletes can jumpstart NFT collaboration and revenue generation with trust.” Designed specifically for the sports and entertainment industry, AthleteChain ™makes it easy for players, universities, teams, and sponsors to generate NFTs directly from their own computers, then sell and track them on any website or NFT marketplace. The first of its kind in sports, BEASY AthleteChain ™ is a multi-party consensus network (MPCN), designed to verify and maintain the true state of asset ownership across all permissioned users, while also enabling users to buy, sell, trade or transfer intellectual property rights for physical and digital goods directly with one another. “Through BEASY’s solution, our customers can use their existing Tykes to jumpstart new revenue streams while also learning about blockchain, NIL, and NFTs in a way that’s already aligned with how they recruit and operate today,” says Jason Woullard, CEO and Founder of Tykes, Inc. “Offering blockchain-authenticated Tykes to our valued customers is a natural extension of the work we are already doing for them,” Jason adds. # # # About BEASY ™ Blockchain Made Easy ™, LLC is a Massachusetts-based technology and professional services company empowering retail and business customers with the ability to deploy customized blockchain-based strategies through easy-to-use blockchain software products. The company’s core product, BEASY Authentication ™, is a permissioned blockchain platform and associated wallet solution allowing users to seamlessly create, sell, and track digital goods in addition to a broad range of other applications such as digital identity management, fractional and whole digital asset ownership, royalties management, contract-to-smart contract management and more. BEASY is committed to making blockchain adoption easy. For more information, go to www.BEASY1.com. About BEASY AthleteChain ™ BEASY AthleteChain ™ is a turnkey SaaS software product enabling users in sports to create and manage NFTs directly from their personal computers and sell on any NFT marketplace or Shopify-enabled website using both credit cards as well as cryptocurrencies. A comprehensive yet extremely easy-to-use blockchain enablement platform, AthleteChain™ benefits aspiring athlete entrepreneurs with business benefits such as personal brand trademarking and proof-of-use, quality-at-the-source contract-to-smart contract creation and control, business partner and friend network administration, perpetual revenue tracking, contract compliance verification, and more. For more information go to https://beasy1.com/athletechain About Tykes, Inc. Founded in 2014, Tykes is a design-centered messaging company which creates ‘art that articulates’ for professional and college athletes, universities and global brands. Tykes digital avatars and designs enable everyone from individuals and entrepreneurs, to Fortune 500 enterprises to break through marketing clutter and connect with target audiences in relevant, intelligent and timely ways. Tykes branded designs are proven to increase customer engagement, brand loyalty and revenues. Connect with Beasy Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeasyInc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beasy-blockchain-made-easy-llc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beasy1859/ Connect with Tykes https://www.mytyke.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tykeland Twitter: https://twitter.com/tykeland Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytyke/ Contact Details Beasy, LLC. David Kaupp info@beasy1.com Tykes Jason Woullard, CEO info@mytyke.com Company Website https://www.beasy1.com

October 21, 2021 04:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

AWARD-WINNING CHIMNEY VIGOR GROUP ADOPTS NEW CORPORATE NAME: EDISEN - THE UNSKIPPABLE CONTENT COMPANY

Edisen

Global production and marketing services company, Chimney Vigor Group (CVG), today announced it will be rebranding under a new name, Edisen, the unskippable content company, to reflect its expanded creative and technology capabilities. Powered by its proprietary technology platform, Edisen offers clients genuine 360° services and builds upon the company’s creative foundation by delivering high-quality, premium content. “Rebranding as Edisen represents a new dawn for our business and the services we offer our clients,” said Edisen Global CEO Henric Larsson. “Our mission is to ideate, develop and produce content that is impossible to ignore. Technology enhances and empowers the creativity that is at the forefront of our business. Given our recent acquisitions, our 25-year heritage and the development of our own proprietary technology platform, our new name better reflects our unique combination of creative and technological innovation which enables us to deliver clients the world’s most powerful and impactful content.” “The Edisen offering is built on three key pillars: creativity to mesmerize, cloud technology to organize and artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize,” said Larsson. “The Edisen technology platform was purpose-built to solve major industry issues by adding efficiencies to the creative production process, thus saving time and money, as well as optimizing the creation, delivery and performance of breakthrough, undeniably engaging and high-performing content.” “Brands are demanding quality content that also draws an emotional response from viewers in every market of the globe. What we’ve built at Edisen is a creative tech stack that combines brilliant minds, a unique platform and AI capabilities. It enables us to develop great work, optimize it, and then deliver it with precision, efficiency and impact,” said Magnus Sorlander, Chairman at Edisen. The origin of Edisen began nearly 25 years ago as Chimney: a top resource for the world’s most recognized brands, for its ability to craft award-winning stories and campaigns. The company’s work has earned accolades and recognition ranging from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (Oscars), The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), The Cannes Lions, The Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, The Sundance Film Festival, Berlinale, and PromaxBDA. The adoption of the Edisen name marks the company’s continued global growth and success, fuelled by its excellent work, as well as a robust acquisition and innovation strategy. In 2019, the company merged with media management specialists OneVigor to become CVG, completing its remit to offer clients end-to-end marketing services, from concept right through to distribution. In June 2021, the company acquired Tonik+, a revolutionary new platform powered by video intelligence technology that identifies and analyzes video content scene by scene before automatically repurposing it and serving it back into the market, improving viewer ratings by up to 50 percent. To learn more about Edisen and the company’s latest capabilities, visit www.edisen.com About Edisen Edisen, the unskippable content company, is an independent, global specialist in production and marketing communications that creates content that can’t be ignored. Content that can be managed from inception to delivery through a worldwide collaboration platform. Content that can be optimized, adjusted and improved in-market through cutting-edge AI. With a legacy of 25 years of best-in-class entertainment and award-winning services (with the Oscars and Cannes Lions to prove it), coupled with a roster of 100+ clients in the marketing space, Edisen offers clients a range of production services within three integrated business areas: entertainment, marketing and technology. Privately-held, Edisen is powered by 13 global offices and 400 passionate creative people, all creating unskippable content for clients including Ikea, H&M, Dyson, Absolut, Shutterstock, Netflix, ViacomCBS and Universal Studios. Contact Details Shania Roper +1 843-693-7161 shania@kitehillpr.com

October 21, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

TEKEVER AR5 UAV successfully deployed using SES's Governmental Pooling and Sharing System

Get SAT

Tekever, a global aerospace and defence company, announced the successful deployment of the Tekever UAV AR5 over Portugal’s west coast, using satellite communications services developed in the framework of the European Space Agency (ESA) programme aimed at developing Pooling and Sharing systems. Known as PACIS-1, the project was deployed by the consortium led by SES’s wholly owned subsidiary SES Techcom. SES Techcom’s ISR demonstration in Portugal was enabled by the company’s high-performance managed satellite communications service which seamlessly integrated the ecosystem partners’ capabilities. As part of the demo, Get SAT’s innovative multi-orbit terminal supported the mission requirements needed at a low SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) to complete the mission. Once airborne, the terminal was activated for the Beyond Radio Line of Sight mission, with SES’s ubiquitous coverage via satcom providing connectivity for the flight. Tekever’s AR5 UAV live streamed HD video and collected data from the Maritime Moving Target Indicator (MMTI), video footage, and electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR). “As part of the PACIS-1 project with ESA, we brought together an ecosystem of partners to develop the Pooling and Sharing System that benefits governmental and institutional end users, giving them access to top of the range defence and civil capabilities in the most efficient way, anytime they need it,” said Alan Kuresevic, Managing Director at SES Techcom. “The demonstration we held in Portugal showcased a seamless high-performance ISR service that integrates partner capabilities and that is enabled via a satellite communications network. Through access to SES’s multi-orbit fleet, more of secure and resilient communications on the move can be enabled, ensuring reach for all types of critical operations, whether in the air, at sea or on land.” “We are very glad to take part of the multiple end user satellite service demonstrations conducted during this project and contribute to showcase the benefits of Pooling and Sharing systems”, said Ricardo Mendes, Tekever CEO. “They truly enhance Tekever AR5 performance and address the needs of European governments for simple and easy access to secure satellite communications that can leverage their existing operational capabilities in areas such as civil protection and maritime surveillance”. “We were pleased with the resiliency and beam switching demonstrated during this deployment”, said Kfir Benjamin, CEO at Get SAT. “During the course of the mission the Get SAT terminal provided the necessary throughput and demonstrated its multiple-satellite support capabilities”. The PACIS-1 project led by SES Techcom is intended to provide Governments and Institutions with secure services over different governmental and commercial satellites and across several frequency bands. Once fully operational, the PACIS-1 project will offer users guaranteed service access, so they can quickly communicate anytime, anywhere. Get SAT offers compact, all-in-one, innovative, multi-band SATCOM solutions that are deployable on platforms across sea, land and airborne operational environments. Get SAT units operate on both GEO and MEO satellite constellations and support seamless data transfer over satellite links. For the demo in Portugal, the Get SAT Milli SAT H LW KU band with 55W BUC terminal secured a link within three minutes. About TEKEVER TEKEVER offers a revolutionary UAS-based surveillance-as-a-service solution, delivering actionable real-time intelligence across ultra-wide areas. With absolute focus on gathering intelligence to support the most demanding missions, TEKEVER’s UAS product-line is designed and engineered to deliver the most advanced technical and operational capabilities, with extreme ease of use, and a business model that makes easily available at a global scale. TEKEVER has Engineering and Production facilities in the United Kingdom and Portugal, and works closely with a global partner network to provide local support to customers worldwide. The PACIS-1 project dovetails with Tekever’s European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) contract to establish Europe’s first unmanned commercial maritime surveillance and environmental monitoring services, which could be worth as much as EUR 77 million. The solution is being used to monitor trafficking, illegal migration, and IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) fishing. POC: Filipa Martins filipa.martins@tekever.com About SES Techcom SES Techcom is a wholly owned subsidiary of SES that develops and delivers innovative and tailored end-to-end satellite-enabled solutions and services to governmental, institutional and supranational partners and customers. Leveraging its expertise in managing complex system integration projects, the company is a longstanding partner for institutional customers such as the European Commission and ESA on quantum communication infrastructure, navigation, defence & security, humanitarian and disaster response initiatives. Further information is available at: www.ses-techcom.com PACIS-1 PACIS-1 is part of the ESA programme aimed at developing Pooling and Sharing Systems (artes.esa.int/4s-govsatcom-precursor) and the first step in demonstrating how the European space industry can support the European Union’s GOVSATCOM initiative and leverage governmental and commercial satellite services to provide secure access to satellite communications for a wide range of governmental applications. The project led by SES’s fully owned affiliate SES Techcom, was designed to put in place the architecture and service concept of PACIS-1, leveraging the space assets and ground infrastructure of the stakeholders involved in the project. Other industrial partners that have joined the consortium included Redu Space Services, GovSat, ST Engineering iDirect (Europe), QinetiQ and Tekever, and provided specific technological contributions, including engineering, satellite capacity, commercial, project management and other services. About SES SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on Earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world’s only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world’s leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES’s video network carries over 8,650 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 361 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com. About Get SAT Get SAT is the leading provider of Micronized Satellite Terminals. The InterFlat is the latest breakthrough in antenna panel technology, providing the world’s highest efficiency performance in the smallest package. Combining the InterFlat with our state-of-the-art control and tracking mechanism, creates the most powerful and fully contained satellite terminal system. The InterFlat is a leap forward in capability and SWaP, enabling us to provide truly portable, full duplex, wide-band satellite communications. GetSAT customers include top tier defence, commercial and technology companies. The Get SAT team is composed of industry leading experts with multi-disciplinary skills, dedicated to providing an exceptional, agile and affordable customer experience. Further information is available at: www.getsat.com Get SAT CONTACT: Ayala Pinhasi +972-76-5300700 info@getsat.com About ESA The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. European Space Agency (esa.int) TIA The Telecommunications and Integrated Applications Directorate (TIA) supports innovation to boost the competitiveness of European industry in the global space market. This involves a wide range of activities, from space-based technology, systems, product for telecommunications development to the down-to-Earth application of space-based services. It also calls for engagement with a wide range of industrial, academic and institutional partners. Contact Details Ayala Pinhasi info@getsat.com Company Website https://www.getsat.com/

October 21, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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FORMER FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR AND PRIVATE SECTOR INDUSTRY EXPERTS LAUNCH e-TICKETING CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TASK FORCE

e-Ticketing Task Force

Today, public and private highway, infrastructure, and construction materials industry leaders announced the launch of The National Construction Materials e-Ticketing Task Force (e-Ticketing Task Force). The industry is seeking to promote the use of e-Ticketing and find innovative ways to enhance productivity, reduce environmental impacts and become safer. The e-Ticketing Task Force provides a first in the nation model for how the public and private sector can work together to facilitate the digital transformation of the construction industry. “The conditions exist to create a real national movement to evolving our supply chain delivery system from a paper-based system to a digital system” stated Greg Nadeau, e-Ticketing Task Force Senior Advisor and former Federal Highway Administrator under President Obama. “The purpose of the National Construction Materials e-Ticketing Task Force is to provide the support necessary to advance e-Ticketing across the United States. We are excited to launch and we particularly look forward to more members joining us in this national effort.” Nadeau is joined by task force members and Co-Chairs, Dan Ganoe, Vice President of Operations at Lindy Paving Inc., and Joe Spinelli, founder & CEO of Haul Hub Technologies, along with numerous other public and private industry leaders. “This Task Force will establish the foundation for which all public construction projects are built on for decades to come. e-Ticketing is just the first step,” stated Spinelli. “What this Task Force accomplishes in the coming years will pave the way for future engineers and project managers, to be empowered to be more efficient, more safe, and ultimately, happier, in their job because they will have 21st Century tools that the industry has desperately been wanting for decades.” “We know e-Ticketing is more efficient – it reduces processing time and allows for faster accounting of quantities – meaning processes that can take days now only take hours,” stated Ganoe. “It’s a game changer for the construction materials industry.” “As someone who has over the years collected, tracked, coded, and lost paper tickets, Granite is all in on assisting with this effort,” said Scott Fernald, Paving Manager with Granite Construction – Utah Region, and a Task Force Member. “e-Ticketing just makes sense.” “The Task Force serves as a ‘rising tides lifts all boats’ to the national effort to digitize public infrastructure construction operations,” said Tim Oakes, President and CEO of Digital Fleet, LCC. “We are proud to be a member because the only way e-Ticketing becomes a reality is through industry collaboration.” “Technology adoption in the construction industry is not easy, but when you have a united front, the challenge of e-Ticketing is not so hard,” said Craig Yeack, President and Co-Founder of BCMI Corporation. “We have witnessed several states jump at the opportunity to embrace this new technology and look forward to elevating this conversation to a national level to bring everyone on board, across all 50 states.” The launch includes the debut of an informational and robust website and introduced a seven-minute video. The video highlights the benefits of digital ticketing and stars task force members and both public and private sector DOT and contractor workers. The website provides information for both state departments of transportation (DOTs) and materials contractors. Case studies highlight the various methods that can be used to transition to e-Ticketing and showcase recent pilot projects at the Delaware and Indiana DOTs. The website will provide industry updates and post information about future national conversations, industry conventions, and events. Highway construction projects across the United States produce massive amounts of paper, however the data from those infrastructure projects is lost in storage bins, warehouses, and filing drawers. In the video, Nadeau states, “Paper tickets end up in a place where data goes to die. Digital ticketing allows for better management and real-time access to project data,” and “we must use the 21 st century tools that are available to us.” “e-Ticketing” is a part of Federal Highway’s Every Day Counts-6 (EDC-6) program which was rolled out in December 2020. Every Day Counts is a means for Federal Highway to introduce, bi-annually, innovative programs and policies to be led at the local and state level for the purpose of integrating automation, shortening delivery process, and improving roadway safety. “ e-Ticketing is a paperless process for creating, sharing, tracking, documenting, and archiving materials information, accessible in real time via mobile devices, provides all stakeholders with an electronic means to verify materials deliveries while enhancing safety, streamlining inspections, and improving contract administration procedures.” ### About National Construction Materials e-Ticketing Task Force The National Construction Materials e-Ticketing Task Force (e-Ticketing Task Force) is a partnership between State Departments of Transportation, producers, and contractors who are committed to digitizing the construction materials supply chain. The goal of the e-Ticketing Task Force is the elimination of paper tickets associated with Hot Mix Asphalt, Aggregates, and Ready-mix Concrete for all public infrastructure construction projects nationwide. As the industry seeks innovative ways to enhance productivity, reduce environmental impacts, and become safer, the e-Ticketing Task Force provides a first in the nation model for how the public and private sector can work together to establish best practices, overcome challenges, and facilitate an honest dialogue to embrace a digital transformation of the construction materials industry. For more information visit https://e-ticketingtaskforce.org/ or follow on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details Karyn Le Blanc +1 202-497-4572 info@e-ticketingtaskforce.org Company Website https://e-ticketingtaskforce.org/

October 21, 2021 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Comcast Business Provides Reef Industries With Advanced Security to Support Digital Operations

Comcast Houston

Comcast Business today announced that it is supplying Reef Industries, a plastic film and laminate manufacturer, with Ethernet Dedicated Internet, unified communications (UC), and advanced security solutions enabling the company to deliver leading customer service and communicate effectively and efficiently. Reef Industries has more than 60 years of experience developing industrial plastic film and laminate products for customers. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company has additional manufacturing facilities in both Houston and San Benito. These sites rely on internet and network dependent technologies to help keep digital operations running smoothly – and uptime and security solutions are key. “Prior to Comcast Business, we were using a router-based VPN and had limited visibility into when and why a site was down,” said Don Webb, IT Director of Reef Industries. “Today, we have the ability to receive real-time insights, which are especially important for peace of mind. Comcast Business has been the key to helping us stay connected and informed.” In addition to SD-WAN, Comcast Business now offers Unified Security, a new security solution powered by Versa Networks’ UTM that provides edge protection to block potential cyber intrusions and monitor potential threats. The advanced security capabilities provide an added layer of security against a constantly evolving threat landscape, helping to protect the network and data and providing notifications of potential threats in real-time. “As we moved toward more digital-friendly operations, it was critical to implement enhanced threat management solutions, especially when it comes to protecting sensitive data,” Webb explained. “With Comcast Business’ added security and managed solution, we feel confident we have a strong technology partner for our operations.” Reef Industries also leverages Comcast Business VoiceEdge® UC solution for communications and collaboration needs. With Comcast Business’ fast and reliable connectivity, Reef Industries employees are also able to communicate effectively to deliver premier customer service. “We understand that connectivity is critical in today’s competitive business environment, especially as the proliferation of smart machines and connected devices increases in the manufacturing industry,” said Vince Margiotta, Vice President of Comcast Business for the company’s Houston Region. “We’re pleased to work with Reef Industries to help keep its operations running quickly and more secure from potential threats.” About Comcast Business Comcast Business offers a suite of Connectivity, Communications, Networking, Cybersecurity, Wireless, and Managed Solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Powered by the nation’s largest Gig-speed broadband network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and one of the leading service providers to the Enterprise market. Comcast Business has been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator, and one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services. For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Reef Industries Founded in 1957, the original division of Reef, the Griffolyn Company, introduced a newly patented process for the production of internally reinforced film laminates. The resulting high strength and light weight offered easily handled and ruggedly durable constructions never previously available that rapidly replaced heavier, bulkier and more expensive materials. Over the years, new technologies and innovations spawned a variety of new manufacturing techniques and a host of new product lines. The increasing scope and range of production steadily encompassed additional divisions and in 1976 the corporate identity of Reef Industries Inc. was adopted. Today, Reef operates six divisions, Griffolyn ®, Permalon ®, Armorlon ®, TerraTape ®, and Bannerguard ®. Each offers the finest products available. A state of the art manufacturing facility and two leading edge fabrication plants support world wide sales activities, headquartered in Houston, Texas. In-house technical service and research staffs, manned by highly knowledgeable engineers and chemists, work closely with the most experienced sales department in the industry. This outstanding team is uniquely able to provide Reef customers the service they require and deserve. Contact Details Finn Partners Chloe Huard chloe.huard@finnpartners.com Misha McClure Misha_McClure@cable.comcast.com Company Website https://business.comcast.com/

October 20, 2021 09:52 AM Central Daylight Time

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