News Hub | News Direct

Technology

Artificial Intelligence Big Data Cloud Computing Cyber Security Data Management Electronics Enterprise & Network Technology Financial Technology Hardware Mobile & Wireless Nanotechnology Semiconductor Software Telecommunications
Article thumbnail News Release

China Tower 5G development gains traction and Two Wings business scales rapidly, Profit attributable to owners of the Company increased by 16.1%

China Tower Corporation Limited

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 9 August 2021 - The world’s largest telecommunications infrastructure service provider China Tower Corporation Limited (“China Tower”, or the “Company”) (Stock Code: 0788.HK) is pleased to announce its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2021. Performance Highlights Our total revenue maintained steady growth in the first half of 2021 while profitability continued to improve. Our operating revenue recorded a year-on-year increase of 7.2% to RMB42,673 million; our EBITDA 1 amounted to RMB31,184 million, representing growth of 7.2% year-on-year with an EBITDA margin 2 of 73.1%. Profit attributable to owners of the Company totaled RMB3,457 million, up by 16.1% year-on-year, with a net profit margin of 8.1%. Our cash flow remained sound and ample. In the first half of 2021, net cash generated from operating activities amounted to RMB24,238 million. Capital expenditures amounted to RMB10,360 million, a reduction of 27.6% year-on-year, which resulted in our free cash flow 3 reaching RMB13,878 million, an increase of 8.6% year-on-year. Our debt leverage ratio was contained at a reasonable and manageable level and our financial position remained healthy. As of 30 June 2021, our total assets were RMB333,195 million and our interest-bearing liabilities stood at RMB114,191 million, representing a gearing ratio 4 of 37.0%. In the first half of 2021, centered around our “One Core and Two Wings” strategy, we continued to leverage the benefits of effective resource coordination and sharing to achieve higher efficiency in our asset operations, and as a result further reinforced our competitiveness. Building on the stable development of our TSP business, our TSSAI and energy businesses continued to increase in scale and grow rapidly. Maintaining stable and healthy growth in our TSP business, cementing industry leadership Given the growth in 5G networks deployments during the first half of 2021, we used our market-oriented approach to focus on customer demands as well as the new features of 5G network construction. In this context, we utilized our ability to coordinate and share resources, making full use of our existing and social resources. We have also focused on construction and service model innovation, in view of improving our asset operating efficiency and meeting our customer’s network coverage demands in a cost-effective, intensive and high-performing manner. As a result, our TSP business maintained stable growth, further cementing our leadership in the telecommunication infrastructure construction and operation sector. We completed the infrastructure of approximately 256,000 5G projects in the first half of 2021, of which 97% were completed by utilizing existing resources. This underscored our strength in sharing resources to support the large-scale construction of 5G networks in a cost-effective manner. At the same time, the impact of 5G on improving our revenue has begun to show its effects, with 5G becoming the key growth driver of our TSP business. As of the end of June 2021, we were managing a total of 2.035 million tower sites, a net cumulative addition of 12,000 sites from the end of 2020. During the same period, we gained 53,000 new TSP tenants, bringing the total number to 3.228 million. Our TSP tenancy ratio also increased from 1.57 at the end of 2020 to 1.59. Our DAS business cumulatively covered buildings with a total area of 4.41 billion square meters, up by 41.3% year-on-year. We also covered a total of 14,431 kilometers of high-speed railway tunnels and subways, an increase of 31.8% year-on-year. In the first half of 2021, our TSP business revenue amounted to RMB39,808 million, an increase of 4.5% year-on-year, of which our tower business revenue accounted for RMB37,722 million while our DAS business revenue accounted for RMB2,086 million, representing a year-on-year growth of 3.7% and 21.3% respectively. Rapidly scaling our Two Wings business, gaining new momentum for further development Leveraging our unique advantages in resources and capabilities, we focused on product innovation and the optimization of our platform operations, to maximize the benefits of our sharing model. As a result, our Two Wings business continued to expand rapidly while gaining new momentum for sustainable development. The Two Wings business has shown potential in supporting and reinforcing the Company’s multi-pillar development plan. In the first half of 2021, Two Wings business recorded revenue of RMB2,737 million, an increase of 73.3% year-on-year. TSSAI business: The Company seized opportunities arising from the further digitalization and informatization in China, fully leveraged our competitive advantages in mid-and high-point monitoring and proactively promoted the transformation of “Telecommunications Towers” into “Digital Towers”. Focusing on our video surveillance services, we enhanced our innovative business model and implemented unified technology and service standards, platform support and operations management. We integrated algorithms, terminals, transmission and data management as well as extended our collaboration with industry partners to expand our ecosystem. We have officially launched our “Tower Monitoring” business to serve a wide range of customers across sectors relating to the national economy and people’s livelihoods, including environmental remediation, disaster relief, eco-conservation and village governance. Our integrated information service capabilities were further enhanced, providing a strong basis for the rapid expansion of our TSSAI business. As of 30 June 2021, we had 195,000 TSSAI tenants and TSSAI revenue for the first half of 2021 was RMB1,853 million, an increase of 46.6% year-on-year. Energy business: We captured opportunities related to the push toward a low-carbon economy and the thriving new energy industry. Focusing on our core business segments of battery exchange and power backup, we expanded the scale of our operations and improved our delicate management approach. By standardizing our product platform and putting in place operating and management systems, we strove to enhance our core competitive advantages as the “largest industry player with best-in-class services”, creating smart energy applications with “China Tower characteristics”. As of 30 June 2021, we had cumulatively provided around 460,000 users with battery exchange services, a net increase of 160,000 compared with the end of 2020, making us the largest supplier of battery exchange services for light electric vehicles in China. We also cumulatively built 17,000 power backup sites, a net increase of 5,000 compared with the end of last year. In the first half of 2021, our energy business recorded revenue of RMB884 million, an increase of 180.6% year-on-year. Mr Tong Jilu, Chairman of China Tower said, “Looking forward in the second half of 2021, we will continue to capture opportunities brought about by the development of 5G new infrastructure, the digital economy and the new energy industry. Adhering to our goal of building an enterprise with the best potential for growth and value creation, we will continue to leverage our advantages in resource sharing and further implement our ‘One Core and Two Wings’ strategy. In doing so, we will be in the best position to maintain stable revenue growth, enhance the value of our Company and provide better returns to our shareholders.” Note 1: EBITDA is calculated by operating profit plus depreciation and amortization. Note 2: EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing EBITDA by operating revenue, and multiplying the resulting value by 100%. Note 3: Free cash flow is the net cash generated from operating activities minus the capital expenditures. Note 4: Gearing ratio is calculated as net debt divided by the sum of total equity and net debt, then multiplied by 100%. Net debt is calculated as the amount of interest-bearing liabilities minus the amount of cash and cash equivalents. About China Tower Since its incorporation on 15 July 2014, China Tower Corporation Limited (“China Tower”) has developed into the world’s largest telecommunications tower infrastructure service provider with compelling market advantage under the national strategy of Cyberpower. China Tower was listed on the Main Board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 8 August 2018 (Stock Code: 0788.HK), raising approximately HK$58.8 billion. The Company implements the strategy of “One Core and Two Wings”. “One core” refers to the traditional tower business and indoor Distributed Antenna System (DAS) business, which provide services to the TSPs based on site resources; while “Two Wings” refers to the Trans-sector Site Application and Information (TSSAI) business which mainly provides tower site resources and data information services to different industries, as well as energy business to satisfy the growing demands on energy services in the society, such as power backup and generation, charging, battery exchange and echelon use of batteries. China Tower adheres to the “sharing” philosophy for business development. It promotes site co-location and provides a wide range of services to fulfill the specific needs of its customers. As of the end of June 2021, the Company’s total assets amounted to RMB333,195 million. China Tower operated and managed 2.035 million tower sites across 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in the PRC, and served over 3.423 million tenants with the tenancy ratio of 1.68. Contact Details iPR Ogilvy Ltd. Callis Lau +852 2136 6952 chinatower@iprogilvy.com iPR Ogilvy Ltd. Gary Li +852 3170 6753 chinatower@iprogilvy.com iPR Ogilvy Ltd. Emily Chiu +852 3920 7659 chinatower@iprogilvy.com iPR Ogilvy Ltd. Charmaine Siu +852 3920 7646 chinatower@iprogilvy.com

August 09, 2021 01:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Osmo’s Back To School Sale Starts Now: From August 8 to 14, Save 25% Off Select Kits, Games, Bundles and More

Osmo

STEAM brand Osmo ’s Back to School sale starts now. From Aug. 8 to 14, Osmo offers 25% off select kits, games, bundles and more. View Back to School deals at PlayOsmo.com, Target.com, and Amazon.com. Save 25% on these items at PlayOsmo.com: Kits: Little Genius Starter Kit + Early Math Adventure, Genius Starter Kit + Family Game Night, Genius Starter Kit, Coding Starter Kit and Creative Starter Kit Games: Math Wizard Bundle, Math Wizard and the Magical Workshop, Math Wizard and the Secrets of the Dragons, Monster Other items: Coding Family Bundle, Math Wizard Kit (features all 4 Math Wizard titles + base included), Essential Math Bundle, Early Literacy Bundle, Super Studio Artist Bundle, Pretend Play Bundle, Explorer Starter Kit, Super Osmonaut Starter Kit, Preschool Starter Kit, Elementary School Starter Kit, Ultimate Expansion Bundle Save 25% on these kits and games at Target and Target.com: Little Genius Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Genius Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Creative Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Coding Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Math Wizard and the Secrets of the Dragons (base excluded) Math Wizard and the Magical Workshop (base excluded) Save 25% on these Osmo kits, games, and bundles at Amazon.com: Genius Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Genius Starter Kit for Fire Tablet (base included) Genius Starter Kit + Family Game Night for iPad (base included) Genius Starter Kit + Family Game Night for Fire (base included) Little Genius Starter Kit for Fire Tablet (base included) Little Genius Starter Kit + Early Math Adventure for iPad (base included) Little Genius Starter Kit + Early Math Adventure for Fire (base included) Creative Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Coding Starter Kit for iPad (base included) Coding Starter Kit for Fire Tablet (base included) Math Wizard and the Secrets of the Dragons for iPad & Fire Tablet (base required) Math Wizard and the Magical Workshop for iPad & Fire Tablet (base required) Coding Family Bundle for iPad & Fire Tablet (base required) Pizza Co. for iPad & Fire Tablet (base required) Detective Agency for iPad & Fire Tablet (base required) Math Wizard and The Enchanted World Games for iPad Bundle (base included) Math Wizard and the Enchanted World Games for Fire Tablet Bundle (base included) Math Wizard and The Amazing Airships for iPad Bundle (base included) Math Wizard and The Amazing Airships for Fire Tablet Bundle (base included) Little Genius Sticks & Rings for iPad or Fire Tablet (base required) Little Genius Costume Pieces for iPad or Fire Tablet (base required) About Osmo Osmo is an award-winning STEAM brand with more than 2.5 million learners worldwide. It is building a universe of hands-on play experiences that nourish the minds of children by unleashing the power of imagination. The company brings physical tools into the digital world through augmented reality and its proprietary reflective artificial intelligence. Osmo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, and is part of BYJU’S, a global leader in online learning. Learn more at playosmo.com. Contact Details Carolyn Kamii PR Carolyn Kamii carolynkpr@gmail.com Company Website http://www.playosmo.com

August 08, 2021 06:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

As wildfires rage across the Western U.S., a New Zesty.ai Survey Finds Majority of Residents Don’t Know if They Live in a High-Risk Area

Zesty.ai

Zesty.ai, a leader in property risk analytics powered by artificial intelligence (AI), today released the results of a new survey exploring how prepared residents of Western states are for wildfire season. They polled residents of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and found that the majority of all respondents (55%) don’t know if they live in a high-risk area, despite 87% saying they are either concerned or very concerned about this year’s wildfire season. While 89% of all respondents said they believe mitigation efforts like clearing vegetation and installing screens on windows to keep embers out can make a real impact in protecting property from wildfires, only two-thirds (66%) are reporting that they are taking steps on these efforts. For those that are, over a quarter (27%) take action all-year round. “It’s encouraging that the vast majority of residents in the Western states understand the impact of mitigation efforts, but it’s important that the number of homeowners actually taking action increase in order to maximize protection of properties and communities in these regions,” said Attila Toth, CEO of Zesty.ai. “We know mitigation efforts can have a profound impact with regards to protecting homes and communities, as evidenced by the findings of a recent study we conducted with the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). We studied more than 71,000 properties involved in wildfires between 2016 and 2019 and found property owners who clear vegetation from the perimeter of their home or building can double their structure’s likelihood of surviving a wildfire.” Zesty.ai’s Z-FIRE™ is an AI model trained on more than 1,400 wildfire events across more than 20 years of historical loss data. It considers property-level features that influence risk, such as topography, historical climate data, and critically, factors extracted from high-resolution imagery like, building materials and surrounding vegetation in multiple defensible spaces. This empowers insurers with a much more precise risk score to inform underwriting and rating while recognizing mitigation efforts by homeowners and their respective communities. In terms of communicating the benefits of mitigation efforts, 51% of survey respondents said the best way to get that information would be through a letter from local fire officials, followed by 40% who think it’d be best to get this information when renewing or applying for homeowners insurance, and 9% who would like to get this information from a real estate website like Zillow. Despite the fact that 40% of respondents would like to get this information through their insurance provider, 58% have never spoken to their carrier about wildfire risk. Additional key findings from the survey include: 87% of all respondents are confident or very confident in their local fire departments to contain and manage fire-related emergencies Despite wildfires starting earlier and the extreme drought impacting the Western U.S., 35% of all respondents think this year’s wildfire season will be about the same as last year Oregonians are most proactive in protecting their property, with 73% of Oregon respondents saying they are making mitigation efforts compared to 66% of all respondents Californians are most proactive when it comes to discussing wildfire risk with their insurance provider, with 39% of California respondents saying they’ve had that discussion compared to 34% of all respondents 36% of all respondents believe mitigation efforts by homeowners is the most important factor for saving properties during wildfire season For more information on Zesty.ai and its wildfire risk model, Z-FIRE™, please visit https://www.zesty.ai/wildfire-risk. About Zesty.ai Zesty.ai offers access to precise intelligence about every property in North America for insurance and real estate customers. The company uses aerial imagery, building permit, transaction and weather data, combined with artificial intelligence (AI) to turn more than 200 billion data points into comprehensive digital records. Zesty.ai provides a constantly updated database of property information that impacts a property’s value and associated risks and also accounts for the potential impact of catastrophic events like wildfires, hail storms and floods by combining its vast property knowledge and predictive AI models into property-specific risk scores. In an increasingly digital world, Zesty.ai brings properties into a new digital age that enables real time transactions and powerful predictive analytics. Visit https://zesty.ai for more information. Contact Details Abby Schiller +1 216-870-1835 abby@clarity.pr

August 05, 2021 08:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

BEE Launches New Features to BEE Pro to Further its Mission to Democratize Content Design

BEE

BEE, a business unit of Growens and premier digital content design platform, released two new features to its BEE Pro product, a no-code email & landing page design suite currently being used by designers, email marketers, e-commerce, higher education, business owners, agencies and entrepreneurs. These updates come at a time when BEE is seeing substantial growth with its BEE Pro paid subscription, forecasting upwards of 9k paid users. The latest BEE Pro features include: Increased collaboration through “ Mentions” feature. Users can now use a mention (@mention) to alert any team member of updates collaborating on a design project. Improved processes through the new “ Notification Center. ” This update keeps the user informed on mentions, exports or publishing of active design projects. These new features further BEE’s mission to democratize content design. Users can now initiate mentions to their teammates through the comment section while working directly in BEE Pro, eliminating the need to work across multiple platforms. They are able to invite their teammates to review a design, assign tasks and collaborate on all work completed in their specific brand, helping to keep the design process aligned. The notification center helps keep everyone up to speed with changes and edits for a faster collaborative process. These updates assure a faster collaborative process. “We are excited to see these new features go live in BEE Pro. It’s a big deal for teams to be able to collaborate in real-time on any project in one place” said Mariela Towers, Head of Marketing at BEE. “The design process for some teams often involves a lot of collaborators — BEE Pro is continuing to make it easier for team members to work together. Our internal team is excited to see the expanded features. We use BEE Pro for all of our email communications and have been able to cut 3 days out of our workflow. The new features have improved our collaboration processes allowing us to work that much faster.” These updates from BEE Pro are the latest following previously announced landing page capabilities, mobile design mode and co-editing tools earlier this year. Since launching in 2016 as an email editor tool, BEE continues to invest in feature developments for BEE Pro bringing maximum value to users, including multiple integrations built specifically for email server providers. About BEE: BEE provides no-code design tools that empower everyone to quickly create content that resonates. BEE’s visual builders are used to design emails, landing pages, one-page sites and more. They deliver fantastic design flexibility and a great user experience, combining granular control on design elements with handy features like editing content directly in mobile view. BEE is building on its vision to help democratize content design, with millions of monthly users in over 20 languages and from over 150 countries. BEE’s design tools are available online at beefree.io and embedded in 600+ SaaS applications. Contact Details Angelina Kaliszak angelina@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://beefree.io/

August 05, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

CSG Systems International Reports Second Quarter 2021 Results

CSG

Raising All 2021 Financial Guidance Targets on the Back of Strong H1 2021 Result Robust Q2 2021 Revenue & Adjusted Revenue Growth; Each up 6.2% Year-Over-Year Successful Conversion of ~300,000 Charter Communications Customers in Kansas City CSG (NASDAQ: CSGS) today reported results for the quarter ended June 30, 2021. Financial Results: Second quarter 2021 financial results: Total revenue was $255.1 million and total non-GAAP adjusted revenue was $238.5 million. GAAP operating income was $32.2 million, or 12.6% of total revenue, and non-GAAP operating income was $39.8 million, or 16.7% of non-GAAP adjusted revenue. GAAP earnings per diluted share (EPS) was $0.60 and non-GAAP EPS was $0.82. Cash flows used in operations were $44.5 million, with a non-GAAP free cash flow of $37.5 million. Shareholder Returns: In May 2021, CSG declared its quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share of common stock, or a total of approximately $8 million, to shareholders. During the second quarter of 2021, CSG repurchased under its stock repurchase program, approximately 153,000 shares of its common stock for approximately $7 million. “CSG continued to build off our Q1 momentum and delivered 6.2% year-over-year revenue and adjusted revenue growth in Q2, which was predominantly all organic growth,” said Brian Shepherd, President and Chief Executive Officer of CSG. “On the back of our strong first half performance, we are boosting all 2021 financial guidance targets, including revenue, adjusted operating margin and EPS. Additionally, we are thrilled to expand our relationship with Charter Communications as we successfully converted approximately 300,000 of their Kansas City market subscribers from a competitor’s billing platform to CSG during the quarter. Looking ahead, we remain well positioned to lengthen and strengthen our relationships with existing customers, accelerate our organic revenue growth, close good new strategic acquisitions, and diversify into higher growth industry verticals.” Financial Overview (unaudited) (in thousands, except per share amounts and percentages): For additional information and reconciliations regarding CSG’s use of non-GAAP financial measures, please refer to the attached Exhibit 2 and the Investor Relations section of CSG’s website at csgi.com. Results of Operations GAAP Results: Total revenue for the second quarter of 2021 was $255.1 million, a 6.2% increase when compared to revenue of $240.3 million for the second quarter of 2020, and a 0.8% increase when compared to revenue of $253.1 million for the first quarter of 2021. The year-over-year increase in revenue can be primarily attributed to continued growth of CSG’s revenue management solutions, favorable foreign currency movements, and to a lesser extent, the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on CSG’s second quarter of 2020 revenue. The sequential quarterly increase is mainly due to the continued growth of CSG’s revenue management solutions. GAAP operating income for the second quarter of 2021 was $32.2 million, or 12.6% of total revenue, compared to $19.8 million, or 8.2% of total revenue, for the second quarter of 2020, and $31.4 million, or 12.4% of total revenue, for the first quarter of 2021. The increase in operating income can be primarily attributed to the revenue growth in 2021 and an approximately $10 million impairment charge for the write-off of capitalized customer contract costs related to a discontinued project implementation in the second quarter of 2020. GAAP EPS for the second quarter of 2021 was $0.60, as compared to $0.32 for the second quarter of 2020, and $0.61 for the first quarter of 2021. The year-over-year increase in GAAP EPS is mainly due to the increase in operating results, discussed above. Non-GAAP Results: Non-GAAP adjusted revenue for the second quarter of 2021 was $238.5 million, a 6.2% increase when compared to non-GAAP adjusted revenue of $224.6 million for the second quarter of 2020, and a 0.8% increase when compared to $236.7 million for the first quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP operating income for the second quarter of 2021 was $39.8 million, or 16.7% of total non-GAAP adjusted revenue, compared to $30.6 million, or 13.6% of total non-GAAP adjusted revenue for the second quarter of 2020, and $40.2 million, or 17.0% of total non-GAAP adjusted revenue for the first quarter of 2021. Non-GAAP EPS for the second quarter of 2021 was $0.82 compared to $0.59 for the second quarter of 2020, and $0.82 for the first quarter of 2021. The changes in non-GAAP adjusted revenue, non-GAAP operating income, and non-GAAP EPS between quarters are primarily due to the factors discussed above. Balance Sheet and Cash Flows Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as of June 30, 2021 were $212.1 million compared to $205.1 million as of March 31, 2021 and $240.3 million as of December 31, 2020. CSG had net cash flows from operations for the second quarters ended June 30, 2021 and 2020 of $44.5 million and $57.8 million, respectively, and had non-GAAP free cash flow of $37.5 million and $48.3 million, respectively. Summary of 2021 Financial Guidance CSG is updating its financial guidance for the full year 2021, as follows: For additional information and reconciliations regarding CSG’s use of non-GAAP financial measures, please refer to the attached Exhibit 2 and the Investor Relations section of CSG’s website at csgi.com. Conference Call CSG will host a conference call on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, to discuss CSG’s second quarter results for 2021. The call will be carried live and archived on the Internet. A link to the conference call is available at http://ir.csgi.com. In addition, to reach the conference by phone, call 1-833-921-1665 and use the passcode 4290448. Additional Information For information about CSG, please visit CSG’s web site at csgi.com. Additional information can be found in the Investor Relations section of the website. About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted partner for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Eastlink, Formula One, Maximus, MTN and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, that are based on assumptions about a number of important factors and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what appears in this news release. Some of these key factors include, but are not limited to the following items: CSG’s business may be disrupted, and its results of operations and cash flows adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; CSG derives over forty percent of its revenue from its two largest customers; Continued market acceptance of CSG’s products and services; CSG’s ability to continuously develop and enhance products in a timely, cost-effective, technically advanced and competitive manner: CSG’s ability to deliver its solutions in a timely fashion within budget, particularly large and complex software implementations; CSG’s dependency on the global telecommunications industry, and in particular, the North American telecommunications industry; CSG’s ability to meet its financial expectations; Increasing competition in CSG’s market from companies of greater size and with broader presence; CSG’s ability to successfully integrate and manage acquired businesses or assets to achieve expected strategic, operating and financial goals; CSG’s ability to protect its intellectual property rights; CSG’s ability to maintain a reliable, secure computing environment; CSG’s ability to conduct business in the international marketplace; CSG’s ability to comply with applicable U.S. and International laws and regulations; and Fluctuations in credit market conditions, general global economic and political conditions, and foreign currency exchange rates. This list is not exhaustive, and readers are encouraged to review the additional risks and important factors described in CSG’s reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q and other filings made with the SEC. CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS-UNAUDITED (in thousands, except per share amounts) CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME-UNAUDITED (in thousands, except per share amounts) CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS-UNAUDITED (in thousands) Beginning with the second quarter of 2021, CSG reclassified certain cash flows related to settlement and merchant reserve assets and liabilities from cash flows from operating activities to cash flows from financing activities within the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. EXHIBIT 1 CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC. SUPPLEMENTAL REVENUE ANALYSIS Revenue by Significant Customers: 10% or more of Revenue Revenue by Vertical Revenue by Geography EXHIBIT 2 CSG SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC. DISCLOSURES FOR NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Limitations To supplement its condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), CSG uses non-GAAP adjusted revenue, non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP adjusted operating margin percentage, non-GAAP EPS, non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA, and non-GAAP free cash flow. CSG believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when reviewed in conjunction with its GAAP financial measures, provide investors with greater transparency to the information used by CSG’s management in its financial and operational decision making. CSG uses these non-GAAP financial measures for the following purposes: Certain internal financial planning, reporting, and analysis; Forecasting and budgeting; Certain management compensation incentives; and Communications with CSG’s Board of Directors, stockholders, financial analysts, and investors. These non-GAAP financial measures are provided with the intent of providing investors with the following information: A more complete understanding of CSG’s underlying operational results, trends, and cash generating capabilities; Consistency and comparability with CSG’s historical financial results; and Comparability to similar companies, many of which present similar non-GAAP financial measures to investors. Non-GAAP financial measures are not measures of performance under GAAP, and therefore should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financial information. Limitations with the use of non-GAAP financial measures include the following items: Non-GAAP financial measures are not based on any comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles; The way in which CSG calculates non-GAAP financial measures may differ from the way in which other companies calculate similar non-GAAP financial measures; Non-GAAP financial measures do not include all items of income and expense that affect CSG’s operations and that are required by GAAP to be included in financial statements; Certain adjustments to CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures result in the exclusion of items that are recurring and will be reflected in CSG’s financial statements in future periods; and Certain charges excluded from CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures are cash expenses, and therefore do impact CSG’s cash position. CSG compensates for these limitations by relying primarily on its GAAP results and using non-GAAP financial measures as a supplement only. Additionally, CSG provides specific information regarding the treatment of GAAP amounts considered in preparing the non-GAAP financial measures and reconciles each n on-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Non-GAAP Financial Measures: Basis of Presentation The table below outlines the exclusions from CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures: CSG believes that excluding certain items in calculating its non-GAAP financial measures provides meaningful supplemental information regarding CSG’s performance and these items are excluded for the following reasons: Transaction fees are primarily comprised of interchange and other payment-related fees paid, in conjunction with the delivery of service to customers under CSG’s payment services contracts, to third-party payment processors and financial institutions by CSG. Because CSG controls the integrated service provided under its payment services customer contracts, these transaction fees are presented gross, and not netted against revenue; however, other payments companies who do not provide and/or control an integrated service present their revenue net of transaction fees. The exclusion of these fees in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP adjusted revenue provides management and investors an additional means to use to compare CSG’s current revenue with historical and future periods, as well as with other payments companies. Restructuring and reorganization charges are expenses that result from cost reduction initiatives and/or significant changes to CSG’s business, to include such things as involuntary employee terminations, changes in management structure, divestitures of businesses, facility consolidations and abandonments, and fundamental reorganizations impacting operational focus and direction. These charges are not considered reflective of CSG’s recurring business operating results. The exclusion of these items in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current financial results with historical and future periods. Executive transition costs include expenses incurred related to the departure of CSG’s former CEO under the terms of his separation agreement. These costs were primarily recognized during the third and fourth quarters of 2020 (the CEO’s remaining term) and were not considered reflective of CSG’s recurring business operating results. The exclusion of these costs in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current financial results with historical and future periods. Acquisition-related expenses include amortization of acquired intangible assets, earn-out compensation, and transaction-related costs. Transaction-related costs, which typically include expenses related to legal, accounting, and other professional services, are direct and incremental expenses related to business acquisitions, and thus, are not considered reflective of CSG’s recurring business operating results. The total amount of acquisition-related expenses can vary significantly between periods based on the number and size of acquisition activities, previously acquired intangible assets becoming fully amortized, and ultimate realization of earn-out compensation. In addition, the timing of these expenses may not directly correlate with underlying performance of the CSG’s operations. Therefore, the exclusion of acquisition-related expenses in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current financial results with historical and future periods. Stock-based compensation results from CSG’s issuance of equity awards to its employees under incentive compensation programs. The amount of this incentive compensation in any period is not generally linked to the level of performance by employees or CSG. The exclusion of these expenses in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures allows management and investors an additional means to evaluate the non-cash expense related to compensation included in CSG’s results of operations, and therefore, the exclusion of this item allows investors to further evaluate the cash generating capabilities of CSG’s business. The convertible notes OID is the result of allocating a portion of the principal balance of the debt at issuance to the equity component of the instrument, as required under current accounting rules. This OID is then amortized to interest expense over the life of the respective convertible debt instrument. The interest expense related to the amortization of the OID is a non-cash expense, and therefore, the exclusion of this item allows investors to further evaluate the cash interest costs of CSG’s convertible notes for cash flow, liquidity, and debt service purposes. Gains and losses related to the extinguishment of debt are a result of the refinancing of CSG’s credit agreement and/or repurchase of CSG’s convertible notes. These activities are not considered reflective of CSG’s recurring business operating results. Any resulting gain or loss is generally non-cash income or expense, and therefore, the exclusion of this item allows investors to further evaluate the cash impact of these repurchases for cash flow and liquidity purposes. In addition, the exclusion of these gains and losses in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP EPS allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current operating results with historical and future periods. Unusual items within CSG’s quarterly and/or annual income tax expense can occur from such things as income tax accounting timing matters, income taxes related to unusual events, or as a result of different treatment of certain items for book accounting and income tax purposes. Consideration of such items in calculating CSG’s non-GAAP financial measures allows management and investors an additional means to compare CSG’s current financial results with historical and future periods. CSG also reports non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP free cash flow. Management believes non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure to investors in evaluating CSG’s operating performance, debt servicing capabilities, and enterprise valuation. CSG defines non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA as income before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation, foreign currency transaction adjustments, acquisition-related expenses, and unusual items, such as restructuring and reorganization charges, executive transition costs, and gains and losses related to the extinguishment of debt, as discussed above. Additionally, management uses non-GAAP free cash flow, among other measures, to assess its financial performance and cash generating capabilities, and believes that it is useful to investors because it shows CSG’s cash available to service debt, make strategic acquisitions and investments, repurchase its common stock, pay cash dividends, and fund ongoing operations. CSG defines non-GAAP free cash flow as net cash flows from operating activities less the purchases of software, property and equipment. Non-GAAP Financial Measures Non-GAAP Adjusted Revenue: The reconciliations of GAAP revenue to non-GAAP adjusted revenue for the indicated periods are as follows (in thousands): Non-GAAP Operating Income: The reconciliations of GAAP operating income to non-GAAP operating income for the indicated periods are as follows (in thousands, except percentages): (1) Stock-based compensation included in the tables above and following excludes amounts that have been recorded in restructuring and reorganization charges. Non-GAAP EPS: The reconciliations of GAAP EPS to non-GAAP EPS for the indicated periods are as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts): (2) For the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2021 the GAAP effective income tax rates were approximately 30% and 28%, respectively, and the non-GAAP effective income tax rates were approximately 27% for both periods. For the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2020 the GAAP effective income tax rates were approximately 27% and 26%, respectively, and the non-GAAP effective income tax rates were approximately 27% for both periods. (3) The outstanding diluted shares for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2021 were 32.0 million and 32.1 million, respectively, and for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2020 were 32.3 million for both periods. Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA: CSG’s calculation of non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA and the reconciliation of CSG’s non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA measure to GAAP net income is provided below for the indicated periods (in thousands, except percentages): (4) Interest expense includes amortization of deferred financing costs as provided in Note 5 below. (5) Amortization on the statement of cash flows is made up of the following items for the indicated periods (in thousands): Non-GAAP Free Cash Flow: CSG’s calculation of non-GAAP free cash flow and the reconciliation of CSG’s non-GAAP free cash flow measure to cash flows from operating activities are provided below for the indicated periods (in thousands): Non-GAAP Financial Measures – 2021 Financial Guidance Non-GAAP Adjusted Revenue: The reconciliation of GAAP revenue to non-GAAP adjusted revenue, as included in CSG’s 2021 full year financial guidance, is as follows: Non-GAAP Operating Income: The reconciliation of GAAP operating income to non-GAAP operating income, as included in CSG’s 2021 full year financial guidance, is as follows (in thousands, except percentages): Non-GAAP EPS: The reconciliation of GAAP EPS to non-GAAP EPS as included in CSG’s 2021 full year financial guidance is as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts): (6) For 2021, the estimated effective income tax rate for GAAP and non-GAAP purposes is expected to be approximately 28% and approximately 27%, respectively. (7) The weighted-average diluted shares outstanding are expected to be approximately 32 million. Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA: CSG’s calculation of non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA and the reconciliation of CSG’s non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA measure to GAAP net income is provided below for CSG’s 2021 full year financial guidance (in thousands, except percentages): Non-GAAP Free Cash Flow: CSG’s calculation of non-GAAP free cash flow and the reconciliation of CSG’s non-GAAP free cash flow measure to cash flows from operating activities is provided below for the indicated period (in thousands): Contact Details John Rea +1 210-687-4409 john.rea@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

August 04, 2021 02:01 PM Mountain Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Cloud Conventions & MCI Group Partner with Medical Professionals to Deliver Virtual/Hybrid Events

Convey Services

Cloud Conventions, an enterprise virtual/hybrid event platform and the MCI Group, a leading global event management firm are partnering to deliver virtual and hybrid event solutions for medical organizations to complement their live events. The American Thoracic Society, a nonprofit organization focused on improving care for pulmonary diseases with more than 16,000 members worldwide, launched their annual conference in April 2021 as a 100% virtual event. They selected the MCI Group as its event management partner and Cloud Conventions as its virtual event platform. This August, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses(AORN), guided by an abundance of caution from the recent surge in COVID cases, transitioned their hybrid conference to a fully virtual event under the guidance of the MCI Group. Their new virtual event will educate and engage attendees and exhibitors using the Cloud Conventions virtual/hybrid event platform. “Audiences for conferences hosted by medical professional groups have unique requirements and a heightened awareness of the risks imposed by the pandemic,” said Carolyn Bradfield, CEO of Convey Services, parent company of Cloud Conventions. “Medical professionals not only want to stay up-to-date on scientific advances, but they also need to complete continuing medical education (CME) to maintain licensure. A virtual, on-demand option for engagement plus education ensures attendees have a safe environment to meet their educational needs, interact virtually with other attendees and engage live or on demand with suppliers and sponsors.” The American Thoracic Society’s all-virtual conference in April brought together 9,000 registered attendees for 140 clinical and scientific sessions, 71 special networking events and over 3800 presentation sessions and scientific posters. The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses will offer on-demand and live sessions, a networking and innovation lounge, an exhibitor solutions center hosting in-booth sessions, product showcases along with an innovation theater. “Striking the balance between a live and virtual event environment is a strategic decision that medical professional groups must make as they consider event design today and even more in the future,” said James Kelley, Director at the MCI Group. “Our customers rely on MCI to guide them to deliver the best options that engage audiences before, during and after the event ensuring that virtual environments complement and not conflict with the on-site program.” A recent research study, “Association Trends: from Disruption to Opportunity” by Community Brands, revealed that 85% of association event professionals plan to invest more in virtual events in the next 12 months. This trend is driven by a 48% increase in members engaging more with their associations due to increased virtual options and on-demand education. The Tagoras 2020 “Virtual Conference Report” detailed that 75% of those delivering virtual events did so to reach audiences who could not otherwise attend. With the increase in COVID cases driven by variants, medical professional groups are now pressed to include virtual alternatives that are specifically geared to the industry, as they enter the busy fall conference season. Download the Case Study: “The 2021 American Thoracic Society Virtual Event” for free at: https://cloudconventions.com/page/135834/ats-customer-success-story. Show organizers and event managers can learn more about Cloud Conventions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com and the MCI Group by visiting http://www.mci-group.com/usa. About The MCI Group MCI is a global engagement and marketing agency. We design human-centric solutions that unleash the power of people to deliver innovation and growth for our clients. Our offering includes live & virtual events, strategic & digital communications, consulting & community solutions. We help brands, companies, associations, and not-for-profits solve their challenges, bringing their people together to shape their tomorrow. MCI is an independently owned company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with a global presence in 60 offices across 31 countries. www.mci-group.com MCI’s US headquarters is in the Washington, DC area with offices in New York, Baltimore, Dallas, and Chicago. www.mci-group.com/usa About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions from Convey Services is Cloud Conventions is an enterprise virtual/hybrid event management platform that redefines the exhibitor and attendee experience to allow companies to provide easy access to in-depth product information, showcase their brands with graphics and videos, create calls to action and generate immediate sales leads. Used around the world for large managed events and smaller self-directed meetings, conferences and corporate kickoffs, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, continuing education, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Cloud Conventions supports multiple languages and currencies, internal, external and single-sign on registration, and supports all conferencing carriers and platforms. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Community™, Cloud Kickoffs™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Convey Services Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

August 04, 2021 03:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Image
Article thumbnail News Release

Replicated Expands to Israel, Brings Benefits of Multi-Prem Software Delivery to Startup Nation

Replicated, Inc.

Replicated has expanded into Israel, with local staff bringing their expertise to software vendors wanting to ship an on-prem, air gapped, or self-hosted version of their software with Day 2 enterprise operations management. The combination of demand from local software vendors and the significant market opportunity made it a natural fit for Replicated. “Expanding into this region is a big milestone for the company,” said Grant Miller, Replicated co-founder and CEO. “We’re excited to learn from the local tech community and grow alongside our customers.” The Israel team will include three key members focused primarily on in-country marketing, sales, and sales engineering: Meir Carmel, Account Executive. Experienced sales executive formerly with Check Point Software, Meir brings enterprise account management and channel management to his role at Replicated. Amit Schnitzer, Solution Engineer. Infrastructure and security expert with 25 years' experience across LivePerson, Pontis, TravelHoldings, and most recently Check Point Software. Hilee Avrahami, Head of Global Field Marketing. A seasoned marketer with extensive experience in guiding technology enterprises to market leadership positions. “With the startup nation developing and deploying amazing software solutions for the world at large, Replicated offers the ideal solution for software vendors that require an on-prem delivery solution," shares Hilee Avrahami, Head of Global Field Marketing for Replicated in Israel. "We’re excited to see the traction from our initial launch and look forward to continuing interaction with the local cutting-edge startup community.” “Replicated lets us deploy our SaaS platform into the environments of our biggest and most security-conscious customers,” said Oren Rubin, CEO at Testim. “We are excited to work with Replicated as we grow our global business.” Replicated enables software vendors to use modern cloud native technologies and Kubernetes to deliver enterprise grade applications in on-prem or customer self-hosted environments. Replicated provides a platform to manage software deployments, licensing, and Day 2 operations that reduces the engineering workload and accelerates time to market for software vendors. Replicated customers include HashiCorp, Puppet, and UiPath. 60 of the Fortune 100 use Replicated to manage applications. Replicated was founded in 2015 by Miller and Marc Campbell, CTO, who previously founded Look IO, a mobile live-chat program that was acquired by LivePerson. About Replicated: Replicated is the modern way to ship on-prem software. Replicated gives software vendors a container-based platform for easily deploying cloud native applications inside customers'​ environments to provide greater security and control. Learn more at Replicated.com. Contact Details Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrestc@owenmedia.com Company Website https://www.replicated.com/

August 04, 2021 09:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Velocity Global hires tech operations leader Eric Schroeder as Chief Operating Officer

Velocity Global

Velocity Global, the leading provider of global employment solutions, added technology operations veteran Eric Schroeder as chief operating officer. Schroeder applies two decades of operations leadership to support clients, their distributed workforces, and scale Velocity Global’s worldwide team. “Eric led global safety operations for Uber, one of the world’s top tech companies that combines complex infrastructure with a simple human experience,” said Ben Wright, Velocity Global founder and CEO. “His global operations expertise aligns directly with our global work platform for an always-on connection between employers and the talent who rely on us for everything from timely, accurate payroll to customized compliant solutions in global markets.” Schroeder most recently was vice president of operations for autonomous driving company, Ghost. Prior to that, he was head of global safety operations for Uber and also held roles as General Manager for Utah and Northern California. Before Uber, he spent three years with McKinsey and Company in the U.S. and South Africa. Schroeder is also a proud Army veteran where he served in Special Forces and completed two combat deployments to Afghanistan. “My experience at Uber inspired a passion for the future of work — the balance of opportunity and owning how, when, and where you work,” said Schroeder. “I’ve long been impressed with Ben and the team at Velocity Global where I now direct that passion in a way the world has not yet experienced. The team built and maintains the backbone of global employment, enhanced by a first-class technology experience. The multifaceted platform connects employers with talent anywhere in the world.” The company’s global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience through proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, personalized expertise, and unmatched global scale. Users access a streamlined technology interface as well as partner with a dedicated experience team for individualized solutions and expertise. As the largest global Employer of Record (EoR) in 185 countries and all 50 United States, Velocity Global manages a client’s workforce and provides in-country and in-state compliance, payroll, and benefits for the supported employees. The company also offers Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors globally. Schroeder leads the customer experience and delivery team, global payroll and benefits, and worldwide operations with employees across five continents. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience through proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, personalized expertise, and unmatched scale. As the largest global Employer of Record (also known as International PEO) in 185 countries and all 50 United States, more than 1,000 brands rely on Velocity Global to build global teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. The company offers additional services including Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors. Velocity Global was named a “Leader” in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall. Founded in 2014, the company has hundreds of employees across five continents. For more information visit velocityglobal.com. Contact Details Velocity Global John Hall +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

August 04, 2021 07:02 AM Mountain Daylight Time

Image
Article thumbnail News Release

BettorEdge Announces Reddit's Andrew Abbott as New Company Advisor

BettorEdge

BettorEdge, a Minneapolis-based online no-fee sports betting marketplace and social platform connecting sports fans, today announced the addition of Andrew Abbott to its advisor team. Abbott will tap into his experience as agency development and strategy lead for social platform Reddit as he advises the BettorEdge team on growing the social aspect of their sports betting marketplace, while also making it profitable. “We are extremely excited to have Andrew join our team as an advisor,” said Greg Kajewski, Co-Founder and CEO of BettorEdge. “We are moving fast to democratize the sports betting experience. Andrew’s unique expertise in successfully scaling social platforms such as Reddit and Snap, will be invaluable as we continue to innovate our platform for sports bettors.” Prior to his current role as a Global Agency Lead at Reddit, Abbott headed up Sports Brand Partnerships at Snap, Inc., where he worked on various partnership deals including the NFL, NBA, PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games, and FIFA World Cup. He focuses on driving revenue growth and diversification, channel partnerships, and high-performance team formation. “Betting is a social medium, and the future of sports betting is returning to that foundation,” said Abbott. “BettorEdge understands that and has created a space where sports bettors can trade bets with no fees attached, all while connecting with a community of like-minded bettors. I’m looking forward to working with the team to maximize this powerful model.” In July, BettorEdge announced it surpassed $3.5 million in sports betting orders in just its first six months in operations. About BettorEdge BettorEdge was founded in 2019 following a University of Minnesota SportRadar Innovation Challenge. The Iowa native founders, now Minnesota residents, had a vision of creating a more efficient sports betting marketplace that offered a better fan experience at no fee to the consumer within the US. BettorEdge has a strong emphasis on giving the edge to the bettor through offering a fair market, providing data and analytics and creating a seamless social community. Access to their webapp can be found at app.bettoredge.com and additional information at BettorEdge.com. Contact Details HPL Digital Sport Bailey Irelan +1 614-795-3308 birelan@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.bettoredge.com/

August 04, 2021 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

1 ... 529530531532533 ... 599