Category Archives: Technology

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DataTrace Information Services LLC, the nations largest provider of data and automation solutions to the title and settlement services industry, announced today that it has been recognized by HousingWire Magazine as a HW Tech100 Real Estate winner.

The HW Tech100 program provides housing professionals with a comprehensive list of the most innovative and impactful companies that can be leveraged to identify partners and solutions to the problems that mortgage lenders and real estate professionals face every day.

At DataTrace, our goal is to provide underwriters and title agents with the data and technology they need to make confident decisions, produce quality and, ultimately, accelerate the closing process, said Robert Karraa president of DataTrace. This recognition reflects the efforts of our people and the impact of our solutions in supporting our customers' growth and success throughout the extraordinary circumstances of the last year.

DataTrace was recognized for its advanced real estate data and market-leading title search technology, automation and examination solutions, which help title and settlement services providers streamline processes, gain competitive intelligence and position for future growth. The companys solutions are powered by an extensive collection of real estate title plants, tax data and recorded property data, including more than 7 billion land record images.

After the uncertainty and unpredictability of last year, we expected a greater adoption of technology. However, these 100 real estate and mortgage companies took digital disruption to a whole new level and propelled a complete digital revolution, leaving a digital legacy that will impact borrowers, clients and companies for years to come, said Brena Nath, HousingWires HW+ managing editor.

About DataTrace

DataTrace Information Services, LLC provides advanced real estate title search technology, automation and production services that enable settlement services companies to quickly access and search regional title databases through a secure application. The DataTrace system delivers title history information, property tax assessment and payment data, document images and property profiles in 47 states across the United States. With its significant geographical coverage, DataTrace title plant and tax database is the broadest and most comprehensive title information system available and is used by the largest national title insurance underwriters. For additional information, visit http://www.DataTraceTitle.com.

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DataTrace Named One of the Most Innovative Technology Companies in Real Estate by HousingWire Magazine - Business Wire

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SoftServe, a leading digital authority and consulting company, won Best Technology Response in the Best Corporate Response to COVID-19 category at the Global Sourcing Association (GSA) UK Professional Awards 2020. SoftServe was honored for exhibiting excellence in strategic sourcing and its response as a company to COVID-19.

SoftServe was recognized for its COVID-19 Bulgaria Chatbot, an innovative pro bono solution project designed to reduce the spread of inaccurate information related to COVID-19. It provides Bulgarias residents with up-to-date statistics on the virus in Bulgaria, the latest official news, and a recording of the briefings from the National Operational Headquarters (NOH) in Bulgaria.

This recognition highlights the dedication and innovative work SoftServe engineers and development professionals have demonstrated to help solve complex business problems brought on by COVID-19, said Andon Simeonov, VP, Bulgaria Country Manager at SoftServe. We look forward to leveraging our expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, and cloud-based services to create and build more cutting-edge solutions that provide our customers with the tools and technology they need to thrive in todays ever-changing digital environment.

The GSA Professional Awards is a competitive, global awards program focused on recognizing and rewarding demonstrated innovation and pioneering best practices by buyers, service providers, and advisors in the strategic sourcing industry. Submissions are judged by a panel of appointed GSA UK Council members and co-opted judges. The 2020 awards featured 19 categories including the addition of new categories focused on corporate and partnership responses to challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

About SoftServe

SoftServe is a digital authority that advises and provides at the cutting-edge of technology. We reveal, transform, accelerate, and optimize the way enterprises and software companies do business. With expertise across healthcare, retail, energy, financial services, software, and more, we implement end-to-end solutions to deliver the innovation, quality, and speed that our clients users expect.

SoftServe delivers open innovationfrom generating compelling new ideas, to developing and implementing transformational products and services. Our work and client experience is built on a foundation of empathetic, human-focused experience design that ensures continuity from concept to release. We empower enterprises and software companies to (re)identify differentiation, accelerate solution development, and vigorously compete in todays digital economy. No matter where you are in your journey.

Visit our website, blog, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages.

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SoftServe Wins Best Technology Response at the GSA Professional Awards 2020 - Business Wire

TipRanks

Do you like roller coasters? According to Deutsche Bank, were looking at some roller coaster volatility for the next few months, with near-term gains likely, followed by a Q2 retreat, and second-half gains. The firm expects share values to fall in the next three months, perhaps by as much as 5% to 10%, for several reasons laid out by the firms strategist Binky Chadha. The more front-loaded the impact of the stimulus, and the direct stimulus checks at around a quarter of the new package clearly are one off, the sharper the peak in growth is likely to be. The closer this peak in macro growth is to warmer weather (giving retail investors something else to do); and to an increased return to work at the office, the larger we expect the pullback to be, Chadha noted. Thats the mid-term. In the longer view, Chadha expects markets to strengthen by years end, and has put a 4,100 target on the S&P 500. This is up from his previous 3,950 target, and suggests potential gains of 4% from current levels. So, for investors, were looking at a rocky summer and fall, with some dips and gains likely in the markets. In that environment, a defensive stock play makes sense; it provides some stability to the portfolio, as well as some insurance should the gains not materialize. Reliable dividend stocks, with their regular payouts, provide an income stream thats independent of the share price appreciation, as well as a share profile that is less volatile to begin with, making them the ideal move for investors worried about keeping up returns while coping with high macro volatility. To that end, weve used the TipRanks database to pull up three high-yield dividend stocks that share a profile: a Buy-rating from the Streets analyst corps; considerable upside potential; and a reliable dividend yielding over 8%. Lets see what Wall Streets pros have to say about them. Monroe Capital (MRCC) We'll start with Monroe Capital, a private equity firm invested in the health care, media, retail, and tech sectors. Monroe is focusing its business on minority and women-owned companies, or on companies with employee stock ownership plans. Monroe offers these sometimes underserved demographics access to capital resources for business development. Monroe has shown two contradictory trends so far this year: declining revenues and earnings, along with rising share value. The companys top line, at $12.6 million, was down 6% from Q3, and 25% year-over-year, while EPS fell 40% sequentially to 42 cents. Year-over-year, however, EPS more than doubled. Looking at share price, Monroes stock has gained 60% in the past 12 months. On the dividend front, Monroe paid out 25 cents per share in December; the next is scheduled, at the same amount, for the end of this month. With an annualized payment of $1, the dividend yields a strong 9.8%. This compares favorably to the 2% average yield found among peer companies. The dividend attracted attention from Oppenheimer analyst Chris Kotowski, rated 5-stars by TipRanks. We continue to see a runway to eventual dividend coverage with full fees expensed as management grows the portfolio to its target 1.11.2x leverage (from 1.0x currently) and redeploys funds currently tied up in non-accruals once resolved... The primary driver of return for a BDC is its dividend payout over time, and we have confidence that MRCC's new $1.00 distribution (equating to a ~10% yield) is sustainable, Kotowski noted. In line with his comments, Kotowski rates MRCC an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and his $12 price target suggests it has room to grow 25% in the year ahead. (To watch Kotowskis track record, click here) The analyst reviews on MRCC break down 2 to 1 in favor of Buy versus Holds, making the consensus rating a Moderate Buy. The shares have a trading price of $9.59, and their $11.13 average target implies an upside of 16% in the year ahead. (See MRCC stock analysis on TipRanks) Eagle Point Credit Company (ECC) Lets stick with the middle-market financial sector. Eagle Point is another of the capital investment companies that seeks to turn middle-market debt into returns for investors. The company invests in CLO equity, and focuses on current income generation in other words, ensuring a return for its own investors. While Eagle Point is a small-cap player, the company does boast $3 billion in assets under management showing that it punches above its weight. Last month, Eagle Point reported 4Q20 earnings, with EPS of 24 cents, below the expectation of 29 cents. However, the current earnings just edged into growth quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year, as 3Q20 and 4Q19 both came in at 23 cents. Turning to the dividend, we find that Eagle Point does something slightly unusual. The company pays out a monthly dividend, rather than quarterly. The current payment, at 8 cents per common share, has been held steady for over a year now, and the company has not missed a distribution. At 96 cents per common share annually, the dividend yields is 8.4%. This is robust by any standard. B. Rileys 5-star analyst Randy Binner covers Eagle Point, and he notes that the company should have no problem in maintaining its dividend coverage moving forward. The companys reported quarterly recurring CLO cash flows averaged $0.75/share over the last 12 months. Similar levels of recurring cash flows would leave a large cushion to service the $0.24 quarterly dividend going forward. The company announced $29.5M of cash on the balance sheet as of February 9. This balance sheet cash and serviceable quarterly dividend of $0.24 contribute to a favorable liquidity position, Binner wrote. Binners comments back up a Buy rating on the stock, and his $14 price target implies a 12-month upside of 23%. (To watch Binners track record, click here) Wall Street takes the same stance on ECC that it did on MRCC: a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on a 2-1 split between Buy and Hold reviews. ECC shares have an average price target of $14, matching Binners, and the shares are trading for $11.41. (See ECC stock analysis on TipRanks) Hess Midstream Operations (HESM) Midmarket financials are not the only place to find strong dividends. Wall Street pros also recommend the energy sector, and that is where we now turn. Hess Midstream is one of many companies in the midstream sector of the energy industry, providing and supporting the infrastructure needed to gather, process, store, and transport a fossil fuel products from the well heads into the distribution network. Hess has a range of midstream assets in the North Dakota Bakken formation, moving crude oil and natural gas, along with their derivatives. Hess reported results for 4Q20 earlier this year, showing $266 million at the top line and EPS of 36 cents per share. Revenues were up 5% year-over-year, and relatively flat from Q3. EPS rose 20% quarter-over-quarter, but were down sharply compared to the 87 cents reported in 4Q19. Of interest to investors, the company reported over $126 million in free cash flow, which it used to fund the dividend. Hess pays out its dividend quarterly, and has a reputation for not missing payments. The company has been raising the payment regularly for the past four years, and most recent dividend, at 45 cents per common share, was paid out in February. This dividend is considered safe, as the company expects to generate between $610 million and $640 million in free cash flow next year. Those funds will fully cover the dividend, with approximately $100 million left over. Writing from Scotiabank, analyst Alonso Guerra-Garcia sees the free cash flow as Hesss priority going forward. We expect the focus this year to be on the harvesting of free cash flow (FCF) with deployment toward buybacks and further de-leveraging. Improved FCF profiles this year also better position the group for a 2H21 demand recovery. Continued energy policy changes and the energy transition may be headwinds this year, but we continue to prefer exposure to the more diversified companies with FCF after dividend (FCFAD) optionality and torque to a recovery, the analyst opined. To this end, Guerra-Garcia rates HESM an Outperform (i.e. Buy), with a $27 price target indicating a potential upside of 26% by years end. (To watch Guerra-Garcias track record, click here) All in all, there are only 2 reviews on this small-cap energy company, and they are evenly split one Buy and one Hold giving Hess a Moderate Buy rating. The shares are trading for $21.41 and their $27 average price target suggests a one-year upside of 26%. (See HESM stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for dividend stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Nokia Technology To Be Integrated Across AWS, Google And Microsoft Platforms - Yahoo Tech

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The report on the automatic optical inspection market provides a holistic update, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis.

The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario and the overall market environment. The market is driven by growing use of smart manufacturing technologies.

The automatic optical inspection market analysis includes type segment and geography landscape. This study identifies the advent of collaborative robots for assembly and testing as one of the prime reasons driving the automatic optical inspection market growth during the next few years.

This report presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters.

The automatic optical inspection market covers the following areas:

Automatic Optical Inspection Market SizingAutomatic Optical Inspection Market ForecastAutomatic Optical Inspection Market AnalysisCompanies Mentioned:

Related Reports onIndustrialsInclude:

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To get extensive research insights:Get FREE sample report in minutes

Key Topics Covered:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY TYPE

PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

PART 11: MARKET TRENDS

PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS

PART 14: APPENDIX

PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

About UsTechnavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

ContactTechnavio ResearchJesse MaidaMedia & Marketing ExecutiveUS: +1 844 364 1100UK: +44 203 893 3200Email:[emailprotected]Website:www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio

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Global Automatic Optical Inspection Market- GPEL Electronic GmbH, Koh Young Technology Inc., Mek Europe BV, Among Others to Contribute to the Market...

DALLAS, March 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Securus Technologies today announced that the company's COVID-19 assistance program which launched in March 2020 has provided 40 million free phone calls, 6.4 million free video connections, and 23.8 million free JPay Stamps to incarcerated individuals and their loved ones. The assistance program, launched in partnership with correctional agencies across the country, has facilitated more than 320 million minutes of free phone connections alone, ensuring loved ones can stay in contact during the pandemic with those that mean the most.

In response to measures taken by jails and prisons to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Securus began offering a suite of free communications to help incarcerated individuals maintain these connections while also easing the financial burdens their friends and families are facing amid the pandemic.

"The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the entire world and rapidly changed just about every aspect of our lives. Our robust infrastructure allowed us to step up and provide free communications across the country to ensure justice-involved families could still stay in contact during such an unforeseen epidemic, and we couldn't be more proud to be in a position to do so,saidDave Abel, President and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies."We worked closely with our facility partners to implement assistance programs as well as expand technology offerings where available to provide more options for digital communications. I'm thankful for all the work done by our Aventiv associates, facility staff and all frontline workers. We're in this together."

The program, launched on March 13, 2020, thus far totals:

Securus has also offered compassion credits designed to accommodate incarcerated individuals who fall ill with COVID-19. Those credits, which are uploaded onto prepaid cards and distributed by correctional facilities, allow additional free access to Securus phone calls and video connections throughout an individual's medical care. The company is also making free calls available to public defenders at participating locations.

For those facilities enabled with Securus tablet technology, the company has introduced select free movie and game titles to provide incarcerated individuals with entertainment during the COVID-19 pandemic, which have been downloaded almost 2 million times. This expanded assistance is in addition to the no-cost resources, including educational offerings, free eBooks, podcasts and other self-help tools that are always available free of charge.

The program is an element of an ongoing transformation effort by Securus Technologies to improve access to its services and provide greater support for those impacted by incarceration. The company continues to work with its partners to garner feedback about the situation on the ground. All support from Securus will be in accordance with the latest public health guidelines to ensure that the support is tailored and responsive to the unique needs of the incarcerated community.

ABOUT SECURUS TECHNOLOGIESHeadquartered inDallas, Texas, Aventiv Technologies serves more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,100,000 incarcerated individuals acrossNorth America, Aventiv is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, incarcerated self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. For more information, please visitwww.Aventiv.com. Aventiv is a portfolio company of Platinum Equity. Founded in 1995 byTom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with a portfolio of approximately 40 operating companies that serve customers around the world.

SOURCE Securus Technologies

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Securus Technologies Provides 40 Million Free Phone Calls to Incarcerated Americans Through First Year of COVID-19 Assistance - PRNewswire

Though a 15-year-veteran in beauty, Guive Balooch, head of LOrals technology incubator, considers his outsider-turned-insider perspective a skill. Balooch started his professional career as an instructor at the University of California, Berkeley before working in pharmaceuticals.

I spent almost half of my life really focused on academia and science, he said on the most recent episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast. I fell upon this job in LOral, because I was moving to Chicago for family reasons .. I didnt know anything about the company. I will say that I did like fashion and beauty, in general, even before joining LOreal, but I didnt really know much. I discovered this incredible industry I feel like if I didnt grow up in an academic family that I probably would have ended up being a marketer, because I really like business and product and consumers. At the same time, I feel a bit lucky because I have this fundamental science background, and I used my experience of being at LOral almost 15 years to learn the marketing and the consumer part.

In the early to mid 2000s LOrals technology and digital ambitions were just getting started. Balooch found his footing in the now timely skin and hair sectors, but he knew technology had the power to transform the beauty industry, even back then. The idea that weve have had from day one on my team has been: How can we really elevate the beauty experience for people around the world by using tech?

Despite Covid-19, those ambitions have not changed. In 2021, LOral is moving forward with its Water Saver sink to reduce water consumption in New York salons, and its debuting Perso, the companys personalized beauty device, through YSL Beautys lipsticks next quarter.

Below are additional highlights from the conversation, which have been lightly edited for clarity.

LOrals technology filterThe idea that we have had from day one on my team has been: How can we really elevate the beauty experience for people around the world by using tech? And that means that we look at age-old consumer needs things that have been around [forever]. Beauty has been around since almost the beginning of time. So when you think about that, the needs of consumers are things that are the most important to understand how we can solve. And if those needs today cant be solved without technology, we tackle those problems. So to be more pragmatic, we look at areas like personalized beauty this idea that every human being on the face of the earth should have a product made for them without having to go through a maze of 1,000 options and auditioning every product in the world. To get there, we look at things like measurement tools, the ability to give people the right data using tech about their skin tone, about their skin and their habits. We look at sustainability: How we can use tech to make the world a better place, in terms of water consumption and areas like that. And also magical applicators, things that can really transform the face. So for anything that is in-between that physical and digital, [we] build a system around the consumer.

Making life easier for the consumerWe cant wear [lipstick] out and not a lot of people are wearing [lipsticks] outside as much. But there is something when youre on a call, when youre doing a video call lipstick is this iconic makeup product that can immediately transform you. And its something thats also emotional. Were living in this time, and even in more of an emotional world, we need to feel good about ourselves Sometimes that means not wearing anything, makeup-wise. Other times, its just getting that lipstick and just applying that as this ritual that makes you feel good. And the thing that we wanted to create with this [Perso] device was not making people go out and buy 100 lipsticks for 100 trends. Why cant they see a trend that they want, that they see on online, and just try the product today? When you do that, you open more daring options for people that people will try. If I have to buy a tube of a very daring color, maybe its a different decision for me than if I can try that with my personal device I can try hundreds more with only three cartridges.

Innovation has to push past cyclical trendsFive years ago, I would say, Well, I dont listen to trends, because were trying to create something that the consumer doesnt have today, because tech is something that hasnt been adopted in the consumer world. In the beauty world, 10 years ago, it was at the beginning. There was no beauty company at CES. We were one of the first. But now its different. Now what I realized over time is that there are different stages where we have to look at trends. We dont look at trends to create projects, because a lot of our products are things that are something that doesnt live in the consumers beauty world today. But we do look at them first to check the tensions. What are the things that people really want in their [lives], for their beauty? What are the tensions that they face today, which are unrelated to tech, necessarily. We just look at that as a first step to see what technology can help us solve. Then after we come up with an idea, then we really try to make sure that we have the right trends that fuel the idea.

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LOral technology incubators Guive Balooch on marrying beauty and tech - Glossy

Boxlight Corporation (Nasdaq: BOXL), a leading provider of interactive technology, digital signage, and software solutions, today announced that The British Academy, located in London (U.K.) selected the Clevertouch UX Pro interactive touchscreen displays to modernize their workplace technology.

The British Academy is the UKs national academy for the humanities and social sciences that is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion in all that they do. In their endeavor to modernize their workplace technology, the Academy selected the Clevertouch UX Pro displays because of its state-of-the-art features such as Super Glide Touch for fluid writing experiences, infinity whiteboarding, and connectivity to Zoom and Microsoft Teams applications.

For a full case study on The British Academy, please visit Boxlight or Clevertouch.

About Boxlight Corporation

Boxlight Corporation (Nasdaq: BOXL) ("Boxlight") is a leading provider of interactive technology solutions under its award-winning brands Clevertouch and Mimio. The company aims to improve engagement and communication in diverse business and education environments. Boxlight develops, sells, and services its integrated solution suite including interactive displays, collaboration software, supporting accessories and professional services. For more information about the Boxlight story, visit http://www.boxlight.com and https://www.clevertouch.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain information about Boxlight's view of its future expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from historical results or those indicated by these forward-looking statements because of a variety of factors including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with its ability to maintain and grow its business, variability of operating results, its development and introduction of new products and services, marketing and other business development initiatives, competition in the industry, etc. Boxlight encourages you to review other factors that may affect its future results in Boxlights filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210311005132/en/

Contacts

Media Contact Sunshine Nance+1 360-464-2119 x254sunshine.nance@boxlight.com

Investor Relations +1 360-464-4478investor.relations@boxlight.com

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Clevertouch by Boxlight Helps to Refresh Technology for The British Academy - Yahoo Finance

The entire world came to a standstill when the COVID-19 pandemic came knocking at the door, and Houston was no different than the rest. Businesses got shut down, people were losing jobs left and right, the medical infrastructure was wheezing from the huge patient-influx, and whatnot.

However, the Space City managed to weather the storm thanks to its firm resolve and technological interventions from Houston-based businesses and several other players. But that doesn't mean we are out of the woods yet.

The silver lining, however, is that we now know the threat can be mitigated with the help of technologies at our disposal. In this article, we'll discuss how technology has facilitated the fight against the pandemic. Some of the local businesses from Houston also had a significant role to play in providing an arsenal for this war, and we'll be discussing their contribution as well. So let's get started:

The biggest challenge at the beginning of the pandemic was to provide proper care to those exposed to the virus without putting the lives of frontline workers in danger. On top of that, hospitals also had to make sure that patients suffering from other illnesses do not come into contact with the virus.

With the number of patients rising exponentially, the medical infrastructure could've never been able to cope up if it were not for telemedicine. It's a combination of remote and data technologies that allow healthcare workers to assist and treat patients without going in their physical proximity.

Houston's Medical Informatics Corp. did some exceptional work in making remote healthcare a feasible option for medical institutions. Their solution aims at collecting accurate and comprehensive data that'll further allow physicians to provide better care to the patients. While the luxury of social distancing is among the most significant benefits of this solution, there are several other benefits in the long run.

Since MIC's solution focuses on collecting quality data from all the possible data points, the information can also help identify any significant trends in how the virus is affecting the patients. Artificial intelligence and machine learning seem like the perfect allies to bolster MIC's solution further.

The tech also allows for patients to get quality consultation from experts located in other geographical locations. Hospitals can also leverage such an infrastructure to scale up and down with ease by quickly bringing in more remote caregivers in case of a spike in patients' numbers.

Telemedicine has been brilliant in helping the world deal with the coronavirus pandemic and paved the way for a revamped healthcare infrastructure in the future. The one in which affordable healthcare is a norm and physical distances are not an issue anymore.

Once the lockdown restrictions were slowly uplifted, businesses needed to be more cautious about sanitizing the facilities and ensure there was no reason forcing them to close the shop again. The challenge turned out to be bigger for larger facilities as they can't simply deploy a large workforce to take care of it. It would be impossible to follow social distancing norms under such circumstances.

Many stadiums in Houston concluded that employing drones for the job is the way to go, and they couldn't have been more correct. Texas Medical Center Supply used 'SaniDrones' to spray disinfectants over large facilities and equipment. These drones are pretty much like what is used for agricultural fields and carry large amounts of spraying material at a time to get the job done.

The company also has an army of various other robots that can help businesses abide by pandemic norms. They have one that automatically puts protective coverings on the visitor's shoes to help prevent outside elements from entering the facility. Then they also have a robot that can take orders from customers in restaurants. It can show them 3-D menus and expertly ask customers what they'd like to order. They also offer SaniGates, which disinfect visitors before entering the premises, thus curbing the spread of the virus.

Airobotics is another Houston-based company coming up with technologically advanced solutions for businesses to deal with the pandemic. They provide drones to industrial players, such as oil and gas companies, to monitor and inspect the facility. The drones collect information critical to such plants' smooth functioning and prevent the analysts from going around and touching surfaces on the plant.

The pandemic made us realize that we can't always rely on human workers to care for the fieldwork. Drones and robots provide a suitable alternative to such jobs, and as these solutions get more commonplace, we can also expect them to get more affordable.

The economic slowdown brought by the coronavirus is unlike what most of us could even comprehend. With small businesses taking the biggest hit and a good fraction of them shutting down forever, it's necessary for the remaining ones free from the clutches of the pandemic.

And one of the better ways to do that is by minimizing the virus's spread at places where people frequent the most. One of the primary reasons for the coronavirus to be so transmissible is because of how it can travel through seemingly healthy carriers. It might cause a mild fever in some, but that usually doesn't keep people from getting out.

DataVox, a Houston based tech company, provides thermal scanners to make sure possibly infected humans stay away from the virus. The thermal scanners provided by them only check for the temperature and don't affect the privacy of those being scanned. It's a seemingly simple but effective way to deal with such a dangerous element.

Another positive news in this context is that researchers at the University of Houston have designed an air filter capable of filtering out the coronavirus to a great deal of effectiveness. Once commercially available, this can be installed in closed facilities and ensure the virus doesn't enter even through the vents.

There is no doubt that leveraging technology is the way to go forward despite how the situation unfolds. Houston is now implementing smart city solutions with the same thing in mind, and we should also be following their lead.

With a workforce of skilled software developers in Houston, and the city's rich background in technology, the adoption of tech measures should not turn out to be a tough deal. And Houston-based firms coming up with advanced solutions is only a good sign for the city.

Let's hope we'll be seeing more of these in the future, and more Houston businesses will help the city and the world fight this pandemic.

------

Colin Simpson is project manager at BlueKite Apps, which recently started its software development services in Houston.

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How technology helped Houston fight against the pandemic - InnovationMap

DUBLIN, March 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Indoor Farming Technology Market by Growing System (Hydroponics, Aeroponics, Aquaponics, Soil-based, Hybrid), Facility Type, Component, Crop Type (Fruits & Vegetables, Herbs & Microgreens, Flowers & Ornamentals), and Region - Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global indoor farming technology market is estimated at USD 14.5 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.4%, to reach USD 24.8 billion by 2026.

Indoor farming is followed to bolster local food supplies and provide nutritious, fresh produce to consumers. This method of farming controls plant-fertilizing nutrients, so the food that is grown using this technique is highly nutritious.

In indoor farming, a wide variety of crops such as leafy vegetables, herbs, vegetables, fruits, microgreens, and flowers can be grown. Indoor vertical farming systems provide organic food that is not contaminated with agrochemicals. These form the major driving forces for the indoor vertical farming along with the increasing consumer demand for pesticide- and herbicide-free food.

Hydroponics is estimated to account for the largest share in 2020 for indoor farming technology based on the growing system segment

Based on growing system, the hydroponics is estimated to account for the largest share in the indoor farming technology market in 2020. Hydroponics technology offers many benefits, including no use of soil and low cost of water, as the water remains in the system and can be reused. The nutrition levels can entirely be controlled, resulting in lower nutrient cost with stable and high yield. Hydroponics need a continuous flow of nutrients to prevent drying out of the roots, as they lack a medium to store water and nutrients which has resulted in its growing usage as an alternative source of agriculture.

The fruits & vegetables in the crop type segment is estimated to account for the largest share in 2020 in the indoor farming technology market

Based on crop type, the fruits & vegetables segment is estimated to account for the largest share in the indoor farming technology market in 2020. The consumption of fruits & vegetables has witnessed an overall double-digit growth in the last few decades, and this trend is expected to continue over the next few years. The ever growing population can be considered as a primary reason that has boosted the trend.

The high demand for fruits & vegetables has encouraged farmers to produce higher and better yields, owing to which they adopt modern and high-end technologies. Fruits & vegetables form an important segment of the indoor farming technology market since advanced greenhouse methods and technologies are used on a large scale to grow the produce throughout the year. Using indoor vertical farms for the production of fruits & vegetables, more outdoor area is made available for the production of cereals and fodder crops.

High growth is expected in the North America indoor farming technology market

North America is one of the largest indoor farming technology markets due to the rapid growth in the number of greenhouses and vertical farms in the US and Canada. Cultivators have been promoting this concept of farming, which is supported by the US government. Alternative and indoor farming techniques and technologies are becoming increasingly popular in urban areas to facilitate the supply of fresh vegetables to grocery stores. Rooftop farms - such as New York-based Gotham Greens (US) - are emerging as a new trend in urban farming methods in North America.

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Global Indoor Farming Technology Markets, 2020-2021 & 2026 - Opportunities in the Development of Innovative and Cost-Effective Technologies &...

LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --The Academy Software Foundation (ASWF), the preeminent foundation for open source software development in the motion picture and media industries, today announced that Adobe has joined the Foundation as a Premier member and Entertainment Technology [emailprotected] (ETC) has joined as an Associate Member.

"We are pleased to welcome Adobe as a new Premier member. Adobe has had a long history of providing critical content creation tools for our industry. We look forward to their contributions to the Academy Software Foundation as our projects continue to gain momentum," said Rob Bredow, SVP, Executive Creative Director and Head of Industrial Light & Magic, and Governing Board Chair of Academy Software Foundation. "We are also excited to have ETC join our community as an associate member. ETC's commitment to understanding the impact of emerging technology on all aspects of the media and entertainment industry are well aligned with the Foundation. Having membership continue to thrive is a great testament to the growing value our Foundation brings and we're grateful to those to put trust in us as a neutral home for collaboration and shared development of open source software."

Launched in 2018 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Linux Foundation, the Academy Software Foundation provides a world-class home for open source software developers to share resources and collaborate on technologies for image creation, visual effects, animation and sound. Since its launch, the foundation has adopted six open source projects including OpenColorIo, OpenEXR, OpenVDB, OpenCue, OpenTimeIO and Open Shading Language.

Member Quotes:"Creatives' most precious resource is time, and they need tools that enable them to create high-quality content, fast," said Bill Roberts, Industry Strategist at Adobe and Governing Board Member of the Academy Software Foundation. "Our participation in the ASWF underscores our dedication to the motion picture and media communities while further enabling us to participate in this open ecosystem that enables creatives to do more and work the way they want."

"From our earliest days, the Entertainment Technology [emailprotected] has acted as a convener to advocate for open interoperable solutions to media & entertainment problems and opportunities.We're delighted to be asked to affiliate as an ASWF Associate member in their ongoing mission to support and enhance the open-source community.We have parallel missions that are really complementary to each other," said Ken Williams, ETC's CEO & Executive Director.

About Academy Software FoundationDeveloped in partnership by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Linux Foundation, the Academy Software Foundation was created to provide a world-class home for open source software developers in the motion picture and broader media industries to share resources and collaborate on technologies for image creation, visual effects, animation and sound. The Academy Software Foundation is home to OpenVDB, OpenColorIO, OpenEXR, OpenCue, OpenTimelineIO, and Open Shading Language. For more information about the Academy Software Foundation, visit https://www.aswf.io/.

About the Linux FoundationThe Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world's top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at http://www.linuxfoundation.org.

Contact: Rachel Romoff, [emailprotected], 210-241-8284

SOURCE Academy Software Foundation

http://www.aswf.io

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Adobe and Entertainment Technology Center Join the Academy Software Foundation - PRNewswire