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Octane Launches Prequal Flex™, Digital Soft Pull Tool that Can Instantly Prequalify Consumers Anywhere Dealers Market Their Products

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Provides Real Loan Offers Within Dealer Marketing Channels, Increasing Sales and Efficiency

NEW YORK, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Octane® (Octane Lending Inc.®), the fintech revolutionizing the buying experience for major recreational purchases, announced that it has launched Prequal Flex™, an extension of its award-winning suite of soft-pull ecommerce tools, Octane Prequal™.

Prequal Flex is a dedicated webpage that is unique to a specific dealership and allows consumers to quickly and easily prequalify for financing. The tool gives dealers the flexibility to reach consumers through all of their marketing channels – including email, social media, text, advertising, events, and more – providing consumers with a real credit decision from Octane’s in-house lender, Roadrunner Financial, Inc., and a shorter, easier path to purchase.

Since Prequal Flex uses Octane’s proprietary soft pull technology, consumers can understand their buying power without impacting their credit until a contract is generated. At the same time, Prequal Flex sends these empowered buyers into the Octane Dealer Portal, enabling dealers to prioritize their time by focusing on the highest intent buyers with access to credit. In our pilot, dealers who used Prequal Flex saw total applications increase by 40%.

“We rely on Prequal Flex for all of our financing needs,” said Kenny Chen, Dealer Principal at Onyx Moto, San Diego’s largest pre-owned motorcycle dealership. “Sharing the link through text or email is effortless, and it offers a quick, user-friendly application. Importantly, the soft credit inquiry ensures our customers feel at ease taking the next step in the financing process.”

Dealers can also leverage Prequal Flex to drive efficiency in the dealership. By applying a Prequal Flex link to hang tags, near-field communication (NFC) cards, and other in-store collateral, dealers can encourage consumers to prequalify for financing while they walk the showroom floor, saving time at closing.

“We’re committed to providing the fastest, easiest buying experience in the industry and helping our dealer partners grow their businesses,” said Mike Dushane, Chief Product Officer at Octane. “By strengthening powersports dealers’ existing sales and marketing touchpoints with instant credit decisions, Prequal Flex enables dealers to reach more customers and helps us deliver on our mission to connect people with their passions.”

Prequal Flex is free to Octane’s entire network of over 4,000 powersports dealers. To get started, current dealers should contact their Octane Sales representative.

Dealers in the United States who would like to become an Octane partner can enroll here.

About Octane:
Octane® is revolutionizing recreational purchases by delivering a seamless, end-to-end digital buying experience. We connect people with their passions by combining cutting-edge technology and innovative risk strategies to make lifestyle purchases–like powersports vehicles, RVs, and outdoor power equipment–fast, easy, and accessible.

Octane adds value throughout the customer journey: inspiring enthusiasts with our editorial brands, including Cycle World® and UTV Driver®, instantly prequalifying consumers for financing online, routing customers to dealerships for an easy closing, and supporting customers throughout their loan with superior loan servicing.

Founded in 2014, we’re a remote-first company with over 30 OEM and 4,000 dealer partners. Visit www.octane.co.

Octane® is a registered service mark of Octane Lending, Inc.

Media Relations: Shannon O’Hara
Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Octane
Press@octane.co

Investor Relations: Kartik Kothari
SVP of Corporate Development and Investor Relations at Octane
IR@octane.co

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SOURCE Octane

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VITG Unveils Modern Managed Services and Managed Detection & Response as Part of a Broader AI and Cybersecurity Transformation across ANZ

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SYDNEY, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As organisations across Australia and New Zealand navigate the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence, increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, and growing governance requirements, Virtual IT Group   (VITG) has announced the launch of Modern Managed Services  (MMS)  and Managed Detection & Response  (MDR) , that are next-generation managed services and managed security offerings designed to help organisations remain secure, resilient and ready for what’s next.

Modern Managed Services delivers a Modern Defensible Architecture framework for managed IT operations, ensuring security controls, governance frameworks and operational best practices are embedded and continuously maintained. Complementing this, Managed Detection & Response provides organisations with 24×7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) capability, actively monitoring, investigating and responding to threats using advanced security analytics and response technologies.

Jeremy Nees , Chief Product Officer, VITG , said:

“Too often, organisations purchase managed services only to discover they do not have the standard level of security they need. As businesses adopt AI, the old-world IT solutions that Managed Service Providers (MSP) are selling are simply not going to cut it. We’ve baked common security requirements into the MMS service from day one, applying the key principles of Modern Defensible Architecture: Secure-by-Design, Defense in Depth, and Zero Trust.

MDR and ZDR   can be layered on top or are available independently if you have your own IT service or team. The push to adopt AI is leaving security gaps across the ANZ mid-market. Our goal is to provide customers with technology that is secure, resilient, and ready for what’s next.”

The launch marks VITG’s second major solution release of the year, following the introduction of its Zero Trust Consulting Practice  and Zero Trust Detection & Response  (ZDR)  offering earlier in 2026. It is also the Group’s first launch since acquiring cybersecurity outfit Security Centric , building on the addition of Auckland based The Instillery  in 2025 and further strengthening VITG’s capabilities across managed services, cloud, cybersecurity, data and AI. VITG is also advancing a dedicated Data & AI Practice and Momentum, a continuous improvement framework currently being piloted with customers ahead of a market launch later this year.

Since joining VITG  at the start of the year, Maurice McCarthy , Chief Executive Officer , is committed to moving at pace to meet the demand that has been created off the back of the market’s rapid adoption of AI.   

McCarthy said, “The traditional managed services model was built for a different era. Today’s organisations need partners that can help them unlock the value of data and AI while strengthening cybersecurity, managing risk, and continuously evolving their technology environment.

Through the acquisition of Security Centric and The Instillery we have brought together market-leading expertise across managed services, data and AI, and cybersecurity. This launch is the first of several innovations we will introduce as we help organisations accelerate transformation and realise greater value from AI.”

Sash Vasilevski , Chief Security Officer, VITG , said:

“The technology businesses are using to unlock the value of AI, integrate systems, and build strong data foundations, is rapidly introducing new risks and attack surfaces.

As business leaders accelerate their adoption of AI, the gap between the threats they face and the security capabilities they have in place is growing faster than many businesses realise.”

Modern Managed Services and Managed Detection & Response are available immediately.

For more information, visit:

Modern Managed Services (MMS)

Managed Detection & Response (MDR)

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/vitg-unveils-modern-managed-services-and-managed-detection–response-as-part-of-a-broader-ai-and-cybersecurity-transformation-across-anz-302870081.html

SOURCE Virtual IT Group

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DUVA Introduces DUVA ONE at IFA 2026: Personalized Sleep Earbuds That Respond in Real Time

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The Sleep System That Understands You Best.

BERLIN, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DUVA, created by Fitnexa, is introducing DUVA ONE at IFA Berlin 2026. This intelligent in-ear sleep system is designed to sense changes in the user and the bedroom, then personalize audio, noise control, and device behavior throughout the night.

Most sleep wearables explain what happened after users wake up. DUVA ONE is designed to help while the night is still happening. Its low-profile earbuds, environment-sensing charging case, and app work together to determine when and how to respond.

A user might start the night with a podcast over Bluetooth. After they fall asleep, DUVA ONE can introduce locally stored sleep audio and optimize power use. If a partner begins snoring or traffic grows louder, it can adjust ANC or add sound masking. In the morning, a private offline alarm wakes only the wearer, without requiring an active phone connection.

In-ear PPG and motion sensors estimate sleep stages and track heart rate, HRV, sleep position, and movement, while the case monitors noise, light, temperature, and humidity. The AI Agent interprets these signals alongside playback status and personal preferences to select an appropriate response. Users control sleep audio, playback duration, ANC strategy, and nighttime interventions in the DUVA App.

“Sleep does not happen in a static environment, so sleep technology should not remain static either,” said Diego, Founder of Fitnexa. “DUVA ONE is designed to respond while sleep is still happening.”

Key Highlights

Layered noise relief: Passive isolation, Hybrid ANC, and sleep audio provide noise reduction of up to 42 dB, with Transparency Mode and adaptive ANC calibration.Personalized AI sleep guidance: The AI analyzes the user’s real-time sleep state and generates personalized audio guidance to help them gradually fall asleep.Side-sleeping comfort: Each fitted earbud weighs approximately 3.3 grams and has an approximately 9.9 mm low-profile design. Two ear-tip shapes and multiple tip and stabilizing-wing sizes provide more than 40 fit configurations.All-night battery: Up to 16 hours in the most power-efficient configuration, including 13 hours of local audio with ANC off and 9.5 hours with ANC on. The USB-C and wireless charging case provides up to five additional recharges.Private offline alarm: Alarms gradually increase in volume and offer 5, 10, or 15-minute snooze options through the earbud controls.Privacy-first sensing: DUVA ONE does not record conversations, store ambient audio, or upload raw environmental audio. Users can disable individual sensors and delete historical data.

DUVA ONE is planned for release in October 2026 at a target retail price of US$349.99, with target markets including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Australia.

Media Contact: essie@duva.com
Learn more: duva.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duva-introduces-duva-one-at-ifa-2026-personalized-sleep-earbuds-that-respond-in-real-time-302870832.html

SOURCE DUVA

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China Xplained | The China Squeeze, or the China Opportunity?

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GUANGZHOU, China, Sept. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This is a news report from South: 

Is China’s manufacturing rise squeezing out or creating opportunities for other economies?

Ahead of the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in China this November, journalists and experts from around the world gathered in Guangdong for the Asia-Pacific Media Forum (APMF) 2026.

The forum opened in Shenzhen on September 5, bringing together more than 400 representatives from across the Asia-Pacific region, as well as from international organizations.

Before the opening of the forum, participants travelled across Guangdong to see China’s industries and development first-hand.

In this episode of China Xplained, we look at the numbers, supply chains, investment and voices from across the developing world—to ask a bigger question: Is China squeezing out room for other economies?

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-xplained–the-china-squeeze-or-the-china-opportunity-302870814.html

SOURCE South

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