Technology

Global AI Arms Race Accelerates with Cutting-Edge Tech and Strategic Investments

Published

2 years ago

February 12, 2024

FN Media Group Presents USA News Group News Commentary

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — USA News Group – The world is undergoing a massive AI revolution, that according to analysts at McKinsey Global Institute could add the equivalent of up to $4.4 trillion annually in value in the near future. With such immense potential on the line, an AI arms race is underway, several firms are establishing their positions by developing and acquiring new tech, including Avant Technologies Inc. (OTCQB:AVAI), C3.ai, Inc. (NYSE:AI), Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and even asset management firm Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX).

Along the important road towards this new technological integration, businesses trying to use AI in their products are facing big challenges. These challenges are mostly because of the high costs of computing power and a global shortage of data storage expected by 2025.

At the forefront of addressing these critical issues, Avant Technologies Inc. (OTCQB:AVAI) is emerging as a leader in advanced cloud supercomputing technologies. The company claims that its supercomputing network could become known as the world’s most powerful and cost-efficient private cloud infrastructure.

Avant recently strategically appointed Timothy Lantz, a veteran in the technology sector with extensive leadership experience, as in the roles of its new CEO and Director. Lantz brings over 20 years of successful experience in diverse business operations, including managing startups, driving growth, leading turnaround initiatives, and executing strategic financial exits.

Lantz’s shift to the CEO position comes after his initial involvement with Avant as the chief advisor for product development and market strategy, a role he took on when he first joined the company’s industry advisory board earlier this year.

“AI is already changing the world as we know it and Avant Technologies is well-positioned as a frontrunner to support what will undoubtedly be the next major evolutionary leap in human technological advancement,” said Lantz. “The opportunity ahead for Avant is immense and to fully realize its potential, we will have to be focused on delivering game-changing technology purpose-built for AI, with both speed and precision. A big part of my job is to enable Avant to bring new, innovative products to market quickly, build a ‘flawless execution’ culture, and position the company for hyper-growth.”

Avant is actively addressing the key issues of cost and performance, which are obstacles to the progress and market potential in AI, machine learning, and big data analytics. The company is dedicated to transforming these areas with its cutting-edge private cloud infrastructure, striving to boost performance and provide additional benefits in various industries. Their focused strategy involves cutting costs, improving computing density, and providing unique ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) benefits by significantly lowering electricity and water consumption.

“The proliferation of the AI, machine learning and big data analytics industries is already rapidly outpacing the capabilities of traditional cloud infrastructure for an industry that demands exponential computer power and storage capacity,” added Lantz. “We recognized this real unmet need and began working to develop a next generation, ultra-high-density supercomputing environment that will revolutionize the landscape for AI companies of all sizes and for any other users who require hyper-scalable, cost-effective computing power.”

Avant is dedicated to advancing AI technology and is creating a specialized computing environment specifically designed for AI applications. This environment is carefully developed to work smoothly with all major AI frameworks, enabling easy integration and efficient development workflows.

Shortly after announcing the launch of its no-code, self-service generative AI application in AWS Marketplace, C3.ai, Inc. (NYSE:AI) reported its Q2 2024 financial results where the company saw its total revenue grew 17% year-over-year.

“We saw unprecedented interest and traction in our generative AI offerings. Importantly, we are seeing a return to accelerating revenue growth as we continue our transition to a consumption-based pricing model,” said Thomas M. Siebel, CEO and Chairman of C3 AI.

It was a very active quarter for C3 AI, having closed 62 agreements including 36 pilots. Among these were deals with GSK, Indorama, and First Business Bank, and newly expanded agreements with Con Edison, Roche, Nucor Corporation, and Hewlett Packard Enterprises, along with more. The company also closed 40 agreements through its partner network, which includes AWS, Baker Hughes, Booz Allen, Google Cloud, and Microsoft—marking an increase of 75% to C3’s qualified opportunity pipeline with partners.

Data cloud company Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW) recently announced it would be enabling all users to securely tap into the power of generative AI with their enterprise data through its platform Snowflake Cortex. Shortly after, Snowflake released its financial results for Q3 2024, showing a 34% year-over-year growth in product revenue to nearly $700 million.

Continuing with that positive moment, Snowflake was awarded the #1 ranking on the 2023 Fortune Future 50 list. To compile this Future 50 list, The BCG Henderson Institute analyzed over 1,000 publicly traded companies, each with a market value of at least $20 billion or revenue of $10 billion in the 12 months up to the end of 2022. This evaluation includes 19 factors known for their predictive power of growth in the next five years. These factors are categorized into four groups: strategy, technology and investments, people, and structure.

“We are honored to be named at the top of Fortune’s Future 50 list and look forward to continuing to help customers solve their biggest problems and deliver real value using AI,” said Sridhar Ramaswamy, SVP of AI at Snowflake. “In this new AI era, generative AI and large language models will reshape how we live, work and do business.”

After being labeled as very conservative in its approach to AI, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is allegedly preparing to invest $1 billion in the generative AI arms race to catch their rivals, according CNBC’s Mark Gruman. Just over a month after the news of that potential figure dropped, Apple quietly released a machine learning framework called MLX to help developers build models that run efficiently on Apple Silicon and deep learning model library MLX Data.

According to a social media post from Apple machine learning researcher Awni Hannun, MLX Data is a “framework agnostic, efficient, and flexible package for data loading. It’s based on a design inspired by existing frameworks like PyTorch, Jax, and ArrayFire, however MLX goes further by adding support for a unified memory model, which means arrays live in shared memory and operations can be performed on any of supported device types without performing data copies—a feature list that has Computer World claiming it to be “pretty good at first glance“.

Even asset management firm Blackstone Inc. (NYSE:BX) is getting into the mix by responding to exploding data-center demand that’s being fuelled by the AI arms race, by committing to developing $7 billion worth of data centers. The move is part of a new venture with Digital Realty Trust Inc. According to a report from Reuters, the venture plans to develop 10 data centers across four campuses in Frankfurt, Paris, and northern Virginia.

As per the terms of the deal, Blackstone will acquire an 80% ownership stake in the joint venture for about $700 million in initial capital contributions. Scheduled to close over two stages, the joint venture is set to become official by the end of the first half of 2024.

“By partnering with Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, Digital Realty is better able to deliver capacity to meet the burgeoning demand of our hyperscale customers, by accessing a deep pool of likeminded private capital,” said Andy Power, the president and CEO of Digital Realty.

Source: https://usanewsgroup.com/2023/10/26/unlocking-the-trillion-dollar-ai-market-what-investors-need-to-know/

USA News Group
http://USAnewsgroup.com info@usanewsgroup.com

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Technology

GetResponse Launches Native Countdown Timer in Email Editor

Published

15 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

GDANSK, Poland, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — GetResponse, a leading lifecycle automation platform, announced the launch of its native Countdown Timer block in the drag-and-drop email editor. The new feature allows marketers to embed an animated countdown directly into any email campaign, without leaving the platform, installing third-party tools, or pasting a single line of HTML code. GetResponse becomes one of the only email marketing platforms offering a fully native countdown timer in the email editor.

Until now, GetResponse users who wanted a countdown timer in their emails had to turn to third-party services to paste custom HTML into their campaigns. With the native Countdown Timer now built directly into the editor, GetResponse eliminates setup friction, ensures seamless compatibility, and makes the most powerful tool for creating urgency in email marketing accessible to every marketer at no extra cost – regardless of technical skill level.

How It Works

The Countdown Timer is a standard block in GetResponse’s drag-and-drop editor.

Drag the Countdown Timer block into any emailSet the expiration date and timeCustomize colors and labels to match your brandPreview in-editor and send

The timer is available on all plans, including a free plan, and works seamlessly on mobile.

“GetResponse gives marketers everything they need to make their emails convert, without juggling dozens of external tools. The native Countdown Timer is the next step in building the simplest and most complete email editor for scaling businesses. Users who today waste time configuring third-party timer services now have the timer built right in with no extra cost, exactly as it should be.” — Przemysław Pipiora, Head of Core Products at GetResponse

Key Features

Native editor block: No third-party integrations or accounts required.Drag-and-drop setup: Add a timer to any email in seconds.Full customization: Adjust colors, labels, and expiration date/time directly in the editor.Mobile-friendly: Works on all devices and screen sizes.Available on all plans at no extra cost: Including the Free plan, with no upgrade required.

The Countdown Timer block is available now to all GetResponse users in the drag-and-drop email editor. No additional setup, integrations, or plan upgrades are required.

About GetResponse

GetResponse is a lifecycle automation platform for businesses that want to turn customers into repeat revenue. By bringing email, automation, and customer data into one connected system, GetResponse helps brands move beyond one-off campaigns and build lifecycle journeys that convert customers and keep them coming back.

Media contact:

Anastasiya Lvovskaya

PR and Events Manager at GetResponse

Email: alvovskaya@getresponse.com

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SOURCE GetResponse S.A.

Technology

Luxor® Workspaces Introduces CellGuard® Phone Pouch as Schools Expand Cellphone Restrictions

Published

15 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

Pouch System Expands Award-Winning CellGuard® Line, Giving Schools and Districts Flexible, Policy-Compliant Phone Management Solutions

CHICAGO, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As school districts across the United States take steps to restrict cellphone use during the school day, Luxor® Workspaces has launched the CellGuard® Phone Pouch, a signal-blocking storage solution designed to help schools enforce phone policies while keeping student devices secure and in their possession. The pouch option expands the CellGuard® line, building on the success of the award-winning CellGuard® Phone Cabinet, recipient of the 2025 EDTech Chronicle “Best in Education” award, to provide an additional solution that supports academic integrity.

Luxor® CellGuard® Phone Pouch is an affordable, signal-blocking, student-managed storage solution.

Momentum around classroom cellphone restrictions continues to accelerate nationwide. As of March 2026, thirty-five states plus the District of Columbia have enacted policies restricting cellphone use in schools. Twenty-seven states have implemented bell-to-bell restrictions, requiring devices to remain inaccessible from the start of the school day until dismissal, and eight states have implemented instruction-time policies, restricting cellphone use during classroom instruction. While these policies are expanding, schools face a practical challenge: how to enforce these policies consistently in the classroom.

With some schools preferring not to take onus of holding student technology, the CellGuard Pouch is a student-managed solution that integrates easily into daily classroom routines, supporting flexibility as students move from classroom to classroom, without adding work for teachers or administrators. Students simply place their phones inside the pouch during instructional time, keeping devices in their possession. RFID signal-blocking material prevents phones from receiving calls, messages, or notifications while inside the pouch by stopping incoming signals, allowing students to maintain possession of their devices while eliminating alerts and digital interruptions that disrupt instruction.

The pouch is constructed from reinforced fabric designed for daily use and features a hook-and-loop closure that produces a loud, audible sound when opened, allowing teachers to quickly identify when a pouch has been accessed during instruction. A lockable D-ring allows schools or students to secure the pouch when needed. The pouch measures approximately 9 inches by 5 inches, fitting most smartphones and smartwatches.

Recent data from a CellGuard survey of 150 K–12 teachers underscores the scale of the issue:

52% say student cellphone use is a major classroom distraction62% say their school is likely to adopt a device-management solution89% say structured phone storage improves classroom focus

“Schools are implementing cellphone restrictions quickly, but consistent enforcement has proven difficult,” said Adam Smith, President of Luxor Workspaces. “The CellGuard Phone Pouch offers a simple, effective solution that’s easy to implement, aligns with school policies, and works seamlessly from day one.”

The CellGuard Phone Pouch expands Luxor Workspaces’ CellGuard classroom device management line, which also includes secure storage cabinets used by schools nationwide to manage student devices and support distraction-free learning environments.

The CellGuard Phone Pouch is available starting at only $16.99 per pouch, with bulk discounts available through Luxor Workspaces and authorized education distributors. Resellers interested in carrying the collection can apply through Luxor’s Authorized Partner Program.

More information is available at:
https://www.shopluxorworkspaces.com/cellguard-classroom-solutions-for-school

ABOUT LUXOR WORKSPACES
For nearly 80 years, Luxor® Workspaces has been a trusted partner in creating solutions for how professionals actually work. We empower people to learn, work, and collaborate more effectively across office, industrial, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and educational settings. The company’s portfolio includes patented KwikBoost EdgePower® on-demand charging stations, KwikBoost® portable power solutions, CellGuard® phone storage cabinets, SideTrak® portable monitors, Tuffy™ multi-purpose utility carts, LuxPower Charging Tower, and more. Guided by real customer needs, Luxor blends quality, value, and style with complementary collections designed to scale with your ever-changing needs. Learn more at ShopLuxorWorkspaces.com.

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SOURCE Luxor Workspaces

Technology

WOOM LAUNCHES “WOOM EXCHANGE” RESALE MARKETPLACE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ARCHIVE

Published

15 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

Leading Kids’ Bike Brand Reinforces Commitment to Longevity and Sustainability

AUSTIN, Texas, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Earth Day, woom, the premium children’s bike company known for its lightweight, high-quality designs, today announced the launch of woom Exchange, its official branded resale marketplace in partnership with Archive, the leading technology platform powering branded resale.

The announcement reinforces woom’s commitment to sustainability by extending product life cycles and reducing waste. woom bikes are engineered with premium materials and thoughtful design, making them ideal for multiple riders over time, and woom Exchange provides a brand-backed way to keep each bike in circulation longer, maximizing its lifespan while helping more families experience the joy of cycling.

Launching in phases beginning mid-May, woom Exchange will first enable customers to list pre-owned bikes on woom.com, followed by opening the platform for purchases of authenticated, pre-owned models, creating a seamless, brand-operated ecosystem that makes woom more accessible to a broader community.

As demand for secondhand shopping continues to grow among families seeking both value and sustainability—with the baby and kid resale market projected to grow more than 150% in the coming years—woom Exchange formalizes and elevates an already thriving resale community. While woom bikes have long been in high demand on peer-to-peer platforms like Facebook Marketplace, woom Exchange offers a dedicated, brand-backed alternative designed to deliver a more secure, seamless, and trusted experience.

“woom has always been about supporting families throughout their riding journey,” said Lindsey Yosha, Head of Marketing, North America. “With woom Exchange, we’re creating a premium resale experience for families to pass bikes along, offering secure transactions, guaranteed payouts, dedicated support, and flexible options like cash or credit toward their next woom bike. In doing so, we extend the life of every bike and open the door for more kids to experience the joy of riding.”

How It Works
Built with simplicity and flexibility in mind, woom Exchange offers a streamlined experience for both buyers and sellers:

Sellers can quickly list bikes they’re ready to part with through an intuitive flow that captures product condition and recommends optimal pricingBuyers will have local pickup optionsOnce an item sells, sellers can redeem their earnings as cash or opt for credit toward their next woom bike

By offering local pickup as the primary option, the marketplace creates a more dynamic, community-driven experience, giving families greater control over how they transact while helping reduce the environmental impact associated with traditional retail and logistics.

“woom has built an incredibly loyal customer base around a product designed to last and to be passed on,” said Ryan Rowe, Archive co-founder and CTO. “With woom Exchange, we’re creating a resale experience that meets families where they are, offering convenience, trust, and flexibility, while reinforcing the long-term value of every bike. This launch expands our footprint in the kids’ category, where we see real opportunity to build resale programs that match the way families actually shop and think about quality.”

Join woom Exchange
Customers can sign up starting April 22 via the dedicated landing page to be among the first to access woom Exchange. Whether sizing up to the next bike or passing along a well-loved favorite, the platform ensures every ride can have a second life.

For more information, visit www.woom.com and https://woom.com/en_US/woom-exchange-resale and follow @woombikesusa on Instagram.

About woom
woom is a globally acclaimed children’s bicycle company, originally founded in Austria in 2013 and has since expanded internationally to 40 countries worldwide. woom has disrupted the kids’ bike category in North America, as the largest and fastest growing direct-to-consumer brands in the space. Its award-winning bikes included options that are 40% lighter than conventional kids’ bikes, making woom bikes the lightest series-production kids’ bikes in the world. For more information, visit woom.com or @woombikesusa on Instagram.

About Archive
Archive is a technology platform that powers innovative and profitable resale businesses for leading global brands, including The North Face, lululemon, Peloton, Oscar de la Renta, and New Balance. The company’s comprehensive circularity platform enables brands to launch and scale resale businesses that keep products out of landfill, while simultaneously unlocking a new revenue stream, building customer loyalty and driving customer acquisition. Archive was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in Retail in 2024. To learn more, visit archiveresale.com.

Media Contact:
sarah@teambreakpoint.com

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SOURCE woom™ bikes