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Staples Canada Leads Back to School 2024 with Trends, Insights and Savings

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National survey reveals key insights from parents; Canada’s Back to School destination announces amazing deals on Back to School essentials 

RICHMOND HILL, ON, July 11, 2024 /CNW/ – Today, Staples Canada launches its Back to School campaign, equipping teachers, parents, and students with the best gear and incredible savings for the season. Canada’s Back to School destination has also done its homework: the brand has unveiled the 2024 Staples Back to School Study revealing findings from parents across the country and their expectations with this year’s Back to School experience.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9278551-staples-canada-back-to-school-2024/

“As a consumer-centric business, it’s paramount we understand customer needs, and that’s exactly what we’ve done this year and what’s fuelled our Back to School program,” said Rachel Huckle, CEO, Staples Canada. “Our goal is to make sure Canadians feel supported with the right tools, resources and savings to get everything they need to start the school year off on the right foot. Our teams, stores and site are ready to provide easy browsing and seamless solutions, with hundreds of new and notable products available at great prices – all in one place.”

As Canada’s Back to School destination, Staples is here to set parents and students up for success ahead of the return to class with the 2024 Staples Back to School Study. The survey asked parents their thoughts, feelings and attitudes on the upcoming school year to discover how Canadians can feel better equipped for the season.

Notable Findings:

Most Back to School shopping will happen in-store: half of parents plan to do most/all of their shopping in-store and almost all (88 per cent) say at least half their shopping will be done in-store, signaling the importance of the brick-and-mortar experience to parents this year.Parents are looking to accomplish their back to school quickly and efficiently, rather than making it a family moment: 88 per cent agree they want to do it quickly and efficiently and 70 per cent agree it usually ends up being a chore.Canadians will hunt for savings on tech as it tops affordability challenges: 59 per cent of parents report tech among the top three biggest affordability challenges, placing a greater emphasis on deal seeking, promotions and financing options for this category.Parents’ comfort with their kids using AI for schoolwork more than doubles if it has been specifically reviewed and approved by their school: This number doubles for parents with kids aged 13 to 17 compared to comfort with no supervision at all and triples for parents with kids aged 6 to 12.Some parents feel well-informed about AI tools, while others admit there’s room to learn: Roughly one third report feeling well-informed, another third report knowing little to nothing and the rest fall in the middle.

Based on the insights uncovered in the study, Staples Canada announces an exciting line-up of Back to School offerings designed to meet the needs of parents, students and teachers alike.

Back to School Savings Made Easy
Staples is committed to making Back to School savings easy for parents, teachers, and students with deals that will get everyone excited. Introducing Red Dot Savings, a weekly deals program on top school essentials, available both in-store and online. Customers can also enjoy peace of mind with Staples’ price match guarantee, ensuring you always get the best deal at Staples, and financing options with Flexiti.

New AI-Enabled Tech Products, Solutions and Expert Advice
Staples has introduced new innovative tech products that are AI enabled and ready – so you can stay ahead of the curve. Everything from laptops, tablets to smartphones and more from top brands including Microsoft, Google, Apple, Samsung, and Lenovo. New to AI enabled tech? Staples has you covered with their team of specially trained tech experts to share knowledge and provide advice on the best tech and AI capabilities tailored to your individual needs.

Protect your technology with Staples Protection Plans by Allstate, available for a variety of electronics like smartphones, computers, tablets, and headphones to cover mechanical and electrical failures, as well as accidental damage.

Back to School Needs Supported by Staples Wireless
In need of a new phone plan or internet upgrade for Back to School? Customers can discover the best phone, internet and TV solutions from Bell, Virgin Plus and Lucky Mobile at Staples stores across Canada. Whether you’re heading off to university, changing schools or addresses – Staples has the best selection of wireless plans for post-secondary students to help them power their new devices.

Great Product Assortment with Exclusive Brand, Pep Rally
A Staples exclusive, Pep Rally introduces its latest line of fun and functional Back to School essentials, featuring three new collections to help students express themselves, including: Retro Love, Classic Academia, and Joyful Expression. Shop all of Pep Rally’s school supplies and solutions.

Great Tools for Parents and Teachers

Staples Print Services: Staples Print Services has everything you need to start the school year off on the right foot, including customizable labels, quick print services, dynamic workbooks and wide format printing.School Tools: Looking to find dedicated lists of everything your child needs for class? With Staples’ School Tools, parents can shop for supplies based on lists curated by teachers for their child’s grade and region. Staples’ School Tools also offers special discounts, including 10 per cent off orders over $50.

Innovative In-Store Experience
This year, Staples Canada partnered with GeekSpeak Commerce to create the ‘Backpack Challenge’; a unique Augmented Reality (AR) experience tailored to children aged 6 to 11 to make Back to School shopping fun for kids and easy for parents. The in-store game, played on mobile devices, transforms Staples stores into an interactive playground. Kids are given the chance to embark on a digital adventure, with different quests to locate and collect hidden animals and add them to their virtual backpack. Parents and kids can access the game during their Back to School shopping trips, keep an eye out for QR code signage in store to join in on the fun.

Celebrate Back to School “Feels” with Staples
Staples has partnered with real Canadian creators – parents, teachers and students from coast-to-coast – to star in its Back to School ad campaign this year. The creative campaign celebrates all the Back to School “feels”, with amazing deals and Back to School savings that are so good, you won’t be able to contain your emotions.

About the 2024 Staples Back to School Study
These are the findings of a study/survey conducted by Staples Canada from June 25 to 28, 2024 among a representative sample of 1,008 parents with kids aged 6 to 17 within Canada. Respondents are members of Angus Reid Forum. The survey was conducted in English and French. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points for parents, 19 times out of 20.

About Staples Canada
Staples Canada is The Working and Learning Company. We are a privately-owned company committed to helping parents, teachers, businesses, and entrepreneurs work smarter, learn more and grow every day. Our network includes 298 stores across Canada and staples.ca, printing and shipping services at Staples Print, and Staples Studio co-working spaces. To service the unique needs of businesses, we also have a number of dedicated B2B brands that support business customers of all sizes, which include Staples Preferred, Staples Professional, Supreme Office Supplies and Furniture, Denis Office Supplies, Monarch Office Supply Inc. and Beatties. Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, we are committed to the communities we serve across Canada, and are a proud partner of MAP through our Even The Odds fundraising and awareness initiative that aims to eliminate critical gaps in health equity. Visit staples.ca for more information or engage with @StaplesCanada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok.

SOURCE Staples Canada ULC

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Zetrix AI and China Academy of Information and Communications Technology Unveil Know Your Agent (KYA) Service to Bring Trust and Accountability to AI Agents

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Cross-border pilot across the Middle East, Africa, China and ASEAN with results to be submitted for consideration in ongoing discussions on establishing global AI identity and accountability standards

WUZHEN, China, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Zetrix AI Berhad (“Zetrix AI”), in collaboration with the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (“CAICT”), announced the launch of a Know Your Agent (KYA) service, to bring greater trust, transparency and accountability to the rapidly expanding world of AI agents.

Announced simultaneously at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China, and the ICT Development Forum 2026 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the KYA service introduces a framework that enables AI agents to possess verifiable digital identities linked to businesses or personal users.

The KYA service is designed to allow businesses, governments and digital service providers to verify not only the identity of an AI agent, but also who it represents, what it is authorised to do and whether its actions fall within approved limits.

As AI agents increasingly access online services and execute transactions, organisations need a reliable way to distinguish authorised activity from rogue or unauthorised actions. The KYA service addresses this trust gap by combining verifiable credentials with explicit delegated permissions and checks before protected actions proceed.

“AI is entering a new era where intelligent agents will increasingly make decisions, interact with businesses and execute transactions independently. Greater autonomy must come with greater accountability. The question is no longer just what AI can do, but who is responsible for what it does. Through Zetrix AI’s KYA service, we are working towards a future where every AI agent can be identified, every permission can be verified and every action can be traced to an accountable owner. This is fundamental to building the confidence needed for AI to operate at scale across businesses, governments and borders,” said TS Wong, Group Managing Director of Zetrix AI.

The launch includes a planned cross-border pilot involving organisations in the Middle East, Africa, China and ASEAN. The pilot will evaluate how agent identity and authorisation can be recognised across jurisdictions while preserving local control over identity systems and trust decisions. The results of the pilot will then be submitted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), IEEE and other Standard Development Organizations (SDOs) for consideration in the ongoing work and conversations on establishing global AI identity and accountability standards.

With AI agents becoming more deeply integrated into everyday digital activities, the ability to establish trusted identities and verifiable authority could become an essential foundation for their widespread adoption.

“As Agentic AI assumes greater responsibilities, the need for KYA services will continue to rise. It is our expectation that this joint service with Zetrix AI will help foster a cross-border trusted network enabling interoperable Agentic AI around the world,” said Xiaoyu YOU, Head of International Department, ASTRON network, CAICT.

Through the KYA service, Zetrix AI and CAICT aim to help lay the groundwork for a future in which AI agents can operate with greater independence, while remaining identifiable, accountable and trusted across borders.

Building Trust in an AI-Driven World

AI agents are increasingly being built today to perform tasks that previously required direct human involvement, from managing digital services and accessing business information to facilitating payments and interacting with other AI systems. While these capabilities promise significant improvements in productivity and efficiency, they also introduce new risks.

Without reliable identity verification and clearly defined authority, organisations may struggle to distinguish legitimate AI agents from unauthorised systems, determine the limits of an agent’s permissions or establish accountability when something goes wrong.

Zetrix AI’s KYA service seeks to address these challenges by introducing a verifiable identity and authorisation framework for AI agents, creating a foundation for more secure and responsible autonomous interactions.

Unlike conventional digital identity systems that primarily verify human users, KYA extends identity verification to AI agents themselves, linking each agent to a verified owner and establishing clear boundaries around its activities.

The KYA service builds on W3C Verifiable Credentials and incorporates AvatarLabs’ Agentic Wallet technology to manage digital credentials, verify delegated permissions and maintain evidence of agent activity.

Giving AI Agents an Identity and Clear Boundaries

At the heart of the KYA service is a simple but effective principle that AI agents should be able to act independently, but never without clearly defined authority and accountability. The KYA service will assign each participating AI agent a verifiable digital identity linked to an authenticated individual or organisation.

Owners can establish specific permissions governing what an agent is allowed to do, including which services it can access, what information it can use, who it can transact with and how much it is permitted to spend. For example, a business could authorise an AI agent to process payments to approved suppliers within a specified spending limit, while requiring human approval for transactions exceeding that amount.

Similarly, an AI agent accessing government or enterprise digital services could be required to demonstrate its identity and authorisation before gaining access to protected information.

The KYA service is also designed to ensure that when an AI agent delegates tasks to another agent, the delegated authority cannot exceed the permissions originally granted. Permissions can be revoked, while signed records of agent activity provide an auditable trail to support accountability.

By combining identity verification, permission controls and cryptographic evidence, the KYA service aims to enable organisations to embrace the benefits of autonomous AI without compromising security, privacy or oversight.

Taking AI Trust Beyond Borders

Recognising that AI agents will increasingly operate across international markets, Zetrix AI and CAICT are also planning a cross-border pilot to test how verifiable AI identities and permissions can be recognised across different jurisdictions. The proposed pilot will involve participating organisations from the Middle East, Africa, China and ASEAN, subject to confirmation.

It will explore practical applications in areas such as cross-border trade, digital payments, government services and interactions between autonomous AI agents. A key objective is to demonstrate how AI agents can operate across different national identity ecosystems while respecting local regulatory requirements, data protection considerations and jurisdictional control.

The pilot will evaluate the effectiveness of identity verification, permission enforcement, revocation mechanisms, privacy safeguards and accountability records in real-world cross-border environments. By testing these capabilities across multiple jurisdictions, the initiative seeks to establish practical foundations for greater interoperability and trust in the global AI ecosystem.

Contributing to the Future of International AI Standards

Beyond the immediate launch, the initiative is also intended to contribute to international efforts to develop common approaches to identity, trust and accountability for autonomous AI.

Zetrix AI and CAICT plan to jointly submit findings from the cross-border pilot to the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector Study Group 17 (ITU-T SG17), through its Focus Group on Trust and Identity for Humans and Agentic AI (FG-TIDA).

The submissions are expected to include implementation findings, cross-border use cases and recommendations relating to agent identity verification, delegated authority and accountability. These contributions are intended to support ongoing international technical discussions and pre-standardisation efforts, subject to the applicable ITU processes.

Organisations interested in participating in the pilot can contact agentid@avatarlabs.si.

About Zetrix AI Berhad

Zetrix AI Berhad (“Zetrix AI”), formerly known as MY E.G. Services Berhad, is leading the way in the deployment of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence in powering the public and private sectors across ASEAN. Headquartered in Malaysia, Zetrix AI started operations in 2000 as a pioneer in the provision of electronic government services and complementary commercial offerings in its home country. Today, it has advanced to the forefront of technology transformation in the broader region, leveraging its Layer-1 blockchain platform Zetrix and embracing the convergence of Web3, AI and robotics to enable optimally-efficient, intelligent and secure cross-border transactions, digital identity interoperability and automation solutions that seamlessly connect people, businesses and governments.

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KuCoin Shares Insights on Career Development and Building a Lasting Competitive Edge at Hong Kong FinTech Week’s Web3 Career Connect

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HONG KONG, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As digital assets converge with traditional finance and AI, talent needs are changing. Employers increasingly value professional depth and cross-disciplinary capabilities, while new technologies and business models are opening career opportunities.

Against this backdrop, KuCoin’s Head of Talent Acquisition Karina Li shared insights on Web3 talent development at Web3 Career Connect, an official community event of Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026.

During the panel “Inside Web3: Building Businesses, Teams & Careers,” Karina described how industry priorities are broadening talent needs, combining technology and crypto experience with traditional finance capabilities in risk management, compliance and governance. AI’s integration with Web3 is also changing skill requirements and opening career opportunities to people from diverse professional backgrounds.

She highlighted the growing importance of structured talent development, with practical responsibilities, mentoring and feedback helping graduates develop independent judgement and ownership.

“Building services that users can trust requires sustained investment in people,” Karina said. “Professional depth and continuous learning help young talent contribute as the industry evolves.”

In a separate presentation, “How to Make the Right Career Choices in the Crypto Era,” Karina offered university students and recent graduates interested in Web3 a framework for evaluating industries, companies and roles. She encouraged them to assess long-term demand, business fundamentals and opportunities to build transferable skills, while seeking experienced colleagues, meaningful responsibilities and room to grow.

Her advice was to establish expertise in a core discipline before expanding across functions, using internships and practical projects to explore their strengths.

About KuCoin

Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform builds trust into every layer of the user experience, combining advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,000+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building a secure, transparent, compliant, and user-centric ecosystem for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27701:2019, ISO 22301:2019 and ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certifications. In recent years, KuCoin has continued to strengthen its global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.

Learn more at www.kucoin.com.

Disclaimer

This announcement is for general informational and corporate news reporting purposes only and does not constitute an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to engage in any digital asset transactions or services in Hong Kong. The event described herein was strictly educational and non-commercial in nature.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/kucoin-shares-insights-on-career-development-and-building-a-lasting-competitive-edge-at-hong-kong-fintech-weeks-web3-career-connect-302930515.html

SOURCE KuCoin

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NTT Deepens Financial AI Engagement as Official FinTech Partner of Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026

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NTT and Cyberport convene financial services leaders to explore the pathway from AI sandbox to production

HONG KONG, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NTT Com Asia (NTT), part of the NTT Group, a leading global technology company, is an official FinTech Partner of Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026, reinforcing its commitment to Hong Kong’s financial services and technology ecosystem and supporting industry dialogue around the next stage of AI adoption.

As part of its participation, NTT collaborated with Cyberport to host “Beyond the Sandbox: What It Takes to Move Financial AI from Sandbox to Production,” a closed-door leadership luncheon on 3 November 2026. The discussion brought together senior representatives from financial institutions and the wider financial technology ecosystem.

As financial institutions advance AI initiatives from experimentation towards real-world deployment, building on the momentum of the HKMA Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenA.I.) Sandbox, the luncheon examined the practical conditions required to be in place for financial AI to move from experimentation towards production. Conversations addressed governance and compliance, data and security, infrastructure and scalability, and operating responsibility, while providing a forum for leaders to exchange perspectives on the barriers and priorities shaping financial AI adoption.

Through its collaboration with Cyberport and participation in Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026, NTT aims to deepen engagement with the financial services community and contribute its technology and infrastructure perspective to the evolving discussion around production-ready AI in financial services.

About NTT Com Asia

As part of the NTT Group, a leading global technology company, NTT Com Asia is committed to building a smart and sustainable world through innovation. We empower businesses to accelerate their digital and AI journeys by unlocking the full potential of data.

From smart digital infrastructure, technology services to leading-edge AI solutions, we enable organizations to navigate the evolving challenges of a data-centric world.

For more information, please visit: www.ntt.com.hk

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ntt-deepens-financial-ai-engagement-as-official-fintech-partner-of-hong-kong-fintech-week-2026-302930518.html

SOURCE NTT Com Asia

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