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Column Expands Services With New Obituaries and Classifieds Platform

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NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Column, a new software marketplace for public interest information, announced today the expansion of its platform to support the publication of obituaries and classifieds. This expansion marks a significant product milestone for the company, enabling media businesses across the country to streamline their entire advertising operations into one integrated platform with Column.

“We’ve dedicated our time and energy to ensure that obituaries aren’t just possible through Column, but done right. This service is about honoring lives,” said Jake Seaton, Founder & CEO of Column. “We want to empower publishers to provide a more supportive and valuable service to families and funeral homes.”

In addition to obituaries, Column now enables businesses and advertisers to enjoy a seamless self-serve experience for creating, managing, and publishing classified advertisements — such as real estate, milestones, and business announcements. The platform supports 24/7 submission, multi-publication orders, simple invoicing, and digital marketplace listings.

“We launched classifieds to help publishers create a competitive marketplace for their communities,” Seaton continued. “Our software has one of the most intuitive interfaces, which makes it easy for anyone to publish ads. We also wanted to give our publishing partners a platform where they can manage all their ad categories in one place.”

Earlier this year, Column began expanding into these categories when it reached an agreement with Forum Communications to acquire Modulist, a software company focused on community-driven user-generated content.

“We’re excited for publishers to use Column to revitalize such important and enduring sections of their publications,” said Seaton. “I truly believe Column helps publishers strengthen their connection to their local community.”

Founded in 2019, Column quickly emerged as the fastest-growing software platform for the publication of public notices and legal ads. Since their $30 million Series A round, led by Lux Capital, the software company has expanded its reach across a network of more than 750 local media publications and tens of thousands of law firms, government agencies, and businesses. Column’s comprehensive set of software and services include self-serve tools, online payment processing, email automations, affidavit notarizations, pagination, ad management integrations, and nationwide ad publishing.

MediaContact:
Kevin King
Head of Communications, Column
kevin@column.us

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Fortegra Advances AI-Powered Application Development with insureMO’s Atomic APIs and Agentic Engineering

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Reusable insurance capabilities help Fortegra build tailored applications for MGA partners with greater flexibility and control

SINGAPORE and NEW YORK, Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — insureMO, a global insurance middle office platform provider, announces that Fortegra, a global specialty insurer headquartered in Florida, is leveraging insureMO’s Atomic APIs and Agentic Engineering to develop insurance applications. By combining internal engineering expertise with reusable insurance capabilities, Fortegra can respond faster to the needs of its managing general agent (MGA) partners.

The approach connects Fortegra’s investment in AI-enabled engineering teams with insureMO’s headless insurance technology platform. This allows Fortegra to build differentiated submissions, underwriting and customer experiences on a shared foundation of insurance services.

Working across diverse programs and distribution partners, Fortegra needs technology that accommodates different products, workflows and partner capabilities. Its modernization strategy progressively moves programs from legacy platforms to a composable architecture, using insureMO for underlying insurance transactions while retaining control over application development.

“Building engineering teams that work natively with AI agents is a core capability we have chosen to develop at Fortegra,” said Joe Lettween, Chief Innovation, Data Science, and Technology Officer at Fortegra. “With insureMO providing the underlying insurance capabilities, we can focus on the submissions, underwriting and customer experiences that matter to our MGA partners, while retaining control over how we build and manage them.”

Fortegra has built submissions and underwriting workflows for MGA partners that need additional technology capabilities. AI-assisted engineering supports application development, while workflow steps such as document processing can also incorporate AI.

Turning AI capabilities into enterprise value

AI development in insurance requires domain knowledge, connected context, transparent execution and reusable business capabilities. Without these foundations, teams face fragmented information and the need to rebuild insurance logic for each use case.

Organized around API, Data and AI, insureMO provides more than 2,500 Atomic APIs across the insurance lifecycle. These expose discrete insurance functions that developers and AI coding tools can combine into applications and workflows. Standard interfaces, clear data structures and defined functions help AI coding agents understand and use these capabilities. Agentic Engineering brings them together with insurance context, development tools, orchestration and human oversight to support repeatable, governed delivery.

“Enterprise value from AI depends on the infrastructure available to the teams building with it,” said Rajat Sharma, Chief Revenue Officer at insureMO. “AI-ready Atomic APIs give developers and coding agents clearly defined insurance functions they can understand and use. Fortegra’s approach demonstrates how this foundation supports tailored application development with enterprise governance and integration.”

Connecting development, governance and data

Fortegra’s approach also emphasizes controlled change and downstream data integration. Using insureMO supports a development pipeline its technology teams can observe and manage, with greater control over platform changes.

The platform operates alongside Fortegra’s other systems and connects with its data engineering and warehouse environment, supporting transaction data flows into reporting, financial and operational processes.

Together, reusable insurance APIs, internal engineering expertise and governed delivery provide a foundation for extending AI-assisted application development across Fortegra’s partner ecosystem.

About Fortegra

Fortegra is a global specialty insurer headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, with more than 45 years of experience delivering insurance and risk management solutions. Working with MGAs, brokers and distribution partners, Fortegra combines underwriting expertise, technology and data-driven insights to serve niche markets. Its offerings include specialty property and casualty insurance, warranty and service contracts, and credit protection solutions. For more information, visit www.fortegra.com.

About insureMO

insureMO is the global insurance Middle Office platform based in Singapore. The platform is organized across three pillars: API, Data, and AI, with 2,500+ atomic APIs spanning the full insurance lifecycle from quotation to claims. The architecture is open by design: the same APIs that connect 8,700+ distribution channels and technology partners are equally discoverable by AI agents and coding assistants. This is what makes insureMO both ecosystem-friendly and AI-friendly; any AI tool that is capable to call an API can build on insureMO. Over 500 insurers, distributors, and ecosystem partners across 50+ countries run on insureMO, processing more than US$25 billion in Gross Written Premium across 17,500+ configured products spanning Life and Health, Personal Lines, Commercial and Specialty, and Reinsurance. Visit www.insuremo.com.

Contact:
Fiona Zhang
marketing@insuremo.com 

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SAP and VFC Open Intelligent Fashion Store

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Industry AI connects the shopper journey with end-to-end retail operations, enhancing the consumer experience

WALLDORF, Germany, Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) today opened S.Fashion, a retail innovation space at the SAP headquarters in Walldorf designed to explore how AI-enabled, end-to-end processes can enhance the consumer experience while making store operations more effective.

This store puts the SAP vision for the Autonomous Enterprise into a working fashion retail environment, with selected products from the world-renowned VF Corporation brand portfolio, including The North Face, Vans and Timberland.  In this environment, Industry AI draws on business data and retail process expertise to support decisions and actions across inventory, order management, pricing, fulfillment and replenishment. The store combines these capabilities with SAP applications, automation and connected hardware.

The announcement was made at the opening of S.Fashion in Walldorf, attended by Christian Klein, CEO of SAP, and Sujay Kumar, Vice President, Global ERP Technology at VF Corporation.

“The Autonomous Enterprise becomes real when AI can understand business context and act across connected processes,” said Christian Klein, CEO of SAP. “Together with VF Corporation, we are bringing this vision to life in one of retail’s most dynamic environments. S.Fashion shows how applications, data and Industry AI can work together across the entire operation, turning insights into action while keeping people in control. When technology absorbs complexity, store teams have more time to engage with consumers and create the experiences that build lasting relationships.”

Industry AI Across Retail Operations
Fashion retail requires precise coordination across brand, style, size, color, availability, price and fulfillment. In S.Fashion, item-level RFID data, robotics and SAP applications support a connected flow across inventory, orders, pricing, promotions and replenishment. AI agents are designed to help interpret events and coordinate next steps across processes, while people retain oversight of operating rules and exceptions. By simplifying and connecting these processes, the store will explore how technology can reduce operational complexity for teams and give them greater capacity to focus on consumers.

A customer can discover products, explore personalization and virtual try-on options, and create an order. The process can then initiate item retrieval, customization, packing, payment and collection. The transaction updates inventory and can trigger a next step, such as replenishment, without relying on manual handoffs between separate systems.

The experience links the physical store with a digital journey in a mobile app. Joule, part of SAP Business AI Platform, guides consumers from store entry and product discovery to in-store navigation and checkout. At the personalization station, consumers can turn a sketch and prompt into AI-generated artwork ready for embroidery. Once ordered, the personalized garment is embroidered, packed and placed in a personal locker for pickup. A holographic virtual try-on lets consumers check fit, color and overall look without changing clothes. In the fitting room, item recognition and a smart mirror recommend sizes, matching products and styling ideas. Consumers can also request another size without leaving the room. If consumers opt in, their preferences and past interactions shape curated looks and increasingly relevant recommendations.

For SAP and VFC, the store serves as a live test environment for how AI, intelligent automation and physical retail work together. During selected hours, the store operates autonomously, with no staff on site. 

“S.Fashion gives us a unique opportunity to turn retail innovation into real-world learning,” said Sujay Kumar, Vice President, Global ERP Technology at VF Corporation. “By testing new experiences in a live environment, we can better understand what resonates with consumers and what helps our teams deliver an even better experience every day. For us, technology is most valuable when it enables our people to spend more time engaging with consumers and creating meaningful in-store experiences. The insights we gain will help us learn faster, focus on what works, and scale the solutions that can make the biggest difference across our brands.”

An Intelligent Store Built Around Experience
S.Fashion is designed to explore how intelligent technology can support different retail experiences while using the same connected data and business processes across the store. The focus is on understanding how technology can complement the role of store teams, make operations more effective and create more engaging and interactive experiences for consumers.

During selected hours, the store operates autonomously, with no staff on site, enabling SAP and VFC to explore different retail models using the same underlying technology and processes. S.Fashion will be open to SAP employees and their friends and families, and it will also host arranged visits for customers and partners. This gives VFC and SAP a working retail environment in which to test operating processes under live conditions and demonstrate how they work together.

A Living Proof Point for the Autonomous Enterprise
The Walldorf opening puts the SAP strategy for the Autonomous Enterprise into practice in a live retail environment. This will help SAP and VFC assess how processes can recognize change, coordinate action across functions and support new commercial models.

Visit the SAP News Center. Get SAP news via LinkedIn and Bluesky.

About SAP
As a global leader in enterprise applications and business AI, SAP (NYSE:SAP) stands at the nexus of business and technology. For over 50 years, organizations have trusted SAP to bring out their best by uniting business-critical operations spanning finance, procurement, HR, supply chain, and customer experience. For more information, visit https://www.sap.com/.

About VF Corporation
VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) is a portfolio of leading outdoor and active brands, including The North Face®, Vans®, and Timberland®. VFC is committed to providing consumers with innovative products that are rooted in performance and elevated design, while delivering sustainable and long-term value for its employees, communities, and shareholders. For more information, please visit vfc.com..

This press release was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and has been reviewed by the editorial team.

This document contains forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections, or other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to materially differ. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risk factors section of SAP’s 2025 Annual Report on Form 20-F.

© 2026 SAP SE. All rights reserved.
SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices.

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InComm Payments and SKUx Deepen Partnership to Bring Verified Commerce to Item-Level Offers

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The completed integration combines InComm Payments’ retail distribution and payments capabilities with SKUx’s Verified Commerce™ platform, giving brands and partners a way to fund offers for specific products and verify redemption at checkout.

ATLANTA and ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — InComm Payments and SKUx (“SKUx”) today announced an expansion of their strategic partnership to bring verified, item-level offers to brands, retailers and distribution partners. The collaboration pairs InComm Payments’ retail network and payments infrastructure with SKUx’s Verified Commerce platform, enabling partners to deliver digital offers that apply to eligible products and confirm which items were purchased when those offers are redeemed.

The expanded partnership builds on the companies’ shared work in purpose-driven payments, where funds can be directed to eligible purchases. That same capability now anchors a broader commercial opportunity. A brand can fund an offer for a specific product, a retail or media partner can deliver it to shoppers, with verification that the eligible item was purchased at a participating retailer. Shoppers get an offer they can use at checkout, while brands and partners gain a direct link between the offer and the product sale.

“Now more than ever, it is critical to give brands and our partners more precision in how they deliver value at retail, ” said Mary Llewellyn, SVP of Retailer Marketing and Promotional Payments at InComm Payments. “By combining our retail distribution and payments capabilities with SKUx’s unique platform technology, we can help partners bring product-specific offers to shoppers and see where those offers turn into purchases.”

SKUx is building Verified Commerce as a category that connects offer delivery, payment and purchase verification in a single transaction. For consumer packaged goods brands, that means being able to fund trial launches for a new product, promote a specific size or variety, and see which eligible items shoppers bought. For retailers, retail media networks and other distribution partners, it creates a way to offer brand-funded campaigns with redemption reporting tied to the product sold.

“The item is where the brand’s investment and the shopper’s decision meet,” said Bobby Tinsley, CEO and Co-founder of SKUx. “That’s the idea behind Verified Commerce. A brand should be able to put an offer behind a specific product, make it easy for a shopper to use, and verify that the product was purchased. Our expanded partnership with InComm Payments helps us bring that model to more brands, retailers and partners.”

Today, SKUx will deliver a keynote alongside Gary Hawkins, Founder & CEO of Retail Mindsteps, at the Path to Purchase Institute’s In-Store Ignite conference in Chicago. The session is titled, “The Promotional Abyss: Solving for Value Delivery Across a Fragmented Retail Media Ecosystem.”

About InComm Payments
InComm Payments is an innovative global payments technology provider. Leveraging dynamic technology and proven expertise, InComm Payments delivers enhanced end-to-end payment platforms and emerging financial technology solutions through a single integration, helping businesses grow across a wide range of industries including retail, healthcare, tolling & transit, incentives, mobile payments, digital currencies and financial services. By enabling omnichannel connections and alternative payment options to an ever-expanding consumer base in an increasingly digital ecosystem, InComm Payments creates seamless and valuable commerce experiences across the globe. With three decades of experience, over 525,000 points of retail and online distribution, 412 global patents and a presence in more than 40 countries, InComm Payments leads the payments industry from its headquarters in Atlanta, Ga. Learn more at www.InCommPayments.com. 

About SKUx
SKUx provides a purpose-driven network that combines easy mobile wallet delivery with granular transaction controls. Their platform allows brands to bypass legacy coupon systems and replace them with secure, digital payments that can be restricted by merchant category, location and all the way down to the SKU-level. This item-level precision helps eliminate fraud and waste while providing brands with 360-degree visibility into how funds are used in real-time. For more information, visit skux.io.

Media Contacts
Anthony Popiel
Communications Manager
InComm Payments
apopiel@incomm.com

Brandon Davis
Communications Manager
InComm Payments
bdavis@incomm.com

Reva Henderson
SKUx Media Contact
Will Marlow Agency
+1 727-580-1910
reva@willmarlow.com

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