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Aflac named a 2024 CIO 100 award honoree

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Foundry’s CIO 100 Award recognizes enterprise excellence and innovation in IT

COLUMBUS, Ga., Aug. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Aflac has been selected as a 2024 CIO 100 award winner by Foundry’s CIO. For more than 25 years, the CIO 100 Awards have recognized innovative organizations around the world that exemplify the highest level of strategic and operational excellence in IT.

At Aflac, we don’t just sell a product, we sell a promise: to be there for our customers in their time of need.

Aflac is recognized for its ongoing commitment to improving the ease of doing business by simplifying customer service, empowering agents and optimizing employee workflows to ensure the company consistently delivers on its promise: to be there when customers need it the most.

“At Aflac, we don’t just sell a product, we sell a promise,” said Aflac Chief Information Officer Shelia Anderson. “We promise to be there for our customers in their time of need, which has made us the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products in the U.S.1 and helps us make a difference in the lives of our customers every day.”

To better fulfill Aflac’s promise, the insurer focused on claims automation and digital processing of life events through its award-winning MyAflac system. By enhancing claims automation and delivering digital capabilities for policyholders, the company has significantly improved the customer experience while also driving efficiency and cost optimization.

“We are proud to be selected as a CIO 100 honoree for 2024,” said Anderson. “The Aflac Digital Services team was instrumental in enhancing our customer experience while automating and significantly increasing claim accuracy and speed. This ensures seamless operations and drives a cohesive digital experience across all interactions with our customers. It is imperative that CIOs remain focused on providing business solutions that help the company achieve its overall goals.”

The CIO 100 Awards program celebrates and recognizes visionary and collaborative IT leaders. It is designed to celebrate team contributions that make a company elite within the IT space.

“The CIO 100 Symposium & Awards continues a tradition of over 25 years of the highest quality content for IT leaders and their teams. In addition to celebrating 100 organizations during the dinner and awards ceremony, I am thrilled to feature many of these IT leaders as speakers,” stated Elizabeth Cutler, content director, CIO 100 Symposium & Awards. “The award-winning teams share a passion for excellence, a customer-centric mindset, and a drive to invest in technologies that elevate business value.”

Executives from the winning companies will be recognized at the CIO 100 Symposium & Awards on Aug. 7 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Click here to view the 2024 CIO 100 honorees.

About Aflac Incorporated

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for more than 68 years to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products.1 In Japan, Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 18 consecutive years (2024), Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 23 years (2024) and Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year (2023). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2023) for 10 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn’t cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under “Sustainability.”

1LIMRA 2023 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report

About the U.S. CIO 100 Awards

The annual US CIO 100 Awards celebrate 100 organizations and the teams within them that use IT in innovative ways to deliver business value, whether by creating competitive advantage, optimizing business processes, enabling growth, or improving relationships with customers. The award is an acknowledged mark of enterprise excellence. Coverage of the 2024 US CIO 100 award-winning projects will be available online at www.cio.com in the weeks and months leading up to the event.

About the U.S. CIO Hall of Fame Awards

The US CIO Hall of Fame was created in 1997 to spotlight 12 outstanding IT leaders who had significantly contributed to and profoundly influenced the IT discipline, the use of technology in business and the advancement of the CIO role. Ten years later, in 2007, CIO inducted its second class of honorees into the CIO Hall of Fame during CIO magazine’s 20th anniversary celebration. The CIO Hall of Fame induction ceremony, continues to showcase this elite group of CIOs – now numbering 190.

About CIO

CIO focuses on attracting the highest concentration of enterprise CIOs and business technology executives with unparalleled peer insight and expertise on business strategy, innovation, and trends and a keen understanding of IT’s role in achieving business goals. CIO is published by Foundry, an IDG Inc. Company. Company information is available at www.foundryco.com Follow CIO on X @CIOonline & @CIOevents #CIO100Follow CIO on LinkedIn Follow CIO on Facebook.

Media contact: Jon Sullivan, 706-763-4813 or jsullivan@aflac.com

Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or dyoung@aflac.com

CIO media contact: Rachael Ferranti, Corporate Marketing, FoundryRachael.Ferranti@foundryco.com 

CIO awards contact: Allie Billington Allie_Billington@foundryco.com CIO 100 and CIO HoF Awards Manager, Foundry

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SOURCE Aflac

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Seminar for Members of the Global Development Promotion Center Network Visits Qingdao, Exchanges on Media Convergence and Cooperation Opportunities

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QINGDAO, China, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A report from iqingdao.

The Seminar for Members of the Global Development Promotion Center Network visited Qingdao Daily Press Group to learn about media convergence and international communication practices. They then attended the Qingdao Development Opportunities Promotion and Exchange Conference, exploring the city’s strengths and potential for future cooperation.

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SOURCE iqingdao

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Saledock Gives Celerant ONE Retailers One Place to Market, Message and Manage Every Customer Conversation

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CES gives UK retailers a central marketing hub connected to live sales data.

KINGSTON UPON HULL, England, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Saledock, a Celerant company, today launched Customer Engagement Suite (CES) for Celerant ONE, giving UK retailers a central hub for email marketing, SMS, social media, reputation management and every customer conversation, from website live chat to WhatsApp messages.

Because CES connects in real time to Celerant ONE’s ePOS and eCommerce, retailers can automate targeted, personalised messages based on what customers do in-store and online, using the customer, sales, and product information already in their system.

Marketing That Knows What Your Customers Bought

Most independent retailers manage customer communication across a patchwork of tools: one for email, another for text messages, a social media scheduler, review sites, a WhatsApp inbox and a separate live chat on their website. None of those tools know what a customer bought last week, so campaigns stay generic and staff waste time exporting lists and copying product details between systems.

CES closes that gap. It sits inside Celerant ONE and draws directly on the data retailers already have, including customer records, in-store and online sales history, and product images and information. The result is marketing that reflects real buying behaviour, built and sent from the same platform the retailer uses to run the shop.

How It Works

Retailers can set up automated workflows triggered by what happens at the till or on their website, and get as creative as they like. A workflow might thank a customer after their first purchase, follow up with shoppers who bought a particular brand or category, or win back customers who haven’t visited in a while, by email or SMS. Once it’s set, it runs in the background.

For retailers who don’t want to build workflows from scratch, a built-in AI agent can create them, so even a small team can put automated marketing to work.

Building a campaign is faster too. Product images and descriptions come straight from Celerant ONE, so there’s no need to recreate content that already exists in the catalogue.

With CES, Celerant ONE retailers can:

Automate email and SMS campaigns based on in-store and online purchase activityLet the built-in AI agent build workflows for themAnswer website live chat and WhatsApp messages from a single inboxSchedule posts and engage with followers across Facebook, Instagram, and their other social channelsMonitor and respond to customer reviews to protect their reputationReduce the number of separate marketing and messaging tools they pay for and manage

“Retailers already own their most valuable marketing asset, which is their customer and sales data,” said Michele Salerno, Chief Growth Officer at Celerant Technology. “The problem is that data usually sits in one system while their email, texts, reviews, and social media live somewhere else. CES puts all of it in one place and connects it to every sale, so a retailer can send a message that’s actually relevant to that customer without exporting a list or logging into a handful of different tools.”

“Running a shop leaves very little time for marketing, and jumping between different apps to do it doesn’t help,” said Layla Gladwin, Managing Director of Saledock. “With CES, everything a retailer needs to talk to their customers is inside Celerant ONE and connected to what’s happening at the till and online. Set up a workflow once, or let the AI agent build it for you, and it keeps working while you get on with serving customers.”

Availability

Customer Engagement Suite is available now as an optional add-on for Celerant ONE retailers. Existing Celerant ONE retailers can contact their Saledock account representative to get started. Retailers considering new ePOS and eCommerce software can request a Celerant ONE demonstration to see CES and the complete platform at [https://www.saledock.com/customer-enagagement-suite/]

About Saledock, a Celerant Company

Saledock is the UK division of Celerant Technology, providing Celerant ONE, a cloud-based retail platform that connects ePOS, eCommerce, stock control, customer engagement and other critical retail operations within one system.

To learn more, Visit Saledock.com/ 

About Celerant Technology

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey, Celerant Technology provides retail software to more than 1,800 retailers, supporting over 5,000 store locations. With approximately 250 employees across seven offices, Celerant connects point of sale, eCommerce, inventory, customer engagement, payments, marketplaces, and more for specialty retailers ranging from independent shops to multi-location and enterprise businesses.

To learn more, visit Celerant.com/

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Jackery Black Friday 2026: Up to 58% Off Explorer v2 Portable Power Stations and Solar Generators, Starting at Just £378

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LONDON, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Jackery is kicking off its Black Friday campaign with up to 58% off its popular Explorer v2 Series, with portable power stations starting at just £378. Running from 10 to 30 November 2026, the campaign offers some of the biggest savings of the year across the new-edition Explorer 1000 v2 2027 and Explorer 2000 v2 2027, as well as the Explorer 3000 v2, alongside selected solar generator bundles.

Combining compact design, lightweight portability and powerful, reliable performance, the Explorer v2 Series caters to different energy needs – from weekend camping and extended off-grid adventures to emergency backup power at home during unexpected winter power cuts.
 

Explorer 1000 v2 2027: Lightweight Power for Everyday Adventures – Now Just £378

With a 1,024 Wh capacity and 1,500 W output, the new Explorer 1000 v2 is ideal for weekend camping, road trips and outdoor activities. Compact and easy to carry, it powers everyday essentials such as laptops, cameras, portable fridges and lighting. Its long-lasting LiFePO4 battery and advanced ChargeShield safety technology ensure dependable performance. Emergency Charging enables a full recharge from 0 to 100% in just 50 minutes, making it ready for the next adventure or unexpected power needs.

Explorer 1000 v2: £378 (RRP £899) – 57% offSolar Generator 1000 v2 with SolarSaga 200W Panel: £629 (RRP £1,499) – 58% off
 

Explorer 2000 v2 2027: More Power for Extended Adventures – Save Up to 54%

With a 2,048 Wh capacity and 2,200 W output, the new Explorer 2000 v2 can simultaneously power energy-intensive devices such as coffee machines and electric coolers on the go. The compact power station features long-lasting LiFePO4 batteries, comprehensive safety features and a wide range of connectivity options, now with three AC outlets for added flexibility.  It can be recharged via a mains socket, Jackery’s portable solar panels or a 12V charging cable in a vehicle.

Explorer 2000 v2: £726 (RRP £1,399) – 48% offSolar Generator 2000 v2 with SolarSaga 100W Panel: £919 (RRP £1,999) – 54% off
 

Explorer 3000 v2: High-Capacity Power for Adventures and Winter Backup – Save Up to £1,004

For those who need greater energy reserves, the Explorer 3000 v2 offers a 3,072 Wh capacity and 3,600 W output with LiFePO4 battery technology. As one of the most compact and quietest models in its class, it is ideally suited for off-grid power while camping, on construction sites and as an emergency backup solution at home, particularly during unexpected winter power cuts. Thanks to app connectivity and bidirectional charging capabilities, users can also take advantage of variable electricity tariffs to schedule charging during off-peak periods.

Explorer 3000 v2: £1,352 (RRP £2,299) – 41% offSolar Generator 3000 v2 with SolarSaga 200W Panel: £1,595 (RRP £2,599) – 38% off

All Black Friday offers are available from 10 to 30 November 2026 at the official Jackery UK online store.

Media enquiries: Jiatong Li, jiatong@jackery.com, +4915223970329

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