New conversational AI platform release introduces LLM model testing, AI-assisted integration building, and a fully configurable chat panel – all without writing a line of code

SANDNES, Norway, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — boost.ai, the enterprise conversational AI platform for regulated industries, today announced version 14 of its platform, introducing a new set of capabilities that give CX and AI operations teams direct control over how their AI Agents are built, tested, and presented to customers. The update will begin rolling out to customers in the coming weeks.

The release reflects a shift in how enterprises manage conversational AI at scale. As AI Agents take on more complex, transactional work, the teams accountable for their performance increasingly need to move quickly — adjusting models, building integrations, and updating customer-facing experiences on their own timelines. This release is built around that reality.

“The question enterprises are asking is no longer whether conversational AI can handle complex, transactional interactions; it can. The real challenge is whether the teams responsible for those interactions can move at the speed the business needs,” said Jerry Haywood, CEO of boost.ai. “At boost.ai, we are giving our customers the tools to make better model decisions, keep AI investment proportionate, and stay in control of how their AI Agents evolve.”

Test the model before you trust it

Large Language Model (LLM) testing within the platform’s Test Studio now lets teams take any use case or guardrail in their AI Agent, run it against multiple AI models simultaneously, and see exactly how each one performs, comparing quality, response speed, and cost side by side.

While public benchmarks measure how a model performs in general, they do not measure how it handles a specific organisation’s use cases, with their specific guardrails in place. This update allows CX teams to identify where simpler, more cost-effective models perform just as well as premium alternatives, and where a more capable model is genuinely needed, before either decision reaches a customer.

The result is a more deliberate approach to model selection: one grounded in evidence rather than assumption, and one that keeps costs proportionate to the demands of each task.

Build integrations without the developer queue

The boost.ai platform also includes a major upgrade to the AI assistant built directly into its API Connector. Teams can now describe the integration they need in plain language – from CRM systems like Salesforce to automation platforms like UiPath – point the companion at the relevant API documentation, and receive working integration code, step by step.

Across the industry, integrations are where transactional AI use cases have historically hit their limits. Checking a balance, processing a change, or retrieving a policy detail all require a connection to a backend system, and building that connection has traditionally required writing code – which has meant waiting on a development cycle. The boost.ai API Connector Companion removes that dependency, and teams can now build and refine integrations themselves, in the time it takes to describe them, with no coding knowledge required.

Configure the customer experience yourself

The update also includes a new version of the boost.ai chat panel, paired with a redesigned configuration interface. The chat panel is now available as a floating widget, a full-page experience, or embedded directly in a page – with all configuration managed through the platform’s UI.

Teams can maintain multiple configurations and apply each to specific pages by URL — so one AI agent can behave differently across different parts of the customer journey, with business users controlling those changes directly through the UI. New additions include a landing page view with suggested topics and a fixed area for system messages and disclaimers — joining existing platform features that clearly indicate to end users when a response is AI-generated, in support of EU AI Act transparency requirements.

“With this release, we focused on the places where our customers told us they were losing time. Model selection was guesswork, integrations required code, and interface changes required front-end resources,” said Clay Cardozo, VP of Product Development at boost.ai. “All three of those are now something a CX team can do themselves, and are all built on the same principle: the people closest to the customer experience should be able to shape it.”

About boost.ai

boost.ai is the trusted leader in AI-powered customer experience solutions for regulated industries. Built for security, speed, and scale, the platform enables fast deployment, high-resolution rates, and full hybrid control through seamless orchestration of traditional NLU and LLMs. With over 650 successful deployments, 600 live AI agents, and more than 150 million automated conversations, boost.ai helps enterprises around the world resolve with confidence, automate at scale, and trust every conversation. Proven performance and enterprise-grade reliability make boost.ai the partner of choice for leading brands across the world, including Nordea, Credit Union of Colorado, Sage, DNB, Trading 212, and more. boost.ai is recognized as a Leader in Gartner’s 2025 Magic Quadrant for Conversational AI Platforms. Learn more at boost.ai.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boostai-puts-ai-agent-control-back-in-the-hands-of-cx-teams-302911653.html

SOURCE boost.ai

RESTON, Va., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Acuity International, LLC, a leading provider of mission-critical services and solutions to the U.S. government, announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the Department of War to provide cleared, unarmed security services at a U.S. government administrative facility located at the Tucson Border Patrol Headquarters compound in Arizona.

Under the contract, Acuity will deploy qualified security professionals who hold active Secret clearances and valid security guard registrations issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Acuity personnel will monitor the facility and its immediate vicinity, control unauthorized access, conduct perimeter patrols, document security activities, and report security incidents.

“Acuity is proud to bring our experience supporting sensitive government operations to this important mission,” says Tony Corbi, Chief Executive Officer of Acuity International. “Our team is committed to providing vigilant, professional, and dependable security services that protect government personnel, facilities, and operations.”

Acuity will provide all personnel, management, supervision, equipment, materials, and training to maintain visible security operations during non-working hours, when government personnel do not occupy the facility. The team will serve as the primary on-site responders for security incidents and coordinate with designated government contacts, emergency services, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection guard force when incidents require intervention. 

“This award reflects the trust our government customers place in Acuity to operate responsibly in security-sensitive environments,” says Steven Shugart, Vice President of Critical Mission and Infrastructure Solutions at Acuity International. “We look forward to supporting DOW with a highly qualified team and a disciplined approach focused on readiness, accountability, and continuity of operations.”

About Acuity International
Acuity International, LLC, delivers mission-critical operational, infrastructure, security, occupational health, and medical services for government and commercial customers worldwide. Through integrated solutions that support readiness, resilience, and mission success, we help organizations operate effectively in complex, austere, and high-consequence environments. Our ability to self-perform key capabilities, combined with decades of proven experience, makes Acuity a trusted partner for some of the world’s most demanding missions.

Media Contact:
Julie Springer, Director of Marketing, Acuity International
Julie.springer@acuityinternational.com     
(P) 512-897-2392

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acuity-international-awarded-contract-to-provide-security-services-at-us-government-facility-in-arizona-302910978.html

SOURCE Acuity International, LLC

Built for the Real World. Refined by Real DJs: New upper-line professional direct-drive turntable delivers enhanced vibration resistance, greater pitch precision and expanded creative control for demanding performance environments.

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Technics today announces the SL-1210MKX, a new professional direct-drive DJ turntable that opens the next chapter in the long and influential history of the SL-1200 Series. Developed with direct input from working DJs and Sound Engineers to deliver greater stability, enhanced pitch precision and expanded creative freedom in demanding club, festival and live performances environments.

Positioned above the SL-1210MK7, the new model represents the next evolution of the iconic SL-1200 Series.  Built upon real world testing and professional feedback, the SL-1210 MKX is designed to address the challenges DJs face in high pressure performance settings where powerful sound systems, deep bass, structural vibration and extended operating periods place exceptional demands on equipment.

As vinyl performance continues to evolve across clubs, festivals and specialist performance disciplines, professionals DJs increasingly demand greater resistance to feedback, precise pitch control, dependable operation and the freedom to develop new performance techniques. The SL-1210MKX has been created in response to those needs.

“The SL-1200 Series has earned its reputation through decades of real-world performance in clubs, on stage and in studios around the world,” said Stefanie Baron, Manager Technics DJ Channel Europe, Panasonic Consumer Europe (PCEU). “With the SL-1210MKX, we wanted to build on that legacy by working closely with professional DJs and sound technicians to better understand the challenges they face. The result is a turntable that delivers even greater stability, precision and creative freedom while staying true to the qualities that have made the SL-1200 an industry standard for more than five decades.”

Engineered for demanding professional environments
A significantly heavier, balanced chassis provides greater resistance to external vibration, while newly designed isolation feet have been engineered to combine effective feedback isolation with the stability required for confident scratching and performance use.

The result is a turntable designed to remain stable in bass-heavy environments without compromising the direct, controlled feel that scratch and performance DJs require. The reduced risk of acoustic feedback allows us to maintain higher sound pressure levels and more offensive EQ settings.

Extended pitch control for precision and expression
For the first time in the history of the SL-1200 Series, the SL-1210MKX introduces a dedicated ±4% pitch range. The narrower range provides DJs finer resolution and more precise adjustment, supporting accurate beatmatching and subtle tempo correction when tracks have closely matched BPM values. Alongside the standard pitch settings, a new ±50% range greatly extends the available tempo variation, opening new possibilities for creative mixing, turntablism and advanced performance techniques.

Further refinements include a quieter reset switch inspired by earlier SL-1200 models, the proven Technics coreless direct-drive motor with adjustable start-up torque and brake speed, 78 rpm playback and reverse functionality. A polished silver tonearm and elegant black finish underline the model’s premium character while paying tribute to the iconic SL-1200MK2.

Beyond these headline upgrades, the SL-1210MKX incorporates numerous subtle improvements developed with the precision, care and uncompromising attention to detail associated with Japanese engineering.

Made for the professional DJ ecosystem
The SL-1210MKX is created for headline and touring vinyl DJs, club and festival DJs, and performance and scratch specialists who demand the highest levels of performance from their equipment. It is equally suited to nightclubs and music venues with permanent DJ installations, rental and backline companies, and professional DJ service providers. By meeting the technical-rider expectations of influential artists, the SL-1210MKX is designed to support demand across the wider DJ ecosystem.

Above all, it is intended for users who place stability, durability, precision and expressive freedom, and who expect their turntable to perform consistently wherever their work takes them.

55 years of the SL-1200 Series
Technics celebrates 55 years of the SL-1200 Series and a legacy built together with generations of DJs and vinyl lovers. First introduced in 1972 as a high-performance direct-drive turntable, the SL-1200 quickly became far more than audio equipment. Its torque, rotational stability, durability and hands-on control gave DJs the freedom to shape disco, hip-hop, house, techno, turntablism and the wider evolution of club culture.

The 1979 SL-1200MK2 strengthened this position through quartz-controlled direct drive and the iconic professional layout that became a worldwide booth standard. The SL-1210MKX carries that story forward: an upper-line evolution designed to honor more than five decades of analogue performance while setting a new professional standard for the future.

The “X” stands for Extreme and Expert—reflecting both its demanding operating environment and the people for whom it has been created.

Public unveiling at Amsterdam Dance Event
The Technics SL-1210MKX will be unveiled publicly at 12:10 CET on Wednesday, 21 October 2026 at Pacific in Amsterdam, during the 30th anniversary edition of Amsterdam Dance Event. Further launch activities will follow including participation at the Paris Audio Video Show and the Poland Audio Video Show.

Availability and pricing
The SL-1210MKX will be available from January 2027 at selected Technics retailers at an RRP of € 1.499,- | GBP £ 1.299,-.

About Technics 

The Technics brand was established in the same era in 1965. Beginning with the Technics 1 speaker, the brand has gone on to develop revolutionary audio products and technologies, including amps, players, and tuners. In particular, the direct-drive turntable was an industry gamechanger, laying the foundation for today’s DJ and club music scenes. Today, in a diverse music scene that favors both analogue and digital audio, Technics continues to lead the market as a comprehensive audio brand.

For more information please see: technics.com or follow technics.global on Facebook or @technics_global on Instagram.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/technics-introduces-the-sl-1210mkx—a-new-flagship-professional-direct-drive-dj-turntable-engineered-for-club-and-touring-environments-302903638.html

SOURCE Panasonic Corporation of North America