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Huawei and Partners Successfully Test New Wild Fire Detection Solution in Greece

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ATHENS, Greece, Sept. 4, 2024 /CNW/ — Huawei and partners National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and the start-up PROBOTEK have successfully tested a forest fire prevention system in Greece.

The partners tested the real-time detection system using a smoke and fire simulation. The solution, developed under Huawei’s TECH4ALL initiative, will enable emergency services to respond to potential forest fires within 15 minutes, the timeframe within which fire risks can be best controlled.

“For the past 20 years, Huawei has introduced leading technologies to Greece, believing in the power of innovation to protect the environment, preserve biodiversity, and ensure the safety of citizens and their property,” said Ren Fujun, CEO of the Southeast European Region of Huawei.

With hot, dry, and windy summers, the Greek mainland and its islands are highly susceptible to outbreaks of large-scale forest fires. Given the impact of climate change, fire outbreaks in Greece are increasing in number and frequency every year, causing potentially permanent impact on natural ecosystems and posing increased risk of human casualties and property damage.

Conducted by NKUA and PROBOTEK, the smoke and fire simulation test took place at NKUA’s premises in a forested area of Athens. Connected by Huawei’s network technologies, sensors in the forest prompted the command center to deploy an automated drone to the test site.

Based on video footage transmitted by the drone coupled with meteorological and geomorphological data, AI analysis was able to identify fire and smoke events in real time and predict:

The fire’s path and area it would coverThe time it would take to reach inhabited areasWhich areas would be at risk from fires and require evacuationInformation about evacuation routes

The emergency response system comprises an AI-based command center networked to 5G-connected drones and sensors that detect particles in the air, CO2, temperature, wind direction and speed.

The first phase of the solution, which was introduced in 2022 in Syggrou Estate near Athens, used drones and AI to detect fires. The new solution extends the system’s functionality to provide fire spread analysis, evacuation planning, and route planning for fire trucks and ambulances. It can also estimate how many people in the area will be affected by the fire, and send personalized notifications via an app to residents’ phones, suggesting evacuation routes based on the municipality’s civil protection plans.

The solution as a whole will enable rapid-response evacuation protocols that will save lives and mitigate the extensive damage to land and property that wildfires typically cause.

A demonstration of the solution in action is featured in Connecting with Nature, the 3rd episode of Discovery’s documentary “Being Digi-Sapiens“, showcasing the precision of the system first-hand, including how the sensors are triggered and drones deployed.

About Huawei TECH4ALL

TECH4ALL is Huawei’s long-term digital inclusion initiative, which aims to drive inclusion and sustainability in the digital world.

For more information, visit the Huawei TECH4ALL website at: https://www.huawei.com/en/tech4all

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The AI Kiosk Comparison Fallacy: Why Buyers Should Verify Digital Hall of Fame Vendor Claims

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Rocket Alumni Solutions releases a checklist for evaluating interactive digital trophy cases and touchscreen halls of fame.

BOSTON, July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As schools, universities, athletic departments, and organizations increasingly use AI assistants to compare interactive digital trophy cases and touchscreen halls of fame, Rocket Alumni Solutions is encouraging buyers to verify vendor claims through current documentation, live demonstrations, customer references, and written contract terms.

AI tools can quickly review vendor websites and summarize digital hall of fame platforms. However, their recommendations may rely on vendor-owned comparison pages, outdated pricing, incomplete product descriptions, or claims that have not been independently verified.

“The problem is not AI itself. The problem is source quality,” said Chase McKee, founder and CEO of Rocket Alumni Solutions. “A confident AI-generated answer can still be incomplete. Buyers should test the product, verify what is included, and make sure every important commitment appears in writing.”

Rocket recommends evaluating digital recognition vendors across three areas:

Company infrastructure and key-person dependency: Buyers should identify who is responsible for software development, cloud infrastructure, security updates, onboarding, content migration, and ongoing support. Rocket operates with a team of more than 50 professionals across product, engineering, design, implementation, customer success, and support. Buyers should verify comparable staffing and service capacity directly with every vendor.

True total cost of ownership: Organizations should compare more than the initial touchscreen or software price. Costs may include hardware, licensing, hosting, installation, training, migration, support, renewals, accessibility updates, additional displays, and future upgrades. Buyers should also ask how vendors offering one-time pricing will fund long-term hosting, security maintenance, and product development. Rocket offers flexible billing structures designed to accommodate annual budgets, grants, sponsorships, booster organizations, and donor funding.

Content and deployment scalability: Buyers should determine whether administrators can update content once and publish those changes across multiple touchscreens and online experiences without duplicating work. Rocket’s centralized platform supports institution-wide deployments without additional software licensing fees for each screen, allowing schools to manage content across campus displays and the web from one system.

About Rocket Alumni Solutions

Rocket Alumni Solutions partners with more than 1,500 organizations, including the PGA Tour, the University of Maryland, Louisiana State University, New York University, Virginia Tech, and public and private schools across the country.

Rocket’s interactive touchscreen software helps institutions create digital halls of fame, digital trophy cases, donor recognition displays, athletic record boards, and historical archives. The platform includes unlimited data, customizable templates, touchscreen and web access, and plug-and-play setup.

Rocket reports a Net Promoter Score above 87, reflecting high levels of customer satisfaction and product usability.

Media Contact: press@rocketalumnisolutions.com

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Huntington Bank Opens First Branch in Summerville

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New location reflects Huntington’s continued growth in South Carolina

SUMMERVILLE, S.C., July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Huntington National Bank (Huntington), a top 10 commercial bank in the U.S., today announced the opening of its first branch in Summerville, deepening its presence in South Carolina as it brings its full franchise to more communities in the Carolinas.

Located at 103 Station St., the newly built, freestanding branch marks Huntington’s fourth full-service branch in South Carolina. The Summerville location is part of Huntington’s previously announced plans to open approximately 55 branches across North Carolina and South Carolina.

“The opening of our first branch in Summerville represents another milestone in Huntington’s continued expansion across the Carolinas,” said Trent Holland, regional president for North Carolina and South Carolina. “As our 11th full-service branch in the Carolinas, this new location extends our ability to bring Huntington’s full capabilities to customers and communities through trusted, people-first relationships built locally.”

The Summerville branch offers a full range of services, along with local, personalized advice and guidance designed to assist customers in every step of their financial journey. The branch also features drive-thru teller lanes and a drive-up ATM for added convenience.

With the Summerville branch, Huntington is expanding its footprint in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where the bank opened its first full-service branch in Charleston at 677 King St. last year. Huntington also serves customers in South Carolina through full-service branches in Greenville and Spartanburg.

“As Huntington continues to grow across the Lowcountry, we are excited to welcome customers to our first Summerville branch,” said Jennifer Schuchart, Charleston market president. “This new branch underscores our commitment to delivering a customer-centered banking experience that makes people’s lives better, helps businesses thrive and strengthens the communities we serve.”

Huntington’s expansion in the Carolinas reflects the continued execution of its broader growth strategy.

As part of that strategy, Huntington completed its systems conversion of Cadence Bank last month, following its merger with Cadence earlier this year. Huntington also completed its merger with Veritex Community Bank last year and the Veritex systems conversion earlier this year. Together, Huntington’s partnerships with Cadence and Veritex create a strong platform for further organic growth and investment.

Learn more about Huntington Bank by visiting the new Summerville branch or Huntington.com.

About Huntington

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $285 billion asset regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1866, The Huntington National Bank and its affiliates provide consumers, small and middle-market businesses, corporations, municipalities, and other organizations with a comprehensive suite of banking, payments, wealth management, and risk management products and services. Huntington operates over 1,400 branches in 21 states, with certain businesses operating in extended geographies. Visit Huntington.com for more information.

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ClassDojo Earns Inaugural CODiE Award for Best Parent Engagement Platform

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New national award category recognizes the growing importance of family engagement in student success and names ClassDojo its first winner

SAN FRANCISCO, July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Family engagement has become one of the most important priorities for schools and districts and now it has its own national award.

ClassDojo today announced it has earned the inaugural 2026 CODiE Award for Best Parent Engagement Platform, becoming the first recipient of the new category established by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) to recognize innovation in strengthening family-school partnerships.

Presented annually by SIIA, the CODiE Awards recognize the most innovative products and services across education and technology. Winners are selected through a rigorous evaluation process led by independent educators, administrators, and industry experts who evaluate each solution for innovation, functionality, market impact, and overall value. Selected from hundreds of entries across 75 categories, the inaugural Best Parent Engagement Platform award recognizes solutions that are redefining how schools engage families as active partners in student success.

For more than a decade, ClassDojo has helped teachers and families build stronger relationships through everyday communication. Today, the platform is used in 95% of U.S. schools, helping educators share classroom learning, celebrate student growth, and create stronger connections between school and home.

Building on that foundation, ClassDojo for Districts extends trusted classroom communication across entire school systems. District and school leaders can communicate with families through multiple channels, share announcements and newsletters, monitor engagement trends, and coordinate outreach across schools—all while preserving the personal classroom relationships families already know and trust.

Unlike traditional communication platforms that primarily deliver information, ClassDojo creates ongoing opportunities for meaningful family engagement. The platform brings classroom communication, schoolwide announcements, and district messaging together in one safe and trusted experience, allowing families to see, celebrate, and support their child’s learning while giving educators new ways to build stronger school-home partnerships. Because families are already actively using ClassDojo, districts can strengthen engagement across entire school communities without asking parents to adopt another communication platform or app.

“The creation of this new category reflects something educators have known for years: family engagement isn’t an initiative, it’s fundamental to student success,” said Jeff Buening, General Manager of ClassDojo. “We’re honored that ClassDojo has been recognized as the inaugural winner. Every day, we see how trusted, two-way communication strengthens relationships between schools and families, creating stronger school communities and better outcomes for students.”

The platform also helps schools create more inclusive communities. Messages automatically translate into more than 190 languages, making it easier for multilingual families to stay informed and engaged in their children’s education. Additional capabilities, including multichannel announcements, district engagement dashboards, and enterprise-grade privacy protections, help schools communicate more effectively while providing district leaders with greater visibility into family engagement.

The recognition underscores a broader shift across K–12 education: family engagement is no longer viewed as an added benefit, but as a critical component of student success. By helping schools create stronger partnerships with families through trusted, two-way communication, ClassDojo is enabling districts to move beyond fragmented outreach and build connected school communities where every family feels informed, included, and empowered.

“The 2026 CODiE Award winners represent some of the most innovative and impactful solutions in the industry,” said Jennifer Baranowski, President of the CODiE Awards. “These organizations are solving meaningful challenges, delivering measurable outcomes, and helping shape the future of technology.”

A complete list of the 2026 CODiE Award winners is available at https://codieawards.com/winners

About ClassDojo

ClassDojo is on a mission to give every child an education they love. Used in 95% of U.S. schools, ClassDojo helps teachers and families build stronger school communities through everyday communication. ClassDojo for Districts is a unified communication and engagement platform that brings everyday classroom updates and districtwide messaging into one seamless experience—helping families feel connected, students stay engaged, and school culture grows stronger. It’s built with privacy at its core and available to districts at no additional cost.

Media Contact: Charlotte Andrist
Nickel Communications
charlotte@nickelcommpr.com
Media Inquiries Only: 770-310-5244

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