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Squirrel Ai CEO Wei Zhou Showcases Innovative AI Education Tools at WAIC 2024

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SHANGHAI, Oct. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The World AI Conference & High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance 2024 (WAIC 2024) recently convened in Shanghai, accelerating the advancement of a new wave of AI technology and driving the enhancement of the sector’s global architecture. The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China Association for Science and Technology and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government.

This year’s conference, themed “Governing AI for Good and for All,” welcomed 1,300 global leaders, exhibitors, and groups from over 50 countries and regions. They included nine recipients of the Turing Award, Fields Medal, and Nobel Prize, as well as 88 distinguished academics from some of the world’s leading universities and research institutions. During the event, participants explored AI methodologies with the highest potential to significantly accelerate the development of groundbreaking and sustainable technologies.

Wei Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Squirrel Ai, was a key speaker at the session “Towards AGI: Large Models Renewal and Industrial Empowerment.” Zhou provided deep insights into the deployment of large-scale models across various industry landscapes, spotlighting significant technical breakthroughs and discussing potential avenues for leveraging these advancements to foster new models for quality-driven production across multiple sectors.

1. Harnessing Educational Innovation to Drive New Paradigms of Productivity

Since its launch in 2018, the World AI Conference (WAIC) has emerged as a cornerstone event in the global AI landscape, captivating stakeholders from multiple sectors. WAIC has become an essential arena for demonstrating and exchanging state-of-the-art AI technologies, with this year marking its most extensive participation yet. Over its six editions, the WAIC has invited numerous legendary leaders from around the globe to explore the future of the AI industry, including Tom M. Mitchell, the “godfather of machine learning”; Jürgen Schmidhuber, the “father of neural networks”; Andrew Ng, founder of Landing AI; Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group; and Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla. This year’s WAIC centered on global governance, industrial development, and frontier science, with a particular emphasis on large models, computation, robotics, and autonomous driving. WAIC has consistently pushed the envelope on AI+ technologies, helping to transition the world of AI into a new era of development.

Notably, this year’s WAIC has boasted its largest participation to date. The conference featured not only internet industry giants such as Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei, China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, and Microsoft, but also numerous cutting-edge technology companies, with Squirrel Ai serving as a prime example. These participants showcased their innovative achievements in the field of large models and the diverse industrial forms of AI technology.

The development of large models is a crucial direction in AI, representing the forefront of current AI technology. The forum, themed “Boundless Model Power, Industrial Co-Governance,” focused on key topics such as edge intelligence, and the industrial application, security and governance of large models. It brought together top minds from institutions like Tsinghua University, Ant Group, and Zhongguancun Laboratory to collaboratively explore the paths to application of and innovation in large models.

In his keynote, “AI Reshaping the Future of Education,” Mr. Zhou, the Squirrel Ai CEO, discussed the transformative power of the company’s Large Adaptive Model (LAM), addressing the challenges and breakthroughs in large models. His vision for a reimagined educational system through AI underscored a shift towards personalized, technology-driven learning, showcasing Squirrel Ai’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of educational norms and offering a personalized learning experience to all students, no matter where they are in their knowledge and skills acquisition journey.

2. Revolutionizing Education through Technological Innovation

At the Conference, the release of the “2024 Collection of Exemplary Application Cases of Large Models” garnered significant attention. This casebook features the latest and most comprehensive practice cases of large model applications in China, examining select implementations in the manufacturing, healthcare, financial, legal, education, and agricultural sectors. The compendium evaluates breakthroughs based on criteria such as scenario adaptability, technological execution, and innovative impact, highlighting exemplars of real-world utility and transformative potential. Leveraging its new multi-modal adaptive engine and the Squirrel Ai Smart Instructor, Squirrel Ai has been featured in the casebook and received an award. The recognition showcases to various sectors the ideal trajectory of technological advancement and innovative achievements.

From universal concepts to practical applications, Squirrel Ai has consistently prioritized innovation as its driving force, focusing on core technology to facilitate transformation and make significant advances in AI-driven educational methodologies. With its multi-modal adaptive engine, Squirrel Ai has introduced a “new force” for personalized education. Following the Conference, Mr. Zhou and his peers in related industries engaged in further discussions on the innovative applications of large models. They explored future opportunities in new and emerging industries, forms, and models, seeking novel pathways for the advancement of both the AI and the educational technology sectors.

In response to a world where technology evolves at breakneck speed, Squirrel Ai has developed a strategic roadmap from innovation to implementation. The company leverages the continuous iteration of its large models as a key breakthrough to accelerate innovation in education. The approach not only addresses the final steps in deploying the Squirrel Ai Smart Instructor but also facilitates the integration of AI education into everyday life. As a result, large-scale, student-tailored education has become a viable possibility.

As the synergy between AI and education continues to foster new innovations, Squirrel Ai has become a major force in transforming education through its collaborative ecosystem within the technology sector. The initiative has positioned China as a leader in AI educational technology on the global stage, demonstrating the effectiveness of intelligent, adaptive learning systems that have captured the attention of educational communities worldwide. Throughout its development, Squirrel Ai has focused on creating AI-driven educational solutions that enhance productivity and incorporate a variety of technological approaches, establishing a foundation for future educational advancements. Looking ahead, the company is dedicated to further exploring the transformative potential of education through AI, with plans to develop a comprehensive framework that will further solidify China’s role in shaping an educational ecosystem powered by smart technology.

 

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SOURCE Squirrel Ai Learning

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SoftwareOne named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for SAM Managed Services

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Empowering clients with proven SAM excellence

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SoftwareOne (SIX: SWON), a leading global software and cloud solutions provider, today announced that it has been named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for SAM Managed Services for the seventh consecutive year.

SoftwareOne believes this recognition reflects its commitment to helping clients achieve measurable value from their cloud, software and AI investments as licensing models continue to shift.

Software asset management (SAM) gives organizations visibility and control over their on-premises IT, cloud and SaaS estates. SoftwareOne helps customers simplify these portfolios, improving financial control and managing licensing and audit risks, so they can direct resources towards business priorities and innovation.

“Seven consecutive years as a Leader matters to us because we believe that consistency is what our customers actually buy. The technology landscape continues to grow more complex as organizations navigate an ever-expanding mix of software licensing, cloud consumption, and AI-driven business models,” says Raphael Erb, CEO, SoftwareOne. “Our customers need a partner whose judgement holds up through all of it. We see this recognition as validation of the expertise, commitment, and customer focus that our teams bring to every engagement, every day.”

Gartner delivers actionable, objective insight to executives and their teams. Its expert guidance and tools enable faster, smarter decisions and stronger performance on an organization’s mission-critical priorities.

The Gartner Magic Quadrant evaluates vendors based on their Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision. We are honored to be included among the recognized vendors in this important report. Learn more about the Magic Quadrant.

Helping clients unlock value from IT portfolios

SoftwareOne’s ITAM and FinOps portfolio brings together software asset management, FinOps and AI optimization, SaaS management, IT sustainability advisory and vendor management. These services help clients cut waste, manage audit risks and go into publisher negotiations, with a clear picture of what technology they use and what it all costs.

With global delivery at scale, SoftwareOne helps organizations optimize and simplify AI cloud and software investments across hybrid environments. AI-enabled automation powers licensing intelligence, compliance and cost control, so clients can reduce spend and make confident decisions about where to reinvest.

Positioned alongside SoftwareOne in the Magic Quadrantii as A Leader is Anglepoint, an independent company that is majority-owned by SoftwareOne. 

About the Gartner Magic Quadrant

The Gartner Magic Quadrant evaluates providers on Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute. Leaders execute well against their current vision and are well positioned for tomorrow. SoftwareOne views its recognition as a reflection of the consistency of its SAM managed services and the work of its delivery teams.

Source

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Software Asset Management Managed Services, By Yolanda Harris, Jaswant Kalay, and Rob Schafer. October 2026

Gartner disclaimers and trademarks

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, and Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

About SoftwareOne

SoftwareOne is a global software and cloud solutions provider and distributor. With a presence in over 70 countries and a team of about 12,000 professionals, we combine global scale and local expertise to help partners and customers optimize costs, source, and procure, accelerate growth, and navigate complex IT environments with confidence. Leveraging deep capabilities in cloud, software, and data and AI, the company empowers organizations to modernize, innovate, and unlock the full value of their technology investments. Headquartered in Switzerland, SoftwareOne is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and Euronext Oslo Børs under the ticker symbol SWON. Visit us at www.softwareone.com

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TrueLoyal® Appoints Erica Thompson as Head of Loyalty

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Longtime retail and loyalty expert will lead loyalty strategy and program services for TrueLoyal’s brand partners

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TrueLoyal®, the loyalty and advocacy platform for consumer brands, today announced the appointment of Erica Thompson as Head of Loyalty. Thompson will lead TrueLoyal’s loyalty strategy, customer retention architecture, and lifecycle engagement work as the company continues to help brands turn consumer loyalty into a dynamic growth engine.

TrueLoyal® names longtime retail and loyalty expert Erica Thompson as Head of Loyalty.

Thompson brings more than 20 years of leadership in customer relationship management (CRM), brand loyalty, and digital marketing strategy. Throughout her career, she has led data-driven loyalty programs and omnichannel customer experiences for leading consumer brands, including serving as a retail Chief Marketing Officer and as Senior Vice President at Stride Rite. She also advised retail clients as a consultant with loyalty agency Kobie Marketing, has advised brands through her firm, ACIRE Consulting Group, and held senior marketing roles at PetSmart, New York & Company, and HSN. Her background in behavioral analytics, tiered reward structures, and customer lifecycle engagement strengthens TrueLoyal’s ability to help brands design and run programs that perform.

“Brands have to earn loyalty through compelling, continuous experiences, and points and discounts alone won’t get them there,” said Jacek Materna, CEO of TrueLoyal. “Erica’s proven ability to build scalable loyalty engines and translate customer insights into genuine brand devotion makes her the perfect leader for our next chapter.”

“I’ve spent my career on the brand side of loyalty, and the programs I’m proudest of were the ones built around what customers actually cared about,” said Thompson. “That’s the work I want to keep doing. I’m here to roll up my sleeves with our brands, understand what their customers need, and help them build loyalty that’s worth something to both sides.”

At TrueLoyal, Thompson will lead the company’s enterprise loyalty frameworks, its Program Strategy and managed loyalty services, and cross-functional alignment across product and client strategy. Her appointment reflects TrueLoyal’s continued investment in loyalty expertise as the company grows with CPG and D2C hybrid brands.

About TrueLoyal

TrueLoyal® is a loyalty and advocacy platform that helps brands turn the customer experience into repeat purchases and long-term growth. Brands use Rewards to run their loyalty program and Fan Club™ to bring community and user-generated content together, all connected to the commerce systems they already use. TrueLoyal also offers services that range from Program Strategy to fully managed loyalty operations. Learn more at trueloyal.com.

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THE POWER HOUR™ LAUNCHED FROM TIKTOK HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK CITY WITH A BOLD MISSION: MOVE THE WORLD FOR ONE HOUR

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The Power Play Impact Fund and The Power Hour™ Began a 365-Day Global Countdown to an October 2027 Guinness World Records Attempt Turning Movement Into Impact for the Next Generation

NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — What could happen if, for one hour, the world moved together?

Recently in New York City, The Power Hour™ and Power Play Impact Fund officially launched an ambitious global movement built around a remarkably simple idea: invite people everywhere to dedicate one hour to physical movement and turn that collective action into meaningful impact for youth and communities.

The announcement was made during an exclusive gathering hosted at TikTok Headquarters in New York City on the opening day of Advertising Week New York, bringing together professional athletes, business leaders, Family Offices, health and wellness leaders, innovators, and changemakers.

October 5 was day one of a 365-day global countdown. In October 2027, The Power Hour™ will bring people across countries, communities, companies, and cultures together for 60 synchronized minutes of physical movement as part of an ambitious Guinness World Records attempt. Think walk, run, dance, yoga: move the way you want. It is being built as an inclusive global movement rather than a traditional fitness event. Participation in the global movement is FREE, removing one of the barriers to joining.

The Founder and Visionary behind The Power Hour™and Power Play Impact Fund is Angella Goran. A former professional cyclist and world-class multi-sport athlete, she has built a career spanning entrepreneurship, technology, financial innovation, sport, and social impact. Her experience as an athlete and her belief in the lifelong opportunities created through sport, wellness, and community became the foundation for The Power Hour™.

“I’ve always believed that one hour of collective action can become the starting point for something that lasts far longer,” said Goran. “When millions of people around the world move together for 60 minutes, we create more than a record. We create lasting impact for youth and communities across physical, mental, nutritional and financial wellness.”

The Power Hour™is excited to partner alongside some incredible athletes such as:

Jerome Williams, former NBA Player, founder of Shooting for PeaceAngela Ruggiero, 4x Olympic Medalist, Founder of Sports Innovation Lab & Women’s Sports Club (acquired by GENIUS in 2026)The Gasol Foundation, Founded by Pau Gasol (6x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA Championship Winner, 3x OLY and Chair of IOC Athletes’ Commission)Dr. Jen Welter (1st NFL Female Coach/Player, 2x Gold Medalist Team USA, Founder of Grrridiron Girls Foundation & “The Day in the Life Of” event series)

The vision is to harness technology, social platforms, connected fitness, and community activations to transform millions of individual actions into one extraordinary collective moment. But breaking a record isn’t the ultimate goal. Creating impact is.

At the heart of The Power Hour™ is the Power Play Impact Fund, created to help raise awareness and funding for youth and community initiatives across four interconnected areas of wellness: physical, mental, nutritional, and financial. The Power Hour™ believes that movement belongs to everyone. There is no qualifying time. No required sport. No expectation of athletic ability.

The Uptown Agency in Dallas has partnered with The Power Hour™ to provide support on communications and other projects.

Just move.
ONE WORLD. ONE HOUR. ONE MOVEMENT.
The countdown starts now.

ABOUT THE POWER HOUR™

The Power Hour™ is a global movement and social-impact initiative created to unite people through 60 minutes of physical movement. Through sport, technology, community and collective action, The Power Hour™ aims to connect individuals, athletes, businesses and communities around the world while creating meaningful impact for the next generation. The inaugural global event is planned for October 2027 and will pursue a Guinness World Records attempt through synchronized participation around the world. To learn more, please visit https://www.powerhour.world/.

ABOUT POWER PLAY IMPACT FUND

The Power Play Impact Fund is the impact engine behind The Power Hour™, supporting a mission focused on investing in and donating to youth and community initiatives for physical, mental, nutritional, and financial wellness. Through partnerships, charitable giving, fundraising, and The Power Hour™ global movement, the initiative seeks to direct attention and resources toward programs that create greater opportunity, well-being, and accessibility for youth and communities. The Power Play Impact Fund operates with LOHAS as its fiscal sponsor administrator.

ABOUT THE UPTOWN AGENCY

The Uptown Agency is an award-winning, full-service marketing and branding partner dedicated to engineering differentiation through creative excellence and data-driven strategy. Recognized as a leader in brand growth, the agency combines industry-leading expertise in brand strategy, creative development, digital marketing, web development, and PR to deliver bespoke solutions that activate audiences and drive measurable results. The Uptown Agency is a true extension of client teams, prioritizing deep business understanding over templated approaches. Their work spans strategic brand overhauls, custom-coded web experiences, and high-impact campaigns that blend cultural relevance with technical precision. Explore their work at www.theuptownagency.com.

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SOURCE The Power Hour

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