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Safeguard Global Pay and Global Payroll Association launch new report, Reveals high job satisfaction among payroll professionals despite operational challenges

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New survey highlights over half of payroll professionals believe AI will enhance their efficiency and accuracy, while 77% aren’t using AI in their processes

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Safeguard Global Pay, a leading global managed payroll provider, today released the findings of its Payroll as a career: Insights from senior payroll professionals report in partnership with the Global Payroll Association, a membership organization for global and in-country payroll professionals, which explored the challenges payroll professionals face and how they believe they are perceived and valued.

Payroll is a complex and essential process that impacts the entire organization. Yet, for many employees outside of its operations, it remains a mystery. Chief among the challenges encountered by the payroll leaders surveyed in the report were consistency in policies and processes (56%), the accuracy of inbound data (53%), keeping up to date with legislation and compliance (51%), and reporting and analytics (42%). Additionally, the data found a discrepancy between who owns the payroll process with 47% of respondents stating that payroll reports to HR in their organization, while 42% report to finance.

This complexity can also be seen as payroll professionals themselves report wearing many hats. Almost half (45%) said they manage a behind-the-scenes process that ensures everyone gets paid correctly. Meanwhile, 34% said they are problem solvers and strategic advisors for their business, ensuring smooth financial operations. As companies expand into new geographies, paying the global workforce accurately and on time can present a huge logistic and compliance challenge. But despite these pressures, a whopping 86% of payroll leaders report feeling valued and respected within their organizations.

“Payroll is one of the most critical functions within any organization, yet its complexities are often misunderstood by those outside the industry,” said Danny Gillespie, President at Safeguard Global Pay. “These professionals are not just number crunchers – they are experts who navigate a complex web of processes to ensure accuracy and transparency at every step. As our data indicates, they are increasingly proactive in driving clarity and delivering actionable insights to their organizations. These insights are the invitation to the strategic conversations surrounding their company’s total workforce. Our goal at Safeguard Global Pay is to foster a deeper appreciation for the crucial role they play as they are paving the way for the future of work.”

Melanie Pizzey, CEO and Founder of the Global Payroll Association, says: “Payroll professionals are, and always will be, the unsung heroes of the professional landscape, playing a pivotal and often complex role that is vital to the success of many businesses and the harmony of the professional workplace.

It can be an incredibly fulfilling career path that involves a myriad of processes and challenges and its proper execution is vital, not only to the financial health of an organization, but also in maintaining employee satisfaction at a base level.

Unfortunately for many payroll professionals the role they play often goes unnoticed by those they primarily benefit and many employees will wrongly assume that payroll is just one singular function of a wider human resources department, rather than the vital, standalone entity that it truly is.”

Additional key findings from the report include:

Over half (60%) of payroll employees believe that AI will enhance efficiency and accuracy in their job function. That said, 77% of respondents said they are not currently using AI in their payroll operations.76% of respondents found the ability to see gross pay information on a Gross Pay Dashboard essential. This sentiment was even stronger in response to the importance of consistency in reporting formats, with 80% of payroll professionals finding it essential.Payroll analytics that provide payroll spend data visuals were found to be somewhat essential by 70% of the senior payroll professionals surveyed.Respondents reported that industry media and independent research online (both 74%) are the most popular ways they stay abreast of payroll trends and technologies.

The full report is available here.

Methodology
Safeguard Global Pay and the Global Payroll Association conducted the Payroll as a career: Insights from senior payroll professionals survey online between April and June 2024. It reflects the opinions of 139 global and in-country payroll leaders based across the globe.

About Safeguard Global Pay
Safeguard Global Pay manages, accelerates and scales payroll for organizations around the world. We deliver a unified client experience through a global community of local payroll experts, partners, and an agile platform, for accurate, compliant, complete and timely pay with every cycle. As a leading global managed payroll provider, we offer certified, bi-directional integrations with Workday for a consistent and optimizeglobalpayrollassociation.com [d experience. Seamlessly integrate HR and payroll data around the world, gain comprehensive insights to labor costs, and ensure maximum engagement with Workday.

About Global Payroll Association
The Global Payroll Association is a one-stop shop for global and in-country payroll professionals. Our expansive range of resources offers everything from interactive training courses to comprehensive directories and in-depth country resources. Join us to connect with world-leading payroll experts and network with other like-minded professionals at globalpayrollassociation.com.

Media Contact

Lindsay Mahaney, Safeguard Global Pay, 419-764-9705, safeguardglobal@meetkickstand.com, https://www.safeguardglobal.com/

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/safeguard-global-pay-and-global-payroll-association-launch-new-report-reveals-high-job-satisfaction-among-payroll-professionals-despite-operational-challenges-302320574.html

SOURCE Safeguard Global Pay

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New Datingsmatch Survey: 1 in 5 Users Say a Wink Led to a Conversation

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New findings from a Datingsmatch.com user survey show that the smallest gestures are doing more of the communication work than most people realize.

GIBRALTAR, July 19, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — People tend to think about opening messages as the moment a conversation actually starts online. The carefully worded introduction, the line someone spent time writing and then rewrote. What the data from a recent Datingsmatch survey points to is something different: for a meaningful share of users, none of that is where things began. It began with a wink.

According to the survey, 1 in 5 users of Datingsmatch reported that a wink was what got a conversation going. One-fifth of respondents, spread across different age groups and usage habits, identified that a single small gesture as the moment something actually started between two people.

What the Datingsmatch Survey Found

The survey was conducted among 5,000 users of the Datingsmatch online communication platform in June 2026, with participants asked to voluntarily share their experiences. The aim was to get a clearer picture of how conversations tend to begin, what it is that people hesitate about, and what eventually prompts someone to go ahead and reach out.

The wink finding was among the more consistent findings from the responses. Among users who described a conversation they felt good about, a notable portion were able to trace it back to a wink being sent first, whether they had sent it or received it. The reverse situation, where someone sent a cold message with no prior signal of any kind, was something respondents described as harder on both sides of the exchange.

That tracks with what broader research also points to. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 55% of online daters felt insecure about the number of messages they received, and 36% felt overwhelmed by incoming contact. What that suggests is not that people don’t want to connect — it’s that the way contact gets initiated matters a great deal for how it lands.

Why Small Signals Carry More Weight Than They Seem

The Datingsmatch survey also looked at what stops people from reaching out when they want to. Uncertainty came up repeatedly. Not knowing whether someone is open to hearing from you. Not wanting to guess wrong and feel like you’ve overstepped.

What respondents described is not a lack of interest in connecting. It’s the absence of a clear enough signal that the other person is open to it. A Datingsmatch wink feature provides exactly that. It’s visible, unambiguous, and low-commitment enough that neither person has to feel exposed by it. For those still finding their footing on the platform, the beginner’s guide to the Datingsmatch platform walks through how these features work and how to use them effectively.

This connects to a 2024 study published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking that examined online rejection: ghosting was the most common form of rejection in digital communication, even after substantial prior exchanges. The fear that a message will simply be ignored — without any acknowledgment — is a real barrier. A lower-stakes signal reduces that barrier because the cost of no response feels smaller.

Datingsmatch notes, based on what survey participants shared, that this kind of low-friction signal seems to work differently than most people expect. It doesn’t just start conversations. It seems to reduce the gap that many users described feeling between “I want to reach out” and “I actually did.”

How People Actually Use the Wink Feature on Datingsmatch

Survey responses offered a more specific picture of the behavior. Winks were not being used randomly or as a form of mass outreach. Respondents described using them deliberately, on users they had spent time looking at, toward people they were genuinely interested in but not yet sure about approaching with a message.

Some users described sending a wink as a way of checking whether there was any openness to further contact, without having to commit to a full message exchange in order to find out. Others who had been on the receiving end of a wink said it was something they found easier to respond to, in part because it did not feel like it was asking too much of them too soon. There were also respondents who noted that when a wink had gone back and forth between two people, the first actual message felt less like an approach out of nowhere and more like a natural continuation of something that had already started.

Datingsmatch customer service regularly hears from users that knowing how to start a conversation is one of the things people think about most when they first join the platform. The survey data puts some numbers to what those conversations have long suggested.

What This Means for How the Platform Thinks About Connection

Datingsmatch highlights that findings like these shape how the platform continues to think about the role of small, low-pressure interactions in the overall experience. A conversation that begins with a wink is not a lesser conversation. Survey respondents who traced their most valued exchanges back to a wink described those conversations in consistently positive terms.

The platform sees value in giving users multiple ways to signal interest at different levels of commitment. A message is a commitment. A wink is an invitation. Both have a place, and the data suggests that for a meaningful portion of users, the invitation comes first and matters more than it might look like from the outside.

About Datingsmatch

Datingsmatch is an online communication platform that gives people a range of ways to connect online. The platform is built around the idea that how a conversation starts shapes everything that follows, and that not every interaction needs to begin with a message. Datingsmatch operates globally and continues to develop its communication tools based on how users actually engage with each other.

Media Contact

Elizabeth Fielden, Datingsmatch, 1 5869132511, review@datingsmatch.com, https://datingsmatch.com/

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/new-datingsmatch-survey-1-in-5-users-say-a-wink-led-to-a-conversation-302828676.html

SOURCE Datingsmatch

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Pudu Robotics Showcases Full Product Portfolio at WAIC 2026, Winning the “Most Investor-Attractive Enterprise” Award

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SHANGHAI, July 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pudu Robotics, a global leader in commercial service robotics, is showcasing its full portfolio of intelligent robotics solutions at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), held from July 17–20 in Shanghai. A key highlight of this year’s exhibition is the offline global debut of the PUDU D7, Pudu’s next-generation semi-humanoid robot. In tandem with its exhibition highlights, Pudu Robotics was also honored with the 36Kr “Most Investor-Attractive AI & Embodied Intelligence Enterprise” Award, recognizing the company’s growing influence in the embodied AI sector and continued confidence from the investment community.

Full Product Matrix on Display: Demonstrating Multi-Scenario Capabilities

Pudu’s comprehensive presentation at WAIC 2026 showcased its complete technical and product layout, spanning service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery, and general embodied intelligence.

The PUDU D5 quadruped robot demonstrates advanced terrain adaptability and autonomous navigation across an on-site obstacle course mimicking sand, gravel, steps, and slopes, simulating autonomous inspections in complex environments such as power substations and industrial parks. Additionally, the D5 performed high-speed “drifting” demonstrations at the booth, reaching peak speeds of up to 5 m/s and showcasing industry-leading mobility and responsiveness.

Making its global offline public debut, the PUDU D7 engaged visitors with several immersive and interactive live experiences. Attendees posed for photos with the D7, instantly receiving unique snapshots taken directly from a “robotics perspective.” The robot also demonstrated advanced multi-robot coordination by autonomously walking and guiding the PUDU D5 quadruped around the booth while seamlessly avoiding pedestrian traffic, vividly illustrating collaborative workflows between different robotic form factors.

Pudu is also exhibiting its mature commercial robotics portfolio, including the BellaBot service delivery robot, the PUDU T300 industrial delivery robot, and the PUDU MT1 Max and PUDU CC1 Pro commercial cleaning robots. Together, these products highlight Pudu’s proven deployments across hospitality, retail, F&B, manufacturing, warehousing, and other industries.

Winning the “Most Investor-Attractive Enterprise” Award Amid Sustained Capital Traction

The “Most Investor-Attractive Enterprise” award from 36Kr arrives alongside sustained backing from major global institutional investors. In April 2026, Pudu Robotics completed a new financing round of nearly USD 150 million, bringing its valuation to more than USD 1.5 billion. This brings Pudu’s cumulative funding to more than USD 300 million.

This strong capital interest is supported by concrete commercial performance. According to the “2025 Global Embodied Intelligence and Commercial Service Robotics Independent Market Research Report” released by Frost & Sullivan, Pudu Robotics accounts for 25% and 23% of the global commercial service robotics market in terms of revenue and shipments respectively, ranking No. 1 worldwide in both categories. Furthermore, Pudu Robotics has maintained a year-over-year revenue growth rate exceeding 100%, with international markets accounting for more than 80% of total revenue for consecutive years. While the broader Embodied AI industry remains in early exploratory phases, Pudu has approached a positive EBITDA, achieving large-scale commercial viability ahead of the market.

From Product Export to Ecosystem Integration: A Blueprint for Global Expansion

According to the Research Report on Chinese Enterprises’ Overseas Expansion from 2025 to 2026 published by the 36Kr Research Institute, Pudu Robotics was featured as a primary benchmark case study for Embodied AI. The report attributes Pudu’s international success to its systematic combination of technological innovation, product capabilities, and localized global operation. Analysts noted that Pudu has successfully transitioned from exporting products to exporting global brand equity and integrated robotics ecosystems, establishing a core reference blueprint for hard-tech global expansion.

By deploying versatile product forms that span specialized, semi-humanoid, and humanoid forms, Pudu Robotics continues to focus on integrating Embodied AI directly into real-world environments—transforming Physical AI from a technical concept into a practical productivity partner.

About Pudu Robotics

Pudu Robotics, a global leader in the commercial service robotics sector, is dedicated to empowering easier work and better lives through AI and robotics, with a vision of building a global intelligent robotics infrastructure that serves 10 billion people worldwide.

Pudu Robotics has developed key core technologies and components, including robotic joint modules and motion controllers, and has filed more than 1,900 patent applications worldwide. Built on three core technologies—Embodied Navigation, Embodied Manipulation, and Embodied Interaction—Pudu Robotics has pioneered a “One Brain, Multiple Embodiments” architecture, establishing a comprehensive product portfolio that includes specialized, semi-humanoid, and humanoid robots.

Currently, Pudu offers four major product lines: service delivery, commercial cleaning, industrial delivery and general embodied AI. Its solutions are widely deployed across industries such as retail, hospitality, manufacturing, real estate and property services, healthcare, entertainment and sport, education, and public services.

To date, Pudu Robotics has shipped over 130,000 units globally, with a presence in more than 85 countries and regions.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pudu-robotics-showcases-full-product-portfolio-at-waic-2026-winning-the-most-investor-attractive-enterprise-award-302829057.html

SOURCE Pudu Robotics

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Best AI Productivity Tools for Creators (2026): CapCut Recognized for Faster Video and Image Workflows by Software Experts

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NEW YORK, July 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Artificial intelligence continues to reshape how digital content is produced, with creators relying on AI tools like CapCut to handle editing, asset generation, and repetitive production tasks that once required several separate applications. As these tools mature, software reviews are placing more weight on workflow efficiency alongside creative output.

Best AI Productivity Tools for Creators

Seedance 2.0 – an AI video generation model that creates videos from text prompts and image inputsPhoto to 3D – an AI tool that transforms 2D photos into images with realistic three-dimensional depth and effects

The use of AI has expanded across independent creators, marketing teams, educators, and small businesses producing content for websites, social media, online stores, and digital campaigns. Rather than using AI for a single task, many creative professionals now incorporate it throughout the production process, from generating concepts and visuals to refining finished content. This has encouraged software reviewers to test how well platforms support complete creative workflows instead of evaluating individual features in isolation.

Software Experts has included CapCut among its 2026 selections for AI productivity tools for creators, citing the platform’s collection of AI-powered features that support faster video and image production. The review examined how integrated AI tools can simplify common creative tasks across video editing, image generation, music creation, and visual enhancement.

What Is Driving Interest in AI Productivity Tools?

Content creators are producing more material than ever across short-form video platforms, social media, online stores, blogs, newsletters, and marketing campaigns. A single project may require multiple image formats, several video versions, captions, background edits, and audio, all within a short production window.

Many creators also repurpose one piece of content into several formats. A long-form video may be edited into short clips for social platforms, paired with custom graphics, accompanied by AI-generated music, and published alongside promotional images. Completing these tasks manually often requires switching between multiple editing applications.

This has encouraged software developers to introduce AI features that reduce manual editing while keeping creators in control of the finished product. Instead of switching between several applications, many creators now prefer platforms that support multiple stages of production within the same workspace.

How Does CapCut Support Video and Image Workflows?

CapCut offers AI tools that assist throughout the creative process, from generating visual assets to preparing finished content for publishing.

Among the tools included are:

Seedance 2.0 for generating AI videos from text promptsGPT Image 2 for creating images from written descriptionsSeedream for AI-generated artwork and creative visualsSeedmusic for producing original music from text promptsAI Image Extender for expanding images while preserving visual consistencyPhoto to 3D for adding depth effects to imagesAI Background Removal for separating subjects from image backgrounds with minimal editing

Together, these features support projects ranging from social media posts and marketing materials to promotional videos, educational content, presentations, and visual concepts, allowing creators to complete more production tasks within a single platform.

Why Are Integrated AI Platforms Receiving More Coverage?

Earlier AI tools often specialized in a single task, such as image generation or video editing. Newer platforms are bringing these functions together to let creators complete more of their work without transferring files between multiple services.

This type of workflow can shorten production time while helping maintain visual consistency across different content formats. It can also reduce the amount of time spent exporting files, reformatting assets, or rebuilding projects in separate applications.

As a result, software evaluations are increasingly examining how efficiently creators can complete everyday production work. Instead of concentrating solely on the number of AI features available, reviewers are also looking at how those tools function together during real-world creative projects.

What Did Software Experts Evaluate?

The review looked at AI tools that support practical creative work across multiple production stages rather than concentrating on a single feature.

Areas included in the evaluation included:

AI-assisted video generationText-to-image creationAI-generated musicBackground removalImage expansionThree-dimensional visual effectsEditing tools that support faster creative workflows

The review also examined how these features work together during typical content production rather than evaluating each tool separately. This reflects the way many creators now build content using interconnected AI tools instead of isolated editing software.

What Does This Mean for Creators?

Creative software continues to incorporate AI across more stages of content production, giving creators additional ways to streamline editing while maintaining creative control. As publishing schedules become more demanding, workflow efficiency has entered software evaluations alongside editing quality and creative flexibility.

Software Experts’ 2026 review places CapCut among AI productivity tools supporting faster video and image workflows through its collection of AI-powered creative features. As AI continues to influence digital content production, reviews are placing emphasis on how effectively platforms help creators complete everyday projects from concept through final publication.

To read the full review, please visit the Software experts website.

About CapCut

CapCut is an AI-powered photo and video editing platform designed to make high-quality video creation accessible across devices. The platform supports creators, businesses, and everyday users with tools for video editing, AI video generation, captions, templates, audio, and visual editing. CapCut is available across mobile, web, desktop, and iPad experiences, helping users create, edit, and prepare video content for social media, marketing, education, and personal projects.

About Software Experts: Software Experts delivers in-depth news on the digital tools shaping today’s consumer experience. As an affiliate, Software Experts may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/best-ai-productivity-tools-for-creators-2026-capcut-recognized-for-faster-video-and-image-workflows-by-software-experts-302828623.html

SOURCE SoftwareExperts.org

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