Connect with us

Technology

Disconnected IT and OT Systems Undermine Utility Modernization Efforts, Reveals Info-Tech Research Group

Published

on

As utilities scale digital initiatives, persistent disconnects between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) are driving fragmented systems and rising integration costs. Insights from Info-Tech Research Group highlight how this divide limits operational impact. The firm’s newly published blueprint, Extend Enterprise Architecture to Operational Technology for Utilities, outlines a structured approach to apply enterprise architecture across OT environments, helping organizations align systems, improve interoperability, and strengthen long-term planning.

ARLINGTON, Va., April 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – Utilities are investing heavily in digital technologies, but many are still struggling to translate that investment into operational impact. A key reason, according to Info-Tech Research Group’s new findings, is the persistent disconnect between enterprise architecture (EA) and operational technology (OT), which limits coordination, visibility, and long-term planning.

The global research and advisory firm’s newly published blueprint, Extend Enterprise Architecture to Operational Technology for Utilities, provides a practical approach to bridging IT and OT through EA, enabling utilities to align systems, standardize integration, and support initiatives such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and smart grid modernization.

“Utilities cannot realize the full value of digital transformation without bridging the divide between enterprise architecture and operational technology,” says Bevin Chau, research director at Info-Tech Research Group. “Extending EA into OT creates a unified foundation for decision-making, enabling organizations to manage complexity, improve resilience, and accelerate innovation across the enterprise.”

Key Challenges Utilities Face in Aligning IT and Operational Technology

Info-Tech’s blueprint details the persistent challenges that utilities face when integrating IT and OT, including conflicting design priorities, long OT asset lifecycles, evolving regulatory requirements, and limited cross-domain expertise. Without a unified architectural approach, these challenges lead to fragmented planning, duplicated systems, and rising costs.

The firm’s findings emphasize that extending EA practices across business, data, application, security, and technology domains enables utilities to:

Improve interoperability across IT and OT systems.Reduce integration complexity and technical debt.Strengthen cybersecurity and regulatory compliance.Align technology investments with business outcomes.Accelerate digital transformation initiatives.

By applying EA consistently across both environments, utilities can move away from siloed decision-making and toward a coordinated, enterprise-wide strategy.

Info-Tech’s Three-Phase Approach to Extending Enterprise Architecture Into Operational Technology

To support IT leaders in utilities as they bridge EA and OT, Info-Tech’s Extend Enterprise Architecture to Operational Technology for Utilities blueprint outlines a three-phase framework with clear roles across both domains:

Evaluate OT capabilities and business context
Enterprise architects, OT leaders, and business stakeholders work together to map OT capabilities to organizational priorities and identify where EA can provide structure and visibility.Assess how existing EA practices support OT
Architecture and governance teams evaluate current maturity, uncover gaps across EA domains, and define where standards, processes, and oversight need to evolve.Apply EA through a practical use case
Using AMI as a reference, architects and OT specialists demonstrate how EA can guide integration, data flow, and lifecycle planning in a real-world scenario that can be replicated across other initiatives.

Following the structured approach outlined in Info-Tech’s blueprint, utilities can extend EA incrementally, avoiding large-scale disruption while building a stronger foundation for IT/OT convergence.

“Organizations that successfully integrate EA across IT and OT are better positioned to reduce costs and complexity while improving their ability to respond more quickly to regulatory and market pressures,” explains Chau. “More importantly, they gain the structure needed to scale digital initiatives without introducing new fragmentation.”

For exclusive and timely commentary from Info-Tech’s experts, including Bevin Chau, and access to the complete Extend Enterprise Architecture to Operational Technology for Utilities blueprint, please contact pr@infotech.com.

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is the “get things done” partner for over 30,000 IT, HR, and marketing leaders worldwide. The fastest growing research and advisory firm, Info-Tech enables leaders to make well-informed decisions and transform their organizations through AI, strategic foresight, step-by-step methodologies, practical tools, industry-leading advisory, and training programs. For nearly 30 years, tens of thousands of private and public organizations have trusted Info-Tech to lead their most important initiatives through periods of change and deliver outcomes that truly matter.

To learn more about Info-Tech’s HR research and advisory services, visit McLean & Company, and for data-driven software buying insights and vendor evaluations, visit the firm’s SoftwareReviews platform.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm’s Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact pr@infotech.com.

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/disconnected-it-and-ot-systems-undermine-utility-modernization-efforts-reveals-info-tech-research-group-302746241.html

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group

Continue Reading

Technology

Thousands of Suppliers, Nine Buyer Delegations, Three Major Trends: The 35th Guzhen Lighting Fair Opens October 22 to Chart New Directions for the Industry

Published

on

By

ZHONGSHAN, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This October, the global lighting industry will once again turn its attention to the Pearl River Delta. The 2026 China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), also known as the 35th Guzhen Lighting Fair, will take place from October 22 to 25, 2026, at the Guzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Zhongshan, Guangdong. Thousands of suppliers, nine buyer delegations, three major trends. They represent a major collective showcase for China’s lighting industry at a time of profound change in global trade.

Highlight 1: A New National Milestone for the Lighting Industry’s Only National-Level Trade Event

The Guzhen Lighting Fair’s standing begins with its national credentials. Approved by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China as a national-level exhibition and certified by UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, this edition draws on a strong industrial base: a RMB 100 billion-plus lighting industry cluster centered on Guzhen and encompassing 11 towns and subdistricts across three surrounding cities.

Notably, the fair has been included in the 2026 National Consumer Goods Campaign Key Activity List, jointly issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It is the only major annual trade event from the lighting industry included on the list. The fair is also listed in the Guangdong Department of Commerce’s 2026 Guangdong Trade Nationwide program. These endorsements recognize the collective strength of Guzhen’s lighting industry and mark the fair’s rise from an industry exhibition to a national showcase.

Highlight 2: Seven themed Halls Reflect the Industry’s Evolving Priorities

All seven halls at the main venue have been upgraded, creating a new exhibition and trading layout in which each hall has a distinct theme and identity.

The seven-hall layout reveals three clear trends: increasingly sophisticated smart technologies, the return of design and aesthetics to the mainstream, and greater supply chain autonomy and control. Hall A, Urban Lighting and Smart Engineering, focuses on smart lighting and project lighting. Hall B, inter and commercial lighting, brings together decorative fixtures, residential lighting, and commercial lighting. Hall C, outdoor and special lighting, covers outdoor lighting, lighting for cultural and tourism attractions, and special-purpose fixtures. Halls D and E, lighting manufacturing and supply-chain, connect machinery, auxiliary materials and components, and supporting services. Hall F, smart home and living decor, combines smart home technologies with decorative furnishings and accessories. Hall H, new brands and cross-border sourcing, gives buyers a one-stop product sourcing destination.

The fair will showcase advances in three major areas. In AI integration, lighting control systems powered by large AI models and wireless AIoT lighting solutions will deliver more responsive experiences, with light adapting to people’s movements. In health-focused lighting, highlights include classroom lighting solutions designed to meet China’s new national standards, along with human-centric lighting and products tailored to older adults. In green and low-carbon development, the displays will span high-efficiency energy-saving technologies, solar photovoltaic and energy storage applications, and innovations in environmentally friendly materials.

Highlight 3: Targeted Sourcing for a Thousand Buyers Shifts the Focus from Visitor Traffic to Lasting Business

This edition will assemble nine professional buyer delegations. Six domestic groups will cover smart lighting systems, decorative lighting, linear lighting, wholesale distribution, the full range of lighting products, and intelligent lighting. Under the banner “Hundreds of Businesses, Nationwide Connections: Leading Lighting Distributors’ Sourcing Delegation,” the fair will invite selected company executives and decision-makers to attend with concrete sourcing plans. Three further delegations will bring together key overseas buyers, media and associations, and key opinion leaders (KOLs).

This approach shifts the emphasis from visitor traffic to a sustained flow of orders. Using the IIRIS data management system, the fair will identify high-quality buyers, establish qualification criteria for major buyers, and build a year-round service framework. By extending short-term connections at the fair into year-round trade support, it will help exhibitors turn a four-day encounter into year-round business relationships.

Highlight 4: The Hosted Buyer Program Combines Business Matching, VIP Sourcing Tour, and Networking Party

The fair’s flagship Hosted Buyer Program (HBP) will return with an expanded program, inviting hundreds of overseas buyers to join an international sourcing delegation. The business matching area in Hall H will host five Denggle.com Business Matching, four for overseas buyers and one for domestic buyers. The proven format combines pre-event research into buyers’ needs, targeted invitations, and one-on-one matching in a dedicated meeting area during the fair. It will cover major lighting markets including Southeast Asia, South Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa.

A distinctive addition is the partnership with GZCD•STAR ALLIANCE for the “Stars Gather at Star Alliance: A Global Search for Lighting” event series. Activities will include a guided tour for 40 overseas buyers, store visits by KOLs, and the “206 Hosted Buyer Program Networking Party.” Together, they will create an integrated program of exhibition matchmaking, direct sourcing at lighting malls, and social networking over cocktails.

This combination of exhibition halls and lighting malls, formal business meetings and informal networking, sets the Guzhen Lighting Fair apart. Behind the event is Guzhen’s extensive local industry. In China’s Lighting Capital, the entire town serves as a showroom, with opportunities to do business throughout the area. This is the foundation of the fair’s distinctive strength: industry concentration drives efficiency, and location creates a competitive advantage that is hard to replicate.

Highlight 5: Five Lighting Forums Address the Industry’s Challenges and Next Steps

This edition will feature five themed forums, all centered on light.

“Illuminating Prospects: Forum on Industry Trends and New Opportunities in Guzhen” will examine the reshaping of global trade and the direction of industrial policy, exploring how the industry can move from selling lighting products to providing lighting solutions and services.

The “Building Intelligence with Light, Achieving Low-Carbon Coexistence” forum will focus on green, low-carbon IoT applications, wireless AIoT lighting, and upgrades to smart manufacturing in factories.

“Expanding Markets with Light, Making Retail Breakthroughs,” a distribution alliance forum, will address declining foot traffic for dealers and encourage shared access to customer bases and joint brand initiatives among lighting malls.

“Light for All Homes, Harmonious Living,” a forum on health-focused lighting, will explore lighting environments that serve people of all ages and the standardization of lighting for older adults.

“Global Reach with Light, Profit at the Endpoints,” a practical matchmaking forum on cross-platform customer acquisition through new media and overseas expansion, will focus on AI-powered customer acquisition across new media channels and generative engine optimization (GEO).

The five events will be organized in collaboration with leading bodies including the China Association of Lighting Industry, the Guangdong Lighting Association, and the Guangdong Electronic Commerce Association. They will cover industry trends, smart manufacturing, retail channels, health-focused lighting, and overseas expansion through new media. Their themes address both where businesses should go and how to get there. Combining strategic direction with practical methods is precisely the value industry dialogue should deliver.

Highlight 6: A Networking Party Builds Industry Consensus Through Recognition

To mark its 35th edition, the fair will hold the 35th Guzhen Lighting Fair Sourcing and Supply Information Networking Dinner on the evening of October 22. The organizing committee will launch a “Gold Partners” recognition program, with awards across several categories honoring companies that have supported the fair over the long term, demonstrated sustained commitment to the industry, and excelled in their respective fields.

By recognizing exemplary businesses, the program will establish industry role models, strengthen longstanding exhibitors’ connection to the fair, and demonstrate to global buyers the industry’s commitment to quality and a strong reputation for reliability. Around 250 key guests are expected to be invited, including representatives of government, business and industry associations, industrial bases, and high-caliber exhibitor partners. With the fair as a meeting point, the dinner will help companies support one another and strengthen ties between individual businesses and the wider industry.

Highlight 7: The 2026 Short-Video & Live Creator Contest Award Ceremony and KOL Tours Test New Ways for a Traditional Trade Fair to Reach Wider Audiences

“Good Lighting in Guzhen: The 2026 Short-Video & Live Creator Contest Award Ceremony” has evolved into a year-round signature event on Douyin and WeChat Channels. It features two categories, short-form video and on-site livestreaming, with quarterly popularity awards, annual grand prizes, and other honors. Recognition, audience metrics, and cash prizes will encourage participation by industry buyers and sellers, creators, and influencers.

The “Star Scout KOL Sourcing Group” will bring together more than 30 short-video creators specializing in lighting. Through in-depth short videos and on-site livestreams, they will explore the fair and amplify its reach across their combined online channels. Campaign-related content is expected to generate more than one million impressions over the full campaign period.

The Data Foundation: A Buyer Database of Over 1.3 Million Records and Year-Round Online Exhibitions and Trade

For promotion and buyer outreach, the fair uses the IIRIS data management system to draw on more than 1.3 million global buyer records. It works with over 150 trade and general-interest media outlets and web portals, alongside a social media presence on WeChat, Douyin, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu, and Weibo, to send multiple rounds of targeted invitations to buyers in more than 140 countries and regions. Offline, it partners with over ten industry print publications and sends promotion teams to more than 40 lighting wholesale markets across China. Outdoor advertising will also appear along Guzhen’s main roads, on shuttle buses, and on LED displays.

On the digital side, the fair’s specialized B2B trading website, Denggle.com, and its online exhibition and e-commerce platform, Denggle EZbuy, use big data and intelligent recommendations to match buyers and suppliers precisely, providing online exhibition and trading services 365 days a year. By extending a four-day fair into a year-round online presence and complementing in-person connections with data-driven matching, the Guzhen Lighting Fair is redefining the reach of a lighting exhibition, extending it beyond its physical venue and four-day run.

Since its launch in 1999, the Guzhen Lighting Fair has held 34 successful editions over 27 years. From a regional ordering fair to an international exhibition and trading platform spanning more than 1.5 million square meters, each stage of its development has kept pace with the transformation of China’s lighting industry.

As AI integration reshapes lighting products, health-focused lighting responds to people’s aspirations for a better life, and green, low-carbon practices become a requirement for access to global supply chains, the 35th Guzhen Lighting Fair offers more than seven event highlights. It presents a promising vision for the future of China’s lighting industry.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/thousands-of-suppliers-nine-buyer-delegations-three-major-trends-the-35th-guzhen-lighting-fair-opens-october-22-to-chart-new-directions-for-the-industry-302911746.html

SOURCE China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair

Continue Reading

Technology

DR. PHONE FIX ANNOUNCES AMENDMENT TO INTEREST CONVERSION TERMS OF CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURES

Published

on

By

/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/

EDMONTON, AB, Oct. 16, 2026 /CNW/ — Dr. Phone Fix Canada Corporation (“Dr. Phone Fix” or the “Company”) (TSXV: DPF) announces that it has entered into an amending agreement dated October 8, 2026 (the “Amending Agreement”) to amend the mechanics for converting accrued and unpaid interest under its unsecured convertible debentures issued on June 24, 2026 and July 17, 2026 in the aggregate principal amount of $1,608,000 and bearing interest at 10% per annum (the “Debentures”). The conversion price applicable to the principal amount of the Debentures is not affected by the amendments.

Under the Amending Agreement, the principal amount of the Debentures remains convertible, at the option of the holder, at any time on or before the maturity date into common shares of the Company (“Common Shares”) at a conversion price of $0.16 per Common Share. Accrued and unpaid interest on the Debentures remains convertible into Common Shares at the option of the holder, but at a deemed price per Common Share (the “Interest Conversion Price”) equal to the closing price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the “TSXV”) on the last trading day before the holder delivers a notice electing to convert interest (an “Interest Conversion Notice”), provided that the Interest Conversion Price will not be less than the Market Price (as defined in the policies of the TSXV) on that trading day.

An Interest Conversion Notice must be delivered within the five trading days before the date on which the applicable interest becomes payable, including on conversion of the principal amount, in which case the Interest Conversion Notice is to be delivered together with the conversion notice. Any issuance of Common Shares in satisfaction of interest is subject to the prior acceptance of the TSXV, and any interest that is not converted, or for which TSXV acceptance is not obtained, will be paid in cash. The form of conversion notice attached to the Debentures has been updated to reflect these amendments. All other terms of the Debentures remain unchanged.

The terms of the Debentures provide that they may be amended with the consent of the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the Debentures outstanding, and that all holders are bound by any amendment so approved. Holders of more than 50% of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Debentures have consented to the Amending Agreement. Accordingly, the amendments are binding on all holders of Debentures, whether or not they executed the Amending Agreement and whether or not replacement certificates are issued.

The amendments to the Debentures remain subject to the acceptance of the TSXV.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release in the United States. Such securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and, accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or “U.S. Persons”, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements.

About Dr. Phone Fix

Dr. Phone Fix is an award-winning, eco-friendly, and customer-centric integrated device care platform providing repair, refurbishment, certified pre-owned devices, trade-in solutions, accessories and related services through its growing national retail network. Founded in 2019, the Company serves consumers and businesses across multiple Canadian markets, delivering convenient and reliable device care solutions through its corporately owned retail network. With a focus on operational execution, customer service and sustainability, Dr. Phone Fix continues to expand its national platform while supporting the repair, reuse and extension of the useful life of connected devices.

NEITHER THE TSXV NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSXV) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements

Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as “may”, “should”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “potential”, “believe”, “intend” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements relating to: the acceptance of the amendments to the Debentures by the TSXV; and the conversion of principal and interest under the Debentures and the issuance of Common Shares in connection therewith. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company’s financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events; and the Company will be able to obtain the financing required in order to develop and continue its business and operations. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company’s inability to obtain TSXV acceptance of the amendments to the Debentures or of any issuance of Common Shares in satisfaction of interest; market conditions and investor demand for the Company’s securities; and general economic and market conditions. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company’s expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Dr. Phone Fix

Continue Reading

Technology

Brightmoor Hospice, LLC Provides Notification of Data Security Incident

Published

on

By

GRIFFIN, Ga., Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Brightmoor Hospice, LLC (“Brightmoor”) is providing notification of a data security incident that may have impacted certain protected health information.

On or around March 25, 2026, Brightmoor Hospice, LLC (“Brightmoor”) discovered suspicious activity related to two employees’ email accounts. Upon discovery, Brightmoor took immediate action to secure the accounts and engaged a team of third-party specialists to investigate. The investigation determined that two employee email accounts were accessed without authorization between March 24, 2026, and March 25, 2026. Upon confirmation of unauthorized access, Brightmoor began a comprehensive review of the contents of the affected accounts to determine whether they contained sensitive information pertaining to individuals. On August 18, 2026, Brightmoor determined that protected health information belonging to certain patients was present within the accounts. Brightmoor then conducted a time-intensive review of its internal records to locate address information for the potentially impacted individuals. On October 16, 2026, Brightmoor began notifying individuals by mail.

The types of information vary by individual and may include name and one or more of the following: addresses, Social Security numbers, driver’s license information, dates of birth, patients’ identification numbers, diagnosis, medical history information, medical record numbers, medical treatment information, lab information, treating doctor’s name, medication information, vaccination information, medical insurance information, and family and social history information.

In response to this incident, Brightmoor worked with third-party specialists to investigate and implement additional security measures within its network. Brightmoor has no evidence of actual or attempted misuse of information as a result of this incident. Nonetheless, in an abundance of caution, Brightmoor is providing notice to potentially affected individuals and offering complimentary credit monitoring services. Individuals are also encouraged to monitor their account statements and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity and to detect errors. In addition, Brightmoor has notified the U.S. Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights of this incident. 

Brightmoor has established a toll-free call center to answer questions about the incident and to address related concerns. The number for the hotline is 1-800-759-8524. The hotline hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 8 PM EST, excluding holidays. You can also write to 3247 Newnan Rd, Griffin, GA 30223.

Brightmoor takes protecting the privacy and security of personal information seriously and is reviewing and implementing further security enhancements designed to strengthen the protection of our systems.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brightmoor-hospice-llc-provides-notification-of-data-security-incident-302911735.html

SOURCE Brightmoor Hospice, LLC

Continue Reading

Trending