Technology

FASTSIGNS® Earns 14-Year Franchisees’ Choice Designation and Seventh Silver Award of Excellence Recognition from Canadian Franchise Association

Published

4 days ago

April 23, 2026

Dual honors highlight strong franchisee satisfaction and system-wide performance across Canada

OTTAWA, ON, April 23, 2026 /CNW/ — FASTSIGNS®, the leader in the custom signs and visual solutions industry, has been recognized by the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) with two prestigious honors at the 2026 CFA National Convention in Ottawa, Ontario, earning the Franchisees’ Choice Designation for the 14th consecutive year and its seventh Silver Award of Excellence in the Traditional Franchises (30–99 locations) category.

Widely regarded as one of the highest honors in Canadian franchising, the CFA Awards of Excellence recognize brands that excel in building strong franchise relationships through effective leadership, comprehensive training and consistent communication. This year’s franchisee survey evaluated overall satisfaction and system performance among participating CFA member brands.

Additionally, the Franchisees’ Choice Designation is based on independently administered surveys measuring franchisee satisfaction across key areas including leadership, training, communication, marketing and overall support. This year marks the 14th consecutive year FASTSIGNS has earned the distinction, underscoring FASTSIGNS’ strong franchisee performance and consistent brand growth across Canada.

“Receiving both the Franchisees’ Choice Designation and being recognized with an Award of Excellence is incredibly meaningful because it reflects both the voice of our franchisees and the overall performance of our system,” said Mark Jameson, chief development officer at Propelled Brands. “For 14 years, our franchisees have consistently shared positive feedback about the support they receive, and this additional recognition reinforces the strength of our model as we continue to grow across Canada.”

FASTSIGNS continues to expand its footprint across Canada, with over 30 centers serving markets including Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver. The brand is actively targeting further growth through both new franchise opportunities and conversion programs, which allow independent business owners to transition into the FASTSIGNS system and expand their capabilities in the fast-growing visual communications space.

“I looked at several franchise concepts, including food and retail, but FASTSIGNS stood out for a few crucial reasons,” said Kevin Khan, co-owner of FASTSIGNS of North East Calgary and an upcoming Edmonton, Alberta center.”Its B2B (business-to-business) model means we operate on professional Monday-through-Friday business hours, which was huge for my work-life balance. Additionally, FASTSIGNS is an industry leader with phenomenal brand recognition, an incredible corporate support system, and cutting-edge technology. They gave me a proven playbook; I just had to execute it.”

The total investment for a FASTSIGNS franchise is approximately $248,083 – $344,624, including a $49,750 franchise fee. As a member of VetFran, the brand offers a special incentive for veterans and first responders, which includes a 50% reduction on the franchise fee – a savings of $24,875.

For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson (mark.jameson@propelledbrands.com or 214-346-5679) or visit https://www.fastsigns.com.

About FASTSIGNS®:

FASTSIGNS® is the leader in the custom signs and visual solutions industry. With over 40 years of experience, FASTSIGNS helps customers bring their vision to life and achieve more than they ever thought possible. As the largest service-oriented business within the Propelled Brands® family, FASTSIGNS spans over 790 independently owned and operated centers across the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, Grand Cayman, Malta, and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE®).

FASTSIGNS is frequently recognized for franchisee satisfaction and with awards that include being ranked #1 in its category on ENTREPRENEUR’s highly competitive Franchise 500® List in 2026 for the tenth consecutive year, and continuous recognition from Franchise Business Review in categories such as Top Franchises for Culture, Women, Veterans and more.

SOURCE FASTSIGNS International, Inc.

Technology

Bonree Powers Global Digital Finance with Intelligent Observability

Published

37 minutes ago

April 27, 2026

DONGGUAN, China, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — From March 31 to April 2, 2026, the second Huawei Global Financial EcoWeek, themed “Inspire • Collaborate • Achieve: Reshaping the Future of Finance”, was held in Sanyapo, Dongguan. The event brought together over 400 attendees from Huawei partners across more than 30 countries and regions, including over 60 independent software vendors (ISVs) and over 120 system integrators (SIs) in the financial industry. As global financial data volumes surge, customer demands diversify, and regulatory requirements evolve, financial institutions are accelerating their digital and intelligent transformation. Observability and intelligent operations technologies enable institutions to detect system anomalies in real time, optimise performance, and ensure business continuity, while cross-regional and cross-institution collaboration is becoming a key driver of industry innovation.

At the event, NTT Data signed a partnership agreement with BONREE DATA TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd. (Bonree), marking the launch of a renewed global financial ecosystem under the “SI Value Growth Plan.” As the first publicly listed company in China’s Application Performance Management (APM) and observability market, Bonree is advancing its globalisation strategy with established operations in Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, and Malaysia. The company has already secured orders worth millions in the Hong Kong and Macau region. Bonree complies with internationally recognised standards, including SOC 2 Type II and CMMI Level 5. Its self-developed LLM-powered observability platform has been selected for Huawei Cloud’s international baseline solution library, reflecting recognition from global cloud ecosystems and supporting its expansion with a “global deployment, local compliance” approach.

Bonree serves over 1,000 leading clients worldwide with system monitoring, performance optimisation, and intelligent operations solutions. Leveraging proprietary unsupervised knowledge graph root cause analysis technology and AI-driven intelligent analytics, Bonree delivers plug-and-play monitoring and fully managed adaptive alerting systems that detect anomalies quickly and accurately with minimal noise. With 56 authorised invention patents and 135 software copyrights, as well as 24/7 global technical support, Bonree maintains an NPS of 79 and a client satisfaction rate of 95%, reflecting its deep overseas market presence and trust among international financial institutions. With these core strengths, Bonree continues to lead in global fintech and digital operations, helping clients ensure business continuity and digital transformation while striving to become a leading global player in APM and observability.

CONTACT:
Yao Xiaohan
yaoxiaohan@bonree.com
+8618210189324

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SOURCE BONREE DATA TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd.

Technology

HZICC: The 2025 Hangzhou Highlights Awards Celebrating Visionaries Elevating the City’s Global Profile

Published

37 minutes ago

April 27, 2026

HANGZHOU, China, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — What does the world see when it looks at Hangzhou? The Hangzhou & Friends: 2025 Hangzhou Highlights Awards, unveiled on February 4, offered an answer—not through statistics alone, but through the stories of connection that unfolded across the year.

The awards were born from a simple recognition: that a city’s global presence is built not only on grand events, but on the countless moments when people reach across borders. To honor this, the organizers structured the awards into four chapters: Dialogue of Civilizations, Industrial Narratives, Social Innovation, and Moments of the Year, each capturing a different way that Hangzhou touched the world.

Across these categories, moments of quiet resonance stood out. In the realm of cultural dialogue, ten friends from ten nations explored Hangzhou for the first time, their journeys later echoed by the city’s own return visits to Istanbul and Cairo. After the visits, a German photographer’s image of Qiandao Lake’s giant net fishing found its way to the pages of The Times, Hangzhou’s bond with Verona deepened into a year-long romance of music, art, and shared celebration, proving that sister-city ties can bloom into something far richer than ceremony.

On the Liangzhu Day of 2025, the “Liangzhu and the World: Dialogue between Liangzhu Ancient City and Rome Ancient City” was held—one of several moments when the region’s archaeological treasures found new resonance on the global stage. Beyond culture, the awards recognized how Hangzhou’s industries are telling Chinese stories overseas, from Geely’s global development to the rise of cross-border e-commerce that brings Hangzhou products，and the culture behind them directly to international consumers.

Yet there were also countless other people and moments that helped the world know Hangzhou. An international student from Pakistan filmed the city he had come to call home, capturing not just its landmarks but the feeling of belonging. A volunteer from Zimbabwe found himself holding hands with local police and strangers in a human chain at West Lake to maintain traffic order, discovering that being welcomed means being trusted to help. The Hangzhou International Conference Center became a stage for cross-cultural encounter, while Hangzhou’s tech-themed travel routes offered visitors a chance to explore the city’s cutting-edge innovations.

Together, these moments traced a portrait of Hangzhou not as a place that simply welcomes visitors, but as one that listens, shares, and grows, through the people who carry its stories onward.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/hzicc-the-2025-hangzhou-highlights-awards-celebrating-visionaries-elevating-the-citys-global-profile-302753932.html

SOURCE HZICC

Technology

Flagship Tablet to Highlight Huawei Innovative Product Launch in Bangkok

Published

37 minutes ago

April 27, 2026

BANGKOK, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei officially announced the “Now Is Your Spark” Innovative Launch Event, due to be held in Bangkok, Thailand on May 7, 2026. This launch event will unveil a comprehensive lineup of flagship tablets, wearables, and smartphones. Empowering daily life with technology and exploring future frontiers through innovation, Huawei aims to inspire every user through intelligent experiences across all scenarios.

As one of the highlights of this launch event, the flagship tablet HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max will make its global debut. The HUAWEI MatePad Pro series has consistently delivered comprehensive experience breakthroughs with best-in-class productivity and creativity. This new device is Huawei’s best tablet yet, with a lightweight design, PC-level productivity, and PaperMatte Display, opening new possibilities for work, creation, and creative expression.

In the wearables sector, the HUAWEI WATCH FIT Series continues to gain widespread recognition from global consumers. By April 2026, shipments have exceeded 24 million units, setting a new benchmark in the fashion sports smartwatch market. The series offers a lightweight, comfortable wearing experience while providing professional sports guidance and health management features. At the Huawei Innovative Launch Event in Bangkok, the all-new HUAWEI WATCH FIT 5 Series will debut. It is set to become the ideal companion for users to express personal style, explore sports enjoyment, and monitor health around the clock. Additionally, this launch will introduce the HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner 2 Racing Legend Edition, specially designed for marathons with its upgraded data analysis capabilities to scientifically support every step of the run. Moreover, Huawei plans to unveil its first jewelry smartwatch designed in partnership with renowned international jewelry designer Francesca Amfitheatrof—the HUAWEI WATCH ULTIMATE DESIGN Spring Edition. Also making a grand return after five years is the next-generation premium kids watch, the HUAWEI WATCH KIDS X1 Series.

In the smartphone segment, HUAWEI nova 15 Max will deliver an upgraded experience for global consumers. Leveraging strengths in imaging technology, battery life, and reliable quality, it is an ideal companion for young people to capture life’s moments and unleash their creativity.

Now Is Your Spark— every individual can light up the world to drive change, and technology serves as the torch to ignite, connect, and amplify this force. By giving passion a voice, inspiration a purpose, and expression a stage, Huawei aims to empower consumers worldwide to write their own stories with innovative technologies.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2966013/84.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/flagship-tablet-to-highlight-huawei-innovative-product-launch-in-bangkok-302753958.html