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UK SMES EMBRACE AI AMIDST INCREASING MANUFACTURING AND PROCUREMENT PRESSURES

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-New research revealed as Alibaba.com brings its agentic AI platform, Accio Work, to Smart Manufacturing Week in Birmingham-

LONDON, June 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the Official Agentic Business Partner of Smart Manufacturing Week in Birmingham from 3-4 June 2026, Alibaba.com is bringing Accio Work, its agentic AI platform for businesses, to the show floor to demonstrate how agentic AI can address the operational pressures facing UK manufacturers today. 

At the heart of the partnership is a bespoke ‘Event Edition Agent’ built specifically for Smart Manufacturing Week. It brings together three practical tools in one place: ‘AI Expert Agents’, ‘Smart Navigation’ and ‘Industry Trend Reports’, giving visitors a live, hands-on way to find suppliers, compare products and make faster procurement decisions on the spot. Visitors can pre-register for free access to these tools here.

Accio Work acts as an agentic business team for SMEs, handling sourcing, supplier research and procurement and marketing tasks that would otherwise consume hours of manual effort. According to Alibaba.com’s recent study of over 500 UK SME owners, 40% are using AI at least once a week to help overcome day-to-day operational challenges. Time-saving was cited as the primary driver for the adoption (37%), followed by improving efficiencies (36%) and better decision making with better data and insights (22%).

The findings shed light on where that time is actually going, and which risk detracting business owners’ attention from business growth. More than a third (35%) said dealing with emails take up the most time each month, followed by bookkeeping (31%) and invoicing (17%).  19% of those surveyed said chasing late payments was the time-consuming task they liked the least, while over a quarter of SMEs use their evenings to complete such tasks.

Over half (53%) of SMEs believe that running their small business has become more complex in recent years. One of the biggest challenges is knowing which products to stock, develop or launch was a challenge, cited by 49% of respondents.

According to the research, the most frequently used AI-powered tools and services include research tools (26%), writing tools (25%), and AI assistants, such as chatbots (24%).  

Notes to editors

The research was conducted by One Poll, among a sample of 500 SME owners across the UK. The data was collected between 17-18th March 2026. One Poll abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. One Poll is also a member of the British Polling Council.Attendees at Smart Manufacturing Week can meet the Alibaba.com team at the AI Sourcing Lounge on Stand E40, where they will explore the latest innovations in smart sourcing, supplier discovery and AI-driven manufacturing solutions including their agentic AI platform Accio Work designed to help businesses improve efficiency, resilience and growth.

About Alibaba.com
Launched in 1999, Alibaba.com is a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce that serves buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world. It is engaged in services covering various aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help them reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers and place orders online fast and efficiently. Alibaba.com is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group.

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TruTrade Showcases the Next Generation of Automated Trading Technology for Retail Traders

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TruTrade, a software company specializing in automated trading technology, is showcasing the latest generation of its technology designed to bring sophisticated trading automation to retail traders.

TruTrade‘s automated trading platform is designed to simplify how traders interact with the financial markets. Rather than requiring users to spend hours monitoring charts, identifying setups and manually managing positions, TruTrade’s technology is designed to automate key components of the trading process, including trade execution and position management.

The company’s latest technology reflects a broader evolution in automated trading, with an emphasis on making advanced automation more accessible to everyday traders regardless of their previous trading experience or time availability.

“Technology has completely changed what is possible for the individual trader,” said Brian Nutt, Co-Founder of TruTrade. “Our focus has been on developing institutional-grade automated trading technology that simplifies the trading process while giving retail traders access to a level of automation that historically was not readily available to them.”

TruTrade offers automated trading solutions designed for a variety of trading environments, including personal brokerage accounts, retirement accounts and supported proprietary trading accounts. The company’s technology ecosystem includes solutions for multiple financial markets and gives users the ability to select an automated approach based on their individual trading objectives.

As part of its focus on transparency, TruTrade is also providing prospective clients with access to recorded trading sessions demonstrating its automated trading technology in real-world market conditions. New demonstrations provide an opportunity to see how the technology executes and manages trades before speaking directly with the company.

TruTrade continues to invest in making automated trading technology easier to access, understand and use as automation plays an increasingly important role in the retail trading landscape.

To learn more about TruTrade and its automated trading technology, visit TruTrade.io.

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SOURCE TruTrade

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Tau Highlights Electrification Leadership at Climate Week NYC 2026

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IEEE / Columbia University fireside chat and 19 technical papers from Tau and its research partners highlight progress in software-defined power and the technologies enabling electrification at scale.

NEW YORK and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tau Motors, Inc., a pioneer in software-defined power conversion, highlighted the technical depth behind its approach to electrification during Climate Week NYC 2026. The 19 technical papers reflecting research by Tau and its partners at the Columbia Center of Advanced Electrification (CCAE) are featured in the 2026 IEEE/CCAE Symposium on Advanced Electrification Systems program. During a fireside chat at the Columbia University event, Tau Founder and CEO Wesley Pennington discussed how integrating power electronics, electric machines, and software can accelerate electrification.

The research, developed by Tau and its partners at CCAE and featured in the symposium program, covers power conversion and control, electric machine modeling, energy storage, and grid-connected systems. The work reflects Tau’s sustained investment in power conversion, controls, and electric machine engineering, disciplines central to its Ion™ and Gamma™ platforms. The papers also highlight the breadth of Tau’s work across sustainable energy systems.

Tau’s Ion™ platform combines modular power electronics with firmware and software libraries to support applications across mobility, industrial equipment, energy infrastructure, and data centers. Its Gamma™ electric machine platform integrates machine design, power electronics, and controls to enable rare-earth-free motion.

At the September 25 symposium, Wesley Pennington, Founder and CEO of Tau, joined Matthias Preindl, Associate Professor at Columbia University and Tau’s Chief Scientist, for a fireside chat exploring the “electro-industrial stack” and what becomes possible when power electronics, electric machines, and software are designed together. The conversation examined how programmable architectures can improve system performance, reduce material dependencies, and accelerate deployment across transportation, industry, and digital infrastructure.

“Accelerating electrification means making the systems that convert and control power more efficient, more affordable, and easier to deploy,” said Pennington. “When power electronics, electric machines, and software are designed together, we can optimize the entire system. Tau is building the software-defined power platform to give industry greater control over performance, costs, and supply chains—and accelerate deployment at scale.”

The symposium featured speakers from organizations including GM Energy, Siemens, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, alongside researchers and other industry participants.

Tau established CCAE alongside Columbia Engineering to connect advanced research with the practical requirements of industrial applications. The work addresses challenges that influence efficiency, reliability, and the ability to deploy electric systems across a wider range of uses.

About Tau
Tau Motors, Inc. is an advanced technology company accelerating electrification from electric vehicles to the grid and digital infrastructure. Its Ion™ and Gamma™ platforms combine power electronics, advanced controls, and hardware design to improve the performance, economics, and adaptability of electric systems. Drawing on deep expertise in systems engineering, Tau partners with industry leaders to rapidly develop and deploy products on its platforms across industries. For more information, visit taumotors.com.

Media Contact
Tau Media Office
media@taumotors.com 

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SOURCE Tau Motors, Inc.

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ULTRALOQ Launches Next-Generation Smart Lock Collection: Refining Home Entry with Natural, Intelligent and Trusted Access Solutions

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New Bolt Mission, Bolt Pro, and Latch 5 Pro give homeowners a choice between precise, hands-free UWB entry and tap-to-unlock digital keys 

LAS VEGAS and SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ULTRALOQ, a best-selling smart lock brand under Xthings, a global leader in IoT solutions, today announced the launch and availability of its next-generation smart lock collection, built to redefine access and provide customers with a wide range of effortless entry experiences that best suit their lifestyle.

The collection includes ULTRALOQ Bolt Mission, unveiled as the industry’s first ultra-wideband (UWB) enabled smart lock, featuring precise, hands-free approach-to-unlock functionality. Joining Bolt Mission are the ULTRALOQ Bolt Pro and ULTRALOQ Latch 5 Pro which are the first multi-model line of Aliro-Certified smart locks that empowers users to leverage their phone as their key through Apple Wallet or Samsung Wallet credentials. 

The latest ULTRALOQ models arrive at a time when digital wallets and standardized access credentials are reshaping how consumers expect to access their homes and other everyday assets. For the new collection, ULTRALOQ leverages UWB to enable precise, intent-aware entry to the home and Aliro, the open mobile-access standard developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance with support from leading mobile ecosystems including Apple, Google and Samsung. With Aliro, ULTRALOQ brings the familiar wallet-based experience consumers already use for payments and increasingly digital car keys to the front door.

All three lock models are Matter Certified and compatible with leading smart home platforms, including Apple Home, Google Home and more, allowing users to incorporate the lock into their broader smart home experience. Bolt Pro and Latch 5 Pro also integrate with Samsung SmartThings, enabling more home-wide automations triggered by lock activity, such as turning on lights or adjusting the thermostat when the door unlocks. Household members can have their own Digital Key in Samsung Wallet, providing individual access to the same lock while SmartThings helps manage access and automations across the household.  

The collection will be available online in October through The Home Depot, where customers can shop the new ULTRALOQ lineup. The new collection delivers intelligent, effortless and trusted entry across accessible price points, empowering users to choose the access features that best suit their lifestyle and needs.

ULTRALOQ Bolt Mission: The Smart Lock That Knows When You Are Coming Home

Bolt Mission (MSRP: $299.99) delivers a precise, intent-aware hands-free entry experience by combining Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) discovery, UWB ranging, radar-based presence sensing and local decision logic. The result is hands-free entry that responds to true arrival, not strictly proximity. Rather than unlocking simply if a phone is nearby, Bolt Mission analyzes precise distance and direction of approach, allowing it to distinguish an authorized user approaching from outside from normal movement inside the home.

Designed to deliver a premium hands-free experience, users can keep their phone in their pocket or bag while the Xthings Home app runs securely in the background. With Bolt Mission, there’s no app to open upon approach, no PIN to enter and no separate hub required for hands-free entry.  

To support dependable intent detection (approach vs. departure) and efficient battery life, Bolt Mission features built-in radar to keep the lock alert when it matters most and conserve power when it does not. Intent detection logic is processed locally between the authorized phone and the lock, delivering fast approach-and-unlock entry.

ULTRALOQ Bolt Pro: Premium Front-Door Deadbolt with Wallet-Based Access 

Bolt Pro (MSRP: $269.99) is the collection’s premium digital-key deadbolt, bringing Aliro-Certified tap-to-unlock access together with fingerprint, PIN, app and physical-key entry. Aliro-Certified, Bolt Pro lets users unlock their door with a simple tap of their compatible device, without ever having to open an app. Digital keys are stored in a compatible mobile wallet, giving users a familiar tap experience similar to the contactless interactions they already use every day.

Designed to support a wide range of access methods, Bolt Pro pairs digital wallet access with fingerprint, PIN, app control and physical key backup. While digital wallet access may be ideal for everyday users, fingerprint provides fast personalized entry options and PIN codes can be issued to children, guests, cleaners or other service providers in need of access. 

ULTRALOQ Latch 5 Pro: Wallet-Based Access for More Doors

Latch 5 Pro (MSRP: $249.99) brings the same tap-to-unlock digital wallet experience to doors that use a lever rather than a deadbolt, including side entrances, home offices, garage-entry doors, rentals and shared spaces. Residents or employees can use a compatible digital wallet or fingerprint for access, while visitors and other temporary users can receive PINs. Aliro and Matter Certified, Latch 5 Pro delivers the same digital key experience and smart home platform compatibility as Bolt Pro. 

Executive Quotes

“The front door is moving away from keys and apps toward digital credentials and intent-aware access,” said Raj Sundar, Senior Director of Product Management for ULTRALOQ. “Our goal with this collection is to make that transition seamless and practical for customers, whether someone wants their door to detect their arrival and unlock hands-free or wants to quickly tap the phone or watch they carry every day to authorize entry.”

Available Online via The Home Depot

The new collection of ULTRALOQ smart locks will be available for purchase online through The Home Depot beginning in October. Customers can explore each model in the collection, compare access options, and learn more about the distinct features each lock delivers to select the ULTRALOQ model that is right for them.   

The ULTRALOQ collection is available now online through ULTRALOQ as well as Amazon and will be available online via The Home Depot in October.  

For additional information about ULTRALOQ, please visit www.ultraloq.com. 

About ULTRALOQ

ULTRALOQ, a best-selling smart lock brand under Xthings, is dedicated to developing innovative and secure smart access solutions. With a focus on blending cutting-edge technology with convenience, ULTRALOQ’s products are designed to provide a secure and keyless entry experience for both homes and businesses, making smart security more accessible than ever.

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SOURCE ULTRALOQ; Xthings Inc.

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