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GSMA MWC26 Shanghai Opens Doors as AI, Robotics, and Drones Lead Packed Agenda

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200 speakers take to stages as new immersive zones, Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge, and the inaugural GLOMO Awards Asia

SHANGHAI, China, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MWC26 Shanghai, Asia’s largest and most influential connectivity event, officially opened today at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), as the global mobile ecosystem convenes in China for a landmark 13th edition.

John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., and Sihan Bo Chen, Head of Greater China, GSMA, hosted MWC Shanghai’s opening ceremony featured a surprise appearance from Vita Boy and Flash, two humanoid robots developed by HONOR. Flash, winner of this April’s Beijing Yizhuang Humanoid Robot Half Marathon and broke human half marathon record, was joined by Vita Boy live on-stage to open the event.

In his opening keynote, Vivek Badrinath, Director General of GSMA, spotlighted humanoid robotics, low-altitude economy and autonomous vehicles as three of the most exciting frontiers emerging from Asia’s mobile ecosystem, underlining the importance of telco infrastructure in powering continent’s intelligent and connected future.

Vivek Badrinath, Director General, GSMA, said: “Not so long ago, our core mission was connecting people and devices. That of course remains essential but is no longer the full story. Today, operators are partnering with industries to enable robots, drones, connected vehicles, and AI solutions across the economy. They have become strategic digital partners in their own right. And this week at MWC Shanghai, there is real excitement about what comes next – the new services, new capabilities and new possibilities still to be unlocked.”

MWC Shanghai introduces Mobile AI Innovation Frontiers zone, featuring Humanoid Robot Football Penalties Challenge. Kick off commences with an opening ceremony from 13:30 on 24 June, semi-finals and finals from 09:30 on 25 June, followed by a Robot Celebration Party. Also new, Constellations of the Future; Formula E showcase; and first-ever GLOMO Awards Asia. Returning favourites 4YFN and GSMA Policy Leaders Forum.

John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., said: “The best way to understand the energy and innovation in the region’s mobile sector right now is to spend an immersive hour on the show floor here in Shanghai. Humanoid robots, AI-powered devices, and unmanned systems: none of this happens without the connectivity infrastructure underneath it. We’re only just getting started, and the next three days are going to be something special.”

Read GSMA Mobile Economy China 2026 report.

 

 

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SOURCE GSMA

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Netgain Continues to Reshape Accounting with AI, Previewing a New Consolidation Engine at Its Second Annual Accounting Summit

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Consolidations by Netgain is the latest in a steady run of releases built to make the accountant’s workflow easier

DENVER, June 24, 2026  /PRNewswire/ — Netgain, the company powering the next generation of accounting professionals, gathered more than 200 accounting professionals in Denver on June 18 for its Second Annual Netgain Accounting Summit. The throughline of the day was simple: accounting has reached a new frontier, and the question is no longer whether accountants should use AI, but how to use it well.

Netgain used the stage to preview its newest product, an AI-native consolidation engine designed to take one of accounting’s most painful workflows off the spreadsheet. Accounting leaders who want to help shape the product can request a demo to learn about joining the first beta cohort.

Eight years in, still building for accountants

Netgain was founded on a simple idea: accountants should spend less time fighting their tools and more time on the work only they can do. Eight years and fifteen products later, that has not changed. What has changed is the pace. AI is letting the team remove manual, repetitive work faster than ever, and each new release follows the same pattern that has defined every turning point in the profession, from double-entry bookkeeping to the spreadsheet to cloud ERP: keep the purpose intact, and take the grind out of getting there.

“This is the most exciting time to be an accountant in decades,” said Adam Riches, CPA, CEO and Founder of Netgain. “The teams that learn to use AI well are going to spend less time hunting through data and more time on the judgment only they can provide. Helping them get there is the whole point of what we are doing.”

Closing the consolidation gap

Many accounting teams hit a wall when it comes to consolidations. Real ownership structures, including investments and non-controlling interest, alternate hierarchies, and high subsidiary counts, are hard to model.

“Consolidation is one of the last places accounting teams still fall back on spreadsheets, and it shows up at every single close,” said Chis Miller, CPA, MBA, CMPA, SVP of Product Strategy and Founder of Netgain. “We are building a Consolidations Engine to handle the hard parts the right way, and we want a first cohort of accountants in the room with us while we do it.”

The product is in active development, and Netgain is enrolling beta customers and partners who want to lead the way. Interested teams can request a demo to learn more about being part of the first cohort to shape it.

What accounting professionals took home

True to its first year, the Summit was built as a working session designed to provide immediate benefit to attendees. It opened with a keynote from Netgain CEO and Founder Adam Riches, CPA, on where AI is taking the profession, the session in which Consolidations by Netgain was previewed. That practical tone carried through everything that followed. Sessions led by accounting experts traded theory for tactics attendees could take home, from tightening the monthly close and fixing AP bottlenecks to optimizing financial workflows and unlocking AI software capabilities.

The peer-to-peer exchange was just as valuable. Roundtable discussions gave accounting leaders a candid space to compare notes with others doing the same work, on topics like shortening the close, scaling through acquisitions, and putting AI to work in accounting. The day closed with a motivational keynote from Olympic gold medalist Connor Fields, whose story of pushing through serious adversity struck a chord with the moment accounting is in today: the hardest challenges often set up the biggest breakthroughs.

“Some of the best moments had nothing to do with a slide deck,” said Nathan Smart, CPA, President and Founder of Netgain. “This is a chance for accountants to step away from the grind and learn from peers who do exactly what they do. That kind of conversation is hard to find back at your desk.”

The momentum continues

Building on a strong second year, Netgain is already turning its attention to 2027. Planning for next year’s Summit is underway, and details on dates, location, and registration will be shared as they are confirmed.

None of this would have been possible without this year’s sponsors, whose support reflects the strength of the community around the event. Netgain extends its thanks to RSM, CrossCountry Consulting, Rocky Mountain NetSuite User Group, Charted, SuiteCentral, Eide Bailly, Salora ERP, Wiss, Blue-Collar, Armanino, and Concentrus.

About Netgain

Netgain empowers accounting teams to eliminate broken and inefficient operations and reclaim valuable time with modern technology and automation. With trusted expertise, Netgain helps businesses of all shapes and sizes become more confident, agile, and capable of rapidly coming to clear financial decisions fueled by accurate, precise financial insights.

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SOURCE Netgain Solutions

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GSMA welcomes China Tower to advance AI-ready mobile infrastructure

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World’s largest tower company builds momentum behind the GSMA Tower Forum

SHANGHAI, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At MWC Shanghai, GSMA announced that China Tower has joined GSMA as a new member, bringing world’s largest telecommunications tower company into GSMA’s global ecosystem. Last year, China Tower completed a national upgrade across China, converting its 5.6 million base stations and 2.1 million tower sites into intelligent edge-computing hubs to meet the needs of the AI era.

Tower companies are key to resilient, energy-to support next-generation connectivity. China Tower’s membership builds momentum behind GSMA Tower Forum, a new initiative that convenes mobile network operators and tower companies to collaborate on energy efficiency, policy and permitting and technology evolution with a focus on practical outcomes that improve deployment, performance and resilience.

The GSMA Tower Forum is structured around four areas: Knowledge Sharing, Industry Outreach, Advocacy, and Technology & Innovation, covering research, benchmarking, and engagement on sustainability, energy, and policy. It also focuses on permitting, power access, technology roadmaps, and digitisation.

As demand for AI-enabled services and AI-natives grows, infrastructure providers are evolving beyond traditional “grass and steel” assets into intelligent platforms supporting compute-adjacent capabilities and resilient power. China Tower is advancing this shift at scale with 5G, AI and big data-powered digital towers and AI-driven operational use cases.

“This year, the GSMA has newly established the Tower Forum, creating a platform for tower operators worldwide to collaborate and exchange ideas. This initiative carries great significance for advancing global digital and intelligent new infrastructure. Through this Forum, China Tower stands ready to deepen cooperation with global partners in technological innovation, standard-setting, security governance, and the integration of digital and real economies. We will jointly strengthen digital and intelligent new infrastructure and march hand in hand toward an intelligent new era,” said Zhang Zhiyong, Chairman, China Tower.

“We are delighted to welcome China Tower to the GSMA. As AI-era demand intensifies, infrastructure is becoming a strategic differentiator, not only for coverage and capacity, but for power, resilience and the ability to support new compute-adjacent requirements. China Tower’s experience and scale will bring valuable perspective to operators and the broader GSMA community, and we look forward to working together through the GSMA Tower Forum to build more productive infrastructure partnerships across the ecosystem,” said Vivek Badrinath, Director General, GSMA.

Join GSMA and participate in the GSMA Tower Forum.

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New CIMA President: The Future of Finance and Accounting Will Be Built on Trust, Innovation, and Opportunity

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Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA, elected as CIMA President and Co-Chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

LONDON, June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA, has been elected as the 93rd President of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) at the Institute’s Annual General Meeting on 24 June 2026. He will also serve as the 11th Co-Chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association), the global alliance formed by CIMA and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).

During his presidential year, Alfred will focus on shaping the future of finance and accounting, elevating trust as the profession’s most valuable currency, building an AI-enabled profession, and championing opportunity for the next generation of talent. He will work alongside Association Chair Jan Lewis, CPA, CGMA, to lead the profession worldwide through a period of rapid change and redefine its role in business and society.

Dr Matthew Hansard, FCMA, CGMA, was elected CIMA Deputy President at the same meeting.

On taking up the role, Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA, CIMA President and Co-Chair of the Association, said: “The choices we make today – how we earn trust, embrace technology, lead through uncertainty and complexity, and invest in the next generation – will shape the future of finance and accounting. If we get those choices right, we will not simply keep pace with change; we will define it.”

“I take on this role with humility and a strong sense of responsibility,” he continued. “I am committed to serving our members, students, and the wider profession, and working with them to create a future grounded in trust, innovation, and opportunity.”

Alfred is a business leader with over three decades of experience across South Africa’s financial and professional services sector. He began his career at Nedbank Limited in 1995, where he held senior and executive roles over a 15-year period. In 2008, Alfred was appointed Managing Executive of Nedbank Private Bank, before moving to ABSA Bank in 2010 and African Bank in 2012. In 2017, he became CEO of Bayport Financial Services – South Africa, part of a leading financial services company specialising in responsible consumer lending and financial wellness programmes in developing markets.

A long-standing CIMA volunteer, Alfred joined the CIMA Gauteng Branch as Secretary in 1998 and was appointed President of the South Africa Area Committee in 1999. He played a key role in establishing the Southern Africa Regional Board in 2000 and served as its inaugural Chairman from 2002 to 2009.

In 2009, Alfred was co-opted onto CIMA Council and served on the Global Markets, Marketing, and Professional Standards Committees until he stepped down in 2011. In recognition of his leadership and contributions to the Institute, Alfred was awarded the CIMA Silver Medal in 2013.

He rejoined CIMA Council in 2023 and joined the Board of Directors of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. For the past year, Alfred served as CIMA Deputy President and is currently a member of CIMA’s Appointments Committee and the CGMA Exam Board.

Alfred lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with his wife, and has three adult children. He enjoys reading, cycling, and running.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/new-cima-president-the-future-of-finance-and-accounting-will-be-built-on-trust-innovation-and-opportunity-302809145.html

SOURCE CIMA

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