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MCNC completes historic HERO Project

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Multi-year, $19 million investment delivers high-speed internet to underserved and overlooked communities in rural North Carolina

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — MCNC, the technology non-profit that builds, owns and operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), today announced the completion of its HERO (High Speed Economies for Rural Opportunity) Project.

The making of HERO

On May 16, 2022, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo (2021-2025) was in Durham to launch Internet for All, a federal bipartisan investment of $45 billion to provide affordable, reliable, high-speed internet for everyone in America by the end of the decade. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) was tasked to administer and implement the new initiative. Full Story.
 MCNC applied for funding in September 2022 to extend its network by 209 fiber miles via two strategic routes. Those routes included Albemarle to Winston-Salem (74 miles) in central North Carolina, and between Sanford via Fayetteville to Jacksonville (135 miles) in southeastern North Carolina. More than 235 grant applications were submitted nationwide totaling more than $5.5 billion. MCNC was the only Research and Education Network (REN) in the country to receive individual funding. Visit NTIA Project Page.

On June 16, 2023, MCNC received $11,186,162.82 million from the NTIA for the project. The Golden LEAF Foundation awarded $2,672,234 to be used as matching funds towards the southeastern portion of the project. MCNC provided the rest ($5,101,201). Read Original Announcement.
 From August 2023 to June 2024, MCNC released a series of stories highlighting various elements of the project – exploring everything from health care and public safety to education, entrepreneurship, and economic development. The series included several episodes on the MCNC Community Connect Podcast.
 On Sept. 5, 2024, MCNC held a groundbreaking ceremony at Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) to officially start the construction phase of the project. Access Video, Photos and Information.
 Now, as of June 2026 with the completion of HERO, the total operation of MCNC’s network is 4,745 miles. MCNC continues to provide technology services in all 100 counties of North Carolina. View Network Map.

North Carolina needed HERO

The HERO Project supports important improvements to broadband access and affordability in central and southeastern North Carolina, positively impacting over 350,000 housing units and 696 community anchor institutions, which will bring a modern “infrastructure of opportunity” to these rural and economically-challenged areas. The 11 total counties benefiting from this project previously saw more than 16,000 unserved and 12,000 underserved housing units, including many substantially unserved local communities.

Along with MCNC’s own investments and continued support from the Golden LEAF Foundation, the HERO project has been $19 million total infusion towards high-speed internet and technology services for the state. This expansion also supported many construction and engineering jobs throughout the project and now enhances the affordability strategies of last-mile commercial providers in these communities moving forward.

“Today marks a significant milestone for making high-speed internet affordable and available in North Carolina,” said MCNC President and CEO Tracy Doaks. “The continued support from the NTIA and the Golden LEAF Foundation along with our own stakeholders makes this particular project a very special one for MCNC and a game changer for economic growth and success in our local communities.”

“The true impact of the HERO Project lies in the spaces between our towns,” added Tommy Jacobson, MCNC Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. “While municipalities often have options, it’s the rural areas between them that face the greatest need for middle-mile infrastructure. By strengthening this foundation, we continue to ensure every community in North Carolina has the essential resources to thrive, learn, and succeed.”

“High-speed internet is critical for education, health care access, and economic growth,” said Nate Denny, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Information Technology and State CIO. “MCNC completing the Hero Project is a major milestone for our ongoing work to close the digital divide.”

About MCNC
MCNC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit client-focused technology organization. Founded in 1980, MCNC owns and operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), one of America’s longest-running regional research and education networks. With over 45 years of innovation, MCNC provides high-performance services for education, research, libraries, healthcare, public safety, and other community anchor institutions throughout North Carolina. NCREN is the fundamental broadband infrastructure for over 850 of these institutions including all public K-20 education in North Carolina. As one of the nation’s premier middle-mile fiber backbone networks, MCNC leverages NCREN to customize protected Internet, cybersecurity services, and related applications for each client while supporting private service providers in bringing cost-efficient connectivity to rural and underserved communities in North Carolina.

Visit www.mcnc.org. MCNC Social: Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn.

Graphics & Images

The following imagery are available for download. For any other images or logos, please contact MCNC.

HERO Completion Infographic | JPG Image

MCNC Network Map | JPG Image or PNG Image

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SOURCE MCNC

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InventHelp Inventor Develops Improved Food Delivery Bag (LBT-9719)

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July 15, 2026

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PITTSBURGH, July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — “As a part-time food delivery person, I thought there could be an improved food delivery bag to secure a straw,” said an inventor, from Otsego, Minn., “so I invented the MODIFIED DELIVERY- TO GO BAG W/ REINFORCED STRAW INSERT. My design ensures the straw is secure during transit and delivery.”

The invention provides an improved way to secure a straw to a food delivery bag. In doing so, it prevents the straw from falling onto the seat or floor of a vehicle, the ground, etc. As a result, it increases convenience, and it saves time and effort. The invention features a practical design that is easy to use so it is ideal for food delivery services and delivery drivers.

The original design was submitted to the National sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 25-LBT-9719, InventHelp, 100 Beecham Drive, Suite 110, Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9801, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp’s Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inventhelp-inventor-develops-improved-food-delivery-bag-lbt-9719-302826052.html

SOURCE InventHelp

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JumpCloud Launches Workflows To Empower IT Teams With Secure And Simple Automation

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July 15, 2026

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Designed with pre-built or custom automations that scale security and creates a seamless bridge to the AI agent era

LOUISVILLE, Colo., July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JumpCloud Inc. today announced JumpCloud Workflows, an intelligent, no-code IT automation engine built directly into its platform. Workflows operate where identities, devices, and access policies already live as a single source of truth. This means IT teams can move faster to provision solutions, harden security, and modernize operations without having to re-platform as they grow.

Workflows is built to solve immediate IT challenges, while seamlessly designed for the growing demands of the agentic era. As AI agents begin doing real productive  work inside the enterprise, teams building on a combined identity-and-device foundation today won’t have to replace everything tomorrow. The JumpCloud foundation is precisely what prepares organizations for what’s next.

Key Capabilities of JumpCloud Workflows

Native no-code automation: Features an intuitive visual builder with pre-built templates for key tasks. This includes user activation and suspension, AI and SaaS license management, and device security fixes. It utilizes multi-trigger logic with zero custom code.Risk-free consumption scaling: Moves away from restrictive per-slot licensing models that force IT teams to ration automation. This ensures every workflow you’ve been holding back can be freely built, tested, and staged.Secure device foundation: Built directly into the core console, workflows run on the live, real-time state of the machine. They don’t rely on stale data synced from external tools.  This approach ensures complete infrastructure resiliency.Automated lifecycle management: Automatically discovers, registers, and manages access permissions across the entire organization. It seamlessly connects HR onboarding processes straight to live endpoint security posture.

“Workflows have been easy to build with. I’ve got a few running tasks that handle the boring audit stuff for me: empty group cleanup, duplicate user detection, and notifying managers when their team gains admin access,” said Joseph Cunningham, head of IT Security & Support, OOONO A/S. “It all ticks away in the background and frees up time for more interesting security work.”

For more information about JumpCloud Workflows, visit jumpcloud.com.

About JumpCloud

JumpCloud® is the AI-powered identity infrastructure that unifies lifecycle management for humans, devices, and autonomous agents. JumpCloud gives IT teams complete visibility and control over every identity and every access point. JumpCloud helps organizations cut complexity, automate secure workflows, and put AI to work safely. Secure every identity. Human or not. Intelligent, secure IT for the agentic era.

Learn more: jumpcloud.com/

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Contact
For JumpCloud
Josie Caracciolo
press@jumpcloud.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jumpcloud-launches-workflows-to-empower-it-teams-with-secure-and-simple-automation-302826599.html

SOURCE JumpCloud, Inc.

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CODiE Awards Announce 2026 Award Winners Recognizing the Most Innovative Products in Technology

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July 15, 2026

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Peer-reviewed program celebrates standout technology solutions following rigorous expert evaluation

IRVINE, Calif., July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The CODiE Awards today announced the 2026 CODiE Award Product Winners, recognizing the most innovative and impactful products across the technology industry.

Celebrating its 40th year, the CODiE Awards remain one of the technology industry’s most respected honors, recognizing products that demonstrate exceptional innovation, quality, and market impact. Selected through one of the industry’s most rigorous peer-reviewed evaluation processes, this year’s winners earned top recognition following live product demonstrations and category-specific scoring by industry experts, educators, and technology leaders.

From artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to digital learning, data, and enterprise software, the 2026 winners represent products and organizations that are solving today’s most pressing challenges while driving the next generation of technological innovation.

“As we celebrate the CODiE Awards’ 40th anniversary, the 2026 Product Winners exemplify the innovation, creativity, and excellence that have defined this program for four decades. These organizations are solving complex challenges, advancing technology, and delivering solutions that make a measurable difference for their customers and industries,” said Jennifer Baranowski, President of the CODiE Awards.

To view the full list of 2026 CODiE Award Product Winners, visit: https://codieawards.com/winners

About the CODiE Awards

The CODiE Awards recognize the companies, products, and leaders shaping the future of technology. Founded in 1986, the program is known for its rigorous, peer-reviewed evaluation process and trusted reputation for recognizing excellence across software, digital learning, AI, data, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies. Through expert judging and transparent evaluation criteria, the CODiE Awards celebrate the products and teams driving meaningful innovation and impact.

Learn more at www.codieawards.com or contact Jennifer Baranowski at jbaranowski@codieawards.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/codie-awards-announce-2026-award-winners-recognizing-the-most-innovative-products-in-technology-302826218.html

SOURCE CODiE Awards

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