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Agentic AI Initiatives Stall When Prototypes Lack Production Discipline, Says Info-Tech Research Group

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Organizations that successfully design agentic AI prototypes often stall at implementation, with many enterprises struggling to move agents from design concept to working prototype. Info-Tech has published a new blueprint, Develop Your Agentic AI Prototype, that provides a five-phase methodology to help teams engineer reproducible, observable, and defensible agentic AI prototypes with the guardrails, observability, and evaluations leaders need to make confident scaling decisions.

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As interest and experimentation in agentic AI continue to accelerate, many organizations are finding that the gap between a promising design and a working, evidence-generating prototype is wider than expected. New findings from Info-Tech Research Group reveal that in order to produce evidence of solution feasibility, viability, and security, agentic AI prototypes require sound architecture, observability, evaluation, cost controls, guardrails, and governance built into the engineering process from the start.

To help organizations move from concept to implementation, the global research and advisory firm has released Develop Your Agentic AI Prototype, a technical blueprint designed for teams that are ready to engineer agentic AI prototypes. The framework provides a structured pathway for transforming agentic AI concepts into measurable, investment-ready systems that leadership can confidently assess and scale.

As organizations race to capitalize on agentic AI opportunities, many teams encounter implementation barriers that prevent promising concepts from advancing beyond isolated demos. Fragile demos often fail when exposed to real-world conditions, cannot scale beyond individual developer environments, or lack the performance evidence required to justify additional investment. According to Info-Tech’s analysis, building sustainable agentic AI systems requires new engineering patterns to address hurdles such as environmental fragility, invisible costs, security gaps, and what the firm describes as “evaluation theater,” when a demo is treated as a meaningful evaluation.

“Organizations have discovered that building an impressive agentic AI demo is relatively easy, but engineering a system that is observable, reliable, secure, and defensible is a very different challenge entirely,” says Meagan Peters, senior research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. “The organizations that succeed will be the ones that treat agentic AI development as an engineering discipline, not just an experimentation exercise.”

Info-Tech’s research highlights three critical insights organizations must embrace to successfully operationalize agentic AI initiatives:

Autonomy isn’t a substitute for architecture – Production readiness doesn’t come from the model; it comes from the architecture underneath it.You can’t optimize what you can’t see – Every run requires tracing for what the agent saw, what it did, where it failed, how long it took, and what it cost.Evaluation turns a demo into a decision – Clear evidence on performance, cost, and reliability turns a demo into an approved investment.

Info-Tech’s Five-Phase Framework to Develop an Agentic AI Prototype

Info-Tech’s blueprint outlines a practical five-phase methodology for developing defensible agentic AI prototypes:

Set up the development stack – Establish a reproducible development environment and runnable repository.Prepare data and build tools – Develop agent-ready data and custom tools for each integration point.Build agents – Create a runnable agentic system with guardrails and human-in-the-loop controls.Evaluate and optimize – Create an observable, measured, and optimized prototype.Document and showcase – Deliver a prototype demonstration and evidence pack that support scaling decisions.

The blueprint is designed specifically for organizations that have already completed Info-Tech’s Develop Your Agentic AI Prototype blueprint and are ready to transition into technical implementation. Supporting resources include coding tutorials, a development template, end-to-end examples, and presentation materials that help teams clearly communicate evaluation results, risk analysis, cost projections, and ROI considerations to leadership stakeholders.

In addition to implementation guidance, the research emphasizes embedding observability, cost controls, guardrails, and human oversight directly into the engineering process rather than layering them on afterward. By integrating these controls from the start, organizations can improve reliability, strengthen governance, and increase stakeholder confidence in agentic AI systems.

The blueprint also provides organizations with a structured approach to demonstrating measurable value. Through evidence packs that include evaluation results, cost projections, and validated demonstrations, leadership teams gain the transparency needed to make informed scaling and funding decisions.

For timely and exclusive commentary from AI implementation expert Meagan Peters of Info-Tech Research Group and access to the complete Develop Your Agentic AI Prototype 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.

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SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group

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Cole Haan Completes Global SAP S/4HANA Transformation Across Three Regions in 18 Months with Applexus’ AI-Powered Delivery

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Three regions. One global cutover. A complex transformation accelerated by AI-powered delivery.

SEATTLE, Nov. 11, 2026 /CNW/ — Applexus Technologies, an AI-first SAP consulting firm, announced the successful go-live of Cole Haan on SAP S/4HANA for fashion and vertical business, completing a complex global transformation across three regions in just 18 months. The program integrated end-to-end business processes across planning, buying, supply chain, wholesale, retail, direct-to-consumer and finance in a single global cutover.

For global fashion and retail brands, the move from the legacy SAP Apparel and Footwear Solution (AFS) to SAP S/4HANA requires a migration strategy that delivers clear business value. Applexus is redefining what’s possible through an AI-enabled delivery model that addresses the speed, risk, cost and customer effort that have traditionally been barriers to S/4HANA modernization. This approach simplifies complexity, accelerates transformation and preserves the capabilities that make each business unique.

Cole Haan’s transformation spanned operations across North America, Europe and Asia, replacing a 20-year-old SAP AFS environment and a separate retail merchandising system. The transformation also included establishing a modern cloud-based enterprise data platform and AI foundation. The program demonstrated that a large-scale transformation can be achieved while maintaining business continuity with no disruption to wholesale shipments or store operations during the single global cutover.

At the center of this transformation was Applexus’ proprietary AI-powered selective migration platform, CeleRITE, which analyzed legacy code, interfaces, data, configurations and access controls to determine what to retain, modernize or retire. This approach reduced technical debt, preserved essential business functionality and established a cleaner, unified SAP S/4HANA foundation.

“Applexus has challenged the traditional approach to SAP transformation,” said Chris Couch, GM of SAP Solutions, Applexus Technologies. “Cole Haan demonstrates what is possible when deep industry expertise and AI-powered delivery come together. We were able to deliver a complex global transformation in just 18 months, creating a faster, lower-risk path to S/4HANA and a compelling business case for modernization.”

“Replacing a 20-year-old system across three regions in a single cutover was one of the biggest projects in Cole Haan’s history, and our teams in every region delivered it without disrupting our business or our customers,” said Tom Linko, CFO and Executive Vice President, Global Operations at Cole Haan. “We now have one global system supporting our wholesale, retail, and digital operations, giving us a simpler, more scalable way to support our growth and a foundation to put data and AI to work across the business. Applexus has been a valuable partner in helping us achieve this transformation.”

About Applexus Technologies

Applexus Technologies is a global intelligent enterprise partner specializing in SAP transformation, Business AI, Data & Analytics and Pricing. Combining deep industry expertise, proprietary AI-powered tools and an AI-enabled delivery model, Applexus helps enterprises navigate complex transformations and accelerate business outcomes.

Learn more at www.applexus.com.

About Cole Haan

Cole Haan is a global American lifestyle brand distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide. For nearly a century, Cole Haan has combined time-honored craft with modern innovation to create footwear and lifestyle accessories that bring style and comfort together in unexpected ways. Today, the brand continues to build on that legacy with a growing collection designed for modern life.

Learn more at colehaan.com and follow @colehaan.

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SOURCE Applexus Technologies Private Limited

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EBSCO Information Services Introduces Environment Source Ultimate to Support Full-Text Environmental Research

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~ New full-text database supports research in environmental studies, sustainability, and environmental science ~

IPSWICH, Mass., Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) announces the release of Environment Source Ultimate, a full-text research database supporting interdisciplinary study across environmental sciences. The database provides access to journals, magazines, professional publications, and e-books covering environmental research and sustainability.

Designed to support students, faculty, and researchers, Environment Source Ultimate features 1,147 active full-text journals and magazines, along with a companion collection of 100 EBSCOhost eBooks from leading publishers. This breadth of content provides interdisciplinary perspectives on environmental issues ranging from ecology and natural resource management to renewable energy and environmental health. Subjects covered include:

Agricultural EducationBotanyEcologyEnvironmental EducationEnvironmental HealthEnvironmental Management & ProtectionEnvironmental SciencesEnvironmental TechnologyForests and ForestryGeography & CartographyHydrologyMarine SciencesMeteorologyOceanographyRenewable Energy

EBSCO Director of Product Management for Research Databases, Kimberly Clarkson said the database reflects the interdisciplinary nature of environmental research. “Environmental research increasingly crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries, connecting areas such as science, energy, agriculture, health, and natural resource management. Environment Source Ultimate gives researchers access to a broad range of full-text content that can help them explore these connections and examine environmental questions from multiple perspectives.”

Learn more about Environment Source Ultimate, EBSCO’s full-text database for environmental science, sustainability, and related research.

About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) helps people find, access, and apply trusted information. Through its world-renowned EBSCOhost research databases, along with EBSCOhost AI Exchange, EBSCO delivers high-quality research content and advanced search & discovery technologies to more than 79,000 institutions across the library, education, healthcare, and corporate markets in 150+ countries. EBSCO is also the leading provider of journal and book subscription & acquisition management services, and a major provider of clinical decision-support solutions. For more information, visit the EBSCO website. Visit our blog at EBSCOpost or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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SOURCE EBSCO Information Services

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Raise3D Launches the T450 and T700, the Most Affordable Large-Format 3D Printers with an Actively Heated Chamber

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The T450 and T700 offer build volumes of 450 × 350 × 400 mm and 700 × 500 × 1,000 mm, starting at US$4,999 / €4,999 and US$15,999 / €15,999, with actively heated chambers and fiber-ready nozzles; both debut at Formnext 2026.

FRANKFURT, Germany, Nov. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Raise3D today introduced the T450 and T700, the most affordable large-format industrial 3D printers with an actively heated chamber, extending its T Series to build volumes of 450 × 350 × 400 mm and 700 × 500 × 1,000 mm. Both will be shown for the first time at Formnext 2026 in Frankfurt from November 17 to 20.

Raise3D also announced a 100 mm build-height increase for its RMS220 selective laser sintering (SLS) printer, enabled by a software update, and introduced the B520 automated sandblaster for polymer powder bed parts. Raise3D completed a US$15 million funding round in November 2026, supporting development across large-format FFF, SLS and DLP, hardware-software integration, application development, and expansion into new applications and markets.

What Makes the Best Large-Format 3D Printer for Production?

Two questions decide the machine: whether the part can be produced in one piece, and whether the printer can run long jobs in a factory environment while continuing to make parts that meet specification. Both put pressure on motion control across a large working area and on process stability over multi-day prints, which is what the T Series is built around.

T450 and T700: Build Volume and Specifications

Model

Build volume (W × D × H)

Build volume

Heated chamber

Standard nozzle

US price

Europe price

T450

450 × 350 × 400 mm

63 L

up to 70°C

0.4 mm

US$4,999

€4,999

T700

700 × 500 × 1,000 mm

350 L

up to 60°C

0.6 mm

US$15,999

€15,999

The T450 suits jigs and fixtures, casting patterns, large prototypes and production aids. The T700 suits large tooling, patterns and other large-format applications. Both use fused filament fabrication (FFF) and share one tech platform.

T450 and T700 Highlights

Big parts in one piece: build volumes of 450 × 350 × 400 mm and 700 × 500 × 1,000 mm, so suitable jigs, tooling and patterns do not have to be split, bonded and finished.Steady motion across a long span: a 4MD CoreXY system with four frame-mounted motors, designed to reduce vibration, surface ringing and the risk of layer shifts.High-flow extrusion: TwinFlow™ feeds two filament paths into one nozzle, reaching up to 600 mm/s and 80 mm³/s under the reference test conditions[1], and switches to two materials for soluble supports or dual-color parts.Actively heated chamber: Air Flow Manager 2 adjusts the chamber by material, holding up to 70°C on the T450 and 60°C on the T700 for large ABS and nylon parts, and switching to directed cooling with an automatic top vent for lower-temperature materials such as PLA.Fiber-ready hot end: a 420°C nozzle and 120°C build plate, with a copper-chromium-zirconium base and solid silicon carbide tip for compounds such as PET CF, PPA CF and PPS CF.Built for long runs: camera monitoring, spaghetti, flow and run-out detection, power-loss recovery and an emergency stop, with RFID material identification, mesh leveling and ideaMaker support.

CEO Edward Feng said:

“Larger build areas open up applications that were previously limited by size. A scoliosis brace is one of them. It has to be printed in one piece, because a brace that is split into sections and bonded back together does not have the strength a brace needs to hold the spine. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis affects around 1 to 3 percent of teenagers, and a build area that is too small only covers a child’s torso. On the T450, an adolescent brace fits inside the 450 × 350 mm build area with room to spare, so it comes off the machine as a single part. The same reasoning applies to tooling, patterns and production aids.”

Application Example: Battery Cell Transport Trays

Power-battery manufacturing puts that constraint at a different scale. Jigs and fixtures must suit different products and production lines, and conventional machining can involve long lead times and design constraints, particularly for high-mix, low-volume requirements.

For cell-transport trays, Raise3D used the T450 and T700, alongside material, structural design and process optimization. Production time fell from about 40 days to 10 days, and tray weight from about 8 kg to 2 kg, reductions of approximately 75% in both. The gain came from the combination of build area, extrusion throughput and material choice, which is the combination the T Series is built around.

From FFF to SLS: RMS220 Adds 100 mm of Build Height

Work with production customers has shown that the limit on part size is not specific to FFF. The same pressure appears in selective laser sintering (SLS), where build height decides how tall a part can be and how many parts fit in one build.

Raise3D’s RMS220 SLS printer now offers a build volume of 220 × 220 × 450 mm (approximately 21.8 L), up from 220 × 220 × 350 mm (17 L). The additional 100 mm of Z height increases build height and build volume by approximately 30%, and is enabled through a software update on existing machines, without a hardware change.

The taller build space allows suitable components that previously exceeded the 350 mm height to be produced in a single build and provides more room for nesting.

B520: Automated Sandblasting for Powder Bed Parts

The same customer conversations surfaced a second constraint, one that comes after the print. Print services often run powder bed parts from more than one machine brand, and all of those parts need cleaning and surface treatment.

The B520 is an automated sandblaster for polymer powder bed parts. Its enclosed workstation combines automatic blasting, air blow-off and ionization, and a manual mode allows operators to reach deep recesses and shielded areas. Suitable parts can be processed as a programmed batch. The independent system supports the RMS220 as well as third-party SLS, MJF, SAF and HSS equipment, and its standard and large baskets have internal volumes of 24.8 L and 75.5 L, respectively.

The RMS220 update widens what can be built in one cycle; the B520 addresses what happens to those parts afterwards.

Availability and Pricing

The T450 is priced at US$4,999 in the United States and €4,999 in Europe; the T700 at US$15,999 and €15,999. Prices for the two industrial 3D printers exclude configuration, tax, shipping and service terms, which are set in the regional quotation. Deliveries of the T450 begin by the end of December 2026, with the T700 expected by the end of January 2027. Buy T450/ T700 now.

Join Raise3D at Formnext 2026

Both printers will be at Formnext 2026 in Frankfurt from November 17 to 20, in Hall 12.1, Stand D21.

[1] The reference test conditions for TwinFlow™’s maximum volumetric flow of 80 mm³/s: Raise3D Hyper Speed ABS V2 filament, 250°C nozzle temperature and a 0.4 mm nozzle, printing a single-wall smooth structure. Actual performance depends on material, nozzle, layer height, model and print settings.

About Raise3D

Raise3D develops 3D printers, materials, software and additive manufacturing solutions for professional and industrial applications. With offices in the United States, Europe and Asia, the company has built an ecosystem integrating FFF, DLP and SLS technologies to support workflows from prototyping to end-product production. Its quality and environmental management systems are certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001, respectively. To Learn more, visit www.raise3d.com.

Watch the Raise3D T450 video.

Raise3D Media Kit

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SOURCE Raise3D

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