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AOI Marks 1 Millionth 1.8GHz Amplifier Shipped, Unveils New Broadband & Optical Product Demos at SCTE TechExpo 2026

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ATLANTA, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SCTE TECHEXPO— AOI (NASDAQ: AAOI), a leading provider of advanced optical and HFC networking products powering AI, today unveiled the demonstrations, new product arrivals, milestone celebrations, and speaker activity it brings to the SCTE TechExpo 2026 in Atlanta, September 29 – October 2.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/aoi/9418951-en-aoi-ships-millionth-amplifier-unveils-new-products-at-scte-techexpo-2026

Under the theme “Network Intelligence. Delivered.,” AOI will host customers and partners at booth #H1448 (Building B) this week with demos spanning its Quantum18® amplifier portfolio, the QuantumLink™ software portfolio for remote network management and predictive maintenance — and the first public showing of the new QuantumWave™ tunable module for standardizing transport optics across the network core, hub and nodes.

A Historic Manufacturing Milestone
Front and center at AOI’s booth will be a fully functioning golden Quantum 18 HGD amplifier display commemorating one of the industry’s most significant hardware milestones: AOI Quantum Bandwidth has shipped its 1 millionth 1.8GHz amplifier.

The milestone reflects more than 25 years of manufacturing innovation. AOI has produced HFC amplifiers since 1997, beginning with the GainMaker platform it built and sold to industry tech vendors for many years as an ODM partner. AOI launched the Quantum Bandwidth brand in 2023, bringing its accumulated manufacturing legacy together with intelligent, predictive software to support autonomous network operations with AI for faster detection and response. With more than 1 million 1.8GHz amplifiers shipped to-date, AOI is the backbone of the broadband plant across the country.

“SCTE TechExpo is where our customers come to see what’s next, and this year we’re bringing proof of the dedicated R&D we have done to deliver on the vision for the future of connectivity,” said Steve Pederson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Broadband Business, AOI. “From a live 3.0GHz network running in the booth to the one-millionth 1.8GHz amplifier we’ve shipped, each element of our presence this year reflects the same commitment: building the intelligent infrastructure that operators need to deliver broadband experiences people can rely on.”

Live at the Booth: How AOI is Helping Customers Expand Spectrum and Manage Intelligent Networks
Front and center is a first-of-its-kind concept demo showing a live downstream operation at 3.0GHz over a coaxial plant, showing the spectrum migration path continuing beyond 1.8 GHz. The demo consists of actual working hardware featuring a 3.0GHz concept amplifier, SC-QAMs, OFDM channels, and a 3.0GHz DOCSIS signal generator.

The live demo walls also feature AOI’s full QuantumLink remote management software platform, running live on actual AOI amplifiers and nodes. Today, the company introduced new AI-driven capabilities within the platform that enable operators to turn visibility into immediate action. New capabilities include:

Self-Optimization
QuantumLink Central’s AI doesn’t stop at finding network issues. It acts on them. When it detects a performance problem, it recommends and applies adjustments that keep the rest of the network stable until a permanent fix is made. Operators stay in control and approve each change before it is applied.AI-Driven Automated Impairment Detection & Localization
Tracking down the source of a network impairment has long been a slow, manual job that often needs technicians in the field. QuantumLink Central uses AI to detect impairments and pinpoint where they are coming from, remotely and automatically. This cuts troubleshooting time and truck rolls.Network Health and Device Health
QuantumLink Central gives operators a clear, real-time view of the health of their whole network. AI-driven health insights help teams quickly see where attention is needed most. They can then prioritize their work and move from reactive troubleshooting to proactive network management.Predictive Maintenance
QuantumLink Central uses AI to spot developing issues before they affect subscribers. It forecasts potential faults and tells operators how confident it is in each forecast and how much lead time they have. Maintenance can then be planned, instead of carried out as an emergency.

“Every hour a field team spends hunting for the source of a network issue, is an hour it isn’t spending on the next upgrade,” said Sahil Yadav, Head of Software and AI for AOI’s Broadband Business. “We built these new AI capabilities in QL Central to take that burden off operators. It gives them a clear view of network health, early warning of developing faults, and automated tools that find and address impairments remotely. It’s a practical step toward autonomous network operations, and we look forward to showing it live at SCTE TechExpo.”

AOI will have its Quantum18 amplifier family on display in multiple configurations, including HGBT, HGD, MB, BLE, Bridge, and GSN Node variants, giving engineers and procurement teams an up-close look at the popular amplifiers powering broadband networks across North America today.

First Look: QuantumWave Tunable Module
SCTE TechExpo 2026 marks the public debut of AOI’s QuantumWave™ 25G Tunable SFP, the newest addition to the Quantum Bandwidth product family. As operators deploy DOCSIS 4.0 and Distributed Access Architectures (DAA), transport links between the CCAP or virtualized core, aggregation hubs, and Remote PHY/Remote MACPHY devices are increasingly outgrowing traditional 10G connectivity. QuantumWave gives operators a cost-effective, compact option for mid-haul and backhaul links. They can deploy at 10G today and turn on 25G when traffic demands it, with no optics swap.

Key Benefits Include:

Dual-mode 10G/25G Operation: Configure for 10G or 25G NRZ in the same hot-pluggable SFP28 module, so capacity can grow without replacing hardware.Simplified Inventory: A narrow-linewidth C-band tunable laser covers 48 DWDM channels (ITU channels 16–63, 100 GHz spacing), so one part number replaces wavelength-specific spares.Extended Reach: Up to 40 km at 25G and up to 80 km at 10G on single-mode fiber, with an APD receiver and CDR with electronic dispersion compensation.Built for the Outside Plant: Operates from -20°C to 85°C with -40°C cold-start support and uses a copper upper cover for heat dissipation.Low Power: Under 4.5W on a single 3.3V supply.

Speaker Session: “The Intelligent 6GHz HFC Network”
Sahil Yadav, Head of Software and AI for AOI’s Broadband Unit, will present on the convergence of extended spectrum and network intelligence. In the session, “The Intelligent 6GHz HFC Network,” panelists will explore what AI-driven operations on today’s 1.8 GHz plant teach us about the road to 3 and 6 GHz, from turning smart amplifier telemetry into predictive insight to building the trust operators need before automation takes over. A must-see session for technology and business leaders, network architects, and operations teams deciding how AI and extended spectrum fit into their network roadmap. Full access pass holders can experience the session on Wednesday, September 30, 12:45 – 2:00 pm on the Convergence stage. Full details here.

New Insights: AOI’s TechExpo Blog Series
AOI published two new blogs as resources for cable operators planning their next network upgrades. In the Q&A blog, “What AI Actually Needs Before It Can Run the Network,” Sahil Yadav, Senior Director of Software Development for AOI’s Broadband Business, explains why accurate telemetry and network visibility, rather than the AI model itself, are the foundation for moving AI from pilots into production, and where operators should start with automation. Read the blog here.

The companion checklist blog, “DOCSIS 4.0 Deployment: Questions Every Operator Should Ask,” covers the key questions operators should answer before replacing amplifiers: which parts of the network to upgrade first, whether passives, power and transport optics are ready, and how remote management can change day-to-day operations. Read the blog here.

Introducing “Hot Topics”
“Hot Topics,” is a new video series out now from AOI that pairs industry VIPs with candid conversation while trying our latest hot & spicy sauces on chicken wings. As each episode unfolds, guests tackle touch questions while working through progressively hotter sauces while they do it. Our debut episode features Mark Bridges, President and CTO of CableLabs getting while covering the technology decisions, operator priorities, and industry shifts defining broadband’s next chapter. Watch the debut episode here.

It’s Here! Season Two of AOI’s ‘Spicy Slice’ Campaign
AOI’s “Spicy Slice” campaign is back and brings the heat with new daring cable industry experts facing new challenges while tasting new hot sauces! Watch the new season here. Come by the booth to try Packet Loss Pete, created for the cautious, and Coaxial Combustion for the most daring, among several other flavors.

New White Paper: Beyond 1.8 GHz: Evaluating Paths to 3.0GHz
AOI has also published a new white paper, “Beyond 1.8 GHz: Evaluating Paths to 3.0 GHz HFC Networks,” to help cable operators plan their next phase of spectrum expansion. The paper gives operators a three-part decision framework covering the engineering constraints, the engineering responses, and the operational and economic factors. Read the whitepaper here.

New Podcast Episode: ‘The Layer 1 Lounge’ in the AOI Studio: ‘Beyond DOCSIS 4.0: Is 3 GHz the Future of Cable Networks?’
The cable industry is deep into DOCSIS 4.0 deployments at 1.8 GHz, so why are engineers already talking about 3 GHz? In this Podcast episode, AOI’s Corey Chapman, Head of Product Management for AOI’s Broadband Business, breaks down what it actually takes to push HFC networks to 3.0GHz: the physics of signal loss, amplifier architecture tradeoffs, energy efficiency constraints, and the industry consensus still being built. View the Podcast here.

Additional Resources:

AOI Quantum BandwidthAOI HFC AmplifiersQuantumLinkQuantumWaveAOI NewsroomAOI Studio

About AOI
Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical and HFC networking products that are the building blocks for AI datacenters, CATV and broadband fiber access networks around the world. AOI supplies this critical infrastructure to tier-one customers across cloud computing, CATV broadband, telecom, and FTTH markets. The company has R&D facilities in Atlanta, GA, and engineering and manufacturing facilities at its corporate headquarters in Sugar Land, TX, as well as in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China. For additional information, visit www.ao-inc.com

 

 

 

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aoi-marks-1-millionth-1-8ghz-amplifier-shipped-unveils-new-broadband–optical-product-demos-at-scte-techexpo-2026–302892028.html

SOURCE Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.

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Craig Group Hires Ryan Williams as Director of Business Development, Bringing 15+ Years of Private Markets Experience

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HOUSTON, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Craig Group today announced the addition of Ryan Williams as Director, Business Development, expanding the firm’s relationships across the private equity and venture capital ecosystem. In his role, Williams will partner with PE/VC firms and their portfolio companies to identify growth opportunities, make strategic connections, and bring Craig Group’s operator-led go-to-market (GTM) programs to middle-market, PE-backed companies.

Williams has spent his career in sales and business development leadership across private equity, venture capital, institutional investing, enterprise software, and technology. His network spans investment professionals, operating partners, portfolio-company executives, and C-suite decision-makers, and his relationship-first approach has consistently turned those connections into measurable business outcomes.

“Ryan understands that in private equity, growth starts with trust,” said Summer Craig, CEO of Craig Group. “He has spent his career building lasting relationships with sponsors and portfolio leadership, and he knows how to connect the right partners at the right time. That approach aligns with how we support our clients, and helps more sponsors put our operator-led GTM programs to work across their portfolios.”

Most recently, Williams served as Director of Private Equity/Venture Capital at Consero Global, where he worked closely with PE/VC firms and their portfolio companies on relationship development, deal sourcing, and strategic introductions. He previously led a Private Markets practice and managed a team of nine Account Executives, driving the team to exceed its annual target by 160% while increasing average deal size by 22%. Under his leadership, the team generated more than $6 million in net-new ARR and achieved 132% of quota, with his personal attainment reaching 121%.

Williams’ career highlights include securing Cascade Investments, the largest single-family office in the United States, and developing a partnership with a Managing Partner at Madison Dearborn Partners that resulted in a solution implemented across the firm’s portfolio of over 40 companies. Earlier, he was a seven-time consecutive President’s Club recipient, managed a $4 million book of business, and relocated from Chicago to Mexico City to launch his company’s Latin American division.

“Lasting growth comes from relationships built on trust, not transactions,” said Williams. “Craig Group’s operators run the work they scope, and that’s a promise I’m proud to bring to the sponsors and executives I’ve worked alongside for years. I’m excited to help create new opportunities for the firm and connect our clients with the growth partner they need.”

Williams holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Jackson State University.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tricia Eaton – tricia@craigmarketinggroup.com

About Craig Group

Craig Group is an operator-led growth partner that embeds with management teams to diagnose, design, and execute end-to-end GTM programs, accelerating revenue and EBITDA growth for lower-middle-market, PE-backed companies. The firm delivers full-spectrum strategy and execution (audits, positioning, infrastructure, and day-to-day campaign management) with no handoffs between consultants and agencies. Craig Group’s teams, former CROs, RevOps leaders, and subject-matter experts run the work they scope, and its Conduit Revenue Platform gives sponsors real-time visibility into pipeline health and marketing ROI. Sectors include industrials, manufacturing, SaaS, healthcare, and B2B services.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/craig-group-hires-ryan-williams-as-director-of-business-development-bringing-15-years-of-private-markets-experience-302891109.html

SOURCE Craig Group

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Rain-X® Reimagines Wiper Blade Installation with Industry’s First AI-Powered Web App

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New web-based experience delivers personalized installation guidance in seconds

HOUSTON, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Replacing a wiper blade should be simple. For many drivers, it is anything but. Today, Rain-X®, America’s #1 wiper blade brand, introduced the industry’s first AI-powered wiper blade web app installation experience, designed to make replacing wiper blades faster, easier and more intuitive through personalized, step-by-step guidance.

As vehicles have evolved and wiper arm designs have become more varied, what should take a few minutes can turn into sorting through adapters, unfolding hard-to-read instructions, or searching for the correct installation video. In fact, installation complexity has become one of the industry’s biggest challenges, with 56% of U.S. wiper blade consumers citing installation and instructions as their top pain point. Rain-X has spent years listening to consumers, giving the brand firsthand insight into one of the most common frustrations in routine vehicle maintenance and inspiring a new approach focused on making installation simple.

Drivers simply scan the QR code on Rain-X wiper blade packaging and point their smartphone camera at the wiper arm. Powered by AI and computer vision, the web app recognizes the wiper arm and delivers personalized, step-by-step installation guidance tailored to the driver’s specific vehicle. Instead of searching for the right video, sorting through instructions or guessing which adapter to use, drivers receive clear guidance in seconds, helping them complete the installation with confidence and get back on the road.

The new experience makes Rain-X the first brand in the category to offer an AI-powered web app for wiper blade installation, bringing a more intuitive approach to a routine vehicle-maintenance task.

“Installing wiper blades shouldn’t require a mechanic’s knowledge or a frustrating trial-and-error process,” said Soroor Rahnama, Head of Marketing at Rain-X. “We built this tool because every driver deserves a clear, confidence-building path to a simple task. That’s the whole idea – take something that’s always felt more complicated than it should be and make it easy and intuitive for everyone.”

Developed in partnership with Saritasa, the tool combines Rain-X’s deep understanding of consumer needs with advanced digital technology to create a more intuitive installation experience.

At launch, the web app supports installation guidance for 220 million vehicle applications, representing 93% of vehicles on the road, with coverage continuing to expand as additional applications are added.

The AI-powered installation experience began rolling out on select Rain-X wiper blade programs in late August, with availability expanding across all Rain-X wiper blade programs in the fall of 2026. By the end of the year, the guided experience will also expand to include uninstallation, giving drivers a complete, start-to-finish walkthrough for the wiper blade replacement process.

The launch marks another step in Rain-X’s ongoing commitment to making everyday vehicle maintenance easier, more intuitive and more accessible.

About Rain-X
Rain-X is America’s #1 Wiper Blade brand. For over 50 years, Rain-X® has provided drivers with products to help them Outsmart the Elements ™. With our Original Glass Treatment™ water-beading technology, Wiper Blades and Glass Cleaners; Rain-X® leads the automotive aftermarket in glass care. In recent years, the Rain-X® portfolio has expanded to include other types of car care products such as our Car Washes, Windshield Repair Kits, Bug & Tar Removers, and Headlight Restoration Kits. All Rain-X® products are designed for effortless car care and deliver visible performance; the Magic You Can See.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rain-x-reimagines-wiper-blade-installation-with-industrys-first-ai-powered-web-app-302893015.html

SOURCE Rain-X

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Norstella Launches Real-World Data Agentic Platform and First Agent to Replace Manual Cohort Building

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New agentic platform for real-world data debuts with its first agent, Atlas Patient Analytics, built on Norstella’s structured and unstructured RWD foundation — with additional agents on the way

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Norstella, the global biopharma commercial intelligence and data company, today launched its new agentic platform for real-world data.

The platform is built on Norstella’s curated, integrated real-world data asset and centralized delivery system. With it, teams have full transparency: They can pull data on demand, track every request from status updates to SLAs, and explore other data modalities across NorstellaLinQ to enrich their cohorts.

The platform’s agent, Atlas Patient Analytics, gives biopharma teams something the current wave of AI plus real-world data tools hasn’t delivered: not just an answer, but a defensible, reproducible cohort. Teams build, explore, and reuse patient cohorts on Norstella’s real-world data through natural conversation — and can see, verify, and rerun every criterion behind the result.

“Every breakthrough therapy starts with understanding the right patients,” said Kris Kaneta, Chief Product and Innovation Officer. “With our new agentic platform for real-world data, people doing the foundational work of cohort-building get swift, transparent access to the data they need. This shift is the difference between a therapy that reaches patients in need and one that doesn’t.”

Atlas Patient Analytics is built for real-world evidence (RWE), health economics and outcomes research (HEOR), feasibility, and data-science teams who already license Norstella real-world data but still depend on manual SQL and custom analyst pulls to turn that data into a usable cohort. It is also built for commercial analytics and market access teams who are looking to size a patient population themselves, without waiting on a data pull.

Unlike tools that pair real-world data with a general-purpose chat assistant and return a count with no visible logic, Atlas Patient Analytics shows the inclusion and exclusion criteria, code sets, and query logic behind a supported cohort and preserves that definition so it can be rerun and verified, not just recalled.

“Every real-world data vendor is going to tell you they’re fast,” said Ilan Behm, SVP of RWD and Commercial Strategy at Norstella. “Fast isn’t the differentiator anymore — everyone got fast. What matters is whether the answer is one you can stand behind. Norstella customers already license some of the richest real-world data in specialty and complex therapeutic areas — Atlas Patient Analytics turns that into a cohort you can defend, rerun, and take into your own environment, in the time it used to take to get a meeting on an analyst’s calendar.”

Atlas Patient Analytics is designed for teams that currently license Norstella real-world data, where the agent makes that data faster and easier to use, reuse, and expand. Key features include:

Built on NorstellaLinQ: Runs on Norstella’s real-world data foundation spanning more than 85 million EHR-covered lives, 350 million unique patients, and 3 billion clinical notes, with roughly seven years of linked patient historyConversational cohort building: Describe the population you need in plain language, refine the definition through dialogue, and review inclusion/exclusion criteria, code sets, and logic in an inspection-first view before running the analysisPortable by design: Cohort-level data and query logic move into your own environment — S3, SFTP, Snowflake Databricks — and it’s purpose-built on Norstella’s specialty real-world data in complex therapeutic areas, not a general-purpose AI layer on a one-size-fits-all data setCentralized delivery: Self-service, on-demand data delivery with full visibility into request status, data enhancements and SLA history”Bring your own code” lists: Upload custom code lists to shape a cohort definition around your own criteriaReproducible, not just recalled: Run a supported cohort to produce an authoritative patient count, attrition, and a standard descriptive profile, with the underlying definition and logic preserved so it can be rerun and reusedFeasibility without full access: Where permitted, preview feasibility across additional Norstella real-world data you don’t yet license, without gaining full access to itIntentionally flexible: Available now through a managed, conversation-led experience, with API access for dashboard feeds and a governed MCP access path for customer cloud and agent environments planned for later in 2026

Atlas Patient Analytics builds on the momentum of Norstella Atlas, the agentic platform that powers all of Norstella, and Atlas CI, the first agent on the platform, built for competitive intelligence teams. Atlas Patient Analytics extends that same agentic approach to real-world data and is one of roughly a half-dozen additional agents Norstella plans to bring to market across the platform before the end of the year, each purpose-built for specific biopharma teams and use cases.

“Atlas Patient Analytics is proof of where Norstella is headed,” said Kaneta. “But identifying the right patients is only the beginning. Biopharma teams need to understand those patients in depth — their treatment journeys, the HCPs treating them, and the clinical and access dynamics shaping their care. With Atlas and our AI development engine powering all that we do, we’re excited to bring a suite of AI agents to market that will provide value across the drug life cycle.”

Norstella will be demonstrating recently launched agents at BioTechX USA in Boston on Sept. 29 & 30.

About Norstella

Norstella is the AI company for biopharma’s highest-stakes decisions. A global life sciences company trusted by every Top 100 pharma company and industry experts the world over, Norstella unites market-leading brands — Citeline, Evaluate, MMIT, Panalgo, Skipta, and The Dedham Group — turning decision-grade data, insights and expertise into AI you can act on. Visit norstella.ai and follow us on LinkedIn for more.

Media Contact

Diffusion PR for Norstella, Norstella, 1 888-200-9288, norstella@diffusionpr.com, www.norstella.com

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/norstella-launches-real-world-data-agentic-platform-and-first-agent-to-replace-manual-cohort-building-302892781.html

SOURCE Norstella

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