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Pearson Acquires Workera, a Pioneer in AI-Native Enterprise Assessment and Skills Verification

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Pearson strengthens enterprise offering with adaptive assessment and skills intelligence to meet growing demand for workforce transformation in the era of AI

LONDON, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pearson (FTSE: PSON.L), the world’s lifelong learning company, today announced it has agreed to acquire Workera, the AI-native skills intelligence platform used by leading enterprises to verify what their workforce can actually do.

Workera combines agentic AI, psychometrics and adaptive assessment to measure demonstrated proficiency through role-specific scenarios and simulations. Its proven technology and top tier talent will accelerate Pearson’s ability to help enterprises build the workforce they need for AI-driven transformation, reflecting Pearson’s continued investment in enterprise skilling.

Workera’s technology gives business leaders:

A live baseline of workforce capability, including AI fluencyTargeted development, sending each employee to the specific learning that closes their gapsVerified outcomes that show whether skills actually improved, giving leaders defensible ROI on AI and learning investmentsBetter talent decisions across hiring, internal mobility, redeployment and strategic workforce planning

Vishaal Gupta, President, Enterprise Learning & Skills at Pearson, said: “In the era of AI, an organization’s ability to assess and develop skills will be key. Workera has pioneered a new approach to continuously measuring and validating workforce capabilities, giving organizations an accurate understanding of the skills they have today and what they will need in the future. Combining Workera’s talented workforce and technology, with Pearson’s expertise in learning and assessment, strengthens our ability to help enterprises close skills gaps faster and build more agile and capable workforces.”

Kian Katanforoosh, founder and CEO, Workera, said: “The future will require all of us to develop new skills and learn faster than ever. We built Workera to harness AI so people can discover what they’re capable of, organizations can recognize talent they might otherwise overlook, and learning can lead to progress you can actually see.  Pearson has helped people learn and grow around the world for generations. Together, we’ll bring Workera’s AI and Pearson’s deep expertise in learning and assessment to a shared ambition: building the gold standard for workforce readiness and helping people achieve more than they thought possible.”

Workera serves blue-chip enterprises, including leaders such as ServiceNow, Accenture, and the United States Space Force. Upon completion, Workera will become part of Pearson’s Enterprise Learning & Skills business unit, and Workera co-founder and CEO Kian Katanforoosh will join its leadership team.

Workera was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA. The company serves enterprise and government customers and has a team of approximately 60 people.

Completion of the acquisition is expected to occur in H2 2026 subject to regular closing conditions, including any required regulatory filings or approvals. 

About Pearson

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realise the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That’s why our c.18,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world’s lifelong learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital learning and assessments experiences, verified skills, and credentials.  For us, learning isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are. Visit us at plc.pearson.com.

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Dan Nelson (US) dan.nelson@pearson.com

Laura Ewart (UK) Laura.ewart@pearson.com

Investor Relations

Alex Shore

Steph Crinnegan

Eliza Hardwick

Brennan Matthews

ir@pearson.com

+44 (0) 7720 947 853

 +44 (0) 7780 555 351

+44 (0) 7909 532 801

+1 (332) 238-8785

https://plc.pearson.com/en-GB/investors

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SOURCE Pearson

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Resonant Link Medical Launches Next-Generation Vivigo™, the Industry’s Most Advanced Wireless Power Platform for Implantable Medical Devices

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The universal wireless power and data platform combines innovative technology, validated engineering tools, and rapid integration services to help implantable device companies reduce development risk and accelerate commercialization.

BURLINGTON, Vt., Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Resonant Link Medical, an innovative medical technology company redefining wireless power and data transfer for implantable devices, today announced the launch of Vivigo™ 2.0, its next-generation wireless power platform for implantable medical devices. Built on Resonant Link Medical’s proven Aurion WPT™ technology, Vivigo™ gives device developers a ready-to-integrate platform for wireless power that reduces risk, accelerates development, and helps bring life-changing technologies to market faster. The platform delivers ultra-fast wireless energy transfer over an extended range, enabling a new generation of implantable technologies that are smaller, smarter, and longer lasting. It supports both rechargeable implants, with charging in as little as 20 minutes, and battery-free devices requiring uninterrupted wireless power.

Vivigo™ gives innovators an advanced wireless power platform that enables smaller, smarter implantable devices designed for MRI compatibility while reducing development risk and accelerating the path to commercialization

For decades, most implantable medical devices were intentionally designed around the limitations of non-rechargeable batteries because developing safe, reliable, and patient-friendly wireless power systems was too complex, too risky, and too difficult to integrate. Today, implantable devices are evolving beyond simple therapy delivery to incorporate continuous sensing, high-speed data transfer, artificial intelligence, and closed-loop algorithms. Together, these capabilities require substantially more power than previous generations of implantable devices, making advanced wireless power an essential enabling technology. Vivigo™ changes the equation by providing a wireless power platform that reduces development risk and gives innovators the confidence to build the next generation of smaller, smarter, longer-lasting implantable medical devices.

“Implantable devices are becoming dramatically more intelligent, but they can’t become more intelligent without fundamentally rethinking how they’re powered,” said Omari Bouknight, CEO of Resonant Link Medical. “Vivigo™ gives innovators an advanced wireless power platform that enables smaller, smarter implantable devices designed for MRI compatibility while reducing development risk and accelerating the path to commercialization. Medical device companies shouldn’t have to become wireless power experts to bring breakthrough therapies to patients. With Vivigo™, they can build on our platform and focus their time, energy, and innovation where it matters most: creating the next generation of intelligent implantable medicine.”

Media Contact

Rachel Allard, Resonant Link Medical, 1 802-448-8220, rallard@rlmedical.com, https://rlmedical.com/

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SOURCE Resonant Link Medical

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CyberRatings.org and NSS Labs Announce 2026 Cloud Network Firewall Test Results

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Security Effectiveness Ranges from 0% to 99.95%

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — CyberRatings.org (CyberRatings), the non-profit organization dedicated to providing confidence in cybersecurity products and services through independent testing, today announced the results of its latest Cloud Network Firewall (CNFW) evaluation. Tests were conducted by NSS Labs and are now available at no cost on the CyberRatings.org website.

Only 4 out of 9 were Recommended. Native cloud firewalls were far less consistent than dedicated 3rd party offerings.

Of the nine products tested, only four earned a Recommended rating and native cloud firewalls were far less consistent than dedicated third-party offerings. Each of the Recommended products achieved 99.7% or higher in Security Effectiveness:

Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation FirewallHPE Juniper Networking vSRX Next Generation FirewallPalo Alto Networks VM-Series Next-Generation FirewallVersa Networks Next Generation Firewall

Check Point CloudGuard Network Security Next-Gen Firewall earned a Neutral rating despite the highest Security Effectiveness at 99.95% due to its above-average price per Mbps.

AWS Network Firewall and Microsoft Azure Firewall both received 0% for Security Effectiveness, resulting in their Caution ratings. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) NGFW Enterprise at 77.45% Security Effectiveness and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual at 66.10% Security Effectiveness also placed them in Caution.

Products from cloud service providers and third-party security vendors (the latter deployed on Amazon Web Services) were evaluated under identical conditions using the NSS Labs Cloud Network Firewall Test Methodology v4.1, with real-world exploits, evasion techniques, malware, false-positive samples, and sustained enterprise traffic loads.

Evasions were tested with 5,004 attacks spanning 43 techniques across OSI Layers 3, 4, and 7. Attackers use evasions to disguise malicious traffic and bypass inspection; one successful evasion can enable an entire class of exploits or malware, so strong evasion handling is essential.

“With attackers routinely using evasion techniques to slip past inspection, the products that earned a Recommended rating this year proved they can hold up under real conditions,” said Vikram Phatak, CEO of CyberRatings.org. “Buyers should weigh evasion resistance and TLS inspection as heavily as raw block rates.”

Recommendations for Buyers

Test regularly. Agile development and CI/CD pipelines let vendors ship improvements quickly, but rapid change can also introduce regressions that quietly erode protection.Treat native cloud firewalls as a baseline, not a finish line. Validate exploit blocking, malware blocking, and evasion resistance against organizational requirements before relying on a native offering as a primary control.Require TLS inspection and weigh evasion resistance heavily. A firewall that cannot inspect encrypted traffic leaves a substantial blind spot, and a single successful evasion can enable an entire class of attacks.Re-evaluate firewall requirements for AI and agentic workloads. Local AI models and agentic workflows will consume more network resources and drive larger, more complex policies, including east-west agent-to-agent traffic.Hold vendors accountable and demand transparency. No product is perfect; what matters is how a vendor responds when a gap is found. A lack of transparency should be treated as a red flag.

NSS Labs is the Official Testing Partner of CyberRatings, generating the test results and reports for CyberRatings publications. NSS Labs proprietary technologies and Keysight’s CyPerf tool were used to test the security, performance, TLS functionality, and stability of Cloud Network Firewalls.

The Cloud Network Firewall Test Reports, Comparative Report and Security Map are available at CyberRatings.org.

About CyberRatings.org

CyberRatings.org is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization dedicated to providing confidence in cybersecurity products and services through our research and testing programs. We provide enterprises with independent, objective ratings of security product efficacy to make informed decisions. To become a member, visit www.cyberratings.org and follow us on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE CyberRatings.org

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Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Acquires Union AlarmTronic, LLC, Continuing Security Alarm Service Expansion in the Northeast

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ATLANTA, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pye-Barker Fire & Safety — the largest fully integrated and full-service fire protection, life safety and security services provider in the United States — has acquired Union AlarmTronic, LLC, a security alarm company based in Springfield, New Jersey. The acquisition adds to Pye-Barker’s growing presence in the state by deepening operational security capacity, expertise and local service.

Union AlarmTronic, LLC, established in 1989, has built over 20,000 security installations. The company provides a wide range of security systems and services, including access control and video surveillance, as well as intercom, integrated security, and alarm systems. Union AlarmTronic is led by industry veteran Fred Rosenfeld, who got his start in the business with his father, Len Rosenfeld.

“We have proudly protected people and property and provided high-caliber service to customers in New Jersey for decades,” said Fred Rosenfeld, owner of Union AlarmTronic. “With Pye-Barker, we will continue our commitment to install and maintain security systems that protect customers while being able to offer expanded full-service fire protection.”

“When we met with team members at Union AlarmTronic, their passion for customers and their community stood out,” said Bart Proctor, CEO of Pye-Barker Fire & Safety. “Incorporating their expertise, service and team approach into the Pye-Barker family enables us to protect even more people in the state.” 

The Union AlarmTronic team of highly trained technicians will continue to serve customers in New Jersey. Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP represented Pye-Barker. Mesirow Investment Banking was the exclusive advisor to Union AlarmTronic.

About Pye-Barker Fire & Safety

As the U.S. leader in fully integrated life safety systems, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety provides complete fire protection and security systems nationwide. With over 250 locations and 9,000 team members, Pye-Barker is Great Place to Work® Certified™ and is also listed on the Inc. 5000 and ranks No. 3 on the SDM 100.

Visit pyebarkerfs.com/acquisitions to learn why we’re the industry’s acquirer of choice.   

Contact:
Philip H Gardner
EVP, Business Development – M&A
philip.gardner@pyebarkerfs.com

Media Contact: 
James Taylor
jtaylor@fulltiltconsulting.com

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SOURCE Pye-Barker Fire & Safety

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