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UT Haslam Launches Institute for the Future of Business to Address AI, Tech Changes in Business and Education

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The new initiative connects business leaders, students and researchers to promote technological fluency, all while focusing on human potential.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As emerging technologies such as AI change the way businesses operate and grow, the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has launched the Institute for the Future of Business, an effort designed to align business education with the evolving needs of industry.

The institute will convene corporate leaders, researchers, educators and students to explore the immediate and long-term implications of groundbreaking technologies, promoting smart and effective human-centered use.

Stephen L. Mangum, Haslam dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair, says the institute was created alongside the college’s inaugural AInnovation Summit, two days of focused collaboration around the business ramifications of AI. The institute, however, takes a broader approach, establishing an ongoing structure for collaboration and action.

“While AI was the catalyst, the Institute for the Future of Business is not centered on a single technology,” says Mangum. “Our mission is to promote understanding of the innovations that are shifting business models and upending workforce expectations, providing industry and education with technological knowledge paired with distinctly human skills such as creative problem solving and ethical decision-making.”

Mangum says Haslam’s deep industry relationships and breadth of business expertise and interdisciplinary approach to problem solving uniquely position the college to lead this work. As companies navigate questions around investment, productivity, workforce readiness and organizational change, the institute will connect those needs with Haslam faculty, researchers and students.

To accomplish its mission, the Institute for the Future of Business will serve a range of groups. The stakeholders include:

Business leaders deciding where to invest and how to prepare both today’s employees and the next generation’s workforceResearchers connecting emerging business challenges and opportunities with relevant scholarship and new research questionsStudents gaining hands-on experience solving consequential, real-world business problems before graduation, building a strong base for future careersEducators exploring how changes in business should inform the future of business education, especially at the intersection of emerging technology and workforce preparation

By bringing together these groups, the institute will create opportunities for collaboration and applied research. Students will further benefit by participating in industry-based projects, while businesses will gain access to thought leadership and a deep talent pool.

The institute is distinct from AI Tennessee, UT’s interdisciplinary AI research group, but complements the university’s broader work and advances calls from both the university and the State of Tennessee to lead in AI and other emerging technologies.

Lindsay Mahony, Haslam’s assistant dean for entrepreneurship and strategic initiatives, notes that while the institute will discuss new ideas, it also will convert them into action.

“The Institute for the Future of Business is future-focused and highly practical,” Mahony says. “Our industry partners will bring real business challenges to Haslam, and those challenges will become launchpads for research questions, classroom projects and new opportunities for collaboration. By building on existing models for industry-based learning, we’ll create unique opportunities for business leaders to engage with our faculty experts, as well as our students.”

For more information about, or to partner with, the Institute for the Future of Business, visit the institute’s webpage.

About the Haslam College of Business

The Haslam College of Business, founded in 1914, sets the standard in developing future business leaders whose work positively impacts the world. More than 11,100 undergraduate, graduate and executive education students are taught by 291 faculty with dedicated staff members facilitating their needs. Haslam programs consist of seven departments and nine undergraduate majors. Its eight centers, institutes and forums, as well as its myriad graduate and executive education programs, reach across the for profit, not-for-profit and governmental sectors of business, with a heavy emphasis on practical research. UT was founded in 1794 and was designated as Tennessee’s land-grant institution in 1879.

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SOURCE University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business

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Gong, Agentforce Sales, and Avoma Named 2026 Conversation Intelligence Champions by Info-Tech Research Group

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October 7, 2026

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Drawing on verified end-user feedback collected through Info-Tech Research Group’s SoftwareReviews platform, the 2026 Conversation Intelligence Data Quadrant Report evaluates solutions that help organizations capture and analyze customer interactions, reduce manual effort, and improve visibility across teams. Champion recognition reflects strong product capabilities and overall user satisfaction.

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 7, 2026 /CNW/ — Info-Tech Research Group has named Gong, Agentforce Sales, and Avoma as Champions in its 2026 Conversation Intelligence Data Quadrant Report. The report recognizes the highest-rated software products in the category, helping organizations evaluate solutions to analyze customer conversations, improve sales coaching, and turn interactions into actionable insights.

Conversation intelligence solutions help organizations capture, transcribe, and analyze customer interactions across calls, meetings, and other communication channels. Features such as automated transcription, call recording, sentiment analysis, conversation summaries, keyword tracking, sales coaching, and CRM integration can help teams identify customer needs, improve employee performance, and make more informed business decisions.

Info-Tech’s Data Quadrant is a comprehensive software evaluation tool that ranks products using verified end-user feedback across key dimensions, including likelihood to recommend, feature rankings, net emotional footprint score, and vendor capabilities. These inputs are aggregated into a Composite Score (CS), which reflects overall user satisfaction and determines placement within the Data Quadrant. The firm’s methodology ensures that rankings are based entirely on authentic user reviews, free from analyst opinions or vendor influence.

The 2026 Conversation Intelligence Champions are as follows:

Gong, 9.0 CS, rated highly for its call recording features.Agentforce Sales, 9.0 CS, rated highly for its conversation coaching capabilities.Avoma, 8.6 CS, ranked highly for its audio transcription features.

“Every customer conversation contains valuable information, but organizations need the right tools to capture and make sense of it,” says Terra Higginson, Principal Research Director at Info-Tech Research Group. “Conversation intelligence platforms can make it easier to review large volumes of interactions and surface relevant information without adding to employee workloads. The best products fit smoothly into existing workflows, provide reliable analysis, reduce manual effort, and are easy for teams to use.”

User assessments of software categories on SoftwareReviews provide an accurate and detailed view of the constantly changing market. Info-Tech’s reports are informed by data from users and IT professionals with intimate experience with the software across the procurement, implementation, and maintenance processes.

Read the full report: 2026 Conversation Intelligence Champions

To learn more about Info-Tech’s Vendor Awards, including how Data Quadrant and Emotional Footprint recognition is determined using verified end-user feedback and the underlying evaluation criteria, visit Info-Tech’s Vendor Awards page, powered by SoftwareReviews.

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, as well as 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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PUDO Inc. reports FY 2027 second quarter results

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October 7, 2026

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TORONTO, Oct. 7, 2026 /CNW/ — PUDO Inc. (“PUDO” or the “Company”) (CSE:  PDO; OTCQB: PDPTF) today filed its unaudited interim financial results and operational highlights for the three-month period ended August 31, 2026 (“Q2 FY 2027”).

Year over Year

Q2 FY 2027  

Q2 FY 2026  

Change

Revenue from Operations  

$1,401,167

$1,425,505

(1.7 %)

Gross Profit

$518,089

$498,699

3.9 %

Gross Margin

37.0 %

35.0 %

+2.0 pts

Cash Operating Income

$9,743

$16,227

(40.0 %)

“Our second quarter results are reflective of the stability we have seen with our current customer base. We continue to be very excited about the new customer opportunities in front of us.  In particular, we have continued to invest in significant new business opportunities while keeping a focus on managing the operations efficiently.  During the second quarter, we returned to positive cash operating income and delivered a very strong gross margin of 37%.”

A complete copy of the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and the Management’s Discussion and Analysis Report for the three and six month periods ended August 31, 2026, can be found on the CSE website at https://thecse.com/listings/pudo-inc/ and on SEDAR+ at http://www.sedarplus.com/ .

About PUDO Inc.

PUDO Inc. is North America’s only independent parcel pick-up and drop-off counter network. 

PUDO has created a Network of more than 2,088 storefront partners known as PUDOpoint Counters, strategically located very near to where people live, work and play.

PUDO partners with retailers and logistics providers to offer a last-mile pick-up and returns network for ecommerce shoppers that reduces cost, increases convenience and provides package security to the last-mile of package logistics.  Visit: www.pudopoint.com.

To sign up for the PUDO News Feed please subscribe at https://pudopoint.com/investors/ . 

Information in this press release that is not current or historical factual information may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of securities laws, such as statements regarding estimated revenues from new contracts, increased parcel volume, activation and implementation of PUDO’s technology and possible future expansions of PUDO’s operations. This information is based on current expectations and assumptions of management, including assumptions concerning PUDO’s ability to integrate its new customers into its network and successfully execute on its new and existing contracts. The use of any of the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “can”, “will”, “should”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Risks, uncertainties, and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, without limitation, uncertainties with respect to service implementation, the economic results of the relationship on the operations of the Company, changes in general economic, market, or business conditions, and those risks set out in the Company’s public documents filed on SEDAR. This press release, in particular the information in respect of estimated revenues, may contain future-oriented financial information or financial outlook within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such future-oriented financial information or financial outlook has been prepared for the purpose of providing information about management’s reasonable expectations as to the anticipated results of its proposed business activities. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by law.

SOURCE PUDO Inc.

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Flex Announces Date for Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2027 Earnings Call

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October 7, 2026

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AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Flex (NASDAQ: FLEX) will announce its second quarter fiscal year 2027 financial results before the market opens on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The company will hold a conference call to discuss the results that day at 7:30 AM CT / 8:30 AM ET.

The live webcast presentation will be available on the Flex investor relations website at investors.flex.com. A replay of the webcast, along with supporting materials, will be available on the investor relations website following the conclusion of the event.

About Flex
Flex (Reg. No. 199002645H) is the manufacturing partner of choice that helps leading brands design, build, and manage products that improve the world. With a global footprint spanning 30 countries, Flex delivers advanced manufacturing and supply chain solutions, innovative products and technology, and lifecycle services that support customers from concept to scale. In the AI era, Flex is helping customers accelerate data center deployment by solving power, heat, and scale challenges through cutting-edge power and cooling technology and scalable IT infrastructure solutions.

Media, Investors, & Analysts
Michelle Simmons
Senior Vice President, Global Investor Relations and Public Relations
(669) 242-6332
Michelle.Simmons@flex.com 

 

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SOURCE Flex

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