Technology

Telefónica Tech and IBM Sign a New Collaboration Agreement to Drive the Development of AI, Analytics and Data Management Solutions for Enterprises

Published

2 years ago

June 18, 2024

The two companies will deploy SHARK.X, an open, hybrid and multi-cloud hardware and software platform specialized in analytics, data management and AITelefónica Tech and IBM will create a use case office to develop customer pilotsThe new collaboration agreement will promote training and education actions to develop and scale digital transformation projects in the business sector and public administration based on these technologies

MADRID, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Telefónica Tech and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a new collaboration agreement to drive the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI), analytics and data governance solutions and respond to the constant and dynamically evolving needs of enterprises. The agreement, initially limited to Spain, establishes a framework of collaboration between the two companies to help their customers deal with the complexity of managing new technologies in a heterogeneous and changing environment and to extract the full value of these technologies in their business processes.

According to findings in IBM Global AI Adoption Index study, almost half of the companies in Spain that are already working with AI claim that they have accelerated their investments in this technology in the last 24 months. This highlights the need to provide the business landscape with tools and solutions that drive their digital transformation journeys, in which AI plays a prominent role.

Through this new collaboration, the companies will work together on the development and deployment of an open, hybrid and multi-cloud platform, specializing in data management and AI to facilitate and accelerate business initiatives for customers, a use case office, demonstrations and development of MVPs; and the implementation of resources, training and certifications. Last year IBM launched the watsonx AI and Data platform, which will be at the heart of the collaboration agreement.

Elena Gil Lizasoain, director of the Artificial Intelligence and Data business unit at Telefónica Tech, said: “This new collaboration with IBM will help drive the many benefits of Artificial Intelligence, traditional and generative, and proper data management in the business world. By combining the knowledge of both teams, we will continue to advance in the construction of use cases aimed at creating more efficient and sustainable businesses.”

Adolfo Hernández Pulido Technology Managing Director for Telefónica at IBM added: “This collaboration is another step in our long history of working with Telefónica Tech. Together, we are accelerating the digital transformation of the Spanish business community, enabling the development of innovative technology solutions that will help companies adapt to the AI era. Analytics, data governance and the correct deployment of AI are key elements for today’s business success, and we both share the commitment to help businesses achieve it.”

Technology and co-creation to provide answers to real business needs

Telefónica Tech and IBM will launch a use case office, made up of highly qualified professionals from both companies, to promote and coordinate the definition and development of use cases, proofs of concept, and MVPs to accelerate business development and further showcase the value available to clients through the use of these technologies.

IBM Client Engineering, the IBM team that helps solve business challenges through co-creation and innovative work with experts, will play an important role in the use case office, as will the Telefónica Tech professionals who brings extensive technical knowledge and experience in the implementation of AI in the business sector.

The collaboration is already providing generative AI solutions to its customers that include code generation for IT applications, automation of processes and incidents, cognitive assistants in industrial operations, advice and customer service, analytics, processing and management of audiovisual content and text documents.

IBM and Telefónica Tech have a strong history of collaboration that includes hybrid cloud-based solutions, such as TROS, Telefónica Tech’s multi-cloud service based on RedHat OpenShift; integrated AI for the creation of virtual assistants to improve customer service; and optimized supply chain management to increase the traceability of business assets with blockchain. This joint effort is the next step in the fruitful relationship in which both companies continue to drive innovation and digital business transformation through the implementation of cutting-edge technologies.

SHARK.X, the new platform to drive end-to-end AI deployment

SHARK.X, a new and innovative open, hybrid and multi-cloud platform that hosts different IBM hardware and software components, with access to IBM Cloud and other clouds, where the native hyperconverged IBM Storage Fusion HCI infrastructure for running enterprise applications stands out, will be deployed in Telefónica Tech’s La Cabina facility, which is Telefónica’s technological inspiration centre for the digital transformation of companies and public administrations.

Telefónica Tech will provide specialized professional services to define the most appropriate deployment architecture for each customer and integrate the solution into their environment, as well as ingest data from different sources and develop artificial intelligence use cases aimed at addressing their business priorities. It will also provide advice in the field of data governance and artificial intelligence models and in the field of regulatory and ethical compliance, which is especially relevant with the new regulations approved in the European Union.

At the software level, SHARK.X will include several IBM technologies that will cover the entire value chain associated with enterprise data management, analytics and management of enterprise data. SHARK.X will host IBM Cloud Pak for Data to enable data collection, organization, analysis and governance; it will include the IBM watsonx AI and Data platform to build, deploy and scale AI applications in a simple, secured and governed way; as well as Cognos and Planning Analytics, which enables collaborative business intelligence, planning and reporting solutions.

With these capabilities, the SHARK.X platform will address both traditional and generative AI initiatives and address end-to-end data governance and management while providing a Lakehouse as a robust enterprise data management solution, helping address data security and protection, and delivering business intelligence, planning, optimization and reporting.

About Telefónica Tech
Telefónica Tech is the leading company in digital transformation. The company offers a wide range of services and integrated technological solutions in Cybersecurity, Cloud, IoT, Big Data and Blockchain. For more information, please visit: https://telefonicatech.com

About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media Contacts:

Miguel Gimenez de Castro
miguel.gimenezdc@ibm.com

Clare Chachere
clare.chachere@ibm.com

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SOURCE IBM

Technology

Walmart Has 23.6% of U.S. Grocery Sales – But Costco Owns the AI Answer – 5W Grocery Retail AI Visibility Index 2026

Published

1 hour ago

May 7, 2026

Walmart Owns 21% of U.S. Grocery — But Costco Owns the AI Answer

NEW YORK, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 5WPR, the premier AI communications firm in the United States, today released the U.S. Grocery Retail AI Visibility Index 2026 — the 11th installment in 5W’s AI Visibility Index research series, and the first to rank American grocery retailers by how frequently they are cited inside AI-generated answers.

The headline finding rewrites the category league table.

Walmart, with approximately 21 percent of U.S. grocery market share — the largest in the country — ranks fourth in AI citation share. The retailer cited most often when American shoppers ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews where to buy their groceries is Costco. Trader Joe’s ranks second. Whole Foods ranks third. Aldi, H-E-B, and Wegmans are all punching far above what their physical footprint would predict.

“Market share is a lagging indicator. AI citation share is a leading indicator,” said Ronn Torossian, Founder and Chairman of 5W. “The grocers who close that gap in 2026 will define the category in 2030. Most grocery CMOs we talk to are running 2019 playbooks against 2026 consumer behavior.”

5W researchers ran more than 80 consumer-intent queries across 12 sub-categories — best overall grocery store, cheapest, highest-quality produce, best private label, best organic, best meal planning, best bulk, best delivery, best customer service, best regional, and others — across the four leading consumer AI platforms. Each retailer was scored on citation frequency, position within the answer, sentiment, and sub-category dominance.

The top 10: Costco, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger, Aldi, H-E-B, Publix, Wegmans, and Target.

Key structural findings:

Market share no longer predicts AI citation share. Walmart’s roughly 21 percent share translates to an estimated 8 to 10 percent AI citation share across premium query categories. The decoupling is the single largest such gap in American retail.Private label is the highest-leverage citation asset a grocer owns. Kirkland, Trader Joe’s, 365, Good & Gather, and Great Value are cited directly by name in AI answers at rates that exceed most national CPG brands.Regional loyalty translates directly into regional AI dominance. Regional chains outperform national chains in their home markets by 3x or more.Reddit and TikTok are under-priced citation surfaces. Perplexity pulls a majority of its answers from community sources. ChatGPT and Claude weight Reddit heavily.

The report also identifies six 2026 dynamics reshaping the category, including the new GLP-1 grocery basket, Aldi’s expansion as a citation-compounding program, and Walmart’s CEO transition from Doug McMillon to John Furner — effective February 1, 2026 — as a brand-narrative inflection point.

The full Index, including ranks 11 through 25 and sub-category breakdowns, is available as a free download at 5wpr.com/research.

About 5W

5W is the AI Communications Firm, building brand authority across the platforms where decisions now happen — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews — alongside earned media, digital, and influencer channels. 5W combines public relations, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and proprietary AI visibility research, helping clients measure and grow their presence in AI-driven buyer research.

Founded more than 20 years ago, 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s, named Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards®, and honored as a Top Place to Work in Communications in 2026 by Ragan. 5W serves clients across B2C sectors including Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, and Nonprofit; B2B specialties including Corporate Communications and Reputation Management; as well as Public Affairs, Crisis Communications, and Digital Marketing, including Social Media, Influencer, Paid Media, GEO, and SEO. 5W was also named to the Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year list.

For more information, visit www.5wpr.com.

Media Contact
Chris Bergin
cbergin@5wpr.com

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SOURCE 5W Public Relations

Technology

ICAT Logistics Appoints Youssef Annali as Chief Financial Officer

Published

1 hour ago

May 7, 2026

Transportation and logistics finance leader joins as ICAT accelerates its next phase of growth

DALLAS, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ICAT Logistics announces the appointment of Youssef Annali as Chief Financial Officer. Annali brings more than two decades of senior finance leadership across global logistics and supply chain businesses, and joins as the company scales its platform, team, and operational capabilities globally.

Annali joins ICAT from OIA Global, a $1.4 billion revenue supply chain management leader, where he served as CFO for four years overseeing Finance, Corporate Development, Strategy, Legal, Compliance, and Real Estate. Prior to OIA, he spent eleven years at CEVA Logistics—one of the world’s largest freight and logistics providers—rising to CFO & EVP Finance for North America, where he held financial accountability for a business generating over $4.5 billion in annual revenue and more than 14,000 employees. Earlier in his career, he served in senior finance roles at Abbott, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Annali has a consistent track record of building finance functions that support strategic growth and has deep experience across financial planning, M&A, treasury, and corporate restructuring. He holds a Post-Master’s in Finance and Control from the University of Amsterdam and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Groningen.

“Youssef has led high-performing finance teams at the highest levels of global logistics. He brings the operational depth and strategic mindset our platform demands as we enter the next phase of growth,” said Brad Stogner, CEO of ICAT Logistics.

“ICAT has built something genuinely differentiated—a specialized platform operating in verticals where precision and domain expertise are non-negotiable. The foundation is strong, and the opportunity ahead is significant. I look forward to working with the team to accelerate that momentum,” said Youssef Annali, Chief Financial Officer of ICAT Logistics.

About ICAT

ICAT is the world’s leading specialized logistics company, delivering customized solutions and deep vertical expertise to industries where failure is not an option. With 65 offices and operating capabilities in 190 countries, ICAT serves customers across Live Events, Luxury, Technology, Defense & Aerospace, Life Sciences, and Financial Institutions—sectors defined by uncompromising performance standards. ICAT’s proprietary, AI-powered technology platform provides end-to-end visibility and predictive intelligence, enabling precise execution for the most demanding operations.

ICAT is backed by New Atlas Capital following its acquisition of the Company in 2024.

Contact Information

ICAT Logistics, Inc.
8840 Cypress Waters Blvd, Ste 325,
Coppell, TX, 75019
marketing@icatlogistics.com

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SOURCE ICAT Logistics, Inc.

Technology

HelloNation Article Highlights Poughkeepsie’s Focus on Youth Investment, Neighborhood Parks and Sustainable Reuse

Published

1 hour ago

May 7, 2026

The article examines how redevelopment projects and youth programs are reshaping community life across Poughkeepsie.

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — What does long term community growth look like when a city invests in both people and public spaces? HelloNation has published a HelloNation article that provides the answer through a detailed look at how Poughkeepsie is combining youth investment, neighborhood improvements and adaptive reuse projects to support residents and strengthen the city’s future.

The article explains that Poughkeepsie is undergoing a period of reinvention centered on infrastructure upgrades, youth programming and redevelopment along the city’s Northside. According to the article, local and county leaders are working to create spaces where residents can learn, gather and build stronger community connections. The article notes that these efforts are intended to improve quality of life while helping the city grow in a more sustainable and inclusive way.

A major focus of the article is the planned Youth Opportunity Union, also known as the YOU, a large multipurpose youth facility backed by Dutchess County. The HelloNation article describes the project as a 19,000 square foot center that will include childcare services, wellness support, tutoring areas, teaching kitchens and both indoor and outdoor recreation spaces. The article explains that the project reflects a larger regional effort to increase opportunities for children and teenagers in underserved communities.

The article also highlights additional youth centered investments connected to sports, education and recreation. According to the article, Dutchess County has awarded grants to local organizations serving young people between the ages of 6 and 17. The article further explains that Poughkeepsie’s City Parks program has introduced mini grants designed to support renovations and activities in neighborhood parks, including Pershing Avenue and Malcolm X parks.

Beyond youth programs, the article details how the city is working to improve transportation and neighborhood infrastructure. The HelloNation article explains that Poughkeepsie launched its first five year paving plan in 2025, beginning with major roadway improvements on Main Street and other corridors. The article states that these upgrades are intended to improve safety, durability and daily conditions for residents while supporting broader redevelopment goals throughout the city.

Another important part of the article focuses on adaptive reuse and environmental redevelopment on the Northside. The article describes how Scenic Hudson plans to transform the former Standard Gage Factory into the Northside Hub, a redevelopment project designed to serve as both a nonprofit headquarters and a community gathering space. According to the article, the project will feature solar powered operations, office space, public parkland and community facilities near the Walkway Over the Hudson and Dutchess Rail Trail.

The article also explains that Poughkeepsie’s selection as the Mid Hudson winner in New York’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative adds additional momentum to current redevelopment efforts. The HelloNation article notes that the funding will support new downtown projects that build on existing investments in youth programs, infrastructure and adaptive reuse. Together, these efforts are presented as part of a broader strategy to create long term stability and opportunity for local residents.

The article concludes that Poughkeepsie’s emerging identity is closely tied to projects that strengthen neighborhoods while supporting future generations. Poughkeepsie Puts Youth, Neighborhood Parks and Sustainable Reuse at the Center of Renewal features insights from HelloNation Staff Writer, community development coverage of Poughkeepsie, New York, in HelloNation.

About HelloNation

HelloNation is America’s Good News Network, a premier media platform built on the idea that good news travels faster when real people tell real stories. Through its community-focused digital publications and innovative “edvertising” approach, HelloNation delivers expert-driven, good-news content that informs, inspires, and spotlights the leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities. HelloNation maintains partnerships with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the United States First Responders Association.

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SOURCE HelloNation