Technology

BlackBerry Reports First Quarter Fiscal Year 2025 Results

Published

2 years ago

June 26, 2024

Exceeds quarterly revenue guidance for both IoT and Cybersecurity divisionsIoT achieves 18% year over year revenue growth in the quarterDelivers sequential improvement in key Cybersecurity ARR and DBNRR metricsExceeds guidance for adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP earnings per shareMakes significant progress in operational separation of IoT and Cybersecurity businesses

WATERLOO, ON, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) today reported financial results for the three months ended May 31, 2024 (all figures in U.S. dollars and U.S. GAAP, except where otherwise indicated).

“BlackBerry’s strategy is delivering results. The Company is making significant progress towards operational independence for our IoT and Cybersecurity businesses, as well as towards profitability. We exceeded our outlook range for both adjusted EBITDA and non-GAAP EPS this quarter and achieved a third consecutive sequential improvement in free cash usage. BlackBerry remains on track to be both profitable on a non-GAAP basis and generating positive cashflow in the fourth quarter,” said John J. Giamatteo, CEO, BlackBerry. “Both our IoT and Cybersecurity businesses beat revenue expectations. QNX recorded solid royalty revenue while our Cybersecurity division delivered a second consecutive quarter of ARR growth, as well as further enhancing dollar-based net retention.”

First Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights

Total company revenue was $144 million.Total company non-GAAP and GAAP gross margin was 67%.IoT revenue grew 18% year-over-year and exceeded previously-provided guidance at $53 million; IoT gross margin was 81%.Cybersecurity exceeded previously-provided guidance at $85 million; Cybersecurity gross margin was 59%.Cybersecurity ARR increased by 2% sequentially to $285 million; DBNRR increased sequentially for third consecutive quarter to 87%.Licensing and Other revenue was $6 million.Non-GAAP operating loss was $12 million and GAAP operating loss was $39 million.Non-GAAP basic loss per share beat the previously-provided guidance at $0.03 and GAAP basic loss per share was $0.07.Adjusted EBITDA was negative $7 million.Total cash, cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments was $283 million; Operating cash usage was sequentially flat at $15 million, while free cash usage decreased sequentially for the third consecutive quarter to $16 million.

Business Highlights & Strategic Announcements

ETAS and BlackBerry QNX® forge partnership to jointly sell and market software solutions to provide the safe and secure foundation for the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV).BlackBerry announces collaboration with AMD to advance foundational precision and control for robotics industry by enabling new levels of low latency and jitter, and repeatable determinism.BlackBerry launches CylanceMDR™, an expert driven and AI-powered Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solution, including an innovative “On-Demand” solution.BlackBerry introduces Cylance Assistant, a generative AI cybersecurity advisor that will help organizations speed up decision-making and stop more threats faster with fewer resources.BlackBerry® UEM places in upper-right quadrant as a 2024 Gartner® Peer Insights™ Customers’ Choice for Unified Endpoint Management tools for second year running.Independent test lab, The Tolly Group, identifies BlackBerry CylanceENDPOINT™ as detecting up to 25 percent more threats and with up to eight times less system impact than competitors.BlackBerry nominates Lori O’Neill, an experienced corporate director and financial expert, for election to its Board of Directors.

Outlook

BlackBerry is providing the following guidance for the second quarter (ending August 31, 2024) and the full fiscal year 2025 (ending February 28, 2025).

Q2 FY25

Full fiscal year FY25

Total BlackBerry revenue:

$136 – $144 million

$586 – $616 million

IoT revenue:

$50 – $54 million

$220 – $235 million

Cybersecurity revenue:

$82 – $86 million

$350 – $365 million

Licensing & Other revenue:

Approximately $4 million

Approximately $16 million

Adjusted EBITDA:

($5) – ($15) million

Breakeven – +$10 million

Non-GAAP basic EPS:

($0.02) – ($0.04)

($0.03) – ($0.07)

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The tables at the end of this press release include a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP financial ratios used by the company to comparable U.S. GAAP measures and an explanation of why the company uses them. The Company does not provide a reconciliation of expected Adjusted EBITDA and expected Non-GAAP basic EPS for the second quarter and full fiscal year 2025 to the most directly comparable expected GAAP measures because it is unable to predict with reasonable certainty, among other things, restructuring charges and impairment charges and, accordingly, a reconciliation is not available without unreasonable effort. These items are uncertain, depend on various factors, and could have a material impact on GAAP reported results for the guidance period. For more information on the non-GAAP financial measures, please refer to the tables at the end of this press release.

Conference Call and Webcast
A conference call and live webcast will be held today beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET, which can be accessed using the following link (here) or through the Company’s investor webpage (BlackBerry.com/Investors) or by dialing toll free +1 (877) 883-0383 and entering Elite Entry Number 6322676.

A replay of the conference call will be available at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET today, using the same webcast link (here) or by dialing Canada toll free +1 (855) 669-9658 or US toll free +1 (877) 344-7529 and entering Replay Access Code 5225167.

About BlackBerry
BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company’s software powers over 235M vehicles. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry’s vision is clear – to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere.
For more information, visit BlackBerry.com and follow @BlackBerry.

Investor Contact:
BlackBerry Investor Relations
+1 (519) 888-7465
investorrelations@blackberry.com

Media Contact:
BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
mediarelations@blackberry.com

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, including under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding BlackBerry’s plans, strategies and objectives including its expectations with respect to increasing and enhancing its product and service offerings.

The words “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “intend”, “believe”, “target”, “plan” and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by BlackBerry in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that BlackBerry believes are appropriate in the circumstances, including but not limited to, BlackBerry’s expectations regarding its business, strategy, opportunities and prospects, the launch of new products and services, general economic conditions, competition, BlackBerry’s expectations regarding its financial performance, and BlackBerry’s expectations regarding the planned separation of its businesses. Many factors could cause BlackBerry’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, risks related to the following factors: BlackBerry’s ability to maintain or expand its customer base for its software and services offerings to grow revenue or achieve sustained profitability; BlackBerry’s sales cycles and the time and expense of its sales efforts; the intense competition faced by BlackBerry; BlackBerry’s ability to enhance, develop, introduce or monetize products and services for the enterprise market in a timely manner with competitive pricing, features and performance; the occurrence or perception of a breach of BlackBerry’s network cybersecurity measures, or an inappropriate disclosure of confidential or personal information; potential impacts of BlackBerry’s proposed business unit separation and cost reduction initiatives; BlackBerry’s continuing ability to attract new personnel, retain existing key personnel and manage its staffing effectively; risks arising from a failure or perceived failure of BlackBerry’s solutions to detect or prevent security vulnerabilities; BlackBerry’s dependence on its relationships with resellers and channel partners; litigation against BlackBerry; adverse macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions; network disruptions or other business interruptions; BlackBerry’s ability to foster an ecosystem of third-party application developers; BlackBerry’s products and services being dependent upon interoperability with rapidly changing systems provided by third parties; failure to protect BlackBerry’s intellectual property and to earn expected revenues from intellectual property rights; BlackBerry’s ability to obtain rights to use third-party software and its use of open source software; BlackBerry potentially being found to have infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; BlackBerry’s indebtedness, which could impact its operating flexibility and financial condition; the substantial asset risk faced by BlackBerry, including the potential for charges related to its long-lived assets and goodwill; tax provision changes, the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities; the use and management of user data and personal information; government regulations applicable to BlackBerry’s products and services, including products containing encryption capabilities; environmental, social and governance expectations and standards; the failure of BlackBerry’s suppliers, subcontractors, channel partners and representatives to use acceptable ethical business practices or comply with applicable laws; potential impacts of acquisitions, divestitures and other business initiatives; risks associated with foreign operations, including fluctuations in foreign currencies; environmental events; the fluctuation of BlackBerry’s quarterly revenue and operating results; and the volatility of the market price of BlackBerry’s common shares.

These risk factors and others relating to BlackBerry are discussed in greater detail in BlackBerry’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” section of BlackBerry’s MD&A (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedarplus.ca or www.sec.gov). All of these factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on BlackBerry’s forward-looking statements. Any statements that are forward-looking statements are intended to enable BlackBerry’s shareholders to view the anticipated performance and prospects of BlackBerry from management’s perspective at the time such statements are made, and they are subject to the risks that are inherent in all forward-looking statements, as described above, as well as difficulties in forecasting BlackBerry’s financial results and performance for future periods, particularly over longer periods, given changes in technology and BlackBerry’s business strategy, evolving industry standards, intense competition and short product life cycles that characterize the industries in which BlackBerry operates. Any forward-looking statements are made only as of today and BlackBerry has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of them, except as required by law.

BlackBerry Limited

Incorporated under the Laws of Ontario

(United States dollars, in millions except share and per share amounts) (unaudited)

Consolidated Statements of Operations

Three Months Ended

May 31, 2024

February 29, 2024

May 31, 2023

Revenue

$ 144

$ 173

$ 373

Cost of sales

194

Gross margin

129

179

Gross margin %

66.7 %

74.6 %

48.0 %

Operating expenses

Research and development

Sales and marketing

General and administrative

Amortization

Impairment of goodwill

—

Impairment of long-lived assets

—

Debentures fair value adjustment

—

135

185

190

Operating loss

(39)

(56)

(11)

Investment income, net

Loss before income taxes

(34)

(52)

(8)

Provision for income taxes

Net loss

$ (42)

$ (56)

$ (11)

Loss per share

Basic

$ (0.07)

$ (0.10)

$ (0.02)

Diluted

$ (0.07)

$ (0.10)

$ (0.02)

Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding (000s)

Basic

589,821

587,523

582,812

Diluted

589,821

587,523

582,812

Total common shares outstanding (000s)

590,171

589,233

583,237

BlackBerry Limited

Incorporated under the Laws of Ontario

(United States dollars, in millions) (unaudited)

Consolidated Balance Sheets

As at

May 31, 2024

February 29, 2024

Assets

Current

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 143

$ 175

Short-term investments

Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $5 and $6, respectively

148

199

Other receivables

Income taxes receivable

Other current assets

458

508

Restricted cash and cash equivalents

Long-term investments

Other long-term assets

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

Property, plant and equipment, net

Intangible assets, net

145

154

Goodwill

561

562

$ 1,323

$ 1,395

Liabilities

Current

Accounts payable

$ 6

$ 17

Accrued liabilities

112

117

Income taxes payable

Deferred revenue, current

174

194

321

356

Deferred revenue, non-current

Operating lease liabilities

Other long-term liabilities

Long-term notes

194

581

619

Shareholders’ equity

Capital stock and additional paid-in capital

2,957

2,948

Deficit

(2,200)

(2,158)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(15)

(14)

742

776

$ 1,323

$ 1,395

BlackBerry Limited

Incorporated under the Laws of Ontario

(United States dollars, in millions) (unaudited)

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Three Months Ended

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Cash flows from operating activities

Net loss

$ (42)

$ (11)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

Amortization

Stock-based compensation

Impairment of long-lived assets

—

Intellectual property disposed of by sale

—

147

Debentures fair value adjustment

—

Operating leases

(2)

(1)

Other

(3)

—

Net changes in working capital items

Accounts receivable, net of allowance

Other receivables

—

Income taxes receivable

—

Other assets

(13)

(62)

Accounts payable

(11)

(3)

Accrued liabilities

(5)

(14)

Income taxes payable

Deferred revenue

(16)

(12)

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

(15)

Cash flows from investing activities

Acquisition of long-term investments

—

(1)

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

(1)

(2)

Acquisition of intangible assets

(1)

(8)

Acquisition of short-term investments

(49)

(66)

Proceeds on sale or maturity of short-term investments

Net cash used in investing activities

(26)

(38)

Cash flows from financing activities

Issuance of common shares

Net cash provided by financing activities

Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents during the period

(40)

Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents, beginning of period

200

322

Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents, end of period

$ 160

$ 385

As at

May 31, 2024

February 29, 2024

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 143

$ 175

Restricted cash and cash equivalents

Short-term investments

Long-term investments

$ 283

$ 298

Reconciliations of the Company’s Segment Results to the Consolidated Results

The following tables show information by operating segment for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023. The Company reports segment information in accordance with U.S. GAAP Accounting Standards Codification Section 280 based on the “management” approach. The management approach designates the internal reporting used by the CODM for making decisions and assessing performance of the Company’s reportable operating segments:

For the Three Months Ended

(in millions) (unaudited)

Cybersecurity

IoT

Licensing and Other

Segment Totals

May 31,

2024

2023

2024

2023

2024

2023

2024

2023

Segment revenue

$ 85

$ 93

$ 53

$ 45

$ 6

$ 235

$ 144

$ 373

Segment cost of sales

147

193

Segment gross margin

$ 50

$ 56

$ 43

$ 36

$ 4

$ 88

$ 97

$ 180

Segment gross margin %

59 %

60 %

81 %

80 %

67 %

37 %

67 %

48 %

The following table reconciles the Company’s segment results for the three months ended May 31, 2024 to consolidated U.S. GAAP results:

For the Three Months Ended May 31, 2024

(in millions) (unaudited)

Cybersecurity

IoT

Licensing and Other

Segment Totals

Reconciling Items

Consolidated U.S. GAAP

Revenue

$ 85

$ 53

$ 6

$ 144

$ —

$ 144

Cost of sales

Gross margin (1)

$ 50

$ 43

$ 4

$ 97

$ (1)

$ 96

Operating expenses

135

Investment income, net

Loss before income taxes

$ (34)

______________________________

(1) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of selected U.S. GAAP-based measures to adjusted measures for the three months and year ended May 31, 2024.

The following table reconciles the Company’s segment results for the three months ended May 31, 2023 to consolidated U.S. GAAP results:

For the Three Months Ended May 31, 2023

(in millions) (unaudited)

Cybersecurity

IoT

Licensing and Other

Segment Totals

Reconciling Items

Consolidated U.S. GAAP

Revenue

$ 93

$ 45

$ 235

$ 373

$ —

$ 373

Cost of sales

147

193

194

Gross margin (1)

$ 56

$ 36

$ 88

$ 180

$ (1)

$ 179

Operating expenses

190

Investment income, net

Loss before income taxes

$ (8)

______________________________

(1) See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of selected U.S. GAAP-based measures to adjusted measures for the three months and year ended May 31, 2023.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures with the Nearest Comparable U.S. GAAP Measures

In the Company’s internal reports, management evaluates the performance of the Company’s business on a non-GAAP basis by excluding the impact of certain items below from the Company’s U.S. GAAP financial results. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures and non-GAAP ratios provide management, as well as readers of the Company’s financial statements, with a consistent basis for comparison across accounting periods and are useful in helping management and readers understand the Company’s operating results and underlying operational trends.

Readers are cautioned that adjusted gross margin, adjusted gross margin percentage, adjusted operating expense, adjusted net income (loss), adjusted earnings (loss) per share, adjusted research and development expense, adjusted sales and marketing expense, adjusted general and administrative expense, adjusted amortization expense, adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted EBITDA, adjusted operating income (loss) margin percentage, adjusted EBITDA margin percentage and free cash flow (usage) and similar measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by U.S. GAAP and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in the context of the U.S. GAAP results.

Reconciliation of non-GAAP based measures with most directly comparable U.S. GAAP based measures for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023

A reconciliation of the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 to adjusted financial measures is reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Gross margin

$ 96

$ 179

Stock compensation expense

Adjusted gross margin

$ 97

$ 180

Gross margin %

66.7 %

48.0 %

Stock compensation expense

0.7 %

0.3 %

Adjusted gross margin %

67.4 %

48.3 %

Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP operating expense for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 to adjusted operating expense is reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Operating expense

$ 135

$ 190

Restructuring charges

Stock compensation expense

Debentures fair value adjustment

—

Acquired intangibles amortization

LLA impairment charge

—

Adjusted operating expense

$ 109

$ 145

Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP net loss and U.S. GAAP basic loss per share for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 to adjusted net income (loss) and adjusted basic earnings (loss) per share is reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions, except per share amounts)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Basic loss

per share

Basic earnings (loss)

per share

Net loss

$ (42)

$(0.07)

$ (11)

$(0.02)

Restructuring charges

Stock compensation expense

Debentures fair value adjustment

—

Acquired intangibles amortization

LLA impairment charge

—

Adjusted net income (loss)

$ (15)

$(0.03)

$ 35

$0.06

Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP research and development, sales and marketing, general and administrative, and amortization expense for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 to adjusted research and development, sales and marketing, general and administrative, and amortization expense is reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Research and development

$ 42

$ 54

Stock compensation expense

Adjusted research and development expense

$ 40

$ 52

Sales and marketing

$ 38

$ 45

Stock compensation expense

Adjusted sales and marketing expense

$ 36

$ 44

General and administrative

$ 40

$ 54

Restructuring charges

Stock compensation expense

Adjusted general and administrative expense

$ 29

$ 44

Amortization

$ 12

$ 15

Acquired intangibles amortization

Adjusted amortization expense

$ 4

$ 5

Adjusted operating income (loss), adjusted EBITDA, adjusted operating income (loss) margin percentage and adjusted EBITDA margin percentage for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 are reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Operating loss

$ (39)

$ (11)

Non-GAAP adjustments to operating loss

Restructuring charges

Stock compensation expense

Debentures fair value adjustment

—

Acquired intangibles amortization

LLA impairment charge

—

Total non-GAAP adjustments to operating loss

$ 27

Adjusted operating income (loss)

(12)

Amortization

Acquired intangibles amortization

(8)

(10)

Adjusted EBITDA

$ (7)

$ 41

Revenue

$ 144

$ 373

Adjusted operating income (loss) margin % (1)

(8 %)

9 %

Adjusted EBITDA margin % (2)

(5 %)

11 %

______________________________

(1) Adjusted operating income (loss) margin % is calculated by dividing adjusted operating income (loss) by revenue.

(2) Adjusted EBITDA margin % is calculated by dividing adjusted EBITDA by revenue.

The Company uses free cash flow (usage) when assessing its sources of liquidity, capital resources, and quality of earnings. The Company believes that free cash flow (usage) is helpful in understanding the Company’s capital requirements and provides an additional means to reflect the cash flow trends in the Company’s business.

Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP net cash used in operating activities for the three months ended May 31, 2024 and May 31, 2023 to free cash flow (usage) is reflected in the table below:

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

May 31, 2023

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

$ (15)

$ 99

Acquisition of property, plant and equipment

(1)

(2)

Free cash flow (usage)

$ (16)

$ 97

Key Metrics

The Company regularly monitors a number of financial and operating metrics, including the following key metrics, in order to measure the Company’s current performance and estimated future performance. Readers are cautioned that annual recurring revenue (“ARR”), dollar-based net retention rate (“DBNRR”), and recurring revenue percentage do not have any standardized meaning and are unlikely to be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

For the Three Months Ended (in millions)

May 31, 2024

Cybersecurity Annual Recurring Revenue

$ 285

Cybersecurity Dollar-Based Net Retention Rate

87 %

Recurring Software Product Revenue Percentage

~80 %

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SOURCE BlackBerry Limited

Technology

RhythMedix Launches Next-Generation RhythmStar® SL Cardiac Monitor

Published

1 minute ago

April 22, 2026

Advancing Remote Cardiac Monitoring with Faster Insights, Greater Comfort, and Seamless Connectivity

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RhythMedix, LLC (RhythMedix), a nationwide U.S.-based cardiac monitoring company, today announced the launch of its next-generation RhythmStar® SL cardiac monitoring wearable. The third-generation design significantly enhances the patient experience, improving comfort, wearability, and patient adherence. These advancements are enabled by a compact lead configuration, waterproof IPX-6 rating, and increased battery life.

RhythmStar continues to differentiate through its built-in cellular connectivity, enabling ECG data to be automatically transmitted to the cloud for seamless, prompt review across all monitoring modes – without requiring device return by mail for data processing.

When paired with the company’s proprietary Augmented Arrhythmia Intelligence™ (AAI), RhythmStar SL delivers precise arrhythmia detection by combining advanced algorithms with a multi-layered data review process.

“RhythmStar represents our commitment to delivering a better way to monitor, one that prioritizes both patient comfort and clinical performance,” said Brian Pike, CEO of RhythMedix. “By combining a more wearable design with seamless data transmission and expert review, we’re helping clinicians access the insights they need, when they need them.”

“RhythMedix is taking a truly visionary approach to cardiac monitoring by combining patient-friendly design with advanced technology and expert oversight, helping clinicians make more confident, timely decisions,” stated George Shaw, MD, Electrophysiologist at AHN Allegheny Health Network. “It’s a meaningful step forward in how we deliver and manage cardiac care.”

With over 2 million hearts monitored to date, RhythMedix continues to advance remote cardiac monitoring through technology designed to improve both patient adherence and clinical workflow. The company will be exhibiting at HRS 2026 (Booth #531), including in-booth discussions with leading electrophysiologists.

About RhythMedix

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, RhythMedix is a fully integrated cardiac monitoring company providing end-to-end device manufacturing, software development, and 24/7 U.S.-based monitoring services. With no third-party dependence, RhythMedix delivers a seamless and secure remote cardiac monitoring experience for clinics, health systems, and patients nationwide.

To learn more, visit rhythmedix.com.

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SOURCE RHYTHMEDIX

Technology

Copyright Enforcement Dialogue 2026 in Taipei Reinforces Regional Public-Private Cooperation Against Digital Piracy

Published

1 minute ago

April 22, 2026

TAIPEI, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On April 22, 2026, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) Asia Pacific concluded the Copyright Enforcement Dialogue: Taipei 2026, convening senior policymakers, law enforcement authorities, judicial representatives, and industry experts from across Asia–Pacific to advance coordinated action against copyright infringement and digital piracy, ahead of World Intellectual Property Day on April 26.

Organised in collaboration with the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the participation of international and local enforcement agencies, the dialogue reinforced the importance of cross border collaboration, effective regulatory frameworks, and public–private partnerships to protect intellectual property and support the creative economy.

In her welcome address, Sue Wang, Deputy Minister of Culture and Chairperson of the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), underscored the role of copyright protection in sustaining a healthy creative ecosystem: “The foundation of culture is copyright protection. If there was no copyright protection, there would no culture in the world. Therefore, copyright protection is the core of every culture.”

Across four expert panels, participants examined the evolving piracy landscape, shared regulatory and enforcement challenges, the role of public–private collaboration in real–world enforcement, and the growing threat posed by illegal streaming devices, drawing on legal, technical, and investigative perspectives. A dedicated piracy case study session led by Taiwan’s law enforcement authorities showcased recent investigative efforts and reinforced the value of information–sharing and technical cooperation.

Addressing Taiwan’s enforcement framework, Hung Sheng-I, Director of the Copyright Division at the Intellectual Property Office, Ministry of Economic Affairs, said, “By integrating the Set-Top Box Act with domain seizure and follow-the-money mechanisms, Taiwan has established a comprehensive and enforceable framework that serves as a powerful shield for IP protection in the digital environment.”

Itae Choi, Executive Director of the Copyright Overseas Promotion Association (COA), said: “We must be grateful to all users who love and enjoy our content. It is essential to widely communicate the value of their voluntary and legal use, so that those who consume it unlawfully may be encouraged to join them. To this end, we will intensify our efforts in raising awareness and fostering a culture of respect among content users.”

Choi also emphasized the central role of cooperation in effective copyright enforcement: “Cooperation is vital in every field, but it is especially crucial in addressing copyright infringement. Private sector efforts cannot succeed without the collaboration of public authorities such as law enforcement and the judiciary. We are, in effect, running a three–legged race together — and to win, we must stay in step with one another.”

Noting the level of international participation, James Cheatley, Vice President, VOD, Digital Affairs and Intellectual Property, Asia Pacific at the Motion Picture Association, said the dialogue reflected the shared nature of the challenge posed by piracy: “We have industry leaders, government policymakers, and law enforcement experts from five countries taking part in this dialogue. That level of international cooperation reflects the reality that piracy is a shared challenge — one that requires coordinated approaches and collective solutions across governments, enforcement authorities, and industry.”

Tatsuya Otsuka, Deputy Senior Director of International Affairs of Content Overseas Distribution Association (CODA), said, “Strengthening cross-border collaboration is essential to ensure effective anti-piracy measures. This dialogue provided a wonderful opportunity for us to share challenges and insights and continue to advance international efforts to combat piracy.”

Toshinao Yamazaki, Director of the Intellectual Property Affairs Division at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said sustained dialogue was key to long–term protection of creative industries: “Ultimately, protecting the creative ecosystem hinges on robust public-private collaboration and sustained international dialogue. I am confident this Copyright Enforcement Dialogue 2026 will serve as a pivotal step to further enrich the global IP ecosystem and collectively build a more prosperous and sustainable future.”

In closing remarks, Dawn Barriteau, Vice President, Content Protection, Asia Pacific, Motion Picture Association, reaffirmed MPA and ACE’s commitment to working with governments and enforcement partners across the region to strengthen copyright protection and disrupt piracy networks.

“Effective copyright enforcement is not just about protecting content — it is about protecting jobs, investment, and the long-term health of the creative industries. Today’s dialogue demonstrates how industry, governments, and law enforcement can work together to address piracy with practical, coordinated solutions.” Barriteau added that continued regional cooperation is essential as piracy networks become increasingly sophisticated and transnational: “No single stakeholder can address digital piracy alone. Meaningful progress depends on sustained public–private collaboration, information–sharing, and strong policy frameworks that keep pace with technological change.”

The Copyright Enforcement Dialogue: Taipei 2026, held in the lead-up to World Intellectual Property Day, builds on MPA’s longstanding collaboration with regional stakeholders and reflects a continued focus on practical enforcement solutions, policy dialogue, and capacity building to support Asia Pacific’s creative economy.

View images here.

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SOURCE Motion Picture Association (MPA) Asia Pacific

Technology

Form.io Launches Enterprise-Grade Toolset for Governed Agentic Coding

Published

1 minute ago

April 22, 2026

New MCP Server, Skills, Agentic Coding Plugin, and Universal Agent Gateway (UAG) keep AI-generated applications on the rails for enterprise development teams.

DALLAS, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Form.io, the enterprise data platform trusted by regulated industries and government agencies worldwide, today announced the introduction of its Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server, Skills, and Agentic Coding Plugin, adding to the existing Universal Agent Gateway (UAG). Together, this comprehensive purpose-built toolset brings schema-governed infrastructure to agentic coding environments. The release equips enterprise development teams with the tools to harness AI coding agents like Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf, while maintaining the architectural consistency, compliance posture, and data governance required by regulated organizations.

As agentic coding accelerates across the enterprise, organizations are discovering that velocity without standardization creates technical debt at an unprecedented pace. Applications generated across independent teams can diverge in architecture, data handling, and compliance posture — creating fragmentation at scale and introducing the need for additional resources and controls to manage the process. This ultimately undermines the efficiency gains of new agentic coding processes.

“Labor used to be the pain point for enterprises. Now it’s chaos”, said Heather Hornor, COO of Form.io. “Five teams solving the same problem, five different ways, without any standardization, because each AI agent made a different decision, is a problem. This problem isn’t new, but it’s surfacing faster and more disruptively than ever before. Thankfully, it’s solvable at the infrastructure layer – where systems can be governed, monitored, and audited continuously over time. Form.io provides that layer, from development through runtime. And we’re the only company delivering it inside the customer’s own self-hosted development and runtime environments.”

The Toolset

MCP Server: Connects to the customer’s self-hosted Form.io deployment. AI coding agents receive governed access to read, create, and scaffold the full data layer — forms, resources, actions, APIs — without data leaving the enterprise security boundary.Skills: Platform specific guidance that teaches AI agents how to build applications leveraging Form.io — applying standardized compliance-ready data patterns by default instead of improvising per project.Agentic Coding Plugin: Integrates Form.io’s MCP Server and Skills directly into the developer’s coding environment, enabling AI agents to automatically trigger tools and apply standardized patterns based on prompt context. Coordinates interactions between MCP tools and Skills so complex, form-based applications can be built entirely within the agentic coding interface.

“This is the logical extension of the JSON-based, open-source platform we’ve been building for more than a decade,” said Travis Tidwell, CTO and Co-founder of Form.io. “The same open architecture that made Form.io extensible for human developers makes it the natural foundation for agentic development processes.”

The new build-time toolset operates independently from Form.io’s Universal Agent Gateway (UAG), the company’s runtime governance layer for production agentic workflows. Together, they provide enterprises with governance and auditability across the full lifecycle of agentic coded software — from the first prompt in a developer’s Agentic Coding Plugin to the production workflows running in regulated environments.

For organizations adopting governed agentic coding, the Form.io MCP Server, Skills, Agentic Coding Plugin, and UAG are part of Form.io’s enterprise-grade agentic coding toolset. Explore the full toolset at https://form.io/ai/

For agentic workflows in production, visit the Universal Agent Gateway at https://form.io/uag/

Enterprises can learn more, request a demo, or get started at form.io

About Form.io: Form.io is the enterprise application infrastructure platform where a single JSON schema governs everything a modern application needs — including data collection UIs, validation rules, workflow actions, data models, and auto-generated APIs with RBAC.

One schema. One source of truth. One governance layer. That’s a form.

Form.io’s self-hosted platform serves regulated industries and government agencies requiring architectural consistency, data sovereignty, and formal compliance — including central banking groups across the US, EU, and Australia, global government agencies, and leading organizations in healthcare, financial services, and insurance.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Visit form.io.

For press inquiries and additional information, please contact: media@form.io

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SOURCE Form.io LLC