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URC Launches an AI-Powered Virtual Assistant for Consumers

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Building on proprietary AI platform, URC launches next phase of Consumer Engagement. The first launch of it’s kind in the Custom Electronics Installation industry.

HARRISON, N.Y., July 10, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — URC, a leader in global smart residential and commercial automation, announces the launch of its new Virtual Assistant powered by AI (Artificial Intelligence) and available on URC’s public website www.urc-automation.com. This tool complements URC’s Virtual Assistant on its Dealer Portal. This new virtual tool permits 24/7 communication surrounding URC’s Total Control® and Complete Control® product lines and enables consumers to find a certified URC dealer.

With this latest phase, Ron Pence, URC’s Marketing Lead, stated that “Creating engagement tools to drive consumer preference helps drive business to our dealer community while accelerating advanced intelligence innovation across URC’s business model.”

At CEDIA 2022, URC announced efforts to integrate AI into its products and services. “As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve and grow in applications, we are carefully considering how this trend and computer learning can help URC deliver elevated, affordable smart living experiences. As we plan for the future, our focus continues to be squarely on aiding our dealers in growing and evolving their businesses in the changing marketplace,” stated Chang K. Park, Founder and CEO of URC.

URC researched extensively prior to the launch. Some of the findings that infused the development strategy include:

1.4 billion people actively use messaging apps. In fact, chatbots experienced a remarkable 92% increase in usage since 2019.87.2% of consumers rate their interactions with bots as either neutral or positive. 62% of respondents prefer engaging with customer service digital assistants rather than waiting for human agents.In 2022, 88% of users engaged in at least one conversation with a chatbot.Only 9% of consumers oppose companies using bots.40% of millennials engage with digital assistants daily.73% of buyers expect websites to feature digital assistants for convenient interactions.Bots contribute to 39% of all chats between businesses and consumers.

Read more at: https://masterofcode.com/blog/chatbot-statistics

In February, URC launched a Virtual Assistant to aid dealers with answers to a vast range of technical questions by quickly sourcing information from URC’s extensive technical library, proprietary user guides, partner manuals, videos and product documents. This AI technology continued to learn and update with the latest answers. This expanded industry-leading products and technical support tools to URC’s domestic and international dealer and distributor communities…around the clock and around the globe.

Based on today’s launch announcement, URC is releasing a similar tool to aid consumers in addressing questions about residential and commercial automation solutions. And the timing couldn’t be better. While the Virtual Assistant will continuously evolve and improve, the current solution is a game-changer for consumers in need of 24/7 answers to question. This tool is part of a broader plan to enhance consumer understanding of automation, enhance the user experience, and drive awareness and preference for URC products.

“Integrating advanced technology, like AI, is a strategic imperative which URC has been developing over the past few years including launching a Virtual Smart Home experience in 2022 (https://www.urc-automation.com/urc-launches-virtual-smart-home-experience/) leveraging ultra-realistic, Virtual Reality,” stated Ron Pence, URC’s Marketing Lead. With this latest phase, Pence shared that “Creating engagement tools to drive consumer preference helps drive business to our dealer community while accelerating advanced intelligence innovation across URC’s business model.”

For more information, learn more at www.urc-automation.com.

ABOUT URC

Headquartered in Harrison NY USA, URC is a global leader in smart home automation and control solutions. URC technology is respected for unsurpassed performance and reliability with over 100 million remote controls sold in the past 10 years alone. URC control systems include Total ControlÒ and Complete ControlÒ. Innovative URC user interfaces include tabletop controllers, in-wall touch screens, handheld remotes, keypads, and mobile apps – plus voice control integration with Amazon Alexa, Apple TV, and Comcast Xfinity. URC systems are custom designed, installed and maintained by a network of URC trained systems integration professionals. Its award-winning technical support and training URC the best choice for home automation. For more information visit www.urc-automation.com. Think beyond everyday with URC.

Corporate Contact
Ron Pence, Marketing Lead, rpence@urc-automation.com

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SOURCE URC Automation

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Yon Raz-Fridman Joins Intrinsic Labs as Co-Founder and Partner

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Most AI companies are selling software. Intrinsic is deploying AI workers into the core operations of mid-market companies – and just brought in a serial tech entrepreneur to help the firm scale across the Heartland.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Intrinsic Labs today announced that Yon Raz-Fridman has joined the firm as a Co-Founder and Partner.

Raz-Fridman has spent nearly two decades building across software, hardware, and platform businesses. Early in his career, he served as Chief of Staff to the President of Keter Group, a $1 billion-plus global consumer products manufacturer. He went on to co-found Kano, the award-winning educational computing company, and later founded Supersocial, the immersive gaming studio acquired by Super League Enterprises in 2025. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Technology Convergence Council.

He joins Intrinsic at a moment when mid-market companies are moving from AI experimentation to deployment. Intrinsic works with operators in logistics, construction, insurance, manufacturing, and industrial markets to deploy AI workers into the workflows that run the business – increasing throughput, reducing manual work, and expanding capacity without adding headcount.

The firm has built its reputation on practical deployments tied to real operating metrics. In one engagement with a national real estate brokerage, Intrinsic’s AI Accounting Agents reached 97% invoice coding accuracy, automated 90% of the AP workflow, and fully removed FTEs from the review flow.

“Yon understands what it takes to build and scale in the real world,” said Jon Slemp, Managing Partner at Intrinsic Labs. “Our clients aren’t buying flashy agents, they’re buying outcomes and reliable labor. They need agentic systems that take work off their teams, perform reliably, and produce measurable gains in throughput and capacity. That’s what we build.”

As Co-Founder, Raz-Fridman will oversee Intrinsic’s expansion – designing the channel relationships, institutional partnerships, and market positioning that take the firm from a proven Ohio model to the defining AI workforce platform for America’s industrial middle market.

“The companies that win over the next decade will be the ones that figure out how to staff AI into their operations and manage it like a workforce. Intrinsic is doing that work now, inside real businesses, tied to real outputs. The Heartland is exactly the right place to prove this model, and Intrinsic is exactly the right team to do it.” — Yon Raz-Fridman

About Intrinsic Labs LLC
Intrinsic Labs helps mid-market companies deploy AI workers into the workflows that run their business. The firm focuses on logistics, construction, insurance, manufacturing, and industrial markets, where manual work, fragmented systems, and labor constraints create clear opportunities for leverage. Intrinsic works with clients to put AI workers into production, tie them to operating KPIs, and help teams scale output without scaling headcount. https://www.intrinsic-labs.ai/  

About Team Yon LLC
Team Yon LLC is a management company founded by Yon Raz-Fridman that incubates new ventures, provides executive leadership, and makes strategic investments at the intersection of emerging technology and human advancement. Through Team Yon LLC, Raz-Fridman partners with founders and operators across healthcare, AI, and frontier technology – including his role as co-founder and Partner at Intrinsic Labs. https://teamyon.org

Media Contact:hello@intrinsic-labs.ai

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SOURCE Team Yon LLC

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Wipfli to complete CompliancePoint transaction and add associates, expanding capabilities

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MILWAUKEE, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Wipfli, a top 25 national advisory and accounting firm, announced today it has entered into an agreement with CompliancePoint Inc., a provider of risk management services focused on information security, data privacy and regulatory compliance. 2 partners and 52 associates will join the firm as a result of the transaction.

Based in Duluth, Georgia, CompliancePoint brings specialization across cybersecurity, privacy and compliance, serving clients across a wide variety of industries. The addition strengthens Wipfli’s risk management offerings and expands its ability to help organizations navigate regulatory scrutiny, evolving cybersecurity threats and complex data protection requirements.

“Organizations today are under more pressure than ever to protect sensitive information and operate responsibly in an evolving regulatory environment,” said Kurt Gresens, CEO at Wipfli Advisory, LLC. “The team at CompliancePoint brings specialized experience and a strong, people-first approach that enhances how we support clients navigating today’s risk landscape.”

CompliancePoint has built its reputation on helping organizations manage risk across the full data lifecycle, with a holistic approach that recognizes how privacy, security and compliance intersect. The combined professional teams from CompliancePoint and Wipfli will deliver expanded, integrated advisory solutions designed to help clients proactively manage risk while supporting long-term growth and operational resilience.

“Wipfli shares our commitment to practical, client-focused solutions and long-term relationships,” said Greg Sparrow, CompliancePoint president. “Together, we’re expanding the resources available to our clients while continuing to deliver the specialized experience and trusted relationships they rely on.”

The addition of the CompliancePoint team also supports Wipfli’s continued investment in talent and innovation. CompliancePoint associates will join a national firm that emphasizes collaboration, professional development and meaningful client impact, while maintaining the specialized focus that has defined their work.

The transaction is expected to become effective on May 1st, 2026

About Wipfli

Wipfli is a leading national advisory and accounting firm with nearly 100 years of experience serving ambitious middle-market organizations. We understand our clients’ unique challenges and help them succeed on their terms through assurance, tax, advisory, outsourcing and technology services. With 3,000+ associates and global alliances, we combine national capabilities with local relationships. Wipfli operates under an alternative practice structure: Wipfli LLP, a licensed CPA firm, provides attest services, while Wipfli Advisory LLC, a non-CPA firm, delivers business advisory and non-attest services. Learn more at wipfli.com or contact Alicia O’Connell at alicia.oconnell@wipfli.com.

Media Contact

Alicia O’Connell
Wipfli
alicia.oconnell@wipfli.com

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SOURCE Wipfli

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Ginkgo Bioworks Announces Date of First Quarter 2026 Results Presentation

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Presentation and Q&A session scheduled for post-market on Thursday, May 7, 2026

BOSTON, April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DNA, “Ginkgo”) today announced that it plans to host a presentation and Q&A session reviewing business performance for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, on Thursday, May 7, 2026, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET.

The presentation details and webcast link will be available on Ginkgo’s investor relations website at https://investors.ginkgobioworks.com, and a replay will be made available.

To ask a question ahead of the presentation, please submit them to @Ginkgo on X (hashtag #GinkgoResults) or by sending an e-mail to investors@ginkgobioworks.com.

About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks builds the tools that make biology easier to engineer for everyone. The company offers autonomous laboratories that replace manual laboratory work with robotics in the lab, greatly improving the productivity of scientists. Ginkgo’s in-house autonomous lab is also available as a “cloud lab” through our Datapoints and Solutions contract research services. For more information, visit ginkgobioworks.com and ginkgobiosecurity.com, read our blog, or follow us on social media channels such as X (@Ginkgo and @Ginkgo_Biosec), Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks), Threads (@GinkgoBioworks), or LinkedIn.

Ginkgo Bioworks Contacts:

INVESTOR CONTACT:

investors@ginkgobioworks.com 

MEDIA CONTACT:

press@ginkgobioworks.com

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SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks

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