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KYNDRYL REPORTS SECOND QUARTER FISCAL 2025 RESULTS

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Revenues for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 total $3.8 billion, pretax loss is $5 million, and net loss is $43 millionAdjusted EBITDA is $557 million, adjusted pretax income is $45 million, and adjusted net income is $3 millionKyndryl Consult again delivers double-digit revenue growth in the quarter and over the last twelve monthsReaffirms outlook for fiscal year 2025, including constant-currency revenue growth in the fourth quarter, supported by a record level of post-spin signings in the most recent quarter and for the trailing twelve months

NEW YORK, Nov. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Kyndryl Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: KD), the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, today released financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, the second quarter of its 2025 fiscal year. 

“We continue to build momentum, delivering another quarter of signings growth and remaining well-positioned to deliver top-line growth in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year.  Our strong performance was led by Kyndryl Consult, our alliances with hyperscalers and our expanding mission-critical capabilities in modernization, cloud, cyber-resiliency and AI readiness,” said Kyndryl Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Martin Schroeter.

Total signings in the quarter were a record $5.6 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 132%.  Total signings for the twelve months ended September 30, 2024 were $16.0 billion, a year-over-year increase of 33%.

“With Kyndryl Bridge powering our services, we’re attracting new customers through our differentiated innovation and delivering incremental value to our existing customers.  We’re uniquely positioned at the nexus of secular trends shaping the evolution of IT, and we’ll continue to capitalize on these market opportunities and drive profitable growth,” Mr. Schroeter said. 

Results for the Fiscal Second Quarter Ended September 30, 2024

For the second quarter, Kyndryl reported revenues of $3.8 billion, a year-over-year decline of 7% on both a reported and a constant-currency basis.  The year-over-year revenue decline reflects the Company’s progress in reducing inherited no-margin and low-margin third-party content in customer contracts, particularly in its United States and Strategic Markets segments.  The Company reported a pretax loss of $5 million and a net loss of $43 million, or ($0.19) per diluted share, in the quarter, compared to a net loss of $142 million, or ($0.62) per diluted share, in the prior-year period.  Cash flow from operations was $149 million, an increase of $103 million compared to the prior-year period.

Adjusted pretax income was $45 million, an 80% increase compared to adjusted pretax income of $25 million in the prior-year period, reflecting contributions from the Company’s “three-A” initiatives and a reduction in depreciation expense due to the previously announced extension of the useful lives of the Company’s hardware assets, offset by the contractually required increase in IBM software costs, workforce rebalancing charges of $39 million and unfavorable currency movements.

In the quarter, adjusted EBITDA was $557 million, and adjusted free cash flow was $56 million.  Both figures reflect workforce rebalancing actions implemented in the quarter.

“In the quarter, we continued to execute on our three-A initiatives to increase our earnings.  Over the last twelve months, we’ve consistently grown our signings to incorporate a broader scope of services, while we continually enhance relationships to generate higher margins,” said David Wyshner, Kyndryl’s Chief Financial Officer.  “The higher margins associated with our post-spin signings underpin our plans to reach high-single-digit adjusted pretax margins in our fiscal year 2027, which begins less than a year and half from now.”

Recent Developments

Alliances initiative – In the second quarter, Kyndryl recognized $260 million in revenue tied to cloud hyperscaler alliances, demonstrating continued progress toward the Company’s hyperscaler revenue target of nearly $1 billion in fiscal year 2025.Advanced Delivery initiative – The AI-enabled Kyndryl Bridge operating platform is further enhancing the world-class technology services the Company provides and creating additional revenue opportunities. It has also helped Kyndryl free up more than 11,500 delivery professionals. This has generated annualized savings of approximately $700 million as of quarter-end, tracking toward the Company’s $750 million fiscal 2025 year-end goal.Accounts initiative – Kyndryl continued to address elements of contracts with substandard margins, bringing the total impact from this initiative to $775 million of annualized benefits, on track to achieve the Company’s $850 million fiscal 2025 year-end objective.Strong projected margin on recent signings – In the quarter, projected pretax income margins associated with total signings were in the high-single-digit range, in line with recent quarters, reflecting the Company’s focus on margin expansion.Double-digit growth in Kyndryl Consult – In the second quarter, Kyndryl Consult revenues grew 23% year-over-year. Kyndryl Consult signings grew 81% year-over-year in the second quarter, and have grown 41% year-over-year over the last twelve months.Securities Industry Services (SIS) divestiture – The Company completed its previously announced sale of its Securities Industry Services platform in Canada earlier this month.

Reaffirming Fiscal Year 2025 Outlook

Kyndryl is reaffirming its outlook for its fiscal year 2025, which runs from April 2024 to March 2025:

Adjusted EBITDA margin of at least 16.3%, representing a year-over-year increase of at least 160 basis points.Adjusted pretax income of at least $460 million, representing a year-over-year increase of at least $295 million.Constant-currency revenue growth of (2%) to (4%), which now implies fiscal 2025 revenue of $15.2 to $15.5 billion based on recent exchange rates. The Company continues to expect to deliver year-over-year constant-currency revenue growth in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.Adjusted free cash flow of approximately $300 million.

Forecasted amounts are based on currency exchange rates as of October 2024.

Earnings Webcast

Kyndryl’s earnings call for the second fiscal quarter is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. ET on November 7, 2024.  The live webcast can be accessed by visiting investors.kyndryl.com on Kyndryl’s investor relations website.  A slide presentation will be made available on Kyndryl’s investor relations website before the call on November 7, 2024.  Following the event, a replay will be available via webcast for twelve months at investors.kyndryl.com.

About Kyndryl

Kyndryl (NYSE: KD) is the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, serving thousands of enterprise customers in more than 60 countries.  The Company designs, builds, manages and modernizes the complex, mission-critical information systems that the world depends on every day. For more information, visit www.kyndryl.com.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, including statements concerning the Company’s plans, objectives, goals, beliefs, business strategies, future events, business condition, results of operations, financial position, business outlook and business trends and other non-historical statements, including without limitation the information presented in the “Outlook” section of this press release (which does not assume any future acquisitions or divestitures), are forward-looking statements.  Such forward-looking statements often contain words such as  “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “position,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “seek,” “target,” “will,” “would” and other similar words or expressions or the negative thereof or other variations thereon.  Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current assumptions and beliefs regarding future business and financial performance.

The Company’s actual business, financial condition or results of operations may differ materially from those suggested by forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties which include, among others: failure to attract new customers, retain existing customers or sell additional services to customers; failure to meet growth and productivity objectives; competition; impacts of relationships with critical suppliers and partners; failure to address and adapt to technological developments and trends; inability to attract and retain key personnel and other skilled employees; impact of economic, political, public health and other conditions; damage to the Company’s reputation; inability to accurately estimate the cost of services and the timeline for completion of contracts; service delivery issues; the Company’s ability to successfully manage acquisitions and dispositions, including integration challenges, failure to achieve objectives, the assumption of liabilities and higher debt levels; the impact of our business with government customers; failure of the Company’s intellectual property rights to prevent competitive offerings and the failure of the Company to obtain, retain and extend necessary licenses; the impairment of our goodwill or long-lived assets; risks relating to cybersecurity, data governance and privacy; risks relating to non-compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; adverse effects from tax matters and environmental matters; legal proceedings and investigatory risks; the impact of changes in market liquidity conditions and customer credit risk on receivables; the Company’s pension plans; the impact of currency fluctuations; risks related to the Company’s spin-off; and risks related to the Company’s common stock and the securities market.

Additional risks and uncertainties include, among others, those risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, and may be further updated from time to time in the Company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Any forward-looking statement in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made.  Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

In this release, certain amounts may not add due to the use of rounded numbers; percentages presented are calculated based on the underlying amounts. 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In an effort to provide investors with additional information regarding its results, the Company has provided certain metrics that are not calculated based on generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), such as constant-currency results, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted pretax income, adjusted net income, adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA margin, adjusted pretax margin, adjusted net margin and adjusted free cash flow.  Such non-GAAP metrics are intended to supplement GAAP metrics, but not to replace them.  The Company’s non-GAAP metrics may not be comparable to similarly titled metrics used by other companies.  Definitions of non-GAAP metrics and reconciliations of non-GAAP metrics for historical periods to GAAP metrics are included in the tables in this release.

A reconciliation of forward-looking non-GAAP financial information is not included in this release because the Company is unable to predict with reasonable certainty some individual components of such reconciliation without unreasonable effort.  These items are uncertain, depend on various factors and could have a material impact on future results computed in accordance with GAAP. 

Investor Contact:
Lori Chaitman
lori.chaitman@kyndryl.com 

Media Contact:
Ed Barbini
edward.barbini@kyndryl.com

Table 1

CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT

(in millions, except per share amounts)

Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

September 30,

September 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Revenues

$

3,774

$

4,073

$

7,513

$

8,266

Cost of services

$

3,024

$

3,422

$

5,958

$

6,871

Selling, general and administrative expenses

647

634

1,304

1,353

Workforce rebalancing charges

39

39

74

97

Transaction-related costs

—

48

21

89

Interest expense

25

31

52

61

Other expense

44

8

44

13

Total costs and expenses

$

3,779

$

4,182

$

7,454

$

8,484

Income (loss) before income taxes

$

(5)

$

(109)

$

59

$

(218)

Provision for income taxes

38

33

91

65

Net income (loss)

$

(43)

$

(142)

$

(32)

$

(283)

Earnings per share data

Basic earnings (loss) per share

$

(0.19)

$

(0.62)

$

(0.14)

$

(1.24)

Diluted earnings (loss) per share

(0.19)

(0.62)

(0.14)

(1.24)

Weighted-average basic shares outstanding

231.6

229.1

231.1

228.5

Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding

231.6

229.1

231.1

228.5

 

Table 2

SEGMENT RESULTS

AND SELECTED BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION

(dollars in millions)

Three Months Ended September 30,

Year-over-Year Growth

As

Constant

Segment Results

2024

2023

Reported

Currency

Revenue

United States

$

960

$

1,108

(13 %)

(13 %)

Japan

604

569

6 %

9 %

Principal Markets1

1,318

1,376

(4 %)

(5 %)

Strategic Markets1

892

1,019

(12 %)

(11 %)

Total revenue

$

3,774

$

4,073

(7 %)

(7 %)

Adjusted EBITDA2

United States

$

159

$

176

Japan

94

84

Principal Markets

187

169

Strategic Markets

138

166

Corporate and other3

(22)

(21)

Total adjusted EBITDA

$

557

$

574

Six Months Ended September 30,

Year-over-Year Growth

As

Constant

Segment Results

2024

2023

Reported

Currency

Revenue

United States

$

1,946

$

2,272

(14 %)

(14 %)

Japan

1,174

1,180

(0 %)

7 %

Principal Markets1

2,633

2,768

(5 %)

(5 %)

Strategic Markets1

1,761

2,046

(14 %)

(13 %)

Total revenue

$

7,513

$

8,266

(9 %)

(8 %)

Adjusted EBITDA2

United States

$

292

$

412

Japan

177

184

Principal Markets

428

320

Strategic Markets

258

315

Corporate and other3

(42)

(45)

Total adjusted EBITDA

$

1,113

$

1,186

September 30,

March 31,

Balance Sheet Data

2024

2024

Cash and equivalents

$

1,325

$

1,553

Debt (short-term and long-term)

3,241

3,238

___________________________

1

Principal Markets is comprised of Kyndryl’s operations in Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Spain/Portugal and the United Kingdom/Ireland.  Strategic Markets is comprised of Kyndryl’s operations in all other geographic locations.  Kyndryl’s operations in Australia/New Zealand transitioned from Principal Markets to Strategic Markets in the quarter ended June 30, 2024; historical segment information has been updated to reflect this change.

2

In the three months ended September 30, 2024, amounts include workforce rebalancing charges of $12 million in United States, $2 million in Japan, $9 million in Principal Markets, and $16 million in Strategic Markets. In the six months ended September 30, 2024, amounts include workforce rebalancing charges of $27 million in United States, $3 million in Japan, $13 million in Principal Markets, and $31 million in Strategic Markets.

3

Represents net amounts not allocated to segments.

 

Table 3

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

(dollars in millions)

Six Months Ended September 30,

2024

2023

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net income (loss)

$

(32)

$

(283)

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

Depreciation and amortization

Depreciation of property, equipment and capitalized software

276

431

Depreciation of right-of-use assets

154

173

Amortization of transition costs and prepaid software

647

631

Amortization of capitalized contract costs

205

281

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets

17

15

Stock-based compensation

49

48

Deferred taxes

17

51

Net (gain) loss on asset sales and other

(14)

22

Change in operating assets and liabilities:

Deferred costs (excluding amortization)

(852)

(699)

Right-of-use assets and liabilities (excluding depreciation)

(145)

(195)

Workforce rebalancing liabilities

(13)

(18)

Receivables

193

(110)

Accounts payable

(237)

(494)

Taxes

(31)

(55)

Other assets and other liabilities

(133)

75

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities

$

101

$

(127)

Cash flows from investing activities:

Capital expenditures

$

(256)

$

(275)

Proceeds from disposition of property and equipment

54

119

Acquisitions and divestitures, net of cash acquired

(46)

—

Other investing activities, net

7

(53)

Net cash used in investing activities

$

(241)

$

(208)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Debt repayments

$

(73)

$

(67)

Common stock repurchases for tax withholdings

(24)

(12)

Other financing activities, net

(5)

(1)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

$

(101)

$

(80)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

$

17

$

(33)

Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

$

(224)

$

(448)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period

$

1,554

$

1,860

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period

$

1,330

$

1,412

Supplemental data

Income taxes paid, net of refunds received

$

89

$

88

Interest paid on debt

$

60

$

59

___________________________

Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities was $149 million in the three months ended September 30, 2024 and ($48) million in the three months ended June 30, 2024.

Table 4
NON-GAAP METRIC DEFINITIONS AND RECONCILIATIONS
(dollars in millions, except signings)

We report our financial results in accordance with GAAP.  We also present certain non-GAAP financial measures to provide useful supplemental information to investors.  We provide these non-GAAP financial measures as we believe it enhances investors’ visibility to management decisions and their impacts on operational performance; enables better comparison to peer companies; and allows us to provide a long-term strategic view of the business going forward.

Constant-currency information compares results between periods as if exchange rates had remained constant period over period.  We define constant-currency revenues as total revenues excluding the impact of foreign exchange rate movements and use it to determine the constant-currency revenue growth on a year-over-year basis.  Constant-currency revenues are calculated by translating current period revenues using corresponding prior-period exchange rates.

Adjusted pretax income (loss) is defined as pretax income (loss) excluding transaction-related costs and benefits, charges related to ceasing to use leased / fixed assets, charges related to lease terminations, pension costs other than pension servicing costs and multi-employer plan costs, stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, workforce rebalancing charges incurred prior to March 31, 2024, impairment expense, significant litigation costs and benefits, and currency impacts of highly inflationary countries.  The Company’s fiscal year 2025 outlook for adjusted pretax income includes approximately $100 million of anticipated workforce rebalancing charges.  Adjusted pretax margin is calculated by dividing adjusted pretax income by revenue.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) excluding net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (excluding depreciation of right-of-use assets and amortization of capitalized contract costs), charges related to ceasing to use leased / fixed assets, charges related to lease terminations, transaction-related costs and benefits, pension costs other than pension servicing costs and multi-employer plan costs, stock-based compensation expense, workforce rebalancing charges incurred prior to March 31, 2024, impairment expense, significant litigation costs and benefits, and currency impacts of highly inflationary countries.  The Company’s fiscal year 2025 outlook for adjusted EBITDA includes approximately $100 million of anticipated workforce rebalancing charges.  Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated by dividing adjusted EBITDA by revenue.

Adjusted net income is defined as adjusted pretax income less the reported provision for income taxes, minus or plus the tax effect of the non-GAAP adjustments made to calculate adjusted pretax income, and excluding exceptional items impacting the reported provision for income taxes.  Adjusted net margin is calculated by dividing adjusted net income by revenue.

Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) is defined as adjusted net income divided by diluted weighted average shares outstanding to reflect shares that are dilutive or anti-dilutive based on the amount of adjusted net income.   The weighted average common shares outstanding used to calculate adjusted earnings (loss) per share will differ from such shares used to calculate diluted earnings (loss) per share (GAAP) when the inclusion of dilutive shares has an anti-dilutive effect for one calculation but not for the other.

Adjusted free cash flow is defined as cash flows from operating activities (GAAP) after adding back transaction-related payments, charges related to lease terminations, payments related to workforce rebalancing charges incurred prior to March 31, 2024, and significant litigation payments, less net capital expenditures.  Management uses adjusted free cash flow as a measure to evaluate its operating results, plan strategic investments and assess our ability and need to incur and service debt.  We believe adjusted free cash flow is a useful supplemental financial measure to aid investors in assessing our ability to pursue business opportunities and investments and to service our debt.  Adjusted free cash flow is a financial measure that is not recognized under U.S. GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operations or liquidity derived in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Signings are defined by Kyndryl as an initial estimate of the value of a customer’s commitment under a contract.  The calculation involves estimates and judgments to gauge the extent of a customer’s commitment. We calculate this based on various considerations including the type and duration of the agreement as well as the presence of termination charges or wind-down costs.  Contract extensions and increases in scope are treated as signings only to the extent of the incremental new value.  Signings can vary over time due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the timing of signing a small number of larger outsourcing contracts, as well as the length of those contracts.  The conversion of signings into revenue may vary based on the types of services and solutions, customer decisions and other factors, which may include, but are not limited to, macroeconomic environment or external events.  Management uses signings as a tool to monitor the performance of the business including the business’ ability to attract new customers and sell additional scope into our existing customer base.

Reconciliation of net income (loss)

to adjusted pretax income,

adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net

Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

income (loss) and adjusted EPS

September 30,

September 30,

(in millions, except per share amounts)

2024

2023

2024

2023

Net income (loss) (GAAP)

$

(43)

$

(142)

$

(32)

$

(283)

Provision for income taxes

38

33

91

65

Pretax income (loss) (GAAP)

$

(5)

$

(109)

$

59

$

(218)

Workforce rebalancing charges incurred prior to March 31, 2024

—

39

—

97

Charges related to ceasing to use leased/fixed assets and lease terminations

10

—

20

10

Transaction-related costs

—

48

21

89

Stock-based compensation expense

25

25

49

48

Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets

10

7

17

15

Other adjustments1

5

15

(27)

31

Adjusted pretax income (non-GAAP)

$

45

$

25

$

138

$

72

Interest expense

25

31

52

61

Depreciation of property, equipment and capitalized software2

150

212

276

422

Amortization of transition costs and prepaid software

337

306

647

631

Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP)

$

557

$

574

$

1,113

$

1,186

Net income (loss) margin

(1.1) %

(3.5) %

(0.4) %

(3.4) %

Adjusted EBITDA margin

14.8 %

14.1 %

14.8 %

14.4 %

Adjusted pretax income (non-GAAP)

$

45

$

25

$

138

$

72

Provision for income taxes (GAAP)

(38)

(33)

(91)

(65)

Tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments

(4)

(4)

(12)

(19)

Adjusted net income (loss) (non-GAAP)

$

3

$

(12)

$

35

$

(12)

Diluted weighted average shares outstanding for calculating Adjusted EPS3

238.2

229.1

237.0

228.5

Diluted earnings (loss) per share (GAAP)

$

(0.19)

$

(0.62)

$

(0.14)

$

(1.24)

Adjusted earnings (loss) per share (non-GAAP)

$

0.01

$

(0.05)

$

0.15

$

(0.05)

___________________________

1

Other adjustments represent pension costs other than pension servicing costs and multi-employer plan costs, significant litigation costs and benefits, and currency impacts of highly inflationary countries.

2

Amounts for the three and six months ended September 30, 2023 exclude $9 million of expense that is included in transaction-related costs.

3

For the three and six months ended September 30, 2024, the computation of adjusted earnings (loss) per share (EPS) included certain securities that were dilutive to the calculation.

Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

Reconciliation of cash flow from operations

September 30,

September 30,

to adjusted free cash flow (in millions)

2024

2023

2024

2023

Cash flows from operating activities (GAAP)

$

149

$

46

$

101

$

(127)

Plus: Transaction-related payments (benefits)

—

42

5

84

Plus: Workforce rebalancing payments related to charges incurred prior to March 31, 2024

4

34

25

113

Plus: Significant litigation payments

6

10

10

44

Plus: Payments related to lease terminations

—

(2)

—

5

Less: Net capital expenditures

(104)

(61)

(202)

(155)

Adjusted free cash flow (non-GAAP)

$

56

$

69

$

(60)

$

(37)

Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

September 30,

September 30,

Signings (in billions)

2024

2023

2024

2023

Signings1

$

5.6

$

2.4

$

8.7

$

5.2

___________________________

1

Signings for the three months ended September 30, 2024 increased by 132%, and 133% in constant currency, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2023.  Signings for the six months ended September 30, 2024 increased by 67%, and 69% in constant currency, compared to the six months ended September 30, 2023. 

 

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Come Back to Firefox: Mozilla launches its most ambitious campaign yet to bring people back to the independent alternative to big tech browsers

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As tracking and unwanted AI reshape the web, Firefox reunites the internet’s original viral icons to make the case for a browser that puts people back in control.

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In its new campaign, Come Back to Firefox, the independent browser by Mozilla reunites personalities behind some of the early internet’s biggest viral videos and memes for one simple message: The internet you loved is still here, and Firefox is the easiest way back.

This multi-market campaign is aimed at people who once used Firefox and left. While it nods to the past, Firefox continues to evolve, giving people more reasons to love and rediscover it today. It arrives after a transformative year for the browser:

Business growth and partnerships: A dedicated Enterprise browser giving organizations expert support and control over their data. Technical partnerships with NVIDIA and Mistral, extending what Firefox can do from gaming to AI.

Increased protection and control: New products and features shipped including a free built-in VPN to help keep browsing private, with no extra download or cost. AI Controls, to let people decide when and whether to use AI, and an Ad Blocker for Firefox on iOS for fewer ads and trackers.

Brand and culture: A new modern design, a first sports partnership with Wrexham AFC and World Cup presence connecting Firefox to one of the year’s biggest cultural moments.

“Firefox was there then, we’re here now, and what we stand for matters more than ever,” said John Solomon, Chief Marketing Officer at Mozilla. “People who left Firefox years ago will find a browser that’s more private and gives them more control, including over AI.”

The Campaign

Come Back to Firefox brings together some of the world’s most memorable internet icons: Numa Numa Guy, Bad Luck Brian, Overly Attached Girlfriend, Kelly of “Shoes” fame, Where the Hell Is Matt?, Annoying Orange, Apparently Kid, Tay Zonday, Chuck Testa, Success Kid, and Evolution of Dance. Each takes on a modern frustration with humor:

Overly Attached Girlfriend may have wanted to know everything about you, but your browser shouldn’t.Dancing Matt boogied all over the world, without any corporations tracking him or selling his personal data.And while Annoying Orange is still incredibly annoying, he’s not as annoying as forced AI features.

The campaign launches in the United States Sunday, October 25th, with two distinct 30-second commercials airing on NBC. Next, it rolls out in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

“Being on set was a reminder of why those moments mattered,” said Solomon. “Ordinary people making things on the internet that made it feel so surprising and fun, and that’s the feeling we wanted to bring back.”

The campaign was created by award-winning independent agency We Believers, and brought to life by directing collective Sunny Sixteen and production company nobodys. Together, they meticulously recreated each performance, look, and even the sets from the original videos, taking each internet personality back to where their story began.

“We wanted an idea that truly belongs to Firefox, a challenger browser that helped shape the internet’s golden years and stayed independent as Big Tech took over,” said Gustavo Lauria, Founder and CCO at We Believers.

The campaign is one of Firefox’s most ambitious yet but is rooted in what has always set the browser apart from Big Tech: its commitment to putting people before profits and giving them more control over their online experience. Now, Firefox says it’s never been a better time for people who once used the browser to take another look.

About Firefox

Firefox is a web browser developed by Mozilla, built to give people more choice and control over their online experience. With built-in tracking protection, customization options, and a commitment to an open internet, Firefox offers an alternative to browsers developed by the world’s largest technology companies. Learn more at firefox.com/welcomeback.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/come-back-to-firefox-mozilla-launches-its-most-ambitious-campaign-yet-to-bring-people-back-to-the-independent-alternative-to-big-tech-browsers-302918568.html

SOURCE Mozilla

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Best AI Tools for Small Business Marketing (2026): CapCut Featured for Creating Professional Video and Visual Content by Expert Consumers

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NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Expert Consumers has recognized CapCut in its 2026 coverage of the best AI tools for small business marketing, highlighting the platform’s collection of AI-powered features for creating and editing video, images, audio, and other visual content. The recognition reflects growing interest in tools that support practical marketing activities, including campaign development, promotional content production, and adapting creative assets for different digital channels.

Best AI Marketing Tools

Seedance 2.0 – an AI video generation model that creates videos from text prompts or imagesSeedream – an AI image generation model that creates high-quality visuals from text prompts

Small businesses face growing pressure to maintain an active digital presence while managing limited time and resources. From product photography and promotional videos to social media graphics and campaign materials, effective marketing depends on a steady supply of relevant, engaging content. Artificial intelligence is creating new ways to simplify these tasks and help businesses turn creative ideas into usable marketing assets.

CapCut provides a range of AI-assisted capabilities that support several stages of content production. These include prompt-based video generation, AI image creation, background removal, image expansion, music generation, and photo animation. For small businesses managing marketing internally, these functions offer options for developing creative assets without relying entirely on manual production processes.

AI Video Generation Supports Promotional Campaigns

Video is an important format for demonstrating products, explaining services, and introducing new offerings. Small businesses can use video across social media, websites, digital advertisements, and online product pages. Producing content regularly, however, can require considerable planning and editing.

CapCut’s Seedance 2.0 AI video generator offers a prompt-based approach to video creation. Users can describe a creative concept and generate video content that serves as a starting point for further editing.

For a small retailer preparing a product promotion, AI-generated video can help explore different visual approaches before a final concept is selected. A service provider could use the same process to develop ideas for an explainer or an introductory campaign.

Prompt-based generation can reduce the effort involved in developing initial concepts. Generated material still requires review to ensure the finished video accurately represents the business, communicates the intended message, and follows relevant brand guidelines.

AI Image Creation Helps Develop Marketing Materials

Visual content plays a central role in how businesses present products and services online. Promotional graphics, campaign imagery, and social media visuals need to communicate a clear message while maintaining a recognizable style.

CapCut’s Seedream AI image generator enables users to generate images from text prompts. The tool can support concept drafts, campaign planning, and experimentation with different visual directions before final assets are prepared.

For example, a small business planning a seasonal campaign could explore different visual themes and compositions during the early planning stage. These drafts can help establish a creative direction before additional time is spent refining the final materials.

CapCut’s GPT Image 2 provides another option for generating images from natural language instructions. The feature can support the development of promotional imagery, marketing graphics, and other visual assets.

AI image generation gives businesses more opportunities to test creative ideas during campaign development. However, generated images should be checked for visual errors, accurate product representation, and consistency with the intended brand identity before publication.

Image Editing Simplifies Content Preparation

Creating new marketing assets is only part of the production process. Existing photographs and graphics often need adjustments before they are suitable for different platforms.

CapCut’s AI background removal tool helps isolate subjects from their original backgrounds. This can simplify the preparation of product photographs, promotional graphics, and other images that require a different visual setting.

For a small retailer, background removal can make it easier to prepare product images for online listings or promotional materials. Separated subjects can be incorporated into new compositions without recreating the entire image.

The AI Image Extender addresses a separate challenge: adapting images to different dimensions. The tool generates additional visual content beyond an image’s original boundaries, helping users adjust compositions without relying entirely on cropping or stretching.

A campaign may require square graphics for social media, vertical visuals for mobile viewing, and horizontal banners for a website. Image expansion provides another option for adapting existing assets to those formats.

These editing capabilities can help reduce repetitive production work while supporting a more consistent presentation across marketing channels.

AI Audio and Photo Animation Expand Creative Options

Marketing content often combines visuals, movement, and sound. Music can establish a mood, support storytelling, and help create a more complete video presentation.

CapCut’s SeedMusic AI audio generator supports AI-assisted music creation based on prompts. The feature can help develop audio for promotional videos, product demonstrations, and social media content.

Generated music offers a starting point for matching audio to a campaign’s intended atmosphere. Before publication, businesses should review the output and confirm that the applicable usage terms cover the intended commercial application.

CapCut also provides a Photo-to-3D tool that transforms still images into more dynamic visual presentations. This capability can help repurpose existing photography for promotional videos, social posts, and digital campaigns.

For small businesses with an existing collection of product images, adding movement can provide another way to present familiar assets. The approach also expands the range of creative formats available without requiring every campaign to begin with new photography.

Connecting AI Tools to Everyday Marketing Workflows

The practical value of AI-powered creative tools depends on how effectively they address specific marketing needs. Small businesses do not necessarily need every available feature for every campaign. Selecting tools according to content requirements can help keep production focused.

A retailer might begin with Seedream to explore campaign concepts, then use GPT Image 2 to generate supporting visuals. Background removal can help prepare product photography, while AI Image Extender can adapt selected assets to different layouts. Seedance 2.0 can support video concept development, with SeedMusic offering an option for accompanying audio.

A service-based business might prioritize short promotional videos, explanatory graphics, and social media content instead. The same collection of tools can support different production requirements depending on the business model and campaign objectives.

Using AI does not remove the need for creative direction or quality control. Content should be checked for factual accuracy, appropriate product representation, brand consistency, and compliance with advertising requirements. Human review also helps ensure that generated assets serve a clear marketing purpose rather than adding unnecessary material to a campaign.

AI-Assisted Marketing for Small Businesses

Interest in the best AI tools for small business marketing reflects the need for practical ways to produce and adapt digital content. Businesses must balance the demand for regular campaign updates with the resources available for creative production.

Expert Consumers’ recognition of CapCut highlights the platform’s range of AI-assisted functions for video generation, image creation, editing, audio production, and photo animation. These capabilities offer small businesses several options for developing marketing materials across digital channels.

As AI becomes more integrated into content production, effective use will depend on matching the right tools to specific tasks. With clear campaign objectives, careful editing, and appropriate review, CapCut’s creative features can help businesses develop marketing assets while reducing some of the repetitive work involved in preparing content for publication.

Visit the Expert Consumers site for the full review.

About CapCut

CapCut is an AI-powered photo and video editing platform designed to make high-quality video creation accessible across devices. The platform supports creators, businesses, and everyday users with tools for video editing, AI video generation, captions, templates, audio, and visual editing. CapCut is available across mobile, web, desktop, and iPad experiences, helping users create, edit, and prepare video content for social media, marketing, education, and personal projects.

About Better Business Advice: Better Business Advice covers the news and strategies driving modern business success. The information provided by Better Business Advice does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials are for general informational purposes only. As an affiliate, Better Business Advice may earn commissions from services mentioned in the links provided.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/best-ai-tools-for-small-business-marketing-2026-capcut-featured-for-creating-professional-video-and-visual-content-by-expert-consumers-302918043.html

SOURCE ExpertConsumers.org

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Beyond GRC: DigitalXForce Pioneers AI-Powered Risk Operations with Global X-ROC™ Rollout

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Enterprise TRiSCM™ innovator advances Continuous Control Assurance, cyber risk quantification and real-time Risk Operations across global enterprises, transforming traditional GRC into proactive Digital Trust

DALLAS, Oct. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DigitalXForce, the AI-native Enterprise Trust, Risk, Security and Compliance Management (TRiSCM™) platform, today announced the continued global rollout of X-ROC™ (XForce Risk Operations Center), its AI-powered approach to continuous enterprise risk operations.

The expansion builds on DigitalXForce’s recognition as a Leader in two IDC MarketScape assessments, its 2026 Cyber Defense Magazine innovation honors, and increasing enterprise demand for automated, continuous approaches to managing cybersecurity, governance, risk and compliance.

Unlike traditional Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) platforms that primarily document risks and manage periodic assessments, DigitalXForce’s X-ROC combines Continuous Control Assurance (CCA), Continuous Control Monitoring (CCM), Cyber Risk Quantification (CRQ), AI-powered risk intelligence and remediation orchestration into an integrated risk operations model.

The objective is to help enterprises move beyond knowing whether controls are documented to continuously understand whether controls are operating effectively, which exposures matter most, and what action should be taken next.

New Research Reveals Why Traditional Security Scores Are Not Enough

The company’s DigitalXForce Security Posture Benchmark 2026, analyzing published security control responses from 2,112 companies, reveals a significant disconnect between high-level compliance scores and underlying security exposure.

Key findings include:

98.9% median control implementation: The median company reported 98.9% of applicable security controls in place, yet significant control gaps remained.54.9% reported data protection gaps: More than half of companies reported at least one missing control in the Data Protection and Encryption domain.52.0% reported encryption and key management gaps: Among 2,098 companies responding, 52.0% reported at least one control not in place.42.3% reported configuration and asset management gaps: Demonstrating continued exposure in foundational security practices.26.7% reported full control implementation: More than one-quarter reported all applicable controls in place under the benchmark’s assessment model.

The benchmark evaluated responses against DigitalXForce’s proprietary model of 94 controls across 12 domains, with mappings to NIST SP 800-53, NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 and CIS Controls v8.1.

These findings highlight an important enterprise risk challenge: a high security or compliance score does not necessarily reveal which remaining control failures could create the greatest business impact.

DigitalXForce developed X-ROC to address this challenge by connecting control failures and changing risk conditions with supporting evidence, quantified business impact and accountable remediation workflows.

Read the research: https://digitalxforce.com/research/security-posture-benchmark-2026/

X-ROC: Bringing Operational Intelligence to Enterprise Risk

A Risk Operations Center (ROC) is an operating model designed to continuously identify, assess, prioritize, monitor and reduce enterprise risk.

While a traditional Security Operations Center (SOC) focuses on security threats and incidents, a Risk Operations Center focuses on the organization’s broader exposure, control effectiveness, business impact and risk remediation.

DigitalXForce X-ROC™ brings these capabilities together through an integrated operating model:

1. Continuous Risk Discovery and Monitoring

X-ROC ingests security posture changes, control failures, third-party risk events and other enterprise risk signals, connecting them with the underlying evidence.

2. Continuous Control Assurance and Automation

DigitalXForce CCA continuously validates control effectiveness through evidence collection, automated testing and ongoing monitoring. CCM provides the monitoring capability within CCA, tracking control conditions and associated risk signals.

3. AI-Powered Risk Intelligence

DigitalXForce’s proprietary AI engines, AI JedAI and XForce GPT, analyze risk signals, correlate related findings, support prioritization and generate business-oriented risk narratives and executive reporting, with analyst review.

4. Cyber Risk Quantification

Rather than prioritizing findings solely by technical severity, X-ROC incorporates quantified financial exposure and business impact to help organizations identify which risks deserve attention first.

5. Remediation Orchestration and Validation

X-ROC assigns risk ownership, tracks remediation against defined timelines and supports integration with enterprise workflow platforms such as ServiceNow and Jira.

Findings are validated through control retesting before closure, creating an evidence-based approach to risk reduction.

6. Executive Digital Trust Intelligence

X-ROC connects operational risk findings with broader enterprise trust, security, compliance and resilience reporting, helping CISOs, CROs, compliance leaders and boards understand the organization’s changing risk posture.

CEO Perspective: Redefining Enterprise Risk Operations

“X-ROC is redefining enterprise risk operations. By combining AI, continuous control assurance and risk intelligence, we’re helping global enterprises move from reacting to risk to staying ahead of it.”

— Lalit Ahluwalia, Founder & CEO, DigitalXForce

Global Enterprise Adoption of Continuous Risk Operations

DigitalXForce is advancing the adoption of X-ROC across its international enterprise customer ecosystem, supporting organizations seeking to consolidate fragmented governance, cybersecurity, compliance and risk management operations.

X-ROC supports two operating models:

Enterprise-operated Risk Operations Center: Organizations operate X-ROC directly using DigitalXForce’s platform, workflows, integrations and risk intelligence capabilities.Managed Risk Operations: DigitalXForce operates the risk operations layer as a managed service, providing continuous monitoring, prioritization and reporting while customers retain ownership of remediation actions.

The platform supports cloud and hybrid deployment architectures, enabling organizations to address enterprise security, operational and regional data residency requirements.

This flexibility is particularly relevant to multinational organizations managing complex regulatory requirements, multiple business units, distributed technology environments and third-party ecosystems.

Independent Industry Recognition Reinforces DigitalXForce’s Momentum

DigitalXForce’s X-ROC strategy builds on broader industry recognition of the company’s Enterprise TRiSCM™ platform and AI-powered risk management innovation.

Dual IDC MarketScape Leader Recognition

DigitalXForce was positioned as a Leader in:

IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Governance, Risk, and Compliance Software Vendor Assessment, 2025 (Doc #US53615325, June 2025).IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Third-Party Risk Management Software 2026 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US53007725, September 2026).

These assessments evaluated vendor capabilities and strategies in their respective markets.

DigitalXForce’s recognition across both GRC and Third-Party Risk Management reflects its positioning across interconnected enterprise risk disciplines, supported by a unified platform architecture.

Cyber Defense Magazine Innovation Honors

DigitalXForce has also received recognition through the 2026 Cyber Defense Magazine Global InfoSec Awards, including innovation honors associated with AI TRiSCM, Automated GRC with Continuous Control Assurance, and X-ROC.

These recognitions contribute to DigitalXForce’s growing industry profile as it advances AI-powered governance, risk management and continuous assurance.

From GRC to Enterprise TRiSCM™: One Platform for Digital Trust

DigitalXForce’s Enterprise TRiSCM™ platform integrates 15 modules on a unified data layer, supporting more than 50 compliance frameworks and 250 technology integrations.

The architecture enables security, compliance, audit, risk and third-party risk teams to work from connected controls, shared evidence and continuously updated risk information rather than isolated tools and periodic assessments.

The platform is designed to enable five fundamental shifts:

From Periodic GRC → Continuous Control Assurance

From Fragmented Security Tools → Unified Enterprise Risk Intelligence

From Technical Severity → Quantified Business Risk

From Manual Remediation Tracking → Evidence-Based Risk Operations

From Compliance Reporting → Continuous Digital Trust

X-ROC serves as the operational layer of this strategy, connecting enterprise risk signals with prioritization, accountability and validated remediation.

Building the Future of AI-Powered Risk Operations

As enterprises accelerate adoption of cloud services, AI, autonomous technologies and complex third-party ecosystems, risk exposure is becoming increasingly dynamic.

DigitalXForce believes enterprise risk management must evolve accordingly.

The company’s vision is to make risk management a continuous operational capability rather than a periodic reporting exercise.

Through X-ROC, Continuous Control Assurance, AI-powered analysis and cyber risk quantification, DigitalXForce is working to establish a new operating model in which enterprises can identify emerging exposures, prioritize them based on business impact and verify that corrective actions are effective.

The SOC manages security incidents. X-ROC manages enterprise risk.

The future of GRC is not another dashboard. It is continuous, intelligent Risk Operations

About DigitalXForce — We Stop Risk Before It Strikes.

DigitalXForce, Industry’s first AI-Powered Enterprise TRiSCM (Trust, Risk, Security and Compliance Management) Platform, is pioneering the next generation of Automated GRC with Continuous Trust Assurance by converging AI, cybersecurity, compliance, operational resilience, and posture management into one unified Risk Intelligence platform. Designed with a modular and composable architecture, DigitalXForce delivers an integrated suite of capabilities spanning automated GRC, Enterprise Security Risk Posture Management (ESRPM), Third-Party Risk Management, Cyber Resilience, and Regulatory Compliance.

At the core of DigitalXForce is its AI-powered engine, which leverages intelligent agents, machine learning models, and a dynamic control library to autonomously monitor controls, map evidence, assess risks, and generate real-time insights. Trusted by global enterprises across healthcare, finance, critical infrastructure, and technology sectors, DigitalXForce delivers measurable value by reducing manual effort, accelerating audit readiness, and improving organizational resilience in today’s fast-evolving threat and compliance landscape.

Learn more about DigitalXForce at https://digitalxforce.com

Additional Resources

X-ROC Platform: https://digitalxforce.com/products/ai-powered-xforce-risk-operations-center/2026 Security Posture Benchmark: https://digitalxforce.com/research/security-posture-benchmark-2026/What Is a Risk Operations Center: https://digitalxforce.com/what-is-a-risk-operations-center/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/beyond-grc-digitalxforce-pioneers-ai-powered-risk-operations-with-global-x-roc-rollout-302918726.html

SOURCE DigitalXForce Corporation

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