Connect with us

Technology

Zum Introduces Zoe, A Conversational AI Assistant Built for Student Mobility

Published

on

Zoe delivers real-time insights and actionable recommendations to improve reliability, reduce costs

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Zūm, a leader in student mobility, today introduced Zoe, a conversational AI assistant built into Zum CMX. Designed for transportation teams, operators, and administrators, Zoe turns each district’s own data into clear answers and next steps, helping teams solve problems faster so every student starts the day on time and is ready to learn.

Every morning, student mobility teams make hundreds of decisions in minutes, often with incomplete information. With more than 1 in 5 students chronically absent in the 2024-25 school year, and 7 in 10 school districts surveyed facing driver shortages, the need for faster, smarter decision-making has never been greater. Unlike standalone AI tools layered onto fragmented systems, Zoe is built directly into Zum CMX, a unified system that connects every aspect of student mobility in one platform. With a single source of real-time data across the entire operation, Zoe delivers deeper insights, identifies underlying issues and recommends actionable next steps to improve performance.

“AI is only as powerful as the system and data behind it,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “For decades, student mobility has relied on outdated, disconnected systems that limit visibility and efficiency. We built Zum CMX to change that. Now, with Zoe, we’re embedding AI directly into the operating system, turning real-time data into actionable intelligence. This isn’t AI layered onto outdated technology. It’s AI built into the entire system, synthesizing actionable insights from comprehensive operational data captured through multiple daily touch points, helping districts make smarter decisions, improve reliability and deliver a better experience for students and families.”

How Zoe Helps Decision-Making

Zoe is designed to be the colleague who can simultaneously read routes, runs, and timesheets. Whether the issue is information displaced across screens or routes that could run more efficiently, Zoe is built to help close the gap.  The data is protected under Zum’s existing data privacy and security commitments.

“In student transportation, every minute matters. Having real-time visibility into our operations is critical, but the real value comes from being able to quickly understand what the data is telling us and take action,” said Tomas Beccar Varela, Interim Executive Director of Transportation, San Francisco Unified School District. “We see promise in tools like Zoe that can make complex transportation data easier to access, interpret, and analyze. As we evaluate these capabilities, our focus remains on making more informed operational decisions, improving service reliability, and providing a better transportation experience for students and families.”

Zoe will help:

Improve on-time performance (OTP): Zoe assesses overall OTP and separates isolated incidents from recurring patterns. School mobility leaders can review trends at a glance and receive recommendations for recurring route and timing issues.Improve route coverage: By identifying routes that routinely need cover drivers or are frequently split, Zoe helps show the pattern. Zoe can compare the current version of a route or run with a prior one and summarize what’s changed.Control avoidable pay costs: By spotting unusual paid-hour patterns, Zoe is able to drill into repeated extra stops or unexplained dwell time using historical telematics, and surface specific instances for review and operational efficiency.Quickly learn product functionality: Zoe helps transportation teams make the most of Zum CMX by allowing them to ask questions and receive up-to-date, step-by-step guidance tailored to their specific needs and the latest product capabilities.

Zoe was designed with privacy, security and human oversight at its core. Read more here.

The introduction of Zoe marks the next evolution of Zum CMX and Zum’s mission to reimagine one of the nation’s largest mass mobility systems. With more than 7,500 schools across 19 states relying on Zum CMX, the company continues to bring technology and innovation to an industry that has remained outdated and fragmented for decades.

Built on a shared AI foundation across Zum CMX, Zoe goes beyond identifying operational challenges and can help districts anticipate issues, understand their impact and take action before they disrupt service. As new capabilities are introduced, Zoe will continue to aid in making the entire system smarter and help improve mobility experiences for all stakeholders, advancing Zum’s vision of making the ride to school a reliable on-ramp to learning for every student, every morning.

About Zum

Zum is redefining mass mobility with Zum Connected Mobility Experience (CMX), a fully integrated, intelligent system which connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time to deliver a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience. Zum is also advancing the transition to electric mobility, turning school buses into mobile energy assets that can support a cleaner, more resilient grid. Today, more than 7,500 schools in 19 states have relied on Zum CMX™. Learn more at www.ridezum.com.

Media Contact
Jenny Mayfield
VP, Communications, Zum
press@ridezum.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zum-introduces-zoe-a-conversational-ai-assistant-built-for-student-mobility-302935660.html

SOURCE Zūm

Continue Reading

Technology

Nielsen Announces Pricing of $1.4 Billion Offering of Senior Secured Notes by its Affiliate

Published

on

By

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Neptune BidCo US Inc. (the “Issuer” or the “Company”), an affiliate of Nielsen Holdings Limited (“Nielsen”), announced today that it has priced an offering of $1,400,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 10.500% Senior Secured Notes due 2033 (the “Notes”). The Notes will be guaranteed by its parent company, Neptune Intermediate, LLC (“Parent”), and certain subsidiaries of the Issuer. The offering is expected to close on November 30, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

The Issuer intends to use the proceeds from the offering together with borrowings under its term loan, an equity contribution by Nielsen’s equity investors, and cash on hand, to fund the purchase price for the acquisition of DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (the “DoubleVerify Acquisition”) and to pay related fees and expenses.

The Issuer and the Parent are controlled by a consortium of private investment funds led by Elliott Investment Management L.P. and Brookfield Business Partners L.P., together with institutional partners.

The Notes were offered and will be sold in a private placement only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and to non-U.S. persons in transactions outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act, any state securities laws or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration under, or an applicable exemption from, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes. No offer, solicitation or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Any offers of the Notes will be made only by means of a private offering memorandum.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication includes information that could constitute forward-looking statements. These statements include those set forth above relating to the issuance of the Notes and the DoubleVerify Acquisition as well as those that may be identified by words such as “will,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “could” and similar expressions. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results and events could differ materially from what presently is expected. Factors leading thereto may include, without limitation, the risks related to the Company’s previously completed sale to a private equity consortium, including any unexpected liabilities or costs and Nielsen’s ability to realize anticipated cost savings, risks and uncertainties relating to the DoubleVerify Acquisition, including its timing and completion, potential disruption to Nielsen’s and DoubleVerify’s businesses and operations, litigation and unexpected costs, and the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction, the failure of Nielsen’s new business strategy in accomplishing Nielsen’s objectives, economic or other conditions in the markets Nielsen is engaged in, impacts of actions and behaviors of customers, suppliers, competitors and key employees, technological developments, legal and regulatory rules and processes affecting Nielsen’s business, and other specific risk factors that are outlined in Nielsen’s other disclosure reports and materials, which can be found on the applicable lender or bondholder sites through which you obtain Nielsen information. Please consult these documents for a more complete understanding of these risks and uncertainties. This list of factors is not intended to be exhaustive. Such forward-looking statements only speak as of the date of these materials, and Nielsen assumes no obligation to update any written or oral forward-looking statement made by Nielsen or on its behalf as a result of new information, future events or other factors, except as required by law.

About Nielsen

Nielsen is a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their global audiences—now and into the future.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nielsen-announces-pricing-of-1-4-billion-offering-of-senior-secured-notes-by-its-affiliate-302935673.html

SOURCE NIELSEN COMPANY

Continue Reading

Technology

Rapidflare and McFadyen Digital Launch AI Product Selection Agent with Bay Supply

Published

on

By

Bay Supply is the first customer to go live through the Rapidflare and McFadyen Digital partnership. Its new Product Assistant helps buyers navigate a complex catalog and gives Bay Supply’s sales and marketing teams a clearer view of what customers are trying to solve.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Rapidflare and McFadyen Digital today announced the first production deployment of their joint AI agent for industrial B2B e-commerce.

The Rapid Product Selection Agent is now live on Bay Supply’s website as the Bay Supply Product Assistant, giving customers 24/7 access to interactive product guidance. Buyers can describe their application or requirements in their own words, find suitable products and alternatives, build a quote-ready product list, and submit a qualified request for quotation.

Compatibility questions, specification checks, and application-fit questions that once required a human specialist can now be answered in the conversation. For manufacturers selling complex products online, this gives buyers a way to get technical guidance as they research, helping move more buying journeys toward an RFQ.

Turning product discovery into qualified demand

Buyers don’t need to know a product name or part number to get started. The Bay Supply Product Assistant can begin with a problem, application, requirement, or constraint, then narrow down suitable options by checking them against Bay Supply’s catalog of nearly 200,000 products and their specifications.

Recommendations link back to their source data, so buyers can see the information behind each answer. The assistant can then assemble a quote-ready product list and route a qualified inquiry to Bay Supply’s sales team.

Every conversation is a buyer signal

A conversation with the assistant captures what a buyer is trying to solve, which products they’re comparing, and where existing content may not answer their questions. That gives Bay Supply’s sales and marketing teams a different view of buyer intent than clickstream analytics alone, and can help them improve product content and create more relevant collateral.

“Most distributors can tell you what customers clicked on. Very few can tell you what they were trying to solve,” said Jeff Mikos, Head of Strategy at McFadyen Digital. “A conversation captures the application, the constraint, the comparison a buyer was weighing. That is a feedback loop into product content, assortment and sales coverage, and it compounds every month the assistant is live.”

Built together by Rapidflare and McFadyen Digital

The deployment follows the previously announced partnership between Rapidflare and McFadyen Digital, and brings together what each company does best.

McFadyen Digital, Bay Supply’s Adobe Commerce partner, brought deep knowledge of Bay Supply’s commerce stack, product data and buying workflow. McFadyen Digital led the implementation, connecting the agent to Bay Supply’s ERP, commerce catalog and CRM so recommendations reflect live product, inventory and pricing data. Rapidflare brought its product intelligence platform, structuring Bay Supply’s catalog of nearly 200,000 products into a knowledge graph so the agent reasons over real specifications such as material, diameter and grip range. Working as one team, the two companies embedded the agent in Bay Supply’s storefront, set up quotes, enquiries and live handoff to sales, and took it through testing and rollout together.

“Industrial commerce requires more than a searchable catalog. Buyers need guidance that reflects their applications, technical requirements, and commercial context,” said Umapathy Gandhi, Senior Vice President of Global Delivery at McFadyen Digital. “This deployment shows how AI agents bring that expertise into the digital channel and create a more direct path from product discovery to revenue.”

“Buying a deeply technical product online should feel as informed as speaking with a specialist,” said Prush Palanichamy, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Rapidflare. “Domain-aware agents make that possible, helping buyers find the right products with confidence, and giving industrial businesses the ability to serve more of the demand already coming through their digital channels.”

Rapidflare and McFadyen Digital plan to bring the Rapid Product Selection Agent to additional manufacturers, distributors, and marketplace operators with complex catalogs and technical buying journeys.

To learn more or request a demo, visit rapidflare.ai/contact-us or mcfadyen.com.

About Rapidflare

Rapidflare is an agentic AI platform for technical sales and support in electronics, semiconductors and other industries with complex, spec-heavy product catalogs. Its product intelligence layer turns datasheets, catalogs and application notes into structured product knowledge, and AI agents built on it handle product selection, cross-reference, RFQ responses and technical support, with every answer cited to its source. Rapidflare works with companies including AMD, Qorvo, Amphenol and Taoglas, is SOC 2 Type II certified, and is headquartered in Silicon Valley. Learn more at www.rapidflare.ai.

About McFadyen Digital

McFadyen Digital is a global commerce systems integration agency that specializes in applying AI for B2B manufacturers, distributors and marketplace operators. The company helps clients close the Commerce Gap: making product data, pricing and commerce infrastructure ready for AI buyers and agents. With 300+ clients served and teams in the United States, Brazil and India, McFadyen Digital delivers strategy, implementation and managed services across Adobe Commerce, Mirakl and composable platforms. Learn more at www.mcfadyen.com.

Media Contact

Balpreet Kaur, Rapidflare, 1 408-409-6433, media@rapidflare.ai, rapidflare.ai

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/rapidflare-and-mcfadyen-digital-launch-ai-product-selection-agent-with-bay-supply-302935295.html

SOURCE Rapidflare

Continue Reading

Technology

Intouch Insight to Host Third Quarter Earnings Conference Call on November 19, 2026 at 10:00am ET

Published

on

By

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 10, 2026 /CNW/ — Intouch Insight Ltd. (TSXV: INX) (OTCQX: INXSF) (“Intouch” or the “Company”), a provider of customer experience management solutions, today announced it will host a conference call and live webcast on November 19, 2026, at 10:00am Eastern Time to discuss the results of the third quarter 2026.

Conference Call Information

To participate in this event, register and log-in approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the call.

Date: November 19, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. eastern time
Register for the live webcast and access on-demand recording: https://events.zoom.us/ev/Aq_AtYFwvnSkc7aeqsTFIC_LdYPICTnz8ZjPj_YseBMND0NNP7jE~AvG8jHOHsLPt1c2RaU-obNjJjkuGHfdJQz1kBIedcTx8Z58PrcUhkoG0iw

About Intouch Insight
Intouch Insight offers a complete portfolio of customer experience management (CEM) products and services that help global brands delight their customers, strengthen brand reputation and improve financial performance. Intouch helps clients collect and centralize data from multiple customer touch points, gives them actionable, real-time insights, and provides them with the tools to continuously improve customer experience. Founded in 1992, Intouch is trusted by over 300 of North America’s most-loved brands for their customer experience management, customer survey, mystery shopping, mobile forms, operational and compliance audits, geolocation data capture and event marketing automation solutions. For more information, visit intouchinsight.com.

Certain statements included in this news release including those related to the Company’s quarterly results, future products, opportunities and cost initiatives, strategies, and other statements that are predictive in nature that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates”, or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward looking statements that are made of the date hereof, which by their nature are necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the Company’s current views with respect to future events, and are based on information currently available to the Company and on hypotheses which it considers to be reasonable; however, management warns the reader that hypotheses relative to future events which are beyond the control of management could prove to be false, given that they are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Please refer to the risks set forth in the Company’s most recent annual MD&A and the Company’s continuous disclosure documents that can be found on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. The Company does not intend, and disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Intouch Insight Ltd.

Continue Reading

Trending