Q&A with Jeanne Hopkins, CMO at Lola.com

Media 7 | April 22, 2020

Cameron Worth, CEO & Founder of SharpEnd leads the company’s mission to help brands move closer than ever to consumers by connecting packaging, retail and experiential activity. He is a regular speaker and writer on how to build brands in a connected world. He has spoken at Cannes, the Festival of Marketing, LuxePack Monaco and New York, Ad:Week Europe and New York, DMA, the Connected Consumer Conference, Mobile World Congress and the IoT World Forum. MEDIA 7: How did the idea of “the agency of things” come to your mind? CAMERON WORTH: SharpEnd was created in 2015 as the world’s first Internet of Things focused agency, so there is a slight play on words when we say we’re the Agency of Things. I think the idea of giving things their own agency is an interesting concept, and the strapline fits our capabilities on multiple levels. M7: In what way does technology drive the association of SharpEnd with global brands? What approaches are followed to enable sustainability? CW: Our simple proposition is to help build brands in a connected world, and to do that you must always start with identified consumer needs or pain points and look at technology as just an enabler to deliver an appropriate solution (when appropriate).  Take the issue of sustainability, which is often a pain point for brands that grapple with issues such as how we can reward sustainable behaviour change. One of our approaches to this could be to look at communicating the recycling credentials of the different products. Whilst the consumer can engage with a product as part of a wider consumer experience, the same technology could also house content that could tell you whether the product is recyclable, which type of bin it goes in etc. SharpEnd’s work with Unilever is a case in point. We built a digital product that incentivised recycling through gamification but also served to educate through informing people how and where to recycle in a clear fashion. All users had to do was simply scan their packaging to have all this information at their disposal.

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MEDIA 7 | January 9, 2020

Sangram Vajre, Co-Founder & Chief Evangelist at Terminus is also an author and host of the podcast FlipmyFunnel. He is one of the leading minds in B2B marketing. MEDIA 7: What are you passionate about? SANGRAM VAJRE: Three things: Lead professionally. Grow personally. Love family. M7: Terminus has been recognized as one of Georgia’s 40 fastest-growing companies by ACG Atlanta. What factors contribute to this pace? SV: One of our core values is #OneTeam – which means we think and act as one team and know that if we treat our team right, they will treat our customers amazing. There are no great companies, only great people that make those companies.

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MEDIA 7 | December 5, 2019

Andrea Lechner-Becker, Chief Marketing Officer at LeadMD is an experienced Marketing and Sales Executive with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Skilled in Business Process, Marketo, Sales, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and IT Service Management, Andrea is also a strong business development professional and a storyteller. MEDIA 7: What inspired you to get into marketing? ANDREA LECHNER: Frankly, not having better options. I originally attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse thinking I’d major in Archaeology. I wanted to be Indiana Jones! But, after visiting the archaeology building – i.e. the cold, dark basement of the science building – where a girl sat to piece together pieces of an old Native American vase, I knew archaeology was not going to be the right path for me. And so, without being good at science and a major in art or art history was unlikely to pay my bills, I decided to go into “business”. I originally registered as a management major, but took my first marketing class and thought it was more interesting and switched my sophomore year. That was pretty much it. I’d never been involved in business classes or DECA in high school – I didn’t really know what to do or what jobs in marketing were even possible. I dumb lucked myself into it really. M7: As a storyteller, do you relate the brand to a story or story to the brand? AL: Both? Neither? I think there are stories in every brand, because there are people working on the brand and people engaging with the brand and people using what the brand creates. People, most often a single person, are at the heart of great stories. You can start with the “point” of the story you’re trying to tell. Say you have a software that help accountants better create reports for board meetings. It’s likely you’ll want to tell a success story about an accountant getting promoted to CFO in part because your software helped better communicate their work product to the board. You could have the idea for that and go looking for that story in your customers. OR, you could hear that story, and say, “That’s amazing!” and share it with customers, partners and internal people. Stories are all around us – the most important thing is to keep your ears and eyes open for finding them.

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Enterprise Iot

PR Newswire | October 16, 2023

UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, today announced it issued the first Smart System Verified Platinum rating for the SIBCA Connect: Internet of Things (IoT) Platform. SIBCA is a provider of fire, life safety, and information and communication technology (ICT) solutions. "With our Smart Systems Rating Program, UL Solutions is helping the industry navigate the growing complexity of smart building systems and solidify the definition of a smart product based on features and best practices," said Sudhi Sinha, vice president of Ecosystems and Service Development at UL Solutions. "UL Solutions is pleased to announce that SIBCA has earned the Smart System Verified Platinum rating for their SIBCA Connect IoT Platform. Our Smart Systems Rating, a UL Marketing Claim Verification, helps our customers deliver confidence and peace of mind to buyers and consumers during their decision-making process, which helps them elevate their brand above competitors that self-declare their claims." UL Solutions evaluated the SIBCA Connect platform using UL MCV 1587, Methodology for Marketing Claim Verification: Smart System Verified to level Silver/Gold/Platinum/Diamond. This assessment — along with evidence from SIBCA — enabled UL Solutions to verify SIBCA's marketing claim about its product. UL Solutions Smart Systems Rating Program enabled us to demonstrate the level of our SIBCA Connect IoT Platform's smart system claim and differentiate our solution in a competitive and challenging market. We are honored to achieve the first Smart System Verified Platinum rating for our SIBCA Connect platform and be part of this industry-first program, said Ibrahim Lari, chairman and CEO of SIBCA. UL Solutions evaluates building systems and products according to the Smart System Rating Program across six categories: connectivity and interoperability, control and automation, digital experience, functional value, resiliency and cybersecurity. This assessment is performed based on the specifications published in UL MCV 1587. Each category has different areas of examination reflected in sub-categories, and the examination utilizes science-based methodology against these criteria and the published specification.

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Software and Tools

Business Wire | October 17, 2023

DirectDefense, a leading information security services company, today announced it has been named a winner of the 2023 IoT Innovators Award from CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company. This award honors North American solution providers that are driving IoT innovation forward, recognizing the enormous potential of IoT and integrating cutting-edge technologies into their portfolios. IoT solutions are a pivotal technology that propels digital transformation by bridging the gap between the physical and digital world, and between information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). Owing to its capacity to generate new sources of data, mitigate risk and provide real-time performance updates, IoT has emerged as a significant contributor to contemporary business initiatives. The recipients of this year's IoT Innovators Awards have demonstrated their leadership in the industry by devising innovative IoT solutions that expedite time-to-market planning and deliver the utmost value-add to their customers’ IoT investments. Regardless of industry, operational continuity is vital to success, and downtime from a security breach or violations of change management or remote access procedures isn’t acceptable, said Christopher Walcutt, Chief Security Officer at DirectDefense. Relying on experts who can help strengthen an organization’s security architecture without disrupting operations safeguards against more serious interruptions from a breach, especially since OT environments are not repaired or restored as quickly or as easily as traditional corporate IT environments. Working in the security ecosystem and with our outstanding partners, we are honored to be recognized by CRN for helping clients secure their IT and OT assets. DirectDefense offers a comprehensive suite of IoT and IIoT security solutions from device and application testing to cybersecurity architecture and system design to keep organizations safe from attack. IoT and IIoT devices in the cloud are often interconnected for functional and data analytics reasons and create multiple entry points to the controlling network. DirectDefense works with organizations to enhance visibility and create an effective remediation plan that prioritizes the most critical vulnerabilities. “The 2023 winners of CRN's IoT Innovators Award have been recognized for their exceptional IoT solutions,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “These organizations have demonstrated remarkable proficiency in overcoming various challenges and have emerged as trailblazers in the fields of IT and OT. By offering innovative solutions, they have enabled their clients to outperform their competitors and establish themselves as leaders in their respective industries.” DirectDefense was previously named to the CRN’s 2023 Solution Provider 500 list in the Security 100 category, which recognizes the top technology providers and consultants providing managed services, and the 2023 CRN Fast Growth 150 list, which showcases the 150 fastest-growing and highest-performing solution providers across the entire North American region. The IoT Innovators Award list is featured online at www.crn.com/IoTinnovators. The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, it connects and empowers technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 40 years of unequaled channel experience, The Channel Company draws from deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. About DirectDefense, Inc. DirectDefense provides enterprise risk assessments, penetration testing, ICS/SCADA security services, and 24/7 managed security services for companies of all sizes. Focused on building security resiliency, the firm offers comprehensive security testing services with specialization in application security, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and compliance assurance testing. Its team of highly talented consultants has worked with the majority of the Fortune 100 companies, in industries such as power and utility, gaming, retail, financial, media, travel, aerospace, healthcare, and technology. More information can be found at www.directdefense.com.

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Software and Tools

PR Newswire | October 25, 2023

ATEL®, a leader in telecommunications technology, is excited to announce the launch of its latest innovation, the WB550 Apex by ATEL™ 5G Indoor Router. Designed to meet the most demanding Internet connectivity needs, the WB550 Apex by ATEL™ offers unparalleled data speeds, robust security features, and the power to connect up to 32 users. As more of our lives shift to the cloud, having a real-time connection to the Internet is no longer an option, explains Terence "TC" Caston VP of Product Marketing: "Our businesses and homes rely on low-latency applications that perform best with networks that have the power to support them. ATEL® has ensured the network's edge devices have the power to deliver!" The WB-550 FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) device gives your business or home the reliability and power to connect to the things that move you. Key highlights of the WB-550 include: Support for NSA or SA 5G networks C-Band 5G and LTE Cat-19 fallback for lightning-fast speeds in areas without 5G Connections for up to 32 devices on its powerful Wi-Fi 6 network For managing your deployment of devices, ATEL® has also included its premiere device remote management solution called ATRACS™. Our remote management portal has been designed to bring the best-of-breed features to every ATEL® device we launch with two years of free service! About ATEL Asiatelco Technologies Co. (ATEL®) was established in 2003. Since its inception, ATEL® has been growing steadily with its sales covering more than 50 countries. ATEL's business model is JDM/ODM for serving wireless operators and branded customers. With 20 years of accumulated experience, ATEL® has built a strong, effective, and efficient team in R&D and manufacturing. Customers can always rely on the ATEL® team's performance. Quality, flexibility, on-time delivery and lower cost, are just some of the key factors of success at ATEL® and the key to customer satisfaction. ATEL-USA was established in 2017, with its headquarters in Newport Beach, California. We have invested in the industry's top talent for hardware, software, marketing, quality, and operations. This has allowed us to continue the transition from a 3rd Party ODM to a full-service OEM supplier of quality wireless products. Our products include FWA (Fixed Wireless Access), POTs replacement devices, mobile broadband routers, hot spots, home phone connect, OBD, CPE, IoT, safety devices, and smart devices for the US market. A strong, effective, and efficient R&D team, along with the manufacturing team, has positioned ATEL-USA to enter into the OEM space.

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