Monthly Archives: March 2021

Press Releases

03/17/2021

(HARTFORD, CT) Governor Ned Lamont and Josh Geballe, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services and the states chief operating officer, today announced that the Lamont administration has launched a year-long process of building a new information technology organization within state government. The process to centralize the coordination of the states IT resources by the Department of Administrative Services will progress throughout the year and establish an organization capable of delivering modern IT solution to support state agencies and the public.

The process will bring best practices to all state agencies, provide flexibility in the cross-training of employees, and ensure there is a pool of specialized experts at the ready to serve state agencies, rather than requiring a dedicated, smaller group of IT staff to individual agencies.

From day one, our administration promised to streamline government services and make interacting with the residents of Connecticut much easier, Governor Lamont said. Our state employees have accomplished amazing things with technology throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and this optimization process provides the resources and support to continue our progress.

This optimization is all a part of our broader efforts to modernize state government to better serve our residents, Commissioner Geballe said. To achieve our goal of providing services efficiently, the state needs to up our game in how we use technology. This change starts from the inside out, and were excited to continue this journey to improve the government experience for all of our residents.

Technology is improving at a faster rate every day, and we need to make sure we have the most flexible and responsive IT organization possible in state government, Mark Raymond, the states chief information officer, said. Our state agencies have incredibly talented IT staff, and under this new model we will be able to share that talent across state agencies and ensure they have access to more deploy skilled people all at the same time. I look forward to moving this project forward, and working closely with more of our state employees.

Key components of the optimization will include:

Ultimately, the governor explained, with more effective IT support and improved IT systems, state employees will be able to bring more modern and meaningful solutions to the public and state agencies.

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Governor Lamont Announces Launch of Information Technology Optimization Process Within State Government - CT.gov

Retalon introduces "Progressive Learning", a methodology that makes the process of training of Neural Nets 80% more resistant to the bad data.

TORONTO, March 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -Retalon, an award-winning AI & Predictive Analytics software provider announced a new approach to training of Neural Nets, named Progressive Learning.

Traditionally data used to train neural net models is less than perfect, resulting in errors and biases. This is not a new problem, as bad data has always been an issue, independently of what technology was used. With Neural Nets, however the idea was that the Neural Nets will at least partially replace data scientists in data preparation process. The same way a good Data Scientist can look at the data and say: "it doesn't seem to be right", a properly trained Neural Net was hoped to do the same.

Retalon has developed a new process that allows NN to start training on the trustful data first, gradually learning from less perfect data. The new approach also affects the initialization step. Retalon Progressive Learning technology offers one consistent gradual approach to initialize and train NN for business-specific application.

"You don't show a 2-year-old the "Game of Thrones" to educate them on how this world works. You start with "Sesame Street", and then add complexity to the established foundation. We found that this is also an important step in Deep Learning of artificial systems. At the end of the day, all systems (whether human or artificial Neural Net) are based on the same principles. Progressive Learning technology bridges this gap in the process of initialization and training of Neural Nets for business specific applications", said Mark Krupnik, Ph.D., CEO at Retalon Inc.

The Retalon Progressive Learning approach offers companies the advantage of training models that will be more tailored to their business process without overfitting. The approach has already shown significant improvement in quality and stability of results in situations with missing or wrong labels, incomplete data, and presence of outliers. Retalon's new Progressive Learning technology automatically identifies at least 80% of anomalies in data, and requires much less data scientist intervention, time, and resources.

About Retalon:

Retalon is an award-winning provider of advanced Retail AI solutions for planning, merchandising, inventory optimization, pricing, promotion, and markdowns. From inception, Retalon solutions were built on one unified platform powered by Predictive Analytics & AI resulting in higher accuracy and the ability to optimize unique and complex retail processes. For more information visit http://www.retalon.com

SOURCE Retalon Inc.

Retalon

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Retalon Announces Breakthrough Application of Deep Learning Technology in Business Specific Predictive Analytics - PRNewswire

For the second time, the collective power of MIT Technology Review and Harvard Business Review will bring together experts at the intersection of business leadership and new technologiessome born out of necessitythat will power a forever-changed workforce.

Featuring live presentations, interactive Q&A sessions, and expert-led master classes, the program offers a thought-provoking and networking-rich forum. It emphasizes dialogue over monologue and encourages interaction with the speakers, our editors, and other attendees.

Agenda will address:

Deloitte Consulting LLP, one of the world's largest business consultancies and a leader in human capital consulting, returns as Presenting Partner along withSiemensDigital Industries Software, offering a deep portfolio of software across a broad spectrum of industry domains. For additional partnership opportunities, please contact Andrew Hendler at[emailprotected].

For full conference details, registration, group discounts, and partnership opportunities, visit http://www.emtechnext.com. Follow the conversation on Twitter using #EmTechNext.

Media who would like to cover the event should reach out to [emailprotected] to learn more about obtaining press credentials.

About the EmTech Event SeriesMIT Technology Review's EmTech series examines emerging technologies that will drive the new global economy. From mainstage keynotes to Q&As and small discussions, these events provide a curated view of the year's most important developments. EmTech gives attendees the opportunity to discover future trends and learn from the most innovative people and companies in the world. Established more than 20 years ago, EmTech events have become a must-attend for entrepreneurs, business leaders, innovators, policy influencers, media, and more. This year's EmTech events in the United States include EmTech Digital, March 23-25; EmTech Next, June 8-10; and EmTech MIT in Fall 2021. Learn more.

About MIT Technology ReviewFounded in 1899, MIT Technology Review is a world-renowned, independent media company whose insight, analysis, and interviews explain the newest technologies and their commercial, social, and political impacts. MIT Technology Review derives its authority from its relationship to the world's foremost technology institution and from its editors' deep technical knowledge, capacity to see technologies in their broadest context, and unequaled access to leading innovators and researchers. MIT Technology Review's mission is to bring about better-informed and more conscious decisions about technology through authoritative, influential, and trustworthy journalism. Subscribe. Listen. Follow: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram.

About Harvard Business ReviewHarvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, books from Harvard Business Review Press, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review provides professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact.

Media Contact:MIT Technology Review[emailprotected]

SOURCE MIT Technology Review

http://www.technologyreview.com

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MIT Technology Review Announces EmTech Next 2021 Virtual Conference, June 8-10, hosted in partnership with Harvard Business Review - PRNewswire

The Defense Department and the Norwegian Ministry of Defense jointly announced in April that they will partner on the development of an advanced solid fuel ramjet that could find use in supersonic and hypersonic weaponry.

The Tactical High-speed Offensive Ramjet for Extended Range, or THOR-ER, involves research by the U.S. Navy's Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and Norwegian industry partner Nammo Group to develop supporting technologies that in the future could be incorporated into a high-speed weapons program.

"I am very pleased with the prospects of this initiative," said Morten Tiller, Norwegian National Armaments director. "Not only will it provide a game-changing capability for our armed forces, it also brings bilateral cooperation to a whole new level."

Tiller explained that the THOR-ER development incorporates the results of long-term research and development on missile and rocket technology in Norway. ''Nammo Group's contribution to the project along with its strong track record from partnering with U.S. missile primes make me optimistic with regard to the prospects for co-production,'' Tiller commented. He also referred to Nammo Inc.'s U.S. presence as an asset in this connection.

The THOR-ER effort aims to cooperatively develop and integrate advancements in solid fuel ramjet technologies into full-size prototypes that are affordable, attain high speeds, achieve extended range, and culminate in flight demonstrations in operationally relevant conditions for land, sea and air applications, said Air Force Col. Corey A. Beaverson, director of Mission Prototypes, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, which is overseeing the project.

''THOR-ER also seeks to lay the framework for future co-production decisions. It's important to engage on this topic early to remove any hurdles that will make co-producing if that's the route we take prohibitive because we thought of the requirements too late," he said.

''Solid fuel ramjets are a propulsion technology that enables supersonic speeds with long ranges in small packages so missiles can fit on most aircraft," Beaverson said.

A ramjet uses the missile's forward motion to compress the air for combustion without a compressor or moving parts, he explained. It is possible that ramjet technology could extend the range of a comparable-sized solid-fuel rocket by three or four times.

Dr. Gillian Bussey, the director of the Joint Hypersonics Transition Office in OUSD(R&E) stated, ''We are excited to provide support to THOR-ER and work with Norway because it aligns with the JHTO's efforts to collaborate with key allies with significant expertise in crucial hypersonic technologies to close our most critical [science and technology] gaps to deliver game-changing hypersonic capabilities to the joint fight.''

Jeff Lipsky, Mission Prototypes, OUSD(R&E), said that "the COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest challenge we are facing. People and organizations around the world have had to adjust to a new normal that has included limited international travel. The THOR-ER team has embraced this challenge," he continued.

"Stay-at-home orders encouraged the team to incorporate new virtual collaboration tools that have actually improved communication among the team. When remote access to some analysis tools was not possible, the team was able to reassign those tasks to teammates that were able to access those analysis tools. Trust and flexibility have been hallmarks of the THOR-ER co-development effort," Lipsky said, adding that Tiller fully supported this assessment of the team's ability to overcome challenges imposed by the pandemic.

COVID-19 has also tested bilateral commitment and ability to maintain security of supply, Tiller pointed out. ''The ability to deliver during a crisis provides valuable reassurance to prospective industrial partners and their future customers,'' he added.

Lipsky noted that early development work started in late 2019, and current plans call for the program to conclude by the end of 2024.

"By 2024, we hope to be able to not only have a flight demonstration but be able to transition the technology to the warfighter," he added.

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DOD Working With Norway to Develop High-Speed Propulsion Technologies - Department of Defense

Stuck in quarantine over the summer, 16-year-old Diya Hundiwala felt driven to do something to give back to her Warrington, PA, community in Bucks County.

Given pandemic restrictions, she knew she couldnt be of service in-person, so she started thinking of other ways she could be helpfuland an experience shed just had teaching her grandmother new ways of communicating during the pandemic spurred her on.

When Covid-19 started, my grandmother wanted to learn more and connect with us more, Hundiwala says. After seeing how she quickly adapted to texting and WhatsApp all the way in India, I realized that a lot of other seniors might benefit from overcoming trouble with technology.

A Google search led Hundiwala to discover a group called Teens Teach Technology (TTT), a youth organization that aims to help seniors learn the ins and outs of the internet; teens conduct lessons virtually, from home, while seniors join in from their own home.

Lessons range from setting up social media accounts to using Spotify or Netflix, to spotting scam emails and avoiding computer viruses. And the sessions are taught entirely by tech-savvy high schoolers over Zoom, in collaboration with libraries and nursing homes who spread the word to interested seniors.

Recognizing that there was no Teens Teach Tech chapter in Pennsylvania, Hundiwala decided to launch one in August, with the help of peers at her school, Central Bucks High School South.

Now, the Pennsylvania chapterof which Hundiwala is presidenthas 19 members.

The first chapter of Teens Teach Technology started in New York last March, with the goal of keeping seniors connected to their family and friends despite the limitations posed by the pandemic. It now exists in eight other states, including California, Hawaii, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Washington and Texas.

With teaching sessions held over Zoom, students teach seniors across the country; Hundiwala has taught participants in New York, while others in the Pennsylvania chapter have reached seniors in places as far away as Hawaii.

Sophomores Katherine He and Chakrika Aluri do public relations for the group and schedule sessions for libraries and nursing homes across the state. [Katherine] He says she joined TTT because of her desire, like Hundiwalas, to help her community.

During this time when were all so spread apart, its especially difficult for those who dont necessarily have as much of a grasp on technology as younger generations, says Katherine He. We really wanted to help those who are struggling contact their families and friends.

During this time when were all so spread apart, its especially difficult for those who dont necessarily have as much of a grasp on technology as younger generations, she says. We really wanted to help those who are struggling contact their families and friends.

Aluri says that the pandemic made the need for Teens Teach Technologys work feel particularly pressing. I definitely would not have joined something like this or found something like this if it wasnt for Covid, she says. With everything in-person being shut down right now, its especially helpful to do things online.

Central Bucks High School South junior Ellie Perrin says the at-home nature of TTT has been key.

During the pandemic, its been really hard to find volunteer work that you can do from home, and this program offers the opportunity to do a lot, she says. Shes on Teens Teach Technologys social media committee, which involves regularly posting stories, news and updates.

RELATED FROM THE CITIZENPhilly company OneClick.chatstarted by a millennial and a boomertakes on social isolation by providing an easy platform for 50,000 older adults worldwide to connect

The Zoom sessions themselves can consist of one of three different series, each with their own lessons. The first series covers day-to-day technology, which includes lessons on social media, creating a Twitter account, daily applications, how to order food through Doordash, entertainment, setting up a Netflix account.

There is also a series on internet safety, spotting scam emails and scam calls, and a series on Google applications, teaching seniors how to use apps like Google calendar and Google maps.

To date, Teens Teach Technology has drawn instructors exclusively from high school students, but Hundiwala says shed be interested in possibly expanding outreach to include middle school or college students.

Theres a meta-level to the work of Teens Teach Technology, of course: The sessions take place over Zoom, but many seniors who want to participate are not particularly Zoom-savvy. Pivoting in response to that, TTT has added Zoom lessons into their sessions.

And while platforms like Zoom may turn away some would-be participantsseveral of the libraries to which Teens Teach Technology did outreach were unable to attract participantsthere is still widespread demand for the program. Hundiwala says her chapter has booked appointments in Pennsylvania through June. To date, the entire program has reached 213 seniors and counting.

Due to the pandemic, its even more important for these seniors to feel connected, as many are feeling more isolated due to Covid-19 restrictions, which makes a program like TTT helpful by providing a place for both social interaction and education.

And it seems the seniors think so too, as one senior in PA, Maya Jagtiani, sent written feedback after a Teens Teach Technology session saying, Thank you all the Teen Teachers for taking time to arrange this seminar for the older population, that was a great idea and I appreciate their effort very much.

RELATED FROM THE CITIZENThe founder of a community-building storytelling nonprofit explains why now is the time to fight the growing scourge of loneliness in America

At the Gladwyne Library in Lower Merion, library assistant Brian Howe recruited five seniors to show up for sessions throughout October, saying that the cohort was very active and engaged, and interested in possibly attending more events in the future.

Throughout the sessions in which Hundiwala has participated, she felt that being able to educate seniors about technology taught her just as many valuable lessons.

It was a great way to learn to be patient, and learn to cooperate with people who may not be as adaptive to all this new technology that we have, she says. And the most rewarding part was to see how grateful and thankful they were for all of that we taught them.

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Citizens of the Week: Teens Teach Technology - The Philadelphia Citizen

TipRanks

Do you like roller coasters? According to Deutsche Bank, were looking at some roller coaster volatility for the next few months, with near-term gains likely, followed by a Q2 retreat, and second-half gains. The firm expects share values to fall in the next three months, perhaps by as much as 5% to 10%, for several reasons laid out by the firms strategist Binky Chadha. The more front-loaded the impact of the stimulus, and the direct stimulus checks at around a quarter of the new package clearly are one off, the sharper the peak in growth is likely to be. The closer this peak in macro growth is to warmer weather (giving retail investors something else to do); and to an increased return to work at the office, the larger we expect the pullback to be, Chadha noted. Thats the mid-term. In the longer view, Chadha expects markets to strengthen by years end, and has put a 4,100 target on the S&P 500. This is up from his previous 3,950 target, and suggests potential gains of 4% from current levels. So, for investors, were looking at a rocky summer and fall, with some dips and gains likely in the markets. In that environment, a defensive stock play makes sense; it provides some stability to the portfolio, as well as some insurance should the gains not materialize. Reliable dividend stocks, with their regular payouts, provide an income stream thats independent of the share price appreciation, as well as a share profile that is less volatile to begin with, making them the ideal move for investors worried about keeping up returns while coping with high macro volatility. To that end, weve used the TipRanks database to pull up three high-yield dividend stocks that share a profile: a Buy-rating from the Streets analyst corps; considerable upside potential; and a reliable dividend yielding over 8%. Lets see what Wall Streets pros have to say about them. Monroe Capital (MRCC) We'll start with Monroe Capital, a private equity firm invested in the health care, media, retail, and tech sectors. Monroe is focusing its business on minority and women-owned companies, or on companies with employee stock ownership plans. Monroe offers these sometimes underserved demographics access to capital resources for business development. Monroe has shown two contradictory trends so far this year: declining revenues and earnings, along with rising share value. The companys top line, at $12.6 million, was down 6% from Q3, and 25% year-over-year, while EPS fell 40% sequentially to 42 cents. Year-over-year, however, EPS more than doubled. Looking at share price, Monroes stock has gained 60% in the past 12 months. On the dividend front, Monroe paid out 25 cents per share in December; the next is scheduled, at the same amount, for the end of this month. With an annualized payment of $1, the dividend yields a strong 9.8%. This compares favorably to the 2% average yield found among peer companies. The dividend attracted attention from Oppenheimer analyst Chris Kotowski, rated 5-stars by TipRanks. We continue to see a runway to eventual dividend coverage with full fees expensed as management grows the portfolio to its target 1.11.2x leverage (from 1.0x currently) and redeploys funds currently tied up in non-accruals once resolved... The primary driver of return for a BDC is its dividend payout over time, and we have confidence that MRCC's new $1.00 distribution (equating to a ~10% yield) is sustainable, Kotowski noted. In line with his comments, Kotowski rates MRCC an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and his $12 price target suggests it has room to grow 25% in the year ahead. (To watch Kotowskis track record, click here) The analyst reviews on MRCC break down 2 to 1 in favor of Buy versus Holds, making the consensus rating a Moderate Buy. The shares have a trading price of $9.59, and their $11.13 average target implies an upside of 16% in the year ahead. (See MRCC stock analysis on TipRanks) Eagle Point Credit Company (ECC) Lets stick with the middle-market financial sector. Eagle Point is another of the capital investment companies that seeks to turn middle-market debt into returns for investors. The company invests in CLO equity, and focuses on current income generation in other words, ensuring a return for its own investors. While Eagle Point is a small-cap player, the company does boast $3 billion in assets under management showing that it punches above its weight. Last month, Eagle Point reported 4Q20 earnings, with EPS of 24 cents, below the expectation of 29 cents. However, the current earnings just edged into growth quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year, as 3Q20 and 4Q19 both came in at 23 cents. Turning to the dividend, we find that Eagle Point does something slightly unusual. The company pays out a monthly dividend, rather than quarterly. The current payment, at 8 cents per common share, has been held steady for over a year now, and the company has not missed a distribution. At 96 cents per common share annually, the dividend yields is 8.4%. This is robust by any standard. B. Rileys 5-star analyst Randy Binner covers Eagle Point, and he notes that the company should have no problem in maintaining its dividend coverage moving forward. The companys reported quarterly recurring CLO cash flows averaged $0.75/share over the last 12 months. Similar levels of recurring cash flows would leave a large cushion to service the $0.24 quarterly dividend going forward. The company announced $29.5M of cash on the balance sheet as of February 9. This balance sheet cash and serviceable quarterly dividend of $0.24 contribute to a favorable liquidity position, Binner wrote. Binners comments back up a Buy rating on the stock, and his $14 price target implies a 12-month upside of 23%. (To watch Binners track record, click here) Wall Street takes the same stance on ECC that it did on MRCC: a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on a 2-1 split between Buy and Hold reviews. ECC shares have an average price target of $14, matching Binners, and the shares are trading for $11.41. (See ECC stock analysis on TipRanks) Hess Midstream Operations (HESM) Midmarket financials are not the only place to find strong dividends. Wall Street pros also recommend the energy sector, and that is where we now turn. Hess Midstream is one of many companies in the midstream sector of the energy industry, providing and supporting the infrastructure needed to gather, process, store, and transport a fossil fuel products from the well heads into the distribution network. Hess has a range of midstream assets in the North Dakota Bakken formation, moving crude oil and natural gas, along with their derivatives. Hess reported results for 4Q20 earlier this year, showing $266 million at the top line and EPS of 36 cents per share. Revenues were up 5% year-over-year, and relatively flat from Q3. EPS rose 20% quarter-over-quarter, but were down sharply compared to the 87 cents reported in 4Q19. Of interest to investors, the company reported over $126 million in free cash flow, which it used to fund the dividend. Hess pays out its dividend quarterly, and has a reputation for not missing payments. The company has been raising the payment regularly for the past four years, and most recent dividend, at 45 cents per common share, was paid out in February. This dividend is considered safe, as the company expects to generate between $610 million and $640 million in free cash flow next year. Those funds will fully cover the dividend, with approximately $100 million left over. Writing from Scotiabank, analyst Alonso Guerra-Garcia sees the free cash flow as Hesss priority going forward. We expect the focus this year to be on the harvesting of free cash flow (FCF) with deployment toward buybacks and further de-leveraging. Improved FCF profiles this year also better position the group for a 2H21 demand recovery. Continued energy policy changes and the energy transition may be headwinds this year, but we continue to prefer exposure to the more diversified companies with FCF after dividend (FCFAD) optionality and torque to a recovery, the analyst opined. To this end, Guerra-Garcia rates HESM an Outperform (i.e. Buy), with a $27 price target indicating a potential upside of 26% by years end. (To watch Guerra-Garcias track record, click here) All in all, there are only 2 reviews on this small-cap energy company, and they are evenly split one Buy and one Hold giving Hess a Moderate Buy rating. The shares are trading for $21.41 and their $27 average price target suggests a one-year upside of 26%. (See HESM stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for dividend stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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Is Amkor Technology (AMKR) Outperforming Other Computer and Technology Stocks This Year? - Yahoo Finance