Monthly Archives: September 2021

News

Longtime Microsoft partner Progress Software, a maker of digital experience management (DEM) solutions with a robust partner program, is acquiring another Microsoft partner in Kemp Technologies.

Announced by the two companies on Thursday, the deal is expected to close next month (pending regulatory approval) and run Progress $258 million in cash. It's part of Progress' stated strategy to double its size within five years through M&A.

"The acquisition of Kemp...furthers our total growth strategy and will enable us to add scale and cash flow, creating significant shareholder value," said Progress CEO Yogesh Gupta, in a statement.

Progress is the maker of Sitefinity, a content management system that runs as a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) on Microsoft's Azure cloud. It also makes NativeChat, which helps developers build chatbot functionality into sites and applications. Other Progress products are in the realms of data connectivity, UI/UX development, infrastructure monitoring and application availability. It's also the steward of the Chef software automation product for DevOps, having acquired it one year ago this month. Progress' partner program has over 2,000 enrolled members, according to the company, servicing over 70,000 organizations.

The acquisition of Kemp will help Progress improve its products "to develop, deploy and manage high-impact applications," Gupta said.

Kemp makes a line of load-balancing solutions, as well as network monitoring, behavior analysis and threat-detection products. Combined, they provide what Progress called "Application Experience Management (AX)" capabilities to its existing offerings.

"These capabilities complement Progress offerings, such as WhatsUp Gold, a market leader in easy-to-use network management," Gupta said. "Combined, they will offer the best application experience solution in the market."

In a separate blog post, Gupta noted that the flood of remote workers since the pandemic began last year has forced organizations to accelerate their digitazation projects and revamp "their total infrastructure, cloud capabilities, security practices and more."

"This acquisition strengthens our capabilities in these critical areas," he said.

Gupta also noted the benefits to Progress of inheriting Kemp's channel partners.

"Kemp also has a thriving partner ecosystem, which complements our channel and is one that we will nurture and grow," he said. "Partners will benefit by being able to deliver a broader portfolio of Progress products to their customers, and will be able to leverage Progress Accelerate, our award-winning channel partner program."

Kemp CEO Ray Downes concurred, saying in a statement that the acquisition will "provide great benefit to our customers and partners."

About the Author

Gladys Rama (@GladysRama3) is the editor of Redmondmag.com, RCPmag.com and AWSInsider.net, and the editorial director of Converge360.

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M&A in Microsoft Channel: Progress Acquires Kemp - Redmond Channel Partner

Credit where credit is due: The Biden administrations decision to end the ban on travel by non-citizens/permanent residents from the European Schengen area, Ireland, the United Kingdom, China, India, Brazil, Iran, and South Africa is a very good one.

As I suggested in a recent blog post, the administration will replace this flat-out ban with a vaccine and testing requirement that will presumably start applying when the current restrictions end, in November. Unlike the previous regime, this system is coherent and defensible on public-health grounds, as it facilitates entry by low-risk travelers over entry by higher-risk travelers.

In fact, it would not be crazy to apply a similar requirement to domestic air travel. On a press call on Monday, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said that the White House had not ruled out such a move.

The new, stricter regime for travelers who pose significant public health risks does, unfortunately, mean that billions of people in countries with limited access to vaccines, including practically all of Africa, will effectively and indefinitely be barred from travel to the US.

While the administration may not be willing to apply a mere testing requirement to travel from such countries, it could work with airlines and local authorities to make vaccines available to potential travelers, especially those with immigrant, student, and work visas.

The stark differences in vaccine availability in different parts of the world also highlights, once again, the importance of prioritizing global vaccination efforts. IMF economists Ruchir Agarwal and Gita Gopinath have estimated the cost of a comprehensive effort to vaccinate the world at around $50 billion. Even setting aside the humanitarian considerations, their calculations suggest that the returns on this investment would include $1 trillion dollars in additional tax revenue for advanced economies alone. A no-brainer, but efforts so far have been lackluster.

Story continues

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Original Author: Stan Veuger

Original Location: Progress and new challenges on the international travel front

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Progress and new challenges on the international travel front - Yahoo News

Q3 Revenue and EPS Significantly Ahead of GuidanceFull Year 2021 Guidance Raised Again

BEDFORD, Mass., Sept. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Progress (NASDAQ: PRGS), the leading provider of products to develop, deploy and manage high-impact business applications, today announced financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended August 31, 2021.

Third Quarter 2021 Highlights:

Revenue of $147.4 million increased 34% year-over-year on an actual currency basis, and 33% on a constant currency basis.

Non-GAAP revenue of $152.6 million increased 38% on an actual currency basis, and 36% on a constant currency basis.

Annualized Recurring Revenue (ARR) of $444 million increased 25% year-over-year on a constant currency basis.

Operating margin was 31% and Non-GAAP operating margin was 47%.

Diluted earnings per share was $0.70 compared to $0.53 in the same quarter last year, an increase of 32%.

Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share was $1.18 compared to $0.78 in the same quarter last year, an increase of 51%.

Were very pleased to announce Q3 results that significantly beat our previous guidance for revenue and earnings, and were raising 2021 guidance for the third time this year, said Yogesh Gupta, CEO at Progress. We also announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Kemp, a leader in the Application Experience (AX) space. Kemp meets all our acquisition criteria, fits perfectly with our total growth strategy, and brings a very talented team to Progress.

Additional financial highlights included(1):

Three Months Ended

GAAP

Non-GAAP

(In thousands, except percentages and per share amounts)

August 31,2021

August 31,2020

%Change

August 31,2021

August 31,2020

%Change

Revenue

$

147,417

$

109,699

34

%

$

152,597

$

110,882

38

%

Income from operations

$

46,046

$

33,193

39

%

$

71,163

$

47,117

51

%

Operating margin

31

%

30

%

100 bps

47

%

42

%

500 bps

Net income

$

30,976

$

23,977

29

%

$

52,577

$

35,605

48

%

Diluted earnings per share

$

0.70

$

0.53

32

%

$

1.18

$

0.78

51

%

Cash from operations (GAAP) /Adjusted free cash flow (Non-GAAP)

$

35,224

$

31,112

13

%

$

35,022

$

30,101

16

%

(1)See Legal Notice Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Information

Story continues

Other fiscal third quarter 2021 metrics and recent results included:

Excerpt from:

Progress Announces Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results - Yahoo Finance

Uniformed police officers, for a host of reasons, should not be posted in public schools.

Thats been our view for a few years now, and well continue to argue the point for as long as there are cops in the halls of any Chicago public elementary or high school.

But wed like to recognize today the progress thats been made on this issue and the thoughtful manner in which the debate has played out, even as we urge those who agree with us that there are better alternatives to cops cracking down on 12-year-olds to keep on pushing.

If we know anything as an editorial board, it is that change works best from the ground up, with new ways of thinking preceding new laws and policies. This takes time. So, with that humbling thought in mind, we find it heartening that at least a small number of CPS schools in the last couple of years have voted to remove all full-time police officers and more heartening still dozens of other schools have developed plans for alternatives to blunt police discipline.

These schools are working to create safer student environments, physically and emotionally, whether that includes the presence of a full-time police officer or not. They are pushing the sensible stand, for example, that a students encounter with a police officer should rarely, if ever, lead to criminal charges and the lifelong burden of a criminal record.

That would seem to be the bare minimum for slowing our nations infamous, and very real, school-to-prison pipeline.

We are seeing the beginning of a healthy shift in thinking about school discipline, and advocates for removing uniformed officers from school buildings deserve much of the credit. They are being heard.

On Wednesday, as reported by Nader Issa of the Sun-Times, the Board of Education voted to renew an agreement with the Chicago Police Department to assign officers to schools those schools that want them at a cost of $11.1 million.

But it was a divided vote, 4 to 2, with the two dissenting board members saying they could not support any policy that allows for officers in any school. They stuck to that view even though the board also shifted $3.2 million of money previously spent on police officers to other more holistic approaches to school security, such as hiring more counselors and involving student peer groups in restorative justice programs.

Had we a vote on the board, we likely would have sided with the two dissenters, Elizabeth Todd-Breland and Luisiana Melendez. Their fundamental objection, that the presence of cops in schools every day seems to lead almost inevitably to a disproportionate policing of Black students, is true. And we, like Todd-Breland and Melendez, would have preferred a district-wide ban.

Too often, as weve written before, the kind of teenage misbehavior that might lead to counseling at a good suburban school is treated as a criminal matter in a city public school. This has been true particularly for Black students, who comprise only about 36% of all CPS students yet are the subject of 66% of all police notifications.

The impact is lasting. It can be devastating. A 2018 study, from the University of California at Los Angeles, found that putting police into Texas schools led to a decline in graduation and college enrollment rates.

Yet we remain optimistic. It is good news that 42 police officers, so far, have been removed from school buildings. We respect the work of those officers but believe they can be of greater service working the streets outside those schools.

And it is good news or so we hope that the school districts incoming CEO, Pedro Martinez, has expressed reservations about school police.

At a recent news conference, Martinez said cops should never be used to carry out school discipline, a very welcomed view. He also said CPS should consider creating its own highly specialized police force, one that knows how to work well with children, which we find to be a less appealing idea.

Well take more counselors, social workers and teachers, as well as an entirely new way of thinking about school discipline, every time.

Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.

See the article here:

Progress made, slowly but thoughtfully, in taking school discipline out of the hands of cops | Editorial - Chicago Sun-Times

Roku Inc. might not quite be ready for world domination, but its international progress is drawing cheers.

The streaming-media company recently announced that it would be making its devices available in Germany later this year, in what Guggenheim analyst Michael Morris sees as an upbeat signal of the companys prospects given Germanys status as the largest broadband market in Western Europe. Roku ROKU, -4.36% already has a hardware presence in the U.K.

Morris upgraded Rokus stock to buy from neutral Thursday, in part due to his rosier view of the companys international-expansion aims. We believe that incremental market launches become easier (though not necessarily easy) as key large markets are established, he wrote in response to the Germany and U.K. moves. Morris expects that Roku can accelerate the pace of international growth, which in turn would help to expand its market opportunity.

International growth could be key for Roku, which fell short of expectations with its active-account growth during the most recent quarter. Roku benefited from growing interest in streaming during the pandemic, but the opportunity may be dwindling with many Americans already connected to streaming hardware.

Morris continues to be optimistic about the power of streaming and Rokus ability to be a primary beneficiary of the shift in advertising dollars over to connected television. Roku seems to be working with advertising partners in creative ways to leverage its audience insights, Morris wrote. He views the potential for additional targeted marketing partnerships and expanded advertising tools to be underappreciated.

Morris set a $395 price target on Roku shares, which gained 3% in Thursday trading following the upgrade. His target implies roughly 18% upside from current levels.

Shares of Roku have declined about 21% over the past three months as the S&P 500 SPX, -0.07% has risen roughly 5%.

The rest is here:

Roku is making progress with a key growth aim, analyst says in upgrade - MarketWatch

The COVID-19 pandemic morphed and accelerated beauty and personal care trends over the last 18 months and dramatically shifted shopper habits and consumer expectations. And trend forecasting firm WGSN said there were some important big ideas on the horizon for beauty in 2023.

At WGSNs online Beauty Live event last week, Jenni Middleton, director of beauty at WGSN, outlined the five ideas set to shape industry over the next two years: push for progress; embracing frugality; mastering wellbeing; tech-ceptance; and intentional community.

As we put the turmoil of the pandemic behind us and economies return to growth, consumers want brands to act on the lessons of 2020 and 2021. Brands and retailers must seize the opportunity to reset or be held accountable as the beauty industry recreates itself as more ethical, inclusive and sustainable, Middleton told attendees.

The first big idea set to shape beauty over the next two years, she said, was a push for progress amongst consumers. Collective activism has increased. A brand that doesnt participate positively wont participate at all as beauty consumers look to invest in products that support their needs and the needs of others.

For industry, this meant it would be important brands and retailers stood for something other than the bottom line and designed and developed products that helped heal the world, boosting biodiversity and leaving no footprint behind, she said.

French hair care brand Klorane, for example, had developed a biodegradable detox shampoo using aquatic mint that didnt contaminate water, she said, tapping into regenerative design that would soon become the beauty norm. Este Lauders skin care brand Aveda was also tracking its vanilla bean ingredients and Unilever using AI and geo-space analytics to map out where they were sourcing raw materials from, she said, which would become increasingly important to become more trusted.

Now is the time for progressive progress, Middleton said.

The second big idea set to influence industry, she said, was a consumer shift to embracing frugality. Income and security in recession will have been experienced by many by the time we reach 2023, leading consumers to rethink priorities and ideas. Consumers will be looking to buy products that they know work, and theyll be seeking evidence from brands to prove that.

Many consumers will look to buy less and streamline beauty routines, she said, leading to a need for hybrid products blurring the lines, though, importantly, this didnt mean they would necessarily be spending less or simply looking for cheap options.

LA indie brand Live Tinted with its multi-use Huestick Corrector, for example, was tapping into this mindset, she said, as was UK skin care firm Frances Prescott with its facial tri-balm. Similarly, US sunscreen specialist Supergoop was plugging hybrid needs with its SPF 40 facial serum packed with skin care ingredients, she said.

Value will be increasingly equated with efficacy and efficiency. Products with proven results will be the new measure of value for money, irrespective of the price tag, Middleton said.

The third big idea important for beauty in 2023, she said, would be mastering wellbeing. The trauma of the pandemic and ensuing recession will see consumers in many parts of the world assessing their emotional and physical status with a new understanding on how the two are linked and how they contribute to overall health and wellbeing. People will be seeking products, activities and environments that help better regulate mood.

For industry, this meant designers and developers would need to account directly for these needs and think carefully about how to link beauty products with mental wellness. Happy beauty, she said, would also gain importance as a concept.

New York active beauty specialist The Nue Co. with its unisex anti-stress fragrance Forest Lungs was targeting wellbeing well, she said, and UK makeup brand Trinny London was incorporating mood-boosting ingredients into its cosmetics, plugging the happy beauty idea. In the spa category, luxury UK skin care brand Elemis had also designed a touchless treatment for consumers looking to relax out-of-home in a safe and hygienic way, she said.

Beauty brands will need to behave like health and wellness brands, developing products and treatments that help mental wellbeing, Middleton said.

The fourth big beauty idea set to influence the next two years, she said, was tech-ceptance the concept of increasing consumer acceptance of technology in beauty and personal care. Whilst the tumultuous start of 2020 demanded beauty focused on phygital, the next wave of scientific advances will refocus on beauty basics, going beyond AR and VR to engineer new ingredients that are safe and sustainable with enhanced potency and improved delivery methods.

For formulators, this presented a wealth of opportunity to incorporate more lab-grown ingredients and resource-efficient alternatives, she said, because consumers would be more open and accepting of the tech and science behind these innovations.

New York vegan skin care brand Superegg, for example, was recreating the benefits of egg with smart plant-based blends, she said, and UK prestige facial care brand Sarah Chapman had incorporated dissolving needles into its roll-to-activate device to release and deliver its serum. Tech partnerships would also increase, like that of Este Lauder Companies and biotech firm Atropos Therapeutics to develop senescence modulating chemicals, she said.

By 2023, Middleton said there would be a trust in science and need for efficacy driving forward the beauty category as a whole.

The fifth and final big idea set to shape the beauty industry by 2023, she said, was intentional community. The community and collective consumer have become more digital, social and rooted in shared values, resulting in a new eco-system of buyers and creators who collaborate in order to trade () The social synapses that formed will continue in 2023 as networks strengthen.

For industry, this meant beauty and personal care brands would be expected to create conscious systems throughout their value chain and prioritise stakeholders over shareholders, she said, as consumers expected a symbiotic relationship that benefited all.

The founder of African luxury beauty brand 54 Thrones, for example, visited every country the company sourced its ingredients from to better understand the cultural resonance of each one, she said, and UK brand Pai Skincare recently created a new incubator division, using consumer feedback as part of the NPD process. Discovery platforms that enabled beauty consumers to shop according to values, like Geenie Beauty, or those specifically designed for women of colour like Beautyocracy, would also rise in importance, she said.

We will see a shift to co-creation and crowd-sourced brands with an industry working towards collective conservation over individual preservation, Middleton said.

WGSNs beauty director previously said that by 2023, complete transparency in beauty would be non-negotiable a factor relevant to all the above five big ideas moving forward.

For insight into what's ahead for the rest of 2021, take a look at our CosmeticsDesign 15 Global Beauty Trends To Watch video outlining what our editors believe is key for industry.

Original post:

WGSN 2023 beauty big ideas to shape industry include progress, wellbeing and tech - CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com

The advance of molten rock from the volcanic eruption on La Palma in the Spanish Canary Islands has slowed significantly with one of the two lava rivers grinding to a halt.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on Sunday and lava now covers 166 hectares. It has also swallowed up around 350 homes.

Authorities announced on Thursday evening that one of the two lava rivers has stopped advancing.

The other one, 600 metres in width, has meanwhile slowed significantly since reaching a plain on Wednesday, advancing at a rate of 4 metres per hour down from 700 metres per hours previously.

Lava is now not expected to reach the ocean before the weekend, Mara Jos Blanco, the head of the National Geographic Institute in the Canary Islands, told reporters. Some scientists believe it might never reach the sea.

Authorities fear the arrival of lava in the sea because of the emission of toxic gases that it could cause.

Blanco said seismic activity on La Palma island was now low but molten rock is still being thrown out of the volcano - 26 million cubic metres so far.

The volcano "remains active, with a column (of ash and gas) reaching 4,500 metres above sea level," she said.

Stavros Meletlidis, a volcanologist at Spains National Geographic Institute, said the dynamics of any eruption were in constant flux.

As it slowed, the lava grew thicker. In places, it rose up to 15 meters (50 feet) high, authorities said.

The uncertainty left many residents on the western side of the island of 85,000 people in limbo.

Scientists say the lava flows could last for weeks or months.

No deaths or injuries were reported as a result of the eruption but more than 6,000 people had to be evacuated.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the island on Thursday alongside King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and promised residents that "there will be no shortage of aid".

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La Palma volcano: Lava progress slows but eruption far from over - Euronews