Category Archives: Technology

A round-trip flight from San Francisco to New Yorkmelts 54 square feet of Arctic sea iceper person, when you account for the warming effect of carbon emissions. Take one less flight at that distance, and your personal carbon footprint falls to the equivalent of driving 18 fewer miles per day and eating all local food, combined.

The good news is that flights might not always be so carbon-intensive. A June 9 report from the International Council of Clean Transportation (ICCT)calledVision 2050: Aligning Aviation With the Paris Agreementfinds that its technically possible to reduce flight-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to nearly zero by 2050.

The bad news? Technology wont save us if the number of flights keeps skyrocketing.

Thats the lesson of aJune 15 blog postby Dan Rutherford, director of the ICCTs aviation and marine programs and a co-author of Vision 2050. In The Tortoise and the Hare? The Race to Decarbonize Aviation Rutherford explains that for the next three decades, technological change will be in a race with demand growth to keep aviations emissions in check. If growth in traffic slows, or better yet stalls altogether, adopting alternative technologies might keep aviations CO2 emissions to manageable levels. But if global traffic growth continues at the same breakneck rate as it did before COVIDaround 7 percent per yearaviation will soar past its carbon budget with no landing in sight.

What exactly is a carbon budget? In 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calculated how much more carbon dioxide the world could emit by 2050 while giving us a two-thirds chance of keeping temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). This number, 400 gigatons, is known as the global 1.5-degree carbon budget. In Vision 2050, the ICCT delegates 2.9 percent of this budget to aviation, based on flights current share of emissions. So, 2.9 percent of 400 gigatons is 11.6 gigatons: aviations 1.5-degree carbon budget. (A similar process will give you the 1.75-degree budget, 2-degree budget, etc.)

The biggest takeaway of Vision 2050 is that they couldn't reach the 1.5-degree goal. Even with every assumption about alternative fuels, new technologies, and efficiency made as optimistic as possible, the ICCTs most ambitious scenariocalled Breakthroughpredicted cumulative aviation emissions of 22.5 gigatons, almost twice the 1.5-degree budget.

Still, Breakthrough is impressive. It brings emissions in line with a goal of 1.75 degrees Celsius warming, or 3.15 degrees Fahrenheit. This is not as low as many frontline communities are fighting for, but still well under the commonly cited 2-degree goal (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). To do this, it calls for aviation emissions to peak as soon as 2025a very scary number, concedes report co-author Sola Zheng, but one that says a lot about the urgency of taking action. In the short term, emissions begin to fall due to efficiency improvements and an immediate uptake in biofuel use. A notable longer-term efficiency improvement was formation flying, in which planes draft off one another to use less fuel.

But efficiency improvements arent enough, and neither are biofuels: growing crops for fuel often either displaces food production and/or requires clearing new land. This creates carbon emissions of its own while posing other sustainability concerns, so biofuel production has its limits. For this reason, the report calls for huge amounts of synthetic e-fuels.

These e-fuels have two main ingredients. The first is carbon, either captured from another source of emissions or sucked directly from the atmosphere. Both techniquesuse expensive technologies unproven at scaleand direct air capture in particular requires large amounts of electricity. The second is hydrogenfor this to be clean, it must be derived from water (rather than methane, as most hydrogen today is), a process that also requires significant electricity. All of this electricity, of course, must be renewable or the tech does not sufficiently reduce emissions. E-fuels are currently far more expensive than conventional jet fuel (estimates range from two to eight times), so the report suggests taxing the latter to help even the playing field.

While biofuels and e-fuelstogether known as sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs)account for most Breakthrough emissions savings and efficiency makes up most of the rest, two other fledgling technologies help: battery-powered electric planes and planes that directly burn liquid hydrogen. However, the heavy weight of batteries means electric planes likely wont be able to go very far. And using hydrogen requires new airplane designs, so many experts dont think it will be a factor for decades to come (althoughone reportsuggested 60 percent of planes might be hydrogen by 2050). In Breakthrough, hydrogen contributes about 5 percent of emissions savings.

Despite its technological ambition, the ICCT is more cautious when it comes to decreasing demand. For all scenarios, the ICCT assumed a baseline of 3 percent traffic growth per year, measured in passenger-miles. (If 5 people fly 100 miles, that is 500 passenger-miles.) This growth rate will dip slightly, the report predicts, but not by much, as more expensive fuels result in higher ticket prices and a few people shift flights to high-speed rail.

This lack of ambition helps explain why Breakthrough can only get to 1.75 degrees. As the report notes, To get to 1.5C, out-of-sector action [such as increased carbon capture from the air] and/or significant direct curbs to traffic growth would be needed. Vision 2050 did not explore these options, however,preferring to emphasize technological shifts rather than anything that would cost airlines, the conclusion explains. But Rutherfords follow-up analysis shows that dampening traffic growth is just as critical as technology.

The Vision 2050 assumption of 3 percent growth per year is already a reduction from the pre-COVID norm of 7 percent per year. If the 7 percent rate returns, Rutherford explains, even with Breakthrough technology, aviation blows by the 1.5-degree budget within a few years and by 2050 reaches emissions consistent with well over 2 degrees of warming. This scenario is even more devastating for the climate than just keeping 3 percent growth and making no technology changes at all.

By contrast, if reductions in business and leisure travel cap aviation traffic at 2019 levels, Breakthrough technology can bring emissions in line with less than 1.6 degrees warming, reducing total CO2 emissions by roughly a third compared to the 3 percent-growth scenario. Reaching 1.5 degrees would require flying even less, especially in the short-term when alternative fuels are in short supply.

Even if global air traffic doesnt shrink, the rich still need to fly less. The United States emits more each year from aviation than the next 10 countries combined, primarily driven by those who fly several times a year. In fact,about half of flight-related emissions can be attributed to the top 1 percent of flyers, and only11 percent of the worldhas ever been on an airplane. If people in other countries begin to fly more, as is expected, this should be offset by the wealthy flying less.

Trains, too, are part of the solution. Vision 2050 posits that after 2030, about 20 percent of passengers on short flights (466 miles or less) between cities will opt for high-speed rail instead. This is fairly conservative: In a March 29blog postZheng explained that in China, high-speed rail had helped offset flights up to 1,400 miles, three times farther than Vision 2050s prediction (although, she tellsSierra, rails effects may be less reliable at longer distances). And short flights might be entirely replaced by rail with government ambition. In France, flights arenow bannedif there is a rail route that takes less than 2.5 hours.

In the end, flying less may be better for the planet even after fossil fuels. Vision 2050 calculates that the amount of electricity needed to power flights in 2050, primarily used to make e-fuels and hydrogen, is nearly equal to all renewable electricity produced today (including hydropower and bioenergy). If we wanted to power 2050s flights purely on solar and wind, we would need to quadruple current global capacityand that is on top of all the solar and wind we will need to power our homes, businesses, ground vehicles, and more.

Solar and wind are wonderful, far better than fossil fuels, but they are not infinite. They require metals, create waste, disrupt ecosystems and threaten endangered species from the desert tortoise to the whooping crane. This does not mean we should stop using electricity, or even stop flying, but it does mean we should think twice before putting so much energy toward planes when trains are far more energy efficient.

Vision 2050 is a useful document, as much for what it doesn't show as for what it does. Technologies like e-fuels and hydrogen, as well as improvements in aircraft efficiency, no doubt have their uses. But there is only one solution that is already available today, with no need to scale up new fuels or introduce new plane designs, and thats flying less.

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Technology Alone Wont Green the Aviation Industry - Sierra Club

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Maggie Hallbach, senior vice president for Verizon Public Sector, has been named to the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the trade association representing the region's technology community. As the head of Verizon Public Sector, Hallbach oversees the team of professionals dedicated to partnering with Verizons federal, state, local, education and public safety customers to deliver innovative technology solutions and services. This includes Verizon Frontline, the advanced network and technology built for first responders. Hallbach brings over two decades of technology and government experience to NVTC.

Maggie is an outstanding leader, who is well known for developing strategic relationships with CIOs and assisting government agencies in adopting innovative technology solutions as part of their modernization strategy, said NVTC President and CEO Jennifer Taylor. Her unique perspective and ideas will help guide NVTCs strategy and advance its mission to grow our tech industry and create greater access to the thousands of open jobs in our region.

It is a career highlight to join 17 other distinguished professionals as part of NVTCs new incoming board of directors, said Hallbach. Together, we will cultivate and grow Northern Virginia as a sought-after next generation technology hub, attracting a wide range of industries. As a resident of the area, I have a vested interest in promoting a diverse, inclusive and welcoming community for our citizens and businesses.

Maggie earned a Master of Business Administration in marketing and finance from the University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business and holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Brown University. She is also on the board of directors at the United Service Organizations (USO). Maggie is committed to the inclusion of youth and adults with special needs, dedicating time to TOP Soccer and Best Buddies International and supporting the Arc of Northern Virginia.

The NVTC Board of Directors consists of 72 voting members, as well as Chair Emeriti, Honorary Members, and Senior Advisory Members. The NVTC membership recently elected 18 three-year-term members to the NVTC Board of Directors. For more information, visit NVTC.org.

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Maggie Hallbach appointed to Northern Virginia Technology Council Board of Directors - Verizon

Career technology and software executiveSteve Cover has joined the public sector-servingCentralSquare Technologies as its chief technology officer.

The Lake Mary, Florida-based company said Thursday that in his new role, Cover will identify ways todeliver product and customer value in agile software development through strategy.

Welcoming the new CTO,David Zolet, CEO of CentralSquare, commented that Cover arrives during a promising growth period for the company.

Steves deep experience with designing and developing cutting-edge technology solutions will further drive innovation to solve our customers mission-critical challenges, Zolet, who is a four-timeWash100 Award winner, added.

Cover will leverage nearly 30 years of career experience as CTO of CentralSquare. He has amassed significant experience in the technology industry, including 11 years as a development manager at Microsoft, senior vice president of information technology at UnitedHealth Group and vice president of technology at Horizon Software International.

Subsequently, Cover was executive vice president and principal consultant at LeadingAgile, where he led broad-scale development initiatives for clients such as an international IT business with more than 10,000 employees.

Before coming to CentralSquare, Cover occupied the position of vice president of human capital management engineering at Ultimate Kronos Group, where he was responsible for conceptualizing workflows for a large engineering company.

The executives specialties include establishing alignments between products and business strategy, performing agile transformation, administering software-as-a-service, designing software architecture and executing product modernization.

Comers appointment follows CentralSquares hire of three new members to its executive team in March, including Dara Brenner aschief product officer and Weston Helms as vice president of corporate development.

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Steve Cover Appointed Chief Technology Officer at CentralSquare Technologies; David Zolet Quoted - Executive Gov

(TNS) Georgia State University announced it has signed the EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge, committing to prepare educators with the skills to successfully use technology for learning in face-to-face, hybrid and online classrooms.

"Georgia State University education faculty prepare teachers and other school professionals to use technology in service to all learners, supporting their digital competency and learning," Carla Tanguay, assistant dean for educator preparation and accreditation in Georgia State's College of Education & Human Development, said in a news release.

The EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Education and the International Society for Technology in Education.

By signing the pledge, Georgia State joins 18 institutions committed to preparing teachers to thrive in digital learning environments; preparing teachers to use technology to pursue ongoing professional learning; preparing teachers to apply frameworks to accelerate transformative digital learning; equipping all faculty to continuously improve expertise in technology for learning, and collaborating with school leaders to identify shared digital teaching competencies.

Georgia State University is an urban, public research institution that works collaboratively with school district partners in metropolitan Atlanta to offer exemplary education programs. Faculty and stakeholders at the university aim to prepare educators who embody democratic ideals and use research-based practices, including technology, to enhance the lives of their learners, their families and their communities.

2022 The Albany Herald, Ga. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Georgia State, 18 Other Institutions Sign Technology Pledge - Government Technology

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Global Speech and Voice Recognition Market by Deployment Mode (On-Cloud, On-Premises/Embedded), Technology (Speech Recognition, Voice Recognition), Vertical, and Geography (Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World) - Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global speech and voice recognition market is projected to grow from USD 9.4 Billion in 2022 to USD 28.1 Billion by 2027, it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24.4% from 2022 to 2027.

Companies Mentioned

Extensive penetration of speech and voice recognition technologies in smart appliances

The demand for smart homes and smart appliances is increasing owing to various factors, including the growing internet penetration, rapid technological advancements, and increased focus on home automation to achieve security and convenience.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also prompted the use of smart devices and appliances in almost every aspect of daily life. People are encouraged to work from home, leading to high demand for speech and voice recognition technology-based products.

Manufacturers of smart appliances are adding the voice recognition feature to their products to enable users to control all their appliances from a single speech and voice recognition technology-based product.

The demand for products such as Alexa, Cortana, and Siri, has increased significantly. Samsung Electronics (South Korea), a leading manufacturer of smart appliances, has introduced the Smart Things app with inbuilt voice recognition technology to allow users to control all the appliances in the house with single voice commands.

Several other manufacturers, such as Whirlpool and Philips, have similar voice-activated control solutions. As consumers move toward automation, the demand for speech and voice recognition technology-based products is also likely to increase.

APAC is the fastest-growing region in the speech and voice recognition market

The speech and voice recognition market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2022 to 2027 owing to technological advancements, improved awareness regarding the benefits of these technologies among the masses, and the low cost of speech and voice recognition devices. China, Japan, and India are the key countries in the Asia Pacific region for the speech and voice recognition market. Baidu (China) and iFlytek (China) are the top two companies in the region operating in the speech and recognition market.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

2. Research Methodology

3. Executive Summary

4. Premium Insights

5. Market Overview

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Market Dynamics

5.2.1. Drivers

5.2.2. Restraints

5.2.3. Opportunities

5.2.4. Challenges

5.3. Value Chain Analysis

5.4. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.5. Average Selling Pricing Analysis

5.6. Trade Analysis

5.7. Ecosystem Analysis

5.8. Case Study Analysis

5.9. Patent Analysis

5.10. Technology Analysis

5.11. Codes and Standards

5.12. Tariff Analysis

5.13. Regulatory Bodies, Government Agencies & Other Organizations

5.14. Revenue Shift

5.15. Key Conferences and Events in 2022-2023

5.16. Key Stakeholder and Buying and/or Buying Criteria

5.16.1. Key Stakeholders in Buying Process

5.16.2. Buying Criteria

6. Speech and Voice Recognition Market, by Delivery Method

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Artificial Intelligence-based

6.3. Non-Artificial Intelligence-based

7. Market, by Technology

8. Speech and Voice Recognition Market, by Deployment Mode

9. Market, by Vertical

10. Speech and Voice Recognition Market, by Geography

11. Competitive Landscape

11.1. Introduction

11.2. Top 5 Company Revenue Analysis

11.3. Strategies Adopted by Key Players

11.4. Market Share Analysis

11.5. Company Evaluation Matrix

11.5.1. Star

11.5.2. Pervasive

11.5.3. Emerging Leaders

11.6. Strength of Product Portfolio

11.7. Business Strategy Excellence

11.8. Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Evaluation Quadrant

11.8.1. Progressive Companies

11.8.2. Responsive Companies

11.8.3. Dynamic Companies

11.8.4. Starting Blocks

11.9. Competitive Situation and Trends

11.10. Competitive Benchmarking

12. Company Profiles

12.1. Introduction

12.2. Key Companies

13. Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8esh6c

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Speech and Voice Recognition Market by Deployment Mode, Technology, Vertical and Geography - Global Forecast to 2027 - ResearchAndMarkets.com -...

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mercans shareholders have appointed Andre Voolaid, its long-term Chief Technology Officer (CTO), to its board.

Mercans board said, Andres appointment to the board demonstrates Mercans vision of becoming the global payroll technology leader. We have built world-class payroll technology products and Andres technical expertise is invaluable for our strategy of creating disruptive solutions that transform the global payroll and employer-of-record industries.

The appointment comes on the heels of several executive-level appointments across Mercans senior management ranks and is a testament to Mercans ambitious growth plans. The companys disruptive global payroll technology has changed the future of the global payroll industry by allowing customers, HCM and payroll service providers to move away from the traditional service delivery model that relied on local in-country services providers and outdated software solutions. Mercans proprietary global payroll platform, HR Blizz, delivers payroll processing capabilities and integrations with local tax authorities across 160 countries and allows customers to fully consolidate and digitalize their international payroll function.

We welcome Andre to the board and trust that his deep global payroll knowledge and vast experience in leading the development of Mercans revolutionary technology will allow the board to chart a course for Mercans undisputed payroll technology leadership. said Tatjana Domovits, Mercans Group CEO.

In addition to continued investment in its proprietary global payroll technology, Mercans is strengthening its technology partnerships with leading HCM providers and expanding in-country services to its customers. Mercans is the only industry provider that delivers integrated SaaS, global payroll, EOR, compliance, talent management, and HR advisory services across the globe through its local offices.

About Mercans

Mercans is a global leader in payroll technology and employer of record services. Mercans revolutionary global payroll platform, HR Blizz, enables SMBs and enterprise businesses to manage payroll across 160 countries. With 20 years of global payroll expertise, Mercans delivers the full spectrum of HR services through a single, secure global platform.

Visit http://www.mercans.com

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*Source: AETOSWire

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Payroll Technology Firm Mercans Appoints Andre Voolaid to its Board - Business Wire

Each one of us has biases, most of which we are unconscious. A deeper understanding of biases allows us to foster more inclusive environments in our homes, places of work, and other areas of our lives. People dont always think about how their jokes, questions, comments, or attitudes come across, even if done from a point of innocence. DEI experiences increase our awareness of how these types of interactions or conversations can be harmful. DEI training and initiatives can create experiences that bring together all perspectives, ideas, and people to create a stronger, more unified workforce where all employees feel safe and included, rather than marginalized.

Today, more and more organizations are realizing the importance of creating and implementing DEI programs and policies. In 2021, there was a 13 percent increase in organizations self-reporting DEI initiatives. As organizations recognize the value of these initiatives, many have turned to technology to assist in meeting DEI training demands.

There are many new tools and ideas that can help organizations create effective DEI experiences without spending thousands of hours or dollars trying to create or recreate the process. Lets take a closer look at some of the strategies talent development pros can use to boost their organizations DEI efforts with technology.

Some number-ranked or scale questions you might want to include in your survey are:

You can also use surveys to measure the effectiveness of a learning solution. Smart technology options allow for live feedback, which gives facilitators the opportunity to change their training in the moment and create a more engaging and memorable experience. Alternatively, surveys can be sent after the training and used to adjust the learning process for future modules.

For example, applicable videos can be added to engage learners, to illustrate some of the lessons from the training, or to add a personal perspective. Andrew Rawson, chief learning officer at Traliant, shared a story during a webinar about an organization that edited an elephant into a video and added the caption Lets talk about the elephant in the room as an intro to their DEI training.

The good news is that learning organizations are stepping up, creating digital libraries of images and animations that reflect the diverse population of workforces around the globe. Its up to instructional designers and HR managers to incorporate these images into all training content, not just DEI efforts. Representing all workers in all training modules shows that an organization is serious about creating a more inclusive environment.

Creative technology solutions can surprise people, giving instructors the opening they need to bring everyone closer together and truly create that safe space we all want at work.

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How Technology Can Help Organizations With Their DEI Efforts - ATD

For more than 24 months, we have all read the reports about the link between technology and the convenience channel's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, as we move forward from the global health crisis, Convenience Store News is trying to gauge just how much of an impact it had on the tech piece of your operations. Did consumers' demands as they navigated the new normal spur you to put technology at the top of your agenda? Did you embrace new solutions? Expand on what you were already doing?

Looking back is just part of the 2022 Convenience Store News Technology Study. We also want to know, and I'm sure the industry does as well, what your plans are going forward. Is your organization increasing its technology spend to keep the innovation trend going? Are you happy where you are in your technology journey? Where are you directing your attention: customer-facing solutions or employee-facing solutions?

It is pretty clear that the leading convenience store retailers are those that have embraced technology and are open to new ideas. There is no right or wrong place to be along your technology journey, but it is important to be at least planning your trip.

We ask you fill out the 2022 Convenience Store News Technology Studyquestionnaireby July 27 and help us take the pulse of convenience retail technology.

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Taking the Pulse of Convenience Retail Technology - CSNews Online

AvidXchange

Technology Investment is the Key to Solving Larger Business Challenges

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AvidXchange Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVDX), a leading provider of accounts payable (AP) automation software and payment solutions for middle market businesses and their suppliers, today released the next report in its Middle Market Spending Trends series based on statistically significant data captured from the transactions processed in Q1 2021 by AvidXchange through its AvidPay Network. Additionally, to garner insights on sentiment around spending, AvidXchange surveyed ~500 middle market finance professionals to understand how they feel about their business and where, and why, they are spending in response to the current economic challenges, especially when it comes to their finance department.

The report shows that, middle market companies are investing in digital transformation, spending more on information technology (IT) and technology (22%) than they are on hiring, marketing and sales and operations. The AvidPay Network data reflects this trend; the average yearly technology spend increase since 2020 has been 7.4 percent, which is more than triple what it was prior to that (2.4 percent from 2017-2020).

Furthermore, the research shows that digital adoption is helping the middle market offset the costs of larger economic challenges by boosting efficiency and streamlining time and labor-intensive processes like routing and approving invoices and issuing payments. Specifically, it is allowing the back-office to do more with less.And finance professionals are feeling good about the commitment to modernization. In fact, 78 percent of survey respondents reported they feel the technology their organizations have adopted in the last two years will have a positive impact on business continuity.

Investments in digital transformation and technology are allowing middle market companies to continue to grow and drive their businesses forward, despite the tight labor market, said Angelic Gibson, Chief Information Officer of AvidXchange. The pandemic may have accelerated the rate of technology adoption, but the efficiencies it provides are unmatched, so its no surprise that nearly three quarters of survey respondents say they plan to invest in more tools within the next three years.

Story continues

Middle market companies are proving their resilience with a positive outlook despite economic challenges plaguing business, including inflation, ongoing supply chain disruptions and a looming recession, said Dan Drees, Chief Growth Officer of AvidXchange. Shifts in spending show strategic planning in order to stay ahead of economic uncertainty.

To learn more and view the report, read Middle Market Spending Trends.

About AvidXchangeAvidXchange is a leading provider of accounts payable (AP) automation software and payment solutions for middle market businesses and their suppliers. AvidXchanges software-as-a-service-based, end-to-end software and payment platform digitizes and automates the AP workflows for more than 8,000 businesses and it has made payments to more than 825,000 supplier customers of its buyers over the past five years. To learn more about how AvidXchange is transforming the way companies pay their bills, visitwww.AvidXchange.com.

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance and often contain words such as: anticipate, intend, plan, goal, seek, believe, project, estimate, expect, future, likely, may, should, will and similar words and phrases indicating future results. The information presented in this press release related to our expectations of future performance, as well as other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact, are forward-looking in nature. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of managements current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. We therefore cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements.

Factors which could cause actual results or effects to differ materially from those reflected in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk factors and other cautionary statements described, from time to time, in AvidXchanges filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including, without limitation, AvidXchanges Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with the SEC, which may be obtained on the investor relations section of our website (https://ir.avidxchange.com/) and on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements made by us in this press release are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date they are made, and we assume no obligation to update any of these statements in light of new information, future events or otherwise unless required under the federal securities laws.

ContactOlivia Sorrellsosorrells@avidxchange.com 980-643-7889

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The Rate of Spending on Technology has more than Tripled in the Past Two Years, AvidXchange Research Shows - Yahoo Finance

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ExpressVPN is one of the best VPNs out there, largely because of how fast it is. This is due to several factors, not the least of which is the server technology the company employs. Called TrustedServer, it promises not just greater speeds than the competition, but also superior privacy. Lets take a look at how it works.

The full workings of TrustedServer are laid out in this post on the ExpressVPN blog by Shaun S., an engineering fellow at the company and the creator of the technology. The full post goes into remarkable detailwe wish more companies were this transparentso well just quickly recap it here for the less tech-savvy among you.

At the core of every VPN provider are its servers, computers that reroute your connection. Weve explained VPN servers in detail, but in short, they have their own type of hardware and software, including their own type of operating system.

In the case of TrustedServer, this operating system is a custom version of Linux, which is updated weekly. Each time a new version of the OS is created, the code is checked by a second engineerand, for more in-depth changes, even a third.

Each engineer also has to access their work using a special cryptographic key used to identify them. This ensures that nobody can add anything that might compromise the integrity of the OS, either through malice or by accident.

After the update has been put together, the new build of the OS is tested on internal servers by the team before deployment. Assuming all is well, the update is then rolled out, again with a number of failsafes to ensure safety.

Its a highly involved process with lots of double-checks, which, together with the transparency of the process, gives us a lot of faith in the security of ExpressVPNs servers. However, this isnt even what makes Trusted Server particularly unique.

The point to these regular weekly updatesbesides making sure any new threats can be dealt withis that resetting a server also deletes any data on it. This is because ExpressVPNs servers dont use regular hard disk memory to run, but instead run entirely on RAM, or random access memory.

The difference is that once you write something to regular memory, it stays there until somebody deletes it, while RAM wipes everything stored on it when the system reboots. This means that even if the system were to be breached, none of your logs (records that show when you connected and where you connected to) can be found. This is at the core of what VPNs areand thus is very important.

Naturally, the issue here is that if somebody were to breach the system (or get a warrant) on the day before the update is slated to go, theyd get a weeks worth of logs off of it. As such, ExpressVPN has implemented a system that it claims guarantees no logs are created, let alone kept.

Again, this system is layered, with failsafes built on top of failsafes. The first step is how ExpressVPN engineers its VPN protocolsthe rules that govern how the VPN server talks to other computers on the network. ExpressVPNs proprietary Lightway protocol allegedly keeps no logs whatsoever, but ExpressVPN has customized all the protocols it uses, like OpenVPN, so they dont do so, either.

However, you cant always predict what will happen: maybe a protocol will reconfigure itself by accident, or some other mishap makes it so that a log is accidentally created. To prevent this, ExpressVPN sets things up in such a way that any output by any VPN-related software is sent directly to a black hole inside the operating system.

Known as /dev/null, this is a special file that destroys anything sent there without a trace. Its a pretty cool little gimmick, and one we suspect is used by many VPNs to destroy logs.

All the above sounds great, but as is often the case with claims of no-log VPNs, youre taking all the companys promises at face value. After all, its not likely you can just go in and check whether TrustedServer works as advertised. To solve this issue, more and more VPNs are relying on independent audits performed by third parties.

ExpressVPN engaged PriceWaterhouseCoopers, a massive accounting and security firm better known as PwC, to conduct its audit of TrustedServer technology, and it passed with flying colors. This indicates that the technology works as advertised.

That said, there are a few notes we should make. For one, ExpressVPN doesnt allow you to sign up anonymously, so your personal data, like name and address are still in a database somewhere and could be vulnerable to attack.

The other is that, audit or not, youre still taking any no-log promises at face value. While ExpressVPN hasnt given us too much reason to doubt its word, PwC has: The companys recent history is rife with accusations of malfeasance: for example, one whistleblower claims that financial auditors pulled their punches to make sure that they would retain the business of Silicon Valley companies they were auditing. This 2020 article by accounting site Going Concern has a recap of some of the biggest lawsuits PwC was involved in.

That said, ExpressVPN also has undergone audits of other parts of its tech (like this one by Code53 for its browser extension,) so we feel confident in saying that TrustedServer works as advertised. Overall, ExpressVPNs transparency is a good indicator that you can trust its technology to keep your data safe.

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How ExpressVPNs TrustedServer Technology Keeps You Safe - How-To Geek