Last week, Zoho held three Zoholics, one in Sri Lanka, one in UAE and a third in the Maldives. Each user conference provides opportunities for customers and partners to share experiences and knowledge with Zoho. Thus revealing localisations and partnerships within each country. NetSuite also held its SuiteConnect event in UAE last week with several announcements.
Both firms hold these user conferences throughout the year. With NetSuite’s next SuiteConnect being held in New York City on February 6th and the next Zoholics being held in Vietnam on February 21st.
Appointments
Monta has announced the appointment of Eleanor O’Neill as its new Chief Revenue Officer.
Seekr has announced that Dr Lisa Costa has joined its advisory council.
Wolt has announced three new hires that aim to build its presence in its non-restaurant business. Christian Urban joins as Global Head of Grocery to lead strategy and operations for the company’s partnership business. Nils Salzmann joins as Global Head of Commercial, and Arusha Imtiaz becomes Global Head of Strategy & Business Operations.
Business and Finance
Boku published a trading update for the year ending December 31st 2024, achieving 20% revenue growth.
Newgen Software Technologies announced its third-quarter results achieving RS 381 Cr at 18% year-over-year growth in the quarter ending December 31st 2024.
Pigment, the business planning solution vendor, announced a new strategic collaboration with Deloitte UK.
At Zoholics Dubai, Zoho celebrated 50% revenue growth in the UAE and saw a 40% increase in the channel network. It also announced a partnership with the UAQ Chamber of Commerce.
At Zoholics Sri Lanka, Zoho targets growth as it completes its second user conference in the country.
Customer Stories
GXO Logistics has partnered with The Perfume Shop, the UK’s largest specialist fragrance retailer.
NetSuite revealed how eZhire, the largest fully on-demand car rental platform in UAE, has leveraged NetSuite to help it scale internationally.
Eurocell turns to Peak AI tools to resolve its inventory management challenges as the firm invests in other digital solutions from Intact IQ and IFS.
Product
BigCommerce announced updates to Catalyst, its next-generation storefront technology.
Research
New research from SAP Emarsys suggests Gen Z shoppers are expected to drive £2.5bn in spending during the January sales.
Research from Software AG shows that 70% of businesses admit to being affected by operational chaos. Which can be borne out of technology or process challenges.
Thomson Reuters revealed further research into the impact of AI on the legal profession.
Deltek
Deltek published a case study about CSO, one of the largest architecture firms in Indiana. The firm has leveraged AIA MasterSpec to help with specification writing for years. Recently, it implemented Deltek Specpoint to transform its specification process, introducing automation and standardization that wasn’t previously possible.
Tom Cheesman, Architect and Project Manager at CSO, commented, “It’s been great seeing our team embrace Specpoint and realize how much easier it makes their work. Starting with one project at a time and letting the system do the heavy lifting has made the transition smooth and effective.”
Makip
Makip announced that Graniph, a Japanese clothing design company that specializes in providing designer graphic T-shirts, is leveraging the Unisize size recommendation engine on its eCommerce store.
NetSuite
NetSuite held SuiteConnect Dubai last week and made several announcements. It announced a series of new product updates and AI innovations across the suite to help organizations in the UAE increase efficiency and take advantage of new opportunities. Updates and localisations revealed at the event, some of which have been revealed before, included:
- Its latest Generative AI capabilities, including NetSuite Text Enhance and Generative AI for SuiteScript API
- NetSuite Analytics Warehouse
- NetSuite Enterprise Performance Management
- NetSuite Electronic Invoicing, including support for the UAE’s mandated introduction of e-invoicing, which is scheduled for 2026
- NetSuite Field Service Management
- Oracle Redwood Designs
Panasonic
Panasonic made several announcements last week.
AW-UE150AW/AK PTZ CAMERA
Panasonic Concert unveiled the new AW-UE150AW/AK 4K PTZ camera, the successor to the AW-UE150. The camera has been designed to meet the needs of professional broadcasters and content creators. It delivers advanced video quality, operability and efficiency in studio-based video productions.
Andre Meterian, Director of Professional Video Systems, Panasonic Connect Europe, commented, “As broadcasters, video production companies and event operators increasingly emphasize operational flexibility and workflow efficiency, the demand for IP-based remote production systems and PTZ cameras as primary tools has grown.
“The new AW-UE150AW/AK camera from Panasonic updates the standard for 4K PTZ cameras, fully meeting the needs of professionals for compact remote systems offering flexible operability and efficient production workflows, combined with ultra-high-quality video.”
New professional Camcorders
Panasonic Concert also unveiled four new 4K 60p 10bit professional camcorders. These have been developed specifically for the requirements of on-location filming teams and video creators. The high-end AG-CX20 and AG-CX18 models and the HC-X1600 and HC-X1200 camcorders all feature state-of-the-art optical technology. In addition to a lightweight and compact chassis design that delivers increased mobility and high-quality video production.
Andre Meterian, Director of Professional Video Systems, Panasonic Connect Europe, commented, “Whether they’re shooting on location or streaming live video, directors and video content creators increasingly require an all-in-one solution.
“Our new range of camcorders draws on our decades of expertise and knowledge of increasing user-friendliness and functionality for professionals, from the smallest ergonomic refinements to developing unparalleled optical technology that can seamlessly shoot and distribute 4K video over IP-based networks; we are putting incredible power and flexibility into the hands of creative professionals.”
The Turner Twins Set Electric Tandem Paramotor Altitude Benchmark
Professional adventurers Hugo and Ross Turner (The Turner Twins) have set a new altitude world record for a tandem electric paramotor over Val D’Isere in the French Alps, reaching a total altitude of 2,613 metres (8,572ft). This has been verified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the global world air sports federation. Technical support was provided by Panasonic TOUGHBOOK.
The Turner Twins commented, “As a key partner, we’re absolutely delighted to set a new world altitude record for a tandem electric paramotor. Without TOUGHBOOK devices and Panasonic’s support, this wouldn’t have been possible. Its pioneering mobile technology has enabled us to be just that – pioneers in developing a more sustainable future for electric aviation.”
Toughbook helps Danish firm leverage Toughbook for Bolt-Check
Denmark-based R&D Test Systems has launched Bolt-Check. An innovative, ultrasound-based digital solution that can precisely measure the tightness of bolts in wind turbines. This significantly increases accuracy in tightening only the required bolts to the correct torque. Thus enabling utility organisations to proactively manage service and maintenance.
To operate Bolt-Check in the office or whilst at a wind turbine, R&D Test Systems has procured Panasonic’s market-leading TOUGHBOOK G2 2-in-1 detachable tablet from Danish communications specialists Northcom to operate the software. The 10.1-inch TOUGHBOOK G2 offers up to 18.5 hours of battery life and is IP65-rated for water and dust resistance. It’s tested to MIL-STD 810H standards for ultimate reliability. It features powerful Intel Core i5-1245U vPro processing power and Intel Iris Xᵉ Graphics for superior performance.
Jesper Stokbæk, Specialist in R&D Test Systems, commented, “We required a rugged, reliable and modular device that could be customised to our requirements and work in the harsh environments of wind farms. The TOUGHBOOK G2 can withstand drops, bumps, vibrations and water splashes, giving us peace of mind that productivity won’t be affected when operating Bolt-Check. They keep working no matter what, which is absolutely crucial.”
Planful
Planful published a case study about Ferraro Foods. Using Planful speciality, Italian food distributor eliminated reliance on spreadsheets and reduced their close cycle by 55%. The firm implemented Planful and Adra by Trintech with support from CFO solutions in three stages.
Since the implementation the combination has leveraged Adra matching to automate reconciliation. Thus, saving three hours every day for accountants as well as making the close period shorter. However, it is the fact that the firm now has a single, reliable source of financial data that has been most beneficial.
Johann Cabe, VP of FP&A at Ferraro Foods, commented, “We have the absolute single source of truth. Now, the team can log into Planful to pull data, reports, and analysis and be confident that the data is accurate. Business units now also gain faster access to the financial performance insights needed to drive success. Subsidiaries have instant visibility to see how they’re performing.”
Quantexa
Quantexa, the global leader in Decision Intelligence (DI) solutions for the public and private sectors, has joined the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Innovator Community as a member of its Unicorn Program.
Vishal Marria, CEO at Quantexa, said, “Joining the WEF Unicorn Program is a significant milestone for Quantexa, offering us the opportunity to work alongside some of the world’s most influential global leaders, policymakers, and innovators. As the global conversation on AI, data privacy, and digital transformation intensifies, our role in shaping these discussions becomes even more critical. We are excited to share our perspective to help define the best practices and policies shaping a more secure, transparent, and prosperous future.”
Workday
Workday announced the Workday AI Advisory Board, a group of world-class academics that will drive industry-leading research and thought leadership on crucial topics, including the impact of AI on work, workforce readiness and changes, responsible AI, and technology-powered shifts in society.
Athena Karp, General Manager of HiredScore, Workday, commented, “Bringing together leading AI researchers to form the Workday AI Advisory Board marks an exciting step toward shepherding the future of work responsibly and enabling companies to progress their innovation agendas. This collaboration will inspire our customers as they design future-forward agendas for their organizations, while informing our own products and innovation across society’s most complex areas.”
The founding members include:
- Toby Stuart (Chair): Helzel Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurship, Strategy, and Innovation at UC Berkeley-Haas
- Hamsa Sridhar Bastani: Associate Professor of Operations, Information, and Decisions at the University of Pennsylvania
- Danielle Li: David Sarnoff, Professor of Management of Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Sendhil Mullainathan: Peter de Florez Professor, Economics and EECS at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Duncan Watts: Stevens University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania; Professor of Computer and Information Science (SEAS); Communication (Annenberg); and Operations, Information, and Decisions (Wharton)
Zoho
Zoho continued its roundup of what happened to its software in 2024. Last week, it published how Zoho Marketplace helped Zoho users make the most of their favourite apps. And efficiently scale with robust integrations and extensions.
During 2024 the Zoho Marketplace added over 350 new extensions and added support for four Zoho products: Zoho Billing, Team InBox, Checkout and ZeptoMail. It also added nearly half a million new users.
Dext integration
Dext, the leading bookkeeping automation platform and part of the IRIS Software Group, announced the global availability of its integration with comprehensive accounting software Zoho Books. The Dext and Zoho Books integration is available globally. It is not yet available on the Zoho Marketplace however (as of writing this article).
Prashant Ganti, Head of Product Management, Finance and Operations Business Unit, Zoho Corp, commented, “At Zoho, we are dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that help businesses improve productivity by operating more efficiently.
“Our collaboration with Dext exemplifies this commitment by simplifying the important process of capturing financial data, improving data accuracy, and significantly reducing manual effort involved. This allows businesses to reclaim valuable time, and also channel their resources for more strategic growth initiatives that result in long-term business success.”
