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Freshworks Helps Africa’s Leading Media Company MultiChoice Deliver a Modern Employee and Customer Experience

SAN MATEO, Calif and RANDBURG, South Africa, Dec. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ: FRSH), a leading software company empowering businesses to delight their customers and employees, announced that African broadcasting and pay television company, MultiChoice Group (MultiChoice), uses Freshservice and Freshdesk to create faster omnichannel customer support across IT and support teams for South African MultiChoice subscribers.

MultiChoice is the leading video entertainment company in Africa, with more than 21 million subscribers on the continent, and 8.9 million subscribers in South Africa.

"Our South African subscriber base has grown by almost 3 million customers (or 50%) over the last five years. Given this growth and the number of subscribers we support, we needed customer service and technology solutions that could help us track subscriber engagement history while providing an intuitive platform our agents would love to use," said Roland Naidoo, Executive Head of Customer Operations at "MultiChoice Group. "With the integration between Freshdesk and Freshservice, our agents are able to quickly escalate customer queries requiring cross–team support without toggling between two systems. Freshworks puts our most important stakeholders together in one interface. Further to this we were able to set customer level metrics and not just simple process metrics like service levels."

MultiChoice selected Freshworks' customer engagement software to build unified customer records across all communication channels. Using Freshdesk, MultiChoice can bring together disparate customer touch points such as walk–ins, call, chat, email, and social media to be visible within a single help desk system, the golden thread being the customer.

This has resulted in increased first call resolution and helped improve customer satisfaction scores. By using Freshworks products, the company estimated a savings of $2.8 million US dollars. Using the omnichannel construct the company has been able to systemically drive down calls at 24% year on year and migrate customers to more digital channels.

The addition of the service management component for second line support using Freshservice gives MultiChoice the ability to further thread the customer issue deeper within the IT organization to identify root causes and simplify analyses.

MultiChoice plans to expand its use of Freshworks in combination with MultiChoice's own technologies for deeper AI and chatbot assistance through predictive customer engagement.

"Freshsales suite will allow us to tap into real data sources across sales and marketing to quickly and efficiently expand our support operations, while keeping an eye on future growth opportunities. The customer journey is not a simple or easy one to conceive, thread and execute across the business. Freshdesk helps us pull together a unified customer record together into one customer service view for IT and support teams with the ability to integrate with just about any other service capability," said Naidoo.

Learn more about how MultiChoice partners with Freshworks by reading the case study.

About MultiChoice Group

MultiChoice Group (MCG or MultiChoice), which listed in the Main Board of the JSE on 27 February 2019, is one of the fastest–growing video entertainment providers globally, delivering entertainment products and services to 21.1m households across 50 countries on the African continent. Its track record of more than 35 years is reflective of a commitment to provide audiences with only the best local, sport and international content. For more information visit https://www.multichoice.com/about–us/who–we–are.

About Freshworks

Freshworks makes it fast and easy for businesses to delight their customers and employees. We do this by taking a fresh approach to building and delivering software that is affordable, quick to implement, and designed for the end user. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Freshworks has a dedicated team operating from 13 global offices to serve 50,000+ customers including Bridgestone, Chargebee, DeliveryHero, ITV, Klarna, Multichoice, OfficeMax, TaylorMade and Vice Media. For more information visit www.freshworks.com.

2021 Freshworks Inc. All rights reserved. Freshworks, Freshdesk, Freshservice and the associated logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Freshworks Inc. All other company, brand and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8408982)

Anaqua to Work with Lilium to Help Navigate Critical IP Management Processes

BOSTON, Dec. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property management solutions, today announced that the Munich–based aviation company Lilium, positioned to be a global leader in sustainable regional air mobility, will use Anaqua's AQX platform to help navigate its critical innovation and IP management processes.

Using the Lilium Jet, an all–electric vertical take–off and landing jet, offering industry leading payload, low noise and high performance with zero operating emissions, Lilium is creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high–speed, transportation for people and goods. Working with aerospace, technology and infrastructure leaders, commercial operations are projected to begin in 2024.

When selecting a system to meet its growing innovation and IP management needs, Lilium opted for Anaqua. Lilium will leverage Anaqua's AQX software to enhance innovation management (from idea capture and assessment through to filing); IP analytics and Freedom to Operate (FTO) processes; docketing and reporting; and collaboration between the company, inventors, and outside counsel. AQX will deliver integrated patent analytics through Anaqua's AcclaimIP solution, and provide a specialist trademark management module. Patent and trademark renewals will be managed through Anaqua Services.

Wulf Hflich, Lilium's Head of Intellectual Property "" Engineering said: "We were looking for a solutions provider who could work as an extension of our team to help manage our critical innovation and IP management processes. They needed to be able to provide excellent docketing and reporting tools, detailed IP analytics and FTO search capabilities, and enable seamless collaboration between our various stakeholders. And it all had to be implemented quickly. Anaqua were able to deliver on all these criteria."

Commented Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua: "Lilium is a true leader in the highly innovative field of air mobility, and has an impressive range of unique, proprietary technology. We are excited to be working closely with Lilium, providing an integrated IP management system that will support and enhance their global innovation and operational excellence, and help protect their valuable IP assets."

About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services. Anaqua's AQX platform combines best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech–enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision–making, and streamline IP operations. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua's solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company's global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or on LinkedIn.

Company Contact:
Amanda Hollis
Associate Director, Communications
Anaqua
617–375–2626
ahollis@Anaqua.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c41fcf52–c441–47a2–9031–44be15fa01e2


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8408411)

Hitachi Energy partners with National Grid on world’s first replacement of SF6 in existing high-voltage equipment

Zurich, Switzerland, Dec. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy and National Grid have successfully energized a pilot project replacing SF6 in installed high–voltage gas–insulated lines with an eco–efficient fluoronitrile based gas mixture. This retrofill solution, in Richborough, UK is part of Hitachi Energy's EconiQTM portfolio which is designed to deliver a superior environmental performance compared to conventional solutions.

As one of the world's largest investor–owned transmission and distribution utilities, National Grid has the ambition to remove all SF6 from its fleet by 2050. In this pioneering project, National Grid has replaced SF6 from 420–kilovolt (kV) gas–insulated lines installed in 2016, eliminating 755 kilograms of SF6. This is equivalent to taking approximately 100 passenger cars1 off the road.

For decades, SF6 has been used in the electrical industry due to its excellent insulation and current interruption properties. However, it has a high Global Warming Potential (GWP) and requires careful handling. Hitachi Energy is continuously reducing the use of SF6, improving its lifecycle management, and accelerating the development of eco–efficient products.

"We have a responsibility to help our customers like National Grid to accelerate the energy transition," said Markus Heimbach, Managing Director of High Voltage Products business in Hitachi Energy. "Innovative EconiQ retrofill technology for installed gas–insulated lines along with the new EconiQ switchgear and breakers portfolio will enable our customers and the industry as a whole to reduce carbon footprint and rapidly transition to eco–efficient solutions."

"Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time and this new transformational green technology will help achieve wide–scale decarbonisation on our electricity transmission network. The retrofill solution replaces SF6, cutting emissions and network outages at the same time as saving costs by avoiding the need to spend on costly replacement equipment", said Chris Bennett, Acting President of National Grid. "We are proud to be working with Hitachi Energy, and to demonstrate a practical solution to a significant issue in the energy industry's transition to net zero."

EconiQ is Hitachi Energy's eco–efficient portfolio for sustainability, where products, services and solutions are proven to deliver exceptional environmental performance. Recently, the company announced the acceleration of its development of eco–efficient solutions, outlining its extensive EconiQ roadmap of switchgear and breakers in various voltage levels. Hitachi Energy has placed sustainability at the heart of its Purpose and is advancing a sustainable energy future for all.

Notes

  1. Retrofill is the process of replacing SF6 in an existing equipment with a new eco–efficient gas mixture to improve the environmental and life–cycle performance of the equipment.

About Hitachi Energy

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon–neutral future. We are advancing the world's energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.

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GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8408290)

Travel Restrictions on African Nations Demonstrate the Need for Second Citizenship as a Plan B, Families Look to St Kitts and Nevis

News provided by the government of St Kitts and Nevis

LONDON, Dec. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The spread of the latest COVID variant "" Omicron "" has proven that we are still far from the end of the pandemic. Though the variant's origins are still unclear, it was first identified in South Africa but has since spread to various regions of the world.

While the challenge of the crisis has certainly lessened globally, mostly due to the rate of vaccinations and other preventative measures implemented, fear of the new mutating variant has led to nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, and numerous countries in the European Union to enforce travel restrictions on African countries. These bans have sparked outrage amongst African leaders who argue that travel restrictions do not solve the problem and only harm the economies of developing nations already struggling from the fallout of the pandemic.

Passport discrimination is not a new phenomenon for African nations. Even before the pandemic, those holding an African passport were subject to harsher rules and visa bureaucracy, interrupting the way Africans conduct business, access services or see loved ones. Now, the COVID–19 pandemic has become an added obstacle that Africans must face if they hope to move across borders.

The pandemic and the travel bans that come with it have led to the emerging trend of affluent Africans obtaining a second citizenship through a popular route known as Citizenship by Investment. Such programmes enable those who can make the required investment, depending on the nation, to acquire citizenship and the life–changing benefits that come with it.

"COVID–19 has presented one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century," says Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners, the world's largest government advisory and marketing firm specialising in Citizenship by Investment. "But for Africans, this has only exacerbated pre–existing issues. Second citizenship helps those that want to position themselves globally without the fear that their country of origin will hold them back."

Originating in St Kitts and Nevis, the Caribbean nation is considered the industry's Platinum Standard brand. In recent years, it has welcomed wealthy Africans and their families to settle and set up businesses in the country. The programme is one of the most family–friendly options on the market and boasts the fastest route to second citizenship through its Sustainable Growth Fund option. Under a limited time offer that expires on the 31st December 2021, families of four can acquire citizenship for the same price as a single applicant, accounting for a price cut of $45,000.

Those who can pass the necessary vetting processes, proving that they have a clean source of funds, gain access to increased travel freedom to over 160 destinations, including key business hubs. St Kitts and Nevis also offers alternative business prospects in one of the fastest–growing economies in the region with ties to financial superpowers like the United States.

Government of St. Kitts and Nevis
pr@csglobalpartners.com
Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister
Basseterre
St. Kitts
KN0101


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8408394)