Die neueste Roadmap der Decision Intelligence-Plattform von Quantexa unterstützt Unternehmen und Behörden bei der Nutzung von Daten für KI


Quantexa unterstützt die wachsende Anzahl von Unternehmen, die Daten, Analytik und KI nutzen, um Silos aufzubrechen

  • Dank der Partnerschaft mit Microsoft ist die Decision Intelligence–Plattform von Quantexa ab sofort auf dem Microsoft Azure Marketplace verfügbar; das Unternehmen will native Lösungen für Azure entwickeln
  • Die Technologievorschau zeigt den ehrgeizigen Plan von Quantexa, die Akzeptanz von Plattformen, Lösungen und generativer KI bei Geschäftsanwendern, Daten– und IT–Experten zu beschleunigen
  • Die Kunden von Lighthouse nutzen den generativen KI–Assistenten Q Assist™ bereits frühzeitig

LONDON, March 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quantexa, ein weltweit führender Anbieter von Decision Intelligence–Lösungen für den öffentlichen und privaten Sektor, nutzte die Bühne der QuanCon24, seiner jährlichen Konferenz für Kunden und Partner, um die Roadmap seiner Decision Intelligence–Plattform vorzustellen und gab ein Update zu Q Assist, einem generativen Assistenten auf Basis künstlicher Intelligenz (KI), der im Juli letzten Jahres vorgestellt wurde. Zudem kündigte Quantexa eine Partnerschaft mit Microsoft an. Dan Higgins, Chief Product Officer von Quantexa, gab gemeinsam mit Kate Rosenshine, Global Technology Director, Strategic Partnerships bei Microsoft, die sofortige Verfügbarkeit der Decision Intelligence–Plattform von Quantexa auf dem Microsoft Azure Marketplace sowie Pläne für eine neue Cloud–native KI–Lösung für mittelgroße Banken in den Vereinigten Staaten bekannt.

Fokus auf Innovation und neue Fähigkeiten

Der ehrgeizige Plan von Quantexa, sich an die Spitze der aufstrebenden Kategorie der Decision Intelligence zu setzen, ist darauf ausgerichtet, Unternehmen und Behörden bei der Nutzung kontextbezogener Analytik und KI zur Verbesserung der unternehmensweiten Entscheidungsfindung zu unterstützen. Quantexa legt den Schwerpunkt auf die praktische, reale Anwendbarkeit von heute und hilft seinen Kunden bei der Planung zukünftiger Technologieimplementierungen. Gartner® sagt voraus, dass „bis 2027 75 % der neuen Inhalte im Bereich der Analytik für intelligente Anwendungen durch generative KI kontextualisiert werden, was eine zusammensetzbare Verbindung zwischen Erkenntnissen und Handlungen ermöglicht.“*

Als Teil der Wachstumsstrategie von Quantexa stellte das Unternehmen die Fähigkeit der Plattform vor, mit Hilfe von KI eine vertrauenswürdige Datenbasis zu erstellen und bestehende Entscheidungsprozesse effektiver zu gestalten, während sie sich gleichzeitig nahtlos in die bestehende technologische Infrastruktur der Kunden einfügt.

Dan Higgins, Chief Product Officer von Quantexa, erklärte: „Wenn es um die Technologie–Roadmap von Quantexa geht, orientieren wir uns an den Bedürfnissen unserer Kunden und ihrem Führungsanspruch im Bereich der Decision Intelligence. Dafür müssen wir unseren Kunden helfen, organisatorische Silos aufzubrechen, um eine vertrauenswürdige Datenbasis zu erstellen, die Entscheidungsfindung zu automatisieren und zu erweitern sowie die kontinuierliche Bewertung und Verbesserung von Entscheidungsprozessen zu unterstützen. Mit der Einführung neuer Funktionen und Lösungen konzentrieren wir uns weiterhin darauf, bahnbrechende Innovationen zu liefern zur Unterstützung von Unternehmen in den Bereichen Absicherung, Optimierung und Wachstum.“

Quantexa beleuchtet vier wichtige Säulen der Roadmap

  • Menschliche/AI–Entscheidungen stärken: Quantexa leistet weiterhin Pionierarbeit bei der Entwicklung von Lösungen und Tools, die den Einsatz von mehreren Datenquellen und von KI zur Automatisierung der unternehmerischen Entscheidungslogik bei verschiedenen Anwendungen ermöglichen. Quantexa aktualisiert seine Plattform mit verbesserten Workflow–Funktionen, einschließlich neuer anpassbarer Scoring–, Alarmierungs– und Entscheidungsmodelle. Quantexa hat die neuen Funktionen der Plattform für das Fallmanagement und ein Update für Q Assist vorgestellt. Q Assist wird von Kunden aus den Bereichen Banken, Telekommunikation und Behörden in Pilotprogrammen eingesetzt, um Finanzkriminalität, Betrug und andere Gefahren zu bekämpfen und mit Hilfe von Customer Intelligence neue Umsatzmöglichkeiten zu identifizieren.
  • Daten in großem Umfang mit KI und kontextbezogener Analytik nutzen: Quantexas Fähigkeit, Kunden beim Aufbau einer vertrauenswürdigen Datenbasis zu unterstützen und eine einheitliche Kundenperspektive zu gewinnen, ist nach wie vor einer der wichtigsten Faktoren für die Akzeptanz der Plattform. Um der steigenden Nachfrage und der einzigartigen Komplexität der Branche gerecht zu werden, präsentierte Quantexa Fortschritte im Bereich Datenmanagement, kontextbezogene Analytik und KI–Funktionen. Quantexa gab eine Vorschau auf die Fähigkeit, jenseits der News Intelligence die Aufnahme und Analyse beliebiger unstrukturierter Datenquellen durch Entity Resolution zu unterstützen und Kunden die Möglichkeit zu geben, durch die Kombination von großen Sprachmodellen (LLMs) und Wissensgraphen groß angelegte Graphenanalysen und maschinelles Graphenlernen zu ermöglichen.
  • Beschleunigung der Time–to–Value durch vereinfachte Implementierungen und Paketlösungen: Quantexa kündigte neue Optionen an, um Kunden und Partnern den Einstieg in neue Implementierungsmethoden zu erleichtern, darunter die Einführung von Out–of–the–Box–Konfigurationen sowie von Low–Code– und No–Code–Tools. In diesem Jahr investiert Quantexa auch in die Beschleunigung des Ausbaus seines wachsenden Ökosystems von Partnern, zu denen PWC, EY, Dun & Bradstreet, KPMG und Moody's gehören, die auf der QuanCon24 als Partner präsent waren.
  • Nahtlose Integration in die bestehenden Technologiepakete und Prozesse der Kunden: Die Decision Intelligence–Plattform von Quantexa verfügt über eine offene und erweiterbare Architektur mit skalierbaren APIs und optimierten Integrationen mit nachgelagerten Anwendungen und Systemen. Zukünftige Bemühungen werden sich auf den Aufbau eines standardisierten Frameworks und sofort einsatzbereiter Konnektoren konzentrieren.

Quantexa führt seine Decision Intelligence–Plattform und Lösungen im Rahmen einer Partnerschaft mit Microsoft auf Azure ein

Ein Höhepunkt der Roadmap Session von Quantexa auf der heutigen Veranstaltung war die Ankündigung der neuen Partnerschaft von Quantexa mit Microsoft. Zu den Highlights gehörten:

  • Die sofortige Verfügbarkeit der Decision Intelligence–Plattform von Quantexa auf dem Azure Marketplace: Die Decision Intelligence–Plattform von Quantexa ist jetzt weltweit auf dem Azure Marketplace für Kunden aus den Bereichen Finanzdienstleistungen, öffentlicher Sektor, Versicherungen, Telekommunikation, Medien und Technologie verfügbar.
  • KI–Innovationen helfen mittelgroßen Banken, dem Druck der Regulierungsbehörden und des Marktes standzuhalten: Außerdem hat Quantexa detaillierte Pläne für den Aufbau einer neuen nativen SaaS–Lösung auf Azure vorgestellt, die es Kunden ermöglicht, eine End–to–End–Lösung für die Überwachung von Transaktionen, Ermittlungen und Fallmanagement zur Bekämpfung von Geldwäsche (AML) zu implementieren, wobei die von den weltgrößten Banken genutzten Best–in–Class–Funktionen in ein maßgeschneidertes Angebot umgewandelt werden, das den Anforderungen von Finanzdienstleistungsinstituten mit einem Vermögen von bis zu 200 Mrd. US–Dollar entspricht. Die Lösung bietet Banken in den Vereinigten Staaten wichtige Funktionen für die Überwachung, Aufdeckung und Untersuchung von Finanzkriminalität und anderen Risiken. Das geplante Angebot unterstützt Kunden bei der Implementierung von Technologien der nächsten Generation, die es ihnen ermöglichen, mit dem rasanten Innovationstempo Schritt zu halten und die zunehmend anspruchsvolleren Compliance–Vorschriften einzuhalten. Quantexa arbeitet mit Microsoft an der Bereitstellung einer ersten Reihe von Funktionen bis Ende 2024.

Dan Higgins, Chief Product Officer, Quantexa, sagte: Im Laufe der letzten 12 Monate hat sich Decision Intelligence zu einem schnell wachsenden Trend entwickelt, wie verschiedene Branchenanalysten festgestellt haben. Decision Intelligence war jedoch bereits seit unserer Gründung eines unserer Kernthemen. Und da wir bei Quantexa bestrebt sind, unser Technologieangebot zu erneuern und weiterzuentwickeln, um Unternehmen und Behörden dabei zu helfen, kontextbezogene Analytik und KI zur Verbesserung der Entscheidungsfindung zu nutzen, freue ich mich, dass unsere jüngste Technologie–Roadmap genau dies zum Ausdruck bringt. Unsere neue Partnerschaft mit Microsoft ist ein Beweis für unsere Absicht, unseren Kunden zugängliche Lösungen zu bieten. Wir werden uns weiterhin bemühen, noch mehr zu bieten und unsere Kunden dort abzuholen, wo sie uns brauchen.“

Tyler Pichach, Director of Financial Services Strategy bei Microsoft, sagte: „Finanzdienstleistungsunternehmen sind intelligenter und effizienter im Umgang mit der sich verändernden Marktdynamik geworden. Dadurch entsteht die Notwendigkeit, vertrauenswürdige Daten und KI zur Verbesserung und Automatisierung der Tausenden von operativen Entscheidungen zu nutzen, die sie täglich bei der Verwaltung ihrer Daten, der Bekämpfung von Finanzkriminalität oder der Identifizierung neuer Umsatzmöglichkeiten treffen. Wir sind entschlossen, mit Partnern wie Quantexa zusammenzuarbeiten, um die Decision Intelligence–Plattform auf dem Microsoft Azure Marketplace verfügbar zu machen, neue Cloud–native Lösungen für erweiterte Marktsegmente anzubieten und gemeinsame Innovationen voranzutreiben, um unsere Kunden in verschiedenen Branchen bei der Bewältigung einiger ihrer größten Herausforderungen zu unterstützen.“

Um mehr darüber zu erfahren, wie Ihr Unternehmen Decision Intelligence einsetzen kann, oder um Forresters Total Economic Impact–Bericht über die Decision Intelligence–Plattform von Quantexa zu lesen, besuchen Sie bitte folgende Website. Um sich die Sessions der QuanCon24 auf Abruf anzusehen, besuchen Sie bitte die QuanCon–Website.

*Gartner, Prognosen für 2024: Wie künstliche Intelligenz die Nutzer von Analytik beeinflussen wird, von Edgar Macari, Peter Krensky, Afraz Jaffri, David Pidsley, Aura Popa, Mike Fang, Rita Sallam, Julian Sun, Radu Miclaus, 4. Januar 2024.

GARTNER ist eine eingetragene Marke und Dienstleistungsmarke von Gartner, Inc. und/oder ihren Tochtergesellschaften. Sie wird in den USA und weltweit genutzt und hier mit Genehmigung verwendet. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. 

Über Quantexa
Quantexa ist ein globales Unternehmen für Daten– und Analysesoftware, das Pionierarbeit im Bereich Decision Intelligence leistet und Unternehmen in die Lage versetzt, vertrauenswürdige betriebliche Entscheidungen zu treffen, indem es Daten Bedeutung verleiht. Mit den neuesten Fortschritten in den Bereichen Big Data und KI deckt die Decision Intelligence–Plattform von Quantexa verborgene Risiken und neue Chancen auf, indem sie eine kontextbezogene, vernetzte Sicht auf interne und externe Daten an einem einzigen Ort bietet. Sie löst die größten Herausforderungen in den Bereichen Datenmanagement, Know Your Customer (KYC), Customer Intelligence, Finanzkriminalität, Risikomanagement, Betrug und Sicherheit während des gesamten Kundenlebenszyklus. 

Die Quantexa Decision Intelligence–Plattform verbessert die operative Leistung mit einer über 90 % größeren Genauigkeit und einer 60–mal schnelleren Auflösung des Analysemodells als herkömmliche Verfahren. Quantexa wurde 2016 gegründet und hat heute mehr als 700 Mitarbeiter und Tausende von Nutzern, die mit Milliarden von Transaktionen und Datenpunkten auf der ganzen Welt arbeiten. Das Unternehmen hat Niederlassungen in London, Dublin, Brüssel, Malaga, den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten, New York, Boston, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne und Tokio. 

Medienanfragen

Kontakt: Stephanie Crisp, Associate Director and Media Strategist, Fight or Flight  
E–Mail: Quantexa@fightflight.co.uk   

Kontakt: Adam Jaffe, SVP of Corporate Marketing  
Telefon: +1 609 502 6889  
E–Mail: adamjaffe@quantexa.com

Ein Foto zu dieser Ankündigung ist verfügbar unter http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/36fa5c1e–cba8–4a4c–9272–191148c797aa


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000929084)

O último roteiro da plataforma de inteligência de decisão da Quantexa foca-se em ajudar as empresas e as agências governamentais a preparar os dados para a IA


A Quantexa apoia uma onda crescente de organizações que utilizam dados, análises e IA a quebrar os silos

  • A parceria com a Microsoft disponibiliza imediatamente a Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão da Quantexa no Microsoft Azure Marketplace; a empresa compromete–se a criar soluções nativas no Azure
  • Uma antevisão da tecnologia demonstra o ambicioso plano da Quantexa para acelerar a adoção da plataforma, da solução e da IA generativa entre os utilizadores empresariais, profissionais de dados e TI
  • Os clientes piloto avançam para a adoção precoce do assistente de IA generativa, o Q Assist™

LONDRES, March 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Quantexa, líder global em soluções de inteligência de decisão para os setores público e privado, utilizou a QuanCon24 – a sua conferência anual para clientes e parceiros – como pano de fundo para revelar o roteiro da Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão e apresentar uma atualização ao Q Assist, um assistente de inteligência artificial (IA) generativa que dado a conhecer em julho do ano passado. A Quantexa também anunciou uma parceria com a Microsoft. Dan Higgins, Diretor de Produtos da Quantexa, juntou–se a Kate Rosenshine, Diretora de Tecnologia Global das Parcerias Estratégicas da Microsoft, para a anunciar a disponibilidade imediata da Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão da Quantexa no Azure Marketplace da Microsoft, bem como os planos para disponibilizar a solução de IA nativa da nuvem aos bancos de média dimensão nos Estados Unidos.

Centrar a atenção na inovação e nas novas capacidades

O ambicioso plano da Quantexa para liderar a categoria de inteligência de decisão emergente centra–se em ajudar as empresas e as agências governamentais a utilizar dados analíticos de contexto e a IA para melhorar a tomada de decisões ao nível organizacional. A Quantexa está a dar ênfase na aplicabilidade prática no mundo real da atualidade, com os olhos postos num plano para ajudar os clientes a implementar a tecnologia no futuro. A Gartner® estima que “até 2027, 75% dos novos conteúdos analíticos sejam contextualizados por aplicações inteligentes através da IA generativa, permitindo uma ligação construtiva entre as informações e as ações.”*

Como parte da estratégia de crescimento da Quantexa, a empresa apresentou a capacidade da empresa da plataforma de usar a IA para construir uma base de dados fidedigna e proporcionar uma maior eficácia aos processos de decisão existentes, com uma perfeita integração à infraestrutura tecnológica existente dos clientes.

Dan Higgins, Diretor de Produto da Quantexa, afirmou, “No que respeita ao roteiro de tecnologia da Quantexa, somos orientados pelas necessidades e ambição de liderança dos nossos clientes no âmbito da inteligência da decisão. Isto exige que ajudemos os nossos clientes a criar ilhas organizacionais para criar uma base de dados fidedigna, automatizar e aumentar a tomada de decisões e apoiar a avaliação e melhoria contínuas nos processos de tomada de decisões. Com a introdução de novas capacidades e soluções, mantemo–nos firmemente focados na inovação que ajuda as organizações a proteger–se, a otimizar–se e a crescer.”

A Quantexa destaca quatro pilares fundamentais do roteiro

  • Permitir a tomada de decisões humana/IA: A Quantexa continua a apresentar soluções e ferramentas que permitem a utilização de várias fontes de dados e IA para automatizar a lógica de decisões empresariais em várias aplicações. A Quantexa está a atualizar a sua plataforma com capacidades de fluxo de trabalho melhoradas, incluindo uma nova pontuação personalizável, a emissão de alertas e modelos de tomada de decisões. A Quantexa apresentou as novas capacidades de gestão de casos e uma atualização à adoção precoce do Q Assist, que estão a ser implementadas pelos clientes no setor da banca, telecomunicações e agências governamentais em programas piloto, com o intuito de enfrentar o crime financeiro, a fraude e o risco, bem como para identificar novas oportunidades de receita com a inteligência do cliente.
  • Operacionalizar os dados à escala com a IA e análise contextual: A capacidade da Quantexa para ajudar os clientes a construir uma base de dados fidedigna e obter as perspetivas de clientes individuais continua a ser o principal impulsionador para a adoção da plataforma. Para dar resposta à crescente procura e às complexidades próprias do setor, a Quantexa demonstrou avanços na gestão de dados, análise contextual e capacidades de IA. A Quantexa fez a antevisão da capacidade de avançar além da inteligência noticiosa para apoiar a ingestão e análise de quaisquer fontes de dados não estruturadas, através da resolução da entidade e proporcionando aos clientes a possibilidade de ativarem a análise de gráficos em grande escala, e a aprendizagem automática de gráficos, através da combinação de grandes modelos linguísticos (LLM) e gráficos de conhecimentos.
  • Acelerar o tempo/valor através de implementações simplificadas e soluções agrupadas: A Quantexa anunciou novas opções para tornar mais fácil aos clientes e parceiros a agilização com novos métodos de implementação, incluindo a introdução de configurações “prontas a usar”, bem como ferramentas com reduzida ou nenhuma codificação. Este ano, a Quantexa também está a investir no seu crescente ecossistema de parceiros, que inclui a PWC, EY, Dun & Bradstreet, KPMG e Moody’s e que fizeram as suas apresentações na QuanCon24.
  • Integração fluída com os volumes e processos da tecnologia existente dos nossos clientes: A Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão da Quantexa conta com uma arquitetura aberta e expansível com API escaláveis e integrações simplificadas com aplicações e sistemas a jusante. Os futuros esforços irão concentrar–se num enquadramento normalizado e conectores “prontos a usar”.

A Quantexa transporta a sua Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão e soluções para o Azure, graças a uma parceria com a Microsoft

Um dos destaques da Sessão de Roteiro da Quantexa no evento de hoje foi o anúncio da nova parceria com a Microsoft. Os destaques incluíram:

  • A disponibilidade imediata da Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão da Quantexa no Azure Marketplace: A Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão da Quantexa está agora disponível globalmente no Azure Marketplace para clientes nos setores dos serviços financeiros, setor público, seguros, telecomunicações, comunicação social e tecnologia.
  • A inovação da IA ajuda bancos de média dimensão a responder às pressões regulamentares e do mercado: Além disso, a Quantexa apresentou planos detalhados para criar uma nova solução SaaS própria do Azure, que permitirá aos clientes implementar uma solução de monitorização de transações AML (antibranqueamento de capitais) extremo a extremo, investigações e gestão de casos concebida para aproveitar as melhores capacidades da sua classe, utilizadas pelos maiores bancos do mundo numa oferta personalizada para dar resposta às necessidades das instituições de serviços financeiros, com um total de mais de 200 mil milhões de dólares em ativos. A solução irá fornecer recursos críticos para a monitorização, deteção e investigação do crime financeiro e risco para os bancos nos Estados Unidos. A oferta planeada irá ajudar os clientes a implementar a tecnologia da próxima geração, permitindo que se mantenham a par do ritmo acelerado da inovação e cumpram os crescentes regulamentos de conformidade. A Quantexa está a trabalhar com a Microsoft para disponibilizar o primeiro conjunto de capacidades até ao final de 2024.

Dan Higgins, Diretor de Produto, Quantexa, declarou: Nos últimos 12 meses, a inteligência de decisão transformou–se numa tendência em rápido crescimento, tal como afirmam vários analistas do setor. Mas a inteligência de decisão tem estado sempre no centro de tudo o que fazemos desde a nossa criação. Na Quantexa, trabalhamos para inovar e fazer evoluir a nossa tecnologia para ajudarmos as empresas e as agências governamentais a utilizarem a análise contextual e a IA para melhorar a tomada de decisões, e é com entusiasmo que vejo que o nosso mais recente roteiro de tecnologia se mantém fiel a essa premissa. A nossa nova parceria com a Microsoft é um testemunho do nosso compromisso de fornecermos soluções acessíveis aos nossos clientes; continuaremos a fazer cada vez mais e melhor para ajudarmos os nossos clientes sempre que precisem.”

Tyler Pichach, Diretor de Estratégia de Serviços Financeiros na Microsoft, afirmou: “As organizações de serviços financeiros tornaram–se mais inteligentes e mais eficientes face à mudança nas dinâmicas do mercado. Isto está a criar a necessidade de utilizar dados e IA de confiança para aumentar e automatizar milhares de decisões operacionais que são tomadas diariamente, no que respeita a gestão dos dados, o combate ao crime financeiro ou a identificação de novas oportunidades de receita. Estamos empenhados em trabalhar com parceiros como a Quantexa para disponibilizar a sua Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão no Microsoft Azure Marketplace, criar novas soluções nativas da nuvem para segmentos de mercados alargados, e fomentar a inovação conjunta para ajudar os nossos clientes de vários setores a enfrentar os seus maiores desafios.”

Para saber como a sua organização pode recorrer à inteligência de decisão ou para ler o Forrester’s Total Economic Impact™ da Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão da Quantexa, clique aqui. Para assistir às sessões a pedido da QuanCon24, visite o website da QuanCon.

*Gartner, Previsões para 2024: Como a Inteligência Artificial irá Afetar os Utilizadores Analíticos, de Edgar Macari, Peter Krensky, Afraz Jaffri, David Pidsley, Aura Popa, Mike Fang, Rita Sallam, Julian Sun, Radu Miclaus, 4 de janeiro de 2024.

GARTNER é uma marca comercial registada e uma marca de serviço da Gartner, Inc. e/ou das suas subsidiárias nos E.U.A. e internacionalmente e é utilizada sob permissão. Todos os direitos reservados. 

Sobre a Quantexa
A Quantexa é uma empresa global de software de dados e análise, pioneira na Inteligência de Decisão, que permite às organizações tomarem decisões operacionais fiáveis, tornando os dados significativos. Utilizando os mais recentes avanços em big data e IA, a Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão da Quantexa revela riscos ocultos e novas oportunidades, fornecendo uma visão contextual e conectada de dados internos e externos num único local. Resolve os maiores desafios em toda a gestão de dados, “Conheça o seu cliente” (KYC), informações do cliente, crime financeiro, risco, fraude e segurança, ao longo do ciclo de vida do cliente. 

A Plataforma de Inteligência de Decisão da Quantexa melhora o desempenho operacional com mais de 90% de precisão e uma resolução de modelos analíticos 60 vezes mais rápida do que as abordagens tradicionais. Fundada em 2016, a Quantexa tem atualmente mais de 700 colaboradores e milhares de utilizadores que trabalham com milhares de milhões de transações e pontos de informação em todo o mundo. A empresa tem escritórios em Londres, Dublin, Bruxelas, Málaga, EAU, Nova Iorque, Boston, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne e Tóquio. 

Contacto para a comunicação social

C: Stephanie Crisp, Diretora–Adjunta e Estratega de Meios de Comunicação da Fight or Flight   
E: Quantexa@fightflight.co.uk   

C: Adam Jaffe, VPS de Marketing Empresarial   
T: +1 609 502 6889   
E: adamjaffe@quantexa.com

A fotografia que acompanha este anúncio está disponível em http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/36fa5c1e–cba8–4a4c–9272–191148c797aa


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000929084)

La dernière feuille de route de la plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa met l’accent sur l’aide apportée aux entreprises et aux agences gouvernementales pour que leurs données soient prêtes pour l’IA


Quantexa accompagne le nombre croissant d’entreprises qui utilisent les données, l’analyse et l’IA pour briser les silos

  • Grâce au partenariat avec Microsoft, la plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa est désormais disponible sur Microsoft Azure Marketplace ; l’entreprise s’engage à développer des solutions directement sur Azure
  • L’aperçu technologique présente le plan ambitieux élaboré par Quantexa pour accélérer l’adoption de la plateforme, de la solution et de l’IA générative parmi les utilisateurs commerciaux, les données et les professionnels de l’informatique
  • Les clients de Lighthouse adoptent rapidement l’assistant génératif d’IA, Q Assist™

LONDRES, 14 mars 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Quantexa, leader mondial des solutions d’intelligence décisionnelle pour les secteurs public et privé, a profité de sa conférence annuelle destinée aux clients et aux partenaires, QuanCon24, pour dévoiler la feuille de route de sa plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle et faire le point sur Q Assist, un assistant génératif d’intelligence artificielle (IA) présenté en avant–première en juillet de l’année dernière. Quantexa a également annoncé un partenariat avec Microsoft. Dan Higgins, directeur des produits chez Quantexa, a été rejoint par Kate Rosenshine, directrice mondial de la technologie, partenariats stratégiques chez Microsoft, où ils ont annoncé la disponibilité immédiate de la plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa sur Microsoft Azure Marketplace et des projets visant à apporter une nouvelle solution d’IA cloud–native aux banques de taille moyenne aux États–Unis.

Priorité à l’innovation et aux nouvelles capacités

Le projet ambitieux de Quantexa de devenir le leader de la catégorie émergente de l’intelligence décisionnelle est ancré dans l’aide apportée aux entreprises et aux agences gouvernementales pour utiliser l’analyse contextuelle et l’IA afin d’améliorer la prise de décision à l’échelle de l’organisation. Quantexa met l’accent sur l’applicabilité pratique et concrète aujourd’hui, en vue d’aider les clients à planifier les déploiements technologiques futurs. Gartner® prévoit que « d’ici 2027, 75 % du nouveau contenu analytique sera contextualisé pour des applications intelligentes grâce à l’IA générative, ce qui permettra d’établir une connexion composable entre les informations et les actions. »*

Dans le cadre de la stratégie de croissance de Quantexa, l’entreprise a mis en avant la capacité de la plateforme à utiliser l’IA pour construire une base de données fiable et apporter une plus grande efficacité aux processus décisionnels existants, tout en s’intégrant de manière transparente à l’infrastructure technologique existante des clients.

Dan Higgins, directeur des produits chez Quantexa, a déclaré, « Lorsqu’il s’agit de la feuille de route technologique de Quantexa, nous nous appuyons sur les besoins de nos clients et sur notre ambition de leadership dans le domaine de l’intelligence décisionnelle. Pour ce faire, nous devons aider nos clients à décloisonner leur organisation afin de créer une base de données fiable, d’automatiser et d’améliorer la prise de décision, ainsi que de favoriser l’évaluation et l’amélioration continues tout au long des processus décisionnels. En introduisant de nouvelles capacités et solutions, nous restons constamment concentrés sur la mise en œuvre d’innovations révolutionnaires qui aident les organisations à se protéger, à s’optimiser et à évoluer. »

Quantexa met l’accent sur les quatre piliers de la feuille de route

  • Optimiser la prise de décision entre l’homme et l’IA : Quantexa continue de développer des solutions et des outils destinés à permettre l’utilisation de diverses sources de données et de l’IA afin d’automatiser la logique décisionnelle des entreprises dans diverses applications. Quantexa met à jour sa plateforme avec des capacités de flux de travail améliorées, y compris de nouveaux modèles de notation, d’alerte et de décision personnalisables. Quantexa a présenté les nouvelles capacités de gestion de cas de la plateforme et une mise à jour de Q Assist, actuellement déployée par des clients du secteur bancaire, des télécommunications et des agences gouvernementales, dans le cadre de programmes pilotes visant à lutter contre la criminalité financière, la fraude et les risques, et à identifier de nouvelles opportunités de revenus grâce à la connaissance du client.
  • Opérationnaliser les données à grande échelle avec l’IA et l’analyse contextuelle : La capacité de Quantexa à aider les clients à construire une base de données fiable et à obtenir une vision unique du client reste un facteur déterminant de l’adoption de la plateforme. Pour répondre à la demande croissante et aux complexités uniques de l’industrie, Quantexa a présenté des avancées dans la gestion des données, l’analyse contextuelle et les capacités en matière d’IA. Quantexa a présenté en avant–première la possibilité d’aller plus loin que l’intelligence des actualités pour prendre en charge l’ingestion et l’analyse de toute source de données non structurées via la résolution d’entités et donner aux clients la possibilité d’effectuer des analyses de graphes à grande échelle et de l’apprentissage automatique de graphes en combinant de grands modèles de langage (LLM) et des graphes de connaissances.
  • Accélérer la rentabilité grâce à des déploiements simplifiés et des solutions groupées : Quantexa a annoncé de nouvelles options pour faciliter la mise en place de nouvelles méthodes de déploiement pour les clients et les partenaires, y compris l’introduction de configurations prêtes à l’emploi ainsi que d’outils low–code et no–code. Cette année, Quantexa investit également dans l’accélération de son écosystème croissant de partenaires, qui comprend PWC, EY, Dun & Bradstreet, KPMG et Moody’s, partenaires de présentation à QuanCon24.
  • Intégration transparente avec les systèmes et processus technologiques existants des clients : La plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa possède une architecture ouverte et extensible avec des API évolutives et des intégrations rationalisées avec des applications et des systèmes en aval. Les futurs efforts porteront sur la mise en place d’un cadre normalisé et de connecteurs prêts à l’emploi.

Quantexa introduit sa plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle et ses solutions dans Azure grâce à un partenariat avec Microsoft

L’annonce du nouveau partenariat de Quantexa avec Microsoft a été l’un des points forts de la session sur la feuille de route de Quantexa lors de l’événement d’aujourd’hui. Parmi les points forts, citons :

  • La disponibilité immédiate de la plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa sur Azure Marketplace : La plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa est désormais disponible mondialement sur Azure Marketplace pour les clients des services financiers, du secteur public, de l’assurance, des télécommunications, des médias et des technologies.
  • L’innovation en matière d’IA permet aux banques de taille moyenne de répondre aux pressions de la réglementation et du marché : En outre, Quantexa a détaillé ses plans pour construire une nouvelle solution SaaS native Azure, permettant aux clients de déployer une solution de bout en bout de surveillance des transactions anti–blanchiment (AML), d’enquêtes et de gestion des cas, conçue pour prendre les meilleures capacités utilisées par les plus grandes banques du monde dans une offre sur mesure pour répondre aux besoins des institutions de services financiers qui détiennent jusqu’à 200 milliards de dollars US d’actifs. Cette solution apportera aux banques des États–Unis des capacités essentielles en matière de surveillance, de détection et d’enquête sur la criminalité et les risques financiers. L’offre prévue permettra aux clients de mettre en œuvre la technologie de la prochaine génération, ce qui leur permettra de suivre le rythme rapide de l’innovation et de répondre aux réglementations de plus en plus strictes en matière de conformité. Quantexa collabore avec Microsoft pour mettre à disposition un premier ensemble de capacités d’ici la fin de l’année 2024.

Dan Higgins, directeur des produits chez Quantexa, a déclaré : « Au cours des 12 derniers mois, des analystes du secteur ont constaté que l’intelligence décisionnelle était devenue une tendance en plein essor. Cependant, l’intelligence décisionnelle a toujours été au cœur de nos préoccupations depuis notre création. Chez Quantexa, nous nous efforçons d’innover et de faire évoluer notre offre technologique pour permettre aux entreprises et aux agences gouvernementales d’utiliser l’analyse contextuelle et l’IA afin d’améliorer la prise de décision, et je suis ravi de voir que notre dernière feuille de route technologique répond à cet objectif. Grâce à notre nouveau partenariat avec Microsoft, nous témoignons de notre engagement à fournir à nos clients des solutions accessibles, et nous continuerons à en faire davantage et à aller à la rencontre de nos clients là où ils ont besoin de nous. »

Tyler Pichach, directeur de la stratégie des services financiers chez Microsoft, a déclaré : « Les organisations de services financiers sont devenues plus intelligentes et plus efficaces pour naviguer avec succès dans la dynamique changeante du marché. Cela crée le besoin d’utiliser des données fiables et l’IA pour augmenter et automatiser les milliers de décisions opérationnelles qu’ils prennent quotidiennement lorsqu’il s’agit de gérer leurs données, de lutter contre la criminalité financière ou d’identifier de nouvelles opportunités de revenus. Nous nous engageons à travailler avec des partenaires comme Quantexa pour rendre sa plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle disponible sur Microsoft Azure Marketplace, apporter de nouvelles solutions cloud–native à des segments de marché élargis, et promouvoir l’innovation conjointe pour aider nos clients à travers de multiples industries à relever certains de leurs plus grands défis. »

Pour en savoir plus sur la manière dont votre organisation peut mettre l’intelligence décisionnelle au travail, ou pour lire le rapport de Forrester “Total Economic Impact™” de la plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa », cliquez ici. Pour visionner les sessions à la demande de QuanCon24, consultez le site web QuanCon.

*Gartner, Predicts 2024 : How Artificial Intelligence Will Impact Analytics Users, par Edgar Macari, Peter Krensky, Afraz Jaffri, David Pidsley, Aura Popa, Mike Fang, Rita Sallam, Julian Sun, Radu Miclaus, 4 janvier 2024.

GARTNER est une marque déposée et une marque de service de Gartner, Inc. et/ou de ses filiales aux États–Unis et dans le monde et sont utilisées avec l’autorisation de leur propriétaire. Tous droits réservés. 

À propos de Quantexa
Pionnière de l’intelligence décisionnelle, Quantexa est une société mondiale de logiciels de données et d’analyse qui permet aux organisations de prendre des décisions opérationnelles fiables en donnant du sens à leurs données. En exploitant les dernières avancées en matière de Big Data et d’IA, la plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa fait apparaître les risques cachés et les nouvelles opportunités en fournissant sous un seul toit une synthèse contextuelle et intégrée des données internes et externes. Elle relève des enjeux majeurs en lien avec la gestion des données, la connaissance du client, la veille client, la criminalité financière, les risques, la fraude et la sécurité à toutes les étapes du cycle de vie de la relation client. 

La plateforme d’intelligence décisionnelle de Quantexa améliore la performance opérationnelle avec une précision accrue de plus de 90 % et une résolution du modèle analytique 60 fois plus rapide que les approches traditionnelles. Fondée en 2016, Quantexa compte désormais plus de 700 employés et des milliers d’utilisateurs travaillant avec des milliards de transactions et de points de données à travers le monde. La société a des bureaux à Londres, Dublin, Bruxelles, Malaga, aux Émirats arabes unis, à New York, Boston, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne et Tokyo. 

Demandes des médias

C : Stephanie Crisp, directrice associée et responsable des stratégies médiatiques, Fight or Flight
E : Quantexa@fightflight.co.uk   

C : Adam Jaffe, Vice–président du marketing d’entreprise   
T : +1 609 502 6889   
E : adamjaffe@quantexa.com

Une photo accompagnant cette annonce est disponible à l’adresse suivante : http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/36fa5c1e–cba8–4a4c–9272–191148c797aa


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000929084)

LPG, a Useful “Transitional” Fuel for the UN’s Clean Cooking Effort

Enabling women to transition quickly from traditional cookstoves to cleaner technologies would save millions of lives, especially in poorer rural areas where biomass use is concentrated. Credit: Athar Parzaiv/IPS

Enabling women to transition quickly from traditional cookstoves to cleaner technologies would save millions of lives, especially in poorer rural areas where biomass use is concentrated. Credit: Athar Parzaiv/IPS

By Philippe Benoit and Kaushik Deb
Mar 13 2024 – One of the key efforts under the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals is to provide poor households with access to clean cooking technologies to replace, in particular, the burning of solid biomass (e.g., fuelwood and charcoal) in traditional open stoves that kills millions of women and children.

To date, one of the preferred options has involved the substitution of solid biomass with bottled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). This approach, however, can be seen to run afoul of the climate change-driven opposition to fossil fuel use generally. However, LPG for clean cooking can and should be permitted as a transitional fuel to save lives in the short-term until we can provide universal access to alternative low-emissions clean cooking systems.

Africa is disproportionately burdened by a lack of access to clean cooking technologies, with over 60 percent of its population relying on biomass. That increases to over 85 percent in rural Africa. In Asia, over 45 percent of the rural population relies on biomass for cooking.

The poorest 50 percent of the world’s population (which includes those households currently relying on biomass) are responsible for a mere 8 percent of greenhouse emissions, a figure that would be marginally affected by the adoption of LPG

Enabling women to transition quickly from traditional cookstoves to cleaner technologies would save millions of lives, especially in poorer rural areas where biomass use is concentrated.

As report after report has documented, several million women and children die each year from the adverse impact of the very localized air pollution created by burning fuelwood and other solid biomass on open cookstoves (often used indoors without adequate ventilation).

Shifting away from unstainable harvesting and use of biomass would, in addition to avoiding these negative health impacts, generate important greenhouse gas mitigation and other environmental benefits.

There are a variety of clean cooking technologies that would address this issue. One solution is replacing biomass use with stoves fueled by LPG. Other alternatives include electric stoves and stoves that burn the biomass more efficiently.

Notably, electric stoves, when powered with renewable electricity, are near-zero emitting solutions. In contrast, even though LPG stoves potentially result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the traditional use of biomass, its promotion can be criticized as running counter to the climate change-related campaigns to eliminate all fossil fuel combustion and related emissions.

Efforts to phase out fossil fuels have gained momentum in the climate change discussions, as reflected in the discussion at COP 28 that targeted all forms of fossil fuels (i.e., coal, oil and gas), as compared to, for example, COP 26 which was focused on coal.

However, this broader and strengthened effort is occurring after many developing countries have already launched substantial clean cooking programs premised on the use of LPG. For instance, India introduced a program in 2013 to achieve universal access to LPG. Cameroon is executing a masterplan to increase the share of LPG for cooking from less than 20 percent to 58 percent by 2035.

Many of these programs attempt to target one of the problems with LPG, namely its affordability for poorer households. For example, Indonesia’s Zero Kero Program (a program initially targeting kerosene but then extended to solid biomass users) provides a free stove and first cylinder and subsidized LPG thereafter.

India’s flagship cooking energy program, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, launched in 2016 provides a subsidy and loan for the upfront cost of adopting an LPG connection and has resulted in an uptake by over 80 million households. Many ongoing LPG programs enjoy degrees of institutional momentum that would be difficult to replicate quickly if replaced by new efforts premised on a different choice of cooking technology.

Climate sustainability forces generally align with anti-poverty efforts such as the UN goal to achieve universal access to clean cooking, but the use of LPG presents tensions.

While shifting to LPG for cooking can generate the above-referenced health and other benefits for poor households currently relying on biomass, these same households are also amongst the most vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change induced by fossil fuel emissions.

And in the context of the climate change campaigns to reduce emissions, it is arguably strategic to adopt straightforward and clear goals and communications, such as “phasing down/out fossil fuels”, rather than a nuanced message that targets “most but not all fossil fuels.”

Given this context – one in which the poor are adversely affected by biomass use but also by emissions-induced climate change – how should LPG cooking programs be treated?

In deciding which and whose emissions to prioritize in the effort to advance global climate goals, and specifically how to address emissions from LPG-based cooking,  it is useful to place the discussion and choices in the broader emissions inequality context.

As pointed out by a recent Oxfam report on the topic, the poorest 50 percent of the world’s population (which includes those households currently relying on biomass) are responsible for a mere 8 percent of greenhouse emissions, a figure that would be marginally affected by the adoption of LPG. In contrast, the wealthiest 10 percent is responsible for 50 percent, and the top 50 percent for 92 percent.

Moreover, the use of fossil fuels for cooking is something that manifests itself at all income levels. For example, the US government has just issued regulations that tighten efficiency requirements for gas stoves, thereby also, implicitly, legitimizing their continued use for years to come.

The consumers targeted by the US regulations fall within the top 10 percent richest of the world’s population, while the women using unhealthy traditional cookstoves fall within the world’s poorest segment.

Given the lives of poor women and children that can be saved today by LPG-based cooking, coupled with the minute per capita emissions of these consumers, LPG-based efforts should continue and potentially even be expanded under a ‘transitional regime, with the focus of emissions-reduction activities in the near-term targeted at the activities of the world’s richest top 10 percent responsible for 50 percent of global emissions.

Importantly, this transitional regime would include a sunset provision on the use of LPG with a clear second transition to renewables-based electric and other non-emitting cooking solutions. The primary objective is to save lives that would otherwise be lost to cooking-related pollution in the short to medium term, while also supporting net-zero emissions over the longer run.

LPG has a productive role to play in poverty-alleviation efforts and specifically the UN’s goal of achieving universal access to clean cooking. However, the use of LPG for cooking is a strategy which, given its attendant carbon dioxide emissions, should be structured as transitional pending the fuller deployment of low-emissions clean cooking alternatives.

 

Philippe Benoit is the managing director at Global Infrastructure Advisory Services 2050. He previously held management positions at the World Bank and the International Energy Agency.

 Kaushik Deb leads the India Program at the Center on Global Energy Policy at the School of International and Public Affairs in Columbia University.

Phosphorus Appoints Osama AlZoubi as Regional Vice President of Saudi Arabia and Middle East

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Phosphorus Cybersecurity Inc., the leading provider of unified, prevention–based security management for the xTended Internet of Things (xIoT), today announced the appointment of Osama AlZoubi as the Regional Vice President, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. In his new role, AlZoubi will oversee Phosphorus’ growth and development throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, as the company expands its presence in the region with its best–of–breed Cyber–Physical System (CPS) Protection Platform that discovers, remediates, monitors, and manages the full scope of IoT, OT, IIoT, and IoMT devices.

As one of the world’s fastest growing economic regions, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East are experiencing significant technological progress, particularly in energy, smart manufacturing, and urban development. Saudi Arabia is also spearheading a monumental transformation in the region with its Vision 2030 – with mega and giga projects like NEOM, King Salman Park, Diriyah, Murabba, the Red Sea Project, and Qiddiya. The region’s rapid development and integration of advanced Cyber–Physical Systems requires more robust security capabilities to protect sensitive IoT and OT devices from the growing threat of cyber attacks. AlZoubi will play a critical role in leading Phosphorus’ efforts to assist the region’s public and private enterprises in achieving the highest level of proactive cybersecurity for their entire xIoT estates, including the most sensitive mission–critical and life–critical assets.

“Osama is an accomplished computer scientist and former CTO of Cisco Middle East and Africa who helped build many of the networks we work to secure. His knowledge and experience will make him a tremendous asset to our organization and senior leadership team,” said Chris Rouland, CEO of Phosphorus. “Cybersecurity is critically important in fast–developing Saudi Arabia, and across the Middle East region, as more countries invest in advanced technologies, such as smart cities. These critical IoT and OT assets require a new level of protection that traditional security solutions simply cannot provide. Osama will play a crucial role in expanding our xIoT platform across this region to ensure our customers have the highest level of proactive protection for their Cyber–Physical Systems.”

“Phosphorus is a groundbreaking and disruptive security company with remarkable potential in the region and throughout the world,” said AlZoubi. “Only Phosphorus has the capability to proactively discover, remediate, monitor, and manage the full range of IoT, OT, IIoT, and IoMT assets that represent an ever–expanding attack surface. This is especially true in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and throughout the Middle East and Africa, where high–tech development is not only creating massive economic opportunity, but also the potential for disruption from ransomware and cyber–physical attacks. I am excited to join this innovative company and I look forward to accelerating its growth in the region.”

AlZoubi is a seasoned technology and business leader with over 25 years of extensive experience in information and communications technology (ICT). His expertise encompasses pivotal domains such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), IoT, data centers (DC), software (SW), and infrastructure. Throughout his career, he has actively engaged in cutting–edge research and development initiatives, including a patent for a wireless underwater IoT system.

Prior to joining Phosphorus, AlZoubi held multiple global leadership roles and most recently served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Cisco in the Middle East and Africa. AlZoubi led the Engineering and Business Architecture teams, to drive Digital Transformation across the MEA region, while driving the digitization initiatives, innovation, and business growth across the private and public sector in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and Africa. AlZoubi is also the author of “The Digital Disruption”, he holds a patent in the IoT field, and he has multiple publications in Harvard Business Review Arabia. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago.

Phosphorus’ Gartner–recognized Unified xIoT Security Management Platform is the industry’s only CPS Protection Platform proactively covering the entire security and management lifecycle for xIoT. Through its unique ability to directly communicate with over one million device models (including over 600 vendors) in their native languages, Phosphorus’ platform empowers all organizations to safely discover, harden, remediate, and manage any IoT/OT/IoMT device, including the most sensitive mission–critical and life–critical assets.

For more information about Phosphorus, visit www.phosphorus.io, or see us at upcoming conferences, such as RSAC, Black Hat, and DEF CON.

ABOUT PHOSPHORUS

Phosphorus Cybersecurity® is the leading CPS Protection Platform delivering a proactive approach to security management and breach prevention for the exploding IoT, OT, IIoT, and IoMT attack surface. Designed to find and secure the rapidly growing, unknown, and often unmonitored world of Cyber–Physical Systems across the xTended Internet of Things landscape, our Unified xIoT Security Management Platform provides unmatched security management and breach prevention across every industry vertical—delivering high–fidelity discovery and risk assessment, proactive hardening and remediation, and continuous monitoring and management. With patented xIoT Intelligent Active Discovery and risk assessment, Phosphorus automates the mitigation and remediation of the most significant IoT, OT, IIoT, and IoMT device vulnerabilities – including unknown and inaccurate asset inventory, default credentials, out–of–date and vulnerable firmware, risky configurations, banned and end–of–life devices, and expired or self–signed certificates. Follow Phosphorus on LinkedIn, Twitter, Threads, and YouTube, and learn more at www.phosphorus.io 


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9062687)

ECW Announces New Grant Funding for Ukraine’s Education Programs for Children Impacted by War

Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine; Yasmine Sherif, Executive Director of Education Cannot Wait; and Yevhen Kudriavets, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine, address a briefing on funding for Ukrainian education. Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 13 2024 – Education Cannot Wait and the government of Ukraine launch new multi-year program to support education for children impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.

At the UN Headquarters in New York, Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi, and Education Cannot Wait (ECW) Executive Director Yasmine Sherif announced the launch of a multi-year resilience program that will take effect from March 2024 until February 2026. Education Cannot Wait (ECW) – the global fund for emergencies and protracted crises within the UN – is providing a USD 18 million grant to roll out the programme and called on donors to mobilize an additional USD 17 million to fully fund it. The program is building on ECW’s previous investments in Ukraine, which totaled USD 6.5 million and have already reached over 360,000 children and youth with quality education support.

According to Sherif, the new multi-year program was developed “in close coordination” with the Ministry of Education and members of civil society in Ukraine. Teachers and students in areas affected by the conflict in the north, east and south of the country will have access to mental health and psychosocial support. The program will also renovate and strengthen the damaged infrastructure. “We always speak about the humanitarian-development nexus. This is it. Addressing immediate needs while also working with the Government to ensure long-term investment in the education system,” said Sherif.

Lisovyi stated that the program will support the government’s ongoing plans to reform its education system while also addressing the challenges that have emerged due to the conflict.

“We work toward fundamentally changing the education system,” he said. “Strengthen the agencies of students, providing them with more freedom and instruments for self-development.”

“Now we concentrate on our efforts to provide the usual normal education for each kid. Giving access to safe education of high quality despite the war,” said Lisovyi. This will include building shelters in schools, a new prerequisite for schools to work offline. It’s been estimated that during this conflict, children spent up to 5,000 hours in underground shelters.

More than 3500 educational institutions have been damaged since the conflict between Ukraine and Russia began in February 2022. Families and children that have been displaced by the conflict struggle to access a proper, comprehensive education. More than 900,000 children are currently receiving a blended education of in-person classes and online learning. As of September 2023, only half of the functioning schools have the capacity to provide face-to-face learning. The other alternative, online learning, has not been accessible to all students, especially those who have been displaced due to the conflict. Under this program, there will be efforts to expand access to digital education, especially for those children left behind.

In collaboration with the government of Ukraine and national organizations, the multi-year resilience program’s investment will be delivered by Finn Church Aid, an NGO whose work in Ukraine centers on education support through providing temporary learning spaces and psychosocial support, and the Kyiv School of Economics Institute, a think tank that has consulted on recommendations for Ukraine’s post-war economic recovery. It is expected that the program will reach 41,000 girls and boys, as well as indirectly benefit 150,000 children through renovated learning spaces in the eastern and southern states.

The program is also intended to invest considerably in teachers, including the estimated 43,000 teachers that have been displaced by the conflict. The programme will work to ensure safe and accessible physical learning environments, improve learning outcomes by training teachers, expand digital learning initiatives, and provide alternative education opportunities and vocational training. Mental health and psychosocial support will also be provided.

Lisovyi stated that vocational training is one of the biggest priorities in his government’s education reform. The expected outcome of this is that at least 12,000 teachers will be supported with professional development and well-being support.

Investing in education reform will go toward building a stronger, more resilient state, said Lisovyi. “The role of education here is crucial, so our efforts are currently focused on restoring access to education for every child. I am incredibly grateful to Education Cannot Wait and all the partners for their shared vision and support.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);  

Brazil’s Biofuel Potential Set to Expand Thanks to Sustainable Aviation Fuel

An Air Force plane brings home Brazilians who managed to escape the war in Gaza as part of a humanitarian operation. Airplanes shorten distances but pollute the atmosphere and aggravate the climate crisis by emitting two percent of greenhouse gases. Sustainable biofuels can mitigate that damage. CREDIT: FAB - Brazil is counting on biofuel to assert itself as an energy powerhouse in the near future, as a decisive supplier of low-carbon jet fuel, a requirement of the climate crisis

An Air Force plane brings home Brazilians who managed to escape the war in Gaza as part of a humanitarian operation. Airplanes shorten distances but pollute the atmosphere and aggravate the climate crisis by emitting two percent of greenhouse gases. Sustainable biofuels can mitigate that damage. CREDIT: FAB

By Mario Osava
RIO DE JANEIRO, Mar 13 2024 – Brazil is counting on biofuels to assert itself as an energy powerhouse in the near future, as a decisive supplier of low-carbon jet fuel, a requirement of the climate crisis.

The electrification of automobiles has tended to curb the strong ethanol and biodiesel agribusiness developed in the country since the 1970s. But demand for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) now offers the possibility of significant new expansion for many decades to come.

Electrically powered airplanes are not viable with current technology, and will not be for a long time. “Batteries are very heavy and store little energy,” said Arnaldo Walter, a mechanical engineer and professor at the University of Campinas.”Brazil has favorable conditions for biofuels, such as available land, good climate and rainfall, although they are now more uncertain than before.” — Arnaldo Walter

Nor is green hydrogen, the fashionable ecological fuel, an alternative for aviation, because of the difficulty of storage and the need for temperatures of more than 250 degrees Celsius below zero to keep it in a usable liquid form. In addition, the entire design of aircraft would have to be changed, a process that could only be achieved in the long term.

Brazil has everything it needs to become a major producer of green hydrogen, which is generated by electrolysis of water, but requires abundant electricity from renewable sources. That is the case in this country, especially in the Northeast region, which has huge potential in wind and solar energy, in addition to ports closer to Europe than those of other competitors.

The solution is biomass-derived fuel, which does not require altering the format of aircraft or their turbines, by naturally replacing aviation kerosene, the use of which generates two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate requirements

“Not just any biofuel will do, it has to meet the requirements for environmental, social and economic sustainability certification,” Walter told IPS by telephone from the southern city of Campinas, with a population of 1.1 million people located 90 kilometers from São Paulo.

Deforestation, for example, is one of Brazil’s Achilles’ heels, given the reports of forests being cleared to grow soybeans, whose oil will probably be one of the main raw materials for SAF. It is not enough to decarbonize the fuel, but also the whole process of its production.

The goal is to meet the target set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“SAF is the only economically viable and available alternative, despite its sustainability challenges,” argued Amanda Ohara, a chemical engineer and fuel specialist with the non-governmental Climate and Society Institute, in an interview with IPS in Rio de Janeiro.

Soybean monoculture represents half of agricultural production and is the main Brazilian export. It occupies extensive areas of the Cerrado, the Brazilian savannah, and part of the Amazon rainforest, after extensive deforestation. It can now provide the oil for the production of sustainable aviation fuel, known as SAF. CREDIT: Mario Osava / IPS

Soybean monoculture represents half of agricultural production and is the main Brazilian export. It occupies extensive areas of the Cerrado, the Brazilian savannah, and part of the Amazon rainforest, after extensive deforestation. It can now provide the oil for the production of sustainable aviation fuel, known as SAF. CREDIT: Mario Osava / IPS

 

Soybeans and sugarcane, abundant but disputed

Brazil is the world’s largest soybean producer, with an output of 154 million tons in 2023, about half of which was exported to China. Its oil is the main raw material for biodiesel, which is blended with fossil diesel in this country at a current proportion of 14 percent. Congress is discussing the possibility of raising it to 25 percent in the future.

In addition to its thriving agriculture, based largely on oilseeds and sugarcane, which can supply SAF plants, the country has ample potential for expansion.

“Brazil has favorable conditions for biofuels, such as available land, good climate and rainfall, although they are now more uncertain than before,” said Walter. Tens of millions of hectares of land degraded by extensive cattle ranching in the past can be used to recover production.

In Latin America’s largest country, with 850 million hectares of territory, only 61 million hectares were dedicated to agriculture and 164 million to cattle pastures in 2022, according to MapBiomas, a monitoring platform of a network of organizations focused on climate change.

The government set a goal of recovering 40 million hectares of degraded land in 10 years, almost the same as the area planted with soybeans today: 44.6 million hectares.

Soy already has a well-established market and consumers. Dedicating part of its oil to SAF competes with these uses and will require a large expansion of its cultivation, that is to say, new lands and the risk of deforestation, which together with changes in land use constitute the great source of greenhouse gases in the country.

They represent economic and environmental costs that drive the search for alternatives.

The macauba, a tropical palm tree whose scientific name is Acrocomia aculeata, is attractive because of its high oil productivity and its presence in almost all of Brazil, as well as in other Latin American countries under various names, such as coyol, corojo, grugru or macaw palm.

It has not yet been commercially produced, nor has it been domesticated, making it a long-term, risky bet.

But Acelen, a company controlled by the Mubadala Investment Company of the United Arab Emirates, is promoting a project to grow macauba palm trees on 200,000 hectares of land in northeastern Brazil to produce SAF as of 2026.

To this end, it has an oil refinery in Mataripe, 70 kilometers from Salvador, capital of the northeastern state of Bahia, acquired in 2019 from the state-owned oil company Petrobras.

Ethanol is another alternative raw material, which, like soybean oil, has the advantage of large-scale production, but competes with other uses. In Brazil, sugarcane is the main source of ethanol, whose consumption as a fuel is almost as high as that of gasoline.

In its anhydrous form, it currently accounts for 27 percent of gasoline sold, a mix that is expected to rise to 30 percent or even 35 percent. But ethanol is also used alone, in its hydrated form. In Brazil today, almost all cars have flexible engines, powered by gasoline or ethanol, or by a mixture of any proportion.

A photo of the monotonous landscape of sugarcane in one of the plantations in the interior of the state of São Paulo, which provides almost half of the sugar and ethanol produced in Brazil. The 31 billion liters of ethanol in 2023 could be tripled in 20 years by increasing productivity and monoculture, to provide surpluses for the production of SAF. CREDIT: Mario Osava / IPS

A photo of the monotonous landscape of sugarcane in one of the plantations in the interior of the state of São Paulo, which provides almost half of the sugar and ethanol produced in Brazil. The 31 billion liters of ethanol in 2023 could be tripled in 20 years by increasing productivity and monoculture, to provide surpluses for the production of SAF. CREDIT: Mario Osava / IPS

Cane and corn ethanol

Ethanol lags behind vegetable oils in the production of SAF, but will benefit from a production boom expected in the coming years. It will be able to triple its annual production, which totaled 31 billion liters in 2023, without the need to greatly expand the cultivated area, according to industry leaders.

Brazil is already the country that grows the most sugarcane in the world, which allows it to lead the sugar market and occupy second place in ethanol, surpassed only by the United States, where corn is the main source.

Raízen, a joint venture between the British oil transnational Shell and Brazil’s Cosan, is studying the new biofuel, also in partnership with universities, while expanding its ethanol production, of which it is the national leader.

It is a pioneer in second-generation ethanol, extracted from sugarcane bagasse and other cellulose-based waste. This ensures up to 50 percent more ethanol, without the need for more crops. The company has already started up eight plants of this type and expects to have 20 in operation by 2030, despite the fact that they are more expensive than conventional plants.

Sugarcane productivity should also increase in the coming years, according to agronomic researchers, who expect to see production rise twofold mainly due to the planting of new varieties with genetic improvements.

In addition, second-crop corn, generally planted after soybeans in the same area, has allowed an increasing production of ethanol, especially in the midwest region of Brazil. It already represents 17 percent of the national total.

There are other alternatives, such as fossil derivatives but with reduced greenhouse gas emissions, wood from trees that grow faster in tropical countries such as Brazil, animal oils, and even cooking oil.

Each one requires different technologies, with their own costs, maturation times and environmental effects, said Walter. Logistical conditions, dispersion or facilities for collecting raw materials can also determine the most promising alternatives.

“There is no single solution, no silver bullet. We will have to combine various alternatives, depending on the intended or possible scale,” Ohara said. The choice is no longer purely economic, but also responds to the climate emergency, because “gas emissions must be reduced as a matter of urgency,” she added.

The expansion of monocultures will be inevitable in a country like Brazil, which aims to ensure a sustainable supply, but the damage can be mitigated with agroforestry systems, combining oilseeds with other crops, which diversify the vegetation and conserve the soil, proposed the chemist and environmentalist who worked for six years with biofuels in the state-owned Petrobras consortium.

US Senators Say Biden Must End Arms Sales if Israel Keeps Blocking Aid

Humanitarians warn that hunger has reached catastrophic levels in northern Gaza. Credit: UNRWA

By Jake Johnson
WASHINGTON DC, Mar 13 2024 – A group of senators said Tuesday that under U.S. law, the Biden administratio must cut off American military assistance to Israel unless the Netanyahu government immediately stops impeding aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip, where children are dying of starvation after months of incessant Israeli bombing and attacks on humanitarian convoys.

“The severe humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza is nearly unprecedented in modern history,” the eight senators—led by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)—wrote in a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden.

“Your administration has repeatedly stated, and the United Nations and numerous aid organizations have confirmed, that Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian access, both at the border and within Gaza, are one of the primary causes of this humanitarian catastrophe.”

The senators argued that the Israeli government’s systematic obstruction of aid deliveries violates U.S. law, pointing specifically to Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. The law states that “no assistance shall be furnished… to any country when it is made known to the president that the government of such country prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”

Biden administration officials have admitted that Israel is impeding aid deliveries to desperate Gazans. But when asked last week whether Israel’s actions amount to a “breach” of the Foreign Assistance Act, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said he would “have to go back and look at the language of that text.”

“It’s not something that I’ve spent a lot of time looking at,” he added.

The senators wrote to Biden on Tuesday that “according to public reporting and your own statements, the Netanyahu government is in violation of this law.”

“Given this reality, we urge you to make it clear to the Netanyahu government that failure to immediately and dramatically expand humanitarian access and facilitate safe aid deliveries throughout Gaza will lead to serious consequences, as specified under existing U.S. law,” the letter reads. “The United States should not provide military assistance to any country that interferes with U.S. humanitarian assistance.”

“Federal law is clear,” the senators added, “and, given the urgency of the crisis in Gaza, and the repeated refusal of Prime Minister Netanyahu to address U.S. concerns on this issue, immediate action is necessary to secure a change in policy by his government.”

The senators’ letter was made public hours after the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said Israel turned away a truck “loaded” with humanitarian aid because there were scissors in children’s medical aid kits—just one of many examples of Israel blocking the delivery of badly needed assistance.

Israel has limited the flow of aid to Gaza for years, but its siege has become much more restrictive since October 7, when Israel began its latest assault on the Palestinian territory following a deadly Hamas-led attack.

The U.S., by far Israel’s biggest arms supplier, has yet to impose any substantive consequences on the Netanyahu government for its mass killing of civilians or obstruction of humanitarian aid. The Biden administration has quietly approved more than 100 separate weapons sales to Israel since October.

Instead of using its leverage to force Israel’s hand, the administration has resorted to airdropping aid into Gaza and planning the construction of a temporary port off the enclave’s coast—steps that aid groups say won’t be anywhere near enough to avert famine.

Citing four unnamed U.S. officials, Politico reported Monday that Biden “will consider conditioning military aid to Israel” if it launches a ground invasion of Rafah, a small city near the Egyptian border where more than half of Gaza’s population is sheltering.

Brian Finucane, senior adviser for the U.S. program at the International Crisis Group, wrote in response to Politico‘s reporting that “U.S. law and policy already impose conditions on military aid to Israel as well as every other country.”

“The Biden admin has just refused to enforce those conditions so far,” he added.

Source: Common Dreams

Jake Johnson is a senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams.

IPS UN Bureau

 


!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);