SMALL BUSINESS ADVICE
GlobeNewswire | January 30, 2024
In today's digital landscape, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face substantial cyber risks. It has become imperative to protect businesses from cyber threats. The challenge of obtaining suitable and affordable coverage is eased with SMEs' access to cyber solutions from WTW, a leading global advisory, broking, and solutions company.
WTW's newest cyber solution is crafted to meet the unique needs of SMEs spanning industries in North America. Tailored for businesses with annual revenues under $50 million, including start-ups and pre-revenue accounts, this solution addresses historical challenges faced by SMEs in traditional underwriting processes that often favor larger enterprises. This has often left SMEs vulnerable due to limited access to affordable and robust coverage.
In response to those concerns, WTW has strategically partnered with leading cyber insurance carriers dedicated to serving the unique needs of SMEs. The tailored solution provides quick and easy access to competitive insurance quotes through self-service quoting platforms. WTW has also allocated dedicated underwriting staff to focus on the specific needs of SMEs and offers policyholder resources, including tools and support to implement and maintain robust cybersecurity measures.
"This moment signifies a transformative effort, dedicated to addressing the distinctive challenges SMEs face in the realm of cybersecurity. Through strategic partnerships with top-tier cyber insurance carriers and the delivery of resources, we assure SMEs access to affordable and comprehensive coverage. This initiative not only resolves concerns previously facing SMEs but also positions cybersecurity as an integral and manageable component of their business strategy and enterprise risk management," shared Jessica Klipphahn, NA Head of MM Cyber/E&O at WTW.
About WTW
At WTW, we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.
Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we uncover opportunities for sustainable success—and provide perspective that moves you.
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TECHNOLOGY
PR Newswire | January 10, 2024
Alibaba.com, a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce and part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group (AIDC), will launch its latest Smart Assistant features powered by artificial intelligence (AI) at CES in Las Vegas, NV from January 9-12, 2024. The Smart Assistant, an AI-powered global sourcing tool, caters to both newcomers and seasoned entrepreneurs in the dynamic world of global commerce.
As a one-stop B2B sourcing platform, Alibaba.com remains committed to delivering innovative solutions to help buyers and suppliers streamline operations to more efficiently reach their goals and continue to grow. The Smart Assistant updates unveiled at CES will help business owners adeptly enhance their supply chain and solve complex sourcing needs and challenges as they seek to stand out in today's competitive marketplace.
"Today's small businesses face a variety of headwinds, but with the right technology and support, they can feel confident that they will overcome obstacles and help their business thrive, which is why we're expanding the features of our new Smart Assistant tool to better serve today's entrepreneurs," said Chris Lu, General Manager at Alibaba.com North America. "With advances in AI, we are ushering in the next generation of sourcing and empowering small businesses to succeed with our Smart Assistant at their side."
The Smart Assistant: Shaping the Future of Sourcing
Alibaba.com developed the Smart Assistant as an AI-powered, intuitive personal guide to sourcing that helps small business owners discover new opportunities, stay up-to-date on trends, seamlessly track orders and more in a single, efficient touchpoint.
First announced at CES and coming soon to the Alibaba.com Smart Assistant is the Instant Help feature, which leverages an AI-powered chatbot to answer basic inquiries and offer real-time insights and resources, regardless of time zones or language barriers. The Instant Help feature provides buyers with essential knowledge and industry insights about a variety of verticals and product types, as well as offer tips to elevate their communications with suppliers. It will help ensure small businesses can increase efficiency, purchase smart and keep up with trends by leveraging AI to increase competitive advantages.
Since their launch in September 2023, the first two features of the Smart Assistant – Upgraded Image Search and Smart Request for Quotation (RFQ) – have already provided significant benefit to entrepreneurs using the Alibaba.com desktop platform. Based on Alibaba.com's internal study since September 2023, buyers using the Upgraded Image Search have seen a 28% higher deal closing rate than those only using traditional text search. Buyers who used the Smart RFQ tool saw 29% more quotes from suppliers, while suppliers saw a 21% increase in buyer responses to quotes as compared to the original RFQ process.
"Developed from buyer-supplier feedback and embedded with profound industry knowledge, we are excited to demonstrate how the Smart Assistant rapidly and accurately produces product requests and images aligning with buyer needs," Lu said. "Smart Assistant helps buyers embrace their creativity, improve the efficiency of matching buyers and sellers, while making sourcing more accessible for all."
Alibaba.com will provide a showcase of Smart Assistant features at their booth on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 11:00 AM PT, hosted by smart sourcing expert Stella Shenshen. The Alibaba.com booth is located at the Las Vegas Convention Center's Tech East in the AI and Robotics section in North Hall's Grand Lobby on level 1, Booth 9017.
Visitors to the booth will also have the opportunity to network and connect with 20 top-rated suppliers in-person, personally experiencing the ways Alibaba.com offers buyers advanced sourcing solutions and AI-powered tools to take their business to the next level.
Tech and AI Power the Future of Businesses, E-commerce and Sourcing
In addition to announcing new Smart Assistant features at CES, Alibaba.com leadership will discuss the evolution of e-commerce and sourcing, as well as how sourcing has been influenced and improved by AI and other technological innovations.
Going "Entreprenuts" to Support Small Business Innovation
To complement its presence at CES, Alibaba.com is also debuting a new campaign celebrating entrepreneurial spirit and innovation. The Entreprenuts campaign highlights how entrepreneurs are willing to bet big, as well as maintain persistence and boundless creativity, against daunting odds. In other words, they can go a little "entreprenuts" to achieve their dreams and create new products – just like the products showcased each year at CES.
Throughout the Entreprenuts campaign, which will run from January 8 through February 8, 2024, Alibaba.com will encourage buyers to share stories of their craziest entrepreneurial moments, utilizing the most "nuts'' stories in a video highlight to showcase what it means to be an Entreprenut. Buyers can also earn their Entreprenut badge and profile by answering a questionnaire that will determine their unique Entreprenut characteristic. At the end of each quiz, buyers will be provided with exclusive tools and services to help them achieve their goals as they kickstart 2024.
"This campaign demonstrates Alibaba.com's continued support of small and medium-sized businesses in the United States and helping them realize their entrepreneurial dreams and push beyond what others might believe possible," said Rah Mahtani, Head of Marketing for North America at Alibaba.com. "As buyers share their experiences, Alibaba.com will offer innovative new resources and products to help these 'Entreprenuts' succeed on their journey."
The campaign debuts at a key crossroads for small business owners. The US has seen a surge in the number of newly registered businesses, which hit record highs in both 2021 (5.4 million) and 2022 (5.1 million). Sadly, 20% of these new businesses face failure within the first two years, and a staggering 45% of startups do not surpass the five-year mark due to challenges such as market volatility, supply chain disruption, shifting consumer demands, and inventory management. This makes the tools and capabilities Alibaba.com offers, which are designed to help entrepreneurs level up their sourcing and supply chain operations in the increasingly competitive small business arena, more valuable than ever.
About Alibaba.com
Launched in 1999, Alibaba.com is a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce that serves buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world. It is engaged in services covering all aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help them reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers and place orders online fast and efficiently. Alibaba.com is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group.
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TECHNOLOGY
Business Wire | January 12, 2024
Global compliance technology solutions and services provider Sovos announced today it has acquired North Dakota-based Aatrix Software, a leader in payroll tax forms, extending our leadership in compliance with enhanced capabilities across e-Filing for 1099 and ACA 1095 reporting and W2/payroll reporting – increasing our local, state and federal coverage. This acquisition brings together two companies with significant experience and expertise in helping small and medium-sized businesses navigate the complexity of tax and regulatory compliance.
As the regulatory landscape continues to evolve and electronic filing thresholds are lowered, it’s important that SMBs have access to the technology solutions and services they need to ensure proper and timely tax filings to maintain compliance. Together, Sovos and Aatrix will better inform users about changing mandates and provide them easy access to the tools and support they need. Between our two companies, we bring to bear extensive reach in terms of existing partnerships and configurations to work with nearly any platform or systems provider.
“The continued digitization of tax compliance affects businesses of every size, and this is especially true for SMBs,” said Kevin Akeroyd, CEO, Sovos. “Small businesses really are the backbone of the U.S. and we have made a commitment at Sovos to provide them with the technology and support they need. We believe that Aatrix shares these same principles and fits perfectly into our existing portfolio, we are excited to welcome them into the fold.”
Aatrix occupies a strong segment of the market and offers customers a deep level of form functionality as well as a flexible solution that can adapt to their various software offerings. Primarily focused on serving customers through integrations with ERP and payroll providers, Aatrix has been able to leverage its critical business functionality, embedded relationships with payroll partners, and high customer satisfaction to create a highly sticky solution. Its ‘sweet spot’ is primarily mid-sized companies with geographic scale to require multiple tax forms, however the solution has broad appeal across market segments and industries.
“Aatrix has been a leader in helping small and mid-sized businesses meet their compliance obligations for nearly four decades and we are extremely proud of the work we’ve done and the partnerships we’ve created,” said Steve Lunseth, CEO, Aatrix. “I believe that the timing is right for us to bring our solutions portfolio under the Sovos umbrella to create even stronger opportunities for our customers, partners and employees. Our combined expertise and reach will assure that any business that wants to streamline their filing process will have access to the best people and solutions on the market.”
The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Sovos is owned by Hg, the London-based specialist private equity investor focused on software and service businesses, and TA Associates. Holland & Hart LLP served as legal advisor to Sovos.
About Sovos
Sovos is a global provider of tax, compliance and trust solutions and services that enable businesses to navigate an increasingly regulated world with true confidence. Purpose-built for always-on compliance capabilities, our scalable IT-driven solutions meet the demands of an evolving and complex global regulatory landscape. Sovos’ cloud-based software platform provides an unparalleled level of integration with business applications and government compliance processes.
More than 100,000 customers in 100+ countries – including half the Fortune 500 – trust Sovos for their compliance needs. Sovos annually processes more than three billion transactions across 19,000 global tax jurisdictions. Bolstered by a robust partner program more than 400 strong, Sovos brings to bear an unrivaled global network for companies across industries and geographies. Founded in 1979, Sovos has operations across the Americas and Europe, and is owned by Hg and TA Associates.
About Aatrix
Aatrix Software is a leading provider of W2, 1099 and ACA reporting solutions servicing over 300,000 businesses. Aatrix has been developing innovative accounting software solutions since 1986. Aatrix' finance software has received numerous awards, including Software Digests highest overall rating and Home Office Computing Editors Pick. Today, the Aatrix Electronic Forms Division is one of the nation's premier payroll reporting specialists.
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