FINANCE
NEXT Insurance | October 23, 2021
NEXT Insurance, the leading digital insurtech company transforming small business insurance, today announced the availability of NEXT Connect, a trusted embedded insurance solution for some of the leading small business software ecosystems in the U.S. NEXT Connect enables small businesses to purchase fast and affordable coverage in a way that is convenient for them, either completely online or with the assistance of a licensed insurance agent. In addition, it provides an unmatched opportunity for trusted small business partners. Small business ecosystems in industries including payroll, POS, accounting, e-commerce, banking and others can now easily embed NEXT's insurance offerings into their existing platforms. By leveraging multiple insurance carriers, including NEXT, partners can address the full coverage needs of virtually any type of small business anywhere in the U.S.
NEXT Connect is a result of NEXT's earlier acquisition of AP Intego in March of this year. It combines AP Intego's partner-based, multi-carrier model with NEXT's unmatched strengths in customer experience, customer care and technology. NEXT Connect strengthens NEXT as a business and furthers the company mission to better serve even more small businesses and potential partners.
"NEXT Connect creates an unmatched opportunity for our small business ecosystem partners to embed insurance offerings directly into their platforms. We are entering an age where our customers want and deserve the opportunity to purchase the best insurance policies for their business, from a trusted source, and with this new NEXT Connect offering, we're able to provide that solution."
Steve Hauck, VP, Partnerships at NEXT
NEXT Insurance transforms small business insurance by leveraging new technology, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, to deliver a simple and affordable purchasing experience. NEXT Connect continues NEXT's core mission to help small businesses thrive by simplifying access to insurance and meeting customers where they are.
About NEXT Insurance
NEXT Insurance is transforming small business insurance with simple, digital and affordable coverage tailored to the self-employed. Trusted by 300k business owners, NEXT offers policies that are easy to buy in 10 minutes or less and provides 24/7 access to Live Certificates of Insurance, Additional Insured, and more, with no extra fees. Revolutionizing a historically complicated insurance industry, NEXT utilizes AI and machine learning to simplify the purchasing process and drive down costs by up to 30% compared to traditional policies. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, has received a total of $881 million in venture capital funding, is rated "A- Excellent" by AM Best and has been recognized by Forbes Fintech 50, JMP Securities InsurTech 50 and Forbes Best StartUp Employers.
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SMALL BUSINESS TRENDS
NS1 | September 13, 2021
NS1, the leader in application traffic intelligence and automation, released Managed DNS for Small Business, a free, customized version of its modern Managed DNS solution. Built on NS1’s years of experience in delivering globally distributed DNS networks for enterprises, the new offering allows small businesses to deliver reliable digital connections for their operations and customer experiences.
Although small businesses often lack enterprise technology budgets and talents, their customers still expect flawless digital experiences. These innovators are moving our world forward and are the backbone of the economy — creating jobs and providing essential services to local communities. To achieve these goals, they need access to modern technologies that can help turbocharge their efforts and support a growing customer base. With NS1’s Managed DNS for Small Businesses, growing firms can take advantage of modern, scalable IT infrastructure to build a reliable and secure digital business.
“Small companies often have big ideas that can help build a better future and accelerate collective societal progress,” said Kris Beevers, CEO, NS1. “With this free offering, we are putting innovation in reach and making it easier for small businesses to have the impact they envision.”
NS1 Managed DNS combines a resilient network, near-instant DNS propagation, and intelligent traffic steering to give companies modern controls over user experience of internet-facing applications. NS1’s free Managed DNS for Small Business is a fully featured offering designed for small businesses, including use of our patented Filter Chain technology.
In addition to this new offering, NS1 continues to provide developers with a free Managed DNS for developers solution which gives developers access to NS1's leading-edge technology with pricing, a feature set and support tailored to their needs.
About NS1
The internet and applications powering our world depend on NS1. Billions of people connect to work, school, entertainment, and healthcare, and stay informed because of the company’s innovative technology. As an ally for innovators, NS1 helps our customers turbocharge their ideas in pursuit of building the better future through connecting applications and audiences at the distributed edge. NS1’s application traffic intelligence and automation portfolio makes applications faster, more reliable, and more secure everywhere. With technologies for cloud-native network services, edge-to-cloud networking, and application traffic optimization, NS1 helps eliminate the barriers between applications, users, infrastructure, and data. NS1 has more than 800 customers across the globe, including Dropbox, Fox, Salesforce, LinkedIn, and eBay, and is backed by investments from Energy Impact Partners, Dell Technologies Capital, Cisco Investments, and GGV Capital.
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SMALL BUSINESS ADVICE
Deluxe Corporation | June 21, 2021
Deluxe (NYSE: DLX), a Trusted Payments and Business TechnologyTM company, announced today that Salesforce, the global leader in customer relationship management, will return for season six of the critically acclaimed Deluxe reality show, Small Business Revolution.
Deluxe and Salesforce first collaborated in early 2019, when Deluxe hired Salesforce to help accelerate the company's go-to-market strategy and technology infrastructure. Salesforce will now be a part of Small Business Revolution for a second season, with some of their small business customers serving as experts to help the featured Black-owned businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul grow.
Salesforce Trailblazers, customers who are driving innovation with the Salesforce platform, will be present in each episode this season, consulting with the featured small businesses. Shonnah Hughes, who works at Momentive and co-founded her own non-profit small business called PepUp Tech, and Justice Sikakane, Sr., Director of Information Technology at Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis, will provide expertise on how to use technology to manage and improve customer relationships. Darren Hawthorne, President of Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery in the Bronx, and his Executive Chef, Ryan Cross, will serve as technology and industry experts for Sammy's Avenue Eatery.
Small Business Revolution's sixth season began filming in mid-April. In addition to the professionals from Deluxe and Salesforce, Brinkman is joined as co-host by retired NBA star, TNT commentator, and entrepreneur Baron Davis.
About Deluxe Corporation
Deluxe, a Trusted Payments, and Business TechnologyTM company assists businesses in paying, receiving payments, optimizing, and growing. Deluxe has advocated for businesses to thrive at all stages of their lifecycle, from start-up to maturity, for over 100 years. Millions of small businesses, thousands of financial institutions, and hundreds of the world's most valuable brands rely on our powerful solutions. The company operates on a large scale, with an annual payment volume of more than $2.8 trillion.
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