Zoom Partners with Anthropic to Expand Federated Approach to AI

Zoom announces investment in Anthropic to support research roadmaps and build steerable AI systems; Anthropic’s AI model will help strengthen Zoom’s federated approach across its platform, including Zoom Contact Center integrations

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom announced a strategic partnership with and investment in Anthropic, an AI safety and research company working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. The collaboration with Anthropic will further bolster Zoom’s federated approach to AI by allowing Anthropic’s AI assistant, Claude, to be integrated with Zoom’s platform (which includes Team Chat, Meetings, Phone, Whiteboard, Zoom IQ), starting with Zoom Contact Center.

“Anthropic’s Constitutional AI model is primed to provide safe and responsible integrations for our next-generation innovations, beginning with the Zoom Contact Center portfolio. With Claude guiding agents toward trustworthy resolutions and powering self-service for end-users, companies will be able to take customer relationships to another level,” said Smita Hashim, chief product officer for Zoom. “Partnering with Anthropic also furthers our commitment to providing customers with our federated approach to AI, optimized to deliver outstanding customer experience outcomes. Additionally, with our investment, we are advancing leading-edge companies like Anthropic and helping to drive innovation in the Zoom ecosystem and beyond.”

“Partnering with a leading collaboration platform like Zoom allows us to put robust, steerable AI into the hands of more people and unlock its potential to help streamline everyday processes,” said Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder of Anthropic. “We look forward to working together to showcase Anthropic’s capabilities and our joint commitment to enhancing productivity through intelligent solutions.”

Zoom’s federated approach to AI leverages its own proprietary AI models, along with those from leading AI companies — such as Anthropic — and select customers’ models. With this flexibility to incorporate multiple types of models, Zoom can provide the most value for its customers’ diverse needs. Zoom will be able to customize these models to perform better for a customer, based on their specific business needs.

As the next step in evolving the Zoom Contact Center portfolio, (Zoom Virtual Agent, Zoom Contact Center, Zoom Workforce Management), Zoom plans to incorporate Anthropic AI throughout its suite, improving end-user outcomes and enabling superior agent experiences. The Zoom Contact Center suite of solutions elevates the quality of customer experiences through better self-service and the ability to accurately understand customer intent. It intelligently guides customers to the best resolution, surfaces actionable insights that managers can use to coach their agents, and improves productivity by providing a unified communications and contact center experience. In the near future, Zoom will also use AI to provide the right resources to agents, so customers receive exceptional service experiences regardless of their reason for calling.

Announced today, Zoom Ventures has made an investment in Anthropic, strengthening the relationship between both companies. Anthropic’s research and development aims to create steerable, trustworthy, and responsible large-scale AI systems. Zoom did not disclose the amount of the investment.

About Zoom
Zoom is an all-in-one intelligent collaboration platform that makes connecting easier, more immersive, and more dynamic for businesses and individuals. Zoom technology puts people at the center, enabling meaningful connections, facilitating modern collaboration, and driving human innovation through solutions like team chat, phone, meetings, omnichannel cloud contact center, smart recordings, whiteboard, and more, in one offering. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more info at zoom.com.

Zoom Public Relations
Lacretia Taylor
press@zoom.us

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8840480

Impulse Dynamics Announces 9,000th Patient Milestone Achieved With CCM® Therapy for Heart Failure

Momentum Continues as Depth of Clinical Experience Expands Worldwide

MARLTON, N.J., May 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Impulse Dynamics plc, a global medical device company dedicated to improving the lives of people with heart failure (HF), announced today a worldwide milestone achievement with the 9,000th patient receiving the Optimizer® system for the treatment of moderate HF. The Optimizer system is the only device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States to deliver CCM therapy. Dr. Steven Gubin, a cardiologist and the President of Stern Cardiovascular, is part of the care team that completed the procedure at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, offering CCM therapy to a patient living with the debilitating effects of HF. This milestone highlights the momentum building globally for CCM therapy, using the Optimizer platform to improve quality of life in HF patients.

“I am excited to have a new therapy option for heart failure patients,” said Dr. Gubin, who has been practicing for 30 years. “One of my heart failure patients, Aubretta Bean, who is a cancer survivor, continued to have symptoms despite her compliance with guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure. She let me know that she felt better almost immediately after receiving the implant and continues to improve daily. It has been extremely rewarding to see such improvement in her quality of life. Her lab work four weeks later showed her BNP (a common test to diagnose heart failure) decreased by 81%, which is consistent with improvement in her heart failure symptoms.”

“Before my CCM implant, I could not walk from one room to the other without gasping for air. It was like being underwater and trying to breathe through a straw,” said Aubretta Bean. “Heart failure changed my life so quickly. You might think housework is a chore, but when you can’t make your bed or do the dishes, you realize how quickly you would love to do that again. Now after my Optimizer implant, I can do all these things! I look forward to planning my days again and not just trying to get through them. I have eight grandkids and two great-grandkids that I can travel to see!”

Drs. Eric Johnson, David Lan, and Chris Ingelmo are all electrophysiologists at Stern Cardiovascular that have treated ten patients at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis with CCM therapy since March 2023. Dr. Chris Ingelmo completed the milestone procedure for the 9,000th patient treated with CCM therapy. The results have been encouraging, with significant improvement in patient symptoms.

“We are inspired by such stories highlighting the potential for clinicians to use CCM therapy to make a positive impact on HF patients’ lives,” said Simos Kedikoglou, MD, CEO of Impulse Dynamics. “The growing cadence of implants and the emergence of such inspiring stories reinforces our commitment to delivering meaningful advances in CCM technology and clinical data.”

CCM therapy is now available in 44 countries, and the technology has continued to advance based on the needs of patients and physicians. The latest generation of Impulse Dynamic’s proprietary Optimizer platform is the Optimizer Smart Mini, which offers a rechargeable battery with 20-year battery life and a smaller size designed to make the implant procedure faster and easier for patients and physicians.

About the Optimizer® and CCM® Therapy

The Optimizer Smart system delivers CCM therapy — the company’s proprietary technology — to the heart. CCM therapy has been designed by Impulse Dynamics to significantly improve the heart’s contraction, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to be pushed out through the body. CCM therapy is indicated to improve the 6-minute hall walk, quality of life, and functional status of NYHA Class III heart failure patients who remain symptomatic despite guideline-directed medical therapy, are not indicated for CRT, and have a left ventricular ejection fraction ranging from 25 to 45 percent.

CCM is the brand name for cardiac contractility modulation — the non-excitatory electrical pulses delivered by the implantable Optimizer device to improve heart contraction. CCM therapy sends unique electrical pulses to the heart cells during the absolute refractory period. In doing so, CCM helps the heart contract more forcibly. Impulse Dynamics has completed numerous clinical studies, including several randomized controlled trials, and CCM therapy has been published in more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles.

About Impulse Dynamics

Impulse Dynamics is dedicated to advancing the treatment of heart failure for patients and the healthcare providers who care for them. The company pioneered its proprietary CCM therapy, which uses the Optimizer platform to improve quality of life in heart failure patients. CCM therapy is delivered through the Optimizer system, which includes an IPG implanted in a minimally invasive procedure and approved for commercial use in the United States and 44 countries worldwide. CCM therapy has proven safe and effective for heart failure patients with debilitating symptoms who otherwise have few effective options available to them. To learn more, visit www.ImpulseDynamics.com or follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘plan,’’ ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘target,’’ ‘‘project,’’ ‘‘contemplate,’’ ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘estimate,’’ ‘‘predict,’’ ‘‘potential’’ or ‘‘continue’’ or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning potential benefits of CCM therapy, the continued momentum for the adoption of CCM therapy and use of the Optimizer Smart system globally; the ability for CCM therapy and our products and technology to fill a significant unmet medical need for patients with heart failure; and the short-term and long-term benefits of the Optimizer system and CCM therapy in patients with heart failure, as well as to the physicians treating those patients. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Other important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contemplated in this press release include, without limitation: the company’s future research and development costs, capital requirements and the company’s needs for additional financing; company’s ability to expand and grow its business into new geographic markets; commercial success and market acceptance of CCM therapy; the company’s ability to achieve and maintain adequate levels of coverage or reimbursement for its Optimizer systems or any future products the company may seek to commercialize; competitive companies and technologies in the industry; the company’s ability to expand its indications and develop and commercialize additional products and enhancements to its current products; the company’s business model and strategic plans for its products, technologies and business, including its implementation thereof; the company’s ability to expand, manage and maintain its direct sales and marketing organization; the company’s ability to commercialize or obtain regulatory approvals for CCM therapy and its products, or the effect of delays in commercializing or obtaining regulatory approvals; FDA or other U.S. or foreign regulatory actions affecting us or the healthcare industry generally, including healthcare reform measures in the United States and international markets; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals; and the company’s ability to establish and maintain intellectual property protection for CCM therapy and products or avoid claims of infringement. The company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements and expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Rohan More, Global Vice President of Marketing
Impulse Dynamics
856-642-9933
rmore@impulsedynamics.com

Harriss Currie, Chief Financial Officer
Impulse Dynamics
856-642-9933
hcurrie@impulsedynamics.com

Ian Segal, Public Relations Manager
Impulse Dynamics
856-642-9933
isegal@impulsedynamics.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8839792

CEPEX oversees Tunisian participation in ‘Korea Import Fair’ June 29- July 1 in Seoul

The Tunisia Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX) is organising the participation of Tunisian companies in the Korea Import Fair (KIF), scheduled for June 29 to July 1, 2023, at the Convention and Exhibition Centre (COEX), in Seoul.

The aim is to promote and seek new export opportunities for Tunisian products in the agri-food sector.

Tunisian companies wishing to take part in this event are called upon to confirm their participation via the e-cepex platform: https://www.e-cepex.tn/c/foires-et-salons/details/165 no later than May 22, 2023, CEPEX said in a statement Tuesday.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunisia takes part in Middle East Rail Conference and Roads and Traffic Expo in Abu Dhabi [Upd 1]

Tunisia is taking part in the 17th edition of the Middle East Rail Conference and the Roads and Traffic Expo, held on May 15-16, 2023, in Abu Dhabi.

A Tunisian delegation led by Minister of Transport Rabii Majidi participates in this event, which is expected to host nearly 6,000 participants and 300 exhibitors.

The opening of this event was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Regional officials, transport ministers, executive chairmen of international rail transport companies, as well as industrialists in the field of rail transport also took part in this event.

During the conference, the Minister of Transport met with Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who welcomed Tunisia’s participation in this important international event.

In the margins of the conference, Majidi met with UAE’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei, Qatar’s Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, and member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa.

During these meetings, Mr. Majidi reviewed the means and mechanisms to boost cooperation in the field of transport and logistics, in particular rail transport.

He emphasised the importance of the rail transport sector in the development programme in Tunisia, since it represents a lever of global development in the future, in its various social dimensions.

Accompanied by the CEO of the Tunisian National Railway Company and the Director General of the Tunis Rapid Railway Network Company, the Minister took note of the developments recorded in the railway transport sector.

The conference programme features the presentation of the latest world developments in the field of digital railway networks, the use of clean energy and green hydrogen, the strategic planning of rail transport of passengers and goods, and their connection to the ports, as well as the techniques of its realisation and financing.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunisia plans to invest 36 billion dinars in rail transport by 2040

Tunisia plans to invest 36 billion dinars in the rail sector by 2040 and launch a study on the African railway line with high profitability, said Minister of Transport, Rabi Mejidi.

He added that the country encourages investment in intelligent transport, the use of new technologies and partnerships.

In a speech to a number of officials attending the 17th edition of the Middle East Rail Conference and Roads and Traffic Expo in Abu Dhabi, the Minister mentioned the package of reform projects and real, renewable and sustainable investments that will be implemented by 2040 in line with a strategic vision for the transport and logistics sector. This set includes 47 infrastructure projects with a total investment estimated at 68 billion dinars.

He stressed that rail transport in Tunisia is an absolute priority in the National Transport Master Plan, proposing an ambitious investment plan of 36 billion dinars, with the planned implementation of a large part of this project within the framework of public-private partnership (PPP).

Mejidi said Tunisia is planning to restructure the companies operating in the rail sector, develop human resources and legislative texts, as well as urban rail transport in cities and districts by completing the project of the rapid rail network (RFR) in Greater Tunis.

The RFR includes 5 lines with a total length of 86 km and serves more than 600,000 inhabitants per day with 28 express trains, while the Sfax metro project includes 5 lines with a total length of 70 km and serves 600,000 inhabitants per day.

The government is working on the extension of the light metro network of Greater Tunis and the connection of the Tunis Lake region to this network, which extends over 15 km for the benefit of 300 or 350 thousand inhabitants.

The Ministry of Transport will work between 2024 and 2026 on the renovation and modernisation of 50 to 80 light rail vehicles at an estimated cost of between 150 and 350 million dinars, in addition to the purchase of 54 new vehicles at a cost of 540 million dinars.

Tunisia is committed to increasing the quantities of phosphates transported by the rail network to 9 million tonnes per year by allocating financial resources to the rehabilitation of wagons and the acquisition of 600 new wagons at a cost of around 300 million dinars, besides implementing plans for the interconnection of logistical zones.

Tunisia, as chair of the African Union of Railways, has taken steps to revitalise the Union in its interregional context by launching a study on the implementation of a highly profitable railway line.

This line will link the north and south of Tunisia with Algeria and Libya, and extend to West Africa via the Sahara road linking Algiers and Lagos.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Ministry of Economy, joint chambers form joint team to examine investment obstacles

The Ministry of Economy and Planning and the joint chambers of commerce and industry agreed to form a joint working team to examine the obstacles to investment.

This decision was taken at a meeting held on Tuesday between the Minister of Economy and Planning, Samir Saïed and presidents and representatives of the joint chambers, in the presence of representatives of several ministerial departments, support structures and the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT).

The meeting focused in particular on the difficulties facing investors, the Ministry of the Economy said in a statement.

These include multiple legislation and administrative procedures such as building permits, the length of time it takes to change the character of the land, customs services, tax procedures, international transport services, the digitisation of administrative and financial transactions and the freedom of investment.

Saïed stressed that improving the investment and business climate is one of the government’s main priorities, adding that the new law is in the process of being completed.

The objective, he explained, is to promote investment, boost the knowledge economy and innovation, in addition to improving and developing the foreign exchange code.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Vice President highlights teaching ancestral values to new generation

Angola’s Vice President Esperança da Costa on Tuesday in Mbanza Kongo (Zaire) highlighted the role of the traditional authorities in the transmission of ancestral cultural values to the new generation.

Addressing the traditional authorities of Lumbu (Royal Court of Kongo), the Vice-President of the Republic highlighted the concept of traditional or customary court that, in the region, helps harmonise community life.

“It is an honour to be here in Lumbu, considered the main centre of the customary court, in which eminent traditional figures develop their role in supporting our communities in what is right for the family and the well-being of the whole society,” she said.

She also highlighted the continued maintenance of relations between the local traditional authorities and those of the three neighbouring countries that made up the former Kingdom of Kongo, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo and Gabon.

Esperança da Costa said that her visit to Mbanza Kongo essentially aims to see the reality of this historic centre, which joined the World Cultural Heritage list on 8 July 2017, with a view to identifying, correcting and finding solutions to the various difficulties that still exist.

She also reiterated the commitment of the Executive in correcting some of the problems the World Heritage Site still face.

The visiting agenda of the Vice-President includes chairing the 1st Ordinary Session of the National Multi-sector Commission for the Safeguarding of World Cultural Heritage of this year this Tuesday.

Esperança da Costa visited the Museum of the Kings of Kongo, where she received detailed explanation about the historical and cultural significance of the collection displayed there, as well as about its operation.

On Wednesday, the second and last day of her visit to Zaire, the Vice-President will visit the commune of Nkinde, 32 kilometres from the city of Mbanza Kongo, to see the progress of the works at the new local airport.

The delegation includes the ministers of Territorial Administration, Culture, Education, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Public Works, Urbanism and Housing, as well as the secretaries of state of some ministerial departments and officials of her Office.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Arnold Classic: Angolan athlete defends African title

The Angolan bodybuilding athlete, Mário Faria, will revalidate the title of the international tournament “Arnold Classic” in the category of Body Building Open, in the amateur branch, which starts Thursday, in South Africa.

The information was confirmed to ANGOP Tuesday in Luanda by the president of the Angolan Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (FAFITNESS), Bráulio Martins, adding that the National Team is made up of male and female athletes.

According to the official, in addition to Mário Faria (BodyBuilding), in the amateur field, eight more athletes will compete, including two women, in the Bikini Fitness Open and Wellness Fitness Open categories.

According to the source, in the professional aspect of the “Arnold Classic” tournament, Angola will be represented with three athletes, with emphasis on the vice-champion of the bodybuilding world, Aquiles Epolua, in the Bodybuilding category up to 95 kg and – Elite pro.

Bráulio Martins clarified that it would be Aquiles Epolua to defend the title, but he was prevented because he became runner-up in the world in the Bodybuilding Elite Pro category up to 95 kg, in September 2022, in Seville (Spain) and moved to the professional category.

Thus, Mário Faria, as amateur national champion, now has the mission of defending Angola’s first place, which Aquiles Epolua won in the tournament in honor of Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and sport icon.

The president pointed out that some athletes and members of the Federation will be received the day before the departure to South Africa (Wednesday) by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Palmira Barbosa, for farewell greetings.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Minister backs collaboration with partners for greater inclusion

Angolan minister of Social Action Family and Promotion of Women (MASFAMU), Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto, Tuesday in Lubango, southern Huila Province, called for a better alignment and permanent collaboration among various sectors and partners to ensure more inclusion and social protection of vulnerable people.

The minister was addressing an opening ceremony of the 5th Ordinary Consultative Council of MASFAMU held in Lubango for two days.

Delivering her speech delivered in the two-day event, under the slogan “Social Action, a Commitment from All”, the minister mentioned the children, youths, women, the people with disabilities, the elderly and minority communities as being part of the target group.

Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto said that the policies, programmes and actions of social inclusion currently conceived give guarantees that they are on the right track, calling for more work on the basis of a robust alignment with the sectors and partners.

She said that the council is the “opportune moment” to discuss and study the bottlenecks observed during the implementation and execution of the various programmes and actions aimed at reducing the levels of poverty, discrimination, social exclusion and protection of the most vulnerable populations.

Ana Paula do Sacramento Neto reinforced that it is up to the sector to conceive, propose, promote and execute the social policy regarding people and population in vulnerable situation, as well as to promote the development of the communities, including the actions to fight poverty and to defend the family welfare.

“Although our tasks are distributed among the different areas, we are called upon to work in an articulated manner, based on the spirit of mutual help and institutional solidarity, because only in this way will it be possible to achieve the recommended objectives”, she added.

In turn, the governor of Huíla, Nuno Mahapi, noted that the focus is on the expansion of knowledge about vulnerability, with a view to improving the Social Protection System, with primacy for the municipal level.

He stressed that in order to achieve this, social protection is fundamental to mitigate people’s vulnerability, which is why the province has conducted ongoing studies with various social actors on vulnerability.

The 5th Ordinary Consultative Council brings to analysis and discussion the approach on the organisation and functioning of the Ministry, its programmes and projects.

It also addresses topics such as the strengthening of monitoring methodologies and data processing, adjustment of the strategy to achieve the established goals and identification of the challenges of the sector, as well as the proposal of the sector’s Legislative package.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

US, Angola launch “Ecosystems, Community and Climate project

Angola and the United States on Wednesday will launch the “Ecosystems, Communities and Climate” project.

The move is meant to supporting the communities in the upper Cubango-Okavango region to sustainably improve livelihoods and natural resources for their wellbeing

Estimated at US$17 million, the project is financed by US with US$7.5 million, while the partners are taking on US$10 million

A press note reached ANGOP Tuesday states that the project is also focused on increasing the capacity of those living in those regions to face climate change in a sustainable way.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)