Wella Company Demonstrates Three Consecutive Years of Growth Momentum as It Marks Anniversary

 --Wella Professionals and O·P·I Achieve #1 Status Globally in Salon Color and Salon Nail--

--Company Releases Environmental and Social Impact Report 2022--

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wella Company, an innovative global leader in the $100 billion hair and nail segment of the beauty industry, today marked its third year as an independent company, demonstrating broad-based growth balanced across brands, categories and geographies. Wella Company achieved high single-digit growth in constant currency in Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23), which closed at the end of June, cementing its foothold as one of the fastest-growing companies in the sector. Wella Company’s portfolio of iconic professional and retail hair, nail, and beauty tech brands includes Wella Professionals, O·P·I, ghd, Briogeo, Nioxin, Sebastian Professional, and Clairol.

Since its inception in 2020, Wella Company has reported year-over-year growth in both developed and emerging markets. Continuing on the success of its leading professional hair color brand, Koleston Perfect (KP), which sold 1.5 tubes per second globally in FY23, the company has established its professional color credential as the No. 1 Salon Color Brand in the World, and continues to invest behind elevating its core through expansion into hair care, as well as across the nail and beauty tech portfolio. The company has also grown its eCommerce sales at a rate of more than 2x market growth by increasing partnerships with top eComm retailers, investing in digital-first brand building, and consistently improving user experience on its owned eComm platform WellaStore to meet the needs of salon professionals.

"Looking at 2023, we are beginning to realize the benefits of the successful brand transformations across our portfolio and breakthrough innovations. We are also seeing our business mature and expand across channels and markets. All of our brands and geographies are growing ahead of the category, which is an indicator that we have tremendous upside yet to unlock,” said Annie Young-Scrivner, Chief Executive Officer of Wella Company. She added, “In Fiscal Year 23, we grew our top line and profitability and expanded our market share, and we expect Fiscal Year 2024 will continue that growth trajectory.”

Breakthrough Innovations and Modernized Brand Experiences Capture Top Share Wins

With Wella Professionals established as the No. 1 Salon Color Brand in the Worldi, O·P·I also claims its position as the No. 1 Professional Nail Salon Brand Worldwide. In addition, Wella Company’s portfolio of brands is #1 in Professional Hair Care in Brazil, one of the company’s highest growth markets. The company’s innovations touted patented technology in several areas, while continuing to elevate the look and experience of its brand portfolio.

• Addressing consumers’ top concern about hair damage, Wella Company launched revolutionary hair product innovations combining both speed and performance results. Wella Professionals Ultimate Repair line with its Miracle Hair Rescue, is a patented, leave-on hair repair treatment with the ability to reverse hair damage both inside and out in 90 seconds. Ultimate Repair is Wella Professionals’ entry into the prestige haircare segment and has been one of the company’s most successful launches in Care to date. After just a few months in market, Ultimate Repair is quickly gaining share in both salons and in prestige retail. To complement through in-salon demand services, Shinefinity, the professional glazing product and new category entry last year, continues to drive incremental growth. The brand now has more than 40 shades in more than 30 markets around the world as a result of its wide popularity.
• Wella Professionals refreshed its packaging across its haircare line, including shampoos and conditioners, contributing to driving double-digit revenue growth globally.
• ghd, a leading global beauty tech brand and the UK’s No. 1 recommended styling brand by professionals, created a new category in wet-to-dry with the introduction of ghd Duet Style. Duet Style is the first ever, 2-in-1 wet-to-dry styler that dries and styles at the same time with no heat damage and 45% less energy consumption. Since its launch in February, ghd Duet Style is the brand’s #3 bestselling product behind Platinum+ and Gold stylers.
• Addressing the growing trend in scalp care, Wella Company introduced two top-performing entrants into the space. Nioxin Ultimate Power Serum is a highly effective leave-on scalp treatment designed to strengthen hair from the root and increase hair anchorage. Nioxin Ultimate Power Serum launched in May in one online retailer, recording double-digit growth in North America. Ultimate Power Serum is attracting new users, with 93% of buyers being first-time users of the Nioxin brand. Product ratings are driving preference, with 91% of reviewers on one site sharing they would recommend it to a friend, and more than half of reviewers on another site giving 5-star ratings.
• Briogeo, the award-winning, all natural, inclusive hair care line, entered the scalp care category in January with the launch of Destined for Density, a holistic scalp + hair care system to boost hair’s density for thicker, fuller, healthier looking hair. To date, the collection—which includes Density Serum, Shampoo, Conditioner and Supplements —has been the brand’s highest and best performing launch. The hero SKU, Density Serum, became the brand’s #1 SKU at a top prestige beauty retailer in North America during launch.
• Clairol also revamped the legendary at-home hair color brand showcased in the It’s So Me campaign, part of a multi-year effort to introduce Clairol to a new generation of DIY color users. It’s So Me highlights the full Clairol portfolio, including heritage brands like Nice ’n Easy permanent hair color, and new innovations for 2023: Natural Instincts Bold, Blonde It Up Crystal Glow Toners, and Root Touch Up Spray 2-in-1. These initiatives have helped the Retail Hair business in the US achieve record share levels of 13.5% in the past 6 months ending September 2023ii and 10+ months of consecutive share growth.iii
• O·P·I introduced several standout innovations this year that have driven O·P·I’s record market share +4 share points vs YAiv in U.S Premium Retail and +2 share points vs YA in the U.S Food, Drug, Mass channel in the Nail Color and Treatments category.v Globally, the brand is also gaining share across both Retail and Pro channels.vi O·P·I Repair Mode, a patented bond building treatment to repair nail damage from the inside in 6 days, is an important entry into the premium price segment and has overdelivered its year one sales forecast. Another key launch in the U.S. was O·P·I xPRESS/ON Press-On Nails, which successfully entered the highest growth segment in nails, artificial nails. The O·P·I x Barbie The Movie collection this spring was the largest nail partnership to date in 2023 in U.S FDM.vii And the brand’s first natural nail lacquer O·P·I Nature Strong continues to gain share in U.S Food, Drug, Mass channel, reaching 35% of the total Naturals category,viii and CY 23 sales-to-date in U.S Premium Retail are over 2X higher than the leading natural mass market nail brand.ix

Inaugural Wella Company Environmental and Social Impact Report Issues Today

Wella Company today issued its Environmental and Social Impact Report 2022, the first measured analysis of the company’s efforts to positively impact People, Planet and through its Products. Key highlights include:

• People: During 2023, Wella Company successfully deployed We Own Our Way (WOW), a broad-based employee ownership program ensuring that every Wella Company employee has a vested financial interest in the company’s future. Now, Wella Company employees across all levels have the opportunity to benefit with wealth creation when Wella Company succeeds.x Making strides in DEIB, the company has increased female representation to 59% across its global employee population, and 58% on its Board of Directors. The company also reached its commitment to 100% gender pay parity across all levels one year ahead of goal.
• Planet: Committed to reducing carbon footprint as well as water use and waste, in 2022 Wella Company decreased Scope 1-2 carbon emissions by 10% and reached Zero Waste to Landfill at 2 of its 3 factories and all 8 directly controlled distribution centers. The company also decreased water withdrawals by 5.5% and waste generated by 13.7% per unit produced in its three factories.
• Products: Gains achieved include 80% of product ingredients by volume being biodegradable and 77% of total packaging being recyclable, reusable or refillable. The company is also continuing the portfolio-wide transition to packaging made of recycled materials, including aluminum tubes, paper boxes, and caps.
• “For a company so young in our tenure, we believe we are progressing our environmental and social impact journey with the right momentum and delivering against our stated ambitions with integrity and purpose,” said Hilary Crnkovich, Wella Company’s Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer.

About Wella Company

We are Wella Company, an innovative global leader in the beauty industry that combines its iconic 140+ years history and industry expertise with its emerging status as a category-leading high-growth company. Since 2020, Wella Company has galvanized the transformation of our business and brands to become one of the fastest-growing companies in the beauty sector. Our portfolio of leading professional and retail hair, nails, and beauty tech brands include Wella Professionals, O·P·I, ghd, Briogeo, Nioxin, Sebastian Professional, and Clairol. Wella Professionals is the No. 1 Salon Color Brand in the Worldxi and OPI is the #1 Professional Nail Salon Brand Worldwide. With an ambition to become the best beauty company in the industry, we inspire consumers and beauty professionals through our brands to look, feel, and be their true selves. We approach the product creation process by rigorously combining science, technology, and artistry to develop performance-led products, often distinguished by patented technology, a mark of the legendary Wella difference.

Guided by our company values and led by purpose to deliver positive impact on people through our products and towards our planet and society, we deliver sustainable growth to all stakeholders. We proudly support the salon industry and the artists and stylists we serve across the 127 countries in which we operate. Each day, we impact a diverse community of more than 91 million beauty lovers and industry professionals, social influencers, ambassadors, followers, employees, customers, and suppliers across the globe. This is our Wella Family. Our belief to be better by doing better guides our business, and our environmental and social progress. Continuing our journey to sustainably improve our products, reduce our impact on the environment, and create a culture where all employees lead as owners invested in our shared success, we ensure Wella Company prospers for generations to come. For more information on Wella Company, visit www.wellacompany.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

ⁱ Based on Wella Master Brand USD sales on the 2022 Salon Hair Care Study for the hair coloring products category published by Kline

ⁱⁱ Source: Nielsen, last 6 months ending Sept. 2023

ⁱⁱⁱ Source: Nielsen database, YTD w/e 10/28/23

^iv Source: US NPD Jan-Sept 2023

^v Source: Nielsen Discover 52 w/e 11/04/23

^vi Source: Euromonitor and Kline 2022 CY

^vii Source: Nielsen Discover Jan-Oct 31, 2023

^viii Source: Nielsen Discover 52 w/e 11/04/23

^ix Source: US NPD Jan-Sept 2023

^x The We Own Our Way (WOW) Program is a financial benefit program which is paid following the successful transition of full ownership from Wella Company’s majority owner, KKR, Inc. All eligible employees are enrolled at hire with no personal financial contribution required.

^xi Based on Wella Master Brand USD sales on the 2022 Salon Hair Care Study for the hair coloring products category published by Kline

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Contacts
Media Contacts:
Hilary Crnkovich
646-217-1700
Hilary.crnkovich@wella.com

Alix Dunn
203-722-9591
Alix.dunn@wella.com

Healthcare Leaders Cite Automation, Worker Burnout as Top Drivers of Technology Integrations, MGMA and Laserfiche Study Finds

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Tuesday, 28. November 2023

(BUSINESS WIRE)--New research by Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and Laserfiche — the leading SaaS provider of intelligent content management and business process automation — reveals that most healthcare organizations’ top priorities when considering integrative technologies are the elimination of manual work, mitigation of clinician/worker burnout and time savings.

“The healthcare industry has been disrupted by the growth of virtual visits, expectations for more personal, faster access to patients’ clinical results and care, plus the rise of AI,” said Grace Nam, strategic solutions manager, healthcare, at Laserfiche. “These trends have created a burgeoning challenge of managing, processing and leveraging an inundation of data that require cross-functional collaboration, and often include external organizations like labs and other physicians.”

The study surveyed medical practice administrators, physicians, billing and coding leaders and health information technology (HIT) workers for their views on electronic health records (EHR) or practice management (PM) systems, business automation and more. According to the report, most healthcare organizations are not looking to make a switch to a new EHR or PM system and nearly 80% of respondents rated their current EHR system as “very good” or “good.” However, when it came time to rate EHR systems’ individual attributes, those ratings dropped. Only half of respondents rated their EHR systems “very good” or “good” at saving time; 47% said they were very good or good at saving money; and only 40% said they were very good or good at mitigating clinician/worker burnout.

“Time-strapped organizations need integrated technologies to extract value from data without adding to the long list of manual tasks for already overwhelmed employees,” Nam added. “Investments in systems that enable business process automation while facilitating information governance are critical to healthcare organizations’ ability to leverage data and retain employees while providing a modern patient experience. Supporting the back office — including medical billing and coding, and working with third-party insurance companies — to boost speed and accuracy will be critical for on-time payments that impact revenue.”

“The business of healthcare and its future are tied directly to the ability to manage and make decisions based on data to support high-quality patient care,” the report states. “As the amount of data generated in healthcare grows about 47% a year, the need to manage the growing volumes of records in a secure, compliant fashion is unmistakable.”

To download a copy of the Intelligent Automation in Healthcare report, visit https://info.laserfiche.com/resource/intelligent-automation-healthcare.

To learn more about Laserfiche solutions for the healthcare industry, visit laserfiche.com/solutions/healthcare.

About Laserfiche

Laserfiche is the leading SaaS provider of intelligent content management and business process automation. Through workflows, e-forms, document management, integrations and analytics, the Laserfiche® platform centralizes information, structures clinical data and streamlines back-office processes so that healthcare professionals can focus on providing the highest standard of patient care.

For over 30 years, Laserfiche has served organizations in the healthcare industry as a trusted system for document and records management, enabling medical professionals to quickly retrieve records when needed, with robust security and compliance tools to support HIPAA compliance and patient confidentiality. By streamlining paperwork, information and data using digital forms and automated workflows, Laserfiche allows administration, clinicians and physicians to eliminate repetitive manual tasks, gain visibility into operations, support a holistic approach to patient care and focus on improving patient outcomes. Prebuilt solutions and integrations with industry-specific and common business applications further extend organizations’ digital transformation initiatives.

Today, Laserfiche’s cloud-first approach incorporates innovations in machine learning and AI, supporting healthcare organizations in empowering staff, streamlining the patient experience, supporting HIPAA compliance and providing the best possible patient experience.

Learn more at laserfiche.com/solutions/healthcare.

 

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Contacts

Linda Domingo
Director, Public Relations, Laserfiche
Linda.domingo@laserfiche.com | 562-988-1688 x 234

Thailand's Ultimate Festive Experience: 'The Great Celebration 2024' with Pokémon Delight

 Bangkok, Thailand - Wednesday, 29. November 2023

Central Village Bangkok Luxury Outlet invites enthusiasts of joy and merriment to immerse themselves in the world-class festive phenomenon of 'The Great Celebration 2024' campaign. In collaboration with global partner 'The Pokémon Company,' Central Village proudly introduces the beloved Pokémon characters, captivating the hearts of both Thai and international fans alike.

The grand campaign launch promises an enchanting spectacle as Central Village unveils a captivating procession of the adorable 'Pikachu,' making its inaugural appearance in Thailand. Running from 1 November 2023 to 7 January 2024, 'The Great Celebration 2024' beckons one and all to revel in 'The World of Pokémon' through an array of unique decorations and engaging activities.

Highlights of the Event:

Pokémon Outbreak Takeover: Embark on the largest Pokémon Outbreak Takeover in Southeast Asia, spreading happiness across Thailand, complemented by the enchanting 'Journey of Joy Decorations.'

Pikachu Thunderbolt Christmas Trees: Witness the inaugural illumination of Pikachu Thunderbolt Christmas Trees, casting a radiant glow of happiness over Central Village for the first time in Thailand.

Collector's Delight: Enthusiasts, seize the opportunity to acquire exclusive Pokémon Happy Holidays items specially crafted for this campaign, including a 2-in-1 pillow blanket, tumbler, travel bag set, and keychain.

Tourist Special Promotions at Central Village:

Get Free! Tourist Welcome Package: Enjoy a complimentary tourist welcome discount package valued up to THB 10,000.

Spend and Receive: Receive a THB 100 Gift voucher with every purchase exceeding THB 2,500 per receipt.

Exclusive 'Happy Holiday Collections' Pricing: Collectors can avail themselves of special prices on Pokémon 2-in-1 pillow blankets, tumblers, travel bag sets, and keychains. Visit the redemption counter for pricing details.

Grab Users Exclusive: Grab users enjoy an exclusive discount code of up to 25% off when traveling to participating Central Shopping Centers.

Prepare to be captivated as 'The Great Celebration 2024' unfolds, promising a fusion of Pokémon magic and festive cheer at Central Village Bangkok Luxury Outlet. Join us in celebrating every moment of happiness!

About Central Village:

Nestled just ten minutes away from Suvarnabhumi Airport, Central Village Bangkok, Thailand’s premier luxury outlet, offers a convenient haven for international travelers. Whether arriving or departing, visitors can seamlessly experience the allure of Central Village. For those in Bangkok's Central Business District (CBD), the Shuttle Bus service, priced at only THB 100 for a single person, is the most convenient route. The pick-up and drop-off location is at Central World, the renowned lifestyle and shopping destination in Bangkok.

Central Village Bangkok guarantees an unparalleled shopping adventure, boasting exquisite design, unbeatable value, and an extensive range of over 300 international and local brands with daily discounts of up to 70%. Luxury brands such as COACH, KATE SPADE NEW YORK, KENZO, MARIMEKKO, MICHAEL KORS, OUTLET BY CLUB21, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, ZEGNA, and more await discerning shoppers.

Beyond shopping, Central Village captivates visitors with its stunning architecture reminiscent of traditional Thai villages. The outlet mall features distinct villages, each exuding unique charm, including Wooden Village, Metal Village, Porcelain Village, and Royal Village. Carefully curated Thai elements, such as giant porcelain jars and round bamboo baskets, enhance the mall's allure, creating a picturesque haven for photography enthusiasts. Experience the perfect blend of Pokémon magic and luxury shopping at Central Village Bangkok.

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Rebecca Travasso

rebecca@mediarepublic.biz

DATAVOLT Signs a Memorandum of Understanding for the Development of State-Of-The-Art Sustainable Data Centers in Uzbekistan

 

Tashkent, Uzbekistan

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan and DataVolt to develop green data centers in Uzbekistan.

The MOU is aimed at supporting Uzbekistan’s goal of becoming a sustainable digital hub, focusing on the digital transformation of the country, the development of innovative digital technologies and attracting foreign investment into the IT sphere.

DataVolt will develop, invest and operate state-of-the-art data centers and make it the first fully renewable large data center campus in the region, which could eventually consist of several 100s of MW. The data centers will focus on high efficiency, innovation and sustainability solutions.

The Parties will also cooperate to attract international technology companies to Uzbekistan and to develop relevant skills and expertise among the Uzbek workforce.

Moreover, the Ministry of Digital Technologies and DataVolt emphasized the quality of the various outsourcing skills of the Uzbekistan workforce and the importance of cultivating Uzbekistan as an IT hub with Saudi companies.

Rajit Nanda, Chief Executive Officer of DataVolt mentioned: “We are excited to support the digitization of Uzbekistan with innovative and sustainable solutions.  In line with Uzbekistan’s sustainability goals, we target to build data centers with the lowest carbon emissions. We believe that this project will have a positive impact on the Uzbek economy and people and help to make Uzbekistan a digital leader in the region.”

About DataVolt

With a presence spanning Riyadh, Dubai, and California, DataVolt is the trusted partner in developing and operating future-ready, innovative, environmentally conscious data centers for a connected world. DataVolt is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vision Invest, a leading Saudi Arabia based development and investment holding company in critical infrastructure projects at the forefront of Public and Private Sector Partnerships in Saudi Arabia, regionally and globally. Vision Invest group has developed and owns and operates over USD 95 billion worth of critical infrastructure assets, including in renewable power generation, seawater desalination, green hydrogen, cooling, and water treatment and reusage.

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Contacts

Cicily V.

info@data-volt.com

NetApp and AWS Deliver a Nine Times Performance Increase for Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP

 New FSx for ONTAP scale-out file systems help organizations migrate or extend high-performance data-intensive workloads to the cloud

 

(BUSINESS WIRE)--NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, announced at re:Invent, scale-out FSx for ONTAP® file systems through its collaboration with AWS. Scale-out file systems offer up to nine times higher storage performance compared to existing file systems, enabling customers to run high-performance applications on AWS more quickly and efficiently.

FSx for ONTAP enables customers to use ONTAP’s data management features for a wide variety of workloads, such as user and application file shares, relational databases (SAP HANA), data stores for VMware cloud on AWS and backup and disaster recovery. With the new enhancements, customers can now use FSx for ONTAP for a broader range of higher-performance use cases, such as high-performance computing (HPC), electronic design automation (EDA), visual effects (VFX) and film editing, life sciences, seismic analysis, machine learning, and generative AI.

Organizations of all sizes are migrating on-premises workloads to AWS or deploying cloud native workloads to accelerate innovation, increase agility, improve security, and reduce costs. With FSx for ONTAP, customers have access to the full range of ONTAP features. These include multi-protocol access to data, point-in-time and space efficient Snapshot™ copies and replication for data protection, thin cloning for operational and cost efficiency and data tiering, deduplication and compression for improved cost savings. Scale-out file systems extend all these benefits with improved performance and capacity scalability.

A single Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP scaled-out file system can deliver up to 36GB per second of throughput and 1.2 million SSD input/output operations per second (IOPS) - a nine times improvement in performance from today’s 4GB per second throughput and 160,000 SSD IOPS limit. Up to six pairs of file servers, each providing up to 6GB per second throughput and 200,000 SSD IOPS at sub-millisecond file operation latencies, operate as one single storage cluster. Compute applications benefit from the higher aggregate performance and a single petabyte scale namespace simplifying management of large datasets within a single storage system. Customers can easily lift and shift, extend or deploy new high-performance workloads on AWS, while leveraging ONTAP’s data management features along with AWS’s agility, scalability, and security.

“To keep up with the current pace of innovation, especially in areas requiring vast data-processing, organizations need scalable storage that can serve as a strong foundation for their high-performance computing workloads,” said Ronen Schwartz, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cloud Storage at NetApp. “Our focus with these new capabilities centers on increasing performance and scale for these innovative workloads while maintaining the strong data management capabilities in areas such as data lifecycle, backup, data recovery, and data movement that power Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP. With these new capabilities, more customers can leverage our market-leading data management and security capabilities as they look to the cloud to scale operations or quickly adapt to changing market conditions.”

“Customers are increasingly running and scaling compute-intensive workloads in AWS—leveraging AWS’s broad selection of analytics, AI, and ML services and virtually unlimited infrastructure to gain insights faster and accelerate innovation,” said Edward Naim, General Manager of File Storage at AWS. “With scale-out FSx for ONTAP file systems, customers can now bring and run their most compute-intensive ONTAP workloads to AWS without needing to change how they manage their data.”

“Keeping pace with the rapid rate of cloud innovation requires agile, performant and secure solutions,” said David Miller, Senior Director & Fellow, IT Architecture at Arm. “In testing the new Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP, we’re successfully leveraging the benefits of the cloud to unlock a new set of scale-out storage capabilities and higher performance for our internal HPC workloads.”

The latest capabilities open new use cases for NetApp and AWS partners to help customers take full advantage of Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP to accelerate workload migration to AWS or deploy new compute and data-intensive applications in AWS for improved business efficiency and agility.

“Today's organizations require agility and innovation to deliver seamless digital experiences—anytime, anywhere,” said Juan Orlandini, CTO North America at Insight Enterprises. “A very common gating factor to transformation is the sheer volume of data and the speed at which that data needs to be processed. The performance and scalability enhancements of Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP will enable our customers in top industries like energy, healthcare, retail, and transportation to optimize their generative AI, chip design simulation, statistical computing, analytics edge computing, and high-performance computing workloads.”

Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP scale-out capabilities are now available in the following AWS regions: US East (Ohio, North Virginia); US West (Oregon); Europe (Ireland); and Asia Pacific (Sydney).

About NetApp

NetApp is the intelligent data infrastructure company combining unified data storage, integrated data services, and CloudOps solutions to turn a world of disruption into opportunity for every customer. NetApp creates silo-free infrastructure, then harnesses observability and AI, to enable the best data management. As the only enterprise-grade storage service natively embedded in the world’s biggest clouds, our data storage delivers seamless flexibility and our data services create a data advantage through superior cyber-resilience, governance, and applications agility. Our CloudOps solutions provide continuous optimization of performance and efficiency through observability and AI. No matter the data type, workload or environment, transform your data infrastructure to realize your business possibilities with NetApp. Learn more at www.netapp.com or follow us on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

NETAPP, the NETAPP logo, and the marks listed at www.netapp.com/TM are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Additional Resources

Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP: What’s New at AWS re:Invent 2023 (blog)

New Scale Out File Systems for Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP (blog)

What’s New: Amazon FSx NetApp ONTAP Scale-Out File Systems (blog)

NetApp ONTAP (webpage)

The Total Economic ImpactTM of Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP

Tactical Buyer’s Guide for Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP

 

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Contacts

Media Contact: 

Kenya Hayes 

NetApp 

kenya.hayes@netapp.com

Investor Contact: 

Kris Newton 

NetApp 

kris.newton@netapp.com 

Dubai’s Global Futures Society, world’s largest network of futurists, grows at Dubai Future Forum with 36 new institutions joining

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, 29. November 2023

Global Futures Society launched in 2022 and today includes some of the most important international institutions for future design and strategic planning.

 Dubai Future Foundation announced today that 36 institutions from 17 countries have joined the existing four members of the Global Futures Society, the world’s largest global network of futurists.

Representatives of the international institutions participated in the Dubai Future Forum, which was held at the Museum of the Future on November 27 -28, representing the largest global gathering of futurists.

The society was launched last year by the Dubai Future Foundation to enhance the role of the Museum of the Future as a global headquarters for international future foresight institutions and to consolidate Dubai’s position as leading platform for strategic thinking.

The Global Futures Society is a platform bringing together some of the world’s major institutions involved in future design and strategic planning, in addition to research centers. Its aim is to facilitate collaboration in identifying opportunities and challenges, as well as preparing for them. The new members join the Association of Professional Futurists (APF), the Millennium Project, the World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF), and the Public Sector Foresight Network (PSFN).

His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, said: “The Global Futures Society was launched last year in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for the Museum of the Future to become an international center for dialogue and partnerships, unifying international efforts in designing the future.”

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Contacts

Sara Al Qarout

+971529456243

salqarout@apcoworldwide.com

Rocket Software to Acquire OpenText’s Application Modernization and Connectivity Business

 WALTHAM, Mass. - Wednesday, 29. November 2023 AETOSWire Print 

Combined Entity Will Offer the Most Compelling Portfolio of Solutions to Support the World's Largest Companies in their Modernization and Hybrid Cloud Journeys

 

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rocket Software, Inc. (“Rocket Software”), a global technology leader driving modernization for the world’s largest companies, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Application Modernization and Connectivity business (AMC) of OpenText (NASDAQ: OTEX), (TSX: OTEX), which was formerly part of Micro Focus. The total purchase price is $2.275B.

For decades, Rocket Software has been the partner solving complex IT challenges for the largest and most innovative organizations, across infrastructure, data, and applications. Rocket Software’s hybrid cloud strategy empowers customers to optimize their application portfolio wherever they are in their modernization journey, enabling them to bridge the gap to modern use cases without disrupting their mission-critical operations. This approach allows organizations to benefit from the mainframe's security and dependability while also taking advantage of powerful analytics tools in the cloud.

AMC has been a leader in application modernization for many years, providing industry-leading tools including COBOL and host connectivity. These tools enable organizations to leverage their core applications and offer flexibility for modernization, allowing them to run applications wherever they choose. With AMC, Rocket Software will have a more diverse modernization portfolio that aligns with customer demands, whether on-premises or through a hybrid cloud strategy.

Rocket Software's acquisition of AMC achieves five key strategic objectives, including:

Meeting organizations at any stage of their modernization journeys with a comprehensive product portfolio addressing all use cases, spanning from mainframe to hybrid workloads.

Enabling customers to derive value from their decades of investment in the core applications that run their business while also innovating and taking full advantage of new applications and technologies.

Solidifying Rocket Software as a leader in hybrid cloud, deepening current customer relationships and ensuring sustainable growth in the legacy enterprise IT market. The company is positioned not only to address immediate customer needs but also to guide customers through their modernization journey over time.

Extending and complementing Rocket Software’s industry-leading R&D expertise, fostering continuous innovation through the application of emerging technologies like generative AI.

Further strengthening Rocket Software's position as the partner of choice to meet industry and customer needs and deliver superior customer success.

“We are proud to be the preferred partner dedicated to meeting our customers at any point in their modernization journeys and minimizing unnecessary risk to their business operations,” said Milan Shetti, Rocket Software President and CEO. “For the many enterprise organizations who are built on the mainframe and ready to unlock opportunity using hybrid cloud, reality calls for a continuum with solutions and expertise that span both worlds. Welcoming the AMC business and its talented team to Rocket Software marks an extraordinary moment for the company, the market, and the thousands of organizations who share in our vision of making the best-of-both-worlds a reality.”

By combining Rocket Software’s industry-leading customer service with more resources to innovate, the company will be uniquely positioned in the market to not only meet customers’ immediate needs but also to help them transform over time. These deep customer relationships will strengthen retention, broaden cross-sell opportunities, and drive sustainable growth for the business.

Rocket Software intends to fund the acquisition with a combination of new cash equity from its existing shareholders, committed debt financing, and cash from its balance sheet. The debt financing is expected to include incremental senior secured term loans and new senior secured notes. Inclusive of expected synergies, the company expects the acquisition will be leverage neutral on a total leverage basis, but leveraging on a secured basis.

The deal is expected to close in Q2 2024 ending June 30, 2024, subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., and UBS Securities LLC are serving as financial advisors to Rocket Software. Ernst & Young LLP served as Accounting Advisor to Rocket Software. Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as Legal Advisor to Rocket Software. Debt financing for the transaction will be provided by RBC Capital Markets, Barclays Capital, Deutsche Bank Securities, UBS Securities, Citigroup Global Markets, HSBC Securities, Mizuho Securities, and SMBC Nikko Securities.

About Rocket Software

Rocket Software partners with the largest enterprises, in all industries, to solve their most complex IT challenges, across infrastructure, data, and applications — with solutions that simplify, not disrupt their modernization journey. Trusted by over 10,000 customers, Rocket Software helps enterprises modernize in place with a hybrid cloud strategy, so they don’t need to re-platform or build from the ground up. The company’s 2,300 global employees work with customers to accelerate and optimize their modernization journey while meeting evolving market needs. Rocket Software is a privately held U.S. corporation headquartered in the Boston area with centers of excellence strategically located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Rocket Software is a portfolio company of Bain Capital Private Equity. Follow Rocket Software on LinkedIn and Twitter or visit www.RocketSoftware.com.

Cautionary Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, but not limited to, statements about the overall performance of the AMC business and the expected synergies from the acquisition and statements about the expected financing and closing date of the acquisition, including obtention of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements reflect our views with respect to future events as of the date of this press release and are based on our current expectations, estimates, forecasts, projections, assumptions, beliefs and information. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct. All such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of our control, and could cause future events or results to be materially different from those stated or implied in this press release. Such factors and risks include, but are not limited to, risks related to the receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of the other closing conditions to close the acquisition; our ability to successfully obtain the expected financing for the acquisition; our ability to successfully integrate the AMC business and realize the expected synergies; and certain other risks. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. We expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

 

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