European Firms Recast Networks with Managed Services




European Firms Recast Networks with Managed Services

Organizations transition from in-house ownership as networks grow more complex and regulated across distributed enterprise environments, ISG Provider Lens^® report says

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–$III #AI–Enterprises in Europe are changing how networks are designed, operated and governed using managed network services (MNS) that increasingly incorporate AI-assisted and AI-driven capabilities, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens^® Enterprise Managed Network Services report for Europe finds that many organizations across the region historically resisted MNS, relying instead on large internal IT and data operations teams. Companies retained direct control of mission-critical infrastructures, including private data centers, wide area networks and on-premises networking resources. Early MNS offerings were limited in scope, focusing mainly on wired connectivity and basic maintenance. However, as European enterprise networks expanded and diversified, MNS solutions evolved to support multiple delivery models that address the demands of hybrid architectures and global operations.

“In an increasingly threat-heavy environment, enterprises must maintain strong security, minimize downtime and meet multiple regulatory requirements while supporting mobile and cloud-centric workforces,” said Jon Harrod, partner at ISG. “MNS solutions have become central to addressing these operational and security demands across European enterprise environments.”

Hybrid work and distributed operations have become standard in enterprises across the region, increasing complexity for IT and network teams, the report says. Employees now need secure and reliable access to applications from virtually anywhere, while networks must support legacy systems alongside cloud workloads, IoT devices and edge platforms. Simultaneously, rapid advances in AI-powered infrastructure and more persistent cyber threats are raising expectations for continuous monitoring and rapid security responses. Together, these factors are leading enterprises to rely more on MNS to oversee complex environments.

Alongside broader adoption of MNS, European enterprises are increasingly turning to network as a service (NaaS) solutions rather than building and operating complex network environments internally, ISG says. They seek providers with advanced expertise, automation capabilities and specialized staffing. AI and GenAI tools enable network operators to automate routine tasks, improve predictive analytics and strengthen incident detection and response. Enterprises are prioritizing NaaS providers with these capabilities to reduce operational burdens and enable more efficient, scalable and secure services.

Across Europe, network services are also helping enterprises meet regulatory and data sovereignty requirements while adapting quickly to changing business needs, such as scaling up operations during expansion phases. By delegating resource-intensive network operations, enterprises can focus on core business priorities while improving efficiency and sustainability.

“Organizations are increasingly aligning network strategies with sustainability and energy efficiency goals,” said Kenn Walters, lead author of the report. “MNS offerings support these objectives by optimizing network resources, helping organizations reduce their carbon footprint.”

The report also explores other trends in the enterprise MNS market in Europe, including IoT and edge computing adoption and efforts to balance modernization with cost control amid faster refresh cycles.

For more insights into network-related challenges faced by enterprises in Europe, plus ISG’s advice for overcoming them, see the ISG Provider Lens^® Focal Points briefing here.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens^® Enterprise Managed Network Services report for Europe evaluates the capabilities of 36 providers across three quadrants: Managed Network Services Evolution, Managed Enterprise Connectivity Solutions (DIA, VoIP & VPN) and Network as a Service (NaaS).

The report names Accenture, Colt, Deutsche Telekom, GTT, NTT DATA and Orange Business as Leaders in all three quadrants. Comcast Business, HCLTech, Verizon Business and Wipro are named as Leaders in two quadrants each, while Capgemini, Computacenter, DXC Technology and Kyndryl are named as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, Computacenter and DXC Technology are named as Rising Stars — companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in one quadrant each.

In the area of customer experience, Tata Communications is named the global ISG CX Star Performer for 2025 among enterprise MNS providers. Tata Communications earned the highest customer satisfaction scores in ISG’s Voice of the Customer survey, part of the ISG Star of Excellence™ program, the premier quality recognition for the technology and business services industry.

A customized version of the report is available from Orange Business.

The 2025 ISG Provider Lens^® Enterprise Managed Network Services report for Europe is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens^® Research

The ISG Provider Lens^® Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG’s global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG’s enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

About ISG

ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data, in-depth knowledge of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,600 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.

Contacts

Press Contacts:
Laura Hupprich, ISG

+1 203-517-3100

laura.hupprich@isg-one.com

Philipp Jaensch, ISG

+49 151 730 365 76

philipp.jaensch@isg-one.com

Google-Backed AI Startup Meet-Ting Gives Your Calendar a Brain




Google-Backed AI Startup Meet-Ting Gives Your Calendar a Brain

First signs emerge that people will hand over control to agents that understand what they value

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Users are delegating their calendars to AI for the first time, signaling a broader shift in how people will interact with autonomous agents across work and life.

UK startup Meet-Ting (or Ting for short) today launched what it calls an “availability agent” – AI designed to work with people, other agents, and enterprise systems to manage time on someone’s behalf. Unlike chatbots or scheduling assistants that wait for instructions, availability agents observe, learn, and act independently.

The behavior is already happening. During a six-month beta, power users booked up to 20 meetings per month through Ting, including high-stakes situations like investor introductions and job interviews.

“We’re seeing the same pattern as other agent companies like Clawdbot – people don’t want to manage the agent, they want it to just handle things,” said Dan, co-founder of Meet-Ting. “Once Ting understands your priorities and relationships, people stop managing their calendars themselves. That’s delegation.”

Built for an agent-to-agent world

Meet-Ting is betting that availability agents will become infrastructure as AI assistants proliferate. The company is an early app developer working with OpenAI and other LLM platforms, positioning its product to operate natively inside ChatGPT as more workflows migrate there.

“Our bet is that in the future, more work happens inside large language models,” said Dan. “Scheduling shouldn’t require leaving that environment. Availability agents need to work where conversations happen – whether that’s email, WhatsApp, ChatGPT, or agent-to-agent APIs.”

Unlike tools that live in dashboards or rely on booking links, Ting operates inside email and WhatsApp where scheduling discussions naturally occur. This allows the agent to develop a decision dataset – a privacy-first, proprietary model that captures the invisible judgment calls people make about their time.

The dataset includes context that static calendars can’t see: tone, relationships, hierarchy, urgency, which meetings get accepted versus postponed, and the nuanced tradeoffs people make when managing competing priorities. This behavioral data – only possible to collect by building a product embedded in real scheduling conversations – becomes the foundation for teaching AI to act on someone’s behalf.

The AI learns by observing these everyday decisions rather than asking users to set rigid rules upfront. From those patterns, it builds a model of what someone values and starts acting accordingly.

Users CC or text Ting to activate it. The agent handles booking and rescheduling across messy email threads, suggests calendar optimizations, prepares meeting context, adds agendas automatically, and detects no-shows with optional follow-up.

Momentum in a growing category

Meet-Ting has grown around 50% month-on-month for six consecutive months, with several thousand users signing up, including executives from Nike, Disney, Synthesia, and venture-backed AI startups. Roughly 50% of users actively interact with the AI.

The launch comes as the AI scheduling category accelerates. Google, Perplexity, and VC-backed startups from Y Combinator and Sequoia Capital have all recently launched or invested in calendar AI. As more workflows move into large language models, manual coordination is starting to feel outdated.

“The question isn’t whether AI can book meetings – it’s whether people will let it,” said Dan. “What we’ve learned is that delegation happens when the technology understands what you value. We’re building toward a world where everyone has an availability agent, whether that’s coordinating with people, other agents, or enterprise systems.”

Meet-Ting was founded by Dan Bulteel and Mariana Prazeres, who brought together expertise in viral product growth and AI engineering. Dan led social media globally for ByteDance and TikTok across all apps, while Mariana has been researching and building AI systems since 2017. The combination – understanding what makes products people trust, and the technical depth to build autonomous agents – shaped Ting’s approach to delegation.

Following successful launches in the UK, US, and Brazil, Ting is now rolling out across France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The company is backed by Google’s AI startup program and an early app developer with OpenAI.

Ting is free to try with up to 10 meeting bookings. Sign up at https://meet-ting.com.

Contacts

Media contact: dan@this-ting.com

New Kyckr Report Reveals 68% of UK AML Fines Linked to Poor Data Quality




New Kyckr Report Reveals 68% of UK AML Fines Linked to Poor Data Quality

Analysis of FCA enforcement actions uncovers widespread data weaknesses as a key driver of regulatory failings and financial penalties

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AMLFINES–A new report from Kyckr, the provider of global company registry data, reveals that data deficiencies were a contributing factor to 68% of Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) enforcement cases for anti-money laundering (AML) non-compliance between 2020 and 2025. The report, “The Data Blind Spot: Uncovering a Major Cause of UK AML Fines,” analyses AML failings in UK financial institutions and examines 22 FCA Final Notices totalling over £430 million in fines.

The report reveals four main categories of data failure, all of which highlight a consistent pattern and the root causes of information gaps:

• Outdated and missing information – a contributing factor to 45% of fines. This included a reliance on outdated Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and investor lists and not collecting sufficient information on customers to contextualise transactions.
• Failure to identify the ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) of a given entity – a contributing factor to 32% of fines. This included not knowing who ultimately controls an entity – and building an ownership map from that – which enables financial crime professionals to “build the story” of an entity into a bigger picture.
• Weak verification of wealth and funds – a contributing factor to 32% of fines. This included not knowing how much money a business has at its disposal, without which firms cannot contextualise customer transactions.
• Discrepancies between customer declarations and the public record – a contributing factor to 18% of fines. This included failure to detect mismatches between “what a customer says about themselves” and “what the public record shows”.

The findings of the report highlight how the FCA is no longer satisfied with the policies firms have ‘on paper’. In AML compliance and the fight against financial crime, enforcement action now focuses on whether institutions can obtain, verify and continuously update accurate customer information in practice.

Steve Lamb, CEO at Kyckr, commented, “The problem firms face is that they are relying on outdated or incomplete data retrieved from siloed workflows. If poor data quality is a major contributor to AML fines, the solution isn’t more staff or bigger frameworks: it’s direct and ongoing access to authoritative company data.

“These findings show that policy alone isn’t enough and that data quality now plays a significant role in AML effectiveness. Financial institutions must be able to prove that their customer information is both accurate and verified in real time. Kyckr helps firms close this data blind spot by connecting directly to authoritative company registries, giving compliance teams instant, audit-ready access to verified information from over 300 global sources.”

Read the full report here: https://www.kyckr.com/guides-and-reports/kyckr-report-uk-aml-fines

About Kyckr

Kyckr is a B2B information services company that aggregates, organises and structures the world’s primary source company data to help businesses reduce the risks associated with counterparty relationships. Kyckr’s solutions help businesses to succeed in the fight against fraud, money laundering and financial crime.

To learn more about Kyckr, visit www.kyckr.com

Report methodology

Kyckr analysed 22 Final Notices imposed between 2020 and 2025 by the FCA for AML non-compliance at financial institutions and located issues that stemmed directly from insufficient data and information.

Contacts

Media contact
Email: kyckr@thoughtldr.com

AI at the Forefront of Creation and Innovation: Exploring the Future of Design and Manufacturing at Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026




AI at the Forefront of Creation and Innovation: Exploring the Future of Design and Manufacturing at Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026

• Dassault Systèmes’ annual event dedicated to the SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE platform user communities to take place in Houston, Feb. 1-4
• Guest speakers include Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, hacker and inventor Pablos Holman, and the influencer Jay “Engineezy” Vogler
• Agenda to showcase the power of 3D UNIV+RSES and artificial intelligence pushing the boundaries of imagination

VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#3DEXPERIENCE—Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) today announced 3DEXPERIENCE World taking place in Houston from Feb. 1-4. The annual event will gather thousands of SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE platform users around the future of design to manufacturing, exploring 3D UNIV+RSES and artificial intelligence at the core of creation and innovation.

Guest speakers Jensen Huang – founder and CEO of NVIDIA, Pablos Holman – the renowned hacker and inventor with more than 6,000 patents, and Jay “Engineezy” Vogler – STEAM advocate and influencer, will kick off a rich agenda delving into the technologies enabling virtual environments that push the boundaries of imagination. One year after introducing 3D UNIV+RSES, Dassault Systèmes will showcase a holistic view of AI encompassing assistive, predictive and generative AI that plays an integral role in powering more efficient, sustainable and successful design, simulation, manufacturing and governance.

Event highlights include:

• Presentations from Pascal Daloz, CEO, Dassault Systèmes, Manish Kumar, CEO and Vice President R&D, SOLIDWORKS, and Gian Paolo Bassi, Senior Vice President, Customer Role Experience, Dassault Systèmes
• Keynotes from Pablos Holman on his visionary roadmap for addressing the world’s biggest challenges through emerging technologies, and “Engineezy” on the intersection of engineering, art and storytelling;
• Perspectives on creativity, innovation and communities from Manish Kumar and Suchit Jain, Vice President Strategy, SOLIDWORKS;
• Annual reveal of the top 10 SOLIDWORKS enhancements;
• Hundreds of technical training and learning sessions for all skill levels, certification opportunities, and meetup sessions;
• AAKRUTI International Student Design and Innovation Competition, challenging 12 teams from nine countries to solve real-world problems with technology, creativity and engineering skills;
• 3DEXPERIENCE Playground featuring Model Mania and Model Mania Xtreme, an EDU Zone, a Maker Zone and more;
• Product demos from SOLIDWORKS customers and startup program participants Molteni Group, Westwood Robotics, Psyonic, Sparx Hockey, COM-PAK+, NOVOFERM and Brudden.

“Artificial intelligence is defining the way people work – automating tasks but also allowing more time for creativity and innovation. At 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026, we will demonstrate the value of our AI-powered portfolio for SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE platform users – a legacy of innovation that keeps pushing product development forward to serve 8 million users,” said Manish Kumar.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions: http://www.3ds.com

Connect with Dassault Systèmes on

https://www.facebook.com/DassaultSystemes
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dassaultsystemes
https://www.youtube.com/DassaultSystemes

ABOUT DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Dassault Systèmes is a catalyst for human progress. Since 1981, the company has pioneered virtual worlds to improve real life for consumers, patients and citizens. With Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 370,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, can collaborate, imagine and create sustainable innovations that drive meaningful impact. For more information, visit: www.3ds.com

Contacts

Dassault Systèmes Press Contacts
Corporate / France, Arnaud MALHERBE, arnaud.malherbe@3ds.com, +33 (0)1 61 62 87 73

North America, Natasha LEVANTI, natasha.levanti@3ds.com, +1 (508) 449 8097

EMEA, Virginie BLINDENBERG, virginie.blindenberg@3ds.com, +33 (0) 1 61 62 84 21

China, Grace MU, grace.mu@3ds.com, +86 10 6536 2288

Japan, Reina YAMAGUCHI, reina.yamaguchi@3ds.com, +81 90 9325 2545

Korea, Jeemin JEONG, jeemin.jeong@3ds.com, +82 2 3271 6653

India, Priyanka PANDEY, priyanka.pandey@3ds.com, +91 9886302179

AP South, Hazel FOO, hazel.foo@3ds.com, +65 8333 3484

AI at the Forefront of Creation and Innovation: Exploring the Future of Design and Manufacturing at Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026




AI at the Forefront of Creation and Innovation: Exploring the Future of Design and Manufacturing at Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026

• Dassault Systèmes’ annual event dedicated to the SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE platform user communities to take place in Houston, Feb. 1-4
• Guest speakers include Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, hacker and inventor Pablos Holman, and the influencer Jay “Engineezy” Vogler
• Agenda to showcase the power of 3D UNIV+RSES and artificial intelligence pushing the boundaries of imagination

VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#3DEXPERIENCE—Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) today announced 3DEXPERIENCE World taking place in Houston from Feb. 1-4. The annual event will gather thousands of SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE platform users around the future of design to manufacturing, exploring 3D UNIV+RSES and artificial intelligence at the core of creation and innovation.

Guest speakers Jensen Huang – founder and CEO of NVIDIA, Pablos Holman – the renowned hacker and inventor with more than 6,000 patents, and Jay “Engineezy” Vogler – STEAM advocate and influencer, will kick off a rich agenda delving into the technologies enabling virtual environments that push the boundaries of imagination. One year after introducing 3D UNIV+RSES, Dassault Systèmes will showcase a holistic view of AI encompassing assistive, predictive and generative AI that plays an integral role in powering more efficient, sustainable and successful design, simulation, manufacturing and governance.

Event highlights include:

• Presentations from Pascal Daloz, CEO, Dassault Systèmes, Manish Kumar, CEO and Vice President R&D, SOLIDWORKS, and Gian Paolo Bassi, Senior Vice President, Customer Role Experience, Dassault Systèmes
• Keynotes from Pablos Holman on his visionary roadmap for addressing the world’s biggest challenges through emerging technologies, and “Engineezy” on the intersection of engineering, art and storytelling;
• Perspectives on creativity, innovation and communities from Manish Kumar and Suchit Jain, Vice President Strategy, SOLIDWORKS;
• Annual reveal of the top 10 SOLIDWORKS enhancements;
• Hundreds of technical training and learning sessions for all skill levels, certification opportunities, and meetup sessions;
• AAKRUTI International Student Design and Innovation Competition, challenging 12 teams from nine countries to solve real-world problems with technology, creativity and engineering skills;
• 3DEXPERIENCE Playground featuring Model Mania and Model Mania Xtreme, an EDU Zone, a Maker Zone and more;
• Product demos from SOLIDWORKS customers and startup program participants Molteni Group, Westwood Robotics, Psyonic, Sparx Hockey, COM-PAK+, NOVOFERM and Brudden.

“Artificial intelligence is defining the way people work – automating tasks but also allowing more time for creativity and innovation. At 3DEXPERIENCE World 2026, we will demonstrate the value of our AI-powered portfolio for SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE platform users – a legacy of innovation that keeps pushing product development forward to serve 8 million users,” said Manish Kumar.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions: http://www.3ds.com

Connect with Dassault Systèmes on

https://www.facebook.com/DassaultSystemes
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dassaultsystemes
https://www.youtube.com/DassaultSystemes

ABOUT DASSAULT SYSTÈMES

Dassault Systèmes is a catalyst for human progress. Since 1981, the company has pioneered virtual worlds to improve real life for consumers, patients and citizens. With Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 370,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, can collaborate, imagine and create sustainable innovations that drive meaningful impact. For more information, visit: www.3ds.com

Contacts

Dassault Systèmes Press Contacts
Corporate / France, Arnaud MALHERBE, arnaud.malherbe@3ds.com, +33 (0)1 61 62 87 73

North America, Natasha LEVANTI, natasha.levanti@3ds.com, +1 (508) 449 8097

EMEA, Virginie BLINDENBERG, virginie.blindenberg@3ds.com, +33 (0) 1 61 62 84 21

China, Grace MU, grace.mu@3ds.com, +86 10 6536 2288

Japan, Reina YAMAGUCHI, reina.yamaguchi@3ds.com, +81 90 9325 2545

Korea, Jeemin JEONG, jeemin.jeong@3ds.com, +82 2 3271 6653

India, Priyanka PANDEY, priyanka.pandey@3ds.com, +91 9886302179

AP South, Hazel FOO, hazel.foo@3ds.com, +65 8333 3484

Coforge Recognized as a Leader in the ISG Provider Lens® 2025 Multi Public Cloud Services US and UK Region for “Consulting and Transformation Services” and “Managed Services” – Midmarket




Coforge Recognized as a Leader in the ISG Provider Lens® 2025 Multi Public Cloud Services US and UK Region for “Consulting and Transformation Services” and “Managed Services” – Midmarket

GREATER NOIDA, India–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AI—Coforge Limited (NSE: COFORGE), a global digital services and solutions provider, has been recognized as a Leader in the Consulting and Transformation Services – Midmarket and Managed Services – Midmarket quadrants of the ISG Provider Lens® 2025 Multi Public Cloud Services report for United States and United Kingdom. The report evaluated 63+ providers and highlights Coforge’s strong performance in AI-native cloud operations, platform engineering, and industry-specific transformation capabilities.

Coforge’s leadership positioning is driven by its deep domain expertise and ability to combine consulting-led transformation with cloud-native engineering. The company leverages a strong portfolio of industry accelerators along with open-source delivery platforms and execution models. This approach enables midmarket enterprises to modernize at scale with consistent delivery, improved reliability and stronger alignment to business outcomes. Shashank Rajmane, Principal Analyst, ISG for US region, said, “Coforge is rapidly growing its public cloud services portfolio by combining vertical IP with AI-native cloudOps to deliver outcome-tied transformations across AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Its EvolveOps.AI and its open-source platform-engineering approach ensure alignment with client objectives and maximize ROI.”

“Coforge combines AI-native automation with deep industry expertise and outcome-based engagement models to deliver secure, optimised cloud transformations that accelerate business value and ensure measurable ROI across sectors such as financial services, healthcare, and travel,” says Meenakshi Srivastava, Lead Analyst at ISG for UK region.

The report also recognized Coforge’s EvolveOps.AI platform for enabling autonomous cloud operations through advanced capabilities such as knowledge graphs, multimodal AI, policy-as-code, self-healing runbooks and predictive incident management. These capabilities strengthen operational resilience across AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud environments, delivering measurable improvements in MTTR, cost efficiency and financial governance through its integrated FinOps-as-a-Service model.

Ashish Kumar, Global Head – Cloud, AI Infra, Security & ServiceNow, Coforge, said, “We are pleased to be recognized as a Leader by ISG. This underscores our commitment to designing and operating cloud environments that are engineered for resilience, performance and value. Our investments in AI-native platforms, cloud modernization and industry-specific IP enable us to deliver transformation programs that are predictable, secure and strongly aligned to our clients’ business objectives.”

Coforge continues to build on its cloud, data and AI capabilities with an engineering-led approach to transformation and automation-first operations, enabling enterprises to accelerate modernization and achieve sustained operational excellence.

Coforge leverages emerging technologies and deep domain expertise to deliver real-world business impact for its clients. A focus on select industries, a deep domain understanding of the underlying processes of those industries and partnerships with leading technology platforms, enables Coforge to be a trusted partner of its clients in their transformation initiatives. Coforge leads with its Product Engineering approach and leverages AI, Cloud, Data, Integration and Automation technologies to transform businesses into intelligent, high growth enterprises. Coforge has 33 global delivery centers and is present in 25 countries.

Contacts

Investor Relations: investors@coforge.com

Media Relations: santanu.b@coforge.com

Adenia and Proparco to Sell OCS Group’s Activities in Morocco and Senegal




Adenia and Proparco to Sell OCS Group’s Activities in Morocco and Senegal

CASABLANCA, Morocco–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Adenia Partners (“Adenia”), a leading private equity firm in Africa, together with Proparco, has signed an agreement to sell OCS Group’s operations in Morocco and Senegal to a consortium led by Morocco’s Retail Holding, alongside pan-African investment fund Amethis.

Founded as a catering operator in 2009, OCS established itself within a decade as one of the two leading players in the Moroccan market, before diversifying its activities by integrating a comprehensive Facility Management (FM) offering. The Group operates under the brands Ansamble and Proxirest for catering, and Artis Facilities in Morocco and Alizés in Senegal for facility management.

Since Adenia and Proparco’s investment in 2021, the Group has experienced very strong growth, doubling in size, while undergoing a significant institutional and operational transformation. This period was marked by strengthened governance, the appointment of a new management team led by Nicolas Belleteste, the expansion into facility management services through the acquisition of Artis in 2023, and a strategic refocus around core activities in Morocco and Senegal. In addition, Adenia supported the strengthening of operations, workforce development and upskilling, and the integration of ESG standards across the Group.

With revenues exceeding one billion dirhams and a workforce of over 6,000 employees, OCS serves a diversified portfolio of over 300 institutional and private clients. During Adenia’s holding period, the Group created more than 500 net new jobs, expanded employee training and workforce development programs, and achieved certifications across quality, safety and ESG standards, reinforcing its position as a responsible employer and service provider.

Stéphane Bacquaert, Managing Partner at Adenia Partners, said: “OCS fully illustrates our approach as an active and engaged investor alongside Africa’s regional leaders. Working closely with the management team, we supported a phase of structuring, refocusing and scaling up, enabling OCS to establish itself as a leading provider of services to businesses and public entities. Now with their shareholding firmly anchored locally, the Group has very strong development prospects.”

Nicolas Belleteste, CEO of the OCS Group, added: “We would like to thank Adenia and Proparco for their trust and invaluable support. Together, we were able to write a fine chapter in the history of this Group, bringing it clarity, strategic vision and financial strength. This transaction opens a new chapter for us and our employees. We are eager to work with our new partners Retail Holding and Amethis, with the ambition of continuing our growth trajectory and sustainably consolidating our leading position in Morocco and Senegal.”

Through the transaction, the Retail Holding – Amethis consortium intends to support the OCS Group’s development in its next phase of growth. With a majority Moroccan shareholding base, the consortium aims to sustainably strengthen OCS’s position in its key markets, while leveraging commercial and operational synergies with Retail Holding and its subsidiaries, as well as with the Amethis network. Retail Holding and Amethis are long-standing partners, having already undertaken several co-investments, notably in Vicenne in Morocco and CDCI in Côte d’Ivoire.

Riad Laissaoui, CEO of Retail Holding, said: “This acquisition, carried out with our long-standing partner Amethis, is fully in line with our external growth strategy, which aims to position us in high-potential markets by acquiring leading companies with solid foundations, whose core business is complementary to ours, offering numerous opportunities for synergy and increased business volume.”

Wilfried Poyet, Senior Partner at Amethis, added: “We are very pleased to make a new investment – our sixteenth – in Morocco, alongside Retail Holding, a long-standing partner of Amethis and a key player in the Kingdom’s private sector. We share with Nicolas Belleteste and his teams a common and ambitious vision for the OCS Group.”

Completion of the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

About Adenia Partners

Adenia Partners is a private markets investment firm which has raised over $1 billion across five funds and co-investments, and is committed to responsible investing and a sustainable Africa. Founded in 2002, Adenia has a proven track record with over 35 platform investments executed and 22 exits. Based on-the-ground across Africa, Adenia has one of the most highly qualified African private markets investment teams in terms of educational pedigree, longstanding experience as entrepreneurs and investors, and local in-depth knowledge. By creating stronger companies with quality jobs, fostering economic improvement, and elevating companies to meet ESG standards, Adenia is increasing the enterprise value for investors, whilst benefiting workers, communities, and companies in Africa. For more information, please visit: www.adenia.com

About Proparco

Proparco is a subsidiary of the Agence française de développement (AFD) Group dedicated to financing the private sector in developing countries. For more than 45 years, Proparco has supported companies and financial institutions with strong growth potential by providing tailored financing and investment solutions, with the objective of supporting sustainable growth, job creation, and the strengthening of local economies. Proparco operates in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, mobilizing financial, sectoral, and non-financial expertise in support of high-impact projects. For more information, please visit: www.proparco.fr

About Retail Holding

Retail Holding is a leading national food and specialty retailer, the majority shareholder of Label Vie SA (Carrefour, Atacadao, Supéco), and owner of the Kiabi, Burger King, and Virgin Megastore brands in Morocco. The Group operates a multi-brand network of over 400 stores across the Kingdom, generates revenue of over 20 billion dirhams, and employs more than 15,000 people. Retail Holding also owns Compagnie de Distribution de Côte d’Ivoire with its 125 stores and has signed a management lease agreement with Carrefour France for the operation of several hypermarkets in France and an Atacadao store (Paris region).

About Amethis

Founded by Luc Rigouzzo and Laurent Demey and a partner member of Edmond de Rothschild Private Equity, Amethis is an impact investment fund manager focused on financial, environmental, and social sustainability across Africa and Europe. With over €1.4 billion in assets under management, Amethis has made more than 40 investments to date. Amethis provides growth capital to promising mid-sized companies across a variety of sectors, supporting their growth through its international network covering Europe and Africa, and systematically improving their environmental and social impact. With seven offices in Paris, Abidjan, Casablanca, Nairobi, Cape Town, Cairo, and Luxembourg, the Amethis team comprises over 60 experienced professionals with strong regional and sector expertise. Learn more at: www.amethis.com

About the OCS Group

Founded in 2009, Overseas Catering & Services (OCS) delivers premier catering and facilities management services. With 6,000 dedicated employees, it serves 300 clients across Morocco, Ivory Coast, and Senegal, achieving a turnover of €106 million in 2025. Through various subsidiaries, OCS provides solutions in catering, cleaning, Facilities Management, and childcare management. It operate in all sectors: industrial and tertiary, educational and university, health, social, correctional, extreme environments, defense, sports, and leisure. For more information, please visit: www.ocs-groupe.com

Contacts

Stephen Fishleigh

Gregory

Sfishleigh@gregoryagency.com
+44 203 743 7552

UAE’s Wio Bank Inks Partnership With Global Fintech Pine Labs to Modernise Merchant Acquiring Infrastructure




UAE’s Wio Bank Inks Partnership With Global Fintech Pine Labs to Modernise Merchant Acquiring Infrastructure

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#APIDriven–Pine Labs, a global fintech platform transforming how businesses accept and manage payments, today announced a strategic partnership with Wio Bank, the Middle East’s leading digital financial platform. The collaboration is going to build a modern acquiring infrastructure for Wio Bank with no legacy tech dependency, enabling faster merchant onboarding, real-time settlement capabilities, and seamless multi-mode payment acceptance at scale.

As part of the partnership, Wio Bank will deploy Credit+, Pine Labs’ modular, API-first acquiring platform, to power its core acquiring operations. Built for speed, scale, and configurability, Credit+ enables intelligent rule-based workflows, data-driven decisioning, and optimisation of payment acceptance rates—while managing the full merchant acquisition and lifecycle journey through a developer-friendly, tech-first architecture.

Designed on a cloud-native, microservices-based framework, Credit+ allows Wio Bank to efficiently scale acquiring volumes with high availability, enterprise-grade security, and regulatory compliance. The platform supports rapid feature rollouts, real-time insights, and operational resilience—critical for digital-first banks operating in high-growth markets.

Commenting on the announcement, B Amrish Rau, CEO, Pine Labs, said, “Our partnership with Wio Bank brings a modern acquiring processing platform to one of the most innovative digital banks in the region. Credit+ is built to deliver high transaction throughput, rapid feature deployment, and seamless scalability through its API-driven, microservices architecture. This collaboration reflects how a modular acquiring stack can help banks move faster, iterate smarter, and scale reliably in a digital-first payments ecosystem.”

Jayesh Patel, CEO of Wio Bank PJSC, said, “At Wio, our focus is on building a banking platform that supports how businesses operate and grow. This partnership with Pine Labs strengthens our ability to deliver simpler, more efficient payment capabilities, from faster onboarding and settlements to easier acceptance across channels. It allows us to continue evolving our infrastructure while building the next generation of payments and value-added services around customer needs, so they can stay focused on running and growing their business.”

Pine Labs partners with leading banks and enterprises globally to modernise legacy financial infrastructure through modular, cloud-native platforms. As the UAE accelerates toward a cashless economy, collaborations between digital-first banks like Wio Bank and global fintechs with strong local presence are playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of payments.

Contacts

Media Contact:

Swati Chauhan

Ruder Finn

swati.chauhan@ruderfinn.com
+91- 8505947705

Tanya Singh

Ruder Finn

Tanya.Singh@ruderfinn.com
+91- 8527996144

UAE’s Wio Bank Inks Partnership With Global Fintech Pine Labs to Modernise Merchant Acquiring Infrastructure




UAE’s Wio Bank Inks Partnership With Global Fintech Pine Labs to Modernise Merchant Acquiring Infrastructure

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#APIDriven–Pine Labs, a global fintech platform transforming how businesses accept and manage payments, today announced a strategic partnership with Wio Bank, the Middle East’s leading digital financial platform. The collaboration is going to build a modern acquiring infrastructure for Wio Bank with no legacy tech dependency, enabling faster merchant onboarding, real-time settlement capabilities, and seamless multi-mode payment acceptance at scale.

As part of the partnership, Wio Bank will deploy Credit+, Pine Labs’ modular, API-first acquiring platform, to power its core acquiring operations. Built for speed, scale, and configurability, Credit+ enables intelligent rule-based workflows, data-driven decisioning, and optimisation of payment acceptance rates—while managing the full merchant acquisition and lifecycle journey through a developer-friendly, tech-first architecture.

Designed on a cloud-native, microservices-based framework, Credit+ allows Wio Bank to efficiently scale acquiring volumes with high availability, enterprise-grade security, and regulatory compliance. The platform supports rapid feature rollouts, real-time insights, and operational resilience—critical for digital-first banks operating in high-growth markets.

Commenting on the announcement, B Amrish Rau, CEO, Pine Labs, said, “Our partnership with Wio Bank brings a modern acquiring processing platform to one of the most innovative digital banks in the region. Credit+ is built to deliver high transaction throughput, rapid feature deployment, and seamless scalability through its API-driven, microservices architecture. This collaboration reflects how a modular acquiring stack can help banks move faster, iterate smarter, and scale reliably in a digital-first payments ecosystem.”

Jayesh Patel, CEO of Wio Bank PJSC, said, “At Wio, our focus is on building a banking platform that supports how businesses operate and grow. This partnership with Pine Labs strengthens our ability to deliver simpler, more efficient payment capabilities, from faster onboarding and settlements to easier acceptance across channels. It allows us to continue evolving our infrastructure while building the next generation of payments and value-added services around customer needs, so they can stay focused on running and growing their business.”

Pine Labs partners with leading banks and enterprises globally to modernise legacy financial infrastructure through modular, cloud-native platforms. As the UAE accelerates toward a cashless economy, collaborations between digital-first banks like Wio Bank and global fintechs with strong local presence are playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of payments.

Contacts

Media Contact:

Swati Chauhan

Ruder Finn

swati.chauhan@ruderfinn.com
+91- 8505947705

Tanya Singh

Ruder Finn

Tanya.Singh@ruderfinn.com
+91- 8527996144

Algolia Showcases the Future of AI-Driven Search and Discovery at Shoptalk Luxe 2026




Algolia Showcases the Future of AI-Driven Search and Discovery at Shoptalk Luxe 2026

At Booth F40, Algolia will demo how luxury retailers can power agentic AI, generative AI, and AI search shopping experiences informed by real consumer behavior and industry trends

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Algolia, the AI Search and Retrieval platform trusted by more than 18,000 businesses and millions of developers worldwide, including 70% of luxury brands, today announced it will be attending Shoptalk Luxe 2026, taking place January 27 through 29 at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. At booth F40, Algolia will host immersive, hands-on demos built for luxury retailers reimagining discovery in a world beyond the traditional website storefront, where consumer expectations are fluid, interfaces are multimodal, and intelligent agents are the new front door.

John Stewart, VP Corporate Communications and Brand at Algolia, said: “The luxury sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation, reshaping how consumers discover, engage with, and ultimately buy the brands they love. At Shoptalk Luxe, Algolia is laser-focused on listening to the real challenges luxury brands face today, and highlighting how AI can power exceptional experiences for today’s consumer whilst anticipating the expectations of tomorrow.”

Earlier this year, conversations across the retail industry highlighted a growing shift toward AI-native shopping experiences. For example, at NRF 2026 in early January, Algolia joined Frasers Group and Microsoft to explore what it means to reinvent retail for consumers increasingly guided by AI. Throughout the event, retail leaders pointed to a common theme: high-value shoppers are turning to AI assistants to curate products, compare options, and make decisions on their behalf. This trend is expected to remain top of mind for luxury retailers as discussions continue at ShopTalk Luxe 2026.

What to expect at the Algolia booth

At Booth F40, Algolia will provide live demos of its Agent Studio platform that enables teams to build and deploy AI agents that are reliable, observable, orchestrated, and ready for production. Attendees will see how AI assistants curate and compare products, allowing them to provide personalized, on-brand experiences for consumers without sacrificing brand integrity.

Algolia will also share recent updates including its collaboration with Microsoft, whereby Algolia will help luxury retailers stay visible, competitive, and in control as shopping shifts to AI-driven discovery. By integrating real-time, enriched product data—including availability and pricing—into Microsoft Copilot, Bing Shopping, and Edge, Algolia will ensure brands show up accurately across emerging conversational and agentic experiences, meeting customers wherever discovery now happens without sacrificing control of their story.

Why this matters

Shopping has officially gone off-site. Consumers are already using AI to shop, and first impressions now happen inside AI tools—often before a shopper ever visits a retailer’s site. Consumers are also becoming more sophisticated in the use of these tools.

For luxury brands, the signal is unmistakable. Algolia survey data from 1,000 U.S. consumers shows that one-third of consumers use generative AI to validate a ‘splurge’ purchase by evaluating long-term value or durability, while another 53% rely on AI image search to make more informed luxury buying decisions.

Until now, brands had little say in what AI showed (or guessed). Algolia changes that, giving retailers direct control over how their products appear in AI-powered experiences by enabling them to ensure:

• Real-time, retailer-approved product data in AI shopping experiences;
• Accurate inventory, pricing, and enriched attributes (eliminating stale feeds, hallucinations);
• Products represented correctly in conversational and agentic journeys.

With Algolia, retailers can stop reacting to AI and start driving it.

To schedule a demo or connect with the Algolia team at Shoptalk Luxe, visit: https://www.algolia.com/events/event-shoptalk-luxe-2026.

About Algolia

Algolia is the leading AI Search and Retrieval platform, powering 1.75 trillion searches a year for more than 18,000 businesses. With a unified keyword and vector search and retrieval engine, Algolia delivers the world’s fastest and most scalable search and discovery technology. Companies rely on Algolia to build agentic, generative, and search experiences through tools like Agent Studio. With over a decade of innovation, Algolia is redefining retrieval-powered applications and the future of AI discovery.

Contacts

Media Contact

Audrey Surette

PAN Communications

algolia@pancomm.com