Anaqua to Acquire Practice Insight to Round Out its Law Firm IP Management Solutions

Acquisition will enhance both AQX and PATTSY WAVE as IP practice management platforms for law firms by adding fully integrated IP time and billing capabilities

BOSTON, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading global innovation and intellectual property (IP) management technology provider, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Practice Insight Pty Ltd, and its intelligent time capture software WiseTime, from IPH Limited.

In leveraging Practice Insight’s technology for integrated IP time and billing functionality, Anaqua continues its investment in both AQX® Law Firm and PATTSY WAVE® as end-to-end IP practice management solutions, while adding WiseTime, Practice Insight’s flagship autonomous time capture tool to its suite of standalone offerings.

“This acquisition underscores our steadfast commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the law firm market,” said Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua. “We have listened very carefully to practitioner feedback across the globe, and it is clear that law firms are seeking IP management solutions that offer advanced reporting and analytics, integrated document management, secure cloud hosting, collaborative client portals, intuitive user experience – and integrated time and billing. With the acquisition of Practice Insight, we will now have all of these features fully integrated into both AQX Law Firm and PATTSY WAVE.”

The Practice Insight team, led by co-founder and current CEO Thomas Haines, will maintain its footprint in Perth, Australia, joining Anaqua’s global R&D organization.

“Our companies share a deep passion for leveraging technology to drive efficiency within IP operations,” said Haines, a former practicing patent attorney, who will join Anaqua as Vice President and continue to lead the Practice Insight team. “We have quickly developed a strong rapport with the Anaqua team and look forward to joining the organization, as we execute against our shared vision for an end-to-end IPMS for law firms.”

“WiseTime’s service offering strongly aligns with Anaqua’s suite of IP management software and will provide the team growth opportunities,” said Andrew Blattman, IPH CEO and Managing Director. “We wish the team every future success as part of Anaqua.”

The transaction is conditional on regulatory approvals and other usual conditions and is expected to complete early in the third quarter.

About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services for corporations and law firms. Its IP management software solutions, AQX and PATTSY WAVE, both offer best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech-enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision-making, and streamline IP operations, tailored to each segment’s need. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua’s solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company’s global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or on LinkedIn.

About WiseTime (also known as Practice Insight)
As a member of IPH, WiseTime (also known as Practice Insight) has been at the forefront of developing IP business intelligence software, including its flagship offering WiseTime, a seamless and automated timekeeping solution. For more information, please visit wisetime.com, or on LinkedIn.

About IPH Limited
IPH is the Asia Pacific’s leading intellectual property services group, comprising a network of member firms working in eight IP jurisdictions and servicing more than 25 countries. The group includes leading IP firms AJ Park, Applied Marks, Griffith Hack, Pizzeys and Spruson & Ferguson, and the autonomous timekeeping business, WiseTime, and employs more than 900 people working in Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand. For more information, visit IPH Limited, or on LinkedIn.

Company Contact:
Amanda Hollis
Director, Communications
Anaqua
617-375-5808
ahollis@Anaqua.com


Zoom Expands Developer Platform with Launch of Zoom Apps SDK

Zoom Apps SDK enables developers to build new applications that transform the meeting experience

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) announced the general availability of the Zoom Apps SDK, which provides developers with the resources and support infrastructure needed to build Zoom Apps within the Zoom client. By building on the Zoom Apps SDK, developers can reach Zoom customers, and users can discover and add new apps within the same client they use every day. Over 100 Zoom Apps have been published by developer partners to enrich meeting experiences ranging from meeting productivity, team collaboration, and social networking to gaming.

“To meet customer expectations, organizations continue to look for ways to evolve their businesses and scale workflows, which leads to an increased need for developers to have access to develop innovative app capabilities and features,” said Brendan Ittelson, Chief Technology Officer at Zoom. “With the launch of the Zoom Apps SDK, the Zoom Developer Platform continues to expand and offer developers new ways to incorporate video communications and collaboration into their creations, transforming business workflows forever.”

“The ability to leverage APIs to enable application integration and innovation is a critical digital transformation need,” says Irwin Lazar, President and Principal Analyst at Metrigy. “More than 84% of IT professionals in our research say that API availability is important for employee and customer engagement use cases. General availability of the Zoom Apps SDK will make it easier, and faster, for developers to deliver business benefits through a variety of ways.”

Zoom Apps SDK broadens developer capabilities by:

  • Increasing the reach of new applications by tapping into Zoom’s global and diverse audience, listing apps on the Zoom App Marketplace and in the Zoom client where apps can be installed even during a Zoom Meeting
  • Extending new apps to create collaborative experiences across Zoom Meetings
  • Creating engaging experiences for customers both within and outside of Zoom Meetings

Zoom Apps SDK is a JavaScript SDK that provides access to client features such as setting the Virtual Background while also providing the app context for the interaction. Fundamentally, it uses a method to get the meeting context, with identifiers for the user and meeting. These identifiers can be used with a comprehensive set of API endpoints from the Zoom Developer Platform, including REST APIs and Webhooks to enrich the app experience.

With the Zoom Apps SDK, companies are able to create engaging experiences within Zoom Meetings, and in the Zoom desktop window for asynchronous collaboration.

“In this new era of hybrid work, businesses are using more apps than ever to collaborate and get work done from anywhere,” said Ketan Kittur, Vice President, Product Management at Box. “We know that customers want all of their favorite apps to work securely and seamlessly together. With the Zoom Apps SDK, we created the Box app for Zoom which empowers our thousands of joint customers to work frictionlessly across our two platforms.”

Getting Started with Zoom Apps SDK
Building with Zoom Apps SDK is simple. Here’s how to get started:

  1. Build the app: Utilize the Zoom Apps SDK to develop and customize an app.
  2. Complete the submission checklist: Before submitting an app for review, ensure all items are completed in the Submission Requirements. The checklist covers marketing, privacy, legal, support, and technical information.
  3. Submit the app for review: All apps submitted for publication undergo a thorough review, including functional and usability testing, and security and compliance review.
  4. Publish on App Marketplace: Once published, the app will be available to all users through an embeddable button.

To learn more about the Zoom Apps SDK, please read our blog.

About Zoom
Zoom is for you. Zoom is a space where you can connect to others, share ideas, make plans, and build toward a future limited only by your imagination. Our frictionless communications platform is the only one that started with video as its foundation, and we have set the standard for innovation ever since. That is why we are an intuitive, scalable, and secure choice for large enterprises, small businesses, and individuals alike. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom.

Zoom Public Relations
Kim Gaertner
Developer PR Manager
press@zoom.us

Infant Formula Producers Facing Crisis Can Rely on Southern California ProTab Labs for Safe Rapid Large-Scale Production of Premixes and Packaging Solutions

Foothill Ranch, Calif., June 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — To tackle the infant formula crisis, producers can rely on Southern California supplement solutions contract manufacturer ProTab Laboratories to blend custom premixes and produce and package infant formula with a rapid turnaround time.

“ProTab is in the perfect position as a supplement solution manufacturer and packager to prioritize infant formula production with safety and scale to help replenish the supply in the market,” said Joanne Hsu, vice president of operations. “We are ready to produce safe, high-quality premixes with careful processing and top-quality standards at our facility for reassuring parents and babies that they will have access to quality and safe infant formula.”

Safety continues to be at the forefront of the crisis. ProTab has the capabilities of in-house analytical laboratory services for quality control validation, including analytical capabilities. The company is FDA registered with cGMP, FSMA, and FSSC 22000 certified by NSF.

“ProTab can rapidly turn around the production of powder and premix for liquid infant formula at a large scale to bolster the supply of products with proper FDA-inspected nutritional values and safety,” said Hsu. “Our certifications are the gold standard of safety for reassuring our manufacture of food and supplement solutions, including infant formula premix solutions.”

“As a GFSI certified producer and packager of supplement solutions, ProTab elevates food safety to the next level with our state-of-the-art facility, coupled with our quality control procedures and testing,” said Fariba Samadi, director of quality assurance and regulatory affairs. “Following stringent quality assurance and safety processes, we evaluate the quality of raw materials before manufacturing as well as the finished goods.”

Infant formula producers can leverage ProTab’s modern technology for precision blending needed for producing infant formula. Microencapsulation is offered to mask the undesirable characteristics of particular additives and formula ingredients. The technology is part of ProTab’s recent multimillion-dollar expansion to increase the footprint for blending and mixing premix solutions.

ProTab can also help secure the best materials and ingredients if needed; the company keeps up with the newest production and delivery technologies and the latest regulatory requirements and considers modern formulation and consumer trends.

For specific needs in labeling and standards, ProTab Labs can manufacture products to the specification of USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, Halal, and Kosher. The company is registered with Health Canada as a foreign manufacturer site.

“We encourage infant formula manufacturers and brand holders to bring their formulas and packaging schematics to work with us,” said Hsu. “We are confident in helping everyone get through the bottleneck together and positioning ProTab as a long-term infant formula production partner,” said Hsu.

About ProTab Laboratories
ProTab Laboratories is a custom research contract manufacturer operating a state-of-the-art facility in Southern California for providing rapid turnaround services for tablet, capsule, and powder form products, along with high-capacity mixing processes for nutritional and dietary supplements, tableting, microencapsulation, granulation, and milling. ProTab can guide brands through the product development and technical process from inception to the final product.

Contact us at info@protablabs.com.

For brands that would like to strengthen their vendor diversity profile, ProTab is also a certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise.

Certifications
ProTab’s manufacturing operation is fully compliant with all current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) established within the industry and meets or exceeds all quality standards for Nutritional Supplements. The company has established Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to ensure that this standard is met in all manufacturing process phases. Our quality control standards are compliant with Kosher, Halal, Health Canada, USDA Organic, State of California Department of Public Health, NSF, and Non-GMO Project Verified.

Attachments

Ana Arakelian, Head of Public Relations and Communications
ProTab Laboratories
949.635.1930
pr@protablabs.com

McKinsey & Company’s new research shows the metaverse could grow up to $5 trillion in value by 2030

‘Value Creation in the Metaverse’ report examines the massive, global impact of the metaverse across key sectors and businesses

NEW YORK and LONDON and PARIS, June 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — McKinsey & Company released its new report “Value creation in the metaverse,” which shows the metaverse may be too big to ignore. McKinsey’s preliminary forecast shows the metaverse has the potential to grow up to $5 trillion in value by 2030. It shows e-commerce as the largest economic force ($2.6 trillion), ahead of sectors such as virtual learning ($270 billion), advertising ($206 billion), and gaming ($125 billion).

As companies of all different shapes and sizes look to enter the metaverse, this extensive report provides a clear view of what the metaverse is and is not, what first movers are doing, what’s fueling the investment, and the potential for consumer and B2B companies.

The report builds on multiple proprietary insights and analysis, including a survey of more than 3,400 consumers and executives on adoption of the metaverse, its potential, and its likely impact on behavior. The researchers also interviewed metaverse builders and industry experts.

“The metaverse represents a strategic inflection point for companies, and it presents a significant opportunity to influence the way we live, connect, learn, innovate, and collaborate,” said Eric Hazan, senior partner, McKinsey & Company. “Our ambition is to help leaders of both consumer and B2B companies better understand its power and potential, identify strategic imperatives, and act as a force for its evolution.”

What’s fueling the metaverse investment
Already this year, companies, venture capital, and private equity firms have invested more than $120 billion in the metaverse—more than double the $57 billion invested in all of last year.

Multiple factors are driving this investor enthusiasm:

  • ongoing technological advances across the infrastructure required to power the metaverse
  • demographic tailwinds
  • increasingly consumer-led brand marketing and engagement
  • increasing marketplace readiness as users explore today’s version of the metaverse, which is largely driven by gaming while applications emerge in socializing, fitness, commerce, virtual learning, and other uses

Already, more than three billion gamers worldwide have access to different versions of the metaverse.

“While the idea of connecting virtually has been decades in the making, it is now increasingly real, meaning real people are using it and spending real money and companies are betting big,” said Lareina Yee, senior partner, McKinsey & Company. “Yet this booming interest has made it difficult to separate hype from reality. It’s worth remembering that while the bust of the first dot-com boom resulted in the disappearance of scores of companies, the internet itself went from strength to strength, giving rise to new entrants.”

Consumers are already engaging in the metaverse
Consumers are already there. McKinsey’s research shows consumers are excited about transitioning life into the metaverse, with almost six in ten (59%) consumers preferring at least one metaverse experience over its physical alternative.

Among those consumers, certain types of activities stand out for being most preferred in the immersive world:

  • shopping—purchasing physical or virtual goods (79%)
  • attending virtual social events or playing social games (78%)
  • exercising using virtual reality (76%)

Senior leaders believe the metaverse will have a significant impact on their industry
Business leaders see the metaverse’s potential to drive impact and margin growth. Ninety-five percent of leaders say they expect the metaverse to have a positive impact on their industry within five to ten years, with 31 percent saying the metaverse will fundamentally change the way their industry operates. More significantly, a quarter of leaders expect the metaverse technology to drive more than 15 percent of their organization’s total margin growth in the next five years.

“The metaverse has put us at the cusp of the next wave of digital disruption,” said Tarek Elmasry, senior partner, McKinsey & Company. “It’s transformative. It will likely have a major impact on our commercial and personal lives, which is why businesses, policy makers, consumers, and citizens may want to explore and understand as much as they can about this phenomenon, the technology that will underpin it, and the ramifications it could have for our economies and wider society.”

For more insights and to read the full report, please click here.

About the report
McKinsey surveyed more than 3,400 consumers and senior executives across Asia–Pacific, China, Europe, and the United States to gain insight into the habits of current metaverse users—their motivations, what they are doing, and what they expect to do. In analyzing the metaverse’s value-creation potential and total investment landscape, we examined the drivers of activity among major corporations, venture capital, and private-equity funds. We examined the potential impact of the metaverse on sectors most closely tied to its technology and uses, supplementing our work with additional research, case studies, and real-world examples. The report also includes an in-depth analysis of five industries: apparel, fashion, and luxury; consumer packaged goods; financial services; retail; and telecommunications, media, and technology.

About McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm committed to helping organizations realize sustainable, inclusive growth. We work with clients across the private, public, and social sectors to solve complex problems and create positive change for all their stakeholders. We combine bold strategies and transformative technologies to help organizations innovate more sustainably, achieve lasting gains in performance, and build workforces that will thrive for in this generation and the next.

About Growth, Marketing & Sales, McKinsey & Company
The mission of McKinsey’s Growth, Marketing & Sales Practice is to help leaders of both consumer and business-to-business clients create Growth That Matters through meaningful transformations and marketing-driven profit. The practice helps its clients set their strategic direction, develop their marketing and sales capabilities, and connect their organization to realize the full potential of today’s omnichannel opportunities. Clients benefit from McKinsey’s experience in core areas of growth, marketing and sales such as growth strategy, branding, customer insights, marketing ROI, digital marketing, CLM, pricing, and sales and channel management.

For more information, please contact
US media contact: MaryLiz Ghanem, DiGennaro Communications, McKinsey-DiGennaro@digennaro-usa.com, +1 917 518 8422

UK media contact: Ruth Jones, 3THINKRS, mckinsey@3thinkrs.com, +44 0208 0872843

Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. Selects Anaqua for Integrated IP Management

Global document solutions provider to use Anaqua’s AQX platform to help manage and optimize its extensive patent portfolio

BOSTON, June 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property management solutions, today announced that global document solutions provider Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. has selected Anaqua’s AQX platform for integrated management of the company’s extensive patent portfolio.

Headquartered in Osaka, Japan, Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. provides customers worldwide with a range of products, business applications, and consultative services to optimize and manage their document workflow, greatly enhancing operational efficiency.

Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. chose Anaqua’s AQX Corporate platform as its primary patent management system with patent annuity payments from Anaqua Services fully integrated to unify patent management and payment management. Through this integrated functionality of the AQX Corporate platform and the availability of detailed, up-to-the-minute data visualization dashboards, Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. will be able to better manage, maintain and optimize the value of its portfolio.

“We were looking for an integrated approach that would enable us to manage our patent portfolio more efficiently and holistically,” said General Manager of Legal and Intellectual Property Division, Seitaro Yoshida of Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. “AQX’s comprehensive intellectual property management platform enabled global IP management for us. During implementation, Anaqua and Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. worked closely together to build up a new workflow. Anaqua listened and were responsive to our needs, enabling us to achieve the best fit for our operations.”

“We are delighted to have been selected by Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. to help them manage their IP as the company continues in its goal of helping other organizations around the world put knowledge to work to drive change,” said Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua. “The agreement not only reflects our strength in the business solutions sector, but also our increasing role in the Japanese market, where more and more companies are entrusting Anaqua with their IP management.”

About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services for corporations and law firms. Its IP management software solutions, AQX and PATTSY WAVE, both offer best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech-enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision-making, and streamline IP operations, tailored to each segment’s need. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua’s solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company’s global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or on LinkedIn.

About Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. is a global leading provider of total document solutions based in Osaka, Japan. The company’s portfolio includes reliable and eco-friendly MFPs and printers, as well as business applications and consultative services which enable customers to optimize and manage their document workflow, reaching new heights of efficiency. With professional expertise and a culture of empathetic partnership, the objective of the company is to help organisations put knowledge to work to drive change.

Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. is a group company of Kyocera Corporation (Kyocera), a leading supplier of semiconductor packages, industrial and automotive components, semiconductor packages, electronic devices, smart energy systems, printers, copiers, and mobile phones. During the year ended March 31, 2022, the Kyocera Group’s consolidated sales revenue totaled 1.8 trillion yen (approx. US$15.1 billion). Kyocera is ranked #665 on Forbes magazine’s 2022 “Global 2000” list of the world’s largest publicly traded companies, and has been named by The Wall Street Journal among “The World’s 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies.”

Company Contact:
Amanda Hollis
Communications Director
Anaqua
617-375-2626
ahollis@Anaqua.com