Latest news with #BobFarrell
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
mPulse Strengthens Market Position with Health Experience and Insights Leadership in Q1 2025
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--mPulse, a leading provider of Health Experience and Insights (HXI) technology, today announced strong Q1 financial performance while concurrently driving momentum focused on improving digital engagement capabilities with its HXI platform, which sees over four billion consumer touch points annually. The company launched key platform enhancements to better enable healthcare organizations to deploy meaningful consumer experiences and successfully advocated for improved healthcare regulations that benefit the broader healthcare community. As the healthcare landscape becomes increasingly digital and performance-driven, mPulse is actively prioritizing platform upgrades to better support its partners, which include 400+ healthcare organizations—including 40 of the country's 50 largest health plans. Decision Point Insights (DPI), mPulse's predictive analytics product, is now integrated with mPulse's omnichannel engagement so that predictive recommendations drive engagement program targeting, and the results of program outreach are visualized in the DPI user interface. This integration allows organizations to orchestrate programs by balancing the needs of consumers and measure program performance in one seamless solution. mPulse saw immediate interest in these updates with national and regional plans that focus on HEDIS, CAHPS, and HOS performance. These health plans leverage data-driven engagement to better design, launch, and optimize engagement strategies across populations at scale. The result is more coordinated and return on investment (ROI)-focused strategies that improve quality outcomes while delivering better experiences for members at every step of their journey. Building on recently launched enhancements, customers can now use self-service engagement tools to quickly develop and launch their own interactive omnichannel programs that incorporate mPulse's core natural language understanding (NLU) capabilities. These capabilities are coupled with mPulse's Activator programs that leverage behavioral science and personalization to address specific healthcare business and member needs. "mPulse is redefining how healthcare organizations engage their consumers and consistently innovating our offerings to ensure our customers have a 360° view of member interactions to streamline operations, reduce costs, save valuable time, and most importantly, improve consumer experience and outcomes,' said Bob Farrell, CEO of mPulse. 'We will continue to be a trusted partner, prioritizing the consumer experience through our HXI products while keeping a pulse on regulations impacting the industry to champion our customer's needs at a macro level.' The company continues its commitment to meeting the enterprise-level needs of the broader healthcare community, including successfully petitioning the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant a limited waiver of forthcoming amendments to the TCPA rules around consent revocation for members earlier this year. Ahead of the ruling going into effect in April of 2026, mPulse is collaborating with leading healthcare organizations to understand their enterprise engagement and consent management strategies, and developing innovative solutions to support their enterprise goals. To see how mPulse can support your organization, visit our website here. About mPulse mPulse, a leader in digital solutions for the healthcare industry, is transforming consumer experiences to deliver better, more equitable health outcomes. By combining AI-powered analytics, omnichannel outreach and digital health navigation technology, mPulse creates personalized health journeys and provides advanced insights to power collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem. With over a decade of experience and 4 billion consumer touchpoints annually, mPulse is the trusted Health Experience and Insights (HXI) partner for over 400 healthcare organizations. To learn more, visit
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Apple's mind-control tech to let users control iPhones with their thoughts
Apple is working on a groundbreaking technology that would allow users to control devices like iPhones, iPads and its Vision Pro headset using only their thoughts. The system, still in early development, is aimed at significantly advancing accessibility and assistive technology for users with physical disabilities. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple has partnered with Synchron, a neurotechnology company known for its innovative brain-computer interface (BCI) called the Stentrode. Unlike more invasive brain implants, the Stentrode is inserted into a blood vessel near the motor cortex, the part of the brain responsible for movement, where it can detect neural signals. These signals are then converted into digital commands, enabling users to perform tasks such as opening apps, navigating menus or interacting with content, all without needing to touch the screen. This isn't just a futuristic concept. Last year, a patient with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) successfully used the Stentrode to control an Apple Vision Pro headset, even exploring a virtual simulation of the Swiss Alps. Synchron is also reportedly looking at how this brain-control system can integrate with AI tools like ChatGPT for enhanced interaction. Apple is believed to be developing a software framework that would allow third-party developers to build compatible applications using this technology. While there's no official launch date, the company may unveil further details later this year. Experts caution that this type of brain-interface control is still years away from mainstream use. Beyond the obvious regulatory and ethical hurdles, the technology remains expensive and requires specialist installation. Still, accessibility advocates are encouraged. Bob Farrell, who works on digital accessibility at Applause, welcomed the news but noted that present-day accessibility remains just as important. 'It's great to see innovation like this,' he said, 'but we still need to make sure everyday devices are easy to use for people with disabilities now.' With tech giants like Apple entering the neurotechnology space, BCIs are edging closer to everyday reality. While mind-controlled iPhones may sound like science fiction today, the foundations are clearly being laid for a more accessible digital future.
Business Wire
13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Applause Survey Highlights Gaps in Digital Accessibility Expertise and QA Processes
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Applause, the world leader in digital quality and crowdsourced testing, released the results of its fifth annual State of Digital Quality in Accessibility survey, revealing growing awareness and adoption of inclusive design practices ahead of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) deadline in June, as well as interest in adopting AI's accessibility-related capabilities. The survey of 1,500+ developers, engineers and QA, UX and legal professionals also found gaps in relevant expertise and QA processes that would help ensure optimal experiences for all users. "Organizations are creating dedicated teams to help ensure digital experiences are inclusive – but unless they have access to testing experts and end users with disabilities for feedback, it will be a significant challenge achieving this goal.' Bob Farrell Despite a growing commitment to digital accessibility, organizations still lack the resources for continuous, independent testing. Many are turning to AI-driven solutions to supplement internal efforts, but additional investment, including in external expertise and support, is needed to bridge the gap. The survey also revealed that not enough AI and generative AI (Gen AI) developers are seeking input from diverse user groups, including people with disabilities (PWD) – a critical oversight that risks reinforcing bias and limiting the inclusive potential of these technologies. Key findings: Digital accessibility awareness has grown steadily over the past four years and is considered an important priority for most organizations. 84% of respondents said that digital accessibility is a top priority (47%) or important priority (37%) for their company. Fewer than 6% consider it a low priority or not a priority at all. 80% have a person or group at their organization responsible for ensuring products are accessible – up from 52% in 2022. And, 86% of them are employing inclusive design principles at the planning stage. Teams are more educated on the topic of digital accessibility, with knowledge ticking upward for the past four years, most notably in the areas of 'advanced' and 'basic' understanding. This year, nearly three-quarters of respondents rated their current understanding as 'intermediate' (36%), 'advanced' (30%) or 'expert' (8%). Despite the increase in awareness, gaps in digital accessibility expertise and QA processes are apparent. Even with dedicated roles and teams overseeing accessibility efforts, 68% of respondents still reported that they lack the expertise and resources to test for accessibility independently, on an ongoing basis. Only one-third of respondents said they directly engage PWD in digital accessibility efforts. And, half of organizations testing AI and Gen AI products are not including underrepresented viewpoints including those of PWD, contributing to biased results. 48% do not have or do not know if they have processes in place to stop the release of inaccessible features into production. There is excitement around AI-powered accessibility and automated tools. 47% of respondents said AI currently provides significant value to accessibility testing, while another 37% believe it will in the next two years. 59% of respondents indicated that they use or plan to use automated tools, which can help identify up to 40% of accessibility issues. 40% of respondents plan to use AI to solve accessibility issues within their organization – while 31% don't know if they'll use AI in this way. 'Our latest survey reveals an increasingly inclusive mindset among the software development community,' said Bob Farrell, Vice President, Solution Delivery & Accessibility, Applause. 'Organizations want to optimize digital experiences for all users – not just check the compliance box, though the upcoming EAA deadline is certainly on their radar. Organizations are creating dedicated teams to help ensure digital experiences are inclusive – but unless they have access to testing experts and end users with disabilities for feedback, it will be a significant challenge achieving this goal.' Additional findings: For the fourth consecutive year, inclusion tops the list of accessibility conformance motivators. When asked to rank the reasons to achieve conformance, 45% of respondents ranked 'improving usability for all users' highest. Other motivators, in descending order of importance, include: 'building positive public perception' (25%), 'gaining/maintaining marketshare' (16%), 'improving SEO' (8%) and 'avoiding litigation' (5%). Development teams are shifting left, with 77% of developers addressing accessibility at the earliest stages of the SDLC – an increase of 6% since 2023. But, mistakes still slip into production. The top issues cited by users include videos lacking captions (32%), website incompatibility with screen readers (30%) and error alerts that are not descriptive (27%). Organizations are aligning with new and upcoming standards, including the EAA. 94% are preparing for the EAA by the June 28, 2025 deadline versus only 58% in 2024. 54% of respondents reported their company meets WCAG 2.2 standards – a 24% increase since 2022. 70% of respondents know their WCAG 2.2 status, versus 58% last year. 'At one time, our clients' main call for accessibility was 'Let's ensure compliance. We don't want to get sued.' And now, they are recognizing that by engaging accessibility experts and people with disabilities to review and test their applications, they open their businesses up to new potential customers around the world,' continued Farrell. 'They want to give all customers an amazing experience that lives up to their high standards for digital quality – ensuring usability for all.' The Accessibility Survey is part of the State of Digital Quality content series from Applause – an extension of 15+ years of helping global organizations achieve and deliver accessible and inclusive experiences to their customers. Based on in-depth analysis of testing platform data, survey results and interviews with customers and internal experts, the report provides guidance on how organizations can build and grow programs that enable optimal, inclusive digital experiences for all users, regardless of disability status. Additional resources: About Applause Applause is the world leader in digital quality – built by innovators, powered by people and dedicated to the comprehensive digital testing and feedback needs of our global enterprise customers. Our fully managed solutions harness a powerful combination of community-based testing and advanced technology to ensure organizations can move quickly to release apps, devices and experiences that are consistently functional, intuitive and inclusive in any market. Our experts steward customers through the entire testing process, from strategy through execution, at every stage of the software development lifecycle. And, we seamlessly supplement existing resources, providing actionable, real-time insights that drive customer retention and revenue. With specialties including accessibility, AI and payment testing, we're proud to be an essential partner to the most innovative names in the digital economy, as we work together to ensure technology works for everyone, everywhere. Learn more at
