Latest news with #Giga
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Cub Swanson to coach old foe Giga Chikadze at UFC on ESPN 66 in 'full circle' moment
Cub Swanson to coach old foe Giga Chikadze at UFC on ESPN 66 in 'full circle' moment Life is funny sometimes, as Cub Swanson was recently reminded. Swanson (30-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) is in Kansas City, Mo. for UFC on ESPN 66, but he's not the one fighting. With his competitive career either completed or in its absolute final twilight stages (he's undecided), Swanson is mainly focused on managing and coaching. It's been a slow transition that he's progressed as his career wound down. While Swanson has mainly focused on a growing mainstay of young up-and-coming fighters, he was surprised to see a veteran walk into his gym and ask for assistance – particularly because this veteran knocked him out in the first round of their May 2021 clash. Despite their clash years ago, Swanson was able to build a strong relationship with his new fighter, Giga Chikadze. Chikadze (15-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) battles David Onama (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in a featherweight bout Saturday on the main card at T-Mobile Center. 'That was a wild one because we had our history," Swanson recently told MMA Junkie Radio. "There is no real bad blood, but you know me. Every time I've lost to people, sometimes I've got an ego, too. I try not to. I try to just be a good person. But when someone holds a win over you, it burns. Sometimes, it's taking me a decade. Sometimes longer to get over. But I do. Giga walked into my gym humbly and asked for my help. I didn't have a good reason to tell him now. I was like, 'OK, we'll see how it goes.' It's been great. He's been a real good addition. It hasn't been a whole lot of time, but we've been working well. He's been listening to little changes I've made in the way he fights to make him more fluid and kind of keep the same pace consistently. So I'm really excited to see what he can do.' Swanson can't help but be amazed by what he calls a full-circle moment. He remembers the fight against Chikadze as if it were yesterday, particularly due to the heightened emotional state he was in before, during, and after it. "When my manager [Kami Safdari] passed away was when I ended up fighting Giga," Swanson said. "That was a very tough time for me. He beat me in the first round and it crushed me. In that moment, I needed that win in my mind so badly. But what I realized was that I need to start figuring out life after fighting now. Everyone says don't put one foot in, one foot out. That's how you get hurt. But to me, it was like, 'Why wouldn't I get a running start?' So that way when I do get out of fighting, I'm not panicking and freaking out like a lot of people. That was very important to me so I wasn't panicking before fights, putting so much into my performance every fight. Because if I already know I've got something cooking for after fighting, I'm not going to put so much pressure on myself. That became my mentality. It's kind of crazy that full circle. Giga comes into my gym. I'm starting to train him, and now I'm starting to take on more of the coaching role. It's weird how life works out."
The National
21-03-2025
- Business
- The National
Unicef official calls for action to bridge digital divide between boys and girls
The private sector must play a greater role in closing the digital divide between boys and girls, particularly for young girls in low-income countries, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef). Up to 90 per cent of adolescent girls in low-income countries remain offline, depriving economies of nearly $1 trillion in GDP over the past decade, a loss that could hit $1.5 trillion by the end of 2025. Their male peers are also twice as likely to be online, Unicef analysis shows. The situation is such that there is now an urgent need for collaboration between governments, industry leaders and humanitarian organisations to ensure equitable digital access for all children, Carla Haddad Mardini, Unicef's director of private sector partnerships and fund-raising, told The National. 'If you look at the digital divide between the Global North and the Global South, and specifically when it comes to women, it disproportionately impacts women and young girls and it impacts futures in terms of access to the internet, to learning, and developing digital foundational skills,' Ms Mardini said. 'Digital numeracy and digital skills are critical. We need children and young people to be equipped to benefit from the advantages that will come from tech, from AI, and from all the improvements happening in that space.' Ms Mardini pointed to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which took place earlier this month, as an example of the gender gap. 'There were very few women there; the sector remains male-dominated,' she said. 'Unfortunately, not enough women are breaking barriers at the highest levels in tech. We did, however, bring two young girls who have excelled – one from Ecuador and one from Lebanon – because we believe that, to bridge the digital divide, young people must have a stronger voice in these spaces.' Unicef has launched several global initiatives to expand digital access and support learning for displaced children. One example is the Giga initiative, which is set on connecting every school in the world to the internet. Another project, co-created with Microsoft, is the Learning Passport, which helps displaced children continue their education and enable equitable access to high quality learning for more than 10 million learners in more than 46 countries, half of them girls. 'It allows children on the move who are displaced in countries suffering from natural disasters or armed conflict, or who have become refugees, to continue their learning,' Ms Mardini said. 'If there's no connectivity, they can do it offline, but it's adapted to their reality and their situation. [The Learning Passport] can cater to their needs and [allow them to] enter the labour force with the right skills and the right quality learning.' The Global Coalition on Youth Mental Health, a collaboration between Unicef and the Z Zurich Foundation, a global community investment charity, hopes to ensure child and youth mental health is prioritised on the social, economic, and political agenda, strengthening the skills and supportive environments for the mental health of 50 million children and young people in 150 countries by 2030. Another major initiative is Laaha, a virtual platform for young girls that provides digital access and resources. 'It's a space online to help young girls access information,' Ms Mardini said. 'It's fascinating.' Laaha currently reaches half a million girls in eight languages. Education is just as critical as access to clean water, food, and health care, particularly in conflict zones, Ms Mardini said, as she shared her own experience of how precarious access to learning can be. 'I come from Lebanon. During the war in the 1980s and 1990s, the number one priority for my parents was to keep us in learning,' she said. 'Whether the school was closed, shut down, bombed, whatever, we would sometimes have the teacher come home and, as a community, organise ourselves for group classes, or even study in bunkers to keep learning when you didn't even know if you would be alive the next day. 'Education, for Unicef and for us, is life-saving. If it's protected at the same time as water and sanitation, access to health care, then we ensure that children and young people can have a future.' Ms Mardini called on the private sector to do more, noting that no single entity can bridge the gap alone. 'Unicef is not a watchdog of the private sector [but we have] a very strong dialogue at industry level. We know businesses focus on their bottom line, productivity, and profitability, but we think there is no sustainable profitability if the impacts are egregious on society and on children, specifically. There's no productivity and profitability without equity and without safety, and this has to be done from the design phase.' Ms Mardini added: 'No UN agency, multilateral agency, or NGO, whether international or local, can do it alone. We really need to come hand in hand and work together at the intersection of private and public sector – to make sure no child or young person is left behind.' However, Ms Mardini noted that greater connectivity comes at a cost and stressed the importance of online safety. 'There are risks and downsides, and Unicef works hard with the sector at industry level to discuss how we can make sure child online safety is a top priority from the design phase of the products and not an afterthought. 'We want to see the private sector move from a no-harm approach to a do-good approach and, even further, to consider themselves as actors that can impact and drive societal benefits.'
The National
21-03-2025
- Business
- The National
Unicef calls for action to bridge digital divide between boys and girls
The private sector must play a greater role in closing the digital divide between boys and girls, particularly for young girls in low-income countries, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef). Up to 90 per cent of adolescent girls in low-income countries remain offline, depriving economies of nearly $1 trillion in GDP over the past decade, a loss that could hit $1.5 trillion by the end of 2025. Their male peers are also twice as likely to be online, Unicef analysis shows. The situation is such that there is now an urgent need for collaboration between governments, industry leaders and humanitarian organisations to ensure equitable digital access for all children, Carla Haddad Mardini, Unicef's director of private sector partnerships and fund-raising, told The National. 'If you look at the digital divide between the Global North and the Global South, and specifically when it comes to women, it disproportionately impacts women and young girls and it impacts futures in terms of access to the internet, to learning, and developing digital foundational skills,' Ms Mardini said. 'Digital numeracy and digital skills are critical. We need children and young people to be equipped to benefit from the advantages that will come from tech, from AI, and from all the improvements happening in that space.' Ms Mardini pointed to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which took place earlier this month, as an example of the gender gap. 'There were very few women there; the sector remains male-dominated,' she said. 'Unfortunately, not enough women are breaking barriers at the highest levels in tech. We did, however, bring two young girls who have excelled – one from Ecuador and one from Lebanon – because we believe that, to bridge the digital divide, young people must have a stronger voice in these spaces.' Unicef has launched several global initiatives to expand digital access and support learning for displaced children. One example is the Giga initiative, which is set on connecting every school in the world to the internet. Another project, co-created with Microsoft, is the Learning Passport, which helps displaced children continue their education and enable equitable access to high quality learning for more than 10 million learners in more than 46 countries, half of them girls. 'It allows children on the move who are displaced in countries suffering from natural disasters or armed conflict, or who have become refugees, to continue their learning,' Ms Mardini said. 'If there's no connectivity, they can do it offline, but it's adapted to their reality and their situation. [The Learning Passport] can cater to their needs and [allow them to] enter the labour force with the right skills and the right quality learning.' The Global Coalition on Youth Mental Health, a collaboration between Unicef and the Z Zurich Foundation, a global community investment charity, hopes to ensure child and youth mental health is prioritised on the social, economic, and political agenda, strengthening the skills and supportive environments for the mental health of 50 million children and young people in 150 countries by 2030. Another major initiative is Laaha, a virtual platform for young girls that provides digital access and resources. 'It's a space online to help young girls access information,' Ms Mardini said. 'It's fascinating.' Laaha currently reaches half a million girls in eight languages. Education is just as critical as access to clean water, food, and health care, particularly in conflict zones, Ms Mardini said, as she shared her own experience of how precarious access to learning can be. 'I come from Lebanon. During the war in the 1980s and 1990s, the number one priority for my parents was to keep us in learning,' she said. 'Whether the school was closed, shut down, bombed, whatever, we would sometimes have the teacher come home and, as a community, organise ourselves for group classes, or even study in bunkers to keep learning when you didn't even know if you would be alive the next day. 'Education, for Unicef and for us, is life-saving. If it's protected at the same time as water and sanitation, access to health care, then we ensure that children and young people can have a future.' Ms Mardini called on the private sector to do more, noting that no single entity can bridge the gap alone. 'Unicef is not a watchdog of the private sector [but we have] a very strong dialogue at industry level. We know businesses focus on their bottom line, productivity, and profitability, but we think there is no sustainable profitability if the impacts are egregious on society and on children, specifically. There's no productivity and profitability without equity and without safety, and this has to be done from the design phase.' Ms Mardini added: 'No UN agency, multilateral agency, or NGO, whether international or local, can do it alone. We really need to come hand in hand and work together at the intersection of private and public sector – to make sure no child or young person is left behind.' However, Ms Mardini noted that greater connectivity comes at a cost and stressed the importance of online safety. 'There are risks and downsides, and Unicef works hard with the sector at industry level to discuss how we can make sure child online safety is a top priority from the design phase of the products and not an afterthought. 'We want to see the private sector move from a no-harm approach to a do-good approach and, even further, to consider themselves as actors that can impact and drive societal benefits.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jamf Holding Corp (JAMF) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue Growth and Strategic ...
Q4 Revenue Growth: 8% year-over-year. Full Year Revenue Growth: 12% year-over-year. Non-GAAP Operating Income Margin (Q4): 18%. Non-GAAP Operating Income Margin (Full Year): 16%. Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR): $646 million, 10% year-over-year growth. Security ARR Growth: 17% year-over-year to $156 million. Net Retention Rate: 104% in Q4. Unlevered Free Cash Flow Margin: 12%, up from 10% in the prior year. Device Support: Approximately 33.2 million devices. Customer Count: 76,500 customers. 2025 Revenue Outlook (Q1): $165.5 to $167.5 million, 9-10% growth. 2025 Revenue Outlook (Full Year): $675.5 to $680.5 million, 8.1% growth at midpoint. 2025 Non-GAAP Operating Income Margin Outlook: 21% at midpoint. Unlevered Free Cash Flow Growth Outlook: At least 75% for 2025. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Signs with JAMF. Release Date: February 27, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Jamf Holding Corp (NASDAQ:JAMF) achieved strong Q4 results with an 8% year-over-year revenue growth and a non-GAAP operating income margin of 18%, exceeding their outlook. The company reported a full-year revenue growth of 12% and a non-GAAP operating income margin of 16%, meeting their financial targets for all four quarters of 2024. Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) grew 10% year-over-year to $646 million, with security ARR growing 17% to $156 million. International revenue grew 17% in 2024, now representing over a third of total revenue, with expectations for continued growth as they invest in strategic geographies. Jamf Holding Corp (NASDAQ:JAMF) launched a new partner program and system updates, showing significant uptick in partner-led deal registrations, indicating strong channel growth potential. Net retention rate decreased slightly to 104% in Q4, indicating some challenges in maintaining customer retention. Less strategic sources of revenue, such as services and licenses, continue to experience year-over-year declines. Trailing 12-month unlevered free cash flow margin was lower than expected at 12% due to delayed billings and collections. The company faced minor data reconfiguration issues that impacted ARR, customer count, and device count metrics. There is ongoing uncertainty in the selling environment due to layoffs and budget constraints, impacting future revenue growth projections. Q: Can you discuss the recent trends in the tech and education sectors and what you expect from these industries in 2025? A: John Strosahl, CEO: Q4 was strong, with notable bookings growth. In tech, we've seen growth, especially in Mac and mobile security. Education remains significant, with opportunities like the Giga project in Japan and the Ministry of Education in Singapore selecting us. We're optimistic about both sectors as buyer confidence returns. Q: Security growth ticked below 20%. How much was impacted by the data reclassification, and how is demand trending for this suite? A: David Rudow, CFO: The adjustment impacted security growth by about 2%, so it would have been 19% instead of 17%. John Strosahl, CEO: There's strong interest in our Apple-specific security solutions, with significant uptake in both commercial and educational sectors. Q: Your guidance implies reaching a rule of 30 for 2025. How do you plan to achieve a rule of 40 by 2026? A: David Rudow, CFO: Our goal is to exit 2026 at a rule of 40 run rate, driven by revenue growth and continued margin expansion. We've improved margins significantly over the past two years and plan to continue this trend. Q: Can you elaborate on the competitive dynamics, particularly regarding VMware Broadcom? A: John Strosahl, CEO: Competitive dynamics have been consistent. We continue to win customers due to our ability to innovate at Apple's pace, which is a concern for some competitors. We're seeing a steady replacement market as multi-year contracts come up for renewal. Q: With recent success in education, how does the partner channel play a role internationally, and what's the future roadmap for added security capabilities? A: John Strosahl, CEO: Our channel partners are crucial, especially outside the US. Security is increasingly a requirement, and our integrated management and security solutions set us apart. This is important for channel partners who supply both solutions. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Mid East Info
14-02-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Diriyah Company Selects IBM Maximo Application Suite to Enhance Asset Management and Enable Operational Efficiency Across Its Expansive Infrastructure
Diriyah Company, the developer behind Saudi Arabia's ambitious 14sq km City of Earth urban development project has selected IBM Maximo Application Suite (MAS) to monitor and manage assets across the Diriyah Project. As a $63.2 billion Public Investment Fund (PIF) Giga project, the deployment of IBM's leading enterprise asset management (EAM) solution will enable Diriyah to drive enhanced asset performance, predictive maintenance, and operational optimization for the mixed-use urban development. It is another important step in helping Diriyah become one of the world's most sophisticated and advanced smart city developments. The announcement was made during LEAP 2025, the premier technology event in Riyadh, where industry leaders and innovators gathered to showcase advancements shaping the future of digital transformation. With implementation already underway, Diriyah Company is able to leverage IBM Maximo Application Suite's AI-driven capabilities to enable real-time asset monitoring, predictive analytics, and condition-based maintenance, reducing downtime and ensuring long-term sustainability for its infrastructure. By integrating critical workloads such as AI-driven asset performance analysis, real-time condition monitoring, and predictive analytics into a centralized solution, the company is set to enhance operational reliability and cost efficiency. Through this collaboration, IBM Maximo empowers Diriyah to navigate the challenges of rapid urbanization and population growth while ensuring sustainable resource management, operational efficiency, and resilience. This will help Diriyah Company to address aging infrastructure, rising energy demands, and growing public expectations for smart, technologically advanced solutions, thereby setting new standards in efficient and sustainable urban development. Diriyah Company Group CEO, Jerry Inzerillo said: 'The exciting new collaboration with IBM marks a pivotal step towards our vision, enabling us to construct sustainable, technology-driven infrastructure that enables our ultimate goal of becoming one of the world's most advanced smart cities. This exemplifies the vital role that efficient asset management plays in striking the right balance to achieve rapid urbanization, sustainable operations, and superior operational standards. It is another important milestone in our accelerating development program in building our vibrant new city on the outskirts of Riyadh.' The project marks a strategic milestone in Diriyah Company's digital transformation journey, reinforcing its commitment to leveraging advanced technology for sustainable urban development and leading-edge Smart City technology. 'We are thrilled to partner with Diriyah Company at the forefront of this transformative initiative, harnessing the power of technology and AI to reach operational excellence powered by intelligent assets,' said Fahad Alanazi, General Manager, IBM Saudi Arabia. 'Through the integration of predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring capabilities within IBM Maximo Application Suite, Diriyah Company stands poised to catapult its asset management practices into unprecedented heights, aiming to achieve not only uninterrupted operations as the project expands but also pioneering a new paradigm of smart, efficient infrastructure development.' Ziad Lamaa, General Manager, eSoltuions Saudi Arabia said: 'eSolutions is proud to be chosen for the implementation of the IBM Maximo Application Suite. With our extensive expertise in deploying enterprise asset management solutions, we are dedicated to optimizing performance and maximizing efficiency. Our proven track record of successful implementations across various industries ensures a seamless and successful rollout for Diriyah Company.' The implementation of IBM Maximo enhances Diriyah's hybrid cloud strategy, with IBM offering a flexible deployment model that integrates on-premises infrastructure with cloud environments. This approach enables enhanced data-driven decision-making, more efficient asset utilization, and increased resilience—crucial factors in Saudi Arabia's evolving urban and infrastructure landscape. About Diriyah: Diriyah, Saudi Arabia's premier historical, cultural, and lifestyle destination, is a key component of Saudi Arabia's 2030 Vision. A short 15-minute drive from Riyadh's city center, this 14-square-kilometer development holds historical significance as the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, dating back to 1727. Currently being developed by Diriyah Company, Diriyah is undergoing a transformation into an authentic Najdi-style mixed-use urban community. Diriyah's centerpiece is At-Turaif, the UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2010, showcasing the ancient adobe capital city of the First Saudi State, dating back to 1766. Upon completion, Diriyah will host more than 100,000 residents, workers, students, and visitors, offering a diverse range of cultural, entertainment, retail, hospitality, educational, and residential spaces. The first of those spaces include Bujairi Terrace, Riyadh's new premium dining hub with over 20 global and local restaurants and cafes that enjoy uninterrupted views of At-Turaif. Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection Hotel is the first hospitality offering in Diriyah, providing a tranquil experience with panoramic views of Wadi Hanifah. Diriyah's development provides a dynamic environment that celebrates Saudi Arabia's rich cultural history. About Diriyah Company: Diriyah Company was launched in 2023 and joined the Public Investment Fund's (PIF) portfolio of giga-projects. The Company is responsible for developing the Diriyah project, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its foremost historical, cultural, and lifestyle destination. A dynamic mixed-use developer, Diriyah Company is redefining urban planning to develop Diriyah, 'The City of Earth', while adhering to the highest design, development, and preservation standards. The company ensures Diriyah's cultural landmarks are complemented by world-class retail offerings, fine-dining experiences, and leading hospitality brands. As a PIF company, its mission focuses on opportunities in development, hospitality, investment, retail, and office leasing, along with strategic asset management, underscoring the commitment to ensuring successful business outcomes and sustainable growth under the strategic direction of Vision 2030. The Diriyah Company actively forges long-term partnerships to realize its vision of establishing Diriyah as one of the world's greatest gathering places. About IBM: IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications, airline, and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to effect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.
