Day: December 1, 2021

The Approved Solution Provides Document Authentication, ePassport Authentication and Facial Recognition Matching with Presentation Attack Detection

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Acuant, the leading global Trusted Identity Platform for fraud prevention and AML compliance, today announced it has achieved Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Joint Authorization Board (JAB) FedRAMP Moderate Provisional-Authority To Operate (P-ATO) for its Acuant AssureID™, Ozone® and Facial Recognition System (COFRS) offerings. Acuant’s digital identity solution is now available in the FedRAMP marketplace to power more secure and user-friendly identity verification.

While the demand for federal government digital identity solutions has long existed, the high uptick in fraud during the pandemic has increased the need for modernization and security. Acuant is currently a trusted government partner providing highly accurate and easy-to-use identity verification services. The FedRAMP Moderate JAB P-ATO authorization – as vetted by the CIOs from the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the General Services Administration (GSA) – confirms that these SaaS offerings meet all security and privacy controls for government-wide use and establishes a continuous monitoring and annual assessment program of the ongoing risk posture of these offerings. The JAB P-ATO can be leveraged by any government agency, thereby driving wider adoption across government agencies.

Currently, the General Services Administration (GSA) Login.gov Program leverages COFRS for identity proofing on behalf of its federal customers in support of disaster relief, retirement system, citizen benefits program systems. Acuant is also a trusted partner of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, which vets its contractors and visitors through COFRS prior to granting physical access to the bank.

“This achievement exemplifies the level of excellence that Acuant strives for in all we do,” said Acuant President and CEO Yossi Zekri. “Working with the government sector for many years, we understand what it truly means to be security and privacy-minded. Achieving FedRAMP Authorization for cloud-based identity proofing is another validation we are leading in the market. We look forward to expanding our services with this sector to provide updated, safer and more trusted transactions.”

Acuant’s COFRS services, which support identity proofing processes that meet NIST SP800-63 requirements for Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2), leverage the most accurate and effective technology. The complete identity proofing solution integrates document authentication and identity verification software in the same API making it easy to deploy. While also offering maximum security, Acuant utilizes human supervised machine learning and biometric facial recognition match to streamline the verification process. With the expanding use of biometrics across the government, as presented in the August 2021 GAO Report on Facial Recognition Technology, the P-ATO of these services further fosters this growth.

About Acuant

Acuant’s Trusted Identity Platform empowers businesses and governments to transact with trust in our digital world. Acuant establishes trust in seconds anywhere your customers want to transact, fighting fraud and fast-tracking trusted identities. The ability to build, verify, monitor and securely share digital identities with Acuant’s inclusive technology is accessible to the entire global population. AI-powered identity verification and regulatory compliance (AML/KYC) solutions deliver unparalleled results and operational efficiency with omnichannel deployment.

Completing more than 1.5 billion transactions in over 200 countries and territories, Acuant powers trust globally for industry leaders in finance, crypto, retail, healthcare, gaming, hospitality and more.

Contact:

Kathy Berardi
Carabiner Communications
678.644.4122
kberardi@carabinercomms.com

SOLRE 2022 – State of Luxury Real Estate

Number of Luxury Real Estate Sellers Increases Globally; Some Buyers Expressing FOMO (Strong Fear of Missing Out); Sustainability ‘Critically Important’ Among Affluent Buyers Worldwide

Latest Report Comprises Data from Top 1-5% Bracket Surveyed Across 20 Countries, Representing an Affluent Population of Almost 32 Million Households

NEW YORK, Dec. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Luxury Portfolio International® (LPI), the world’s premier network of luxury residential real estate brokerages, is pleased to share the results of its 2022 State of Luxury Real Estate Report (SOLRE). The study comprises data from individuals in the top 1% to 5% income bracket across 20 countries, and touches on a broad range of topics crucial to the global luxury residential real estate market.

Most notably, the LPI report reveals a continuation of dominating home purchasing-related trends that began during Q3 2020 and continued throughout all of 2021, showing that demand for luxury real estate remains high; price increases expected to continue; supply remains lower than demand; time-on-the-market for luxury single-family homes often continues to “last just hours”; and sustainability is ‘Critically Important’ (66 percent) when considering future home purchases.

The study also shows an increase in the number of affluent sellers of residential real estate worldwide; that among luxury homes buyers, the majority (74 percent) shared strong feelings of a personal economic confidence and still 75 percent are significantly concerned that their discretionary spending power could be tested soon.

And while 2022 is expected to continue at a fast pace, there are signs that the luxury residential real estate market will be increasingly stabilizing, a crucial step to avoid complications for a long-term, super-heated market.

With 75 percent of luxury home buyers choosing their next home with environmental sustainability headlining a broad range of findings from a study of the world’s affluent households by Luxury Portfolio International^® (LPI), 2021 ends as one of the most robust luxury residential real estate markets in history.

“After a record-breaking year in luxury real estate, we anticipate that some balance will be restored to the market,” said Mickey Alam Khan, President of LPI. “It is important to view the luxury market over a trajectory of several years, noting that half of 2020 was in paralysis due to the pandemic. The red-hot market that began in the latter part of 2020 continued into 2021 and will continue a positive trajectory into 2022. The difference will be that there will be more luxury sellers in 2022 than in 2021, and while there will be fewer actual luxury buyers, it is still a seller’s market. The pandemic madness that drove us to an over-heated market is being normalized. Demand will remain strong, and a healthy, new normal in luxury real estate will start to take hold in 2022.”

Sustainability, according to the study, is now a major differentiator in luxury homes, and buyers are willing to pay a premium to have features and amenities that better prepare them for the future. 75 percent of those surveyed noted choosing their next home with sustainability in mind, with an unprecedented 90 percent noting “yes” as to factoring sustainability in relation to a Next Chapter in Life home search. According to the study, a “Next Chapter in Life” home search pertains to those moving to be closer to family, because of their children’s education, a career move, and other mitigating factors.

People interested in sustainability as a major factor of their home purchase are 71 percent more likely to view the purchase as a legacy home that will be passed on to their heirs. Further, as interest in sustainability grows, the quality of the buyer improves for the benefit of the seller, in that this buyer wants to transact sooner and for a relatively higher budget.

FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out is the feeling of anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social media. With a year at home and headlines touting the hot market, FOMO has become a significant concern for 26 percent of luxury buyers. FOMO manifests in different ways, first as a true “missed the boat” moment where prices extend beyond reach. A second concern – equally impactful – is arranging finances for major purchases.

While COVID-19 remains a significant concern, the study revealed that the market has already accounted for much of its effects. This compared to last year when the top trend in luxury real estate was finding a home that would accommodate the family that works from home.

That said, according to the study, working from home, is wearing on a substantial percentage of luxury home buyers. The Study revealed that 27 percent of luxury buyers cited working from home as a ‘significant concern.’ Remote work and the associated frustration and stress of being home continues to play a significant role in the purchase decision process.

Buyers concerned about de-stressing their work-from-home environment noted diversions such as entertainment at home, night life nearby, and relaxation-inducing amenities like a spa/hot tub, a specialty cocktail scale, and specialty rooms for media and gaming.

Additional key findings from the research include:

• Globally, the affluent class remains highly interested in purchasing residential real estate at any price, with a 33 percent increase year-over-year. There is no doubt that 2021 will end with a backlog of buyers, setting up 2022 as another strong year for luxury real estate.
• Over 14 million affluent households remain interested in buying a residence, of which 6.4 million are in the luxury category. An additional 1.2 million luxury homeowners have found an interest in selling in the next 3 years, up 32 percent from last year. Record valuations no doubt play a key role in this decision.
• Working together, these factors indicate global price stabilization and market normalization is in store for 2022 and beyond. What once appeared to be a wide chasm between the number of potential buyers and sellers (10.3MM buyers and 4.0MM sellers) is moving appropriately towards equilibrium (6.4MM buyers and 5.2MM sellers).
• The global trend for residential real estate demand will continue to grow in 2022. The percentage of individuals in the market to purchase residential real estate by the end of 2022 increased from 19 percent in 2021 to 39 percent in 2022 in Europe, and from 30 percent in 2021 to 37 percent in 2022 in Asia/Pacific. 46 percent of those surveyed from the Middle East, specifically consumers from Saudi Arabia and the UAE have the greatest interest in acquiring residential real estate, as those individuals continue to diversify their holdings. North America shows modest growth from 21 percent in 2021 to 25 percent in 2022.
• Luxury homeowners are coming around to selling. With new construction experiencing delays due to the challenges with goods and services, there is a consistent interest in existing homes. However, owners were not necessarily in the market to sell last year, and consequently the lack of inventory has been a significant price driver in most luxury markets. Now, it seems that luxury owners are convinced that the iron is hot and their interest in selling has increased by more than double (to 28 percent from 11 percent). In fact, 71 percent of owners believe their home value will increase this year, creating a strong incentive to sell. The average luxury homeowner expects an increase of approximately 4–5 percent compared to 3–4 percent last year.
• Psychologically it remains a seller’s market. In practice, we can expect a more balanced ratio of buyers and sellers in the years to come. As affluent consumers participate in the residential market, luxury-residence seekers are down 58 percent in 2021 (from 34 percent to 20 percent of the total affluent), while conversely, in this delicate balancing act, the number of luxury sellers is on the rise by 26 percent (up to 16 percent from 13 percent of the total affluent).
• While the flight to suburbia has been a major COVID headline, the research reveals that city-center luxury residential real estate is alive-and-well. Over half of luxury buyers worldwide (55 percent) expect to buy their next residence in a city and 77 percent will be within commuting range. Notably, Asia-Pacific luxury buyers are significantly more likely to buy in the city center than their global counterparts.
• Single-family home popularity surges beyond North America. The research revealed that the popularity of single-family homes is growing on a global scale, with 40 percent of Europe/Middle East buyers and 29 percent of Asia-Pacific buyers seeking the luxury of additional space and privacy. Year on year, demand for this type of housing is increasing as, collectively, shared living spaces are becoming less attractive to the luxury buyer. North America remains the top driver for demand of this type of residence.
• A new class of entry-level luxury buyer enters the market. Across the full spectrum of affluent consumers, there is greater interest in purchasing real estate under $1 million. This signals a resurgence of upper-middle class buyers who delayed in purchasing due to the pandemic, or who are now willing and able to acquire. Consequently, this is creating an increase in the number of entry-level luxury buyers, up to 44 percent from 39 percent in the USD 1-1.9 million range. This democratic luxury-for-the-many effect is most pronounced in North America and less so in Asia Pacific and Europe/Middle East, where the wealthy class tends to skew toward relatively small groups of people with very high concentrations of wealth.

For additional information, and access to the report, click here: State of Luxury Real Estate 2022.

ABOUT LUXURY PORTFOLIO INTERNATIONAL^® (LPI)
Luxury Portfolio International (luxuryportfolio.com) is the leading network of the world’s premier luxury real estate brokerages and their top agents, offering unparalleled marketing and intelligence services across the globe. It is the luxury arm of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® the global network of top independent real estate firms, with 550 companies and 150,000 sales associates in 70 countries. Last year, network members participated in over 1.3 million global transactions. LPI attracts a global audience of visitors from over 200 countries/territories every month and markets more than 50,000 luxury homes annually. Well Connected.™

Source: Luxury Portfolio International^®

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cc7a46a4-e6fd-43f9-91e6-834f31b75e8e

A PDF is available at http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/3c08ae81-d703-4faf-8ea2-dc5c9c70ed7e

Contact: pr@luxuryportfolio.com

Global Polo Entertainment grants ESPN the domestic rights to distribute seven major polo tournament finals, including the 2022 GAUNTLET OF POLO® series, the U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship, the National Intercollegiate Championships for both men and women, and the 2022 FIP World Polo Championship.

Beginning in 2022, ESPN will distribute the 2022 GAUNTLET OF POLO®, the number-one-rated U.S. Open Women’s Polo Championship and the 2022 FIP World Polo Championship on ESPN3 and ESPN2, all for the very first time. The semi-finals and finals of the 100th Men’s and Women’s National Intercollegiate Championship will air for the first time on ESPNU. This agreement also includes the 30-minute, made-for-television series World of Polo, presented by U.S. Polo Assn., and which will be available on ESPN’s VOD platform.

“The goal of this symbiotic and historic deal with ESPN and ESPNU is to reach more sports fans in the U.S. and attract new audiences by delivering more polo sport and lifestyle content in new ways,” said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing, which manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “We look forward to broadening access to the amazing sport of polo with some of the most exciting polo tournaments in the world now being broadcast by ESPN, the nation’s leader in sports content.”

The broadcast schedule for the 2022 season will be announced prior to the start of the GAUNTLET OF POLO® tournament series, beginning with the C.V. Whitney Cup® final on Sunday, February 27, followed by the USPA Gold Cup® and culminating with the U.S. Open Polo Championship®, recognized as the most prestigious polo tournament in North America.

For the most up-to-date information and breaking news, sign up for the Global Polo TV newsletter at globalpolo.com and follow @globalpolo on Instagram.

About U.S. Polo Assn.

U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores, department stores, sporting goods channels, independent retailers and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women and children, as well as accessories, footwear, travel and home goods in 194 countries worldwide. Ranked the fifth largest sports licensor in License Global magazine’s 2020 list of “Top 150 Global Licensors,” U.S. Polo Assn. is named alongside such iconic sports brands as the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com or @uspoloassn. For other polo content, visit Globalpolo.com.

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

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Shannon Stilson – Assistant Vice President of Marketing, USPA Global Licensing
Phone +1.561.227.6994 ─ Email: sstilson@uspagl.com

Brent Colborne – ESPN

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World’s largest crypto-based competition for startups

WARSAW, Poland, Dec. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Skey Network, the world’s first connector combining the Internet of Things (IoT) devices with blockchain technology, has today launched the world’s largest crypto-based competition for startups, individuals and companies, the Skey Network Challenge, designed to hyper-charge adoption of blockchain of things (BoT) products and technology.

In line with the launch of its own proprietary blockchain, Skey Network will be offering a total prize fund of $1m USD in Skey tokens to be split between 10 winners. The prize fund is divided into a series of grants, awarded at different stages of the competition with 10 top prize winners and a special prize awarded by the CEO for the best overall project. Winners will also retain all rights of ownership to products manufactured as part of the competition. The jury is composed of leading names in the global IoT, smart city and blockchain worlds.

The competition will be a catalyst for innovative ideas, concepts and prototypes, built on the Skey blockchain, which will underpin the smart cities of the future and is intended to incentivise developers and support more innovation in creating smart city solutions on the blockchain. Entrants can submit a ready-made product, service or app or a concept that they want to bring to life. Applications are open from 12:00 CET 1 December 2021 to 23.59 CET 7 January 2022 at challenge.skey.network. Overall winners will be announced in May 2022.

The categories are:

• Smart City
• Sharing Economy
• ORACLE
• Security
• DeFi
• NFT

Skey Network combines Oracle, BoT and DeFi technologies to create a unique access key called Smart NFT. These provide blockchain-managed access to physical assets such as cars, apartment buildings or sharing economy assets such as smart bikes. Competitors are invited to look at any aspect of future smart cities and design a product to enable this.

Szymon Fiedorowicz, CEO and co-founder of Skey Network, said: “The decision to create our blockchain was really about utility and our vision of creating a universal standard of communication for all IoT and BoT devices to enable the smart cities of the future. The Skey Challenge is a way to encourage innovation in this arena and to reward the biggest and best ideas from around the world. This is part of our commitment to underpinning future use cases for smart cities and we can’t wait to see what our competitors can create.”

For more full terms and conditions and to register interest go to https://challenge.skey.network/

Ends://

For press inquiries please contact fiona.chow@goadi.co.uk

Prizes:

1st place – 150,000.00 USDT paid in Skey tokens;

2nd place – 100,000.00 USDT paid in Skey tokens;

8 x runners up – 75,000.00 USDT paid in Skey tokens for each project;

CEO’s Special Award – 50,000.00 USDT paid in Skey tokens.

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