Day: March 6, 2023

MONACO, March 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The curtain fell on the 39th Primo Cup-Trophée Credit Suisse in Monaco. Twelve nations, 300-plus sailors and three classes gathered for this one design regatta that has become a classic since its launch by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco in 1985. “We can say it’s a classic regatta in winter after 39 editions. It ends the winter season and for us it’s important because our members took home very good results. Also we had very nice weather conditions through the weekend so we’re very happy,” said Yacht Club de Monaco General Secretary, Bernard d’Alessandri. In all 15 Smeralda 888s, a dozen Longtze Premiers and over 50 J/70s raced in this event which also doubles as the fourth and final Act of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series.

In the J/70 the final victory went to the Italians on Alice. “We’re very happy to have won in such a competitive fleet. We didn’t expect this outcome but we worked towards it and in the end with a good work on water we achieved the maximum result, therefore we’re very happy,” said Alice’s team Nevio Sabadin. Next on the podium Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio and his monegasque team ‘G-Spot’, followed by Alessandro Molla’s italian team ‘Viva’. Moreover, in the J/70 class, after competing in the Primo Cup for the fourth and final Act of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, the overall winner was announced. On the top step of the podium Ludovico Fassitelli’s team ‘Junda’, followed by Samuel Poons (Charisma V) and Graeme Peterson (Moonlight II), all three Ycm members. “This 39th Primo Cup edition was quite tricky for us, quite difficult but it’s okay because this was the last race of the Sportsboat Winter Series and we won the general ranking with the sixth place earned at the Primo Cup. So we’re very proud about this,” said Fassitelli.

Moving on to the Smeralda 888 class, after two tough days, the victory went to Charles of Bourbon Two Sicilies (who is also class president) with his ‘Vamos mi Amor’: “We’re very happy to have won the Primo Cup, it has been a long time. We had two fantastic days with 6 races and a very competitive fleet. It was a great weekend for us, considering also that we have witnessed some well-known sailors getting back in the water like Vincenzo Onorato and his son Achille but also some very challenging new entries,” he said after the competition. The Onorato family got on the podium after a father-and-son tight race at the helms of Smeralda 888s. Achille’s Canard à l’Orange finally got the better of his father on Mascalzone Latino ending up respectively 2nd and 3rd.

No surprises in the Longtze Premier that was again dominated by the Swiss led by a faultless performance from Jarmo Wieland’s Shensu to win all six races. Torsten Muller’s crew on Le Petit Frère d’Emile Bleu and Stefen Schneider’s Outsider were 2nd and 3rd.

Next appointment to keep in mind at the Yacht Club de Monaco is the Women Leading and Sailing Trophy (25-26 march). “It will be a special occasion for us: it’s a women-only regatta and it’s the Yacht Club first edition. We’re looking forward to it,” concluded d’Alessandri.

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse – ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b179945-def6-466b-b7fb-4609f12b262c

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8782494

World’s Top Customer Service and Sales Awards Were Presented in Las Vegas

FAIRFAX, Va., March 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Winners in the 17th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, recognized as the world’s top customer service awards and sales awards, were unveiled on Friday night at a gala ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada USA, attended by more than 400 executives from around the world.

The complete list of Stevie Winners by category is available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

DP DHL, with 46 Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award wins, was the most honored organization this year, earning the top Grand Stevie Award trophy. This is the 11th year in a row in which the multinational package delivery and supply chain management company, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, has won a Grand Stevie in the program, and the ninth year of the 11 in which they placed first on the list of most honored organizations.

Other Grand Stevie Award winners, in descending order, include IBM, Sales Partnerships, Support Services Group, ValueSelling Associates, UPMC Health Plan, PowerSchool Group, GoHealth, TalkDesk and Michael Kors.

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were evaluated in this year’s competition. Finalists were determined by the average scores of more than 170 professionals worldwide in seven specialized judging committees. Entries were considered in more than 60 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; 60 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; and categories to recognize new products and services and solution providers, among others.

Sales Partnerships, Inc. won 12 Golds, the most in the competition. Other winners of two or more Gold Stevie Awards include: Alight Solutions, Blackhawk Network, ClearSource BPO, DP DHL, EFG Companies, Genpact, GoHealth, IBM, ICW Group, Janek Performance Group, JK Moving, LivePerson, MetTel, Michael Kors, MONAT Global Corp, Optima Tax Relief, LLC, Optum, Paradigm Marketing and Design, PREMIER Bankcard, Rapid Phone Center, Sales Partnerships, Inc., SAP, SoftPro, Splunk, Tata Consultancy Services, TELUS Smart Security & Automation, TIM Brasil, TransPerfect, Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S., UPMC Health Plan, Perceptyx, Veeam, and WNS (Holdings) Limited.

Winners in one special category, the Sales Partnerships Ethics in Sales Award, were also announced on Friday. This award recognizes organizations for best practices and achievements in demonstrating the highest ethical standards in the sales industry. The Gold Stevie winner in this category is Greater Prairie Business Consulting. The Silver winner is Belkins, and the Bronze Stevie Winners are Cal Dental USA and Integrity Solutions.

The presentations were broadcast live via Livestream and are available to watch online.

Nominations for the 2024 edition of the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service will be accepted starting this July.  The entry kit may be requested at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, which organizes eight of the world’s leading business award shows including the prestigious International Business Awards® and American Business Awards®.

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors of the 17th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include Sales Partnerships, Inc., Support Service Group, and ValueSelling Associates, Inc.

Contact:

Nina Moore
(703) 547-8389
Nina@StevieAwards.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8781987

Building on His Initial Appointment to the Position, Fortinet CEO Will Continue to Provide U.S. Private Sector Expertise to Forum and Develop Joint Policy Recommendations Impacting the Future of Infrastructure, Technology, and Workforce Development in Both Countries

SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

Ken Xie, Founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at Fortinet
“I am honored to be reappointed to the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum and to continue to work alongside the Honorable Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and other global business leaders. At Fortinet we recognize the importance of private and public sector partnerships to help disrupt cybercrime and to build the future workforce through cyber training initiatives. As part of the Forum, I look forward to facilitating information sharing and contributing best practices to protect against cyber threats that jeopardize the global economy and that of Brazil.”

News Summary
Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced Ken Xie, Founder, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has once again been appointed by the Honorable Gina M. Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, to the U.S. – Brazil CEO Forum. Xie will be joining other chief executives of American and Brazilian companies to develop joint recommendations on how to increase bilateral trade and investments.

Global Leadership and Partnerships Across Sectors
Established in 2007, the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum – consisting of up to 12 CEO representatives from each country – convenes business leaders to offer collective suggestions to strengthen the economic and commercial partnership between the U.S. and Brazil. Prior recommendations from Forum members have propelled discussions between the two governments regarding significant matters such as education, energy, trade facilitation, and infrastructure. Through Xie’s participation in the Forum, Fortinet will continue to deepen its collaboration between private and public sectors.

Fortinet Stands For More Than Just Technology Innovation
As part of Fortinet’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, the company is committed to making the world a safer and more sustainable place by reducing cyber risks for society and helping organizations address today’s most pressing cyber challenges. To help advance this mission, Fortinet is dedicated to cross-industry threat sharing and global partnerships with government organizations, global law enforcement and industry organizations, including being a founding partner of the WEF Centre for Cybersecurity, an active contributor of WEF’s Partnership against Cybercrime (PAC), a long-standing member of the NATO Industry Cyber Partnership (NICP), a partner of the National Cybersecurity Excellence Partnership (NCEP) program, and more.

Additionally, Fortinet is increasing access to its industry-recognized training and multi-level certifications through the Fortinet Training Institute and Training Advancement Agenda (TAA) initiatives to help organizations combat the growing cyber skills gap affecting the industry.

Fortinet was also recently named to the 2022 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) World and DJSI North America ranking among the global top sustainable companies in the software and services industry. This milestone further underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability practices and ability to deliver impact through its Corporate Social Responsibility approach.

Additional Resources

• Learn more about Fortinet’s free cybersecurity training, which includes broad cyber awareness and product training. As part of the Fortinet Training Advancement Agenda (TAA), the Fortinet Training Institute also provides training and certification through the Network Security Expert (NSE) Certification, Academic Partner, and Education Outreach programs.
• Read about how Fortinet customers are securing their organizations.
• Follow Fortinet on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Subscribe to Fortinet on our blog or YouTube.

About Fortinet
Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere you need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet’s solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

FTNT-O

Copyright © 2023 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCWP, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMoM, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPlanner, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM and FortiXDR. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

Media Contact:	Investor Contact:	Analyst Contact:
Stephanie Lira	Peter Salkowski	Brian Greenberg
Fortinet, Inc.	Fortinet, Inc.	Fortinet, Inc.
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pr@fortinet.com	psalkowski@fortinet.com	analystrelations@fortinet.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8781971

March 6, 2023

• Preliminary results of large-scale real-world data study of Medicare patients conclude that use of intravascular imaging (IVI) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures grew 62% between 2013 and 2019, and is associated with lower incidence of mortality, acute myocardial infarction (MI), repeat PCI, and major adverse cardiac event (MACE) 
• Largest real-world Medicare analysis of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device (CIED) infection treatment in more than 1 million patients shows that early removal of infected cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), for which Philips developed the Philips Laser Sheath – GlideLight – and Philips Mechanical Rotating Dilator Sheath – TightRail, substantially improves healthcare utilization and reduces hospital costs
• Multi-center, prospective, observational study demonstrates the safety and procedural efficiency of Philips Intracardiac Echocardiography (ICE) Catheter – VeriSight Pro 3D ICE  

Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the presentation of various clinical study results at this year’s Annual Scientific Session & Expo of the American College of Cardiology/World Congress of Cardiology event (ACC.23/WCC, March 4 – 6, New Orleans, USA) that confirm Philips’ commitment to clinically validating its innovations in cardiac and cardiovascular care.

• Initial results from a high-quality real-world evidence study of Medicare data (inpatient and outpatient, 2013-2019) by Dr. Eric Secemsky, Director of Vascular Intervention at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC, Boston, MA, USA), that analyzed over a million patients to evaluate trends in the use of, and outcomes associated with, intravascular imaging (IVI) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures were presented by Dr. Reza Fazel, Interventional Cardiologist at BIDMC.
• Dr. Sean Pokorney, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute at Duke University School of Medicine (Durham, NC, USA), presented the results of a study that quantified the improved healthcare utilization and reduced hospital costs associated with early removal of infected cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs).
• A presentation by Dr. Mohamad Alkhouli, Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine (Rochester, MN, USA) detailed the results of a study that demonstrated the real-world safety and performance of Philips Intracardiac Echocardiography Catheter – VeriSight Pro 3D ICE – during a range of image-guided minimally-invasive cardiac procedures.

“To make a real difference to patients, it is vitally important that medical innovations are validated in real-life clinical practice so that clinician decision-making and guideline setting are firmly evidence-based. At Philips, we are deeply committed to making sure this is the case,” said Dr. Atul Gupta, Chief Medical Officer for Image-Guided Therapy at Philips. “The positive clinical study results announced today are further evidence of how we are continuously working with our clinical partners to co-create new innovations and demonstrate how they improve outcomes for patients.”

Reduced risk of one-year mortality when intravascular imaging used during PCI procedures
Dr. Eric Secemsky at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and his collaborators conducted a high-quality real-world evidence study of Medicare data for over one million patients undergoing PCI procedures between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2019. The preliminary results, which were presented at ACC.23/WCC by Dr. Reza Fazel, reveal that the use of intravascular imaging (IVI) technologies as an adjunct to angiography rose by 62% during the period and is associated with superior patient outcomes. The potential for further strong growth is supported by a recent review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), which “advocates broader use of these technologies as a part of contemporary practice” and recommends that “IVI capability should be included in all U.S. CCLs [cardiac catheterization laboratories]” [1]. Dr. Fazel’s presentation highlighted some of the benefits that could accrue from such a move. The retrospective real-world study showed that IVI use during PCI procedures was associated with lower rates of one-year mortality (Hazard Ratio 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.98)**, myocardial infarction (MI), repeat PCI procedures, and major adverse cardiac event (MACE). It is one of the first studies to include outpatient procedures, which accounted for 43.3% of all the PCIs included in the analysis.

Philips’ IVI offering comprises a range of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheters, co-registration and automated measurement tools for use on Philips Image-Guided Therapy System – Azurion, designed to help cardiologists decide, guide, and confirm the right interventional treatment for each patient. The patient benefits of these tools have already been demonstrated in multiple clinical studies. The JACC review paper referred to above states that IVUS is “the more flexible of the options and is the one that can be utilized in almost all clinical scenarios” [1].

Timely removal of infected CIEDs  
The CIED Infection Medicare Study* of clinical practice was conducted by Dr. Sean Pokorney and his team at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, which analyzed the records of more than one million CIED implant patients in the ‘U.S. 100% Medicare fee-for-service’ population covering the period January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2019.

The study represented a nationwide analysis of CIED infection care, and as already reported by Dr. Pokorney at last year’s ACC (ACC.22) [2], demonstrated that approximately 4 in 5 patients were not treated [2] according to ACC/AHA/HRS/EHRA Class I consensus recommendations and guidelines for CIED infection, which recommend full system extraction ideally within 3 days [3,4]. Of the 9,867 patients diagnosed with a CIED infection 12 months or more after implantation, only 13.3% underwent extraction within six days and only 5.2% between seven and 30 days.

“This data highlights a major gap in care among our CIED infection patients, which results in higher mortality, more health care utilization, and higher cost of care. Quality improvement interventions with focused systems of care are needed to optimize patient outcomes,” commented Dr. Pokorney.

Dr. Pokorney’s presentation at ACC.23/WCC highlighted the cumulative incidence of all-cause hospitalization and the associated healthcare expenditure for these patients during a period of one year after infection diagnosis. Complete device extraction within six days of CIED infection diagnosis was associated with lower all-cause hospitalization in follow-up (21% lower) and lower healthcare expenditure (42% lower) compared with patients who did not undergo extraction [5]. Timely extraction was also associated with lower hospitalization rates. The patient group for which no device extraction within 30 days of diagnosis took place was characterized by a 68% hospitalization rate compared to a 54% hospitalization rate for the group in which patients underwent CEID extraction within six days of diagnosis. Additionally, hospital expenditures in the year following a CIED infection were almost cut in half, with costs being USD 63,259 for the group with no extraction within 30 days, reducing to USD 36,815 for extraction within six days.

Dr. John Andriulli added: “CIED infection is a healthcare crisis and EMR (electronic medical records) are essential in identifying patients and minimizing time to extraction.  It must be ubiquitously shared between hospital systems to improve length of stay and more importantly to impact the potential reduction in mortality. This is especially true for outside hospital transfers. This is when the EMR becomes even more important.”

Performance and safety of 3D intracardiac echocardiography
The prospective, non-randomized, multi-center, observational study*** into the safety and performance of Philips 3D Intracardiac Echocardiography Catheter (ICE) – VeriSight Pro – was led by Dr. Mohamad Alkhouli at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine. The study was based on a cohort of 155 patients evaluated for a range of percutaneous cardiac intervention procedures, including left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO), cardiac ablation, heart valve replacement, and patent foramen ovale (PFO) as well as atrial septal defect (ASD) ‘hole-in-the-heart’ repair procedures.

Compared to TEE, which involves passing an ultrasound transducer deep into the patient’s esophagus, an ICE catheter has a tip-mounted ultrasound transducer that can be routed to the heart via the patient’s blood vessels and a small incision in the skin. For the majority of patients, ICE is considerably more comfortable than TEE and requires less sedation or anesthesia, improving patient safety and experience and reducing the number of operating room staff required during a procedure.

During the study, patients were followed until discharge or 48 hours after their procedure, with safety demonstrated by the fact that no periprocedural device-related adverse events were reported. Philips VeriSight Pro 3D ICE demonstrated acceptable or better image quality compared to TEE or competitive ICE technology in over 95% of the procedures. VeriSight Pro 3D ICE was considered to be an acceptable or better surrogate to TEE 89.7% of the time.

All three clinical studies are part of more than 110 ongoing clinical studies that support Philips image-guided therapy solutions with clinical evidence. For ten consecutive years, Philips has been recognized as a top innovator in the Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovator list.

For more information on innovation at Philips, click here.

*Supported by a research grant from Philips. Philips had no role in the design of the study or conduct of the analysis.
**In the Secemsky study, the Hazard Ratio of 0.96 implies that patients undergoing PCI using angiography and IVI imaging during PCI have a 4% lower risk of dying during the following year than patients undergoing PCI using angiography alone.
***Philips sponsored and developed the Philips Intracardiac Echocardiograhy (ICE) Clinical Registry, NCT 04950192

[1] Truesdell A, Alasnag M, Kaul P, et al. Intravascular Imaging During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2023 Feb, 81 (6) 590–605.
[2] Pokorney SD. Low Rates Of Guideline Directed Care Associated With Higher Mortality In Patients With Infections Of Pacemakers And Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators. American College of Cardiology (ACC) Late Breaking Clinical Trials. Washington, DC, USA April 2022 [presentation].
[3] Kusumoto et al. 2017 HRS Expert Consensus Statement on Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device Lead Management and Extraction. Heart Rhythm, 2017.
[4] Blomström-Lundqvist, C., et al. (2020, Jun 1). European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) international consensus document on how to prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiac implantable electronic device infections -endorsed by HRS, APHRS, LAHRS, ISCVID, ESCMID in collaboration with EACTS. Eur Heart J, 41(21), 2012-2032.
[5] Pokorney SD. Healthcare utilization and healthcare expenditures in patients with infections of pacemaker and implantable cardioverter defibrillators. American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Sessions. New Orleans, USA March 2023 [presentation].

For further information, please contact:
Joost Maltha
Philips Global Press Office
Tel: +31 6 10 55 8116
Email: joost.maltha@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being through meaningful innovation. Philips’ patient- and people-centric innovation leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver personal health solutions for consumers and professional health solutions for healthcare providers and their patients in the hospital and the home. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, ultrasound, image-guided therapy, monitoring and enterprise informatics, as well as in personal health. Philips generated 2022 sales of EUR 17.8 billion and employs approximately 77,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Attachments

• Philips Intracardiac Echocardiography Catheter – VeriSight Pro
• Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter
• CIED infection

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1000796476