Category Archives: Technology

WEX® Taps Extend to Enable Corporate Card Payments in SAP Concur Solutions

WEX brings smarter AP solutions to Corporate Card customers with the help of growing fintech business, Extend.

NEW YORK–Extend, a leader in embedded virtual card payments, today announced a collaboration with WEX Inc. (NYSE: WEX), a global leader in intelligent payment solutions, to enable virtual card payments inside Concur Invoice. WEX corporate card customers can now connect their WEX commercial account in Concur Invoice to generate and settle vendor payments with virtual cards—all automatically and without leaving the Concur platform.

As an established SAP Concur partner, Extend provides WEX with the infrastructure key to facilitating—and accelerating—this strategic integration designed to deliver more value to business customers. This news reflects Extend’s growing position as a trusted fintech partner for financial institutions and corporate payment providers looking to deliver embedded payment capabilities inside the platforms their customers already rely on.

A Seamless Payments Experience for WEX Customers

For WEX corporate card customers using Concur Invoice, this integration not only enables a new level of control and security over vendor payments, it also means a more streamlined and automated AP process. When an invoice is received, Concur Invoice automatically generates a virtual card linked to the customer’s registered WEX commercial account—complete with a unique 16-digit number, spend limit, validity date, and invoice reference—then authorizes, remits, and reconciles the payment end to end.

This gives WEX customers the ability to:

• Settle invoices with single-use virtual cards generated from their existing WEX commercial account

• Control payment amounts and timing with per-invoice virtual card parameters

• Pay suppliers faster, improving cash flow, and days payable outstanding

• Automate reconciliation and gain complete visibility into payment delivery

• Eliminate paper checks and reduce associated risks and administrative burden

• Earn available card rebates on vendor transactions

“WEX is committed to providing our customers with intelligence-led solutions that transform Accounts Payable from a back-office function into a strategic driver of working capital,” said  Carlos Carriedo, Chief Operating Officer, Americas Payments & Mobility, WEX. “By partnering with Extend to embed virtual card payments inside Concur Invoice, we are delivering infrastructure that offers granular control over every transaction, all without disrupting how they already operate.”

WEX: Optimizing the AP Lifecycle with Virtual Card Technology

WEX modernizes the entire AP lifecycle through an intelligence-led orchestration layer that replaces vulnerable credentials with single-use virtual tokens that help neutralize fraud at the point of issuance. This digital architecture simplifies complex global payments across countries, currencies and systems to manage virtual cards and process transactions — all on one platform. By combining this transaction processing with strategic supplier enablement and guided enrollment, WEX helps transform Accounts Payable from a traditional cost center into a scalable, value-generating asset.

Andrew Jamison, CEO and co-founder of Extend, shares “WEX is one of the most respected names in corporate payments, and this partnership reflects the momentum we’re seeing across the industry. Extend has built the infrastructure that lets card issuers and payment platforms deploy new capabilities inside the software their customers already use, without ripping and replacing what’s already working. As customer expectations rapidly evolve, so does the race to deliver more connected payment workflows—Extend is excited to be the partner that makes it possible.”

Extend: The Embedded Payments Layer for Enterprise

Extend’s platform sits at the intersection of card rails, spend management, and expense software—connecting legacy payment infrastructure to modern business workflows. With partnerships across major issuing banks, integrations with the three largest card networks, and a growing footprint within solutions like Concur Invoice, Extend has built the connective tissue that allows financial institutions and corporate payment providers to offer new experiences to end users without costly, time-intensive direct integrations.

As business software platforms and card programs continue to converge, Extend is uniquely positioned to accelerate this shift across the industry. The WEX partnership is the latest example of a leading corporate payment provider leveraging Extend’s infrastructure to move faster, reach more customers, and deliver more value from existing card programs. 

AI and Design Trends Reshape India’s Smartphone Buying Choices

New Delhi, Apr 30 (BNP): A recent industry report highlights a clear shift in how Indian consumers are choosing smartphones, with artificial intelligence features and design aesthetics playing a major role in purchase decisions.

The report indicates that buyers are no longer focusing only on price or basic specifications. Instead, they are increasingly drawn to smartphones that offer smarter AI-based features such as enhanced photography, improved battery optimisation, voice assistance, and personalised user experiences. These upgrades are making everyday phone use more convenient and interactive.

Alongside technology, design has become equally important. Consumers are showing strong preference for slim builds, premium finishes, and modern looks that match their lifestyle and personal style. This change reflects a growing demand for devices that combine functionality with visual appeal.

The findings also suggest that many customers are now willing to spend more for smartphones that deliver a better overall experience. This trend points to a gradual shift in the Indian smartphone market towards more premium and feature-rich devices, as user expectations continue to evolve.

Epson partners with FLOURISH as NZ artist Emma Bass Redefines the Floral Still Life

SYDNEY, 30 April 2025 – This May, Potts Point’s premier design destination, Becker Minty, presents FLOURISH, by celebrated New Zealand artist Emma Bass. FLOURISH is supported by Epson with all of the artworks in the exhibit printed at SKAR Lab using the Epson SureColor P20560 (64”) fine art printer and the Epson SD-10 Spectrophotometer with Auto Table.

Opening May 8, 2026, the collection offers a bold and contemporary twist on the still life, highlighting fragility, impermanence and cycles of life. Perfectly timed for Mother’s Day.

Transformative beauty
Bass’ works transform the traditional still life into something visceral and emotionally resonant, although they bring joy and uplift, they also contain narrative threads, and cycles of life, decay, death and rebirth. She elevates botanical subjects into commanding focal points that shape the emotional mood and tenor of public and personal spaces.

Epson SD-10 Spectrophotometer with Auto Table

From Healthcare to Fine Art
A former nurse with 20 years of experience as a commercial photographer, Bass’ relationship with healthcare has sharpened her understanding of how the visual environment impacts wellbeing, “Flowers mark our most important moments- birth, love, grief, and celebration, says Bass, I photograph them not just as beautiful objects, but as portraits of strength.”

The Intersection of Art and Design
Presented within the curated interior spaces of Becker Minty, FLOURISH places fine art in direct dialogue with design, in their shared objective of uplifting and transforming the spaces in which we dwell. The exhibition reinforces Bass’s belief that art should be lived with, not simply admired. For Mother’s Day, the show invites collectors to invest in a “permanent bloom”- artwork that brings beauty and contemporary edge into everyday living spaces.

Aesthetics as a way of life
Bass’ subtropical mid-century Auckland house and garden is a carefully curated explosion of colour, botanical art and a vast collection of vases. As a products of her environment, both Bass and her works project her art and its philosophy of pleasure, joy and uplift as a way of living.

Epson SureColor P20560

The SureColor P20560 offers fast processing speeds and an expanded 12-colour ink set, providing a wider colour gamut and up to 99% Pantone coverage*. The SC-P20560 is fed by a bulk ink system and ships with 12 cost-effective 1.6L ink packs designed for high-volume print jobs. A 4.3-inch optical touch colour LCD, optional 1Tb SSD and Adobe PostScript 3 improve workflow and efficiency with the SC-P20560. Epson Edge Print PRO RIP software is also bundled with the machine, making it a comprehensive solution for professional printing workflows.

Epson SD-10 Spectrophotometer with Auto Table

The SD-10 is an easy-to-use, full-featured colour measuring device that when seamlessly combined with the Auto Table and Epson Edge Color Lite colour management software (compatible with Epson’s RIP software, Epson Edge Print PRO) offers a genuine colour management solution that addresses most colour management requirements and maximises print output quality. Epson has made colour management for professional printers easier and more reliable than ever with its Auto Table for the SD-10 spectrophotometer. Epson’s Auto Table for the SD-10 Spectrophotometer addresses and rebuffs the common perception that colour management is time consuming and requires high technical knowledge and skills.

EXHIBITION DETAILS
• Title: FLOURISH by Emma Bass
• Dates: From 8 -26 May 2026 (Opening event 8 May from 5.30pm – 7.30pm)
• Location: Becker Minty, 7/81 Macleay Street, Potts Point, Sydney, NSW 2011

*99% coverage of PANTONE PLUS FORMULA GUIDE solid-coated palette based on Epson Proofing Paper White Semimatte printed with the Epson Driver at 2400 x 1200 dpi. PANTONE coverage may vary when printed under other conditions.

Epson, PrecisionCore, SureColor, TFP, UltraChrome, Epson Cloud Solution PORT and Epson Edge are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks.

Richtech Robotics Inc. Now Available in the Microsoft Marketplace

LAS VEGAS, April 29, 2026: Richtech Robotics Inc. (Nasdaq: RR) (“Richtech Robotics” or “the Company”), a Nevada-based provider of AI-driven service robots, today announced the availability of its fleet of robotic solutions and data services in the Microsoft Marketplace, an online store providing applications and services for use on Azure. Richtech Robotics customers can now take advantage of the productive and trusted Azure cloud platform, with streamlined deployment and management.

Richtech Robotics develops advanced robotic solutions and the data infrastructure that makes its robots more intelligent. The Company’s technology is designed to directly address primary pain points across the industrial, hospitality, and service sectors, including labor scarcity, escalating overhead, and the demand for precision automation. Through this integration, businesses can leverage AI-driven robotics to streamline operations, optimize their workforce, and improve the guest experience.

Building on its work with the Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Labs, Richtech Robotics continues to advance the integration of Agentic AI into its physical robotic fleet, including the dual-arm ADAM robot. By combining cloud-based Azure AI with physical automation, the Company is developing robots capable of autonomous reasoning, contextual conversation, and real-time operational awareness.

“The availability of our solutions in the Microsoft Marketplace represents a significant step in our global growth,” said Richtech Robotics CEO Wayne Huang. “By integrating with the Microsoft ecosystem, we are advancing our objective of expanding our scalable solutions and Robotics-as-a-Service model globally, supported by a trusted cloud infrastructure.”

Cyril Belikoff, Vice President, Microsoft Azure Product Marketing, Microsoft Corp. said, “We’re pleased to welcome Richtech Robotics to Microsoft Marketplace, which gives our partners great exposure to cloud customers around the globe. Microsoft Marketplace offers world-class quality experiences from global trusted partners with solutions tested to work seamlessly with Azure.”

Microsoft Marketplace is a single destination to find, try, and buy trusted cloud solutions, AI apps, and agents to meet your business objectives. Choose from a growing collection of solutions tailored to your unique needs, available both in Marketplace and directly within Microsoft products.

Recast Expands Right Click Tools to Help IT Teams Operate the Hybrid Reality of ConfigMgr and Intune

MINNEAPOLIS—April 29, 2026—Recast, a leader in modern application and endpoint management, today announced Right Click Tools includes new enhancements to simplify complex hybrid and Intune-only environments. The shift from ConfigMgr to Intune is the defining operational challenge facing enterprise IT today, and most organizations are running both. Recast helps IT teams see what they have, keep it current and secure, and operate it across ConfigMgr, Intune, and everything in between.

“Not all enterprises are migrating fully to Intune. Most are operating in a hybrid reality that will last for years,” said Jake Mosey, Chief Product Officer, Recast. “Microsoft built the foundation. As the operational layer for enterprises running Microsoft endpoint management at scale, our job is to make it work in a way that supports how IT actually runs.”

Right Click Tools is the gold standard for helping IT teams get more value out of their Microsoft ecosystem. Moving to Intune and Entra presents organizations with a new set of challenges, and Right Click Tools continues to add capabilities that pinpoint these needs. With modules for Patching, Insights, and Privileged Access, the Right Click Tools product line addresses all aspects of endpoint management for IT organizations regardless of size.

Recast has a long history of using direct customer feedback to inform its product roadmap, building incremental improvements into the product line each month to get enhancements into users’ hands faster. Many of the capabilities already delivered this year were developed based on input from customers and the Recast Community of users.

Operating across ConfigMgr and Intune without navigating between consoles 

Recast has bolstered Right Click Tools with new options for managing devices in Intune, Entra ID, and Autopilot. These updates empower users to: 

• Launch Intune Remote Help directly from the browser, without leaving the admin workflow
• Register devices in Autopilot without manual scripting, CSV uploads, or console hopping
• Retrieve LAPS passwords across hybrid-identity environments from a single interface
• Open Right Click Tools menus from six additional Intune pages, bringing the total to more than 20 pages  

Closing the third-party patching gap across 6,000+ applications

Running the latest versions of hundreds or thousands of applications is a key challenge for IT organizations as they strive to balance user productivity and infrastructure security. Drawing from a catalog of more than 6,000 applications, Right Click Tools Patching now enables users to: 

• Configure settings for individual applications, so admins no longer have to create a separate deployment process if an app requires a custom setting
• Set up ConfigMgr or Intune deployment processes to allow the installation of 32-bit applications on 64-bit machines
• Restart all paused deployment processes with one click
• Display all deployment process events on a single page, for easier deployment process event scheduling  

Gaining visibility across extensive device fleets 

The Warranty Dashboard in Right Click Tools Insights helps IT leaders understand hardware coverage at a glance so they can anticipate refresh needs, minimize surprise costs, and extend the value of their device investments. Users can now: 

• Determine device age and remaining coverage
• Filter remaining coverage by status  
• Drill into device by status and warranty expiration timeline  

Nvidia and Doosan Robotics Expand Partnership on Humanoid Robotics Development

Seoul, Apr 29 (BNP): Nvidia and South Korea’s Doosan Robotics have expanded their collaboration to accelerate development in humanoid and advanced industrial robotics powered by artificial intelligence.

A senior Nvidia representative recently visited Doosan Robotics to review ongoing joint work focused on integrating AI computing with robotic systems. The collaboration aims to build smarter and more adaptive robots capable of operating efficiently in real-world industrial settings.

The partnership brings together Doosan Robotics’ expertise in robotic systems with Nvidia’s strength in AI platforms and simulation technologies. The goal is to improve robot intelligence, precision, and decision-making capabilities in areas such as manufacturing, logistics, and automation.

Both companies are also exploring future applications of humanoid robotics, as industries globally move toward greater automation supported by advanced AI systems.

The development reflects a broader industry trend where artificial intelligence and robotics are increasingly merging to create next-generation smart machines designed for industrial use.

The collaboration is expected to support innovation in intelligent automation and strengthen the future of AI-driven robotics solutions worldwide.

AI Pressure to Keep IT Services Growth Near 3 pc: Kotak Report

New Delhi, Apr 29 (BNP): India’s IT services sector is likely to witness restrained growth of around 3 per cent as artificial intelligence-led efficiencies continue to put pressure on pricing and margins, according to a Kotak Institutional Equities report.

The report states that while AI adoption is improving productivity and operational efficiency across IT firms, it is also leading to lower billing rates, creating a deflationary impact on overall revenue growth.

Mid-tier IT companies are expected to perform relatively better compared to large players, supported by niche capabilities, agile business models, and faster adaptation to new technologies.

Kotak noted that the global shift toward automation and AI-based solutions is reshaping traditional outsourcing models, making the industry more competitive on pricing.

However, the report added that AI will remain a long-term growth driver, helping companies improve efficiency even as near-term revenue growth stays moderate.

Overall, the IT sector is expected to enter a phase of stable but slower growth, with firms focusing on productivity gains and technology-driven transformation.

Global Experts Highlight India’s Expanding Role in Technology, Economy and Geopolitics

New Delhi, Apr (BNP): India is increasingly being recognised as an important force in global stability, economic growth and technological development, global experts said during the “Resilient Futures Summit 2026” held in New Delhi.

Experts noted that amid rising geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions and global uncertainty, India is emerging as a key economy contributing to balance, resilience and cooperation in the international system.

Danny Quah, Professor of Economics at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, said the world is currently facing uncertainty due to shifting trade patterns and weakening global trust. He observed that India is being looked upon as a potential stabilising power in this changing global environment and may play an important role in supporting peace and cooperation.

He added that India’s growing economic and diplomatic presence places it in a position where its decisions could have a meaningful impact on global outcomes.

Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum in London, highlighted India’s forward-looking approach toward emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. He said that while many Western countries remain cautious about AI, India is actively building capacity and investing in AI-driven development.

Blatchford also noted India’s development path, stating that the country is working to balance rapid economic growth with improvements in living standards, even as it manages challenges such as rising energy demand and urban expansion.

Experts at the summit said India’s combination of technological adoption, economic resilience and policy flexibility is strengthening its global standing and positioning it as a key contributor to future global growth.

India Startup Ecosystem Expands in 2026 with Deep-Tech and Consumer Innovation Boom

New Delhi, Apr 29 (BNP): India’s startup ecosystem is witnessing strong expansion in 2026, driven by a new wave of innovation across deep-tech sectors and consumer-focused businesses that are reshaping multiple industries.

Startups are increasingly moving beyond traditional models and adopting technology-led solutions powered by artificial intelligence, automation, data analytics, and advanced digital platforms. This shift is helping companies address complex challenges while improving efficiency and scalability.

Deep-tech startups are gaining momentum in areas such as fintech, healthtech, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing, where innovation is playing a key role in transforming operations and service delivery.

At the same time, consumer-facing startups in lifestyle, retail, food, and fashion are experiencing rapid growth, supported by rising digital adoption and evolving customer preferences for personalised and on-demand services.

Industry experts say this combination of deep-tech innovation and strong consumer brand growth is strengthening India’s position as one of the fastest-growing startup ecosystems globally.

Improved access to funding, supportive policy measures, and a growing entrepreneurial base are further accelerating this momentum across the country.

Overall, the 2026 startup landscape reflects a broad-based transformation, where innovation is driving disruption across both traditional and emerging sectors.

India Accelerates Push Toward Hydrogen, Ethanol and Electric Mobility

New Delhi, Apr 29 (BNP): Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that petrol and diesel vehicles have no long-term future in India, as the country moves towards cleaner and more sustainable mobility solutions.

He urged the automobile industry to accelerate the transition towards alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ethanol, CNG, LNG, and electric vehicles. He also highlighted that India’s heavy dependence on fossil fuel imports, worth nearly ₹22 lakh crore annually, makes energy transition essential for both economic and environmental reasons.

Gadkari said hydrogen is emerging as a key fuel for the future, with pilot projects for hydrogen-powered buses and trucks already underway in collaboration with leading industry partners. These trials are being conducted on select corridors under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

He added that India’s future transport strategy will focus on reducing emissions, strengthening energy security, and promoting self-reliant, clean fuel technologies.