Today’s threat landscape includes nation-state actors as well as attackers looking to test their skills or turn a profit. AT ISC2 Security Conference in Las Vegas, CISA advisor and former New York Times cybersecurity journalist Nicole Perlroth took the stage to discuss what has changed over the last 10 years of cyber warfare. Her presentation was the capstone of the conference, held Oct. 13-16. Nation-state attackers look for ‘target-rich, cyber-poor’ victims Perlroth presented a timeline of nation-state attacks she covered throughout her journalism career, from 2011 to 2021. Barriers to entry for attackers have worsened since she began her career, with ransomware-as-a-service evolving into “a well-oiled economy.” The CrowdStrike outage showed how much a widespread attack could disrupt operations. While it used to be conventional wisdom that the United States’ geographical location kept it isolated from many threats, “those oceans don’t exist anymore” when it comes to the cyber landscape, Perlroth said. Likewise, the digital “edge” has transformed into the world of the cloud, software as a service, and hybrid workforces. “The new edge is the people, it’s the endpoints,” Perlroth said. Attacks on this new frontier could take the form of deepfakes of targeting CEOs or nation-state attacks on critical infrastructure. Perlroth focused her discussion on Chinese state-sponsored attacks on U.S. infrastructure and businesses, such as the 2018 cyber attack on the Marriott hotel chain. Marriott or Change Healthcare were “target-rich, cyber-poor” environments, Perlroth said. These environments may not have large, dedicated cybersecurity teams, but have valuable data, such as the personal information of government workers who may have used the health system or visited a hotel. Another target-rich, cyber-poor environment Perlroth said defenders should focus on is water treatment. Local water treatment facilities may not have a dedicated cybersecurity professional, but an adversary tampering with water utilities could prove catastrophic. “The code had become the critical infrastructure and we really hadn’t bothered to notice,” Perlroth said. Must-read security coverage Russia, China explore cyberattacks in connection with military action In terms of wider geopolitical implications, Perlroth notes cybersecurity professionals should be especially aware of Russia’s military offensive and of China eyeing a possible incursion into Taiwan in 2027. Threat actors could aim to delay U.S. military mobility or use social engineering to sway public opinion. The U.S. has a mutual defense pact with Taiwan, but China has seen the U.S. “waffling” in the defense of Ukraine, Perlroth said. Perlroth said geopolitical commentators have been surprised there haven’t been more cyber attacks from Russia in concert with the attack on Ukraine. On the other hand, there have been significant cyber attacks around Ukraine, including DDoS attacks and the interruption of commercial ViaSat service just before the war began. PIPEDREAM, a Russian-linked malware, may have been intended to strike U.S. infrastructure, Perlroth said. SEE: How to Create an Effective Cybersecurity Awareness Program (TechRepublic Premium) Generative AI changes the game “The biggest change in cybersecurity has been AI,” Perlroth asserted. AI enables companies and threat actors to craft zero-day attacks and sell them to governments, she said. Attackers can generate new code with AI. At the same time, defenders equipped with AI can reduce the cost and time it takes to respond to major attacks. She anticipates the next large-scale enterprise attack, like the SolarWinds hack, will start from generative AI-related systems. Cybersecurity professionals should study how to ensure employees interact safely with generative AI systems, she said. How can cybersecurity professionals prepare for large-scale attacks? “We need to start doing a sort of sector-by-sector census to see what is the Change Healthcare of every industry,” said Perlroth. “Because we know our adversaries are looking for them and it would be great if we could get there first.” The good news, she said, is that cybersecurity professionals are more aware of threats than ever before. Cyber professionals know how to persuade the C-suite on security matters for the well-being of the entire organization. CISOs have become a type of business continuity officer, Perlroth said, who have plans for how business can resume as quickly as possible if an attack does happen. Cybersecurity professionals should factor in the culture, management, budget, HR, education, and awareness in their organizations as well as technical skill, Perlroth said. The primary questions cybersecurity professionals should ask is still “What are my crown jewels and how do I secure them?” Although her presentation emphasized the scope and prevalence of threats, Perlroth said her goal wasn’t to scare people — a tactic that has been used to sell security products. However, cybersecurity professionals must strike a balance between maintaining confidence in existing systems and explaining that threats, including nation-state threats, are real. Stories like the disruption of the PIPEDREAM attack should “give us immense hope,” she said. As she concluded: “We have picked up some serious learnings about what we can do together in the government and private sector when we come together in the name of cyber defense.” Disclaimer: ISC2 paid for my airfare, accommodations, and some meals for the ISC2 Security Congress event held Oct. 13–16 in Las Vegas. source

Amsterdam-based scaleup Lumicks has secured €20mn from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to accelerate the discovery of immunotherapy drugs for cancer.  The venture debt funding will help Lumicks further develop and market its cell avidity analyser, a machine with the potential to transform the way researchers study and develop treatments for Europe’s second most deadly disease.  Lumicks’ tech allows scientists to gather real-time data on the bonds between immune cells and cancer cells. Unlike traditional methods, which rely on indirect biomarkers, the analyser precisely measures the actual strength and duration of those interactions directly and in real time. This is critical to figuring out how well these immune cells can target and destroy tumors, leading to more effective cancer treatments.   The z-Movi Cell Avidity Analyser is small, but could have a big impact on cancer research. Credit: Lumicks “By providing deeper insights into cellular interactions, our instruments empower researchers to make faster, better-informed decisions, with the goal of improving success rates in clinical trials and accelerating the development of effective therapies,” said the company’s CEO Hugo de Wit. Lumicks spun-out from a research group at VU University Amsterdam in 2014. It now employs 180 people from its offices in the Dutch capital.  Calling all Scaleup founders! Join the Soonicorn Summit on November 28 in Amsterdam. Meet with the leaders of Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to Scaleup Founders! Back in 2021, the company raised a sizeable $93mn (€85mn) in VC funding from the likes of Softbank and Californian hedge fund Farallon Capital.   This latest round of funding will help Lumicks bring more of its analysers to market. The company’s machines are already hard at work at several academic and commercial institutions including Harvard University, Oxford University, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and the labs of US biotech firm INmune Bio. More and more companies are leveraging advanced technologies like AI, genomics, and machine learning to improve cancer detection and treatment. For instance, Dell and the University of Limerick (UL) in Ireland teamed up last year to advance cancer research using AI. Meanwhile Swedish startup Neko Health has developed a modular body scanner that uses algorithms to assess the risks of diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Model merging is a fundamental AI process that enables organizations to reuse and combine existing trained models to achieve specific goals. There are various ways that enterprises can use model merging today, but many approaches are complex. A new approach known as Differentiable Adaptive Merging (DAM) could be the answer, providing a solution to the current challenges of model merging. DAM offers an innovative solution to combining AI models while potentially reducing computational costs. Arcee AI, a company focusing on efficient, specialized small language models, is leading the charge on DAM research. The company, which raised funding in May 2024, has evolved from providing model training tools to becoming a full-fledged model delivery platform with both open-source and commercial offerings. How DAM creates a new path forward for model merging Merging can help companies combine models specialized in different areas to create a new model capable in both areas. The basic concept of merging data is very well understood with structured data and databases. However, merging models is more abstract than merging structured data, as the internal representations of the models are not as interpretable. Thomas Gauthier-Caron, research engineer at Arcee AI and one of the authors of the DAM research explained to VentureBeat that traditional model merging has often relied on evolutionary algorithms. That approach can potentially be slow and unpredictable. DAM takes a different approach by leveraging established machine learning (ML) optimization techniques. Gauthier-Caron explained that DAM aims to solve the problem of complexity in the model merging process. The company’s existing library, MergeKit, is useful for merging different models, but it is complex due to the various methods and parameters involved. “We were wondering, can we make this easier, can we get the machine to optimize this for us, instead of us being in the weeds tweaking all of these parameters?” Gauthier-Caron said. Instead of just mixing the models directly, DAM adjusts based on how much each model contributes. DAM uses scaling coefficients for each column in the models’ weight matrices. It automatically learns the best settings for these coefficients by testing how well the combined model performs, comparing the output with the original models and then adjusting the coefficients to get better results. According to the research, DAM performs competitively with or better than existing methods like evolutionary merging, DARE-TIES and Model Soups. The technology represents a significant departure from existing approaches, according to Gauthier-Caron. He described evolutionary merging as a slow process, where it’s not entirely clear up front how good the result will be or how long the merge process should run. Merging is not an Mixture of Experts approach Data scientists combine models in many different ways. Among the increasingly popular approaches is the Mixture of Experts (MoE). Gauthier-Caron emphasized model merging with DAM is something very different from MoE. He explained that MoE is a specific architecture that can be used to train language models.  The basic concept behind model merging is that it starts from the point where the organization already has trained models. Training these models usually costs a lot of money, so engineers aim to reuse existing trained models. Practical applications and benefits of DAM for enterprise AI One of DAM’s key advantages is its ability to combine specialized models efficiently.  One such example provided by Gauthier-Caron is if an organization wanted to combine a Japanese model with a math model. The goal of that combination is to make a model that’s good at math in Japanese, without the need to retrain. That’s one area where DAM can potentially excel. The technology is particularly relevant for enterprise adoption of generative AI, where efficiency and cost considerations are paramount. Helping to create more efficient ways of operating at reduced cost is a key goal for Arcee overall. That’s why DAM research is important to both the company and ultimately its users too. “Enterprise adoption of gen AI boils down to efficiency, availability, scalability and cost,” Mark McQuade, co-founder and CEO of Arcee AI told VentureBeat. source

To understand how U.S. adults see their own masculinity and femininity, we asked men and women to rate themselves on two scales: A masculinity scale from 0 to 4, where 0 means not at all masculine and 4 means extremely masculine. A femininity scale from 0 to 4, where 0 means not at all feminine and 4 means extremely feminine. We then subtracted ratings on the femininity scale from ratings on the masculinity scale to come up with an overall rating for each respondent. For example, if someone rated themselves a 4 on the masculinity scale and a 1 on the femininity scale, their overall rating would be 3. We created the following categories based on overall ratings: Highly masculine (4, 3) Lean masculine (2, 1) Neither masculine nor feminine or equally masculine and feminine (0) Lean feminine (-1, -2) Highly feminine (-3, -4) How men and women rate themselves on a masculine-feminine scale Overall, 42% of men rate themselves as highly masculine, while a similar share (43%) lean masculine. About one-in-ten men (11%) are neither masculine nor feminine or equally both, and 4% say they either lean feminine or are highly feminine. Among women, 35% rate themselves as highly feminine. A higher share (46%) lean feminine, while 15% are neither feminine nor masculine, or both equally. And 4% of women say they either lean masculine or are highly masculine. The number of people in the survey who do not identify as a man or a woman is too small to analyze separately. Differences by race and ethnicity Among men About four-in-ten or more White (41%), Hispanic (47%) and Black (49%) men rate themselves as highly masculine. A smaller share of Asian men (24%) see themselves this way. Among Asian men, 31% rate themselves in the middle or on the feminine side of the scale, as do 20% of Hispanic men and 18% of Black men. These shares are higher than the 10% of White men who rate themselves this way. Among women About four-in-ten Black (41%) and Hispanic (40%) women rate themselves as highly feminine. These are higher than the shares of White (34%) and Asian (24%) women who rate themselves this way. About three-in-ten Asian women (29%) say they are either in the middle or on the masculine side of the scale, as do 21% of Black women and 17% each among Hispanic and White women. Differences by age Men under 30 are less likely than older men to rate themselves as highly masculine. A quarter of young men see themselves this way, compared with 36% of men ages 30 to 49 and just over half of those 50 to 64 (53%) or 65 and older (54%). Similarly, younger women are less likely than older women to rate themselves as highly feminine. But those ages 65 and older stand out as being far more likely than women in any other age group to see themselves this way. Some 54% of women in the oldest age group rate themselves as highly feminine, compared with 38% of those ages 50 to 64, 28% of those 30 to 49, and 20% of women under 30.  Among both men and women, age differences remain when looking separately at Democrats and Republicans. Differences by party and ideology Republican and Republican-leaning men (53%) are far more likely than men who identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party (29%) to rate themselves as highly masculine. Among women, 38% of Republicans see themselves as highly feminine, compared with 32% of Democrats. Republican men who describe their political views as conservative are the most likely to rate themselves as highly masculine (60%). In turn, liberal Democratic men are the least likely to rate themselves this way (20%). Among women, conservative Republicans also stand out. Some 44% of women in this group rate themselves as highly feminine, compared with 30% of moderate or liberal Republican women, 34% of moderate or conservative Democratic women, and 28% of liberal Democratic women. Among Democratic men, ratings differ considerably by race and ethnicity. Some 47% of Black Democratic men and 39% of Hispanic Democratic men rate themselves as highly masculine. These shares are much larger than the 22% of White Democratic men who rate themselves this way. White (53%) and Hispanic (54%) Republican men are about equally likely to rate themselves as highly masculine. (There aren’t enough Asian Democratic or Republican men or Black Republican men in the sample to analyze separately.) Influences on views about what it means to be a man or a woman We also asked men and women about factors that may have influenced their views of what it means to be a man or a woman, respectively. In many ways, sources of influence don’t vary much by gender. For example, most men (66%) say their father influenced their views about how to be a man a great deal or a fair amount. The same share of women say their mother influenced their views on being a woman.  Interestingly, men are more likely to say their mother had a lot of influence on their views about what it means to be a man (47%) than women are to say their father influenced their views about being a woman (32%). (The figures in this analysis exclude those who say the item does not apply to them.) Beyond their parents, similar shares of men and women point to each of the following as having a great deal or a fair amount of influence on their views: Their friends of the same gender Religion or religious leaders Television or movies Their teachers There are some differences, however. Men (28%) are more than twice as likely as women (12%) to say sports coaches have had a great deal or a fair amount of influence on their views. In turn, women are more likely than men to point to social media as a source of influence. About two-in-ten women (18%) say social media has had at least a fair amount of

2025 marks Amsterdam’s 750th birthday. It also marks the 19th TNW Conference, which will take place on June 19 and 20 at — and you’re all invited. The show returns to NDSM next year, right at the heart of the city. As usual, we’re bringing together the entire ecosystem, from startups and investors to C-level executives, industry leaders, and policy makers. With a mission of building links between Dutch tech and the world, we’re crafting two days full of inspirational talks, networking opportunities, and our famous festival vibes. The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! Who says you can’t do business while enjoying every minute of it? To help you explore what matters to you most and stay ahead of the curve, this year we’re focusing on six overarching themes: 1. Growth & Venture Founding a business is one thing, but growing and scaling it presents another set of challenges for startups and investors alike. But we have you covered. Within this theme, you can explore the best ways to grow and expand a new company, learn from real-life case studies, and understand the trends that will impact your work. To help you explore the right track for you, Growth & Venture features four different pillars: Not Your Father’s Venture: Discover the trends that are changing European VCs, CVCs, and LPs, such as the impacts of emerging technologies Financing Your Runaway: Explore the scaling strategies that can help you achieve growth and reduce cash burn GTM Blueprint: Find out how you can build your brand, map your customer base, and internationalise your products F*ck Up Fridays: Learn from others’ mistakes and avoid potential pitfalls 2. AI & Deeptech Within this theme, you can delve into the latest trends in AI and deeptech to understand (beyond the hype) what’s next in tech. Join leading experts as they dissect and demo the latest breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum, and robotics. Here are the pillars you can explore: AI Revolution: Explore how AI is transforming different industries Leaping into Quantum: Discover how businesses can tap the power of quantum and why investors should pay close attention Rise of the Machines: Find out which cutting-edge robotics trends you should keep on your radar The Cyber Arms Race: What are the latest cybersecurity technologies you should know about? And what are the ethical dilemmas when it comes to securing your business’ systems against threats? Sustainable Societies This theme is all about sustainability. Focusing on the climate, energy, health, and agrifood industries, we’ll explore innovations like personalised medicine, precision agriculture, and nuclear fusion. Here are the four pillars underpinning the theme: Turning the Tide: Learn from the Netherlands’ experience in water tech innovation Farm to Table: Delve into the agri-tech trends that are changing how we grow, harvest, and consume food Hacking the Human: Explore how biotech and healthtech innovations are transforming treatment options and the future of healthcare Waste Not, Watt Not: Discover the latest advancements in climate tech and how environmental issues can be turned into business opportunities Enterprise Innovation Are you a corporate innovator or a leader of large scaleup looking to innovate at scale? Then this theme is for you. Learn how to navigate the complex challenges of today’s market and capitalise on the opportunities unleashed by the latest disruptions. These are the theme’s four pillars: Future-proofing Enterprise: How can enterprises leverage data, AI, and other advanced technologies to achieve growth? Disrupt or be Disrupted: Learn how to manage disruption and lead your company through change with resilience Navigating Regulation: Explore how to balance innovation with compliance ABCs of ESGs: ESGs are no longer an option. Find out how to align corporate reputation with stakeholder value Ecosystems It doesn’t take a village to raise a startup. It needs a whole ecosystem. This theme explores how public-private partnerships, infrastructure, and policy frameworks can nurture startups, accelerate regional development, and create sustainable innovation hubs. If you’re a policy maker interested in different practices or an executive who wants to discover the best ecosystems, this theme is for you. These are the pillars you can explore: Regulating Tomorrow: Learn how to balance regulation requirements with driving innovation Innovation Nation: Find out how government-funded programs, university partnerships, and accelerators can help startups to grow Building Utopias: Discover how public investments in technologies for urban transformation are unlocking new business opportunities and fueling regional ecosystems Circular, Inclusive Growth: How do ESG initiatives that blend environmental sustainability with business innovation help companies expand while making a positive impact? Next-Gen Talent A company’s biggest asset is its people. Within this theme, you can explore how HR tech and edtech are changing the future of work. Discover how these technologies are enabling teams to tackle challenges, keep on learning, drive success, and contribute to long-term growth. This theme is designed for startup and scaleup execs who are growing their businesses and teams, corporate innovators aiming for an agile company culture, and tech talent exploring the next steps in their careers. Here are the pillars reinforcing the theme: The Inside Edge: Learn how to cultivate a company culture of productivity, collaboration, and innovation Unlocking Potential: Find out how edtech solutions and professional development can help your team’s continuous learning Talent Wars: Explore ways to boost your recruitment process, from AI-driven talent matching to data-informed hiring practices Levelling the Field: Discover how DEI practices can improve productive, customer understanding, and company growth Looking forward to TNW Conference 2025 already? Then see you in Amsterdam on June 19 and 20! Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 to get 30% off your pass. source

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By Elliot Weld ( October 24, 2024, 3:38 PM EDT) — A Washington federal judge on Thursday approved a request from Huawei and the government to delay a trial until October 2026 in a case alleging the company stole T-Mobile’s trade secrets…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

The path to enabling omnichannel business has required continual evolution that included adding net new applications and systems, evolving through digital transformation, AI and mobile everywhere, to the current era of Generative AI (GenAI) and intelligent edge computing. Now the industry is on a journey to becoming future-forward, autonomous, and resilient (FAR), leveraging AI and GenAI to take retail reinvention even farther. Let’s explore how retailers can continue to improve on omnichannel by focusing on the customer, with the most efficient product flows and engaging employee experiences in mind. The path from Omnichannel to FAR is continuous and ongoing as illustrated in the following graphic. GenAI and Intelligent Edge Computing: Pioneering FAR The current era of AI-everywhere underpins FAR, and requires an exploration of GenAI’s potential, coupled with investment in intelligent edge computing. Software investments are increasingly directed towards GenAI platforms capable of creating personalized content, designing new products, and enhancing customer service with sophisticated chatbots/virtual assistants. Hardware investments now focus on high-performance computing systems to support the demanding requirements of GenAI algorithms. Distributed edge platforms, AI PC’s and AI-chips will improve compute response, throughput and efficiency. This will make AI at the edge very possible in stores. Services are evolving to include ethical AI consulting, ensuring that the use of GenAI aligns with privacy and fairness standards. The supply chain is experiencing a revolution with AI-driven predictive analytics, autonomous systems, and real-time tracking. RFID mandates from a relatively short, but very important list of retailers will drive traceability and improved inventory control in non-food products. The frontline workforce will benefit as the focus on serving customers well is prioritized as routine tasks are automated. Advice for Continuing to Navigate the Journey to FAR The reinvention of retail in the AI era is a testament to the industry’s resilience and adaptability. It promises a future where retail experiences are not only more engaging and convenient but also where back-office efficiencies, the supply chain and frontline workforce play a crucial role in delivering value through a blend of technology and human touch. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and shifting consumer expectations, retailers face the imperative to evolve. Retailers need to embrace becoming future forward, autonomous and resilient. FAR transformation is not just an ambition but a necessity for thriving in the competitive landscape. Following are recommendations for retailers aiming to navigate the journey to FAR successfully: Become Future-Forward by Embracing Technological Innovation Invest in AI, Machine Learning, and GenAI – Leverage AI, machine learning (ML), and GenAI to enhance every aspect of your business, from personalized customer experiences to efficient supply chain management. GenAI can revolutionize customer experiences, human resource and finance operations, IT estate management, product design and content creation. Predictive analytics can forecast trends and optimize inventory planning and sourcing. Importantly, workflow and work processes are being revolutionized with the help of GenAI, with near-term ROI possible. Adopt Intelligent Edge Computing – Implement intelligent edge computing to process data closer to where it is generated, reducing latency and improving customer experiences. This technology supports real-time decision-making in areas like inventory management, loss prevention, and personalized in-store promotions. Explore Traceability Applications – Utilize traceability applications to enhance supply chain transparency and security. This can build trust with consumers by providing verifiable information about product origins, manufacturing processes, and sustainability practices. Become Autonomous Through Decentralization and Automation Empower the Workforce – Empower your frontline employees with the tools and authority to make decisions in real-time, enhancing customer service and operational efficiency. This can be supported by AI-driven insights and mobile technologies. Empower the back-office and mid-office with tools that speed decision processes in planning, human resources, finance, and operations. Robotic process automation (RPA) can eliminate unnecessary steps in business processes. Implement Autonomous Systems – Deploy autonomous systems, such as automated warehouse and distribution capabilities, and autonomous delivery vehicles and drones, to streamline operations and reduce reliance on manual processes. This not only improves efficiency but also allows your workforce to focus on higher-value tasks.  Become Resilient Diversify Supply Chains – Build resilience by diversifying your supply chain, reducing dependency on single sources, and exploring local or regional suppliers. This can mitigate risks related to geopolitical tensions, natural disasters, and global pandemics. Develop a Robust Digital Infrastructure – Ensure your digital infrastructure is robust, scalable, and secure. This includes investing in cloud computing, cybersecurity measures, and disaster recovery plans to safeguard against data breaches and ensure business continuity. Foster Strong Relationships with Customers and Partners – Build strong relationships with your customers and business partners. Engage with customers through personalized experiences and responsive customer service. Collaborate with partners to innovate and co-create value. The retail industry’s journey highlights a broader trend towards a FAR transformation. Retailers are leveraging AI to create immersive, efficient, and tailored shopping experiences while ensuring their supply chain and frontline workforce are equipped to thrive in this new landscape. Retail organizational DNA needs to adapt to continuously learning and adapting to consumer needs by leveraging a technological foundation that is inherently smarter and nimbler. Conclusion The journey from the dawn of omnichannel to the FAR era reflects a broader trend towards increasingly sophisticated and adaptable, data-driven, automated, and personalized retail experiences. As technology continues to advance, the challenge for retailers will be to balance investment in innovation with the need to deliver tangible value to consumers. The evolution of retail investments tells the story of an industry in constant flux, striving to meet the ever-changing demands of consumers in an increasingly digital world. As technology continues to advance, the possibilities for retail are endless. The integration of AI into retail operations has transitioned from a competitive advantage to a necessity, with significant impacts to technology investment, business processes, and the workforce. Becoming future-forward, autonomous, and resilient requires a holistic approach that encompasses technological innovation, cultural transformation, and strategic partnerships. By embracing these principles, retailers can navigate the challenges of the digital era, meet evolving consumer expectations, and secure a competitive edge in the marketplace.