Zoom Partners with Anthropic to Expand Federated Approach to AI

Zoom announces investment in Anthropic to support research roadmaps and build steerable AI systems; Anthropic’s AI model will help strengthen Zoom’s federated approach across its platform, including Zoom Contact Center integrations

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom announced a strategic partnership with and investment in Anthropic, an AI safety and research company working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. The collaboration with Anthropic will further bolster Zoom’s federated approach to AI by allowing Anthropic’s AI assistant, Claude, to be integrated with Zoom’s platform (which includes Team Chat, Meetings, Phone, Whiteboard, Zoom IQ), starting with Zoom Contact Center.

“Anthropic’s Constitutional AI model is primed to provide safe and responsible integrations for our next-generation innovations, beginning with the Zoom Contact Center portfolio. With Claude guiding agents toward trustworthy resolutions and powering self-service for end-users, companies will be able to take customer relationships to another level,” said Smita Hashim, chief product officer for Zoom. “Partnering with Anthropic also furthers our commitment to providing customers with our federated approach to AI, optimized to deliver outstanding customer experience outcomes. Additionally, with our investment, we are advancing leading-edge companies like Anthropic and helping to drive innovation in the Zoom ecosystem and beyond.”

“Partnering with a leading collaboration platform like Zoom allows us to put robust, steerable AI into the hands of more people and unlock its potential to help streamline everyday processes,” said Dario Amodei, CEO and co-founder of Anthropic. “We look forward to working together to showcase Anthropic’s capabilities and our joint commitment to enhancing productivity through intelligent solutions.”

Zoom’s federated approach to AI leverages its own proprietary AI models, along with those from leading AI companies — such as Anthropic — and select customers’ models. With this flexibility to incorporate multiple types of models, Zoom can provide the most value for its customers’ diverse needs. Zoom will be able to customize these models to perform better for a customer, based on their specific business needs.

As the next step in evolving the Zoom Contact Center portfolio, (Zoom Virtual Agent, Zoom Contact Center, Zoom Workforce Management), Zoom plans to incorporate Anthropic AI throughout its suite, improving end-user outcomes and enabling superior agent experiences. The Zoom Contact Center suite of solutions elevates the quality of customer experiences through better self-service and the ability to accurately understand customer intent. It intelligently guides customers to the best resolution, surfaces actionable insights that managers can use to coach their agents, and improves productivity by providing a unified communications and contact center experience. In the near future, Zoom will also use AI to provide the right resources to agents, so customers receive exceptional service experiences regardless of their reason for calling.

Announced today, Zoom Ventures has made an investment in Anthropic, strengthening the relationship between both companies. Anthropic’s research and development aims to create steerable, trustworthy, and responsible large-scale AI systems. Zoom did not disclose the amount of the investment.

About Zoom
Zoom is an all-in-one intelligent collaboration platform that makes connecting easier, more immersive, and more dynamic for businesses and individuals. Zoom technology puts people at the center, enabling meaningful connections, facilitating modern collaboration, and driving human innovation through solutions like team chat, phone, meetings, omnichannel cloud contact center, smart recordings, whiteboard, and more, in one offering. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Get more info at zoom.com.

Zoom Public Relations
Lacretia Taylor
press@zoom.us

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8840480

Impulse Dynamics Announces 9,000th Patient Milestone Achieved With CCM® Therapy for Heart Failure

Momentum Continues as Depth of Clinical Experience Expands Worldwide

MARLTON, N.J., May 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Impulse Dynamics plc, a global medical device company dedicated to improving the lives of people with heart failure (HF), announced today a worldwide milestone achievement with the 9,000th patient receiving the Optimizer® system for the treatment of moderate HF. The Optimizer system is the only device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States to deliver CCM therapy. Dr. Steven Gubin, a cardiologist and the President of Stern Cardiovascular, is part of the care team that completed the procedure at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, offering CCM therapy to a patient living with the debilitating effects of HF. This milestone highlights the momentum building globally for CCM therapy, using the Optimizer platform to improve quality of life in HF patients.

“I am excited to have a new therapy option for heart failure patients,” said Dr. Gubin, who has been practicing for 30 years. “One of my heart failure patients, Aubretta Bean, who is a cancer survivor, continued to have symptoms despite her compliance with guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure. She let me know that she felt better almost immediately after receiving the implant and continues to improve daily. It has been extremely rewarding to see such improvement in her quality of life. Her lab work four weeks later showed her BNP (a common test to diagnose heart failure) decreased by 81%, which is consistent with improvement in her heart failure symptoms.”

“Before my CCM implant, I could not walk from one room to the other without gasping for air. It was like being underwater and trying to breathe through a straw,” said Aubretta Bean. “Heart failure changed my life so quickly. You might think housework is a chore, but when you can’t make your bed or do the dishes, you realize how quickly you would love to do that again. Now after my Optimizer implant, I can do all these things! I look forward to planning my days again and not just trying to get through them. I have eight grandkids and two great-grandkids that I can travel to see!”

Drs. Eric Johnson, David Lan, and Chris Ingelmo are all electrophysiologists at Stern Cardiovascular that have treated ten patients at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis with CCM therapy since March 2023. Dr. Chris Ingelmo completed the milestone procedure for the 9,000th patient treated with CCM therapy. The results have been encouraging, with significant improvement in patient symptoms.

“We are inspired by such stories highlighting the potential for clinicians to use CCM therapy to make a positive impact on HF patients’ lives,” said Simos Kedikoglou, MD, CEO of Impulse Dynamics. “The growing cadence of implants and the emergence of such inspiring stories reinforces our commitment to delivering meaningful advances in CCM technology and clinical data.”

CCM therapy is now available in 44 countries, and the technology has continued to advance based on the needs of patients and physicians. The latest generation of Impulse Dynamic’s proprietary Optimizer platform is the Optimizer Smart Mini, which offers a rechargeable battery with 20-year battery life and a smaller size designed to make the implant procedure faster and easier for patients and physicians.

About the Optimizer® and CCM® Therapy

The Optimizer Smart system delivers CCM therapy — the company’s proprietary technology — to the heart. CCM therapy has been designed by Impulse Dynamics to significantly improve the heart’s contraction, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to be pushed out through the body. CCM therapy is indicated to improve the 6-minute hall walk, quality of life, and functional status of NYHA Class III heart failure patients who remain symptomatic despite guideline-directed medical therapy, are not indicated for CRT, and have a left ventricular ejection fraction ranging from 25 to 45 percent.

CCM is the brand name for cardiac contractility modulation — the non-excitatory electrical pulses delivered by the implantable Optimizer device to improve heart contraction. CCM therapy sends unique electrical pulses to the heart cells during the absolute refractory period. In doing so, CCM helps the heart contract more forcibly. Impulse Dynamics has completed numerous clinical studies, including several randomized controlled trials, and CCM therapy has been published in more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles.

About Impulse Dynamics

Impulse Dynamics is dedicated to advancing the treatment of heart failure for patients and the healthcare providers who care for them. The company pioneered its proprietary CCM therapy, which uses the Optimizer platform to improve quality of life in heart failure patients. CCM therapy is delivered through the Optimizer system, which includes an IPG implanted in a minimally invasive procedure and approved for commercial use in the United States and 44 countries worldwide. CCM therapy has proven safe and effective for heart failure patients with debilitating symptoms who otherwise have few effective options available to them. To learn more, visit www.ImpulseDynamics.com or follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘plan,’’ ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘target,’’ ‘‘project,’’ ‘‘contemplate,’’ ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘estimate,’’ ‘‘predict,’’ ‘‘potential’’ or ‘‘continue’’ or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning potential benefits of CCM therapy, the continued momentum for the adoption of CCM therapy and use of the Optimizer Smart system globally; the ability for CCM therapy and our products and technology to fill a significant unmet medical need for patients with heart failure; and the short-term and long-term benefits of the Optimizer system and CCM therapy in patients with heart failure, as well as to the physicians treating those patients. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Other important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contemplated in this press release include, without limitation: the company’s future research and development costs, capital requirements and the company’s needs for additional financing; company’s ability to expand and grow its business into new geographic markets; commercial success and market acceptance of CCM therapy; the company’s ability to achieve and maintain adequate levels of coverage or reimbursement for its Optimizer systems or any future products the company may seek to commercialize; competitive companies and technologies in the industry; the company’s ability to expand its indications and develop and commercialize additional products and enhancements to its current products; the company’s business model and strategic plans for its products, technologies and business, including its implementation thereof; the company’s ability to expand, manage and maintain its direct sales and marketing organization; the company’s ability to commercialize or obtain regulatory approvals for CCM therapy and its products, or the effect of delays in commercializing or obtaining regulatory approvals; FDA or other U.S. or foreign regulatory actions affecting us or the healthcare industry generally, including healthcare reform measures in the United States and international markets; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals; and the company’s ability to establish and maintain intellectual property protection for CCM therapy and products or avoid claims of infringement. The company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements and expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

Rohan More, Global Vice President of Marketing
Impulse Dynamics
856-642-9933
rmore@impulsedynamics.com

Harriss Currie, Chief Financial Officer
Impulse Dynamics
856-642-9933
hcurrie@impulsedynamics.com

Ian Segal, Public Relations Manager
Impulse Dynamics
856-642-9933
isegal@impulsedynamics.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8839792

Ethiopia Preparing to Conduct 4th Population, Housing Censes: Minister of Plan & Development

The government of Ethiopia has been carrying out preparations to conduct the 4th population and housing census in the upcoming three years, Minister of Plan and Development, Fisum Assefa disclosed.

The House of Peoples Representative has today evaluated the nine months performance report of Ministry of Planning and Development.

On the occasion, the minster told the standing committee that currently preparations are underway to conduct the 4th population and housing census over the coming three years.

The Minister also explained about the key activities carried out during the past nine months in her performance report.

The minister added though preparations were made previously to conduct the census with international standard in the entire country, it was not implemented due to problems the country encountered.

According to the minister, population and housing census is one of the key priorities in the preparations of development and investment plans to be implemented over the coming three years.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

DPM, FM Demeke Confers With Ethiopia’s Honorary Consul In Belarus

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen has conferred with Ethiopia’s Honorary Consul in Belarus, Dmitry Lukashenko.

Demeke warmly welcomed the Honorary Consul to Addis Ababa & expressed the gratitude of the Gov’t of Ethiopia for representing Ethiopia and its people with passion and commitment in the Eastern European nation.

He told the latter, “You are our ambassador to Belarus”.

Moreover, Demeke stated it is high time that Ethiopia and Belarus strive towards strengthening bilateral ties, among others in the areas of investment, tourism, agricultural mechanization and mining.

“We will do our level best to enhance Ethio-Belarusian relations,” Demeke told Lukashenko.

Ethiopia’s Honorary Consul in Belarus, Dmitry Lukashenko, of Belarus on his part thanked Demeke for graciously hosting him and vowed to further bolster the historical relations between the two countries.

He commended the recent developments and positive changes in Addis Ababa.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

EU, Ministry of Health Sign Agreement to Improve Specialized Health Education in Ethiopia

The European Union (EU) and Ministry of Health have today signed an agreement that aims at improving specialized health education in Ethiopia with a budget of 5 million Euros.

Ethiopian Minister of Health, Lia Tadesse and the European Union Ambassador to Ethiopia, Roland Kobia signed the agreement for the project.

According to the agreement, the European Union along with Spanish and Italian cooperation will work in nine university hospitals in Ethiopia to improve the professional skills of specialized medical students and teachers.

At the launching of the project, Minister of Health, Lia Tadesse said in a bid to further strengthen the health sector, attention has been given to the development of human resources in the field.

Starting from health extension workers, training and other supports are being offered to strengthen the human resources at all levels.

One of the areas of focus for the country is to expand specialized medical training, she said, adding specialized health education is being offered in 22 educational institutions.

The project announced by the European Union today aims to increase the capacity of specialist doctors in nine university hospitals in Ethiopia, she pointed out.

According to the agreement, with a budget of 5 million Euros’, the European Union, with the Spanish and Italian cooperation, will work to expand health training and strengthen the quality of key surgical services.

The Minister further stated that by bringing experts and technologies from these countries, experience sharing will be undertaken.

“The objective is to expand and enhance quality training with a view to scale up capacities of students and teachers in the sector in key health issues such as specialties in surgeries, orthopedic treatment, and obstetrics and gynecology as well as emergency among others by exchange of experts and new technologies from these countries,” she elaborated.

European Union Ambassador to Ethiopia, Roland Kobia, expressed that he will do his part to make the project successful.

He also pointed out that capacity building activities, including training for medical doctors, will be undertaken as part of the project.

Noting that the needs are huge and the war also take toll not only on physical infrastructure including hospitals and health centers, he said that “it is not only this project that we have but we have many other projects. So if we put it all the projects it is off course much more than what we are doing here today. So working with you is a real privilege. We know that you deploy all efforts to make this project a success for Ethiopia but mainly for the population. So we can have a better access to help.’

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

One Africa Expo Instrumental To Accelerate Economic Integration among African Countries: MoFA

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that the One Africa Expo 2023, a ten-day high level business expo will be instrumental in strengthening the economic integration among African countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly with members of One Africa Expo gave a press conference today on the preparation of the expo which will be held at the Ethiopia Museum of Art and Science Centre, Addis Ababa, from 20th to the 30th of May, 2023.

Director General of Economic Diplomacy Affairs at the ministry, Ambassador Ababi Demissie noted the expo is expected to bring the business communities together and play their role in realizing the goal of the African Agenda 2063.

Noting Ethiopia has been playing a pivotal role on African issues at regional and international arena, he said the nation will share its best experience at expo.

CEO of One Africa Expo, Yalew Getachew said on his part the expo will bring together government officials, diplomats, private sectors from African countries and global partners.

The first-ever One Africa EXPO will be held here in Addis Ababa in honor of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Organization of the African Unity(OAU), the predecessor of the African Union(AU).

The One Africa Expo 2023 is set to be an unprecedented Business-to-Business (B2B) trade show, created specifically for African governments, private and public business sectors, global companies, and business professionals to showcase their products, services, and expertise.

This platform offers an exceptional visual experience of Africa, bringing together diverse industries ranging from mobility, cultural diversity, tourism, technology, green initiatives, agro-industries, financial services, and infrastructures, involving all 55 member states.

The One Africa Expo 2023 is a must-attend event for those seeking to explore and expand their business potential in Africa, while also contributing to the development of the continent’s economic success, it was noted.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Day of living together in peace, some IDPs say they are happy in host communities

May 16 is the international day of living together in peace.

In Cameroon, the celebrtaion of this day comes in a context where the country is getting ready to observe its national unity day celebrated every May 20th although a socio-political crisis has been rocking the two English – speaking regions of the country for 7 years now.

In Babadjou subdivision, a locality in the West region, bordered by the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, many internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were forced to settle there because of the crisis sy they have had no problems adapting to their host communities and are living in harmony.

“I feel comfortable here because Babadjou people are very welcoming. Since I came here, they gave me a farm for me to cultivate and my landlord also gave me this space for my business. That’s how I do to feed my family,” Judith, an IDP in Babadjou tells us while pointing to her business spot. “When I reached here, it’s true I faced some difficulties adapting myself here but with time many people understood we were from the North West and had to take us as we are,” she adds.

” When I reached here I had difficulties in having a house but I came to understand that the people could not give me because they did not know me. It’s with time that I became used to my host community and now I can assure you that I live here like a Babadjou man,” another IDP Paul, confirms.

Indigenes on their part say there is no problem with them receiving their brothers from the neighboring regions.

“I personally have no problem with my English-speaking brothers from the other side. I know what they face and it can be me tomorrow. That is why I receive them whenever they knock at my door. More to that, I’m used to travelling to the English-speaking zones and the way they receive me is wonderful, why not return them the same treatment? ” an indigene wonders.

The UN General-Assembly, in its resolution 72/130, declared May 16 the international day of living together in peace, as a means of regularly mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity.

Source: Cameroon News Agency