LONDON and SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- News Summary Vodafone Business and Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced an expanded global partnership, extending the reach of their converged networking and cybersecurity services to additional countries across Europe and Asia, as well as the United States. Together, the two companies are helping businesses deliver on the connectivity needs of today's hybr ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Subscription revenue for Q1 2025 was $3,005 million, growing 20% year over year in constant currency, slightly above the high end of guidance [36] - Current Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) was $10,310 million, representing 22% year over year constant currency growth, a 150 basis point beat versus guidance [36] - Operating margin was 31%, approximately 100 basis points above guidance, while free cash flow margin was 48%, significantly above the rule of 50 for the quarter [8][43] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The number of deals greater than $1 million in net new Annual Contract Value (ACV) was 72, up from 63 a year ago, with nine deals over $5 million [8][39] - Technology workflows had 36 deals over $1 million, including two over $5 million, indicating strong performance across the ServiceNow solutions portfolio [9] - The number of customers generating over $5 million in ACV increased to 508, up from 425 a year ago, highlighting the momentum in large enterprise deals [38] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The public sector grew over 30% year over year, with significant contributions from US federal agencies, including 11 federal deals over $1 million [17][85] - Manufacturing delivered standout performance, growing net new ACV over 100% year over year, while healthcare and life sciences grew over 70% year over year [36] - CRM and industry workflows continued to show strong momentum, contributing to 16 of the top 20 deals with nine deals over $1 million [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on driving business transformation through its AI platform, with a strong pipeline and positive demand signals [12][13] - ServiceNow aims to expand its addressable market by integrating AI across various workflows, enhancing its position as the operating system for enterprises [20][21] - The intent to acquire Moveworks and Logic AI is part of a strategy to enhance employee self-service and CRM capabilities, respectively, driving further growth [22][23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to navigate macroeconomic uncertainties, emphasizing strong demand and a healthy pipeline [55][86] - The guidance for 2025 was raised, reflecting a positive outlook despite potential risks from geopolitical factors [46] - The company remains focused on operational efficiency and enhancing digital governance for federal customers, which is expected to drive growth [46][87] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with $10,900 million in cash and investments, and repurchased approximately 316,000 shares as part of its share repurchase program [44] - The number of pro plus deals quadrupled year over year, indicating strong customer adoption of AI-driven solutions [40] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on federal customer opportunities and decision-making delays - Management noted that demand remains strong among federal and enterprise customers, with a focus on future growth and cost efficiency despite geopolitical uncertainties [54] Question: Impact of Moveworks acquisition on ServiceNow's capabilities - The acquisition is expected to enhance AI expertise and provide a unified user experience, allowing for broader customer engagement and solution delivery [62] Question: Aspirations in the front office market and CRM strategy - Management expressed ambitions to lead in the CRM space, emphasizing the integration of sales and service operations to improve efficiency and time to revenue [75][76] Question: Clarification on public sector growth and guidance context - The 30% growth in the public sector was in net new ACV, and management acknowledged the uncertain environment while maintaining a positive long-term outlook [85][87] Question: Trends in Pro Plus adoption and growth initiatives - Pro Plus adoption is expected to continue growing, supported by strong customer interest in AI solutions, alongside other key growth initiatives [108][110] Question: AI driving operational efficiencies and margin expansion - Management highlighted that AI is driving significant operational efficiencies, contributing to confidence in maintaining and expanding margins [120]

Core Viewpoint - Verizon Communications is viewed as a reliable defensive stock but has struggled to outperform the market, particularly during bull markets [1][2][12] Group 1: Performance and Market Comparison - Since the current bull market began on October 12, 2022, the S&P 500 has risen by 51%, while Verizon's stock has only increased by 28% [2] - In 2023, Verizon's stock rallied by 14% as the S&P 500 declined by 8%, indicating its defensive nature during economic uncertainty [2] - Over the past 20 years, Verizon's stock has only risen by 34%, with a $10,000 investment growing to $13,400, compared to an S&P 500 index fund that would have grown to approximately $43,140 [3][4] Group 2: Financial Metrics and Debt - Verizon's adjusted earnings per share (EPS) has had a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of only 3% from 2004 to 2024 [4] - The company's year-end debt increased from $39.3 billion to $168.4 billion, primarily due to a $130 billion acquisition of Vodafone's stake in Verizon Wireless in 2014 [5] - Verizon expects its wireless revenue to grow by 2% to 2.8% in 2025, with adjusted EBITDA projected to grow by 1% to 3% [8] Group 3: Subscriber Growth and Market Strategy - In 2023, Verizon struggled to gain new wireless subscribers, attributing the slowdown to competition from AT&T, T-Mobile, and other smaller players [6] - In 2024, Verizon doubled its postpaid phone net additions, thanks to localized incentives, marketing campaigns, and a partnership with Walmart [7] - The wireless retail churn rate improved from 1.67% in 2023 to 1.62% in 2024, indicating better customer retention [7] Group 4: Future Outlook - Verizon's enterprise value is $329 billion, trading at 7 times this year's adjusted EBITDA, with a forward dividend yield of 6.1% [9] - If Verizon maintains a CAGR of 3% for adjusted EPS and EBITDA over the next 20 years, its stock could potentially rise by more than 90% to around $88 per share by 2045 [11] - Despite potential gains, Verizon is expected to underperform compared to the S&P 500, which has delivered an average annual return of over 10% since 1957 [11][12]

Core Insights - Oracle has announced the general availability of Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure on Oracle Database@Azure, which significantly reduces infrastructure costs by up to 95 percent while providing high performance and reliability [1][3] - The Oracle Base Database Service will soon be available on Oracle Database@Azure, allowing customers to run Oracle Database workloads on virtual machines with simplified administration and pay-as-you-go pricing [1][5] - Oracle Database@Azure has expanded its availability to 14 regions, with plans to add 18 more regions in the next 12 months, enhancing global customer access [7][8] Group 1: Exadata Database Service Features - The Exascale Infrastructure allows customers to provision and manage smaller database workloads and scale as needed, leveraging the power of Exadata [3] - Exascale offers elastic, pay-per-use resources with no extra charge for IOPS, reducing entry-level infrastructure costs significantly [3] - Intelligent storage cloud capabilities enable high performance by distributing databases across storage servers and utilizing Smart Scan technology [3] Group 2: Collaboration and Market Demand - The collaboration between Oracle and Microsoft on Oracle Database@Azure is seeing strong global customer demand, providing customers with greater choice in performance and flexibility [2] - The Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure is a key advancement in Oracle's multicloud strategy, aimed at supporting organizations of all sizes [2] Group 3: Upcoming Services and Support - Oracle Base Database Service will run Oracle Database Enterprise Edition and Standard Edition 2 versions on virtual machines, providing automated database lifecycle management [5] - Oracle Exadata Database Service on Dedicated Infrastructure now supports the next-generation Exadata X11M platform, offering significant performance improvements [6] - Customers can purchase Oracle Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure through the Azure Marketplace with flexible pricing options [4]

Industry Overview - Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) is becoming a leading network standard, driven by the cloud business model, which offers an affordable, scalable, and easily deployable solution for unified collaboration communication, particularly popular among large enterprises by 2025 [1] - The UCaaS market is projected to grow from $56.14 billion in 2025 to $175.83 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.65% during the forecast period [6] Technological Advancements - The UCaaS market will see deeper AI integration in 2025 to enhance communication, a shift towards mobile-first platforms, increased adoption of Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC), and a focus on security and compliance [2] - AI-powered capabilities such as virtual assistants, automated chatbots, and predictive intelligence will improve communication efficiency and enhance the remote work experience [3] - The introduction of 5G networks is transforming video and audio conferencing by enabling fast, low-latency communication, with advancements like 5G network slicing improving video call quality [4] Key Players - RingCentral (RNG), Cisco Systems (CSCO), and Crexendo (CXDO) are key players positioned to benefit from the growing UCaaS market [6] - RingCentral has been recognized as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for UCaaS for ten consecutive years, bolstered by strategic partnerships with companies like AT&T and Cox Communications [8][9] - Cisco has also been recognized as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for UCaaS for the sixth consecutive year, highlighting its commitment to innovation through its Webex platform [11] - Crexendo has expanded its presence in the UCaaS sector and won the Unified Communications Excellence Award for the fourth time, showcasing its leadership and innovation [15] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RingCentral's 2025 earnings is $4.20 per share, which has increased by a penny in the past 30 days [10] - Cisco's 2025 earnings estimate is $3.72 per share, reflecting a 1.92% increase over the past 30 days [14] - Crexendo's 2025 earnings estimate is 28 cents per share, which has risen by 12% over the past 30 days [17]

图片来源： Quantexa 英国初创公司 Quantexa 凭借其采用人工智能和数据分析的企业平台，多年来在打击洗钱和欺诈方面声名鹊起。 2025年3月，该公司宣布已筹集到 1.75 亿美元资金，以加大对这一业务的投入，并进一步深入另一个热门领域：帮助各组织理解 数据， 并更好地利用跨不 同地区数据的，以构建和运行 AI 服务。 本轮融资为 F 轮，使 Quantexa 的投后估值达到 26 亿美元——较其 2023 年的 18 亿美元估值大幅跃升。 加拿大安大略省教师养老金计划旗下的 Teachers ' Venture Growth (TVG) 领投了本轮融资，现有投资者 British Patient Capital 也参与了此轮投资。 根据 PitchBook 的数据，这家初创公司迄今已筹集了近 5.5 亿美元。 这笔资金正值这家成立 9 年的初创公司发展势头强劲之际。该公司表示，其平台上有"数千名用户"，其企业客户名单包括 Prudential 、 Vodafone 、 HSBC 、 ABN-AMRO 和 Accenture 。 其许可收入在过去一年增长了 40% ，目前在全球拥有 16 个办事处 ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For Q4 2024, non-GAAP adjusted cash operating expenses were $40.8 million, down from $45.3 million in Q3 2024, primarily due to a $9.3 million reduction in R&D costs [39][41] - Full year 2024 non-GAAP adjusted cash operating expenses totaled $151.8 million compared to $154.6 million in 2023 [41] - Capital expenditures for Q4 2024 were approximately $86 million, significantly up from $26.5 million in Q3 2024, driven by Block 2 Bluebird satellite production [42] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company has agreements with approximately 50 mobile network operators globally, representing nearly three billion existing subscribers [9][31] - The first five Bluebird satellites are operational, demonstrating capabilities for voice, text, data, and video calling [23][24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company is expanding its manufacturing footprint to support increased production, with facilities in Midland, Texas, Barcelona, Spain, and Compton, Florida [16][34] - The company anticipates launching up to 60 Block 2 Bluebird satellites during 2025 and 2026, with a target of six satellites per month by the second half of 2025 [17][101] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to leverage its extensive IP portfolio of over 3,500 patents to enhance connectivity services [7] - The strategic partnership with Vodafone aims to expand the addressable market significantly in Europe, establishing a jointly owned entity for distribution [34] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the company's position as a technology leader in the direct-to-device satellite communication industry, with a strong balance sheet to support growth initiatives [37][46] - The company is optimistic about government contracts, with a recent $43 million contract with the US Space Development Agency highlighting strong demand for its technology [12][28] Other Important Information - The company completed a $460 million convertible senior note offering, resulting in nearly $1 billion in cash on its balance sheet [13][46] - The company received special temporary authority from the FCC to commence service with AT&T and Verizon, enabling testing with unmodified smartphones [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: When does AST SpaceMobile, Inc. expect to reach the sixth Bluebird per month manufacturing target? - The company believes it will reach a rate of six satellites per month by the second half of the year, supported by expanded manufacturing facilities [54] Question: What do the current satellites in orbit do for the company besides testing? - The satellites are fully operational, demonstrating broadband capabilities, and the government is starting to test them for various applications [56][58] Question: Are you planning to expand beyond the current launch agreements with SpaceX, Blue Origin, and ISRO? - The company has designed its satellites to be launch vehicle agnostic and is open to using other launch providers in the future [60][62] Question: What are the remaining risks to full authorization from the FCC for operating a commercial constellation? - The company is in the final stages of the process for commercial modification of its existing license and is rolling out a beta service for scale testing [65] Question: How many MNO subscribers could be addressed by the new Satco joint venture with Vodafone? - The partnership with Vodafone could potentially address around 600 million subscribers across Europe, significantly expanding the company's market reach [70][72] Question: Can you provide more detail on the $43 million contract with the SDA? - The contract is for non-communications applications, and the company expects to recognize this revenue over the next twelve months [75][78] Question: How does your technology differ from T-Mobile and Starlink? - The company's service offers full connectivity capabilities, including voice, text, data, and video, without requiring modifications to existing smartphones [87] Question: What is the expected cost per satellite? - The cost per satellite remains in the range of $19 million to $21 million [103]

Business Highlights - Achieved full operational status for the first five BlueBird commercial satellites, featuring the largest commercial communications arrays in LEO[12] - Secured a $43 million revenue contract with the U S Space Development Agency to support critical government missions[16] - Accelerated satellite manufacturing with planning and production of 40 Block 2 BlueBird satellites underway[14] - Spectrum agreement for access to up to 45 MHz of premium lower mid-band spectrum in the U S , enabling peak data transmission speeds of up to 120 Mbps nationwide[14] - Agreements with approximately 50 mobile network operators globally, representing nearly 3 0 billion existing subscribers[19] Financial Position - Robust balance sheet with nearly $1 0 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash as of December 31, 2024, pro forma for convertible notes offering[14] - Adjusted operating expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2024, were $40 76 million[40] - Capital expenditures increased from $26 5 million in Q3 2024 to $86 0 million in Q4 2024[36] Strategic Partnerships - Vodafone definitive commercial agreement through 2034 establishes a framework to offer SpaceMobile service across Europe and Africa[16] - Plans to form a jointly owned Vodafone European distribution entity to accelerate commercialization strategies across the European continent[16]

Allot (ALLT) Q4 2024 Earnings Call February 25, 2025 09:00 AM ET Company Participants Kenny Green - Investor RelationEyal Harari - Chief Executive OfficerLiat Nahum - Chief Financial OfficerNehal Chokshi - Managing DirectorDavid Kanen - President Operator Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to our fourth quarter twenty twenty four results conference call. All participants are present in listen only mode. Following management's formal presentation, instructions will be given for the ques ...