DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce the sale of its client Highland Roofing Company & Coastal Fabrication, Inc. to Private Investors. The acquisition closed December 10, 2021.

Located in Wilmington, North Carolina, Highland Roofing Company & Coastal Fabrication (Highland) is an award-winning commercial roofing contractor. Coastal Fabrication, Inc. is a related company providing sheet metal fabrication products and services. Highland is a well-established contractor serving Southeastern and Central North Carolina from two locations in Wilmington and Raleigh and is focused on growth through service and maintenance. Highland primarily markets itself via continuous personal networking and relationship-based marketing with key customer accounts. The Company maintains two informative corporate websites: http://www.highlandroofingcompany.com and http://www.coastalfabricationinc.com.

Generational Equity Executive Managing Director, M&A-Technology Practice Leader, David Fergusson, and his team led by Managing Director, M&A, Alex Mironov, successfully closed the deal.

The most important factor for my client was finding a group that would treat their employees like family. Happy to say that our acquirer will do just that, and we could not have asked for a better culture fit, said Mironov.

About Generational Equity

Generational Equity, Generational Capital Markets (member FINRA/SIPC), Generational Wealth Advisors, Generational Consulting Group, and DealForce are part of the Generational Group, which is headquartered in Dallas and is one of the leading M&A advisory firms in North America.

With more than 250 professionals located throughout 16 offices in North America, the companies help business owners release the wealth of their business by providing growth consulting, merger, acquisition, and wealth management services. Their six-step approach features strategic and tactical growth consulting, exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, M&A transactional services, and wealth management.

The M&A Advisor named the company the 2017 and 2018 Investment Banking Firm of the Year and 2020 Valuation Firm of the Year. For more information, visit https://www.genequityco.com/ or the Generational Equity press room.

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Generational Equity Advises Highland Roofing Company & Coastal Fabrication in its Sale to Private Investors - Business Wire

reviving the ancient city with a new art museum and public square

ACRC, the architectural design & research institute of zhejiang university, has completed the xu wei art museum and green vine square within the shaoxing ancient city in china. robust granite walls, extended glazing and herrington slope roofs complete the cultural ensemble which emerges as a new public landmark for the city. we try to establish a kind of new spatial expression, with a view to connecting the surrounding built environment mainly based on the small scale of traditional dwellings, meeting the demands of contemporary art exhibitions for large space, and meanwhile discussing the topic of modernity in historical context, the architects share.

overlooking xu wei art museum, you can clearly perceive architectural texture of the surrounding small-scale traditional dwellings

images by lei tantan, jia fang, zhang chenfan, and jiang lanlan

drawing inspiration from the large space combination of the old shaoxing machine tool plant, and adopting the construction logic of longitudinal five-entry, and horizontal three-fold unequal herringbone slope modeling, the team at ACRC completed the distinctive volumetry of the xu wei art museum. the two five-entry floors on the east and west sides serve as the main exhibition space; the middle floor spans two floors, opening up the longitudinal five-entry pattern; and the ground floor is a foyer running through the north and south, while the shared hall and small temporary lecture hall are located on the second floor. the shared space on the upper and lower floors also serves as a transfer hub between exhibition halls on both sides. in addition, an internal courtyard was set up in different flat floors on the east and west sides, which reasonably separates the space volume of the exhibition hall and enhances the indoor permeability.

two herringbone slopes, one big and one small, are lifted up on the east and west sides of the square

besides spatial treatment, the contemporary expression of shaoxings traditional style is also reflected in the fine selection of materials: the black metal texture unfolds from the roof along with the herringbone slope house to the end of the second floor on the east and west sides, and the white granite solid walls are selected for above the second floor in the north-south direction; the first floor is concave on four sides for repeated pavement of the unitized texture of transverse herringbone slope, the curtain wall is treated locally according to function and unified modulus, and the gray granite and curtain wall materials are unified. the building presents typical black, white, and gray tones as a whole, while local blank space and three-fold herringbone slope contour lines reveal the contemporary landscape intention of the architects.

horizontal three-fold unequal herringbone slope modeling alleviates the alienation of large-scale space itself

located on the south side of the venue, green vine square connects the art museum on the north side with green vine study on the south side, paving the way for the frontcourt atmosphere, and meanwhile serves as the visitor center to carry the crowd distribution function. the square continues the construction logic of the art museum, and lifts up two herringbone slopes on the east and west sides respectively: the west side is slightly raised to enclose the square, while the east side is slightly higher.

with the help of local sinking, the volume of the visitor center is skillfully hidden under the herringbone slopes. the square as a whole is paved with dark stone, and the west side creates a flowing water scene with the help of a slope. meanwhile, an original xu wei statue stands on the southwest side of the art museum and the northeast side of the slope, making it the visual focus of the square and the prospect of the art museum. the step-like setting at the beginning of the east slope serves as an auditorium to provide an appropriate place for distribution and gathering.

xu wei statue stands on the southwest side of the art museum

xu wei art museum is gradually integrating into local community life

in the opposite view of the old wall and the residential buildings, you can see the sunken qingteng square (the visitor center)

the visitor center hides under the herringbone slope view

water landscape on qingteng square

the west-facing main courtyard on the first floor is mainly for viewing

the atrium on the second floor provides multiple use scenarios such as rest, assembly, viewing, and photographing

the north-south curtain wall design of the second floor connects the texture of the ancient city, making the changing city appearance a new exhibition content

project info:

name:xu wei art museum and green vine squarearchitectural firm: ACRC, the architectural design & research institute of zhejiang university

principal architect: hu huifeng

project team: hu huifeng, jiang lanlan, zhang chenfan, han lifan, zhu jinyun, and li pengfei

structure: zhang jie, chen xu, lv junfeng, ding ziwen, shen zeping, and chen xiaodong

water: yi jiasong, and shao yuran

HVAC: pan dahong, and li yongmei

electrical: zhang wei, yu liang, and du zhizhi weak

current: lin hua, ye minjie, and yang guozhong

landscape: wu weiling, wang jietao, wu di, zhu jing, ao dandan, he ying, and lin teng

indoor: chu ran, liu wanlin, wang junzheng, and mei wenbin

exhibition: zhao tongqing, liang shuang, chen wei, huang shizhen, and sun xiaotong

lighting: wang xiaodong, zhao yanqiu, fu dongming, feng baile, and wu xuhui

curtain wall: shi jiongjiong, wang jieneng, duan yuzhuang, and zhang jie

foundation pit enclosure: xu quanbiao, and zeng kai

bim design: zhang shunjin, ren wei, yan yitao, and wang qibo

EPC: fang chaojun, wang qing, miao sai, bei sijia, li yanqi, and li chen

client: shaoxing cultural tourism group

constructor: zhejiang qinye construction engineering group co., ltd.

location: 33 houguan lane, yuecheng district, shaoxing, zhejiang province

land area (square meter): 9854.17

building area (square meter): 8504.14

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom

Link:
ACRC's art museum with sloping roofs and extended glazing revives ancient city in china - Designboom

FORT WASHINGTON, MD / ACCESSWIRE / December 23, 2021 / Rx SeedCoin, Inc. (RxSeedCoin.io:WSOW) an advanced Blockchain technology business that strives to uplift humanity, and provide solutions for pressing problems facing the world today announced that in addition to its ongoing acts of compassion and giving throughout this year it has expanded its current tornado damage relief efforts from one of it's offices in Tennessee and has now engaged it's newly formed Rx First Responders Group working with affiliates in the building and roofing industries and traveling onsite into Kentucky on Tuesday this week in order to bring additional supplies and provide aid and help uplift the people in Kentucky who were even more severely affected than people in Tennessee by the recent tornado disaster that occurred on December 11, 2021 where countless lives have been tragically lost right before the Christmas holiday.

Many people don't realize that when disasters occur people in the construction, roofing, demolition and landscaping along with many other related businesses are an essential part of the team of first and secondary responders whose skills and equipment are required to clear damaged areas so that people can be rescued and immediate repairs can be made to stabilize or demolish structures or even build new temporary structures in order to make both short and long term relief efforts possible. In large scale disasters tradespeople from various companies large and small come from all over the country to assist and these responders are sometimes referred to as "storm chasers." While the quality and experience of services offered varies, the most competent storm chasers almost always bring with them as many extra supplies as they can carry to provide for people who are in need and to help and assist first reponders. In addition to software and hardware design, many of the founding members of RxSeedCoin.io are also involved in the industries of construction, building, roofing and clean energy and as a result they have united together to help create a more formal and better coordinated group that storm chasers can join in order to combine and maximize their relief efforts as the decend into disaster zones while also leveraging the WSOW Crypto currency coin to help capitalize relief efforts and reward participants. This group of first responders from the construction industry that is coordinated by RxSeedCoin.io is called the "Rx First Responders Group." Members of the Rx First Responders Group are assisted and equipped by RxSeedCoin.io as best they can to provide much needed relief and supplies in addition to performing the vital work that they already do on their own with other first responders. Rx First Responders is also reaching out to non-profits and even churches who may be interested in helping in a variety of uplifting projects in addition to disaster relief.

Story continues

"Trades people in the construction and roofing industries are a vital component of the team of first responders that participate in disaster relief and stay in effected areas for months and even years to help rebuild from disasters," says Jeff Richfield a founder of RxSeedCoin.io and the owner of MusicCityRoofers.com, a successful building and roofing company based in Nashville, Tennessee. "Nobody can prepare any trades-person or business owner for the seriousness and the humanity of what they may experience when they arrive in a disaster zone where they may live and work for months and in some cases years far from their own families while trying to help save and rebuild communities. We are only human and seeing people suffering is painful for everyone. When we travel to disaster zones, we bring the supplies that we need in order to do our work and we always bring as many extra supplies with us as we can carry to help others. With Rx First Responders we are working to formalize this process of aid and fill in the gaps by helping to stage additional supplies and assets that contractors and members can use to help people in disaster zones."

RxSeedCoin.io is a blockchain business that is heavily involved in the clean energy sector as well as banking and exchange solutions and it has committed up to 30% of it's resources to help uplift people in need and to help provide solutions to meet the problems of hunger, homelessness, health, provision of clean energy as well as disaster relief and temporary emergency housing. RxSeedCoin.io is launching it's new crypto currency coin also known as "the Coin of Compassion," or SOW-Coin with the symbol WSOW on the BitMart.com exchange this January 15, 2022 and there is a limited amount of WSOW coins available for Pre-Sale on the RxSeedCoin.io website. The WSOW is viewed as a means to help consolidate and expand it's blockchain systems development business and its mission to create a community of people who uplift people and help each other in their own times of need. The WSOW crypto currency coin is not only an element that can be used in RxSeedCoin.io's blockchain business applications but it is also being designed to provide a utility and a reward for holders of the WSOWcoin who buy and hold the coin and who actively transact in the coin in order to help others both inside and outside of the community of coin holders.

RxSeedCoin.io doesn't just talk about doing acts of compassion, their founding members and affiliated businesses have been doing acts of kindness and financing it from their businesses since the organization was created. Many of their acts of compassion go unreported and many can be viewed on their YouTube channel and other social media links that can be found on the website. This year RxSeedCoin.io's more notable acts of compassion and philanthropy include, helping to fund a college scholarship for a young man under their associated mentorship who overcame many hardships to earn a position in a prestigious college. This year RxSeedCoin.io has built two tiny homes for those in need. RxSeedCoin.io has organized, funded and participated in several substantial food drops where semi-trucks full of fresh food were made available to those in need in communities in Nashville Tennessee which is the headquarters of the Rx First Responders Group. Recently RxSeedCoin.io helped to save a small business owner whose restaurant was in foreclosure and unable to make his rent do to debts that accumulated as a result of the Covid lock-downs.

"The blockchain and crypto currencies have immense utility that is only now beginning to be tapped as they are in our project with our founding partners at Solar Integrated Roofing (OTC:SIRC) where we are integrating all aspects of the blockchain into the delivery of clean energy. This is good business," says David Miller, a founding member of Rx SeedCoin.io, "Right now there are meme coins with ordinary utility for people at best which stand for absolutely nothing but that manage to attain support and buyers and powerful market capitalization from people. It is our sincere hope that our WSOW crypto currency will be able to attract even more support from people and even more market capitalization with all it's actual utility and it's market is being made by our very real blockchain solutions businesses and partners and whose goal is to create a community of people who uplift and support each other. I'm inviting everyone to become a holder of our WSOW coin an transact using the coin and show the world that business plus compassion is a winning model."

Any person or organization interested in joining the Rx First Reponders Group should email: firstresponders@sowcommunity.com

For more information about this press release contact: 307-222-9867

SOURCE: Rx SeedCoin, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/679182/RxSeedCoinio-First-Responders-Group-Brings-Aid-to-Victims-of-the-Tornadoes-in-Kentucky-and-Tennessee

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RxSeedCoin.io First Responders Group Brings Aid to Victims of the Tornadoes in Kentucky and Tennessee - Yahoo Finance

Christmas is a great way to end the year you get a break from work, relax with the family and focus all your energy on simply keeping warm. But in some cultures, its that time of the year when you have to put a roof rack on whichever vehicle you own, drive to a farm, and bring home a real baby pine tree strapped to the cars roof, all the while hoping it wouldnt untangle and reduced to debris on the road. Most of us wouldnt subject an expensive exotic to such an ordeal. But dont worry, no sports cars were harmed in the making of these videos:

Hennessey Performance Audi RS6

Even without modifications, a stock Audi RS6 Avant estate can still get you to 100kmph in just 3.6 seconds. But this Hennessey-tuned RS6 station wagon puts out more than 800PS from its twin-turbo V8 engine, and even with a tree on top, it could still manage to reach 294.5kmph! Without the tree, the top speed is 330kmph, making it an incredibly fast estate car.

BMW M2 Competition

You wouldnt want a once-a-year tradition to ruin your cars expensive paintwork. Thats why this BMW M2 owner has given her car a wrap that makes the Bimmer look like its wearing a Christmas sweater, before putting a christmas tree on it. Its all fun and games until the fuel stop at the end of the video.

Lamborghini Murcielago Replica

No sane person would risk breaking parts on a Italian supercar made in small numbers thats no longer in production. Thankfully, this Lamborghini replica isnt a Murcielago, its a Toyota MR2 turbo sports car underneath. It looks brilliant on the road with a christmas tree on its roof, but the cabin is cramped, the roof leaks, its peak winter and its raining.

Hennessey Performance Porsche 911

This Porsche 911 Turbo S is owned by John Hennessey himself, and its been boosted to 750PS. It still gets to 281kmph with a tree strapped to its roof. But pine trees werent made to be aerodynamic, and that shows in the second run, where the car seems visibly more stable and adept at handling speed. It reaches terminal velocity at around 330kmph.

Morgan Plus Four CX-T

Occasionally getting to drive iconic, rare sports cars is a fringe benefit of working at Morgan, and 19-year-old Hamish exploits it fully during Christmas shopping. He straps the tree on a battle-scarred prototype, and drives it the way the Plus Four CX-T was meant to be driven sliding around happily in the mud. Thankfully, the tree comes home intact mostly.

Bonus: Tesla Model 3

To end this listicle on a sensible note, here's a video of Christmas tree shopping done right. You might already know about Tesla's glass roofs, so unless youre ready to risk an expensive repair bill, all the luggage has to go in the boot. As it turns out, even Teslas smallest Model 3 sports sedan can hold a properly large Christmas tree with the rear seats folded flat. The Model 3 carries it in emissions-free silence, and if the tree is properly secured, the EV can scoot from 0-100kmph as quickly as any other car on this list.

View original post here:
Christmas Special: Top 5 Videos Of Sports Cars With Christmas Trees On Their Roofs - Zigwheels.com

LUBBOCK, Texas Volunteer firefighters responded to a power line down and grass fire near the Lubbock-Cooper High School. The time was approximately 9:30 a.m. Monday, and South Plains Electric Coop reported 576 homes or businesses without power at the same time. At 9:58 a.m., SPEC said power was restored.

SPEC said, We had a truck back into our pole near Cooper High School. Crews will work on restoring our members, just wanted to let our members know what is going on. Thanks for your patience while crews work.

Lubbock Cooper ISD said:

Due to a power outage in the area, South Elementary, Lubbock-Cooper Middle School, the LCISD Administration Building and several district operational buildings have temporarily lost phone service. If you need to reach one of these campuses, please email info@lcisd.net, and the district will ensure your message is relayed.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation. We will let you know when phone service has been restored.

More here:
Truck hit power line, hundreds affected by outage near Lubbock-Cooper HS - KLBK | KAMC | EverythingLubbock.com

Covington Electric Cooperative has announced that the Buzz Broadband office isnow open and ready to serve current and future customers.

The new office is located at 18146 Galileo Drive in Opp and will be open every weekday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., with the exception of holidays.

The establishment of a Buzz Broadband office represents the next important step in CECs commitment to providing the area with its most reliable and fastest internet service, representatives said.

Buzz Broadband is bringing fast, reliable fiber optic broadband to Southern Alabama homes and businesses in the CEC service area, making it possible for many in the area to get a dependable internet connection. This connection willhelp improve how locals work, learn, enjoy entertainment and more. Buzz Broadband brings top quality internet with equal upload/download speeds of up to 2 Gbps without data caps or contracts, according to the announcement.

Opp Mayor Becky Bracke said she is excited about the new addition to the Opp community.

Im not sure everyone knows what Covington Electric does for our whole area and this broadband commitment is just the latest example. We welcome Buzz Broadband to Opp, Bracke said.

The location for Buzz Broadband came about thanks to forward thinking, according to Rick Clifton, president and CEO of the Covington County Economic Development Commission.

This shows the importance of having a spec building in your community, Clifton said. Having the spec building in Opp meant we had a facility in place to serve as a distribution center and central office for Buzz Broadband when the need arose.They were able to move in quickly and Buzz Broadband has a new home.

Buzz Broadband technicians have already connected the first homes and businesses to our lightning-fast fiber optic network, and crews are working hard to connect more services every day.

Potential customers can be notified when Buzz Broadband becomes available at their location by pre-registering online at https://www.buzzbroadband.com, by email at customerservice@buzzbroadband.com, or over the phone by calling 833-399-2899.

Once registered, customers will receive an email when Buzz Broadband becomes available in their area and will then have an opportunity to schedule their installation. Covington Electric Cooperative is proud to provide this top-notch internet service with the local, knowledgeable and friendly service team that every customer deserves.

See more here:
Covington Electric Cooperative opens broadband service office in Opp - The Andalusia Star-News - Andalusia Star-News

The Toyota bZ4X the Japanese company's first dedicated pure-electric car and the first in a range of zero-emissions models from the new bZ ('beyond Zero') sub-brand is now available to reserve in the UK, priced from 41,950.

First deliveries of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Ariya,Mercedes EQA,Skoda Enyaq iVandVolkswagen ID.4rival will commence in 2022. Previewed at the 2021 Auto Shanghai motor show, the bZ4X sits on the newly developed 'e-TNGA' mechanical platform, shared with sister cars the Subaru Solterra and Lexus RZ.

The platform uses the batteries as an integral part of the chassis, promising the usual electric-car benefits of a low centre of gravity, good front/rear weight balance and strong rigidity. Plus, the bZ4X is offered with four-wheel-drive by means of a dual-motor setup on higher-spec models.

In December 2021, Toyota revealed a raft of new electric concept cars previewing forthcoming models, including several additions to the bZ range, both above and below the bZ4X in terms of size and likely price.

The bZ4X is available from launch in four trim levels: Pure, Motion, Vision and Premiere Edition. The Pure is available only with front-wheel drive, the Motion and Vision offer a choice of front or all-wheel drive and the range-topping Premiere Edition is all-wheel-drive only. Pricing is as follows:

Standard kit on the Pure includes 18-inch alloys, an eight-inch dashboard display, aseven-inch digital driver's display, a reversing camera and climate control. Options include roof rails and a towing pack. The Motion adds a rear spoiler, rear privacy glass, a poweredbootlid, parking sensors, heated front seats, ambient lighting and wireless phone charging. Options include afixed panoramic roof and 20-inch alloys.

The Vision kit list encompasses 20-inch alloys, rear parking sensors with automatic braking, remote parking assistance, synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, a powered bootlid with kick sensor and a heated steering wheel. Options include the panoramic roof and towing pack.

The limited-run Premiere Edition packs in everything you get on the Vision, plus a nine-speakerpremium sound system and the panoramic roof. Unlike the other three trims, it can only be ordered through Toyota's website.

Both versions of the bZ4X available from launch feature a 71.4kWh battery, which allows the front-wheel-drive car to return a driving range of more than 280 miles in industry-standard testing.Meanwhile, the four-wheel-drive model will be able to cover over 255 miles on a single charge, according to Toyota.

Rapid charging at up to 150kW will be possible, allowing for 80% battery capacity to be reached in around 30 minutes from fast enough public charging points. Towards the end of 2022, Toyota will make an 11kW on-board charger available in the bZ4X, for faster overnight wallbox charging at homes or premises with a three-phase electricity supply.

According to the manufacturer, the batteries are anticipated to retain 90% of their original capacity even after 10 years or 150,000 miles on the road. It's not yet known whether smaller or larger-battery variants will also be offered in due course.

Like many electric SUVs, the bZ4X will be available in both cheaper two-wheel-drive form and as a four-wheel-drive range-topper. The single-motor, front-drive version has a power output of 201bhp and peak torque of 265Nm, which results in a 0-62mph time of 8.4 seconds and a top speed of 99mph.

The four-wheel-drive version has two motors, with one each driving the front and rear axles. Peak power here increases to 215bhp and torque goes up to 336Nm, taking the 0-62mph time down to 7.7 seconds. Toyota says the four-wheel-drive bZ4X will get various off-road driving modes, too, suited to "snow or mud", "deep snow or mud" and "tougher off-road driving".

The concept version of the bZ4X seen in April 2021 featured a 'yoke'-style steering wheel an element of 'steer-by-wire' technology that does away with a mechanical link between the steering wheel and front axle, reducing the need to move your hands around the wheel. However, Toyota says this system is now planned for introduction in Europe "at a later date" and the production version has a conventional circular wheel.

Elsewhere, Toyota says it went for a "living-room" ambience when designing the bZ4X's interior, making use of soft, woven trim textures, details finished in satin and slim, low-set instrument panel to give a greater sense of openness from the driver's seat. A "hands on the wheel, eyes on the road" philosophy sees the driver's seven-inch instrument and infotainment display placed directly in their eyeline, just above the line of the steering wheel. While in the centre of the dashboard is a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen. A panoramic sunroof is offered as an option, as isa solar panel roof in some European markets.

Practicality is boosted by a long wheelbase and short overhangs to maximise the amount of interior space, with Toyota claiming passengers will enjoy as much legroom as in a luxury saloon like the Lexus LS. Boot capacity is up to 452 litres and on the safety front, the bZ4X is set to feature the latest third-generation iteration of the now-familiar 'Toyota Safety Sense' suite of driver-assistance and collision-avoidance tech.

Toyota has also announced that it'll sell its range of pure-electric vehicles, starting with the bZ4X, through a series of in-dealer hubs that'll offer customers specialised advice about the switch to zero-emissions motoring. Toyotas European product and marketing boss, Andrea Carlucci, told DrivingElectric that these bZ Hubs are likely to be store-in-store facilities in effect, a dedicated area of the showroom floor in certain locations. However, not all Toyota dealerships will be expected to offer this more specialised service.

Regardless of where the customer orders their bZ4X, the zero-emissions SUV will be available as part of an all-inclusive leasing solution that combines maintenance, insurance, connected services and a home wallbox, plus a single card that gives access to multiple public charging networks as well.

Read more:
New Toyota bZ4X electric SUV: prices, specs, pictures and on-sale date - DrivingElectric

Paid Feature It might have taken a couple of decades, but were now at a point where many tech professionals have moved away from the thinking that a server is something they have to own. The growth of the cloud has seen to that.

Even on-prem infrastructure is increasingly seen as something that can be used, managed, and controlled, without being bought outright.

However, when it comes to personal devices, things get well, personal. End users can become unaccountably attached to their device or alternatively see an unsatisfactory PC or laptop as emblematic of everything thats wrong with their employer.

As Lenovos worldwide Device as a Service leader Rob Makin says, a laptop or a tablet is not a multi-tenant device, like a server. When an individual is not using it, say at the weekend, its not like the organization can utilise it for something or somebody - else.

Of course, leasing has long been a part of the tech scene. And one of the key benefits of leasing is the ability to move tech expenditure from CapEx to OpEx. But that does little to improve the utilisation or management of end user devices. Or to alleviate the frustration of the user stuck with a sub-par device, or the frustration of the support staff whose time is swallowed up keeping aging or inadequate kit working.

And, as Makin explains, leasing does nothing to help CIOs manage their estate better. If anything, leasing companies ideal state is a combination of their draconian Ts&Cs and clients inefficient management. If companies dont hand back kit, the leasing company continues to benefit whether the company is benefiting or not.

The answer is to combine the hardware element, with the software and services required to get the most out of it, both for individual users and their employers, and offer it for a single monthly fee. You might even call it Device as a Service. Which is precisely what Lenovo has done.

Though it launched several years ago, the combination of the pandemic and the disruption it has caused to traditional corporate support models, together with the embedded functionality in Windows 10 and now Windows 11, as well as Microsoft Intune, has accelerated its adoption.

One of the starting points for Lenovos approach, says Makin, is personal management, making sure you have the right device, for the right person or organisation, then considering how that device is actually procured and ordered, whether it's a new starter or a refresh.

Because Lenovos range of products and services are presented as a catalogue under DaaS, tech pros can tailor devices for individuals or groups, Then the device gets built, and the services that are required such as image load, asset tagging, any software, are put onto that device.

Doing as much as possible before the device leaves the factory is far more efficient than customising further down the supply chain. Every time you touch a box in the supply chain it costs money.

Of course, the supply chain still has to stretch to the customer. In normal times, this would overwhelmingly be to the end users office, whether in the shape of a steady trickle of workers to a harassed IT team, or perhaps to a kiosk in the foyer of their building for a large-scale rollout. Now, Makin says, delivery is overwhelmingly to end users homes.

This radically changes the support equation. Lenovos aim is to make deploying a laptop more like buying a cellphone, where You turn it on and you log on to your appropriate operator using the cloud, whether it be Google or Apple, and then all of a sudden, all of your old apps are there with your data. Rather than waiting for IT to transfer all the end users data, while they go for a coffee. And another coffee. And another until the transfer is done.

In the current battle for talent, putting fresh kit into peoples hands and offering a better user experience, might be enough to tip the balance when attracting key talent, he argues, depending what point theyre at in their career.

There's nothing worse than starting a job, and someone gives you a four year old laptop out of the back of the cupboard somewhere that looks like it's been dragged around the back garden by someone's kids for four years.

With the best will in the world, of course, sometimes people will still need support. One of the promises of Lenovos DaaS programme is the loving attention of elite technicians via their Premier Support service. So what makes an elite technician? As Makin says, while it can be difficult to define the perfect techie I know what a good one looks like.

But in practical terms, we would recruit what would be a skill set of a level two tech to perform a level one function.

On the face of it, this is more expensive. But what it gives us is a better user experience, and a quicker one time and first time fix. So, if we can fix something quicker, first time, that actually saves us money because we don't have to keep coming back.

And that one fix capability will be refined even further over time, as the program begins to embrace predictive analytics, which will enable predictive and proactive maintenance.

But while an improved user experience is desirable, hard financial savings are a given to get organizations to embrace such a radical change to how they procure end user kit.

There should be an immediate benefit from moving to an as-a-service model, as expenditure moves from capex to opex. This should offer an immediate benefit tax wise. It also removes the whole issue of large capital outlays to bring a team up to spec and makes costing client kit more predictable.

Arguably, the same would apply with traditional leasing. But that hasnt always been the experience for many companies, with leasing companies happy to leave inappropriate kit in place, and continuing taking the payments.

Lenovos aim is to establish a circular economy around tech assets, says Makin: The way that DaaS is structured, it drives a fair market value for the product over the 36 or 48 month period where you as the customer are actually not paying that full amount for the device, so you've got a monthly OPEX savings.

Lenovo, he continues, takes a residual value at the end of the period. We then take that value, and we allow that saving to be passed on to the customer. Youre not owning these devices anymore. Youre consuming it as a service.

Lenovos program features a flex element, allowing customers to scale their fleet up or down. For example, if you've got peaks and troughs and demands, grad intakes, project based work or general uncertainty, you can then actually have up to 20 per cent of your fleet where you can end up not paying for these devices for up to two years. The billing is paused.

Asset management is a major headache for tech teams. Makin recounts a conversation with a client with 100,000s of devices who simply didnt know where 10 per cent of them were at any given time. Or, more worrying, whats on them. DaaS tightens all of that up.

Of course, the total benefit will vary. Some customers will choose to take up some of the services available under DaaS and not others. As Makin points out, Were not tax advisers. But the DaaS model does enable savings and efficiencies right along the line. In aggregate, we see at a TCO level up to 20 per cent savings.

But arguably, the biggest benefit is freeing up IT staff and repurposing them into different areas. In-house staffers who are doing manual refreshes, or dealing with unhappy users, or walking from one desk to another to upgrade memory, are not available for supporting a strategic transformation.

Being freed from the treadmill of routine maintenance should result in a much happier tech team, as well as happier more productive users. The fact that Device as a Service means that they, too, can have the latest, most appropriate kit to help them do their jobs? Well, thats just the icing on the cake.

Sponsored by Lenovo.

Read the original:
If you never actually own a server or a posh watch, shouldnt it be the same for laptops and tablets? - The Register

Paying it forward is a simple idea. But with jobs, kids, money woes and, oh yeah, pandemic problems, it can be easier said than done.

But Kevin Murphy of Des Plaines wants you to know that it is as easy as shoveling an elderly neighbor's driveway or mowing their grass. It is even as easy as going out to your favorite local restaurant to support a small business.

Murphy's goal is to build community with kindness. As the founder of Jet City Coalition, Murphy and his team of volunteers aim to advocate and connect with residents in towns like Des Plaines, Elk Grove, Park Ridge and Rosemont.

Started in November 2020 to help those in need, Murphy offered a free shoveling service in winter, lawn care service in the summer and held a coat drive last December. In the spring, he ran a campaign that raised $15,000 to help Des Plaines restaurants struggling due to the pandemic.

This December, Murphy and his team of 30 volunteers will once again be collecting coats for area agencies that serve people in need. The goal this year is 1,500 or more. The drive ends Dec. 31.

Readers can drop off donations by emailing thejetcitycoalition@gmail.com or submitting an intake at http://www.thejetcitycoalition.com.

Murphy shares more details about Jet City Coalition and how you can help by paying it forward.

Q: What is Jet City Coalition? Give a brief overview of what the organization does and who you serve.

A: "Jet City" was coined because we've always moved a bit different coming from Des Plaines/Rosemont/O'Hare. It's a name for the area, and a way to stake our identity in the crowded ecosystem of the city.

I feel like we're unique from the near North Side neighborhoods like Jefferson Park, as well as the further suburbs like Palatine. We also have blue collar challenges.

The Jet City Coalition is a community organization taking care of our senior and low-income neighbors. Our signature programs are free shoveling in the winter and free gardening (lawn care, etc.) in the summer.

Then, every holiday, we do the coat drive, and throughout the year we'll do various campaigns to build community and spread some positivity.

I feel like the main mission is to spread a sort of neighborly love that's missing in the new digital era. You can't substitute Facebook for breaking bread and chopping it up with the people in your community. I'm also a believer that community organizing is essential until we can achieve structural reform in our country.

Jet City founder Kevin Murphy receives a drop-off of winter gear from a Des Plaines resident.- courtesy of Ellen Feeney

Q: Where do the majority of your donations come from?

A: People in the area. Des Plaines, Elk Grove, Park Ridge, Rosemont. A lot of people in the area congregate in Facebook groups, and those are a great vehicle for getting the word out. We put up a lot of fliers and knock on a lot of doors as well.

Q: How many people per year do you serve?

A: This year we'll shovel for about 75 individuals or so, and we did lawn care for 30 this summer. We ran a restaurant campaign over the spring that raised about $15,000 for eight landmark Des Plaines restaurants.

In November and December, we raise about 1,000 coats for kids and adults, so I guess around 1,000 to 1,500 over the course of the year.

Q: Tell us about your coat drive? How long does it last? How can our readers drop off donations?

A: A lot of people in the area have to choose between adequate groceries or winter coats at some point in the winter, and it's messed up. We'll have regulars at the Des Plaines Metra station in hoodies while it's 30 degrees outside. It's a very real issue in our area, so we tried to set up a network to provide for the people in our area.

We donate some of our coats to the Des Plaines Food Pantry, Kenneth Young Center, and Northwest Compass, and the rest come through our efforts to get the word out. It's grown since last year, so we may get close to 1,500 this year.

Readers can drop off donations by emailing thejetcitycoalition@gmail.com or submitting an intake at http://www.thejetcitycoalition.com to coordinate a COVID-safe drop off with one of our volunteers.

Jet City founder Kevin Murphy and partner Jon Catellani drop off a shipment of coats at Kenneth Youth Center in Elk Grove.- courtesy of Adam Cumbee

Q: Are there any other ways readers can help your organization?

A: We're going to need a lot of help shoveling this season, and we're doing a letter-writing campaign for those who'd be interested in having a Jet City pen pal. It's always nice to set out deeper bonds in the area with folks not from here.

Q: What else would you like readers to know?

A: Just that there's a lot going on around Rosemont and Des Plaines. I think it's overlooked in the grand scheme of the city. As folks are looking to invest in forward facing jobs, I think it's an area ripe with opportunity.

I also hope that people realize how much help is needed in their own community. We saw that there was something unique about us and leveraged it to carve out an identity for the area.

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How Jet City Coalition aims to help seniors and low-income residents in communities near O'Hare - Chicago Daily Herald

The online on-demand home services market is set to grow by USD 4730.31 bn from 2020 to 2025, according to Technavio. A healthy growth is expected to continue throughout the forecast period, and the market will grow at a CAGR of 70%.

Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Online On-demand Home Services Market Analysis Report byService (Home care and design, Repair and maintenance, Health, wellness and beauty, and Others) and Geography (APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA), and the Segment Forecasts,2021-2025".Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders. Track key industry opportunities, trends, and threats. Information on marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales, and supply functions.

The online on-demand home services market is driven by the increasing number of start-ups entering the market. However, factors such as high competition among vendors may impede the market growth.

Major Online On-demand Home Services Companies:

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Online On-demand Home Services Market Service Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2020-2025)

Online On-demand Home Services Market Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD bn, 2020-2025)

Grab an Exclusive Sample Reportfor additional highlights of the various segments of the online on-demand home services market

Related Reports:

Online On-demand Home Services Market Scope

Report Coverage

Details

Page number

120

Base year

2020

Forecast period

2021-2025

Growth momentum & CAGR

Accelerate at a CAGR of 70%

Market growth 2021-2025

USD 4730.31 billion

Market structure

Fragmented

YoY growth (%)

37.00

Regional analysis

APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA

Performing market contribution

APAC at 38%

Key consumer countries

US, China, Germany, India, and UK

Competitive landscape

Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope

Companies profiled

Airtasker Pty Ltd., Alfred Club Inc., Amazon.com Inc., ANGI Homeservices Inc., AskforTask Inc., ByNext Inc., Helpling GmbH & Co. KG, HomeServe Plc, Houzz Inc., MyClean Inc., Oneflare Pty Ltd., Paintzen Inc., Porch.com Inc., Pro.com Home Services LLC, ServiceWhale Inc., Super Home Inc., TaskEasy Inc, TaskRabbit Inc., ServiceMaster Global Holdings Inc., Urban Co., YourMechanic Inc., Zaarly LLC

Market Dynamics

Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period,

Customization purview

If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuson emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

ContactsTechnavio ResearchJesse MaidaMedia & Marketing ExecutiveUS: +1 844 364 1100UK: +44 203 893 3200Email:[emailprotected]Website:www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio

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Online On-demand Home Services Market to grow by USD 4730.31 Bn | Alfred Club Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. Among Key Vendors | Technavio - PRNewswire