The new IRS-authorized 941 eFile add-on for ezAccounting supercharges quarterly tax filing for businesses, HR teams, and accountants.

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Halfpricesoft.com has released the updated ezAccounting 2026, fully prepared for the upcoming Q3 Form 941 filing deadline on November 2, 2026. The upgraded accounting and payroll software includes an IRS-authorized eFile service designed to take the stress out of quarterly tax reporting.

Don't delay, start today by downloading ezAccounting for up to 30 days with no registration required and absolutely no obligation.

"The latest ezAccounting 2026 software includes a highly anticipated eFile add-on service directly connected to the IRS," said Dr. Ge, Founder of Halfpricesoft.com. "Our goal is to make payroll and tax compliance as seamless and cost-effective as possible for small businesses."

Key Features of ezAccounting 2026:

- IRS-Authorized eFile: Securely eFile Forms 941, 940, and 94x directly through the interface.

- Complete Payroll Processing: Calculate payroll, print checks, and generate employee tax forms (940, 941, 943, W-2, and W-3).

- Business Management Tools: Track income and expenses, generate custom sales and payroll reports, and manage financial data.

- Multi-Company Support: Manage multiple companies within a single installation at no extra charge.

- Windows Compatibility: Runs on Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and server environments (network access available).

Try Before You Buy

New customers can download the full version of ezAccounting 2026 with no cost or obligation. This allows business owners and accountants to explore the intuitive graphical interface and test all features, without entering manual data.

Pricing and Availability

ezAccounting 2026 is available for $199.00 per calendar year per single-user license. Optional eFile submissions start at $5.95 per form, scaling down with higher volumes.

Take Control of Payroll and 941 Tax Filing

Download the no cost 30-day trial for ezAccounting 2026 today.

- Download Free Trial: Halfpricesoft.com ezAccounting Download

- Purchase Software License: Buy ezAccounting 2026 ($199)

- Learn More About eFile: ezAccounting eFile Documentation

About Halfpricesoft.com

Halfpricesoft.com is a leading provider of small to midsize business software, including online and desktop payroll software, online employee attendance tracking software, accounting software, in-house business and personal check printing software, W2, software, 1099 software, 1095 ACA form software and ezACH direct deposit software. Software from halfpricesoft.com is trusted by thousands of businesses for over 20 years and will help US businesses simplify payroll processing and streamline business management.

SOURCE Halfpricesoft.com

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The new lab more than triples the site's existing microbiology testing space, supporting improved laboratory workflow and providing additional capacity to accommodate future growth. The added space features three new biosafety cabinets, allowing PPS to run concurrent tests and reduce sample queue times. All incubators have also been consolidated within the new lab, further streamlining workflow and improving monitoring and accessibility across testing activities.

A key element of the lab is a dedicated sterility testing suite with a Grade C background environment, representing a major upgrade from the previously non-classified area. At its center is a fully integrated, Grade A sterility testing isolator that doubles the site's sterility testing capacity and allows multiple samples to be processed simultaneously. By supporting both open and closed filtration methods, the new isolator provides greater flexibility to meet a wider range of product testing requirements. The area also includes built-in pass-throughs to move samples directly from the manufacturing floor to the lab, reducing contamination risk and protecting product integrity.

These enhancements are expected to reduce testing times by up to 50%, accelerating batch releases, minimizing bottlenecks, and smoothing transitions as programs move from clinical to commercial stages. The new infrastructure also reinforces the site's contamination control and sterility assurance capabilities, while the added capacity reduces supply risk and prepares the site for commercial-scale demand. 

"The new microbiology laboratory represents an important milestone in our Lexington expansion journey," said Nathan Richardson, VP and Site Head, Piramal Pharma Solutions Lexington. "By enhancing sterility testing and microbiological quality capabilities, we are further strengthening our ability to support clients with high quality, reliable, and responsive services throughout the product life cycle. This investment reflects our continued commitment to operational excellence, patient safety, and the future growth of sterile injectable manufacturing in Lexington."

The new microbiology lab solidifies PPS' position as a leader in sterile injectables, empowering Lexington to deliver high quality, reliable, and patient-focused services to small molecule, bioconjugate, and peptide modality clients worldwide.

About Piramal Pharma Solutions

Piramal Pharma Solutions (PPS) is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) offering end-to-end development and manufacturing solutions across the drug life cycle. We serve our customers through a globally integrated network of facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. This enables us to offer a comprehensive range of services including drug discovery solutions, process and pharmaceutical development services, clinical trial supplies, commercial supply of APIs, and finished dosage forms. We also offer specialized services such as the development and manufacture of highly potent APIs, antibody-drug conjugations, sterile fill/finish, peptide products and services, and potent solid oral drug products. PPS also offers development and manufacturing services for biologics including vaccines and gene therapies, made possible through Piramal Pharma Limited's subsidiary, Yapan Bio Private Limited.

For more information visit: Piramal Pharma Solutions | LinkedIn| Facebook | X

About Piramal Pharma Limited

Piramal Pharma Limited (PPL) (NSE: PPLPHARMA) (BSE: 543635), offers a portfolio of differentiated products and services through its 17 global development and manufacturing facilities and a global distribution network in over 100 countries. PPL includes Piramal Pharma Solutions (PPS), an integrated contract development and manufacturing organization; Piramal Critical Care (PCC), a complex hospital generics business; and the Piramal Consumer Healthcare business, selling over-the-counter consumer and wellness products. In addition, one of PPL's associate companies, Abbvie Therapeutics India Private Limited, a joint venture between Abbvie and PPL, has emerged as one of the market leaders in the ophthalmology therapy area in the Indian pharma market.

For more information, visit: Piramal Pharma | LinkedIn

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Techman Robot strengthens cybersecurity for trusted Physical AI deployment

Techman Robot becomes the world's first built-in vision AI cobot manufacturer to obtain IEC 62443-4-2 SL2 certification

TAIPEI, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Techman Robot has obtained IEC 62443-4-2 Security Level 2 (SL2) cybersecurity certification for its TM AI Cobot S Series following an independent assessment by DEKRA. The milestone strengthens the cybersecurity foundation for deploying collaborative robots in connected manufacturing environments.

As Physical AI moves into production, robots increasingly connect with equipment, manufacturing systems and data infrastructure. Manufacturers need both intelligent automation and confidence in the cybersecurity capabilities of the products they deploy.

Techman Robot integrates built-in vision, artificial intelligence and robotic execution through its SEE • THINK • ACT approach. Independently verified cybersecurity capabilities provide a foundation for trusted deployment.

IEC 62443-4-2 specifies security requirements for industrial automation and control system components. The certification gives manufacturers and system integrators an independently verified reference for assessing the product cybersecurity capabilities of the TM AI Cobot S Series.

Scott Huang, Chief Operating Officer of Techman Robot, said:

"As Physical AI enters production, customers care about more than how intelligent a robot is. They need to know whether it can operate safely and reliably alongside their manufacturing environment over the long term. SEE • THINK • ACT is central to Techman Robot's AI robotics approach, and trusted deployment is a foundation for putting that intelligence to work on the factory floor. The IEC 62443-4-2 SL2 certification reflects our continued efforts to integrate intelligence, cybersecurity and practical manufacturing needs into product development."

Beyond certification, TM AI Cobot has established product lifecycle cybersecurity mechanisms covering vulnerability management, incident reporting and security updates. Techman Robot continues to strengthen these mechanisms in line with the requirements of the European Union's Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).

From built-in vision to built-in AI, Techman Robot remains focused on bringing intelligence into real manufacturing environments with a trusted foundation for deployment.

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Qurin® launches Qatra™ gDNA extraction kit for large-volume urine processing

- New Research Use Only kit combines proprietary bead surface chemistry and magnetic bead retrieval to enable streamlined genomic DNA extraction from large urine volumes.

- Processing larger volumes (up to 400 mL) may lead to a 7.6-fold increased total DNA yield compared to conventional 40-50 mL volumes.

LEIDEN, Netherlands, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Qurin®, a research and development company focused on urine-based liquid biopsy diagnostics in oncology, announces the launch of the QatraTM Genomic DNA Extraction Lab Kit (RUO), developed specifically for the extraction of genomic DNA (gDNA) from large volumes of urine.

Qatra enables researchers to process urine volumes ranging from standard laboratory samples (40-50 mL) up to a full void (400 mL), providing access to more of the biological material available within the original sample. At the core of the technology is Qurin's proprietary magnetic bead surface chemistry (patent pending), designed for efficient DNA capture from whole urine, combined with a proprietary magnetic retrieval system (patent pending) optimized for recovering DNA-loaded beads directly from large sample volumes. Qatra processes the sample in a single streamlined workflow, reducing sample handling and hands-on processing, while preserving the integrity of the recovered genomic DNA. This is an advantage over current workflows that require large urine samples to be concentrated or divided across multiple extractions. The workflow has also been developed with automation in mind, supporting scalable processing of large-volume urine samples.

In internal studies, Qatra demonstrated greater DNA recovery, with average yields rising 7.6-fold as sample volume increased from 50 to 400 mL. These findings demonstrate the potential of large-volume processing to recover more of the DNA present in a urine sample, particularly when biomarkers are present at low concentrations and analysing only a small aliquot may leave a substantial proportion of the available biomarker material unused.

Qatra R&D Program

The Qatra Genomic DNA Extraction Lab Kit (RUO) is the first product to emerge from Qurin's broader Qatra R&D Program, which is dedicated to developing technologies for the capture and extraction of biomarkers from urine.

Urine is an attractive matrix for molecular research because it can be collected non-invasively and repeatedly and is naturally available in relatively large volumes. Its potential may also extend beyond cancers of the urogenital tract, as small fragments of circulating cell-free DNA, including tumour-derived DNA, can cross the renal filtration barrier and enter urine. At the same time, DNA and other biomarkers can occur at low concentrations, creating a need for technologies capable of efficiently accessing biomarker material from the available urine volume.

The broader Qatra R&D Program is therefore being developed as a modular platform for laboratory and at-home biomarker extraction from urine. The platform is designed to enable high-quality biomarker extraction from volumes up to 400 mL (an average full void) while supporting automated processing. Its modular approach is envisioned to accommodate different biomarker classes, including genomic DNA, cell-free DNA, RNA, extracellular vesicles, proteins and other, using bead-based modules for laboratory workflows and cartridge-based modules for at-home collection and biomarker capture.

"Urine has tremendous potential for molecular analysis, but we need technologies designed around the unique characteristics of the sample," said Marc Peeters, CEO at Qurin. "With Qatra, our aim is simple: process more of the available urine, recover more of its molecular information, and make that process as efficient and scalable as possible."

The Qatra genomic DNA Extraction Lab Kit is available for Research Use Only (RUO) and is not intended for use in diagnostic procedures.

About Qurin

Qurin is a research and development company focused on urine-based liquid biopsy diagnostics in oncology, building an end-to-end platform that connects biomarker extraction with clinically actionable assays. Its two complementary R&D programs address both sides of this approach: the Qatra R&D Program develops technologies to efficiently capture and extract high-quality biomarkers, including DNA, RNA and proteins, from urine volumes up to 400 mL (an average full void), while the QumbraTM R&D Program develops assays and interpretive software that translate urinary biomarker signals into clinically meaningful insights. Together, the programs aim to unlock the potential of urine across the oncology care pathway. For more information, visit www.qurin.com.

SOURCE Qurin

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LONDON, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nscale Limited, the full-stack AI cloud platform, today announced the appointment of Amy Banse, a seasoned corporate executive and veteran board director, to its Board of Directors. Banse will also serve as Chair of the Compensation Committee.

Banse brings over 30 years of corporate strategy, investment, and governance experience to Nscale. She currently serves on the boards of Adobe, Lennar Corporation, and On Holding AG, and previously served on the board of The Clorox Company. She has also served on the boards of several high-growth start-ups and pre-IPO companies, including Nextdoor, Anchor, and Quantifind.

"As we scale, the quality of our governance matters as much as the quality of our infrastructure. Amy has spent her career on the boards of some of the world's best-run companies and she brings substantial experience to Nscale at a pivotal moment," said Josh Payne, Founder and CEO of Nscale.

Throughout her career, Banse has held numerous board leadership roles, including serving as Chair of the Compensation Committee at Adobe, as well as on the compensation committees of On Holding AG and Clorox. Banse previously served as Executive Vice President at Comcast Corporation and Managing Director and Head of Funds at Comcast Ventures.

"AI is the cornerstone of the next economy, and Nscale is uniquely positioned to be one of the handful of companies that shape that future," said Banse. "I am impressed by both Nscale's extraordinary growth and the ambition that Josh and his team possess. Every person I have met across the organization has impressed me with their shared vision for building a true vertical AI cloud platform."

About Nscale

Nscale Limited (Nscale) is a full-stack AI cloud platform. We bring together software, compute, and power in a vertically integrated offering – from a unified cloud platform for running AI training and inference, to the data centers and low-cost power that make it possible. Our mission is to build the engine of superintelligence and enhance access to the benefits of advanced AI for enterprises, governments, and the communities that depend on them.

SOURCE Nscale

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Study uses lessons learned from a school that achieved twice the national average in academic growth in a school year

BOSTON, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NWEA, a K-12 assessment and research organization, released today a new research brief that offers a closer look at what it takes to translate strong instructional practices into meaningful improvements for students.

The study, "The Power of Connectedness: A Case for a Coherent Instruction System for Reading and Science Improvement," examines the instructional practices behind strong academic growth at one elementary school in Texas. During the 2024–25 school year, students at the school achieved nearly twice the national average in academic growth in both reading and science. Researchers found that the school's success was not driven by a single initiative, but by several interconnected components working together as a coherent instructional system:

- Shared instructional vision: provided the foundation for instructional improvement by reducing ambiguity about what strong instruction looks like across classrooms.

- Aligned professional learning: transforming the instructional vision from a set of expectations into a learnable set of practices, giving teachers regular opportunities to plan, rehearse, and refine lessons together.

- Regular coaching and feedback: Consistent observations, coaching, and feedback reinforced professional learning and helped close the loop between instructional vision and classroom practice.

"Each of these practices is valuable on its own, but the real power came from how they worked together to accelerate student learning," said Dr. Susan Kowalski, Lead Research Scientist at NWEA. "None of the individual components is new. What distinguishes this case is the intentional alignment among them: a shared vision for instruction, professional learning tied directly to that vision, and ongoing coaching and feedback, sustained through consistent instructional leadership across levels."

The school for the study was identified using national MAP Growth data. It serves a high-poverty student population, high percentages of Black and Hispanic students, and many emergent multilingual students, while also experiencing high teacher turnover. Given the exceptional academic growth, the school was a bright spot in the data. NWEA researchers conducted interviews with district and school leaders, as well as teachers, to understand what practices and instructional routines contributed to the school's outcomes.

The findings are especially relevant for districts working to improve instructional consistency amid staffing challenges, including high teacher turnover and a largely novice or early-career workforce. Rather than relying on individual veteran teachers or stand-alone initiatives, the school built a system designed to continuously strengthen instructional practice across classrooms.

That system was reinforced through a regular cadence of professional learning and coaching. Teachers participated in weekly 90-minute curriculum-based professional learning sessions where they unpacked curriculum content, practiced instructional strategies, anticipated student thinking, and received feedback from peers and leaders before teaching. School leaders also conducted frequent classroom walkthroughs — in some cases as many as 14 in a week — followed by targeted coaching and feedback.

Together, these structures helped create consistency between what teachers were expected to do, how they were supported in doing it, and how their practice was continuously refined.

Given the practical implications of this study, NWEA also released two supplemental guides to support other districts and schools interested in following this example:

- Recipe for results: A district leader's guide to curriculum-based professional learning

- Teacher's guide to classroom practices that accelerate reading and science growth

This study is a follow-up to the 2025 research brief titled "Integrating Literacy and Science: A Powerful Partnership for Student Success," which explored the connection between literacy and science instruction, documenting the benefits of an integrated instructional approach at the elementary level.

Read the full research brief: https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/the-power-of-connectedness-a-case-for-a-coherent-instructional-system-for-reading-and-science-improvement/

About NWEA

NWEA®, a division of HMH, supports educators worldwide by providing responsive, evidence-based assessment solutions that illuminate learning needs and fuel student growth. For more than 40 years, NWEA has developed innovative pre-K–12 assessments, including its flagship assessment – MAP Growth – and professional learning that helps educators strengthen their practice and improve student outcomes. As part of its commitment to bring valuable insights to the education community, NWEA engages in research that examines issues that shed light on inequities and other barriers to academic opportunities. Visit NWEA.org to find out how NWEA partners to help all kids learn.

Contact: Simona Beattie, Communications Director, [email protected] or 971.361.9526

SOURCE NWEA

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TradeInn accelerates its logistics to reach €1.5 billion in revenue with major expansion in 2026

GIRONA, Spain, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Online sports equipment retailer TradeInn has announced a major transformation of its operational centre in Celrà. With this initiative, the company is significantly increasing its logistics capacity following almost a decade of technological innovations applied to order fulfilment. This milestone is key to addressing the strategic challenge of reaching €1.5 billion in revenue in the coming years.

Founded in Girona, TradeInn has established itself as one of the leading international e-commerce giants. The company currently operates through multiple specialist stores focused on different sports disciplines, such as Trekkinn, Bikeinn and Runnerinn, selling in more than 190 countries, with over 80% of its revenue generated outside the Spanish market. The expansion of its logistics headquarters will enable the company to support this rapid pace of international sales, ensuring the efficient delivery of a dynamic catalogue that already exceeds 3 million products.

The logistics evolution underpinning this business model has been developed in four major stages:

2017, first milestone. Introduction of the first automatic packaging machine and a carrier-based sorting system (sorter), increasing processing capacity from 300 to 1,000 packages per hour.

2019, second milestone. Addition of a second automated packaging line, doubling the centre's throughput to 2,000 packages per hour.

2021, third milestone. Implementation of a pocket sorter system to process single-item and multi-item orders simultaneously. This tripled goods handling capacity from 2,000 to 6,000 units per hour and required the facility to be expanded from 12,000 m² to 24,000 m².

2026, fourth milestone. TradeInn is undertaking a comprehensive expansion. The logistics centre is increasing its floor space and storage capacity to 50,000 m² and installing 195 racks, each 60 metres long and 12 metres high, capable of holding up to €170 million worth of stock available for immediate shipment.

In terms of goods processing, the centre is adding 20 induction stations capable of handling 16,000 units per hour, two new packaging machines (bringing the total to four), and a multi-format case packer, reaching an operational dispatch capacity of 6,000 orders per hour.

Finally, in terms of sorting and distribution, the company is expanding the pocket sorter for high-turnover products and adding a new outbound sorter with the capacity to sort 7,500 packages per hour.

Thanks to this logistics engineering deployment, TradeInn is ensuring a constant flow of outbound shipments and strengthening its technical competitiveness in order to maintain a strong position within global e-commerce.

SOURCE TradeInn

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The leader who grew ISSA from $10 million to nearly $80 million in revenue returns to help students turn passion into opportunity and give the industry the job-ready talent it needs

PHOENIX, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), a global leader in fitness and wellness education, today announced that Andrew Wyant will return as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Wyant, who led ISSA from February 2018 to April 2024, and continues to serve on its board of directors, succeeds Warren Heffelfinger.

Under Wyant's previous leadership, ISSA grew from roughly $10 million to nearly $80 million in annual revenue. Wyant brings 15 years of experience in fitness certification and workforce development to his return. He previously led the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), gaining recognition as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

"Every week, someone decides to bet on themselves with ISSA. They trust us with their time, money, and future and it pays off," said Wyant. "Our job is to get them across the finish line and into the work they love. I'm coming back because I believe ISSA can help start and build fitness careers better than anyone."

Wyant returns as demand for fitness professionals reaches record levels. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 388,400 fitness trainers and instructors in the United States and projects employment to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 68,000 openings each year. More than half (55%) work in fitness and recreational sports centers, and 15% are self-employed. Member demand is driving the growth: a record 81 million Americans belonged to a fitness facility in 2025, up 5.2% from the year before, according to the Health & Fitness Association.

Employers say the harder problem is finding trainers who are ready to work on day one. In ISSA's 2026 Fitness Hiring Report, gym operators said new trainers most often lack client acquisition, client retention and sales skills, regardless of which certification they hold. Filling a trainer role frequently takes two to four weeks or more, and 94% of ISSA's gym partners said they would use a platform that delivers pre-vetted, job-ready trainers. The shortfall shows up at named employers: Anytime Fitness reports a deficit of roughly 1,300 coaches across its U.S. locations, Snap Fitness is seeking 4,000 additional trainers globally, and Equinox plans to hire more than 500 new coaches over five years.

"Gym owners tell us they need trainers who can sign a client, keep that client, and grow a business from their first week on the floor," Wyant said. "That is what job-ready means. Every trainer we prepare makes a gym stronger, and every gym that hires from ISSA creates opportunities for the next graduate. We are going to build every part of the ISSA experience around that."

Wyant's priorities follow ISSA's promise to deliver the certification, the skills, and the connections that build careers, from the first lesson to the first paying client. His priorities include:

- Finishing and passing. Helping more students complete their coursework and pass their certification exams, with clearer milestones and support along the way. In 2025, ISSA was #1 globally with 35,293 new certified personal trainers, up 12.8% from the 31,298 certified in 2024.

- Getting job-ready. Teaching the skills employers say new trainers are missing, including how to find clients, keep them, and build a book of business, alongside the exercise science every trainer needs. Every ISSA Certified Personal Trainer student can also take the NCCA-accredited exam offered through NCCPT, an ISSA subsidiary.

- Getting hired. Strengthening the path from certification to employment through ISSA's job guarantee, Career Connect and its network of fitness employers. ISSA Career Connect links more than 49,000 ISSA-certified coaches with more than 23,000 hiring gyms worldwide, and ISSA's job guarantee refunds eligible CPT and Yoga 200 students who complete their program and are not hired within six months.

- Practical learning for the AI era. Building on ISSA's practical, open-book approach, graduates learn the way professionals actually work today, including how to use AI tools well on behalf of their clients.

"Our students are entering a profession where answers are everywhere, and trust is earned face to face," Wyant added. "The coach who can apply knowledge, read a client and build a relationship will win. That's who ISSA trains, and that's the standard we are held to."

Wyant will spend his first weeks meeting with ISSA's teams, students, graduates and employer partners.

About International Sports Sciences Association

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) is the world's most connected fitness and wellness ecosystem. Since 1988, ISSA has gone beyond traditional certification to build the industry's career operating system, giving professionals the skills, confidence, and connections to build meaningful futures, while providing operators with the trusted, work-ready talent they need to grow. Guided by the truth that when professionals succeed, operators succeed, ISSA turns passion into opportunity. Its premier workforce platform, Career Connect, bridges a global community of over one million students across 176 countries with more than 23,000 global partner locations. ISSA aims to connect 100 million people to healthy living by 2030.

SOURCE International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)

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Prophix® Announces Strategic Collaboration with PwC Belgium to Transform the Finance Function

The relationship enables Prophix and PwC clients to automate and scale their finance functions across budgeting and planning; reporting; and consolidation and close.

TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Prophix®, a global leader in financial performance management, today announced a strategic relationship with PwC Belgium that will empower companies to transform and elevate their finance functions.

In today's competitive landscape, organisations demand more than compliance, they seek actionable insights, seamless automation, and reliable data to confidently drive their business forward.

Together, Prophix and PwC will help companies plan, automate and scale by providing the right solutions, services, and the autonomous platform that support:

- Budgeting and Planning: Budgets are no longer a burden. Enhance budget accuracy, reduce risks, and leverage automation to boost business user adoption.

- Reporting and Analysis: Create comprehensive, easy-to-understand dashboards with just a few clicks, providing clear insights into company performance.

- Workflow and Automation: Automate repetitive tasks and build end-to-end workflows to save time and ensure reliable reporting.

- Consolidation and Close: Accelerate close cycles, improve data quality, enhance analytical capabilities, unify data sources, and gain full control over your processes.

This synergy ensures that clients receive the best possible advice and solution for their specific needs.

"Our relationship with Prophix brings together technology and finance expertise to help clients plan smarter, automate better, and make decisions with confidence," said Geert Schellekens, Partner, PwC Belgium.

"Effective Autonomous finance requires a human-in-the-loop approach that combines trusted data and AI with leading advisors who understand the business behind the numbers. Together, Prophix and the PwC Belgium team brings these pieces together. I'm proud to see this collaboration take shape and see the value that we will provide for our customers," explained Alok Ajmera, CEO of Prophix.

About PwC

At PwC, we help clients build trust and reinvent so they can turn complexity into competitive advantage. We're a tech-forward, people-empowered network with more than 364,000 people in 136 countries and 137 territories. Across audit and assurance, tax and legal, deals and consulting we help build, accelerate and sustain momentum. Find out more at www.pwc.com.

PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

About Prophix

Prophix® is a global leader in financial performance management, empowering finance teams to lead with clarity, capacity, and confidence. From planning and budgeting to forecasting, reporting, reconciliation, and consolidation, Prophix brings it all together in one intelligent platform.

Prophix One™, the flagship Autonomous Finance Platform, combines AI, automation, and intuitive technology to simplify complex work and elevate finance to a more strategic role. By automating routine tasks, delivering predictive insights, and enabling real-time collaboration, Prophix empowers finance teams to focus on driving business growth.

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Local cuisine emerges as the region's strongest dining force, as traditional restaurant settings give way to fluid, social spaces.

SINGAPORE, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott International has unveiled Future of Food 2027, its latest report exploring food and beverage trends across Asia Pacific excluding China. Drawing on conversations with leading chefs, hospitality experts and regional influencers, alongside insights from Marriott International properties across the region, the report reveals a pivotal transformation: the rise of place. As dining breaks free from traditional restaurant boundaries into fluid, social formats, diners increasingly seek experiences that are hyper-local, authentic and deeply connected to their destination.

Across Asia Pacific excluding China, diners are increasingly seeking authenticity and connection. Demand for authentic local signature dishes is surging, with 95% of surveyed properties identifying this as the biggest trend in their market. At the same time, dining is no longer confined to the traditional restaurant setting. Guests are gathering across bars, lounges, counters and flexible spaces, turning hotels into social and cultural hubs where guests move fluidly throughout the day. The result is a new era of dining where the story behind what people eat and where they eat matters more than ever.

"Across Asia Pacific, we're witnessing a shift toward intimate, locally-rooted experiences, where smaller, intentional spaces replace traditional formal dining models," said Petr Raba, Vice President of Food & Beverage, Marriott International, Asia Pacific excluding China. "Hotels are becoming cultural storytellers, embedding regional talent, locally sourced ingredients and authentic connection into every aspect of the dining experience to create spaces that feel distinctly of their place."

Key Trends Shaping the Future of Food

- The Spatial Shift

Dining is moving beyond the traditional restaurant model as guests increasingly lean toward more flexible, social and experience-led spaces. Across Asia Pacific excluding China, nearly half of the surveyed properties report a growing demand for casual venues such as lounges, bars and outdoor settings, while emerging concepts are embracing intimate 40 to 60-seat footprints with distinct identities. In Vietnam, 71% of surveyed properties report growth in bar and lounge dining, reflecting the growing appeal of more fluid dining experiences. An invisible layer of technology is supporting this shift, with AI enhancing everything from menu development and marketing to staffing and guest insights, allowing teams to focus on delivering more personalized hospitality. 100% of restaurants and bars surveyed in Thailand are already using AI in their operations.

- The Local Advantage 

Local cuisine has become the defining force shaping dining decisions across the region. Demand for authentic local signature dishes is now the strongest trend identified by 95% of the surveyed properties and outweighing value for money when guests choose where to dine. Hotels are responding by building menus around ingredients and stories rooted in their destinations. At Hearth at The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, for example, a signature dish featuring local Wagin duck showcases Western Australia's produce while reflecting the restaurant's seasonal, locally driven philosophy. Over the past year, four in five properties have introduced new local ingredients from Kyoto vegetables in Japan to Kampot sea salt in Cambodia-inspired menus and indigenous spices across Southeast Asia, while nearly three-quarters report local ingredients appearing more frequently in beverage menus. This trend is particularly pronounced in India and Indonesia, where demand for local signature cuisine reaches 71% and 67% respectively, highlighting a growing desire for dining experiences that tell the story of a destination.

- 99-Minute Fine Dining 

Fine dining is undergoing a temporal revolution with up to five memorable courses delivered in under two hours, replacing four-hour tasting menus with ten-plus courses. Across the region, 58% of properties report that the average fine dining experiences last between 1.5 and 2 hours. Singapore has emerged as one of the region's fastest-paced fine dining markets with 85% of restaurants reporting an average time of 1.5 hours. Restaurants are adapting by simplifying menus, introducing more a la carte options and focusing on standout moments over the number of courses. In South Korea, one in five establishments have already reduced the number of courses served, while 30% of fine-dining restaurants in the Philippines have introduced a la carte menus. Australia sees both fewer courses and shorter service times, with the conversation shifting toward "wow moments" rather than course quantity.

Additional Report Highlights:

- Eat Well, Eating Your Age: Wellness has become a core dining consideration, with ingredients rooted in Asia Pacific's rich food traditions finding renewed relevance among modern travelers. Today, 97% of surveyed Marriott International properties in Asia Pacific excluding China serve dishes associated with health and longevity, while wellness increasingly extends beyond the plate to healthier mini-bars and wellness-focused turndown experiences.

- The Modern Menu: Across Asia Pacific, menus are becoming more expressive and multi-sensory, with texture rising alongside flavor as a defining element of the dining experience. At the same time, plant-forward dining is accelerating, prompting Marriott International to introduce its APEC Plant-Forward Program across the region in 2027, making it one of the first major global hotel groups to integrate plant-forward dining into its operational foundation permanently.

- Alcohol Alternatives: The low- and no-alcohol movement has evolved from niche trend to hospitality mainstay, with 42% of Marriott International restaurants and bars surveyed in Asia Pacific excluding China reporting increased sales of non-alcoholic beverages. From premium spirits to alcohol-free pairings, guests are increasingly seeking sophisticated alternatives without compromise.

Looking Ahead

Asia Pacific's F&B landscape is fundamentally shifting toward authenticity and intentionality. Hotels and restaurants thriving in 2027 are those that understand their place deeply - its ingredients, culture, people and design experiences around that foundation. They are creating smaller, more distinctive spaces where technology elevates genuine hospitality, while telling stories that connect guests emotionally to destination and cuisine. The result is a regional dining scene that feels less like a global template adaptation and more like a collection of distinctive, culturally rooted experiences.

Download the full Future of Food 2027 report here to explore the complete trends shaping Asia Pacific's culinary future.

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ABOUT MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL

Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of compelling brands across luxury, premium, select, midscale, extended stay, and all-inclusive, with over 10,000 properties in 148 countries and territories, as of June 30, 2026. Marriott franchises, operates, and licenses hotel, residential, timeshare, yacht, outdoor, and other lodging products all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly awarded travel platform. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on X and Instagram.

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.

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