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IMG Releases Annual Travel Outlook Survey Results for 2024

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INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IMG (International Medical Group), an award-winning global insurance benefits and assistance services company, has released the results of its annual Travel Outlook Survey that asked IMG customers about their 2024 travel plans.

The survey reveals that 96% of respondents plan to travel internationally in 2024, which is a continued increase over the last three years. Travelers are also planning on taking more international trips (in total) throughout the year, with 47% of respondents planning to travel internationally 3+ times in 2024, a 3% increase compared to 2023 survey results.

When asked about domestic U.S. travel plans for the year, 85% of respondents have at least one domestic trip planned in 2024, with 49% planning to travel domestically 3+ times during the year.

“It’s always exciting to hear firsthand from our customers how they plan to travel in the coming year so that we can identify evolving travel trends and continue to support them while they’re away from home,” said Steve Paraboschi, IMG President and CEO. “While many thought ‘revenge travel’ was just a phenomenon of the past few years, we’re continuing to see a growing demand for international and domestic travel in 2024, and IMG is poised to meet that demand with our award-winning travel and health safety solutions.”

Travel Outlook Survey Findings:

When ranking concerns about planning or taking a trip, survey results show that getting sick or having an accident during a trip continues to be the top concern for travelers in 2024. The second most concerning factor for travelers is needing to cancel their trip before leaving.

  1. Getting sick or having an accident while at your destination
  2. Needing to cancel your trip before you depart
  3. Issues getting to or from your destination
  4. Needing to interrupt your trip while at your destination

In 2023, there was a significant increase in travelers taking more expensive trips, and we expect this trend to continue as 58% of respondents plan to spend the same amount on travel in 2024 as they did in 2023. Another 28% of respondents said they plan to spend even more on travel this year than they did last year.

One emerging trend in 2024 is that travelers are increasingly taking food and cuisine options into consideration when choosing their next destination. According to survey results, activities, events, and attractions are most important to people when traveling, and cuisine was ranked as the second most important factor.

In 2024, 50% of all respondents are planning to travel for business. Of those respondents, 78% plan to participate in “bleisure travel,” combining business and leisure travel, by adding personal vacation time before or after at least one business trip.

“For many years, we’ve provided assistance and insurance options to employers that allow them to meet duty of care standards for employees traveling for business, but the rise in ‘bleisure travel’ adds a new consideration for business travelers to ensure the leisure portion of their trip is properly protected,” said Justin Poehler, IMG Chief Commercial Officer. “IMG’s iTravedlInsured Travel Series offers travel protection plans designed to provide the coverage and confidence travelers need.”

Another increasingly popular travel trend in 2024 is multigenerational travel. Results show that 35% of families have a domestic or international trip planned with multiple generations (children, parents, and grandparents, etc.).

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The most popular destinations respondents plan to travel to next in 2024 include Canada, Mexico, Japan, Italy, Spain, and Thailand—making the list for the first time since 2021.

About IMG® (International Medical Group®)

IMG® (International Medical Group®), a SiriusPoint company, is an award-winning global insurance benefits and assistance services company that has served millions of members worldwide since its founding in 1990. The preeminent provider of travel and health safety solutions, IMG offers a wide range of insurance programs, including international private medical insurance, travel medical insurance, and travel insurance, as well as enterprise services, including insurance administrative services and 24/7 emergency medical, security, and travel assistance. IMG’s world-class services, combined with an extensive product portfolio, provide Global Peace of Mind® for travelers, students, missionaries, marine crews, and other individuals or groups traveling, working, or living away from home. For more information, please visit www.imglobal.com.

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BRI Partners with Nium to Expand Real-Time Cross-Border Payment Solutions

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JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Nium, the leading global infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, is thrilled to announce a partnership with Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) to provide Indonesian customers with real-time international money transfer capabilities. This collaboration aims to enhance the cross-border offerings for BRI’s individual and corporate customers, delivering more accessible and cost-effective financial services across Indonesia.

This partnership empowers more than 150 million BRI account holders, including those in remote regions of Indonesia, to access modern, real-time cross-border payment services. The offering includes a variety of real-time payment mechanisms, supporting bank account destinations, a global electronic card network, and digital wallets. These innovations are closely aligned with BRI’s ongoing mission to provide affordable and customer-focused financial products, particularly for traditionally underserved communities.

BRI’s Corporate Secretary, Agustya Hendy Bernadi, emphasized BRI’s dedication to constantly improving customer convenience through innovations in its global network and cross-border transaction services. “This collaboration reflects BRI’s continuous efforts to enhance productivity and efficiency by expanding its digital payment channel network to meet the growing demand for global transactions,” he said. Agustya added that the partnership with Nium aligns perfectly with BRI’s vision to be Southeast Asia’s most valuable banking group and a champion of financial inclusion by 2025. “With Nium’s global transaction network, BRI strengthens the digitalization of its business processes and enhances retail banking capabilities in line with our 2025 strategic vision.”

Anupam Pahuja, General Manager and Executive Vice President for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa at Nium, shared his excitement about the partnership, highlighting BRI’s extensive presence across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands. “By integrating Nium’s advanced technology into BRI’s platform, we are dedicated to providing BRI’s customers, no matter where they are, with access to exceptional financial services. This partnership will remove the risks associated with cash handling and provide faster, more cost-effective transactions—whether individuals are sending money to family members abroad or businesses are making international payments.”

Cross-border payments are projected to grow significantly in Indonesia, with a forecasted year-on-year increase of 15% through 2025, driven largely by the digital transformation in financial services (Statista, 2024).

This partnership between BRI and Nium is expected to transform the way Indonesians engage with global financial services, meeting the rising demand for modern payment infrastructure and enhancing the overall experience for BRI’s customers in their international transactions.

About Nium 

Nium, the leading global infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 220+ markets, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 40 markets. Nium’s growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance – independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore.  

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Grexie Signchain Launches on November 1st, 2024: Enabling Smart Contract Developers to Bring Off-Chain Data On-Chain with Seamless Gas-Paid Signing

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Grexie Signchain enables developers to sign off-chain data into smart contracts, with self-hosted or secure vault signer wallet management.

MANCHESTER, England, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Grexie Limited proudly announces the launch of its innovative smart contract solution, Signchain, on November 1st, 2024. Designed specifically for developers, Signchain introduces a powerful way to bring off-chain data on-chain through user-paid gas fees and secure signing of data into smart contract methods using its extendable smart contract, Signable.

In the growing landscape of blockchain technology, securely managing off-chain data and integrating it into on-chain smart contracts has posed significant challenges for developers. Signchain eliminates these hurdles by offering a robust, gas-efficient system for signing and authenticating data in real-time.

Key Features of Signchain:

1. Seamless Off-Chain to On-Chain Data Integration
Signchain enables developers to securely bring off-chain data on-chain by signing it directly into smart contract methods through user-paid gas fees. This integration ensures that data authenticity is preserved, and its entry into the blockchain remains tamper-proof, streamlining processes for industries relying on real-world data verification. Signchain also supports integration with Google Sheets, AWS, and Firebase, making it easy to pull data from popular off-chain data sources.

2. Extendable Smart Contract – Signable
The core of Signchain’s technology is its extendable smart contract, Signable, which allows developers to customize and build upon existing smart contracts. With Signable, developers can easily implement contract signatures for any data type, offering flexibility across industries from finance to logistics and beyond.

3. Signer Wallet Management
Signchain offers comprehensive signer wallet management as part of its service, empowering developers to manage and authenticate signers effectively. Wallets can either be self-hosted using Signchain’s Docker container for those who prefer their own infrastructure, or they can leverage Signchain’s network of secure vaults for maximum security.

4. Self-Hosted or Managed Service
For developers who want full control of their infrastructure, Signchain provides a self-hosted option via Docker containers, allowing them to deploy the platform on their own servers. Alternatively, developers can opt to use Signchain’s secure vault network, offering a hassle-free solution with enterprise-grade security and wallet management.

5. User-Paid Gas Fees
By integrating a user-paid gas fee model, Signchain allows users to cover the costs of signing and authenticating their data, ensuring the signing process is efficient and doesn’t overburden developers with additional expenses. This makes Signchain an ideal solution for dApps and platforms handling high transaction volumes.

6. Google Sheets, AWS, Firebase Integration with Serverless Model
Signchain supports integration with Google Sheets, AWS, and Firebase in a serverless model, powered by a hosted Sign In With Ethereum (SIWE) implementation provided by Signchain’s API. Developers can simply connect their Google Sheets and configure the contract parameters associated with each column. Signchain will automatically look up the user’s wallet address in the spreadsheet, sign the transaction data, and execute it in the blockchain along with any user-supplied parameters. This creates an easy, efficient way to manage data inputs from off-chain sources without heavy infrastructure setup.

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Revolutionizing Smart Contract Workflows

With Signchain, developers now have the tools to handle the complexities of integrating off-chain data into smart contracts. The extendable nature of Signable offers flexibility, allowing developers to cater to various use cases, whether it’s automating financial transactions, supply chain data, or verifying legal agreements.

Tim Behrsin, CEO of Grexie Limited, said, “Signchain is more than just a signing solution—it’s a platform that empowers developers to securely integrate off-chain data into their smart contracts with minimal effort. The flexibility of Signable and our focus on signer wallet management offers developers control and security at every stage of the process.”

Why Signchain Matters

Signchain addresses critical challenges faced by developers, particularly those dealing with off-chain data. By signing data into smart contracts and enabling user-paid gas fees, the platform significantly reduces friction in managing secure, scalable smart contracts. Whether developers need to manage high volumes of data transactions or create bespoke smart contracts, Signchain offers a scalable and secure solution.

In industries like DeFi, real estate, and supply chain management, data integrity and security are paramount. Signchain’s secure vault network and customizable signing workflows allow businesses to handle sensitive information with confidence.

Launch Event and Future Developments

The official launch of Signchain will take place on November 1st, 2024, alongside a virtual event. The event will showcase live demonstrations of Signable, with detailed walkthroughs of the Docker-based self-hosted solution and signer wallet management features. Attendees will also get an exclusive preview of future enhancements, including multi-signature workflows and advanced blockchain network integrations.

About Signchain

Signchain is a cutting-edge platform developed by Grexie Limited, based in Manchester, Cheshire, United Kingdom. Signchain simplifies smart contract development by offering a secure, scalable, and customizable solution for signing and authenticating off-chain data on-chain. Developers can either self-host the solution using Signchain’s Docker container or rely on the network’s secure vault infrastructure. With an emphasis on security, flexibility, and developer experience, Signchain is set to transform how smart contracts handle off-chain data.

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For more information, visit signchain.net.

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SOURCE Grexie Limited

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n2 Group Advances HPC/AI Portfolio by Acquiring Managed Services Company X-ISS

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OXFORD, England, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — n2 Group, the transformative computing technology investment company, announces the acquisition of high-performance computing (HPC) and AI specialists, X-ISS. The addition of X-ISS expands the Group’s portfolio– joining NAG, VSNi, BioTeam and STAC—as it accelerates advancements in technology and computation, underpinned by innovation, technical excellence, and a focus on long-term growth.

n2 Group invests selectively in technical computing companies with deep business impact in a variety of sectors, providing operational support and a collaborative approach to innovation and business transformation. The addition of X-ISS will further strengthen the Group’s already strong HPC/AI credentials, with NAG, STAC and BioTeam already adding to this space. 

X-ISS is a pioneer in Managed Services specifically designed for HPC/AI. With their in-depth understanding of hardware and software complexities within HPC and AI, they deliver highly impactful end-to-end services to clients through the integration, optimization and management of HPC/AI systems. The integration of X-ISS into n2 Group aligns with the Group vision of improving the accessibility, quality and robustness of computing solutions to enable greater productivity in industry. 

X-ISS will operate as an autonomous business within the n2 Group, maintaining its brand, identity and ethos. n2 Group’s status as an independent, member-backed organisation with no external financial stakeholders allows X-ISS to continue providing impartial advice based on the technology needs and challenges of its clients. Inter-group synergies will enable greater innovation and collaboration, advancing the Group’s position and long-term HPC/AI market impact. 

“X-ISS strengthens the n2 community in the strategically important area of HPC/AI”, said Adrian Scales, Snr Director of Investments and Partnerships at n2 Group. “As a respected boutique HPC service provider, X-ISS is helping clients navigate an increasingly complex landscape in terms of technologies and software integrations with AI and analytics. The acquisition strongly complements the Group’s existing HPC professional services capability, and we are delighted to have them on board.”

“This is an important milestone for X-ISS.”, said Deepak Khosla, CEO X-ISS, “The partnership with n2 Group will enable us to enhance our flagship ManagedHPC solution by leveraging n2‘s complementary services and product developments, allowing us to deliver even greater value to our customers. As businesses face increasing challenges with complex technologies like AI and cloud computing, we’re now better equipped to support them with the same quality, passion, and partnership that defines X-ISS. I am excited about the opportunities this can bring for current and future X-ISS customers.”

About n2 Group  

At n2 Group we are transforming computing and technology investment with a radical new approach. Our businesses are all established, purpose-driven market-leaders in computing products or services. We stimulate long-term sustainable growth through group-level support in strategy, business development, innovation, and operations. With no shareholders or external financial interests, we reinvest all profits back into the group or to the community, reinforcing our commitment to positive social impact through technological advancements.    

n2 Group companies are at the forefront of computing and IT infrastructure, helping clients in various sectors to be more productive, innovative or reduce risk through advanced software and services. Rapidly expanding in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and scientific computing, our businesses maintain their unique brands and identities, but benefit from the expanded network available through the group.   

n2 Group Companies  

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•  BioTeam: Scientific computing consultancy integrating technologies, data, and cultures to accelerate science. 

•  NAG: Advanced products and services in algorithms, optimization, high-performance computing and AI. 

•  STAC: Independent financial services technology research and community events. 

•  VSNi: Proven statistical solutions and data expertise driving innovation and success.  

•  X-ISS: Industry leading management and analytics solutions for HPC/AI systems.

For more detailed information and the latest updates, visit n2 Group

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