LONDON, March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — GBS (Global Banking School) has launched a Breaking Down Barriers report with The Purpose Coalition in Parliament which showcases how it is changing lives through education and widening participation in Higher Education across the country.  

With over 35,000 students across state-of-the-art facilities in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, widening participation, addressing skills shortages and ultimately enabling social mobility is at the heart of what GBS does.

GBS offers a range of programmes, with a focus on providing sector-relevant courses to students.

These courses help to address issues facing the UK, like the national housing crisis and NHS waiting times.

GBS also empowers student enterprise through a dedicated Entrepreneurship Team and an Enterprise Hub, helping students either launch new businesses or scale up existing ones. 

CEO of GBS UK, James Kennedy said the report showcases the importance of the work GBS has been doing since its establishment in 2010.

“As a provider of Higher Education, if you really want to extend the offering of high-quality education to groups who normally miss out, you must go down a less traditional path,” said Mr Kennedy.

“That’s what we at GBS do, and that’s why we have managed to have a real impact across the UK in a relatively short space of time.

“If you visit a GBS campus, you will notice that the busiest time is 6pm.

“That’s because our student cohort is mature-age, and they are fitting their studies around their busy professional and personal lives.

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“We offer classes during the week, on weekends and into the evenings.

“We have structured our processes so that students don’t need to fit into our model of operation – it is designed to fit around their needs.

“The Office for Students’ 2024 National Student Survey (NSS) 2024 clearly demonstrates that GBS is providing a positive educational experience for the vast majority of its students, with 93% of students in the UK reporting that they were satisfied with the quality of ‘teaching on my course’.

“In addition to its satisfaction scores in every category monitored by the NSS from the previous year, GBS ranks above the Higher Education sector average in every category.

“In the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), GBS received a Silver rating for Student Experience and a Bronze rating for Student Outcomes, resulting in an overall Bronze rating. 
This recognition underscores our commitment to fostering a high-quality learning environment and ensuring successful outcomes for our students.”

Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Education Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening, welcomed the report: “This report demonstrates how GBS is providing high-quality, transformative education which changes lives. Working in some of the most deprived parts of the country and catering for a diverse student population of all ages, it supports those who often face the biggest barriers to getting on in life and for whom conventional education routes are not an option.  

“On a recent visit to GBS’ Greenford campus I saw firsthand how these opportunities were changing lives. In areas which have traditionally been left behind, they provide a boost for local and national economic growth, developing skilled workforces which are fit for the future.”

Chair of the Breaking Down Barriers Commission and former member of Sir Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet, Nick Forbes CBE, said: “This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to opportunity, regardless of background or circumstance, so that they can make the most of their talents and potential. Three of the five missions it has set out for government closely align with and GBS’s work that is showcased in this report – to kickstart economic growth, to build an NHS for the future and to break down barriers to opportunity.”

Link to report: Impact Report Final.pdf

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Agreement Expands RCS Coverage Across the U.S., Enabling Businesses to Launch RCS for Business to Verizon Subscribers

ATLANTA and STOCKHOLM, March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Sinch (Sinch AB (publ) (XSTO: SINCH), which is pioneering the way the world communicates through its Customer Communications Cloud, is highlighting its expanded partnership with Verizon, one of the largest mobile network operators in the US, to provide and enable RCS for Business Messaging (RBM) to Verizon subscribers.

Announced alongside Sinch’s presence this week at Enterprise Connect in Orlando, Florida, this expansion reinforces Sinch’s strong partnership with Verizon.  By broadening their partnership, Sinch and Verizon are empowering businesses across the U.S. to seamlessly deliver RCS messages to their customers, driving wider adoption and innovation in business messaging. Leveraging their combined expertise and resources, the two companies are accelerating the expansion of RCS coverage, bringing secure, feature-rich, and verified business-to-consumer messaging to Verizon subscribers – enhancing customer engagement, trust and overall communication experiences. 

RCS for Business offers branded messages, rich and interactive features, and advanced analytics such as read receipts. Businesses can build trust with their customers thanks to messages coming from a verified sender agent over a secure channel. “Partnering with MNOs like Verizon underscores our commitment to providing expanded reach for RCS with innovative communications solutions that enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty,” said Lodema Steinbach, VP of Product and Carrier Relations, North America at Sinch. “With over 15 years of building the best super network and strong partnerships with Google and mobile operators globally, Sinch continues to pave the way for advanced communication solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern businesses and enables a better experience for end users.”

Sinch’s Customer Communications Cloud enables businesses to harness the full potential of RCS through its comprehensive APIs, intuitive campaign builder, conversational AI tools, and integrations with platforms. Among the companies leveraging Sinch’s RCS capabilities are EasyPark, Nespresso, leading delivery companies, and some of the world’s largest banks. The company remains committed to expanding RCS for Business services and communications globally, ensuring businesses can leverage the latest messaging technologies to engage customers effectively. Sinch is hyper focused on leading and remaining on the bleeding edge of the next generation of digital customer communications.

CONTACT: 
For more information please contact:
Janet Lennon, Director of Global PR & Communications
janet.lennon@sinch.com |1.206.914.6175

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With nearly two decades of experience in the payment industry, Lieben joins EBANX to lead partnerships with European tech companies expanding their businesses to the world’s fastest-growing digital markets: Latin America, Africa, and India

AMSTERDAM and CURITIBA, Brazil, March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — With an eye on the exponential growth of emerging markets, where the volume of online sales is expected to exceed USD 1.3 trillion by 2027, European companies are looking to countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria, South Africa, and India to boost their businesses. In this context, EBANX, a global Payments Service Provider (PSP) specialising in emerging markets, announces Robert-Jan Lieben as its new Vice-President of Commercial in Europe.

A former PayPal Director with nearly two decades of experience in developing new businesses and in-depth knowledge about the payments industry, Lieben joins EBANX to strengthen the fintech’s connection with European companies, who are already among the PSP’s key merchants. The announcement follows other strategic moves within the region, such as the inaugural chapter of EBANX’s 7th Payments Summit, held in Barcelona, Spain, last September. Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, he will have a strategic role in supporting European businesses’ international expansion to the world’s fastest-growing digital markets: Latin America, Africa, and India.

“What excites me most about this new professional challenge is representing a PSP that offers not just payment processing, but a complete understanding of local regulations, consumer preferences, and market dynamics that are essential for success,” said Lieben, the new EBANX VP for Commercial in Europe.

Fastest-growing digital markets

Data from Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI) featured in the new edition of Beyond Borders, EBANX’s annual comprehensive study on payment trends in emerging economies, shows exactly how verticals with a strong presence of European companies are growing at an accelerated pace in emerging markets.

“All tech companies are seeking ways to amplify their business and, more importantly, capture the right opportunities at the right moment,” Lieben said. “And there has not been a better time to invest and expand in Latin America, Africa, and India. With the maturity of digital commerce, strong consumer purchasing power, and the growing appetite of European businesses to enter emerging markets, now is the ideal moment.“

Online retail in Latin America, for example, is expected to accelerate by 26% per year until 2027. In India and across Africa, the sector is expected to grow by 20% and 16% annually over the next two years, respectively. Other digital verticals, such as Gaming, Travel, and Streaming, will also increase their sales by double digits in those three regions during this period, at 21% in Africa for Gaming, 18% in India for Travel, and 14% in LatAm for streaming.

Local processing and global settlement

The appointment of Lieben represents a strategic match that brings together his deep understanding of Europe tech companies’ needs with EBANX’s extensive knowledge of Latin American and other emerging markets. “This combination creates a powerful bridge among these economies,” said João Del Valle, CEO and Co-founder of EBANX. “Lieben understands the expansion challenges Europe businesses face, while our team understands the local nuances that make emerging markets so powerful. Together, we’re distinctively positioned to help European companies succeed in these high-growth regions.”

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The opportunities presented by local, real-time payment methods like Pix, Brazil’s instant payment system with 90% penetration, SPEI, Mexico’s transfer system, Nequi, one of the fastest-growing digital payment platforms in Colombia, Ozow, South Africa’s leading instant EFT payments provider, UPI, India’s ubiquitous instant payments system, as well as debit and credit cards from domestic schemes, are excellent examples of how a partner with local processing capability and global settlement structure, such as EBANX, can be key in the expansion strategy of any company.

“We were able to help merchants from all over the world understand these payment methods’ opportunities and strengths, and adapt their offerings,” explained Del Valle. “As a result, they are able not only to establish themselves successfully in emerging markets but also to rapidly increase their customer base, as they were already prepared to meet these markets’ demands.”

For instance, digital companies accepting Pix in Brazil with EBANX experience a 16% increase in their revenue and a 25% growth in the number of clients. Soon, the recurrency feature will be available in Pix’s system, with the launch of Pix Automático expected for June. EBANX’s merchants can already access the technical documentation to integrate Pix Automático’s API and start backend development and testing.

“Emerging markets are leading the global shift towards real-time payments and digital financial solutions, and merchants that ride this wave and master the most popular payment methods will be best positioned to capitalise on these opportunities,” Lieben added.

ABOUT EBANX
EBANX is the leading payment platform connecting global businesses to the world’s fastest-growing digital markets. Founded in 2012 in Brazil, EBANX was built with a mission to expand access to international digital commerce. Leveraging proprietary technology, deep market expertise, and robust infrastructure, EBANX enables global companies to offer hundreds of local payment methods across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. More than just payments, EBANX drives growth, enhances sales, and delivers seamless purchase experiences for businesses and consumers alike.

For further information, please visit:
Website: https://www.ebanx.com/en/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ebanx

Contact:
Leonardo Stamillo
leo@contentco.tech
ContentCO

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