VocalZoom Transforms Voiceprint Verification for Biometrics Authentication Using Optical Sensor Technology

Highlights:

• The transformative VoiceMatch-in-Sensor™ technology converts speaker’s facial skin vibrations into unique, noise-free voiceprint, with both the biometric acquisition and template matching all performed inside the optical sensor solution.
• Technology is first to eliminate microphones, noise reduction software and previous verification vulnerabilities, also can perform accurate, low-power liveness detection to optimize for fraud protection.
• Company’s goal is to make optically-acquired voiceprints the most secure, cost-effective, easiest biometric to verify for fraud-proof authentication.

YOKNEAM ILLIT, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VocalZoom, a leading supplier of Human-to-Machine Communication (HMC) optical sensors that enable a more natural, personalized and secure voice-control experience, today announced voice biometrics technology using its optical sensor that performs all voiceprint acquisition and embedded template matching, eliminates the microphones and noise reduction software of traditional acoustic solutions, and takes voiceprint verification out of an external processor or cloud-based server to the security of an embedded, match-in-sensor architecture.

“We all want the simplicity of authenticating to applications and services with our voice, but until now, solutions have been complex and expensive, are not reliable in noisy environments, and are vulnerable to cloned voiceprints,” said Tal Bakish, chief executive officer, VocalZoom. “VocalZoom plans to deliver the industry’s first speaker verification sensor using a match-in-sensor architecture, which will drive a paradigm shift in behavioral authentication.”

VocalZoom’s patented VoiceMatch-in-Sensor technology for embedded speaker verification products acquires data from users during the biometric enrollment process as their facial skin vibrates during speech. The VocalZoom optical HMC sensor converts this data into a voiceprint associated only with the person who was actually speaking, and stores it inside the sensor. This enables the sensor to meet FIDO compliance requirements, enabling easy plug-and-play installation as compared to existing fingerprint or other biometric sensors that don’t offer secure embedded biometric acquisition and template matching. Each time users authenticate, a voiceprint is again acquired in real time, again optically confirmed to be from a living person rather than a recording, and then securely matched inside the sensor solution against information in its embedded template to verify the user and complete the authentication process.

“Opus Research’s latest voice biometrics census, issued in September 2016, shows a doubling of voiceprint enrollments (more than 137 million globally), signaling voice as a ubiquitous, highly personalized authentication factor, with the capability to combine command and control with identification and access management,” said Dan Miller, lead analyst at Opus Research. “Device-based implementations are accelerating and technologies like VocalZoom’s match-in-sensor voiceprint verification technology will fuel this growth by improving security and fraud protection for products that are easier to build and use.”

The match-in-sensor architecture for embedded speaker verification has been proven with fingerprint biometrics, but was previously unfeasible for voice biometrics because of the cost, complexity and vulnerabilities associated with acquiring voiceprints using traditional acoustic technology. VocalZoom’s optical VoiceMatch-in-Sensor approach to voiceprint acquisition delivers a streamlined, compact solution with inherent liveness detection that can be included in products ranging from smartphones and PCs to ATMs and the connected car. The sensor also offers the ability to optically acquire other biometric information to be used as additional authentication factors, including the speaker’s unique heartbeat and facial characteristics.

About VocalZoom

VocalZoom supplies Human-to-Machine Communication (HMC) sensors for delivering a, natural, personalized and secure voice-controlled user experience in today’s increasingly mobile and interconnected world. The sensors enable accurate and reliable voice control and biometrics authentication in any environment, regardless of noise. Applications including mobile secure payments, headsets and wearables, mobile phones, access control, smart home solutions, and hands-free automotive voice control. For more information, visit www.VocalZoom.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.

Microbot Medical Closes Merger Transaction; Initiates Trading on NASDAQ as ‘MBOT’

Innovative Company is Advancing Transformational Micro-Robotic Technologies to Treat and Diagnose Various Medical Conditions

HINGHAM, Mass., Nov. 28, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbot Medical Ltd., a medical device company specializing in the research, design and development of transformational micro-robotic medical technologies, today announced that it has closed its merger transaction with StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM), pursuant to which Microbot became a wholly-owned subsidiary of StemCells, Inc. StemCells will be renamed Microbot Medical Inc. and will begin trading on NASDAQ under the symbol ‘MBOT’ on November 29, 2016.  

“Microbot Medical’s founding principle is to improve the quality of life of millions of patients globally by advancing micro-robotic technologies to perform surgical procedures within the human body, and offer physicians and their patients less invasive and more precise solutions.  Our vision, which helped guide the development of multiple products based on our unique ViRob and TipCAT micro-robotic technology platforms, is becoming a reality as our lead product candidates for Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) and Gastrointestinal (GI) Disorders continue to progress,” commented Harel Gadot, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microbot Medical. 

“The completion of this merger is a significant milestone and enables us to capitalize on Microbot Medical’s unique core capabilities and fund our next generation of micro-robotic medical products.  We anticipate FDA submission for these products in the near future, and once commercialized, our robust pipeline is expected to deliver a succession of new product launches and applications driving our short, mid and long term revenue prospects,” concluded Mr. Gadot.

Following the completion of the merger and one–for-nine reverse stock split, there are approximately 39 million shares of common stock outstanding.  Under the terms of the merger agreement with StemCells, the shareholders of Microbot Medical, and certain advisors and consultants with respect to the merger, received shares of StemCells common stock representing approximately 95% of the outstanding shares of StemCells calculated on a fully diluted basis.  Stockholders of StemCells prior to the merger have retained approximately 5% of the company.

Microbot’s leadership includes Mr. Gadot, a co-founder who previously served as a Worldwide Group Marketing Director at Johnson & Johnson’s surgical device company Ethicon Inc. Additionally, Prof. Moshe Shoham, an inventor of Microbot’s technologies and a co-founder of the Company will remain on the Board of Directors and the company’s Scientific Advisory Board. Professor Shoham also founded Mazor Robotics Ltd. The current members of the Board of Directors of Microbot Medical will serve on the Board of Directors of the company, with the addition of Scott Burell, a seasoned public company executive who currently serves as Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer of CombiMatrix Corporation.  The Company’s corporate headquarters will be located in Hingham, Massachusetts and Yokneam, Israel.

About Microbot Medical Inc.

Microbot Medical is a medical device company specializing in the design and development of transformational micro-robotic medical technologies.  The Company is primarily focused on leveraging its micro-robotic technologies with the goal of allowing more physicians to treat more patients while improving surgical outcomes for patients. The Company is currently developing its first two product candidates: the Self Cleaning Shunt, or SCS, for the treatment of hydrocephalus and Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, or NPH; and TipCAT, a self-propelling, semi-disposable endoscope that is being developed initially for use in colonoscopy procedures. Further information about Microbot Medical is available at http://www.microbotmedical.com.

Safe Harbor

Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating results, future growth in research, technology, clinical development, and potential opportunities for Microbot Medical Inc. and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects” and “estimates”) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the businesses of Microbot Medical Inc. particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in Microbot Medical Inc.’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Microbot Medical Inc. disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

News Release: "Zadara Storage Named one of the 'Best Entrepreneurial Companies In America' by Entrepreneur Magazine's 2016 Entrepreneur 360™ List"

Zadara Storage Named one of the “Best Entrepreneurial Companies In America” by Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2016 Entrepreneur 360™ List Honored for Its Industry Impact, Innovation, Growth and Leadership IRVINE, CA – November 22, 2016 – Zadara Storage was recently recognized as one of the “Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America” by Entrepreneur magazine’s Entrepreneur 360™ List, the most comprehensive analysis of private companies in America.

Based on this study forged by Entrepreneur, Zadara Storage is recognized as a well-rounded company that has mastered a balance of impact, innovation, growth and leadership. “We are honored to rank nationally among the fastest growing and most innovative firms in so many industries,” said Kevin Liebl, vice president of marketing for Zadara Storage. “By pioneering an elastic, scalable, cost-effective Storage-as-a-Service (STaaS) solution for data center-grade applications, we are helping to transform the enterprise IT industry so that companies everywhere can better align their infrastructure for a changing world.”

Zadara Storage provides enterprise-grade Storage-as-a-Service, available either on-premise, in the cloud, or in hybrid configurations – with capabilities not found in other cloud-deployed solutions. Its family of high-performance, SLA-guaranteed solutions support any data type (block, file, object) in any location (cloud, on-premise or hybrid) with any protocol (FC, iSCSI, iSER, NFS, CIFS, S3, Swift).

The solutions are provided on a pure OpEx-basis without leases, upfront costs or lengthy commitments. Users receive isolated resources with the economic and elastic benefits of multi-tenancy, but the security and guaranteed performance of a single-tenant experience. iSER, Elastic Flash Cache and Docker services drive even higher overall performance. “Our annual evaluation offers a 360-degree analysis of the current private-business landscape,” explains Lisa Murray, chief insights officer of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. “Top performers are determined by how well-rounded they are in four key operative areas. Entrepreneurship is a complex endeavor— this listing recognizes those who have mastered the challenge and are thriving this year.”

Honorees were identified based on the results from a comprehensive study of independently-owned companies, using a proprietary algorithm and other advanced analytics. The algorithm was built on a balanced scorecard designed to measure four metrics reflecting major pillars of entrepreneurship— innovation, growth, leadership and impact. For additional details on the Entrepreneur 360 List and the companies recognized, visit: entrepreneur.com/360companies Click to Tweet: .@ZadaraStorage makes the @Entrepreneur360 list as entrepreneurial leader!

About Entrepreneur Media Inc.

For nearly 40 years, Entrepreneur Media Inc. has been serving the entrepreneurial community providing comprehensive coverage of business and personal success through original content and events. Entrepreneur magazine, Entrepreneur.com, and publishing imprint Entrepreneur Press provide solutions, information, inspiration and education read by millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners worldwide. To learn more, visit entrepreneur.com. Follow us on Twitter at @Entrepreneur or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/entmagazine.

About Zadara Storage

Zadara Storage offers enterprise Storage-as-a-Service (STaaS) through the award-winning Zadara Storage Cloud. It can be deployed at any location (cloud, on-premise or hybrid), supporting any data type (block, Oile and object) and connecting to any protocol (FC, iSCSI, iSER, NFS, CIFS, S3, Swift). The VPSA™ service provides enterprise SAN and NAS while the ZIOS™ service delivers private object storage. Zadara provides resource isolation, exceptional data security, and management control. Zadara is available via OPaaS (On-Premise-as-a-Service) and through a variety of partners including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and others.

Visit www.zadarastorage.com, the Zadara Blog, or on LinkedIn and Twitter. Zadara Storage Media Contacts (A3 Communications): US: Mary Kae Marinac Phone: 978-685-3136 Email: mkm@mkmarinac.com EMEA: Federica Monsone Phone: +44 (0) 1252 875 203 Email: fred.monsone@a3communications.co.uk

EMBARGOED News Release: "Zadara Storage Offers Intel-based Flash Storage-as-a-Service at HDD Price Point"

Zadara Storage Offers Intel-based Flash Storage-as-a-Service at HDD Price Point Collaboration with Industry-Leader Intel Redefines Enterprise Flash Price Point IRVINE, CA – November 15, 2016 –

Zadara™ Storage, the award-winning provider of enterpriseclass Storage-as-a-Service (STaaS) today announced that their Zadara Storage Cloud will offer Intel®-based, flash storage solutions providing industry-leading flash performance in a pure-OpExbased model – however at prices that rival traditional hard disk drive configurations.

As the market continues to abandon traditional CapEx-based storage and move at an increasing rate toward OpEx-based Storage-as-a-Service, Zadara Storage has teamed with Intel to provide new industry-leading flash-enabled solutions to address the insatiable demand for high-performance storage.

The new solutions combine Intel PCSD servers, Intel Xeon® E5 v4 processors and Intel SSDs based on the new Intel® 3D NAND technology with the Zadara Storage Cloud software architecture. The resulting solutions enable both service providers and enterprise customers to enjoy unprecedented flexibility, scalability and performance. In a move that will accelerate market momentum away from HDD-based offerings, Zadara is now offering new flash-based solutions at price-parity with existing HDD products. “Zadara Storage has become a growing force in the cloud storage market with a distinctive approach to enterprise storage,” said Nick Sundby, director, storage practice lead at IDC. “IDC believes that many organizations are increasingly looking for a new approach to storage that is service-based and tightly aligned with their changing business needs, but without compromising on security, availability, or performance. Zadara’s announcement today aligns well with this goal."

“Zadara Storage was an early storage-as-a-service pioneer and has created disruptive on-premises and service provider offerings with OpEx based pricing,” said Henry Baltazar, research director of storage at 451 Research. “The expansion into flash-enabled storage-as-a-service will provide customers with a high performance alternative to conventional storage systems with the elasticity expected from cloud services."

“Intel 3D NAND SSDs are shifting the way customers and end-users think about storage by delivering incredible price/performance that transform the economics and will accelerate the transition toward cost-effective, dense storage options – all while moving the industry away from legacy technologies,” said Bill Leszinske, vice president and director of strategic planning, marketing and business development, Intel Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. “Applications, like the Zadara Storage Cloud, showcase Intel’s latest technologies and accelerate flash adoption across the industry, leading to incredible experiences, breakthroughs and business value."

“Our goal at Zadara Storage is to create solutions that align with our customers’ needs,” said Nelson Nahum, CEO and co-founder, Zadara Storage. “This often causes us to disrupt the market by introducing technologies and business models that are non-traditional. In this case, we believe the market has passed an inflection point, and flash flash should be priced on par with disk-based solutions – providing flash performance to the mass market.” Click to Tweet: .@ZadaraStorage introduces Intel-based, flashStorage-as-a-Service at HDD Price ZadaraCloud #IntelStorageBuilders

About Zadara Storage

Zadara Storage offers enterprise Storage-as-a-Service (STaaS) through the award-winning Zadara Storage Cloud. It can be deployed at any location (cloud, on-premise or hybrid), supporting any data type (block, Iile and object) and connecting to any protocol (FC, iSCSI, iSER, NFS, CIFS, S3, Swift). The VPSA™ service provides enterprise SAN and NAS while the ZIOS™ service delivers private object storage. Zadara provides resource isolation, exceptional data security, and management control. Zadara is available via OPaaS (On-Premise-as-a-Service) and through a variety of partners including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and others. Visit www.zadarastorage.com, the Zadara Blog, or on LinkedIn and Twitter. Zadara Storage Media Contacts (A3 Communications): US: Mary Kae Marinac Phone: 978-685-3136 Email: mkm@mkmarinac.com EMEA: Federica Monsone Phone: +44 (0) 1252 875 203 Email: fred.monsone@a3communications.co.uk

Datumate Introduces new offerings for Surveying, Construction and Infrastructure companies

Datumate is pleased to introduce an extended photogrammetry suite with industry specific capabilities for Surveying, Construction and Infrastructure companies. Datumate’s automated and professional surveying tools dramatically reduce Field-to-Plan duration, increase productivity and save operational costs while maintaining high level of accuracy. 

The extended software suite now includes designated offerings:

• DatuSurvey™ Enterprise is aimed at advanced Surveyors, requiring survey grade accuracy with additional capabilities of generating Ortho-photo images and working with Dense Point Clouds.
• DatuSurvey™ Professional (formerly DatuGram™3D) is a Surveyors’ targeted software that converts aerial and ground images to a high-precision, geo-referenced 2D maps and 3D models.
• DatuSite™ is geared towards construction (Infrastructure work progress / As-Built, volume calculations etc.), architects (Facades), inspectors and other users who need to generate 3D models. DatuSite will be available worldwide from December 2016.  

New features and capabilities include:

• Dense Point Cloud Generation and Visualization
  Dense Point Cloud generation and visualization using a 3D viewer are available in DatuSurvey Enterprise and DatuSite software packages with export options of .ply or .dxf.
• True Orthophoto Export
  Vertical Orthophoto can be exported to external tiff file and visualized using Cloud Compare or other external software that support tiff format. The Orthophoto is already meshed and textured to allow for a high density image. This feature is available in DatuSurvey Enterprise and DatuSite software packages with export option to Geo tiff format.
• Point cloud projection on 2D plains
  Select a subset of a dense point cloud and project it on one of 6 surfaces. It can also be exported using .ply format file to be processed by other software. Export option to .ply or .png.
• Automated Job Type Identification
  Job types are automatically identified when images have location and orientation data. Job images will be linked using the correct parameter producing the best and most accurate results.
• Increased Accuracy & Reliability
  Improved point reconstruction and map accuracy, using global linkage that is based on image GPS location, instead of using the image taking order. True Orthophoto Export Vertical Orthophoto can be exported to external tiff file and visualized using Cloud Compare or other external software that support tiff format. The Orthophoto is already meshed and textured to allow for a high density image. This feature is available in DatuSurvey Enterprise and DatuSite software packages with export option to Geo tiff format.
• Chinese Version
  Full support for Chinese language including setup, GUI, messages and documentation.
• Shorten Processing Time
  Efficient and fast linkage process.

Zadara Storage Adds Support for Google Cloud Platform, Joins Google Cloud Partner Program

Zadara Storage Adds Support for Google Cloud Platform, Joins Google Cloud Partner Program Google Cloud Platform users can now access Zadara’s award-winning Storage-as-a-Service IRVINE, CA – November 2, 2016 – Zadara™ Storage, the award-winning provider of enterpriseclass storage-as-a-service (STaaS) today announced that it has added support for Google Cloud Platform, enabling customers to leverage the enterprise-grade functionality of the Zadara Storage Cloud. Zadara Storage also announced that it has joined the Google Cloud Partner Program.

Zadara Storage integration with Google Cloud Platform enables organizations to access enterprise-grade storage from the Google Cloud Platform compute environment through the Zadara Cloud Storage architecture. Google users now have the option to select Storage-as-aService (STaaS) from any location (cloud/hybrid/on-premise), any data type (block, file, object), and any protocol (FC, iSCSI, iSER, NFS, CIFS, S3, Swift) with all of the enterprise-grade data protection features they would expect from traditional, CapEx-based storage arrays. With Zadara’s multi-cloud concurrent access, users get the flexibility to connect to the most appropriate service, as needed. “Zadara Storage has become a leader in the growing public and private cloud storage market by offering a unique combination of enterprise-class storage in a completely flexible, pure OpExbased as-a-service model,” said Simon Robinson, vice president of infrastructure with 451 Research.

“By adding Google Cloud Platform to their current support for AWS, Microsoft Azure and many others, they have effectively covered the public cloud market.” “The market is clearly migrating from CapEx-based to OpEx-based public and private storage solutions,” said Frank Berry, CEO, IT Brand Pulse. “With this announcement, Zadara Storage has positioned itself perfectly in this market by supporting all of the major cloud service providers as well as their unique On-Premise as-a-Service (OPaaS) offering.”

“We are excited to add Google Cloud Platform to our list of supported Cloud Service Providers,” said Nelson Nahum, CEO and co-founder of Zadara Storage. “By adding Google Cloud Platform to our connectivity options, we are executing our vision of creating solutions that are easy to use, ubiquitous, agile, and always aligned with our customer’s businesses.” Click to Tweet: .@ZadaraStorage adds @Google_Cloud Platform to list of supported clouds ZadaraCloud #GoogleCloud http://bit.ly/ZadaraGoogleCloud

About Zadara Storage

Zadara Storage offers enterprise Storage-as-a-Service (STaaS) through the award-winning Zadara Storage Cloud. It can be deployed at any location (cloud, on-premise or hybrid), supporting any data type (block, Mile and object) and connecting to any protocol (FC, iSCSI, iSER, NFS, CIFS, S3, Swift). The VPSA™ service provides enterprise SAN and NAS while the ZIOS™ service delivers private object storage. Zadara provides resource isolation, exceptional data security, and management control. Zadara is available via OPaaS (On-Premise-as-a-Service) and through a variety of partners including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and others. Visit www.zadarastorage.com, the Zadara Blog, or on LinkedIn and Twitter. Zadara Storage Media Contacts (A3 Communications): US: Mary Kae Marinac Phone: 978-685-3136 Email: mkm@mkmarinac.com EMEA: Federica Monsone Phone: +44 (0) 1252 875 203 Email: fred.monsone@a3communications.co.uk