News Briefs

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise company, today announced that 100% of its ships across the global fleet are equipped with Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency global internet connectivity. 

The completed installation further enhances Carnival Corporation’s onboard experience for its guests and crew to provide even faster service, greater capacity, and more reliable Wi-Fi on its fleet of 90-plus ships across its portfolio of world-class cruise brands. The roll-out of Starlink is the latest in a series of innovations and investments from Carnival Corporation that have collectively quadrupled its fleetwide bandwidth since 2019 through its industry-leading connectivity strategy.

The upgrade rivals on-land connectivity experiences, enabling guests and crew to stay connected anywhere in the world, including sharing pictures and videos, scrolling on social media, streaming live content, and working remotely. The added bandwidth also boosts each ship’s operational and communications capabilities with more continuous onboard equipment monitoring and real-time connectivity and data sharing between ship and shore teams, along with the enhanced versatility to more quickly roll out new guest services and features, even while at sea.

“Starlink has been a game-changer for the onboard connectivity experience our cruise lines deliver to their guests, and we’ve already seen a surge in guest satisfaction and positive feedback from the super-fast and reliable Wi-Fi service we provide onboard,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “We see this technology as a win-win-win – it provides our guests with more flexibility to stay as connected as they’d like on vacation, it allows our crew to stay in touch with friends and loved ones, and it enhances our onboard operational systems.” 

Carnival Corporation began its fleetwide roll-out of Starlink in December 2022 with Carnival Cruise Line and AIDA Cruises ships, before expanding to the company's other world-class cruise brands, which include Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.

The Starlink expansion further advances the company’s multi-provider strategy to deliver the same reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi service available on land while on board its global fleet of 90+ ships visiting more than 800 ports worldwide. Designed to support a variety of constantly moving vessels that sail all over the world, the company’s system leverages technologies from a diverse range of suppliers and is capable of dynamically routing internet traffic and optimizing network speeds to provide a consistent experience to guests across every brand and itinerary.

Virdee, a provider of guest experience technology and check-in automation, today announced the appointment of Paul Pellman as the company’s first CEO. Pellman joins the Virdee executive team following a 35-year career in the technology industry and will lead Virdee through its next phase of growth, building on the strength of the company’s highly regarded hotel guest experience technology and reputation for innovative solutions. Virdee Co-Founders Branigan Mulcahy and Nadav Cornberg will add titles of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer, respectively. 

This appointment marks Paul’s third time as CEO of an Austin-based technology company. Previously, Pellman was CEO of Adometry, a market leader in multi-touch attribution to clarify the consumer purchase journey. Adometry was acquired by Google under Pellman’s leadership. Most recently, Pellman was CEO of Kazoo, a Vista Equity Partners portfolio company  in the employee experience software industry.

This hire comes six months after Virdee announced its $12.4 million Series A financing led by Moneta Ventures and coincides with two additional key hires. Former Vice President of Product at Narvar, Kelli Lin, has been appointed Virdee’s new Vice President of Product, and Royi Haddad, prior engineering leader at Hippo Insurance, has been appointed Vice President of Engineering.

“We are thrilled to bring Paul Pellman to Virdee to lead the company as it evolves into its next phase,” said Branigan Mulcahy, Co-Founder and COO of Virdee. “Since its founding in 2020, Virdee’s corporate growth and the market adoption of our technology has always been ahead of expectations. Paul’s experience and leadership will ensure we maintain that momentum. It’s an exciting time at Virdee and Co-Founder Nadav Cornberg and I wholeheartedly welcome Paul, Kelli and Royi to the company.”

"I am honored to be the CEO of Virdee and ready to get to work as Virdee becomes more than a company name but also the word that is synonymous with guest experience technology,” said Paul Pellman, CEO of Virdee. “Virdee’s leadership is talented and visionary as evidenced by the company’s incredible traction with enterprise clients. I look forward to working with Branigan and Nadav in taking the company to the next level, realizing their vision of digitally connecting guests and hotels while seamlessly automating all front desk transactions and amenities. Together, we will continue to deliver exceptional value, make hotel stays more elevated than ever before while we grow our roster of leading hotel and resort clients."

Virdee was formed in 2020 by Branigan Mulcahy and Nadav Cornberg to bring a contactless hotel check-in experience that would work anywhere and with any system while supporting 100% of guest check-ins to owners and operators of hotels. For more about Virdee and its solutions, visit www.virdee.io.

For brick and mortar businesses and restaurants seeking to stay ahead in today’s competitive market, SWIPEBY offers a comprehensive suite of AI-driven features designed to drive success. Building on its track record of innovation, SWIPEBY is proud to announce an AI-driven social media content creation tool that uses the power of AI to deliver engaging relevant content to customers.

“With each new feature we develop, we think about how we can ease the time consuming and expensive tasks a business owner has to deal with,” explained SWIPEBY Founder and CEO Carl Turner. “By making social media content creation easy, they are freed up to focus on things that only they can do.”  

According to Turner, SWIPEBY’s new social media content creator takes business information like opening hours, best sellers and consumer behavior into consideration to develop relevant posts. It continually creates new content that is planned two weeks in advance so the business owner can review, request edits and approve for posting. Any post that hasn’t been approved will be texted to the owner 48 hours in advance for review.

This is the second functionality developed by SWIPEBY to help business owners and restaurant operators with their social media accounts. Earlier this year, they launched a tool that uses AI to quickly answer questions and comments that are sent to their Facebook and Instagram direct message accounts. The SWIPEBY Direct Message Manager can convert reservation requests into reservations, drive delivery orders, quickly handle a bad experience and answer common questions like location and hours.

“This new Content Creation feature is perfect for the small to medium sized brick and mortar retailer or restaurant that simply hasn’t had time to think about social media but knows it’s important for their brand and for customer engagement,” Turner said. “Coupling it with the Direct Message Manager allows the restaurant to focus on their business and not worry about keeping up with the demands of social media that come 24/7.”

Pudu Robotics, a global leader in service robotics, today announced the official debut of the upgraded PUDU SH1 Smart Upright Scrubber Dryer at Interclean 2024. The latest version of PUDU SH1 features extensive enhancements to deliver an altogether new product, boasting substantial design and cleaning capabilities improvements.

The PUDU SH1 is a testament to innovation, capable of multidimensional cleaning that extends beyond floors to tabletops, vertical glass surfaces, and challenging areas like corners and spaces beneath low furniture. Innovative design features of the PUDU SH1 allow for easy and efficient separation of air, liquid and debris waste, ensuring a convenient disposal process that prevents drain blockages and damage to the vacuum motor. With a 27kg down pressure, a 350rpm brush and 20KPa suction power, the SH1 excels at removing stubborn stains such as oil spills, dust deposits, and air-dried dirt, ensuring pristine conditions in diverse environments.

In response to the urgent need for sustainable and efficient cleaning solutions, PUDU SH1 sets a new standard for environmental responsibility. The SH1's advanced lithium battery technology and energy-efficient brushless motors significantly reduce the machine's ecological footprint, adhering to strict ROHS standards. By optimizing resource utilization, the SH1 saves up to 80% on water and cleaning agents compared to traditional mopping methods, and cuts cleaning time by a remarkable 70%. These features not only support eco-friendly practices but also translate into operational savings for businesses.

"Pudu Robotics is dedicated to empowering businesses to refine their services and heighten operational efficiency with our products designed to collaborate with human teams," said Felix Zhang, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics. "This innovative product not only enhances cleaning performance but also embodies our commitment to sustainable product design and smart technology integration in cleaning workflows."

The SH1 boasts removable parts, which can be easily replaced and repaired to extend the use of the machine. Further product features include:

• Multidimensional Cleaning Capabilities: PUDU SH1 is equipped with a suite of accessories for cleaning floors, tabletops, vertical glass, corners, and under low furniture.
• Enhanced Cleaning Performance: The machine has high-efficiency cleaning with high pressure, rotational speed and suction power, as well as an innovative wastewater tank designed for effective air-liquid-debris waste separation.
• Touch Screen Interface: A user-friendly touch screen allows for easy management, including the selection of cleaning modes, displays of battery and water levels, and the generation of intelligent reports.
• Exceptional Stubborn Stain Removal: The machine is able to clean varied stains, including oil spills, dust deposits, and air-dried dirt, ensuring pristine conditions in various environments.
• Intelligent Detection for Safety: With intelligent diagnostics of core components, the PUDU SH1 ensures safe operation and simplifies maintenance.
• Air-Liquid-Debris Separation: PUDU SH1's wastewater tank features a layered design that facilitates the efficient separation of air, liquid and debris for easy disposal.

Hi Auto, a provider of drive-thru voice AI technology, released the Voice AI Marketer Toolkit, a comprehensive set of tools for quick service restaurants (QSRs) looking to capitalize on customer conversations to increase engagement and loyalty. These marketing tools include menu optimization, A/B or multivariate testing, and customized natural voices to help brands unlock the superpower of direct conversation with their customers.

Traditional marketing campaigns are limited to one-way communications across multiple platforms, such as digital advertising, social media, events, and visual promotions at brick-and-mortar locations. Due to the high staff turnover rate at QSRs, employees often work under intense pressure, making it difficult to promote the brand's values consistently. As a result, millions of drive-thru customers interact with random employees and experience inconsistent levels of service. This can be true for both regular and first-time customers.

Recognizing that voice AI automation can shift the current paradigm; Hi Auto developed a new marketing channel that allows restaurants to design and optimize customer conversations while highlighting brand value, promotions, events, special menu offerings, and more. The toolkit drives marketing and sales goals while building brand affinity and creating an elevated, consistent customer experience.

Key features of Hi Auto's “Voice AI Marketer Toolkit” include:

Dynamic Upsell Customization: Hi Auto's platform customizes product suggestions considering multiple factors influencing customer experiences, such as time, location, weather, script, language, and voice.

Multivariate Experimentation: The toolkit allows marketers to test a small control group of stores with similar performance by changing the conversation parameters, such as the number of upsells during a specific daypart. Based on the results, marketing teams can adjust the script to be deployed across all chains.

Natural and Cloned Voices: Hi Auto's voice AI enables QSRs to incorporate natural and even customized voice options into their drive-thru experience, providing customers with a more personalized and differentiated ordering experience. This ultimately enhances customer engagement and helps build brand affinity.

"Hi Auto's voice AI allows us to humanize the customer experience by customizing the drive-thru voice with our dialect and incorporating common phrases and slang that our customers can appreciate," said Leann Smith, Head of Marketing at Burger King New Zealand. "This collaboration enhanced labor efficiency and significantly improved order consistency and upselling conversions."

"While the operational benefits of voice AI justify the system's adoption, there is so much more value to unlock for sales and marketing teams," said Roy Baharav, CEO of Hi Auto. "That's why we are investing in the “Voice AI Marketer Toolkit” to provide organizations with the tools they need to realize the full potential of their drive-thru sales channel. Being the only company to date deploying drive-thru voice AI at scale allows us to identify the opportunities and develop the right capabilities for our customers to maximize their ROI.”

These capabilities are currently deployed in hundreds of drive-thru locations globally. For more information about Hi Auto and its drive-thru tailored voice AI platform, please visit Hi Auto.

Square announced several new platform integrations for food and beverage (F&B) businesses that include SevenRooms, Restaurant365, and Popmenu, among others, and revealed new partnerships with Performance Foodservice and a number of state restaurant associations. The company also launched new machine learning-powered app recommendations to improve how sellers discover connected products, and revealed new growth metrics around Square’s extensive ecosystem of third-party tools.

Square launched its App Marketplace a decade ago so sellers could easily find and use integrated solutions, enabling them to build a customized technology stack with the tools they prefer. Today, Square offers sellers more than 1,300 integrated and complementary partner solutions, with more than 100 introduced over the last 12 months. 

• 85% say integrations with other systems is driving POS purchasing decisions, according to HT's 2024 POS Software Trends Survey

Food and beverage businesses in particular have found immense value in the variety of integrations that Square offers in collaboration with its partners:

• 47% of Square’s F&B gross payment volume (GPV) in 2023 came from sellers using at least one integration.
• Last year, the typical F&B seller using at least one integration grew their year-over-year GPV at more than 2x the rate when compared to similar sellers using no integrations.
• F&B sellers are also quicker to turn to one of Square’s integrations than non-food and beverage sellers, with 45% adopting a third-party solution within their first year of using Square to help them grow their sales, manage online orders and deliveries, and much more.

Square’s latest slate of partner integrations provide restaurants of all sizes with a wider selection of tools to help them succeed.

• SevenRooms’ integration with Square allows restaurants to see reservations and additional customer insights on their POS, streamlining dining room management for front-of-house staff and providing diners with an elevated experience through increased personalization. By bringing key historical data from both Square and SevenRooms to the fingertips of operators and their teams, restaurants gain an unparalleled ability to tailor their service to individual guests.
• Restaurant365, an industry leading, all-in-one cloud-based solution that helps restaurants manage their accounting, workforce, and store operations, is now available in Square’s App Marketplace. This integration provides restaurants with a comprehensive understanding of their entire business and empowers operators to make more informed business decisions, increase profitability, and enrich diners’ experiences.
• When 7shifts is used with Square, operators can access restaurant performance data in real time. This gives them better visibility into sales projections and labor costs, so they can make smarter, more profitable business decisions on the fly.
• Popmenu’s integration provides restaurants with a powerful solution to grow their digital presence, automate and personalize their marketing, and manage online orders within Square.
• Olo, a leading restaurant technology provider, enables restaurants to increase orders, streamline operations, and improve the guest experience. Through its integration with Square, which is currently in beta, operators will be able to view orders from all their digital channels all in one place on their POS and KDS (kitchen display system).

“We operate 19 restaurants across four concepts, and to do so successfully, we use a number of tools to provide us with the key insights we need to make informed decisions around labor costs, vendor expenses, and store performance,” said Edgar Hernandez, CFO of Raydal Hospitality Group, the team behind Sabor Latin Street Grill and Three Amigos. “The importance of having a commerce platform that easily works with the operational software we rely on cannot be understated. Instead of having to reconcile data from different systems, Square's work to build and maintain a wide variety of important solution integrations helps us remain focused on optimizing our operations and growing our business.”

“As competitive pressures mount across the hospitality industry, it has become even more important for operators to have a 360-degree view of their customers so they can provide truly differentiated experiences,” said Allison Page, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of SevenRooms. “Our comprehensive integration with Square equips restaurants with the rich data they need to better understand their diners, helping them make every guest interaction more personalized while driving higher customer loyalty and retention.”

Alongside these new integrations, Square is also rolling out a new recommendation engine for partner integrations, powered by machine learning. The new recommendation model is designed to elevate the visibility of partner solutions and make more personalized, timely recommendations within a seller’s Dashboard, tailored to their needs. While piloting the new model, Square observed a 26% increase in partner app conversion.

“Square has made huge investments in its developer platform and ecosystem of integrations over the last few years to deliver more value to sellers and partners alike,” said Ming-Tai Huh, Square’s Head of Food and Beverage. “Restaurants today rely on a variety of tools and services to drive operational efficiency, manage labor costs, and find new avenues for growth in an increasingly competitive and challenging landscape. The value of ensuring food and beverage businesses can seamlessly build the technology stacks that best fit their operations is evident in the engagement and growth we’re seeing, and Square is committed to providing sellers with best-in-class integrations that help them more easily navigate the complexities of running and growing their business.”

Square today is also unveiling a number of new industry partnerships. The company is now working with Performance Foodservice, a leading foodservice distributor, as a One Source Solution Partner.  Additionally, Square has partnered with a variety of restaurant associations throughout the country, including the Illinois Restaurant Association, the California Restaurant Association, and the New York State Restaurant Association. 

To learn more about Square’s new integrations and latest offerings for F&B businesses, visit Square’s booth 5821 at the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago from May 18 to May 21.