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mariacallous · 2 years ago

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Around dinner time one night in July, a student in Albuquerque, New Mexico, googled “suicide prevention hotline.” They were automatically blocked. The student tried again, using their Albuquerque Public Schools district–issued laptop to search for "contact methods for suicide." Blocked. They were turned away again a few hours later when attempting to access a webpage on the federally-funded Suicide Prevention Resource Center. More than a dozen times that night, the student tried to access online mental health resources, and the district's web filter blocked their requests for help every time.

In the following weeks, students and staff across Albuquerque tried and failed to reach crisis mental health resources on district computers. An eighth grader googled “suicide hotline” on their take-home laptop, a ninth grader looked up “suicide hotline number,” a high school counselor googled “who is a mandated reporter for suicide in New Mexico,” and another counselor at an elementary school tried to download a PDF of the district’s suicide prevention protocol. Blocked, blocked, blocked—all in a state with among the highest suicide rates in the US.

Thanks in large part to a two-decade-old federal anti-porn law, school districts across the US restrict what students see online using a patchwork of commercial web filters that block vast and often random swathes of the internet. Companies like GoGuardian and Blocksi—the two filters used in Albuquerque—govern students’ internet use in thousands of US school districts. As the national debate over school censorship focuses on controversial book-banning laws, a WIRED investigation reveals how these automated web filters can perpetuate dangerous censorship on an even greater scale.

WIRED requested internet censorship records from 17 public school districts around the US, painting a picture of the widespread digital censorship taking place across the country. Our investigation focuses on Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), one of the largest school districts in the US, which provided the most complete look at its web-filtering systems. APS shared 36 gigabytes of district network logs covering January 2022 to August 21, 2023, offering an unprecedented look at the kinds of content blocked by US schools on a daily basis. Our analysis of more than 117 million censorship records confirms what students and civil rights advocates have long warned: Web filters are preventing kids from finding critical information about their health, identity, and the subjects they’re studying in class.

“It’s just like another form of oppression,” Brooklynn Chavez, a senior at La Cueva High School in northeast Albuquerque, says of the district’s filters. “It’s like an awful kind of feeling.”

It’s a problem that’s not going away. This summer, APS installed Blocksi web filters on all student and staff devices. According to our analysis and interviews with APS staff, the results seemed to be disastrous. During the nearly three months APS used the Blocksi filter, it blocked more than a million network requests a day, on average, including searches for mental and physical health services; words related to LGBTQ+, Black, and Hispanic communities; websites for local youth groups; thousands of student searches for harmless information; and tens of thousands of news articles.

“It will basically shut down your internet,” Shellmarie Harris, director of educational technology at APS, says of Blocksi’s keyword filtering technology. “Kids, teachers will not be able to get into anything.”

APS, which installed Blocksi in May, stopped using the filter on most of its devices in August due to its restrictiveness, Harris says, and returned to the GoGuardian filter it used before the switch. Our investigation raises questions about the appropriateness and implementation of GoGuardian's filter as well.

In May, before the district switched to Blocksi, the GoGuardian filter blocked an eighth grader from searching for “suicide prevention.” It prevented a third grader from searching the word “latina” and a sixth grader from searching “black man.” When an 11th grader googled “Obergefell v. Hodges ruling,” instead of a list of websites with information about the landmark United States Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage, the student saw a gray screen with APS’s logo and the message: “Restricted. This website has been blocked by your administrator.”

It is difficult to determine who exactly is responsible for a given content restriction. While APS administrators set the network policy for the entire district, individual teachers can also choose what to filter with GoGuardian—including whether to turn off the internet entirely for a particular student or class during a lesson, according to Harris. Outside of school hours, parents can also use the Blocksi and GoGuardian parent apps that APS provides to set their own restrictions on their kids’ school-issued devices.

Blocksi did not respond to multiple requests for comment or answer detailed questions about censorship of APS web activity.

Jeff Gordon, director of public relations for GoGuardian, tells WIRED, “GoGuardian regularly evaluates our website categorization to ensure, to the best of our ability, that legitimate educational sites are accessible to students by default.” He said more than 7,600 school districts use the company’s web filter and referred all questions about whether the blocked activity in Albuquerque was appropriately censored to the district.

Sithara Subramanian, an 11th grader at La Cueva High School, says she began to run into her school’s GoGuardian filter on a regular basis around the time remote learning ended. “It got kind of intense when we went back to school, like educational websites were being blocked,” Subramanian says. The censorship has been particularly frustrating for her biology and anatomy studies. “It felt like they were trying to restrict our education rather than enhance it.”

“My son says the filters make the internet useless,” Sarah Hooten, the mother of Henry, a 13-year-old former APS student, tells WIRED. Henry says that he couldn’t use YouTube to look up information for a report he was assigned about rainforests. “I know it’s partly to do with blocking kids from doing what they aren’t supposed to be doing,” Henry says. “But it’s also just the school not understanding what they are blocking.”

What Went Wrong

The scale of censorship we found in Albuquerque’s schools shows how web filters can twist seemingly simple decisions to block unwanted online content into policies that render the internet near impossible to use.

In one instance, an APS staff member was unable to view The New York Times’ Pulitzer Prize–winning 1619 Project, a historical exploration of slavery and its consequences in the United States, because of an apparently misguided keyword block in the district’s Blocksi filter. The district’s web-filter blocked websites containing the keyword “avery.” This blocked hundreds of attempts to access the website of a printing company, Avery.com, although APS officials could not explain why “avery” was keyword-blocked. But because the URL for the 1619 Project includes the word “slavery,” it was also blocked. So was a Stanford University lecture about slavery, a Wikipedia map of slavery in the United States, and several articles about a controversial Florida curriculum about slavery.

APS records show that keywords on the district blacklist triggered the Blocksi filter nearly 32 million times from May 31 through August 21.

While most of the keywords WIRED reviewed are meant to restrict pornographic content and games, some appear to have unintentionally caused broader restrictions that prevented students from accessing legitimate educational content. A ban on the word “assault,” for example, blocked news articles at least 60 times, including stories from The Atlantic, CNN, and the Associated Press. In total, APS blocked students accessing news websites nearly 40,000 times.

“It’s not the right approach to try and censor information because we are afraid of how they are going to react to it,” Caitlin Vogus, deputy director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press foundation, tells WIRED. “If anyone in our society has a stake in reading about school shootings, it’s the students themselves.”

The banned keywords also show that someone—APS could not say who—blocked access to critical health websites. For example, the websites of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Planned Parenthood were keyword blocked. CDC web pages, including many specifically pertaining to Covid-19, were censored as many as 1,607 times. Planned Parenthood pages were censored more than 50 times in Albuquerque while Blocksi was in use.

APS communications director Monica Armenta tells WIRED that, “to the best of my knowledge,” the district didn’t purposefully block URLs containing “avery” or the websites of the CDC and Planned Parenthood.

“We regularly referred our families and staff to the CDC for guidance on Covid,” Armenta says. “We did not find any issues with students or staff accessing CDC, Planned Parenthood, or ‘avery’ during school hours.” At the time of Armenta’s response, the district was no longer using the Blocksi filter that restricted those websites.

Nearly three-quarters of the blocked activity WIRED examined was not explicitly tied to a keyword, and the data APS provided did not explain why those web pages triggered the district’s filters.

Blocksi says it sorts content into 79 preset categories to make its blocking decisions. Those categories include “alternative beliefs,” “abortion,” “sex education,” “folklore,” and “meaningless content.” School staff can choose which of those categories to block, allow, or block with a warning.

GoGuardian says it uses machine learning algorithms that scan the content and context of a page, rather than just pick out keywords, to decide whether it’s appropriate for students. But WIRED’s analysis of censorship logs from APS raises questions about the effectiveness of GoGuardian’s filter at judging context. For example, between January and August of 2023, the district’s GoGuardian filter blocked more than 1,580 websites with the word “gay” in the URL. While that included domains and URLs that contained sexual content, many did not appear to have any sexual content at all. On May 18, the district’s GoGuardian filter blocked a La Cueva High School 10th grader’s one-word Google search for “gay.”

Harris, Albuquerque’s educational technology director, says the word “gay” shouldn’t have been blocked on its own but might have triggered another rule in the filter. After googling “gay” on her own computer, she speculated that GoGuardian might have blocked the search because the results page includes Google Maps listings for several bars in Albuquerque that cater to LGBTQ+ customers, and the district has chosen to block content related to alcohol on its devices.

GoGuardian’s filter can trigger automatic alerts to school staff about browsing activity. During an interview with WIRED, Harris received a GoGuardian Smart Alert notifying her that a student was looking at potentially dangerous material online. “This poor child is getting targeted because [they searched] ‘how to draw grass,’” Harris says. “And so it’s probably thinking ‘grass’ is marijuana.”

Harris says APS allows staff and students to request that content be unblocked. Several of the students who spoke to WIRED say they wouldn't feel comfortable asking administrators to unblock content.

Tiera Tanksley, a research fellow who studies youth and technology policy at UCLA, tells WIRED that schools need to consider the consequences of over-filtering, especially when technology like GoGuardian’s Smart Alerts automatically notifies adults about what kids are looking at online.

“We have to remember who’s using school-issued devices,” Tanksley says. “It’s already baked in that these are going to be lower income, probably people of color, just because of the economic disparities. Getting flagged multiple times trying to access inappropriate content is opening the door for other types of disciplinary disparities,” she argues.

During the 2022-2023 school year, 66 percent of APS students identified as Hispanic, 20 percent as white, 5 percent as American Indian or Alaskan native, and 3 percent as Black, according to data published by the school district. Nearly 68 percent of the district’s students received free school meals, which is a rough reflection of how many families live near the poverty line and slightly higher than the national average.

Our investigation found that both the Blocksi and GoGuardian filters used by APS censored a wide range of words, websites, and online resources related directly to race and ethnicity. And students who spoke to WIRED say they were frequently blocked while attempting to research historical events that involved racism or violence.

When a 12th grader at the city’s Atrisco Heritage Academy High School tried to ask Google for information about “structural racism black community,” GoGuardian blocked their search, records reviewed by WIRED show. It also nixed a ninth grader’s search for illustrations of Black people, a seventh grader’s search for “pueblo indians,” a fourth grader’s image search for “immigrant,” and a ninth grader’s image search for “el mobimiento [sic] chicano”—the Mexican-American Chicano Movement of the 1960s.

Blocksi’s filters blocked similar search terms, including “how oppressed are black people.” And it blocked hundreds of attempts to access legal information for immigrants at USCIS.gov. On July 27, it prevented an APS staff member from opening the form used to apply for US citizenship online, APS records show.

Chavez, the La Cueva High School senior who leads their school’s Native American Student Union, says the district’s filters have hindered their attempts to research Indigenous heritage and Indigenous protests. ”Because I can’t find information on certain Indigenous topics, I’m wondering about kids who are younger than me, Indigenous kids who are trying to look up their heritage, trying to learn about their heritage,” Chavez says. “It frustrates me because they can’t. It’s not easily accessible, especially during school hours.”

Content related to gender, sexuality, and identity was also blocked across Albuquerque. For instance, the district's web filters prevented six students from visiting pages at the Trevor Project, one of the nation’s leading LGBTQ+ youth advocacy groups. Even the websites of local youth nonprofits, including Together for Brothers and the Southwest Organizing Project, were restricted. Three different middle schoolers, on three different days, searched for “pride flag” and were blocked.

In a statement to WIRED, Casey Pick, director of law & policy for the Trevor Project, characterized APS’s censorship as “dangerous” and “unethical.”

“Blocking content inherently suggests that it’s something that is inappropriate or that people shouldn’t see or know about,” says Josh Block, a senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who focuses on the civil-liberties-focused nonprofit’s LGBT and HIV Project. “That certainly has a message that reverberates beyond just the computer screen.”

Gordon, the GoGuardian spokesperson, says the company “does not block searches or restrict access to legitimate educational sites by default, nor do we block LGBTQIA+, reproductive health, or racial justice websites by default.”

Web pages belonging to the ACLU were blocked 68 times.

Safety vs. Education

The consequences of school web filtering reach far beyond Albuquerque. Virtually every school in the US uses an automatic web filter, largely due to the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) passed by Congress in 2000. The law requires schools and libraries to block “child pornography” and other content deemed “obscene” or “harmful to minors” in order to be eligible for federal technology aid known as E-rate funding.

In districts like Albuquerque’s, which invested millions to provide take-home computers to students, the filters have increasingly come to govern kids’ online lives both inside and outside of school. Our investigation found that nearly 10 percent of the blocks between January 2022 and August 2023 occurred on weekends.

The filters catch plenty of content that district officials say should legitimately be blocked—some students try to look at porn, many try to play online games during school, and a significant portion of the content blocked by Albuquerque’s filters appears to be pop-ups, advertisements, and spam. Harris says the district has intentionally chosen to block students from accessing generative AI tools; during the three months it was in place, Blocksi prevented more than 41,000 attempts to access ChatGPT.

“There are hundreds of thousands of sites that are being created every day that we don't have the resources to vet and look at all the time,” Harris says. “We do the best with our resources and our stance really is to limit the amount of filtering and teach digital citizenship.”

Since CIPA was first proposed in 1998, critics and supporters alike have raised concerns about the impact of web-filtering technology and the balance between free access to information and safety.

“I am very concerned about censorship,” the law’s primary sponsor, late Arizona Senator John McCain, told The New York Times in February 1998. “But I think we need to act to try and provide some rules, otherwise we may find ourselves in a situation where Americans say, ‘Look, this has got to stop; we are willing to sacrifice some of our civil liberties to protect our children.’”

When it was passed in 2000, CIPA was immediately challenged by the American Library Association and the ACLU, which argued in a series of lawsuits that that the law’s web-filtering requirement placed unconstitutional restrictions on library patrons’ speech. In 2003, the US Supreme Court voted 6 to 3 that government-mandated web filtering was constitutional, in part because libraries allowed patrons to request that specific websites be unblocked.

Students and civil rights groups have continued to fight against web censorship. In 2011, the ACLU launched a “Don’t Filter Me” campaign that encouraged schools to stop using web filters that blocked LGBTQ+ content. The campaign culminated in a 2012 case in which a federal court ordered the school district in Camdenton, Missouri, to stop using a filter that explicitly blocked non-adult LGBTQ+ websites.

In the decade since that ruling, students have consistently complained about school web filters’ allegedly discriminatory blocking patterns. A student in Hawaii claimed his school’s Securly web filter was labeling sites that had “gay” in the domain as pornography. In Park City, Utah, students complained that they were allegedly prevented from searching for words including “gay,” “lesbian,” and “queer.” And in Katy, Texas, student protests and an ACLU complaint last year forced the school district to stop using a web filter with a category that the complaint said had been titled “Alternative Sexual Lifestyles (GLBT) Global” and blocked access to the Trevor Project and other LGBTQ+ support organizations’ websites.

Victories against inaccurate and potentially dangerous web filters are rare. In September, a nationwide survey conducted by the Center for Democracy and Technology found that a majority of students believe their school’s web filter hinders their ability to do schoolwork. In schools with web filters, 71 percent of students agreed that it was sometimes hard to complete school assignments because web filters were blocking access to essential information. The same percentage of students said they’d been blocked from visiting websites they felt they should have been allowed to visit. And LGBTQ+ students reported being blocked from content at higher rates than non-LGBTQ+ students on both questions.

More than half of the teachers who responded to CDT’s survey (57 percent) agreed that their school’s web filters made completing assignments harder. Thirty-seven percent of teachers believed their school’s web filters were more likely to block content associated with LGBTQ+ students, and 32 percent believed the filters were more likely to block content associated with students of color.

Chavez, the senior at La Cueva High School in northeast Albuquerque, says they and many other students at their high school have stopped using their APS-purchased Chromebooks altogether. Instead, they say, students now bring their personal laptops from home to school. But other students say they don’t have that option.

“It totally inhibits me from doing proper research or slows down my whole workflow,” Mateo, a senior at another APS high school who asked that we not use his real name, says of the district’s filters. But his school won’t allow students to bring personal laptops, meaning he has no choice but to use the filtered internet.

“I think it’s kind of redundant and almost offensive,” Mateo says, “that they would try to censor everything to such an obscene degree.”

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lalsingh228-blog · 1 year ago

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Aquatic Robot Market to Eyewitness Huge Growth by 2030

Latest business intelligence report released on Global Aquatic Robot Market, covers different industry elements and growth inclinations that helps in predicting market forecast. The report allows complete assessment of current and future scenario scaling top to bottom investigation about the market size, % share of key and emerging segment, major development, and technological advancements. Also, the statistical survey elaborates detailed commentary on changing market dynamics that includes market growth drivers, roadblocks and challenges, future opportunities, and influencing trends to better understand Aquatic Robot market outlook. List of Key Players Profiled in the study includes market overview, business strategies, financials, Development activities, Market Share and SWOT analysis: Atlas Maridan ApS. (Germany), Deep Ocean Engineering Inc. (United States), Bluefin Robotics Corporation (United States), ECA SA (France), International Submarine Engineering Ltd. (Canada), Inuktun Services Ltd. (Canada), Oceaneering International, Inc. (United States), Saab Seaeye (Sweden), Schilling Robotics, LLC (United States), Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd. (United Kingdom) Download Free Sample PDF Brochure (Including Full TOC, Table & Figures) @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/177845-global-aquatic-robot-market Brief Overview on Aquatic Robot: Aquatic robots are those that can sail, submerge, or crawl through water. They can be controlled remotely or autonomously. These robots have been regularly utilized for seafloor exploration in recent years. This technology has shown to be advantageous because it gives enhanced data at a lower cost. Because underwater robots are meant to function in tough settings where divers' health and accessibility are jeopardized, continuous ocean surveillance is extended to them. Maritime safety, marine biology, and underwater archaeology all use aquatic robots. They also contribute significantly to the expansion of the offshore industry. Two important factors affecting the market growth are the increased usage of advanced robotics technology in the oil and gas industry, as well as increased spending in defense industries across various countries. Key Market Trends: Growth in AUV Segment Opportunities: Adoption of aquatic robots in military & defense

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masllp · 1 year ago

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objectwaysblog · 2 years ago

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The Power of AI and Human Collaboration in Media Content Analysis

In today’s world binge watching has become a way of life not just for Gen-Z but also for many baby boomers. Viewers are watching more content than ever. In particular, Over-The-Top (OTT) and Video-On-Demand (VOD) platforms provide a rich selection of content choices anytime, anywhere, and on any screen. With proliferating content volumes, media companies are facing challenges in preparing and managing their content. This is crucial to provide a high-quality viewing experience and better monetizing content.

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Identify audio and video synchronization issues

While these approaches were traditionally handled by large teams of trained human workforces, many AI based approaches have evolved such as Amazon Rekognition’s video segmentation API. AI models are getting better at addressing above mentioned use cases, but they are typically pre-trained on a different type of content and may not be accurate for your content library. So, what if we use AI enabled human in the loop approach to reduce cost and improve accuracy of video segmentation tasks.

In our approach, the AI based APIs can provide weaker labels to detect video segments and send for review to be trained human reviewers for creating picture perfect segments. The approach tremendously improves your media content understanding and helps generate ground truth to fine-tune AI models. Below is workflow of end-2-end solution,

Raw media content is uploaded to Amazon S3 cloud storage. The content may need to be preprocessed or transcoded to make it suitable for streaming platform (e.g convert to .mp4, upsample or downsample)

AWS Elemental MediaConvert transcodes file-based content into live stream assets quickly and reliably. Convert content libraries of any size for broadcast and streaming. Media files are transcoded to .mp4 format

Amazon Rekognition Video provides an API that identifies useful segments of video, such as black frames and end credits.

Objectways has developed a Video segmentation annotator custom workflow with SageMaker Ground Truth labeling service that can ingest labels from Amazon Rekognition. Optionally, you can skip step#3 if you want to create your own labels for training custom ML model or applying directly to your content.

The content may have privacy and digitial rights management requirements and protection. The Objectway’s Video Segmentaton tool also supports Digital Rights Management provider integration to ensure only authorized analyst can look at the content. Moreover, the content analysts operate out of SOC2 TYPE2 compliant facilities where no downloads or screen capture are allowed.

The media analysts at Objectways’ are experts in content understanding and video segmentation labeling for a variety of use cases. Depending on your accuracy requirements, each video can be reviewed or annotated by two independent analysts and segment time codes difference thresholds are used for weeding out human bias (e.g., out of consensus if time code differs by 5 milliseconds). The out of consensus labels can be adjudicated by senior quality analyst to provide higher quality guarantees.

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getitsms · 11 hours ago

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The Impact of Bulk SMS Service on Business Growth in Mumbai (2025)

In Mumbai's digital-first business landscape, consistent and meaningful communication is a prerequisite for both engagement and retention of customers. Among the various modes of communication using digital technology, bulk SMS service providers in Mumbai have been able to carve out their niche as one of the best methods of reaching large groups of people accurately, fast, and personally.

Whether a start-up or a retail chain, the need for a reliable bulk SMS service is rapidly increasing. Companies are utilizing bulk SMS for more than just marketing. They are using bulk SMS for promotional purposes, transactional alerts, customer service, event reminders, and two-way communication.

Why Bulk SMS is Important for the Business Environment in Mumbai

Mumbai is an enormous and diverse consumer market. Reaching this audience in real time is impossible without bulk SMS in Mumbai. You can ask for engagement through Email or App Notifications; however, SMS is known for a 98% open rate. For businesses, this means visibility and audience engagement at its optimum.

Most bulk SMS providers in Mumbai provide localization, which allows businesses to use Marathi, Hindi, or whatever other regional language their audience prefers. This benefit alone allows for stronger customer relationships and builds brand trust by using their preferred language in a multilingual city.

Key Benefits of Using a Bulk SMS Service in Mumbai

· Speed: incoming messages can get delivered in as little as seconds, making SMS services an efficient channel of communication for time-sensitive alerts, notifications, etc

· Mass reach: Whether hoping to reach 500 people or 5 lakh people, the bulk services are constructed for scalability.

· Personalization: insert dynamic fields like name, details on specific products, create custom messages, etc, to create a campaign that augments its impact with the targeted audience

· Value for money: SMS campaigns are far less expensive than traditional advertising methods and can deliver a higher rate of return on investment.

· DLT Security: Most providers are DLT-verified, meaning that communication is more secure and compliance with government regulations is ensured.

New Perspectives: 2025 SMS Marketing Guidelines

As Mumbai's mobile-first customer base continues trending upward, new trends are making their way into bulk SMS service marketing:

Hyper-local Targeting: Companies are designing bulk SMS message campaigns with hyper-locality data. A store in Mumbai can send messages with offers targeted to customers in Bandra or Andheri, to increase foot traffic in-store.

Smart Triggers: AI-generated triggers now send SMS messages based on customer behavior - whether someone left a cart open, completed a payment, or confirmed a booking - enhancing the relevance and timing of their SMS's.

Multilingual Bots: SMS messages are now being used alongside AI bots that speak Marathi, Hindi, or Gujarati, allowing companies to achieve quick resolution for queries and to use customer service automation in their business.

Regulative Smart Features: Some bulk SMS service providers in Mumbai have built integrations to comply with regulations by auto-verifying whether their content adheres to TRAI/DLT regulations before sending a message, reducing human error.

Green Messaging: Eco-friendly branding is becoming a trend with companies sending sustainability tips or other marketing communications about greener practices via SMS campaigns that position their values beyond their products.

Trends Influencing the Future of Bulk SMS in Mumbai

The bulk SMS industry in Mumbai is developing quickly. By 2025, automation and AI-driven personalized messages, including text personalization based upon the user's behavior, will all be the norm. Businesses are leveraging predictive analytics to deliver their message at the perfect time.

Another key trend is all about API integration. Businesses want SMS campaign tools to directly integrate with their CRM, e-commerce, and customer support tools. Campaign management has become easy with cloud-based dashboards and real-time analytics.

Choosing the Right Bulk SMS Company in Mumbai

There are many bulk SMS companies that make deciding on the right one in Mumbai difficult.

Allow us to share some criteria about bulk SMS companies in Mumbai:

· Deliverable rates and speed

· Easy-to-use dashboard

· Built-in support for regional languages

· Transparent pricing

· Functionality such as automation, scheduling, and API's

Find a service that matches the type of business, whether you are a local shop owner or corporate marketer; more important is finding a company that matches your goal and the size of your audience.

In Conclusion

Bulk SMS service providers in Mumbai play an essential role for companies wanting flexibility and growth heading into 2025. With the ability to provide features such as intelligent targeting, two-way messaging, and predictive analytics, bulk SMS has evolved beyond just a communication tool into a growth engine.

As the Mumbai market becomes a competitive landscape, adopting a scalable and highly optimized bulk SMS service can mean the difference between being heard and being lost in the noise.

#bulk sms service #bulk sms #sms marketing #bulk sms provider #bulk sms marketing #BulK SMS Service providers in Mumbai #Bulk SMS company in Mumbai #Bulk SMS #GetitSMS

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aoneoutsource-uk · 11 hours ago

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Accounts Payable Services: Streamlining Your Business Finances

Why Outsourcing Accounts Payable Services Can Transform Your Business

Managing accounts payable (AP) efficiently is crucial for any business. From processing invoices to ensuring timely payments, AP tasks demand accuracy and speed. However, handling these processes in-house can be time-consuming and prone to errors. That’s where Accounts Payable Services come into play.

Outsourcing your AP functions to experts can save time, reduce costs, and improve financial accuracy. Whether you're a small business or a large corporation, Accounts Payable Outsourcing offers a strategic advantage. In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits, key features, and why AP services are a game-changer for UK businesses.

What Are Accounts Payable Services?

Accounts Payable Services cover all tasks related to managing and processing outgoing payments. These include:

Invoice processing and validation

Payment scheduling and execution

Vendor management and communication

Expense tracking and reporting

Fraud detection and compliance

Businesses often struggle with manual AP processes, leading to delays and errors. By leveraging Accounts Payable Outsourcing Services, companies can automate workflows, enhance efficiency, and focus on core operations.

Key Benefits of Accounts Payable Outsourcing

1. Cost Savings

Outsourcing eliminates the need for an in-house AP team, reducing payroll and training expenses. Providers like Aone Outsourcing offer scalable solutions, ensuring you only pay for what you need.

2. Improved Accuracy & Efficiency

Automated AP services minimise human errors in data entry and payment processing. Advanced software ensures invoices are matched, approved, and paid on time.

3. Enhanced Security & Fraud Prevention

Reputable outsourcing firms implement strict security measures, reducing the risk of fraudulent transactions and data breaches.

4. Better Cash Flow Management

Timely invoice processing helps businesses take advantage of early payment discounts and avoid late fees.

5. Access to Advanced Technology

Outsourcing partners use cutting-edge AP automation tools, providing real-time insights and seamless integration with existing accounting systems.

When Should You Consider AP Outsourcing?

If your business faces any of these challenges, outsourcing could be the solution:

High volume of invoices causing delays Frequent payment errors leading to vendor disputes Lack of skilled staff to manage AP tasks Struggling with compliance and audit requirements Need for cost optimisation without compromising efficiency

Choosing the Right Accounts Payable Outsourcing Provider

Not all outsourcing firms are the same. Here’s what to look for:

Experience in your industry – Ensure they understand your business needs.

Technology & automation capabilities – Cloud-based AP solutions improve efficiency.

Data security measures – GDPR compliance is a must for UK businesses.

Scalability – The service should grow with your business.

Transparent pricing – No hidden fees or long-term contracts.

Aone Outsourcing specialises in tailored AP services, helping UK businesses streamline their financial operations with expert support.

FAQs About Accounts Payable Outsourcing

1. What is the difference between in-house AP and outsourcing?

In-house AP requires dedicated staff and resources, while outsourcing transfers these tasks to a third-party provider, reducing costs and improving efficiency.

2. How secure is Accounts Payable Outsourcing?

Reputable providers use encryption, multi-factor authentication, and compliance with GDPR to ensure data security.

3. Can small businesses benefit from AP outsourcing?

Absolutely! Small businesses gain access to enterprise-level AP automation without the high costs of an in-house team.

4. How much does AP outsourcing cost?

Pricing varies based on transaction volume and services needed. Most providers offer flexible plans, making it affordable for businesses of all sizes.

5. Will outsourcing AP improve vendor relationships?

Yes! Timely and accurate payments enhance trust and strengthen vendor partnerships.

6. What if my business has custom AP requirements?

Top providers like Aone Outsourcing offer customisable solutions to fit unique business needs.

Conclusion

Aone Outsourcing Accounting Firm your Accounts Payable Services is a smart move for businesses looking to cut costs, boost efficiency, and ensure financial accuracy. With Accounts Payable Outsourcing, UK companies can automate tedious tasks, reduce errors, and focus on growth.

If you're ready to transform your AP processes, Aone Outsourcing provides reliable, secure, and scalable solutions tailored to your needs. Let the experts handle your payments while you focus on what truly matters—growing your business.

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akankshablosubmission · 2 days ago

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The Role of AP Outsourcing in Financial Transformation

Modern businesses are increasingly turning to outsourced finance solutions to gain better control over their spending and streamline operations. Among these, procurement outsourcing is one of the most impactful strategies. By outsourcing procurement, companies can reduce overheads, enhance supplier relationships, and gain access to expert market insights—all while improving efficiency.

The connection between outsourcing and procurement is especially powerful when combined with accounts payable outsourcing. This approach allows companies to automate invoice handling, ensure timely payments, and avoid late fees or duplicate payments. Many accounts payable outsourcing companies also provide real-time tracking tools, compliance support, and advanced analytics, offering full transparency and control.

By integrating procurement and payables into a unified outsourced finance model, businesses can significantly cut costs and improve operational agility. With specialized vendors handling routine finance tasks, internal teams can shift their focus to strategic growth. Whether you're a startup or an enterprise, the benefits of combining outsourcing and procurement are hard to ignore.

#outsourced financial services #AP automation #procurement management #finance process optimization #supplier payment solutions

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maximumpostcreator · 12 hours ago

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Rightpath GS Delivers Business Agility

Understanding the AP Maze: Where Complexity Begins

Accounts Payable (AP) is one of the most essential functions in finance, yet it’s also one of the most complex. From invoice management and vendor coordination to payment approvals and compliance, the process involves multiple steps, systems, and stakeholders. At Right Path, we understand that even the most established businesses can find AP processes tangled with inefficiencies – especially when dealing with high volumes or scattered workflows. But with the right BPM approach, these complexities can be simplified and transformed into strengths, Right Path P2P Assessment: Identify Opportunities for Improvement”

The Key to Clarity: Streamlining with Process Intelligence

One of the most effective ways to overcome AP complexity is to bring in process intelligence and automation. Traditionally, AP tasks were handled manually, with teams verifying data, chasing approvals, and logging payments across various platforms. This often led to missed deadlines, duplicate payments, and a lack of visibility. Today, we help businesses shift to a streamlined, digitized AP environment – where invoices are automatically captured, matched, validated, and routed through smart workflows. This not only reduces turnaround time but also improves accuracy and accountability across the board.

Automation in Action: Making AP Smarter and Faster

Right Path’s BPM solutions for AP are built to simplify and enhance every stage of the process. Our systems ensure that approvals move faster, exceptions are flagged early, and finance teams can access real-time dashboards that offer complete visibility into payables. This smart automation allows your team to focus on analysis, vendor relationships, and strategic planning, instead of getting stuck in operational bottlenecks.

Your Partner in Process Excellence

At Right Path Global Services Pvt. Ltd., we believe that AP should be more than a back-office function – it should be a value-driving process that supports business agility and growth. As a trusted BPM service provider, we partner with businesses to reimagine and rebuild their AP workflows using best practices, smart technologies, and process expertise. From implementation to continuous improvement, we ensure that your AP function becomes lean, responsive, and aligned with your business goals.

Ready to Transform Your AP Process?

Complexity in Accounts Payable is common—but it doesn’t have to be permanent. With the right partner and a strategic approach, your AP function can become smarter, faster, and a true driver of business value.

That’s why we’re offering a free Procure-to-Pay (P2P) assessment to help you get started. This expert-led review will uncover inefficiencies, highlight areas for improvement, and provide actionable insights to optimize your entire AP workflow.

Explore our website to learn more and claim your free P2P assessment today.

Let our experts help you turn AP complexity into a competitive advantage.

Partner with Right Path Global Services—let’s simplify success, together.

For more information click here: - https://rightpathgs.com/blogs/

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thecontentcreator · 2 days ago

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Accounts payable and vendor relationship management

Accounts payable is more than just paying bills—it’s a critical component of an organization’s cash flow, vendor management, and financial controls. As companies grow, managing AP efficiently becomes essential to avoid errors, late payments, and strained vendor relationships. Rightpath Global Services offers end-to-end AP solutions that bring automation, control, and scalability to finance departments.

The AP function typically involves invoice capture, approval, payment, and reconciliation. Manual AP processes often lead to delays, inaccuracies, and missed payment discounts. Rightpath resolves these challenges with automation tools like OCR, electronic invoicing, and RPA-driven approvals that reduce touchpoints and eliminate bottlenecks.

By digitizing AP workflows, businesses gain real-time visibility into their liabilities, improve vendor satisfaction through timely payments, and enhance audit readiness. Dashboards provide insight into key metrics such as invoice backlog, DPO, and discount utilization. This transparency supports better financial planning and working capital management.

Rightpath also ensures that AP processes are aligned with compliance requirements and internal controls. Their AP solutions come with built-in validation checks, approval hierarchies, and audit trails, reducing the risk of fraud or error.

For growing businesses, outsourcing accounts payable can free up internal resources while maintaining accuracy and control. Rightpath customizes AP solutions to fit each client’s size, industry, and existing systems—ensuring minimal disruption during transition.

Ultimately, a streamlined AP function enhances business credibility, supports growth, and creates a solid foundation for financial health. With the right processes and technology in place, accounts payable can shift from a cost center to a strategic advantage.

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chloedecker0 · 4 days ago

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Best 5 Accounts Payable Automation Software Tools in 2025

With numerous alternatives available, selecting the best accounts payable automation software can be challenging. So, how can you determine which one is best for you? With hundreds of suppliers fighting for your business, each offering its own set of services and pricing methods, it's hard to know where to begin.

Instead of spending hours comparing options and delving through technical minutiae, you have a handy guide that handles all of the work for you. We examined the top accounts payable automation software products, considering factors such as user interfaces, security, integration, and pricing.

Whether you're a small business searching for a basic solution or a huge corporation in need of strong features, we'll teach you how to select the best system to optimize your AP procedures and keep your cash flow flowing.

Download the sample report of Market Share: https://qksgroup.com/download-sample-form/market-forecast-accounts-payable-automation-2022-2027-worldwide-2204

What is Accounts Payable Automation?

According to QKS Group, an Accounts Payable (AP) application refers to a software solution that enables organizations to automate, manage, and monitor financial transactions owed to vendors. This includes invoice entry, payment processing, and reporting capabilities. By automating the AP processes, organizations can match invoices with Purchase Orders (PO) for executing part or full payments, while effectively managing and reconciling vendors. The use of AP applications helps streamline the entire accounts payable process, eliminating manual tasks, and providing better visibility and control over crucial financial data.

Top Features of Accounts Payable Automation Software

An AP automation solution eliminates manual processes by automating the accounts payable payment process to speed up day-to-day AP processes.

Accounts payable automation software includes:

OCR invoice scanning for data capture

Accounts payable invoice processing software

Automated approvals

Global cross-border payments

Accounts payable document management software

Our accounts payable automation software provides self-service supplier onboarding, tax compliance, fraud prevention, payment discount optimization, electronic document matching, online multi-currency global mass payments, secure payment methods, automatic payment reconciliation, and spend and cash management.

AP automation software streamlines payable operations, reducing human data entry and paper check payments.

Top Accounts Payable Automation Software

AvidXchange

AvidXchange specializes in providing accounts payable automation software and payment resolutions. Primarily, it serves the needs of middle-market enterprises and their suppliers. The firm places a strong focus on innovation, which is evident in the services it provides. The firm maintains an innate culture of entrepreneurship, spurring innovation. Its main goal is to expand, network, and make a lasting contribution to the industry it serves.

Basware

Basware enables finance professionals in multinational businesses to finally automate their complicated, labor-intensive invoice processes while remaining compliant with regulatory changes. Basware's AP automation and invoicing platform helps companies achieve a new level of efficiency – in a matter of months – while reducing errors and risks.

Bill.com

Bill (formerly Bill.com) is a U.S.-based firm offering accounting automation solutions, including accounts payable, receivable, and cost management. Bill is a smart solution that enables you to create and pay invoices, track employee expenses, streamline approvals, and transfer payments, all from one platform. It also integrates seamlessly with various accounting systems, allowing customers to store invoices on a cloud-based platform while ensuring compliance and being audit-ready.

Coupa

Coupa Software is a cloud-based software dedicated to business spend management (BSM). Coupa Software aims to help businesses gain insight and control over their spending, leading to more productive and secure decisions. The company has a global outreach and serves an extensive range of businesses worldwide.

Tipalti

Tipalti provides solutions for accounts payable, procurement, and bulk payments. Tipalti plans to speed up book closure by 25% by simplifying vendor onboarding, invoice processing, global payables, and tax compliance.

Tipalti connects smoothly with NetSuite ERP. It also provides consumers with clear visibility into their expenditures and gathers critical information from vendor documentation. Tipalti, well known for its worldwide partner payments, is chosen by businesses that handle a high number of cross-border payments.

Download the sample report of Market Forecast: https://qksgroup.com/download-sample-form/market-share-accounts-payable-automation-2022-worldwide-2400

Choosing the Right Accounts Payable Automation Software 

Implementing accounts payable software can only help your procurement process if you carefully select a solution that offers flexibility, visibility, and security without sacrificing functionality.

Consider software that makes it simple to clear payments but does not settle them for days on the vendor's end. Consider an alternative that your legal or IT staff is reluctant to implement. A QKS Group is a global advisory and consulting firm, offers valuable insights into the account payable automation market. Their Market Intelligence reports, such as " Accounts Payable Automation Market Share, 2023, Worldwide," and "Market Forecast: Accounts Payable Automation, 2024-2028, Worldwide," provide comprehensive data on market trends, competitive landscapes, and growth forecasts. Such reports are indispensable for industry professionals, decision-makers, and stakeholders seeking in-depth knowledge about the AP automation market and multiple software and solutions (as mentioned above) there in the industry. They offer valuable data for strategic planning, investment decisions, and competitive positioning.��

Conclusion

Selecting the finest accounts payable software market is an important step toward streamlining your financial processes. Whether you're a small firm or a huge corporation, automating your AP procedures may result in higher productivity, fewer mistakes, stronger supplier relationships, and better cash flow management. Our cloud-based, end-to-end AP automation system simplifies the whole AP process, from invoice capture to payment authorization. We provide the ability to effortlessly interface with your existing systems, such as QuickBooks, NetSuite, and other ERPs.

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