Daily Archives: January 20, 2025

The DDC Group partners with Intelligent Business Automation Experts, EvoluteIQ

The DDC Group has named EvoluteIQ its new strategic partner, focusing on the future of artificial intelligence and automated business processes.
The DDC Group, a pioneer in data solutions and leading provider in business process outsourcing (BPO) and technology, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with GenAI-powered Intelligent Business Automation platform EvoluteIQ. This partnership focuses on the future of artificial intelligence and machine learning to reshape business operations, drive scalable growth, and elevate performance for companies spanning all industries worldwide. The DDC Group, renowned for its technology and outsourcing solutions across the Shipping & Logistics, Energy & Utilities, and Retail & E-Commerce sectors – and expanding into BFSI and Healthcare in 2025 – aims to drive innovation by optimizing its own development engine, resulting in enhanced delivery of existing and new products and services. “We’re excited to bring the power of true, Intelligent Business Automation, to our customers,” said The DDC Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Nimesh Akhauri. “This partnership aligns with our efforts to push boundaries and dedication to delivering cutting-edge solutions that transform how businesses operate.”

The DDC Group will utilize the strength of EvoluteIQ’s automation platform and tools to bring compelling results to its areas of industry expertise. The subject matter expertise The DDC Group holds for its customers bridges the gap between technology’s ability and applicability.
With efficiency and optimization at the forefront, automation influences future stages, producing technology that can think for itself. These synergies allow The DDC Group and EvoluteIQ to execute product and service development with key findings and customization for users.
“We are very excited to be part of the transformation strategy of The DDC Group. This partnership represents a significant step forward in redefining business processes that are underpinned by GenAI-powered automation,” said the Co-Founder and CEO of EvoluteIQ, Sameet Gupte. “This combination of EvoluteIQ’s AI-enabled technology and The DDC Group’s deep domain expertise and proven experience will enable organizations to achieve their operational goals with greater agility and precision.”
The scope of EvoluteIQ’s platform within the DDC ecosystem will reduce wait times in development for customers interested in piloting DDC’s technology, as well as streamline enhancements to existing services. Creating a high-performance rate in the balance of speed and scale, this new platform will serve as a part of the transformational journey of The DDC Group while also delivering transformation to clients and partners.
“We aim to empower organizations across industries with the outcomes they need to thrive in today’s competitive landscape,” Akhauri continued. “Our relationship with EvoluteIQ is a perfect addition to our portfolio as we grow and evolve into the DDC of the future.”
The immediate solution-solving ability of this partnership brings heightened opportunity for customer success. Performance rates are expected to scale based on a customer’s initial technology maturity and processes, however, the customizable nature of this technology gives each company a seat at the table with their own team of solution architects, no matter their current operations.
Leveraging the domain knowledge The DDC Group is able to provide and the power of EvoluteIQ’s platform, customers can expect comprehensive solutions that address key challenges with immense cost savings. This includes increased speed, accuracy, and productivity, allowing for streamlined business operations and faster turnaround. The platform’s scalability allows businesses to easily adapt to changing demands and volumes while maintaining a high level of performance.
With a focus on innovation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, The DDC Group and EvoluteIQ are poised to revolutionize the way businesses approach their operational processes, providing tools through technology, processes, and people.

Unity Reed grad Tyleik Williams has unfinished business at Ohio State

Gloria Williams is not the type of person to inject herself into a conversation about her son Tyleik.If the subject comes up, she lets others first mention her relationship to the standout defensive tackle at Ohio State and former Unity High School all-state performer. Then she’s happy to answer questions.It’s her humble way of making the discussion about Tyleik and not herself.So, when she and her manager at Walmart noticed a man wearing an Ohio State hoodie in the store last Friday morning, Gloria did what she usually does in these situations. She stood back, and in this case, let her manager initiate things.The exchange started with a saying every Ohio State football fan knows: One says OH and the other IO.Gloria and her manager then learned the man was an Ohio State graduate who clearly followed the football team.Sensing one final opening, the manager kept going. He asked the man if he knew who No. 91 was on the Ohio State football roster. The man said, of course, that’s Tyleik Williams. Finally, the conversation came full circle when the manager let the man know that Gloria was Tyleik’s mother.So excited by this chance meeting, the man asked to take a photo with Gloria. She agreed, but in typical fashion refused to let the moment go to her head. “[Tyleik] gets all the credit for all the work he’s done,” Gloria said.Tyleik has done quite a bit during his illustrious Ohio State career. Now he’s hoping to cap it off with a national title Monday when the eighth-seeded Buckeyes play fifth-seeded Notre Dame in Atlanta.If Ohio State wins, Williams will become the first player from Prince William County to win a national title in football since 2014 Woodbridge graduate Da’Shawn Hand did with Alabama in January 2018. The defensive lineman spent this past season with the Miami Dolphins.The chance to claim Ohio State’s first national football title since 2015 is a big reason Tyleik and other members of Ohio State’s highly regarded 2021 recruiting class came back for another season instead of becoming likely high-round NFL Draft picks in 2024.The Buckeyes have gone 46-8 in Williams’ four years but have only competed for a national title once before during that time. That was in 2022 when Ohio State lost in the national semifinals to top-seeded Georgia 42-41.To make a run at a national title this season, Ohio State used $20 million dollars from its NIL fund to attract players in the transfer portal and for its recruiting class. The money also helped retain players who had a chance for selection in the first two days of the 2024 NFL Draft.Carroll Walker, Tyleik’s head coach at Unity Reed, was not surprised Tyleik returned to try and win a national title.“He can gain experience, and they have a good team coming back,” Walker said. “It’s helped him a lot.”Enough that analysts are projecting the 6-foot-3, 327-pounder as a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.If that happens, Williams would be the first Prince William County high school graduate taken that high in the NFL Draft.Ryan Williams, a 2008 Stonewall Jackson graduate (now known as Unity Reed) is the highest local pick so far, going 38th overall (second round) to Arizona in 2011.A running back, Ryan Williams is one of four graduates from the Manassas-based high school selected in the NFL Draft. Tyleik Williams’ selection would give Unity Reed the most picks (5) of any Prince William County high school.In his latest projection, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Tyleik going No. 23 overall to the Green Bay Packers.Tyleik’s ability to stop the run draws the most interest from NFL teams. It’s a trait he’s possessed from his youth football days with the Manassas Mutiny through his all-state career at Unity Reed.“He has a knack for the ball inside the box,” said Terry Muse Sr, the Munity’s co-founder with his brother David.Terry, who is related to Tyleik through Gloria’s side of the family, first started coaching Tyleik at age six. Tyleik played linebacker and running back with the Mutiny before switching to defensive line in high school.Being a team-first player, Tyleik liked to block for his fellow Mutiny running backs. But when the team needed a goal-line score, it was Tyleik who got the call to carry the ball. He did and helped the Mutiny win two national titles at age eight and nine.Terry Muse, who also coached Tyleik at Unity Reed, was not surprised either that he returned for another season.“He loves football and routine,” Terry Muse said. “He wanted to seal the deal.”Williams has a close relationship with his teammates, especially those he started at Ohio State with in 2021 as freshmen as part of a class that ranked second nationally. The opportunity to take care of unfinished business was too much to pass up.“It’s a brotherhood,” said Gloria, who will be in Atlanta for the game with three of Williams’ siblings. “They wanted to go back for that national title.”

Unity Reed senior defensive tackle Tyleik Williams announced Thursday evening on his Twitter account his commitment to Ohio State. 

Unity Reed graduate Tyleik Williams will return to Ohio State for another season instead of making himself available for the 2024 NFL Draft.

With no fall football, high school seniors consider next steps

5 Useful Techs From CES 2025 That Will Help Your Business This Year

The Consumer Electronics Show drew tens of thousands of visitors and gets worldwide attention because it features technology products that can (or will) improve our everyday lives. CES 2025 was no different. But the show this year didn’t just promote products for consumers. There were plenty of offerings that businesses of all sizes can leverage to increase productivity and profits. Here are five that caught my eye.

Battery Toaster
Swippitt phone case

Use Case: productivity for the on-the-go employees

It looks kind of like a toaster but instead of toasting bread it re-heats batteries. Five at a time are saved in the unit. So when an employee needs a new batter they simply swap it out in seconds and are on their way. It’s fast and eliminates the need to remember to re-charge and bring a portable battery pack. There are drawbacks, however. A phone has to have a case attached which adds clunkiness and the cost – at about $450 can be a lot.

Though not ready for prime-time, keep an eye on the paper batteries, like the one introduced at CES by a company called Flint. According to CNET “they’re fully flexible and can be shrunk down to the size of a coin battery or embedded in a smartwatch strap. Flint’s paper batteries share a structure with traditional lithium ion batteries, but that’s where the similarities end. Their key component is cellulose, which acts as a natural medium for ion transfer between the anode and cathode, a critical chemical exchange necessary for batteries to work.”

Rollable Laptop
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6
Use Case: eliminate multiple monitors
Lots of people use dual monitors on their job. But is there a way to reduce the cost? This laptop comes with a 14 inch display but you’re not limited to that. And you don’t have to buy another monitor. You can just “roll” it with your fingers to provide – according to Lenovo – 50 percent more display space, which can help employees show two browser windows of the same size on the same monitor. It’s vertical, but that should be OK for writers and developers, and the less spent on buying more hardware, the greater the cost/benefit.

A Large Rollup Screen
Ascend Maxim

Use Case: quick meetings and events
Speaking of screens, how about a “grand cinematic experience” using 100-inch display that comes with 60-watt Harmon Karon speakers that rolls up quickly and then disappears into a professional looking, furniture-like case. It’s smart and easy to use and can help up your presentations and meetings.
Smart Glasses With Built In Hearing Aids
Nuance Audio
Use Case: Productivity for disabled employees
If you have employees with mild to moderate hearing concerns they can consider getting these cool glasses that amplify sounds based on where they’re focusing. The glasses are a more attractive and convenient alternative to hearing aids (particularly for those employees who already need glasses because, why have more hardware on your head than you need) and can help them do their work faster and more efficiently. According to the company the glasses’ (which are not yet available in the U.S. pending FDA approval) “advanced beamforming technology, coupled with open ears and natural sound, allows you to effortlessly catch up on sounds that may be missed, especially in noisy surroundings” and “not only offers comfort and convenience but also ensures high-performance sound quality.”
Normal Looking Smart Glasses
Use Case: Smarter employees on the go
Halliday Smart Glasses
These glasses – which are not yet available but hopefully coming soon – allows employees to get real time translation, do searches, get script and presentation prompts, receive notifications, capture audio and get assistance with navigation, among other time saving assistance. The units have a 12-hour life and, different from the awkward and bizarre looking headsets that awkward and bizarre gamers wear, actually look normal.
Autonomous farm and construction equipment
John Deere
Use Case: more work done with fewer people
While car companies continue to struggle with autonomous vehicles that can navigate city streets without running over puppies, a proliferation of companies are making self-driving vehicles that can be productively used in warehouses and farms. John Deere offers a bunch of diesel and battery powered autonomous tractors and trucks that come equipped with advanced cameras and sensors that enables one employee to do the planting, crop spraying, dumping and moving work of multiple workers.
CES 2025 was all about consumers. But if you’re running a business, try some of these technologies. One or two may definitely help increase productivity.

Proposed automobile sales business eyes home along E. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb

DeKALB – A petitioner has asked the City of DeKalb for permission to set up an automobile sales business along East Lincoln Highway.Cirilo Mendez, is seeking clearance from the DeKalb Planning and Zoning Commission to do business on 1.15 acres that is currently occupied by a home with two detached garages at 2050 E. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, according to city documents. The Commission is charged with advising the City Council on zoning and development matters, though the City Council has the final say.Commissioners will hear Mendez’s pitch during the next regular meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St.If Mendez got city approval, he said he plans to display 14 vehicles at a time for sale at the property, documents show. His plans also include five parking spaces for employees and customers, along with an accessible parking space.The property in question originally was “forced annexed” into DeKalb in August 2011 and automatically zoned for single-family residences, city staff wrote in documents released ahead of the meeting. The lot was rezoned in March 2012 to allow for light commercial use. Mendez requires a special use permit to operate his proposed automobile business on the property. He’s owned the property since 2021 and lives there now, according to the city. Once the business is set up, he plans to no longer reside there, documents show.City staff said they received a proposed layout for the site in 2024. The office also would include a sales area, two restrooms, a store, waiting room and a accessible ramp into the building, city documents show. Plans also show a drainage basin as well as landscaping along East Lincoln Highway and the east and west property lines. Mendez estimated exterior improvements would cost about $122,600. Interior renovation of the home into a sale office and for the Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramp would cost about $70,000, city documents show. City staff said they find the proposed automobile business would be compatible with surrounding businesses, which include a gas station, vehicle storage area, self-storage facility, furniture store, towing business and an equipment and tool rental place. In the lead-up to Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the city has not received any written comments from the public about the petitioner’s request. City staff said they support the plans for the proposed automobile sales business – but suggested multiple stipulations for Mendez.Those stipulations include: that Mendez create and pave the area where vehicles will be displayed, according to city code, and provide one parking space for every 300 square feet of office area, including one accessible space. The city also would prohibit repairing vehicles on the site, and bar the owner from storing inoperable vehicles, boats, RVs or trailers outside, documents show.