STAMFORD, Conn., July 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tech entrepreneurs with innovative approaches to digital document conversion, machine-learning insights for automakers and conversational commerce for retailers won ISG Startup Challenges at three recent virtual events hosted by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

At the virtual ISG Future Workplace Summit on June 30, a live audience poll selected 1WordFlow as the ISG Startup Challenge winner after hearing Bruce Wren, CEO, pitch an independent panel of judges on his company’s digital document solution, which transforms analog documents into digital webpages at scale. 1WordFlow dramatically decreases the time required to search documents for key information by enabling instant access to any page, without downloading. 

“Digital technologies have improved employee collaboration, increased efficiency, reduced costs and strengthened teams in the workplace,” said event chair Lisa Borden, partner and head of ISG Australia and New Zealand. “1WordFlow and their ISG Startup Challenge competitors presented strong, compelling solutions that enable businesses to adapt and succeed in a future workplace that is being defined in real time, in response to the rapid changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Acerta Analytics won the ISG Startup Challenge at the June 9 ISG Virtual TechXchange: Smart Manufacturing event. CEO Greta Cutulenco demonstrated her company’s solution for augmenting technical know-how with machine learning to uncover insights from vehicle and production data. The startup helps automakers get complex products to market faster and with fewer defects, amplifying domain knowledge with artificial intelligence to locate early indicators of future product failures.

“Manufacturing workflows and processes have changed dramatically, as facilities and manufacturing lines have been swiftly repurposed for pandemic response,” said David Lewis, partner in the ISG Manufacturing practice and chair of the ISG Virtual TechXchange: Smart Manufacturing event. “Solutions like the Acerta Analytics approach will be critical for manufacturers as they emerge from the shutdown and look for options to maximize value.”

Verbo, a conversational commerce platform, was voted the ISG Startup Challenge winner at the virtual ISG Xperience Summit, June 2. Saul Sampson, co-founder and CEO, pitched his artificial intelligence technology for enabling retailers to take advantage of emerging conversation channels, and provide customers with autonomous chat and voice-enabled shopping and customer service experiences. Verbo is pre-trained with domain-specific eCommerce knowledge and has learned to converse with customers to help them find products, place new orders, request returns or exchanges and more.

“Every aspect of a user’s interaction with a company, product, or service impacts their perception and loyalty,” said John Boccuzzi, Jr., senior director, ISG Research and chair of this year’s ISG Xperience Summit. “We are grateful to Verbo and all the contestants in our ISG Startup Challenge for showing us their unique approaches to delivering meaningful and transformational experiences, at a time when enterprises across industries are looking to mitigate the turbulence of the pandemic with tools and strategies that will maximize value in the new future.”

For more information about the ISG Startup Challenge, visit the ISG Events website.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 700 clients, including more than 75 of the world's top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.

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Will Thoretz
Information Services Group, Inc. 
203-912-5192
Will.Thoretz@isg-one.com

Jim Baptiste
Matter Communications for ISG
978-518-4527
jbaptiste@matternow.com