Latest news with #JeffHoward
Business Wire
01-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
MCE Systems and AT&T Land Gold Prize in 2025 U.S. Customer Experience Awards for 'Best Digital CX'
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MCE Systems, the leader in digital-first Device Lifecycle Management (dDLM) solutions, officially announces that it has received the U.S. Customer Experience Awards (USCXA) highest accolade for 'Best Digital CX or Transformation' in collaboration with AT&T. This gold award recognizes the implementation of AT&T's Device Help app and its impact on customer mobile device experience and customer support operations. 'This is a proud moment for MCE and highlights the importance of on-device diagnostics, which forms the foundation of our platform,' says Yuval Blumental, CEO and co-founder of MCE. 'It is thanks to an innovative organization in AT&T that we earned this recognition together. AT&T recognized the real value of self-service tools to reshape the customer experience for the better and drive real operational impact on the telco business.' One in five customers will experience a device issue that requires troubleshooting. In response, mobile operators (MNOs) have introduced self-help systems to handle device issues. However, traditional troubleshooting tools are often limited in scope and tend to use surface-level recommendations that lack contextual solutions to the customer's problem – which can extend resolution times and customer frustration. MCE data shows that nearly two thirds of customers prefer resolving issues independently through an app and 74 percent want the ability to quickly diagnose and fix problems using self-service tools. With MCE's support, AT&T set out to transform device troubleshooting by creating a user-intuitive, digital journey that enables customers to resolve their device issues quickly and on their own schedule. The Device Help app addresses device problems through three core functions: proactive management of device health, pinpointing faults and resolving them with targeted, guided solutions. The solution combines MCE's diagnostics platform with AT&T's device knowledgebase to support customers achieving a quick, highly satisfactory resolution. The self-help pathway also reduced support interactions and improved operational efficiency. 'With smartphones so ingrained in the fabric of customers' everyday lives, it's essential that AT&T provide them the tools to ensure they're working at their best,' says Jeff Howard, Vice President Wireless Device and Accessory Partnerships at AT&T. 'MCE has been an essential partner in helping us bridge the gap between our understanding of our customers and the technology required to meet their expectations – giving them the support they need when they encounter a device issue.' The AT&T Device Help app can be accessed (U.S. Residents only) here. About MCE Since 2005, MCE has been pioneering software and technology solutions for mobile operators and their partners in the telco and device ecosystem helping accelerate digital transformation of device-related journeys. Our mission is simple: Mobilize better Customer Experiences. We turn device-related headaches into competitive advantages with our end-to-end digital-first Device Lifecycle Management platform (dDLM). This AI-led, omnichannel platform delivers game-changing experiences across all device-related customer journeys – driving business velocity, margins, and NPS. MCE is a proven technology partner and highly acclaimed for its world-class products, innovation, and implementation through eleven straight gold awards – most notably at The Stevie Awards®.
TimesLIVE
30-06-2025
- TimesLIVE
Two firefighters killed in Idaho shooting
The sheriff said the shooter had used high-powered sporting rifles to fire rapidly at first responders, with law enforcement initially unsure of the number of perpetrators involved. They were in a spot "with heavy brush and are well prepared and blending in with their surroundings," Norris said. Law enforcement is investigating whether the fire could have been intentionally set to lure first responders to the scene, Kootenai county sheriff's Lt Jeff Howard told ABC News. Department of homeland security secretary Kristi Noem has been briefed on the Idaho shooting, ABC News reported. Video footage from the scene had earlier showed smoke billowing from heavily wooded hillsides and armed responders preparing while several ambulances and emergency vehicles were seen entering a nearby hospital. "FBI technical teams and tactical assets are at the scene providing support," FBI deputy director Dan Bongino wrote on X. "It remains an active and very dangerous scene." Firefighters received the first call of a blaze at about 1.21pm, Norris said, and about 40 minutes later reports emerged that they were being shot at. "This is a heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters," Idaho governor Brad Little said on X. "I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more." Gun ownership is widespread in the US, where the constitution protects the rights of Americans to "keep and bear arms". Deaths related to gun violence are common and 17,927 people were murdered by a gun in 2023 in the US., according to the most recent available data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
30-06-2025
2 killed in Idaho after firefighters ambushed by gunfire, suspected gunman found dead: Sheriff
The suspected gunman who fatally ambushed firefighters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on Sunday has been found dead, according to the county's sheriff. Responding SWAT team members located a deceased male on Canfield Mountain with a firearm nearby, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said in an update Sunday evening. This comes after an hourslong, multi-agency manhunt in the area. The ambush on Sunday left two people dead and another injured after gunfire erupted at firefighters while responding to a brush fire on the mountain. Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said during a press briefing that the two fatalities are believed to be fire personnel. The injured individual, who suffered a gunshot wound in the attack, was brought to the Kootenai Health Hospital, the medical center confirmed to ABC News. The incident unfolded at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time after the small but ongoing brush fire broke out. When fire personnel responded to the blaze about half an hour later, they started getting shot at by an unknown person in the woods, officials said. Law enforcement is investigating whether the fire could have been intentionally set in order to lure first responders to the scene, Kootenai County Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Howard told ABC News. The shelter-in-place order has been lifted for Canfield Mountain Trailhead and the surrounding area, but residents are advised to monitor for updates on the ongoing fire. The FBI assisted authorities in Kootenai County, an agency spokesperson told ABC News. Idaho Gov. Brad Little called the incident a "heinous direct assault on our brave firefighters." "Multiple heroic firefighters were attacked today while responding to a fire in North Idaho," Little wrote in a post on X. "I ask all Idahoans to pray for them and their families as we wait to learn more," he added. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been briefed on the shooting, a DHS official told ABC News.
The Guardian
29-06-2025
- The Guardian
Firefighters ambushed by gunman in Idaho while responding to brush fire
Firefighters in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, were ambushed by a gunman on Sunday while responding to a brush fire, ABC News reports. Lt Jeff Howard of the Kootenai county sheriff's office told the broadcaster firefighters were responding to a small but growing blaze on Canfield Mountain when they started getting shot at by an unknown person in the woods. Kootenai Country Emergency Management issued a shelter-in-place alert, initially for Canfield Mountain Trailhead and the surrounding area, that was later expanded to everyone south of Hayden Lake Road, and east of 15th Street in Coeur d'Alene. A large number of law enforcement vehicles flooded the area, including US marshals, according to a photograph posted on social media by the news director of the local broadcaster KXLY. The same outlet reported that hundreds of law enforcement and fire personnel had established a command post in Cherry Hill dog park. Officers are investigating whether the fire might have been intentionally set in order to lure first responders to the scene, Howard told ABC News. This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
News.com.au
16-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Top 7 sales boss Henry Tajer exits after just six months in job
Seven is searching for a new head of sales following the exit of its chief commercial officer Henry Tajer after six months in the role. Mr Tajer was appointed to Seven's most senior sales role in January following a radical restructure of Seven's corporate structure last year leading to the departure of seasoned Seven executives including advertising chief Kurt Burnette in June 2024. On Monday Seven confirmed Mr Tajer will transition from his full-time role into a consulting arrangement from the end of the month. Seven West Media managing director and CEO Jeff Howard praised Mr Tajer in Monday's announcement saying: 'Henry brought a new level of bold and innovative thinking to Seven's sales team. He drove significant change in his short time at Seven and on behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank him for his contribution. I look forward to continuing to work with Henry on opportunities to drive growth for SWM.' Mr Tajer initially joined Seven as a consultant in August 2024 before becoming Seven's full-time CCO in January 2025, a role that saw him put on a lucrative contract at Seven. His predecessor Mr Burnette had been on $1.25 million a year at the time of his departure. Mr Tajer said of his departure from Seven that it would allow him to transition back to consulting work while allowing him to focus on the 'many exciting opportunities still ahead for Seven' as a consultant. The Seven sales team will be jointly led by Mr Tajer's former direct reports, Katie Finney, Seven's national TV sales director and national digital sales director Jordan King while a search is conducted for Mr Tajer's replacement. In May reported Mr Tajer's appointment at Seven had been the result of a decade of lobbying for a top sales job in Australian television. Sources claimed he ultimately won over Seven chairman Kerry Stokes and son Ryan Stokes, non-executive director of Seven's board, leading to his appointment in January. Mr Tajer's aggressive and at times unconventional style has drawn critics internally and externally in recent years. He arrived at Seven following a string of short-lived roles. Prior to consulting for Seven he was CEO of The Influence Group for a year until June 2023. His previous role at marketing company Dentsu Aegis also lasted one year and saw Mr Tajer ruffle feathers. He also made headlines in adland in 2017 after exiting his role as Global CEO of IPG Mediabrands – a role he relocated his family from Australia to New York two years earlier in 2015 to fill. Mr Tajer's departure follows the recent exit of Seven's 'rookie' news boss Anthony De Ceglie after a controversial year at the broadcaster.
