Atombeam on Winning Best Data Management Solution for Its AI-Powered Neurpac Technology

Atombeam’s Neurpac was recently named the Best Data Management Solution by the 2026 Big Data Tech Ascension Awards for its AI-powered approach to reducing bandwidth demands and improving how machines transmit data. In this Q&A, Atombeam CEO Charles Yeomans discusses how its Data-as-Codewords technology compacts data without the latency of traditional compression, why it could reshape IoT and satellite communications, and how the company’s Persistent Cognitive Machine fits into its broader vision for more efficient edge AI.

Atombeam Neurpac was recently named "Best Data Management Solution" by the Tech Ascension Awards. What core challenge does this technology solve for today's data-driven organizations?

Infrastructure is facing a digital sustainability crisis. IDC projects global data creation will reach 221 zettabytes by 2026, and the networks carrying that data are not growing anywhere near as fast. Neurpac attacks the bandwidth bottleneck directly: it uses AI to compact data by an average of 75 percent, without the latency and compute overhead of traditional compression. The deeper idea is a change in how machines communicate. By replacing raw data with learned codewords, an approach we call Data-as-Codewords, Neurpac effectively quadruples the bandwidth of a link without touching the hardware underneath it.

How does Neurpac's Data-as-Codewords approach differ from traditional compression algorithms like GZIP or Zlib?

Traditional algorithms were designed for large, human-readable files, and they struggle with the tiny payloads that dominate machine and IoT traffic, packets of 4 to 100 bytes. On payloads that small, conventional compression often makes the data bigger, because the algorithm's own overhead exceeds the savings. Neurpac learns the patterns in a data type in advance and replaces them with compact codewords at transmission time, which is why it achieves high-ratio lossless compaction on exactly the traffic everyone else has given up on. To our knowledge it is the only solution in the world that does this, and it is what makes Neurpac uniquely suited to the extreme edge.

You often speak about the Extreme Edge. Why is Neurpac particularly transformative for IoT and satellite environments?

In satellite communications, bandwidth is the single most expensive resource in the system. Neurpac lets operators roughly quadruple throughput on constellations already in orbit, which is the economic equivalent of launching new capacity without the multi-billion dollar launch. For IoT, the same mathematics runs in reverse: a remote, battery-powered sensor can send 4x the data through the same radio, or send the same data using far less power. In sectors like oil and gas or precision agriculture, where real-time safety monitoring competes with battery life and link budgets, that trade is transformative.

Security is a major concern for any data management solution. How does Atombeam approach security as part of the compaction process?

Security arrives as a byproduct rather than a bolt-on. Because Neurpac transforms data into dense codewords, the transmitted traffic no longer resembles conventional byte sequences, which gives an interceptor dramatically less to work with before encryption is even applied. We then layer standard encryption on top, with TLS 1.3 as our default protocol. The result is a link that is smaller, faster, and harder to read, and the security came along at no additional cost in compute or latency.

Can you share a recent real-world outcome where an Atombeam customer saw immediate business impact?

Alhamrani Universal, Saudi Arabia's largest fintech provider, is a good example. Using Neurpac to accelerate point-of-sale batch transfers, they initially cut their daily regional backup window from 12 hours to 3, and continued optimization has now brought the same data load down to 10 minutes. A transfer that once consumed half a day now completes before a coffee break, which makes the move from daily batching to real-time transmission from ATMs a practical near-term step rather than an aspiration.

Beyond Neurpac, Atombeam is gaining recognition for the Persistent Cognitive Machine (PCM). How does this play into your vision for next-generation AI?

PCM is our answer to the economic paradox at the heart of AI: capabilities are improving, but the compute, power, and dollars required are growing far faster. It is a new architecture built on geometric understanding rather than statistical pattern matching, designed to learn continuously and run efficiently at the edge instead of in a distant data center. In prototype testing it has demonstrated roughly 840 times greater compute efficiency than a small language model on subjects it has learned. Neurpac optimizes how data moves; PCM aims to change how machines think about it. Together they address the two sides of the same sustainability problem.

Scale Computing CTO Brett Stewart on Why Continuous Compliance Is the Future of FinTech

Scale Computing’s SC//AcuVigil™ Managed Network Solutions was named Best Compliance Solution in the 2026 Tech Ascension FinTech Awards, and was recognized for its ability to help financial and retail organizations strengthen compliance, improve network visibility, and reduce operational risk across distributed environments.

We sat down with Brett Stewart, Chief Technology Officer at Scale Computing, to discuss the growing challenges surrounding continuous compliance, the role of AI and edge computing, and how SC//AcuVigil helps organizations move from reactive reporting to proactive operational assurance. Scale Computing Inc.'s SC//AcuVigil™ Managed Network Solutions was recently recognized as Best Compliance Solution for FinTech by the Tech Ascension Awards. What does this recognition mean to your team and the customers you serve?

Being named as Best Compliance Solution is tremendously validating, both for us as a company and for our customers. The convergence of an increasing number of regulatory requirements, escalating security risks posed by AI, and network complexity means enterprises can’t run static compliance programs based on a checklist. Rather, financial systems need to be continuously monitored and embedded in day-to-day operations — a process made simple thanks to SC//AcuVigil™ managed network solutions. For our customers, this recognition reinforces that the SC//AcuVigil platform delivers on what they need most, reducing the burden of compliance without compromising agility or control.

Financial and retail institutions are facing an increasingly complex regulatory landscape while managing distributed infrastructure and networks. What are some of the biggest compliance challenges you're seeing in the market today? 

Even as regulatory expectations and infrastructure complexity accelerate with the increasing adoption of AI, organizations still need to deliver a customer-first experience to remain competitive. Unfortunately, many companies are still relying on legacy tools and systems, which only compound the complexity. Fragmented systems lead to a lack of visibility, and as organizations scale to open new sites, process sensitive data, deploy IoT technologies, or layer on digital services, ensuring reliability, maintaining compliance, and defending against evolving threats requires greater visibility, automation, and expertise than most businesses can support internally. Balancing operational efficiency and agility with a highly distributed footprint while remaining compliant will continue to be a challenge for enterprises.

Compliance is often viewed as a reporting exercise, but organizations are increasingly looking for continuous visibility and risk reduction. How does the SC//AcuVigil solution help customers move from reactive compliance to proactive operational assurance?

Traditional IT models require extensive local staff and multiple vendors to maintain connectivity, security, monitoring, and compliance, while legacy setups frequently involve siloed ISPs or patchwork networks that can fail silently, leaving organizations exposed. SC//AcuVigil managed network solutions dramatically reduce downtime and keep transactions flowing even if primary links fail, thanks to a single-pane-of-glass view that shows the health of every network element, meaning IT teams can proactively spot and resolve issues and focus on higher-value IT initiatives that move the organization forward. Through the App Catalog, monitoring capabilities are extended beyond the network layer to the very applications that power an organization’s operations, while SC//AcuLock^TM isolation quarantines any combination of locations before malware can spread laterally.

What sets SC//AcuVigil managed network solutions apart from other compliance and network monitoring solutions available to fintech organizations? 

SC//AcuVigil managed network solutions is the only edge network platform backed by a full PCI DSS Attestation of Compliance across all products and services. It doesn’t just demonstrate PCI compliance—it operates under it, indicating a company has undergone a thorough security assessment and adheres to industry standards for protecting cardholder data. It goes beyond monitoring to safeguard organizations’ distributed environments, providing end-to-end visibility, secure connectivity, and PCI-ready compliance tools that simplify and streamline compliance activity. Organizations can securely manage and troubleshoot equipment remotely through SC//AcuLink™ Remote Access Service, which provides a PCI-compliant, high-speed connection for remote support and updates, thereby reducing technician travel, speeding problem resolution, and ensuring systems like point-of-sale terminals, ATGs, and DVRs stay up and running while maintaining strict compliance standards.

As financial institutions continue to adopt cloud, edge computing, AI, and other emerging technologies, how do you see compliance requirements evolving, and how are SC//AcuVigil managed network solutions positioned to support those changes? 

We will continue to see more regulations centered on continuous and evidence-based compliance, in which regulators will expect companies to demonstrate real-time logging and continuous controls monitoring rather than point-in-time attestations. As agentic AI use cases make further inroads into banking and other financial services, there will be an even larger push to demonstrate that these agents are safe, secure, and reliable, and that the supply chain hasn’t been compromised. The companies that succeed will be those that leverage solutions such as the SC//AcuVigil platform, which maximizes ROI by combining self-service flexibility with white-glove, around-the-clock NOC support. This allows users to maintain control without any additional operational burden: They can configure, monitor, and troubleshoot their network independently, or offload maintenance, escalations, and optimization tasks to Scale Computing’s experts.

What other solutions does Scale Computing offer enterprises looking to minimize risk, streamline their management operations, and work with greater efficiency?

Scale Computing offers a comprehensive product suite of AI-ready edge computing and network solutions, including SC//Reliant™ Edge Computing as a Service, a hardware- and cloud-agnostic, API-capable edge platform that empowers multi-site businesses to manage applications, networks, and security at scale; SC//Connect™ secure SD-WAN solutions that simplify WAN management and boost performance, security, and reliability across the enterprise; and the SC//HyperCore™ virtualization suite (delivered through SC//Fleet Manager™ edge orchestration software) which integrates software, servers, and storage into a fully unified virtualization suite.

Geographic Solutions Founder Paul Toomey on Building the Award-Winning VOS Sapphire AI

Geographic Solutions’ Virtual OneStop Sapphire AI was recently named the Best AI / ML Powered Solution in the 2026 Tech Ascension Awards.

We sat down with Geographic Solutions President and Founder Paul Toomey to discuss the inspiration behind VOS Sapphire AI, the company’s approach to responsible AI, and how the technology could shape the future of workforce development.

Geographic Solutions’ VOS Sapphire AI platform was recently named the 2026 Best Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Software Solution by Tech Ascension. What does this recognition mean to you and the company?

This recognition is a tremendous honor for Geographic Solutions and a meaningful validation of the work our teams have done to bring practical, secure, and scalable AI into the public workforce technology space. Since 1992, we have focused on building solutions that help workforce agencies, employers, job seekers, and communities achieve better outcomes. VOS Sapphire AI represents the next evolution of that mission. Being recognized by an awarding body such as Tech Ascension reinforces that artificial intelligence and machine learning can be applied in ways that are not only innovative, but also responsible, measurable, and deeply aligned with public service.

What inspired the development of VOS Sapphire AI?

The inspiration behind VOS Sapphire AI came from a very real need in the workforce system. Agencies are managing increasingly complex programs, job seekers need more personalized support, and employers need faster, more efficient ways to connect with qualified talent. We saw an opportunity to use AI to reduce friction across the workforce ecosystem. Our goal was not to build AI for the sake of AI, but to apply it where it could create meaningful value. This includes helping staff work more efficiently, giving job seekers better tools, and enabling agencies to make more informed decisions.

How does VOS Sapphire AI support workforce agencies and staff in their day-to-day operations?

VOS Sapphire AI is designed to enhance the work of agency staff, not replace it, or them. The platform helps streamline tasks such as case management, service recommendations, job matching, résumé support, labor market insights, and job seeker engagement. By automating repetitive processes and surfacing relevant information more quickly, staff can spend more time focusing on high-value interactions with job seekers and employers. This allows agencies to improve service delivery while maintaining the human guidance and expertise that is essential to workforce development.

What makes VOS Sapphire AI different from other AI-driven workforce technology solutions?

What sets VOS Sapphire AI apart from other solutions is the depth of its integration within a proven workforce platform. It’s built within the broader VOS Sapphire ecosystem, which already supports many of the critical functions workforce agencies rely on every day. That means the AI is not disconnected from the data, workflows, compliance requirements, or program structures that matter most. It’s purpose-built for workforce development with a focus on security, scalability, accessibility, and practical outcomes. Our approach is grounded in more than 30 years of experience working with state and local workforce agencies. 

How does the platform use AI and machine learning to improve outcomes for job seekers and employers?

For job seekers, VOS Sapphire AI can help deliver more personalized career guidance, improve résumé and cover letter development, recommend relevant job and training opportunities, and identify pathways based on skills, experience, and labor market demand. For employers the platform helps improve job descriptions, candidate matching, talent discovery, and engagement. Machine learning allows the system to better understand patterns and provide more relevant recommendations over time. Ultimately, the goal is to help people find meaningful employment faster while helping employers connect with the talent they need.

With AI becoming more prominent in government and public sector technology, how does Geographic Solutions approach responsible AI?

Responsible AI is central to how we develop and deploy VOS Sapphire AI. In the public workforce system, trust, transparency, security, and fairness are critical. Our approach emphasizes human oversight, data protection, compliance, and explainability. We believe AI should support better decision making, not remove accountability from the process. That means building tools that are useful, secure, and aligned with the needs of agencies and the people they serve. AI must be implemented thoughtfully, especially in systems that impact employment training and public benefits.

Looking ahead, how do you see VOS Sapphire AI shaping the future of workforce development?

We believe VOS Sapphire AI will help workforce agencies move toward a more proactive, personalized, equitable, and data-informed service model. The future of workforce development will require systems that can respond quickly to changing labor market conditions, support diverse populations, and help agencies deliver services more efficiently. AI has the potential to make those systems more adaptive and effective. For Geographic Solutions, the focus will remain on using technology to strengthen the connection between job seekers, employers, educators, and workforce agencies. We do this to help communities build stronger, more resilient labor forces.