Business Wire India

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) today announced WPP as its first-ever global media partner, marking a significant advancement of its One ELC operating model, a scalable system designed to operate faster, execute with greater discipline, and drive growth. In fully establishing One ELC, the Company also reached a significant milestone in its Profit Recovery and Growth Plan’s (PRGP) Restructuring Program — a key action plan priority of Beauty Reimagined.

 

Stéphane de La Faverie, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies, said, “With the appointment of WPP as our first-ever global media partner, our One ELC operating model is now fully established. This more unified and scalable system will enable us to be faster, more agile and efficient, and support unlocking additional growth. Together with our execution progress, we are confident that we are on a trajectory to deliver sustainable, profitable long-term growth.”

 

 

de La Faverie added, “Building on our strong fiscal 2026 first half results, which included increased consumer-facing investments to restore sustainable sales growth, today we announced an important milestone in the Profit Recovery and Growth Plan’s Restructuring Program. We have now approved initiatives to achieve the high-end of the target gross savings range and affirmed we are on track to realize the vast majority of PRGP’s full run-rate benefits in fiscal 2027. The PRGP has instilled a strong sense of cost discipline into our organization that is now embedded in our ways of working.”

 

 

Advancing a New Operating Foundation

 

 

The Company has fundamentally changed how it operates and now has the foundational pieces in place to complete its transformation. At the center of this is the Company’s One ELC operating model, an integrated system built on three elements: One Team, One Culture, and One Operating Ecosystem.

 

 

One Team, deployed swiftly in July 2025 to simplify the organization with fewer layers and silos, clearer ownership, and faster decision making.

 

 

One Culture, introduced in February 2026, to reinforce how teams work every day, grounded in accountability, bold, entrepreneurial thinking, and agility.

 

 

One Operating Ecosystem, built over the last year and now fully in place, brings together shared platforms, data, and strategic partners to enable consistent, scalable, and effective execution across brands, regions, and functions.

 

 

Establishing a Unified Global Media Model

 

 

As a core component of its One Operating Ecosystem within One ELC, the Company has appointed WPP as its first global media partner, establishing a unified, enterprise-led approach to media buying designed to enable greater scale, precision, and impact.

 

 

The Company is moving from a decentralized regional media structure to a connected global system powered by data, technology, and AI. This model strengthens the Company’s ability to generate and capture demand while improving media effectiveness and efficiency at scale and at speed.

 

 

Aude Gandon, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies, said, “Today, beauty is discovered and experienced across a constantly evolving mix of platforms. To lead in this environment, we are building a connected, AI-enabled media system that brings brand building and performance together at global scale. Partnering with WPP strengthens our ability to invest with greater precision, move with greater speed, and deliver stronger, more measurable returns, while keeping creativity and brand leadership at the center of everything we do.”

 

 

Delivering a Connected Ecosystem with Strategic Partners

 

 

With WPP’s appointment, the Company’s One Operating Ecosystem is now in place and brings together a coordinated set of best-in-class strategic partners to modernize and scale how it operates globally.

 

 

Accenture is transforming shared services through the Company’s Enterprise Business Services (EBS) model, driving standardization, efficiency, and scalability across core functions. The Company has designed EBS and begun transitioning services, with the model on track to be fully in place before the end of calendar year 2026.

 

 

Shopify powers the Company’s global direct-to-consumer omnichannel experience, creating a modern and unified commerce foundation. Initial implementation with TOM FORD BEAUTY’s brand.com in the U.S. has already delivered improved sales, conversion, and average order value performance — all encouraging signs as the foundation scales. Following the initial implementation phase, the Company expects to have launched 50% of the in-scope direct-to-consumer business by the end of calendar year 2026.

 

 

By partnering with best-in-class organizations, the Company is transitioning from a fragmented data landscape to a more unified one. This will create a scalable foundation for real-time insights, a single consumer view, and more effective activation across brands and markets.

 

 

Delivering Against the Profit Recovery and Growth Plan

 

 

Since expanding the Restructuring Program when it introduced Beauty Reimagined in February 2025, the Company has taken decisive actions to reshape its cost structure and operations, allowing for increased consumer-facing investments. As of March 31, 2026, the Company has approved initiatives expected to deliver total gross benefits at the high end of its targeted range of $0.8 billion to $1.0 billion, a portion of which has been and will continue to be reinvested in consumer-facing initiatives, with expected total charges at the mid-point of the estimated range of $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion.

 

 

With a line of sight to additional gross benefits, all business case approvals for the Restructuring Program are still expected to be made by June 30, 2026. This progress reflects disciplined delivery against clearly defined priorities and has supported the Company’s ability to reinvest for growth. The Company expects execution of the PRGP to be substantially complete by the end of fiscal 2027 and affirmed that the vast majority of PRGP’s full run-rate benefits, including its Restructuring Program, are to be achieved during fiscal 2027.

 

 

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

 

The forward-looking statements contained herein, including those relating to our expectations regarding restructuring and other charges, involve risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those forward-looking statements include current economic and other conditions in the global marketplace, actions by retailers and consumers, competition, The Estée Lauder Companies’ ability to successfully implement its long-term strategic plan, and those factors described in The Estée Lauder Companies’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025.

 

 

About The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

 

 

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The Company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.

 

 

About WPP

 

 

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit wpp.com.

 

 

About WPP Media

 

 

WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective. In a world where media is everywhere and in everything, it brings the best platform, people, and partners together to create limitless opportunities for growth. For more information, visit wppmedia.com.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401678161/en/

 

Business Wire India

Digitide Solutions Limited (NSE: DIGITIDE), a global leader in AI-first digital transformation, today announced the launch of Pulse.nerve, a first-of-its-kind enterprise orchestration platform designed to unify the “fragmented intelligence” currently slowing down global organizations.

Built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP)—the emerging “USB-C for AI” standard—Pulse.nerve acts as a universal control layer, allowing enterprises to manage, govern, and synchronize AI agents across siloed technology stacks. The launch is supported by the release of 100+ ready-to-deploy AI agents within the Pulse.ai ecosystem, targeting high-impact functions in BFSI, Healthcare, and Retail.

Solving the “AI Chaos” Crisis

As we enter 2026, the enterprise AI landscape has reached a breaking point. While Gartner projects that over 40% of enterprise applications will embed role-specific AI agents by the end of this year, most organizations are struggling with “disconnected intelligence.”

Current industry data reveals:

• The Fragmentation Gap: 73% of enterprises now run five or more disconnected AI agents, leading to an average of $2.1 million in annual waste due to redundant integrations.
• The Governance Risk: Without a central control layer, AI-related incidents take an average of 47 minutes to resolve, exposing firms to significant compliance and operational risks.
• The Market Opportunity: The global Agentic AI market is estimated to reach $10.8 billion in 2026, yet only 14% of enterprises have deployment-ready orchestration systems.

“Enterprises are no longer struggling with a lack of AI; they are drowning in it,” said Gurmeet Chahal, CEO & Executive Director of Digitide Solutions. “Pulse.nerve is the central nervous system the industry has been waiting for. By providing a unified execution layer, we are moving organizations from fragmented experimentation to a coherent, governed, and high-ROI agentic strategy.”

Pulse.nerve: The Universal AI Control Layer

Pulse.nerve sits above the enterprise stack, using MCP-native connectors to bridge the gap between enterprise platforms like Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, ServiceNow, Guidewire, and Duck Creek. Key capabilities include:

• Intelligent Task Routing: Automatically directs complex workflows to the most efficient agent based on real-time context and enterprise policy.
• The Enterprise “Kill-Switch”: A centralized governance dashboard that allows for instant rollback or halting of any AI agent across the ecosystem.
• Universal Compliance: Enforces global security and audit rules once, applying them automatically across every connected agent.
• 100+ Specialized Agents: Pre-trained digital personas for engineering, HR, CXM, and collections, designed to deliver “Day 1” productivity.

 

Measurable Impact: A Case Study in Insurance

In a recent production deployment for a leading global insurer, Pulse.nerve orchestrated agentic workflows across Guidewire, Salesforce, and Oracle. The result was a 45% improvement in operational productivity and a 3.4x acceleration in AI time-to-value, achieving 100% audit visibility for the first time.

Oil marketing companies have increased the prices of premium petrol and diesel from April 1, reflecting the impact of global supply disruptions. The price of IndianOil XP100 petrol has risen by ₹11 per litre, reaching around ₹160 per litre.

Premium diesel has also seen a price hike, with rates increasing marginally from ₹91.49 to ₹92.99 per litre. Despite these revisions, the prices of regular petrol and diesel remain unchanged for now.

Fuel retailers, including Indian Oil Corporation, have attributed the increase to ongoing geopolitical tensions affecting crude oil supply, particularly in the Middle East.

The price of commercial LPG has also gone up significantly. A 19-kg cylinder now costs ₹2,078.50 in Delhi after a steep hike of ₹195.50, continuing last month’s upward trend.

Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices also experienced volatility. Although an initial sharp increase was expected, the final revision was moderated following discussions between oil companies and government authorities, limiting the overall impact on the aviation sector.

The latest price adjustments underline how global uncertainties continue to influence domestic fuel markets, potentially adding to cost pressures across transport and commercial sectors.

 

 

Business Wire India

Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), the Software Support and Agentic AI ERP Company™, and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software, today announced first quarter debt reduction activities and a recent amendment to its credit agreement.

 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401160360/en/

 

 

 

• Debt reduction activities during the first quarter of 2026 totaled $10.9 million, reducing the Company’s outstanding term loan to $58.4 million as of March 31, 2026.
• The Company’s credit agreement was amended effective as of March 27, 2026 to increase to $20.0 million the value of Company common stock that could be repurchased per annum, beginning with the Company’s 2026 fiscal year and for each fiscal year thereafter, with a revised total of $50.0 million in permitted stock repurchases from the period beginning January 1, 2026 through the maturity of the facility on April 30, 2029. The Company’s Board previously authorized common stock repurchases of up to $50.0 million, of which $36.7 million remains available until April 2029.

“These actions support our disciplined deployment of resources to drive shareholder value through investments in the business, debt reduction and common share repurchases,” said Seth Ravin, president and CEO, Rimini Street.

 

About Rimini Street, Inc.

 

 

Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), a Russell 2000® Company, is a proven, trusted global provider of end-to-end, mission-critical enterprise software support, managed services and innovative Agentic AI ERP solutions, and is the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software. The Company has signed thousands of IT service contracts with Fortune Global 100, Fortune 500, midmarket, public sector and government organizations who have leveraged the Rimini Smart Path™ methodology to achieve better operational outcomes, billions of US dollars in savings and fund AI and other innovation.

 

 

To learn more, please visit www.riministreet.com, and connect with Rimini Street on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

 

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

 

Certain statements included in this communication are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “budget,” “continue,” “could,” “currently,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “plan,” “possible,” “goal,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “reflect,” “results,” “seem,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would” and other similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our expectations of future events, future opportunities, global expansion and other growth initiatives and our investments in such initiatives. These statements are based on various assumptions and on the current expectations of management and are not predictions of actual performance, nor are these statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties regarding Rimini Street’s business, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to our ability to attract new clients or retain and/or sell additional products or services to existing clients; our ability to achieve and maintain an adequate rate of revenue growth; cost of revenue, including changes in costs associated with our efforts to grow and the results of any efforts to manage costs to align with current revenue expectations and the expansion of our offerings; the effects of increased intense competition in our industry and our ability to compete effectively; our ability to successfully educate the market regarding the advantages of our support and managed services for enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and to sell the products and services comprising our “Rimini Smart Path™” solutions portfolio, including but not limited to our Agentic AI ERP solutions; our intentions with respect to our pricing model and expectations of client savings relative to use of other providers; the evolution of the ERP software management and support landscape facing our clients and prospects; estimates of our total addressable market; the effects of seasonal trends on our results of operations, including the contract renewal cycles for vendor-supplied software support and managed services; the effects of the efforts of enterprise software vendors to sell upgrades or migrations to cloud-based versions of their enterprise software on our results of operations; our ability to scale our operations quickly enough to meet our clients’ changing needs or decrease our costs adequately in response to changing client demand; risks arising from incorporating artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies into our products or services or any deficiencies associated with AI technologies used by us or by our third-party vendors and service providers; our ability to maintain, protect, and enhance our brand; the continuing impact of and our ability to comply with the terms of our July 2025 settlement agreement with Oracle; our wind down of support services for Oracle PeopleSoft software products and the impact on future period revenue and costs incurred related to these efforts; the loss of one or more members of our management team and our ability to attract and retain additional qualified technical, sales and marketing personnel; our ability to expand our marketing and sales capabilities; our ability to avoid interruptions to, or degraded performance of, our services and the impact of any such interruptions or performance problems on our operations; our ability to defend against cybersecurity threats and to comply with data protection and privacy regulations; our expectations regarding new product offerings, innovation solutions, partnerships and alliance programs and our ability to develop and maintain strategic partnerships; our ability to expand internationally and the risks associated with global operations; the impact of macro-economic trends, including inflation and changes in foreign exchange rates, as well as general financial, economic, regulatory and political conditions affecting the industry in which we operate and the industries in which our clients operate; our ability to generate significant capital through our operations or to raise additional capital necessary to fund and expand our operations and invest in new services and products; our business plan and our ability to effectively secure and manage our growth and associated investments; risks relating to retention rates, including our ability to accurately forecast retention rates; our ability to protect our intellectual property; our ability to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting; changes in laws or regulations, including tax laws or unfavorable outcomes of tax positions we take; tariff costs, including those imposed by the United States government and the potential for retaliatory trade measures by affected countries; our ability to realize benefits from our net operating losses; any negative impact of environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters on our reputation or business and the exposure of our business to additional costs or risks from our reporting on such matters; our credit facility’s ongoing debt service obligations and financial and operational covenants on our business and related interest rate risk; the sufficiency of our cash and cash equivalents to meet our liquidity requirements; the volatility of our stock price; the amount and timing of repurchases, if any, under our stock repurchase program and our ability to enhance stockholder value through such program; our ability to maintain our good standing with the United States government and international governments and capture new contracts with governmental entities/agencies; the occurrence of catastrophic events that may disrupt our business or that of our current and prospective clients; future acquisitions of, or investments in, complementary companies, products, subscriptions or technologies; and those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Rimini Street’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 19, 2026, and as updated from time to time by Rimini Street’s future Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other filings by Rimini Street with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, forward-looking statements provide Rimini Street’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. Rimini Street anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Rimini Street’s assessments to change. However, while Rimini Street may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Rimini Street specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Rimini Street’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication.

 

 

© 2026 Rimini Street, Inc. All rights reserved. “Rimini Street” is a registered trademark of Rimini Street, Inc. in the United States and other countries, and Rimini Street, the Rimini Street logo, and combinations thereof, and other marks marked by TM are trademarks of Rimini Street, Inc. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners, and unless otherwise specified, Rimini Street claims no affiliation, endorsement, or association with any such trademark holder or other companies referenced herein.

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401160360/en/

 

Business Wire India

 

• Fraudulent disputes and administrative inefficiencies drive billions in avoidable economic costs
• Six new and enhanced dispute resolution tools utilize AI and proprietary technology to help provide issuers, acquirers and merchants with increased visibility into costly fraud expenses

 

Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in digital payments, today announced six new dispute resolution tools designed to reduce the billions of dollars lost annually to inefficient, outdated dispute processes. The expanded suite of dispute resolution services is being designed to help merchants and financial institutions cut administrative costs, reduce fraud-related losses and redirect those resources toward growth, innovation and customer experience.

 

Disputes remain one of the most persistent friction points in commerce, driving rising costs for merchants and financial institutions while simultaneously leaving consumers frustrated and confused. In 2025, Visa processed 106 million disputes globally, a 35% increase since 2019¹.

 

 

“Dispute management is moving from a back-office function to a strategic priority, driven by rising volumes, regulatory scrutiny, and growing pressure to protect customer experience,” says Sam Abadir, Research Director, Risk, Compliance & Financial Crime, IDC Financial Insights. “Institutions that continue to manage disputes through fragmented, manual processes are leaving recoverable revenue on the table and absorbing costs that modern workflows could eliminate.”

 

 

New & Enhanced Dispute Resolution Tools for Merchants

 

 

• Efficient Dispute Resolution: Visa Dispute Resolution Network streamlines pre-dispute handling so merchants can resolve potential disputes before they escalate, accelerating resolution, reducing operational burden. Pilot available now with general availability planned for late 2026.
• AI-Driven Revenue Recovery: Visa Dispute Recovery Manager automates representment for merchants – managing disputes with GenAI responses and providing win prediction scoring to maximize recovery. Pilot expansion planned for late 2026.
• Proactive Dispute Prevention: Order Insight helps prevent unnecessary disputes by surfacing transaction details to clear up confusion over legitimate charges. An April 2026 update means merchants can use Compelling Evidence 3.0 within Order Insight to share evidence with banks regarding suspicious transactions, further reducing friendly fraud instances.

 

New & Enhanced Dispute Resolution Tools for Issuers & Acquirers

 

• Empowering Agents: Dispute Intelligence is powered by predictive AI models, aiding case‑by‑case analysis with network‑wide foresight to empower agents to make more informed decisions using Visa’s global transaction and dispute data. Generally available now.
• Streamlined Review: Dispute Doc Analyzer uses AI to enable faster, more confident dispute resolution outcomes. For issuers, this tool will provide summaries of merchant documents including key data elements in a structured format to help analysts with time consuming manual review and dispute decisions (available in late April 2026). For acquirers, Doc Analyzer facilitates the ability to auto-populate response questionnaires on behalf of their merchants (generally available now).
• AI-Powered Dispute Platform: Visa Dispute Case Manager incorporates AI functionality to unify workflows into a centralized platform for managing disputes across a variety of card networks, from intake to resolution. General availability in North America in 2026.

 

“Disputes put strain on every part of the payments ecosystem, frustrating consumers, while driving cost and complexity for merchants and financial institutions,” said Andrew Torre, President of Value-Added Services, Visa. “When outdated technology cannot keep pace, fraud goes undetected. Our expanded suite of dispute services gives clients the visibility they need to focus on what matters most: serving customers, launching new products and growing their businesses.”

 

For more information on these products, please visit Visa’s Value-Added Services website here: https://corporate.visa.com/en/solutions/value-added-services.html

 

 

About Visa

 

 

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, sellers, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

 

 

¹ VisaNet transaction data 2019-2025

 

 

 

 

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401900827/en/

 

Edmond Wong has been appointed as the Asia-Pacific President at Orange Business, taking over from incumbent Nick Lambert, who will be retiring by the end of April. 

Apr 02: Nick has successfully led the APAC region for close to seven (7) years since 2019, bringing about significant business transformations amidst a complex global landscape while delivering outstanding performances year-on-year thanks to his strategic vision and strong focus on customers. His contributions and achievements leave APAC in a stronger position than ever, as the region is now poised for further wins and key growth across all markets.

As the named successor, Edmond brings with him 15 years of experience in business, leadership, and transformation in large, complex global organizations, and has also lived and worked in multiple countries, including Singapore, Melbourne, Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing for a multicultural environment understanding. Currently based in Singapore, Edmond was the Head of Business Management APAC at Orange Business since June 2020, prior to succeeding this role.

Having previously executed major corporate and regional programs across Sales and Marketing and driving Go-to-Market strategy for different parts of the region, Edmond has a proven track record in driving profitability and is skilled in stakeholder management, regional growth strategies with exemplary leadership in operational excellence and change management. He will now focus on accelerating APAC’s next phase business journey and growth levers, executing transformation, and fostering strategic partnerships.

“I’m deeply grateful to the Orange Business management team for their trust and faith in me to lead the APAC region. Over the next few months, I look forward to immersing into the different APAC market’s challenges and needs, meeting customers and collaborating with partners, expanding new grounds, and ensuring that we continuously drive momentum for the region.