Accounting/receivables platform Autobooks has acquired consumer bill pay solutions provider Allied Payment Network. The deal is designed to add business bill pay capabilities to Autobooks platform, which in turn lets financial institutions offer small businesses a solution for things like accepting payments, paying vendors and accessing working capital. “Financial institutions want to deliver more value to their business customers — and they want to do it within the banking experience. By acquiring Allied Payments, we’re bringing together receivables, payables and accounting in a way that’s never been done before,” Steve Robert, CEO of Autobooks, said. By integrating Allied Payments’ bill pay infrastructure financial institutions can now support both the payable and receivable sides of the money movement equation, while offering businesses built-in accounting and cash flow tools.
StackOne reinvent SaaS and AI agent integrations building real-time enterprise integrations with unrivalled speed, scale and 5x better accuracy
StackOne – the next-gen, AI-powered platform fuelling the future of enterprise AI agents and SaaS integrations – has raised $20 million in a Series A round led by GV (Google Ventures). StackOne is the AI-powered platform supercharging SaaS and AI developers to build real-time enterprise integrations with unrivalled speed, scale and 5x better accuracy. Its AI integrations agent connects complex enterprise APIs in days instead of weeks; freeing product teams to focus on roadmaps and scale without sacrificing security. It automatically builds use-cases on top of even the most complex APIs, connecting AI and SaaS tools to their customers’ entire tech stack in a fraction of the time, and with higher accuracy than even the most precise, leading LLMs. Through the platform, product teams get access to 3,000+ actions on 200+ connectors instantly, from HR to CRM, ticketing, messaging, and IAM. StackOne’s proprietary AI-first, enterprise-ready approach means integrations are secure and up-to-date by default, and all of this frees developers up to focus on core roadmap features and scale without sacrifice. In this way, StackOne represents an entirely new generation of integration platforms. The funding will be used to continue building StackOne’s state-of-the-art tool-calling LLM, invest in R&D, and further expand the number of integrations and depth of actions available in the StackOne platform.
MuleSoft now has features to help organizations control which APIs are made available to agents in the Salesforce ecosystem
MuleSoft is an enterprise integration platform company known for its API-centric connectivity capabilities and its low-code/no-code API lifecycle management services. The company is now extending its core platform and tools to offer an increasing number of agentic AI-facing technologies. Shari Lava, senior director for AI and automation at analyst house IDC said, “MuleSoft now has features to help organizations control which APIs are made available to agents in the Salesforce ecosystem, although that capability is of course narrowed to Salesforce-specific software implementations. In addition, MuleSoft like many integration vendors has been quick to add MCP support and works with Google’s A2A protocol (an agent-to-agent communications layer), demonstrating a responsive focus on solving barriers to AI adoption in the hopes of getting more customers agent-ready.” MuleSoft has now provided support for Model Context Protocol in Beta. A new but already widely lauded technology standard, MCP is an open protocol that enables integration between large language model applications and external data, services and tools. It enables language model and agent-based applications to communicate with each other in a consistent form. With all the focus on agentic connections, MCP provides ways for LLMs to get access to the live data flowing through external systems and their executing actions via a standardized protocol layer. MuleSoft says that because LLMs need access to the API specifications, they must be annotated with metadata that the LLMs can reason with. In other words, the freedom to build custom-aligned API technologies can actually cause incongruent complexity, so MuleSoft MCP Support (Beta) addresses these challenges.
Patreon’s app can now accept web payments circumventing Apple’s own in-app purchases method following the Apple-Epic court ruling
Creator platform Patreon has rolled out an updated version of its app that now allows users to make purchases via the web, in the wake of the Apple-Epic court ruling that forced Apple to allow app developers to include links to alternative forms of payment without being subject to Apple’s commission. Previously, on version 125.4.1 of Patreon’s iOS app, users who wanted to subscribe to a creator’s membership plan would have to do so using Apple’s in-app purchases. In the updated version (version 125.5.0), users now have the option of making a purchase via the web, where they can choose to pay with other payment methods, including credit cards, Venmo, and PayPal, as well as with Apple Pay. The option to use Apple’s own in-app purchases method, meanwhile, is shown only in very small text below the larger, bold “Join” button. This change will likely direct more customers to pay via Patreon’s website instead of through Apple’s in-app purchases. Users who update their app should see the new checkout experience within 24 hours. Patreon also noted creators would now be able to keep more of their money if they didn’t have to pay Apple its commission on purchases.
Five critical gaps in banks’ CX delivery — The communication gap; The service gap; The personalization gap; and The feedback gap
The Amdocs Studios research identified five core categories that systematically undermine customer experience efforts. Understanding these gaps is essential for companies looking to move beyond the illusion of good CX: The CX perception gap; The communication gap; The service gap; The personalization gap; and The feedback gap. The report outlines five strategic approaches for companies to move beyond the illusion of good CX and create authentic, value-driven customer experiences: 1. Relentlessly reveal reality: Organizations need to implement comprehensive voice-of-customer programs that penetrate beyond surface-level satisfaction metrics. This means collecting feedback across all touchpoints, analyzing patterns in customer behavior, regularly benchmarking against competitors, and critically examining the entire customer journey without corporate bias or filtered interpretations. 2) Understand CX is a perspective — not a set of projects” : As the AmDocs team suggests, improving the customer experience isn’t a project that needs completing, it’s the foundation of everything, emphasizing the need for companies to integrate customer-centric thinking into their organizational DNA. This requires aligning incentives, metrics, and priorities across departments, breaking down operational silos, and ensuring that every employee — regardless of their role — understands their impact on the customer experience. 3) Find the real gaps before chasing solutions: This approach requires companies to investigate customer pain points methodically, prioritize improvements based on customer impact rather than internal convenience, and validate solution concepts with real users before full implementation. By starting with clear problem definition rather than predetermined solutions, organizations can ensure their investments deliver meaningful customer value . 4) Give customers more to believe in — not just more to buy: With 85% of loyal customers considering alternatives after repeated bad experiences, companies need to focus on building connections, not just transactions. “Customers don’t stay for what you sell — they stay for how you make them feel,” the report states. This emotional dimension of customer experience often receives less attention than functional aspects, yet it frequently determines customer loyalty. Companies that excel at CX build relationships grounded in consistent value delivery, transparent communication, and demonstrated understanding of customer needs. 5) Build what solves, not just what sells: The best companies don’t chase features or flood the market with options — instead, they focus on building what actually matters to customers. This solution-oriented mindset requires ruthless prioritization, focusing development resources on addressing genuine customer needs rather than internal agendas or competitive feature parity. “Better CX starts with solving, not selling,” the report reads, pointing to the sustainability advantage companies gain when they align their offerings with customer problems worth solving.
Amazon introduces first robot with sense of touch
Amazon says that it has developed a new warehouse robot, Vulcan, that can “feel” some of the items it touches. The two-armed Vulcan, which can maneuver goods inside the storage compartments Amazon has in its warehouses, uses force sensors to help it know when it makes contact with an object. One arm rearranges items in a compartment, while the second arm — which is equipped with a camera and suction cup — grabs items. Amazon says that Vulcan was trained on physical data, including force and touch feedback to pick around 75% of Amazon’s stock, and that it’s capable of self-improving over time. The robot has been deployed in Spokane, Washington, and Hamburg, Germany, where it has processed half a million orders to date. The average robot is “numb and dumb,” particularly those operating in commercial settings, Aaron Parness, Amazon director of applied science, said. “They often don’t even know they have hit something because they cannot sense it.” Vulcan’s ability to grasp when and how it makes contact with an object — offers new ways for Amazon to bolster its operation-related jobs and facilities.
Dremio launches new MCP Server integrating with leading AI models like Claude, enabling agents to seamlessly discover and query data with contextual understanding
Drem,io has launched the Dremio MCP Server, a solution that brings AI-native data discovery and query capabilities to the lakehouse. By adopting the open Model Context Protocol (MCP), Dremio enables AI agents to dynamically explore datasets, generate queries, and retrieve governed data in real time. Through MCP, Dremio natively integrates with leading AI models like Claude, enabling agents to seamlessly discover and query data with contextual understanding. Claude-powered agents can dynamically interpret user intent, invoke Dremio’s tools, and deliver trusted, real-time insights—all without manual integrations. “The Model Context Protocol is a critical advancement that allows AI systems like Claude to seamlessly interact with enterprise data systems,” said Mahesh Murag, Product Manager at Anthropic. “Dremio’s implementation of MCP enables Claude to extend its reasoning capabilities directly to an organization’s data assets, unlocking new possibilities for AI-powered insights while maintaining enterprise governance.” Powered by Dremio’s semantic layer – which provides a unified, governed view across all data sources – with the Dremio MCP Server AI agents gain seamless access to Dremio’s full data environment. This enables agents to: Discover datasets and metadata without manual integrations; Translate natural language into SQL queries and execute them directly; Automate workflows like reporting, customer segmentation, and operational analysis.
US Treasury report on stablecoins mulls upside of offering interest – based on estimates that stablecoins will grow to $2 trillion by 2028
The US Treasury’s Borrowing Advisory Committee (TBAC) explored the impact of stablecoins on the demand for short term Treasuries. One topic was mentioned repeatedly – the potential for stablecoins to offer interest. The last iteration of the Senate’s stablecoin bill, the GENIUS Act, introduced a clause that banned the payment of stablecoin interest before receiving a positive vote by the Senate Banking Committee. The TBAC report used a figure from Standard Chartered research that estimates that stablecoins will grow to $2 trillion by 2028 assuming stablecoins don’t pay interest. As an aside, Citi also recently published forecasts. The mid April capitalization of stablecoins was $234 billion, which accounts for approximately $120 billion investment in short-dated Treasuries. Combining that with Standard Chartered’s figure, the report estimates that stablecoin investment in Treasuries will expand to $1 trillion by 2028. If stablecoins were to offer interest, the figure could be quite a bit higher, although no forecast was provided. That would account for a significant slice of the short term Treasury Bill market, which currently has a $6.4 trillion issuance. A key reason why most global stablecoin regulation has not supported the payment of interest is because there is a concern that bank deposits might shift to stablecoins, potentially affecting the economy with less credit available from banks, or credit might become more expensive. The TBAC report states that transactional demand deposits at banks that total $6.6 trillion are most “at risk” from stablecoins. Apart from delving into the potential for stablecoins to offer interest, two other issues were floated – the potential to allow stablecoin issuers access to the Federal Reserve and / or deposit insurance. This would help reduce the impact of de-peg events.
Origin Quantum launches Tianji 4.0 to support scalable quantum systems offering standardized workflows capable of being executed by non-specialist engineers
Origin Quantum Computing Technology has released its fourth-generation quantum control system, Tianji 4.0, which supports over 500 qubits and supports China’s continuing efforts toward building scalable, industrial-grade quantum computing infrastructure. Tianji 4.0 introduces improvements across scalability, integration, stability, and automation. It reflects a move from intense hardware tuning to standardized workflows capable of being executed by non-specialist engineers. Tianji 4.0 integrates with four core software systems developed by Origin Quantum. This full-stack integration streamlines the testing and tuning of superconducting qubit chips, which traditionally required input from PhD-level specialists. The result, according to the company, is a more repeatable and scalable approach to engineering, which prepares the system for use in future hundred-qubit quantum devices. Guo Guoping, director of the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center and chief scientist at Origin Quantum, emphasized that the launch signifies a transition from prototype-level development to replicable engineering production. This could lay the foundation for mass production of quantum systems that are both higher in qubit count and more reliable in operation, which are essential requirements for practical use in computation-heavy sectors. The functionality offered by Tianji 4.0 suggests a continued focus on hardware-software co-design, system stability under increasing qubit counts, and preparation for industrial deployment, as well as prioritization of higher-throughput and modular quantum platforms within China’s domestic quantum ecosystem.
Balance’s new RTP-powered Instant Bank Connection allows buyers to link their accounts using only routing and account numbers
Balance, the financial infrastructure platform for B2B commerce, launched Instant Bank Connection, a new capability powered by Real-Time Payment (RTP) rails that simplifies ACH setup for buyers and speeds up payments to merchants—improving cash flow and reducing processing costs. Balance’s new RTP-powered Instant Bank Connection capability allows buyers to link their accounts using only routing and account numbers. This real-time verification streamlines the buyer experience while giving merchants immediate payment confirmation, faster payouts, improved cash flow, and the ability to release goods sooner with confidence—accelerating fulfillment and strengthening customer relationships. Balance’s RTP-powered bank connection is more than just a faster onboarding method—it’s a strategic lever for B2B merchants looking to scale with efficiency. By making ACH payments as seamless as cards, merchants can unlock significantly lower processing costs. By combining RTP-powered bank verification with AI-powered credit management, billing, collections, and cash application, Balance empowers merchants to reduce overhead, improve cash flow, and scale with confidence. Bar Geron, CEO and Co-founder of Balance said “With RTP-enabled ACH payments, they can reduce costs and accelerate access to funds—all while giving buyers a smooth, payment experience.”