Latest news with #NicolasTUCAT
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
What The June 28 European Accessibility Act Deadline Means For Brands
This photograph taken on March 19, 2025 shows European flags outside the EU headquarters in ... More Brussels. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images) In less than a week from now, on June 28, 2025, the requirements of the European Accessibility Act come into force. The intention behind the EAA is to provide fair and equitable access to digital products to the more than 100 million consumers with disabilities living across the European Union. One of the key things to keep in mind about the EEA is that it doesn't just affect European companies. It applies to any organization from around the world selling into the EU market. It goes beyond standard web accessibility and e-commerce, incorporating areas such as computers and operating systems, smartphones, digital TV services, ATMS, ticketing machines and other digital kiosks within its remit. The legislation requires companies to do more than simply make digital products and content accessible. Instead, it seeks to embed accessibility commitments and best practices at a more fundamental organizational level through requirements like official accessibility statements and providing specialized training to staff. Non-compliance with the EAA can lead to fines and ultimately the termination of EU market access. The proximity of the deadline may for some be a cause for panic but cutting through the noise, here are what some digital accessibility specialists are urging organizations to keep in mind with less than a week to go: It's still not too late to get started 'It's not too late to start addressing accessibility. Starting now is better than not doing anything about EAA compliance,' says Jon Avila, Chief Accessibility Officer at Level Access, one of the leading providers of digital accessibility services in the United States. Avila continues, 'For organizations just getting started, the most important steps to take now to mitigate risk are demonstrating that you're taking action to make sustained progress, and beginning to put processes in place aligned with EAA requirements. One of the biggest gaps we observe is third-party content. Companies often assume that embedded tools or plugins are outside their responsibility, but under the EAA, they're very much in scope. We recommend that organizations make accessibility a requirement during the procurement process and request documented proof of accessibility (e.g., a completed VPAT report) from vendors prior to making a purchase.' Eric Portis, a Developer Evangelist at Cloudinary, a software company that helps organizations manage their visual content online, also agrees that it's still not too late to get started with EAA compliance. 'The best time to consider the accessibility of a project was before you shipped it, but the second-best time is today. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are just a big checklist. And while checking every item off the list before June is not a realistic goal for many teams, everyone can start tackling an item or two and begin building momentum towards full compliance. All progress is good progress,' Portis says. The AI landscape has changed Back in 2020, when AI website accessibility overlay widgets hit the market, they were met with a degree of skepticism. That's because the marketing claims were bold – buy a software subscription and let AI do its magic in both spotting and fixing accessibility fails, saving you time and money. It quickly became widely accepted that the technology was, in fact, nowhere near ready to entirely replace human oversight for accessibility remediation. Fast forward five years, and the same remains true but the technology has undoubtedly gotten a lot better meaning that, though AI won't solve all digital accessibility issues, it can now do a lot more of the heavy lifting which genuinely allows teams to focus more precisely on the more nuanced human elements related to user experience. What this ultimately means for the market was recently brought into sharp relief in a report authored by AAAnow, leading digital compliance benchmarking specialists based in London. AAAnow's report looked at the websites of organizations comprising The Valuable 500, a collective of some of the most profitable companies on the planet with long-standing pledges to accessibility and inclusion, including the likes of Apple, Google and BP. According to the V500 scorecard, the average member organization manages around 178 websites, each comprising around 211 pages. To remediate accessibility on the average of 85% of pages where it is required would take 3,480 workdays, or 13 full-time staff working for a year (per org). In terms of cost, this equates to $767,000 per company just for initial compliance, let alone maintenance. Scaled across the full Valuable 500, that's over $380 million and 9 years of full-time work at current capacity. 'We argue that only a risk-managed, AI-powered approach can address the scale, cost, and operational complexity. It's not a 'nice-to-have' - it's fundamental,' commented AAAnow CEO Lawrence Shaw in an earlier interview. Regulation is not something to fear Instinctively, when any type of new regulation comes into force, particularly one that potentially involves fines and other punitive measures, fear and trepidation tend to be the most common reactions off the bat. Yet, it can be argued that brands should welcome the new regulations from the EU as they provide clarity and a roadmap into areas of technical compliance that have previously been murky. In a recent company press release, Amit Borsok, CEO of Italy-based Accessiway, which takes an end-to-end approach to accessibility remediation involving both automation and human testers, said, 'European regulations have shifted the narrative around accessibility from a compliance issue to a strategic investment. Until now, regulatory fragmentation across member states has prevented companies from fully capitalizing on this potential, increasing compliance costs and limiting competitiveness. 'Now, instead of being a hurdle, the new framework provides clarity that encourages companies to invest in accessible technologies and services to expand their market reach. For many organizations, accessibility has evolved from a nice-to-have to a competitive necessity. With regulation now offering predictability and standardization, uncertainty is reduced for investors, and new opportunities for innovation are unlocked.' Though the word deadline usually implies finality, whether, as an organization, you are right at the start of your digital accessibility journey and anxiously playing catch-up, or significantly further down the line, June 28 will surely be the opening of a new chapter for all involved. The story about to unfold will be one of whether human intention layered onto ever more advanced technology can ultimately help make access to the digital realm an equitable experience for everyone.
eNCA
17-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Brussels march urges EU to act over Budapest Pride ban threat
Thousands of LGBT activists marched through central Brussels on Saturday, calling on European leaders to act against Hungary's right-wing government after it moved to ban the Budapest Pride parade. The march followed a law passed in Hungary in March that bans LGBT Pride events and allows facial recognition to identify organisers, a move widely condemned by rights groups and EU officials as an attack on civil liberties. "We have come to sound the alarm," Viktoria Radvanyi, the chair of Budapest Pride, said while standing on a platform at the event. "What is really alarming is that we have not seen the (European) Commission take any legal action in two months," said Radvanyi, who wore a rainbow-coloured necklace. Although she met some Commission representatives on Friday, she accused the EU executive of being "complicit" with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban through its inaction AFP | Nicolas TUCAT "Do your job," she said, waving a Hungarian flag -- a slogan immediately taken up by the crowd, who held signs reading "Protect your children from Orban". "I think it's really important that we keep turning out for every pride as long as there are people in the world facing discrimination," said Migiel Moens, 39, who was in the crowd with European flag sticking out of his pink shorts. Roland Papp, a 35-year-old journalist who attended Budapest Pride for years, described a "horrible time". "People tend to think that once you have your rights, they're not going to be taken away. That's not true," he said. "Budapest pride had been going on for 30 years and now it's really going back to the horrible times," he said, vowing to be in the Hungarian capital on June 28 for the event. AFP | Nicolas TUCAT Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony, welcomed on stage by two drag queens, vowed that the parade would go ahead. "Budapest Pride cannot be banned, for the simple reason that love and freedom cannot be banned," said Karacsony, inviting supporters from across Europe to join what organisers hope will be the "biggest, most colourful and most international" pride event ever seen.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
More Upside For MSFT Stock After An Impressive Q3?
The Microsoft logo is displayed on a screen during a speech by Microsoft vice-chair and president ... More "digital resilience in a time of geopolitical volatility" at the Atlantic Council, in Brussels on April 30, 2025. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images) Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) has recently announced its fiscal Q3 2025 results (the fiscal year concludes in June), with both revenue and earnings surpassing expectations. The company reported $70.1 billion in revenue and earnings of $3.46 per share, compared to the consensus estimates of $68.4 billion and $3.22, respectively. Microsoft continued to benefit from rising sales of Azure cloud computing services. Furthermore, the outlook for the fourth quarter surpassed street expectations, contributing to the increase in the stock price following the earnings announcement. We believe that MSFT still has additional growth potential despite its recent gains. Even with a 6% decline year-to-date (as of April 30th), Microsoft's (MSFT) stock performance has been a bit better than that of the broader NASDAQ index, which has dropped by 10%. We expect Microsoft will experience a relatively smaller effect from the existing tariff situation in comparison to many other technology firms—a resilience reflected in the company's positive outlook. However, if you seek an upside with a smoother experience than holding an individual stock, consider the High-Quality portfolio, which has outperformed the S&P and achieved >91% returns since its inception. Microsoft's revenue of $70.1 billion in Q1 represented a 13% year-over-year increase. Analyzing the segments, sales in Productivity and Business Processes rose by 10% to $29.9 billion, driven by increased sales of Microsoft 365 products and LinkedIn solutions. Revenue from the Intelligent Cloud segment grew by 21% to $26.8 billion, primarily due to Azure and other cloud offerings. Finally, sales in More Personal Computing increased by 6% to $13.4 billion, driven by growth in Windows OEM and devices, along with higher gaming sales. Microsoft saw a 33% rise in revenue from Azure and cloud services. The company not only experienced higher sales but also expanded its operating margin by 110 basis points year-over-year to 45.7%. Increased revenues, combined with margin expansion, led to earnings of $3.46 per share, an 18% increase year-over-year. Looking ahead, Microsoft anticipates its Q4 revenue to be around $73.7 billion, exceeding the consensus estimate of $72.3 billion. This projection accounts for a 34% to 35% growth in Azure, compared to the anticipated 31%. A strong Q3 and a positive outlook were well-received by investors, resulting in a 7% surge in MSFT stock during after-hours trading. However, assessing a slightly longer timeframe, the increase in MSFT stock over the past four years has been far from steady, with annual returns being significantly more volatile than the S&P 500. The returns for the stock were 52% in 2021, -28% in 2022, 58% in 2023, and 13% in 2024. In contrast, the Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, which includes 30 stocks, is significantly less volatile. Moreover, it has outperformed the S&P 500 comfortably over the last four years. Why is that? As a collective, HQ Portfolio stocks offered better returns with lower risk relative to the benchmark index; demonstrating less volatility, as seen in HQ Portfolio performance metrics. Considering the current uncertain macroeconomic environment concerning tariffs and trade wars, could MSFT encounter a similar scenario as it did in 2022 and 2024 and underperform the S&P over the next 12 months, or will it experience a substantial increase? Despite its recent rise, we believe MSFT stock has further room for growth. We estimate Microsoft's Valuation at $500 per share, indicating a potential upside of nearly 18% from its current after-hours trading price of $423. This forecast is grounded on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 39x applied to the trailing twelve-month earnings per share of $12.94. Although the current P/E ratio of 39x exceeds the stock's four-year average of 35x, we believe this elevated valuation is warranted given the anticipated earnings growth driven by increasing contributions from its Cloud business. While MSFT stock appears to have room for more growth, it is useful to examine how Microsoft's Peers perform on important metrics. Additional valuable comparisons for companies across various industries can be found at Peer Comparisons.
Forbes
23-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
European Commerce Will Suffer EU's Attacks On Apple And Meta The Most
This photograph taken on March 19, 2025 shows European flags outside the EU headquarters in ... More Brussels. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images) The EU is soon to intimately understand a truth too often lost on politicians and regulators: the only closed economy is the world economy. This will become apparent in the aftermath of the EU's $570 million and $228 million fines respectively levied on Apple and Meta. The EU's regulators will describe the fines as harmful to Apple and Meta uniquely, and consequences of their alleged failure to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). It will perhaps sound nice in the press releases, but it won't be so nice for European businesses reliant on the market reach and resulting prosperity of Apple and Meta. To see why, contemplate a recent Wall Street Journal headline concerning Meta. It reads this way: 'Meta Faces $7 billion In Lost Ad Revenue From China.' Well, yes. What's true for misguided pols in the EU is similarly true for misguided American political figures who view tariffs as something 'others' pay. Precisely because the United States has long been a large version of 'Hong Kong' when it comes to low tariffs, producers around the world have worked feverishly to serve American workers rendered most productive (the division of labor loves workers more than any other economic arrangement ever conceived) by an open stance to imports that by extension has rendered them most acquisitive. That the U.S. market has long been so enticing to foreign producers has logically redounded to U.S. social media companies like Meta on which Americans spend so much of their free time. Meta's sites are ad-supported, and it's no surprise that foreign businesses (including Chinese giants like Temu and Shein) have spent impressive sums on ad placement at the various Meta sites as a way of catching the eyes of the world's greatest producers who are, by extension, the world's greatest consumers. Amid 145% tariffs slapped on Chinese goods, ad spending by Chinese business stateside will decline substantially. Bringing it back to Europe, the EU, and the DMA, among other things the Act demands that Meta provide free access to European users even if they choose the ad-free version of Meta's social media sites. Which means Meta is being asked to give its product away for free. Tough just on Meta? Not a chance. As its unique size and reach attests, European businesses very much rely on Meta to reach customers. Translated, the pain of ad-free Meta sites by decree will be felt most acutely by European businesses striving for growth. What about Apple? The DMA 'requires major platform holders or "gatekeepers" like Apple to provide third-party developers equal access to iOS and iPadOS system tools and features.' Translated, Apple must make its globally revered products operable with apps and products not specifically vetted by Apple. That's like U.S. regulators telling Ferrari that it must open up its cars to inputs manufactured by Dodge. Not a chance. Apple not only has a right to restrict which third-party users can operate on its systems, it must do so. And it must do so to the betterment of all third-party players, including those from Europe. Precisely because Apple's products are so beloved, third parties benefit substantially from inclusion. If Apple is forced toward permission-free architecture, it will lose and by extension third party app developers will lose via the destruction of Apple's brand. It's being said that excessive enforcement of the DMA by the EU is a veiled swipe at President Trump's tariffs from the EU. If so, or even if not, the results of illiberalism by governmental bodies on both sides of the Atlantic are clear for all to see. What harms 'them' harms us, and vice versa. As always, the only closed economy is the world economy.
