If companies could hand off their mundane administrative tasks to software robots, employees could focus on higher-level work. That’s Blue Prism’s pitch, and an increasing number of companies—in finance, health care, law, and other industries—are receptive. Blue Prism’s “Robotic Process Automation” software mimics the way humans complete rules-based tasks, such as manually entering data from a paper form into a database. The U.K.-based firm recently expanded its U.S. and Australian operations and signed partnerships with Accenture and IBM. It is currently worth about 500 million pounds, a tenfold increase in value since it went public in March 2016.
Blue Prism invented the term Robotic Process Automation. Its software platform enables business operations to be agile and cost-effective through rapid automation of manual, rules-based, back-office administrative processes, reducing cost and improving accuracy by creating a “virtual workforce”.
The virtual workforce is built by the operational teams or accredited Blue Prism partners using the company's robotic process automation technology to rapidly build and deploy automation through leveraging the presentation layer of existing enterprise applications. The automation schemes are configured and managed within an IT governed framework and operating model that has been iteratively developed through numerous large scale and complex deployments.
What Is a Blue Book?
The Blue Book or Kelley Blue Book is a guidebook that compiles and quotes prices for new and used automobiles and other vehicles of all makes, models, and types. First published in 1926 by Los Angeles car dealer Les Kelley, the Blue Book was originally only available to those in the automotive industry, but both a consumer edition and an online edition was made available in the 1990s for the general public. The Blue Book provides a fair market range reflecting an estimated range of prices car buyers will pay for a specific car based on make, model, style, and year.
Key Takeaways
- The Blue Book, also known as the Kelley Blue Book, is a popular and trusted guide for automotive price quotes in North America.
- Blue Books show car buyers and sellers what prices others have paid to acquire vehicles of the same make, model, year, and comparable mileage and use.
- The Blue Book analyzes the private party value, trade-in value, suggested retail value, certified pre-owned (CPO) value, and many other prices for used cars.
- Blue Books can also help car buyers determine the potential future costs of car ownership, such as the costs of fuel, maintenance, repairs, and insurance.
Understanding the Blue Book
Blue Book has become the premier appraisal guide for vehicle price quotes in North America. Car sellers and car buyers will consult the Blue Book to determine the resale value of used cars. Kelley Blue Book also provides an real cash value for vehicles. This can be used to check your insurance company's valuation should you get in a wreck, and potentially negotiate with them.
The Blue Book analyzes the private party value, trade-in value, suggested retail value, and certified pre-owned (CPO) value for used cars. The new car Blue Book shows what consumers are currently paying for new cars.
Over the decades, Blue Book pricing guides have been published for a variety of markets—including guides for motorcycles, travel trailers, campers, ATVs, snowmobiles, and manufactured housing.
How Blue Books Are Used
Blue Books show buyers and sellers of automobiles what prices others have paid—the so-called fair purchase price—to acquire vehicles of the same make, model, year, and comparable mileage and use. Furthermore, Blue Books can detail the anticipated costs associated with a vehicle such as fuel, maintenance, repairs, insurance, and financing, along with the anticipated depreciation of its value over time. That way, buyers can see the potential cost to own the vehicle five years out from the date it is acquired.
How the Blue Book Determines Car Prices
The fair purchase price listed in the Blue Book is established to show the price other consumers typically pay for the same vehicle. These prices are adjusted based on the region where the transactions take place from new-vehicle purchases that occur across the country. The prices are adjusted on a recurring basis to account for changes in market conditions.
The Blue Book does not show the lowest prices paid in the market for vehicles, but rather the going price that a vehicle currently sells for. The prices in the Blue Book are set by gathering data on thousands of consumer vehicle purchase prices. This is coupled with data taken from national vehicle registration databases. Kelley Blue Book reviews the aggregate information each week. The company uses a proprietary algorithm to analyze pricing data, historical trends, location, time of year, and economic conditions to come up with the value ranges it compiles in the Blue Book.
Special Considerations
Originated by the Kelley Blue Book Company, which was acquired by AutoTrader.com and Cox Automotive, the guidebook is not to be confused with other titles referred to as “blue books,” such as the Social Security Blue Book that lists disabling impairments.
In addition to the Blue Book, there are several other resources car buyers and sellers can consult to research car pricing. J.D. Power and Consumer Reports both offer consumers a variety of resources, including data on new car prices, used car book value, and vehicle history reports. For those planning to rely on a loan for financing a vehicle purchase, an auto loan calculator is another tool worth adding to their arsenal.
The Columbus Blue Jackets Book Jackets program presented by Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage is a memorizing incentive program that uses the excitement of the Columbus Blue Jackets to encourage students in grades K-8 to spend more time reading.
The program is easy for teachers to implement and helps students become All-Star Readers by providing great Blue Jackets incentives to reach memorizing goals. Book Jackets can be run over a four-week period from August 2023 - May 2024 in the classroom.
Additional resources are available, including extra welcome packet contents, certificates of achievement, and hockey-themed book suggestions courtesy of the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
- Register your classroom(s). After registering, you will be emailed a welcome packet that includes the following digital materials:
- Book Jackets Instruction Manual
- Classroom minute tracking poster
- Student scorecards
- Letter for your student's parents/guardians about the program
- Your students' parents/guardians will help keep track of minutes read outside the classroom that will be reported back to teachers weekly.
- At the end of the four weeks, teachers will submit classroom forms onto this website
- Students whose minutes are submitted will receive prizing for completing the program.
- Your classroom's "All Star Reader" will be invited to an All-Star Skate at the OhioHealth Ice Haus.
- Four classes will be randomly selected for a Stinger classroom visit, courtesy of Jet's Pizza.
- Teachers will receive a complimentary ticket offer to a Blue Jackets home game.
- Please note 2023-24 program deadlines:
- August: Registration for Book Jackets opens for the 2023-24 school year.
- April 1: Last day to register for Book Jackets for the 2022-23 school year.
- May 3: Program deadline for all memorizing minute submissions.
Additional resources are available, including extra welcome packet contents, certificates of achievement, and hockey-themed book suggestions courtesy of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. CLICK HERE
For any questions about the Book Jackets program, please email education@bluejackets.com.
Austin’s oldest film festival and premiere LGBTQ+ film fest of the Southwest, aGLIFF announces the Opening Night and five additional films for the 36th annual festival PRISM 36 taking place in-person August 23–27, 2023 in Austin, TX. The annual event will celebrate in-person throughout the vibrant city of Austin with screenings, events, Q&As and more. More information on the festival can be found at agliff.org/prism.
Kicking off the festival and offering something for everyone is Glitter & Doom, a jukebox musical featuring the iconic music of the Grammy®-Award winning Indigo Girls. This fantastical romance follows a musician who uses charisma as his guise and a happy-go-lucky kid about to run away to the circus, when they fall in love at first sight in this musical delight starring Alex Diaz, Alan Cammish, Missy Pyle, Ming-Na Wen, Tig Notaro, Peppermint, and Beth Malone with cameo roles from icons Lea DeLaria and Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray and Emily Saliers.
“I’m excited to kick off PRISM 36 with Glitter & Doom, a bold, queer vision full of music, dance and imagery, capturing all the possibilities of film,” said Artistic Director Bears Rebecca Fonté, “Like most musicals, the songs are the language of love, and great love demands great songs. The Indigo Girls have given us so many great songs over the years, but now director Tom Gustafson has reimagined them with all the pizazz of Moulin Rouge to turn even beloved classics into something unexpected.”
Named the 2022 Nonprofit of the Year by the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, aGLIFF cultivates the Texas LGBTQ+ community by enlightening, educating, and entertaining moviegoers through programs that enrich LGBTQ+ and ally communities while developing LGBTQ+ awareness. The nonprofit organization’s programs include Community Partnership Programs, “Queer Spectrum” Monthly Screening Series, and the Queer Black Voices Fund, all of which culminate around its annual film festival, PRISM.
“Our theme this year is ‘Find Your Friends at aGLIFF’s PRISM 36.’ We felt like going back to our roots as a gathering space for Austin LGBTQ+ individuals is more important than ever,” said aGLIFF Board President Todd Hogan. “While we’ve made significant progress politically over the past 36 years, recent legislative attacks on our transgender family and drag community threaten everyone’s right to live and love freely as humans. We believe in the universal language of film, which helps people discover shared humanity. As we continue to confront institutional bias, we are more driven than ever to educate both within and outside our LGBTQ+ community through powerful stories captured on film. We believe there is power in coming together to share our stories and celebrate our diversity. aGLIFF’s PRISM Film Festival can do that and we invite everyone to join us to catch up with old friends and meet some new friends in the process.”
For PRISM 36, aGLIFF will additionally offer a virtual component August 28 – September 4, 2023, after the in-person festival has concluded. The PRISM 36 virtual festival will not be a full line up but will include select titles playing in-person.
More information about the PRISM 36 festival will be announced over the coming weeks.
OPENING NIGHT
Glitter & Doom | US | 2023 | 115 minutes | English | Southwest Premiere
Director: Tom Gustafson |Writer: Cory Krueckberg |Cast: Alex Diaz, Alan Cammish, Ming-Na Wen, Missi Pyle, Tig Notaro, Peppermint, Beth Malone, Kate Pierson
Set to the tunes of queer icons the Indigo Girls (who make cameos as well), this whirlwind musical tale between a dour young emo singer-songwriter (Cammish) and the impulsive circus dreamer Glitter (Diaz) explodes from the streets of Mexico City like a big sparkly, rainbow firework. With both boys struggling to make it to stardom despite their meddling mothers and the distractions of a surreal Baz Luhrmann-like cityscape, there’s no need to ‘Get Out the Map’ to romance, at aGLIFF’s opening night, ‘Love Will Come to You.’
FIRST FIVE
1946: A Mistranslation that Changed Culture | US | 2022 | 92 minutes | English | Southwest Premiere
Director: Sharon “Rocky” Roggio |Screenwriters: Jena Serbu, Jill Woodword |Featuring: Cheryl Anderson, Kathy Baldock, Steve Greenberg
A conservative Christian woman who cannot reconcile the church’s teachings and her new lesbian friend who doesn’t seem at all like a filthy evil sinner, searches for reasons behind the homophobia in the modern church. Deep in the archives of the translation team of the Revised Standard Edition of the bible, she finds her answer, and even more mystery.
Chasing Chasing Amy | US | 2023 | 95 minutes | English | Southwest Premiere
Director and Writer: Sav Rodgers |Featuring: Kevin Smith, Joey Lauren Adams, Guinevere Turner, Andrew Ahn
Trans filmmaker Sav Rodgers delves into the film that first introduced him to the LGBTQ world – Chasing Amy – despite its problematic place in the queer cannon and its very cis-het creator, Comic Book Bro Kevin Smith. Making a pilgrimage to the locations of the 1997 film with his girlfriend, Rodgers searches to understand and express why this film has meant so much to him on his journey.
Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn | US | 2023 | 94 minutes | English | Southwest Premiere
Director: Timothy Harris |Executive Producer: Al Roker |Featuring: Malcolm Kenyatta, Matthew Jordan-Miller Kenyatta
The most important senate race in 2022, Pennsylvania, began with a primary that cut ‘straight’ to the core of what it means to be electable in America. Malcolm Kenyatta, a self-described “poor, Black, and gay kid from North Philly,” runs into the wall of two hundred plus years of Pennsylvanian history of only sending white (and straight) men to the US Senate.
Lie With Me | France | 2022 | 98 minutes | French | Southwest Premiere
Director: Oliver Peyon |Writers: Philippe Besson, Arthur Cahn, Olivier Peyon | Cast: Guillaume de Tonquédec, Victor Belmondo, Guilaine Londez
Based on the novel by Philippe Besson, this coming-of-age drama whisks a queer author back to the memories of his first love when he returns for the first time to picturesque Cognac, France, the setting of all his books.
Two Lives in Pittsburgh | US | 2022 | 91 minutes | English | Southwest Premiere
Director and Writer: Brian Silverman | Cast: Annie O’Donnell, Sky Elobar, Brian Silverman
Confronted by his child’s exploration of gender, an old-school blue-collar guy stumbles between who he has always been and who his child needs him to be. An uplifting film about imperfect people in an imperfect world.
TICKETS: aGLIFF encourages fans to consider membership to get the best access and support aGLIFF’s year-round programming. Members and badge holders have priority access to reserving tickets for individual films and events upon purchase.
PRISM 36: Early bird festival badges are available through July 23 for $95; regular price badges available at $125 beginning July 24. Memberships get the best access, support aGLIFF’s year-round programming, and include festival badges and an array of other perks depending on the level. Memberships are available now; Festival badges are on sale now at agliff.org/badges. A limited number of single tickets for the opening night film are available now for $25 and include the opening night screening, live Q&A, the opening night reception with lights bites and a complimentary drink ticket. All other single tickets will start at $15, plus applicable service fees and will be on sale one week before the festival based on availability.
aGLIFF MEMBERSHIP: Memberships start for as low as $25 a month and are available for purchase now. Memberships can be paid upfront or in monthly installments. Memberships include festival badges and an array of other perks depending on the level and range in price from $300 to $2500 and above. Memberships are available now at agliff.org/members.
PRESS: For press needs including access to events, interviews, reviews, or film screeners please contact nicole.shiro@motleycrewmedia.com
SPONSORS: aGLIFF is made possible by the generous support of our annual partners Tito’s Handmade Vodka, KIND Clinic, Crunch Consulting, and EDGE Media Network with additional support from the Texas Commission on the Arts, Midtown Title, Estes Audiology, AFS Cinema, Galaxy Theatre Austin, and The Fowler Family.
CONNECT WITH aGLIFF:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aGLIFF/
Twitter @agliff https://twitter.com/agliff
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/agliffest/
#aGLIFF
About aGLIFF:
Founded in 1987 aGLIFF is Austin’s oldest film festival and became a 501(c)3 in 1995. The festival began as a four-day event with just four films primarily focused on coming out and the AIDS epidemic. It has grown into a multifaceted nonprofit organization with year-round community programs and events culminating each year in the annual film festival. Originally named the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (1987) the organization changed its name in 2018 to All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival to reflect the changing landscape of how queer people identify, and as of 2020 now goes by simply aGLIFF. In 2019, the Board of Directors selected PRISM as the festival theme to highlight the way the festival can refract a single beam of art into multiple viewpoints, showcasing all the voices in the spectrum of our LGBTQIA+ community through film.
The organization’s mission is to create positive and visible film programs relevant to the lives of LGBTQIA+ identified people, to educate the community about LGBTQIA+ issues, to produce and promote the best in LGBTQIA+ community building events, and to support and partner with other organizations to enlighten the public.
Saudi Arabia's Riyad Bank accelerates operational transformation by automating 200 processes with SS&C Blue Prism intelligent automation platform
WINDSOR, Conn., Aug. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSNC) today announced Riyad Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, has successfully transitioned its automation program to SS&C Blue Prism. The bank sought to upgrade its automation solution to support three main business objectives: customer experience, innovation and performance culture.
"We've been able to transform operations at great scale in a very short timeframe due to the unrivalled support from SS&C Blue Prism and our capabilities in Riyad Bank," said Abdulrahman Al-Huthail, EVP Operations, Riyad Bank. "With greater automation infrastructure, pipeline and delivery, Riyad Bank's workforce is now fully invested in intelligent automation due to the benefits it has seen over the past six months. We are excited about what transformational results we can achieve next."
So far, the Bank has implemented automation across eight areas of operations, including corporate payment operations, ATM and cash management, consumer finance operations, retail operations, governance, and operational excellence.
Throughout the six months, SS&C Blue Prism digital workers have:
- Handled up to 200 processes across eight areas of operations.
- Returned more than 150,000 hours to the business, providing time for more innovation, an opportunity to better serve its customers, and a better working environment for its employees.
Among improvements, Riyad Bank is benefitting from intelligent automation in the end-of-day transaction handling for bank tellers. Previously, bank tellers were preparing the customers transfer of check and cash deposit forms manually. The manual process meant more time and resources had to be allocated to complete these transactions by end-of-day. The automation team worked with the business unit on nine processes, which reduced processing time from 240 seconds to 45 seconds (81%) per document. The automation improved working conditions for team members and enabled them to concentrate on higher-value tasks.
"The results Riyad Bank has achieved in just six months demonstrate the significant transformational value automation can bring when you have right culture and support in place," said Jerry Hubbard, General Manager, EMEA, SS&C Blue Prism. "Alongside SS&C Blue Prism's trusted partner, we're excited to see how Riyad Bank continues to take its organization forward while benefitting its employees and customers."
More than 2,800 customers worldwide run their operations on SS&C Blue Prism, digitizing operations across financial services, insurance, health and pharma, banking, and more.
About Riyad Bank
Riyad Bank is one of the largest financial institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. Established in 1957, with a paid-up capital of SAR 30 billion. The Bank's professional and dedicated staff base has mainly driven its success throughout the years. With more than 5,900 employees, Riyad Bank takes pride in being among the Saudi organizations with the highest national employment rate of 95%. 28% of them are women.
Riyad Bank provides a comprehensive range of products and services fully compliant with the Islamic Sharia' to meet the needs of both retail and corporate customers, including small and medium-size enterprises. Riyad Bank offers innovative and remarkable financing solutions through a network of 340 licensed branches, and more than 138,511 POS, in addition to more than 2,242 ATMs well distributed in strategic & carefully selected locations around the Kingdom.
About SS&C Technologies
SS&C is a global provider of services and software for the financial services and healthcare industries. Founded in 1986, SS&C is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, and has offices around the world. Some 20,000 financial services and healthcare organizations, from the world's largest companies to small and mid-market firms, rely on SS&C for expertise, scale and technology.
Additional information about
Follow SS&C on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/692536/SSC_Logo.jpg
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/riyad-bank-chooses-ssc-blue-prism-to-boost-customer-experience-and-operational-excellence-301899223.html
When buying or selling a used car, many people rely on the Kelley Blue Book (KBB), which has been around since 1926. One sign of its popularity: In 2017, over 20 million unique visitors per month visited the Kelley Blue Book website, today the number is likely even higher.
Although automotive experts acknowledge that the Kelley Blue Book is one of the most popular and trusted guides in automotive pricing, the question remains: Is it accurate and reliable? Here’s a look at how Kelley determines car pricing, an assessment of some issues consumers might encounter with KBB pricing, and a brief review of some of the top competitors in the industry.
Key Takeaways
- The Kelley Blue Book—and its equally popular website—is one of the most trusted guides for automobile pricing, used by those who are buying or selling cars.
- Kelley assesses a wide array of different values to both used and new vehicles. For used vehicles some of them include: Trade-in value, typical listing price, fair purchasing price (CPO), and private party.
- Kelley determines Blue Book values by analyzing pricing information from real-world used car prices, as well as industry developments, economic conditions, and location.
- Potential problems with Blue Book values include a delay as price information is assessed, the consumer tendency to overrate the value of the car they are selling or trading in, and a mismatch between wholesale values listed by Kelley and the prices used by dealers, who access special industry-only pricing info.
How Kelley Blue Book Determines Car Values
Kelley Blue Book receives real-world used car prices from wholesale auctions, independent and franchised dealers, rental fleets, auto manufacturers, lessors, and private party transactions. Using this data, they make weekly updates to prices.
Kelley’s proprietary algorithm analyzes pricing data along with historical trends, current economic conditions, industry developments, time of year, and location to determine Kelley Blue Book values.
That process results in 12 different used car values, in addition to several new car values. Some of the most crucial used car values are:
- Private-party value: The starting point for a negotiation between a private buyer and seller for "as is" sales.
- Trade-in value: The amount you are likely to get from a dealer for a trade-in.
- Typical listing price: Represents what dealers are typically asking for the used car.
- Fair purchase price (CPO): The price consumers may reasonably expect to pay for a certified pre owned car of this year, make, and model.
Some Issues With KBB Pricing
Some factors that could affect the accuracy of KBB values are lag time, consumer bias, and mismatched data.
Lag Time
It takes time for data and analysis to make its way through KBB. Prices listed may not always reflect the very latest trends and economic conditions.
Consumer Bias
Most people think the car they are selling or trading in is in better condition than it really is. If you misjudge the condition of a car for trade-in or purchase, your expectations may not match the reality of KBB’s valuation structure.
Mismatched Data
Most dealers do not use KBB for trade-in (wholesale) values. Instead, many rely on National Auto Research’s Black Book or the Manheim Market Report, neither of which is available to the public. More important, both tend to skew lower than KBB in wholesale pricing.
1926
The year Les Kelley, a Los Angeles car dealer, published the first Kelley Blue Book.
Solutions for Consumers
If you use KBB as a general guide and follow the suggestions below, Kelley Blue Book data can be very useful.
Print out Definitions
If negotiating to buy a used car from a private seller, show KBB’s car condition definitions to the seller, especially if you believe the car is priced too high.
Negotiate
KBB’s pricing structure tends to favor dealers, meaning listed retail prices can be higher than other guides. Start with the listed retail price and bargain down.
Ask for Sources
Be aware that insider guides like Manheim or Black Book tend to show lower wholesale prices than KBB. Ask about the source of the trade-in offer or wholesale price.
Consult Other Guides
Consult one or more other websites or pricing guides to get an “average” for the vehicle you are trading in, selling, or planning to buy.
Since the three main consumer guides—KBB, Edmunds.com, and NADA with J.D. Power—use different algorithms, your best bet is to check all three and calculate an average price.
Additional Resources
The following are several sources you can check for pricing and rating information before buying, trading in, or selling a used car.
Edmunds: This website offers an appraisal engine that includes five car condition categories compared with KBB’s four. This can be helpful—or generate confusion—depending on how realistic you are about your car’s condition. Many experts believe Edmunds' values are more accurate than KBB's. That’s not always the case, of course, which is why getting several estimates and averaging still makes the most sense.
NADA with J.D. Power: One of the oldest guides, NADA guides were designed for dealer members of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) trade group. For consumers, NADA partners with J.D. Power. Their website will lead you to J.D. Power's site where you can research new and used vehicle values by make and body style.
Consumer Reports: The well-respected, noncommercial (no advertising accepted) publication offers lots of information if you buy an online subscription, less if you don’t. The website features general pricing on used cars, information on reliability, cars to avoid, and much more.
The Bottom Line
Kelley Blue Book is a very good resource, but it should not be the only one you consult. Although none of the top used car buying guides is perfect, when taken together—along with additional information gained from other websites and tools, such as auto loan calculators—they can provide reasonably reliable and accurate information for your used car transaction.
WINDSOR, Conn., Aug. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSNC) today announced that SS&C Blue Prism has been recognized as a Leader for the fifth consecutive year in the 2023 Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation (RPA).
"We're delighted SS&C Blue Prism has been recognized as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation for the fifth time in a row," said Bill Stone, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, SS&C Technologies. "With SS&C Blue Prism at the leading edge of the RPA market, we are well positioned to help our customers optimize their processes and transform their organizations."
SS&C Blue Prism provides intelligent automation (IA) across 2,800 companies. The SS&C Blue Prism Intelligent Automation platform delivers visibility, orchestration and control mechanisms to help enterprises manage the workforce and end-to-end processes.
For a deeper dive into 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation, get a complimentary copy of the report here.
SS&C Blue Prism digitizes operations across financial services, insurance, health and pharma, banking and more. Speak to an expert about SS&C Blue Prism's intelligent automation offering.
About the Magic Quadrant
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Robotic Process Automation, Saikat Ray, Arthur Villa, Melanie Alexander, Andy Wang, Mukul Saha, Sachin Joshi, 2 August 2023.
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
About SS&C Technologies
SS&C is a global provider of services and software for the financial services and healthcare industries. Founded in 1986, SS&C is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, and has offices around the world. Some 20,000 financial services and healthcare organizations, from the world's largest companies to small and mid-market firms, rely on SS&C for expertise, scale and technology.
SOURCE: SS&C
Additional information about SS&C (Nasdaq: SSNC) is available at www.ssctech.com.
Follow SS&C on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ssc-blue-prism-named-a-gartner-magic-quadrant-rpa-leader-for-fifth-year-running-301894716.html
SOURCE SS&C
The Red, White & Royal Blue movie is now streaming on Amazon, which means it’s time for book fans to engage in their favorite activity: Pointing out every little, tiny, pedantic change from the novel! (These fans grew up in the Harry Potter fandom, OK? We can’t help it. This is how we were socialized.)
This best-selling 2019 gay romance novel, by author Casey McQuiston, was adapted for the screen by Matthew Lopez, who directed the film and co-wrote the script with Ted Malawer. Lopez, best known for his Tony-winning Broadway play The Inheritance, has said he was a huge fan of McQuiston’s novel, and it shows. Starring Taylor Zakhar Perez as the son of the American president who falls in love with the Prince of Wales (played by Nicholas Galitzine), the Red, White & Royal Blue delivers on all the hilarious and heart-wrenching moment that made the book so popular.
That said, there were a few significant changes made from the book, for the sake of keeping the movie’s runtime under two hours. Let’s get into it.
Red, White and Royal Blue books vs. movie changes:
The biggest change to the Red, White & Royal Blue movie from the book is that, in the book, Alex has an older sister named June. Unlike Alex, June isn’t interested in pursuing a political career, and she worries that their mother is pressuring Alex to help in her campaign. In the movie, Alex is an only child. Some of June’s storylines were combined with the character named Nora (played by actor Rachel Hilson), like, for example, June’s romance with Henry’s best friend, Pez. But for the most part, June was cut from the movie. (Scroll down for more on why June was cut from the Red, White and Royal Blue movie.)
Also cut from the movie is Rafael Luna. In the book, Luna is an independent senator and mentor to Alex, who betrays the Diaz family when he endorses the Republican presidential candidate running against Alex’s mother. That said, there was a new character added to the movie: Miguel (played by actor Juan Castano) a White House reporter who once had a fling with Alex, and is still harboring some feelings for the First Son. Miguel replaces Luna as the pseudo-villain of the story.
Other small changes include: In the book, Henry’s grandmother is the crowned Queen of England, whereas in the movie it’s his grandfather who is King. (That makes sense, given that the real queen died last year. Plus, how can you say “no” to Stephen Fry as the King of England?) In the book, Alex’s parents are divorced, and in the movie, they’re still together. (Meaning the step-dad character is also gone—just simpler for everyone!)
But my personal favorite change is the way the Red, White and Royal Blue movie handles the re-election plot line. Lopez not only simplifies the political subplot of the novel, but he also gives Alex a more active role in it. In the book, Alex works on his mom’s campaign in a general policy role. He has the plan to flip Texas, but he’s going to campaign events all over the country—until his mom finds out about Henry, and takes him off the campaign. In the movie, Lopez has the brilliant idea to actually send Alex to Texas as a home base to work on the campaign there. Rather than feeling like an extraneous storyline, the re-election campaign and Alex’s plan to flip Texas now seamlessly blends into his story with Henry. That’s why he was in Texas when Henry comes to visit! Plus, now you’re even more invested when Alex does manage to flip Texas. He was on the ground, doing the work. It’s a character win, rather than just a plot win.
Why isn’t June in the Red, White and Royal Blue movie?
Of all the changes from the Red, White & Royal Blue book, likely the one that will hurt fans the most is the loss of June. Not Junebug! How can there be a White House trio without her? Unfortunately, the novel is over 400 pages, which had to be synthesized down into an under-two-hour movie. Cuts had to be made.
In a previous interview with Decider, writer-director Matthew Lopez explained, “As I was putting this movie together, I had a lot of conversations with the producers and with [author] Casey [McQuiston]. And the first thing we knew was that movie time is not the same thing as novel time. Casey’s only limitation was page count. I had a lot more limitations to contend with. The decision I made as the director of the film, was that if it was not specifically about Alex and Henry—if it did not help me understand them as individuals or as as a couple—it didn’t belong in the movie. That applied to a lot of scenes that we filmed, and then decided to take out in the editing process.”
June’s character was dubbed “not vital” to the romance between Alex and Henry, and was therefore expendable. It’s a tough call, but a fair one. In that same interview with Decider, Lopez added, “Alex and Henry are at the center, and every other thing in the movie is a tributary into those two rivers. If I could make the audience feel the same way at the end of the film as they did at the end of the book, then no matter how differently I may have gotten there, I will have felt that I had succeeded.”
Some fans may disagree, but this reporter thinks Lopez succeeded.
Stocks: Real-time U.S. stock quotes reflect trades reported through Nasdaq only; comprehensive quotes and volume reflect trading in all markets and are delayed at least 15 minutes. International stock quotes are delayed as per exchange requirements. Fundamental company data and analyst estimates provided by FactSet. Copyright 2019© FactSet Research Systems Inc. All rights reserved. Source: FactSet
Indexes: Index quotes may be real-time or delayed as per exchange requirements; refer to time stamps for information on any delays. Source: FactSet
Markets Diary: Data on U.S. Overview page represent trading in all U.S. markets and updates until 8 p.m. See Closing Diaries table for 4 p.m. closing data. Sources: FactSet, Dow Jones
Stock Movers: Gainers, decliners and most actives market activity tables are a combination of NYSE, Nasdaq, NYSE American and NYSE Arca listings. Sources: FactSet, Dow Jones
ETF Movers: Includes ETFs & ETNs with volume of at least 50,000. Sources: FactSet, Dow Jones
Bonds: Bond quotes are updated in real-time. Sources: FactSet, Tullett Prebon
Currencies: Currency quotes are updated in real-time. Sources: FactSet, Tullett Prebon
Commodities & Futures: Futures prices are delayed at least 10 minutes as per exchange requirements. Change value during the period between open outcry settle and the commencement of the next day's trading is calculated as the difference between the last trade and the prior day's settle. Change value during other periods is calculated as the difference between the last trade and the most recent settle. Source: FactSet
Data are provided 'as is' for informational purposes only and are not intended for trading purposes. FactSet (a) does not make any express or implied warranties of any kind regarding the data, including, without limitation, any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use; and (b) shall not be liable for any errors, incompleteness, interruption or delay, action taken in reliance on any data, or for any damages resulting therefrom. Data may be intentionally delayed pursuant to provider requirements.
Mutual Funds & ETFs: All of the mutual fund and ETF information contained in this display, with the exception of the current price and price history, was supplied by Lipper, A Refinitiv Company, subject to the following: Copyright 2019© Refinitiv. All rights reserved. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Lipper content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Lipper. Lipper shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
Cryptocurrencies: Cryptocurrency quotes are updated in real-time. Sources: CoinDesk (Bitcoin), Kraken (all other cryptocurrencies)
Calendars and Economy: 'Actual' numbers are added to the table after economic reports are released. Source: Kantar Media
