Verizon’s latest push in connected cars will include more than just Wifi.
“The connected vehicle ecosystem is so much more than that,” Andrés Irlando, CEO of Verizon Connect, told Cheddar. “What we do is essentially help customers to optimize their connection to their vehicles and their mobile resources more generally.”
The telecom giant invested $5 billion to launch “Verizon Connect” for consumers and companies on Tuesday. It’s a merger of three fleet management and mobile software brands, Telematics, Fleetmatics, and Telogis, which together will provide logistics and data analytics.
Irlando said the technology has already helped clients boost safety and productivity. He pointed to one customer in particular, online grocer FreshDirect.
“To improve driver behavior, they’re able to track speeding, harsh braking, harsh turns, seatbelt usage,” he said. “We provide solutions that are focused on safety and security, so think about solutions like automatic crash notifications.”
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
About 780,000 pressure washers sold at retailers like Home Depot are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada, due to a projectile hazard that has resulted in fractures and other injuries among some consumers.
President Donald Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to break a 2-2 tie ahead of the board considering the largest railroad merger ever proposed.
