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From an electric ice cream scooper to a dipstick cleaner, the newest gadgets on holiday shopping lists in 1983 looked a lot different from what's available today. KCRA's John Gibson traveled to San Francisco, exploring toys and tools for what he called "the first Yuppie Christmas." Look back at more holiday highlights from past decades in our NorCal Holiday Memories special, airing Saturday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m. on KCRA 3. Young urban professionals, or yuppies, might have shopped at the store InGear, where you could buy a fancy, cast-iron egg timer or stainless steel garden shovel. The items were touted as "fashionably practical." For kids, the store at the Exploratorium held innovative marvels, including a mess-free bubble blower or plasma globe. As technology continued to evolve, holiday shopping has changed and progressed throughout the decades. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Couchbase, Inc. (NASDAQ: BASE), the developer data platform for critical applications in our AI world, today announced financial results for its third quarter ended October 31, 2024. "I'm pleased with the continued operational progress of the entire Couchbase team," said Matt Cain, Chair, President and CEO of Couchbase. "We delivered top- and bottom-line results that exceeded our outlook, and we achieved another significant milestone with Capella, which now represents 15.1% of our ARR and one third of our customer base. I remain highly confident in our outlook and ability to achieve our objectives in fiscal 2025." Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights Recent Business Highlights Financial Outlook For the fourth quarter and full year of fiscal 2025, Couchbase expects: Q4 FY2025 Outlook FY2025 Outlook Total Revenue $52.7-53.5 million $207.2-208.0 million Total ARR $236.5-239.5 million $236.5-239.5 million Non-GAAP Operating Loss $5.7-4.7 million $20.0-19.0 million The guidance provided above is based on several assumptions that are subject to change and many of which are outside our control. If actual results vary from these assumptions, our expectations may change. There can be no assurance that we will achieve these results. Couchbase is not able, at this time, to provide GAAP targets for operating loss for the fourth quarter or full year of fiscal 2025 because of the difficulty of estimating certain items excluded from non-GAAP operating loss that cannot be reasonably predicted, such as charges related to stock-based compensation expense. The effect of these excluded items may be significant. Conference Call Information Couchbase will host a live webcast at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (or 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, to discuss its financial results and business highlights. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 877-407-8029 from the United States, or +1 201-689-8029 from international locations. The live webcast and a webcast replay can be accessed from the investor relations page of Couchbase's website at investors.couchbase.com . About Couchbase As industries race to embrace AI, traditional database solutions fall short of rising demands for versatility, performance and affordability. Couchbase is seizing the opportunity to lead with Capella, the developer data platform for critical applications in our AI world. By uniting transactional, analytical, mobile and AI workloads into a seamless, fully-managed solution, Couchbase empowers developers and enterprises to build and scale applications with complete flexibility – delivering exceptional performance, scalability and cost-efficiency from cloud to edge and everything in between. Trusted by over 30% of the Fortune 100, Couchbase enables organizations to unlock innovation, accelerate AI transformation and redefine customer experiences wherever they happen. Discover why Couchbase is the foundation of critical everyday applications by visiting www.couchbase.com and following us on LinkedIn and X . Couchbase has used, and intends to continue using, its investor relations website and the corporate blog at blog.couchbase.com to disclose material non-public information and to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, you should monitor our investor relations website and the corporate blog in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures In addition to our financial information presented in accordance with GAAP, we believe certain non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance. We use certain non-GAAP financial measures, collectively, to evaluate our ongoing operations and for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We believe that non-GAAP financial measures, when taken together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures, may be helpful to investors because they provide consistency and comparability with past financial performance and meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our business, results of operations or outlook. Non-GAAP financial measures are presented for supplemental informational purposes only, have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP, and may be different from similarly-titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies. In addition, other companies, including companies in our industry, may calculate similarly-titled non-GAAP financial measures differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures as tools for comparison. Investors are encouraged to review the related GAAP financial measures and the reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures (provided in the financial statement tables included in this press release), and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate our business. Non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating loss, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net loss and non-GAAP net loss per share: We define these non-GAAP financial measures as their respective GAAP measures, excluding expenses related to stock-based compensation expense, employer payroll taxes on employee stock transactions, restructuring charges and impairment of capitalized internal-use software. We use these non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP measures to assess our performance, including in the preparation of our annual operating budget and quarterly forecasts, to evaluate the effectiveness of our business strategies and to communicate with our board of directors concerning our financial performance. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, we excluded the impairment of capitalized internal-use software, a non-cash operating expense, from our non-GAAP results as it is not reflective of ongoing operating results. This impairment charge related to certain previously capitalized internal-use software that we determined would no longer be placed into service. Prior period non-GAAP financial measures have not been adjusted to reflect this change as we did not incur impairment of capitalized internal-use software in any prior period presented. Free cash flow: We define free cash flow as cash used in operating activities less additions to property and equipment, which includes capitalized internal-use software costs. We believe free cash flow is a useful indicator of liquidity that provides our management, board of directors and investors with information about our future ability to generate or use cash to enhance the strength of our balance sheet and further invest in our business and pursue potential strategic initiatives. Please see the reconciliation tables at the end of this press release for the reconciliation of GAAP and non-GAAP results. Key Business Metrics We review a number of operating and financial metrics, including ARR, to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, formulate business plans and make strategic decisions. We define ARR as of a given date as the annualized recurring revenue that we would contractually receive from our customers in the month ending 12 months following such date. Based on historical experience with customers, we assume all contracts will be renewed at the same levels unless we receive notification of non-renewal and are no longer in negotiations prior to the measurement date. For Capella products, ARR in a customer's initial year is calculated as the greater of: (i) initial year contract revenue as described above or (ii) annualized prior 90 days of actual consumption; and ARR for subsequent years is calculated with method (ii). ARR excludes services revenue. Prior to fiscal 2025, ARR excluded on-demand revenue and, for Capella products in a customer's initial year, ARR was calculated solely on the basis of initial year contract revenue. The reason for these changes is to better reflect ARR where usage rates or timing of purchases may be uneven and to better align with how ARR is used to measure the performance of the business. ARR for prior periods has not been adjusted to reflect this change as it is not material to any period previously presented. ARR should be viewed independently of revenue, and does not represent our revenue under GAAP on an annualized basis, as it is an operating metric that can be impacted by contract start and end dates and renewal dates. ARR is not intended to be a replacement for forecasts of revenue. Although we seek to increase ARR as part of our strategy of targeting large enterprise customers, this metric may fluctuate from period to period based on our ability to acquire new customers, expand within our existing customers and consumption dynamics. We believe that ARR is an important indicator of the growth and performance of our business. We also attempt to represent the changes in the underlying business operations by eliminating fluctuations caused by changes in foreign currency exchange rates within the current period. We calculate constant currency growth rates by applying the applicable prior period exchange rates to current period results. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, quotations of management, the section titled "Financial Outlook" above and statements about the expected client demand for and benefits of our offerings, the impact of our recently-released and planned products and services and our market position, strategies and potential market opportunities. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and, in some cases, can be identified by terms such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "continue," "could," "potential," "remain," "may," "might," "will," "would" or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. However, not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including factors beyond our control, which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: our history of net losses and ability to achieve or maintain profitability in the future; our ability to continue to grow on pace with historical rates; our ability to manage our growth effectively; intense competition and our ability to compete effectively; cost-effectively acquiring new customers or obtaining renewals, upgrades or expansions from our existing customers; the market for our products and services being highly competitive and evolving, and our future success depending on the growth and expansion of this market; our ability to innovate in response to changing customer needs, new technologies or other market requirements, including new capabilities, programs and partnerships and their impact on our customers and our business; our limited operating history, which makes it difficult to predict our future results of operations; the significant fluctuation of our future results of operations and ability to meet the expectations of analysts or investors; our significant reliance on revenue from subscriptions, which may decline and, the recognition of a significant portion of revenue from subscriptions over the term of the relevant subscription period, which means downturns or upturns in sales are not immediately reflected in full in our results of operations; and the impact of geopolitical and macroeconomic factors. Further information on risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from forecasted results are included in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that we may file from time to time, including those more fully described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024. Additional information will be made available in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 that will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which should be read in conjunction with this press release and the financial results included herein. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons if actual results differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Couchbase, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Revenue: License $ 4,343 $ 4,577 $ 16,444 $ 14,318 Support and other 44,955 39,420 131,185 109,175 Total subscription revenue 49,298 43,997 147,629 123,493 Services 2,330 1,816 6,915 6,455 Total revenue 51,628 45,813 154,544 129,948 Cost of revenue: Subscription(1) 4,866 3,549 13,278 11,067 Services(1) 1,690 1,562 5,423 5,875 Total cost of revenue 6,556 5,111 18,701 16,942 Gross profit 45,072 40,702 135,843 113,006 Operating expenses: Research and development(1) 17,486 15,903 52,703 47,578 Sales and marketing(1) 34,196 31,602 108,119 96,503 General and administrative(1) 12,624 10,739 37,843 30,823 Restructuring(1) — — — 46 Total operating expenses 64,306 58,244 198,665 174,950 Loss from operations (19,234) (17,542) (62,822) (61,944) Interest expense (17) — (46) (43) Other income, net 1,790 1,298 5,062 3,986 Loss before income taxes (17,461) (16,244) (57,806) (58,001) Provision for income taxes 691 11 1,236 780 Net loss $ (18,152) $ (16,255) $ (59,042) $ (58,781) Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (0.35) $ (0.34) $ (1.16) $ (1.26) Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted 51,831 47,586 50,821 46,724 (1) Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows: Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Cost of revenue—subscription $ 318 $ 130 $ 885 $ 559 Cost of revenue—services 104 119 354 413 Research and development 4,497 3,116 12,704 9,498 Sales and marketing 5,242 4,188 16,627 11,461 General and administrative 5,127 4,202 15,501 11,216 Restructuring — — — 1 Total stock-based compensation expense $ 15,288 $ 11,755 $ 46,071 $ 33,148 Couchbase, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) (unaudited) As of October 31, 2024 As of January 31, 2024 Assets Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 33,031 $ 41,351 Short-term investments 108,908 112,281 Accounts receivable, net 28,514 44,848 Deferred commissions 13,297 15,421 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 10,551 10,385 Total current assets 194,301 224,286 Property and equipment, net 7,000 5,327 Operating lease right-of-use assets 5,497 4,848 Deferred commissions, noncurrent 14,485 11,400 Other assets 1,176 1,891 Total assets $ 222,459 $ 247,752 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 4,724 $ 4,865 Accrued compensation and benefits 12,323 18,116 Other accrued expenses 3,981 4,581 Operating lease liabilities 2,150 3,208 Deferred revenue 67,996 81,736 Total current liabilities 91,174 112,506 Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent 3,678 2,078 Deferred revenue, noncurrent 829 2,747 Total liabilities 95,681 117,331 Stockholders' equity Preferred stock — — Common stock — — Additional paid-in capital 676,360 621,024 Accumulated other comprehensive income 119 56 Accumulated deficit (549,701) (490,659) Total stockholders' equity 126,778 130,421 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 222,459 $ 247,752 Couchbase, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Cash flows from operating activities Net loss $ (18,152) $ (16,255) $ (59,042) $ (58,781) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities Depreciation and amortization 757 399 1,520 2,034 Stock-based compensation, net of amounts capitalized 15,288 11,755 46,071 33,148 Amortization of deferred commissions 4,375 4,500 12,655 13,742 Non-cash lease expense 863 765 2,393 2,313 Foreign currency transaction losses (gains) (60) 484 231 649 Other (456) (804) (1,869) (2,580) Changes in operating assets and liabilities Accounts receivable 2,912 1,577 16,207 9,114 Deferred commissions (5,367) (4,746) (13,616) (13,892) Prepaid expenses and other assets (606) 955 (163) 837 Accounts payable (295) (10) (149) 1,735 Accrued compensation and benefits (1,799) (1,763) (5,790) (3,517) Other Accrued Expenses 632 (1,126) (475) (2,997) Operating lease liabilities (876) (838) (2,501) (2,561) Deferred revenue (14,111) (7,636) (15,658) 313 Net cash used in operating activities (16,895) (12,743) (20,186) (20,443) Cash flows from investing activities Purchases of short-term investments (37,809) (26,141) (75,614) (90,456) Maturities of short-term investments 23,000 41,854 81,144 111,974 Additions to property and equipment (583) (1,066) (2,645) (3,425) Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities (15,392) 14,647 2,885 18,093 Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from exercise of stock options 1,115 2,703 5,251 7,353 Proceeds from issuance of common stock under ESPP 1,720 1,153 3,515 2,000 Net cash provided by financing activities 2,835 3,856 8,766 9,353 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (124) (290) (328) (542) Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (29,576) 5,470 (8,863) 6,461 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period 62,607 41,980 41,894 40,989 Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period $ 33,031 $ 47,450 $ 33,031 $ 47,450 Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash within the consolidated balance sheets to the amounts shown above: Cash and cash equivalents $ 33,031 $ 46,907 $ 33,031 $ 46,907 Restricted cash included in other assets — 543 — 543 Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 33,031 $ 47,450 $ 33,031 $ 47,450 Couchbase, Inc. Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Reconciliation of GAAP gross profit to non-GAAP gross profit: Total revenue $ 51,628 $ 45,813 $ 154,544 $ 129,948 Gross profit $ 45,072 $ 40,702 $ 135,843 $ 113,006 Add: Stock-based compensation expense 422 249 1,239 972 Add: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions 22 55 120 86 Non-GAAP gross profit $ 45,516 $ 41,006 $ 137,202 $ 114,064 Gross margin 87.3 % 88.8 % 87.9 % 87.0 % Non-GAAP gross margin 88.2 % 89.5 % 88.8 % 87.8 % Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Reconciliation of GAAP operating expenses to non-GAAP operating expenses: GAAP research and development $ 17,486 $ 15,903 $ 52,703 $ 47,578 Less: Stock-based compensation expense (4,497) (3,116) (12,704) (9,498) Less: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions (106) (199) (585) (430) Non-GAAP research and development $ 12,883 $ 12,588 $ 39,414 $ 37,650 GAAP sales and marketing $ 34,196 $ 31,602 $ 108,119 $ 96,503 Less: Stock-based compensation expense (5,242) (4,188) (16,627) (11,461) Less: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions (275) (327) (1,378) (777) Non-GAAP sales and marketing $ 28,679 $ 27,087 $ 90,114 $ 84,265 GAAP general and administrative $ 12,624 $ 10,739 $ 37,843 $ 30,823 Less: Stock-based compensation expense (5,127) (4,202) (15,501) (11,216) Less: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions (64) (176) (391) (264) Non-GAAP general and administrative $ 7,433 $ 6,361 $ 21,951 $ 19,343 Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Reconciliation of GAAP operating loss to non-GAAP operating loss: Total revenue $ 51,628 $ 45,813 $ 154,544 $ 129,948 Loss from operations $ (19,234) $ (17,542) $ (62,822) $ (61,944) Add: Stock-based compensation expense 15,288 11,755 46,071 33,147 Add: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions 467 757 2,474 1,557 Add: Restructuring(2) — — — 46 Non-GAAP operating loss $ (3,479) $ (5,030) $ (14,277) $ (27,194) Operating margin (37) % (38) % (41) % (48) % Non-GAAP operating margin (7) % (11) % (9) % (21) % Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Reconciliation of GAAP net loss to non-GAAP net loss: Net loss $ (18,152) $ (16,255) $ (59,042) $ (58,781) Add: Stock-based compensation expense 15,288 11,755 46,071 33,147 Add: Employer taxes on employee stock transactions 467 757 2,474 1,557 Add: Restructuring(2) — — — 46 Non-GAAP net loss $ (2,397) $ (3,743) $ (10,497) $ (24,031) GAAP net loss per share $ (0.35) $ (0.34) $ (1.16) $ (1.26) Non-GAAP net loss per share $ (0.05) $ (0.08) $ (0.21) $ (0.51) Weighted average shares outstanding, basic and diluted 51,831 47,586 50,821 46,724 (2) For the nine months ended October 31, 2023, an immaterial amount of stock-based compensation expense related to restructuring charges was included in the restructuring expense line. The following table presents a reconciliation of free cash flow to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, for each of the periods indicated (in thousands, unaudited): Three Months Ended October 31, Nine Months Ended October 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Net cash used in operating activities $ (16,895) $ (12,743) $ (20,186) $ (20,443) Less: Additions to property and equipment (583) (1,066) (2,645) (3,425) Free cash flow $ (17,478) $ (13,809) $ (22,831) $ (23,868) Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities $ (15,392) $ 14,647 $ 2,885 $ 18,093 Net cash provided by financing activities $ 2,835 $ 3,856 $ 8,766 $ 9,353 Couchbase, Inc. Key Business Metrics (in millions) (unaudited) As of Jan. 31, April 30, July 31, Oct. 31, Jan. 31, April 30, July 31, Oct. 31, 2023 2023 2023 2023 2024 2024 2024 2024 Annual Recurring Revenue $ 163.7 $ 172.2 $ 180.7 $ 188.7 $ 204.2 $ 207.7 $ 214.0 $ 220.3 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/couchbase-announces-third-quarter-fiscal-2025-financial-results-302321531.html SOURCE Couchbase, Inc. Copyright © 2024 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights Reserved.
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Timour Azhari AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels announced they gained full control over the key city of Homs early on Sunday after only a day of fighting, leaving President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year rule dangling by a thread as insurgents marched on the capital, Damascus. Thousands of Homs residents poured onto the streets after the army withdrew from the central city, dancing and chanting "Assad is gone, Homs is free" and "Long live Syria and down with Bashar al-Assad". Rebels fired into the air in celebration, and youths tore down posters of the Syrian president, whose territorial control has collapsed in a dizzying week-long retreat by the military. The fall of Homs gives the insurgents control over Syria's strategic heartland and a key highway crossroads, severing Damascus from the coastal region that is the stronghold of Assad's Alawite sect and where his Russian allies have a naval base and air base. Homs' capture is also a powerful symbol of the rebel movement's dramatic comeback in the 13-year-old conflict. Swathes of Homs were destroyed by gruelling siege warfare between the rebels and the army years ago. The fighting ground down the insurgents, who were forced out. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the main rebel leader, called the capture of Homs a historic moment and urged fighters not to harm "those who drop their arms". Rebels freed thousands of detainees from the city prison. Security forces left in haste after burning their documents. MORE: The battle for control of the country is likely to turn quickly to the capital. Residents of numerous Damascus districts turned out to protest Assad on Saturday evening, and security forces were either unwilling or unable to clamp down. Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdul Ghani said in a statement early Sunday that operations were ongoing to "completely liberate" the countryside around Damascus and rebel forces were looking toward the capital. In one suburb, a statue of Assad's father, the late President Hafez al-Assad, was toppled and torn apart. The Syrian army said it was reinforcing around Damascus, and state television reported on Saturday that Assad remained in the city. Outside the city, rebels swept across the entire southwest over 24 hours and established control. EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO ASSAD RULE The fall of Homs and threat to the capital pose an immediate existential danger to the Assad dynasty's five-decade reign over Syria and the continued influence there of its main regional backer, Iran. Foreign officials said the government may be on the verge of collapse. One U.S. official put the timeframe at five to 10 days, while another said Assad could be ousted within the coming week. The pace of events has stunned Arab capitals and raised fears of a new wave of regional instability. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Russia issued a joint statement saying the crisis was a dangerous development and calling for a political solution. But there was no indication they agreed on any concrete steps, with the situation inside Syria changing by the hour. Syria's civil war, which erupted in 2011 as an uprising against Assad's rule, dragged in big outside powers, created space for jihadist militants to plot attacks around the world and sent millions of refugees into neighbouring states. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the strongest rebel group, is the former al Qaeda affiliate in Syria regarded by the U.S. and others as a terrorist organisation, and many Syrians remain fearful it will impose draconian Islamist rule. Golani has tried to reassure minorities that he will not interfere with them and the international community that he opposes Islamist attacks abroad. In Aleppo, which the rebels captured a week ago, there have not been reports of reprisals. When asked on Saturday whether he believed Golani, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov replied, "The proof of the pudding is in the eating". ALLIES' ROLE IN SUPPORTING ASSAD Assad long relied on allies to subdue the rebels. Russian warplanes conducted bombing while Iran sent allied forces including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iraqi militia to reinforce the Syrian military and storm insurgent strongholds. But Russia has been focused on the war in Ukraine since 2022 and Hezbollah has suffered big losses in its own gruelling war with Israel, significantly limiting its ability or that of Iran to bolster Assad. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said the U.S. should not be involved in the conflict and should "let it play out". Russia has a naval base and airbase in Syria that have not only been important for its support of Assad, but also for its ability to project influence in the Mediterranean and Africa. (Reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi in Damascus, Timour Azhari in Beirut, Jaidaa Taha in Cairo, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali in Washington; Writing by Angus McDowall and Matt Spetalnick) Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .
Social media is expected to further influence customer service and retail spaces during 2025. New survey insights (2,000 U.S. and U.K. consumers) reveal how users expect to engage with social media in 2025 . Across all users, approximately even amounts (29-34 percent) plan to use Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok more in 2025, while 24 percent of respondents do not plan to use any social networks more in 2025. When it comes to trust in social media, 63 percent of users somewhat trust social media networks to protect their personal data. Only 22 percent completely trust social media networks, and 16 percent do not trust them at all. Complete trust is higher among Gen Z and Millennials (28 percent and 29 percent) than among Gen X and Baby Boomers (19 percent and 10 percent). Specific to what brands should prioritize on social media in 2025, most respondents say personalized customer service (40 percent) or selling products directly through social platforms (29 percent) are important to them. Sprout Social’s CMO, Scott Morris has shared insights with Digital Journal what to expect and how marketing leaders can stay ahead. Prediction #1: Dominance In 2025, social media will dominate the customer service game. Everyone, especially younger generations, is turning to platforms like Facebook and Instagram first to get their customer service questions answered quickly. And the expectation for speed and personalization has never been higher. In fact, Sprout Social’s most recent Index report shows that 69 percent of people expect a response within 24 hours of reaching out on social media, and 70 percent expect those responses to be personalized. To meet these rising expectations, brands will have to learn to strike a balance between automation and human touch, dispersing AI to handle routine inquiries while leaving customer care teams to focus on complex issues. Prediction #2: Platforms remaining on top Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok will be the top shopping destinations for consumers in 2025. People’s plans for the holiday shopping season are evidence of that. Sprout Social’s Q4 2024 Pulse Survey found that 42 percent of shoppers plan to use social media more to find gifts, with social influencer recommendations being the #1 source of gift inspiration across all respondents, up from the fifth source one year ago. That same survey found that 32 percent of consumers plan to make more purchases directly through social channels in 2025, giving brands the opportunity to use social media to facilitate a complete customer journey, from discovery to post-purchase. With this influx of buyers, AI-driven customer care will play a critical role, offering real-time responses and tailored product recommendations to enhance customer experience. Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.