ROME--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 28, 2026--
Microsoft and Postel, a Poste Italiane Group company, announce an evolution of their collaboration and of the agreements they have signed for the digitalization of Italian businesses, welcoming Audiencerate as technology partner in the Data and Direct & Digital Marketing space.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260427013396/en/
The agreement provides for the distribution of an integrated platform that combines Postel's omnichannel physical-and-digital communication capabilities with Audiencerate'sdata intelligence functionalities and Microsoft's AI and Cloud solutions.
The solution enables SMEs to leverage and activate their own data across the entire customer relationship lifecycle, automating and orchestrating omnichannel communication campaigns. Thanks to the market-analysis capabilities built into the platform, businesses will be able to access competitive insights and real-time sector trends, turning data into a concrete strategic advantage.
Audiencerate is a global partner of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and integrates Azure AI capabilities into its own data management and activation infrastructure, making tools that were previously reserved for large enterprises accessible to SMEs as well.
“With this partnership we place data at the heart of the growth strategy of Italian SMEs, offering them AI and digital marketing tools that until today were the exclusive preserve of the major players,” said Gianluca Leotta, President of Audiencerate.
“The Cloud makes innovation more accessible, and Artificial Intelligence can enable even smaller organizations to manage their processes more intelligently, regaining competitiveness,” said Annamaria Bottero, Global Partner Solutions Lead at Microsoft Italy.
The platform, already available with a complete suite for customer segmentation, market intelligence, and connectors for Postel's Physical and Digital communication channels, will be further enriched in the coming weeks with a marketing automation module and the introduction of additional communication channels.
The solution will also continue to evolve over time thanks to Microsoft's AI innovations, natively available within the platform, and to Audiencerate's global partnerships in the AdTech and MarTech ecosystems, delivering Italian SMEs a continuous competitive advantage.
The Marketing Data Platform combines AI-powered market intelligence, first-party data and omnichannel activation to help SMEs analyze market trends and historical campaign performance, turning insights into audiences and increasingly targeted future actions.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Aaron Judge allowed Ben Rice to match his home run total for only a few pitches.
Together, the sluggers have now accomplished something for the New York Yankees with their powerful starts that only Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra had done before them.
Rice went 404 feet the opposite way for a two-run shot to left field in the Yankees' 4-2 win at Texas on Monday night, his 10th homer of the season. Judge immediately followed by driving a full-count curveball 414 feet to tie for the MLB lead with his 11th.
“After he hit his, he said, `I'm not going to let Benny catch me,'” Rice said with a smile. “Just trying to keep him honest, keep him motivated.”
They became the second pair of Yankees teammates to each have 10 or more homers in the first 29 games of a season, joining Mantle and Berra in 1956.
“I’m glad that I don’t have to face them, let’s just put it that way,” said Yankees starter Max Fried (4-1), who threw six scoreless innings for New York (19-10).
“Benny’s off to an amazing start. Judgie, ho-hum, 11 homers already,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It's a pretty good combo there.”
Rice, a 27-year-old first baseman, is hitting .322 with 23 RBIs. Judge is at .252 with 19 RBIs.
“Just consistent at-bat after consistent at-bat. Like it’s must-watch TV at this point,” Judge said of Rice. “He's going to put something in play hard or he’s going to take his walk and pass the baton. It's just impressive to watch, and I get a front-row seat. ... And, makes my job easier when he does that.”
Rice deposited a 95 mph first-pitch fastball from Jack Leiter into the Yankees bullpen in left-center field to make it 2-0 with two outs in the third inning. It was Rice's sixth homer in 11 games.
Judge then homered into the left-field seats, the ball landing not far from the spot he hit his AL season record 62nd homer on Oct. 4, 2022. He also had two doubles and was hit by a pitch in his other plate appearances.
“Maybe his best game of at-bats. ... On all four times, stings two doubles, smokes the homer where he just rides out the curveball,” Boone said.
And it came a day after Judge also went deep on his 34th birthday.
Judge has hit 260 of his 379 career homers since the start of the 2021 season and already has four 50-homer seasons.
Rice has 43 homers in 216 career games since his debut in June 2024.
After their fast starts in 1956, Mantle went on to hit a majors-best 52 homers and Berra finished with 30.
When Rice was asked if he could keep pace with Judge all season, he said he's relishing the moment now.
“Yeah, I don’t know how long this is going to last, but I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying it right now being this close,” Rice said before reflecting on the history he now shares with a trio of three-time MVPs: Judge and two Hall of Fame players.
“It’s pretty cool. I definitely would not have anticipated something like that,” he said. “But obviously the three names I’m surrounded with there are pretty big ones, so definitely very humbling.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Yankees' Ben Rice rounds the bases after hitting a tw-run home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Monday, April 27, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates in the dugout with the team after hitting a solo home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Monday, April 27, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge and Ben Rice, right, celebrate Rice's two-run home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers Monday, April 27, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
