TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Mass. signs $10 million deal to move call center to the cloud
NWN Carousel, an Exeter, R.I.-based provider of cloud-based communication services, has landed a contract to provide its “virtual cloud contact center” services, starting with a $10 million project, for the Baker administration through the state’s Executive Office of Technology Services and Solutions. The new MassVoice platform will offer state and local agencies the resiliency and functionality of a traditional customer service center, without needing to rely on in-person staffing. Neither the company nor the state agency said if any existing state call centers would be closed or reduced in size as a result of the contract. Curt Wood, the head of the state’s technology secretariat, said moving these state business applications to cloud services will improve the experience for customers and provide flexibility for state agencies in the future. NWN Carousel executive Andrew Gilman said his firm plans to add people to its 1,100-employee workforce, but he declined to say how much. NWN Carousel also has significant call-center contracts with several other states, including California, Texas, and Florida. In Massachusetts, the company also provides cyber security services for the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority, and call-center services for the state Department of Revenue. NWN Carousel was created through NW Corp.’s acquisition last year of Carousel Industries, with the backing of private equity firm New State Capital Partners. ― JON CHESTO
TRANSPORTATION
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Buses could be free in Washington, D.C., by summer
Washington, D.C., is on its way to making buses free to all riders. The district City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to eliminate fares on all buses within city limits. The bill also extends bus service overnight within D.C. and would take effect as soon as July 2023 if Mayor Muriel Bowser either signs the bill or leaves it unsigned for 30 days. The bill would also be subject to a 30-day congressional review. In the first year, the program will cost an estimated $32 million to make buses free and another $8.5 million to run them overnight. The bill also gives D.C. residents a $100 stipend for other modes of public transit that would go into effect by October 2024. The move is part of a broader push for free or reduced-fare transit seen in the United States and around the world as cities try to reduce automobile emissions, boost equity, and lure more workers back to the office. In March, Boston began piloting a program to make three bus routes that were heavily used by lower-income riders free through February 2024. ― BLOOMBERG NEWS
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ECONOMY
US consumer confidence jumps to highest level in eight months
US consumer confidence rose by more than forecast to the highest since April as inflation eased and gasoline prices dropped. The Conference Board’s index increased to 108.3 this month from an upwardly revised 101.4 reading in November, data out Wednesday showed. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists was 101. A measure of expectations ― which reflects consumers’ six-month outlook ― climbed to 82.4, the highest since January. The group’s gauge of current conditions advanced to 147.2, a three-month high. The worst of inflation has likely passed, and gas prices that have dropped to the lowest since mid-2021 have offered some relief for consumers. The median inflation rate expected over the next 12 months fell to 5.9 percent, the Conference Board data showed. Consumers were slightly more upbeat about current and future labor-market conditions. The share of consumers who said jobs were currently “plentiful” increased to 47.8 percent. The share of people expecting more jobs in the next six months also rose. Buying plans for homes and major appliances declined, however, and were little changed for vehicles. ― BLOOMBERG NEWS
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VIDEOGAMES
Gamers sue to stop Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard
A group of gamers is suing to stop Microsoft from buying video game publisher Activision Blizzard, arguing that the $68.7 billion acquisition would stifle competition and reduce consumer choice. The lawsuit was filed late Tuesday in a US federal court in San Francisco on behalf of 10 individual gamers who are fans of Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty franchise and other popular titles such as World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo. Microsoft is facing several legal challenges as it tries to finalize what would be the priciest-ever merger of technology companies. The Federal Trade Commission earlier this month sued to block the takeover, saying it could suppress competitors to Microsoft’s Xbox game console and its games subscription business. Antitrust regulators in the United Kingdom and European Union are also investigating the deal. Several of the plaintiffs in the private antitrust lawsuit said they play Activision Blizzard games on Sony’s PlayStation, the main rival to Microsoft’s Xbox. Others said they play them on personal computers, Xbox, or Nintendo’s Switch. In response to the lawsuit, Microsoft said Wednesday that the merger “will expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers as we seek to bring more games to more people.” ― ASSOCIATED PRESS
MARIJUANA
New York to open first legal pot dispensary by year’s end
The first legal dispensary for recreational marijuana in New York is set to open Dec. 29, marking a long-awaited launch of a cannabis industry that could become one of the country’s most lucrative. Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that Housing Works, a minority-controlled nonprofit in Manhattan that serves people with HIV and AIDS, will be the first of 36 recently licensed dispensaries to begin selling cannabis to the general public — even though dozens of illegal shops have been in operation for many months. The announcement was made one month after the state’s Cannabis Control Board took a monumental step in establishing a legal marketplace for marijuana by issuing the first round of licenses. In the coming months, the state is expected to issue an additional 139 licenses, with about 900 applicants waiting to learn their fate. New York legalized recreational use of marijuana in March 2021. ― ASSOCIATED PRESS
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MUSIC PUBLISHING
Justin Bieber could sell rights to his songs for $200 million
Pop star Justin Bieber is set to score a massive deal that would put his music rights under the ownership of Hipgnosis Song Management, an investment entity backed by Blackstone Inc., according to people familiar with the matter. Bieber’s stake in his publishing rights and recorded music catalog could fetch about $200 million, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. While the parties are working toward a deal, an agreement hasn’t been signed and nothing is imminent, one of the people said. Representatives for Bieber couldn’t be immediately reached for comment. Representatives for Hipgnosis and Blackstone declined to comment. The potential deal was reported earlier Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal. ― BLOOMBERG NEWS
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ECONOMY
Argentina’s economy contracts again, unemployment rises
Argentina’s economy contracted for the second straight month in October as inflation rocketed toward 100 percent and unemployment rose for the first time since the pandemic. Economic activity fell 0.3 percent compared with September, according to government data published Wednesday. From a year ago, the economy expanded 4.5 percent, though the country’s crucial agriculture sector contracted slightly on an annual basis. Unemployment in Argentina’s formal economy also ticked up to 7.1 percent from 6.9 percent during the third quarter, the first increase since 2020, according to separate figures published Wednesday. The underemployed population rose by nearly 200,000 in the first three quarters of the year, returning to near pandemic levels. ― BLOOMBERG NEWS