Day: February 24, 2026

Mavenir Partners With TextNow to Evolve App-Based 5G MVNO Service

by

Adoption of cloud-native Mavenir BSS and Core aligns with TextNow’s focus on long-term innovation

SAN FRANCISCO and RICHARDSON, Texas, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TextNow, the leading ad-supported U.S. free wireless service, and Mavenir, the disruptive cloud-native telco technology provider, today announced the integration of Mavenir’s cloud-native mobile BSS and Core into TextNow’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) infrastructure.

Mavenir’s cloud-native BSS and Core platform solution is designed to help TextNow to onboard new users faster, launch differentiated service tiers, and expand its free wireless model to reach even more of the millions of Americans looking for great wireless service without overpaying for it. Highlighting TextNow’s focus on innovation, this Mavenir integration delivers a range of features to better support TextNow’s 8 million+ active users, including the ability to manage sponsorship partners, develop roaming relationships, and provision users with independent SIM profiles.

“TextNow has spent 17 years proving that wireless service can be free, can be supported by advertising, and can deliver a great experience on a nationwide 5G network,” said Tristan Huntington, Senior Vice President, Partnerships & Innovation, of TextNow. “Partnering with Mavenir allows us to remain at the forefront of innovation, giving us more control over the customer experience and a faster path to launching new features — which means we can keep pushing the boundaries of what free wireless should be.”

Mavenir’s flexible cloud native modular platform can support every MVNO model and their go-to-market strategy, whether launching a sub-brand, adding mobility to an existing portfolio, or scaling a challenger brand.

“The MVNO market continues to evolve as operators look to innovate and differentiate their offerings – but this is simply not possible without the flexibility and scale enabled by the underlying cloud-native platform,” said Sandeep Singh, SVP & General Manager, Business Solutions, of Mavenir. “TextNow’s adoption of Mavenir is a prime example of how Mavenir’s cloud-based technology is helping to take an MVNO to the next level, shifting from ‘Thin’ to ‘Thick’, enabling a high degree of service innovation and differentiation, and bringing free connectivity to millions more customers.”

The Mavenir platform allows thin MVNOs to enter the market with a world class BSS platform, enabling personalization, differentiation, and smart bundling of customer offers to help maximize revenues. It will also offer thick MVNOs full network level control to innovate and build deep network integration, which includes features like QoS segments, Standalone 5G connectivity monetization, and IoT traffic handling.

Mobile World Congress [#MWC26]: 
Mavenir Convenes MVNO Leaders for High-Impact MWC26 Panel

Mavenir, in collaboration with Mobile World Live, will host an MVNO panel at MWC26, “MWC26 Panel: Built for More, Bound by Less: The Rise of a New Breed of MNO Embracing AI, Cloud & 5G – Mavenir” at its stand in Hall 2, 2H60. The session will highlight how MVNOs can accelerate growth through cloud-native architectures, AI-driven insight, and flexible monetization, offering practical tactics to differentiate on experience rather than price.
Register – For In-Person or on the Live Streaming of the panel.

About TextNow:
TextNow is on a mission to make phone service free, easy, and accessible to all as the only mobile provider to offer unlimited calling and texting, and free essential data on the nation’s largest 5G network. Founded in 2009, TextNow is the largest provider of free mobile phone service in the U.S., and the only one offering free service supported by advertising. We have offices in San Francisco and Waterloo, Ontario and our app has been downloaded more than 300 million times globally. Our phone service helps millions of people connect freely every month. For more information, visit https://www.textnow.com/, and follow us on Instagram.

About Mavenir:
Mavenir is enabling intelligent, automated, programmable networks through the development of telco-first, cloud-native, AI-by-design software solutions for mobile operators. The company’s deep telco domain expertise has been proven through deployments with 300+ operators globally in over 120 countries, which together serve more than 50% of the world’s subscribers. Mavenir combines its deep telco experience with the cloud and IT expertise and data science skillsets essential to solving real customer challenges. Its proven software solutions are AI by design, delivering the AI-native future and operators’ evolution to TechCos. For more information, please visit www.mavenir.com

Mavenir PR Contact:
Emmanuela Spiteri [email protected]

TextNow PR Contact:
Tali Fischer [email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9660102

Zoom introduces next-gen Zoom Virtual Agent to automate end-to-end customer resolution

by
  • New virtual agent capabilities reduce customer effort, prevent repeat contacts, and give service leaders confidence to scale automation
  • With 43% of consumers saying chatbots fail to resolve their issues, Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0 can help organizations close that gap

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) unveiled Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0 (ZVA), the next evolution in agentic automation. ZVA introduces a new execution architecture and expanded AI capabilities designed to resolve customer issues end to end, seamlessly hand off to human agents, and help enterprises shift from transactional service interactions to connected customer relationships.

Organizations face growing pressure to automate more customer service interactions as volumes rise and cost efficiency becomes a priority. Enterprises are entering what Zoom calls the “resolution economy,” where competitive advantage is defined not by speed, but by first-contact resolution, reduced repeat contacts, and end-to-end workflow completion. Yet disjointed virtual agents can get stuck in silos, unable to seamlessly transfer full context to human agents, creating bottlenecks for complex issues. A recent Morning Consult report commissioned by Zoom found that the top three chatbot frustrations among the groups surveyed are failure to resolve the issue (43%), getting stuck in a loop (38%), and having to repeat information (37%).

“Agentic AI was just the beginning,” said Chris Morrissey, general manager of Zoom CX. “Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0 orchestrates multi-step workflows across systems, continuously learns from human resolutions, and provides full transparency into every agentic action. This allows organizations to confidently automate complex interactions. It’s more than a product update, it’s another step toward more connected customer relationships, where AI and humans work together to resolve issues faster and build trust.”

What’s new in Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0

The next evolution of Zoom Virtual Agent operates across voice and chat, and introduces a new execution architecture designed to automate complex, cross-system interactions with enterprise governance. Unlike competing solutions focused primarily on conversational containment, ZVA is built for execution and resolution, securely orchestrating multi-step actions across systems with observability, control, and measurable outcomes. The following new features are now available:

  • Enhanced AI execution framework: Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0 is built on the latest Zoom AI Companion 3.0 architecture, allowing multi-step workflows to run across compatible CRM, billing, order management, and other enterprise systems with full observability and governance. This extends Zoom’s agentic AI capabilities by enabling full-cycle resolution rather than just single-step responses.
  • Agent journey transparency and governance enhancements: Account admins can now see the data sources, decision logic, and workflow paths behind automated actions. CX teams can audit performance, troubleshoot breakdowns, and refine automation policies, enabling responsible scaling without sacrificing adherence or control.

The following next-generation enhancements, expected to be generally available in Spring 2026, will expand ZVA’s ability to handle more complex workflows while improving reliability, oversight, and operational efficiency:

  • Multimodal large language model (LLM) intelligence: ZVA will be able to interpret and act on customer-submitted documents, images, and structured identifiers such as serial numbers and forms. By extracting relevant data directly from visual and document inputs, the virtual agent can automate service scenarios that previously required manual review, helping reduce customer effort and the need for escalation.
  • Continuous learning: When integrated with Zoom Contact Center, ZVA extracts insights from escalated engagements that human agents successfully resolved and applies those validated recommendations, with oversight and controls, to similar future requests. This creates a structured feedback loop based on human-agent resolutions, reducing repeat contacts and improving resolution consistency over time.
  • Proactive outbound engagement: The virtual agent can initiate contact, confirm updates, and complete tasks based on known events. This helps organizations resolve issues before customers reach out, reducing inbound volume and customer effort.

Zoom Virtual Agent in action

Modern customer issues rarely fit into a single scripted response. Zoom Virtual Agent (ZVA) is designed to move beyond basic automation, including authenticating users, interpreting inputs, orchestrating backend systems, and completing real business actions within a single, connected workflow.

By reducing repetitive steps and minimizing handoffs, ZVA helps increase first-contact resolution while lowering handling time and operational effort. An example of this is below:

  • Scenario: End-to-End Warranty Fulfillment
    • When a customer submits a warranty claim, ZVA can authenticate the user, extract a serial number from an uploaded image, validate eligibility across backend systems, schedule device pickup, initiate a replacement order, and confirm shipment, all within one continuous interaction.
    • If escalation is required, the complete workflow history, including verified inputs and actions already taken, transfers seamlessly to a live agent. The customer does not need to repeat information or restart the process, accelerating resolution and improving the overall experience.

Raising the bar for resolution

As organizations automate more interactions to manage rising volumes and cost pressures, performance is increasingly measured by resolution quality — not containment rates alone. In the resolution economy, automation must accurately interpret intent, execute across systems, and meaningfully reduce operational load.

Zoom is already seeing measurable results internally after implementing the latest updates to ZVA in its own virtual agents:

  • Query understanding accuracy: Zoom’s no-match rate (the percentage of total conversation turns in which a virtual agent failed to understand the user’s input) has dropped from 35% to 0%, meaning almost all customer requests are accurately interpreted on the first attempt, reducing repeat queries and friction.
  • Significant time savings: On Zoom’s billing team, deflection rates (measuring the percentage of customer support inquiries resolved through self-service tools) rose from 0% to 30% in just three months, saving over 1,000 agent hours per month.

Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0 reflects Zoom’s broader ambition to power intelligent, connected customer experiences where AI and human agents work together to complete complex interactions with speed, transparency, and trust. This is automation designed not just to scale, but also to earn trust with every interaction.

See Zoom Virtual Agent in action

Read the Zoom blog to see how ZVA supports Zoom’s own customers by improving resolution at scale, and stop by Zoom’s booth (#519) at Enterprise Connect 2026, March 10–12 in Las Vegas, to see a live demo.

About Zoom

Zoom (NASDAQ:ZM) provides the AI-first, open work platform built for human connection and purposefully designed to move conversations to completion. From entrepreneurs to global enterprises, customers choose Zoom to seamlessly collaborate, communicate, and drive outcomes across meetings, chat, phone, contact center, events, and more — all with the built-in assistance of Zoom AI Companion. Founded in 2011, Zoom is headquartered in San Jose, CA. For more information, visit zoom.com.

Zoom Public Relations
Travis Isaman
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9660155

Zoom introduces next-gen Zoom Virtual Agent to automate end-to-end customer resolution

by
  • New virtual agent capabilities reduce customer effort, prevent repeat contacts, and give service leaders confidence to scale automation
  • With 43% of consumers saying chatbots fail to resolve their issues, Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0 can help organizations close that gap

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today Zoom Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) unveiled Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0 (ZVA), the next evolution in agentic automation. ZVA introduces a new execution architecture and expanded AI capabilities designed to resolve customer issues end to end, seamlessly hand off to human agents, and help enterprises shift from transactional service interactions to connected customer relationships.

Organizations face growing pressure to automate more customer service interactions as volumes rise and cost efficiency becomes a priority. Enterprises are entering what Zoom calls the “resolution economy,” where competitive advantage is defined not by speed, but by first-contact resolution, reduced repeat contacts, and end-to-end workflow completion. Yet disjointed virtual agents can get stuck in silos, unable to seamlessly transfer full context to human agents, creating bottlenecks for complex issues. A recent Morning Consult report commissioned by Zoom found that the top three chatbot frustrations among the groups surveyed are failure to resolve the issue (43%), getting stuck in a loop (38%), and having to repeat information (37%).

“Agentic AI was just the beginning,” said Chris Morrissey, general manager of Zoom CX. “Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0 orchestrates multi-step workflows across systems, continuously learns from human resolutions, and provides full transparency into every agentic action. This allows organizations to confidently automate complex interactions. It’s more than a product update, it’s another step toward more connected customer relationships, where AI and humans work together to resolve issues faster and build trust.”

What’s new in Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0

The next evolution of Zoom Virtual Agent operates across voice and chat, and introduces a new execution architecture designed to automate complex, cross-system interactions with enterprise governance. Unlike competing solutions focused primarily on conversational containment, ZVA is built for execution and resolution, securely orchestrating multi-step actions across systems with observability, control, and measurable outcomes. The following new features are now available:

  • Enhanced AI execution framework: Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0 is built on the latest Zoom AI Companion 3.0 architecture, allowing multi-step workflows to run across compatible CRM, billing, order management, and other enterprise systems with full observability and governance. This extends Zoom’s agentic AI capabilities by enabling full-cycle resolution rather than just single-step responses.
  • Agent journey transparency and governance enhancements: Account admins can now see the data sources, decision logic, and workflow paths behind automated actions. CX teams can audit performance, troubleshoot breakdowns, and refine automation policies, enabling responsible scaling without sacrificing adherence or control.

The following next-generation enhancements, expected to be generally available in Spring 2026, will expand ZVA’s ability to handle more complex workflows while improving reliability, oversight, and operational efficiency:

  • Multimodal large language model (LLM) intelligence: ZVA will be able to interpret and act on customer-submitted documents, images, and structured identifiers such as serial numbers and forms. By extracting relevant data directly from visual and document inputs, the virtual agent can automate service scenarios that previously required manual review, helping reduce customer effort and the need for escalation.
  • Continuous learning: When integrated with Zoom Contact Center, ZVA extracts insights from escalated engagements that human agents successfully resolved and applies those validated recommendations, with oversight and controls, to similar future requests. This creates a structured feedback loop based on human-agent resolutions, reducing repeat contacts and improving resolution consistency over time.
  • Proactive outbound engagement: The virtual agent can initiate contact, confirm updates, and complete tasks based on known events. This helps organizations resolve issues before customers reach out, reducing inbound volume and customer effort.

Zoom Virtual Agent in action

Modern customer issues rarely fit into a single scripted response. Zoom Virtual Agent (ZVA) is designed to move beyond basic automation, including authenticating users, interpreting inputs, orchestrating backend systems, and completing real business actions within a single, connected workflow.

By reducing repetitive steps and minimizing handoffs, ZVA helps increase first-contact resolution while lowering handling time and operational effort. An example of this is below:

  • Scenario: End-to-End Warranty Fulfillment
    • When a customer submits a warranty claim, ZVA can authenticate the user, extract a serial number from an uploaded image, validate eligibility across backend systems, schedule device pickup, initiate a replacement order, and confirm shipment, all within one continuous interaction.
    • If escalation is required, the complete workflow history, including verified inputs and actions already taken, transfers seamlessly to a live agent. The customer does not need to repeat information or restart the process, accelerating resolution and improving the overall experience.

Raising the bar for resolution

As organizations automate more interactions to manage rising volumes and cost pressures, performance is increasingly measured by resolution quality — not containment rates alone. In the resolution economy, automation must accurately interpret intent, execute across systems, and meaningfully reduce operational load.

Zoom is already seeing measurable results internally after implementing the latest updates to ZVA in its own virtual agents:

  • Query understanding accuracy: Zoom’s no-match rate (the percentage of total conversation turns in which a virtual agent failed to understand the user’s input) has dropped from 35% to 0%, meaning almost all customer requests are accurately interpreted on the first attempt, reducing repeat queries and friction.
  • Significant time savings: On Zoom’s billing team, deflection rates (measuring the percentage of customer support inquiries resolved through self-service tools) rose from 0% to 30% in just three months, saving over 1,000 agent hours per month.

Zoom Virtual Agent 3.0 reflects Zoom’s broader ambition to power intelligent, connected customer experiences where AI and human agents work together to complete complex interactions with speed, transparency, and trust. This is automation designed not just to scale, but also to earn trust with every interaction.

See Zoom Virtual Agent in action

Read the Zoom blog to see how ZVA supports Zoom’s own customers by improving resolution at scale, and stop by Zoom’s booth (#519) at Enterprise Connect 2026, March 10–12 in Las Vegas, to see a live demo.

About Zoom

Zoom (NASDAQ:ZM) provides the AI-first, open work platform built for human connection and purposefully designed to move conversations to completion. From entrepreneurs to global enterprises, customers choose Zoom to seamlessly collaborate, communicate, and drive outcomes across meetings, chat, phone, contact center, events, and more — all with the built-in assistance of Zoom AI Companion. Founded in 2011, Zoom is headquartered in San Jose, CA. For more information, visit zoom.com.

Zoom Public Relations
Travis Isaman
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9660155

Petroleum Development Oman Awards Lufkin Industries Multi-Year Contract for Rod Driven Progressive Cavity Pump Systems (RDPCP) for South Oman

by

Building on Nearly a Decade of Proven Performance in Oman Since the early 2000’s, the New Contract Reinforces Lufkin’s Track Record of Success and Partnership with Petroleum Development Oman

LUFKIN Industries Oman team

LUFKIN Industries Oman team

MUSCAT, Oman, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lufkin Industries (“Lufkin”), a global leader in artificial lift solutions, has been awarded by Petroleum Development Oman’s (“PDO”), a multi-year performance contract to deliver Rod Driven Progressive Cavity Pumping (“RDPCP”) systems across the Marmul-Rahab-Thuleilat-Qaharir (Marmul and RTQ) fields. The award solidifies Lufkin’s position as one of PDO’s most trusted long-term partners in production optimization and field execution.

The win extends Lufkin’s successful partnership with PDO, which began in the early 2000’s and has consistently delivered asset reliability, engineering innovation, and strong localization outcomes in Oman’s oilfields. Under the new Marmul-RTQ award, Lufkin will continue supplying high-performance RDPCP equipment, deployment services, and production optimization support.

“This award reaffirms the strength of our partnership with PDO and our shared commitment to long-term field success,” said Brent Baumann, Chief Executive Officer of Lufkin. “From day one, we’ve focused on delivering not just reliable artificial lift systems, but a broader ecosystem of service, innovation, and localization wrapped in safety that supports Oman’s production goals. We’re honored to continue building on this foundation with Marmul-RTQ.”

Over the past twenty years, Lufkin has become a top performer in Oman’s artificial lift market, achieving:

  • Over 2,000 Rod Lift Systems installed
  • Zero Non-Productive Time across new well deployments and replacements
  • An average pump run life of over 763 days for PCP Systems
  • ‘Quarterly Performance Review’ scores consistently “On Target” and “Above Target”
  • Published technical papers in collaboration with PDO and a leading industrial partner, including breakthroughs in remote-controlled RDPCP operations as well as co-presentations with PDO at the SPE workshop in Cartegena, Colombia – all affirming Lufkin’s commitment to develop PCP optimization programs for PDO and the industry

“Our teams have earned trust in the field through consistency, technical excellence and collaboration,” said Craig Guillory, Vice President International Sales & Operations at Lufkin. “This win is not only a validation of our past performance but a challenge we’re proud to take on. We’re committed to delivering the same high standards in Marmul and RTQ that PDO has come to expect from Lufkin.”

Invested in Oman – Local Talent, Local Infrastructure

Lufkin’s approach to the Marmul-RTQ execution will continue emphasizing In Country Value. Currently, 87% of Lufkin’s field teams in Oman are local nationals, and the company has built up robust in-country infrastructure to support deployment, service, and optimization.

“Lufkin has proven itself as a high-performance partner for PDO. Their ability to deliver at an elevated level in any condition while also heavily investing in local capability development has made them a strategic part of our long-term production ecosystem.” – Statement from PDO.

The awarded scope will cover new well installations, workovers, optimization services, and life-of-well RDPCP support for Marmul and RTQ; a mission-critical portfolio for PDO’s future production targets.

Learn more about Lufkin PCP Systems: Progressing Cavity Pumps – LUFKIN Industries

About LUFKIN Industries
Lufkin Industries is a leading global provider of rod lift optimization solutions, products, technologies, and services to the oil and gas industry. With over 100 years of industry leadership, LUFKIN manufactures a complete line of surface pumping units, sucker rods, downhole sucker rod pumps and automation systems worldwide. The company is recognized around the world as the industry standard and the benchmark others strive to attain. LUFKIN’s intelligent solutions are supported by an extensive global service footprint, staffed with highly skilled technicians capable of solving the most challenging well concerns.

Discover more at www.lufkin.com.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bdda487d-85b0-41e0-82d6-3853aa485d1e

[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9659732

Learning Tree International Awarded Multi-Year Sole-Award NATO NCIA Commercial Training Services Contract – IFB-CO-423236

by

LONDON, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Learning Tree International, a global leader in workforce transformation and mission-critical technology training, has been awarded a multi-year sole-award contract by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Communications-and Information Agency (NCIA) as their Education and Training industry partner.

The Commercial Training Services Contract – IFB-CO-423236 includes provision of training solutions, including consultancy support, for over 3,000 students a year across European and North American NATO entities ensuring staff have the required skills for operational readiness throughout the contract term.

The award builds on a strategic partnership in support of NATO’s technical, cyber, and operational workforce development. This sole-award contract reflects NATO’s confidence in Learning Tree’s ability to deliver innovative, consistent, scalable, and mission-aligned training within one of the world’s most complex multinational defence environments.

Under the agreement, Learning Tree will deliver commercial and tailored instructor-led training and consultancy services designed to strengthen NATO’s digital, cyber, and technical capabilities across the Alliance. The training will be delivered through a combination of private team training courses and open schedules.

Strengthening the Skills of NATO’s Workforce

Learning Tree will provide training across:

With more than 50 years of experience supporting enterprise, public sector, and defence organisations in over 65 countries, Learning Tree brings deep institutional knowledge of secure delivery requirements, operational readiness standards, and evolving digital capability priorities. The company is recognised globally for delivering instructor-led training in highly regulated and security-sensitive environments.

“Being selected by NATO for a multi-year agreement reflects the strength of our partnership and the trust placed in Learning Tree’s secure workforce transformation solutions,” said David Brown, Chief Executive Officer at Learning Tree International. “For over 15 years, we have proudly supported NATO in strengthening workforce readiness across cyber, digital, and technical domains.”

As NATO continues to modernise its technology infrastructure and enhance cyber resilience, Learning Tree will provide accredited, mission-aligned training to ensure operational readiness across the Alliance.

This multi-year award further reinforces Learning Tree’s position as a premier global provider of secure workforce transformation solutions for defence and government organisations.

About Learning Tree International

Learning Tree International is a global leader in workforce development and technology training solutions. For more than 50 years, Learning Tree has helped organisations and professionals around the world develop the critical skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape. The company’s instructor-led and hybrid learning programmes empower individuals and organisations to accelerate transformation, enhance performance, and achieve lasting results.

Visit www.LearningTree.co.uk to learn more.

Media Enquiries
Learning Tree International
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.LearningTree.co.uk


GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 9660048

The World’s Most Important Residence and Citizenship Programs in 2026

by

LONDON, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While European programs continue to set the benchmark globally, the latest rankings in the 2026 edition of Henley & Partners’ Residence and Citizenship Programs report reveal a marked recalibration in the investment migration landscape. Europe’s appeal is increasingly being challenged by dynamic competitors across the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean — signaling a shift in how globally mobile capital and talent are repositioning for the future.

Malta retains 1st place in the 2026 Global Citizenship Program Index for the 11th consecutive year, and Greece once again tops the 2026 Global Residence Program Index. The rankings are published as part of the most established comparative benchmark of investment migration options, independently assessed by a panel of leading internationally recognized immigration and citizenship experts as well as academics, economists, and country risk experts.

New Entrants and Rapid Climbers Reshape the Rankings

The UAE records the year’s most striking rise, moving from 5th to joint 2nd place on the Global Residence Program Index and entering the Top 3 for the first time. Strong upward momentum is also evident across Asia-Pacific and Central America, with Costa Rica, New Zealand, Panama, and Singapore all climbing the rankings, alongside steady gains by Malaysia, Mauritius, and Thailand.

Three countries make notable first appearances on the Global Residence Program Index: Uruguay enters in 5th place, Saudi Arabia debuts in 9th, and the Maldives in 11th — underscoring the widening geographic spread of competitive residence offerings.

A similar pattern of recalibration is evident on the Global Citizenship Program Index, where several established Caribbean and MENA programs improve their positions and two new entrants — Samoa and São Tomé and Príncipe — join the rankings for the first time.

Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman at Henley & Partners, says the findings mark an important inflection point for policymakers. “Together, the 2026 results reflect a structural evolution: Europe remains highly attractive, but its relative dominance is declining. Forward-thinking countries such as Singapore and the UAE are engaging strategically with globally mobile investors. At a time when foreign direct investment, entrepreneurial talent, and fiscal resilience are critical, policy certainty and openness are decisive competitive advantages.”

Governments Compete for Capital and Talent

Millionaire migration projections for 2026 point to an unprecedented wave of affluent families relocating across borders, with the leading destinations for net inflows all operating formal residence and/or citizenship frameworks designed to attract international investors and entrepreneurs. Reflecting this accelerating competition, Henley & Partners onboarded clients from 95 countries over the past 12 months — clear evidence that structured domicile portfolio management is becoming mainstream among globally mobile families.

Against this backdrop, the two indexes published today benchmark 40 leading programs — selected from over 100 worldwide — across key criteria including reputation, quality of life, compliance, investment requirements, tax efficiency, processing standards, and mobility outcomes. Together, they provide a comparative measure of how effectively countries position themselves to attract and retain globally mobile investors and talent.

Dr. Juerg Steffen, Chief Executive Officer at Henley & Partners, says residence and citizenship programs have evolved into core instruments of economic government strategy rather than simple revenue channels. “Governments are deploying these frameworks to secure long-term advantage — attracting entrepreneurs, investors, and internationally mobile families who contribute to innovation and growth. At the same time, for globally exposed households, mobility planning has become a core element of risk management and opportunity creation. Jurisdictions that offer clarity, stability, and attractive pathways to residence and citizenship are positioning themselves to win.”

Wealth on the Move

Interactive digital comparisons of the 40 different residence and citizenship programs are also available, enabling global investors and wealthy families to select what matters most to them when weighing up their options.

Dominic Volek, Group Head of Private Clients at Henley & Partners, says the data confirms a fundamental global shift. “Wealth is relocating at an unprecedented pace. Where it ultimately concentrates will depend on how credibly countries design immigration frameworks for investors, entrepreneurs and wealthy families. Countries that combine economic dynamism, legal certainty, political stability, strong infrastructure, and clear pathways for applicants are emerging as the primary net inflow destinations. Where credible mobility options exist, capital and talent follow.”

He adds that this reflects a deeper reassessment of risk and permanence. “Residence and citizenship rights are increasingly assembled rather than inherited — structured portfolios of access rights built to create resilience across generations. Families that approach mobility as a deliberate long-term strategy, rather than a contingency plan, will be best positioned to absorb shocks, capture opportunity, and preserve optionality in a world where both capital and talent are highly fluid.”

Read the Full Press Release

Sarah Nicklin
Group Head of PR
[email protected]
+27 72 464 8965

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 1001166019