This week in logistics and supply chain news, the industry sees a major shift in industrial software with the launch of Velotic, a standalone company integrating powerhouse platforms like Proficy, Kepware, and ThingWorx. The landscape further evolves as Walmart secures AI patents for real-time pricing and demand forecasting, while Crusoe and Redwood Materials scale their modular AI data center partnership in Nevada. Rounding out the updates, a modernized EU-US trade deal restores structured access for steel line pipe, and the USPS announces a temporary 8% rate hike for select domestic services starting in late April.
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Velotic Launches as Independent Industrial Software Company Integrating Proficy, Kepware, and ThingWorx
Velotic announced its launch as an independent industrial software company, bringing together multiple established platforms to support evolving industrial and manufacturing requirements. The formation of Velotic coincides with the closing of TPG’s previously announced acquisitions of Proficy, the former manufacturing software business of GE Vernova, and PTC’s former industrial connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT) businesses.
According to Craig Resnick, Vice President, ARC Advisory Group, “The industrial software market is entering a pivotal moment. Manufacturers are under pressure to modernize operations, extract greater value from data, and rapidly adopt AI—without sacrificing reliability, safety, or control. Against this backdrop, the formation of Velotic as a new standalone industrial software company bringing together Proficy®, Kepware® and ThingWorx® represents more than a corporate restructuring. It signals a shift in how industrial data, analytics, and operations technology (OT) can be delivered at scale, that ARC strongly advocates.”
Walmart AI Pricing Patents Signal Shift Toward Real-Time Retail Execution
Walmart has secured two patents related to automated pricing and demand forecasting, drawing attention to how large retailers are evolving their pricing and execution capabilities. One patent, System and Method for Dynamically Updating Prices on an E-Commerce Platform, covers a system that can dynamically update online prices based on changing market conditions. A second, Walmart Pricing and Demand Forecasting Patent Classification, relates to demand forecasting technology designed to estimate what customers will buy and recommend pricing accordingly. At the same time, Walmart is expanding digital shelf labels across its U.S. stores, replacing paper labels with centrally managed electronic displays.
Individually, none of these elements are new. Retailers have long used forecasting models, pricing tools, and store execution processes. What is notable is the combination.
Walmart now has three capabilities aligned:
Demand forecasting tied to predictive models
Price recommendation based on that demand
Store-level infrastructure capable of rapid execution
Crusoe and Redwood Materials Expand Strategic Partnership
On March 24, 2026, Crusoe, an AI infrastructure company, and Redwood Materials, a leader in battery recycling and energy storage, announced a major expansion of their existing partnership. The move scales their joint operations in Sparks, Nevada, to seven times the original AI infrastructure density, providing a blueprint for how second-life batteries can power high-performance computing. The expansion follows a successful pilot program launched in June 2025. Initially, the project utilized four Crusoe Spark™ modular data centers. Following seven months of high performance, the companies are increasing the deployment to 24 modular data centers. This growth is made possible by the hardware’s “modular” nature. Unlike traditional data centers that require years of stationary construction, modular units can be manufactured off-site and deployed in months.
EU Parliament Approves Key Terms of US Trade Deal
The newly approved EU–US line pipe agreement updates the terms under which European steel line pipe can enter the U.S. market, reinstating duty‑free access under a revised tariff‑rate quota system. Under the deal, the U.S. will allow a defined volume of EU‑produced line pipe to enter without Section 232 duties, while volumes exceeding the quota remain subject to tariffs. The agreement also includes strengthened verification requirements intended to prevent transshipment of line pipe originating from non‑EU countries—particularly China—through Europe. By formalizing these updated quota levels and compliance rules, the two sides have effectively modernized an earlier arrangement that had lapsed, restoring a structured, more predictable framework for EU steelmakers and U.S. importers.
USPS Sets 8% Temporary Rate Hike for Select Domestic Products
The U.S. Postal Service has approved a temporary rate increase for its Ground Advantage and Parcel Select services, raising prices for shippers during the peak spring and summer mailing period. The adjustment, which requires approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission, is structured as a seasonal surcharge designed to help USPS manage higher operating costs while maintaining service performance. Under the proposal, rates for Ground Advantage parcels would rise modestly across weight and distance tiers, while Parcel Select—often used by high‑volume shippers and consolidators—would see increases targeted at heavier packages and longer delivery zones. The temporary pricing would take effect April 28 and remain in place through July 13, after which rates revert to prior levels.
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