News

News

• May 13, 2022 13 May'22

  Federal warning on AI hiring bias now comes with teeth

  Federal regulators have been warning employers about the risk of AI bias in hiring. The Justice Department is now involved, which means investigations may be next.

• May 12, 2022 12 May'22

  Privacy groups urge Zoom to abandon emotion AI research

  Privacy organizations want Zoom to ditch emotion-tracking AI. The tech is invasive, discriminatory and doesn't work, the groups said.

• May 11, 2022 11 May'22

  SAP Sapphire focuses on speed, disruption, sustainability

  At SAP Sapphire 2022, the ERP vendor highlighted accelerating business transformation, disruptions to supply chains and sustainability as main challenges that businesses face.

• May 11, 2022 11 May'22

  Zendesk enhances CRM, low-code customer service chatbots

  Zendesk's Answer Bot moves past the knowledge base and gets a low-code interface so that business users can orchestrate automated conversations.

• May 10, 2022 10 May'22

  SAP reboots Service Cloud, adds retail recommerce

  SAP venture-backed Feather by SAP integrates marketplaces for retail users to give their customers a place to resell goods they've bought from them.

• May 06, 2022 06 May'22

  Visier's collaboration analytics buy is about team dynamics

  Collaboration analytics is designed to understand how people and teams work together, a capability Visier is gaining with its recent acquisition of Yva.ai.

• May 06, 2022 06 May'22

  Business conditions upend digital supply chain investments

  A new PwC survey of supply chain leaders indicates that most companies are not yet seeing results from investments in advanced supply chain technologies.

• May 06, 2022 06 May'22

  Square exec discusses metaverse, electronic payment trends

  Millions of physical and online merchants use Square's payment processing services. We discuss retail tech trends with Roshan Jhunja, Square head of retail.

• May 06, 2022 06 May'22

  PwC upgrades employee benefits with two week-long shutdowns

  Professional services firm PwC is improving its employee benefits and learning and career development programs. It wants employees to have more control over their careers.

• May 05, 2022 05 May'22

  Video conferencing found to harm worker creativity

  Research shows video conferencing curbs the creation of new ideas, so managers should also schedule in-person brainstorming sessions.

• May 05, 2022 05 May'22

  Worldwide remote jobs market may globalize hiring

  The outlook for worldwide remote job opportunities is creating an opportunity for startup Oyster, which enables overseas hiring. It reached $1 billion valuation in two years.

• May 04, 2022 04 May'22

  SAP Sapphire returns as a scaled-down live event

  SAP Sapphire 2022 is back with an in-person and virtual program. Rise with SAP will be a hot topic, but SAP also needs to focus on SAP Business Network and Business Technology Platform.

• May 02, 2022 02 May'22

  Metaverse shopping 101, from Forever 21's Roblox store creator

  The founder of the agency behind Forever 21's Shop City explains what it is -- and what it isn't -- and what retailing in the metaverse will eventually look like.

• May 02, 2022 02 May'22

  Starlink coverage can make remote work very remote

  The internet coverage from Starlink satellites can enable remote work just about anywhere, but user experience is not perfect and some cite dropouts during video calls.

• April 29, 2022 29 Apr'22

  Contact centers struggle to improve employee experience

  AI, better workforce management tools and conversation intelligence are key technologies to help customer service teams get through the current rough patch.

• April 28, 2022 28 Apr'22

  Meta pumps the brakes on metaverse, long-term spending

  Meta's slow earnings growth means less money to spend on its long-term metaverse project. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company is laying the groundwork for 2030.

• April 27, 2022 27 Apr'22

  Salesforce-Slack sales, marketing, service integrations in beta

  Slack integration apps for Salesforce Service Cloud, Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud move into beta; MuleSoft takes on API management and governance.

• April 27, 2022 27 Apr'22

  Qualtrics hardwires sentiment analysis into contact center tools

  Qualtrics beefs up its contact center offering by embedding new sentiment detection tools as well as social listening across review sites, social media and other digital channels.

• April 27, 2022 27 Apr'22

  Salesforce pushes automation for Slack

  Salesforce's low-code automation tool Flow and programming language Apex will soon work on Slack. The company said the move will help workers avoid rote tasks.

• April 26, 2022 26 Apr'22

  'Trust but verify' may boost employee productivity monitoring

  For some firms, employee productivity monitoring tools are part of a trust-but-verify approach to the adoption of remote work, four-day workweeks and flexible hours.

• April 26, 2022 26 Apr'22

  Robots in manufacturing help Cheer Pack meet labor needs

  Cheer Pack, which makes spouted pouches, uses an IFS ERP system to manage a team of robots in its manufacturing operations, saving on labor and eliminating mistakes.

• April 25, 2022 25 Apr'22

  AI virtual assistant grooms skier experience at Snowbird

  Using an AI-powered chatbot designed with the friendly likenesses of avalanche dogs, the famed Utah ski resort is able to quickly respond to customers' questions.

• April 22, 2022 22 Apr'22

  Microsoft bolsters Teams Operator Connect options

  Microsoft plans to bring more telephone companies into its Teams Operator Connect program. The initiative pairs telcos with integrators experienced with Teams telephony.

• April 22, 2022 22 Apr'22

  Retailer: Informed humans still the hottest e-commerce trend

  Sweetwater, the largest online audio gear and musical instrument retailer, uses AI to augment -- not replace -- its agents. Mike Clem, chief growth officer, explains why.

• April 15, 2022 15 Apr'22

  Microsoft responds to cloud antitrust complaints

  Microsoft has drawn antitrust scrutiny for rules that make it more expensive to run Windows and Office on rivals' clouds. The company promised a fix but has provided no details.

• April 15, 2022 15 Apr'22

  Marketing to Gen Z takes new tech, channels, strategies

  Gen Z consumers will change the world. Savvy, nimble brands know to give them digital platforms for sharing their values as corporate America catches up to their worldview.

• April 15, 2022 15 Apr'22

  New Oracle HR tools move employee experience to forefront

  Oracle's new employee experience platform includes features that are designed to encourage employees and managers to keep talking and stay engaged.

• April 13, 2022 13 Apr'22

  Paychex's new time clock uses two touchless biometrics

  Time clock systems may be moving away from finger or palm prints to touchless systems. Paychex released a biometric time clock with two touchless systems, iris and face scans.

• April 13, 2022 13 Apr'22

  Zoom launches AI tool for sales departments

  Zoom's AI insights help sales teams by analyzing video call transcripts for information to determine the next step in negotiations with prospective customers.

• April 12, 2022 12 Apr'22

  Infor execs tout ERP SaaS growth, industry functionality

  Infor experienced strong revenue growth in 2021, particularly for SaaS bookings, and the ERP vendor believes its deep industry functionality will spur more cloud migrations.

• April 12, 2022 12 Apr'22

  Box unveils Canvas cloud content collaboration tools

  Box Canvas, a new set of collaboration tools, takes on the new era of work where some employees are remote and some are in the office -- but they all need to work together.

• April 12, 2022 12 Apr'22

  'CRM Analytics' Salesforce's new name for Tableau CRM

  Salesforce refreshes the sales analytics package formerly known as Einstein Analytics by adding CRM-native features, a Slack app and vertical-specific integrations.

• April 11, 2022 11 Apr'22

  PC shipments slow, but the market remains strong

  IDC reported that global PC shipments fell by 5% in the first three months, but vendors still shipped more than 80 million units for the seventh consecutive quarter.

• April 11, 2022 11 Apr'22

  Amazon unexpectedly renews employee monitoring debate

  Amazon is reportedly considering an employee monitoring tool that would block certain words, such as 'robots.' It may never happen, the company said, but it has spurred debate.

• April 08, 2022 08 Apr'22

  SAP teams up with BCG on sustainability strategy

  SAP and BCG combine products to enable implementing sustainability programs around eliminating carbon emissions, reducing waste and tracking environmental, social and governance information.

• April 08, 2022 08 Apr'22

  H-1B, green card work visa bill advances after testy debate

  A new work visa reform is heading to the U.S. House floor, following a key committee vote Wednesday. The bill phases out per-country caps on green cards.

• April 08, 2022 08 Apr'22

  Microsoft brings Windows 365 Cloud PC closer to Windows 11

  Microsoft will make Windows 365 more like a local install of Windows by letting employees work offline and switch between their local desktops and Cloud PC.

• April 06, 2022 06 Apr'22

  Salesforce Marketing, Service Clouds add, rename features

  Salesforce partners with Genesys, Google for telephony; adds AWS Contact Lens natively, among a raft of new features. Some are available now; some are coming in Summer '22 release.

• April 05, 2022 05 Apr'22

  Microsoft: Windows 11 features ease hybrid work strain on IT

  Microsoft has aimed its latest Windows 11 features at helping IT staff automate updates, secure corporate data and assist workers remotely.

• April 05, 2022 05 Apr'22

  Surge hiring, HR tech highlighted in 2023 federal budget

  The White House's proposed federal budget for 2023 seeks to create an enterprise-wide HR system, as well as improve its ability to recruit for an expanding federal workforce.

• April 01, 2022 01 Apr'22

  Google updates Meet to match, surpass competitors

  Google's upcoming Meet updates will include letting multiple workers communicate over video while collaborating on a document, spreadsheet or slide presentation.

• April 01, 2022 01 Apr'22

  Microsoft gets in process mining game with Minit acquisition

  Minit's acquisition by Microsoft will enable organizations to better understand business processes and help them plan and implement digital transformation projects.

• April 01, 2022 01 Apr'22

  New study reveals how AI will change future workplaces

  AI adoption may be bad news for middle managers, says a new study. Future workplaces will hire people with technical skills and give junior workers more power.

• March 31, 2022 31 Mar'22

  HP goes deeper into hybrid work with Poly acquisition

  HP plans to acquire Poly to appeal to companies looking for conference gear, headsets and other devices for hybrid work. HP expects to close the $3.3 billion deal this year.

• March 30, 2022 30 Mar'22

  Unilever pursues supply chain sustainability with blockchain

  Unilever deploys blockchain-enabled GreenToken by SAP to help ensure the palm oil used in its products comes from responsible sources and doesn't contribute to rainforest loss.

• March 30, 2022 30 Mar'22

  New Google Cloud retail tool targets search abandonment

  The new tool is aimed at providing better results for online shoppers. It understands user intent and context, provides results for broad inquiries, and includes semantic search.

• March 29, 2022 29 Mar'22

  It's coming: The wild world of metaverse shopping

  Gap and PacSun lead the way in NFT experiments, as retailers and analysts ponder the revenue potential of selling virtual products in the metaverse.

• March 28, 2022 28 Mar'22

  Recommerce, rebuilt digital experiences top of mind for stores

  Brick-and-mortar retailers look to technology to compete with online counterparts and mold digital experiences to what resonated with consumers during the past two years.

• March 28, 2022 28 Mar'22

  Oracle Cloud HCM upgrade may get HR engaged in security

  New AI-related security capabilities in Oracle HCM Cloud may help HR and IT managers spot anomalies based on behavior, time, frequency, location, role and responsibility.

• March 25, 2022 25 Mar'22

  Businesses have plenty of time to adopt VR technology

  Experts agree that VR could one day play an important role in business collaboration -- but it will take 10 years or more for the technology to mature

• March 25, 2022 25 Mar'22

  Hybrid work takes bite out of return to office

  Despite the current reality of the hybrid work model, office building owners might have to invest in amenities such as gyms and bike storage to entice workers back to the office.

• March 24, 2022 24 Mar'22

  BlueJeans provides meeting controls via smartphones

  BlueJeans is rolling out features that add more meeting controls to smartphones. The capabilities make mobile devices a more viable option for remote workers.

• March 24, 2022 24 Mar'22

  Anaplan to go private after $10.7B acquisition

  Cloud-based integrated business planning vendor Anaplan will be acquired by Thoma Bravo for $10.7 billion, positioning it to be more competitive with IBP rivals SAP and Oracle.

• March 23, 2022 23 Mar'22

  Oracle amps up field service management mobile app support

  As customer service and field service converge, software giants still build functionality for techs visiting homes and businesses to work on devices and machines.

• March 23, 2022 23 Mar'22

  Cisco bolsters Webex flexibility as hybrid work looms

  Cisco said companies must have the flexibility to let employees work how and where they want. Hybrid work features for Webex will provide employees with more choices.

• March 22, 2022 22 Mar'22

  Amazon Connect updates contact center workforce management

  AWS's Amazon Connect contact center as a service platform adds machine learning workforce optimization to predict customer contact volume, as well as staffing numbers to cover it.

• March 22, 2022 22 Mar'22

  Microsoft, Cisco, Zoom pledge conference room compatibility

  Workers used to the flexibility of PC-based video conferencing during the pandemic won't have the same experience in the office's conference-room gear.

• March 21, 2022 21 Mar'22

  Employment background checks shift to continuous

  Conducting employment background checks on existing employees and contractors is a growing trend. But the practice raises ethical questions for HR departments.

• March 21, 2022 21 Mar'22

  Google, Twilio release CCaaS tools and integrations

  Google Contact Center AI Platform bundles its own tech with partners' for a complete contact center package. Twilio, meanwhile, releases Flex Conversations.

• March 21, 2022 21 Mar'22

  Samsung top user interface available on non-flagship phones

  Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets will get the One UI 4.1 user interface. The premium UI for the company's flagship phones offers screen sharing while on video calls.

• March 18, 2022 18 Mar'22

  Ukraine war, sanctions will extend supply chain disruption

  Supply chains have been hit hard in the past two years, and the challenges do not get easier with the Ukraine war, which will affect industries for years to come.

• March 18, 2022 18 Mar'22

  Enterprise Connect 2022: Solving hybrid work challenges

  The latest advancements in collaboration software, UC as a service, contact centers and virtual reality await attendees of this year's Enterprise Connect.

• March 17, 2022 17 Mar'22

  Cisco adds ML to Meraki cameras to track objects

  Cisco's MV Sense is available as a subscription with Meraki MV cameras. Companies can use the service to count boxes in a warehouse or track equipment on a factory floor.

• March 17, 2022 17 Mar'22

  Microsoft updates Teams, Outlook for hybrid work challenges

  Microsoft's upcoming hybrid work features will help remote and in-office employees schedule meetings, share presentations and collaborate more effectively.

• March 17, 2022 17 Mar'22

  Vodafone upgrades recruiting tech to attract and impress

  Vodafone, the U.K.'s telcommunications giant, has upgraded its recruiting tech with automation that will analyze resumes and CVs and then recommend jobs.

• March 16, 2022 16 Mar'22

  Adobe Experience Cloud messaging collaboration in the works

  Adobe reveals potential roadmap features in development, which include a chat client that might span Adobe Experience Cloud apps and foster collaboration across teams.

• March 15, 2022 15 Mar'22

  Ongoing disruptions force supply chain strategies to evolve

  In this Q&A, IDC's Simon Ellis explains why companies need to implement more resilient supply chains in an environment of greater constraint caused by continual disruption.

• March 15, 2022 15 Mar'22

  Salesforce AppExchange revamps user search, discovery

  Salesforce updates AppExchange partner marketplace to add more effective search and surfacing of more appropriate results for users, as the app count tops 7,000.

• March 15, 2022 15 Mar'22

  HubSpot gives customer service platform a makeover

  HubSpot's refreshed contact center platform features self-service automation and Twilio telephony. The company hopes a fragmented market and user loyalty will spur its growth.

• March 14, 2022 14 Mar'22

  VC investment fuels supply chain innovation

  Venture capital funds are now flowing into startups that are working on technologies and platforms to tackle longstanding supply chain issues.

• March 11, 2022 11 Mar'22

  File Explorer tabs reappear in new Windows 11 preview build

  The latest Windows 11 developer build lets people open multiple folders in the file management app. The feature is supposed to cut down on time switching between folders.

• March 11, 2022 11 Mar'22

  Sitecore's headless commerce play fuels ambitions

  Sitecore CEO Steve Tzikakis took over during the pandemic -- amid massive growth -- and has reimagined the company as a digital experience provider with a composable commerce bent.

• March 11, 2022 11 Mar'22

  Magic Leap 2 takes on HoloLens in enterprise AR market

  Magic Leap will launch the AR headset Magic Leap 2 by the end of September. The company must work quickly to compete in an increasingly crowded enterprise AR market.

• March 11, 2022 11 Mar'22

  Google improves Android message management

  The latest Android update will sort text messages as business or personal and send reminders for unanswered messages. The update is for devices running Android 6 or higher.

• March 10, 2022 10 Mar'22

  Apple to launch iOS 15.4 with Tap to Pay, Face ID update

  The last update to iOS 15 will include Tap to Pay, a mask-friendly Face ID, a new Siri voice, and the ability to store a driver's license or state ID in Wallet.

• March 10, 2022 10 Mar'22

  GM revamps talent acquisition strategy with new tech

  General Motors' talent acquisition strategy includes new tools to improve recruiter efficiency, including chatbots, automated scheduling and candidate grading systems.

• March 09, 2022 09 Mar'22

  Amazon launches audio communication app Amp

  Businesses could use Amazon's Amp to promote their brand on shows created with the app. The iPhone-only software resembles products from Clubhouse, Spotify and Twitter.

• March 09, 2022 09 Mar'22

  Apple's M1 Ultra delivers more power for creative pros

  The latest iteration of Apple's proprietary chip will power the Mac Studio workstation, a replacement for the Mac Pro and the last model to get the M1 series chip.

• March 09, 2022 09 Mar'22

  Demand for neurodivergent talent rising

  For neurodivergent hires to be successful, companies should prepare their offices and provide training, said Anthony Pacilio, vice president of neurodiverse solutions at CAI.

• March 09, 2022 09 Mar'22

  Adobe Target adds more granular personalization features

  Adobe's personalization engine adds AI tools and CDP connections for marketers to experiment with their cross-channel marketing campaigns for specific audiences.

• March 04, 2022 04 Mar'22

  Epicor ERP adds low-code BI with Grow acquisition

  Epicor's acquisition of Grow Inc. provides the ERP vendor with a low-code business intelligence tool that provides business users flexible and easy-to-use analytics capabilities.

• March 04, 2022 04 Mar'22

  HP brings device management to VR headsets

  HP's SaaS product lets businesses using HTC and Pico virtual reality headsets track device locations, push application updates, patch devices and set security policies.

• March 04, 2022 04 Mar'22

  Tech companies rein in harassment in VR meeting places

  Companies are unlikely to buy into virtual reality for meetings and events if tech companies can't protect customers' employees from groping, stalking and threats in cyberspace.

• March 03, 2022 03 Mar'22

  Job applications a top HR business cybersecurity risk

  Russia's attack on Ukraine has raised the risk of a business cybersecurity attack, and HR may be particularly vulnerable. But there are steps HR can take to protect its company.

• March 03, 2022 03 Mar'22

  Lenovo unveils an Arm laptop with Microsoft Pluton security

  The advanced security in Lenovo's ThinkPad X13s is through Qualcomm's Arm-based Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chipset. Lenovo plans to ship the laptop this year.

• March 02, 2022 02 Mar'22

  RingCentral unveils UCaaS offerings for education

  RingCentral plans to launch two UC-as-a-service education products this month. Future UCaaS releases will target other markets, including healthcare and finance.

• March 02, 2022 02 Mar'22

  Benefits of ERP cloud migration need reality check

  In this Q&A, Roan Low of Syntax explains why organizations should consider a system transformation, not a lift-and-shift upgrade, to take full advantage of an ERP cloud migration.

• February 25, 2022 25 Feb'22

  In-house AI boot camp pays off for Levi Strauss

  Levi Strauss' AI boot camp isn't easy to get into. Some 450 employees have applied to one of the 100 slots so far. It's an intensive program, but the firm likes the results.

• February 24, 2022 24 Feb'22

  Zoom takes its video service to the contact center

  Zoom has entered the contact center-as-a-service market. The company's product offers video calling as companies seek a more visual interaction with customers.

• February 24, 2022 24 Feb'22

  HR manager experiences a Ukrainian startup's metaverse

  Party.Space's metaverse offers an alternative to Zoom meetings. Its development team is in Ukraine, and its CEO has flown from the U.S. to be there as tensions escalate.

• February 23, 2022 23 Feb'22

  SAP Process Automation offers low-code RPA, workflow tool

  Companies can now automate business processes with SAP Process Automation, a low-code tool that combines SAP Workflow Management and SAP Robotic Process Automation.

• February 23, 2022 23 Feb'22

  Zoom and RingCentral settle lawsuit

  Zoom has agreed to let RingCentral customers continue using the Zoom-powered product Meetings. Zoom will also give companies time to move to RingCentral's homegrown product.

• February 17, 2022 17 Feb'22

  Microsoft, Meta tackle harassment in virtual worlds

  Microsoft and Meta have introduced personal space in their virtual worlds to combat the downside of virtual reality, sexual harassment and other bad behavior.

• February 17, 2022 17 Feb'22

  Employers need to adopt skills-based hiring, US officials say

  Gina Raimondo, the U.S. Department of Commerce secretary, is urging HR managers to adopt skills-based training and reduce their reliance on college degrees.

• February 17, 2022 17 Feb'22

  Digital transformation strategy needs realistic expectations

  A digital transformation can improve business operations, but companies need to strike a balance between business goals and technology investments to achieve success.

• February 17, 2022 17 Feb'22

  Salesforce Media Cloud, AWS partner for streaming video

  As cord-cutters give rise to streaming services' popularity, Salesforce and AWS partner to capitalize on each other's strengths: Video hosting and a customer data platform.

• February 16, 2022 16 Feb'22

  HR tech spending jumps as workloads increase

  HR tech spending is rising, thanks to the 'Great Resignation,' and a need to invest in automation technologies such as chatbots and RPA to handle increasing workloads.

• February 16, 2022 16 Feb'22

  Microsoft integration tightens bonds between Teams, Outlook

  Microsoft's upcoming integration will add Teams' collaboration capabilities to the Outlook email client. The update should save time for corporate workers.

• February 15, 2022 15 Feb'22

  What ethics hotline data says about employee discontent

  Until COVID-19, use of ethics hotlines was on the rise over the last decade. But that may have more to do with changes in workplace practices than an increase in ethical breaches.

• February 15, 2022 15 Feb'22

  Samsung extends VMware Horizon to second screen

  People running VMware’s virtual desktop on Samsung’s smartphones and tablets can access Windows on both the device and an attached monitor to increase productivity.