News

News

• October 01, 2021 01 Oct'21

  Hybrid office design will drive tech purchasing

  Tech experts predict which hybrid workplace technology from Cisco, Microsoft and Zoom companies are likely to reject or embrace. Many could favor laptops over specialized devices.

• October 01, 2021 01 Oct'21

  Apple improves MDM on iOS, iPad OS

  Changes to Apple's mobile device management protocol could lead to better MDM products for iPhones and iPads. The protocol update is in iOS 15 and iPad OS 15.

• October 01, 2021 01 Oct'21

  BlueJeans to launch a virtual workspace in 2022

  BlueJeans' Spaces is a 2D/3D virtual workspace that provides an office experience to remote workers. The company plans to release the product in the first half of next year.

• September 30, 2021 30 Sep'21

  The future of Epicor ERP is cloud

  In this Q&A, Epicor's Himanshu Palsule discusses how the vendor has embraced the cloud, its strategy to expand its product portfolio and its push to broaden its global presence.

• September 30, 2021 30 Sep'21

  Video collaboration tools aren't good enough for hybrid work

  Cisco, Microsoft and Zoom agree that their video collaboration products need to do more for at-home and in-office workers. Future uses of AI could help.

• September 30, 2021 30 Sep'21

  Amazon Connect adds voice ID, agent assist features

  AWS adds tools to search knowledge bases for answers based on terms picked up via in-call voice recognition, as well as voice ID to confirm identities of callers.

• September 30, 2021 30 Sep'21

  B2B network broadens partnership potential but requires trust

  B2B networks increasingly offer smaller companies opportunities to collaborate and conduct business with multiple parties, but the networks have to be easy to use and trusted.

• September 29, 2021 29 Sep'21

  Workday users pitch employee retention strategies at event

  At a Workday event, business, HR and technology leaders highlighted flexible work, purpose-driven corporate missions and virtual reality as useful hiring and retention strategies.

• September 27, 2021 27 Sep'21

  NY raises alarms over job turnover following vaccine mandate

  New York's enforcement of a vaccine mandate in healthcare offers an early indication of the job turnover that may come in other industries.

• September 27, 2021 27 Sep'21

  Zoom-Five9 deal falls under national security scrutiny

  Zoom's acquisition of Five9 has triggered a national security review of its ties to the Chinese government. Tech buyers may be wary after the latest Zoom controversy.

• September 27, 2021 27 Sep'21

  Microsoft designs latest Surface models for Windows 11

  The Surface hardware is better suited for Teams, which will come standard on the new OS. The hardware will also make use of Windows 11's haptic feedback capabilities.

• September 23, 2021 23 Sep'21

  Congress could trigger demand for apprenticeship software

  In the face of workforce shortages, lawmakers may increase funding for job training, something that could boost apprenticeship software needs.

• September 23, 2021 23 Sep'21

  Microsoft brings Thunderbolt to Surface computers

  The high-speed Thunderbolt 4 port introduced in the Surface Laptop Studio and Surface Pro 8 will replace the USB-C ports found in older Surface computers.

• September 22, 2021 22 Sep'21

  ERP digital transformation can fail due to hidden cloud costs

  In this Q&A, Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, explains why the hidden costs of moving enterprise systems like ERP from on-premises infrastructures to the cloud can cause trouble.

• September 22, 2021 22 Sep'21

  Microsoft finds collaboration suffers during remote work

  Microsoft research found collaboration networks within the company got less dynamic with the onset of remote work, and technology couldn't fill the gap.

• September 22, 2021 22 Sep'21

  Benioff: Salesforce-Slack merger supports hybrid workforce

  Just 1,000 of the typical 180,000 Salesforce users attended Dreamforce 2021, but it was enough to get CEO Marc Benioff fired up about the future of hybrid work opportunities.

• September 21, 2021 21 Sep'21

  Epicor ERP sheds stodgy image in cloud makeover

  At Epicor Analyst Day, Epicor customers described how the company has transformed into a cloud-first industry-focused ERP company, while still supporting on-premises deployments.

• September 21, 2021 21 Sep'21

  More Salesforce-Slack integrations to come

  Salesforce unveiled a total of 16 Slack integrations to its platform, some available now, and some to come next year, following the blockbuster acquisition.

• September 20, 2021 20 Sep'21

  Recruiting AI systems under fire for excluding workers

  AI recruiting tools focus on hiring efficiency rather than efficacy, according to an Accenture-Harvard Business School study. The U.N. believes AI is fostering human rights abuse.

• September 20, 2021 20 Sep'21

  Oracle Fusion Marketing enables campaign orchestration

  Oracle has announced plans to release Fusion Marketing in 2022. The middleware app will more deeply integrate customer data to marketing initiatives and CRM.

• September 17, 2021 17 Sep'21

  Apple brings longer battery life, larger storage to iPhone 13

  The iPhone 13 will last an hour and a half longer than its iPhone 12 counterpart and have twice the minimum storage, Apple said. The Pro Max model will offer up to 1 TB of storage.

• September 16, 2021 16 Sep'21

  Zoom bolsters collaboration capabilities beyond video

  Zoom became the brand name for video conferencing during the pandemic. The company wants to expand that dominance to other areas of collaboration, like chat and whiteboards.

• September 16, 2021 16 Sep'21

  Microsoft offers passwordless login to all customers

  All Microsoft customers will be able to replace passwords with biometric identity, security keys or text confirmation to access their Microsoft accounts.

• September 16, 2021 16 Sep'21

  Salesforce automation tools for 2022: RPA, document ingestion

  Salesforce Einstein Automate tools to come next year include RPA, document intake and drag-and-drop process automation.

• September 15, 2021 15 Sep'21

  SHRM calls out biased hiring practices at conference

  With employee resignations at a record high, HR is facing a reckoning over how it hires and retains employees, said Johnny Taylor, president and CEO of SHRM.

• September 15, 2021 15 Sep'21

  Salesforce Marketing Cloud to get analytics boost

  Salesforce to add analytics capabilities and AI tools that spider Salesforce CDP data; Commerce Cloud adds shipping and logistics integration through a FedEx partnership.

• September 14, 2021 14 Sep'21

  Zoom adds video to the contact center

  Zoom will add video to contact center interactions next year. The company said its Video Engagement Center would improve troubleshooting, build trust and automate everyday tasks.

• September 13, 2021 13 Sep'21

  ECI Software Solutions adds process ERP firm Deacom to roster

  ECI Software Solutions expands its ERP product roster with the acquisition of Deacom, which produces ERP applications for process and batch manufacturers.

• September 10, 2021 10 Sep'21

  Federal vaccine mandate gives HR new work, risks

  President Joe Biden's federal vaccine mandate will put new recordkeeping requirements on businesses and may create problems if employees refuse to comply.

• September 09, 2021 09 Sep'21

  Infosys releases headless commerce services bundle

  Infosys breaks down Skava, an e-commerce startup it acquired in 2015, into e-commerce, marketing and merchandising microservices, and renames it Equinox.

• September 09, 2021 09 Sep'21

  Microsoft addresses workforce patterns using Teams, LinkedIn

  A survey of the Microsoft workforce found that employees planned to be back in the office more than their managers expected. The discrepancy means companies need to be flexible.

• September 09, 2021 09 Sep'21

  Workday's Zimit acquisition gives it automated CPQ

  Workday invested in Zimit, and later integrated its configure, price and quote software. Now, it's acquiring the company as part of its plan to build enterprise services.

• September 09, 2021 09 Sep'21

  Salesforce Service Cloud to add Servicetrace RPA, Slack

  Salesforce plans to release features that increase Service Cloud's flexibility for contact centers to manage agents working remotely either part time or full time.

• September 08, 2021 08 Sep'21

  Acquia acquires Widen digital asset management

  DAM is an old idea making a big comeback for marketing teams trafficking in online video. Acquia adds the Widen DAM to its digital experience platform.

• September 02, 2021 02 Sep'21

  Video conferencing miscues can get you fired

  A survey found that miscues during video conferences cost businesses money and got employees fired. Most companies have punished employees for video meeting errors.

• September 02, 2021 02 Sep'21

  With New Orleans mostly dark, a coworking office lights up

  Coworking offices may help remote workers deal with prolonged power outages. They are often located in business districts, which may get power restored before residential areas.

• September 02, 2021 02 Sep'21

  FACE Act aims to improve government CX

  The bipartisan bill that would codify the measurement of customer experience for federal agencies cleared the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs.

• September 01, 2021 01 Sep'21

  Google Cloud and SAP forge ahead with Rise offerings

  As SAP moves away from Microsoft Azure as its preferred public cloud provider, Google looks to fill the void. Customers should benefit from the competition.

• September 01, 2021 01 Sep'21

  Catastrophes may shift hiring, remote work policies

  As natural disaster numbers increase, remote work policies may be examined for how they keep workers online. But beyond temporary employee relocations, HR may be curbed by options.

• September 01, 2021 01 Sep'21

  Microsoft announces release date for Windows 11

  Windows 11 will include integration with unified communications platform Teams but won't initially include the option to download Android apps.

• September 01, 2021 01 Sep'21

  New features coming for Salesforce Sales Cloud

  Salesforce adds CRM features to support remote-work models for sales teams born in the pandemic and continuing -- possibly permanently -- through 2022 and beyond.

• August 30, 2021 30 Aug'21

  Microsoft to offer online-only Office, Outlook on Chromebooks

  Starting on Sept. 18, Chromebook users will have to rely on the web-based versions of the popular Microsoft apps. Google welcomed the move as better for Chromebook users.

• August 30, 2021 30 Aug'21

  Facebook, Microsoft bet on collaborative virtual reality

  Microsoft and Facebook think virtual reality collaboration could help companies save on office space and travel. But the tech needs more development to be ready for general use.

• August 27, 2021 27 Aug'21

  Cash is king in hiring and retaining talent

  Sign-on bonuses, tuition help and increases in starting salaries are among the steps employers are taking to hire and retain talent in a competitive market.

• August 27, 2021 27 Aug'21

  ERP cloud migration can be boosted by HCM integration

  In this Q&A, Pritam Dutta of ArcLight Consulting explains why some ERP cloud migrations run into trouble, and how integrating HCM systems can aid migration and improve processes.

• August 26, 2021 26 Aug'21

  PC shipments in the US grow, despite chip shortage

  Research firm Canalys found that the education and enterprise sectors drove a significant increase in PC shipments, despite delivery delays from the global chip shortage.

• August 26, 2021 26 Aug'21

  Zoom's latest features help companies control info sharing

  Zoom has recently released features intended to give companies and meeting hosts more control over the information they share and what attendees can see.

• August 26, 2021 26 Aug'21

  Delta's surcharge a new take on employee vaccination incentives

  Businesses are reluctant to impose vaccine mandates, and vaccine incentives are showing limited results. But Delta Air Lines is trying a $200 surcharge on unvaccinated employees.

• August 25, 2021 25 Aug'21

  Reports: Apple will announce more powerful products this fall

  Analysts and media reports say the new iPhone, iPad Pro and MacBook Pro will include the next iteration of Apple's proprietary silicon, as well as faster refresh rates and more ports.

• August 25, 2021 25 Aug'21

  Qualtrics adds BrandXM experience management tool

  Qualtrics adds Brand Impact Simulator, which BrandXM users can use to model how changes in a customer experience might entice new customers to make purchases.

• August 23, 2021 23 Aug'21

  New pay equity laws require proof of fair pay

  Pay equity laws that require firms to collect and report data are making inroads in the U.S. One HR tech vendor is preparing to provide companies with tools that will help.

• August 20, 2021 20 Aug'21

  Adobe buys Frame.io cloud video review platform for $1.275B

  Adobe plans to acquire Frame.io review and approval platform for $1.275 billion to streamline digital collaboration among video editors, producers, agencies and clients.

• August 20, 2021 20 Aug'21

  IBM touts hybrid cloud for S/4HANA transformations

  IBM's hybrid cloud presents a strong alternative to the public cloud hyperscalers for S/4HANA deployments, but many don't see the legacy vendor as an innovation leader.

• August 19, 2021 19 Aug'21

  Windows 10 vs. Windows 11 requirements force PC upgrades

  Microsoft's new operating system will bring default security features for enterprises. Installation will be akin to a Windows 10 update for IT shops with the right hardware.

• August 19, 2021 19 Aug'21

  Microsoft aims Teams Rooms features at hybrid work

  Microsoft will release Teams Rooms features to increase the visibility of chat messages, improve presentations and help workers sort through attendees more easily.

• August 18, 2021 18 Aug'21

  HR market sees investment bump from COVID-19

  New funding rounds and acquisitions in HR technology are on pace to top 2020's banner year. The HR market activity is being driven, in part, by pandemic-related needs.

• August 17, 2021 17 Aug'21

  Hidden issues complicate sustainability in IT manufacturing

  Clare Hobby of TCO Development discusses how difficult it is to rate IT products' sustainability. But corporate buyers and consumers have the power to demand something different.

• August 17, 2021 17 Aug'21

  Initial Salesforce-Slack integrations: Sales, service, marketing

  Salesforce unveils the first Slack integrations. But it could be Slack Connect -- which extends Slack's reach outside the Salesforce user's organization -- that is the killer app.

• August 16, 2021 16 Aug'21

  Meet the CIO who keeps the Salesforce platform running

  Salesforce EVP and CIO Jo-ann de Pass Olsovsky embraces the pivot to remote work, low-code appdev and the role of alpha tester of upcoming Salesforce products.

• August 13, 2021 13 Aug'21

  Tech issues keep mobile telehealth from reaching underserved

  Mobile devices provide a key way to connect underserved patients to telehealth services, but complexity and connection problems keep patients from reaping the benefits.

• August 13, 2021 13 Aug'21

  Bold vision for SAP Business Network not yet a reality

  SAP is trying to create a 'network of networks' with its SAP Business Network, which it unveiled in June, but it still has to knit all the elements together.

• August 12, 2021 12 Aug'21

  Microsoft buys Peer5 to ease Teams' network demands

  Microsoft's purchase of Peer5 adds to Teams an enterprise content delivery network that reduces the strain large video meetings place on corporate networks.

• August 12, 2021 12 Aug'21

  Samsung moves closer to business use with Galaxy Z Fold3

  Samsung's latest foldable smartphone has features likely to appeal to businesspeople, including a more durable body and display and support for the S Pen stylus.

• August 11, 2021 11 Aug'21

  In $5.2B deal, Cornerstone OnDemand goes private

  Cornerstone OnDemand has been acquired by Clearlake Capital Group, a move that will give it the financial support, flexibility and room to grow, experts said.

• August 10, 2021 10 Aug'21

  Adobe, Salesforce expand health clouds

  Adobe releases Experience Manager for Healthcare and plugs its CDP into marketing and clinical data; Salesforce releases healthcare features.

• August 09, 2021 09 Aug'21

  Four-day workweek reactions range from warm to cool

  The rise of flexible hours, along with remote and hybrid work, is reviving a discussion: Should firms implement a four-day workweek? The answer is anything but simple.

• August 06, 2021 06 Aug'21

  Amazon, Microsoft delay office reopening over COVID resurgence

  A resurgence in COVID-19 infections has forced more big-tech firms to defer reopening their offices. Amazon and Microsoft are the latest to join the ranks.

• August 06, 2021 06 Aug'21

  VMware expands VD management tools for Microsoft Azure

  VMware's latest Horizon virtual desktop management tools improve the performance of the product on Microsoft Azure. The changes appear in the Horizon Control Plane.

• August 04, 2021 04 Aug'21

  Hybrid office brings scheduling software to forefront

  Scheduling systems for hybrid offices are an emerging post-pandemic tool to manage employees without permanent desks and facilitate in-person collaboration.

• August 04, 2021 04 Aug'21

  Zoom settlement of privacy suit covers some businesses

  Smaller businesses could benefit from Zoom's recent class-action lawsuit settlement. However, the deal does not cover companies with enterprise licenses.

• August 03, 2021 03 Aug'21

  Salesforce automation strategy sharpens with acquisition

  The CX giant plans to fold RPA technology from an acquisition into some of its platforms. The move comes after Microsoft and other big tech firms bought RPA vendors.

• August 02, 2021 02 Aug'21

  ERP goes green, ahead of customer sustainability initiatives

  As sustainability becomes a more key topic for businesses, enterprise applications vendors are touting programs to support efforts like carbon reduction and the circular economy.

• July 30, 2021 30 Jul'21

  Tech buyers warned Windows PC prices rising soon

  Gartner and IDC expect price hikes for Windows PCs to come soon because of the global chip crisis. An IDC analyst said prices could rise more than 15%.

• July 29, 2021 29 Jul'21

  U.S. lawmaker seeks national four-day workweek

  The four-day workweek could become law under legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Mark Takano. It would require firms to pay overtime to hourly employees working more than 32 hours.

• July 29, 2021 29 Jul'21

  Badmouthing of federal gov hurts cybersecurity recruiting

  Government and businesses are struggling with cybersecurity recruiting because of a skills shortage. The federal government's problem is made worse by bad branding.

• July 28, 2021 28 Jul'21

  HP to buy Teradici to improve virtual-desktop delivery

  Teradici would provide HP with technology to help customers bolster the performance of their virtual desktops. HP expects to close the deal this year.

• July 28, 2021 28 Jul'21

  Nice expands contact center AI offering with ContactEngine buy

  Nice acquires ContactEngine conversational AI technology to support customer self-service and live agent conversations across multiple digital channels.

• July 28, 2021 28 Jul'21

  Signavio aims to transform SAP software development model

  In this Q&A, Signavio CEO Gero Decker discusses the process mining software vendor's role in Rise with SAP and its criticality to business transformation.

• July 28, 2021 28 Jul'21

  After self-criticism, Workday improves Black representation

  Last year, Workday officials acknowledged that its Black employee community was underrepresented. Employee survey data suggests it has since made improvements.

• July 27, 2021 27 Jul'21

  OpenText releases customer data platform

  OpenText customers get a natively integrated runtime CDP to drive marketing personalization and other customer interactions; AI content security features debut.

• July 26, 2021 26 Jul'21

  Box Sign gives business users built-in digital signature tool

  Box's $55 million acquisition of SignRequest in February yields a native digital signatures feature for Box Business and Enterprise cloud content management users.

• July 23, 2021 23 Jul'21

  Microsoft Windows 365 confuses tech buyers

  Microsoft hasn't clearly defined when a company should pick Windows 365 over its other desktop as a service, Azure Virtual Desktop. The differences seem more subtle than dramatic.

• July 23, 2021 23 Jul'21

  IT complexity slows S/4HANA migration pace

  Most S/4HANA projects are being held up by the complexity of SAP system environments, and organizations need to fully understand the systems and align IT and business to succeed.

• July 23, 2021 23 Jul'21

  Zoom-Five9 deal to offer all-in-one cloud contact center

  The Zoom-Five9 deal could deliver a product portfolio capable of satisfying businesses' contact center needs while providing communications for a hybrid workforce.

• July 22, 2021 22 Jul'21

  Amazon updates aim for Alexa everywhere

  Amazon's latest Alexa advancements include better support for natural language, interoperability with more devices and support for devices running multiple voice assistants.

• July 22, 2021 22 Jul'21

  Acumatica Summit focuses on cloud ERP and growth

  Acumatica touted growth and new integrations with Adobe and Microsoft at its annual summit. Analysts like the ERP vendor's innovations and customer-centric approach.

• July 22, 2021 22 Jul'21

  Adobe launches PDF extraction, generation APIs

  Adobe deconstructs the PDF creation and content extraction processes with the release of APIs for developers available on AWS marketplace.

• July 21, 2021 21 Jul'21

  Paycor IPO launches, CEO explains what's next

  Paycor HCM's CEO shares what the IPO means for its customers and plans to use the investment for R&D and sales expansion as it expands in the SMB market.

• July 20, 2021 20 Jul'21

  Redpoint Global moves into data quality as a service

  Redpoint Global users get tools to manage first-party partner, product and customer data quality, identity and governance with In Situ feature bundle.

• July 19, 2021 19 Jul'21

  Zoom to buy cloud contact center provider Five9 for $14.7B

  Zoom's acquisition of Five9 would make the company a competitor to 8x8, RingCentral, Cisco and Vonage in the growing cloud-based contact center market.

• July 19, 2021 19 Jul'21

  Automation, job loss fears speed workforce training in Mass.

  A new report from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers a snapshot of what states are facing post-pandemic: increasing automation and a need for workforce training.

• July 16, 2021 16 Jul'21

  Microsoft widens Teams' reach with Dynamics 365 integration

  Integration between Teams and Dynamics 365 lets sales and service reps edit customer records while talking to clients. Teams also offers integration with third-party apps.

• July 15, 2021 15 Jul'21

  Salesforce to pull plug on Audience Studio DMP

  Salesforce Audience Studio DMP is no longer being sold, Salesforce confirms. It could signal the beginning of the end of programmatic digital ad sales.

• July 15, 2021 15 Jul'21

  Rise with SAP won't move S/4HANA needle for large customers

  Rise with SAP is good for smaller companies, but if Rise is going to be a success, SAP will need to figure out how to attract its largest customers, according to two experts.

• July 14, 2021 14 Jul'21

  Video conferencing vendors rush to fix meeting fatigue

  Video conferencing vendors tackle video fatigue with tools to mitigate the stress caused by the overuse of their products. Experts advise using multiple means of communication.

• July 14, 2021 14 Jul'21

  Microsoft puts its OS in the cloud with Windows 365

  Microsoft said Windows 365 gives companies a simple way to use cloud-based desktops at a predictable price. The company will release two versions of the product in early August.

• July 14, 2021 14 Jul'21

  Salesforce Industries' Media Cloud adds ad management

  Salesforce Media Cloud adds a multimedia ad sales platform for media companies to manage their customers' ad spend. Also: AppExchange partner marketplace adds chat, user reviews.

• July 13, 2021 13 Jul'21

  Worker shortages spur hiring incentives, low layoffs

  Layoffs and involuntary terminations have reached a new low, as firms try to retain employees and hire new ones. They're also turning to some unique cash incentives.

• July 13, 2021 13 Jul'21

  Acquia releases employee experience features for DX platform

  Developers are the focus of Acquia's update to Open DXP. They get an all-cloud app dev environment, AI search and a toolbox to build employee-facing apps and services.

• July 12, 2021 12 Jul'21

  Infor spins off EAM business to Hexagon but retains a stake

  Rather than making the investments, Infor decided that the best way to advance its Infor EAM platform was to sell it, a move one analyst described as 'shortsighted.'