News

News

• January 18, 2023 18 Jan'23

  Microsoft and Salesforce step up smart store retail tech

  The tech giants are quickly evolving their technologies aimed at the brick and mortar commerce market, with new software for smart store analytics, CX and retail associates.

• January 18, 2023 18 Jan'23

  Microsoft layoff signals shift from rapid hiring to caution

  Microsoft's layoff of 10,000 workers follows a similar tech industry pattern: rapid employment growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a relatively modest cutback.

• January 18, 2023 18 Jan'23

  NYC's controversial AI bias audit law gets new hearing

  New York City's new automated employment decision tool law, designed to root out AI bias in hiring, is having trouble getting off the ground.

• January 12, 2023 12 Jan'23

  Slowing PC sales spark lower prices

  PC prices are dropping as manufacturers lower prices to move inventory. Market saturation following the pandemic is a significant factor in the drop in sales.

• January 12, 2023 12 Jan'23

  SAP leadership gets good grade, but has room to improve

  SAP CEO Christian Klein has performed well under tough conditions, observers said, but he still must deal with challenges like improving product strategy and S/4HANA migrations.

• January 12, 2023 12 Jan'23

  Republicans prioritize curbing federal remote work

  Now that they control the U.S. House, Republicans may try to either restrict or end federal remote work, which they see as impediment to government service delivery.

• January 11, 2023 11 Jan'23

  Thousands of Citrix, Tibco employees laid off following merger

  Cloud Software Group lays off 2,250 workers following major changes to sales and product development after merging Citrix Systems with Tibco Software.

• January 06, 2023 06 Jan'23

  Hiring still outpaces tech layoffs, but cuts leave scars

  Employees affected by tech layoffs should have good job prospects given the strength in hiring, but the experience could make them less loyal at their next place of employment.

• January 06, 2023 06 Jan'23

  ERP needs relevant functionality in 2023

  ERP systems are becoming increasingly critical to help organizations mitigate changing business issues. But ERP needs to include new technology and capabilities to stay relevant.

• January 05, 2023 05 Jan'23

  FTC proposed ban on noncompetes seen as boldest possible

  The Federal Trade Commission wants to end the use of noncompete agreements in the U.S. Its proposed noncompete rule will also force employers to rescind existing contracts.

• January 04, 2023 04 Jan'23

  Intel releases Raptor Lake chips for laptops, mobile devices

  Hoping to gain back market share from AMD, Intel debuted what it believes is the fastest processor for mobile devices. The new processor contains a record 24 cores.

• January 04, 2023 04 Jan'23

  Telus completes WillowTree acquisition in $1.2B CX deal

  Telus acquired the developer of customer experience products, including mobile apps and unified web interfaces, and strengthened its position in the custom CX and UI market.

• January 04, 2023 04 Jan'23

  Salesforce 2023 layoff plans follow recent executive exodus

  Changes continue to shake up Salesforce, with a 10% workforce reduction and office space closures this year following recent departures of top executives.

• January 04, 2023 04 Jan'23

  SAP's future hinges on opening up its IT stack

  SAP's first 50 years centered on core ERP systems for internal business operations, but the years ahead must focus on extending functionality outside of the enterprise.

• January 03, 2023 03 Jan'23

  Companies focus on UCaaS consolidation

  Replacing redundant collaboration tools with a UCaaS platform is the focus of many companies looking to cut unified communications costs as the possibility of a recession looms.

• January 03, 2023 03 Jan'23

  Digital marketing tips for growth amid economic uncertainty

  Budgets are down, social media is unreliable, the economy is rough. That could make first-party data, loyalty programs and streaming video better marketing investments.

• December 28, 2022 28 Dec'22

  HR trends in 2023 include offices that feel like home

  The major HR trends for next year will include office designs that borrow from home life, while actually working from home might be harder to do if there's a recession.

• December 22, 2022 22 Dec'22

  AI bots lack one critical skill for customer service jobs

  Experts -- including ChatGPT itself -- debate the extent to which customer service AI tools can help contact center agents amid rising demand and high turnover rates.

• December 22, 2022 22 Dec'22

  Economics could curtail sustainability initiatives in 2023

  As companies adopt measures to improve sustainability goals, enterprise applications can play a key role. But these efforts must also make economic sense to be successful.

• December 22, 2022 22 Dec'22

  Workday co-CEO Bhusri sets stage for successor and sole CEO

  Workday has tapped Carl Eschenbach, Sequoia Capital and VMware veteran, to work with co-CEO Aneel Bhusri for a year before taking on the chief executive role alone.

• December 15, 2022 15 Dec'22

  Eagle Act, deluged by opposition, fails to advance in House

  The Eagle Act, which would have eliminated per-country caps for employment-based visas, failed to find enough support for passage and was pulled from consideration.

• December 15, 2022 15 Dec'22

  Independent contractor rule draws 55,000-plus comments

  The Biden administration is reversing a business-friendly Trump administration rule on independent contractors. Some 55,000 comments on the proposed change have been logged.

• December 13, 2022 13 Dec'22

  MuleSoft CEO Brent Hayward on Salesforce integrations, APIs

  In four-plus years since its acquisition, MuleSoft has emerged as vital connective tissue inside and outside the Salesforce platform. Interview with CEO Brent Hayward.

• December 08, 2022 08 Dec'22

  Gig work remains popular as drawbacks weigh, scrutiny grows

  Gig work and nonstandard work are under attack in Washington and likely to face new obstacles in 2023. The Labor Dept. and Federal Trade Commission look to step up enforcement.

• December 08, 2022 08 Dec'22

  Salesforce-Slack integrations continue as cofounder departs

  Salesforce unveils new Slack and Sales Cloud integrations following news that Slack's cofounder and other executives at the company have stepped down.

• December 08, 2022 08 Dec'22

  Hyperscalers tackle supply chain resilience

  Microsoft and AWS unveiled supply chain management platforms that are intended to enable businesses to build capabilities in their clouds and tackle supply chain problems.

• December 02, 2022 02 Dec'22

  EEOC $8M settlement with Circle K seeks culture change

  Circle K's settlement this week with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission includes monitoring provisions, including employee surveys.

• November 30, 2022 30 Nov'22

  LinkedIn's belief in skills-based hiring reshapes its tech

  LinkedIn is using a new technology approach to find relationships between skills, which it expects will deliver better results to job seekers and recruiters.

• November 29, 2022 29 Nov'22

  Amazon Connect users get Contact Lens AI chat analytics

  Contact Lens expands into chat channels. Also on tap in Amazon Connect: Agent performance monitoring and expanded, machine learning-driven workforce management tools.

• November 28, 2022 28 Nov'22

  SAP security requires specific skills, teamwork

  Critical SAP vulnerabilities are a constant concern and are increasing as SAP systems open more due to digital transformation and integration with other systems.

• November 23, 2022 23 Nov'22

  Ceridian adds twist in rush to build talent marketplaces

  HR platform vendor Ceridian unveiled its internal marketplace -- but unlike other vendors, its platform integrates contractors and staffing agencies, along with employees.

• November 22, 2022 22 Nov'22

  OpenText's CEO on content AI, cloud strategy and hybrid work

  OpenText CEO Mark Barrenechea discusses the state of Magellan, the massive Micro Focus acquisition, the metaverse and more in this wide-ranging conversation.

• November 21, 2022 21 Nov'22

  Pay transparency laws could soon cover 20% of Americans

  Employers advertising nationally to fill remote jobs might have no choice but to follow New York City and California laws to disclose pay ranges.

• November 18, 2022 18 Nov'22

  Microsoft eyes new market with supply chain platform

  Microsoft used to run its supply chain operations on Excel spreadsheets; now it's providing the building blocks for companies to collect data from various applications.

• November 16, 2022 16 Nov'22

  SAP low-code platform looks to fill developer gaps

  SAP Build, a new low-code platform that debuted at SAP TechEd, is designed to enable business users to create apps, but it's entering a noisy market and may struggle to find users.

• November 15, 2022 15 Nov'22

  Celonis aims to deepen and democratize process mining

  Celonis unveiled Process Sphere, enabling companies to create maps across functional areas, and Business Miner, which moves process analysis from data analysts to business users.

• November 10, 2022 10 Nov'22

  What a Republican Congress means for the H-1B visa

  Many House Republicans support raising the H-1B minimum salary to $110,000 and distributing visas on the basis of salary, with the highest salaries first in line.

• November 10, 2022 10 Nov'22

  Salesforce releases Genie for Healthcare, Patient 360 additions

  Electronic medical records remain the systems of record in the Salesforce universe. Adding a CRM approach on top of that enables a better patient experience, the company believes.

• November 10, 2022 10 Nov'22

  Meta's H-1B layoffs challenge visa holders and U.S. workers

  Mark Zuckerberg has taken a prominent role in arguing for increases in H-1B visas. Meta's recent layoffs include visa holders, something that may cost tech clout in Washington.

• November 09, 2022 09 Nov'22

  SAP Sustainability Control Tower looks to ease ESG reporting

  SAP Sustainability Control Tower enables companies of all sizes to gather and manage ESG data. The revamped SaaS model focuses on better ease of use and quicker return of value.

• November 09, 2022 09 Nov'22

  Zoom video, UCaaS offerings draw closer to Teams, Webex

  Zoom introduced a slew of features for its UCaaS platform at Zoomtopia, including mail and calendar services and an informal virtual meeting place called Spots.

• November 09, 2022 09 Nov'22

  Zendesk updates focus on customer service AI 'ticket triage'

  Zendesk incorporates intelligent triage -- AI-guided routing of tickets based on sentiment, urgency and complexity -- into its customer service platform.

• November 04, 2022 04 Nov'22

  Tech jobs grow despite layoffs, hiring freezes and Elon Musk

  Hiring and advertising for tech jobs increased last month, according to U.S. data. But so did technical consulting jobs -- a possible sign of weakening full-time hiring.

• November 04, 2022 04 Nov'22

  HR: AI in the workplace complements jobs -- for now

  Advice from HR about AI in the workplace can be summed up in one word: Relax. They see AI taking over admin burdens, freeing up employees for other work. But some remain concerned.

• November 02, 2022 02 Nov'22

  Twilio delivers API-driven customer engagement platform

  Twilio's new customer engagement platform merges Flex customer service and messaging with the Segment customer data platform.

• October 31, 2022 31 Oct'22

  DEI policies and politics divide workplace

  In today's workplace, many employees avoid co-workers they don't agree with politically, and also work to resist business efforts to deploy DEI policies.

• October 28, 2022 28 Oct'22

  How Musk's Twitter takeover could affect business accounts

  Potential changes to Twitter's advertising and security policies are top issues for business owners who rely on the social media platform for brand visibility and sales.

• October 27, 2022 27 Oct'22

  SAP improves UX functionality for Intelligent Spend

  At SAP Spend Connect, the vendor unveiled new updates to SAP Intelligent Spend applications, including a consumer-like buying experience and a centralized procurement capability.

• October 26, 2022 26 Oct'22

  Cisco adds more Webex-Teams integration for hybrid work

  Cisco Webex users now have more hybrid work features, including a new whiteboard and integration with Teams, iPhone and iPad cameras.

• October 26, 2022 26 Oct'22

  Contact centers weather pandemic, but are very different now

  As customer service leaders dig out from the pandemic, Great Resignation and Great Relocation, they must deal with growing volume while competing for agents.

• October 26, 2022 26 Oct'22

  Business sustainability projects require savvy data analysis

  In this Q&A, Stephen Keys of IFS discusses why sustainability projects for organizations are complex undertakings, but the data needed to drive projects already exists.

• October 26, 2022 26 Oct'22

  LinkedIn wants to make it easier to hire internal talent

  LinkedIn has added a new feature designed to help employees develop their careers and to make it easier for recruiters to identify internal job candidates.

• October 26, 2022 26 Oct'22

  Acquia releases open source headless CMS accelerator

  Acquia, known for its developer-centric web content management, releases more tools to ease the developer's burden in deploying content headlessly to new channels.

• October 26, 2022 26 Oct'22

  Skills-based hiring an HR strategy for IT talent woes

  The global IT labor shortage will persist through 2023, and to compete, employers should consider skills-based hiring and compensation, according to Gartner.

• October 25, 2022 25 Oct'22

  Salesforce releases cloud contact center update

  New capabilities in Salesforce Contact Center give agents AI tools for analyzing voice conversations, AI bots for self-service and call routing, and more.

• October 24, 2022 24 Oct'22

  Gartner sees 20% employee turnover for foreseeable future

  Employers can expect high turnover to continue because of expanded job opportunities, thanks in part to remote work, according to Gartner analysts.

• October 24, 2022 24 Oct'22

  To compete with tech giants, Strivr opens its VR platform

  Derek Belch, founder and CEO of VR startup Strivr, is opening up its platform to accelerate corporate VR training adoption and expand content options.

• October 24, 2022 24 Oct'22

  Visier acquires Paris-based employee skills startup

  People analytics company Visier acquired Boostrs, a Paris-based skills mapping startup. It's part of an HR industrywide shift to understand employees by their skills.

• October 21, 2022 21 Oct'22

  Oracle Cloud ERP to add direct finance, logistics services

  The new Oracle B2B Commerce is aimed at easing the complexity of B2B transactions by integrating finance from JP Morgan and logistics from FedEx into the Oracle Cloud ERP platform.

• October 21, 2022 21 Oct'22

  Latest Windows 11 update adds tabbed File Explorer

  The latest Windows 11 update offers a tabbed File Explorer for rearranging files and switching between folders. The OS also includes collaboration features through OneDrive.

• October 19, 2022 19 Oct'22

  IFS aims to help companies improve ESG goals

  Customers at the IFS Unleashed conference showed interest in the IFS ESG module, which is intended to measure ESG data and introduce sustainability into decision-making.

• October 19, 2022 19 Oct'22

  Qualtrics tackles contact center experience measurement

  Can employee experience improvement, especially in the contact center, improve the customer experience? Qualtrics wants users to measure it and find out.

• October 19, 2022 19 Oct'22

  As layoffs rise, Oracle HCM releases mass hiring tool

  Oracle is rolling out a new set of recruiting tools, including tools that will help companies run events for high-volume hiring, such as on college campuses or for seasonal retail.

• October 19, 2022 19 Oct'22

  Oracle pushes forward with CX tech amid layoff cycle

  Rumors of the demise of Oracle marketing, CRM and customer service turn out to be unfounded, as the company forges ahead with vertical-specific CX offerings.

• October 17, 2022 17 Oct'22

  AI adoption, labor shortage accelerate need for upskilling

  The impact of AI-enabled automation isn't showing up in productivity data, but it is prompting businesses to upskill and reskill workers to keep up with this tech.

• October 14, 2022 14 Oct'22

  IFS doubles down on industry specificity for cloud platform

  IFS will not try to be the ERP for all companies and purposes, but it will continue to focus on providing functionality for specific industries such as manufacturing.

• October 14, 2022 14 Oct'22

  How Jamf zero trust can improve Apple device security

  Jamf is supporting zero trust with new features across its suite of Mac management software. The proliferation of remote work has made this security model more important.

• October 13, 2022 13 Oct'22

  Box boosts content collaboration with Notes reboot

  Cloud document management company Box chases customers with remote and hybrid workforces with its new Canvas offering and revamped Box Notes, which foster online collaboration.

• October 13, 2022 13 Oct'22

  DEI firm that connects job seekers with employers gets $30M

  A startup's diversity, equity and inclusion platform raised millions in its latest funding round as employers start turning to third-party systems for help.

• October 13, 2022 13 Oct'22

  Salesforce Industries adds Automotive Cloud CRM

  Salesforce releases Automotive Cloud, a customer sales, service, marketing and commerce platform for car and truck dealers, manufacturers and financiers.

• October 12, 2022 12 Oct'22

  Microsoft introduces premium add-on for Teams meetings

  Microsoft plans to release the Teams Premium add-on in February but won't launch advanced AI capabilities until later in the year. The company hasn't released pricing.

• October 12, 2022 12 Oct'22

  Google opens Workspace apps to developers

  Google has introduced APIs and an SDK for third-party software integrations with Workspace apps. The company also unveiled enhancements to the productivity suite.

• October 12, 2022 12 Oct'22

  Microsoft adds conversational AI to Dynamics 365

  At Ignite, Microsoft Dynamics 365 users get AI-based automation capabilities with emphasis on conversational intelligence for sales and customer service.

• October 12, 2022 12 Oct'22

  Microsoft releases SharePoint Syntex content AI services

  Microsoft Syntex is a bundle of AI services for enterprise content repositories. It signals new attention devoted to SharePoint, which still has hundreds of millions of users.

• October 11, 2022 11 Oct'22

  EEOC employer lawsuits could increase in number, reach

  The EEOC is on the verge of gaining a Democratic majority, something that might soon increase the scope of its lawsuits, such as how AI is used in hiring.

• October 06, 2022 06 Oct'22

  OpenText shares customer experience cloud platform roadmap

  Two years after its initial release, OpenText Experience Cloud finds its footing with integrations to enable composable experiences with content and data.

• October 04, 2022 04 Oct'22

  OpenText enhances CX package, customer data platform

  OpenText CE 22.4, its latest quarterly release, adds content security, CDP enhancements, and integrations with Microsoft Teams and the Google BigQuery data warehouse.

• October 03, 2022 03 Oct'22

  NetSuite ERP adds CPQ, workforce management applications

  NetSuite debuted several new features for CPQ, workforce management, embedded banking and warehouse management for its cloud ERP platform at SuiteWorld 2022.

• September 30, 2022 30 Sep'22

  Questions remain following Citrix-TIBCO merger

  Investment firms Vista Equity Partners and Evergreen Coast Capital completed the acquisition of Citrix, but questions about partnerships and potential product spinoffs remain.

• September 30, 2022 30 Sep'22

  Fair Repair Act could help spur circular economy model

  New regulations including the Fair Repair Act coupled with factors like consumer demand for sustainability are motivating manufacturers to consider a circular economy model.

• September 30, 2022 30 Sep'22

  Jamf Q&A: How simplified BYOD enrollment helps IT and users

  Jamf executives at JNUC 2022 share their vision of the future with simplified BYOD enrollment and the role iPhones have in the enterprise.

• September 29, 2022 29 Sep'22

  Rebuilding Florida after Ian may be slowed by labor shortage

  The construction industry, already at relatively low unemployment, may be challenged to meet the demands of rebuilding Florida and other areas hurt by Hurricane Ian.

• September 29, 2022 29 Sep'22

  Microsoft Loop crosses information silos in 365

  Microsoft plans to release Loop this year as the long-awaited information-sharing tool across 365 apps. The software reduces the time spent searching for vital data.

• September 29, 2022 29 Sep'22

  A study of what makes the best employers 'irresistible'

  The secret of what makes a company a best employer isn't HR technology choices, but management thinking, according to HR analyst Josh Bersin in his new book, 'Irresistible.'

• September 29, 2022 29 Sep'22

  Digital customer experience top of mind for PGA Tour

  The PGA Tour's head of fan engagement discusses the tech stack that makes the organization connect better with fans, sponsors, golf pros and more.

• September 27, 2022 27 Sep'22

  Salesforce's Marc Benioff and Bret Taylor the latest co-CEO trial

  Some software companies rule their worlds with co-CEOs for years. Other co-CEO arrangements don't last long. We consider the future of Salesforce's current chief executive duo.

• September 27, 2022 27 Sep'22

  Jamf to acquire ZecOps to bolster iOS security

  Jamf will pay an undisclosed sum for ZecOps, which logs activity on iOS devices to find potential attacks. The companies expect the deal to close by 2023.

• September 26, 2022 26 Sep'22

  4-day workweek productivity claims gather criticism

  A preliminary survey from a pilot program of businesses trying out a four-day workweek says the change can be made without hurting productivity. Economists are skeptical.

• September 23, 2022 23 Sep'22

  Workday creates universal skills translator

  As employers move from degree-based to skills-based hiring, Workday says employers need a way to translate skills from vendor to vendor. Its new tool is billed to do just that.

• September 23, 2022 23 Sep'22

  Microsoft focuses on remote security with Windows 11 update

  Microsoft's Windows 11 2022 Update includes features for protecting sensitive corporate data and helping remote workers avoid malware and phishing attacks.

• September 22, 2022 22 Sep'22

  Microsoft Viva Sales CRM automation focuses on end users

  Microsoft Viva Sales takes AI notes from calls and automates data entry and other routine tasks. It's the latest tech to improve the sales rep experience.

• September 21, 2022 21 Sep'22

  Salesforce customers react as details about Genie emerge

  Salesforce grows up by connecting all its clouds to one data platform. The hard part will be demonstrating value behind the investments it will require.

• September 21, 2022 21 Sep'22

  SAP's push for HR technology to support 'whole self'

  In this Q&A, SuccessFactors' Meg Bear discusses the evolution of the workforce and how SAP's human experience management platform and vision for a whole-self model fit in.

• September 20, 2022 20 Sep'22

  Slack Canvas helps tame information overload in chat

  Slack chat can bury vital knowledge under a flood of new messages. The company said its Canvas tool will let workers pull out, save and collaborate on specific material.

• September 20, 2022 20 Sep'22

  Salesforce Genie integrates automation, CDP, AI features

  Salesforce Genie delivers a suite of automation, analytics and customer data tools the company claims is one of its biggest innovations over its 20-plus year history.

• September 19, 2022 19 Sep'22

  Quiet quitting energized by employee fearlessness

  The still-strong job market may be the fuel that keeps quiet quitting alive. Employee fear over job loss has been replaced by an overconfidence in finding a new one.

• September 16, 2022 16 Sep'22

  Adobe buys Figma to fill remote collaboration product void

  Adobe expects to bolster its collaboration tools for the hybrid workplace with its $20 billion acquisition of Figma, the maker of cloud-based software popular with developers.

• September 16, 2022 16 Sep'22

  SAP SuccessFactors HXM targets changing workforce

  At the SuccessConnect conference, SAP SuccessFactors focused on the changing world of work and how companies can manage more dynamic workforces, with new modules for HXM Suite.

• September 16, 2022 16 Sep'22

  What's old is new again as Workday aims to break down silos

  At its user conference, Workday showcased tech and customer stories on bringing down the walls between HR, IT and finance. It's not a new story, but it may be newly relevant.

• September 15, 2022 15 Sep'22

  The future of HR is big 'A' Agile

  The principles of Agile product development can provide guidance on how to incorporate employee voice in processes and ensure resilience in the face of change.