Customer Experience
Top Stories
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Tip
29 Jul 2026
How to choose a CX provider: A practical buyer's guide
When assessing new CX vendors and technologies, enterprise tech buyers need to consider several factors, including technical and business-level buying decisions. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2026
Adobe releases AI search product catalog optimization tool
Soon, if not already, the customer relationship begins by persuading AI agents that your brand is legit. Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2018
Customer personalization takes center stage for 24 Hour Fitness
When it came time to engage more effectively with customers, 24 Hour Fitness looked to industry leaders in customer personalization for inspiration. Continue Reading
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News
29 Mar 2018
SharePoint 2019 keeps government on-prem fires burning -- for now
While Google, Oracle and Microsoft rightly tout the benefits of total cloud migrations, business use cases demand support for on-premises versions of certain applications. Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2018
Adobe Experience Cloud to aid company digital transformation
Products are no longer the focus, according to Adobe. The customer experience is where it's at -- and Coca-Cola agrees, as the company executes its digital transformation process. Continue Reading
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Answer
28 Mar 2018
Is it easy to migrate from PerformancePoint to Power BI apps?
Organizations like to use PerformancePoint as a way for users to interact with visualizations, but it doesn't work with Power BI apps, which can be a problem. Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Mar 2018
Is Microsoft PowerApps an InfoPath alternative?
As users search for an InfoPath alternative, the seemingly obvious answer would be Microsoft PowerApps. However, Microsoft never intended for PowerApps to be the InfoPath replacement. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Mar 2018
Five ways SharePoint plays a key role as a digital workspace tool
New working structures, rules and geographies have made SharePoint a more and more important platform, as it enables workers to get it done anytime, anywhere, on any device. Continue Reading
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Podcast
23 Mar 2018
Salesforce acquisitions reach new heights with MuleSoft purchase
The intrepid Pipeline podcasters break down the MuleSoft acquisition, which enables hybrid cloud/on-premises CRM. Also: Salesforce Essentials replaces Desk.com and SalesforceIQ. Continue Reading
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News
23 Mar 2018
Box CEO weighs in on Dropbox IPO, AI in content management
In a wide-ranging conversation, Box CEO talks about Dropbox's public offering, AI's next application for content, Salesforce investing in both Box and Dropbox, and much more. Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2018
Salesforce-MuleSoft deal focuses on data integration
Beyond producing a hybrid cloud product with its new Integration Cloud, Salesforce now has capabilities for customers to build microservices with MuleSoft's technology. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Mar 2018
MindTickle, Salesforce speed sales learning in merger
Last year's Blue Coat-Symantec merger posed a dilemma: getting salespeople up to speed on the reshaped product line. MindTickle with Salesforce paid dividends in sales learning. Continue Reading
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Podcast
19 Mar 2018
Social media customer care important to brands, experts say
In this Pipeline podcast, we discuss what was a primary topic at Social Media Marketing World: how companies should interact with customers through social media. Continue Reading
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Podcast
16 Mar 2018
Inside sales strategy, millennials highlight Accelerate 2018
Learn what happens when a SearchCRM editor joins a panel as the paid skeptic to discuss whether AI technologies provide real value for helping businesses increase revenue. Continue Reading
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News
16 Mar 2018
Salesforce small business tools get major refresh
Emphasizing the 'S' in 'SMB,' Salesforce goes after companies with 20 employees or less with Salesforce Essentials -- with hooks into Trailhead's free training. Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2018
Salesforce e-commerce gets B2B boost with CloudCraze purchase
To improve its e-commerce offerings, the CRM company bought B2B commerce product CloudCraze for an undisclosed amount. The purchase will add B2B functionality. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 Mar 2018
Digital sales transformation may require shadow IT dark ops
Sales tech initiatives culminating with flipping the AI switch require operational and IT prep involving data aggregation, training salespeople and, possibly, shadow IT experiments. Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2018
Scrivito unveils serverless CMS product
By building the CMS with ReactJS, Scrivito gained attraction with development community, according to an analyst. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Mar 2018
Leading brands see the need for personalized content
Content personalization continues to expand within companies as maturing technologies make it a viable marketing option for customer engagement strategies. Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2018
How a millennial workforce benefits sales teams, CRM
Millennials bring more than just their iPhones to the conference table. Here's why you need to stop dumping on your millennial sales force and embrace their tech-savvy ways. Continue Reading
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Answer
06 Mar 2018
Drupal vs. Acquia: What's best for which organizations?
Which fork in the road should an organization take: open source Drupal, or Drupal with Acquia's service package and strong security and standardization? It's not always obvious. Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2018
Why improving social media customer service is important
By having a social media strategy in place, companies can quickly respond to customers' concerns through social media. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Mar 2018
AR content is the next frontier for execs to manage, monetize
So you've built a great augmented reality platform for consumers at play or field staff at work. Now, all you need is to find and catalog the content to populate it. Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2018
When selling on social media, marketers weigh chatbots vs. humans
Marketers interested in social selling need to weigh whether to use chatbots or deploy actual customer service agents. The decision depends on a number of variables. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Mar 2018
When to implement a headless CMS architecture
Do you want the shiny new CMS toy, the headless system? We break down who should jump at this new platform paradigm and take a look at vendors in the space. Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2018
IT Priorities survey: CRM trends indicate move to the cloud
Hybrid cloud and on-premises IT should remain the norm for years. But more respondents to TechTarget's late 2017 survey indicate more cloud CRM and social media monitoring. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Feb 2018
Salesforce GDPR marketing compliance involves rethinking lead gen
The bigger -- and more complicated -- your marketing tech stack, the more complex your Salesforce GDPR compliance will be, vendors and experts say. Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2018
Salesforce certification salary data: Admin, dev in demand
The 2018 Mason Frank International Salesforce Salary Survey's bumper sticker: The talent's holding the cards as employers increase bids for their services. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Feb 2018
The importance of GDPR best practices for Salesforce customers
The new EU General Data Protection Regulation has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond European nations, according to experts. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Feb 2018
E-commerce GDPR for Salesforce: Watch what data you capture
Making your Salesforce GDPR compliance strategy for e-commerce starts with monitoring the customer data you collect, starting with cookies -- and we don't mean the Keebler kind. Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2018
OpenText acquisition of Hightail signifies ECM market disruption
Alfresco's sale to an equity firm is seen as 'cautiously optimistic,' according to an analyst, adding that the influx of funding will continue operations. Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2018
How long does Office 365 deployment take?
If you're wondering how long an Office 365 deployment takes, expert Shawn Shell has the answer for you. Continue Reading
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Podcast
27 Feb 2018
Expert: Boring retail is dying as tech gains importance
Technologies such as augmented reality and AI in retail are becoming more important for brands looking to gain a selling edge. Tune in to the latest Pipeline podcast to learn more. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Feb 2018
Strategizing cloud GDPR compliance for the content app stack
Box compliance president Crispen Maung discusses vendor-agnostic GDPR compliance tips for subscribers to CMS cloud services as they ready for GDPR enforcement in late May. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Feb 2018
Customer service chatbots help reduce product returns
In previous years, Azumi Mobile was overwhelmed with customer calls after the holiday season as users attempted to return smartphones. This year, chatbots helped address that issue. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Feb 2018
Helpshift offers five Salesforce GDPR tips for customer support
How much does the service and support team affect GDPR privacy mandates? Turns out, more than a little. A chat app developer's compliance journey uncovers some compliance tips. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Feb 2018
Colorado modernizes with Salesforce for government projects
Colorado licenses Service Cloud and other Salesforce technologies to improve its citizens benefit program. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Feb 2018
Blockchain loyalty programs building future of customer experience
While blockchain platforms are still under construction and use cases are still being written, Hooters invests in its own. Others -- including employee rewards -- are to come. Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2018
When customer service automation goes off the rails
CRM sales and service automation can drive down costs when they drive customer self-service. But if they frustrate customers, what's the actual implementation cost? Continue Reading
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Podcast
12 Feb 2018
Content management in the cloud a main theme in 2018
The future of content management resides in the cloud and with AI, as several 2018 conferences will assure you. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Feb 2018
Salesforce gets a blockchain distributed ledger tool
Blockchain technology is the ultimate connectivity layer, and it can be used to help solve thorny customer service issues when paired with Salesforce, according to one vendor. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Feb 2018
Smart contracts on blockchain the next wave of CRM automation
Sales and service contracts get automation from blockchain platforms as applications become more user-friendly and infrastructure evolves to support them. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Feb 2018
Meet your friendly service agent -- The sales chatbot
AI chatbots enable companies to automate some sales and service tasks, but the combination of people and smart machines creates better outcomes than either one alone. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Feb 2018
Six things to know about today's SharePoint implementations
As companies migrate their on-premises Microsoft SharePoint sites to the cloud, here are some things they should know about the current state of the platform. Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2018
Salesforce buys Attic Labs, adding to Quip capabilities
Quip receives back-end capabilities with open source database after Salesforce purchase of Attic Labs. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Feb 2018
AI chatbots augment humans working in contact centers
It might seem like contact centers are all being automated by AI chatbots, but for now, the jobs of human agents are still safe while all the kinks are worked out. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jan 2018
Salesforce Classic vs. Lightning: How the CRM versions stack up
With migration becoming unavoidable, you should understand the different features available between Salesforce Classic vs. Lightning. Here is a chart to help you do just that. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 Jan 2018
What do GDPR principles mean for CRM data management?
Avoiding General Data Protection Regulation penalties means getting your CRM compliance program in order before the sweeping regulation goes into effect late this spring. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 Jan 2018
How will WP Engine's $250M influx affect the future of WordPress?
The already-large WordPress provider WP Engine is getting a massive cash infusion, but what does that mean for the content management market? Expert Geoffrey Bock weighs in. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 Jan 2018
How do I pick between SharePoint Online vs. SharePoint 2016?
Losing SharePoint features when migrating to the cloud was a top concern a few years ago. Today, the online version is ahead of its on-premises counterpart. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jan 2018
Upgrades for the SharePoint Online portal
As more organizations migrate SharePoint sites to the cloud, Microsoft has increased at-a-glance dashboard data and analytics to show admins how top-performing content measures up. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2018
AI, machine learning ahead for Box content management platform
There's more to your content than you might think: AI, sentiment analysis and other tools will yield more insight than ever before, and APIs will help you deliver it. Continue Reading
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Tip
26 Jan 2018
Salesforce Pardot certification opens doors, boosts salaries
Pardot consultant Stacey Cogswell talks about the opportunities and challenges when obtaining Salesforce certifications. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jan 2018
Cloud content management system improves page load speeds
Digital asset management remains in-house for most media companies. A cloud offering for video, image storage and editing helps Concourse Media better serve users on many devices. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jan 2018
Marketing reporting software is dying, says InsightSquared CMO
InsightSquared CMO discusses the importance of vendor-agnostic reporting and why marketing-only reporting software is dying. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Jan 2018
Artificial intelligence technologies a boon for customer insights
AI can help companies shrink the gap between customer data and actionable insight by feeding intelligence into CRM, marketing automation and other operational tools. Here's how. Continue Reading
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Podcast
23 Jan 2018
Salesforce-Oracle breakup on the horizon? Some say it's possible
Whether or not Salesforce is building out its own infrastructure is the first big CRM story in 2018, but it won't be the only one. Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2018
Salesforce Trailhead gets social boost for admins, developers
Salesforce might not own LinkedIn, but it's creating a similar online social network of certified professionals via Trailhead, complete with vanity URLs and more detailed profiles. Continue Reading
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Tip
22 Jan 2018
Agile content management leads to iterative value
An Agile approach to enterprise content management enables companies to continually improve ECM systems and add value steadily and quickly. Here's how to make it work. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2018
Salesforce databases remain Oracle, for now
Oracle and Salesforce executives deny reports of Salesforce moving on from Oracle infrastructure. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 Jan 2018
Comparing Salesforce Einstein AI across the clouds
What do you get when you pay for Einstein features in the Salesforce Sales, Service and Marketing clouds? We put it all in one chart. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Jan 2018
Ten tips for implementing virtual agent chatbots
Think you're ready to turn over some of your customer service responsibilities to virtual agents? An expert offers 10 tips for implementing chatbots. Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2018
Intelligent information management in M-Files the next wave for ECM
Intelligent information management in M-Files allows users to search for content in multiple repositories while also being able to automatically assign metadata to content in 2018 upgrade. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jan 2018
Salesforce Marketing Cloud certification helps Aussie make bank
When considering which credentials in the Salesforce universe are the best investments, one marketing consultant makes the case for Salesforce Marketing Cloud certification. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Jan 2018
Survey marketing leads to sales insights for outdoor association
After decades of catering to the needs of known customers, outdoor retailers now see the light and are targeting old and new customers with data-driven marketing and sales initiatives. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Jan 2018
What key features do today's leading social CRM tools offer?
Before purchasing social CRM software, learn the important tools and services you should be looking for and which of today's leading vendors offer them. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Jan 2018
Taking on a virtual agent helps mint new wine connoisseurs
Having trouble selecting the wine that goes best with a special meal? And what if your preferred shop doesn't have it? Vivino helps you choose -- and, if needed, find -- the right wine. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Jan 2018
Retail AI predicts consumer behavior for targeted marketing
Not all of travel club Secret Escapes' members want to see all 140 last-minute sales it runs every week. AI marketing personalization tool Jetlore helps prevent over-messaging. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Jan 2018
Future of artificial intelligence in CRM rests with the bots
Chatbots may seem basic or rudimentary now, but just wait: AI advancements will take virtual agents to new levels of competency to engage customers. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Dec 2017
Adding voice, text channels in CRM for apps
When SpotHero wanted to create text and voice channels to enable agents to assist app users with parking their cars, Ujet was the ticket that made it work. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Dec 2017
Looking ahead at trends in CRM in 2018
More AI capabilities, intelligent security and augmented reality should gain prominence for CRM users in 2018. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Dec 2017
How traditional file-sharing services have evolved
With a focus on improving digital experiences for its users, Box has added two new modern collaboration tools, Skills and Graph, to its roster to help shake up file sharing. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Dec 2017
Do customer service chatbots need to pass the Turing test?
Experts say organizations should focus on enhancing the customer experience with chatbots -- not so much on passing the legendary Turing test for artificial intelligence. Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2017
Salesforce small-business CRM customers can tap into AI, too
Salesforce small-business faces heavy competition from more nimble, agile, less expensive boutique CRM vendors. Yet, the largest CRM platform woos SMBs like it does bigger fish with features for AI. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Dec 2017
Einstein AI drills deeper into Salesforce clouds
Einstein AI tools show great promise and are expanding deeper into the Salesforce clouds. Many smaller companies still need some convincing, but have high hopes for the future. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Nov 2017
Eight must-have call center systems for customer service
It can be challenging to pick a call center technology, implement it and optimize it for the best results. Here are the top eight call center tools to deliver the best customer experience. Continue Reading
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Podcast
10 Nov 2017
Pipeline podcast: Salesforce SMB customers to benefit from Google deal
Salesforce executives at Dreamforce discuss the impact of the new partnership with Google on Salesforce SMB customers, who'll be able to tap into Google Analytics and more. Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2017
Experts: Time is nigh for a Salesforce Lightning migration
'Everything forward will be Lightning,' was advice from one analyst at Dreamforce 2017. CommScope's experience proves a move to Salesforce Lightning may be easier than you think. Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2017
At Dreamforce, Salesforce applications take center stage
Quip is expected to become the new Salesforce collaboration standard in Dreamforce unveiling; AppExchange and Einstein announcements reveal push into new markets. Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Oct 2017
How to calculate abandoned call rate for a contact center
Experts offer an abandoned call formula and advice on what to include when calculating call abandonment rates. Continue Reading
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Podcast
20 Oct 2017
Pipeline podcast: Exploring the growth of the martech stack
The marketing technology field has exploded, as have ways to organize a martech stack. This episode of the Pipeline podcast recaps highlights from the MarTech Conference. Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2017
Experts: Website redesign must enhance digital customer experience
Gone are the days of a quick website launch. According to speakers at the Acquia Engage conference, redesigning a website is now a companywide digital customer experience project. Continue Reading
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Podcast
06 Oct 2017
AI among new Dynamics 365 features, Microsoft Teams top news from Ignite
Discussing the top news stories coming out of the newly combined Microsoft Ignite and Envision conferences on the latest Pipeline podcast episode. Continue Reading
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News
02 Oct 2017
Dynamics 365 CRM can help drive the digital transformation process
At Ignite, Microsoft predicts the future -- and it's one that centers on Dynamics 365, artificial intelligence and digital transformation. Continue Reading
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Answer
02 Oct 2017
What features can users expect from Salesforce Einstein AI?
Expert Scott Robinson explains how Salesforce Einstein AI tools augment the vendor's CRM functionality, and how lessons learned from IBM Watson will affect the platform. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Sep 2017
What are the key differences between the SharePoint 2016 versions?
You can deploy SharePoint 2016 from the cloud via Office 365, on premises or as a stand-alone online product. Here's how to decide which version is best for your company. Continue Reading
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Podcast
27 Sep 2017
New Dynamics 365 features take center stage during Ignite keynote
Dynamics 365 and the future direction of Microsoft products were given center stage during the Ignite keynote delivered by Satya Nadella. Continue Reading
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News
26 Sep 2017
Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM takes center stage at Ignite 2017
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella kicks off Microsoft Ignite with talk of future products, use cases for AI and continued bundling of Microsoft products. Continue Reading
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News
13 Sep 2017
How enterprises can take advantage of social media mapping
If your company wants to tap into the emotion and sentiment customers display on social media, social media mapping may be the answer. Learn about one company's approach. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Sep 2017
Automation features help settle CRM migration quandary for one office
Insightly CRM for G Suite or Salesforce? One of a manufacturing company's 72 offices takes the road less traveled. Continue Reading
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Tip
08 Sep 2017
A step-by-step guide to SharePoint 2016 migration
If you're considering a SharePoint 2016 upgrade or migration, here is a step-by-step guide and a migration tool to make the transition as seamless as possible. Continue Reading
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News
06 Sep 2017
On tap for Microsoft Ignite conference: Adobe, Dynamics 365, LinkedIn
New Adobe integrations and further integrations of existing products are possible announcements from Microsoft Ignite 2017. Continue Reading
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Opinion
31 Aug 2017
Tech vendors cite TOS violations to push hate groups off their clouds
'Alt-right' groups put to the test marketing and CRM cloud vendors that promote employee diversity and forbid users from hosting hateful or offensive content on their platforms. Continue Reading
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Answer
30 Aug 2017
What's the difference between ECM vs. WCM in the cloud era?
Does the difference between ECM vs. WCM leave you scratching your head? Read on to finally understand what exactly each system does and how it can benefit you. Continue Reading
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Answer
24 Aug 2017
What problems need solving to create smoother customer interactions?
While many factors can make or break a sales-service platform merge, three challenges stand out when combining service, sales strategies. Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2017
Humanitarian company uses Dynamics 365 for Talent for quicker deployment
Chemonics upgraded its technological process from telex-era capabilities to cloud-based software for its worldwide projects. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Aug 2017
The importance of integrating social CRM tools into a CRM strategy
Customer engagement is no longer about simply handling a phone call or letter. Organizations must also be at the ready to address issues on social media. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jul 2017
The integration of CRM with cross-channel marketing breeds agility
Leading enterprises searching for ways to bring agility to the market need look no further than cross-channel marketing. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jul 2017
Smartphones sound the death knell for outbound marketing strategies
Telemarketing might not be dead, but the near-complete saturation of smartphones in the consumer market has landed some death blows to outbound marketing strategies. Continue Reading
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Opinion
20 Jul 2017
Recipe for lost customers: Flight cancellations and AI algorithms
As companies enjoy the benefits that automation and AI algorithms bring to next-generation CRM, leaders must closely examine the legal and customer retention ramifications. Continue Reading
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Podcast
21 Jun 2017
CRM machine learning leaps forward, assisting process automation
AI, analytics and machine learning -- once separate technologies -- are now integrating into powerful new combinations for customer retention and service. Continue Reading
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Podcast
08 Jun 2017
AI, IoT and Trailhead were main themes at Salesforce World Tour Boston
In the second taping of The Pipeline podcast, we discuss the customer stories mentioned at the Boston event, the tight security and Salesforce's push of Trailhead. Continue Reading