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Application Development & Management
Microsoft’s AI Tour visited Toronto, ON, on December 3, 2024. The event primarily showcased Microsoft’s latest AI offerings and their capabilities. There were several other vendors present as well to demonstrate their own solutions in partnership with Microsoft. These vendors included NVIDIA, Cohere, Snowflake, and Insight, among others, who displayed how their offerings were using and adopting AI to improve their businesses through information panels. While the event itself offered a promising glimpse into what AI has been doing today to help people and organizations, it also showed why there is the need for measured expectations when implementing AI.
Cisco consolidated its position as one of the largest software companies globally by completing the acquisition of Splunk.
Q headlines a bevy of announcements at AWS re:Invent 2023 in Las Vegas that shed more light on the cloud service provider’s AI strategy and where its differentiation from other vendors lies.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Microsoft’s AI Tour visited Toronto, ON, on December 3, 2024. The event primarily showcased Microsoft’s latest AI offerings and their capabilities. There were several other vendors present as well to demonstrate their own solutions in partnership with Microsoft. These vendors included NVIDIA, Cohere, Snowflake, and Insight, among others, who displayed how their offerings were using and adopting AI to improve their businesses through information panels. While the event itself offered a promising glimpse into what AI has been doing today to help people and organizations, it also showed why there is the need for measured expectations when implementing AI.
Discover how NICE Enlighten AI is transforming call centers. Say goodbye to traditional call centers and hello to the future of enterprise customer experience.
Q headlines a bevy of announcements at AWS re:Invent 2023 in Las Vegas that shed more light on the cloud service provider’s AI strategy and where its differentiation from other vendors lies.
Banking, Finance & Insurance
Finastra launches securities financing transaction regulation (SFTR) support ahead of the European Union’s April 11, 2020 deadline.
Three global banks launched a blockchain-based platform to bring the promise of open ledgers and contracts to the loan management market.
Wolters Kluwer suffers security breach after poor security management.
Commerce
POS system purchases are being driven by ease of integration. Identified as having the most satisfying of all POS systems when it comes to integration, Restaurant Manager displays that it understands the needs of restaurant operators.
As pick-up/takeout has been the only operating option for restaurants for the last few months, Silverware’s release of its “In-Seat Contactless Platform” will assist COVID-19 “new normal” restaurants to deploy mobile-first, phone-to-table contactless features that were once a convenience but are now features of necessity.
As COVID-19 swept across the globe, many food and beverage operators were forced to switch to pick-up or delivery methods only. PAR’s novel solution PARk it supplies operators with a mobile method to continue serving their customers during this time.
Communications & Collaboration
Discover how NICE Enlighten AI is transforming call centers. Say goodbye to traditional call centers and hello to the future of enterprise customer experience.
Zoho has announced new updates to its collaboration software ecosystem to meet organizations’ productivity needs in a post-pandemic world centered on asynchronous hybrid work.
Cisco consolidated its position as one of the largest software companies globally by completing the acquisition of Splunk.
Construction & Engineering
Traditional accounting practices are tailor made for waterfall project management. Organizations that have transitioned to the use of standing product teams using Agile and DevOps need to transform their accounting practices as well or they will leave valuable capital expenditure dollars on the table.
So you’ve gone Agile. You do daily scrums, retrospectives, and all the “right” Agile ceremonies. But still your organization isn’t quite convinced. It is now critical to balance the drivers and goals of both Agile and traditional thinking in order to achieve organizational success.
When trying to implement Agile as a defined process, Scrum turned BAs or other roles into order takers with the title “product owner.” This undermines the entire value proposition of product management.
Content Management
Vijay Sundaram, Chief Strategy Officer at Zoho, describes a major release of new apps and services focused on enabling hybrid work.
This note outlines Info-Tech’s Three C’s of Enterprise Collaboration framework to help buyers effectively navigate the collaboration software marketspace.
Zoho Workplace – a global enterprise collaboration platform – has reported that it is now supporting 15 million users and is experiencing a surge in usage for its business applications. However, compared to Microsoft’s Office 365 and Google’s G Suite, Zoho still has a long way to go in this marketspace.
Data & BI
In an Info-Tech LIVE conference session titled “AI Lens – Human to Machine Interface” Dr. Imad Syed from PiLog shared how AI-powered, lean data governance can revolutionize your business. Simplify, adapt, and thrive!
Zoho (www.zoho.com), a multinational software and web-based business tool provider, has announced the new release of their analytics platform.
Boomi’s vision for using AI is to help its customers unlock the power of their data. Boomi believes that AI can add analytical, predictive, and generative benefits to data-driven decisions, but only if the data is connected, available, and correct. Boomi’s strategy is to use AI to connect the dots so even nontechnical users can access the data and make dynamic dashboards without many analysts or process steps.
Education
Student retention, already a major concern at higher education institutions, is an even greater concern as students are unable to learn in person and on campus.
Some major LMS conference cancellations or online alternatives have been announced in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, though not all have canceled.
As the world responds to the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, closed schools in some affected areas are turning to eLearning and web conferencing to maintain continuity in course delivery and/or studying.
Finance & Procurement
Evaluating vendor proposals is one of the most critical aspects of the RFP process, secondary only to negotiations. The ironic thing is that we've seen too many clients try to abbreviate this activity, take short cuts, or even avoid it altogether. Providing ample time for your team to review the vendor RFP responses is critical to a quality review process, while not rushing the evaluation process ensures that you understand their complete offer and proposal.
When leasing IT equipment, the lessor (the company providing the equipment) has one main obligation. However, most leases overlook this critical aspect completely, exposing the lessee (the organization leasing the equipment) to unnecessary risk.
If you want to lease IT equipment, you have many options with regard to potential lessors (the leasing companies). In fact, some manufacturers lease equipment directly to their customers … or do they?
Gaming & Hospitality
We examine Verkada's history, market position, and core offerings, providing an expert’s perspective informed by three decades of security architecture experience.
IDeaS’ G3 revenue management solution will be highly sought after by properties looking to leverage data to make informed pricing decisions.
Bosch’s release of its INTEOX camera solution moves beyond the legacy “closed circuit” model of surveillance infrastructure to a Camera-as-a-Platform (CaaP) approach, enabling third-party apps at the surveillance perimeter edge to create innovative video-based business solutions and decisions.
Health Care
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, healthcare organizations are looking for ways to expand digital patient care options. Patient management systems like Experian’s eCare NEXT help providers connect new digital clinical workflows to established workflows and revenue cycles.
Human Resources
Acterys enhances decision-making throughout the organization by integrating smoothly with Microsoft Power BI and Excel. The writeback and centralized data management capabilities of Acterys will extend the ability of even non–business analyst users to help with operational efficiency and financial planning.
On June 17, 2021, Smarp briefed Info-Tech on the latest updates to its communications and advocacy platform. Based out of Helsinki, Smarp provides solutions for over 300 companies worldwide, with industry specializations in professional services, banking, and fintech.
Breezy HR has made video assessment and interviewing tools free for business clients for a minimum of 60 days, in light of efforts to prevent COVID-19 pandemic spread.
IT Infrastructure
BackBox represents the next generation in network automation, establishing itself as a network infrastructure integrity platform. Its robust IntelliChecks capabilities and event-driven architecture set it apart, offering a comprehensive solution for automated network management that ranges from backup and recovery to vulnerability management and compliance checks.
In a session titled “Resolving IT Crises Instantly – Transforming IT Efficiency and Business Continuity” Oren Rosen of eProc Solutions shared insights on resolving IT crises instantly at Info-Tech LIVE 2024.
Amazon Bedrock offers unified API access to leading foundation models in the cloud, enabling organizations to build generative AI applications with ease, scalability, and cost effectiveness
IT Operations
Zoho Corporation has announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to leverage the NVIDIA AI accelerated computing platform, including NVIDIA NeMo, for the development and deployment of advanced AI models within Zoho's SaaS applications. This collaboration aims to enhance AI capabilities for Zoho's extensive customer base of over 700,000 businesses worldwide.
In a session titled “Resolving IT Crises Instantly – Transforming IT Efficiency and Business Continuity” Oren Rosen of eProc Solutions shared insights on resolving IT crises instantly at Info-Tech LIVE 2024.
Eracent is a privately held IT asset management (ITAM), software asset management (SAM) and cybersecurity solution provider founded in 2000. Their roots trace back to AT&T, Bell Labs, and Lucent’s pre-Y2K initiatives (around 1997-2000), where a core focus was placed on IT asset discovery and protection. Eracent emphasizes their experience with extensive asset discovery during a period with significantly different internet and network connectivity compared to today and have consistently focused on ITAM and SAM solutions throughout their existence. This note features Eracent’s extension into open-source software risk mitigation though software bill of materials (SBOM) management.
IT Security
For many cybersecurity leaders, identity governance remains a critical yet challenging area. Traditional solutions are complex, costly, and prone to fail. Meet AKA Identity, a company that promises a fresh approach to these problems through advanced data integration, AI, and analytics.
Delinea’s identity security solution integrates privileged access management with other critical security components to provide a robust solution for identity and access governance. I met with the Delinea team over two analyst briefing sessions to explore their capabilities and how they address key security concerns.
As digital threats evolve, LastPass' proactive security measures will continue to gain momentum and improve their market strategy, positioning them well to serve their diverse clientele effectively.
Marketing
Zoho Corporation has announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to leverage the NVIDIA AI accelerated computing platform, including NVIDIA NeMo, for the development and deployment of advanced AI models within Zoho's SaaS applications. This collaboration aims to enhance AI capabilities for Zoho's extensive customer base of over 700,000 businesses worldwide.
Discover how NICE Enlighten AI is transforming call centers. Say goodbye to traditional call centers and hello to the future of enterprise customer experience.
AI-powered “answer engines” are revolutionizing the way the audiences retrieve information online. These engines respond to user queries with short, straight answers, unlike traditional search engines that show lists of links.
Other
5G networks are the next generation of mobile phone service delivered at higher frequencies that requires shorter distance between “backpack” sized cell sites. Municipalities are challenged when negotiating with carriers regarding the installation of these small cell sites due to the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) 5G Order on Small Cell Siting.
Visually presenting data assists the public understanding of complex issues. Using GIS mapping tools is an effective way of layering data from various source for quantitative analysis.
Esri made several big announcements at its Developer Summit in Palm Springs, CA, in March 2019. ArcGIS for Developers is a suite of developer tools and resources specifically for the creation of web-based and native applications.
Privacy & Risk
In our email security SoftwareReviews quadrant, IRONSCALES stands out as a leader with its integrated cloud email security (ICES) solution, now often called integrated cloud workspace security (ICWS).
In the digital realm, trust is currency. Without robust identity verification, online interactions become a breeding ground for fraud and exploitation.
The recent Schrems II invalidation of the EU-US Privacy Shield has added a layer of difficulty for organizations that operate across borders, as they now require additional contractual clauses and measures in place to ensure data can transfer freely. Privacy program management vendor Proteus-Cyber offers a streamlined solution with the release of its Transfer Impact Assessment tool.
Real Estate & Property Management
Discover how NICE Enlighten AI is transforming call centers. Say goodbye to traditional call centers and hello to the future of enterprise customer experience.
Sales & Service
Microsoft’s AI Tour visited Toronto, ON, on December 3, 2024. The event primarily showcased Microsoft’s latest AI offerings and their capabilities. There were several other vendors present as well to demonstrate their own solutions in partnership with Microsoft. These vendors included NVIDIA, Cohere, Snowflake, and Insight, among others, who displayed how their offerings were using and adopting AI to improve their businesses through information panels. While the event itself offered a promising glimpse into what AI has been doing today to help people and organizations, it also showed why there is the need for measured expectations when implementing AI.
A bevy of new announcements across its LLM stack show that AWS wants to give its customers choice in how they train, select, and integrate LLMs with their business processes. But how will AWS contend with the added complexity all that choice brings? Some announcements from re:Invent 2024 show they’re considering this pain point.
Zoho Corporation has announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to leverage the NVIDIA AI accelerated computing platform, including NVIDIA NeMo, for the development and deployment of advanced AI models within Zoho's SaaS applications. This collaboration aims to enhance AI capabilities for Zoho's extensive customer base of over 700,000 businesses worldwide.
Supply Chain & Logistics
JDA’s Workforce Management and Warehouse Labor Management software functions are now offered in an integrated manner to drive productivity gains in the warehouse.
Many people are challenged by the economic constraints of car ownership. Rising vehicle prices, registration fees, automobile insurance, ongoing maintenance, fuel, and parking fees can bleed people dry. In response, technology companies are developing innovative ways to offset the costs.
A powerful combination of supply chain visibility and global trade management is now available through E2open and its acquisition of Amber Road software.