It’s Time to Redefine Enterprise Apps for the Modern Workplace
As enterprises continue their digital initiatives, they must redefine their definition of mobile and look to invest in more modern approaches, or risk losing talented workers and competitive advantages to organizations that do. Here’s what a ‘modern’ mobile enterprise looks like.
Enterprise Mobile Devices And How The Leaders Stack Up
More vendors than ever sell smartphones and tablets now, with devices ranging in size and capabilities. Buyers trying to negotiate the maze of options can have a tough time deciding which devices might best suit their organizations. This article explores five criteria to consider when reviewing enterprise mobile devices and compares how the leading players measure up against each other in accordance with these essential criteria.
New Gartner Digital Transformation Predictions
Only 10 percent of businesses will see radical digital transformation due to blockchain by 2022, according to a new Gartner report. Saying the technology is not a one-size-fits-all remedy, the report suggests blockchain is more of a long-term investment than a vehicle for quick digital transformation in the enterprise. For a successful implementation, companies may need to significantly alter their current methods.
Microsoft Wraps Up 2017 With December Patch Tuesday Security Update
Microsoft recently released its final regularly scheduled Patch security update on Dec. 12, with patches for 32 different issues. Additionally, Microsoft released an advisory for an Active Directory cloud flaw that does not have a formal patch.
Digital Transformation Must Thrive Throughout Your Company
Every business is different — but for all their differences, leading digital companies have some things in common that separate them from the rest. Forrester has developed a number of frameworks to highlight these distinctions, including the four rules of business, which we believe will determine the success or failure of every company by 2020.
Microsoft Adds More AI-Powered Updates To Bing, Cortana, Office 365
Microsoft is continuing to infuse more AI smarts into its Bing web search, Cortana digital assistant and Office 365 services. At a press and analyst event in San Francisco on December 13, company officials showed off some of the incremental AI-powered updates it is introducing to these services. Microsoft’s overriding message was that in addition to providing big-bang AI advances, like its just-unveiled quantum-computing development kit, it also is delivering more “everyday AI” ones, too, by integrating AI-driven tech into its core products and services.
Google Launches Assistant On Android Tablets, More Phones
Google has announced Google Assistant is now available for Android tablets running Android 7.0 Nougat and 6.0 Marshmallow. Assistant was previously only available on some Android phones, Android Wear, Google Home, and an iOS app. Google also said its virtual personal assistant is expanding to phones running Android 5.0 Lollipop. Google Assistant enables users to search the internet, schedule events and alarms, adjust hardware settings, show information from their Google account, and more, with their voice.
Take That Amazon: Target Buys Shipt For $550M
Target has announced the acquisition of same-day delivery platform Shipt for $550 million in cash, one of the largest acquisitions in Target’s history, the company said in a blog post.
Why Digital Transformation Is About People As Much As Tech
Digital transformation is sweeping through industries, creating new opportunities for organizations to engage with customers, drive innovation and boost competitiveness. But as a new report from Microsoft, Creating a Culture of Digital Transformation, reveals, many are failing to take full advantage because they have not invested in cultural change. And as Clare Barclay, chief operating officer, Microsoft UK, says, creating a culture in which technology blends successfully with human potential is critical for future digital success.
Microsoft Officially Launches AI Bot-Creation Services For Developers
Microsoft is betting that the future of human-computer interaction will take a more conversational turn, even at work. The software giant announced Dec. 13 the general availability release of two key cloud services that enable enterprise developers to build business-friendly AI chatbots, Azure Bot Service and Language Understanding (LUIS), a part of the Microsoft Cognitive Services suite of artificial intelligence (AI) offerings. Combined, they can be used to create intelligent conversational apps that work across a variety of platforms.
Overcoming Noisy KPIs, And Other Obstacles To Digital Transformation
Digital transformation remains an obstacle course. At Connected Enterprise ’17, the BT-150 executive panel shared how they faced these obstacles, moving beyond noisy KPIs and stifling performance reviews.
Apple’s Purchase Of Shazam Goes Well Beyond Music
Apple’s purchase of music recognition app Shazam serves multiple purposes for the company including making Siri smarter, adding data science experts and providing hooks into services such as Apple Music. In a statement, Apple noted that Apple Music and Shazam “are a natural fit.” TechCrunch reported last week that Apple was close to buying Shazam for about $400 million.
Microsoft And SAP Partner For Digital Transformation In The Cloud
Software giant Microsoft Corp and SAP SE have partner to provide enterprise customers with a clear road map to confidently drive more business innovation in the cloud. In a bold show of commitment, the two companies have also announced they will be deploying each other’s cloud solutions internally. Through the partnership, the companies will co-engineer, go to market together with premier solutions and provide joint support services to ensure the best cloud experience for customers.
New Google Mobile Photo Apps Tap Experimental Technology
Google has released the first installment of a new series of planned mobile photo apps based on experimental technology under development in its labs. One of the three newly released apps is designed purely for Android devices; one is for Android and iOS devices while the third is designed solely for iOS.
Digital Banking Is Not Always The Best Answer Says Analyst
As digital banking capabilities have expanded over the years, adoption of online and mobile banking has reached more than two-thirds of retail banking consumers. Javelin Strategy & Research’s recent report, Why Digital Banking Often Fails to Reduce Offline Volume: Education and Contextual Support Needed to Overcome Offline Inertia, concludes that deeper digital adoption hinges on financial institutions providing greater support during digital transactions, including setting clear expectations and highlighting policies and limits prominently.
Cisco Rolls Out New App To Improve Apple iOS Security
Cisco rolled out on Dec. 14 its Cisco Security Connector app, which provides extended security capabilities for Apple iOS device users. Cisco Security Connector benefits from integration with other Cisco technologies, including Umbrella and Clarity, to provide enhanced visibility and control over iOS devices, to help mitigate security risks. The app also benefits from Cisco’s partnership with Apple that began in 2016.
Enterprise Mobility Is The Perfect Place For Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is becoming more integrated into everyday life, and most people don’t even realize they’re interacting with virtual assistance. That autocorrect function on their smartphone, or voice aid sitting on end table in the living room answering questions about weather forecasts: that’s AI for daily consumer. And it’s for those reasons the marriage of AI and enterprise mobility is a beautiful one, where productivity and efficiency are going to reach unprecedented levels in the years to come.
Digital Transformation In Telecoms To Create Agile ‘Open Telcos’
Telecoms operators are embracing digital transformation and technological change to develop new networks and improve the customer experience. The telecoms industry is in a leading-edge position for connectivity as businesses start to demand cloud tech.
Biometrics The Preferred Second Factor For Strong Customer Authentication
Biometric authentication will continue to be adopted for mobile commerce due to its combination of better security and improved user convenience as merchants apply multifactor-based strong customer authentication in response to fraud risks and compliance requirements from card networks and regulators, according to a report from Mobey Forum.
Standardizing Digital Payments Standardization
The age-old question is: How do you create a standard that works for every digital payments innovator – and the consumers and businesses they serve – when the starting points for those innovations reflect their very different origins and digital strengths? It’s a question that’s very top of mind across the payments and commerce ecosystem, and particularly relevant in mobile and desktop commerce. The complexity is increasing as the interactions between technology, the players who innovate using it and the consumers who use that tech become more intertwined.
The Paradox Of Cloud Data: It Saves Money, But Can Be Costly, Too
Let’s face it. The cloud has the potential for creating many new silos, some which may prove to be more costly and insidious than the on-premises systems they replace. Enterprises may end up paying endless subscription fees for data and applications hardly anybody uses, as well as getting occasional jolts of sticker shock as monthly cloud bills roll in. Escalating costs now pose the greatest risk with moving large volumes of data assets to cloud providers.
