Articles by Jack M. Germain

Schools and organizations that deploy vast numbers of computers have a much-needed computing edge against cybersecurity risks with enterprise-grade Chromebooks Consumer-grade Chromebooks come with what Google calls "defense in depth," which provides multiple layers of protection. If attackers succeed in bypassing one layer, others remain in effect....

Not all Linux distributions provide platforms for enterprise and non-business adopters. Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and the Fedora Project let users keep their Linux computing all in the family Both the enterprise and community versions have upgraded over the last few weeks. RHEL is a commercial distribution available through a subscription and...

IBM's beta release of its Environmental Intelligence (EI) platform offers application developers and data scientists curated environmental insights powered by AI with access to open-source geospatial and satellite data This cloud-based platform provides a variety of geospatial, weather, and climate APIs, enabling users to create applications that a...

The merger of two popular open-source communities could sharpen the focus on bolstering online privacy and web-surfing anonymity The Amnesic Incognito Live System, or Tails, and the anonymity network Tor Project, short for The Onion Router, announced in late September a merger to unite operations and resources from both software communities into a ...

Improving the overall customer experience (CX) is essential for client retention and ROI growth. An effective CX strategy can help businesses retain clients even when competitors offer lower prices, ensuring higher long-term profitability The desire to remain competitive makes companies eagerly focused on the next competitive advantage for their fi...

The retail industry is bracing for more than just the usual surge of cyberattacks this holiday shopping season Artificial intelligence-driven threats pose significant risks to both retailers and consumers. According to the latest report from Imperva Threat Research, retail websites are already facing an average of 569,884 AI-driven attacks each day...

Hacker breaches targeting corporate and personal data are worsening despite businesses and individual users adopting safe computing strategies, highlighting gaps in cybersecurity expertise. Cybersecurity workforce developer NukuDo addresses these gaps by offering specialized training that leads to guaranteed jobs in computer security The United Sta...

AI-enabled automation is the new linchpin of innovation in CRM platforms. However, the expected productivity gains have yet to translate into meaningful improvements in customer experience (CX) The current brand strategy is to throw a lot of technology at the wall to see what sticks, as brands try to automate at breakneck speed to optimize customer...

Despite recent hurricane impacts, the economy generally remains strong, with consumer spending driving growth in the 2024 winter holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF) retail sales forecast released Oct. 15 The Washington, D.C.-based NRF advocates for the people, brands, policies, and ideas that help retail succeed. Retai...

Poor-quality product data routinely has severe implications for retailers. If left unresolved, bad data hinders the effectiveness of business operations, product search and discovery, customer satisfaction, and sales Bad product data, often hiding in plain sight, can critically impact retailers' bottom lines. According to information technology fir...

Workplace safety is an increasing concern in modern environments. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are driving innovative hardware solutions to reduce the risk of unauthorized access Managing any facility or organizational team now involves greater responsibility for safety, whether in workplaces, campuses, hospita...

Settle, the developer of an operations platform that helps consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands scale, launched its expanded procurement and inventory management suite this month following the acquisition of inventory management firm Turbine This acquisition brings advanced inventory operations and forecasting capabilities to Settle’s cash flow m...

Data and artificial intelligence are crucial for effective customer loyalty programs. They are also revolutionizing the role of traditional CRM platforms Initially, CRM systems changed business interaction with customers. Energizing this process with AI-powered data feeds gave marketers a new way to enhance customer engagement and retention....

Artificial intelligence may be the next great thing for industry, but users still fear its shortcomings in business and digital testing While customer experience (CX) and quality assessment are radically different, the associated risks may extend beyond satisfaction alone. Outcries persist that AI-powered CX systems produce subpar results and threa...

Data poisoning is a cyberattack where adversaries inject malicious or misleading data into AI training datasets. The goal is to corrupt their behavior and elicit skewed, biased, or harmful results. A related danger is creating backdoors for malicious exploitation of AI/ML systems These attacks are a significant concern for developers and organizati...

Retail mobile apps have become indispensable to consumers, transforming how they shop. While mobile apps still capture significant attention, all-in-one web services in mobile wallets are emerging as an essential complement to individual mobile apps Alex Campbell, CIO and co-founder of the mobile marketing platform Vibes, notes that mobile wallets ...

A common challenge with using artificial intelligence in the workplace is that many employees lack proper training to use AI effectively According to Microsoft's and LinkedIn's 2024 Work Trend Index on the State of AI at Work, released in May, only 39% of AI users receive workplace training. The report identifies four categories of workers: skeptic...

E-commerce transactions are a prime target for cybercriminals. In addition to targeting retail websites, fraudulent purchases and fake returns not only result in direct financial losses but also create additional costs and burdens for both sellers and customers New data shows that 75% of consumers would readily drop a brand after any cybersecurity ...

Fresh from the July 28 DebConf24 conference in South Korea comes a new open-source community project, eLxr. It is a Debian derivative with intelligent edge capabilities designed to simplify and enhance edge-to-cloud deployment strategies Edge computing distributions provide a framework that brings enterprise applications closer to data sources such...

Consumers frequently encounter inconsistent brand experiences across various touchpoints in their e-commerce journeys. Marketing efforts often present a vision that differs from customers' actual experiences during contact center interactions Research highlights a common disconnect between CX leaders' perceptions and reality. Many believe they deli...