Articles by Jack M. Germain

E-commerce musical instrument supplier Sweetwater will not be singing a new tune under its newly-appointed CEO, Mike Clem. Instead, the company will be cranking up the volume to stay true to what it does best -- meeting its customers' needs The music technology and instrument retailer's chief growth officer stepped into his new role on Sept. 29. Cl...

Navigating the expansion of e-commerce storefronts often involves considering expensive technology alternatives. However, merchants frequently overlook more cost-effective and efficient options already present in their tech stack Krepling, an e-commerce platform, is one such solution designed for mid-market merchants who want greater control over t...

The AnkerWork B600 Video Bar is a powerful all-in-one conferencing device that is probably more suited for a business conference room than a work-from-home office. AnkerWork tries to thread the needle in stitching together features that either user category finds attractive I’m in the latter worker group and found this advanced conferencing tool ...

Oracle announced three significant artificial intelligence (AI) overtures with a heightened focus on CRM and service this week at Oracle CloudWorld in Las Vegas On Tuesday, Oracle released details of its addition of AI in critical spots like Intelligent Sales Orchestration, Guided Campaigns, and AI-Powered Account Linking. The new offerings will he...

Forget about 2023 becoming "The Year of the Linux Desktop," a popular slogan about growing Linux OS usage. It is already becoming the year of the Linux malware takeover In the eyes of cybercriminals, Linux is now a more appealing target due to the computing platform's potentially high return on their "investment." Prevailing security countermeasure...

With today's smartphone market filled with phones and features that are all too look-alike, the Doogee phone offers a refreshing and uniquely powerful alternative without venturing into more expensive fold and flip innovations-in-progress Released earlier this year, the Doogee V30T takes top billing as the company's 5G flagship smartphone. Its tren...

A new banking system that instantly pays out digital transactions could be a big money gain for crooks as online fraud worsens The Federal Reserve on July 20 announced that the FedNow Service is live. Banks and credit unions of all sizes can now sign up and use this tool to instantly transfer money for their customers at any time of the day or year...

Improved computer security is on the horizon for both businesses and individual users willing to adopt an alternative to passwords. Yet, despite the growing disdain for the cumbersome process of creating and entering passwords, the transition toward a future without them is gaining traction at a surprisingly slow pace The identity and access manage...

It's that time of year again. With Labor Day in the rearview mirror, retail marketers are shifting gears to prepare for the holiday sales surge. They are fine-tuning their strategies and adapting industry-proven best practices to capitalize on the holiday season This year presents a distinct set of challenges for marketers, as fluctuating economic ...

Growing businesses often rush to upgrade hardware, which results in stockpiling unused computers, routers, and other IT assets. This practice can be a bad business strategy that leads to worsening security and environmental concerns In the 2023 IT Management Survey conducted by software and IT services firm Capterra, data from 500 IT professionals ...

Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) in the e-commerce space have long struggled to compete with the might of retail giants. Now, generative AI is emerging as a cost-effective solution that could level the playing field Despite voicing their needs, SMBs have struggled to find adequate support, according to Mikel Lindsaar, CEO and founder of StoreC...

Biopharmaceutical companies are looking for go-to-market approaches that go beyond customer expectations. Starting with a revolutionized technology platform allows these organizations to create value beyond a prescription and basic instructions For example, in the case of diabetes, the data and digital platform would be able to share information th...

In what might belong in the "better late than never" category, the U.S. government and the computing industry are ramping up efforts to deal with seemingly runaway cybersecurity issues On Friday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that its Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) will conduct a review on cloud security involving the malicious ta...

The arrival of the first stable version of Rhino 2023.1 last week is a treat well worth the long wait through six beta releases This new Linux distribution succeeds last October's discontinued Rolling Rhino Remix project. Ironically, the original developer of that remix release, AJ Strong, the desktop lead and founder, did the follow-up....

The financial industry has historically been conservative when it comes to software development, especially when it comes to picking open-source applications over proprietary code. That caution is softening as more financial companies are now embracing open source Recent research shows that 87% of finance industry respondents believe open source is...

Retailers of all sizes need to be creative when it comes to keeping students' attention for their back-to-school purchases. The Container Store (TCS) hopes to renew last year's success with mobile engagement to help boost sales to college kids during its College 2023 campaign A key to keeping TCS at the head of the class for even younger students i...

In the dynamic field of technology, it's not just about coding; students pursuing careers in this sector need a diverse array of skills and competencies to stand out and excel Education technology, or EdTech, leverages digital tools and technologies to enrich learning experiences and amplify educational practices. While coding has been a pronounced...

Research and software marketplace firm G2 in June released its annual software buyer behavior report, "The Value-Driven Buyer," finding that despite doom and gloom predictions around tech markets and budgets, businesses see a positive outlook among global companies buying software this year Artificial intelligence is reshaping the entire software l...

Merchants today are prioritizing innovative ways to retain and monetize their existing customer base, moving away from traditional customer acquisition methods. This significant shift demonstrates how subscription-based businesses are adapting to the prevailing macroeconomic environment A pivotal discovery underlining this change comes from a recen...

Retail marketers posting their social media messages at random times are likely overlooking key opportunities to convert potential customers into successful checkout cart transactions Social media analytics company Sprout Social recently published its report "2023 Best Times to Post on Social Media," which outlines the best and worst times to post....