Articles by Jack M. Germain

Studies show that marketers are cautiously investing in generative AI (GenAI) to enhance their marketing technology (martech) stacks. However, a gap between investment and understanding continues to hinder the adoption of GenAI as a tool for improving marketing efficiency and effectiveness According to research released at the end of last year, 90%...

Search and discovery innovations are fueling a digital transformation in B2B e-commerce. For manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers, these tools are essential to delivering the seamless, personalized buying experiences modern customers expect The 2025 Paradigm B2B Combine for Search and Discovery Solutions report, authored by e-commerce exper...

In today’s fast-moving marketplace, CRM platforms have evolved from luxury add-ons to essential infrastructure -- especially for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) trying to stay competitive A CRM is more than a tech upgrade; it’s a strategic shift that breaks down silos, boosts productivity, and empowers smaller teams to operate like enterpri...

Care management platform DexCare is applying artificial intelligence (AI) in an innovative way to fix health care access issues. Its AI-driven platform helps health systems overcome rising costs, limited capacity, and fragmented digital infrastructure As Americans face worsening health outcomes and soaring costs, DexCare Co-founder Derek Streat see...

Retail’s power dynamic is shifting fast -- and younger consumers are in the driver’s seat. While older shoppers pull back, Gen Z and millennials are spending through economic uncertainty, fueling growth for brands that meet them where they are: online, value-driven, and community-focused Legacy brands are lagging, but emerging brands built on d...

Relying on a single, all-in-one CRM platform can cause more headaches than it solves, making it harder for brands to scale efficiently and react quickly to changing customer demands Composable commerce's modular approach allows companies to integrate various independent technologies best suited to their unique needs. Unlike headless architecture, i...

Open-source software (OSS) may be in the crosshairs of military and government agencies as the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) evaluates the risks of both free and proprietary software Katie Arrington, the DOD's CIO, issued a memo on May 2 announcing the Software Fast-Track (SWFT) initiative to reform how software is acquired, tested, and authoriz...

To help organizations move beyond outdated feedback tools, CallMiner has rolled out Outreach, an AI-based feedback platform. Rather than relying solely on traditional surveys, Outreach combines insights from both unsolicited interactions, such as contact center conversations, and solicited feedback to provide a more comprehensive view of the customer experience (CX)...

Forget patching security holes -- open source is building fortresses. Edera and CIQ are leading a new wave of hardened Linux and secure container tech built for the era of relentless cyberthreats Edera announced the launch of its first live demo environment for cloud container users at the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe gathering last month. The p...

Amid federal downsizing and cost-cutting to curb fraud and waste, U.S. businesses face new hurdles in securing government contracts. TechnoMile's latest product, WinIt, uses AI to help contractors boost productivity, streamline collaboration, and quickly identify and qualify opportunities to drive revenue growth The new platform helps government co...

Cybersecurity threats are escalating, yet many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) remain dangerously unprotected Experts point to a combination of high costs, technical complexity, and a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals as key reasons why SMBs often delay or avoid adopting critical protections....

I finally bit the bullet and swapped out an aging laptop and a failing desktop with much smaller replacements. My initial plan was to buy two well-endowed refurbished desktop computers. Instead, I stumbled upon a new computing approach -- mini-PCs For months, I have been curious about the performance of these 6-1/4" by 6" by 2" aluminum and plastic...

AI tools powered by high-quality data are transforming CRM into a revenue-driving engine. When marketing, sales, and service align, real ROI follows. The challenge is to provide timely and relevant messages with offers to customers in targeted campaigns AI-powered CRM systems help marketing organizations and brands improve their customer experience...

Online search remains a cornerstone of the digital shopping experience, yet many e-commerce sites still miss the mark -- frustrating customers and driving them toward brick-and-mortar competitors Coveo aims to change that. Its enterprise AI platform combines powerful search capabilities with generative AI to enhance every stage of the customer jour...

Retailers are under pressure to meet customers where they are -- and increasingly, that means on social media. As shoppers turn to platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for both product discovery and customer service, companies must rethink how they engage and support buyers across these channels Call center software firm Talkdesk is helpi...

Financial technology platform Wildfire Systems launched a hosted and fully managed branded shopping portal in March to complement its existing e-commerce platform. The portal features cashback, coupons, personalized deals, and retail media promotions Wildfire’s shopping portal enables banks, card issuers, rewards services, and technology provider...

Open-source software has become a prime target in the escalating wave of cybersecurity threats. As attacks grow more sophisticated, the open-source community is racing to close critical security gaps and stop malicious code before it spreads With open-source code used in most commercial software, infection risks are rampant across most industries.

CRM and customer experience (CX) vendors are retooling their platforms to better integrate with existing business applications without employees realizing they're using generative AI-powered capabilities This shift will improve productivity as it changes how businesses operate. As the technology becomes more embedded in daily workflows, those who f...

A new partnership between AI applications builder MindStudio and content payment firm TollBit helps websites monetize AI usage and ensure content creators get paid It also gives companies a legal, transparent way to access online data — avoiding the ethical and legal pitfalls of traditional scraping. According to TollBit, the collaboration suppor...

While e-commerce companies embrace automation to streamline fraud prevention and enhance customer experience, many finance teams still rely on outdated manual processes. This disconnect slows growth, increases error risk, and limits visibility into critical financial data Commerce protection platform Signifyd solved that problem by implementing Net...