Expert Advice

The online sales channel continues to grow each day, touching every corner of the globe and nearly every type of merchant or marketplace. A fundamental component to the success of this channel is the payment system -- but choosing the right one may seem like a daunting task. One of the first questi...

Information Technology is a project-centric industry. Every task is either performed as a part of a project or constitutes rollup toward creating a new project. No individual, organization, department or company can escape the rigor of discipline and perseverance that project management enforces as ...

Today's CEO is beset by many challenges, not the least of which is dealing with his/her board of directors. This challenge has been rendered more difficult since the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley in 2002. We are reminded how the collapse of Enron caused a backlash from Congress, thus resulting in the pa...

Enabling people to register and check out using an existing identity from Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo or other provider is one of the most powerful tools to emerge in the last few years. Signing people in through an established online identity not only streamlines the process, but also gives your busi...

There's no question that the substantial growth of the cloud computing market has become a hot topic, generating almost as much debate and conversation as it has confusion. Many etailers have already realized the benefits of cloud computing, but the different types of public and private clouds and c...

Three years after Apple launched the iPhone, mobile commerce has reached a tipping point, driving retailers to change the way they think about their businesses. Mobile commerce has evolved from its origins as a marketplace for "virtual" goods like ringtones and applications to one enabling the sale...

Branding is often undervalued. The mantra at many companies is "leads and sales, leads and sales," with most marketing investments going toward lead generation activities. In addition, marketers often believe that branding results are difficult to measure. The Internet has relegated these notions to...

Just how secure is your website? How tough is your webhosting provider's backbone? How vulnerable are you to cyberattacks like those that played havoc with Facebook and other sites in the past -- the victims of a rogue blogger? While no site is absolutely safe from assault, it pays to be vigilant ...

All it takes is one bad experience to turn a customer away -- which is why the delivery of accurate and consistent product data across all channels is fast becoming one of the most important criteria for online and cross-channel success. Whether consumers visit a site to make a purchase, use their m...

As the enterprise progresses toward the goal of proving fully immersive and collaborative capabilities to remote individuals, it is important to realize the value of video not only as a technological achievement, but as a practical business enhancement. By presenting the strategic value of the vari...

With corporate America driving down costs and expenses in every department on a year-by-year basis, it's no wonder that data center consolidations are at the top of almost every IT agenda. Whether it's due to past growth, acquisitions or delays in consolidating for various reasons, the benefits of ...

"Disruptive" technologies do not destroy industries -- they may, however, create new ones. Whether we like it or not, we are in a constant state of flux. The technology industry, just like any industry, is incredibly dynamic and changing -- and with change, comes opportunity. The wheel, the telephon...

Have you ever considered whether you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? You might think that there aren't many objective ways by which you can assess your entrepreneurial ability. Actually, there are. One of the quickest ways by which you can get some idea of your innate talents for entrepren...

There is a new mindset is pervading the world of digital assets, particularly in a cost-conscious economy. Organizations are looking to maximize the value of all their digital assets, both to reduce up-front costs and to increase ROI. Back in its early days, "Saturday Night Live" spoofed a real comm...

Designing company websites has evolved into an art form, and much attention is paid to selecting the appropriate colors, using the right graphics, and making sure the content best reflects the corporate messaging and brand. These are absolutely areas of importance, but often companies design their w...