Consumers in the digital age may wonder why they’re shown ads for products they bought just a day or two ago. The advertiser might have persuaded them to buy its particular brand instead — but it’s a bit late at that point. These and similar marketing misses result from data sets that lag behind real ...

Why does the term “e-commerce” seem somewhat stale, predictable, unexciting? With data analytics and artificial intelligence, it could be much more than a web page and “buy” button. Adobe Inc. believes commerce could be part of a larger digital experience for modern-day consumers. “When customers are buying today, they’re buying experiences,” said Mark Lenhard (pictured), senior ...

Companies getting their customer-centric sea legs are hungry for best practices to guide them. But as data constantly reveals new details about customers, practices need to change in parallel. It’s important to have technology and cultures that can roll with the changes. “I think the idea of best practices is sort of on its way out; I ...

Ever counted the steps involved in a business trip, from planning to takeoff to return? Booking flights, hotels and other particulars can weary travelers before they ever leave the house. Sites like Expedia.com offer one-stop search for flights, rooms, car rentals, etc. But they don’t offer a personalized experience or assist travelers through their trip. ...

Unified communications software. It may sound like something reserved for giant organizations with thousands of dispersed personnel, but it’s not. It’s really just software to improve all types of communication in enterprises. And with cloud and microservice models, vendors are turning out approachable, affordable UC technology for everyone. Diane Smith (pictured), president and chief executive officer of ...

Cloud-based enterprise communication technology extends users plenty of favors. Users no longer have to configure different components of collaboration tools themselves. They can now access ready-made, holistic, software as a service solutions. But users still need collaboration devices — new, improved, purpose-built ones. “At the end of the day, all of that collaboration cloud gets accessed through a ...

It’s getting tougher for companies to secure customer loyalty. Online product reviews and easy-opt-out digital models let them research and switch brands in a few clicks. The business is on the line during the few minutes an agent spends talking to a customer. New enterprise-communication tech aims to end that all-important call on a happy note. ...

Enterprise technology has come a long way from the conference-call speaker phone. Workers increasingly want artificial intelligence and automation to complete tasks on their behalf. But can we really expect Jarvis from “Iron Man” to show up and do spreadsheets any time soon? “We do think that the enterprise will become more intelligent and that ...

Does the future of accurate data analytics rest on companies learning to share? Selecting training data for algorithms raises tricky question about greater good versus competitive advantage. The market for advanced call-center software is a good place to work out the answers. No company’s data should go into an algorithm without its express permission, Jonathan Rosenberg ...

Some companies opt to run random big-data experiments in pockets of their organizations. Perhaps marketing will hire a person or two to help them analyze data on lead conversion. Maybe they will derive profitable insights; maybe they won’t. Companies serious about becoming agile, data-driven machines need a more organized, centralized approach. It begins with hiring ...