Microsoft Is Now the World’s Most Valuable Company

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Microsoft Is Now the World’s Most Valuable Company

Microsoft has surpassed Apple to become the world’s most valuable company.

Apple was the first company to be valued at $1 trillion, as well as the first to cross the $2 trillion mark on its way to becoming the world’s most valuable company. Yesterday’s earnings report were a bit of a miss, however, with revenue coming in lower than analysts were expecting, largely as a result of the supply chain issues that have been impacting the industry.

Apple’s revenue miss has created an opportunity for Microsoft, with the latter surpassing Apple as the world’s most valuable company, according to CNBC. Unlike Apple, Microsoft handily beat Wall Street’s expectations, a benefit of being primarily a software and cloud company, as opposed to Apple’s reliance on hardware sales.

As of this afternoon, Microsoft’s market cap was around $2.47 trillion, with Apple holding at $2.44 trillion.

Microsoft Is Now the World’s Most Valuable Company
Matt Milano

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eBay’s Journey to Sustainable Commerce

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eBay’s Journey to Sustainable Commerce

A business’s goals and the planet’s future don’t have to be at odds.  The truth is that businesses won’t have a successful future if the earth cannot support human life.  Companies need customers to buy their offerings and they need resources to bring those offerings into existence.  Climate change threatens businesses on both counts.  Investments in sustainable commerce are more than philanthropy; they’re investments in the company’s future.

One company that understands this mission is eBay.  The online commerce platform has made its commitments known in their recent sustainable commerce report.  To use the company’s words, “we work to integrate environmental best practices across our global business to support a healthier planet for our community and generations to come. Across our offices, we invest in clean energy, divert waste from landfills and create efficiencies in water usage. We also encourage responsible consumption through the resale of items on our platform, helping to preserve the world’s finite resources.”

Since inception, eBay’s normal business operations have had a positive impact on the environment.  Given their popularity as a resale site, used products avoided the landfill by changing hands on eBay’s platform.  The more consumers buy second hand products, the less demand there is for new goods to be produced.  This combination of waste diversion and resource conservation has had a major impact on the planet.  In the areas of apparel and electronics alone, sales on eBay have conserved 720,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.  That’s more than the three million people living in Puerto Rico emit every year!

But eBay isn’t only sticking to what their company does naturally.  They have announced a wide variety of goals that reflect both their abilities and their ambitions.  Recent reports also illuminate eBay’s commitment to seeing their goals through.  For example, eBay has the goal of powering their data centers and offices with 100% renewable energy by 2025.  As of 2020, they were 74% of the way to their goal, up from 66% a year prior.  One of the ways eBay has been able to make this switch to renewable energy is by partnering with other companies.  Last August, McDonalds and eBay teamed up for an agreement to purchase power from Lightsource bp, the largest solar project in Louisiana.  Not only is eBay making a difference in their own company, but they are helping other actors do the same. 

In a more recent announcement, eBay also made it known that they will reduce their Scope 1 and 2 emissions 90% by 2030, using 2019 as their base year.  Also included is their commitment to become carbon neutral in 2021.  While these measures may seem dramatic, they are achievable.  More importantly, eBay is taking them up in accordance with the Paris Agreement; specifically, the goal to limit global temperature warming to 1.5 ℃.  

Keeping the planet habitable requires everyone to make contributions.  eBay is not waiting for the government to act, and nor should their business peers.  More should follow eBay’s example of sustainable commerce.

eBay’s Journey to Sustainable Commerce
Brian Wallace

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Report: 85% of consumers rethink purchases from companies that lack focus on climate and diversity

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The report indicates that businesses need to demonstrate efforts towards key initiatives before consumers reach for their wallets.Read More

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Microsoft acquires AI-powered moderation platform Two Hat

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Microsoft today announced that it acquired Two Hate, an AI-powered moderation platform, for an undisclosed amount.Read More

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Texas tech workers targeted by Bay Area firms over abortion ban

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Ten Bay Area tech public relations agencies hold a virtual job fair, targeting Texas tech workers impacted by state abortion ban.Read More

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How to Develop and Deliver Effective Emails

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How to Develop and Deliver Effective Emails

With the growth of digitalization, emails are also gearing up for attention in this vast zone. To give businesses a higher edge and compete with other peer’s email marketing is capable of grabbing the attention of your targeted audience. Let’s learn how to deliver effective emails in the tips below.

While they are the first choice for communicating with your customers, spice your content to make it one of the most effective mediums to reach your prospective customers. There is no secret ingredient to make your emails stand out, but certainly, you’ll need to employ a few tricks to make your emails more captivating.

Below we are listing some of the practical tips that, as an entrepreneur, you can try to implement in your email marketing and deliver some powerful effective emails to your customers.

Create Enticing Subject Lines

To create engaging emails, you need to make sure your subject lines are creative and unique to stand out from the crowd. You need to develop your subject line so the message resonates with the audience and people don’t judge your email content with its cover. This aspect will spark genuine interest in your clients and make them engage in your emails considerably.

Prepare Useful Content Strategy 

With the increasing popularity of emails, plan your email content wisely. Keep them illustratively captivating and relate them to the needs and desires of your readers. From adding CTAs to educational resources, connect your email content with the reader in a personal way. This approach, in return, adds value to your business and enables you with potential buyers. Moreover, never talk only about your company or product and cut through the noise by offering engaging content.

Keep it Personal to the Recipient

The secret to delivering enticing emails is by targeting the emails in a personalized way. By adding dynamic content specific to your reader, you can greet them with their name and develop a personal connection to the brand. Everything you do as a business needs to lend value, and thus, ensure to provide them something to gain by encouraging them to open your emails.

Make Them Interesting

To make your email resonate with your audience, you need to bring in some visually appealing content. Ensure to keep the email layout enjoyable to read with a mixed balance of images and texts. The right flavor can quickly grab your subscriber’s attention. So, enhance the overall design while staying on-brand, creating relevant, high-converting emails, and boost engagement for your email campaigns.

Make it Easy to Unsubscribe

To facilitate your emails with maximum growth, allow your emails to have a visible unsubscribe link in your email footer. Don’t keep the link hidden, and ensure to complete the process with two-step clicks. By configuring this facility, you don’t have to force your readers to be in your contact lists and hurt your engagement level. For more tips to ask people to sign in, you can take help from a reputable email agency. Also, check the email marketing agency pricing before you hire them for your customized services.

Ensure Mobile-Friendly Layout

If you want to connect to a vast audience and hope to improve your email open rates, create mobile-friendly emails. With an estimated mobile user climbing in numbers every day as a business entrepreneur, you need to create emails that have high open rates on every type of mobile device.

Get Your Frequency Just Right

If you are a start-up, then at the beginning, do not bombard your readers with emails. Create a sense of bond and faith between yourselves and send enough emails to stay consistent. By this, you can uphold your brand’s presence and develop that balance of customer engagement. Maintain the frequency of sending your emails just right by understanding the customer’s interactive pattern. Additionally, depending on your industry or campaign objective, you can fluctuate the frequency and allow the open rates to grow.

Analyze and Improve

Last and foremost, by sending a variety of emails, analyze the performance of your email. This aspect can enable a high success rate and help you to plan and improve future campaigns. You can even test different emails to determine which styles perform better through A/B testing. Thus, with well-researched and insightful material, you can develop patterns of success for improvement and adjust your overall strategy.

In Conclusion

From the above content, you may have an idea of how email marketing campaigns can work by creating effective emails. These tips are necessary to develop your email content on point and ensure that your emails are not termed spam. Thereby the emails are developed and crafted wherein they get opened and acted. By doing this, you can add significant value to your business and adjust your strategy seamlessly. So, use this powerful marketing tool wisely and ensure to drive customer retention and acquisition.

How to Develop and Deliver Effective Emails
Brian Wallace

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El Salvador Buys 420 Bitcoin, Pushing It Over $60,000

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El Salvador Buys 420 Bitcoin, Pushing It Over $60,000

El Salvador has purchased an additional 420 bitcoin, helping to drive the price over $60,000.

El Salvador made headlines when it adopted bitcoin as legal tender. The country has made previous purchases of the crypto, with the latest one bringing its total to 1,120 bitcoin, according to Reuters. At current values, El Salvador’s bitcoin is worth approximately $68 million.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announced the purchase on Twitter.

It was a long wait, but worth it.

We just bought the dip!

420 new #Bitcoin

— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) October 27, 2021

El Salvador Buys 420 Bitcoin, Pushing It Over $60,000
Matt Milano

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Huawei Sales Down 32% As Company Reels From Sanctions

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Huawei Sales Down 32% As Company Reels From Sanctions

Huawei sales are down 32% from last year as the company continues to struggle with sanctions from the US and its allies.

Once a leader in the network equipment and smartphone markets, Huawei came under scrutiny for its close ties to Beijing and the Chinese intelligence community. US intelligence agencies, as well as those from other countries, viewed the company as a threat to national security and took steps to ban it from participating in 5G network rollouts.

The US also took action to cut Huawei off from the semiconductors and supplies it needed to build its own line of smartphones, crippling the company to the point that it ended up selling off Honor, one of its smartphone brands.

According to The Seattle Times, the various sanctions have had a devastating impact, with Huawei’s sales down 32% in the first nine months of 2021, compared with last year.

Huawei has been pivoting to other businesses, such as cloud computing and software, areas less vulnerable to sanctions, but those endeavors have yet to make up for the company’s lost business.

Huawei Sales Down 32% As Company Reels From Sanctions
Matt Milano

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Australia May Force Google to Give Users a Choice of Android Search

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Australia May Force Google to Give Users a Choice of Android Search

Australia may soon force Google to give users a choice for their default search engine on Android phones.

Google has come under increased scrutiny for its dominance in the search market. While the company argues that its dominance is the result of simply being better, critics say its overwhelming market lead all but ensure it faces no real competition. Add in aggressive deals with other companies, as well as its ability to make its search the default on Android, and Google’s position is all but unassailable.

According to Reuters, Australia wants to change that by forcing Google to present users with a screen during initial configuration that will allow users to choose their default search engine. While it is already possible to change the default on Android, less tech-savvy users may not readily know how, something a selection screen would solve.

“We are concerned that Google’s dominance and its ability to use its financial resources to fund arrangements to be the default search engine on many devices and other means through which consumers access search, such as browsers, is harming competition and consumers,” said Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chair Rod Sims  in a statement.

“Google pays billions of dollars each year for these placements, which illustrates how being the default search engine is extremely valuable to Google’s business model.”

Australia May Force Google to Give Users a Choice of Android Search
Matt Milano

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The Oculus Brand Is No More

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The Oculus Brand Is No More

Facebook is killing off the Oculus brand on the heels of its “Meta” rebrand.

Facebook made headlines Thursday when it announced its anticipated rebrand. The company chose the name Meta, a nod to its attempt to build a “metaverse” where AR, VR and in-person reality converge. Like the Alphabet/Google relationship, Meta will be the parent company, with Facebook one of the brands under its umbrella.

In his post revealing the rebrand, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said none of the company’s brands would change.

Our mission remains the same — it’s still about bringing people together. Our apps and their brands aren’t changing either. We’re still the company that designs technology around people.

Despite that, it appears the company is doing exactly what Zuckerberg said they wouldn’t and are killing off the Oculus brand. In a post of his own, Andrew Bosworth, VP of AR/VR, said the Oculus brand is no more.

Starting in early 2022, you’ll start to see the shift from Oculus Quest from Facebook to Meta Quest and Oculus App to Meta Quest App over time.

We all have a strong attachment to the Oculus brand, and this was a very difficult decision to make. While we’re changing the brand of the hardware, Oculus will continue to be a core part of our DNA and will live on in things like software and developer tools.

Only time will tell what other changes are in store following the company’s rebrand.

The Oculus Brand Is No More
Matt Milano

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Google Now Taking Requests to Remove Pictures of Minors

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Google Now Taking Requests to Remove Pictures of Minors

Google is now accepting requests to remove pictures of minors from its search results.

Big Tech, especially search and social media, has been taking additional steps to protect minors, restricting features and settings by age. Google is now taking it a step further, unveiling a new tool to enable parents and minors to request the removal of minors’ photos.

The company announced the new tool in a blog post.

With a newly implemented policy, anyone under the age of 18, or their parent or guardian, can now request the removal of their images from Search results, following a few simple steps. This means these images won’t appear in the Images tab or as thumbnails in any feature in Google Search.

Google does warn that removing an image from Google’s search results doesn’t necessarily remove it from the internet at large.

It’s important to note that removing an image from Google results doesn’t remove it from the internet. That’s why you might want to contact a site’s webmaster to ask that they remove the content, too. You can learn more about how to do that on our support page.

Parents and minors interested in using Google’s new tool can learn more in this help page and begin the process here.

Google Now Taking Requests to Remove Pictures of Minors
Matt Milano

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Dropbox Botches Response to M1 Macs, Says Native Version Coming

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Dropbox Botches Response to M1 Macs, Says Native Version Coming

Dropbox stirred up a controversy of its own making, indicating it had no intention of supporting Apple’s M1 chips before finally clarifying that it did.

Dropbox is a popular app on the Mac platform, just as it is on Windows. Despite Apple announcing its M1 line of processors over a year ago, and despite Dropbox using Apple machines internally, the company still doesn’t have an M1-native client.

In response to users inquiring on the company’s forums, the official response was:

This idea is going to need a bit more support before we share your suggestion with our team.

Needless to say, this did not go over well with Mac users, many of whom complained of high memory usage and poor battery life when running the Intel version of Dropbox through Rosetta.

Mitchell Hashimoto, founder of HashiCorp, helped the situation go viral by tweeting about it.

Dropbox doesn't support Apple Silicon natively yet and has no current public plans to. The official responses in this thread are embarrassing. Honestly, didn't think the reason to switch after 12 years of paid sub would be this but this might be it. https://t.co/OjthQ32phV

— Mitchell Hashimoto (@mitchellh) October 27, 2021

After the story gained traction Drew Houston, Dropbox founder and CEO, responded and clarified that the company is planning on releasing an M1 version in 2022.

We're certainly supporting Apple Silicon, sorry for the confusion. We've been working for a while on a native M1 build which we aim to release in H1 2022. (And agree the responses in the support thread were not ideal)

— Drew Houston (@drewhouston) October 28, 2021

Despite Houston’s attempt at damage control, many users were still unmoved. Some pointed out that the company’s support staff needed to do a better job of communicating with users, while others maintained that there is no excuse for a company of Dropbox’s stature taking so long to support the new architecture.

Either way, Dropbox has its work cut out to regain the goodwill it lost.

Dropbox Botches Response to M1 Macs, Says Native Version Coming
Matt Milano

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Apple Announces Record September Quarter

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Apple Announces Record September Quarter

Apple has announced its fourth quarter results, ending September 2021, and the company posted record revenue for the quarter.

Apple posted revenue of $83.4 billion, an increase of 29% year over year. Earnings per share came in at $1.24, just slightly higher than the $1.23 Wall Street was expecting. Despite the record revenue, it came in a bit under the $84.67 billion analyst were hoping for.

The companies results were driven by a combination of the M1 Macs, as well as the iPhone 13.

“This year we launched our most powerful products ever, from M1-powered Macs to an iPhone 13 lineup that is setting a new standard for performance and empowering our customers to create and connect in new ways,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are infusing our values into everything we make — moving closer to our 2030 goal of being carbon neutral up and down our supply chain and across the lifecycle of our products, and ever advancing our mission to build a more equitable future.”

“Our record September quarter results capped off a remarkable fiscal year of strong double-digit growth, during which we set new revenue records in all of our geographic segments and product categories in spite of continued uncertainty in the macro environment,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “The combination of our record sales performance, unmatched customer loyalty, and strength of our ecosystem drove our active installed base of devices to a new all-time high. During the September quarter, we returned over $24 billion to our shareholders, as we continue to make progress toward our goal of reaching a net cash neutral position over time.”

Apple Announces Record September Quarter
Matt Milano

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Salesforce Unveils New Field Service to Help Mobile Workers

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Salesforce Unveils New Field Service to Help Mobile Workers

Salesforce has unveiled new Field Service tools in an effort to empower mobile workers.

Salesforce is establishing itself as a leader in the remote workforce market. The company recently acquired Slack and has made no secret of its goal to become the “digital HQ” for its customers.

In line with that goal, Salesforce has introduced four new Field Service features, aimed at helping businesses empower their remote and mobile workers.

The new features include Enhanced Scheduling and Optimization Engine, designed to help companies schedule and manage complex jobs, such as those requiring multiple steps. Lightning Web Components will allow Salesforce companies to customize their Salesforce Field Service app to meet their specific needs. Appointment Assistant Self-Service Scheduling empowers customers to create, manage, and cancel their own appointments. Visual Remote Assistant Two-Way Video allows agents and customers communicate via video chat.

“With customers and employees looking for fast and easy service, the field service industry is ripe for change,” said Paul Whitelam, GM of Field Service Management at Salesforce. “Salesforce is continuing to evolve our field service management platform to meet the needs of customers and field service employees in this all-digital world, and these latest innovations bring more trust, speed, and convenience to every field service interaction.”

Salesforce Unveils New Field Service to Help Mobile Workers
Matt Milano

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Facebook Rebrands as ‘Meta’

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Facebook Rebrands as ‘Meta’

Facebook has followed through on rumored plans to rename itself, going with the name “Meta.”

Facebook was rumored to be considering a name change to better reflect its various endeavors and to distance itself from the scrutiny it has garnered. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in a post that the company would rebrand itself as Meta.

To reflect who we are and the future we hope to build, I’m proud to share that our company is now Meta.

The move is reminiscent of Google’s rebrand, when Google become one of many brands under the Alphabet parent company. Zuckerberg seems to be taking the same approach, with Facebook being relegated to just one of the company’s many brands — including Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus — under the new Meta parent.

Zuckerberg said the rebrand will allow the company to focus on “the metaverse,” its term for the convergence of visual reality, augmented reality and in-person reality.

From now on, we will be metaverse-first, not Facebook-first. That means that over time you won’t need a Facebook account to use our other services. As our new brand starts showing up in our products, I hope people around the world come to know the Meta brand and the future we stand for.

It remains to be seen if the rebrand will be successful, especially in helping the company move away from the scrutiny it’s under.

Facebook Rebrands as ‘Meta’
Matt Milano

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Microsoft Partnering With Community Colleges to Train Cybersecurity Personnel

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Microsoft Partnering With Community Colleges to Train Cybersecurity Personnel

Microsoft is working with community colleges in an effort to train 250,000 cybersecurity personnel by 2025.

Cybersecurity has become a major concern for companies, governments and organizations around the world. The US has suffered a number of high-profile attacks, many of them at the hands of state-sponsored hackers.

Microsoft was one of the Big Tech companies that pledged billions to help combat the threat and, in a blog post, company president Brad Smith says tech companies have a responsibility to address those threats.

“We recognize that no one has a higher responsibility to address cybersecurity threats than leading tech companies,” writes Smith. “It’s why we’ve increased cybersecurity investments and broadened our efforts across Microsoft, working closely with government and business leaders across the country.”

As part of those efforts, the company is partnering with community colleges to train more cybersecurity personnel.

“That’s why today Microsoft is launching a national campaign with U.S. community colleges to help skill and recruit into the cybersecurity workforce 250,000 people by 2025, representing half of the country’s workforce shortage,” Smith continues. “While some of these individuals will work at Microsoft, the vast majority will work for tens of thousands of other employers across the country.”

Smith says the program will help fill a dire shortage of qualified workers, where “for almost every two cybersecurity jobs in the United States today, a third job is sitting empty.”

As part of Microsoft’s efforts, it will make curriculum available free of charge for all public community colleges, provide training for faculty at 150 such colleges, and provide scholarships and resources to 25,000 students.

Microsoft Partnering With Community Colleges to Train Cybersecurity Personnel
Matt Milano

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How Heat Maps Can Be Useful To Your Business

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How Heat Maps Can Be Useful To Your Business

The purpose of a heat map is to measure the density of data in a particular area. To differentiate different levels of density, heat maps employ various colors. In general, red and orange are utilized for higher densities and blue for lower densities. 

Although other maps can measure data density, heat maps are a tidier way of doing so. For instance, a pin map displays density by identifying each datapoint with a marker. However, these maps can become messy and difficult to analyze. By contrast, a heat map makes it easy to identify areas where particular information is more prevalent in representing density with colors. For example, if you wanted to see where your sales are coming from, you would start by plotting all your sales locations. Then, by applying a heat map to this data, you would be able to quickly identify where sales are highest and where they are lowest. You can then use this information to make important changes to your sales strategy. 

Types of Heat Maps

There are three primary types of heat maps. These are: 

Traditional

This type of heat map represents data points as color-coded circles with a specific radius of influence. In general, the densest areas of these circles will be colored red and then fade to blue or green as the data becomes dispersed. However, most heat maps will allow you to choose colors to suit your preferences. 

Area-Based

If you want to compare data between one or more different geographic areas, you will use an area-based heat map. Geographic areas can be defined by either zip codes, counties, or states. These areas are then colored based on the amount of data located there. For example, if a large number of customers aged 30-50 live in the state of Illinois, it would be colored red. However, if only a few customers aged 30-50 live in the state of Georgia, Georgia would be colored blue. Consequently, you’ll get a quick overview of where these types of customers are located in the US. 

Point-Based

Often compared to dot-density maps, point-based heat maps use points to represent data. The larger the cluster of points, the higher density of data. The more sparse the cluster, the lower the density of data. 

How Can You Use Heat Maps for Business

There are a variety of ways that heat maps can be useful for your business. For instance, as previously mentioned, heat mapping is a valuable asset for planning your sales strategy. This is because heat maps demonstrate the strength of data’s presence in some areas and its absence in others. As a result, a business can gain valuable insights. 

A heat mapping tool measures a business’s performance based on several key metrics. These include:

• Revenue
• Customers
• Sales
• Service calls
• Deliveries 

Taking revenue as an example, heat maps tell a company what areas bring in the most money. Businesses can decide what areas require more attention and what areas are already well served using this information. This can be particularly useful when designing a targeted marketing campaign. For example, for areas that bring in a great deal of revenue, the company might create ads that encourage repeat purchases. However, they might need ads that encourage new customers to trust their product or service for areas where revenue is low. 

Another way to use heat maps is to employ them to manage salesperson distribution or delivery driver management. For example, by plotting your sales reps or delivery drivers and locations, you can see which territories have plenty of personnel and which are lacking. As a result, you can fill gaps and move people around to serve your customers better. 

Lastly, heat mapping is a great tool for research. Heat maps can measure a vast array of demographic data, including:

• Income
• Housing
• Gender
• Population
• Race
• Age 

Using this data, you can determine where your target audience is located, allowing you to plan strategic marketing campaigns and choose sites for new business locations. 

Businesses that Heat Maps are Particularly Well Suited For

While virtually every business can benefit from using a heat map to analyze its data, there are a few types of companies that heat maps are particularly well suited for. These are:

• Sales
• Healthcare/Medical professions
• Finance
• Franchises
• Real Estate
• Delivery businesses
• Governments
• Service businesses 

Main Advantages of Using Heat Maps

Heat maps are beneficial to businesses for many reasons, but let’s look at the advantages they provide in a little more depth. 

Heat Maps Measure Performance

To improve your company, it’s essential that you know which parts of your business are performing well and which are not. Using a heat map, you can determine where you’re hitting your targets and where you’re falling behind. With this information, you can compare business locations and territories to determine where you perform best and which areas need work. 

Heat Maps Help You Understand the Market

Developing a successful marketing strategy requires that you have a good understanding of the people you’re targeting. Therefore, a heat map is an excellent way to learn more about where your target audience is located based on demographic information. You will also learn more about who your customers are and how you can sell to them. Furthermore, a heat map can show you potential new areas for expansion. 

Heat Maps Help Uncover Hidden Patterns

Business data contains a lot of valuable information, but some of it might go unseen if not portrayed in the right manner. For instance, it can be hard to decipher patterns in geographic buying habits by looking at numbers in a spreadsheet. By contrast, if you were to visualize your data using a heat map, you can compare the buying habits of one area versus other areas.

How Heat Maps Can Be Useful To Your Business
Brian Wallace

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Verizon Updates BlueJeans to Support Remote Learning

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Verizon Updates BlueJeans to Support Remote Learning

Verizon has announced an update to BlueJeans, one that brings support for remote learning.

BlueJeans is the Zoom competitor that Verizon bought in April 2020, at the outset of the pandemic. The company has since been integrating the platform in its various services, striking deals for other companies to support it and expanding its support for other industries, such as Telehealth.

In the latest update, Verizon is adding Remote Learning to BlueJeans’ capabilities.

“Teachers are telling us they’re lost, and they’re struggling to keep students engaged in today’s live virtual setting,” said Amy Jefferson, Head of Americas Revenue and Growth, BlueJeans by Verizon. “Having to spend time playing administrator and technical support expert is minimizing their ability to think through compelling, interactive ways to deliver the curriculum virtually. By bringing together our comprehensive education, collaboration and training features into one consolidated experience, we’re making it easy for teachers to operationalize their learning environment so they can go back to focusing on what matters most—educating students.”

The new Teacher Dashboard is designed to provide an instructor with the various classroom management tools they need. Remote Learning features include student rosters, customizable layouts, flexible views, floating chats and teaching apps.

Teachers and organizations can learn more at https://www.bluejeans.com/use-cases/education.

Verizon Updates BlueJeans to Support Remote Learning
Matt Milano

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Is SEO Important for Every Business?

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Is SEO Important for Every Business?

Search engine optimization is not just for big companies. If you want an online business that is going to succeed, then you need search engine optimization. With the different ways of improving your website and being an integral part of marketing, SEO is something that most any business should invest in. Even if you have a small startup company or a local three-person shop, it’s important to know about search engine optimization and how it works for businesses.

There are many benefits to investing in these techniques when increasing traffic to your site through organic searches from Google.

Benefits of SEO

There are three main benefits for any business to seriously consider investing in search engine optimization. These include boosted traffic, increased search engine rankings, and better brand exposure. All of these benefits add up to more visitors to your website or place of business, more sales, and more revenue.

The fact is that anyone who wants their website to be seen should invest in these techniques because it’s not very difficult and can have a dramatic effect on your website’s traffic. Furthermore, it is the best way to increase organic traffic, leading to more sales or whatever other benefits you are looking for from your site.

SEO Expert Witness

SEO is such a popular method for businesses to gain more visibility in the search engines that an SEO expert witness can provide technical analysis in courts to give an opinion on the subject.

If you’re on a small budget but want to reach more customers, then there’s no need to worry because SEO has your back. The five techniques that will help you get started with increasing traffic and helping your site rank higher include content writing, link building, social media exposure, keyword research, and onsite optimization.

These techniques come before any publication or posting ads should always be the first step when trying to improve your site’s rank. Next, with the content you write, you want to ensure that it matches what people search for when using their favorite search engine. Then with link building, you need to create inbound links from other websites for your website to be exposed more organically. Social media is extremely important for any form of marketing online today and will help in multiple ways when it comes to SEO, especially in improving rankings.

Keyword research is how experts determine what kind of content needs to be written so that you can build a strong base from which your entire campaign will work. Finally, onsite optimization means making changes within your own site so that Google knows exactly what each page represents and understands its intent.

How Much Does SEO Cost?

You may wonder, how much does it cost? The truth is that it depends on the type of company or industry you are in, as well as the existing ranking of your own site. If your site’s rankings are poor compared to your competition, then you will need more work done than someone who already has good rankings for their particular niche.

Many variables go into this, which is why estimates can’t really be given because each business website needs individualized attention to get the best results. 

SEO is not something you should ignore because it’s so effective in bringing more traffic to your website. For most businesses, it can generate results quickly and is often cheaper than other forms of marketing such as radio ads or newspaper print advertisements. It also has better long-term effects than these marketing methods, which is why more people are turning to SEO every day to help them with their online presence.

If you’re thinking about starting an online business or having a successful local business, search engine optimization is certainly something that needs to be on your radar.

Is SEO Important for Every Business?
Brian Wallace

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WebProNews Launches HiTechEdge, a Consumer Tech Website

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WebProNews Launches HiTechEdge, a Consumer Tech Website

We’re excited to announce the official launch of HiTechEdge, a site dedicated to consumer-oriented tech.

WebProNews has long been focused on enterprise technology. Whether it be cloud computing, big data, marketing, cybersecurity, or the ongoing digital transformation, WPN has been the source many professionals turn to for the most pertinent stories of the day.

With the launch of HTE, our goal is to bring that type of coverage to the consumer tech market. HTE will cover consumer-oriented news about Apple, Google, Microsoft, Linux, privacy, crypto, gadgets, and everything else.

HTE will also feature product reviews, as well as tutorials aimed at helping people expand their knowledge and choose the best gear for their needs. We’ll also work hard to break down the issues, trends and technology developments that impact our readers’ daily lives.

As we said, we’re thrilled about this new outlet and look forward to bringing our readers the best coverage of the consumer tech market.

Check out the all-new HiTechEdge.

WebProNews Launches HiTechEdge, a Consumer Tech Website
Matt Milano

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Only 17% of US Companies Encrypt Over Half of Their Cloud Data

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Only 17% of US Companies Encrypt Over Half of Their Cloud Data

Despite a seeming endless litany of data breaches, a new report says only 17% of US companies are encrypting more than half of their cloud data.

Data breaches have become an everyday occurrence, with company after company notifying users that their data has been exposed. More often than not, the exposure is the result of a database being left unencrypted and easily accessible via the web.

Unfortunately, it seems that US companies are a little slow on the uptake, as the 2021 Thales Cloud Security Study shows that 83% are leaving over half of their sensitive cloud data unencrypted.

Even more concerning, industry sectors containing sensitive information are only marginally better.

Sectors such as financial services, transportation, and media and entertainment are only marginally better at 21% saying they encrypt more than half of their sensitive data.

The report also found a correlation between multicloud deployments and low encryption levels. Of the organizations using multicloud environments, only 15% have encrypted more than 50% of their cloud data.

The report emphasizes the need for companies to take action to better protect user data.

To the extent that protecting customer data is a priority, organizations should strongly consider reviewing their strategies and approaches to proactively protect data in cloud, especially sensitive data. This includes understanding the role of specific controls and technologies including authentication, encryption and key management, as well as the shared responsibilities between providers and their customers.

As data privacy and sovereignty regulations grow across the globe, it will be paramount for end-user organizations to have a clear understanding of how they remain responsible for data security and how they must make clear decisions about just who is in control of and who can access their sensitive data.

The 2021 Thales Cloud Security Study gives a disturbing glimpse into how cloud-based companies are (mis)handling data and is well-worth a read.

Only 17% of US Companies Encrypt Over Half of Their Cloud Data
Matt Milano

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Stopping Ransomware Before it Gets Worse

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Stopping Ransomware Before it Gets Worse

Injurious to business operations, software infrastructures, privacy safety, and information security, ransomware attacks are becoming far more frequent. The number of ransomware attacks grew by 700% or more in 2020. This growth is forecasted to continue, with at least 3 out of 4 IT organizations being faced with at least 1 ransomware attack by 2025. The total global ransomware damage costs predicted for 2021 is $20 billion, but the true cost of ransomware attacks is much greater. Let’s examine ways of stopping ransomware below.

Counting the True Cost of Ransomware

Ceasing, and too often desisting, business operations, ransomware attacks cost businesses up to 23x more than the ransom itself. Enterprise size largely determines the costliness of ransomware attacks, with small to medium enterprises (SMEs) representing 98% of claims in 2019. Ransomware claims varied between $2,500 and $10.1M in 2019, with an average claim of $424,000. Business interruption loss is frequently neglected when tallying ransomware attack damages. That same year, the average cost of SMEs because of interruption was $1.2 million per ransomware attack, with the highest cost being $6.5 million.

Insurance premium increases, data loss, and heightened risk of reinfection are some of the heftiest post-attack costs. In the first quarter of 2021, premiums increased 29% in January, 32% in February, and 39% in March. For high-risk organizations, these premium increases reached as high as 50-60%. Deductibles were lifted to $1 million, on average, prompting more insurance clients to turn to cyber coverage, which has jumped from 26% in 2016 to 47% in 2020. Data loss is also financially depleting. On average, 61% of ransomware attack victims have lost data to corruption with 82% reporting significant data loss.  Another financial threat is reinfection rates. Transpiring 80% of the time, reinfection is worth protecting against, especially as 46% of victims believe it to be the same attackers. 

The ransomware group Avaddon made headlines in June of 2021 after calling it quits on their operation. The threat group had 88 known victims, but decryption keys were released for 2934 victims. If all the victims paid the average reported amount, the group made about $1.8 billion but the full extent of Avaddon’s schemes has yet to be uncovered. With just 3% of victims reporting Avaddon’s attacks, the true success of their ransomware-as-a-service operation remains an enigma.

How to Protect Your Business

Now is the time to protect your business from ransomware. The best ways to do so are to increase employee alertness, stay in the know,  invest in malware detection, and back up data. Increasing employee alertness entails teaching employees how to assess whether an attachment, link, or email is valid. Staying in the know is key to shielding yourself against ransomware and involves tracking patch and software updates. Early detection of suspicious activity is your first line of defense. The adoption of malware detection is a must. Last but not least, it’s critical to keep data backed up on external devices to aid recovery should there be an attack.

As ransomware attacks advance,  vulnerability is no longer a question of if but when. Be proactive and protect your business from the devastation bred by ransomware attacks. Learn more on stopping ransomware below:

Stopping Ransomware Before it Gets Worse
Brian Wallace

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Report: 90% of hiring execs and job candidates want increased diversity

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With the cyber industry expected to grow 33% through 2030, the survey reveals many opportunities to encourage people to pursue cyber careers.Read More

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EU Regulators Open Probe of Nvidia’s Arm Acquisition

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EU Regulators Open Probe of Nvidia’s Arm Acquisition

Casting further doubt on Nvidia’s attempt to purchase Arm Holdings, EU regulators have opened a formal investigation.

Nvidia announced in September 2020 that it had reached a deal to acquire Arm Holdings. Arm is one of the leading semiconductor design firms, licensing its designs to companies for use in their products. Some of the biggest names in tech, including Apple, Google, Qualcomm, Samsung and Nvidia, all use Arm’s designs.

The deal drew immediate scrutiny, with critics concerned Nvidia would undermine Arm’s traditional way of doing business. The company has always been strictly neutral, licensing its designs to any company willing to pay. Critics were concerned Nvidia might withhold Arm’s best designs for itself, giving it a competitive advantage.

The UK, where Arm is based, has already launched probes and investigations over competitive and national security concerns, and signaled it may seek to block the deal. According to Reuters, the EU is also getting in on the action, launching their own probe. The EU is evidently not satisfied with the concessions Nvidia has been willing to make for the deal to move forward.

“Whilst Arm and Nvidia do not directly compete, Arm’s IP is an important input in products competing with those of Nvidia, for example in datacentres, automotive and in Internet of Things,” EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager said.

“Our analysis shows that the acquisition of Arm by Nvidia could lead to restricted or degraded access to Arm’s IP, with distortive effects in many markets where semiconductors are used,” she continued.

The Commission will decide by March 15 whether the deal may move forward.

EU Regulators Open Probe of Nvidia’s Arm Acquisition
Matt Milano

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5 Growth Hacking Tips for SaaS Startups

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5 Growth Hacking Tips for SaaS Startups

Marketing and growing a startup is one of the most difficult things for business owners today. There is stiff and fierce competition out there, and entrepreneurs have to walk an extra mile to gain traction and growth.

For the IT and SaaS industry, it seems that there is always a new app or product in the market every hour. You have to stand out as the best to attract clients and grow your brand.

As a startup, there are some of the hacks you can employ to grow your business and achieve the desired level of growth in the industry.

Here are the top growth hacking tips for SaaS startups:

1- Invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the best strategies you can employ to grow your small business. There are millions of websites competing for online visibility, and that means you should make your website unique to stay at the top of search engines. 

Optimizing your site for organic, local, and international searches is one way of making your brand more visible online.

Here are some SEO tips you can apply to make your business appear big, improve rankings, and drive more clients your way.

●  Make your website mobile-friendly – A significant portion of web traffic comes from mobile devices. As the number of smartphone users keeps growing, when you make your website mobile-friendly, you are more likely to drive traffic your way and increase the conversion rate.

●  Improve user experience – You should focus on creating the web pages for the user and not search engines. Focus more on Google guidelines for creating web pages and improving your website to target user experience. 

●  Improve page loading speed – If your website takes longer to load, it can easily drive away your target audience.

●  Get featured snippets – You get more visibility on search engines when your business appears on featured snippets. Follow this voice SEO guide to increase your chances of appearing in featured snippets.

●  Work on your meta tags – You should focus on optimizing your meta titles, meta tags, and meta descriptions to boost your traffic and impressions.

2- Leverage the Power of Data Science 

Data science is all about finding the hidden patterns in raw data. Once you gather the knowledge to decode big data, it helps you find insights that can help you develop a marketing strategy for your business to grow its customer base.

There are various website analytics tools such as Finteza that you can use to analyze visitor behavior. Finteza offers advanced web analytics to recognize bot traffic, provides a LightHouse report to identify and fix issues related to slow site speed, and helps you automate your funnels by pages, events, and sources.

Data science is one way to hack growth in your business. It helps you with:

●  Market basket analysis – You can find out why the strategy you employ does not get a lot of engagement and gives low returns.

●  Customer segmentation – You can easily grow customers according to their exceptional characteristics such as age, gender, region, and buying behavior. This way, you choose a marketing strategy that works for each market segment and increase your conversion rate.

●  Funnel optimization – Data science helps marketers develop a full-funnel optimization and get all the way down to increased revenue, referral, and customer retention.  

●  Insights and experimentation – Applying data science is one way of looking at the causal relationships in market segments and creating an effective marketing campaign that can grow your ROI.

3- Offer a Freemium Option 

The truth is that when you enter the IT market as a first-timer, you should focus more on giving your customers a reason to buy your brand.

Create a subscription model for your products and allow your customers to try your services for the first time. A freemium option helps your customers to try the product before they can finally decide whether to buy it or not.

4- Pre-launch On Third-Party Platforms 

You can quickly gain an outward perspective of your brand by launching it on third-party platforms like Product Hunt, Medium, and LinkedIn. Submit your new product on these platforms and give real people that chance to discuss and share it with others. Users discuss the latest mobile applications, tech creations, websites, and hardware projects on these platforms.  

They also get to vote on the best or favorite projects. When users comment and vote on your project, you get the feedback you need to improve your product. Also, your product will be receiving the much-needed exposure and online visibility which is necessary for growth. 

Most third-party platforms like LinkedIn and Product Hunt also give you the chance to meet and interact with leading industry experts. You can find a helping hand with your PR, product billing, product engineering, and social media marketing. This is the most effective growth hack strategy for any startup out there.

5. Ask Bloggers To Review Your Product 

Another way you can grow your SaaS startup is to work closely with influencers and bloggers. Email marketing is a great way to reach niche bloggers. You can use any of these email apps to send your emails in bulk. Influencers will mention your product to their followers and drive some sales your way. On the other hand, bloggers can review your products and get people to like them.

If you are launching a new product in a highly competitive market, you can reach out to bloggers to explain all the ins and outs of the product. When your target customers go through your product descriptions published on authority blogs, they learn more about your brand. 

Bloggers can also help you create that social proof, which is fundamental to helping prospects trust your brand. You can pay bloggers to review your products. Also, you can launch affiliate marketing and offer a commission to bloggers for any sales you make through their websites. 

Final Thoughts 

As a startup, there are many strategies you can employ if you want to grow and stay ahead of the competition. One of the most effective ways to grow your customer base is to create brand awareness on social media, work with influencers, offer freebies, and tap into the power of SEO.

Before creating a marketing strategy, you should also use data science and market research to learn more about your target audience. 

5 Growth Hacking Tips for SaaS Startups
Brian Wallace

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eBay Uplifting Women in Business

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eBay Uplifting Women in Business

We have all been stressed far beyond capacity in the past year and a half since the onset of the COVID pandemic. We’ve been tested and tried and many of us have often felt that we might just fall apart and never recover. We’ve suffered huge, and deep losses in so many areas of our lives, from the loss of jobs, the loss of wages, the loss of normalcy, to the loss of friends and family.

These wounds run deep across our entire nation and, despite the amount of “normalcy” that has returned to some degree, we are still recovering from all that we’ve experienced since the beginning of 2020. Although many things have made us stronger and many things have caused us to improve and become better, the simple truth is that we will never be the same. Let’s learn about the role of women in business, and how eCommerce has been a game changer.

Women are Doing More Than Their Fair Share

One demographic who has felt all of us on a very large, and heavy scale, is women. In general, women have always worn many different hats, and have borne many kinds of responsibilities, from work to home life, and beyond. However, with the pandemic, women were hit particularly hard. 

Not only do women find themselves being the fallback person for household responsibilities, like managing food preparation and cleanup, maintaining the cleanliness of the home, and making sure the children are taken care of, but with the pandemic, they have had these burdens increased. Many of us are working from home, so there is more food to be consumed and more cleanup needing to happen. Not to mention that kids were doing school via zoom much of last year, which brought it slew of new challenges to the home. 

On top of all of this, women are also the group who are the most likely to work in industries hit the hardest by COVID quarantines and lockdowns, which induced loss of profits and subsequently, loss of jobs for employees. Women are more likely to work in hospitality, food services, and in-store retail, which means they were also hit hard with loss of hours, and total loss of income. 

Women are always resourceful, and certainly no less so during all the hardships of a global pandemic. For this reason, many women turned to selling online on sites like eBay to bring in an income and still manage all that they needed to do at home. In fact, in the first 6 months of the pandemic, US based eBay businesses rose by 34%, and US based sales grew by 38%. Eighty-two percent of women who either began selling or increased their eBay presence. They did so due to hardships brought on by COVID. 

eCommerce is Making a Difference

eBay has given women exactly what they need during this difficult time. Women who run an eBay business have the flexibility they need to manage everything in their lives. They also enjoy being their own boss, and they enjoy the ability to bring in an income for their household. 

Selling on eBay has been a wonderful resource to help women to bear their additional burdens and to thrive during this uncertain time.

eBay Uplifting Women in Business
Brian Wallace

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FCC Bans China Telecom from Operating in the US

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FCC Bans China Telecom from Operating in the US

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has revoked China Telecom’s authority to operate in the US.

The FCC is cracking down on another Chinese telecom, revoking China Telecom’s authority over national security concerns. The news comes after the FCC banned three other Chinese carriers in March.

The FCC is taking action based on a number of factors.

Based in part on the recommendation of the Executive Branch agencies, the Commission found that China Telecom Americas failed to rebut the serious concerns of the Executive Branch about its continued presence in the United States. In December 2020, the Commission launched a proceeding and established a process that allowed for China Telecom Americas, the Executive Branch agencies, and the public to present any remaining arguments or evidence in the matter.

China Telecom must cease operations in the US within 60 days of the order.

To assist U.S. customers with transitioning to other mobile service providers as a result of China Telecom Americas’ discontinued services, the FCC will issue a consumer guide after the Order is released that explains this action and what other options consumers might consider for mobile services. This document will be available in English, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese and made available on the Commission’s website. Additionally, the consumer guide will be sent to news outlets to further raise awareness to China Telecom Americas’ customers.

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized the decision was not taken lightly.

“This is not a decision we make lightly. It has support from each of my colleagues. It has support across the federal government. In fact, last year a broad group of Executive Branch agencies, including the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative formally recommended that we terminate FCC authorization for China Telecom Americas to provide interstate and international telecommunications services in the United States. At about the same time, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations issued a report on the threats that Chinese state-owned carriers pose to our telecommunications networks. In doing so, they highlighted a problem—that across the federal government there has not been enough oversight to safeguard our networks against evolving threats after issuance of a license.”

FCC Bans China Telecom from Operating in the US
Matt Milano

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Apple’s Craig Federighi a Keynote Speaker at Web Summit 2021

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Apple’s Craig Federighi a Keynote Speaker at Web Summit 2021

Apple’s Craig Federighi has been selected as the keynote speaker for the Web Summit 2021 next week.

Federighi is Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering, and a staple of the company’s WWDC and product-reveal events. Given his role overseeing Apple’s software, he’s a natural fit for the Web Summit 2021 keynote on user privacy and security.

The conference’s website was updated with the announcement:

Apple’s SVP of software engineering, Craig Federighi, delivers a keynote address on user privacy and product security.

Federighi’s keynote is scheduled for Wednesday, November 3.

Apple’s Craig Federighi a Keynote Speaker at Web Summit 2021
Matt Milano

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Microsoft Beats Estimates on Strong Cloud Performance

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Microsoft Beats Estimates on Strong Cloud Performance

Microsoft has announced its FY22 Q1 results, beating analysts expectations on strong cloud growth.

Microsoft reported revenue of $45.3 billion, an increase of 22% over last year. Revenue easily topped analysts’ expectations of $44 billion. The company’s profit for the quarter came in at $17.2 billion, up 24%.

Notably, much of the Microsoft’s results were driven by continued cloud adoption. The company’s revenue for its Intelligent Cloud division, which includes Azure, was $17.0 billion, representing a 31% increase over the previous year.

“Digital technology is a deflationary force in an inflationary economy. Businesses – small and large – can improve productivity and the affordability of their products and services by building tech intensity,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. “The Microsoft Cloud delivers the end-to-end platforms and tools organizations need to navigate this time of transition and change.”

“We delivered a strong start to the fiscal year with our Microsoft Cloud generating $20.7 billion in revenue for the quarter, up 36% year over year,” said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft.

Overall, Microsoft appears to have delivered on what Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives predicted would be another “Picasso-like masterpiece quarter.”

Microsoft Beats Estimates on Strong Cloud Performance
Matt Milano

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Verizon and Amazon Partner to Deliver Satellite Internet to Rural Areas

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Verizon and Amazon Partner to Deliver Satellite Internet to Rural Areas

Verizon and Amazon have announced a partnership to use the latter’s Project Kuiper satellites to deliver internet access to underserved communities.

Many companies and organizations are working to address the US “digital divide,” the difference in available internet access for rural vs urban areas. Verizon has been rolling out its Home Internet solution, which uses the company’s wireless service to provide internet access.

In its latest move, Verizon is turning to Amazon’s Project Kuiper to help extend its existing network and serve as the backend for its efforts. Project Kuiper will deliver broadband internet via a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The company received FCC clearance in July 2020 to launch as many as 3,236 satellites. The approval was conditioned on the company launching at least half that number by July 2026. To date, however, not a single satellite has been launched.

Despite that, it appears Verizon has confidence in Project Kuiper.

“Project Kuiper offers flexibility and unique capabilities for a LEO satellite system, and we’re excited about the prospect of adding a complementary connectivity layer to our existing partnership with Amazon,” Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg said. “We know the future will be built on our leading 5G network, designed for mobility, fixed wireless access and real-time cloud compute. More importantly, we believe that the power of this technology must be accessible for all. Today’s announcement will help us explore ways to bridge that divide and accelerate the benefits and innovation of wireless connectivity, helping benefit our customers on both a global and local scale.”

“There are billions of people without reliable broadband access, and no single company will close the digital divide on its own,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said. “Verizon is a leader in wireless technology and infrastructure, and we’re proud to be working together to explore bringing fast, reliable broadband to the customers and communities who need it most. We look forward to partnering with companies and organizations around the world who share this commitment.”

Verizon is already struggling to play catchup to T-Mobile’s 5G network. It remains to be seen if hitching its rural endeavors to a company that has yet to deliver will pay off.

Verizon and Amazon Partner to Deliver Satellite Internet to Rural Areas
Matt Milano

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President Biden to Nominate Jessica Rosenworcel to FCC Chair

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President Biden to Nominate Jessica Rosenworcel to FCC Chair

President Biden is preparing to make his nominations for key positions, including nominating Jessica Rosenworcel as FCC Chair.

Jessica Rosenworcel has been serving as acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission since the outset of the Biden administration. In a somewhat surprising move, the administration had previously made no attempts to permanently fill the role, or nominate someone to the fill the remaining commissioner seat. As a result, the FCC has remained evenly divided, 2-2, an unusual situation when compared with past administrations.

The White House has revealed its plans to nominate Rosenworcel as Chair, and Gigi Sohn as Commissioner. Sohn previously “served as Counselor to Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler” and was a strong proponent of net neutrality.

Should the nominations pass the Senate, the FCC will have the voting power necessary to reinstitute net neutrality rules and other changes that many have been advocating for.

President Biden to Nominate Jessica Rosenworcel to FCC Chair
Matt Milano

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Remote Work and the Latest Breakfast Trends

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Remote Work and the Latest Breakfast Trends

The “new normal” brought on by the COVID pandemic has altered the way we do so many things in our day to day lives. While we are now getting back into the swing of some of our regular activities, we’re still affected in significant ways, not the least of which is how and what we eat on any given day. 

As restaurants and other food venues closed down in the height of the pandemic in early 2020, we were also sent home to work. These things in conjunction have made a big impact on our daily eating habits. For one thing, in 2019, only 37% of our meals were home-cooked. Post pandemic, that number has risen to 60%. We aren’t going out as often and we aren’t driving through fast food lines as often either, since many of us are working from home. 

One of the meals that was most commonly picked up through a drive thru on the way to work is breakfast. Pre and post pandemic, about the same number of people are consuming breakfast during the work week, but those that do make breakfast a priority (2 out of 3 Americans) are having to do so differently. 

The American breakfast has always been about convenience. Eggs and bread became staples long ago as they were always available in the morning. Today, 57% of Americans, and 87% of parents say they don’t have time to eat breakfast, and 50% of us say that breakfast is the most time consuming meal due to having to decide what to eat, the actual preparation, and the clean up. With all these things to consider, 63% of us would choose a little extra sleep over breakfast any day of the week. 

Nevertheless, even though breakfast consumption numbers have stayed steady, we’re actually eating more breakfast foods. Most Americans view breakfast foods as comfort foods, and it’s no surprise that our need for comfort has gone up significantly in the past year and a half. We often eat breakfast at times other than the traditional breakfast hours. During the pandemic, our consumption of pancakes went up by 25%, waffles by 20%, sausage by 16%, and bacon by 15%. 

Americans love breakfast, but we do usually require that it is easy and convenient. This is why heat-to-eat meals have increased in popularity since so many of us are doing much more cooking at home.  Heat-to-eat meals, like breakfast sandwiches, biscuits, and oatmeal, are the perfect solution to everything we want our breakfast to be. They’re very easy to prepare with very little cleanup and cook time. They’re tasty, can be healthy, and are also easy on our wallets. 

Most Americans who don’t eat breakfast during the workweek, aren’t refraining just because they don’t want breakfast. There are other factors that cause them to neglect this meal. However, eating breakfast is shown to have many health benefits and also increases focus, and helps us to make healthier food choices throughout the day as we start off the day satisfied. 

In a post pandemic world, when we are no less busy than we were before, heat-to-eat breakfast is the perfect way to start the day right. 

Source: BobEvansGrocery.com

Remote Work and the Latest Breakfast Trends
Brian Wallace

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Twitter’s Jack Dorsey: ‘Hyperinflation Will Change Everything’

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Twitter’s Jack Dorsey: ‘Hyperinflation Will Change Everything’

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is adding his voice to the chorus of ones concerned about inflation, saying hyperinflation will change everything.

Many financial experts are concerned about the impact the pandemic has had on the economy. In particular, ongoing supply chain disruptions have been driving the cost of common goods to all-new heights. Citigroup’s CEO, Jane Fraser, even went so far as to say this would be a “brutal winter” as a result.

Dorsey believes the world is seeing hyperinflation, the effects of which will be profound.

Hyperinflation is going to change everything. It’s happening.

— jack (@jack) October 23, 2021

Twitter’s Jack Dorsey: ‘Hyperinflation Will Change Everything’
Matt Milano

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Mastercard Partners With Bakkt to Support Crypto

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Mastercard Partners With Bakkt to Support Crypto

Mastercard has announced a partnership with Bakkt to enable its customers to better embrace cryptocurrencies.

Crypto is taking the financial world by storm, with even established companies rushing to embrace it. Mastercard is one of the biggest financial companies to go all-in on crypto, partnering with Bakkt to do so.

The partnership will enable Mastercard partners to offer their customers “the ability for consumers to buy, sell and hold digital assets.” The crypto wallets will be powered by Bakkt’s platform. Customers will also be able to access branded crypto credit and debit cards, and the partnership will help integrate crypto into Mastercard’s loyalty programs.

“Mastercard is committed to offering a wide range of payment solutions that deliver more choice, value and impact every day,” said Sherri Haymond, executive vice president, Digital Partnerships at Mastercard. “Together with Bakkt and grounded by our principled approach to innovation, we’ll not only empower our partners to offer a dynamic mix of digital assets options, but also deliver differentiated and relevant consumer experiences.”

“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Mastercard to bring crypto loyalty services to millions of consumers,” said Nancy Gordon, EVP, Loyalty Rewards & Payments at Bakkt. “As brands and merchants look to appeal to younger consumers and their transaction preferences, these new offerings represent a unique opportunity to satisfy increasing demand for crypto, payment and rewards flexibility.”

Mastercard Partners With Bakkt to Support Crypto
Matt Milano

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Citigroup CEO: ‘We’re Probably In for a Bit of a Brutal Winter’

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Citigroup CEO: ‘We’re Probably In for a Bit of a Brutal Winter’

Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser has bad news, warning that the markets are in for a “brutal winter.”

The world economy is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Early lockdowns sparked a chain of events that have led to shortages and supply chain issues around the globe.

Those supply chain disruptions spell more trouble ahead, according to Fraser, via Yahoo Finance.

“We’re probably in for a bit of a brutal winter, particularly in the energy markets where there’s also some challenges there,” Fraser says. “But it’s not long-term structural stuff that we won’t adjust to.”

“This too shall pass,” she added. “It’s going to pass probably in 2022.”

Fraser’s comments are inline with other financial experts, many of whom believe the supply chain issues will continue to fuel inflation and wreak havoc on the market.

Citigroup CEO: ‘We’re Probably In for a Bit of a Brutal Winter’
Matt Milano

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