Applications

Grabbing the Mobile App Brass Ring
March 30, 2013

By the end of 2012, 60 percent of U.S. broadband households owned at least one app-enabled consumer electronic device. With connected device ownership at mainstream levels, there is a solid foundation for app development and rapid growth in app economies. Of the primary devices used to access apps, smartphones have the highest penetration rates.

Salesforce.com's New Mobile Chatter Expands the Conversation
March 22, 2013

Salesforce.com has rolled out the latest iteration of its Chatter app designed specifically for the mobile environment. "With this version, we are taking [it] to a new level, allowing users to really drill down into accounts and take many different types of actions while in the field," said Michael Peachy, senior director of solutions marketing at Salesforce.

Adobe Earnings Rush In but CTO Rushes to Apple's Arms
March 20, 2013

Adobe reported a strong first quarter of 2013 Tuesday, just as news hit that Chief Technology Officer Kevin Lynch is leaving the company and heading to Apple. The company beat analyst expectations for the quarter. Adobe reported a revenue of $1.008 billion, with net income coming in at $177.9 million.

Dropbox Sends a Message to Google With Mailbox Buy
March 18, 2013

Dropbox announced Friday it has inked a deal to acquire Orchestra, owner of the popular Mailbox iOS email app that aims to help users with crowded in-boxes simplify their lives. The Mailbox app's 14-person team will join Dropbox, but will continue to develop separately as its own app.

What's Eating Microsoft?
March 14, 2013

Microsoft was once rapidly growing like Google and Apple. Then it changed. It became a very large, but very slow growing company. These days it seems stuck, struggling to break into other businesses. The growth wave Microsoft rode crested years ago, but it hasn't been able to catch the next wave.

Algorithms for Rent: The Price Is Right
March 12, 2013

If you've been in the market for almost anything recently, you've probably noticed price fluctuations. You place a bicycle on your Amazon wish list at one price, only to see it shoot up a hundred dollars more a few days later, then drop to a hundred less a week or so after that. Everything from airplane tickets to apartment rentals seems subject to dramatic price changes from one day to the next.

The Employee Heroes at HP: Making an Impossible Turnaround
March 11, 2013

It is very difficult to pull off a turnaround. This is because you typically start with a company that is unprofitable and lacking the resources to compete. You have employees who are still on the job only because they haven't been able to find another one, and you're selling products that few want to buy. To successfully execute a turnaround, you need heroic employees who are willing to step up despite the problems.

App Dev Wants to Let Phone Users Pocket Cash From Ads
March 08, 2013

The cost of keeping a smartphone can add up, but an app developer may have found a way to help users make money off their devices, as the company tries to offer a unique twist on the mobile ad space. SmartAds is giving consumers the ability to "sell" adspace on their Android devices, and is offering to pay up to $25 per month per device to those who will view ads touting offers, deals and savings on their phone's lock screen.

Enterprises to Show CRM the Money
March 08, 2013

CRM will be a top spending focus for enterprises this year and next, according to a Gartner report. What's more, CRM will be THE top spending focus -- edging past the behemoth category of enterprise resource planning -- based on a newly released survey of IT investment priorities for 2013 and 2014. Following CRM are ERP and office and personal productivity tools.

VCE's Next Wave of Innovation
March 05, 2013

Taken together, VCE's recently announced new offerings qualify as a generational step forward not only for the company, but also for the cause of converged infrastructures and, most importantly, for VCE customers and partners. Prior to this, the company's Vblocks delivered dramatic improvements in common data center metrics.

Demandbase Tech Targeting Trims B2B Marketing Waste
March 04, 2013

Demandbase has incorporated a new filter in its Demandbase Company-Targeted Advertising platform. The filter, called "Technology Targeting," lets users target and personalize display ads based on the technology they use. In other words, users can now include the specific criteria of 'technologies used' as part of their campaign targeting requirements with the Demandbase platform.

IBM: Giving Open a Smarter Strategic Advantage
March 04, 2013

IBM just announced SmartCloud Orchestrator -- a massive open source initiative designed to help companies better balance public and private cloud resources and even switch vendors. This is in sharp contrast to the lock-in strategy that IBM used to found the technology segment -- largely because IBM learned the hard way that lock-in, while tactically sound, is strategically stupid.

Oracle Tries Again to Get Satisfaction in Java Case
February 20, 2013

Oracle is not letting go of its Java patent infringement beef against Google despite its sound drubbing last spring when U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup ruled that programming APIs were not subject to copyright protection. Last week, Oracle took the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Investors Give Yelp Mixed Reviews
February 07, 2013

Yelp's revenue and monthly unique visitors rose during its most recent quarter, but the site still reported a net loss as it funded expansion into new markets. The site, which provides information and crowdsourced reviews about local restaurants, entertainment and businesses, reported a net loss of $5.32 million, or 8 cents per share, compared to a net loss of $9.1 million, or 56 cents per share, from the same time a year ago.

Microsoft Office and the Big Subscription Bet
February 04, 2013

Well it's been another wild week here in the Linux blogosphere, what with all the ruckus emanating out of the bordering Redmond territories. Much like what happened last fall when Windows 8 made its fanfare-filled debut, the launch of Office 2013 and 365 last Tuesday left more than a few Linux bloggers with a ringing in the ears that didn't abate for days.

See Customers Clearly Now
February 04, 2013

Customers expect call centers to know everything about them -- their order history, what they've posted about the brand on Facebook, and how long they've bought from the company. Increasingly, companies are beginning to keep up with that expectation, and the more they do, the better customer service they can provide.

With LiveOps, All Customer Channels Are Created Equal
February 01, 2013

LiveOps this week debuted LiveOps Engage, a browser-based desktop agent app that centralizes myriad channels -- phone, email, live chat, SMS, Twitter and Facebook -- on one screen. The screen also displays the history of past interactions with the customer. "This release is bringing together all of the channels of communication, both inbound and outbound," said CEO Marty Beard.

Microsoft Cuts Ribbon on Low-Rent Office
January 31, 2013

Microsoft this week announced the worldwide availability of Office 365 Home Premium, a cloud-based subscription version of its flagship Office productivity software. It will include all Office applications and work on Windows tablets, PCs and Macs. Pricing for most consumers is $99.99 a year or $9.99 per month.

Microsoft Mum on Munich Migration Study
January 28, 2013

Munich's multiyear migration to Linux has been nothing if not an ongoing saga over the past decade or so, beset as it has been by stops, starts, and various twists and turns. The story appeared to have a happy ending in November when Munich reported that using Linux had already saved it more than 10 million euros, but last week Microsoft spoke up with a different tale.

CRMCulture Productivity Pack Puts Pivotal on Steroids
January 25, 2013

CRMCulture is preparing to release its latest iteration of Productivity Pack for Pivotal CRM. On one hand, it might seem counterintuitive that Pivotal would need a productivity pack. "Pivotal is a great platform," said Steve Roch, CRMCulture's founder and president. "It is pure .Net on the front and back end."