Linux News: Customer Data

Google's Strange and Shiny New OS
November 20, 2009

Google just keeps invading new territories, and its latest target is your computer's operating system. It's officially released the open source code for its Chrome OS, an operating system that will turn up in third-party vendors' netbooks. Those devices should start selling next year. With Chrome, Google takes a very different approach than major OSes like Windows, Mac OS, or even most Linux distributions.

Can T-Mobile Get Its Groove Back?
November 18, 2009

This fall has not been kind to T-Mobile. First, it had to account for mountains of lost data that Sidekick customers had stored. Then there was the nationwide service outage for millions of U.S. T-Mobile customers a few weeks ago. Now, it looks as though employees at T-Mobile UK have been selling competitors the names of customers whose T-Mobile contracts were about to expire.

Senate Committee Flogs Big-Name E-Tailers for Sneaky Sales Tactics
November 18, 2009

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee has released a report slamming the online business practices of three direct marketing companies -- Affinion, Vertrue and Webloyalty -- along with hundreds of online Web sites and retailers that participate in these practices. Many of the participating retailers are well-known brand names, such as Classmates.com, Hotwire and 1-800-Flowers.com.

Everyone's Stoked About Cyber Monday - Vendors, Customers and Hackers
November 14, 2009

Less than 20 days until Cyber Monday. You've got staffing queued up. Your warehouse is full. Your shipper is standing by. But have you considered what will happen on your Web site after a flood of qualified buyers click on the irresistible and precisely worded ad for your product or service? You've got one shot -- one day -- to win their holiday business.

Mobile CRM User, Know Thyself
November 10, 2009

With the proliferation of smartphones and similar handheld devices, it only makes sense that data -- especially customer data -- is following these devices into the field. The scenarios in which sales and field service people can use the data collected by CRM are many and, in a lot of cases, obvious. However, there are also many ways for CRM to go into the field.

Judge: Customers in Ameritrade Class Action Deserve Better Deal
October 27, 2009

A federal judge has refused to approve a class-action settlement over contact information stolen from online brokerage TD Ameritrade. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco says the deal offers little significant benefit to the more than 6 million current and former customers affected.

Dell, Salesforce.com Join Forces in SMB Territory
October 13, 2009

Dell and Salesforce.com have added another tie that binds -- a service offering Salesforce.com's flagship CRM applications to Dell's SMB customers. Data integration and quality control are among the value-add features Dell is bringing to the table through its integration services division.

Redefining the Value of Cloud
October 09, 2009

One of the biggest challenges in today's rapidly evolving cloud computing market, if you're an aspiring vendor, is how to clearly differentiate your offerings in an increasingly competitive environment. This is especially difficult because of the Web's knack for sucking the value out of everything it touches.

For Digital Marketing Startup Edo, Success Is in the Facecards
September 23, 2009

If you ask Edo Interactive CEO Ed Braswell the classic Facebook status update question -- "What are you doing?" -- he's liable to answer that he's providing a new spending avenue for consumers, along with a mother lode of digital marketing information for retailers.

German Court Mandates Google's Voluntary ToS Changes
September 01, 2009

A German court has ruled that Google must change terms of service that could be interpreted to compromise a user's rights. A lawsuit brought by consumer groups charged that the terms of service for opening an account through Google Mail, Google Documents and other programs could be interpreted as giving the Internet search giant the right to review and even delete a user's information.

Automation: A Lube Job for a Sluggish Economy
July 14, 2009

Companies are now in the third stage of "economic downturn syndrome." Having passed through Panic and Denial, they're firmly in Acceptance. Panicky knee-jerk responses such as cost-cutting, layoffs, tightening budgets and resources are a thing of the past. Most companies have had a quick breather and segued to the stage of a more carefully considered response.

The Multichannel E-Commerce Path Out of the Recession
June 16, 2009

In the midst of the U.S. economic crisis, cautious spending and downsizing have left the retail industry in dire straits. Even as retail numbers drop, however, online shopping and total online sales continue to show steady growth in the face of adverse economic conditions.

Keeping Credit Card Numbers Well-Cloaked: Q&A With Fingerhut's Mark Lieberg
June 11, 2009

It's a fact that might not bring a lot of comfort to consumers and businesses, but it's true: The methods for protecting e-commerce transactions haven't changed a great deal since online shopping became a viable option in the early '90s. SSL and TSL encryption are the protocols that slap on that little padlock you see at the bottom of a Web site once you've begun the purchase process.

Email Receipts, Confirmations, Tracking Numbers - and Marketing
June 02, 2009

With consumers' inboxes perpetually filled with clutter, marketers are challenged to find new ways to break through with valuable, targeted messages that their customers actually want to open. The secret could lie in a largely untapped vehicle: transactional emails. The historical open rates of transactional emails hover around 70 percent because they are, by nature, highly relevant.

Data Security's $64 Billion Question: Who Are You?
May 28, 2009

In today's Internet-driven world of business, customer data -- traditionally the lifeblood of any enterprise -- takes on a new and frightening importance. On the one hand, businesses have to provide partners, staff and contractors access to data; on the other, they have to ensure that data does not get lost by accident -- or stolen.

PCI in the Age of Heartland
May 14, 2009

In March, Visa announced that it was removing Heartland and RBS WorldPay, two credit card processors that had experienced major data breaches in the prior months, from its list of PCI-compliant companies. The action is seen by many in the industry as being mainly for show, but the removal of the processors brings attention to the very real limits of PCI as a data protection standard.