Converge Tech and Business: The Week in Review – January 21, 2017

In Digital Transformation by Shelly Kramer1 Comment

Tech and BusinessIt has been a busy week for me and my team as we dive into a new year. There’s much to look forward to in 2017 in the tech and business space, and keeping you informed is at the top of my list.  Here are some things we think you need to know in this edition of The Week in Review.

CMOs/CIOs embrace social media and the IoT to win customers.  In an age of social media and instant gratification in a multi-channel and multi-generation communication world, the building customer relationships and loyalty can be a tremendous challenge. Building engagement and loyalty is particularly difficult when consumers are spoiled by the convenience of a world where everything is at our fingertips. Because of the challenge, CMOs and CIOs are getting smart. Clorox is a great example of a brand that is embracing innovation and diving into digital transformation. One of their tactics is to create a team composed of sales, marketing, and IT leaders, called the Sense and Respond Unit. This unit leverages social media and software from the world’s leading marketing technology alongside some key Internet of Things (IoT) vendors, to help Clorox burrow more deeply into consumers’ consciousness. Here’s a great read and a deeper dive into that topic from CIO.com.

 

Amazon just launched virtual ‘Dash’ buttons for one-click buying from the homepage. As mentioned in the previous story, the battle in the ecommerce space is all about convenience. Where can I find your product and how easy is it for me to get it and have it delivered on time are the key differentiators. If you’re not familiar with Dash buttons, these are small physical gadgets that allow for one-click reordering of your favorite products. Now Amazon has created a virtual version of the Dash button on their site. If you’re a Prime member, you’ll have the option to create your own Dash button for items you buy regularly. It will be interesting to see if consumers will be enticed to use it. This is interesting from a personal standpoint as I have zero interest in Dash buttons all over my house, but if there’s a virtual version, I’ll use it in a heartbeat. What about you? via Recode

Top 10 cybersecurity must-haves for 2017.  The healthcare industry was riddled with security problems in 2016, from ransomware to IoT flaws and hacking attempts. It’s a new year and the healthcare and security industries have taken notice and are working on solutions to fix vulnerabilities. Protecting patient data and preventing breaches are two key tasks companies need to do it to protect their customers (patients), themselves, and also reduce security risks. Kenneth Holley shares this article from Healthcare IT News that includes the top 10 cybersecurity must haves for 2017. Well worth your time to read if you’re at all involved in healthcare IT.

Beware This new Gmail scam that’s tricking even tech-savvy users. Phishing schemes are on the rise, and that’s not going to go away anytime soon. If ever. And security breaches and hacking of emails are not new problems—they are something that should be of every day concern to every single user of email—and that’s pretty much all of us. As I mentioned in the previous edition of This Week in Review, if you have a Yahoo account, you should delete it. If you can’t delete it, change your password every two months, at a minimum. This time, however, Gmail users are the target of a recent phishing scam.. Joseph Steinberg shares with us the steps you can take to protect yourself. If you use Gmail, I suggest you change your password immediately. Via Inc.

In-Depth Huawei Mate 9 smartphone review (written by a heavy phone user). If you are in the market for a new smartphone, you may want to consider getting the new Huawei Mate 9. Full disclosure: I am part of the Huawei KOL influencer program and if you know me, I do not join just any program or endorse any product if I don’t believe in it. Diana Adams, a longtime friend and one of the most tech-savvy folks I know, wrote a very comprehensive review on the Mate 9 and it is well worth a read if you’re in the market for a new smartphone any time soon. I’m also testing a Huawei smartphone and comparing it to my iPhone 7, and it’s not coming up short in any way. I’ll keep you posted on that front. Check out the Mate 9—it might just be your new BFF.

Photo Credit: Peyton Kim Flickr via Compfight cc

Shelly Kramer is a Principal Analyst and Founding Partner at Futurum Research. A serial entrepreneur with a technology centric focus, she has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation. She brings 20 years' experience as a brand strategist to her work at Futurum, and has deep experience helping global companies with marketing challenges, GTM strategies, messaging development, and driving strategy and digital transformation for B2B brands across multiple verticals. Shelly's coverage areas include Collaboration/CX/SaaS, platforms, ESG, and Cybersecurity, as well as topics and trends related to the Future of Work, the transformation of the workplace and how people and technology are driving that transformation. A transplanted New Yorker, she has learned to love life in the Midwest, and has firsthand experience that some of the most innovative minds and most successful companies in the world also happen to live in “flyover country.”

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    Oh wow, thank you for including me! Those virtual dash buttons are super cool too. Amazon is just getting better and better. 🙂

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