Articles by Jack M. Germain

Business executives often believe a necessary CRM tool is working for them when in reality it does just the opposite. Take the case of what brands hope to achieve with customer data and what they actually can do This stark disconnect underpins the need for technology that improves a company's agility, scalability, and ability to generate meaningful...

Businesses should be increasing their market spend as a key strategy to weather the current economic setbacks. Not doing so will likely lose customers to competitors who boosted theirs, according to a study by commercial mix analytics firm Analytic Partners. Online visibility platform Semrush suggests similar findings. We spoke with both firms for advice on budgeting for marketing in a recession...

As the open-source model continues to prove its sustainability in the enterprise, the software community is ramping up its security mindedness. That concern was evident in recent weeks as leading Linux groups led the way for better code security Google announced a new initiative to zero in on software vulnerabilities. Already a generous provider of...

Other than malware and hacking, nothing has the potential to be more dangerous to your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer's health than electrical failure Power outages resulting from weather or a variety of other events can occur in a flash and leave you with lost data....

Vulnerability management is a major cybersecurity strategy that many organizations never seem to successfully solve The threat landscape is evolving, fueled by digital transformation, remote work, and ecosystem complexity. About a third of the recent attacks are based on the exploitation of vulnerabilities in software that companies use....

Advances in technology are spreading through law enforcement centers nationwide to help police departments better solve crimes and protect public safety. In this regard, law enforcement agencies are defined by some of the same gadgetry that is revolutionizing big business Technological advancement is driving reforms in neighborhood policing strateg...

Is your favorite Linux desktop Cinnamon, MATE, or Xfce? Or you are hankering for a change to something different and potentially better? Then one of your best options is the upgrade to Linux Mint 21 "Vanessa" released on July 30. It comes in a choice of Ubuntu- or Debian-base flavors....

Retailers are stuck with a growing pile of unsold inventory as shoppers reprioritize their buying needs amid relentless inflation. Coupled with ongoing supply chain bottlenecks, this surplus merchandise stacked high in warehouses and back rooms is costing retailers more money to store Adding to this storage backlog -- and causing additional headach...

Do you use a big screen monitor with a desktop computer or a laptop as your sole daily driver? Either way, adding a second display will more than double convenience and productivity Intehill's P15NF 15.6" QLED portable monitor can boost your work and play performance. This plug and play, no configuration required portable panel is an ideal FreeSync...

Cloud-native microservices platform Lightbend wants open-source licensing to better meet developers' needs and is doing something to make that happen. However, the replacement fix is not a traditional open-source license. Rather, it transitions there in time The company, whose user base includes some of the world's largest brands, on Wednesday anno...

As consumers continue to explore virtual shopping in the metaverse, two companies forge the path for shoppers with platforms that make e-commerce more inviting by bringing 3D virtual showrooms and virtual try-on rooms to reality Emperia, a company that creates virtual shopping experiences for brands, has seen an increase in engagement using virtual...

The escalating use of e-commerce creates a feeding frenzy for fraudsters. As online shoppers make convenient summertime purchases and start to focus on their upcoming holiday buying lists, they need to know how to avoid getting ripped off In what may be a lapse of logic -- and contrary to stereotypes about which age groups are the most internet sav...

Sometimes the world of smart technology innovations collides with the planet of dumb customer service provisions. That collision usually does not bode well for the customer In my case, that scenario is particularly true. I bought Lenovo's Chromebook Duet 5 for an attractive price from a major national electronics store. In hindsight, that was a pur...

As IT workers continue their daunting job of protecting network users from bad guys, a few new tools might help stem the tide of vulnerabilities that continue to link open-source and proprietary software Canonical and Microsoft reached a new agreement to make their two cloud platforms work better together. Meanwhile, Microsoft apologized to open-so...

The art of automating business communication extends to resurrecting handwritten letters to customers and maximizing the appearance with a robot labor force to produce the correspondence The Handwrytten app is part of an automated CRM tool that lets businesses -- and individuals with an entrepreneurial passion -- integrate computerized automation w...

Shop owners and internet merchants need to turn shopping into game-playing experiences to meet ongoing changes in e-commerce. They also need to forget the industry hype about the marvels of personalization as a marketing strategy The supply chain debacle and the rising costs of everything have forced consumers to make critical choices in how they s...

Cybersecurity pros want the computer industry to push for vendor consolidation and open standards This major change in how IT pros safeguard networks is long overdue, according to new research by the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) International and independent industry analyst firm Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), a division of Tec...

Navigating the internet can be a trouble-filled journey. Bad actors intent on exploiting uninformed users are constantly lurking behind emails, websites, and social media invites. Even your Wi-Fi router and those now-ubiquitous QR codes can be danger points. Add to that the never-ending virus and malware threats Computer and mobile device users are...

MakuluLinux Shift is one solution to standardizing the Linux desktop From a marketing standpoint, two big impediments block a more widespread adoption of the Linux operating system for business and consumer desktop use. One is easily selecting a desktop environment from among varied options. The second is wading through the myriad of independently ...

An unusual STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) concept combined with some fashion know-how sewn in is creating a unique brand of tech-based fashion entrepreneurship Svaha USA is a STEAM-themed clothing and accessories brand whose online store is changing the face of women's and children's apparel. Svaha celebrates women ...