Articles by Jack M. Germain

As the next step in its Linux expansion program, Lenovo on Wednesday announced the launch of Linux-ready ThinkPad and ThinkStation PCs pre-installed with Canonical's popular Ubuntu technology The company also now brings Linux certification to its ThinkPad and ThinkStation Workstation portfolio, along with easing deployment for developers and data s...

Buy now pay later, or "BNPL" services are growing in popularity during the pandemic as they enable consumers to pay for purchases over a short time with no interest and a small starting payment. However, money experts urge caution. Similar to credit cards, BNPL services can negatively impact credit scores and land people in debt or collections if ...

The stampede from offices to working from home has strained IT security teams to their limits. As a result, SMBs find they need to get more bang for fewer bucks to fight off cybersecurity threats Network security firm Untangle on Sept. 8 released the results of its third annual SMB IT Security Report. Polling more than 500 SMBs, the report explores...

E-commerce is experiencing rapid growth with no sign of slowing down. Retailers and brands are finding that the new normal in retail and e-tail marketing is much like trying to hit a moving target. They have to take a refined aim and build in some lead time This marketing strategy requires businesses to adjust their digital infrastructure and tacti...

SugarCRM last month announced its acquisition of Node Inc., an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that leverages customer relationship management data and vast external sources. This marks the fourth acquisition by SugarCRM since the company's investment by Menlo Park-based Accel-KKR in August 2018 The three previous acquisitions of Collabspot, ...

Jacque Montague Raymer, developer and creator of the MakuluLinux family of distributions, on August 24 released a new distro that is inspired by a project he shelved several years ago MakuluLinux Shift is a well-designed Linux distro that blends several mainstream design concepts with performance features not found elsewhere. One of Shift's unique ...

Fueled by the ongoing pandemic, consumers are now more rapidly embracing the use of digital wallets and are buying digital gift cards for personal use Branded payments provider Blackhawk Network released its 2020 Multinational Branded Pay report in July. The findings reveal a large upswing in digital wallet adoption among surveyed shoppers in eight...

When Linux was born on Aug. 25, 1991, it was little more than a hobby for then-21-year-old Linus Torvalds. Today the Linux community is estimated to be more than 86 million users strong Awareness of Linux in the enterprise was nonexistent 29 years ago. Since then, Linux has become the backbone of many large and small enterprises. It's installed in ...

Tech and finance professionals are joining the ranks of workers in other industries by delaying their return to in-person office work until as late as the third quarter of next year. Workers are balking at returning to their physical offices while fears of a resurgence of the virus are prevalent Meanwhile, major U.S. employers have postponed return...

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has a destructive reach that goes beyond that of a highly contagious and deadly illness. It is also contributing to the rapid spread of piracy -- as in spreading illegal copies of commercial software Software piracy involves much more than businesses and consumers using illegal copies of computer programs. What lurks...

CRM and CEM/CXM are essential tools for maintaining business flow with customers. Although similar, they have distinct differences. To choose the right one, organizations need to go beyond the alphabet soup of these hi-tech business applications Customer relationship management (CRM) software tracks interactions with sales prospects and customers.

Users of Zoom and other video conference tools should be aware of the growing risk of impersonation attacks. Even the use of other video platforms to keep in touch with friends on a social level now poses higher security risks A report released this month by Eli Sanders, chief data scientist at INKY, attempted to raise awareness of this growing vul...

A new coalition is building a low-cost solution to save lives in earthquake-threatened regions, rather than garnishing a profit from a new early-warning system. OpenEEW is an open-source IoT project with the goal to save lives by reducing the cost of earthquake early-warning (EEW) systems and accelerating their deployments globally. The Linux Foun...

The holiday shopping forecast and consumer spending patterns well into next year will be marked by a pullback in spending, an increase in consumer expectations for brand behavior, and a focus on supporting small businesses That prediction does not bode well for retailers and e-tailers alike. A report from customer engagement platform provider Braze...

Consumer spending trends and hackers' attack strategies continue to adjust to pandemic pressures, according to a report from digital payments player ACI Worldwide on the July U.S. Retail Sales Index The data, sourced from hundreds of millions of e-commerce transactions during July and the course of the pandemic, revealed a 19 percent increase in gl...

In-person workout sessions these days might seem like a thing of the past, while solitary workouts at home replace gym visits as an ongoing result of the pandemic. The use of artificial intelligence is not yet a common feature in fitness apps, but it is a main component in a popular India-based app now focused on growing users in the U.S. and Cana...

With hurricane season in full bloom and the additional prospect of natural disasters, the importance for companies to have disaster data plans in place is paramount. Companies that fail to make recovery plans for their electronic gear and essential data are inviting serious financial injury when an emergency strikes....

New studies reveal how solid personalization in marketing drives brand loyalty, but consumers feel brands fail to do enough to recognize them as individuals Formation, a company using artificial intelligence to drive loyalty programs for brands like Starbucks and United Airlines, released a report on Wednesday with data that shows that the more per...

A growing list of companies shares a common problem with Apple Stores. Technology may be the only solution as workers wait to return to their corporate workplace as the pandemic resurgence materializes Apple Stores recently tried to reopen but had to shut down again amid continuing COVID-19 infections. It only took a few weeks for Apple to close it...

As consumers get more acquainted with shopping and banking digitally, it seems logical that more people would be inclined to pay their bills online A consumer billing and payment trends and behaviors survey by ACI Worldwide shows that nearly 70 percent of respondents prefer digital payment options such as website and mobile app channels to pay one-...