artificial intelligence

Nuance Accelerates Microsoft’s Voice & AI Efforts

Nuance helps Microsoft advance its voice and AI efforts, and gives it a more substantial foothold in healthcare. In both cases, it’s about accelerating Microsoft’s ambitions which often requires buying rather than building. 

Amazon

Amazon Passes 10% of U.S. Digital Ad Spend

Look out Google and Facebook… Amazon has its eyes on your lunch. Amazon continues to pose a threat as a “duopoly” killer, the latest evidence coming from its 10 percent of U.S. digital ad spend. We examine.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy Goes Deeper with Instagram

GoDaddy just made it easier to manage Instagram campaigns. Its direct integration lets SMBs post directly to Instagram from their GoDaddy dashboard — engendering one-stop convenience. 

Amazon

Amazon: The New King of Apparel Sales

We continue to see signals for e-commerce’s rise. The latest milestone is that Amazon has unseated Walmart as the leading U.S. retailer for apparel sales. This has key implications for large and small businesses.  

eCommerce

eCommerce: Coming To a Tweet Near You

A new experimental tweet format will be purpose-built for shopping, including links to product pages or Shopify stores. The layout include product name, merchant name, and pricing. We unpack the strategic implications.

Microsoft

Microsoft Enters the Website-Builder Biz

Microsoft has officially entered the website-builder competitive fray. Last week, it announced a new suite of free tools designed for SMBs to get a website up and running quickly. We break down the strategic implications.

Apple

Will ‘Showrooming’ Define Retail’s Next Era?

If eCommerce continues to siphon off a large portion of retail spending in a post-Covid world, can physical stores can reposition themselves in that value chain? Can they become brand experience hubs? We examine

Pro Features

Video Vault: Breaking Down Aggregation Theory

What is aggregation theory? You may already know the term or have heard it mentioned. Still, it’s one of the most under-exposed phenomena in an otherwise buzzword-happy business environment. We break it down.

Location Intelligence

Apple & Google Crack Down on Location Data

The world of mobile location tracking saw a big development this week when Apple and Google issued moratoriums on data from X-Mode. They’ve communicated to developers to remove X-Mode trackers in their apps. We examine.

eCommerce

WhatsApp ‘Carts’ Signal Path to Monetization

Facebook took a step towards making WhatsApp more of an eCommerce play this week by adding “Carts.” This makes it easier for users to “shop” in a traditional eCommerce way, including buying several items. We examine strategic implications.

Google

Google Taps Users to Advance Local 3D Mapping

The next battleground in local mapping could be in the third dimension. Beyond street-view interfaces like Street View, we’re talking about live interactive experiences for local search & discovery. Google continues to push the ball forward.

Google

Google Jumps Into SMB Device Management

Google’s latest SMB software rollout is Android Enterprise Essentials. This device management system lets SMBs do things like require employees to use a lock screen and other actions that make remotely-accessed company data more secure.

revive

Verizon Rolls Out SMB Security Features

Verizon this week announced a new secure internet feature for its SMB customers. Known as Business Internet Secure, it consists of enterprise-grade security features for SMBs that use Verizon for broadband services.

Verizon this week announced a new secure internet feature consisting of enterprise-grade security features for SMBs

attribution

The Next Local Ad Attribution Play: Your Car

You’ve likely heard the saying that the automobile is the next mobile device. This continues to evolve as the device we park in our driveways inherits the role of the one we carry in our pockets. This is already materializing in a new flavor of local ad attribution.

Google

Google Upgrades Live View AR Navigation, Part II

Just weeks after upgrades to its Live View AR navigation feature, Google has unveiled more enhancements. Users can now see graphical overlays for business details on local storefronts that they encounter on their routes. We break it down.

Google

Google Upgrades Live View AR Navigation

Google has announced several new features to its Live View AR mapping. Meant to guide users with intuitive 3D directions, this represents one piece of Google’s efforts to future proof local search. We examine the updates and implications.

Facebook

What Do New Facebook Groups Features Mean?

Facebook has announced a series of new updates for its Groups product. These updates are primarily aimed at SMBs and individuals who run groups and help them manage their communities and communications.

Google

Google Joins the Project Management Fray

Productivity tools represent an important branch of SMB Saas. Now Google joins the competitive fray with Tables. Like Asana, Trello and others, it helps SMBs improve project management workflows. Plus, it integrates natively with Gsuite.