Category: Analysis

Lack of a Clearly Defined CRM Strategy is the Biggest Threat to Successful Customer Initiatives. CRM Trends to Be Discussed at the EMEA Customer Strategies &Technology Summit 2014, April 28-29 in London Despite continuing economic uncertainty, customer relationship management (CRM) budgets remain strong, according to a recent survey of European organizations by Gartner, Inc. The survey found that 50 percent of the 102 respondents planned to increase spending on CRM initiatives in 2014, with an average increase of 2.5 percent over 2013 budgets (see Figure 1). The survey, conducted in…

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If you’re not exploiting data to its full potential you’ll soon find yourself broke, down and out in the corporate world. Revenue has always been an accurate measure of business success. The number of pounds, Euros, dollars – or your currency of choice – added to the bottom line denoted your exact status in business terms. Those with big bank balances had more money to invest and spend on attracting and retaining customers. Special offers could be marketed and customer loyalty gained as a result. Those that struggled financially could…

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Chromebooks may have gotten off to a slow start, but they’re gaining ground fast. See what benefits they might offer your business.  The Chromebook was initially met with scorn and mockery. That has changed. Running on a foundation of Linux and selling at a price point nearly anyone can afford, the Chromebook has finally hit its stride. As of this writing, the top two best-selling laptops on Amazon are: Acer C720 Chromebook Samsung 11.6 Chromebook In fact, six of the top 20 best-selling laptops are Chromebooks. There’s a reason for…

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The 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement includes new requirements for preserving the accuracy of WHOIS records that run afoul of EU privacy protections, and introduce potential security vulnerabilities.  At the beginning of 2014, the terms of the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement went into effect, bringing with it a flurry of unintended consequences. With an increased focus on keeping WHOIS records up to date, registrars are now being held to higher standards in verifying the information supplied by registrants. The proscribed way in which verification occurs is ham-fisted,…

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By 2020 the IoT Will Include 26 Billion Units, Creating New Challenges for All Aspects of the Data Center. Data Center Trends to be Discussed at the Gartner Infrastructure, Operations and Data Center Summit 2014, May 21-22 in Sydney The Internet of Things (IoT) has a potential transformational effect on the data center market, its customers, technology providers, technologies, and sales and marketing models, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner estimates that the IoT will include 26 billion units installed by 2020, and by that time, IoT product and service suppliers will…

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Digital Business Will Reshape the Service Provider Landscape Key Issues Facing IT Services Industry to Be Examined at Gartner Sourcing & Strategic Vendor Relationships Summits 2014, June 2-3 in London and September 10-12 in Orlando, Florida. Torrential changes will reshape the service provider landscape over the next several years as organizations struggle to adjust to a digital future, according to Gartner, Inc. A recent global survey of CIOs by Gartner’s Executive Programs found that 70 percent of CIOs will change their technology and sourcing relationships in the next two to…

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LONDON and PRAGUE, 18 March 2014 — According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Europe, Middle East and Africa Quarterly Security Appliance Tracker, 4Q14 vendor revenue for the EMEA security appliance market reached $688.5 million, a 0.4% decrease over the same quarter a year ago. Shipments declined by 8.7% year on year with 185,019 units shipped. For 2013, the security appliance market vendor revenue totalled about $2.5 billion, representing a 2.4% increase over 2012. IDC currently forecasts the security appliance market to reach nearly $4.2 billion in value by 2018,…

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More than 45% of users who manage their finances via the Internet are sure their bank will refund them if money is stolen from their online account. This was the finding from the Consumer Security Risks Survey 2013 conducted by the analytical company B2B International in collaboration with Kaspersky Lab. This confidence among customers has the potential to impact on the business of financial organizations, who can suffer both monetary and reputational damages in the event of cyber theft. Kaspersky Security Network data shows that Kaspersky Lab products protected some…

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Quietly and efficiently, Deutsche Telekom is going about its plan to become the market leader in all CEE countries it is present in by 2018. This month we have already seen it acquire the remaining 39.23% stake in T-Mobile Czech Republic from the private equity group Mid Europa Partners (MEP) for €800 million. What is more, it has been reported that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has signed a memorandum approving the sale of the 49% stake in Slovak Telecom currently owned by the state to Deutsche Telekom, Once the…

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Smartphones Accounted for 57.6 Percent of Total Sales in Fourth Quarter of 2013. Sales of Android Phones to Approach One Billion in 2014. Worldwide sales of smartphones to end users totaled 968 million units in 2013, an increase of 42.3 percent from 2012 (see Table 1), according to Gartner, Inc. Sales of smartphones accounted for 53.6 percent of overall mobile phone sales in 2013, and exceeded annual sales of feature phones for the first time.     Table 1 Worldwide Smartphone Sales to End Users by Vendor in 2013 (Thousands of…

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