Skepticism remains high among chief technology officers that moving their entire enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to the cloud will be of any real benefit, much less reduce complexity. Although this skepticism remains constant, some companies are finding that noncritical components of their ERP systems benefit significantly from moving to the cloud simply because of reduced costs, but in reality, reducing the complexity of managing an ERP system takes more than simply changing the location of the software used to power the ERP system. Historically, ERP systems have remained on…

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We’ve been hearing a steady drumbeat about the Internet of Things (IoT) in 2015, and as we approach the New Year, an expanding array of connected devices is poised to make an incredible impact on the technology landscape. One of the most interesting ways in which the IoT stands ready to influence the realm of business involves a technology that has been around for quite some time and is long past the hype cycle: customer relationship management (CRM). At its annual Dreamforce conference in September, Salesforce.com announced the launch of…

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Enterprise resource planning, or ERP, systems are critical to the business operations of many companies, despite their notorious reputation for failed deployments and expensive maintenance plans. ERP is used to track important data — usually related in some way to an organization’s financial performance —across the enterprise. It links departments and gives employees a more insightful view of the company’s operations, ultimately allowing them to make better and faster business decisions. Many ERP systems are deeply entrenched in organizations, and their core technologies are mature — yet, ERP is in…

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IBM and the University of Michigan are working on a conversational computing system that will transform human-machine communication. How would you like to have a conversation with your computer to plan your vacation or to do your taxes, or literally hold a discussion with your car about the best way to get home through traffic? Well, if a new project from IBM and the University of Michigan goes as planned, that may not be so far off. Sure, it is possible to “talk” to PCs, cars, smartphones and other devices…

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Startup of the Week We are constantly profiling innovative Startups with great ideas for the digital economy.  Each week, we are going to present you the ones we find most exciting. We focus on their disruptive ideas, digital vision and business model. Learning early on what customers think about the products and services offered by your company is a decisive factor for success. Companies gain such insights by means of market research and direct feedback from customers. Processing this data often requires, in any case,  resources that aren’t readily available…

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