It should have become clear by now, that AI technology has the potential both to create opportunity and to drive significant disruption, since it is a foundational catalyst for advanced process automation and human augmentation and engagement.

AnyMind Group announced the launch of AnyFactory, a cloud manufacturing platform that connects individuals and businesses with factories across Asia.

With their smartphone, customers hold a small “supercomputer” in their hands every day, which is why brands and retailers should start to play with the possibilities of the digital commerce environment in traditional brick-and-mortar retail.

The so-called smart mirror technology provides a good example of how the boundaries between online and offline experience start to blur. These interactive mirrors suggest to customers outfit combinations directly in the changing room, among other things, based on the clothes they have taken to try on. These can then be loaded onto the smartphone, for example, using a QR code scan. The items can then be bought either directly in the store or later online. Another good example is the smart shop window, which gives customers an exceptional shopping experience - even outside opening hours.

Like hardly any other topic, the digital transformation is currently shaping public discussion in the communications industry, but operationally it has barely reached the marketing, PR, and social media departments, yet. Only a minority is currently using future technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain or mixed reality (MR). This is now confirmed by an international survey of 155 communication managers, designed and carried out by the Macromedia University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with the PR agency cocodibu. The so-called “Values & Visions 2030” study is planned to be conducted on a regular basis in the future with different focuses.

Often, high-quality live streams only run reliably in wired networks and providers and consumers can only dream of a smooth live transmission on mobile devices. Limitations and price concerns often lead to disappointments. The more excited companies should be about the early introduction of area-wide 5G technology that offers revolutionary possibilities in communication. 5G networks transmit information faster, regardless of cable connections and providers. The technology provides the necessary bandwidth, reduces latency and connection breaks, enables the delivery of streams with up to 8K via mobile Internet and thus ensures more independence on all sides. For communicators and marketers, 5G means that they can provide their target groups with exciting video content in convincing quality, affecting several areas:

Criteo just announced global availability of its marketing solution for traffic generation, which helps advertisers connect with new audiences to drive engagement and increased website traffic.

Previously in beta testing with over 750 clients, Criteo’s Traffic Generation solution enables marketers to influence prospective users in high-intent moments as they research, compare and consider different brands.

In 2018, IDC forecasted investment in VR and AR to reach around 20 billion dollars by 2022 and that both technologies will be key to companies' digital transformation plans. Big technology companies were indeed working hard on the development of headsets (and still do) that can function without cables and allow images to be seen in HD: VR headsets in 8K with much more powerful processors. There is even talk that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be more and more integrate and the latest 5G standard will provide very interesting scenarios for the evolution of VR. For sure, this standard will allow more devices and large user communities to be connected, but most importantly, consumers will receive images in real time, almost as if they were seeing them with their own eyes, thanks to the latest 5G technology.

People love to share their stories with other people - especially when they are emotionally touched – and it is called social sharing in the language of the web. Besides the fact of sharing, it also serves to organize feelings: negative feelings can be mitigated by talking about them and that provides relief; positive feelings, on the other hand, can be amplified and prolonged by talking about them. Content with low emotional value is rarely shared with others, whereas highly emotional content is very often shared and best conveyed by telling stories.

A breakthrough in the development of quantum-enhanced optical systems could pave the way for advances in encryption, communication and measurement, scientists say.

In a new paper published in the journal Science Advances, a group of researchers, led by Matteo Clerici at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering and colleagues from the UK, Japan and Germany, demonstrates a new method of generating and detecting quantum-entangled photons at a wavelength of 2.1 micrometers.

Only a few seconds decide whether a consumer reads a message or clicks it away immediately. Images help to make consumers perceive content in the first place as our brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than pure text. It is proven that three days after people have read information, they usually only remember 10% of the content; however, if the same information is conveyed with relevant images, the proportion increases to 65%. The magic word is therefore 'visual storytelling', which is highly effective in a skillful combination of image and text.

A new study from Juniper Research found that global spending on digital commerce will fall by 14% in 2020 as lockdowns and reductions in consumer spend are felt. Spending will fall from $11.2 trillion in 2019 to $9.7 trillion.

As the entire world is scrambling to come back to normalcy under the COVID-19 pandemic-induced social distancing guidelines, brick-and-mortar retailers are shifting gears to rapidly embrace digital technologies to bridge the physical distance and navigate the crisis. With increased competition from e-commerce, reduced foot traffic and low consumer confidence, the need to build digital capabilities is now or never for physical retail stores, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Microsoft Corp. and Genesys have expanded their partnership to provide enterprises with a new cloud service for contact centers that enables them to deliver superior interactions for customers.

With the omnichannel customer experience solution, Genesys Engage™, running on Microsoft Azure, enterprises have the security and scalability they need to manage the complexities involved with connecting every touchpoint throughout the customer journey.

It is well known that social media is the perfect way to increase the awareness of brands and products, besides connecting with the right target group.

But how can social media engagement and community management be quantified to improve the performance of a service offering?